Dead of Winter

My nephew spontaneously joined me to see the action thriller Dead of Winter last night and we both really liked it (I liked it even more than I thought I would).  Barb Lindquist (Emma Thompson) is a recently widowed woman who runs a bait and tackle shop in northern Minnesota.  She embarks on a solo ice fishing trip to Lake Hilda, where she had her first date with her husband Karl, but gets lost in a blizzard and must ask for directions from a man (Marc Menchaca) at an isolated and dilapidated cabin.  She suspects that something is amiss at the cabin but continues on to the lake and reminisces about past fishing trips with her husband (Thompson's daughter Gaia Wise plays a young Barb and Cuan Hosty-Blaney plays a young Karl in flashbacks).  Her reverie is interrupted when she sees the man from the cabin restraining a young girl (Laurel Marsden) at gunpoint.  She follows them back to the cabin and, when she learns that the man and his wife (Judy Greer) plan to kill the girl (for reasons), she realizes that she is her only hope for rescue.  It was interesting to see Thompson in a role unlike anything she has done before (and initially a bit jarring to hear her speak with a Minnesota accent even though she pulls it off) and I was very impressed with her physical performance, especially during the final confrontation with Greer (also playing against type) on the frozen lake, as well as with the emotional depth she imbues the character without a lot of dialogue.  The action sequences are very compelling because Barb, as an older woman, is forced to use her ingenuity and both the stark winter landscape and the atmospheric score add to the tension.  I am a fan of movies featuring an ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances and this is a really good one.  It is a bit under the radar (we only found one theater showing it in our area) but it is worth seeking out.

Eleanor the Great

Last night my nephew and I returned to the Broadway (I have been there a lot this week) to see Eleanor the Great, Scarlett Johansson's directorial debut, and we both enjoyed it.  Eleanor Morgenstein (June Squibb) moves from Florida back to New York to live with her daughter Lisa (Jessica Hecht) after her longtime best friend Bessie (Rita Zohar) dies unexpectedly.  Her busy and distracted daughter signs her up for a class at the JCC but she accidentally ends up in a Holocaust survivor's support group.  When it is her turn to share with the group, she wants to explain the mistake but, because she feels so welcomed by the members, she tells Bessie's survival story as her own and this gets the attention of Nina (Erin Kellyman), a young journalism student grappling with the recent death of her mother who wants to profile Eleanor for an assignment.  They begin an unlikely friendship which helps Eleanor with her loneliness and Nina with her grief but it is tested when Eleanor's story takes on a life of its own and spirals out of control.  I think Eleanor's actions might be problematic for some, especially since it involves a very sensitive subject, and the resolution is a bit too convenient without much examination but Squibb is undeniably charismatic and delivers such a charming performance (one of her very best) that it compensates for many of the movie's flaws.  I also really enjoyed Kellyman's sensitive performance because it is a very authentic portrayal of grief (a scene where she smells the sweater that belonged to her mother is very moving and brought a tear to my eye) and a monologue by Zohar in the third act is incredibly powerful (I really liked that Bessie is the one talking about her experiences in flashbacks whenever Eleanor tells the story).  Much of this is very conventional, including the cinematography, editing, production design, and score, but I was charmed by the performances and think it is worth seeing for them.

Note:  My nephew was the youngest person in the theater and I was the second youngest!

Peter and the Starcatcher at the Empress Theatre

I think Peter and the Starcatcher is the perfect production for a small community theatre like the Empress because the show uses imagination to tell the backstory of Peter Pan so the set is usually very minimal and the actors pantomime much of the action and use ordinary objects as props like children do while playing make-believe. I saw the Empress Theatre's version last night and I absolutely love what they did with it because it is, well, very imaginative! Lord Aster (Brad A. Goodman), a "starcatcher," travels with a trunk of "starstuff" on a fast ship called The Wasp in order to destroy it before the pirate Back Stache (Alexander Richardson) and his first mate Smee (Gwen Jonsson) can steal it. His daughter Molly (Camille Bassett), an apprentice "starcatcher," is placed on a slower ship, The Neverland, with another trunk as a decoy and meets three orphan boys, including an unnamed boy (Koda Smith), while on board. When Molly discovers that the trunks have been switched, she convinces the orphans to help her complete her father's task. However, Black Stache also discovers the switch and attacks The Neverland which leads to a confrontation on an island, populated by hostile natives and enchanted by the "starstuff," during which Black Stache is transformed into the villain Captain Hook and the boy is transformed into the hero Peter Pan. I was impressed with some really clever staging and choreography, especially when cast members locate their costumes on stage and become their characters in front of the audience, when Black Stache attacks The Neverland with the Jolly Roger flag and uses it in a duel with the Union Jack, and when the crocodile appears from the balcony (with two red lights as eyes and strings of white bunting as teeth). I also loved all of the ingenious props (the model ships in bottles representing The Wasp and The Neverland and the hairbrush used as a microphone are so fun) and costumes (I laughed out loud at the iridescent fans used as mermaid tails and the woven placements worn by the natives). Everyone in the cast, many of whom play multiple roles, brings a childlike sense of wonder to their characters, especially Smith because he is incredibly vulnerable as Peter, Jonsson because she is so hilariously befuddled as Smee, and Zack Anderson because he (this role is always played by a man to great comedic effect) is very silly as Molly's nanny Mrs. Bumbrake. My favorite character in this show is Black Stache and Richardson definitely did not disappoint with his petulant facial expressions and over the top physicality, particularly in the scene when he loses his hand. I love this show (I think it is because, like Peter Pan, I never grew up) and I love this production because, more than any other version I've seen, it really does feel like a group of people who are using their imaginations to tell a story! I definitely recommend getting a ticket (go here) during its run through October 11.

One Battle After Another

I have been trying to keep my expectations in check lately because I have been disappointed by many of my most anticipated movies this year but it was really hard not to be excited for an early screening of One Battle After Another at the Broadway last night.  Luckily the hype for this is real because both my nephew and I loved it!  "Ghetto" Pat Calhoun (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor) are militants in a far-left revolutionary group known as French 75.  When the group rescues migrants from a detention center in California, Perfidia humiliates the commanding officer, Colonel Steven Lockjaw (Sean Penn), and he becomes fixated on her.  Pat and Perfidia begin a relationship and eventually have a daughter they name Charlene.  However, when a mission goes wrong, Lockjaw captures Perfidia which forces Pat and his daughter to go on the run and assume the names Bob and Willa Ferguson.  Lockjaw locates them living in a sanctuary city in Texas sixteen years later and, under the guise of a drug enforcement raid, he dispatches soldiers to capture Willa (Chase Infiniti) for reasons.  Deandra (Regina Hall), a French 75 member, arrives to warn them and Bob turns to Willa's karate sensei, Sergio St. Carlos (Benicio del Toro) for help rescuing her from Lockjaw.  This is an incredible spectacle with lots of twists and turns that kept me completely engaged and fantastic action set pieces that kept me on the edge of my seat, especially a suspenseful chase sequence involving three cars on an undulating road in the desert (the way this is filmed is absolutely brilliant because you never really know where the cars are in relation to each other and I was holding my breath the whole time).  This also had me and the rest of the audience laughing out loud, particularly the interactions between DiCaprio and del Toro and a running bit where Bob cannot remember any of the passwords used by French 75.  As funny as this is, the relationship between Bob and his daughter is really touching and the message about fighting for social justice is powerful.  DiCaprio is always great and Penn really leans into his character's villainy in one of his best performances but I was especially impressed with Infiniti because she delivers on both the emotion and the physicality (I really liked her character's arc).  This is one of Paul Thomas Anderson's most entertaining movies and it is one of my favorites this year.  I highly recommend it!

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey

I was on the fence about A Big Bold Beautiful Journey because the trailer didn't really do it for me but I ultimately decided to see it at the Broadway last night because I really like the director Kogonada (I think After Yang is brilliant) as well as actors Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie.  I should have trusted my instincts because I found this very disappointing.  David (Farrell) and Sarah (Robbie), both unhappy and alone, are compelled to rent the same 1994 Saturn SL from a quirky agency in order to attend an out of town wedding.  They meet and immediately decide that they are all wrong for each other but, when Sarah's car won't start, David offers to drive her home.  However, the GPS device (voiced by Jodie Turner-Smith) directs them to stop at various locations where they find doors that are really portals to various moments from their past, both real and imagined, which provide them with epiphanies intended to help them realize that they belong together.  I have to admit that this kind of movie is not really my thing but I think that even fans of the genre will find this as lifeless and boring as I did.  The premise of going back in time to learn from past mistakes is really intriguing but I could never figure out what the characters were meant to learn from these interludes because there are so many conflicting ideas and the filmmakers clearly think they are more profound than they actually are.  Farrell and Robbie are good actors but their performances in this are so bland (Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Kevin Kline are more interesting in their brief time on screen as employees of the car rental agency) and they have absolutely no chemistry (at no time did I think the characters belonged together).  The dialogue is incredibly contrived, even for a high concept film, and I started losing interest after yet another endless conversation about how wrong Sarah is for David.  Some of the visuals are gorgeous and I liked all of the Laufey needle drops but this was definitely a slog to get through and I recommend giving it a miss.

Sister Act at HCT

Last night I went to Sister Act at HCT and, even though I wasn't especially looking forward to it because I have seen it so many times, I had a lot of fun watching this production. The musical is based on the 1992 movie of the same name and follows a lounge singer named Deloris Van Cartier (Mack) as she wreaks havoc on the convent where she has been placed for her protection until she can testify against her mobster boyfriend by taking over the choir. The entire cast is fantastic but I really liked Mack because she gives Deloris an emotional depth that I haven't see before, especially in her renditions of "Fabulous, Baby" and its reprise, Aioleoge Lesa as Curtis because he has a deep and sonorous voice (he reminded me of Barry White) and his version of "When I Find My Baby" is silky smooth, Christian Patrick Wawro as Eddie because he also has a great voice and his performance of "I Could Be That Guy" is very entertaining, and Ric Starnes as Monsignor O'Hara because his facial expressions are hilarious (I almost died laughing when he introduces the nuns like Ed McMahon introducing Johnny Carson). I also really enjoyed Bonnie Wilson Whitlock (she is a hoot in every show she is in) as the elderly nun Sister Mary Theresa and Sharon Lynn Kenison (another favorite from many local shows) as the cantankerous nun Sister Mary Lazarus because they both maintain their amusing characterizations throughout the whole show. I loved the choreography for the nuns in "Take Me to Heaven," "Sunday Morning Fever," and "Spread the Love Around," because the patterns they create across the floor are very creative (the integration of several props is especially fun), and for Curtis's henchmen TJ (Alec Powell), Joey (Abrin Tinney), and Pablo (Angel Martinez) in "Lady in a Long Black Dress," because they had the entire audience laughing out loud, especially for all of TJ's seductive poses! The sets are completely over the top with an awesome 1970s aesthetic (the shag carpet!) and I was quite impressed with the attention to detail, particularly in the dive bar and Eddie's apartment (it is very clever how it transforms into a club for the reprise of "Fabulous, Baby"). The Gothic arches hanging throughout the theater and the stained glass windows on the LED screens really add to the overall effect. The costumes also have a 1970s vibe (the leisure suits!) and I especially loved the pink and gold lamé outfits worn by Deloris's back-up dancers in the reprise of "Fabulous, Baby" and I loved how the Monsignor's vestments and the nuns's habits get more and more elaborate and bedazzled as the show goes on. This production really won me over and I recommend it for a fun night out (go here for tickets). It runs on the Young Living Centre Stage through October 25.

Note:  I also highly recommend the thoroughly entertaining show The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 now on the Sorenson Legacy Jewel Box Stage through November 15 (go here for tickets).

The History of Sound

I have wanted to see The History of Sound ever since I learned about it because I am a big fan of both Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor and I finally had the chance last night at the Broadway.  It is a meditative, meandering, and melancholy portrait of forbidden love so, of course, I absolutely loved it!  Lionel Worthing (Mescal), a sensitive farm boy from Kentucky, and David White (O'Connor), a wealthy and charismatic orphan from Newport, Rhode Island, meet in 1917 as students at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and bond over their shared love of folk music.  They begin an affair but are separated when David is drafted to fight in World War I and Lionel returns to the farm.  They are both unhappy without each other so, after the war, David invites Lionel to assist him while traveling throughout rural Maine to collect recordings of folk songs on wax cylinders.  Even though he is happier than he has ever been during this interlude, Lionel realizes that a relationship with David is not possible when he suggests getting teaching positions near each other and they reluctantly part. He attempts to communicate with David but gives up when his letters go unanswered and spends the next few years pining for him while pursuing unhappy relationships and performing in Europe.  Lionel eventually finds closure and lets the memory of David go only to discover later in life the impact they both had on each other.  I really love a scene where Lionel explains that sound is able to be captured on a wax cylinder because, even though it cannot be seen, it creates a vibration that can be felt and this becomes a meaningful metaphor for the relationship between Lionel and David.  The narrative moves at a languid pace (so much longing!), loses focus in the second half (I really missed the presence of O'Connor on screen), and concludes with heartache and yet I still found it to be very compelling.  The cinematography featuring muted colors is beautiful, the score is incredibly evocative, and the nuanced performances are lovely.  I also really enjoyed all of the folk music used throughout, especially "The Unquiet Grave" because it foreshadows an important turning point for Lionel.  This might not appeal to everyone because it is so restrained but I recommend it to fans of the actors.

Him

I was really intrigued by the trailer for Him so my nephew and I went to see it last night.  It has received mostly negative reviews but I actually liked it and what it has to say about the culture of football.  His father wants Cameron "Cam" Cade (Tyriq Withers) to be the greatest football player of all time so he continues playing even though his heart is no longer in it just to please him.  Years later, he is now a star quarterback being eyed by the eight-time world champion San Antonio Saviors but a traumatic brain injury prevents him from participating in the league combine.  He thinks his prospects are ruined until Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), the legendary quarterback for the Saviors who is contemplating retirement, invites Cam to train with him at his isolated compound in the desert to see if he has what it takes to replace him.  He subjects Cam to more and more disturbing physical and psychological tests which culminate in a one-on-one battle to the death to see who will be the starting quarterback. I found this to be incredibly thought-provoking.  The metaphor comparing football to religion, the players to messianic figures, and the fans to zealots is fascinating because it actually rings true.  I also liked the theme that football serves the same purpose that gladiator contests once did in ancient Rome because that also seems very accurate.  It definitely condemns the violence inherent in the game as well as exploitation by the owners, management, and agents who value the money to be made from the sport over the well-being of the players.  The cinematography and editing are very chaotic and the tone is surrealistic, sometimes even absurd (especially a twist in the third act), but I think the disorientation serves to emphasize how completely Cam must lose himself in order to succeed. I was impressed with the performances because Wayans is absolutely unhinged and Withers does a good job portraying the pressure that players are under but I especially loved Julia Fox because she provides a lot of comic relief as White's influencer wife.  There are flaws and it is definitely not for everyone (it is extremely violent and unsettling) but my nephew and I both kind of dug it.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts

Last night I went to see The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts and, even though I recently saw an outstanding production, I love this musical and I don't think I will ever get tired of seeing it so I really enjoyed this version, too! It tells Victor Hugo's classic story about how a gypsy girl named Esmeralda (Rose Fletcher) inadvertently captivates Claude Frollo (Andrew Lambert), the Archdeacon of Notre Dame Cathedral, Phoebus de Martin (Adam Moore), the Captain of the Cathedral Guard, and Quasimodo (Benjamin Oldroyd), a deformed boy who has been hidden in the bell tower his whole life, which brings about tragedy and redemption. I love just about every song and the talented cast sings them beautifully! Oldroyd is incredible (he is one of the best Quasimodos I've seen) and his versions of "Out There" and "Heaven's Light" are beautiful and filled with both wonder and longing while his version of "Made of Stone" is incredibly plaintive. Fletcher is alluring in "The Rhythm of the Tambourine" (she is a great dancer) and playful in "Top of the World" with Oldroyd but her emotional performances of "God Help the Outcasts" (my favorite song in the show) and "Someday" with Moore brought tears to my eyes.  Lambert portrays Frollo's torment very well and his powerful rendition of "Hellfire" gave me goosebumps. I also loved the portrayal of the Saints (Stan Peck, Krystal Bigler, Sarah Glancy, Lindsey Lebaron, Tanner Lybbert, Shawna Packer, and Xander Richey) because they have some of the best costumes I have seen and their interactions with Quasimodo are highly amusing in "Out There," "Top of the World," and "Flight into Egypt" but poignant in "Made of Stone" (I love how they turn back to stone when they abandon him). One of my favorite aspects of this production is the choreography because it so exuberant and athletic, especially in "Topsy Turvy," "The Tavern Song," and "The Court of Miracles," and the ensemble does an amazing job with it (I loved all of Keith Allen's flips as Clopin). I was also impressed by the clever staging of "Hellfire," the rescue of Esmeralda from the pyre, and Frollo's fall from the bell tower. The elaborate set features a dramatic multi-level stone cathedral dominated by a stunning rose window which then becomes the bell tower, the town square, and the Court of Miracles with the addition of several pieces moved on and off stage by the ensemble. This is a wonderful production of one of my favorite shows and I am glad that I got to see it again! It runs through October 4 and tickets may be purchased here.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

I had planned on seeing Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale when it was first released but I knew that I needed to see it with both of my sisters.  The three of us eagerly anticipated each new episode on PBS every Sunday night and then discussed it at length for the rest of the week (I cannot even begin to express how shocked we were by Matthew's death) and I loved seeing each of the previous movies, Downton Abbey and Downton Abbey: A New Era, with them so it was only fitting that we went to a matinee yesterday afternoon together.  I am so glad we found a time when when the three of us could go because we had so much fun (I lost count of how many times we gave each other meaningful looks when a character had a full-circle moment) and we all think it is a great conclusion to a series we have loved for so long!  Lady Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern) thinks it is time for Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) to hand over the running of Downton Abbey to Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) but she has become a social pariah because of her divorce from Henry Talbot.  It is up to Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael) to rehabilitate Mary's reputation and up to Tom Branson (Allen Leech) and Lord Hexham (Harry Haddon-Paton) to convince Robert to pass the torch and move to the Dower House with Cora.  The theme of passing the torch is also mirrored with the other characters.  Lady Merton (Penelope Wilton) inherits the organization of the county fair from the late Dowager Lady Grantham and goes head to head with Sir Hector Moreland (Simon Russell Beale), Daisy Parker (Sophie McShera) becomes the cook after Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol) retires to live with her husband Mr. Mason (Paul Copley), Andy Parker (Michael Fox) takes over as butler when Carson (Jim Carter) finally steps down, and Baxter (Raquel Cassidy) is promoted to Lady Mary's maid when Anna (Joanne Froggatt) moves to the Dower House to be with Bates (Brendan Coyle).  My favorite scenes include when Mrs. Patmore asks Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan) about *ahem* marital relations (all three of us laughed out loud at this callback), when Barrow (Robert James-Collier) is invited upstairs, when Edith confronts a fraudster (Alessandro Nivola) who has been embezzling money from Cora's brother Harold Levinson (Paul Giamatti), and when Molesley (Kevin Doyle) becomes a footman once again to meet Noel Coward (Arty Froushan).  I enjoyed seeing how big all of the original children from the series have gotten, especially Sybbie (Fifi Hart), and the closing montage featuring several original characters brought a tear to my eye.  The production design, locations, and costumes (especially Lady Mary's red dress) are as fabulous as you would expect and it was very nostalgic to hear some of the original themes in the score.  I absolutely loved bidding a fond farewell to the Crawley family with my family and I highly recommend this to fans of the series.

Note:  Creator Julian Fellowes says that this is the definitive end to this story but he is open to spin-offs.  I think there should be a prequel with a young Violet!

2 Pianos 4 Hands at PTC

I didn't know much about 2 Pianos 4 Hands, the opening production for the 2025-2026 season at PTC, when I walked into the Meldrum Theatre last night but I ended up loving it so much! Richard Todd Adams and Matthew McGloin play Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt (who wrote the piece about their own experiences), respectively, as well as their parents, teachers, and adjudicators as they pursue their dreams of becoming classical pianists. The first half is really funny as ten-year-old Ted and Richard struggle to learn scales and time signatures from eccentric teachers, endure pushy parents who want them to practice while their friends play hockey outside, and suffer from stage fright during performances before they get serious and begin competing against each other. The second half is more poignant as seventeen-year-old Ted and Richard begin auditioning for conservatories and learn the difference between being good and being great. Ted eventually becomes a piano teacher to adult students and Richard plays "Piano Man" for drunk and belligerent patrons at a bar before they come together in an emotional performance that is simply for the joy of playing. I think almost everyone can relate to this show, even those of us who were not forced to take piano lessons in our youth, because at some point we have all had to settle for being good but not great at something. Both Adam and McGloin give brilliant performances because, not only are they playing all of the classical music live on stage, they are doing so with a lot of physical comedy thrown in (my favorite scene is when the two of them fight each other while practicing a duet without missing a note) and their timing is perfect (especially when they seamlessly transition back and forth between being the soloist and being another character). The music is absolutely incredible and I was thrilled to hear Prelude No. 15 in D flat major "Raindrops" by Frederic Chopin and Sonata No. 8 in C minor "Pathetique" by Ludwig van Beethoven because they are some of my favorite pieces. As much as I loved the classical music, one of my favorite scenes is when Ted and Richard start goofing off while practicing and play a medley of pop songs (my favorite was the music from Chariots of Fire complete with slow motion running). The set is very simple, with two grand pianos dominating the space and a backdrop with geometric cutouts used for projections and shadows, but it is effective in portraying a variety of spaces. Finally, as a Canadian I absolutely loved all of the subtle allusions to Canada (the playwrights are Canadian), especially the use of a loonie. I had heard nothing but rave reviews for this production before seeing it and I was definitely not disappointed (it is now one of my favorite shows produced by PTC). I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) but act quickly because most of the remaining performances through September 27 have limited availability.

Note:  Between this show, The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 at HCT, and Flowers for Mrs. Harris at the Ruth, September has been a good month for seeing something new!

The Sound of Music

I helped care for my mom during the last year of her life and we watched The Sound of Music every day (sometimes twice if she was having a bad day) because she loved it and it would soothe her.  Now whenever I watch it I am reminded of her.  It is back in theaters with a 4K restoration as part of the Fathom's Big Screen Classics series to celebrate its 60th Anniversary and, of course, I had to see it last night.  There was a large crowd and they were pretty vocal so it was a lot of fun (and a little bittersweet) listening to all of the iconic Rodgers and Hammerstein songs, including "The Sound of Music," "Maria," "I Have Confidence," "Sixteen Going on Seventeen," "My Favorite Things," "Do-Re-Mi," "The Lonely Goatherd," "Edelweiss," "So Long, Farewell," "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," and "Something Good."  I had to try really hard not to sing along!  My mom did not like the Baroness (Eleanor Parker) so she would hiss every time she appeared on screen and she clapped during the entire wedding sequence because that was her favorite.  These scenes definitely put a big smile on my face!  I always enjoy watching the young actress who plays Gretl (Kym Karath) because she is concentrating so hard on her part (watch her during the music festival) and it is adorable!  My favorite scenes are when the Captain (Christopher Plummer) and Maria (Julie Andrews) dance the Ländler (I am not exaggerating when I say that I have seen this movie hundreds of times and last night was the first time I noticed that all of the other couples are also dancing the Ländler inside) because Plummer is so handsome and it is incredibly romantic and when Maria and the children sing "Do-Re-Mi" because all of the locations remind me of a trip I took to Salzburg (I especially love the scenes in the Mirabell Gardens because I immediately recognized them from the movie when I was there).  I saw this on the big screen several years ago but it was even more meaningful watching it last night and I am so happy that I had the opportunity (go here for more upcoming releases presented by Fathom Events).

Note:  It is really jarring to me whenever I see the stage version because it differs significantly from the movie (I feel the same way about Grease).

Little Shop of Horrors at CPT

Little Shop of Horrors is such a fun show and I loved seeing a fantastic production at CPT with my sisters and nephew last night. Seymour (Jake Heywood) and Audrey (Janae Klumpp-Gibb) both work in a run-down flower shop on Skid Row but the owner, Mr. Mushnik (Robert Gibbons), decides to close it because there are no customers. Seymour thinks that an unusual plant, which he found during a total eclipse of the sun and named Audrey II after his co-worker, will bring more business. The shop becomes wildly successful but Mr. Mushnik is concerned because Audrey II isn't thriving. Seymour inadvertently discovers that Audrey II likes drinking his blood after he cuts himself on a thorn and, eventually, it grows to a giant size demanding more and more blood. When Seymour can't spare any more of his blood, he feeds it the body of Audrey's abusive boyfriend Orin Scrivello (Brock Dalgleish), a sadistic dentist who has an unfortunate laughing gas accident, which wins him the love of Audrey but makes Audrey II even more insatiable. Seymour enjoys the notoriety Audrey II brings him but soon feels guilty about everyone who has died so he could feed it. He decides to get rid of it but eventually he and Audrey succumb to Audrey II's evil plan for world domination! There is a girl group, including Crystal (Kortney King-Lives), Ronnette (Tory Sandoval), and Chiffon (Alexandria Bird), that narrates the show with music combining rock and roll, doo-wop, and Motown and it sounds amazing. I really loved Klumpp-Gibb's performance because she has a beautiful voice and her versions of "Somewhere That's Green" and "Suddenly Seymour" brought the house down. Heywood is awkwardly adorable in "Grow For Me" and Dalgleish is completely over the top in "Be A Dentist" but Austin Payne steals the show as the voice of Audrey II by singing the blues in "Feed Me (Git It)." All of the puppets used for Audrey II, which get bigger and bigger, are incredible and the way that they are manipulated by puppeteer Mitch Gibb is so much fun to watch! Finally, I loved the set which features a street on Skid Row with lots of really fun details (my favorite is the fire escape where the girls often appear). The exterior of Mushnik's Flower Shop opens up to reveal an interior that gets more elaborate as the show goes on, including more and more of Audrey II's tendrils which eventually reach out into the audience during "Finale Ultimo (Don't Feed the Plants)." The cute couple sitting next to me told me that I had a smile on my face during the whole show and I'm sure that I did because I had such a great time watching it. I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) during its run on the Mountain America Main Stage through October 14.

The Long Walk

I am a huge fan of Stephen King but the movie adaptations of his books are hit or miss with me (The Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me, and The Shining are among my favorites and The Dark Tower is definitely my least favorite) so I was both excited and nervous to see The Long Walk last night with my nephew.  I am happy to report, Constant Readers, that it is in the former category!  It is set in a dystopian future in which an economic collapse after a devastating civil war has led to a totalitarian regime.  Circumstances have become so dire for the population that thousands of young men volunteer to be part of an annual televised event called "The Long Walk."  Fifty are chosen to compete and they must walk at a steady pace of 3 miles per hour (those who fall below that pace are given three warnings and then are executed by soldiers) along a predetermined route until only one is left to be declared the winner and rewarded with a substantial cash prize and the fulfillment of a wish.  The contest is overseen by the Major (Mark Hamill) who taunts the boys as they battle against fatigue, the elements, and their own inner demons.  At the start of the race Ray Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) says an emotional goodbye to his mother Ginnie (Judy Greer), befriends Peter McVries (David Jonsson), Hank Olsen (Ben Wang), Arthur Baker (Tut Nyuot), Collie Parker (Joshua Odjick) and Billy Stebbins (Garrett Wareing), and antagonizes Gary Barkovitch (Charlie Plummer).  As the race continues for four brutal days and nights and the boys are killed one by one, Ray and Peter form a meaningful friendship and help each other survive as long as they can.  This is one of the bleakest movies I have ever seen because, not only is the story about people so desperate that they are willing to participate in an ordeal of state-sanctioned violence in which they have almost no chance of success just for the possibility of bettering their lives, it features color grading that is washed out and muted as well as locations that reflect the economic depression in the country (all of the towns they walk through seem abandoned and the spectators look as if they could be extras in The Grapes of Wrath).  However, I loved the portrayal of friendship and how the boys are able to comfort and support each other in moments of extreme duress and, even though the ending is ambiguous, I interpret it as somewhat hopeful for the fate of humanity.  I was very surprised by how compelling this movie is (I didn't think the premise could be sustained for so long) and this is due, in large part, to the dynamic performances of Hoffman and Jonsson (some of their interactions brought tears to my eyes).  I especially loved a monologue delivered by Jonsson in which he says that his whole life has been a long walk and that you just have to keep going.  This is extremely well done and I highly recommend it with the proviso that the violence is very graphic.

Silent Sky at Parker Theatre

I have seen two very different productions of the play Silent Sky, an elaborate and stylized one at HCT and a more stripped down version at the Empress Theatre, so I was really eager to see what Parker Theatre would do with it. I had the opportunity last night and I think the staging falls somewhere in between the two and I loved it just as much. It is a beautiful story about the real-life astronomer Henrietta Leavitt (Emma Widtfeldt) and her trailblazing discovery that allowed future astronomers to calculate the distance between galaxies. She begins working in the Observatory at Harvard University in 1900 as a human computer along with Annie Cannon (Emily Parker Holmgren) and Williamina Fleming (Hillary McChesney) and, even though they are not allowed to use the university's refracting telescope because they are women, her questions about the universe compel her to work long hours analyzing the images on the glass photographic plates taken from the telescope. However, her dedication to her work puts her at odds with her sister Margaret (Jalyn Bender) over family obligations and with her supervisor Peter Shaw (William McAllister) over their romantic relationship but her legacy is secured. What I love most about this story, besides seeing a group of strong and determined women defy societal expectations, is the exploration of what a legacy means through the juxtaposition of the two sisters. The play opens with Margaret receiving a marriage proposal and Henrietta receiving a job offer and this is very effective because it establishes that Margaret believes in home and family while Henrietta believes in opportunity and hard work. Then, in the epilogue, we learn about Margaret's children and grandchildren as well as the lasting impact of Henrietta's work (including the Hubble telescope) and that both legacies are equally valuable. Widtfeldt gives a lovely performance that is more subdued in the portrayal of Henrietta's romance with Peter but more passionate in her search for answers than I have seen before. I especially enjoyed her excitement when she makes an important connection while listening to her sister play the piano and her exhilaration at seeing her work published. The rest of the cast is also outstanding and I particularly loved McChesney's imperiousness (I laughed out loud at her sash and pamphlets) and McAllister's awkwardness. The set is simple but effective and includes an academic office with desks and stools (I loved the way the glass photographic plates are displayed) and smaller set pieces for Margaret's home in Wisconsin, Henrietta's apartment in Cambridge, and an ocean liner. There are stunning images from space projected on scrims multiple times throughout the show and the depiction of the telescope is very dramatic. The lighting design is also very dramatic, especially the spotlights on characters as they read letters to Henrietta. While each production that I've seen has been very different, the commonality is a beautiful and inspiring story and I highly recommend getting a ticket Parker's version playing Fridays and Saturdays through October 11. Go here for tickets.

National Theatre Live: A Streetcar Named Desire

Yesterday afternoon I was able to see a screening of the National Theatre Live production of A Streetcar Named Desire which was filmed in 2014 at the Young Vic in London and presented by the Tanner Humanities Center and Salt Lake Film Society.  I was blown away by this bold interpretation of the classic play by Tennessee Williams!  Blanche DuBois (Gillian Anderson) arrives unannounced at the New Orleans apartment of her sister Stella Kowalski (Vanessa Kirby) and tells her that she has lost Belle Reve, their ancestral home in Mississippi, and has taken a leave of absence from her teaching job.  She intends to stay for an indeterminate amount of time and this, along with her obvious disdain for the cramped apartment in a working class neighborhood, earns her the enmity of Stella's husband Stanley (Ben Foster).  The genteel Southern belle shows her contempt for the crude and often violent mechanic on a daily basis until he discovers that she is not quite as respectable as she pretends to be.  When Stanley ruins Blanche's chances with a new suitor (Corey Johnson), the two of them have a highly charged physical confrontation which forces Stella to choose between her sister and her husband.  This is over three hours long and I was completely riveted!  The most intriguing aspect of this production is the set because, not only is it very modern and minimalist (everything is a bright white and looks like it came from Ikea), it continually revolves which provides a 360 degree view of what is happening.  This staging allows the audience to see the characters during moments when they are not part of the action and this really emphasizes the claustrophobia of the Kowalski apartment.  It also gives a new perspective on the characters and I found them to be much more sympathetic than I usually do (especially when Stanley sits on the fire escape and overhears Blanche tell Stella to leave him and when Blanche soaks in the bathtub and overhears Stanley criticize her).  I think this was probably even more powerful live because the camera often dictates where the audience should look in the filmed version.  The three central performances are all outstanding but Anderson is absolutely brilliant because you can actually see moments of fragility behind the haughty exterior.  The scene when she comes undone in a ball gown, a rhinestone tiara, and smudged lipstick is very powerful but I found her expression when trying to summon her dignity before being led away by the doctor to be one of the most poignant things I've seen on stage (or screen).  My only criticism is that some of the anachronistic dialogue should have been cut to fit the more contemporary set, costumes, and music (I found the line about Edgar Allan Poe in reference to the Kowalski apartment to be incredibly incongruous).  I loved seeing this (I wish I could have seen it live) and I am looking forward to the upcoming National Theatre Live productions of Inter Alia on October 18 and Mrs. Warren's Profession on November 8 at the Broadway.

The Full Monty at the Grand Theatre

Last night I went to the musical The Full Monty at the Grand Theatre.  I saw the Broadway touring production but that was over 20 years ago so I was really excited to see it again!  An unemployed steel worker in Buffalo, New York named Jerry Lukowski (Aaron Naylor) is worried when his ex-wife Pam (Becca Lemon) threatens to take full custody of their son Nathan (Oscar Bateman-Rapier) because he hasn't been paying child support.  He and his best friend Dave Bukatinsky (Trevor Blair) follow Pam and Dave's wife Georgie (Maggie Gadd) into a club where they have gone to see the Chippendales dancers and he gets the idea to form a striptease group himself to make some fast cash.  He eventually convinces Dave, who is self-conscious about his weight, and they recruit Malcolm MacGregor (Darrin Burnett), who is under the thumb of his invalid mother Molly (Chloe Ray Wood), and coerce Harold Nichols (Skylar Hawker), who hasn't told his materialistic wife Vicki (Alexa Shaheen) that he lost his job.  After they hold try-outs at the abandoned steel mill with Jeanette (Brandwynn Michelle), a chain-smoking veteran of show business who came with the piano, and add Noah "Horse" Simmons (Kiirt Banks), who is old with arthritis but can really dance, and Ethan Girad (Ian Fernandez Andersen), who is *ahem* well-endowed, they begin rehearsing as the group "Hot Metal."  Complications ensue but, with nothing left to lose, they decide to go "the full monty," or strip all the way, during their show and they not only impress their friends and family but they find their self-respect again!  This was so much fun and I loved it when the ensemble came out in the audience to get us cheering during the song "Let It Go" for Hot Metal's striptease (it got pretty rowdy!).  The main cast gives incredibly brave and heartwarming performances and they all have beautiful voices.  I especially loved Naylor in "Breeze Off the River," Blair and Hawker in "You Rule My World," and MacGregor and Andersen in "You Walk With Me."  Banks is a fabulous dancer and Michelle is an absolute hoot (I loved the plume of smoke that followed her).  The choreography is really clever, especially in "Michael Jordan's Ball" when the men equate dancing with playing sports and in "The Goods" when the men see what it feels like to be judged by their appearance like women are.  I also really enjoyed the costumes (the hockey fan in me loved all of Buffalo Sabres shirts) and the set made of wood, corrugated metal, and brick panels which are reconfigured throughout to become various locations is very effective at conveying a time and place.  This is a feel good show that will definitely have you cheering at the end (keep in mind that it does feature lots of profanity and nudity) and I had a great time!  It runs at the Grand Theatre on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through October 4 and tickets may be purchased here.

Flowers for Mrs. Harris at The Ruth

Last night, for the second night in a row, I was able to see a show that was new to me (a rare treat).  This time it was the North American premiere of the musical Flowers For Mrs. Harris at The Ruth.  I really love the movie, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, but I didn't love this adaptation quite as much.  Ada Harris (Dianna Graham) is a war widow in 1950s London who is content with her life working as a cleaning lady and spending time with the spirit of her dead husband (David Morley-Walker) and her friend Violet Butterfield (Janae Koralewski Thomas) until she sees a glamorous Dior gown owned by Lady Dant (Melanie Muranaka), one of her wealthy clients, and dreams of owning one herself.  She scrimps and saves and even takes in sewing in order to afford a Dior original but she still willingly helps everyone around her, including Bob Smith (Tanner Sumens), Pamela Penrose (Neena Warburton), Major Wallace (Jeff Thompson), and Countess Wyszcinska (Marcie Jacobsen).  She eventually travels to Paris to choose her gown and her kindness transforms the lives of everyone at the House of Dior, including Madame Colbert (Melanie Muranaka), Monsieur Armand (Jeff Thompson), Andre Fauvel (Tanner Sumens), and Natasha Raimbault (Neena Warburton).  When she returns home to London, she realizes that she has something much more meaningful than a dress.  I really love the message about the importance of having a dream, even one that is seemingly impossible, and the willingness to work hard in order to achieve it.  I also love the message about the importance of kindness and that it will eventually be rewarded in unexpected ways.  The design of this show is beautiful and I especially loved the multi-level rotating set featuring Ada's London flat on one side and the House of Dior on the other as well as the gorgeous couture gowns based on flowers (my favorite was "The Bluebell").  Graham gives a lovely performance that is very moving and it was fun to see most of the actors playing two similar characters in both London and Paris.  Unfortunately, I did not care for the music because it features lots of dialogue that is sung, instead of spoken, without a melody (much like a recitative in an opera) and I often found the piano accompaniment to be discordant (this may be due to the sound mixing because the music often overshadowed the voices).  The man sitting next to me said that he didn't think he would be humming any of the songs in the lobby after the show because they weren't very memorable.  An exception is the song "Rain On Me" because it is quite poignant and I really enjoyed it and its reprises.  I wish I could say that I loved this more than I did but I am glad that I saw it because it is always nice to see something new.  It runs in the Lindsay Legacy Theater through November 15 and tickets may be purchased here.

The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 at HCT

Last night I was really excited for The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 at HCT because I had never seen it before (this is something that doesn't happen very often). It is a hilarious spoof of both the noir detective thrillers and the slapstick comedies that were popular in the 1940s and I had so much fun watching it! A maid named Helsa Wenzel (Kristi Curtis) is murdered (although no one will notice until the end of Act 1) in the library of a mansion in Chappaqua, New York owned by a wealthy and eccentric impresario named Elsa Von Grossenknueten (Claire Kenny). Elsa has invited Nikki Crandall (Corinne Adair), a young and beautiful singer/dancer, Eddie McCuen (Kyle Baugh), a struggling comedian, and Patrick O'Reilly (Bryan Dayley), an Irish tenor, to the mansion to audition for the creative team behind a new Broadway musical, White House Merry-Go-Round, including the director Ken De La Maize (Zac Zumbrunnen), the composer Roger Hopewell (Dustin Bolt), the librettist Bernice Roth (Jasmine Jackman), and the producer Marjorie Baverstock (Eden Benson). However, it turns out that Ken, Roger, Bernice, and Marjorie were also part of the creative team for the musical Manhattan Holiday during which the "Stage Door Slasher" murdered several women, including Elsa's friend Bebe McAllister. She has assembled everyone together so that an undercover policeman, Michael Kelly (Scott James), can discover the identity of the "Stage Door Slasher" but, instead, there is another murder and Helsa's body is finally discovered. Chaos ensues, including secret passageways, secret identities, and a secret code, until the murderer is revealed! In this production, the plot is presented as a play-within-a-play with an Author (Davey Morrison) who is writing it (with projections of the text on a scrim when the show opens and above the stage periodically during the show) as it is being performed. The Author also speaks all of the stage directions and sometimes interacts with the cast (especially Eddie who is his stand-in during the romantic scenes with Nikki) to great comedic effect. The production design, including the set, the costumes, and the make-up, is incredibly clever and I won't spoil it here because it is such a dramatic reveal! The characters are completely over-the-top and I especially loved the flamboyant Roger and the emotional Bernice because they are constantly bickering with each other as well as Ken because he is so bombastic. The performances are also a lot of fun and the entire cast does a great job with the rapid-fire dialogue and the exaggerated physical comedy. Shout-outs go to Benson for the spectacular way in which she falls out of a chair and Dayley (one of my favorite frequent performers at HCT because he always makes me laugh) for his unhinged facial expressions. I thoroughly enjoyed this because it is both extremely funny and highly original and I definitely recommend it (go here for tickets). It runs on the Sorenson Legacy Jewel Box Stage through November 15 with best availability for the matinees.

Splitsville

I was in desperate need of a laugh so my nephew and I went to the Broadway last night to see Splitsville because the trailer looked really funny.  I did laugh out loud at some of the absurdist physical comedy but it is not the funniest film I've seen this year.  After a traumatic experience, Ashley (Adria Arjona) asks her husband Carey (Kyle Martin) for a divorce because she has been unfaithful and wants to continue sleeping with other people.  Carey commiserates with his best friend Paul (Michael Angelo Covino) and his wife Julie (Dakota Johnson) but he is shocked when Paul brags about having an open marriage and suggests that Carey and Ashley should do the same.  However, when Carey and Julie sleep together, both Ashley and Paul reconsider and realize that they didn't appreciate what they had until it was gone.  The entire premise is revealed in the trailer and, while it is amusing to see the increasingly ridiculous lengths to which both Ashley and Paul resort to get their spouses back, the story is really thin and the resolution is a foregone conclusion.  The characters are pretty unlikable and it is a bit frustrating that none of them seem to have any growth (the final scene mirrors one from the beginning beat for beat).  That being said, there are some hilarious scenes, including an extended fight between Carey and Paul that destroys the house (it is much more involved than what is shown in the trailer) and a sequence with goldfish on a roller coaster, and I did really enjoy many of the secondary characters, particularly all of Ashley's former lovers who move in with her and Carey.  This is a lot of fun if you can ignore the shortcomings and simply appreciate it as a screwball comedy and I recommend it to fans of the genre.

Note:  This has been billed as the funniest film of the year but I think it falls short of that description.  I do not see a lot of comedies but the funniest film I have seen this year is The Ballad of Wallis Island (it features very dry British humor so not everyone will agree with me).

Hamilton on the Big Screen

Seeing the Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton was one of the best experiences of my life!  I cannot adequately describe my excitement as I sat in the Richard Rodgers Theatre (in the balcony) eagerly anticipating the iconic opening notes of "Alexander Hamilton" or the exhilaration I felt when I walked out of the theatre with all of my impossibly high expectations exceeded.  A filmed version of this production was released on Disney+ in the middle of the pandemic but it is now in movie theaters for the first time in celebration of its 10th Anniversary!  Even though I have now seen it *ahem* many times on Disney+, I just had to see it on the big screen last night and sitting in the dark with a large crowd made me feel like I was back at the Richard Rodgers Theatre (but with a much better seat).  I loved seeing all of my favorite moments up close, especially Jonathan Groff's pout (and his projectile spitting) when George III whines about the colonies in "You'll Be Back," Renee Elise Goldsberry's look of regret after Angelica Schuyler introduces Hamilton to her sister in "Satisfied," the look of panic Jasmine Cephas Jones gives as Daveed Diggs leers at her when Lafayette walks down the aisle with Peggy Schuyler in "Satisfied," the look of contrition on Lin-Manuel Miranda's face when Washington orders Hamilton to go home in "Meet Me Inside" and his look of disappointment when Angelica announces that she is leaving to get married in "Non-Stop," the mega-watt smile Diggs flashes when Thomas Jefferson milks the crowd in "What'd I Miss" and the look of absolute glee on his face when Jefferson realizes that Hamilton is no longer a rival in "The Reynolds Pamphlet," Phillipa Soo's simmering anger over Hamilton's betrayal of Eliza in "Burn," the devastation on her face over Philip's death in "Stay Alive (Reprise)," and the exact moment she forgives Hamilton in "It's Quiet Uptown" as well as the tears brimming in Goldsberry's eyes in this song, Leslie Odom, Jr.'s look of incredulity when Hamilton endorses Jefferson over Burr in "The Election of 1800," his exasperation when Hamilton delivers all of his grievances one by one in "Your Obedient Servant," and his remorse over Hamilton's death in "The World Was Wide Enough," and the look of tenderness Miranda gives Soo as Eliza describes preserving Hamilton's legacy in "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story."  I also loved the different perspectives shown through the dynamic camera work, particularly the view of Christopher Jackson just before Washington turns around and storms the stage in "Right Hand Man" ("We are outgunned, outmanned, outnumbered, outplanned.  We've got to make an all out stand!") and the views that put the audience in the middle of the action in "My Shot," "Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)," and "Hurricane."  Finally, it was great to see a new introduction featuring behind the scenes footage from the production as well as contemporary interviews with the cast about the legacy of the show.  My crowd was kind of subdued but there were a few of us singing (quietly) and applauding after every number and it was so much fun!  I highly recommend seeing this on the big screen, even if you have seen it on Disney+, because it is the next best thing to being there for the OBC at the Richard Rodgers Theatre!