Gentri Christmas at the Eccles 2023

Last night I went to my first Christmas concert of the season and I definitely picked a good one!  The Gentlemen Trio, or Gentri as they are more commonly known, was established when Casey Elliott, Bradley Quinn Lever, and Brad Robins were cast in a production of Les Miserables at HCT (they recently reprised their roles of Jean Valjean, Enjolras, and Marius, respectively, in another HCT production) and then continued singing together after the run was over.  My sister Marilyn is a huge fan so we went to their Christmas concert last year and we loved it so much we decided to make it a tradition!  This year's show at the Eccles Theater was amazing!  They began with "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and the arrangement included snippets from "Carol of the Bells" and I really liked it.  They continued with "Little Drummer Boy," "Gesu Bambino," and an incredible arrangement of "Still Still Still" with snippets from the score of the movie The Mission (I love this song because I sang it in choir in college).  They were joined by vocalist Yaphet Bustos for "Angels We Have Heard on High" and by the Rise Up Children's Choir for "Do You Hear What I Hear?" and "What Child Is This?" (which featured the Christmas story acted by several members of the choir in costume).  The first set ended with a bluesy mashup of "Go Tell It On The Mountain" and "Joy To The World" with Brad Wheeler on harmonica.  After the intermission, they performed "We Three Kings" with another guest vocalist, Ellie Barry, and then "I Saw Three Ships."  Next they had their music director Stephen Nelson arrange a piece on the spot from a movie score and a Christmas song suggested by the audience (they did this last year as well).  Our audience picked the score from The Lord of the Rings trilogy and "Mistletoe" by Justin Bieber and, believe it or not, the result was really good!  Next they performed an original song called "Somewhere In Your Silent Night" which is very moving.  A mashup of "Coventry Carol" and "Poor Wayfaring Stranger" with dramatic themes played by a cello was definitely my favorite of the night but a close second was their arrangement of "O Holy Night," which is my favorite Christmas song, featuring the Rise Up Children's Choir.  The concert concluded with a powerful rendition of "O Come All Ye Faithful" with Bustos, Barry, and the children.  Both Marilyn and I loved this show and it was the perfect way to begin this holiday season.  There are a few tickets available for both of the shows today (go here) and I highly recommend getting one!

Note:  I always hope that I will hear "O Holy Night" performed live at least once during the holiday season and I am so happy that I got to hear it last night!

'Tis the Season

I actually put my Christmas tree up last week because I like to enjoy it for as long as possible (one year I put it up on Halloween).  One of my favorite things to do during the season is watch Christmas movies with just the tree illuminating the living room.  I am also looking forward to lots of holiday traditions, performances (including several Christmas concerts and four productions of A Christmas Carol), and time with my family (my niece and her fiance will be here for some epic games of Shanghai rummy).

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Mannheim Steamroller Christmas at the Eccles

I have had a lot of fun seeing Christmas performances this holiday season!  I had one more last night featuring Mannheim Steamroller at the Eccles Theater and, as always, it was a wonderful show.  Mannheim Steamroller is known for incorporating authentic period instruments, such as harpsichords, lutes, and recorders, with synthesizers so their sound is a mash-up of Renaissance music and rock and roll and I love it.  They performed their arrangements of "Joy to the World," "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," "Greensleeves," "Good King Wenceslas," "O Little Town of Bethlehem," and "Angels We Have Heard on High."  I really enjoyed "Catching Snowflakes on Your Tongue," which Chip Davis wrote as a lullaby for his three children, because the theme played by the recorder made me imagine a snowflake floating in the air.  I also enjoyed "Fairies" because it is a rock and roll version of "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" from the Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky.  They ended their first set with "Cantique de Noel (O Holy Night)" and this was the fifth time that I was able to hear my favorite Christmas song live.  It was an incredibly beautiful version!  After the intermission, they performed their well-known arrangements of "Deck the Halls," "We Three Kings," "Gagliarda," "Christmas Lullaby," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," and my favorite Mannheim Steamroller song, "Pat-A-Pan."  In addition to their Christmas music they also performed "Morning," which was written after the devastating fires in Yellowstone, and the songs "Come Home to the Sea" and "Dancing Flames."  They ended the concert with "Carol of the Bells," which is one of their best known songs.  For the encore, they performed "Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht" and "Hallelujah," which is another favorite.  This concert was a great way to end the holiday season!  I almost didn't get a ticket because I've seen them so many times but I'm glad I changed my mind!  There is a matinee and evening show today and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) for one last dose of holiday cheer!

Christmas 2022

Last year Christmas was a blur.  My sisters and I had just lost our father and we were the sole caregivers for our mother who was deteriorating rapidly from dementia.  We opened the few presents we were able to buy and ordered dinner from Olive Garden for the sake of Sean and Tashena but our hearts were not in it.

This year things were much different!  We miss our parents but we know that they would be so happy that we have spent so much time together this holiday season.  Christmas Eve we played cards and ate way too many treats and then we had a lot of fun opening presents Christmas morning.  I got a few movies, another Colorado Avalanche jersey, and some new snowshoes (I am very excited about this because I wore my old pair out and have missed my excursions).

We had a wonderful dinner consisting of Trent's famous spare ribs, potato casserole, stuffing, asparagus, rolls, vegetables and dip, pomegranate salad, and pie for dessert.  In the evening we played Shanghai rummy and it descended into madness (but was so much fun).  I have really enjoyed this holiday season and I am looking forward to spending more time relaxing with my family this week!

Gingerbread Houses 2022

Yesterday afternoon Sean, Tashena, Marilyn, and I made gingerbread houses which is a tradition we have had ever since Tashena joined our family and, as always, it was a lot of fun!  This year I got kits for these elaborate gingerbread manor houses because I thought they looked so cool but they ended up taking a long time to decorate!  None of us even bothered to decorate the backs of our houses (Sean didn't even decorate the sides) because they were so big.  They came with lots of candy (I still bought more) and royal icing in bags with piping tips.  It turns out that I am not very good at piping (I even had a major incident in which I got icing everywhere and I had to have Sean get it all back in the bag) but I think it would be fun to learn how to do it better.

I always have to get the traditional picture of Sean eating the icing!

Sean's house.

Tashena's house.

Marilyn's house.

My house.

Our gingerbread village!  I think they all turned out great this year!

Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir 2022

I am a huge fan of Lea Salonga!  She is an incredibly talented vocalist who originated the role of Kim in Miss Saigon on Broadway and provided the singing voices for Jasmine in Aladdin and Fa Mulan in Mulan but I love her because she performed the role of Eponine in Les Miserables on Broadway and was handpicked by Cameron Mackintosh to appear as Eponine in the 10th Anniversary concert at the Albert Hall.  It is not an exaggeration to say that I have watched the DVD of this concert hundreds of times (she also appeared as Fantine in the 25th Anniversary concert but I prefer the former because I love her version of "On My Own" which my favorite song from the show).  When I learned that Salonga would be the guest for this year's Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir concerts, I desperately wanted a ticket but, alas, I was not selected in the lottery.  No matter because I was able to do the next best thing by attending the Music and the Spoken Word broadcast featuring Salonga and Sir David Suchet yesterday morning.  Even though it was only a 30 minute performance and not the entire concert, I got to hear Salonga sing "O Holy Night" and that will definitely be a highlight of 2022 for me!  The broadcast began with "When the Shepherds Saw the Light" featuring the Tabernacle Choir, the Orchestra at Temple Square, the Bells at Temple Square, and the Gabriel Trumpet Ensemble.  It was quite stirring!  Then Salonga sang "Payapang Daigdig," a Christmas song beloved in her country (the Philippines) because it was written as a symbol of hope during World War II.  Even though I didn't understand the words, it was so moving.  Then the orchestra and the choir performed "Hosanna in Excelcis," which is a beautiful arrangement of Pachelbel's Canon in D.  Next came "O Holy Night" and, for those of you keeping score at home, this was the fourth time I got to hear my favorite Christmas song (I have loved it since I was a child) this holiday season.  I don't know if anyone can beat Salonga's performance!  Sir David Suchet read the Christmas story from Luke 2 and then we heard "Angels from the Realms of Glory" which was also very stirring!  After the broadcast ended, the audience got to hear another portion of the concert featuring the Nicholas Winton story as told by Sir David Suchet.  Winton helped to evacuate hundreds of children, mostly Jewish, from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia on the eve of World War II.  It wasn't until 50 years later when he was reunited with several of those he helped to rescue that the full extent of his actions were known.  The message of this story is that you never know when a little spark will fill the world with light and we were asked to hold up the lights on our phones as the choir sang "Once in Royal David's City."  It was amazing!  I am definitely glad I decided to get up early (and put on a skirt) because I loved this concert so much!

A Soulful Holiday with the Utah Symphony

This holiday season I have been incredibly lucky to be able to see some wonderful Christmas concerts!  I had an opportunity to see another one with the Utah Symphony last night and it was amazing!  The orchestra was joined by Broadway star and former member of Postmodern Jukebox Morgan James.  She has a very classic soul sound and I loved her bluesy arrangements of Christmas songs (I was definitely tapping my toes throughout the concert).  The orchestra began with a medley of Christmas songs called "A Christmas Festival" and then James took the stage with a sultry rendition of "Cool Yule."  She continued with "White Christmas" and then performed an original song written for her Christmas album A Very Magnetic Christmas (so-called because it was recorded on analog tape) called "Long as I Got You."  She mentioned that she didn't think a Christmas concert was complete without the next song and I immediately hoped that it would be "O Holy Night."  I was absolutely thrilled when I heard the opening notes (I agree with her assessment).  This was the third time that I have been able to hear my favorite Christmas song this season and her rendition was brilliant because she built to a powerful conclusion (including timpani!) that just about blew the roof off of Abravanel Hall!  James took a break to change into another fabulous vintage gown (the second of four) while the orchestra played "Waltz of the Flowers" from Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky.  James returned to the stage with "This Christmas" and then performed my favorite song of the evening, "River" (I love Joni Mitchell).  She concluded her first set with a lively version of "Winter Wonderland."  After the intermission, the orchestra performed "Sleigh Ride."  I've heard them perform this before and my favorite part is when the trumpet mimics the neighing of a horse at the end while the player wears the head of a horse!  James continued with "Do You Hear What I Hear?" and "Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday" after which the orchestra performed the Suite from Polar Express.  In her final set, James explained that she chose the songs "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," "The Christmas Song," and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" because they reminded her of her childhood and she hoped that we all had happy memories of Christmas, too.  She concluded with "All I Want For Christmas" because it has now become the most popular Christmas song of all time!  James was really personable and quite funny and when she returned to the stage after thunderous applause, she told us that she didn't have anything planned and then immediately began "What Are You Doing For New Year's Eve?" as an encore!  It was a great night!

A Christmas Story at PTC

Yesterday afternoon I was able to see Ralphie Parker (Mack Boyer) try to convince his Mother (Stacie Bono), the Old Man (Danny Bernardy), his teacher Miss Shields (EJ Zimmerman), and even Santa Claus (Paris Alexander Nesbitt) to get him an official Red Ryder, carbine action, 200-shot, range model air rifle, with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time for Christmas for the second time in as many days. Unfortunately, this was a rare miss for PTC because I found it to be completely underwhelming in almost every way. Even if I had not just seen a vastly superior production at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts the night before, I still would have been disappointed with this show. I don't like to criticize an understudy but I think a theatre company the caliber of PTC should have understudies who are prepared to go on stage at a moment's notice.  Howard Kaye (as the understudy for Jean Shepherd) did not seem at all prepared for today's performance because he read from a script during the whole show and he still frequently stumbled over his lines. This was really distracting because Shepherd narrates the story and appears in almost every scene. The rest of the cast was fine but no one really stood out to me, except Zimmerman who was hilarious as the uptight Miss Shields.  Boyer has an incredible voice and I liked the vocal performances of the children in the ensemble but the big production numbers that I usually enjoy, such as "When You're a Wimp," "Ralphie to the Rescue," "Up on Santa's Lap," and "Somewhere Hovering Over Indiana," were incredibly lackluster because the choreography in these numbers was very minimal. Even the showstoppers "A Major Award" and "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out" were surprisingly bland (I am normally a huge fan of Karen Azenburg's choreography). The stage was configured to look like a giant snow globe and this is really fun but, with the exception of the classroom at Warren G. Harding Elementary School (which featured the artwork of local students on the bulletin board), the sets were a bit bland and very unwieldy to move on and off the stage. There were also some technical difficulties (it was quite disappointing when the all-important lamp didn't light up) and the production did not use real dogs to portray the Bumpus hounds (one of my favorites scenes). Maybe I am being too hard on this show but I expected a lot more for the cost of the ticket (especially since I saw a better show for a fourth of the price).  If you are looking for some Christmas cheer, I suggest skipping this and seeing Scrooge: A Christmas Carol at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse, A Christmas Carol at either HCT or HCTO, or Elf The Musical at CenterPoint Theatre instead.

Note:  I was able to see 80 theatre productions this year (not including the other performing arts such as the symphony, opera, ballet, etc.).  My favorites have been Hadestown at Broadway at the Eccles, See How They Run at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse, A Gentlemen's Guide to Love and Murder at the Empress Theatre, Camelot at HCTO, and Clue at the Utah Shakespeare Festival.  I have renewed all of my subscriptions so I am looking forward to more great theatre in 2023!

A Christmas Story at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts

Last week I saw three different productions of A Christmas Carol and this weekend I have two different versions of A Christmas Story planned. I started with the one at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts last night and it was so much fun! This musical is a pretty faithful adaptation of the movie of the same name (one of my favorite Christmas movies) and it is narrated by radio personality Jean Shepherd (Ed Eyestone) as he recounts a memorable Christmas from his youth. Ralphie Parker (Tate McBeth) desperately wants an official Red Ryder, carbine action, 200-shot, range model air rifle, with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time for Christmas but his Mother (Celeste Harris), the Old Man (Mark Buffington), his teacher Miss Shields (Caitlyn Galvez), and even Santa Claus (Garrett Smit) tell him that he'll shoot his eye out. All of the well-known scenes from the movie are brought to life on stage including when Randy (Porter McCormick) eats like a piggy, when Schwartz (Mitt Harris) triple dog dares Flick (Isaac Hael) to stick his tongue to the flag pole, when the Old Man wins a major award, when Ralphie says the F-dash-dash-dash word while helping the Old Man change a tire, when Ralphie gets into a fight with Scut Farkus (Elias Kahler), when Ralphie gets a bunny costume from Aunt Clara, and when one of the Bumpus hounds eats the turkey forcing the Parkers to eat Christmas dinner at the Chop Suey Palace. I don't think that the songs in this musical are particularly memorable but I really enjoyed the staging, especially the numbers featuring the children such as "It All Comes Down to Christmas," "When You're a Wimp," "Ralphie to the Rescue," "Up on Santa's Lap," and "Somewhere Hovering Over Indiana."  The choreography in these songs is a lot of fun and McBeth and the children in the ensemble (over 20 of them) execute it very well. With the exception of "A Major Award" with Buffington and "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out" with Galvez, I think the songs featuring the adults, namely "The Genius on Cleveland Street," "What a Mother Does," and "Just Like That," are less compelling because they take the focus away from Ralphie. This is not a criticism of Harris or Buffington, who do an outstanding job, or this production but, rather, it is a weakness in the show itself. The humor works best when we see Ralphie's parents as he does not as they are. I loved McBeth's performance because not only is he incredibly endearing but he is also an excellent dancer, particularly in "Ralphie to the Rescue" and his dance off with Galvez in "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out." McCormick made me laugh quite a few times with all of his antics and I enjoyed it when Eyestone, as the narrator, gets involved in the action. I was really impressed with the elaborate sets, including the two-storey Parker house (I loved the smoke coming from a vent when the furnace acts up) and the impressive Santa display at Higbee's department store complete with a slide. This production also has the best Oldsmobile (with working lights) I've seen! I thoroughly enjoyed this show (it is on par with the Broadway touring production I saw several years ago) and I would highly recommend it but, unfortunately, there is only one more performance and it is completely sold out (with good reason). This seems to be a yearly tradition for SCERA so put it on your list for next year.

A Kurt Bestor Christmas at the Eccles 2022

Another one of my favorite Christmas traditions (I seem to have so many!) is the Kurt Bestor Christmas concert and I was able to go last night.  He began with his arrangements of "Sing We Noel," "Angels We Have Heard On High," "What Child Is This?" and "Joy to the World."  Then he performed one of my favorites, "Still, Still, Still," on the flugelhorn and dedicated it to his father.  He told the audience that he considered removing his next song, "Let It Snow," because we have been inundated with snow for the past few days but he decided to perform it anyway!  He premiered a brand new arrangement called "Ukrainian Christmas" which features "Carol of the Bells" and several Ukrainian folk songs.  His first guests were Makenzie and Eliza Hart, both on violin, for this number and it was so moving!  His next guests were members of the One Voice Children's Choir and they sang Bestor's best known song "Prayer of the Children."  This moved me (and many people around me) to tears because it was so beautiful!  He ended the first set with "Christmas Concerto for Woodwinds" which is a fun medley of different Christmas carols featuring musician Daron Bradford on a variety of woodwind instruments.  Whenever Bestor performs this piece he always likes to add another instrument and apparently Bradford broke the Guinness World Record by playing 40 of them!  After the intermission, he played "Coventry Carol" and then pianist Josh Wright joined him for a duet of "Oh, Come All Ye Faithful."  He featured his guitar player Michael Dowdle, bass player Carlitos Del Puerto, drummer Eric Valentine, and percussionist Todd Sorenson on a jazz version of "Christmas Time is Here" and then played "Bring a Torch Jeanette, Isabella" which is another one of my favorites.  His special guest for the evening was the Tony Award-winning soprano Lisa Hopkins Seegmiller and her rendition of "Ave Maria" gave me goosebumps because it was so effortless!  She then sang a really fun medley of "Welcome Christmas," "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch," and "Where Are You Christmas?" from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.  Finally, she sang an emotional rendition of "I Wonder as I Wander" (Bestor often asks his special guest to sing his arrangement because it is his favorite Christmas carol).  It has become tradition for Bestor to perform his amusing arrangement of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" and he usually picks someone from the audience to be the narrator.  Last night he had his 91-year-old mother Phyllis Bestor narrate and to say that she was adorable would be an understatement!  He ended the evening with "Silent Night" featuring all of his guests (and the audience) and it was lovely.  I love hearing Christmas music performed live so I enjoyed every minute of this concert.  There are three more performances (go here for tickets) and I highly recommend getting a ticket.

Lower Lights Christmas Concert 2022

One of my many favorite Christmas traditions is the annual Lower Lights Christmas concert and I have really missed it for the past two years!  I was thrilled to be back at Kingsbury Hall last night for this concert and I think it was the best one yet!  The Lower Lights is a supergroup of insanely talented songwriters, musicians, and singers, many of whom are popular in their own right, who periodically join forces to record folk and bluegrass renditions of hymns and Christmas carols.  I really love their sound and I especially love their Christmas music (any time you can add a mandolin and a banjo to a Christmas song you should definitely do it).  They began with "I Saw Three Ships," "O Come, All Ye Faithful," "Angels We Have Heard On High," "Away in a Manger," and "The Holly and the Ivy" which were absolutely beautiful!  Then Marie Bradshaw, Kiki Jane Sieger, and Cherie Call sang "Still, Still, Still" which is my favorite song at every Lower Lights Christmas concert because the three of them harmonize so beautifully that it gives you chills!  The group also performed "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem," "Maybe This Christmas," "Mary's Boy Child," and "A Cradle in Bethlehem."  Dustin Christensen performed a lovely rendition of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and Sarah Sample's "White Christmas" got many people slow dancing in the aisles at her request.  I really loved the instrumental versions of "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and "What Child Is This?" and I found it incredibly amusing when every member of the group played the banjo during "Once in Royal David's City" (another Lower Lights favorite of mine).  In the middle of their set they performed a number of their gospel songs, including "Just a Closer Walk With Thee," "The River Jordan," "This Little Light Of Mine," and "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?"  These songs turned Kingsbury Hall into an old time revival and some people were really moved by the holy spirit (especially the people siting by me!).  They also performed a rocking version of "Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel" during which they jammed for a good ten minutes!  My favorite moment of the concert came during a beautiful and affecting acoustic version of "Happy X-Mas (War Is Over)" because it brought tears to my eyes!  During the encore they performed a hilarious version of "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" (which has become a tradition), an upbeat version of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," and a rousing rendition of "Go Tell It On The Mountain" with lots of audience participation.  They brought all of their family members to the stage for an acoustic performance of "Silent Night" (another tradition) to conclude the evening.  I loved every minute of this concert and highly recommend it!  Unfortunately, last night was their final performance this year but definitely put it on your list for next year!

Note:  This has been an incredibly festive week with three different productions of A Christmas Carol and two Christmas concerts!  I am overflowing with Christmas spirit!

A Christmas Carol at HCTO

Last night I saw the reclamation of Ebeneezer Scrooge (Ric Starnes) by the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Tannah O'Banion), Present (Mark Fossen), and Future (Carter McEwan) for the third time this week at HCTO.  I had never seen this version before and I really loved it!  Much like the production at HCT, this show incorporates music in the form of a group of carolers (Abby Young, Ally Johnson, Ashlyn Patterson, Carter McEwan, Jacob Eich, Jacob Ith, and Kirk Baxter) who sing in between scenes, provide narration for the action, and move set pieces on and off stage.  I really enjoyed their performance of "Wexford Carol" (which is becoming one of my new favorites this year), "Bring a Torch Jeanette, Isabella" (another favorite from my choir days in college), and "Joy to the World" (because it is so triumphant).  I was also really moved by a tender version of "What Child is This" by Bob (Geoff Means) and Mrs. Cratchit (Natalie Killpack-Daniel) at Tiny Tim's grave and by "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" by Scrooge after his transformation.  It was really interesting for me to see this show a day after HCT's version because there are some differences that I actually prefer.  The scenes between a young Ebeneezer (Aron Naylor) and Belle (Ellie Mellen) are expanded to show show her living her life with a husband and daughter to emphasize what Scrooge has missed out on, the scene between Old Joe (Ethan Freestone) and the Charwoman (Natalie Killpack-Daniel) regarding Scrooge's belongings after his death happens very quickly (I think it goes on far too long in HCT's version), and the scene where Scrooge wakes up in his bed chamber is filled with more gratitude than giddiness.  Starnes is an outstanding Scrooge and I especially enjoyed his reaction to reading his name on the tombstone and his interactions with Cratchit.  I also really enjoyed Doug Kaufman and Ethan Freestone as the solicitors because their facial expressions and physical performances add a bit of levity to the story and, of course, Sawyer Winspear is absolutely adorable as Tiny Tim, especially when he directs his family in a rousing version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas."  The sets are very minimal with pieces moved on and off stage (I was impressed with how seamless and how well integrated into the action this was) but the costumes are gorgeous with lots of details and embellishments (I loved all of the bonnets).  I fell in love with this production and now I am going to have to add it to my list of holiday traditions!  It runs at HCTO through December 23 with multiple performances each day (go here for tickets).

A Christmas Carol at HCT 2022

I got to see my second version of A Christmas Carol last night at Hale Centre Theatre. I love this production so much (I have seen it so many times that I could stand in for any role should the need arise) and it just wouldn't be Christmas without it! It also tells the well-known story by Charles Dickens of the reclamation of Ebeneezer Scrooge (David Weeks) by the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Parker Burnham), Present (Benjamin Oldroyd), and Future (Kaden Caldwell) but what makes this production so special is the use of music (Have I mentioned that I love Christmas music?) in between scenes by an octet (Zack Grob, James Duncan, Nathanael Abbott, Ryan Withers, Rachel Worthen Grob, Jordyn Aspyn Durfey, Janessa Gillette Zech, and Keri Vance) and in certain scenes by the characters.  My favorites are "Bring a Torch Jeanette, Isabella" by Fezziwig's party guests, "Greensleeves" by Belle, "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" by Fred's party guests, and "What Child is This?" by Cratchit and the octet. Another aspect of this show that I really enjoy is seeing the same actor return to the same role year after year and I was happy to see Weeks as Scrooge and Oldroyd as Christmas Present once again. This year, however, there were quite a few new faces in the cast such as Chase Petersen as Fred/ Charles Dickens, Josh Egbert as Bob Cratchit, Matt Kohler as Marley's Ghost, Dan Hess as Mr. Fezziwig, and Kaden Caldwell as the young Ebeneezer. I was particularly impressed with Petersen, because his accent when he is the narrator Charles Dickens is the most consistent in the show, with Egbert, because his interactions with Weeks in the final scene are so poignant that I had a tear in my eye, and with Kohler, because his Marley is incredibly menacing. I also really loved Mason Burnham as Tiny Tim because he is absolutely adorable. I look forward with great anticipation to every scene because the sets are incredibly elaborate and detailed. I love Scrooge's Counting House (the storefront windows are amazing), Scrooge's Bed Chamber, Mr. Fezziwig's Warehouse, Bob Cratchit's House (there are two storeys), Fred's House (the Christmas tree is huge), the Rag and Bottle Shop, and the Graveyard. I also love the opulent Victorian costumes, especially the jewel-toned dresses worn by the female party guests. The special effects, most notably the appearance of Marley's ghost in Scrooge's fireplace and when the Ghost of Christmas Past reveals Scrooge's name on the tombstone, are a lot of fun and the projections are so immersive that you feel like you are in Victorian London. No matter how many times I see this show I always leave the theater vowing to keep the spirit of Christmas all year! I highly recommend getting a ticket but, as always, act quickly because many shows are sold out (HCT has been known to add shows so keep checking here).

Celtic Woman: A Christmas Symphony

One of my favorite things about this time of year is being able to hear Christmas music performed live.  I was, therefore, absolutely thrilled to be at Abravanel Hall last night for a Christmas concert with Celtic Woman and the Utah Symphony!  Celtic Woman is an Irish musical ensemble currently composed of violinist Tara McNeill and vocalists Megan Walsh, Muirgen O'Mahony, and Hannah Traynor.  Their crystal clear soprano voices sounded amazing with the acoustics in Abravanel Hall and their arrangements of both classic and contemporary Christmas songs were incredibly lush with the Utah Symphony backing them.  They performed as a group and individually and their set included, "Ding Dong Merrily On High," "Angels We Have Heard On High," "Do You Hear What I Hear," "O Come, O Come Emmanuel," "Deck the Halls," "The Toys' Waltz," "White Christmas," "Amid the Falling Snow," "I Saw Three Ships," "Carol of the Bells," "The Christmas Song," "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear," "Danny Boy," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," and "Sleigh Ride."  McNeill performed a beautiful instrumental version of "What Child Is This"  and the group was joined by a piper (hearing bagpipes gets me every time) for "Amazing Grace" and "We Three Kings."  I always hope that I will hear "O Holy Night" (my favorite Christmas song) performed live at least once during the holiday season and this year I have been lucky enough to hear it twice because Celtic Woman sang a lovely version (I especially loved the harp used in this arrangement).  Even though I got to hear my favorite song, my favorite performance was "Wexford Carol" because it was incredibly ethereal and their voices blended together so beautifully!  They ended the concert, appropriately, with a rousing rendition of "Auld Lang Syne" which featured the pipes once again.  I am sure that this concert will be a highlight of the season for me because it was simply glorious and I'm so glad that I got to go!

Scrooge: A Christmas Carol at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse

I will be attending three different versions of A Christmas Carol this week and I started last night with the musical Scrooge: A Christmas Carol at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse. I was really excited because I had never seen this version before. I saw the musical by Alan Menken at CPT several years ago and, while I definitely prefer that version, I thought this was very charming and it put a huge smile on my face. It tells the well-known story by Charles Dickens about the reclamation of a miser named Ebeneezer Scrooge (Kim Florence) by the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Jacci Florence), Present (Don Wilhelm), and Future (Jacob Taft) but it includes original music by Leslie Bricusse. The songs are not especially memorable, my favorites were "December the Twenty-Fifth" by Mr. Fezziwig (Duane Beesley), "The Beautiful Day" by Tiny Tim (Beckett Ronnow), and "Thank You Very Much" by Tommy Jones (Shane Alvey), but the cast is very enthusiastic and the choreography is a lot of fun (especially "Thank You Very Much" because it involves dancing on a coffin) so I enjoyed every number. I was really impressed with the number of performers on the stage, including lots of children! I really enjoyed Florence as Scrooge because, while he is still the curmudgeonly misanthrope we all know, he is more a figure of fun who is ridiculed by those who owe him money than a villain who is feared (at one point several characters stick their tongues out at him). Even though he is a bit of a buffoon, his character arc is still really moving to watch because he becomes more and more affected by every vignette shown from his past, present, and future. I also liked Jim Alvey as Bob Cratchit and Tracie Davies as Mrs. Cratchit because their interactions with each other and with Ronnow (who is absolutely adorable as Tiny Tim) are so tender and genuine. The way the intimate space at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse is used is always really clever and this production is no exception. Scrooge's Counting House is located on a platform to the right of the stage and the entrance to his house (the transformation of the knocker into Jacob Marley's face is a great effect) is located on another one to the left.  The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future lead Scrooge all around the theatre, including behind the soundboard, to various locations.  A cobblestone street in 19th Century London is depicted on a backdrop and various sets are moved on and off the stage.  I was impressed with the attention to detail in Fezziwig's factory, Bob Cratchit's house, and Fred's house as well as the white silhouettes used to depict Scrooge's childhood with his sister Fan and the giant clock in Scrooge's bedroom. The period costumes are really beautiful, with the possible exception of the strange red tutu worn by the Ghost of Christmas Past (I thought she looked like a deranged Sugar Plum Fairy and her shtick went on far too long). This production is filled with so much heart that you can't help but be filled with a big dose of Christmas cheer and I highly recommend it.  There are nightly performances through December 23 with matinees December 10 and 17 (go here for tickets).

Note:  I have seen HCT's version of A Christmas Carol more times than I can count (I almost have the entire show memorized) so it was really fun to see a different interpretation.

Ballet West's The Nutcracker 2022

One of my favorite holiday traditions is attending Ballet West's annual production of The Nutcracker and I am so happy that I had the opportunity to see it last night!  I love everything about this ballet and I await every scene with great anticipation, especially the party where the Christmas tree is revealed to all of the children and Clara (Olivia Humeniuk) is given a nutcracker by Dr. Drosselmeyer (Tyler Gum), when everything is magically transformed to an enormous size and the nutcracker defeats the Mouse King (Jake Preece) with Clara's help, when the nutcracker becomes a handsome prince (Noel Jensen) and takes Clara to the land of the Snow Queen (Jenna Rae Herrera) and the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy (Amy Potter), and when all of the divertissements arranged for Clara's entertainment are performed.  I always really love the Arabian dance because it is so exotic and the Russian dance because the leaps and spins are so athletic but last night I was also really impressed with the Waltz of the Flowers because Emily Adams and Hadriel Diniz danced the Pas de Deux so beautifully.  As always, my favorite moment in the entire ballet is the Grand Pas de Deux between the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier (Brian Waldrep) because the music by Tchaikovsky used for this dance is one of the most romantic pieces in the classical cannon and William Christensen's original choreography really complements it.  This is the first time that I have seen Potter dance the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy and I thought her performance was so beautiful because she seemed to glide across the stage and whirl effortlessly through the air!  I also really enjoyed the young dancers in the cast, particularly Bean Shane because he was the naughtiest Fritz I've ever seen and all of dancers hiding in Mother Buffoon's skirt because they were adorable!  The sets and costumes were updated a few years ago and I love the jewel tones used in the party scene and the pastels used in the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy.  All of the special effects are magical, particularly when the Christmas tree grows in size, when the snow falls in the land of the Snow Queen, and when Clara flies away with her prince in a sleigh.  No matter how many times I see this ballet it always puts a smile on my face and I highly recommend getting a ticket.  There are evening and matinee performances at the Capitol Theater through December 24 (go here for tickets).

Fetival of Trees 2022

Yesterday I was a hostess at the Festival of Trees for the twelfth year (after a two year pause for Covid).  Various individuals and organizations decorate and then donate the trees (usually to commemorate someone who has been ill or died) for auction (this year the auction is a silent one and you can still bid on trees until 8:00 tonight) and then they are displayed for public viewing at the Mountain America Expo Center.  All of the proceeds go directly to Primary Children's Hospital!  In addition to the trees, there are centerpieces, wreaths, quilts, and gingerbread houses on display as well a lots of treats for purchase (I love the homemade cinnamon rolls) so it is a lot of fun!  Most of the following trees were in my area but I did walk around a little bit after my shift was over to see some of the others.

One of the main jobs of the hostess is to make sure that the trees are not harmed.  I had to remind several kids not to touch this particular tree!  I think they wanted to feel the fur!

I noticed that many of the trees were not as elaborate as those in years past and didn't have as many items surrounding them.  This tree was the exception!

This tree was my favorite one in my area.  I loved the old fashioned snowshoes!

The festival will continue at the Mountain America Expo Center through Saturday.  Go here for more information and tickets.