Rose of Nevada

I was absolutely mesmerized by the movie Enys Men so I was excited to see Mark Jenkin's latest, Rose of Nevada, at the Broadway yesterday.  When the fishing vessel Rose of Nevada disappeared from a Cornish village thirty years ago, the effect was catastrophic.  The community has not yet recovered economically and the families of the lost fishermen, Alan and Luke, are still mourning the loss.  The boat mysteriously reappears and Mike (Edward Rowe), the former owner, decides to hire a new crew and send it back out to sea.  He recruits Nick (George MacKay), a husband and father who desperately needs money to repair his roof, and Liam (Callum Turner), an itinerant worker who sleeps on the dock.  Even though neither one of them have experience, they return with a substantial catch but the village they return to is thirty years in the past.  Liam is mistaken for Alan and is warmly welcomed by Alan's wife Tina (Rosalind Eleazar) and his young daughter while Nick is mistaken for Luke and is taken in by Luke's parents (Adrian Rawlins and Mary Woodvine).  They both realize that something is amiss and go out on the boat again thinking that they will reset the timeline but, when they return to the past, Liam happily settles into a life with Tina.  However, Nick is increasingly distraught and goes to extraordinary lengths to return to his wife Emily (Mae Voogd) and young daughter but eventually becomes conflicted about condemning his community to poverty and grief again.  What I love about Jenkin as a filmmaker is the way he uses images rather than dialogue to tell the story.  He opens with a series of static shots and it is immediately clear that the village is suffering from an economic depression.  He also uses several extended sequences of Nick and Liam working on the boat (fishing is hard work) to establish that they have an aptitude for the job despite the fact they have no experience.  I also love the ambiguity in his movies, especially in this narrative, because you are never really sure if Nick has been displaced in time or if he is suffering from madness.  I was particularly struck by a recurring photo of Alan and Luke taken on the boat because the movie ends with Nick and Liam in that same photo.  Finally, I loved the use of degraded 16mm film, because this adds to the feeling that these characters are from another time, as well as the unsettling sound design and otherwordly score, because it creates such an atmospheric vibe.  I really dug this and am now eagerly awaiting the next movie from Jenkin.

Note:  I basically spent the whole day at the Broadway because I saw The Odyssey in 35mm (my third viewing!) next.  It gets better every time I see it!

Once at CPT

I went back to CPT last night to see Once on the Mountain America Main Stage with both of my sisters. I love this show so much and, because the people sitting around me didn't know anything about it, I was really hyping it up! Luckily they all enjoyed this production as much as I did! A Guy (Nathan Bowser) is busking on a Dublin street when a Girl (Lindsea Garside) strikes up a conversation with him because she likes his music. He reluctantly tells her that he wants to give up on music because all of his songs are about a girl who left him to move to New York. The Girl encourages him to play more of his music for her and eventually helps him record a demo. He begins to have feelings for her and reveals that he may have written the songs for another girl but now he is singing them for her. She knows that she needs to reconcile with her estranged husband for the sake of her daughter and that he needs to go to New York and play his music for his former girlfriend so, even though she loves him, she tearfully convinces him to go. The ending is bittersweet (I always get tears in my eyes) but I think the theme is universal because most of us have had people enter our lives for a brief moment and have a profound impact on us. I absolutely loved the staging of this production (every version I have seen has been slightly different) because the set features a Dublin street and the exteriors of a repair shop, a music store, the Girl's house, and a pub. Minimal set pieces for the interiors of these locations are brought on by the ensemble through a large garage door on the street and the lights inside each building are illuminated to denote where the scene is taking place (I think this is really clever). Every member of the ensemble, including Brandon Garside, Theresa Chatelain, Faith Driggs, Isaac Carrillo, Ryan Boam, Kristen Alley, Jacob Draper, David Johnson, Alec Halpin, and Katie Lewis Higbee, plays multiple instruments live on stage and the way they are integrated into the narrative is brilliant (they are all unbelievably talented). The folk music is beautiful and hearing my favorite songs, "Falling Slowly" (even if you are not familiar with this show you might recognize this), "If You Want Me," and "Gold," gave me goosebumps! Bowser and Garside are outstanding as the leads and they give incredibly passionate performances (Garside's rendition of "The Hill" is especially powerful). Finally, the original Broadway production features a lot of profanity but this version, much like the one at HCTO, omits it so it is suitable for everyone. This show is grand and it definitely deserves to be seen by more people so I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs on the Mountain America Main Stage at CPT through August 18.

Tarzan at CPT

Last night I went to see Tarzan on the Second Stage at CPT. I was really excited for this show because I had heard rave reviews for the production and I was definitely not disappointed! This musical is based on the popular story by Edgar Rice Burroughs and features fantastic music by Phil Collins. Kerchak (Ben Fonoimoana Tutor), the leader of a tribe of gorillas, is unhappy when his wife Kala (Janzell Luika Kim Tutor) adopts a baby whose parents have been killed because he doesn't think a human belongs with their family. Young Tarzan (Levi W. Johnson) struggles to keep up with the rest of the tribe until he is befriended by Terk (Braden Hull) who shows him how to be a gorilla but when he teaches Terk to make a spear for picking fruit, Kerchak is afraid that he will hurt the other gorillas so he forces him into exile. Tarzan is distraught and wonders where he belongs so Kala decides to stay with him. Years later, Tarzan (Levi Larsen) is welcomed back into the tribe after he kills a leopard that has been terrorizing them. However, when Professor Porter (Nathan Jones) and his daughter Jane (Summer Sloan Alvey) bring an expedition to the jungle, Kerchak worries that Taran's interactions with the humans, especially Jane, will bring harm to the tribe. When Clayton (Hayden Henderson), a member of the expedition, threatens the gorillas, Tarzan must decide whether he belongs with Jane and the humans or with his adopted family. What makes this production so dazzling is the incredibly immersive set with dynamic projections on the LED screens that surround the stage and the audience (I loved watching the subtle movements of the leaves) and hanging vines from the rafters because these elements, along with the sound design, make you feel like you are actually in the middle of the jungle. I especially loved the staging of the shipwreck at the beginning of the show because it features the sound of waves and a projection of a ship on a scrim in the middle of the stage. It is incredibly realistic! The set also features a large tree that opens up to become Professor Porter's camp and a balcony that is transformed into the tree house built by Tarzan's parents. This stage is so intimate that Tarzan actually flies through the audience when he swings on the vines (he was literally a few inches from me)! Larsen is an incredibly athletic Tarzan who is really fun to watch (the three young girls sitting next to me were very enamored with him). I loved his performance of "Strangers Like Me," my favorite song in the show, but his version of "Everything That I Am" gave me goosebumps. Alvey has a wide-eyed wonder in the songs "Waiting For This Moment" and "For The First Time" (for both the flora and fauna and for Tarzan) and I loved all of her interactions with Larsen because she tries to hide the fact that she finds him attractive. Other standouts are Hull because he has a boisterous energy that is palpable and Johnson because he is adorable and his rendition of "I Need to Know" is so affecting. The choreography is thrilling and I especially enjoyed the rambunctious leaps and jumps in "Trashin' The Camp" and the aerialists in "Waiting For This Moment." The costumes are very vibrant and I also loved the puppets (the elephant made me giggle out loud). This production is outstanding and I highly recommend it for the whole family (all of the kids in the audience seemed to be having a lot of fun). It runs on the Second Stage through August 8 and tickets may be purchased here.

Note:  As I mentioned, the three girls sitting next to me were very vocal in their appreciation for Tarzan so Larsen high-fived them during the bows. I think it was the highlight of their lives!

The Odyssey

Last night I finally had the chance to see The Odyssey, one of my most anticipated movies of 2026, and I was absolutely blown away by both the spectacle and the storytelling.  Odysseus (Matt Damon), the king of Ithaca, leaves his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland) to aid Agamemnon (Benny Safdie) on his quest to rescue Helen (Lupita Nyong'o), the wife of his brother Menelaus (Jon Bernthal), from Troy.  After successfully infiltrating the city by deception inside a large wooden horse, he sails home with his soldiers and Eurylochus (Himesh Patel), his increasingly distrustful second-in-command, but he chooses a slower route than Agamemnon because he is tormented by visions of Athena (Zendaya).  His journey is interrupted by battles with mythical creatures and angry gods until he takes solace with Calypso (Charlize Theron) who makes him forget his family and the loss of his crew for many years.  In Ithaca, Penelope is besieged by suitors wanting her to marry again, most notably Antinous (Robert Pattinson) and Polybus (Corey Hawkins), and is surrounded by duplicitous servants, including Melantho (Mia Goth) and her brother Melanthius (Logan Marshall-Green), while Telemachus is determined to find the truth about his father with the help of his loyal swineherd Eumaeus (John Leguizamo).  When Odysseus is finally able to return to Ithaca, he must confront the consequences of his actions.  What I loved most about this is that the immense scope and scale of Odysseus's physical journey, including some of the best action sequences involving practical effects that I've ever seen, is balanced by the intimacy of his existential journey of discovery.  The set pieces are big, loud, immersive, and sometimes terrifying, especially the scenes in which Polyphemus (a cyclops) and Scylla (a multi-headed monster) attack, with incredible visuals and sound design.  The third act, in particular, grabs you and doesn't let go with escalating tension that culminated in applause from my audience.  Damon gives the best performance of his career because his impressive physicality is coupled with some highly emotional scenes that brought tears to my eyes, particularly one with Penelope and Athena when he confesses to them.  I could also say the same for the entire cast but the standouts for me are Holland as Telemachus (even after watching him as Spider-Man for so many years I was truly not familiar with his game), because his restrained transformation from an overwhelmed boy to a man worthy to take the throne of Ithaca is very powerful, Samantha Morton as Circe, because her delivery of a monologue about the violence of men gave me goosebumps, Pattinson as Antinous, because he is just so sleazy and I loved his final confrontation with Damon, and Leguizamo as Eumaeus, because he steals every scene he is in.  Finally, my attention never wavered during the almost three hour runtime and I almost got a ticket to see it again as soon as it ended (I will see it again very soon).  This is a masterpiece and I cannot recommend it enough but definitely see it in IMAX with Dolby Atmos sound (you'll thank me later).

Note:  The only movie that even has a chance of dethroning this as my favorite of 2026 is Dune: Part Three.  Nolan has thrown down the gauntlet, Villeneuve!

The Invite

Last night my nephew and I went to the Broadway to see The Invite.  This movie got a lot of buzz at Sundance this year so I was really excited and it definitely lived up to the hype!  Joe (Seth Rogen) is a former musician who now teaches at a third-rate music academy and Angela (Olivia Wilde) is a bored stay-at-home mom who fills her days by endlessly remodeling and decorating their apartment.  They bicker back and forth until their upstairs neighbors, Pina (Penelope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton), arrive for dinner.  Angela tries way too hard to impress them and Joe resents their intrusion but, after several extremely awkward encounters, they eventually become titillated by Pina and Hawk's unconventional sex life.  When Pina and Hawk invite them to participate in one of their orgies, everything that is wrong with Joe and Angela's relationship is revealed and they must decide whether they want to separate or make the changes needed to remain married.  This is absolutely hilarious (I don't think there was an empty seat in the theater and the audience laughed out loud through the entire runtime) and I especially loved a scene that cuts back and forth between Joe asking Pina how she knew when a relationship was over and Angela asking Hawk to help her make an important decision because it subverts expectations in a highly amusing way!  This is also an insightful and thought-provoking exploration of how couples lose connection and intimacy within a marriage when they become complacent (the ambiguous ending is quietly devastating).  This reminded me of a play performed live on stage because it takes place in one location in real time with an emphasis on dialogue rather than action.  However, this structure is surprisingly compelling because the scenes are framed in an incredibly dynamic way, particularly one in which the couples are placed opposite each other against the large cased opening to the dining room to highlight the distance between them, and the dialogue is very witty with brilliant performances that feature perfect timing (Rogen is outstanding).  I really enjoyed this and I am sure that it will be among my favorites this year.

The Scarlet Pimpernel at The Ruth

I was absolutely obsessed with Baroness Orczy's novel The Scarlet Pimpernel when I was a teenager (I also really loved the movie adaptation starring Anthony Edwards and Jane Seymour) so I always try to see the stage adaptation whenever it is playing near me.  I went to The Ruth's production last night and I had so much fun anticipating all of my favorite numbers.  Sir Percy Blakeney (Scott Hendrickson) disguises himself as the Scarlet Pimpernel and recruits a league of followers (Elijah Wolford, Maxx Teuscher, Kegan Bjornn, Charlie Flint, Tanner Garner, and Joshua Jones) from his fellow aristocrats in order to save the people of Paris from the sinister Chauvelin (Bronson Dameron) and the guillotine during the French Revolution.  He keeps his identity secret from his wife Marguerite St. Just (Malia Morley), a Parisian actress, because he believes that she is helping Chauvelin, her former lover.  He also keeps his identity secret from the Prince of Wales (Daniel Clegg) by pretending to be a foppish nincompoop!  However, he must make his most daring rescue yet when Marguerite and her brother Armand (Cole Hixson) are arrested.  When I entered the theater, I was really struck by the dramatic set, featuring large stone arches that become the Comedie-Francaise, Blakeney Manor, the prison at the Conciergerie, the square at the Place de la Concorde, and the Fisherman's Rest with just the addition of a few backdrops and set pieces (the most notable is the guillotine), as well as the bold red lighting which is extremely effective at creating a mood immediately.  I was also very impressed by the gorgeous costumes, particularly the flamboyantly frou frou outfits worn in "The Creation of Man" and the stylized wigs worn in "Storybook."  The staging of some of the most memorable scenes is simple but incredibly clever and I loved the transition from Percy's study to the ship as the league travels to France during "Into the Fire," the way they save people from the guillotine in "The Rescue," and the way Percy fools Chauvelin in "The Duel." I also really enjoyed the choreography during the intricate "Ouilles Gavotte" as Marguerite questions the men to learn the identity of the Pimpernel and the dramatic way that Percy, Marguerite, and Chauvelin circle each other during "The Riddle."  The three leads are outstanding but Hendrickson, especially, does an amazing job portraying Percy's strength as the Pimpernel, his vulnerability as a man who loves but can't trust his wife (his performances of "Prayer" and "She Was There" gave me chills), and his silliness as a man trying to hide his identity.  His interactions with Dameron are hilarious because the latter becomes visibly exasperated whenever he conspicuously mispronounces his name.  This show is a favorite with Utah audiences and The Ruth's production is one of the best I've seen so I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) before they are gone.  It runs in the Smith Grand Theater through August 22.

Hell's Kitchen at the Eccles

As a big fan of Alicia Keys, I have been looking forward to Hell's Kitchen ever since the 2025-2026 Broadway at the Eccles season was announced. I finally had the chance to see it last night and I loved it because the music, the choreography, and the performances are amazing! This features songs by Alicia Keys with a semi-autobiographical story about her experiences growing up in Manhattan in the 1990s. Seventeen-year-old Ali (Maya Drake) is trying to find her voice and place in the world with her overprotective mother Jersey (Kennedy Caughell), who is afraid that her daughter will make the same mistakes she did, and her absent father Davis (Desmond Sean Ellington), who prioritizes his music career over his responsibilities, while pursuing an ill-advised relationship with an older man named Knuck (JonAvery Worrell), who becomes a victim of discrimination and overpolicing. She finds refuge when Miss Liza Jane (Roz White), a resident of the subsidized artist housing where she lives, begins teaching her how to play the piano and she ultimately channels her anger, pain, and passion into her music. In my opinion, the weakest element is the story because there are a quite a few themes that are only explored on a superficial level as well as several underdeveloped characters who disappear in the second act after they are no longer needed to advance the plot but I did really enjoy the way the mother-daughter relationship is portrayed and the resolution between Ali and Jersey is very satisfying. The highlight is the music (I had to stop myself multiple times from singing along). I loved hearing several of my favorite Alicia Keys songs reinterpreted to fit within the narrative, such as "Girl on Fire" which Ali's friends Tiny (Gigi Lewis) and Jessica (Marley Soleil) sing as both an anthem to female empowerment but also as a cautionary tale, "Fallin'" as duet between Jersey and Davis as she criticizes him for his abandonment but still feels a romantic pull when he flirts with her, "If I Ain't Got You" as a duet between Davis and Ali as they sing the song he wrote for her to show he loves her even if he is not there for her, "No One" as a duet between Jersey and Ali as they reflect on their mother-daughter bond, and, of course, "Empire State of Mind" (my favorite Alicia Keys song) as a triumphant ode to the neighborhood that formed her. There are a few new songs included and my favorite was "Kaleidoscope" because it is such a pivotal moment when Ali's world expands after she meets Miss Liza Jane and plays the piano for the first time. I also really loved the dynamic choreography because the high-energy steps performed by the ensemble are a reflection of Ali's environment, especially in "The Gospel," "You Don't Know My Name," "Kaleidoscope" (this was my favorite because the ensemble seems to dance with the grand piano), "Girl on Fire," and "Empire State of Mind," and the more soulful movements performed by smaller groups embody Ali's internal journey, particularly in "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" and "Hallelujah." The performances blew me away! I was especially impressed by newcomer Drake (who is a recent high school graduate making her professional stage debut) because she effortlessly carries the show with her powerful vocals and electric stage presence. I also enjoyed Caughell because she brings the house down with her rendition of "Pawn It All" and White because her performance of "Perfect Way to Die" is absolutely devastating. Finally, towering metal structures and projections bring the high-rise building where Ali lives and the surrounding neighborhood to life very vividly (I loved the projections used for the elevator) and the costumes effectively transport the audience back to the 1990s. This show is on fire and I highly recommend it! There are five more performances at the Eccles through July 12 (go here for tickets).

Lukas Nelson at Sandy Amphitheater

I really love Lukas Nelson (he sounds a lot like his dad Willie Nelson but I think his voice is much more expressive) so I always try to see his band Promise of the Real when they come to SLC.  I bought a ticket as soon as I learned that he would be performing solo at Sandy Amphitheater and last night's concert was the fifth time I have seen him live (sixth if you count when Promise of the Real backed Neil Young on tour).  I was worried about how hot it might be but it actually started raining while we were waiting for the show to start.  The cute ladies sitting in front of me gave me an umbrella to use but then the rain stopped right when Nelson took the stage.  He began with "Entirely Different Stars" and "Fool Me Once," both Promise of the Real songs, but then it started raining again and we had to be evacuated from the amphitheater because of the lightning.  It looked like the concert might be canceled because lightning was in the forecast for the rest of the night but we were eventually allowed to go back in after about 30 minutes.  Nelson resumed the show with the Promise of the Real songs "Every Time I Drink," and "Wrong House" and then played a few songs, including "Pretty Much," "Born Runnin' Outta Time," and "The Last Wild River," from his recent solo album American Romance.  I really like this album and I definitely enjoyed hearing these songs live for the first time.  The rest of the concert featured all of my favorites and I think he sounded better than I have ever heard him!  I loved his acoustic performance of "Just Outside of Austin" while standing under a spotlight (it gave me goosebumps) but, when I heard the opening notes of "(Forget About) Georgia," I just about lost my mind and his passionate rendition of this song was the highlight of the night for me!  Next came "Carolina" and "Die Alone" but then he had to end with an extended version of "Find Yourself" because the venue has a very strict curfew of 10:00.  I was a little sad that we didn't get the full show because he has been performing "Set Me Down on a Cloud" (my favorite Promise of the Real song) as an encore during this tour but I got over it because he was amazing and he promised us that he would be back!  I will definitely be there!

Note:  This was my first concert of 2026 and it was certainly memorable!

Our Town at HCT

Last night was my first time seeing Thornton Wilder's classic play Our Town (you would think that someone with a literature degree and a love of theatre would have seen it by now) and it was also my first time seeing a production on the new Beehive Stage at HCT. I loved both the performance and the venue!  A Stage Manager (Michael Hohl) often breaks the fourth wall to introduce the audience to Grover's Corners, New Hampshire during the early years of the 20th century and the narrative unfolds on a minimal stage without props.  Act 1 includes the every day activities of the inhabitants: Joe Crowell (Samuel Karlinsey) delivers the newspaper, Howie Newsome (Austin Zimmerman) delivers the milk, Dr. Gibbs (Sanford Porter) returns home from delivering twins, Mr. Webb (Ben Parkes) observes the goings-on in the town as editor of the newspaper, Mrs. Gibbs (Cecily Ellis-Bills) and Mrs. Webb (Becca Ingram) make breakfast and get their children, George and Rebecca Gibbs (Timothy Quesenberry and Tessa Jensen, respectively) and Emily and Wally Webb (Mariah Grace Bowman and Wyatt Bills, respectively), ready for school, Simon Stimson (Jared Stewart) struggles to control his alcoholism, and Mrs. Luella Soames (Jayne Luke) gossips with the women of the town. Act 2, which takes place three years later, includes the courtship and marriage of George Gibbs and Emily Webb against the backdrop of these same every day activities (Joe's younger brother Si now delivers the newspapers). Act 3, which takes place nine years later, includes the funeral of Emily Gibbs, who died in childbirth, during which she observes the living before joining the dead of Grover's Corners.  This is very slow, deliberate, and episodic and I have to admit that I found it to be incredibly tedious until the reason for this restraint was revealed in Act 3. Emily ultimately realizes that life is fleeting and that the mundane activities we often take for granted are what make life beautiful and meaningful. This is a powerful and poignant message and I had tears in my eyes by the end of the act. I think the use of metatheatrical devices, such as having the Stage Manager give the characters direction as well as break the fourth wall, is absolutely brilliant because it blurs the line between fiction and reality and lets the audience observe what is happening from a distance much like Emily does after her death.  I also loved the minimal stage with just the hint of various locations, particularly the chalk drawings on the LED screen, because this emphasizes that Grover's Corners could be any town (the more intimate Beehive Stage is the perfect venue for this play). Finally, I found the performances to be very moving, particularly when Hohl speaks about eternity and when Quesenbery and Bowman finally reveal their feelings for each other, but also quite funny, especially when Parkes tries to give advice to his future son-in-law. I am so happy that I finally had the opportunity to see this groundbreaking play and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs on the new Miller Family Beehive Stage through Oct. 19.

Note:  I cannot recommend Harmony enough!  It is also playing at HCT on the Sorenson Legacy Jewel Box Stage through August 1 (go here for tickets).

Young Washington

I went back and forth about seeing Young Washington (for reasons) but I ultimately decided that I wanted to and did so last night.  I actually really liked it!  Eleven-year-old George Washington (Will Joseph) is forced to withdraw from school to work on the farm after the death of his father but his older half-brother Lawrence Washington (John Foss), a commissioned officer in the British Army, encourages him to continue learning and improving himself on his own.  Washington (William Franklyn-Miller) grows up to be incredibly ambitious but becomes a surveyor after he is refused a royal commission due to his lowly colonial background.  Eager to impress Lord Fairfax (Kelsey Grammer), and the young noblewoman (Mia Rodgers) betrothed to his son, he volunteers to survey the Ohio territory adjoining his land with his friend Christopher Gist (Leo Hanna) and, during their expedition, they discover that French forces are building a fort on land claimed by the Crown.  He reports this information to Virginia Lieutenant Governor Robert Dinwiddle (Ben Kingsley) who appoints him a Major in the Virginia Militia and sends him to deliver a message to Joseph Jumonville (Clement Toyon) ordering him to leave.  Washington forms an alliance with a group of Seneca led by Tanacharison (Ryan Begay) after Jumonville refuses to leave but they have their own agenda and open fire which precipitates the French and Indian War.  Washington hastily builds the stockade known as Fort Necessity in an area open to attack and is eventually forced to surrender to the French after a bloody battle which kills Gist.  Washington is demoralized and resigns his commission but his mother Mary (Mary-Louise Parker) convinces him to stay the course and he volunteers to act as aide-de-camp to General Edward Braddock (Andy Serkis).  He attempts to convince Braddock to abandon the traditional British battle formations based on his experience at Necessity but he is rebuffed and their forces are ambushed during the Battle of Monogahela.  He ultimately forms a rear guard using his own battle tactics to save the men from Virginia and this brings him great acclaim.  The narrative leans into the idea that Washington was successful because of divine providence and, while there is a scene in which the Seneca tell him that he was protected by the Creator's Spirit in battle, it is definitely not as heavy-handed as I feared it would be.  In fact, much of the criticism that I had read beforehand about belabored metaphors is very much exaggerated.  I really enjoyed Washington's character arc as a inexperienced soldier who learns from his mistakes and an ambitious leader who develops humility.  The cast is outstanding and Franklyn-Miller, especially, gives a compelling performance, particularly during the heartbreaking surrender of Fort Necessity.  I was also very captivated by Begay because he reminded me so much of Graham Greene (one of my favorite actors).  The battle sequences are exhilarating and the locations and production design are stunning.  I found this very entertaining and I encourage you to ignore the criticism and decide for yourself!

Toy Story 5

The second movie in my animation double feature last night was Toy Story 5 and, even though we probably didn't need another installment in this franchise, I loved it!  When Bonnie (Scarlett Spears) receives a tablet named Lilypad (Greta Lee), she spends all of her time online so Jessie (Joan Cusack) and the other toys start to feel neglected.  Jessie confronts Lily by saying that Bonnie is losing opportunities to find friends so Lily connects her to some of her classmates online.  However, when Bonnie is ridiculed by these new friends, Lily feels guilty and finds a way to be donated.  Meanwhile, Jessie and Bullyeye are inadvertently sent to the home of their first owner and meet Blaze (Mykal-Michelle Harris), the little girl who lives there now.  She thinks that Blaze would be a good friend for Bonnie so she enlists the help of Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), Woody (Tom Hanks), and some of Blaze's toys but eventually realizes that she needs Lily to connect them.  Jessie also realizes that it is natural for children to outgrow their toys when she learns how much she meant to her first owner, Emily.  There are several fun sub-plots involving Buzz trying to work up the courage to ask Jessie to marry him and a group of Hi-Tech Edition Buzz Lightyears who crash land on a deserted island stuck in demo mode and aid Jessie when they attempt to reach Star Command (the scenes in which they engage in covert missions are incredibly amusing).  I loved this because it is funny (with lots of hilarious interactions between all of the toys, both old and new), compelling (with a powerful message about finding a healthy balance between imaginative play and technology), and quite poignant (the scene in which Bonnie is cyberbullied brought tears to my eyes and so did the scene in which Jessie finds Emily's box of memorabilia).  I loved Jessie's character arc as she comes to terms with being abandoned by Emily (Cusack is wonderful and gives a highly emotional performance) and I enjoyed the bickering between Woody and Buzz but I sometimes felt like there were too many characters who either don't add much to the story (especially Smarty Pants, voiced by Conan O'Brien) or are little more than cameos (I still liked seeing my favorite character Duke Caboom, voiced by Keanu Reeves).  Nevertheless, I think this is a worthy addition to the franchise and I highly recommend it.

Note:  I love the song "I Knew It, I Knew You" by Taylor Swift even more now that I've heard it in context!

Minions & Monsters

I had a lot of fun at an animation double feature last night.  I started with Minions & Monsters and this homage to Old Hollywood is so much better than I was expecting!  A tour guide (Allison Janney) leading a group through a film history museum tells the story of how a trio of minions named James, Henry, and Ed influenced Hollywood and saved the world.  A tribe, led by Dick, serve a series of evil villains throughout history, with disastrous results, until they discover a Wild West train robbery and decide to become the robber's henchmen.  They pursue the train only to discover that they have disrupted an elaborate movie shoot.  The director Max (Christoph Waltz) is furious because he believes all of his footage has been ruined but Frank and Elwood Bright (Jeff Bridges), the heads of Bright Brothers Studios, love the new scene and demand that the minions be hired.  They become big stars but, when silent movies transition to "talkies," they are unable to adapt because they are incomprehensible and are fired.  James, Henry, and Ed decide to make their own movie, called Minions and Monsters, but Dick and the rest of the minions leave the studio to find another evil villain to serve.  They become henchmen to Dort (Jesse Eisenberg), an alien robot who intends to invade Earth, but his plans are sidetracked when he meets a suffragette named Debbie (Zoey Deutch) and the minions are used to woo her, instead.  Meanwhile, James uses a spellbook, once owned by the sorcerer they served during the Middle Ages, to summon a monster but is disappointed when a Cthulhu named Goomi (Trey Parker) appears because he is not scary enough.  Goomi then helps them summon Irene, an amorphous blob of orange goo filled with eyeballs, but he has his own plans to use Irene for world domination.  James and Henry are soon overpowered until Dort and the other minions return in spaceships to help destroy Irene and they eventually cast another spell on Goomi.  It turns out that Ed was filming the whole attack and the movie Minions and Monsters becomes a huge hit!  I think the minions, who are all voiced by Pierre Coffin, are absolutely hilarious and I laughed out loud at all of their chaotic antics (I think I am even starting to understand their language).  However, as a self-described cinephile, I really enjoyed the story (which reminded me of Babylon and Singin' in the Rain) and all of the movie references, especially The Great Train Robbery, Citizen Kane, The Maltese Falcon, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and, of course, The Blob.  The visuals are a lot of fun, particularly the train derailment, and the performances are great (Eisenberg is hilarious).  I loved this and, even though I still think the funniest scene involving the minions is in Despicable Me 2 when they sing "I Swear" at Gru and Lucy's wedding, it is definitely my favorite movie in the franchise!

Urinetown The Musical at Hopebox Theatre

I went to the national tour of Urinetown The Musical when it came through SLC in 2004 but I haven't seen it since so I was very excited for a production at the Hopebox Theatre last night. I loved it and I think it is my new favorite show at this theatre. In a dystopian future in which a 20-year drought has caused a severe water shortage, consumption is controlled by a ban on private toilets. The Urine Good Company, under the control of the megalomaniac Caldwell B. Cladwell (Jim Dale), owns all public toilets and charges an exorbitant fee to use them. Anyone who breaks the law by peeing for free is sent by Officer Lockstock (Dylan Watson) and Officer Barrel (Kaltin Kirby) to the mysterious "Urinetown" from which no one ever returns. After Cladwell bribes Senator Fipp (Jen Morgan) to vote for an increase in fees, Bobby Strong (Sean Bishop), the assistant custodian of Amenity #9 in the poorest part of town, decides to take control from the warden Penelope Pennywise (Elizabeth Rossander) and eventually stages a rebellion. Bobby takes Cladwell's daughter Hope (Allison Hogge) hostage and, when this results in tragedy, she leads the people to victory and sends her father to "Urinetown" with unexpected consequences. This is a hilariously self-aware spoof of musical theatre and I especially loved it every time Officer Lockstock and Little Sally (Morgan Richards) break the fourth wall to describe all of the tropes that are being used in the show. My favorites were the use of stock characters (the omniscient narrator, the innocent ingenue, the plucky hero, the melodramatic villain, etc.) as well as the amusing names (I laughed out loud every time I heard lock, stock, and barrel). However, in addition to the humor, this show is also uncomfortably thought-provoking with themes of diminishing resources, corporate greed, late stage capitalism, corruption, and social inequality. These themes are particularly compelling in a state facing a severe drought with leaders who seem to be more concerned with their own greed than the public good. As uneasy as the message made me feel about the current state of the world, I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this production. The cast is one of the best I have seen at this theatre. The leads, Bishop and Hogge, have beautiful voices and give lovely performances that balance the satire but I think Watson steals the show with his over-the-top facial expressions and campy delivery. The ensemble is also very strong and the standout for me was Jack Dwyer because of his exaggerated physicality. The choreography is incredibly dynamic (my favorite numbers were "Too Much Exposition," "Cop Song," "Why Did I Listen to That Man," and "We're Not Sorry" because they feature the entire cast and utilize the small space very well), the minimal sets evoke a bleak and dystopian world, and the costumes do a great job in differentiating the economic classes. As with every production at the Hopebox Theatre, the proceeds are going to help someone in the community battling cancer and the recipient for this show is Carla Avis (go here to learn about her). I highly recommend getting a ticket because, not only is this show outstanding, it is for a good cause (go here for tickets). Act quickly because there are only three performances left!

Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass

Last night I went to my first Screen Unseen at AMC (this features a movie that hasn't been released yet with the title kept secret until showtime) and I was really excited when it was revealed to be Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass because it was on my short list of movies to see at Sundance this year (I eventually opted for The Weight because I thought my nephew would enjoy that more).  It is a hilariously over-the-top spoof of The Wizard of Oz and I had so much fun watching it with a big crowd.  Gail Daughtry (Zoey Deutch) is a mild-mannered hairdresser living in Kansas who is engaged to her high school sweetheart Tom (Michael Cassidy).  Their relationship is put in jeopardy when Tom sleeps with Jennifer Aniston (herself), his "celebrity sex pass," because Gail thought it was a joke when she agreed to their arrangement.  She decides the only way to save their relationship is to sleep with Jom Hamm (himself), her "celebrity sex pass."  Her loyal best friend Otto (Miles Gutierrez-Riley) is going to Los Angeles for a hairdressing convention and she decides to go with him to find Hamm.  As they search the city, they are joined by Caleb (Ben Wang), a low-level employee at Hamm's talent agency, Vincent (Ken Marino), a paparazzo obsessed with getting a photo of Hamm, and John Slattery (himself), a down and out actor who once worked with Hamm on Mad Men, but they are pursued by the wicked mob boss Ludovica (Sabrina Impacciatore) and her henchmen Sergio (Joe Lo Truglio) and Niccolo (Mather Zickel) who are trying to retrieve the briefcase that was inadvertently switched with Gail's at the airport.  The group eventually defeats Ludovica but, when they finally find Hamm, Gail is disappointed to discover that he is just an ordinary man.  She convinces him to give everyone what they want but will she return to Kansas to marry Tom?  The many references to The Wizard of Oz are highly amusing (pay very close attention) and I especially loved the use of ruby slippers and a hot air balloon.  This also pokes fun at celebrity culture and there a quite a few satirical celebrity cameos (my favorites are Henry Winkler, "Weird Al" Yankovic, and Elizabeth Perkins).  Finally, the entire cast commits fully to both the zany tone as well as the physical comedy (Slattery is a hoot) and my audience laughed out loud the whole time.  I thoroughly enjoyed this madcap comedy and I highly recommend it to fans of the genre.

Xanadu at West Valley Arts

I love the movie Xanadu! It is really cheesy when I watch it now but back in the day it was one of my favorites and I have seen it too many times to count (I'm sure it is an embarrassingly large number). I had no idea that a musical adaptation existed but, as soon as I found out that West Valley Arts was performing it, I got a ticket immediately! I went to see it last night and it was way too much fun! Sonny Malone (Zac Freeman) is a struggling artist dissatisfied with the chalk mural he is creating of the Nine Muses on a sidewalk in Venice Beach. When he wants to give up, the Muses come to life and Clio (Ariana Bagley) decides to give him some inspiration. She introduces herself as Kira and disguises herself with roller skates, leg warmers, and an Australian accent (it is a hilariously self-aware parody of the movie). Kira inspires Sonny to create a roller disco that incorporates all of the arts and they find an abandoned theater called Xanadu owned by Danny Maguire (Ricky Parkinson). He is planning to demolish the theater but changes his mind when he sees Kira and remembers Kitty, the woman who inspired him to build Xanadu in the 1940s (Kitty was Clio in disguise). Danny and Sonny form a partnership to restore Xanadu but mayhem ensues when two of Clio's sisters, Melpomene (McKenna Kay Jensen) and Calliope (Janessa Zech), become jealous of her success with Sonny and curse her to fall in love with him which is forbidden by Zeus. I love all of the music in this show (the music by ELO is why I love the movie so much) and I had to try really hard not to sing along with every song (my apologies to everyone sitting around me because I'm not sure that I was entirely successful). I especially loved the performances of "I'm Alive," "Magic," "Suddenly," "All Over the World," "The Fall," and, of course, "Xanadu." However, my favorite was "Evil Woman" (an ELO song that is not in the movie) as Melpomene and Calliope plot against Clio because Jensen and Zech not only have incredible voices but they also have perfect comedic timing. They are so entertaining to watch! My favorite scene in the movie is when Danny, who sees a big band with a trio of female vocalists, and Sonny, who envisions a rock band with synthesizers, describe what Xanadu could be and then their ideas merge to create something epic in the song "Dancin'." The staging of this is fantastic and I think I was giggling the whole time! I also liked the staging for "Whenever You're Away from Me" as Danny reminisces about his time with Kitty because she dances with a younger and older version of Danny. All of the choreography featuring roller skating is absolutely amazing, especially when everyone skates during "Xanadu," and I was so impressed with the entire cast. Freeman and Bagley give incredibly campy performances that had the audience laughing and cheering (I loved it whenever Bagley exaggerated the Australian accent) and the 1980s aesthetic used in the set and costumes (so much neon) is a lot of fun. I had the best time watching this show but, unfortunately, last night was the final performance. Go here for the rest of the season at West Valley Arts (I'm especially excited for Newsies).

Supergirl

I loved James Gunn's reboot of Superman so I was really looking forward to Supergirl, the next installment in the DC Universe.  I went to see it last night with my nephew and, unfortunately, I was really disappointed.  Zor-El (David Krumholtz) and his wife Alura (Emily Beecham) manage to create a force field around Argo City which separates it from the planet Krypton before the core explodes.  Their daughter Kara is born is born eight years later but, when they realize that everyone in Argo City is dying from radiation poisoning, they decide to send her to Earth to be with their nephew Kal-El (David Corenswet).  The teenage Kara (Molly Alcock) is incredibly traumatized by the death of her parents and everyone she knew in Argo City so she frequently leaves the yellow sun of Earth, which gives her power, for planets with a red sun like Krypton so she can get drunk enough to forget her past.  On one such planet she is approached by Ruthye Marye Knoll (Eve Ridley) who wants her help to locate Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts), the leader of the Brigands who killed her family, to exact revenge but she refuses.  However, Kara changes her mind after Krem shoots her dog Krypto with a poison dart and she agrees to help Ruthye in order to get the antidote.  They travel from planet to planet and interact with various creatures in their search until, with the help of the bounty hunter Lobo (Jason Momoa), they have an epic confrontation with Krem to free a group of women who have been trafficked by the Brigands but Kara ultimately convinces Ruthye that vengeance is not the answer.  The source material is incredibly dark and I really wish that the filmmakers had committed to the darker tone but there are lots of attempts to make the characters more humorous and quirky, especially Krem and Lobo (who does not really impact the plot much), and the humor didn't really land for me (I didn't hear anyone in my audience laughing).  The action sequences and the visual effects are surprisingly dull because all of the planets look the same with a dark and washed out color grading (I started to get really bored because the battles become so monotonous).  There are some emotional moments between Kara and Ruthye but they are not as moving as they could have been because Ridley gives such a stilted performance (I found her annoying).  However, Alcock is great in the role (her performance is the best part of the movie) because she balances her character's strength and vulnerability very effectively.  I hope that she will be able to continue playing Kara in a better movie in the DCU but I don't recommend this one.

Leviticus

The second movie in my double feature at the Broadway last night was Leviticus and I absolutely loved it!  Arlene Reid (Mia Wasikowska) moves with her son Naim (Joe Bird) to an extremely conservative Christian community in Victoria, Australia.  She finds comfort but he struggles with the repressive environment until he begins a secret relationship with Ryan Whelan (Stacy Clausen).  However, Naim sees Ryan kissing the pastor's son Hunter (Jeremy Blewitt) and, because he is jealous, he outs them to the pastor.  A deliverance healer is called in to perform a ritual on the two of them to cleanse them of their homosexual desires but this summons an invisible entity that stalks them in the form of the one they love.  A malevolent being that looks Naim attacks Ryan and another one that looks Ryan kills Hunter.  When Arlene learns about Naim's feelings for Ryan, she takes him to the deliverance healer to perform the same ritual on him and a spirit that looks like Ryan attacks him.  Naim and Ryan eventually discover that the entity appears whenever they are alone and it becomes difficult for them to distinguish between perception and reality.  In addition to the physical threat, this is a psychological nightmare for both Naim and Ryan because the one person who makes them feel less alone is now the person they fear the most when they are alone.  Bird and Clausen have tremendous chemistry and I love the way they portray the romance that develops between their characters because this makes what happens to them absolutely heartbreaking as well as terrifying.  Bird, especially, is devastating during the scenes in which he wants so desperately to believe that the person in front of him is actually Ryan.  There is a tension whenever Naim and Ryan are on screen together that is palpable as a result.  This has a lot to say about the damage caused by homophobia, religious extremism, and conversion therapy but I was really struck by the theme of fear and how it is weaponized.  The shapeshifter wants Naim and Ryan to fear each other so that they will repress who they really are but both of them eventually realize that love is more powerful than fear.  I was incredibly moved by this and highly recommend it!

The Death of Robin Hood

I spent most of last night at the Broadway for a double feature because I missed a few movies that I really wanted to see while I was out of town.  I began with The Death of Robin Hood and it is definitely my jam.  Despite all of the stories that have turned him into a folk hero, the outlaw Robin Hood (Hugh Jackman) is tormented by a lifetime filled with violence and is living in self-imposed exile to escape those seeking vengeance against him.  He agrees to help fellow outlaw Little John (Bill Skarsgard) fight a clan who has taken his wife and daughter hostage so that he can die in battle but he is severely wounded, instead.  John takes him to a Priory on a remote island to be healed by Sister Brigid (Jodie Comer) and he begins to find a measure of peace through his interactions with her, a leper (Murray Bartlett) who works as a caretaker on the island, and John's daughter Little Margaret (Faith Delaney).  However, his past eventually catches up with him in the form of Godwyn (Noah Jupe), the sole-surviving member of the clan slaughtered by Robin and John, and he is finally forced to reconcile everything he has done.  The movie begins with several bloody and brutal action sequences involving medieval warfare that establish Robin Hood as a villain but then it turns into a more contemplative character study as he deals with the consequences of his actions with a conclusion that I found very powerful.  I loved the themes of vengeance, forgiveness, redemption, and legacy, especially in the scenes when Robin convinces Godwyn to abandon his quest as well as when Robin perpetuates the myth to spare Margaret from learning the truth about her father.  The cinematography, which uses lots of desaturated blues and grays, is incredibly bleak but strangely beautiful and I was really struck by the change in aspect ratio because it becomes almost claustrophobic on the island to represent Robin's inability to hide from his actions.  All of the performances are outstanding but Jackman is particularly haunting because he conveys a lifetime of regret with just his eyes and body language.  This will not be for everyone (some may be put off by the violence in the first act and others may find the pace of the second and third acts to be too slow) but I always love flawed characters who find redemption and I really appreciated the subversive take on a well-known character.

Redwood National Park

The redwoods are absolutely awe-inspiring!  I have wanted to see them for a really long time and the experience definitely did not disappoint!

I was not really prepared for how absolutely massive these trees are and the pictures really do not do them justice (I had to pose next to one to show the scale).  I also really loved all of the ferns growing on the trees.  Seeing these trees exceeded all of my expectations!

The Oregon Coast Part Two

Yesterday we drove from Astoria, Oregon to Crescent City, California on Highway 101 along the coast and to say the scenery was gorgeous would be an understatement!  Every time we rounded a corner and saw a new view, it would take our breath away (especially when there was a fog rolling in).  We made quite a few stops along the way.

Cannon Beach

Yaquina Head Lighthouse

Heceta Head Lighthouse

Umpqua River Lighthouse (this is a working lighthouse operated by the U.S. Coast Guard)

I loved all of the random rocks sticking out of the water all along the coastline.  Oregon is a beautiful place!