Ella McCay

I was intrigued by the trailer and impressed by the cast for Ella McCay so my nephew and I went to see it at a matinee yesterday.  I didn't hate it as much as most other people seem to but I really expected to like it a lot more than I did.  Ella McCay (Emma Mackey) is a young and idealistic lieutenant governor of an unnamed state.  She desperately wants to improve the lives of the people she serves but her earnest and no-nonsense style has made her very unpopular with lawmakers.  When the popular governor, Bill Moore (Albert Brooks), is offered a presidential cabinet position, he resigns and she succeeds him.  Her first priority is to pass a bill benefiting mothers and children but she is plagued by a scandal involving her duplicitous husband Ryan (Jack Lowdon), the sudden reappearance of her estranged father Eddie (Woody Harrelson) who repeatedly cheated on her mother Claire (Rebecca Hall), and concern for her neurodivergent brother Casey (Spike Fearn) after the end of his relationship with his girlfriend Susan (Aya Edebiri).  With the help of her aunt Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis), her driver Nash (Kumail Nanjiani), and her secretary Estelle (Julie Kavner), she ultimately finds a different way to do some good.  With such a stellar cast, I did really enjoy the performances.  Mackey, especially, is incredibly appealing and is very effective in her portrayal of a wide range of emotions (although she is less effective in portraying the 16-year-old version of her character in flashbacks).  I especially loved her interactions with Curtis (the highlight of the movie for me).  However, there are way too many underdeveloped characters to keep track of with lots of different subplots that happen very randomly (the pacing is incredibly chaotic).  It is very episodic with brief flashes of humor but it is definitely not as funny as I thought it would be (I only laughed a couple of times).  Finally, the resolutions to the main conflicts are rushed and not necessarily earned (especially the one involving Casey and Susan).  Unfortunately, this is a mess and I wouldn't recommend it.

Elf The Musical at Draper Historic Theatre

When my nephew was really young he absolutely loved the movie Elf so my sister and I decided to take him and our niece to see Elf The Musical at PTC. He was really fidgety before the show and we were prepared to leave if he got too disruptive but, once it started, he was completely enthralled. It was so much fun to watch him react to what was happening on stage and it is one of my favorite memories of him when he was little. He still really loves the movie so I thought it would be fun to take him to see the musical at the Draper Historic Theatre last night. I was really impressed with their version of The Addams Family so I thought we would both enjoy this. We did not. It seems harsh to be critical of a production at a community theatre because everyone involved is doing their best but I was really disappointed since I had talked it up to my nephew after my previous experience. I actually really loved the costumes, especially the ones worn by Santa and by the elves at the North Pole in the opening number, as well as the projections used for the backdrops, particularly those for Buddy's journey from the North Pole to NYC and for Santa's sleigh lifting off from Central Park. I also really liked Sebastian Long, as Michael, because he is the best actor in the whole show and his performances of "I'd Believe In You" and "There Is a Santa Claus" with Kellie Seiler, as Emily, were the highlights for me. My favorite numbers were "Happy All The Time" and "Sparklejollytwinklejingley" because the choreography is fun but many in the ensemble are either very expressionless and mechanical or so over the top that they pull focus from the scene (more on that later). My biggest issue was with the two leads, Gabriel Velez as Buddy and Sydney Trauba as Jovie. In every production I have seen of this musical, Buddy has always been portrayed with an innocent wide-eyed wonder and exuberance that is very heartwarming. Velez is obnoxious and I really disliked all of his screaming (so did my nephew who immediately commented on it during the drive home). He is supposed to be a naive fish out of water in NYC so the six-seven reference is out of character and used for a cheap laugh.  Trauba is extremely lifeless as Jovie (I found it difficult to distinguish her from the ensemble in many numbers) and she is not a strong singer (she struggled in "Never Fall in Love (With an Elf)"). Finally, a member of the ensemble had his fly down during "The Story of Buddy" and it was really noticeable (I heard lots of laughter from the audience). There were multiple opportunities for him to discreetly deal with this wardrobe malfunction as he was only a background character in the scene but he didn't and it is too bad because it distracted from the number. Sigh! I feel like a cotton-headed ninny muggins for my response to this production but I always try to be honest and would definitely not recommend it.

Note:  I have now seen a really good production and a bad one at this theatre. Clearly, I need to see one more for the tie-breaker!

Sense and Sensibility

I love Ang Lee's adaptation of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen so I was really happy to see it last night during its limited run in theaters to mark its 30th anniversary (what?).  The Dashwood sisters, Elinor (Emma Thompson) and Marianne (Kate Winslet), experience a sudden change in fortune after their father dies and leaves his estate to their older half-brother John (James Fleet).  This impacts their marriage prospects when the sensible Elinor silently pines for Edward Ferrars (Hugh Grant), who is expected to marry well by his mother, and the passionate Marianne is swept up (literally) in a romance with the dashing John Willoughby (Greg Wise), who needs a wealthy wife after he is cut off by his family for his indiscretions.  They ultimately find happiness when they balance reason with emotion.  Elinor finally reveals her feelings to Edward when he is free to propose and Marianne finds the value in real love, rather than impetuous infatuation, with Colonel Brandon (Alan Rickman).  To be sure, I love the biting critique of the often transactional nature of marriage but I think this movie is hilarious.  I regularly heard the rest of the audience laughing along with me during my favorite scenes, including when Fanny Dashwood (Harriet Walter) subtly convinces her husband not to give his sisters any portion of their father's estate, when Marianne tries to get Edward to read with more feeling, when Sir John Middleton (Robert Hardy) and Mrs. Jennings (Elizabeth Spriggs) learn that Elinor loves someone whose name begins with F, when Mrs. Dashwood (Gemma Jones), Marianne, and Margaret (Emilie Francois) all end up crying in their rooms so Elinor sits on the stairs with a cup of tea, whenever Mr. Palmer (Hugh Laurie) shows disdain for his wife Charlotte (Imelda Staunton), when Fanny attacks Lucy Steele (Imogen Stubbs) after she learns of her engagement to Edward, and when Elinor starts crying when she learns that Edward has not married Lucy. I love the witty dialogue (the screenplay was written by Thompson), the beautiful locations, the evocative score (including the "sad songs" Marianne sings), the Regency costumes (I am a big fan of empire waists but I especially love how buttoned up Edward always appears because it shows his repression), and the performances from the entire cast (although Thompson gives my favorite one).  I watch my copy of this all of the time (it is definitely one of my comfort watches) but I am so glad that I got to see it on the big screen again!  There are two more opportunities to see it (December 16 and 17) and I highly recommend getting a ticket!

Note:  Last weekend I saw movie adaptations of novels by Stephen King and Jane Austen and I loved both of them.  That's how I roll.

Ballet West's The Nutcracker 2025

Yesterday I went to a matinee performance of The Nutcracker with Ballet West and I loved it!  It makes me so happy to anticipate all of my favorite scenes and the palpable excitement of the little girl sitting next to me made the experience even more magical!  I love how the backdrops are slowly raised, one after the other, to reveal the street outside Dr. Drosselmeyer's toy shop, the street outside the Stahlbaum home, the doors outside the ballroom, and then the ballroom itself because it heightens the excitement for the first look at the Christmas tree!  The party scene is so much fun and I loved seeing all of the children because they do a great job, especially Lauren Hildebrand, who dances the role of Clara, because her facial expressions are very emphatic.  I also loved the doddering grandparents (Jacob Hancock and Lillian Casscells) in this scene because they are a hoot.  I loved seeing the Land of Snow through the panes of a frosted window before the Snow Queen and King dance a pas de deux with their snowflakes.  Claire Spainhour and Robert Fowler, respectively, dance these roles beautifully and their lifts, especially, are incredibly graceful in the falling snow.  I loved all of the divertissements the Sugar Plum Fairy shows to Clara and her Nutcracker Prince in the Land of Sweets but, as always, my favorites were the Arabian dance because it is so exotic and the Russian dance because all of the athletic leaps and spins are so exhilarating!  I also loved seeing Mother Buffoon because her children are so adorable, particularly the little one who flips across the stage!  The Grand pas de deux between the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier is always the highlight for me and Rylee Ann Rogers and Tyler Gum, respectively, are dazzling in the roles.  I loved seeing her leap into his arms and then lean all the way forward, almost touching the stage, without any support from him because it is quite spectacular (I'm sure there is a proper ballet term for this).  I love all of Tchaikovsky's music but the score for this ballet is a particular favorite.  I especially loved the harp in the "Waltz of the Snowflakes" and the clarinet in the "Arabian Dance" but my favorite is the Adagio from the Grand pas de deux because I think it is one of the most romantic pieces in the classical canon.  I loved trying to find differences from other productions (since I see it every year) and, even though I can't confirm this anywhere, I think that there are new costumes for Dr. Drosselmeyer and his nephew, the snowflakes, the Sugar Plum Fairy's attendants, and the Mirlitons (who now play reed flutes during the dance).  I love attending this ballet every year and I would definitely recommend adding it to your holiday traditions (go here for tickets).  It runs at the Capitol Theatre through December 27 with multiple matinees.

White Christmas at Hopebox Theatre

Last night I went to see White Christmas at Hopebox Theatre and it was really nostalgic for me because the movie was one of my mom's favorites and we would always watch it this time of year! It is very heartwarming and I had a big smile on my face the whole time! Former soldiers Bob Wallace (Justin Lee) and Phil Davis (Jeff Erickson) have become popular Broadway stars after serving in World War II. When they meet the Haynes Sisters, Betty (Katherine Tietjen) and Judy (Sidney Brown), Phil tricks Bob into following them to Vermont, where they will be performing at the Columbia Inn over the Christmas holiday, because he and Judy want Bob and Betty to get together. When they arrive, they discover that their former commanding officer, General Waverly (Roland Tietjen), owns the Columbia Inn and that he is having financial difficulties due to the lack of snow. Wallace and Davis decide to bring their show to the Columbia Inn and invite the soldiers from their company to a performance on Christmas Eve. A busybody receptionist (Donna Bell) and a precocious granddaughter (Brooklyn Head) think they should be in show business, an overwrought stage manager (Scott Ostermiller) feuds with a taciturn employee (Daniel Pittam) of the inn, and misunderstandings cause love to go awry but the show and both couples eventually come together for a finale featuring the song "White Christmas." This is full of lots of big song and dance numbers and I was so impressed with the cast because they do a wonderful job! I especially loved the spectacular tap dancing in "Happy Holiday/ Let Yourself Go" and "I Love a Piano," the hilarious choreography in "Blue Skies" as the stage manager interrupts the rehearsal multiple times, and the lovely performance from Erickson and Brown in "The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing" (this was especially impressive because Brown had a major wardrobe malfunction and she didn't miss a beat even during the lifts). I also loved the number "Sisters," both when Tietjen and Brown perform it in Act I and when Lee and Erickson reprise it in Act II (they are hilarious), "Let Me Sing and I'm Happy," both when Bell belts it out in Act I and when Head steals the show with it in Act II, and "Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me/ How Deep Is the Ocean?" because it is such a tender moment between Tietjen and Lee (who sing it beautifully). Of course, the big moment comes when the cast (with help from the audience) sings a stirring rendition of "White Christmas" and the falling snow (on stage and in the audience) makes it absolutely magical! The set features a large curtain, used for scenes in various nightclubs, as well as backdrops for the barn, where the show is rehearsed and performed, and the lobby of the Columbia Inn. I was impressed with how quickly various set pieces are moved on and off stage by the ensemble and I loved the winter wonderland painted on the walls surrounding the theater. Finally, the costumes are fantastic! My favorites were the iconic blue dresses (and fans) and red velvet dresses worn by the Haynes sisters during "Sisters" and "White Christmas," respectively. This show is sure to put a smile on your face but it is also an incredibly worthwhile cause because, as part of the mission of the Hopebox Theatre,  all of the proceeds of every production go to support someone in the community who is battling cancer (go here to meet Julie Newton, the recipient for this show). I highly encourage everyone to get tickets (go here) for this touching show which continues through December 27.

The Shining

Stephen King famously dislikes Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of his 1977 novel The Shining but I think it is a cinematic masterpiece and was thrilled when I learned that it was coming back to theaters in honor of its 45th anniversary (what?).  I have seen it on the big screen several times but experiencing it in IMAX last night was absolutely epic!  Jack Torrence (Jack Nicholson) takes a job as the winter caretaker at the Overlook Hotel in the remote mountains of Colorado with his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and young son Danny (Danny Lloyd) because he is desperate to escape from his troubled past and hopes to find the time and solitude to work on his novel.  Once they arrive, the cook Dick Hallorann (Scatman Crothers) recognizes that Danny has a strong psychic ability he calls "shining" and warns him that the hotel also has a "shine" because of its violent past.  Danny begins having frightening visions about the former inhabitants of the hotel but Jack seems to feel at home with these malevolent ghosts.  When a severe winter storm cuts them off from the outside world, Jack has a compete psychotic break causing him to attack his family.  I have always found this movie to be incredibly unsettling (the book is scarier but the movie creates an escalating tension that is almost unbearable) and the IMAX format makes the sense of unease even more immersive.  The long tracking shots following Wendy and Danny though the empty hotel are even more disconcerting because it really feels like you are there with them and the sound design, including Danny's Big Wheel traveling across different floor surfaces, ice cubes rattling in Jack's glass, the echo of the typewriter in the cavernous lobby, and the staccato beating of a heart, is even more menacing because it is all around you.  Nicholson's performance is iconic but I have always thought that Duvall's (or Kubrick's) interpretation of Wendy is less effective because it is very weak and passive.  However, in this format her fear is absolutely visceral (it makes Jack's behavior seem even more terrifying) and I couldn't look away.  Even though it wasn't filmed specifically for IMAX, seeing it this way was definitely my favorite viewing experience and I highly recommend it!

Hamnet

I love the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare (it was my favorite thing to teach to my British literature students) so I have been eagerly anticipating Hamnet, a fictional account of how Shakespeare came to write his most famous play, for what seems like forever.  My nephew and I were finally able to see it last night at the Broadway and to say that I loved it would be an understatement (he loved it, too).  William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) is working as a Latin tutor for the Hathaway family when he becomes enamored with the oldest daughter Agnes (Jessie Buckley).  Her late mother, who was believed to be a forest witch, passed down her knowledge of herbal lore so she feels most at home in nature and is influenced by the portents she sees there.  She falls in love with Will for his storytelling and, despite objections from both of their families, they marry and eventually have Susanna (Bodhi Rae Breathnach) and twins Judith (Olivia Lynes) and Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe).  Seeing that Will is unhappy working as an apprentice glove maker with his father, Agnes encourages him to go to London where he can pursue his writing but, when he finds success, she refuses to move there with him because of concern for Judith's health.  She had a difficult birth with Judith and, since she has visions of only two children at her deathbed, she is fiercely protective of her.  However, when she is struck by a fever, Agnes does everything to nurse her back to health but Hamnet succumbs.  Both Agnes and Will are devastated by his death but she is extremely resentful of the fact the he was not there to say goodbye to Hamnet and their marriage suffers.  When she learns of his new play, Hamlet, she travels to London with her brother Bartholomew (Joe Alwyn) to see it.  She realizes that it is a tribute to her son and is incredibly moved by a scene between the Ghost of Hamlet's father (played by Will) and Hamlet (Noah Jupe).  The power of art to heal is a favorite theme of mine and I had so many tears in my eyes by the end of this movie!  Buckley gives a brilliant performance because she is absolutely feral in her portrayal of motherhood and I especially loved a powerful scene in which she slowly comes to understand the connection between Hamlet and her son.  Mescal is also devastating in the scenes where he processes his grief, particularly when his actors are rehearsing the play and when he writes Hamlet's soliloquy.  I loved seeing callbacks to earlier moments in their lives within the play, such as the forest backdrop and the fencing scene between Hamlet and Laertes, and the choice to have two brothers play Hamnet and Hamlet on stage is absolutely inspired (Jacobi gives one of the best performances I have ever seen from a child).  The visuals, featuring bucolic locations, are gorgeous and the score is incredibly moving. I loved everything about this and I highly recommend it!

Noises Off at PTC

The first time I saw Noises Off, it was a production at PTC nearly twenty years ago. I have since seen it multiple times (including two productions this year at CPT and Parker Theatre) but I love it and was thrilled to see a new version at PTC last night! It is an absolutely hilarious farce featuring a play-within-a-play called Nothing On starring Dotty Otley (Linda Mugleston) as Mrs. Clackett, Gary Lejeune (Rhett Guter) as Roger Templemain, Brooke Ashton (Olivia Kaufmann) as Vicki, Frederick Fellowes (Terence Archie) as Philip Brent and the Sheikh, Belinda Blair (Sarah Marie Joyce) as Flavia Brent, and Selsdon Mowbray (David Manis) as the Burglar. Lloyd Dallas (Robert Mammana) is the director, Tim Allgood (Kilty Reidy) is the stage manager, and Poppy Norton-Taylor (Avneet Kaur Sanhu) is the assistant stage manager (there is an amusing playbill for Nothing On inside the playbill for this show). Act I takes place during a disastrous dress rehearsal (or is is the technical?) involving the wrong props, a malfunctioning set, missed cues, an actor questioning his character's motivation, an increasingly exasperated director, and a sleep-deprived stage manager. Act II takes place backstage while the show is on tour and features the deteriorating relationships between the actors which results in mayhem as they fight with each other and attempt to sabotage each other's performances. Act III takes place at the end of the run during which Dotty has a complete meltdown on stage and Frederick has an accident backstage causing the rest of the cast to improvise while Brooke performs her lines and blocking as normal. This is such a funny play and this production is one of the best I've seen because I don't think I stopped laughing! There is not a weak link in the cast because they all have brilliant comedic timing and give outstanding physical performances at a frenetic pace, especially in extended sequences involving a lost contact lens, an ax, several bouquets of flowers, a mop and bucket, a telephone cord, sardines on the ground, and several understudies for the same character going on at once. However, I was particularly impressed with Archie, because he spends a good amount of time running around with his pants around his ankles and he becomes progressively more and more injured as the play goes on, and Guter, because he hops up the stairs backstage with his feet tied together and falls down the stairs on stage spectacularly! The two-story pastel-colored set is fantastic and the sheer number of doors (which are frequently slammed very dramatically) is impressive. I also loved the large window because it allows the audience to see what is happening on stage during Act II and backstage during Act III (which adds to the chaotic humor). I had a lot of fun watching this and highly recommend it to anyone who needs a laugh (and who doesn't?) this holiday season! It runs at PTC through December 20 (with matinees on Saturdays) and tickets may be purchased here.

Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair

Yesterday I went with my sister and brother-in-law, the biggest Quentin Tarantino fans in the world, to see Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair, which combines Kill Bill: Volume 1 and Kill Bill: Volume 2 into one movie as Tarantino originally intended, and it was seriously awesome!  A former assassin known as the Bride (Uma Thurman), code name Black Mamba, awakens after a four year coma resulting from a massacre that killed everyone else, including her unborn child, at her wedding rehearsal.  She vows to find and kill Bill (David Carradine), code name Snake Charmer, her jealous former lover and mentor, and four members of his Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, including Vernita Green (Vivica A. Fox), code name Copperhead, O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu), code name Cottonmouth, Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah), code name California Mountain Snake, and Budd (Michael Madsen), code name Sidewinder, for betraying her.  This is a brilliant revenge thriller that pays homage to low-budget exploitation films popular in the 1960s and 1970s, particularly martial arts films and spaghetti westerns, and features highly stylized action sequences.  I especially love the fight choreography in the showdown at the House of Blue Leaves in which the Bride battles O-Ren Ishii's second lieutenant Sofia Fatale (Julie Dreyfus), her Japanese schoolgirl bodyguard Gogo Yubari (Chiaki Kuriyama), the entire Yakuza gang she leads known as the Crazy 88, and then the assassin herself with the samurai sword made for her by Hattori Hanzo (Sonny Chiba) while wearing the iconic yellow tracksuit (inspired by the one worn by Bruce Lee in Game of Death) because it is so hilariously hyperviolent with flying limbs and blood gushing everywhere (it is expanded and all of it is shown in glorious color in this version).  I also love the shot composition in the black and white sequence during the massacre at Two Pines (it reminded me of the final shot in The Searchers) and the use of Japanese anime for O-Ren Ishii's backstory (it is also expanded in this version and it is very cool).  All of the music is fantastic but my favorite is "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" by Nancy Sinatra, which is used during the opening credits, because it immediately sets the tone for the Bride's story.  Thurman gives an epic performance as a woman who is seeking vengeance but also trying to reconcile what was done to her because she is equally adept in the action sequences and in the more emotional scenes with Bill.  Finally, I definitely prefer this version over the two-part one because the pacing is much improved, the deletion of one scene makes a later revelation even more powerful, and the expansion of several scenes adds to the context (not to mention the fact that watching this all afternoon was an incredible theatrical experience).  I highly recommend checking this out while it is in theaters (our screening was completely sold out) because it is a total blast!

Nate Bargatze at the Delta Center

I have always wanted to see a comedy show (it has been on my bucket list for a very long time) so I was really excited for Nate Bargatze at the Delta Center yesterday.  Comedians are sometimes a hard sell for me because I don't really enjoy crude humor (I think it is extremely lazy) but Bargatze makes me laugh because he is so relatable.  Four different comics opened for him (this really surprised me but I guess it shouldn't have because most music concerts have multiple opening acts) including Julian McCullough, Graham Kay, Keith Alberstadt, and Derrick Stroup.  All four of them, who each performed for about ten minutes, were really funny but I especially enjoyed McCullough, who talked about the Utah Jazz being a young team who will become competitive soon and called out all of the people arriving late (this made me laugh so hard because it is a pet peeve of mine), and Kay, who joked that, because he was getting married for the first time and thinking about starting a family at age 44, he could now finally relate to all of the 20-year-olds in the audience.  Bargatze came to the small circular stage in the center of the arena right after them and he performed for over an hour.  It was so much fun because I don't think I stopped laughing.  He told really humorous stories, in his signature deadpan delivery, about the absurdity of mundane situations including being able to ask AI important questions (such as how many chickens will fit inside a horse), technology in cars today being smarter than he is, teaching his daughter to drive a stick shift, feeling powerful for being able to order food from Door Dash any time he wants, dealing with his parents as they get older, telling his marriage counselor that he is frustrated with his wife for how she orders from the menu at the drive-through, and mining his family's hilarious group chats for comedy.  I particularly loved his bit about cars having opinions because I also sometimes feel like my high-tech car is judging my driving!  All of his jokes really landed with the sold-out crowd and the energy was an absolute blast to experience!  I didn't really know what to expect from a comedy show in a large arena but I had a great time and would definitely consider going again, especially if Bargatze returns to the Delta Center (or Leanne Morgan because she also makes me laugh).

A Christmas Carol at Parker Theatre 2025

Last year I saw five productions of A Christmas Carol and, honestly, it turned into a chore to get through all of them. This year I decided that I only wanted to see one so that I could really enjoy it (I also wanted to have more time to spend with my family) and I picked Parker Theatre's version because it is my favorite (it is so atmospheric and dramatic). I had the chance to see it last night and I think I made the right decision because I loved every minute of it! This tells the familiar story of how Ebenezer Scrooge (Mark Knowles) is redeemed after the ghost of his partner Jacob Marley (Stuart Mitchell) arranges for him to be visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Helene Parker), Present (David Hansen), and Future (Helene Parker). However, there are many original elements specific to this particular production that make it my favorite. I love that Marley is shown haunting Scrooge at their counting house and other locations before he appears to him in his bed chamber because it is so foreboding. I love that many of the characters Scrooge interacts with in the present, such as a poor child singing carols (Eloise Hohl), his nephew Fred (Truman Schipper), and his clerk Bob Cratchit (Chris Last), appear to him as if in a dream when he interacts with characters from his past, including his younger self (Tristan Curtis), his sister Fan (Samara Douros), and his employer Mr. Fezziwig (Jim Dale), respectively, to soften his heart because it gives depth and meaning to his eventual redemption. I love the romantic dance between the young Ebenezer (Spencer Hohl) and Belle (Isabelle Purdie) because it provides a sharp contrast to the later scene when she releases him from their betrothal. I also love how Scrooge learns the truth by opening his coffin in the cemetery because it is incredibly dramatic (especially when chains emerge from the coffin to claim him). The sets are much more minimal than other productions I've seen (Scrooge's counting house and bed chamber are the most elaborate) but I love the use of scrims, projections, fog, and atmospheric lighting and sound design to create an otherworldly mood. It was fun to see many in the cast reprise the same roles from previous productions and, while I loved every performance, I was most impressed by Knowles, because his gradual transformation from the bitter old miser at the beginning of the show to the more lighthearted character we see at the end is brilliantly conveyed through facial expressions and body language, and by Hansen, because I found his sudden change from a jolly spirit who brings the joy of the season to Scrooge to one who accuses him of ignoring his fellow man to be absolutely devastating (especially since his delivery is very quiet). Seeing A Christmas Carol has always been an important tradition for me and I am so glad that I picked this production to celebrate the season this year! I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) for one of the performances on Fridays and Saturdays (or on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday during the final week) through December 24.

'Twas the Night Before at the Eccles

I really enjoyed the Cirque du Soleil shows that I have seen (Mystere and Love in Las Vegas) so I was excited to see their first ever Christmas show, 'Twas the Night Before, last night at the Eccles Theatre. As expected, it is a dazzling spectacle that is sure to give you a big dose of Christmas cheer! Isabella (Elodie Sanna) and her Father (William Borges) always read "A Visit From Saint Nicholas" by Clement C. Moore together but this year she feels that she has outgrown the tradition and even rejects the bicycle he gives her as a present. Then a winter storm separates them and they are transported by mischievous elves into a magical world inspired by the poem and brought to life by whimsical aerialists, jugglers, and acrobats. They are eventually reunited by Santa Claus (Chris Aguirre Aceituno) and his reindeer with a new sense of joy and wonder for the holiday. The stage features a glittering backdrop of tinsel and lights with a large ramp (which I thought would be used more) connecting an upper level to the main level. The show also includes really fun remixes of traditional Christmas songs (my favorite was "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" performed by a cello during an aerial routine) with choreography that is perfectly in sync with the beat. The performances are nothing short of amazing and there were multiple times when I wondered how the cast members were able to execute such impressive stunts (the audience broke out into spontaneous applause in the middle of almost every number). The highlight for me was when a group, including Shih-Rong Huang, Yi-Fang Chen, Yu-Hui Teng, and Shih-Wei Huang, toss illuminated diabolos, or spinning tops on wires, across the stage and into the audience because it looks so cool (I have no idea how they were able to catch them on the wires). I also loved seeing an aerialist (Victoria Baudry-McPherson) spin on a rotating hotel cart, a group of reindeer (Aaron Blomme, Esteban Masco, David Tanner, Lucas Costa De Souza, Mohamed Conte, Changzheng Xu, and Shane William Minerich) jump and perform somersaults through impossibly high rings, and Isabella balance on a moving bicycle. This show is not quite as immersive as the ones I have seen in Las Vegas (which are performed in the round) but it is a lot of fun and it is perfect for families during this holiday season. It runs at the Eccles Theatre through December 14 with multiple shows on Saturdays and Sundays (go here for tickets).

Festival of Trees 2025

The Festival of Trees is an event I look forward to all year because it is so much fun to volunteer and it is such a worthwhile cause since every single penny raised goes to benefit Primary Children's Hospital!  Various groups and individuals decorate trees, usually to commemorate someone who is or has been a patient at Primary Children's Hospital, and then donate them.  The trees are put up for auction and then displayed at the Mountain America Expo Center for the duration of the festival.  In addition to the trees, there are centerpieces, wreaths, quilts, and gingerbread houses on display with lots of activities for kids (even Santa) and treats to purchase (I may or may not have had two cinnamon rolls).  This was my fifteenth year volunteering as a hostess and when my shift was over I got to look around.  Here are some of my favorite trees.

Wicked was very "popular" at the festival this year.

This was my favorite.

The Festival of Trees runs at the Mountain America Expo Center through December 6.  Go here for more information and tickets.