The Mandalorian and Grogu

Last night my sister, my nephew, and I went to a Thursday preview of The Mandalorian and Grogu.  I am a huge fan of the series on Disney+ and I enjoyed this even though it is basically like watching several episodes of the show on the big screen.  Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his apprentice Grogu are now bounty hunters searching for the last of the Imperial warlords on behalf of the New Republic.  Commander Ward (Sigourney Weaver) asks them to visit the Hut Twins to get information needed to capture the mysterious warlord Janu Coin (Jonny Coyne).  However, the Twins will only disclose this information if they find their nephew Rotta (Jeremy Allen White), the son and heir of Jabba.  Djarin and Grogu travel to the planet Shakari to rescue Rotta from the crime syndicate holding him captive but he doesn't want to be rescued (for reasons).  Djarin ultimately finds Coin himself to avoid returning Rotta but complications ensue when the Twins seek retribution for breaking their agreement.  This does have a very episodic feel to it with lots of side quests (I even noticed when each episode could possibly begin and end) and the action sequences become a bit monotonous as Djarin fights one CGI creature after another (my favorite action set pieces are those that reference other films and shows in the Star Wars franchise, such as when Djarin and Grogu take down several AT-AT walkers, when Grogu and the Anzellans attempt to rescue Djarin, and when Ward attacks a droid army with a fleet of X-wing fighters).  I did like Rotta's character arc as a son trying to move out of his notorious father's shadow (although I thought it was weird that Jeremy Allen White's voice is almost unrecognizable) and I absolutely loved Grogu's development as an apprentice proving himself to his master (I think the scenes in which he cares for Djarin are absolutely magical).  Another highlight is Ludwig Goransson's score, particularly during the scenes on Shakari and the scenes with Grogu on Nal Hutta (the music here is incredible because it evokes such a sense of wonder).  This is fun but inconsequential and, if you are a fan of the series, you will probably enjoy it.

Note:  All I wanted from this movie was to learn how Djarin got the Razor Crest back and the explanation worked for me.

The Wizard of the Kremlin

The second movie in my double feature at the Broadway yesterday was The Wizard of the Kremlin.  I found it very intriguing because I love Russian history but also a bit of a slog to get through (can both things be true?).  An American academic named Lawrence Rowland (Jeffrey Wright) arrives in Moscow to research a Russian author when he is contacted by Vadim Baranov (Paul Dano) and invited to his isolated dacha to interview him about his former role as advisor to Vladimir Putin (Jude Law).  Barasov chronicles his rise from an avant-garde theatre director after the fall of communism to become the producer of trashy reality television during the surge in organized crime and then a media mogul as the new class of oligarchs manipulate the rule of Boris Yeltsin (George Sogis).  When the oligarchs realize that Yeltsin's health is declining, they handpick Putin, the balding and nondescript leader of the FSB, to be his successor because they think he will be easy to manage only to have him take control of the media away from them.  Baranov quickly makes himself indispensable to Putin and helps him manipulate public opinion about the Second Chechen War, the sinking of the Kursk submarine, and the invasion of the Crimea (the start of the war in Ukraine).  He also uses internet trolls to destabilize events in the West and propaganda during the Sochi Winter Olympics to change the world's perception of Russia.  However, it is his love for a woman named Ksenia (Alicia Vikander) that ultimately leads to his downfall.  Baranov is a fictionalized character (loosely based on Vladislav Surkov) who is at the fulcrum of Russian history from the dissolution of the Soviet Union to the formation of the current authoritarian regime but the narrative is simultaneously bloated with too much information and superficial without providing any insight.  My mind wandered multiple times during the endless exposition dumps.  Even though Dano, Law, and Vikander give fascinating performances (their inconsistent accents notwithstanding), their characters are very thinly drawn and I didn't really learn anything new about Putin.  I recommend giving this a miss.

Note:  I think this might have worked better as a limited series.

Omaha

Yesterday I had a double feature at the Broadway in the middle of the day (with a large group of other retired people who are now my new best friends) and I started with Omaha.  When this movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival two years ago, the filmmakers (who are from Utah) invited so many friends and family members that even pass holders were not able to get into the screening. A lot of people were really upset but I knew that it would eventually come to the Broadway so I just got in line for something else.  Needless to say, after all of that drama I was really excited to finally be able to see it but it left me feeling very bleak.  An unnamed father (John Magaro) suddenly wakes his two children, nine-year-old Ella (Molly Belle Wright) and six-year-old Charlie (Wyatt Solis), early in the morning in order to go on a cross-country road trip along with their golden retriever Rex.  Ella is immediately suspicious because he won't tell them where they are going and she starts noticing other clues that lead her to believe that something about this trip is very wrong.  It is implied that their mother is dead and that the bank is foreclosing on their house but it is obvious that their father is on edge and that he is rapidly running out of money.  They have a series of adventures, including flying a kite on the Bonneville Salt Flats, swimming in a motel pool, and visiting a zoo together, but the real reason for their trip is finally revealed when they arrive in Nebraska.  I thought that I knew where the narrative was going because, like Ella, I also noticed the clues but the resolution is somehow even worse than I was expecting and I'm not sure how I am supposed to feel about the father's actions because there is almost no context provided.  The action is very episodic and impressionistic with no exposition and very little dialogue so I was left with many questions, chief among them being why they had to go to Nebraska (this is answered in a closing title card that left me gutted as well as frustrated).  Magaro gives an incredible performance because he becomes more and more agitated as the trip goes on while trying to create happy memories with his children (it is a tightrope of emotion and he balances it well).  I was also very impressed with Wright because you can see the worry on her face even as she tries to give her father the benefit of the doubt and shield her brother from her growing suspicions (it is one of the best performances by a child that I have seen).  This is absolutely devastating but I don't think it goes far enough in its indictment of the father's circumstances.

Fiddler on the Roof at CPT

I went with both of my sisters to see Fiddler on the Roof at CPT last night and we really enjoyed this production. In my opinion, seeing this classic musical is a guaranteed fun night out and I noticed that everyone around me (the theatre was packed) had big smiles on their faces during all of the well-known song and dance numbers. I definitely had to stop myself from singing along with the cast during "Tradition," "Matchmaker," "If I Were a Rich Man," "Sabbath Prayer," "To Life," and "Sunrise, Sunset." I loved the choreography and staging because there are obvious influences from the original Broadway production and the 1971 movie but also some fun new details that keep things fresh, particularly when the women and girls circle around the praying men and boys in "Tradition," when Yente is shown alone in "Sabbath Prayer," when the townspeople come on stage to reprise "Tradition" after Tevye rejects Chava at the end of "Chavaleh," and when the Constable and soldiers escort the townspeople out of Anatevka. As always, my favorite numbers were "To Life" because the Russian dance is very high-energy and exuberant, "The Wedding" because the bottle dance is thrilling, and "Tevye's Dream" because I always eagerly anticipate seeing how Fruma-Sarah will make her entrance (when I played her I came up from Tevye and Golde's bed) and it did not disappoint because she flies and it is pretty spectacular! The set is really beautiful with an elaborate thatched-roof house made of wood that opens up to reveal the interior and other large wooden set pieces that come down from the rafters and in from the wings to become the village inn, Motel's tailor shop, and the railway station. I loved the attention to detail, especially the smoke that periodically comes from the chimney, the barrels inside the inn, and the weathered trees all around the proscenium. The costumes are also very striking and I liked the pops of green and yellow used in the women's dresses and the white tattered gown worn by Fruma-Sarah. The large puppets that feature in "Tevye's Dream" are scary but incredibly cool. Finally, the cast is outstanding! Danny Inkley is a boisterous Tevye who emphasizes the humor in "If I Were a Rich Man" and "To Life" but he is also quite vulnerable in "Do You Love Me?" (Golde is played by his wife Wendy Inkley and their interactions feel very authentic) and absolutely heartbreaking in "Chavaleh" (the crack in his voice brought a tear to my eye). I was also impressed with Jordyn Tracy, Chloe Warnas, and Maren Messerly as Tzeitel, Hodel, and Chava, respectively, because they harmonize beautifully in "Matchmaker." This production is a crowd-pleaser that the whole family will enjoy and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs on the Mountain America Main Stage through June 18.

Note:  I find it amusing that the 2026 season at CPT includes both See How They Run and Fiddler on the Roof because my two biggest acting roles to date are Miss Skillon and Fruma-Sarah (I was also in the chorus of Damn Yankees but I haven't seen that performed since my high school did it in 1985).

Les Miserables at Tuacahn Amphitheatre

Before I became obsessed with Hamilton, Les Miserables had a 30 year run as my favorite musical.  I still absolutely love it and try to see it every chance I get so I took a quick road trip to St. George yesterday for a production at Tuacahn Ampitheatre.  It was an incredible experience to see such an epic story performed against the dramatic red rock of the ampitheatre!  I have obviously seen this show many times so I really appreciated several bold changes in the staging, particularly the use of the natural backdrop in the Prologue when the prisoners in the chain gang cut the red rock into blocks using pick axes and the use of real farm animals as Valjean searches the countryside for work.  I was also struck by the inclusion of Young Eponine on the periphery in the scenes between Valjean and Young Cosette because it really adds to her characterization and I was incredibly moved when the women place articles of clothing worn by the students who died on the barricade at the edge of the stage during "Turning" and then when the students rise up from the pit to claim them during "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" (this song always makes me cry).  I had goosebumps during "Stars" because the stars projected on the red rock are so beautiful and during the final battle on the barricade because the pyrotechnics are pretty spectacular.  I was very impressed with the cast, especially with how Mindy Smoot Robbins as Fantine, Randal Keith as Javert, Kelsey Lee Smith as Eponine, David Toole as Valjean, and Coby Oram as Marius (the understudy) are able to command such a large stage by themselves in "I Dreamed a Dream," "Stars," "On My Own," "Bring Him Home," and "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables," respectively.  The large LED screens feature illustrations reminiscent of the ones used by Victor Hugo in his novel and elaborate set pieces are configured and reconfigured to become the factory and waterfront in Montreuil-sur-Mer, the Thenardiers' inn, the streets of Paris, the barricade, and the sewers.  The period costumes are very much informed by those in the original production but I found the wide-legged trousers worn by the guards and sailors to be very amusing.  This is the biggest show I've seen at Tuacahn (it is even bigger than their 2008 production of Les Miserables) and it is so well-done!  It was definitely worth the four hour drive to see it and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here).  It is being performed in the Outdoor Amphitheatre at Tuachan in repertory with Disney's Finding Nemo and Grease through October 23.

Obsession

Last night my nephew and I went to a Thursday preview of Obsession and we both had so much fun watching it with a big crowd.  Baron "Bear" Bailey (Michael Johnston) wants to tell his childhood friend Nikki Freeman (Inde Navarrette) that he has feelings for her but his co-workers Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) and Sarah (Megan Lawless) try to talk him out of it (for reasons).  When he misses a perfect opportunity to tell her in a moment of vulnerability, Bear uses a novelty item to wish for Nikki to love him more than anything in the world.  His wish immediately comes true although both he and Nikki recognize that something is amiss when she makes advances towards him.  He eventually comes to enjoy her attentions and they become a couple much to the chagrin of Ian and Sarah.  However, Nikki is increasingly needy, then possessive, and then absolutely terrifying.  Even though he fears for his life, Bear ultimately realizes that Nikki is the real victim and takes drastic steps to cancel his wish.  The scenes in which Nikki shows her *ahem* devotion are so much fun to watch, especially in a packed theater, because they are uncomfortably disturbing (the people in our audience were either laughing out loud or jumping out of their seats and, at one point, I wanted to throw up).  I loved the way these scenes are lit and framed because Nikki is often obscured and that adds to the unbearable tension.  Johnston is perfect as a character so passive that he doesn't even recognize that the girl he has a crush on might reciprocate his feelings without having to go to such extraordinary lengths and watching his downward spiral is oddly compelling (I loved his mannerisms and facial expressions) but Navarrette is brilliant because she is absolutely unhinged (in the best possible way) and yet she is also sympathetic as a woman who has lost her agency.  This is much more thought-provoking that it might seem on the surface but it is so wildly entertaining that my nephew and I had a blast with it.  I highly recommend it to fans of the genre.

Hokum

The second movie in my double feature at the Broadway last night was Hokum.  The story is a bit messy but there were moments when I was genuinely scared.  Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott) is a popular horror author suffering from writer's block (and his own personal demons) so he decides to travel to the remote and atmospheric hotel in Ireland where his parents spent their honeymoon so he can scatter their ashes there.  He is incredibly rude and antagonistic to the staff, including the owner Cob (Brendan Conroy), the front desk clerk Mal (Peter Coonan), the groundskeeper Fergal (Michael Patric), the bartender Fiona (Florence Ordesh), and the bellhop Alby (Will O'Connell), and dismisses their claims that the honeymoon suite is haunted by a witch from Irish folklore.  He also encounters an eccentric local named Jerry (David Wilmot) who lives in the woods and frequently ingests hallucinogenic mushrooms.  He eventually bonds with Fiona (for reasons) and, when she mysteriously goes missing after a Halloween party, he suspects that she might be trapped in the locked honeymoon suite.  He sneaks inside to look for her and becomes trapped and increasingly tormented by a supernatural figure that may or may not be the witch.  This sometimes doesn't know what kind of movie it wants to be (is it an exploration of grief and trauma, a mystery involving a missing person and a possible murder, or a supernatural ghost story?) but there is no doubt that it is incredibly unnerving.  Most of the action takes place in one darkly-lit and claustrophobic location that is only accessible by a creepy elevator and an even creepier dumbwaiter.  The tension builds and builds, more from what you don't see than from what you do, and Scott does a great job communicating his escalating terror (his performance is outstanding because he excels at making unsympathetic characters compelling).  There are some really effective jump scares (someone in my audience screamed) and I loved the use of folklore because I think that always makes the threat more plausible and, therefore, more frightening.  I had a lot of fun watching this with a large crowd late at night and I recommend it to fans of the genre.

Blue Heron

Last night I had a double feature at the Broadway starting with Blue Heron.  This is an incredibly moving look at the fallibility of memory and I absolutely loved it.  The narrative begins with flashbacks to when an eight-year-old girl named Sasha (Eylul Guven) moves to Vancouver Island in the 1990s with her mother (Iringo Reti), father (Adam Tompa), and older brothers Jeremy (Edik Beddoes), Henry (Liam Serg), and Felix (Preston Drabble) and her parents become worried about her brother Jeremy's increasingly erratic behavior.  Events are shown from Sasha's eight year old perspective with images that are hazy and fragmentary as the family settles into their new surroundings (the cinematography is beautiful).  Jeremy's actions are largely on the periphery with little explanation for what is motivating his behavior and dialogue is often muted, particularly when Sasha overhears tense phone calls to family members and conversations with psychologists and social workers.  The narrative then shifts to Sasha (Amy Zimmer) as an adult twenty years later.  She is working on a documentary about the events depicted and, as she views the photographs and videos taken during this period and listens to the interviews with psychologists and social workers with a different perspective, her memories are recontextualized.  She is finally able to reconcile her lack of understanding about her brother and his mental health issues and to absolve her parents for his fate (in an incredibly poignant twist that I will not spoil here).  I really love the theme of art as a way to heal and not only is this theme beautifully and hauntingly portrayed in this film but, because it is semi-autobiographical, the film itself is director Sophy Romvari's attempt to process her own childhood memories.  The structure is very impressionistic but every seemingly random vignette is imbued with meaning that is eventually revealed and I found it spellbinding.  I cannot recommend this enough but be prepared for an emotional response.

Utah Opera's La Traviata

I was thrilled to be at Capitol Theatre last night for Utah Opera's production of La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi because it is one of my favorite operas (I always prefer the tragedies). It was magnificent and I loved everything about it!  Violetta (Lydia Katarina) is a beautiful and glamorous courtesan who lives only for pleasure.  Even though she is suffering from consumption, her patron, Baron Douphol (Christopher Clayton), hosts a lavish party for her and she encourages her guests to sing a wild drinking song.  When she grows too tired to dance, a young man named Alfredo (Isaac Hurtado) approaches her and declares his love.  She resists him because she likes her simple life of pleasure but, when he leaves, she realizes that she is in love with him.  They live happily together in the country until Alfredo's father Germont (Weston Hurt) comes to ask Violetta to end the affair because their relationship is scandalizing the family and ruining his daughter's prospects for marriage.  Violetta tearfully agrees and returns to Paris leaving Alfredo heartbroken.  She attends a masquerade ball hosted by her friend Flora (Julia Holoman) with the Baron but, when Alfredo see her with him, he treats her with such contempt that his father reveals the truth.  Alfredo eventually begs Violetta to forgive him and she dies in his arms.  The music in this opera is very well known and the three leads performed my favorite arias beautifully.  Katarina is thrilling in her passionate performance of "Sempre Libera" as she questions whether her love for Alfredo is worth giving up her life of freedom and incredibly moving in "Addio, del passato bei sogni ridenti" as she contemplates her death.  She also gave me goosebumps with her emotional outburst begging Alfredo to love her ("Amami, Alfredo").  Hurtado did not disappoint with his stirring rendition of the famous Brindisi ("Libiamo ne'lieti calici") but his captivating performance of the aria "De'miei bollenti spiriti" as Alfredo sings of his life with Violetta is especially swoon-worthy.  Other highlights included Hurt's performance of "Pura siccome un angelo" as he begs Violetta to think of his family because it is very genuine and deeply felt and when the Chorus denounces Alfredo for his treatment of Violetta in "Di donne ignobile insultatore, di qua allontanati, ne desti orror!" because it so dramatic.  This production also features six dancers (Maeve Friedman, Emily Marsh, Ruger Memmott, Madeline Nelson, Tyler Schnese, and Brandin Steffensen) who perform a waltz at Violetta's party and Spanish dances at Flora's masquerade ball but I was particularly struck by the reprise of the opening waltz at Violetta's deathbed because the dreamlike sequence symbolizes everything that she has sacrificed for love (I have never seen this done before and it was definitely another goosebump moment).  As always, the sets and costumes are striking (I loved the opulent ballroom and Violetta's dramatic red gown).  I find tragic operas to be very cathartic and this production left me breathless!  I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) because, even if you are not an opera aficionado, you will probably recognize a lot of the music! It runs at Capitol Theatre through May 17.

The Sheep Detectives

Last night I went to see The Sheep Detectives and I absolutely loved it!  I may or may not have had a tear in my eye on more that one occasion!  George Hardy (Hugh Jackman) is a shepherd content to live on his own with his flock of sheep just outside the village of Denbrook.  He interacts more with the sheep (he reads to them from detective novels every night) than the villagers because he has a contentious relationship with most of them.  When George is found murdered, Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun), a dim-witted policeman, and Elliot Matthews (Nicholas Galitzine), a reporter desperate for a big break, begin investigating but the sheep soon realize that the two of them are in over their heads and begin their own investigation.  They eavesdrop on the reading of the will by George's lawyer Lydia Harbottle (Emma Thompson) and determine that the main suspects include Rebecca Hampstead (Molly Gordon), George's estranged daughter, Caleb Merrow (Tosin Cole), a rival shepherd, Ham Gilyard (Conleth Hill), the local butcher, Beth Pennock (Hong Chau), a woman scorned by George, and Reverend Hillcoate (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith), a priest with whom George has had mysterious dealings.  The sheep, led by Lily (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Mopple (Chris O'Dowd), Cloud (Regina Hall), Sir Richfield (Patrick Stewart), Zora (Bella Ramsey), Wool-Eyes (Rhys Darby), and twins Reggie and Ronnie (Brett Goldstein), discover multiple clues (and find highly amusing ways to inform Derry of their findings) but they must ultimately accept help from Sebastian (Bryan Cranston) and Winter Lamb (Tommy Birchall), two sheep who have been ostracized from the flock, to solve George's murder.  This is a clever murder mystery (I did not guess the identity of the murderer) that plays with the genre's tropes as the sheep try to figure out what to do but it is also surprisingly poignant with some powerful messages about grief and belonging.  I really loved the cast, especially the voice cast, and all of the performances are incredibly charming (but some of the actors, particularly Chau and Thompson, do not have a lot to do).  I also enjoyed the pacing, the action set pieces, the visual effects (I only noticed the CGI in one scene), and the bucolic setting (I really want to live in an English village).  This is an unexpected delight (it is so much better than I was expecting) and it is now one of my favorites this year.  I highly recommend it for everyone!

Disney's Descendants at the Empress Theatre

I remember watching the Disney Channel Original Movie Descendants with my nephew (I thought it was extremely clever and he loved it) so I was really intrigued when I learned that the Empress Theatre would be performing the stage adaptation this season. I was even more intrigued when I learned that the entire cast would include actors who are all over the age of 45! I had the chance to see it last night with my sister and it was incredibly heartwarming to watch a cast perform with so much obvious joy and exuberance! Prince Ben (Scott Sorensen), the son of Belle (Chalese Craig) and the Beast (Carri Baddley), wants to give the children of Auradon's most notorious villains, who are now imprisoned on the Isle of the Lost, the opportunity to attend Auradon Prep so Mal (Diana Sorensen), the daughter of Maleficent (Crystal Ahlemann), Evie (Amy Hallett), the daughter of the Evil Queen (Carri Baddley), Jay (Brad Goodman), the son of Jafar (Brian Sorensen), and Carlos (James Hutchings), the son of Cruella de Vil (Wendy Sorensen), arrive with instructions from their parents to steal the wand belonging to the Fairy Godmother (Stacy Mayren) so they can use it to break the spell keeping them in captivity. Chaos ensues when the four of them have a difficult time interacting with the sons and daughters of their parents' sworn enemies, especially Audrey (Stacy Childs Hutchings), the daughter of Sleeping Beauty, and Chad (Joel Clark), the son of Cinderella and Prince Charming, but their loyalty to their parents is soon tested and Ben eventually shows them that they can choose their own path. The high-energy songs and choreography are so much fun to watch (my favorite numbers are "Rotten to the Core," "Evil Like Me," "Goal," "Ways to Be Wicked," and "Chillin' Like a Villain") and this is mostly due to the fact that everyone in the cast is having the time of their lives channeling their inner teenagers! Their enthusiasm is infectious and the crowd last night definitely responded with gusto which made the entire experience an absolute blast. I especially enjoyed Sorenson as Ben because he has so much boyish charm (he was the most believable teenager), Hutchings as Audrey because she has the perfect mean girl attitude, Goodman as Jay because he has a lot of swagger, and Clark as the dim-witted Chad because he has some hilarious facial expressions and line deliveries.  However, no one is having more fun than Ahlemann because she absolutely revels in the villainy and I laughed out loud practically every time Maleficent appeared on stage. I really enjoyed her rendition of "Evil Like Me" but her maniacal cackling at the end of the second reprise was the highlight of the show for me! I loved the minimal set, with the brightly colored fairy-tale prep school at one end and the dark and dreary graffiti-covered Isle of the Lost at the other end, as well as the costumes, which feature a matching aesthetic (I was impressed by the attention to detail with the Auradon Prep crest on the sweater vests and cardigans and the black feathers on Maleficent's cape). If this show doesn't put a smile on your face I don't know what will! It runs on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through May 23 and I definitely recommend getting a ticket (go here).

Note:  A huge thank you to the Empress for graciously providing me with tickets to this fun and entertaining show!

Come From Away at PTC

I love the musical Come From Away so much and I have yet to make it through a performance without crying. While the tears flowed once again when I saw it at PTC last night, there were elements of the production that I didn't like. U.S. airspace is restricted in the immediate aftermath of the attacks on 9/11 so 38 international flights without enough fuel to return to their city of origin must be diverted to the airport in the tiny town of Gander, Newfoundland, Canada. The nearly 7,000 stranded passengers almost double the population of Gander but the ordinary townspeople rise to the extraordinary occasion and willingly do whatever they can to provide transportation (which involves the temporary resolution of a contentious strike by bus drivers), food (which involves the suspension of all hockey games to use the ice rink to refrigerate perishables), clothing, shelter, and comfort. An ensemble cast of fourteen play multiple roles, often with just the addition of an article of clothing or prop, to provide the perspectives of both the townspeople and the so-called plane people. Their interactions will restore your faith in humanity, especially when a local woman named Beulah (Mary Fanning Driggs) comforts a passenger named Hannah (Galyana Castillo) when she cannot locate her firefighter son in NYC and when another local named Annette (Jessica Rush) allows Ali (Nathan Andrew Riley), a Muslim passenger who has come under suspicion, to use the library to pray. I also loved it when Bonnie (Angie Schworer), an SPCA worker, sneaks on a plane to give comfort to the animals abandoned on board, including a pregnant bonobo chimpanzee. Everyone is forever changed by the experience and I was, as always, incredibly moved by the powerful messages about compassion, community, and the indomitable human spirit. I love every song in the show but I particularly enjoyed hearing "Prayer," because it incorporates elements from multiple religions to provide a beautiful message of comfort and it always makes me cry, "Screech In," because it is a hilarious ceremony to become an honorary Newfoundlander involving copious amounts of alcohol and a codfish and it always makes me laugh out loud, and "Something's Missing" because it accurately describes the often jarring return to normal life after an intense experience and it always makes me long for the unity felt right after the attacks (especially with all of the division in the U.S. currently). I was also impressed by the performances because the cast does a great job differentiating between all of the characters. The standout for me was Rush because her rendition of "Me and the Sky" gave me goosebumps. What was missing from this production for me was the nostalgia for my native land that this show usually evokes. I especially disliked the set because it is too cold, sleek, and modern in my opinion. It is devoid of all of the quirky charm found in the original Broadway production and there are no visual references to Canada (where are the neon Tim Horton's and Molson Canadian signs?). Also, I don't know what dialect the townspeople are trying to speak but they didn't sound like any Canadian I know. I appreciate that they did try to say Newfoundland like a local but it didn't sound right to my ears because the emphasis should be on the third syllable rather than the second. I recognize that I might be the only one who cares but this production is so nondescript that it could have taken place anywhere and that really bothered this Canadian expat. Even though I didn't love this particular version, I still highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) because the show itself is definitely worth seeing and it is sure to warm even the most cynical heart. It runs through May 9.

Once on This Island at The Ruth

The last show I saw before Covid shut everything down was PTC's production of Once on This Island.  I loved this retelling of The Little Mermaid with Caribbean flair so I was very excited when The Ruth announced it as part of the 2026 season, especially since it is not done very often.  I saw it last night and I think I loved it even more than PTC's version!  A Little Girl (Nahla Fernelius) who lives on an island in the French Antilles is frightened by a storm so a group of Storytellers tell her about another girl on the island who once survived a storm to comfort her. This girl is a peasant named Ti Moune (Blythe Snowden) and she is rescued by Asaka, Mother of the Earth (Aria Love Jackson); Agwe, God of Water (Yahosh Bonner); Erzulie, Goddess of Love (Anya Sulimoni); and Papa Ge, Demon of Death (Beatriz Melo), then adopted by Mama Euralie (Koryn Sobel) and Tonton Julian (Oba Bonner).  She believes that she was saved for a reason and, as she grows up, she prays for the gods to reveal her destiny.  The gods decide to intervene again and, when a grand homme (a descendant of the original French plantation owners and their slaves) named Daniel Beauxhomme (JRay Kuhn) is injured in a car crash as a result, Ti Moune falls in love with him even though a relationship between a peasant and a grand homme is forbidden.  When the gods intervene yet again, Ti Moune sacrifices herself for love but her sacrifice ultimately brings the peasants and the grands hommes together and this is why they tell her story.  I loved the message about the power of love and the power of storytelling to unite a community divided by race and class because it is, unfortunately, very relevant at the moment.  I also really loved the percussive Caribbean music (I am strangely obsessed with steel drums), especially the songs "And the Gods Heard Her Prayer," "Rain," "Pray," "Forever Yours," "Mama Will Provide," "The Human Heart," "Some Girls," and "Why We Tell the Story." The entire cast is outstanding but I was particularly struck by Melo because she is so expressive and fun to watch and Snowden because her singing and dancing are lovely and her performance is incredibly emotional. The choreography by Izzy Arrieta (one of my favorite local choreographers) is an integral part of the storytelling and it is lively, energetic, and absolutely captivating.  The costumes feature vibrant colors and patterns and the set, which divides the stage into the beach (it is made of real sand and water) occupied by the peasants and the multi-level plantations occupied by the grands hommes, just might be my favorite at The Ruth (I loved all of the tropical flowers on stage and all around the theater).  This is a beautiful and powerful show that should not be missed (go here for tickets).  It runs in the Lindsay Legacy Theater through July 3.

Note:  One of my earliest memories as a child is seeing a group playing the steel drums on a street corner in Toronto.  I have loved them ever since.

Eugene Onegin at The Met

I really want to attend an opera at The Met (now that I have seen an NHL playoff game this is at the top of my bucket list) but, until I can make that happen, I decided the next best thing would be to see a live transmission of a production on the big screen.  I have just been waiting for an opera that I love and, when I learned that The Met was programming Eugene Onegin this season, I immediately got a ticket and went to see it yesterday.  I fell in love with this opera when I saw a production by Utah Opera in 2000 (I have been waiting for them for them to program it again ever since).  The novel upon which it is based by Alexander Pushkin is one of my favorite pieces of Russian literature and I think you all know how I feel about the composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky so I couldn't help but love it.  Tatiana (Asmik Grigorian) is a young girl who longs for the kind of romance she finds in novels but her carefree sister Olga (Maria Barakova), who is engaged to their neighbor Lenski (Stanislas de Barbeyrac), tells her to stop dreaming and enjoy life.  When Lenski brings the wealthy and aristocratic Eugene Onegin (Iurii Samoilov) to their estate in the country for a visit, Tatiana falls passionately in love with him.  She spends a sleepless night pining for him then impulsively writes a letter expressing her feelings and has it delivered to him at dawn.  Onegin is a man of the world who refuses to be limited by marriage so he coldly rejects her and lectures her about her impetuosity.  Several months later, Lenski and Onegin attend Tatiana's name day celebration but Onegin is bored with country life and recklessly flirts with Olga, who momentarily falls under his spell, to distract himself.  Lenski feels betrayed by his friend and demands satisfaction.  When Onegin tries to reconcile, Lenski is unmoved and the duel proceeds with tragic results.  Several years later, Onegin is tormented by remorse for killing his friend and wanders aimlessly abroad.  Upon his return to St. Petersburg, he attends a ball given by Prince Gremin (Alexander Tsymbalyuk) and is surprised to learn that Tatiana is his wife.  As Gremin describes his happiness with Tatiana, Onegin realizes that he loves her and contrives to meet with her privately.  He begs her to forgive him for his mistake in refusing her but she is now a woman of the world with a prominent position in society and, even though she still loves him, she leaves him in despair.  This production is breathtaking with emotional performances that are absolutely riveting. Grigorian is a world-renowned soprano known for her dramatic and immersive interpretations of complex characters and her rendition of the famous Letter Scene did not disappoint.  She portrays so many different emotions (infatuation, longing, passion, exhilaration, vulnerability, fear, shame, and desperation) that I had goosebumps!  I love Tchaikovsky's music in this scene and The Met Orchestra, under the baton of Timur Zangiev, also infuses different moods into the repeating melody.  Barbeyac gives a beautiful and heartbreaking performance of the aria "Where have you gone, O golden days of my spring" as he hopes that Olga will remember him when he is dead and the juxtaposition between Samoilov's aloof rendition of "If I had wanted to limit my life to the family circle" and his desperation in "Is this the same Tatiana" is incredibly striking, especially when his voice falters from the intense emotion in the latter.  The staging is very dynamic, particularly the choreography for the folk dances at the harvest celebration, the waltzes at Tatiana's name day celebration, and the stylized promenade at the ball.  The sets are much more minimal than I was expecting considering the size of the stage but I loved the snow-covered trees and the sunrise projection used during the duel.  I have to admit that it felt odd eating popcorn at an opera but I loved this and will definitely see another live transmission at my local movie theater (go here for upcoming performances).

Note:  The cameras went backstage during the pauses and intermissions and I was impressed with the sheer number of people needed for the scene changes and how efficiently they worked (especially by how fast they covered the stage in snow which was rivaled only by how fast they removed it).

The Devil Wears Prada 2

Last night my sister and I went to see a Thursday preview of The Devil Wears Prada 2 and, as big fans of the original, we liked it but didn't love it.  Since leaving Runway magazine, Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) has become a respected and award-winning journalist but she is unceremoniously fired by text from the newspaper she works for when it folds.  Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) is having her own problems at Runway because she allowed an article praising a brand that uses sweatshop labor to be published.  The chairman, Irv Ravitz (Tibor Feldman), thinks that Andy will bring respectability back to the magazine and offers her the position of features editor.  She accepts because she now needs a job, much to Miranda's chagrin, but she finds things very different at Runway.  Nigel Kipling (Stanley Tucci) explains that Miranda has had to tone down her imperiousness to appease HR (in some hilarious scenes involving her new assistant played by Simone Ashley) as well as advertisers, including Emily Charlton (Emily Blunt) who now works at Dior, but she is surprised at Miranda's passive acceptance when Irv's son Jay (B.J. Novak) succeeds him as chairman and proposes new draconian cutbacks (including flying economy class to Italy).  However, Andy eventually inspires her to fight back when a tech billionaire (Justin Theroux) attempts to buy the magazine from Jay for nefarious reasons during Milan Fashion Week.  I really liked the commentary on the current state of journalism and the importance of keeping it alive because it makes the sequel relevant rather than mere fan service but, having said that, a Miranda resigned to the ever-changing media landscape for most of the runtime is not as much fun (I prefer the imperious Miranda).  That is not to say that there isn't a lot of fun to be had because it includes lots of buzzy cameos from fashion designers, models, and celebrities (my favorite was Lady Gaga), fabulous clothes, luxurious locations, and amusing call-backs to the original (a reference to using florals for spring made me laugh out loud).  While I do think that there are a lot of extraneous characters and subplots, I have to admit that I enjoyed seeing Streep, Hathaway, Blunt, and Tucci do what they do best and I liked their character development, especially the relationship between Miranda and Nigel.  This is good but not quite as good as the first movie.

I Swear

After Robert Aramayo won the BAFTA for his performance as a young man with Tourette syndrome in the movie I Swear, I hoped that it would eventually come to the Broadway.  I was able to see it there last night with my nephew and I found it both funny (which I wasn't expecting) and heartwarming.  John Davidson (Scott Ellis Watson) is a young teen living in Scotland when he suddenly develops tics and episodes of uncontrollable swearing just as he begins high school.  This leads to problems at school, for which he is ultimately expelled, and at home, which causes his father David (Steven Cree) to leave.  Everyone around him believes that he is faking his symptoms for attention and he eventually becomes so distraught that he attempts suicide.  Thirteen years later, John (Aramayo) has been diagnosed with Tourette's, is heavily medicated, and is still living with his exasperated mother Heather (Shirley Henderson) who is embarrassed by him.  His former childhood friend Murray Achenbach (Francesco Piacentini-Smith) invites him home for dinner and, when he predictably causes a scene, Murray's mother Dottie (Maxine Peake), a mental health nurse, decides to take him under her wing.  She invites him to live with her family, slowly weans him off his medication, and finds him a job working at a community center with Tommy Trotter (Peter Mullan).  When an episode at a nightclub leads to a fight for which he is arrested, Tommy speaks passionately on his behalf in court and blames John's problems on a lack of awareness about Tourette's rather than the condition itself.  This inspires John to work to inform schools, hospitals, police departments, and other organizations about how to support individuals with Tourette's which eventually leads to an MBE (in a hilarious scene with the Queen).  This is based on a true story and it features all of the usual biopic tropes but it is elevated by an absolutely brilliant performance from Aramayo that kept me riveted.  I was also very impressed by Watson's affecting performance, especially when he is forced to eat dinner away from the family.  I really loved that Davidson's story is told with humor and an emphasis on the need for understanding.  This is epitomized by my favorite scene in which John meets with a young girl who has Tourette's and they both engage in escalating tics and outbursts (which made me laugh out loud) until they both realize how powerful it is to interact with someone else who has the same condition (which brought tears to my eyes).  The best thing I can say about this movie is that it gave me a lot more empathy for people with this condition (especially in light of what happened with Davidson at the BAFTA awards ceremony) and I highly encourage everyone to see it.

Stanley Cup Playoffs!

Seeing a Stanley Cup playoff game in person has been on my bucket list for what seems like forever (even before bucket lists were a thing).  I have seen NBA and NFL playoff games but never an NHL one even though hockey is my favorite sport (it was always impractical to travel to Denver to see the Avalanche because the postseason coincided with the last two months of the school year and that was not a great time to be away).  I finally got to cross this item off the list last night by seeing the Utah Mammoth and the Vegas Golden Knights in Round 1 Game 4 and I am so glad that I decided to splurge on a ticket because feeling the energy in the Delta Center was definitely an experience that I will never forget!  It was an incredible game and I felt every emotion imaginable!  I was beyond excited when the game started and so were all of the people around me.  They waved their rally towels and cheered so loudly I couldn't even hear the music in the arena!  All of that energy from the crowd slowly dissipated during the first period after a goal from Pavel Dorofeyev in the first minute and a short-handed goal from Brett Howden in the final two minutes gave Vegas the 2-0 lead.  I was really frustrated with all of the costly turnovers and, in my opinion, this was the Mammoth's worst period of hockey in the playoffs thus far.  I hoped that they would come out strong in the second and create more scoring chances to slow a highly motivated Vegas team down.  I almost gave up on the Mammoth early on after Cole Smith tipped in a shot to go up 3-0 but then Nick Schmaltz and Ian Cole scored goals for Utah within 29 seconds of each other.  The crowd went nuts!  Michael Carcone tied the game with a pretty one-timer at 1:45 in the third period and I was thrilled to see Dylan Guenther get the assist (everyone around me high-fived me because I was wearing his jersey).  The Mammoth got the 4-3 lead with a deflected shot credited to Clayton Keller and I couldn't believe that they might actually win the game after being down 0-3!  Then Howden evened it up for Vegas at 10:25 and this eventually sent the game to overtime.  I was so nervous but I was on my feet with the rest of the crowd for practically the whole time!  It looked like Vegas had won with a goal from Dorofeyev at the 10:22 mark but it was recalled after the play was ruled to be offside.  That gave the crowd a bit of hope once again and the energy was absolutely electric!  However, in the last minute of overtime, Karel Vejmelka (who had some great saves) stopped Jack Eichel's shot but his stick was knocked away in the melee and he couldn't make it back to the net before Shea Theodore hit a one-timer to win the game 5-4.  It was definitely a heartbreaking loss after how hard the Mammoth fought but I am so glad that I got to experience a playoff game!  The series is now tied 2-2 so I still have hope that Utah will advance.

Note:  This experience was also bittersweet because I really missed my dad.  I have so many memories of cheering for the Oilers and then the Avalanche in the playoffs with him and I know he would have loved this game (even with a loss).

School of Rock at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts

I always enjoy seeing a production of School of Rock because it is such a fun and exuberant show with a powerful message about finding your voice despite the pressure to conform. I saw SCERA's version last night and was incredibly impressed by the incredibly talented kids (and adults) on stage! Dewey Finn (Jacob Thompson) is a slacker who is kicked out of his band No Vacancy right before the Battle of the Bands and is fired from his job at a record store. When his best friend Ned Schneebly (Felipe Larrocha), with whom he has been living for several years, is pressured by his girlfriend Patty DiMarco (Sierra Palmer) to make him pay rent, he takes a substitute teaching job at Horace Green Prep School meant for Ned in desperation. He realizes that his students are being suffocated by the expectations of parents who don't understand them so he decides that they need a little rock and roll in their lives. He forms a band with Zack (Noah Huber) on lead guitar, Katie (Afton Largey) on bass, Lawrence (Miles Tanner) on keyboard, Freddie (Simon Maxfield) on drums, and Shonelle (Lillian Walker) and Marcy (Reese Davidson) on backing vocals. He recruits Billy (Watson Lane) to be the band's stylist, James Porter McCormick) as security, Mason (James "Jeb" Buffington) on tech, and Summer (Juniper Martin), the class know-it-all, as the band's manager. He also convinces Tomika (Tessa Jensen), a shy and insecure transfer student, to sing lead vocals with him. The students eventually become more confident so he decides to enter them in the Battle of the Bands but, first, he needs to convince the uptight principal Rosalie Mullins (Camilla Curtis) to let him take them on a field trip. The parents are angry when Dewey's deception is discovered, but the kids ultimately win them over when they hear them play. Thompson gives a fun and energetic performance and he has a great rapport with the kids. I loved all of the young actors, especially Huber, Largey, Tanner, and Maxfield because they play their instruments live on stage and they sound great. They all do a fantastic job singing and dancing in "You're in the Band," "Stick It to the Man," and "School of Rock" and they also have impressive comedic timing, particularly Martin who made me laugh out loud several times (I loved her rendition of "Time to Play"). Curtis also made me laugh in a hilarious scene when she drunkenly sings "Edge of Seventeen" (I always laugh at this because I love the song). The set is one of my favorites for this show. There is a multi-level stage with a giant guitar that lights up as a backdrop and several DJ lighting towers in front. Panels that rotate to become Ned's apartment, a classroom at Horace Green, and the Roadside bar are brought on stage and placed between the towers and several arches descend from the rafters to become a hall at Horace Green (these are used to great effect when the students sneak out of school for the audition). The school uniforms worn by kids are also a lot of fun (I loved the pop of yellow). I had a really great time at this feel-good show and highly recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through May 2.

Fuze

The second movie in the double feature with my nephew last night was Fuze (my nephew likes heist movies and I like Aaron Taylor-Johnson).  It is thoroughly entertaining even if the ending is a bit anticlimactic.  An unexploded World War II-era bomb is discovered on a construction site in the middle of London which necessitates the evacuation of the entire area, including an Afghani refugee named Rahim (Elham Ehsas) and his family.  The police, under the command of Chief Superintendent Zuzana Greenfield (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), monitor the area while the military, under the command of Major Will Tranter (Taylor-Johnson), attempt to diffuse the bomb.  The tense situation is further complicated when the police discover the heat signature of a group, led by Karalis (Theo James) and X (Sam Worthington), attempting to rob a bank inside the evacuated area.  The police initially suspect that Rahim is involved but, when they witness the group leaving the bank,  they give chase.  The sudden explosion of the bomb allows the robbers to get away but that is just the beginning as crosses, double-crosses, and triple-crosses ensue.  This is an economical and tightly-plotted thriller with lots of action and suspense.  The hand-held camera work is kinetic with quick cuts that emphasize the chaos and keep the audience feeling disoriented.  All of the twists and turns kept me riveted but the third act loses momentum and the abrupt ending is disappointing after all of the build-up.  James and Taylor-Johnson are fun to watch, for reasons, but Worthington barely makes an impression.  I ultimately enjoyed this and recommend it for a fun night out.

Mother Mary

I am a big fan of David Lowery (A Ghost Story and The Green Knight are two of my favorites) so I was really excited to see his latest, Mother Mary, as part of a double feature with my nephew last night.  It is a surrealistic psychological drama very much in the vein of Lowery's other films and I loved it.  An iconic pop star who uses the stage name Mother Mary (Anne Hathaway) is attempting a comeback after a traumatic injury.  She is nervous about her return to the stage and is unhappy with the costumes because she thinks they represent her stage persona rather than the real her so she travels to see Sam Anselm (Michaela Coel), her former stylist from whom she has been estranged for many years, hoping that she can help her rediscover her identity.  The two of them have a complicated relationship and their initial interactions are fraught with tension. Sam was incapacitated when Mother Mary abandoned her after achieving success and was only able to let go of the trauma, represented by a red ghost, by removing her from her life.  Now Mother Mary is debilitated by that same trauma, portrayed once again by a red ghost, and they both eventually realize that Sam must (literally) exorcise it for them to find success again.  Their reconciliation allows Sam to find the inspiration to create an iconic dress and allows Mother Mary to give an authentic performance that reignites her career.  I loved how the narrative uses the collaborative nature of the creative process to explore the need for resolution in broken relationships.  I also loved how Mother Mary's performances (which are incredibly theatrical and feature original songs by Charli XCX, Jack Antonoff, and FKA Twigs) are interspersed within the narrative to show the backstory of their rift and its effect on each of them.  The way that Sam's barn opens up to become Mother Mary's stage creates a very dream-like atmosphere and the visuals are incredible.  Watching the characters spar back and forth is very compelling and, even though many of the supernatural scenes involving the red ghost are a bit inscrutable (particularly a scene involving a seance), they are definitely intriguing.  Coel gives a powerful performance as an artist who has lost her muse and Hathaway is riveting as an a performer who needs help to shed a persona that no longer serves her (she is also fantastic in the concert sequences).  As with most of Lowery's films, I had to think about this for quite a while before I made sense of it so I would only recommend it to fans of the director (my nephew didn't enjoy it as much as I did).

Michael

Last night I went with my sister and nephew to an early access screening of Michael and I loved it so much!  Although, before you give credence to anything I say, you need to know that I was a huge fan of Michael Jackson during the time period depicted and his music and performances are an indelible part of my teenage years so my opinion is completely biased (see also: Bohemian Rhapsody).  It follows Michael Jackson (played as a child by Juliano Krue Valdi and as an adult by Jaafar Jackson) from 1966 to 1988 including when the Jackson 5 is discovered by Suzanne de Passe (Laura Harrier) and signed to Motown Records by Berry Gordy (Larenz Tate), when he records his solo album Off the Wall with Quincy Jones (Kendrick Sampson), when he hires entertainment lawyer John Branca (Miles Teller) as his manager and records Thriller, when he is coerced into reuniting with his brothers for the Victory Tour, and when he embarks on his first solo tour for the album Bad.  His story is told through the lens of how he finds the courage to break free from his controlling and abusive father Joseph (Colman Domingo) and I found it very moving.  I especially loved the scene in which he announces the final Jackson 5 performance to a stadium of fans for an audience of one after having others speak for him for so long.  I also loved the emotional interactions between Michael and his mother Katherine (Nia Long), who tries to protect him from his father's abuse, and his bodyguard Bill Bray (KeiLyn Durrel Jones), who is his only real friend.  However, my favorite scenes were the incredible recreations of some of Jackson's most iconic performances, particularly the live performance of "Billie Jean" for the Motown 25 Special and the making of the video for "Thriller" because they were incredibly nostalgic for me.  I don't think I will ever forget watching the premiere of "Thriller" on MTV (I was a sophomore in high school) because it absolutely blew me away!  It was the only topic of conversation at school the next day because we had never seen anything like it before (kids today will never know how groundbreaking it was).  Jaafar Jackson is brilliant in his portrayal of his uncle and he absolutely nails Michael's look, voice, and signature dance moves as well as his vulnerability.  There were many times when I thought that I was actually watching Michael perform and it gave me goosebumps.  I was also really impressed by Valdi because his singing and dancing are equally amazing (my favorite scenes were the recording of "Who's Loving You" and the live performance of "I'll Be There") and one scene in particular with Domingo brought tears to my eyes.  The critics have been brutal but the large crowd last night applauded enthusiastically at the end.  If you are a fan of Michael Jackson, you will definitely enjoy it and, if you are not, you probably won't.

Note:  I laughed out loud at a cameo by Mike Myers as a record executive (see also: Bohemian Rhapsody).

The Christophers

Last night my nephew and I saw The Christophers at the Broadway and I was pleasantly surprised by its moving portrayal of an unlikely friendship.  Lori Butler (Michaela Coel), a struggling artist known more for her work in art restoration than for her own paintings, is approached by Sallie Sklar (Jessica Gunning), a former classmate from art college, and her brother Barnaby (James Corden) about completing a series of unfinished paintings locked away by their estranged father Julian Sklar (Ian McKellen) so that they can be "discovered" after his imminent death and then sold for a fortune.  They contrive to have her hired as their father's personal assistant, ostensibly for the purpose of cataloging his work, but with the real intention of accessing the paintings as well as his paints and supplies to aid in the eventual authentication process.  Sklar is initially reluctant to even speak about the paintings because the subject of the series is his former lover (the titular Christopher) and the memories they evoke are painful to him.  He even suggests that they be destroyed but, when Lori eventually reveals the truth, the two of them plot to sabotage their plan (it involves the use of glitter).  This is a very dialogue-heavy movie that emphasizes character development over action but every conversation between Lori and Julian slowly reveals information that recontextualizes their relationship and it is very compelling.  I especially enjoyed their philosophical discussions about art and perception and the notion that a painting's worth is not necessarily determined by its value.  McKellen gives a brilliant performance as the curmudgeonly painter because you can actually see the mischief in his eyes as Julian and Lori spar with each other and Coel more than holds her own with the veteran actor (the chemistry between them is electric).  Finally, this is often quite funny, more so than I was expecting, and I laughed out loud when Sallie's attempt to copy one of the paintings is revealed (it is obvious that she was admitted to art school because of nepotism).  This is one of the most delightful movies I have seen in recent memory and I higly recommend it.

Ballet West's West Side Story: Broadway and Beyond

Yesterday I was able to attend a matinee of Ballet West's repertory program West Side Story: Broadway and Beyond featuring two choreographers known for their success on the Great White Way.  I thoroughly enjoyed this performance (I usually prefer full-length ballets) and I was very impressed by how innovative and groundbreaking it was.  It began with Antique Epigraphs with choreography by Jerome Robbins and music by Claude Debussy (the piece was bookended by a solo flute performing Debussy's Syrinx with his Six Epigraphes Antiques played by the full orchestra in between and it was quite dramatic).  Eight female dancers, including Katlyn Addison, Lillian Casscells, Kye Cooley, Nicole Fanney, Victoria Vassos, Rylee Ann Rogers, Anisa Sinteral, and Claire Spainhour, wearing flowing gowns in earth tones created sculptural forms inspired by Greek mythology, both individually and as a group moving in unison, while gliding across the stage. I was struck by how elegant and fluid their movements were, particularly the graceful extension of their arms.  I was really happy to see Addison, my favorite dancer, in a prominent role. This was followed by Carousel (A Dance) with choreography by Christopher Wheeldon and music by Richard Rodgers from the stage musical.  On a stage swathed in carnival lights, Amy Potter and Jordan Veit danced a lovely waltz emphasizing the push and pull of a possible romance after Billy Bigelow and Julie Jordan first met each other.  The members of the ensemble acted as a carousel while jumping and spinning around the couple in a circle.  This included an especially fun effect featuring the women holding poles as they were lifted up and down by the men to replicate the movement of the horses on the carousel (the two young girls sitting in front of me loved this).  Next came the pas de deux from After the Rain with choreography by Christopher Wheeldon and music by Arvo Part.  Cellist Lauren Posey and Pianist Vedrana Subotic performed Spiegel im Spiegel on stage as Emily Adams and Hadriel Diniz performed an intricate duet that was slow, deliberate, and intimate.  This was absolutely stunning and I was blown away by the strength, concentration, and control required of the dancers.  The program concluded with West Side Story Suite, the piece that I was most interested to see, with the iconic choreography by Jerome Robbins, music by Leonard Bernstein, and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.  This was incredible because the company, who were joined by guest artists and vocalists, performed the big ensemble numbers from the stage musical with dancing and singing.  I especially loved the "Prologue" because the choreography communicated the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks through movement brilliantly, "Dance at the Gym" because the contrast between the Jets and Sharks was so dramatic (the Jets were primarily costumed in blue, orange, and yellow with the Sharks in black, magenta, and purple) and seeing them interact was riveting, "Cool" because the choreography was thrilling with acrobatic leaps and spins (I was beyond impressed by David Huffmire's singing as Riff), and "Somewhere Ballet" because it was so haunting that I had tears in my eyes by the end.  I had to exchange my ticket in order to see this but I am so glad I made the effort because this was really unexpected and exceeded my expectations!  Unfortunately, last night was the final performance but you can go here to see the remaining productions this season.

The Drowsy Chaperone at Draper Historic Theatre

Last year I saw The Addams Family and Elf The Musical at Draper Historic Theatre. One of these productions was outstanding and the other one was not so, clearly, I had to see something else as a tie breaker and I chose The Drowsy Chaperone last night. I love this show so much because it is a love letter to musical theatre and its power to transport you to a place where happy endings are possible for a few hours. Man in Chair (Christopher Stockstager) decides to listen to his cast recording of The Drowsy Chaperone, a popular musical from 1928, because he is feeling a little blue. The show comes to life in the middle of his apartment as he listens but he frequently interrupts to provide commentary and occasionally participates in the big production numbers. Mrs. Tottendale (Pam Winrow) and her Underling (Kian Byington) are hosting the wedding between the oil tycoon Robert Martin (Wes Seiler) and Broadway star Janet Van De Graaf (Kellie Seiler), who is giving up her glamorous career for love. Robert is leaving all of the wedding details to his friend and best man George (Gabe Velez) while Janet is relying on her Chaperone (Keri Hughes), who gets drowsy when she drinks, to keep her and the groom apart to avoid bad luck. Broadway producer Feldzieg (Josh Rayburn) wants to prevent his biggest star from leaving his show so he hires a Latin lover named Aldolpho (Matthew Davids) to seduce her in order to stop the wedding, an investor in the Feldzieg Follies is also worried and hires two gangsters (Spencer Bushman and Isaac King), disguised as pastry chefs, to disrupt the proceedings, but a ditzy chorus girl named Kitty (Makayla Porter) takes every opportunity to prove to them that she can take Janet's place. Mayhem ensues until Trix the Aviatrix (Haley Oliphant) provides the happy ending by agreeing to marry four couples on her plane while flying to Rio. I loved the entire cast but the standouts for me were Hughes because she is the ultimate diva in "As We Stumble Along" (I loved how the veteran performer tries to outshine the ingenue in this number), Davids because he is completely over-the-top in "I Am Aldolpho" (I laughed out loud at all of his antics with a cane), Velez because he is hysterically overwrought in "Wedding Bells 1" and "Wedding Bells 2" (this was his same characterization for Buddy the Elf but it is more appropriate in this show), and Stockstager because his facial expressions and mannerisms make him the perfect Man in Chair (especially during his poignant monologue in response to "Love is Always Lovely in the End"). The choreography is fantastic, particularly in "Cold Feets" (I always love to see tap dancing), "Show Off" (it was clever to have Janet rise up from a trap door in the encore), "Toledo Surprise," "Bride's Lament," and "I Do, I Do in the Sky." It is hilarious every time the actors freeze (in some very elaborate poses) when Man in Chair stops the record and when they repeat the choreography over and over again when it has a scratch. The set of the apartment is ingenious and the cast utilizes the furniture very well for their entrances and exits (my favorites are when George emerges from one of the lower cabinets and when the Chaperone appears in a Murphy bed). The costumes are great because they include some fun details, such as the two cardigan sweaters worn by Man in Chair, the plaid plus fours with argyle socks and sweater vests worn by the gangsters, and the spats worn by the Underling. I loved everything about this production so you never know what you are going to get with community theatre! The show runs Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through May 16 and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here).

Note: I loved Stockstager but my favorite Man in Chair is Jonathan Crombie (better known as Gilbert Blythe in Anne of Green Gables) when he appeared in the Broadway touring production. Sigh!

Mammoth vs. Blues

Last night I had a last minute opportunity to see the Utah Mammoth play the St. Louis Blues and I took it because it was the final game of the season.  I am really glad that I did because, even though they lost and even though Dylan Guenther wasn't in the line-up, I had a great time (at least until the last three minutes).  The Mammoth played a lot better than they have been recently and had a lot of good chances (they ended the night with 23 shots) in a back-and-forth game that was really fun to watch.  Pavel Buchnevich put St. Louis on the board first with a goal at the 3:45 mark in the first period and then Michael Carcone evened it up at 16:55 with a pretty wrist shot.  The second period was very exciting because Lawson Crouse scored within 45 seconds when he backhanded the deflected puck from MacKenzie Weeger's missed shot in traffic.  The crowd was on their feet again when Brandon Tanev scored a goal less than a minute later (his first of the season) to make it 3-1 but St. Louis challenged it for goaltender interference and it was overturned.  That took the wind out of Utah's sails a little bit and Robert Thomas scored twice in a row to put St. Louis up 3-2.  In the final minute of the period Kailer Yamamoto put a wrist shot past Joel Hofer from the slot to tie the game at 3-3.  Karel Vejmelka (who allowed three goals on 18 shots) was replaced by Vitek Vanecek to start the third period and it was a defensive battle until the 2:57 mark when Logan Mailloux scored the go-ahead goal.  The Mammoth did everything they could to score but they didn't have enough time and eventually pulled Vanecek which resulted in an empty-netter from Thomas (giving him his first NHL hat trick).  The Blues ended up winning 5-3 but it was a better game for the Mammoth than the score suggests and I liked that they were more aggressive in the offensive zone.  I was sitting next to three Blues fans who were really obnoxious and I wanted to remind them that the Mammoth were going to the playoffs (they play the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round) while the Blues were done for the season but, thankfully, reason prevailed!  After the game, team awards were given to Michael Carcone, Clayton Keller, Lawson Crouse, and Dylan Guenther and the whole team thanked the fans for supporting them this season.  I'm glad I rearranged my schedule for one last game (I probably won't get to a playoff game unless they make it to the second round).

Exit 8

Next up in my double feature last night was Exit 8, a Japanese psychological horror film based on the video game of the same name.  The central conceit becomes a bit tedious as it goes on but I found it very thought-provoking.  The Lost Man (Kazunari Ninomiya) is riding the subway on his way to work when his ex-girlfriend (Nana Komatsu) calls him to tell him that she is pregnant with his child and to ask him what she should do.  This news is very overwhelming to him and, as he tries to exit the subway station, he soon finds himself in an endlessly looping corridor underground.  He eventually learns that the way to reach Exit 8 is to turn back whenever he sees an anomaly in the corridor.  If he doesn't turn back when an anomaly appears, he returns to Exit 0 which resets his progress.  While on his seemingly interminable journey, he encounters The Walking Man (Yamato Kochi) and The Boy (Naru Asanuma), who are also trapped in the corridor for various reasons, but only one of them can help him reach Exit 8.  I found the allegory about what you should prioritize in life to be very powerful, if a bit on the nose, and I loved the juxtaposition between the life represented by The Walking Man versus the one represented by The Boy.  I also liked the exploration of how important it is to be present in the moment (symbolized by the anomalies).  As I previously mentioned, seeing the exact same location, a sterile white tiled hallway, for most of the runtime is sometimes mind-numbing (which is the point) but the unsettling sound design and some of the more elaborate anomalies (especially an homage to The Shining) definitely kept my attention.  Finally, the use of Maurice Ravel's Bolero during both the opening and end credits is absolutely brilliant because it features a single repeating melody that builds in intensity.  I liked this (it was fun to see it with a big crowd late at night) and would recommend it.

Hamlet

I love Shakespeare's play Hamlet (it was my favorite piece to teach my British literature students) so I have been eagerly anticipating Aneil Karia's bold new version featuring a contemporary South Asian perspective for what seems like forever.  I finally had a chance to see it last night as part of a double feature and to say that I loved it would be an understatement!  When Hamlet (Riz Ahmed), the scion of a wealthy South Asian family in London, learns that his father (Avijit Dutt), the CEO of a real estate holding company called Elsinore, has died after a long illness, he is overcome with grief.  He is also devastated to hear that his mother Gertrude (Sheeba Chaddha) is planning to marry his uncle Claudius (Art Malik).  He goes to a club and, while in a drug-induced haze, he sees the ghost of his father who tells him that Claudius is responsible for his death and that Hamlet must avenge him. He is not sure if this vision really happened so he begins investigating Claudius and discovers corruption at Elsinore.  Claudius and his business associate Polonius (Timothy Spall) have been tearing down affordable housing in favor of luxury high-rises and have been evicting tenants who have nowhere to go.  When Hamlet finally decides to take action, he sets in motion a tragedy that affects both his friends and family.  I am usually a purist but there are some changes to the text, which retains Shakespeare's language, that I found incredibly intriguing.  I loved the choice to focus entirely on Hamlet's POV with the camera following him to an almost claustrophobic degree because the audience really sees his isolation and downward spiral.  I loved that Laertes (Joe Alwyn) and Ophelia (Morfydd Clark) replace Horatio as a character and act as Hamlet's confidants because it makes his actions even more devastating. I loved that Polonius is given a more menacing characterization because it makes his death more provacative.  I loved that the play-within-a-play is reimagined as an elaborate dance at the traditional Indian wedding of Gertrude and Claudius because it is both entertaining and shocking.  I loved that Hamlet delivers his famous soliloquy while speeding recklessly on the the wrong side of the road because it is a more explicit portrayal of his suicidal state of mind.  Finally, I loved that the disgruntled former tenants act as a stand-in for Fortinbras's army because taking on an evil corporation is a brilliant way to give a modern update to the overthrow of a kingdom.  Ahmed gives an emotional performance that I found absolutely captivating and I also enjoyed Clark's more restrained take on Ophelia, especially the mad scene.  This might not appeal to everyone but it blew me away and I highly recommend it!