Utah Opera's Fidelio

Last night I went to Utah Opera's production of Fidelio by Ludwig van Beethoven at Capitol Theatre.  I always get a bit apprehensive when I see that a classic opera has been "reimagined" but the changes are absolutely brilliant and I really loved it.  Florestan (Thomas Kinch) is an innocent man unjustly held in a dungeon by the tyrannical prison commandant Don Pizarro (Zachary Nelson) as revenge for speaking out against him.  Florestan's wife Leonore (Wendy Bryn Harmer) is determined to save him and disguises herself as a man named Fidelio in order to gain the trust of the warden Rocco (Raymond Aceto) and thereby gain access to the prison.  Pizarro orders Rocco to kill Florestan but he refuses and, when he is forced to do it himself, Fidelio intervenes and denounces him to Don Fernando (Rodney Sharp II), a government minister who arrives to investigate allegations of abuse.  Fidelio reveals her true identity and Fernando has her remove Florestan's chains to show that love and courage overcome tyranny and oppression.  This powerful theme, which is incredibly relevant today, is further enhanced by the addition of a new character, the Oracle (Sharlene Wells), who periodically appears on stage in white billowing robes to recite quotes by 20th century authors and activists, such as Langston Hughes, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Lao Tzu, John Steinbeck, Martin Niemoller, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, J.R.R. Tolkien, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Viktor Frankl, in order to inspire the characters.  I loved all of these quotes (and so did the audience because most of them elicited applause) but I had goosebumps when the Oracle recites "Dirge Without Music" by Edna St. Vincent Millay (my new rallying cry is, "But I do not approve.  And I am not resigned.").  Beethoven's music is beautiful and the performances are incredibly moving.  I especially loved Harmer's rich and emotive soprano voice and her performances of the famous arias "Komm, Hoffnung, lass den letzten Stern" (Come, Hope, let the last star) and "Abscheulicher! Wo ist nur der Gatte?" (Abhorred! Where is my husband?) are full of resolve and determination as Leonore searches for Florestan.  My favorite moment came at the beginning of Act II when Kinch, who has beautiful tenor voice full of pathos, sings the aria "Gott! Welch Dunkel hier!" (God! What darkness here!) contrasting the darkness of the dungeon where he is imprisoned with a vision of Leonore which gives him hope.  The opening note begins hesitantly then grows in strength and it put a tear in my eye!  I also loved "O welche Lust!" (O what delight!) sung by a chorus of prisoners after Leonore (Fidelio) convinces Rocco to let them outside to see the sun and they dream of freedom.  The set is minimalistic and the costumes are drab but I loved the dramatic projections, especially a sinister symbol that is projected on the prison walls (and repeated on the prison uniforms) and the recurring motif of roses as a representation of love.  I honestly cannot say enough about this production (it is now one of my favorites) and I highly encourage you to get a ticket (go here).  There are three more performances (January 21, 23 and 25) at Capitol Theatre.

Dead Man's Wire

I thought the trailer for Dead Man's Wire, which is based on a true story, looked really intriguing so I went to see it last night and enjoyed it even more than I was expecting.  Tony Kiritsis (Bill Skarsgard) is a would-be Indianapolis real estate developer in 1977 who blames all of his financial woes on the Meridian Mortgage company.  He arrives at their office to confront the president M.L. Hall (Al Pacino) but, because he is on vacation in Florida, Tony abducts his son Richard (Dacre Montgomery), instead.  Tony uses a "dead man's wire" to bind Richard and himself to the trigger of a shotgun so that Richard will be killed instantly if anything happens to him.  He alleges that Meridian sabotaged his plan for turning his property into a shopping center by discouraging potential tenants from leasing from him so he demands $5 million for lost revenue, immunity from prosecution, and a public apology from M.L. Hall for his actions (which he callously refuses to do despite the threat to his son).  Detective Michael Grable (Cary Elwes), one of Tony's drinking buddies, attempts to negotiate but tensions escalate and Richard is kept hostage in Tony's apartment for three days.  However, Linda Page (Myha'la), a local TV reporter who happens to be in the right place at the right time, and Fred Temple (Colman Domingo), a popular morning DJ, both broadcast sympathetic portrayals of Tony which turn him into a folk hero and this leads to an outcome that I found quite surprising (and strangely satisfying).  This is very thought-provoking, incredibly entertaining, and surprisingly funny (a scene involving a flow chart on a chalkboard by an FBI profiler made me laugh out loud).  All of the performances are outstanding, particularly Skarsgard, who is absolutely brilliant as an ordinary man who has been pushed too far by a greedy company, and Domingo, who has such a velvety smooth voice that he could actually be a DJ.  I loved the cinematography in the style of a gritty 1970s crime thriller, especially Linda's TV footage and the black and white crime scene photographs, as well as the immersive production design and costumes.  Finally, all of the 1970s needle drops are a lot of fun (my favorite is "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" by Gil Scott-Heron).  I really dug this and highly recommend it.

The Hunger Games Marathon

Yesterday I spent the entire day at the Megaplex for another movie marathon.  This time it was for The Hunger Games and it was so much fun!  I really love the books and movies in this series because I think Katniss Everdeen's hero's journey and Coriolanus Snow's radicalization are very compelling.  In The Hunger Games, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) is thrust into the spotlight when she volunteers as tribute from the impoverished District 12 to save her sister Primrose (Willow Shields) when she is selected at the reaping.  Her survival skills in the game help her become the victor but an act of defiance with Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), the other tribute from District 12, sparks unrest and angers President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland).  In Catching Fire, Katniss is used as a pawn by the Head Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the District 12 Mentor Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson), and the Victors Beetee Latier (Jeffrey Wright), Finnick Odair (Sam Claflin), and Johanna Mason (Jena Malone) in their plot against Snow during the Quarter Quell. In Mockingjay Part 1, Katniss is uneasy about her role as the symbol of the rebellion and reluctantly participates in the propaganda used to unite the districts but, in Mockingjay Part 2, she finally accepts her role and fights to end the tyranny of both President Snow and President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore).  In The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) is traumatized by the fact that his once powerful family has sunk into poverty and obscurity.  He sees a chance for advancement by becoming a mentor to Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), the tribute from District 12, but he is forced to resort to deception, manipulation, fear, and ruthlessness in order to secure her victory and ultimately betrays her and his friend Sejanus Plinth (Josh Rivera) to restore his family to prosperity.  I watch these movies all of the time but I am so glad that I got to see them on the big screen again because the visuals are so vivid.  I love the worldbuilding, production design, and costumes, especially those worn by Katniss during the tribute parades and interviews with Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci) as well as all of those worn by Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks).  I love all of the action sequences in the arena, particularly the cornucopia bloodbath in Catching Fire because the changing aspect ratio is so dynamic, and during the Battle for the Capitol in Mockingjay Part 2 because it is so tense.  Finally, I love the performances because I think every actor perfectly embodies their character (I was not happy when Woody Harrelson and Lenny Kravitz were cast but now I can't imagine anyone else as Haymitch and Cinna, respectively).  The large crowd was a lot of fun and, even though I didn't see anyone dressed up, they were very enthusiastic and I enjoyed interacting with everyone seated around me (which is very unusual for me).  Megaplex has several more movie marathons scheduled this year, including ones for Pirates of the Caribbean in February, Jurassic Park in April, and Harry Potter in August, and I highly recommend the experience.

Now:  I am now even more excited for the movie adaptation of Sunrise on the Reaping.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

I was incredibly hyped to see 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple with my nephew yesterday and, unbelievably, it lived up to my expectations!  After leaving the relative security of the island, Spike (Alfie Williams) is coerced into joining a Satanic gang led by the charismatic, but psychotic, Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal (Jack O'Connell) as they terrorize the survivors they encounter.  Meanwhile, Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) continues memorializing victims of those infected by the rage virus in his ossuary known as the Bone Temple.  When Kelson encounters the Alpha leader of the infected, who he has nicknamed Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry) for his strength, he sedates him with a morphine dart from a blowgun which makes him docile enough to interact with.  Samson becomes addicted to the morphine and their growing connection allows Kelson to study him and realize that the rage virus might be cured.  He administers anti-psychotics to him but this experiment is interrupted when Kelly (Erin Kellyman), a member of Jimmy's gang, observes Kelson and mistakenly believes that he is Satan.  In order to keep control, Jimmy threatens Kelson into portraying Satan for his gang which results in an epic confrontation between the two of them.  This installment in the franchise is wild, chaotic, and incredibly gory (which is what I was expecting from the more meditative 28 Years Later) but it is also surprisingly emotional.  I loved the unusual friendship that develops between Kelson and Samson and I was particularly struck by the juxtaposition between Jimmy's psychosis and Samson's because this brilliantly expands on the theme that humanity is capable of savagery even without the virus.  Fiennes gives an absolutely fearless performance and one scene in particular (accompanied by Iron Maiden's "The Number of the Beast") must be seen on the big screen (trust me on this).  O'Connell is also an incredibly compelling villain and his scenes with Fiennes crackle with energy.  I loved this and I am now even more excited for the next movie in the trilogy!

Note:  The needle drops are fantastic!  In addition to his use of the aforementioned song by Iron Maiden, Kelson seems to be a big fan of Duran Duran!

The Choral

Last night my nephew and I went to see The Choral and it should come as no surprise to anyone that I thoroughly enjoyed a British period drama (my favorite genre of movie) set during World War I (a historical period that fascinates me) about the power of art to heal (one of my favorite themes) starring Ralph Fiennes (one of my favorite actors).  Bernard Duxbury (Roger Allam), an alderman in the Yorkshire town of Ramsden, hopes to revive the Choral Society but many of their members, including their choirmaster, are now at the front.  The committee reluctantly appoints Dr. Henry Guthrie (Fiennes), despite his unpatriotic love of German composers, as the new choirmaster, opens membership to anyone willing to sing no matter their social class, and decides to perform The Dream of Gerontius by Edward Elgar (Simon Russell Beale).  Complications ensue but, when Elgar objects to the changes made to his composition in order to include a wounded soldier who has recently returned home, they lose hope.  However, it is the power of the music that ultimately overcomes all obstacles.  This is a slow and gentle movie (my nephew likened to something that would be shown on PBS) but it is ultimately very heartwarming with an incredibly poignant final scene that mirrors the theme of Elgar's oratorio.  I loved how the impact of the war on everyone in the town is portrayed and I was especially struck by two different scenes at the train station in which soldiers go off to war with much fanfare and cheering followed by the more somber arrival of soldiers coming home with devastating injuries.  I also loved a montage showing the various members of the choral society practicing in different locations around town because it shows the unifying influence of the music.  Fiennes gives an incredible performance because he is able to show so many conflicting emotions on his face at the same time, particularly a scene where he simultaneously receives permission from Elgar and news of the probable death of his lover, and I also really enjoyed Amara Okerete as a Salvation Army volunteer who performs a solo because her voice is so angelic (all of the scenes featuring music are outstanding).  Finally, the production design is absolutely beautiful and the costumes are very authentic.  I loved this and recommend it to fans of period dramas.