All We Imagine as Light

The second movie in my double feature at the Broadway yesterday was All We Imagine as Light.  I have been eager to see it ever since it won the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes this year and it did not disappoint because I loved it.  Prabha (Kani Kusruti) and Anu (Divya Prabha) are nurses who live together in Mumbai.  Prabha is very reserved and conscientious so, even though she is lonely because her husband abandoned her to work in Germany immediately after their arranged marriage and has not contacted her for over a year, she refuses the advances of a doctor (Azees Nedumangad) at the hospital.  Anu is more uninhibited and is having a secret affair with a Muslim named Shiaz (Hridhu Haroon) even though she worries that her parents and Prabha will disapprove.  Parvaty (Chhaya Kadam) is a cook at the hospital who is being forced out of her apartment by greedy property developers who want to demolish it to build a skyscraper.  When she decides to move back to her village on the coast, Prabha and Anu travel with her to help her get settled and both of them find release.  As much as I loved the theme of female empowerment, I was very intrigued by the examination of loneliness and how people often feel alone while living in a large city full of people.  This is portrayed with gorgeous shots of Mumbai at night with voice over narration from anonymous inhabitants about life in the city along with many shots featuring the women traveling alone in a crowd on public transportation.  The shift from the darkness of the city to the dazzling light of the village is striking (the cinematography in both locations is beautiful) and the scenes of revelation for both of the women are incredibly compelling (I was blown away by the magical realism in one and moved by the sensuality in the other).  The performances are subtle and the pacing is slow but it is still very powerful and I cannot recommend it enough!

Hard Truths

Yesterday I took a break from Sundance for a double feature at the Broadway.  I have been looking forward to both movies for a long time and I didn't want to take a chance on them leaving before I could see them (and I wasn't particularly excited about any of the films screening at Sundance yesterday).  I began with Hard Truths and I found this poignant character study to be very thought-provoking.  Pansy Deacon (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) suffers from extreme anxiety and she is annoyed by just about everything.  She gives vent to her to all of her frustrations with everyone she interacts with but mostly her husband Curtley (David Webber) and her twenty-two-year-old son Moses (Tuwaine Barrett) who are both so cowed by her they no longer react to her rants.  Her younger sister Chantelle (Michele Austin), a single mother with a loving relationship with her daughters Kayla (Ani Nelson) and Aleisha (Sophia Brown), repeatedly invites her and her family to spend Mother's Day with them.  However, the visit is fraught with tension and, in a heated exchange, Pansy tells them she knows they all hate her.  She is moved to tears when Moses gives her flowers for Mother's Day but, despite the fact that her family loves her, they don't know how to help her be happy.  There were several audible groans at the abrupt ending but, despite the fact that I also wanted some catharsis, I think it is an incredibly accurate look at the reality of mental illness and what it does to the person suffering and to the people who love them.  I was intrigued by the juxtaposition between Pansy and Chantelle (and their houses) because it shows that children in the same family are impacted by trauma, in this case an absent father and an overly critical mother, differently.  Jean-Baptiste gives an incredible performance because, even though Pansy is so antagonistic, she is also highly sympathetic and her points are often valid (Why do baby clothes have pockets?) which creates many moments of unexpected humor.  I was also struck by Webber's nuanced performance because my opinion of Curtley frequently changed.  I was angry with him when he refuses to comfort Pansy as she cries but I also felt so much pity for him when Pansy refuses to help him after an injury.  Is Pansy so unhappy because Curtley doesn't respond to her or is Curtley so closed off because Pansy has pushed him away?  I know I will be thinking about this movie for a long time and I highly recommend it.

The Book of Mormon at the Eccles

Watching The Book of Mormon in Sal Tlay Ka Siti is so much fun because audiences here get all of the jokes!  I saw the Broadway touring production again last night at the Eccles Theatre and I don't think I stopped laughing the whole time!  After spending some time at the Missionary Training Center learning how to preach the gospel around the world ("Hello"), Elder Price (Sam McLellan) and Elder Cunningham (Diego Enrico) are called to serve in a remote village in Uganda.  Elder Price is very disappointed in the location because he had hoped to go to Orlando, the most wonderful and magical place on Earth.  He is also disappointed in his companion because Elder Cunningham has a tendency to lie to compensate for his low self-esteem.  However, he soon realizes that he will be a great missionary no matter the circumstances ("You and Me But Mostly Me").  When they meet their fellow missionaries in Africa, they get some advice about dealing with any unusual feelings they might be having ("Turn it Off") and they soon realize that Africa is nothing like The Lion King because the villagers are more concerned with poverty, famine, AIDS, and a violent warlord than with their message ("An American Prophet").  Elder Price gets discouraged and decides to go home but, when the chief's daughter Nabulungi (Keke Nesbitt) shows some interest because she wants to leave Africa and go to paradise ("Sal Tlay Ka Siti"), Elder Cunningham must teach her on his own ("Man Up").  He has never actually read The Book of Mormon because it is boring so he begins embellishing it with references to The Matrix, Star Wars, Star Trek, and The Lord of the Rings ("Making Things Up Again") and eventually baptizes Nabulungi ("Baptize Me") and then the rest of the village.  Meanwhile, Elder Price decides to return after having a dream about being in Hell with Jeffrey Dahmer, Genghis Khan, Hitler, and people who drink Starbucks coffee ("Spooky Mormon Hell Dream").  Even though they get in trouble for their false teachings, they see that they have made the lives of the villagers better so they decide to stay and even send missionaries out to teach The Book of Arnold ("Hello Reprise").  In my opinion, this is an absolutely hilarious satire that exaggerates what is already humorous about the religion but people could definitely find it offensive because it is outrageous and often very inappropriate (there is a lot of profanity).  However, my audience seemed to feel as I do because it was one of the most enthusiastic I've seen and the laughter was sometimes louder than the actors, especially during "Sal Tlay Ka Siti."  In addition to the humor, the sets and costumes are visually stunning, the musical numbers are very catchy, and the choreography is incredible, especially in "Turn it Off" (I always enjoy tap dancing) and "I Am Africa."  The performances of the three leads are fantastic but Craig Franke steals the show as Elder McKinley, a missionary trying to pretend that he is not gay.  I had a blast watching this but I suggest doing a little research before buying tickets (which may be purchased here) to make sure it is something you would enjoy.  It runs at the Eccles Theatre through January 26.

Wolf Man

I really enjoyed Leigh Whannell's fresh take on a classic monster in The Invisible Man so I was eager to see his interpretation of another one in Wolf Man.  I saw it last night and, even though it is not as good as the previous movie, I thought it was pretty solid (I jumped a foot out of my seat during one particular scene).  When a hiker goes missing in the remote mountains of Oregon it is believed that he was attacked and infected by an animal so Grady Lovell (Sam Jaeger) goes to extreme measures to keep his young son Blake (Zac Chandler) safe from a mysterious humanoid figure he sees in the forest.  Thirty years later, Grady is declared legally dead after also disappearing in the forest so Blake (Christopher Abbott), who now lives in San Francisco with his wife Charlotte (Julia Garner) and daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth), returns to Oregon with his family to clear out his house.  While driving through the forest, a creature forces them off the road and scratches Blake's arm but the three of them are able to make it to Grady's isolated house and barricade themselves inside.  Charlotte and Ginger are terrified of the monster outside but they soon realize that Blake might be a bigger threat.  There is a heavy-handed message about becoming so afraid that the ones you love will be hurt that you actually become what hurts them (it is reiterated so many times) but I like how it plays out in the resolution.  The light and sound design is very atmospheric, especially the distortion that occurs when the POV shifts back and forth between Blake and Charlotte as he transforms, and the creature design is incredibly unsettling even if it doesn't resemble a traditional werewolf or incorporate any of the mythology.  There are some effective jump scares and Whannell does a good job building tension (a scene involving the creature's breath is absolutely spine-tingling) but the big twist in the narrative is pretty much telegraphed from the opening sequence and is somewhat underwhelming.  Finally, Abbott and Garner give great performances individually but they lack chemistry together.  There are definitely issues but I enjoyed seeing a different approach to a well-known character and I would recommend this.

Little Women at HCT

Last night I went to see the musical Little Women at HCT and I loved it so much! The March sisters, Jo (Scout Smith), Meg (Kat Hawley Cook), Beth (Julia Bradford), and Amy (Olivia Shelton), come of age in Concord, Massachusetts during and after the Civil War. We first meet Jo when she is in New York City pursuing her dream of becoming a writer.  When Professor Bhaer (Landon Horton), another resident at her boardinghouse, tells her that she should write about what she knows rather than the sensational pieces she has been submitting to magazines, there are flashbacks to the trials and triumphs of her adolescence with her sisters and mother "Marmee" (Claire Kenny), her neighbor Theodore "Laurie" Lawrence (Weston Wright), his grandfather Mr. Lawrence (Mark Knowles), and her Aunt March (Jen Kroff). My favorite character from the novel by Louisa May Alcott has always been Jo because she is so fiery and independent and Smith perfectly embodies these qualities, especially in the scene where she rejects Laurie's proposal and in the scene where Aunt March tells she won't be going to Europe with her. She has a beautiful voice and she is incredibly powerful in "Astonishing" and "The Fire Within Me" and her emotional version of "Some Things Are Meant to Be" with Bradford had me in tears. However, I think my favorite moment came during "The Weekly Volcano Press" when she reads one of her sensational stories to Professor Bhaer as it is acted out by all of the other characters because she mouths the dialogue and pantomimes the action in a hilariously over the top performance. There are a lot of other memorable moments from the rest of the cast as well, including a heartfelt performance of "Here Alone" from Kenny, a moment of vulnerability from Knowles during "Off to Massachusetts," and a delightful version of "Take a Chance On Me" from Wright who is as irrepressible as a puppy (the girls sitting near me were very taken with him and eagerly read his bio aloud during intermission). The set, which rotates on a turntable to reveal the parlor in the March home on one side and the attic and various locations on the other side, is lovely and the staircases connecting the two areas are used in very innovative ways, particularly in the choreography for "Five Forever." I also really loved the projections of Jo's writing and Amy's paintings (watch the pages located on the proscenium arch very carefully before the show). Finally, the costumes are absolutely exquisite with beautifully embellished fabrics. My favorite is the dress Jo wears to Sallie Moffat's ball because it features gorgeous appliqued flowers (and a scorch mark in the back). I thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful production and I am sure that fans of the classic novel will love it as much as I did. It runs on the Sorenson Legacy Jewel Box Stage through May 3 and tickets may be purchased here but, as always, act quickly because many shows are sold out.

Utah Opera's Hansel and Gretel

Last night I went to see Utah Opera's production of Hansel and Gretel because it is an opera that I had never seen before.  Everything about this production is extremely well done but it just wasn't for me.  Hansel (Sarah Coit) and Gretel (Maureen McKay) are left alone in their cottage in the woods to make brooms and darn socks, respectively, but Hansel complains that he is hungry and there is nothing to eat so Gretel distracts him by getting him to dance with her.  Mother (Aubrey Adams-McMillan) comes home and is angry that they have not completed their work and, when she attempts to spank them, she breaks the jug containing the cream she was going to use to make rice pudding for their dinner.  She sends them out into the woods to gather strawberries as punishment and then despairs that she cannot feed her children.  Father (Gabriel Preisser) returns with a feast because he was able to sell his brooms to the wealthy who are cleaning for an upcoming festival.  They celebrate but Father becomes worried when he hears that the children are in the woods and tells Mother about the evil witch who turns children into gingerbread and then eats them.  After Hansel and Gretel encounter woodland creatures, they begin picking strawberries but, when they eat all of them, they realize that they can't go home without picking more but it gets dark and they get lost.  The Sandman (Sarah Scofield) visits them to help them go to sleep and, after saying a prayer, fourteen angels gather to protect them through the night.  In the morning a Dew Fairy (Stephanie Chee) wakes them up and they soon find a large house made of gingerbread.  Hansel is so hungry he begins nibbling on it and is caught by a witch (Freddie Ballentine).  She tries to lure them into her oven but they trick her and push her inside, instead.  They also rescue all of the gingerbread children who were trapped by the witch and bring them back to life before being reunited with their Mother and Father.  Coit and McKay have amazing voices, especially in the incredibly beautiful "Evening Benediction" before Hansel and Gretel go to sleep in the woods (it gave me goosebumps), and I really enjoyed their physical performances during the folk dances in Act 1 and when the witch controls their movements in Act 3.  Ballentine steals the show with his over the top comedic performance (but I would really love to see him in a dramatic role because I loved his voice) and the children (the dancers from Children's Ballet Theatre who portray the woodland animals and the angels and the Choristers of The Madeleine Choir School who portray the gingerbread children) are wonderful.  The sets and costumes are magical and the special effects are a lot of fun, particularly the broom that chases the witch across the stage.  The score by Engelbert Humperdinck, which incorporates folk music into its themes, is lovely.  However, with the exception of "Evening Benediction," I didn't find any of the songs particularly memorable and the story feels like a simple fairy tale that has been extended and embellished to make a full-length opera and it really drags in some places (I kept waiting for the witch to appear).  To be fair, I definitely prefer tragic operas to comedic ones so others may appreciate this more than I did.  It runs through January 26 and tickets may be purchased here.

Twilight Marathon

When I noticed that an inordinate number of my students were reading the same book with a distinctive black cover, I was really curious because getting them to read for pleasure was a hard sell and I wanted to know what had them all so enthralled.  I asked one of my classes and then immediately went to my computer to order a copy of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.  They all told me to order New Moon at the same time because I would definitely want to read it as soon as I was finished with Twilight but I decided to see if I liked it before ordering the next one.  The book came on a Friday and I ended up staying up all night to finish it (then drove to Barnes & Noble and waited an hour in the parking lot for it to open so I could get New Moon and pre-order Eclipse).  Since I enjoyed the books, I was really excited for each of the movies to come out and I saw all five of them at midnight screenings.  I have to admit that I love them and binge watching them is a guilty pleasure so, of course, I had to go to a Twilight marathon at the Megaplex with my sister Kristine yesterday.  We had so much fun at the Harry Potter marathon last summer so we were really excited for this one because it was considerably shorter (only 12 hours instead of 22).  The set-up at the theater was very similar to the Harry Potter marathon and, once again, I was really impressed with how organized everything was because checking in and ordering concessions was quick and easy despite the large crowd (six theaters were in use at the Legacy Crossing location). Our audience was very animated with lots of cheering whenever Jacob appears without a shirt (which is most of the time) and whenever Edward appears in the sun.  There was also a lot of laughing when the Quileutes turn into wolves and when we first see baby Renesmee (the CGI is admittedly pretty bad).  What I noticed most when watching these movies on the big screen again was how much I love the music, especially "Supermassive Black Hole" by Muse, "Decode" by Paramore, and "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" by Iron & Wine in Twilight, "Possibility" by Lykke Li and "Meet Me on the Equinox" by Death Cab for Cutie in New Moon, "Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever)" by Muse in Eclipse, "From Now On" by The Features, "I Didn't Mean It" by The Belle Brigade, "It Will Rain" by Bruno Mars, and "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri in Breaking Dawn Part One, and "The Forgotten" by Green Day in Breaking Dawn Part Two (I remembered the words to all of these songs even though I hadn't heard them in a long time).  I think I love these movies so much because they are a form of escapism and spending my Saturday escaping from the world was really fun (and much needed).  Kristine and I can't wait for the next marathon at the Megaplex (we are hoping for The Hunger Games).

Nickel Boys

I was very moved by Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Nickel Boys so I was eager to see the movie adaptation Nickel Boys by director RaMell Ross.  I was hoping that it would get a wider release after the fall film festivals and, luckily, it is now playing at the Broadway.  I had the chance to see it last night and the more I think about it the more I love it.  Elwood Curtis (Ethan Herisse) is an idealistic Black teenager living in Tallahassee, Florida with his grandmother Hattie (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) during the era of segregation.  He is inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr. to participate in the Civil Rights Movement and by his history teacher Mr. Hill (Jimmie Fails) to enroll in college courses.  He is picked up by a man driving a stolen car while hitchhiking to campus and, when the man is pulled over by police, he is unjustly arrested as his accomplice.  Because he is a minor, he is sent to the reform school Nickel Academy where he befriends a cynical student named Turner (Brandon Wilson).  Elwood soon discovers that the academy is both cruel and corrupt after he is brutally whipped for defending a student who is being bullied and when he and other students are hired out as slave labor.  They come to suspect that a student has been executed and buried on the property but, when  Elwood wants to expose the academy to a visiting government inspector so that conditions will improve, Turner advises him to keep his head down.  He does not listen and is severely punished.  Many years later, Turner is inspired by Elwood to come forward after mass graves are discovered at the academy.  This features a non-linear structure and the narrative is told through the first person POVs of Elwood and Turner (the audience only sees what they see) with lots of archival footage of the Black experience during this time period interspersed in between.  It took me a little while to adjust to this but eventually something clicked and I realized that I was actually experiencing everything that the two characters do.  It was both visceral and powerful.  The images on the screen are hauntingly beautiful and the performances by Herisse and Wilson are incredibly compelling even if some of the scenes are difficult to watch.  I don't think I have ever seen anything like this before and I highly recommend it but I will say that those who have not read the book might not understand everything that is happening.

The Brutalist

Last night I went to an early screening of The Brutalist at the Broadway with my nephew (I sure do love going to movies with him) and I think it is an epic masterpiece.  Laszlo Toth (Adrien Brody) is a Hungarian Jew who emigrates to the United States after surviving the Holocaust while separated from his wife Erzsebet (Felicity Jones) and niece Zsofia (Raffey Cassidy).  He lands in New York Harbor but soon travels to Philadelphia where he is taken in by his cousin Atilla (Alessandro Nivola), who has become very assimilated and has an American (and Catholic) wife named Audrey (Emma Laird) who does not want him staying with them.  Atilla eventually gives in to Audrey's wishes (and a false claim that Lazslo made advances to her) and asks him to leave.  He becomes a heroin addict while working a construction job and living in a shelter run by the Catholic church but soon meets a wealthy, but mercurial, industrialist named Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce) who knows of his reputation as an innovative architect before the war.  He proposes that Laszlo design a large project as a memorial to his mother and offers to help facilitate the immigration of his wife and niece as an incentive.  Laszlo is reunited with his family and moves to Van Buren's vast estate as work on the elaborate community center begins.  The project is fraught with complications including the last minute addition of a chapel, Van Buren's insistence on having another architect supervise the work, the derision of Van Buren's arrogant son Harry (Joe Alwyn), and the derailment of a train carrying materials which is blamed on Laszlo.  However, it is a violent encounter with Van Buren that ultimately dooms the project.  Many years later, at a retrospective of Laszlo's work in Venice, it is revealed that the community center was eventually completed and now stands as a monument to him rather than Van Buren.  I was absolutely riveted (despite a runtime of over three hours) by this bold exploration of the immigrant experience and I loved how Laszlo's first distorted view of the Statue of Liberty, which is often called a symbol of the American dream, foreshadows what is to come.  Brody is utterly captivating with an emotional performance that, in my opinion, is the best of 2024, especially in an incredibly intense scene where Lazslo tells Van Buren that his buildings will be his legacy, but I was also impressed with Pearce because he is the perfect embodiment of Van Buren's privilege juxtaposed with Laszlo's suffering.  I could not look away whenever the two of them appear on screen together.  The production design is immersive, particularly Laszlo's innovative buildings, and the cinematography is dazzling (it was filmed in VistaVision).  I even loved the titles because they mimic Brutalist architecture.  Finally, I was blown away by the score by Daniel Blumberg, especially the continuous music in the ten minute opening sequence, because the repetition of a four note motif (by the brass and the piano among other instruments) is so evocative.  I cannot recommend this enough!

Note:  Watching this felt like an event because the theater was packed and the structure of the movie (which includes an overture and an intermission) is a throwback to the way movies used to be presented.

Dial M for Murder at PTC

I love the movie Dial M for Murder (I'm a big fan of Alfred Hitchcock) so I was really excited to see a new adaptation by Jeffrey Hatcher at PTC last night. This version is still set in the 1950s but there is an update that intensifies the motivations of the characters and I found the whole production to be incredibly compelling. Tony Wendice (Dan Domingues) blackmails his old college friend Lesgate (Aaron Cammack) into killing his wife Margot (Awesta Zarif) for her money after he discovers that she is having an affair with a crime writer named Maxine Hadley (Lucy Lavely). However, all of his elaborate plans go awry when Margot kills Lesgate instead and he must improvise to make Margot culpable for the murder. Will Margot, Maxine, and Inspector Hubbard (Peter Howard) be able to expose Tony as the mastermind before it is too late? This is an incredibly intense psychological thriller because it is not so much about "whodunnit" but about how the plot will be unraveled. Every aspect of the production adds to the tension and I especially loved the set, which features a well appointed living room surrounded by discolored mirrors that distort the contents within and a murky scrim through which you can see the all-important staircase on the other side of the door, and the dramatic lighting, which uses light and shadow to great effect (especially in the scene where Tony is compelling Lesgate to do his bidding because Tony's shadow looms over Lesgate and it is so ominous). I was also impressed with the sound design because hearing Maxine's interview on the radio during the attack sequence creates a sense of unease that is palpable. The pacing is absolutely brilliant because, despite the heavy reliance on dialogue, my attention never wavered as more and more secrets are slowly revealed (the audience gasped out loud during a particularly heated scene). The cast is uniformly exceptional and it is difficult to single anyone out but I had a lot of fun watching Dominigues subtly manipulate everyone around him with a smirk on his face (he is such a cad) and Howard bumble around with an overwrought delivery (he is the source of much comic relief) until he reveals himself to be Tony's equal in manipulation. Finally, I think having Margot's lover be a woman (the biggest change from the original play by Frederick Knott) really ups the stakes for her and provides a more persuasive motive for the lengths she goes to hide the affair. I thoroughly enjoyed this and, if you are a fan of suspense, I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs at PTC through January 25.

The Last Showgirl

Last night my nephew and I went to see The Last Showgirl at the Broadway.  I was really eager to see this because of everything I had heard about Pamela Anderson's performance and it is definitely the highlight of the movie.  Shelly Gardner (Anderson) has been a dancer in a Las Vegas revue called Le Razzle Dazzle for over thirty years.  Her much younger castmates Mary-Anne (Brenda Song) and Jodie (Kiernan Shipka) see the show as just a way to earn money but she thinks of it as a glamorous career in an iconic show where she feels beautiful and seen.  However, when she learns that show will be closing permanently very soon, she must come to terms with the effect her career has had on the relationship with her estranged daughter Hannah (Billie Lourd) and with the fact that she has only been deluding herself that she is a star after a disappointing audition for another director (Jason Schwartzman).  I really loved the exploration of what it means to follow a dream even when that dream requires sacrifices or is derided by others and I found the ending to be almost triumphant even though Shelly's future remains uncertain.  I also liked the examination of how society treats women when they age (this would be a great double feature with The Substance), especially in the scenes involving Shelly's friend and former castmate Annette (Jamie Lee Curtis).  Anderson gives the performance of her career and, as a woman who was herself sexualized in most of her acting roles and then discarded, she brings an authenticity to the role that is incredibly poignant.  I particularly loved her vulnerability in the audition scene.  I was also really impressed by Dave Bautista as Eddie, the producer of the revue, but I found Curtis to be too over the top.  Unfortunately, the script is quite weak with ambiguous relationships that I wish had been explored more fully and much of the already short runtime is taken up with artistic shots of Shelly standing in front of various locations (I get that this is supposed to represent the real Las Vegas that tourists don't see but the repetition becomes tedious).  Much like with Maria, I really loved the central performance but didn't necessarily love the movie.

Ragtime at The Ruth

I really love the musical Ragtime so I was thrilled to be able to see it last night in the Scott & Karen Smith Grand Theater at The Ruth.  It is an amazing production (and the theater isn't too shabby, either).  This show tells the story of America at the turn of the 20th Century from the perspectives of three different groups of people.  Mother (Amy Shreeve Keeler) is the matriarch of an upper-class family living in the suburb of New Rochelle when Father (Christopher Higbee) leaves on a voyage to the North Pole and she is forced to make decisions for the first time in her life.  Tateh (Taylor Morris) is an Eastern European Jew who brings his daughter to America hoping for a better life.  Coalhouse Walker, Jr. (Yahosh Bonner) is a Harlem piano player looking for justice after the death of his fiance Sarah (Brittany Andam).  Their stories converge along with those of the most notable figures of the day, including the illusionist Harry Houdini (Clayton Barney), a showgirl named Evelyn Nesbit (Morgan Fenner) who gets caught up in the Crime of the Century, the Black leader Booker T. Washington (Chad Brown), the financier J.P. Morgan (Bradley Moss), the inventor of the Model-T Henry Ford (Trevor B. Dean), and the anarchist Emma Goldman (Marcie Jacobsen), with ragtime music as a metaphor for the dramatic changes taking place in American life before World War I.  The entire cast is outstanding but I especially enjoyed Bonner and Andam because they sing "Sarah Brown Eyes," my favorite song in the show, so beautifully (the two of them also just about blow the roof off the brand new theater with their powerful rendition of "Wheels of a Dream") and I found Bonner's performance of "Make Them Hear You" and Andam's performance of "Your Daddy's Son" to be incredibly stirring.  I was also really impressed with Keeler because she sings "Back to Before," another one of my favorites from the show, with so much emotion.  Speaking of emotion, the ensemble brought tears to my eyes during "Till We Reach That Day" because it is so affecting.  The dynamic staging and choreography really add to the storytelling, especially in "Ragtime" as the various groups circle around each other, in "Journey On" as Father and Tateh arrive and depart from New York Harbor as Mother waves to both of them, in "A Shtetl Iz America" as the immigrants arrive at Ellis Island with metal fences that are moved and configured as barriers and then as a gate, and the synchronized movements that mimic an assembly line by the factory workers in "Henry Ford."  I also really loved the energy in "Gettin' Ready Rag" and "Atlantic City."  This new theater features a thrust stage which retains the intimacy of the old theater but allows for more elaborate sets and I liked the use of bricks, glass, and iron girders to represent the industrialization of the age.  Finally, I have always loved HCTO's costumes and this show is no exception.  I especially loved the white Edwardian dresses worn by the women of New Rochelle and Evelyn Nesbit's showgirl costume.  Every aspect of this production is extremely well done and I highly recommend it (you definitely do not want to miss out on being a part of The Ruth's inaugural show).  It runs through February 22 and tickets may be purchased here.

Note:  I thoroughly enjoyed seeing shows at the quirky HCTO theater but I have to admit the the new theater is much more comfortable (lots of leg room).

Titanic The Musical at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse

I loved HCT's production of Titanic The Musical so much I saw it twice! I was, therefore, really intrigued by the concert edition of this show now being performed at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse. I saw it last night and, while it doesn't have the same technical wizardry as HCT's version, it is beautiful and very moving. This musical tells the story of the doomed maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic from the perspectives of the different groups on board. The White Star Line is represented by the designer Thomas Andrews, the owner J. Bruce Ismay, and the captain E.J. Smith who marvel at the ship in the song "The Largest Moving Object." The crew is represented by a stoker named Fred Barrett, the lookout Frederick Fleet, and the telegraph operator Harold Bride who are in awe of it in the song "Ship of Dreams." The third class passengers are represented by Kate McGowan, Kate Murphey, Kate Mullins, and Jim Farrell who are excited to be going to America for a better life in the song "Lady's Maid." The second class passengers, especially Alice Beane, are excited to mingle with the wealthy passengers aboard the ship in the song "Doing the Latest Rag." The first class passengers are represented by John Jacob Astor and his wife Madeline and Isidor Straus and his wife Ida who congratulate themselves on their success in the song "What a Remarkable Age This Is!" Ismay wants the ship to go faster to reach New York Harbor a day sooner for the publicity but that is extremely dangerous and Titanic eventually strikes an iceberg in "No Moon." When it becomes clear that the ship will sink without enough lifeboats for all of the passengers, Andrews, Ismay, and Smith accuse each other in "Blame." Only women and children are allowed on the lifeboats so the men must say goodbye to their loved ones in "We'll Meet Tomorrow." Andrews laments the errors in his design as the ship goes down in "Mr. Andrews' Vision" while the survivors on the Carpathia express hope that they will be reunited with their loved ones in "Godspeed Titanic." This is a stripped down version with a live orchestra on stage and an ensemble cast of twenty, many of whom play several parts, with minimal props (I loved the life preservers and the blankets with Carpathia stenciled on them) and costumes (the fur stoles worn by the first class passengers were my favorites) and a large screen showing actual photos of various locations on the Titanic. Cast members are located on risers behind the orchestra and move to center stage or on platforms on either side to perform the songs (although there is choreography for "Doing the Latest Rag") and I think this is very effective because the emphasis is on the music rather than an elaborate set. The sinking of the ship is not quite as dramatic but it is still powerfully conveyed through sound and lighting design. The cast is wonderful and the standouts for me were Blaine Hickman as Andrews because he is so emotional in "Blame," Cydney Hall as Bride because her physicality and facial expressions are hilarious in "The Night Was Alive," Ben Teeples as Fleet because his voice is so beautiful in "No Moon," April Beardall as Alice because she made me laugh out loud trying to elude the first class steward in "Doing the Latest Rag," and Mary Nakayu as Ida because she is heartbreaking in "Still." I was very impressed with this production and I highly recommend it (there were a lot of empty seats last night and this definitely deserves a big crowd). It runs on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays through February 8 (go here for tickets).

Note:  There is a wonderful display in the lobby with pictures and information about the real people on the Titanic. Make sure to check it out.

The Music of John Williams

Last night I was so excited to hear the music of prolific film composer John Williams performed by the Utah Symphony!  The program was curated by Creative Partner David Robertson and he was full of fun anecdotes about each piece (I think he is really charming and I always like to be in attendance whenever he is the guest conductor).  The orchestra began with the Overture to The Cowboys, which is one of the earliest scores composed by Williams, and I have to admit that I have never seen this movie or heard the score before last night but I really liked it because it is very stirring.  The concert continued with "The Flight to Neverland" from Hook, the Flying Theme from E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, and then "Hedwig's Theme" and "Harry's Wondrous World" from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (which always puts a smile on my face).  After the intermission, the orchestra played "Superman March" from Superman: The Movie, the Main Theme from Jurassic Park (this is one of my favorites because every time I hear it I can visualize Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler seeing the dinosaurs for this first time and this scene is absolutely magical thanks, in large part, to the music composed by Williams), the Main Theme from Schindler's List with the violin solos performed by Concertmaster Madeline Adkins (this was heartbreakingly beautiful and the audience leapt to their feet in a standing ovation for Adkins at its conclusion), and the Main Theme from JFK (I loved the snare drum and the fanfare from a solo trumpet).  The concert concluded with the piece I had been waiting for all evening, the instantly recognizable Main Title from Star Wars: A New Hope, and it gave me goosebumps (as it always does).  The encore included "Imperial March" from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (another favorite) and "The Raiders March" from Raiders of the Lost Ark.  I really enjoyed this concert and I highly recommend getting a ticket for tonight's performance of the same program (go here), especially if you are a fan of movies, but act quickly because last night's concert was sold out.

The Fire Inside

My first movie of 2025 was The Fire Inside at the Broadway last night and I definitely picked a good one to begin the year with!  I am a sucker for real-life inspirational sports movies but this subverts the usual formula to focus on what happens after all of the glory.  Eight year old Claressa Shields (Jazmin Headley) runs every day to a boxing gym in Flint, Michigan to escape her dysfunctional home life but the volunteer coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry) doesn't want to train a girl.  He eventually relents when he sees her fierce determination and, five years later, "T-Rex" (Ryan Destiny) is the best boxer in the gym with a chance to go to the 2012 Olympics in London.  Motivated by the opportunity to help her family, she overcomes incredible odds and wins the first women's boxing medal for the USA.  However, the real fight begins after the Olympics when she is unable to find representation or lucrative endorsement deals because the public is not interested in women's sports, especially boxing, and when USA Boxing offers a training stipend that is significantly less than the one for the men even though she was the only boxer to win a gold medal.  This true story is incredibly inspirational but it is also heartbreaking because winning was not enough and, as much as I loved all of the stand up and cheer moments (including the requisite training montage), I was really moved by some of the more poignant ones such as when Claressa silently weeps when she sees all of the other gold medal winners on the Wheaties boxes and when she tries to pawn her gold medal.  Both Destiny and Henry give highly affecting performances and I loved the way their relationship is portrayed because they need each other and inspire each other but they also butt heads in scenes that crackle with energy.  I also really loved the way in which the boxing sequences are filmed because they are dynamic and exciting.  I feel like this movie has been overshadowed by some of the bigger Christmas releases but it is a crowd-pleaser about the power of perseverance and fighting twice as hard for what you want that is definitely worth checking out.  I loved it!