The Sound of Music at CPT

There are a few shows that just put a smile on my face no matter how many times I see them and The Sound of Music is definitely one of them because my mom loved it so much during the final year of her life. Last night my sisters and I went to see a production at CPT and all three of us really loved it! The story of how a prospective nun named Maria Rainer (Emily Henwood) brings music back to the household of Captain von Trapp (Clay Rockwood) when she becomes the governess to his seven children is so heartwarming and I always anticipate all of my favorite songs (although the order is a little bit different from the movie and I always find that a bit disorienting because I've watched the movie so many times). I really have to stop myself from singing along to every one of them! Henwood has a beautiful voice and her performance is lovely. Her interactions with the von Trapp children, Liesl (Kali Garrett), Friedrich (Jack Fillmore), Louisa (Audrie Corbaley), Kurt (Ty Wilson), Brigitta (Malan Poll), Marta (Eleanor Stephens), and Gretl (Kacey Kemp), are endearing in the songs "Do-Re-Mi" and "The Lonely Goatherd" and those with Rockwood when they dance the Landler and in the song "Something Good" are incredibly romantic. I always enjoy watching the young actress who plays Gretl and Kemp is adorable but in this production Poll steals the show as Brigitta because her line deliveries and facial expressions are hilarious (be sure to watch her if you see the show). I also really liked Garrett's performance because her chemistry with Drew Dunshee, who plays Rolf, is really sweet in "Sixteen Going on Seventeen." Other highlights are Valerie Parker's powerful rendition of "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" and Rockwood's emotional performance of "Edelweiss." There are some interesting variations in the staging of several numbers, including having Captain von Trapp and the children walk towards Maria during the wedding, having soldiers stationed throughout the theater wearing Nazi armbands during the music festival (it is so ominous), and having the von Trapp family climb to safety through a window in the abbey. The use of archival footage projected on screens around the stage, which I have never seen done before, is also very powerful. Finally, the set is absolutely incredible! It features a large structure that resembles a cathedral with beautiful stained glass windows on top and a snow-capped mountain with a valley filled with flowers below. This structure opens up to become the von Trapp villa with a spectacular double staircase and a terrace while dramatic set pieces are moved on and off stage to become Nonnberg Abbey and other locations (the large eagle and swastika over the stage during the music festival is particularly striking). This show is a classic for a reason and every aspect of CPT's production is outstanding! I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) but they are going fast so don't delay!

Noises Off at CPT

I had so much fun at CPT's hilarious production of Noises Off last night. I don't think I stopped laughing during the whole show! Lloyd Dallas (Brandon Garside), a temperamental and sarcastic director, is staging a play called Nothing's On starring Dotty Otley (Carol Madsen), an aging television star, as Mrs. Clackett, Gary Lejeune (Michael Reis), a scatterbrained actor who can't finish a sentence, as Roger Tramplemain, Brooke Ashton (Amelia Joan Bowles), a young and inexperienced actress having an affair with Lloyd, as Vicki, Frederick Fellows (Josh Curtis), an insecure and accident prone actor, as Philip Brent and the Sheikh, Belinda Blair (Samantha Wursten), a reliable actress who knows all of the gossip about the cast, as Flavia Brent, and Selsdon Mowbray (Doug Caldwell), an accomplished actor who has a drinking problem and a tendency to miss his cues, as the Burglar. Poppy Norton-Taylor (Jenni Cooper) is the put-upon assistant stage manager who is also involved with Lloyd and Tim Algood (Radley Haws) is the overworked and sleep deprived stage manager tasked with fixing every problem. Act I of this play-within-a-play involves a disastrous dress rehearsal before opening night with missing props, a malfunctioning set, an actor questioning his character's motivation, a spontaneous nosebleed, and a lost contact lens.  Act II takes place backstage while the show is on tour. The relationship between Dotty and Gary has deteriorated and the two of them do everything they can to sabotage each other's performance while Lloyd is trying, unsuccessfully, to keep both Brooke and Poppy happy by having Tim make several ill-fated attempts to buy them flowers. Act III takes place at the end of the run and features a complete breakdown with the actors ad-libbing the entire scene while Brooke performs her lines and blocking as normal. The entire cast has brilliant comedic timing because the pace is incredibly frenetic (if you blink at all you will miss something funny). The physical performances are outstanding and I don't know which is funnier: when Frederick hops up the stairs because his trousers are down around his ankles or when Gary trips down them so spectacularly! I love that the bows incorporate all of the hijinks from the show, especially when Bowles looks for a contact lens on the floor, when Reis gingerly walks down the stairs, and when Caldwell misses his cue to come through the window. The elaborate two-story set is almost a character itself, particularly when it fails so dramatically, and the sheer number of doors (which are slammed continually) is impressive. I enjoyed everything about this show and I highly recommend it for a fun night out. It runs on the Barlow Main Stage through February 25 (go here for tickets).

A Christmas Carol at CPT

Last night I went to CPT with my sisters and my nephew to see the first of five productions of A Christmas Carol that I have scheduled this holiday season. This version is a musical, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and I have to admit that it was not my favorite adaptation of the novel by Charles Dickens but I enjoyed this production because it got me really excited for Christmas. As the rest of London celebrates the coming of Christmas, Ebenezer Scrooge (Nick Cash) berates his clerk Bob Cratchit (Nathan Sachs) for wanting the day off, refuses an invitation to dine from his nephew Fred (Paul Dixon), and ignores a debtor (Josh Lee) seeking relief. He also has interactions with a lamplighter (Dylan Floyd Panter), a man wearing a sandwich board advertising a Christmas show (Logan Stacey), and a blind beggar woman (Abrielle Hambleton) who eventually become the the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. When he arrives home, the Ghost of Jacob Marley (Brett Klumpp), his former partner, warns that he will be visited by these three ghosts in order to reclaim his soul. Scrooge takes their messages to heart and strives to make amends. Many of the interactions between Scrooge and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future deviate from the source material and some of them really worked for me, such as having Scrooge's father put in debtors' prison (which is reportedly based on an incident from Charles Dickens' life), and some of them didn't, particularly a big production number involving tap dancing toy soldiers (I didn't know there were Rockettes in Dickensian London). Even though there are some incongruous elements, I really enjoyed all of the enthusiastic performances because the cast does a great job with the material. I also loved quite a few of the songs because they are beautiful, especially "You Mean More to Me" by Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim (Ross Clemens), "A Place Called Home" by Young Scrooge (Grayson Farr) and Fan (Liza Akerlow), "Christmas Together" by the Cratchits, Fred and his family, and the people of London, and "God Bless Us, Everyone" by the entire company. The staging of "Dancing on Your Grave" with the Ghost of Christmas Future and a group of monks and pallbearers is incredibly dramatic and I love how the scene transitions into Scrooge's reclamation in "Yesterday, Tomorrow, and Today." My favorite part of this production is the absolutely amazing set which brings Dickensian London so vividly to life (I especially loved the Christmas decorations at Fezziwig's factory) and the incredibly immersive projections (those used during Jacob Marley's visit are very effective). The period costumes are very impressive, although the ghosts during the song "Link By Link" looked more like mental patients to me and I was confused by the showgirls in the scenes with the people of London. Even though I didn't love the show itself I did enjoy everything CPT did with it and the message is so heartwarming that it is the perfect way to usher in the holiday season.  It runs on the Barlow Main Stage through December 21 but act quickly  because tickets (go here) are going fast.

Note:  I'm so glad that my nephew came with us.  He has a lot of Christmas spirit this year and it is making all of us excited for the holidays.

Into the Woods at CPT

My sisters and I became huge fans of the musical Into the Woods after we attended a production at PTC together many years ago so we have been looking forward to seeing it at CPT ever since the 2024 season was announced. We had to wait a little longer than we expected because our original performance was canceled because of a power outage. Thankfully, CPT added another one to the end of the run in order to accommodate us last night and it was definitely worth the wait! My sisters and I agree that it was one of the best versions of the show that we have seen (and we have seen it many times). The story incorporates well known fairy-tales, such as "Little Red Riding Hood," "Cinderella," "Jack and the Beanstalk," and "Rapunzel," the music by Stephen Sondheim is incredibly beautiful, and the messages that actions can sometimes have unintended consequences and wishes do not always turn out happily ever after are both though-provoking and poignant. This cast is one of the strongest I have seen at CPT but I especially enjoyed Claire Glaittli as the Baker's Wife because her voice was incredible but she also added a lot of comedy to the role with her facial expressions and physicality, particularly during her interactions with Josh Egbert as Cinderella's Prince. Other standouts were Emily Sparks as Little Red Riding Hood because she was so sassy, Emma Murdock as Cinderella because her voice was also very beautiful, Drew Dunshee as Jack because his characterization was a bit bolder than I have seen before, and Brandon Barton because his manipulation of the puppet for Milky White (which was fantastic) was really fun and dynamic. My favorite songs are "Agony" because it is so funny as Cinderella's Prince and Rapunzel's Prince (Dan Frederickson) try to one-up each other, "It Takes Two" because it is a turning point in the relationship between the Baker (Jake Heywood) and his Wife, and "No One Is Alone" because it is an emotional moment of understanding between the Baker, Jack, Cinderella, and Red and I was very impressed with both the performances and staging of all three. I also really loved the staging of Cinderella at her mother's grave because her transformation into the ball gown was magical (it happened right in front of me and it gave me goosebumps) and the slaying of the giantess because the use of shadows and sound design was very dramatic. This production had the narrator (Rick Murdock) read the story to a young boy (Sam Akerlow) as the show progressed and I thought this was a really clever idea but I absolutely loved it when he was revealed to be the Baker's son at the end of the show! It was an incredibly powerful moment and it made the final song, "Children Will Listen," so much more impactful. The set was absolutely spectacular (it may be my favorite at CPT), with giant trees that moved on tracks across the stage, Rapunzel's tower on one side of the stage, and Cinderella's mother's grave on the other (her mother's appearance was another magical moment in the show), and the costumes were gorgeous, especially the ball gowns. My sisters and I loved this production and we are sad that the run is over because we want to see it again! A huge thank you to CPT and the MWF cast for arranging this show after having to cancel the original one through no fault of their own!

School of Rock at CPT

I have been so excited for School of Rock ever since CPT announced the 2024 schedule because it is such a fun and feel good show! I got to see it with my sisters last night and all three of us loved it! Dewey (J.B. Moore) is kicked out of his band No Vacancy right before the Battle of the Bands and his friend Ned (Blaine Backman), with whom he has been living for the past several years, is being pressured by his uptight girlfriend Patty (Kimberly Teitter) to get him to pay rent. Desperate to earn some money, he takes a job as a substitute teacher at Horace Green Prep School that was meant for Ned. He has no idea what he is doing in the classroom but he is able to see that his students are being crushed under the pressure put on them by parents who don't understand them. When he overhears them during music class, Dewey decides to form a band with Zack (Jack Putnam) on lead guitar, Katie (Reign Gilmore) on bass, Lawrence (John Nelson Wakley) on keyboard, Freddy (Henry Smith) on drums, and Shonelle (Rylee Hunt) and Marcy (Audrey Edwards) on backing vocals. He recruits Billy (Soren Ray) to be the band's stylist, James (Cooper Nichols) as security, Madison (Aubrey Balls) and Sophie (Eden Liljenquist) as roadies, Mason (Payson Inkley) on tech, and Summer (Amy Gurney), the class know-it-all, as the band's manager. He also convinces Tomika (Adeline White), a shy and insecure transfer student, to become a featured vocalist. Being in the band gives the students a lot of confidence so Dewey decides to enter them in the Battle of the Bands but first he needs to convince the straight-laced principal Ms. Mullins (Michaela Shelton) to let him take them on a "field trip." Eventually the parents discover Dewey's deception but their performance at the Battle of the Bands wins them over. The kids in this show are insanely talented and play their instruments live on stage in the songs "You're in the Band," "Stick it to the Man," "Time to Play," and "School of Rock." It is so much fun to watch them during these songs, especially Putnam whenever he has a solo because he really shreds, but I loved their performance in "If Only You Would Listen" because it is so poignant (I had a tear in my eye). Moore is really great as Dewey because he has a lot of charisma and energy (I laughed out loud during his version of "In the End of Time") and I loved his interactions with the kids because you can really see the bond he forms with them. Shelton has an incredible voice, particularly in "Here at Horace Green" and "Queen of the Night," but her rendition of "Edge of Seventeen" is hilarious and "Where did the Rock Go?" shows a lot of vulnerability. The sets and costumes depicting the Horace Green Prep School are a lot of fun and I was also impressed with the lighting during all of the band performances. This show is definitely my favorite from CPT this season and I highly recommend it (go here for tickets). It runs on the Barlow Main Stage through August 31.

Kiss Me Kate at CPT

I went to see Kiss Me Kate at CPT a few weeks ago with my sisters but I had to leave at intermission because I was feeling sick. I was really disappointed because I had been looking forward to it and I liked it up to that point. I decided to get another ticket and, thankfully, I was able to stay for the whole show last night! Ironically, I enjoyed the first act, which I had already seen, much more than the second. This features the classic show-within-a-show conceit as a theatre company stages a musical version of Shakespeare's play The Taming of the Shrew. Chaos ensues when life imitates art and the former husband and wife actors Fred Graham (Addison Welch) and Lilli Vanessi (Michelle Blake) engage in backstage squabbling that mirrors that of their characters Petruchio and Katherine on stage. I especially loved the scenes from The Taming of the Shrew (I will be seeing it at the Utah Shakespeare Festival later this summer) because they involve a lot of physical comedy that made me and the rest of the audience laugh out loud as Fred and Lilli actually fight with each other in character ("Were Thine That Special Face" and "I Sing of Love" were highlights because they are absolutely hilarious). I think the story takes a detour in the second act in favor of random musical numbers ("Too Darn Hot") and a less compelling subplot involving a romance between Lois Lane (Keely Parry), who plays Bianca, and Bill Calhoun (Isaac Carrillo), who plays Lucentio ("Always True to You in My Fashion" and "Bianca"), until Fred and Lilli, as well as Petruchio and Katherine, suddenly get back together without much motivation. Even though the musical numbers in the second act are extremely well done (the tapping in "Too Darn Hot" is amazing and the English teacher in me loved "Brush Up Your Shakespeare") I found my mind wandering because I wanted more hijinks from the main couple. My complaints are with the material and not with the cast because the performances are fantastic. Both Welch and Blake have beautiful voices and their renditions of "So In Love" and "Where Is the Life That Late I Led," respectively, gave me goosebumps. As previously mentioned, their comedic timing and chemistry with each other is so much fun to watch. Parry and Carillo also have beautiful voices and the ensemble is incredibly talented but Jeremy Botelho and Brandon Garside practically steal the show as gangsters collecting on an IOU who end up on stage. The choreography, particularly for "Another Op'nin, Another Show," "Tom, Dick, or Harry," and "Too Darn Hot," is incredibly dynamic and high energy. The set, featuring backstage, an alley behind the theatre, dressing rooms, as well as a curtain and backdrops for the production of The Taming of the Shrew, is brilliant and the period costumes look great. I enjoyed this production even if the show itself is not my favorite. It runs on the Barlow Main Stage through July 13 and tickets may be purchased here.

Seussical the Musical at CPT

I am not a fan of Seussical the Musical but Utah audiences seem to love it so local theatre companies program it a lot. Because I am a subscriber, I saw CPT's production last night and, while the sets, projections, costumes, and performances are outstanding, nothing can compensate for the fact that the story is nonsensical, convoluted, and loses focus in the second act. This musical shoehorns the children's stories of Dr. Seuss, including Horton Hears a Who, Gertrude McFuzz, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Green Eggs and Ham, Hop on Pop, Yertle the Turtle, Horton Hatches the Egg, I Had Trouble Getting to Solla Sollew, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, McElligot's Pool, Oh Say Can You Say?, Hunches in Bunches, If I Ran the Circus, Dr. Seuss's ABC, The Butter Battle Book, Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!, Fox in Socks, The Cat in the Hat, The Sneetches and Other Stories, Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?, and Oh, The Places You'll Go!, into an incomprehensible story about an imaginative boy named Jojo, who sometimes gets in trouble for all of the thinks that he thinks, and the adventures he goes on with The Cat in the Hat. The positive message at the end is that anything is possible and that you can go anywhere you want just by thinking your thinks but it is all just so overstuffed with too many characters and ideas. I even find the music to be very repetitive. There are endless reprises of "Oh, The Things You Can Think" and "How Lucky You Are" and, even though the songs feature lots of different genres, they all blur together. The best thing about this show is the unbelievably talented cast, especially Emily Henwood as Gertrude McFuzz because she is so awkward and endearing, Dan Call as Horton the Elephant because he is incredibly sympathetic (his versions of "Alone in the Universe" and "Solla Sollew" were definitely the highlights for me), Meish Roundy as The Cat in the Hat because he makes for a boisterous and entertaining emcee, and Lelini Iongi as Jojo because he is absolutely adorable. The sets and projections mimic the bold, colorful, and fantastical world of Dr. Seuss's books and the costumes are a lot of fun, especially the fanciful feathered costumes worn by Gertrude, Mayzie (Janae Klumpp Gibb) and the Bird Girls (Katherine Frandsen, Brookelynn Alapa, and Cassie Dibbins) and the leather vests worn by Wickersham Brothers (Dylan Floyd Panter, Joshua David Lee, and Sterling Shane Allen).  The staging and choreography are imaginative and dynamic, particularly in "Here on Who," "It's Possible," "Monkey Around," "Circus McGurkus," "A Message From the Front," and "Havin' a Hunch." I really cannot find anything to fault with this production but I think this show just isn't for me and I have given myself permission to never see it again. Seussical the Musical runs on the Barlow Main Stage at CPT through April 13 and I recommend it because others seem to enjoy it much more than I do (go here for tickets).

Note:  Does anyone want my ticket to HCTO's production in June?

A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder at CPT

Last night I finally had the chance to see A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder at CPT (I had to change my usual ticket with my sisters because of Sundance) and I think it might be my favorite production of this hilarious show! After the death of his mother, Monty Navarro (Christian Johnston) learns that she was a member of the illustrious D'Ysquith family but was disinherited for marrying his father. He is really Montague D'Ysquith Navarro and is in line to inherit an earldom. The catch is that there eight family members in line ahead of him! When his vain and heartless girlfriend Sibela (Claire Glaittli) marries the rich and handsome Lionel Holland, he decides to murder all eight family members ahead of him in the succession to become the Earl of Highhurst and win her back. Standing in his way are the Reverend Lord Ezekiel D'Ysquith (who has an unfortunate fall from the bell tower of his cathedral), Asquith D'Ysquith, Jr. (who has a bizarre ice skating accident), Henry D'Ysquith (who is stung by the bees in his own hive), Lady Hyacinth D'Ysquith (who falls in a volcano on an uninhabited island in the South Pacific and is presumed dead), Major Lord Bartholomew D'Ysquith (who is decapitated while lifting weights), Lady Salome D'Ysquith (who is killed when a prop gun is mistakenly loaded with real bullets during her stage debut), Lord Asquith D'Ysquith, Sr. (who suffers a heart attack from his grief over the deaths in his family), and, finally, Lord Adalbert D'Ysquith, the Earl of Highhurst, (who is mysteriously poisoned). Along the way, Monty marries Phoebe D'Ysquith (Emma Austin) which makes Sibela jealous but, after he becomes the Earl of Highhurst, he is arrested for the murder of Lord Adalbert (the only D'Ysquith death for which he is actually not responsible). The charges are eventually dismissed when Phoebe and Sibela each give proof that the other committed the murder but Monty might not live happily ever after because Chauncey D'Ysquith, the next in line to the earldom, is lurking! I've seen this show many times (it is very popular with Utah audiences) but this is my favorite production because Monty is played by my former student Christian Johnston (my original ticket was for the MWF show and he is in the THS cast so it was exciting to be able to see him) and he gives a fantastic performance showcasing his comedic timing and his amazing voice, especially in the song "Sibela." I also really enjoyed Andrew Bringhurst's performance as every member of the D'Ysquith family. He gives each character a distinct personality with hilarious facial expressions and physicality (and some quick costume changes!). I always anticipate the appearance of every family member but my favorites in this production are the outrageously flamboyant Henry who thinks everything is "Better with a Man" and the over-the-top Lady Hyacinth who just wants to do some good in "Lady Hyacinth Abroad." Glaittli and Austin have beautiful voices, particularly when they harmonize together in "That Horrible Woman," and Brighton Sloan almost steals the show as Countess Eugenia D'Ysquith! The set, featuring an elaborate stage in an old time music hall with footlights and a red velvet curtain, is one of the best I've seen at CPT and I loved all of the projections, especially when Monty and the Reverend Lord Ezekiel climb the tower in the cathedral and when Henry is chased by his bees. The staging of Asquith Jr.'s skating accident is really clever as is the scene where Phoebe visits Monty's flat when he is having an assignation with Sibela. The period costumes are gorgeous and I liked how Monty's suits get more elaborate as the show goes on and I loved all of the gowns worn by Phoebe and Sibela. I enjoyed this production so much (I don't think I stopped laughing the whole time) and I highly recommend it. It runs on the Barlow Main Stage through February 17 and tickets may be purchased here.

White Christmas at CPT

Last night I got to see CPT's delightful production of White Christmas with both of my sisters and it was so much fun! The three of us grew up watching the movie version because it was our mom's favorite so this show is very nostalgic for us. Broadway stars Bob Wallace (David Simon) and Phil Davis (Craig Williams) meet the Haynes sisters, Judy (Danna Facer) and Betty (Bailee DeYoung), and decide to follow them to Vermont where they have a gig over the Christmas holidays at the Columbia Inn. There they meet their former commanding officer from the war, General Waverly (Eric Millward) , who now owns the inn but is having financial difficulties due to the lack of snow. Wallace and Davis decide to bring their show, with a few numbers featuring the Haynes sisters, to the Columbia Inn and invite the soldiers from their company to a performance on Christmas Eve. Add a busybody receptionist (Melody L. Baugh) and a precocious granddaughter (Scarlett Burt) who want to be in show business, an overwrought stage manager (Ian Wellisch) feuding with a taciturn handyman (Nathan Burt), and love gone awry between both couples and you have a thoroughly enjoyable show full of big old fashioned song and dance numbers! The four incredibly talented leads do a really good job with the singing and dancing in "Sisters" (this is my favorite song in the show and my sisters and I are always ready to perform our version if the actresses playing the Haynes sisters are ever unable to go on), "The Best Things Happen When You're Dancing," "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep," "Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me," and "How Deep Is the Ocean." The ensemble is fantastic and I loved the staging and the high-energy choreography in "Let Yourself Go," "Snow," "Blue Skies," "I Love a Piano" (I was especially impressed with the tap dancing in this number because it is pretty spectacular), and the iconic "White Christmas" (complete with audience participation and snow falling throughout the theatre). However, Burt absolutely steals the show with her adorable version of "Let Me Sing and I'm Happy" and it brought the house down. The costumes (and there are a lot of them) are really fun and the sets are quite elaborate, especially the lobby and the barn decorated for Christmas at the Columbia Inn and the shimmering curtains in the Regency Room. This show has such a heart-warming message and it is sure to give you a big dose of Christmas cheer! It runs on the Barlow main stage through December 21 (go here for tickets).

Jekyll & Hyde at CPT

When my sister Kristine and I took a theatre trip to New York City in the summer of 1997 we were able to see the original cast of Jekyll & Hyde (featuring Linda Eder as Lucy and including the song "Good 'N' Evil" which was my favorite but is no longer in the show). We saw quite a few shows on that trip but Jekyll & Hyde was definitely our favorite so I was really excited to see it again with both my sisters (and my brother-in-law) last night at CPT. The three of us absolutely loved this production (my brother-in-law was definitely not a fan). This musical is loosely based on the novella by Robert Louis Stevenson and tells the story of Dr. Henry Jekyll (Christian Lackman), a passionate man of science who wants to save his ailing father by finding a chemical formula to separate good from evil in mankind, his alter-ego Mr. Edward Hyde, a terrifying madman created when Jekyll's experiments on himself unleash his inner demons, and the two women, his fiancee Emma Carew (Karllen Johnson) and a prostitute named Lucy Harris (Jessica Knowles Andrus), who love him but are unaware of his dark secret. As Jekyll struggles to control the monster within, he becomes a danger to the citizens of London, to Emma and Lucy, and to himself. I love the music in this show and the three leads do a fantastic job with the rock opera score. Johnson has a beautiful voice and I loved her rendition of "Once Upon a Dream" but the highlight for me was when she and Andrus sing "In His Eyes" because their voices blend together so well. Andrus has an incredibly powerful voice and she just about blows the roof off the theatre with "Bring on the Men" and "A New Life" (although I still think "Good 'N' Evil" makes more narrative sense than "Bring on the Men" because this is the turning point that convinces Jekyll to begin experimenting on himself) and her performance of "A Dangerous Game" with Lackman is incredibly passionate. I really enjoyed Lackman's unique interpretations of Jekyll in the song "This is the Moment" and of Hyde in "Alive" and "Streak of Madness" because each character has a distinct persona but "Confrontation," where both characters battle for control, isn't as dramatic as I've seen it done before. I also really enjoyed the ensemble in "Facade" (the use of mirrors as a motif for hiding who you really are, in this scene and throughout the show, is very well done) but the other big musical number, "Murder, Murder," drags a bit. The incredible set is one of the best aspects of this production and it really brings Victorian London to life. There is a dramatic backdrop featuring buildings with windows that light up and a multi-level area downstage used to create many different vignettes. Jekyll's laboratory comes down from the rafters and features bubbling potions and moving cogs and wheels (it's really cool). The lighting design is dark and atmospheric with spotlights on the aforementioned vignettes and the period costumes are very effective in revealing the ways in which the characters are hiding their true natures, particularly in "Facade." I love this show and this production is so good!  It runs on the Barlow Main Stage through October 21 (go here for tickets).

Note:  In case you couldn't tell, I'm sad that the show no longer includes "Good 'N' Evil"  but I did get to hear Linda Eder sing it again during a concert with the Utah Symphony!

Something Rotten at CPT

I love the musical Something Rotten!  Because I am a former high school English teacher and a self-professed theatre junkie I feel like this hilarious spoof of Shakespeare and musical theatre was written just for me! I was so excited when I saw that it was part of the 2023 season at CPT and I couldn't wait for my sisters to experience it (I may or may not have been hyping it up to them for months). Needless to say they now love it as much as I do after seeing a performance last night!  Nick and Nigel Bottom (J.R. Moore and Zach Watts, respectively) are playwrights in London during the Renaissance but, unfortunately, they have not been very successful. Their patron, Lord Clapham (Doug Caldwell), is withdrawing his support, Shylock (Doug Caldwell) wants his loan repaid, Nick's wife Bea (Annie Ferrin) is pregnant, and Nigel has fallen in love with Portia (Grace Liljenquist), the daughter of a Puritan (Dan Call) who wants to shut down the theaters for debauchery. To make matters worse, they are constantly overshadowed by the immensely popular William Shakespeare (Isaac Carillo). In desperation, Nick consults with the soothsayer Nostradamus (Scott W. Butler) to see what will be popular in the future. He suggests writing a play with singing and dancing in one of my favorite numbers in the show, "A Musical." When inspiration fails yet again, Nick asks Nostradamus to look into the future to see what Shakespeare's most popular play will be but, instead of Hamlet, he sees omelette (so close!).  As Nick tries to produce Omelette: The Musical, Shakespeare suffers from writer's block in another one of my favorite numbers, "Hard to Be the Bard," and tries to steal his own play back! Chaos ensues until Nigel teaches Nick an important lesson in "To Thine Own Self." This show is hysterically funny and I honestly don't think I stopped laughing from beginning to end! I had so much fun spotting all of the references to musical theatre (my favorite is RENT in "A Musical") and to Shakespeare's plays (my favorite is Richard III in "Will Power"). The entire cast is outstanding! My sisters really liked Butler because of his fully committed physical performance when predicting the future and I loved Carillo because he is so over the top and plays Shakespeare as if he was a rock star strutting across the stage while posing for his adoring fans (his facial expressions when he hears Nigel's play about a Danish prince had me laughing so hard I couldn't breathe). The ensemble is also incredible, especially with the high energy choreography in "A Musical" and "Make an Omelette." Speaking of which, it is absolutely brilliant because it mimics the instantly recognizable choreography of the musicals being parodied (I loved the homage to "Sisters" in White Christmas as well as all of the Fosse-style Jazz hands and the high-kicking chorus lines).  The elaborate set, featuring half-timbered thatched-roof buildings and a replica of the Globe Theatre, and the Renaissance costumes are a lot of fun (although I missed Shakespeare's giant cod piece from the Broadway touring production). This is an incredibly entertaining show that will have you laughing out loud and I highly recommend it!  It runs on the Barlow Main Stage through September 2 (go here for tickets). My sisters and I want to see it again!

The Lion in Winter at CPT

One of the first shows I saw at the Utah Shakespeare Festival was The Lion in Winter and I loved it so much I learned everything I could about the historical figures depicted (Eleanor of Aquitaine is fascinating). I was, therefore, thrilled when I found out that it would be performed in the Leishman Performance Hall at CPT because not only do I love the play but I also love the intimate black box theatre. I saw it last night and it is a brilliant production!  It is Christmas Eve 1183 and King Henry II of England (Nathan Riddle) has summoned his family to spend the holiday together. This includes his sons Richard (Matthew Dickerson), Geoffrey (Mark Andrus), and John (Alex Beck) as well as his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine (Leslie Barrett), who has spent the past ten years as his prisoner for staging a rebellion against him. Since the newly crowned King Philip of France (Ryan Kinville) is pressuring him to honor his alliance by wedding his sister Alais (Isabella Giordano) to the heir to the throne, Henry uses this opportunity to decide the succession. He advocates for John simply because he knows that Eleanor wants her favorite son, Richard, to be the next king. This pits brother against brother as they scheme, manipulate, plot, and form and break alliances and it is so much fun to watch! However, the real fireworks come in the scenes between Henry and Eleanor as they spar with each other. Riddle and Barrett give amazing over the top performances because everything their characters say is a calculated performance for an audience of one! They have great chemistry together and I was riveted whenever they were on stage together! The princes are the ultimate pawns in their parents' battle and I love that the characters revert to their defined childhood roles within the family (Richard is held to a higher standard, Geoffrey is ignored, and John is babied) when they are home for Christmas, much like any other family. Even though they are almost caricatures, Dickerson, Andrus, and Beck imbue the princes with moments of vulnerability, especially in a scene when Henry discovers they have all betrayed him. The intimate black box theatre lends itself very well to this family drama and I really enjoyed sitting so close to the action because I could see every facial expression. The stage is configured as if for a Shakespeare play with an upper and lower level and minimal props. I especially liked the use of long fabric panels as tapestries for the characters to hide behind. The period costumes are absolutely gorgeous and I loved all of the embellished fabrics and textures (particularly the chain mail). Everything about this production is stellar and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) for a performance in the Leishman Performance Hall through July 8. It is better than an episode of Succession!

Note:  Don't forget about the delightful production of 42nd Street also playing at CPT on the Barlow Main Stage through July 11.  Go here for tickets.

42nd Street at CPT

Last night my sisters and I went to see a fun and energetic version of 42nd Street at Centerpoint Theatre. I saw the Broadway touring production several years ago and that was a showy song and dance extravaganza where every number was completely over the top with dazzling choreography and sparkly costumes. I didn't think that a community theatre production could compare to that spectacle but I was really impressed with what CPT did with it! A young dancer named Peggy Sawyer (Kaylee Wheeler) arrives in New York City straight from Allentown, Pennsylvania in order to make her Broadway dreams come true during the Great Depression. She joins the chorus line of a brand new musical produced by Maggie Jones (Amanda Rogers) and Bert Barry (Matt Ford) and directed by Julian Marsh (Brock Harris) called Pretty Lady but when Dorothy Brock (Cynthia Klumpp), the star of the show, has a mishap on stage, she gets the chance of a lifetime! This features lots of well-known Broadway standards, including "You're Getting to Be a Habit With Me," "I Only Have Eyes For You," "We're In the Money," "Sunny Side to Every Situation," "Lullaby of Broadway," "About a Quarter to Nine," "Shuffle Off to Buffalo," and "42nd Street." My sisters were really excited because, even though they weren't familiar with this show, they recognized all of the songs and I suspect fans of Broadway will enjoy hearing them, too! The choreography is a lot of fun and the insanely talented members of the ensemble execute it very well! It is so much fun to watch and I especially enjoyed it when the curtain slowly opened to reveal row upon row of tap-dancing feel at the beginning of the show! Wheeler is absolutely delightful as the ingenue Peggy Sawyer because she has a wide-eyed enthusiasm that really works for the character. She is a great dancer and has a beautiful voice (my sister wished that she had been featured more). Harris is bombastic as the impresario Julian Marsh but he has a few really tender moments with Wheeler and I loved his rendition of "Lullaby of Broadway." Klumpp commands the stage as the quintessential Broadway diva Dorothy Brock but she also shows a lot of vulnerability when a younger and more talented dancer threatens to take her place. The set, featuring the stage, back stage area, and dressing room of an Art Deco theatre, is very impressive and I especially liked the various backdrops for the big production numbers in Pretty Lady.  Finally, costume designer Brianna Taylor is to be commended for the sheer number of elaborate period costumes built for this show (and the cast is to be commended for all of the incredibly quick costume changes, too!). This is a toe-tapping old school musical that will definitely put a smile on your face. It runs on the Barlow Main Stage through July 11 (go here for tickets).

Matilda at CPT

Both of my sisters, my brother-in-law, my nephew, and I went to see Matilda at CPT last night and we had so much fun. This production features some innovative staging and I am always really appreciative when a show that I have seen several times does something to surprise me. Matilda Wormwood (Charlotte Witt) is a precocious five year old with a penchant for reading, telling stories, and being just a little bit naughty. She is ignored by her mother (Jaycee Harris), an amateur Latin ballroom dancer, and father (Caydin Bell), an unscrupulous used car salesman, and is terrorized by Miss Agatha Trunchbull (J.R. Moore), the former champion in hammer throwing who is now the headmistress of her school. With the help of a sympathetic teacher named Miss Honey (Amanda Frisby) and a story about an Escapologist (James Duncan) and an Acrobat (Keely Parry), Matilda triumphs over the neglectful adults in her life. I was incredibly impressed with the elaborate set because it is very different from the ones I have seen before. It features a large multi-level school made of bricks with barbed wire at the top of the walls, loudspeakers on poles, and a large iron gate (it looks like a cross between a medieval castle and a prison). There is a turntable which is used to bring in set pieces for the Wormwood's house and Miss Honey's classroom with other pieces brought on from the wings. As I mentioned, I really liked the staging of many of the numbers in this production, particularly "Miracle," because it includes the addition of a gospel choir backing up the Doctor (Garret Frazier), "School Song," because it features the use of typography with projections on an interactive chalk board, and "When I Grow Up" (my favorite song in the show), because, in addition to the usual swings, the choreography includes a seesaw, a hopscotch, a jump rope, fishing poles, hula hoops, and bubble blowers which give it a very playful feel. I also really enjoyed "The Smell of Rebellion" and "Revolting Children" because the children in the ensemble are absolutely fantastic! Other crowd favorites were "Loud," because Mrs. Wormwood (Harris is my brother-in-law's niece and we all loved her performance because her facial expressions are hilarious) and her dance partner Rudolpho (Caleb Birth) are completely over the top, and "Chokey Chant," because there is a fun effect involving throwing a child into the chokey. Witt does a great job and her renditions of "Naughty" and "Quiet" are wonderful but I sometimes couldn't hear her during "Escapologist Story." Frisby has a beautiful voice and her version of "My House" is very powerful and moving. However, Moore steals the show as Miss Trunchbull because his performance is a cross between Miss Hannigan and an East German Olympic athlete! I laughed and laughed at all of his antics during "The Hammer" and "The Smell of Rebellion," especially all of his facial expressions and gestures. Miss Trunchbull's costume in this show is probably my favorite of those I've seen for the character and I was also impressed by the attention to detail on the school uniforms worn by the children. So many elements of this show stood out to me as new and exciting and I really enjoyed it!  This show runs on the Barlow Main Stage through April 15 (go here for tickets) and I highly recommend it!

She Loves Me at CPT

I love the musical She Loves Me because it is just so charming! I've seen it countless times (including the Broadway revival starring Zachary Levi, Laura Benanti, and Jane Krakowski as well as at HCT and West Valley Arts) but I was still really looking forward to CPT's production. I took a little break from Sundance to see it last night with my sisters and my niece and we all really enjoyed it. The action takes place at Maraczek's Perfumery in Budapest during the 1930s and follows a group of eccentric clerks, including Georg Nowack (Ben Lowell), Ilona Ritter (Jordyn Tracy), Steven Kodaly (Ryan Bruckman), Ladoslav Sipos (Chad Wilkinson), and Arpad Laszlo (Drew Dunshee). When Mr. Maraczek (Darin Stite) hires Amalia Balash (Claire Glaittli) as a new clerk, Georg takes an immediate dislike to her and soon they are both bickering constantly.  However, both Georg and Amalia have unknown correspondents but neither one knows that they are writing to each other! Most of the songs are like every day conversations between co-workers (the clerks even break out into song whenever a customer leaves the shop) and I especially love "Tonight at Eight" and "Will He Like Me" because they each give the male and female perspective about going on a first date. There are a couple of big song and dance numbers, including "A Romantic Atmosphere" and "Twelve Days To Christmas," and the choreography in both is a lot of fun and well executed by the ensemble. Glaittli has an incredibly beautiful voice and she really shines in the song "Vanilla Ice Cream" while Lowell is energetic and endearing in "She Loves Me." The two of them have great comedic timing and wonderful chemistry which really elevates the enemies to lovers trope. I was also really impressed with Tracy because, even though the character is supposed to be a bit fast and loose with her affections, her performance is more playful than overtly sexy. The period costumes and wigs are beautiful and really convey the time and place but my favorite aspect of this production is the amazing set! I was just as impressed with the outside of Maraczek's Perfumery as I was with the inside because of the attention to detail. The shop actually looks like it could be found on a street in Europe with stone masonry, stained glass windows, wooden benches, and pots of flowers. When the shop opens up there are window displays that light up, moving display cases filled with colored bottles of perfume and monogrammed gift boxes, chandeliers, and gold leaf wallpaper. The Cafe Imperial is a simple but effective set piece that rises from the floor and also features lots of fun details such as more gold leaf wallpaper, sconces, and candles flickering on the tables. Everything about this show is delightful and I highly recommend it for a romantic night out. It runs on the Barlow Main Stage through February 18 (go here for tickets).

Note:  There were a lot of empty seats last night and I think the reason might be that not many people (other than theatre nerds like me) are familiar with this show.  Both of my sisters and my niece had never heard of it before. Hopefully people will give it a chance because it really is lovely.

Elf The Musical at CPT

Last night both of my sisters and I saw Elf The Musical at CPT and we all got a big dose of Christmas cheer! This musical is based on the popular movie starring Will Ferrell and it is so much fun! Santa Claus (Dave Hill), the narrator, reads from a book while sitting in an arm chair and he is the source of much amusement with lots of references to popular culture. He tells the story of Buddy (Addison Welch) who has been raised as an elf at the North Pole because he crawled into Santa's bag when he was a baby. After discovering that he is really a human instead of an elf, he decides to find his Dad, Walter Hobbs (Scott W. Butler), and he ends up bringing Christmas cheer to his new family, his girlfriend Jovie (Emily Woods Sparks), and all the people of New York City. I really enjoyed all of the fun choreography in this show, especially in "Happy All The Time" as the elves (played by some adorable children, including McGuire K. Bingham and Bridget Maxwell who got one of the biggest laughs of the night) make the toys for Santa, "Sparklejollytwinklejingley" as Buddy helps the Macy's employees decorate the store for Christmas, "Just Like Him" as Buddy wreaks havoc on Walter's office, "A Christmas Song" as Buddy and Jovie watch the ice skaters at Rockefeller Plaza (every production that I've seen of this show has had really innovative staging for this scene and this show is no exception), "Nobody Cares About Santa" as Buddy and all of the Santas commiserate about the lack of Christmas cheer (I loved the kick line), and "The Story of Buddy" as Buddy comes to Walter's rescue and pitches an idea for a story to his boss. Welch is a fabulous Buddy because not only is he exuberant in all of the musical numbers but he also has great comedic timing and facial expressions that show a wide-eyed wonder! His performance was the highlight of the show for me, especially when he plays the Salvation Army Santa's bells! I also liked John Nelson Wakley, the young actor who plays Michael Hobbs, because he has a great voice in the songs "I'll Believe In You" and "There Is a Santa Claus." The costumes for Santa, Buddy, the elves at the North Pole, and the employees at Macy's are incredibly elaborate and colorful and the set, which looks like a giant snow globe, is impressive. I even liked the use of projections, particularly for Rockefeller Plaza, but I was a bit disappointed that they were used for Santa's sleigh in Central Park because seeing Santa fly away is usually one of the highlights of the show. Other than that, all three of us thought the production was really cute! You would have to be a cotton-headed ninny-muggins to miss this show (go here for tickets) which runs on the Barlow Main Stage through December 17.

Note:  I have been really impressed with the shows at CPT this season.  My favorites have been The Play That Goes Wrong and Bright Star.  I am especially looking forward to Jekyll & Hyde and Something Rotten next season!

Bright Star at CPT

I love the musical Bright Star so I am always happy for any opportunity to see it. Last night I saw a production at CPT and it is absolutely stellar! The story takes place in North Carolina during the 1920s and just after World War II and features incredible bluegrass music by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell. Alice Murphy (Anya Wilson) is a young and rebellious teenager in the small town of Zebulon where she regularly exasperates her mother (Jan Williams Smith) and father (Brent Sloan). She begins a romance with Jimmy Ray Dobbs (Jared Haddock) but his father, the Mayor (John Philpott), conspires to separate them. Twenty-two years later, just after the war, Billy Cane (Alex Young) returns to his hometown of Hayes Creek to visit his father (Chad Wilkinson) and his childhood friend Margo (Abigail Ford). However, he soon decides to try writing for a magazine in Ashville where he meets Alice, now an uptight editor who mentors him. The narrative alternates between both timelines as Alice learns to deal with love, loss, forgiveness, and redemption. Even though I have seen it multiple times (PTC, HCT, and HCTO) and know the big twist, I still find the story to be incredibly powerful and heartwarming. I love all of the songs, especially "If You Knew My Story," "Asheville," "I Can't Wait," "Sun's Gonna Shine,"and "I Had a Vision." Wilson (I saw her in the same role at HCTO) has a beautiful voice that is very well suited to the bluegrass genre and I had tears in my eyes during her emotional rendition of "Please Don't Take Him." I was also very impressed by her physical transformation, which happens right before our eyes, from the uptight editor to the rebellious teenager during "Way Back in the Day." Her wardrobe and hair change but it is her expression and physicality that really distinguishes the younger from the older character. The rest of the cast is really strong, one of the strongest I've seen at CPT, but the standouts for me are Haddock, especially the emotionally charged confrontation with his father in "Heartbreaker," and Ford, because she shows a lot of vulnerability in "Asheville." The set features the bare outline of a rustic cabin (I especially loved the rafters with lanterns hanging from them) with many items, such as barrels, crates, wooden doors, fence posts, chairs, and signs, used in multiple configurations to become a book shop, an office, the Mayor's house, a train, and other locations. The members of the ensemble move these items on and off stage seamlessly and it is extremely clever! The choreography really emphasizes the time and place, especially the square dancing during the town social and the swing dancing in "Another Round," as do the costumes. Finally, I really enjoyed the staging of the pivotal train sequence in the reprise of "A Man's Gotta Do" because it is very dramatic (make sure to look up at the top of the proscenium). My only disappointment is that there wasn't a live bluegrass band on stage because it adds so much to the overall feel of the show. Nevertheless, I was very impressed with this production and it is definitely one of my favorites at CPT!  It runs through October 22 (go here for tickets).

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at CPT

I have seen Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat more times than I can count (it is very popular in Utah) so I have become a bit disenchanted with it and it takes a really great production for me to enjoy it (go here for my favorite production in recent years). I had the chance to see CPT's version last night with both of my sisters and I am happy to report that it is, indeed, great and that I thoroughly enjoyed myself!  The set resembles an interactive museum with three large display cases containing exhibits from history which change for each of the big song and dance numbers (I loved the dinosaur skeleton and the planets hanging from the ceiling at the beginning of the show).  The exhibits feature a Western tableau for "One More Angel in Heaven," a factory for "Potiphar," a 1950s diner complete with a jukebox for "Song of the King," a Parisian cafe with the Eiffel Tower in the background for "Those Canaan Days," and a Caribbean scene complete with steel drums for "Benjamin's Calypso." The Narrator (McKenna Kay Jensen) acts as a docent (she even has a name tag) telling the Biblical story of Joseph (Matt Taylor) to a group of children (Soren Ray, Ross Clemens, Corbin Aaron, Eden Liljenquist, Olivia Larsen, Savannah Caldwell, and Ella Jensen). Joseph appears in a glass case and comes to life when one of the children hands him his coat of many colors. The story continues to unfold as the children interact with the characters and bring them to life. The children even tell their parents what they have learned from their visit during "Joseph Megamix" which is really clever! This concept provides cohesion to the story and I really enjoyed the bigger role performed by the children's choir (they are adorable). I also really enjoyed the costumes because they are fairly simple with just the addition of accessories for the various numbers (my favorite accessory was a pair of blue suede shoes for the Pharoah). I like productions that don't get too kitschy with the sets and costumes! Jensen has a beautiful voice as the Narrator and almost blows the roof off of the theatre several times and Taylor does a great job as Joseph, especially with "Any Dream Will Do" and "Close Every Door." The brothers (Doug Caldwell, Thad Weiland, Jeremy Botelho, Greg Larson, Taylor Smith, Paul Dixon, John Richards, Jacob Plaizier, Chris Kennedy, Landon LeBaron, and Tyler West) and wives (Angela LeBaron, Kirsi Jarvis, Mary Ann West, Amanda Derrick, Christine Smith, Natalie Clemens, and Allison Randall) have a lot of fun with the choreography in "Joseph's Coat," "One More Angel in Heaven," and "Go, Go, Go Joseph" and, of course, Jordon LeBaron steals the show as the Pharoah in "Song of the King." I had a smile on my face the whole time and this is a production that I can wholeheartedly recommend!  It runs on the Barlow Stage through Sept. 3 (go here for tickets).

Note:  This show was my 50th theatre production this year!

A Murder is Announced at CPT

I had never been to Leishman Hall (the black box theatre at CPT) before but I can't resist an Agatha Christie murder mystery so I went to a production of A Murder is Announced last night. I really enjoyed the intimate theatre space but this particular show was a bit disappointing. An advertisement in a newspaper announces that a murder will be committed at a boarding house owned by Letitia "Letty" Blacklock (Marina Maxfield) on October 13 at 6:30 pm. Her guests, including Dora "Bunny" Bunner (Hillary McChesney), Patrick Simmons (Blake London), Julia Simmons (Katie Plott), Phillipa Haymes (Laryn Welch), Mrs. Swettenham (Kiersten Honaker), and Edmund Swettenham (Trevor Elmer), conclude that it must be a joke but her Russian cook Mitzi (Kryslin McBride) believes that she will be the victim for political reasons. At the appointed time the lights go out and a mysterious man ends up dead. Inspector Craddock (James Boley) and Sergeant Mellors (Chad N. Wilburn) investigate and learn that everyone involved is hiding something but, after another murder, it takes Miss Marple (Wanda Copier) to find the killer. Even though I have read the book (I read all of Agatha Christie's books when I was a teenager), I found the story to be really complicated because most of the characters have alternate identities and many pertinent events have already happened and require a lot of exposition. In addition, there are a lot of pacing issues that make it hard to pay as much attention as you need to in order to pick up on all of the clues. The action gets really bogged down, especially during the interrogation of all of the suspects, and even the revelation of the murderer is a bit anticlimactic. The performances are fine but McBride was my favorite because she steals every scene she is in with her dramatic and over the top gestures. I laughed out loud every time she entered the room! I absolutely loved the set featuring heavy Victorian furniture and lots of the fussy details that you would find in an English drawing room and I was very impressed with the sheer number of period costumes (I loved Miss Marple's hats). I usually love seeing stage adaptations of Agatha Christie's books (go here and here) but this felt off to me. I will, however, be back to see another production at Leishman Hall!  This show runs until August 20 (go here for tickets).

Big Fish at CPT

Last night my sister and I went to a production of Big Fish at Centerpoint Theatre. I think this story about a son trying to understand his father and a father trying to make his son proud is very moving and CPT does a great job with a very complicated show. Will Bloom (Doug Wadley) has always been exasperated by all of the outlandish stories that his father Edward (Scott W. Butler) has told him all his life. These include having his fortune told by a witch (Claire Glaittli) in a swamp, learning how to swim from a mermaid (Samantha Millward), going on the road with a giant named Karl (William Maguire), joining a circus owned by a werewolf (Matthew Price), wooing his future wife Sandra (Tara Wardle) with daffodils, and thwarting an assassination by Red Fang (Josh Lee) during the war. As he is about to become a father himself, Will learns that Edward is dying of cancer and returns home to attempt a reconciliation with him. After a Wild West confrontation between the two of them, Will discovers that the truth about his father is more extraordinary than the stories. I really enjoy the songs in this show because they bring all of Edward's fantastical stories to life and the staging of these numbers is very well-done. The choreography is incredibly whimsical, especially in "I Know What You Want" with the witch, "Favorite Son" with the townspeople of Ashton, "Closer to Her" with the circus (I loved the use of the cannon), and "Red White and True" with the USO (I am always impressed when the ensemble tap dances). Both Butler and Wadley are outstanding as Edward and Will Bloom, respectively. Butler portrays Edward's zest for life with an enthusiasm that is palpable while Wadley portrays Will's journey from skepticism to appreciation of his father's stories with heartfelt emotion, particularly in the song "What's Next." The set consists of large moving panels upon which projections are used to denote the riverbank, the swamp, the town of Ashton, the circus, Auburn University, and a field of daffodils. This is very effective at creating an immersive experience for the audience, particularly when Ashton is flooded because it seems as if the entire theater is under water, but some of the projections are a bit blurry (this could be because of the angle of my seat). I was very impressed with the costumes in all of the big musical numbers, most notably the lights on the costumes worn by the creatures in the swamp, the vintage circus costumes, and the Wild West costumes. My favorite production of this show remains the one I saw at HCT several years ago but I thoroughly enjoyed CPT's version and I recommend it (go here for tickets).

Note:  My sister and I are subscribers but the show on our original night was canceled due to Covid.  We rescheduled for last night but we had to sit apart. During intermission several patrons moved seats so we could have moved to be together but we chose to stay where we were!