Mammoth vs. Hurricanes

My friend Angela has recently become a hockey fan so I was really excited to see the Mammoth take on the Carolina Hurricanes with her yesterday afternoon!  The atmosphere in the Delta Center was electric because the Mammoth clinched a payoff berth for the first time in franchise history during their last game against the Predators.  Unfortunately, the Hurricanes deflated the energy of the crowd early in the first period with a power play goal by Andrei Svechnikov after Mikhail Sergachev took a holding penalty.  Jordan Staal had a pretty wrist shot from the slot to put Carolina up 2-0 (it was his 20th goal of the season) and soon after it looked like Clayton Keller had scored for Utah but the goal was called back for being offside.  The Mammoth couldn't seem to get anything going in the offensive zone against a tough Carolina defense and were often forced to dump and chase the puck (I hate it when teams do this).  They played much better in the second period with a few good chances (they ended the game with 27 shots against a team who have held their opponents to the fewest shots in the NHL) and some great saves from Karel Vejmelka (he ended the game with 26), although they couldn't capitalize on a slashing penalty called on Shayne Ghostisbehere (they ended the game 1-5 on the power play).  Utah started the third period with a lot of energy and Dylan Guenther, my favorite player on the team, hit a beautiful one-timer from a tough angle to score on the power play.  The crowd went crazy and I have to admit that my cheering was quite enthusiastic because I had never seen him score in person before (I think he knew I was there and scored just for me)!  This goal gave the Mammoth some momentum, which was really fun to watch, but a late goal by Sebastian Aho and an empty-net goal by Sean Walker gave the Hurricanes the 4-1 victory (and snapped Utah's five game winning streak).  The outcome was a bit disappointing but at least I got to see Guenther get his 40th goal of the season (he now ranks among the top ten scorers in the league).  I really like him as a player (he is also very easy on the eyes) and I have seen a lot of development from him this season so I am happy that he reached this milestone.  There are a few regular season games left and then it will be so much fun to see this team in the playoffs!

Note: I also got to see the Zammoth!  It is a decommissioned zamboni used during the 2002 Olympics that has been repurposed to look like a mammoth.  It is used to transport fans around the ice before games and during intermissions and it is seriously cool.

The Phantom of the Opera at the Eccles

The very first show I saw on Broadway was The Phantom of the Opera with my sister Kristine when we were on a girls trip to NYC in 1998 so it was especially appropriate that I got to see the Broadway touring production at the Eccles last night with her! We had such a great time because the show is amazing! A misunderstood genius with a facial deformity, known as the Phantom (Isaiah Bailey), lives in the catacombs under the Paris Opera House. His muse is a chorus girl named Christine Daae (Jordan Lee Gibert) who is both drawn to him and his music but also frightened of him. He haunts the opera house in order to get the managers, Monsieur Firmin (William Thomas Evans) and Monsieur Andre (Carrington Vilmont), to feature her over the soprano Carlotta (Midori Marsh). The Phantom's love turns into a dangerous obsession when Christine becomes involved with Raoul de Chagny (Daniel Lopez), a patron of the opera, and he ultimately forces her to choose between them (I always want her to stay with the Phantom). I love the music in this show and, no matter how many times I see it, I always get goosebumps during my favorite songs! This cast is phenomenal and their performances of "Think of Me," "The Phantom of the Opera," "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again," and "The Point of No Return" are some of the best I have ever seen!  One of my favorite moments came when Lopez sings "All I Ask of You." I loved his voice but, more than that, I loved his characterization because his body language is almost mechanical, especially when he drops to one knee matter-of-factly to declare his love, and that is such a great contrast to the passionate Phantom. Speaking of the Phantom, Bailey is incredible and his version of "The Music of the Night" is worth the price of the ticket alone because it is both emotional and restrained (he has such vocal control). I don't think anyone in the Eccles Theatre drew breath during the entire song because it is so powerful! This production features the original staging with a few tweaks, including different, but no less spectacular, chandelier drops. I was really happy when I realized this because, as much as I tried to convince myself that I loved the new staging during the last national tour, I definitely prefer the earlier version. I was most excited to see the return of the set and choreography for "Masquerade" (my favorite number in the show) because the grand staircase reveal is so dramatic and I am always blown away by the stylized dance sequence with the whole company in unison on the stairs! I loved every minute of this iconic musical and I am so glad that I got to experience it with my sister (again). It runs at the Eccles Theatre through April 26 (go here for tickets) and I highly recommend it even if you have seen it before.

The Drama

My nephew and I somehow managed to avoid all of the spoilers before seeing The Drama at the Broadway last night and, now that I have seen it, I highly recommend going in as blind as possible (this is as spoiler-free as I can make it but you might want to stop reading now).  Emma Harwood (Zendaya) and Charlie Thompson (Robert Pattinson) are feeling the usual stress in the week leading up to their wedding as they write their speeches (which is a clever way to introduce the audience to the characters and their relationship), practice the choreography for their first dance, and finalize the menu for the reception.  However, their stress level escalates when they see their DJ (Sydney Lemmon) for the reception smoking heroin on the street.  Charlie wants to fire her but Emma suggests that everyone has done something bad that they regret.  When they discuss the situation with their friends Rachel (Alana Haim) and Mike (Mamoudou Athie), they all take turns revealing the worst thing they have ever done.  Everyone is shocked by Emma's admission and, while he is initially supportive, Charlie starts to fixate on what she did and wonders if he really knows her.  They awkwardly continue with the wedding preparations but Charlie is eventually involved in an indiscretion brought on by his confusion, anger, and distress which leads to absolute mayhem at the reception!  What I loved most about this is that it begins as a romantic comedy (it even has a meet-cute in a coffee shop) but then expectations are subverted and it becomes a thought-provoking morality play.  The topic will be divisive and some might find it uncomfortable to watch.  I personally don't think Emma's actions are unforgivable but the exploration of why they send Charlie into a downward spiral is definitely intriguing.  Both Zendaya and Pattinson are outstanding!  They have tremendous chemistry and both communicate so much with subtle changes in facial expressions and body language.  Haim also gives the best performance of her career (I actually thought Rachel's admission was worse than Emma's).  Finally, the editing is absolutely brilliant because it really adds to the anxiety and discomfort felt by both Emma and Charlie.  I was very surprised by this and it is now one of my favorites of 2026.

Cambria Rose

I finally had the chance to meet my great-niece two weeks ago when Tashena and Tucker were in town for a family funeral.  To say that I am smitten with her would definitely be an understatement!  I think she is the most adorable baby ever and I loved every minute that I got to spend holding her (I even got to feed her).  Marilyn and I are planning a road trip to Washington to see her very soon because we miss her so much!  In the meantime, here are some beautiful photos of our precious baby.

To add to the cuteness overload, here is the sweetest video of the sweetest baby ever!

Arsenic and Old Lace at the Empress Theatre

Last night I could not stop laughing at the Empress Theatre's entertaining production of the classic madcap comedy Arsenic and Old Lace. Two elderly spinsters, Abby and Martha Brewster (Rose Lagos and Diana Sorensen, respectively), are known in their Brooklyn neighborhood for their numerous acts of charity. However, their charity includes poisoning lonely old men who come to their home looking for lodging with their homemade elderberry wine. Their nephew Teddy (J.D. Robison), who believes that he is President Theodore Roosevelt, helps them by burying the men in the holes he digs for the Panama Canal in the cellar. Chaos ensues when their other nephew Mortimer (Marc Reading) discovers one of their victims in the window seat and when their estranged nephew Jonathan (Mike Brown), a homicidal maniac, suddenly appears wanting to dispose of one of his victims in the same window seat. It takes an unwilling accomplice (Ryan Munsey), a bumbling policeman who really wants to be a playwright (Adrian Young), and a curious fiancee  (Rachel Felt) to end the mayhem. This show features a lot of physical comedy and the entire cast does a brilliant job with it. I especially loved Reading because his Mortimer is hilariously overwrought as events spin wildly out of control (I laughed out loud every time he shrieked in panic), Brown because his Jonathan is so menacing as he looms over everyone, Robison because his Teddy is completely over the top as he charges up the stairs fighting the Battle of San Juan Hill, and Young because their Officer O'Hara reenacts the play with a frenetic energy that is fun to watch. It is also so much fun to watch Lagos and Sorensen because their facial expressions are an absolute hoot (another laugh out loud moment came when Sorensen skipped to the cabinet to get the elderberry wine) and I loved the chaotic scenes involving the dead bodies in the window seat. There was also an amusing mishap last night involving the police officers and a baton but Brad Goodman (as Lieutenant Rooney) played it off so well it was a highlight of the show for me (the actors could barely hold it together as they exited the stage). The set for this show is impressive and filled with all of the fussy period furniture and objects you would expect two elderly spinsters to have in their drawing room. I loved the attention to detail, especially the books on the cabinet (the lady sitting next to me kept picking them up to look at them) and the cut glass decanters and goblets. My favorite elements were the wood wainscoting and family portraits along the upstairs hallway and the elaborate picture window and seat. I also enjoyed the period costumes, particularly those worn by the Brewster sisters (I loved the black bombazine gowns). Getting a ticket to this show (go here) is a guaranteed fun night out and it is a great way to support one of my very favorite community theatres!  Performances are on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through April 18.