Pride and Prejudice at the Grand Theatre

I absolutely adored the adaptation of Pride and Prejudice by Melissa Leilani Larson that I saw at HCTO last year so I was really excited to get to see another production at the Grand Theatre last night.  It was just delightful!  This adaptation does not include everything from the novel by Jane Austen and there are subtle changes in characterization but I think it brilliantly captures its essence in a way that feels very fresh and very funny (the crowd was laughing out loud all night).  When Mr. Bingley (Alex Smith), a single man in possession of a good fortune (there is a hilarious spoof on this famous opening line), lets Netherfield Hall, Mrs. Bennett (Liz Whittaker) immediately sets her sights on him as a possible husband for one of her five daughters.  Bingley falls in love with the beautiful Jane (Lauren Pope) but her sister Elizabeth (Niki Rahimi) takes an immediate dislike to his friend Mr. Darcy (Gordon Dunn) because he is so aloof and disdainful.  Elizabeth must overcome her prejudice and Mr. Darcy must overcome his pride for them to realize that they belong together.  Last night I was really struck by how well the letters written between characters are used to advance the narrative instead of dialogue, especially Jane's visit to Pemberley, without losing any impact and I enjoyed seeing the characters pantomime what is happening in the letters on large platforms upstage while they are read aloud.  Every member of the cast is very well-suited to their role but I especially enjoyed how uptight Ellie Otis is as Mary, how histrionic Whittaker is as Mrs. Bennett, and how goofy Smith is as Bingley.  Rahimi and Dunn (who is especially swoon-worthy) have great chemistry when they are sparring back and forth and Darrin Burnett steals the show as Mr. Collins (I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe when he was dancing at the Netherfield Ball, when he dropped to his knees while proposing to Elizabeth, and when he chased after Lady Catherine's carriage).  The staging is a bit different from HCTO because, instead of a small and intimate thrust stage, the Grand has a large proscenium stage but I really liked how they kept the minimal vibe with modular cubes made with sheets of patterned plastic that form a multi-level platform with some that are also moved and reconfigured to form multiple locations.  I also really loved the framed silhouettes of the characters, made from the same patterned plastic, that are hanging in the background (there are new silhouettes when the relationships change in the play).  The blue, pink, purple, and turquoise lighting looks very dramatic projected on a cyclorama upstage as well as reflected in the plastic used in the cubes.  Finally, the period costumes are beautiful (I love those empire waists) but I wish that Caroline Bingley's dress had been more elaborate to denote her higher socio-economic status.  This show is a really fun way to spend an evening and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) during its run through June 8.

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 at PTC

I love Russian literature and musical theatre so I have wanted to see Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 for a very long time. I finally had the chance last night at PTC and it was even better than I was anticipating!  It is an adaptation of a 70-page section of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy and, like most Russian novels, it contains a large cast of characters (with titles, given names, patronyms, and nicknames) that can be hard to remember. However, the "Prologue" introduces them by telling the audience that Andrey (Bennet Chew) isn't here, Natasha (Ali Ewoldt) is young, Sonya (Melanie Fernandez) is good, Marya (Mary Fanning Driggs) is old-school, Anatole (Aleks Pevec) is hot, Helene (Ginger Bess) is a slut, Dolokhov (Justin Luciano) is fierce, Mary (Lucy Anders) is plain, Bolkonsky (Edward Juvier) is crazy, Balaga (Edward Juvier) is just for fun, and Pierre (Kevin Earley) is bewildered, awkward, rich, and unhappily married. If audiences still need help with the story (most Russian novels have complicated plots that usually involve a letter and a duel), the "Prologue" also suggests reading the program to learn about Natasha's scandalous romance with Anatole while her betrothed Prince Andrey is fighting in the Napoleonic wars and about Pierre's existential crisis. The innovative score, which is performed on stage by various cast members who augment the orchestra in the pit, is a combination of pop and Russian folk and classical music and I loved every single song but my favorites were "Natasha & Anatole" and "Charming" because the percussion is so much fun. The staging of this show is absolutely brilliant because a row of seats has been removed to allow some of the action to take place in the middle of the audience and many of the entrances and exits also happen from the audience. I particularly loved the staging for "The Opera," because the opera is sung very dramatically while the characters are shown watching it and then it is pantomimed when the characters sing about it, "The Duel," because the Russian dancing during the boisterous drinking scene happens in the audience, and "Balaga," because the troika is so clever (I loved the horse puppets) and is eventually driven through the audience. The multi-level set is incredibly opulent with an elaborate gold leaf pattern on the red walls, multiple chandeliers, gilded frames filled with art, and lots of interesting openings to facilitate the comings and goings of characters to and from various locations. Having Pierre's desk (with him sitting at it most of the time) on stage during the whole show is very effective because it implies that he is just an observer in all of the drama until he is called upon to intervene. The entire cast is outstanding but I especially loved Ewoldt and Earley because they both have moments that gave me goosebumps, "No One Else" for Ewoldt and "Dust and Ashes" for Earley, and I also enjoyed Pevec because he is hilarious. PTC always closes the season with a big production but they have outdone themselves with this show and I cannot recommend it enough! I loved it so much I want to see it again! It runs through May 25 (go here for tickets).

Note: Be sure to go early for Pierre's Parlor in the lobby. This includes pop-up shops with appetizers, desserts, and themed mocktails for purchase one hour before the show!

National Theatre Live: The Motive and the Cue

I was so excited to have the opportunity to see The Motive and the Cue, a play about the rehearsal process for the 1964 Broadway production of Hamlet directed by Sir John Gielgud and starring Richard Burton, which was filmed live on stage by National Theatre Live during its limited run at the Noel Coward Theatre in London's West End.  This screening was presented by the Tanner Humanities Center and Salt Lake Film Society yesterday and I loved it!  Sir John Gielgud (Mark Gatiss) has been hand selected by Richard Burton (Johnny Flynn) to direct a Broadway production of Hamlet in which he will star.  Gielgud once portrayed the character himself to great acclaim at the Old Vic but he is feeling like the best days of his career are over and took the job out of desperation rather than faith in Burton's ability to do the part justice.  Burton, who has recently married Elizabeth Taylor (Tuppence Middleton), is feeling tremendous pressure to live up to the challenge despite his bravura during rehearsal.  The two of them inevitably clash as Burton struggles to find his way into the character and Gielgud struggles to find a way to help his tempestuous star.  The rest of the cast, including an amusing Hume Cronyn (Allan Corduner) who plays Polonius, complicate matters because they revere Gielgud as a legend in the theatre but are also star-struck by Burton's fame (and by the access he provides to the glamorous Taylor).  With just days before opening night they hash it out in private and find an interpretation they can both be proud of.  Gatiss and Flynn give absolutely brilliant performances (their impersonations of two very well-known actors are perfect) and their scenes together are explosive and poignant by turns.  Gatiss is extraordinary in a scene in which Gielgud tries, unsuccessfully, to coach Burton through the "Speak the speech, I pray you" monologue and then performs it himself after Burton storms out (there are so many instances where lines from Hamlet inform the action and I loved the irony of having Gielgud give the speech where Hamlet instructs his actors).  Flynn, however, gave me chills with his performance of Hamlet's soliloquy after Burton finds his motivation.  I was less impressed with Middleton because she doesn't quite have Taylor's charisma but the rest of the cast, much like the cast of Hamlet, are great as background players in the central drama.  The set design, featuring a large rehearsal room, and period costumes from the 1960s are outstanding.  This play is such an ode to the importance of theatre as an art form and I really enjoyed it!  I am so glad that these National Theatre Live screenings are available near me!

Note:  Even though I loved this show, I think Andrew Scott should have won the Olivier Award for Best Actor instead of Gatiss because his performance in Vanya is remarkable.

Evita at the Empress Theatre

I was really excited to see a production of Evita at the Empress Theatre last night because, even though it is one of my favorite musicals, I hadn't seen it in a really long time. Featuring music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, the story follows Eva Peron (Sophia Morrilla Mancilla) on her journey from impoverished teenager, to ambitious actress in Buenos Aires, to wife of military leader Juan Peron (Ben Tutor), to first lady of Argentina, and, finally, to sainthood as told by the fictional character of Che (Armando Serrano Huerta) who serves as both the narrator and a representative of the working class who provides commentary on Eva's character and actions. I really enjoyed Mancilla's performance because, not only does she have a beautiful voice, but her characterization of Eva is multi-layered. She brilliantly portrays the young girl desperate to escape her circumstances in "Buenos Aires," the scheming actress willing to manipulate her way to the top in "Goodnight and Thank You," the seductress in "I'd Be Surprisingly Good for You," the power-hungry mastermind in "A New Argentina," the passionate leader seeking adulation in "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," the superstar in "Rainbow High," the defiant survivor in "Waltz for Eva and Che," and the emotional invalid trying to come to terms with her imminent death and legacy in "You Must Love Me" and "Eva's Final Broadcast" with subtle gestures and facial expressions and I could definitely tell that this role meant a lot to her. Huerta is incredibly charismatic and energetic as Che and his interactions with Mancilla are a highlight. I also liked that he is costumed as a descamisado rather than a military leader. Tutor showcases both Peron's gravitas and vulnerability and I especially loved his rendition of "She Is a Diamond."  The ensemble is also very strong in this production. It is an intimate theater with a small cast so I could really hear individual voices and I was blown away by the talent! The choreography is really fun to watch, particularly the tango in "On This Night of a Thousand Stars" and I loved the clever use of a card game in the staging of "The Art of the Possible" and the dramatic marching in formation during "Peron’s Latest Flame."  The stage is dominated by the facade of the Casa Rosada, complete with an imposing balcony that is put to good use in "Don’t Cry for Me Argentina," with minimal pieces brought on and off stage by the ensemble and the period costumes are very effective in evoking a specific time and place.  Finally, I loved the use of the red ceibo flower as a recurring motif symbolizing strength.  I highly recommend this stirring production which runs through May 25 (go here for tickets).

Note:  I became a fan of this musical when I saw Elaine Paige, who originated the role of Eva Peron in the West End production of Evita, perform "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" in concert with the Utah Symphony many years ago!

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

My sister and I are big fans of the Planet of the Apes trilogy so we were really excited to see the latest installment, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, last night.  We both found it to be incredibly thought-provoking with amazing visual effects.  Many generations after the rule of Caesar, Noa (Owen Teague) is a young chimpanzee in an isolated clan that raises eagles and other birds of prey.  Wanting to impress his father Koro (Neil Sandilands), the master of the birds, Noa goes on a reckless journey to find an eagle egg and inadvertently leads a violent clan ruled by the brutal Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand) to his village.  Noa is injured, his father is killed, and the rest of the clan is taken.  Noa begins searching for his family and notices that a human is following him from a distance.  He also meets an orangutan named Raka (Peter Macon), a member of the Order of Caesar who follows the teachings of the former leader, and he informs Noa that humans and apes once lived peacefully together and that he should trust the human.  Noa and the human, who eventually tells him that her name is Mae (Freya Allan), are captured by Proximus and taken to his settlement.  Proximus reveals that he rules in Caesar's name and that all apes should join together to keep the humans subjugated no matter the cost.  Noa must decide who to trust if he is to save his clan.  The story is so thematically dense that my sister and I couldn't stop talking about it afterwards (and the more we talked about it the more ideas we discovered) but my main takeaway is that history and mythology are often distorted to manipulate the uninformed and that knowledge is the true power.  This does take a little while to get going but everything eventually comes together in the end (I loved the significance of the eagles) and the tension-filled action sequences in third act had me on the edge of my seat.  The images on the screen are simply spectacular with unbelievably realistic motion-capture performances and visual effects combined with shots on location.  Noa is a compelling character and is easy to root for, particularly as he struggles to make sense of events that happened in the past, and Proximus is a great villain (my sister thought he was terrifying).  This is a worthy successor to the original trilogy and sets the stage for further installments.  I highly recommend it!

Note:  It was so fun to see this with my sister!  She doesn't see very many movies in the theater but she has a list for the ones she wants to see this summer.