Thriller 2024

After a one year hiatus ODT's Halloween-themed dance extravaganza Thriller is back and this news made me so happy because it is one of my favorite traditions this time of year!  I saw the show at the Grand Theatre (it moved there from Kingsbury Hall) last night and it was so much fun.  All of my favorite dances were back including a group of the undead cavorting in a graveyard in "Thriller," a breakdancing Egyptian mummy and his maidens in "Curse of the Mummy," misbehaving pandas at their first dance recital in "Miss Alli's Nightmare," a Pas de Deux that goes horribly wrong in "Frankenstein & Frankenstein," tap dancing skeletons that glow in the dark in "Dem Bones," a trio of Jasons wielding a variety of weapons in "Jason Jam" (this crowd favorite gets more elaborate every year and it was hilarious last night), scarecrows that are not what they seem in "Children of the Corn," a coven of condemned witches seeking vengeance from beyond the grave in "Salem's Mass" (this is my favorite dance), demonic dolls who come to life in "Chucky-Rama," acrobatic vampires who find an unsuspecting victim walking home alone in "Lost Boys," and a costume parade in "Trick or Treat."  Even though I have seen all of these dances over and over year after year, I still look forward to them with great anticipation and I cheer out loud (like everyone else in the audience) when they begin.  This year there were three new dances.  I really liked "Day-O," a spoof of the possession scene from Beetlejuice, and "Squid Skid," a dance competition with the same rules as Squid Game, but "Covid Cotillion," a dance featuring highly exaggerated performance protocols from the pandemic, wasn't very funny.  The artists from Aeris Aerial Arts joined the company once again and performed "Black Widow" (this was new and it was my favorite), "Full Moon," "Phantom of the Opera," and "Slytherin."  I think these numbers are so much fun to watch because I have no idea how the aerialists do what they do!  Bubbles the Clown was back performing in between numbers but, unfortunately, so was Giggle Girl (I think she is so annoying and needs new material).  There was a huge crowd last night so, if you are thinking about getting a ticket (and I recommend that you do), you need to act fast.  It runs at the Grand Theatre through October 26 and at Tuacahn Amphitheare in St. George from October 28 through November 2 (go here for tickets).

Note:  This is my usual warning to avoid making eye contact with the undead roaming around the theatre before the show.