Wednesday, January 19, 2022
One For the Pot at HCT
Tuesday, December 21, 2021
A Christmas Carol at HCT 2021
I have a long-standing tradition of seeing HCT's production of A Christmas Carol every year (I like to joke that I have seen it so many times I could probably stand in for any role) and I had the chance to see it again last night. I love the well-known story by Charles Dickens of Ebeneezer Scrooge's reclamation by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future and I think Hale's adaptation is absolutely beautiful. This year the cast includes many actors that I have never seen before (which is unusual because many actors return to the same roles year after year) and I particularly enjoyed Stephen Kerr as Scrooge, Ben Oldroyd as Bob Cratchit, Spencer Jackson Hohl as Fred, Jared Lesa as the Ghost of Christmas Present, and Patrick Despain as Tiny Tim. I loved Kerr's cantankerous and grouchy characterization of Scrooge and the subtle changes in his demeanor as he encounters each ghost and internalizes the lessons they teach him are incredibly effective. His interactions with Oldroyd during the final scene are so tender they brought a tear to my eye. Hohl is the perfect counterpoint to Kerr because he imbues Fred with a lot of cheerfulness and charm. I also really enjoyed Lesa's characterization because he is very merry as the embodiment of Christmas but he is also quite harsh with Scrooge. Despain is absolutely endearing and I loved his delivery of the iconic line at the end of the show. One aspect of Hale's production that I really love is the use of music in between scenes by an octet (Mindi Hansen, Samantha Paredes, Jessica Pearce, Emily Roh, Ryan Withers, Barton Sloan, Bryan Johnson, and Taylor Smith) and in certain party scenes by the characters. My favorite song is, of course, "Bring a Torch Jeanette, Isabella" which is sung during the Fezziwig's party. The elaborate Victorian sets are incredibly immersive (the projections are fantastic) and I particularly love Scrooge's bedroom (the wallpaper is amazing), Fezziwig's warehouse, and the rag and bottle shop. I usually sit on the extreme right side of the theater so I often miss out on some of the special effects but last night I sat on the front row in the center section so I was quite enchanted when Jacob Marley (Matt Kohler) comes through Scrooge's fireplace to visit him and when the Ghost of Christmas Future (Ren Cottam), who is quite scary, reveals Scrooge's name on the tombstone. I keep returning to see this show year after year because it fills me with so much cheer and I always leave the theater vowing to keep Christmas all year long. Unfortunately, every performance during the run is sold out but HCT has been known to add shows so keep checking the website (go here) for tickets.
Wednesday, November 10, 2021
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at HCT
Sunday, September 19, 2021
The Mousetrap at HCT
Note: Don't miss the beautiful production of The Secret Garden on the Young Living Centre Stage which runs through October 23 (go here for tickets).
Wednesday, September 1, 2021
The Secret Garden at HCT
I am not a big fan of the musical The Secret Garden but Director/Choreographer Dave Tinney made me love HCT's productions of Matilda and Cinderella (shows I don't usually enjoy) and I didn't hate their version of Seussical (a show I almost walked out of when the Broadway touring production came to town and then vowed to never see again) so I was hopeful when I walked into Hale Centre Theatre last night because he is also at the helm of this show. As predicted Tinney worked his magic once again because I absolutely loved it! Mary Lennox (Olivia Dietlein) is orphaned by a cholera outbreak in India and sent to live with her uncle Archibald Craven (Quinn Dietlein) at Misselthwaite Manor in Yorkshire. He has been grieving the death of his wife Lily (Lisa Zimmerman), who died in childbirth, for the past ten years and has closed off his heart, his house, and Lily's garden. Mary receives a cold welcome from the housekeeper Mrs. Medlock (Linda Jean Stephenson) and an indifferent one from her uncle. She is lonely and unhappy but is encouraged by a maid named Martha (McKelle Shaw) and her brother Dickon (Ben Butters) to play outside and she soon discovers Lily's abandoned garden. She also discovers her cousin Colin (Toby Worland) who has been kept an invalid by Archibald's brother Neville (Alex DeBirk). As Mary brings the garden back to life, she also brings Colin and Archibald back to life. I always love the interactions between Mary, Colin, Dickon, and Martha but my biggest problem with this show is the emphasis on the adults because I find them, especially the ghosts of characters who have died, to be almost superfluous to the story (this is the biggest change from the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett). In this production, however, I really loved how the choreography involves the ghosts in almost every scene, particularly when Mary wanders the corridors of Misselthwaite Manor at night (with characters holding windows for her to run between), when Archibald remembers waltzing with Lily in the ballroom (with characters dancing between candelabras shrouded in dust cloths), when Mary and Dickon bring Colin to the garden for the first time (with characters summoning spirits to heal Colin), and when Archibald despairs at his loneliness without Lily (with characters holding mirrors to reflect the ghosts all around him). I don't remember seeing these characters so intimately involved in the action before and their inclusion made so much more sense to me. There are even ghosts behind windows at each entrance to the theatre which creates an eerie atmosphere. The set design, as is usually the case with HCT, is absolutely brilliant. I loved all of the dark and ponderous pieces of furniture because they emphasize how gloomy Misselthwaite Manor has become but each piece features painted flowers and vines to show that Lily's garden also haunts the inhabitants. Speaking of the garden, I loved it both when it is in its dormant state and when it is in bloom (the wisteria hanging down from the rafters was my favorite). Butters performs "Winter's on the Wing" and "Wick" (my favorite songs in the show) beautifully but I was absolutely enchanted by the animal puppets (including a dog, the all important robin who leads Mary to the garden, rabbits, a fox, and geese) used in these numbers and I may have even giggled out loud the first time the dog appeared. I also really enjoyed the songs "Come Spirit, Come Charm" by the children and the ghosts and a powerful rendition of "Hold On" by Shaw. I loved everything about this production, which I was not expecting, so I definitely recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs on the Young Living Centre Stage through October 23.
Wednesday, July 7, 2021
Guys and Dolls at HCT
Wednesday, June 30, 2021
Always...Patsy Cline at HCT
Last night I went to see Always...Patsy Cline which is currently being performed on the Sorenson Legacy Jewel Box Stage at Hale Centre Theatre. I must say at the outset that I am not much of a country music fan (it is probably my least favorite genre of music) but the portrayal of an improbable friendship is quite poignant and I certainly appreciated the talented musicians who performed live on stage! The show is basically a series of performances by Patsy Cline (Cori Cable Kidder) of all of her hits at various venues, including the Grand Ole Opry, interspersed with commentary from a real-life fan named Louise Seger (Adrien Swenson) who met Cline at a performance in Houston and then corresponded with her until her untimely death. I found the story to be a bit contrived but the music is outstanding! Kidder is fantastic in the role, looking and sounding enough like the iconic singer to be believable without seeming like a campy impersonation, and I especially enjoyed her renditions of "Walking After Midnight," "I Fall to Pieces," "Your Cheatin' Heart," "Sweet Dreams," "Crazy," and "True Love." The band, consisting of Kelly DeHaan (director and music director) on piano, Bryan Hague on guitar, Mark Maxson on lap steel guitar, Mark Robinette on bass, Aaron Ashton on fiddle, and James Densley on drums, is also fantastic and I really liked their spontaneous interactions with Kidder. Swenson is enthusiastic and fully committed to Louise's over-the-top persona but, in my opinion, the role itself is a little bit problematic because, in reality, there's not a lot for her to do. The shtick gets tedious after a while and sometimes detracts from the music. I was, as always, impressed with the set design, which features fun projections on cowboy boots and hats, and the many different costumes worn by Cline during her performances. This was not really my cup of tea (I don't think I will ever see it again) but it is an outstanding production with amazing performances and I'm sure that fans of country music and of Patsy Cline will appreciate it much more than I did. It runs on the Jewel Box stage until August 28 and tickets may be purchased here.
Wednesday, April 21, 2021
Daddy Long Legs at HCT
Note: I also highly recommend Les Miserables which is currently playing on the Young Living Stage. Many performances are sold out but some matinees have recently been added later in the run (go here for tickets).
Wednesday, April 7, 2021
Les Miserables at HCT
I don't think I will ever get tired of hearing the dramatic opening notes of the musical Les Miserables. They moved me to tears the first time I heard them performed live at the Palace Theatre in London on a study abroad trip in 1990 and they did once again as I heard them performed at Hale Theatre last night! I love the moving story of Jean Valjean's redemption, which is based on Victor Hugo's masterpiece, and I love the beautiful music by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg so I have seen Les Miserables at least 30 times (a conservative estimate) and I have to say that HCT's current version is a great production. The cast features Casey Elliott, Bradley Quinn Lever, and Brad Robins, whose meeting while performing in HCT's 2014 production of Les Miserables prompted them to form the popular trio Gentri, and I was really excited to see them reprise their roles as Jean Valjean, Enjolras, and Marius, respectively. Their performances were definitely a highlight of the show for me, particularly Elliott's version of "Bring Him Home," Lever's version of "Red and Black," and Robins's version of "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables." I also really enjoyed Cecily Ellis Bills as Fantine, Clotile Bonner Farkas as Madame Thenardier, and Rebecca Burroughs-Kremin as Eponine (I judge every production by how Eponine sings "On My Own" and her version gave me goosebumps). However, my very favorite performance of the night was Adam Dietlein as Inspector Javert. He is absolutely brilliant in the role because he holds himself, in both his mannerisms and his facial expressions, so rigidly and this characterization is perfect for the unyielding Javert. His rendition of "Stars" is incredibly powerful and it elicited the most applause and cheering last night after "Bring Him Home" (they had to stop the show because the applause went on for so long after this number). The costumes and sets are similar to those in the original Broadway production but also feature just enough flourishes to keep the show fresh (I loved all of Cosette's dresses and Madame Thenardier's gown for "Beggars at the Feast"). I do wish that the barricade could have been on the turntable because the reveal of Enjolras hanging upside down while holding the red flag as it slowly rotates in the original production is one of the most dramatic moments of the show (I miss this moment in the new staging on Broadway as well) but I like that HCT's barricade allows the entire audience to see "A Little Fall of Rain" and "Drink With Me." I think "Javert's Suicide" is staged particularly well because it really seems as if he is jumping from a bridge to his death and I also quite enjoyed the staging of "Master of the House" because even the young Eponine (Olivia Dietlein) steals from the guests. I love this show so much (it will always be a sentimental favorite) and seeing it at HCT last night made me very happy. I highly recommend getting a ticket but be aware that several secondary ticketing sites have been inflating prices significantly (go directly here for the best prices). It runs on the Young Living Stage through June 19.
Note: I think I might need to see it again for the MWF cast because it features Kyle Olsen as Jean Valjean and he blew me away as Sydney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities.
Tuesday, February 16, 2021
A Tale of Two Cities at HCT
If I had to pick a favorite Charles Dickens novel it would definitely be A Tale of Two Cities and I count HCT's 2011 production of this classic tale as one of their best. HCT is producing this stirring musical again and I had the chance to see it last night. I loved it so much and I was absolutely thrilled to see Kyle Olsen, my favorite actor from the earlier production, reprise his role as Sydney Carton. Lucie Manette (Brittany Andam), a young woman in London who believes that she is an orphan, learns that her father Dr. Alexander Manette (David Weeks) is still alive after having been wrongfully imprisoned in the Bastille by the Marquise St. Evremonde (Josh Egbert). She travels to Paris to bring him home to London and meets Charles Darnay (Ren Cottam), the nephew of Evremonde who has renounced his ties to the aristocracy, on the journey and they fall in love. Darnay is wrongfully accused of treason upon arrival in London but the dissolute lawyer Sydney Carton (Olsen) clears his name. Carton is also secretly in love with Lucie, but when she marries Darnay, he remains a friend of the family and becomes attached to her daughter Lucie (Leilani Walker). In Paris, Evremonde is responsible for the death of a child when his carriage runs him over in front of the Defarge's wine shop. Madame Defarge (Adrien Swenson), who has a grudge against Evremonde, encourages the boy's father, Gaspard (Alix DeBirk), to murder him which ultimately leads to revolution. Darnay feels that he must return to Paris to rescue Evremonde's household but he is immediately arrested as an aristocrat, denounced by Madame Defarge who wants to wipe out all descendants of Evremonde, and sentenced to the guillotine. This prompts Carton to make the ultimate sacrifice to save Darnay and show his love for Lucie and her daughter. The story is a bit convoluted (it is Charles Dickens, after all) but I was really impressed with the clever use of projections to denote the various locations in London and Paris and this really helped me follow the action. This show is also very complicated technically with set pieces coming up from the pit, down from the rafters, and in from the wings during every scene and these transitions happen seamlessly. One of the things I liked best about the 2011 production was the set featuring cobblestone paths and a large wooden guillotine. The set for this show is very different, with large glass panels and metal grates in the floor that are illuminated with red and blue lights, but no less dramatic. All of the performances are wonderful and I especially loved Swenson's version of "Out of Sight, Out of Mind," Andam's version of "Without a Word," and her version of "Now at Last" with Cottam. However, I was absolutely captivated by Olsen's portrayal of Carton. He brought me to tears during his emotional rendition of "If Dreams Came True" and then once again as he walks up the steps to the guillotine in the final scene. I really loved this incredibly moving show and I highly recommend it. It runs on the Young Living Stage through March 20 but tickets are very limited (go here) so act quickly!
Note: Don't miss HCT's hilarious production of The Play That Goes Wrong on the Jewel Box Stage (go here for tickets).
Sunday, January 17, 2021
The Play That Goes Wrong at HCT
Friday, December 18, 2020
Tarzan at HCT
HCT's 2013 production of Tarzan, with Derek Smith in the title role, was the first time I saw the popular Disney musical. I absolutely loved it so I was really excited to see their latest production, especially on the new stage, yesterday afternoon. I was also thrilled to learn that Smith was reprising his role as Tarzan! This musical tells the well-known story by Edgar Rice Burroughs about a human boy who is adopted by a group of apes after his parents are killed in the African jungle. Kerchak (Preston Taylor), the leader of a tribe of gorillas, is not happy when his wife Kala (Beatriz Melo) adopts the boy Tarzan (Toby Worland) because he thinks he doesn't belong. Tarzan struggles to keep up with the rest of the tribe until he is befriended by Terk (Caleb Hafen) who shows him how to be a gorilla. When Tarzan teaches Terk how to make a spear for picking fruit, Kerchak is frightened that Tarzan will hurt the other gorillas and exiles him. Tarzan is distraught and wonders where he really belongs so Kala decides to stay with him. Years go by and Tarzan (Smith) is welcomed back into the tribe after he kills a leopard that has been terrorizing them for years. However, when Professor Porter (Mark Pulham) and his daughter Jane (Sophia Guerrero) bring an expedition to the jungle, Kerchak worries that Tarzan's interactions with the humans, especially Jane, will bring harm to the tribe. When Clayton (Josh Durfey), a member of the expedition, threatens the gorillas Tarzan must decide whether he belongs with Jane and the humans or with his adopted family. This show is a dazzling spectacle and I loved everything about it! Smith is an incredibly charismatic and athletic Tarzan (at one point he is swinging on a vine that he is holding on to with just one arm) but he can also really sing! My favorite song in the show is "Strangers Like Me" and Smith's rendition of it in the 2013 production is what made me a fan of this musical. I basically sat through the whole first half anticipating this number and it definitely did not disappoint. It gave me goosebumps! Smith also just about blows the roof off the theater with his version of "Everything That I Am." Guerrero is charmingly dorky as Jane, especially when she first meets Tarzan and is trying to hide the fact that she finds him attractive. I really enjoyed her performance of the songs "Waiting For This Moment" and "For The First Time" because she is so full of wonder (for the flora and fauna and then for Tarzan, respectively). I think my favorite performance in the show is Hafen as Terk. He is so full of goofy enthusiasm that he brought a smile to my face (under my mask) every time he was on stage. I loved his rendition of "Who Better Than Me" because he has such great facial expressions. He also got the audience cheering out loud during "Trashin' The Camp." Other standouts in the cast include Melo as Kala, because her version of "You'll Be In My Heart" is very affecting, and Worland as the young Tarzan, because he is adorable and gives such a heartfelt performance of "I Need to Know." The aerialists in this show are amazing and I almost missed the adult Tarzan's dramatic entrance in "Son of Man" because I was paying so much attention to the flying gorillas! I did miss a key moment between Tarzan and Jane because I was fascinated by the aerialists in the flowers during "Waiting For This Moment." I loved the costumes, the set pieces that come down from the ceiling and up from the pit, and the dramatic fluorescent lighting. This is such a great production and I am so grateful that HCT added some afternoon performances so that I could see it! There are a few tickets available for shows later in the run (go here) and I highly recommend getting one!
Wednesday, December 2, 2020
A Christmas Carol at HCT 2020
With HCT's new guidelines for socially distanced seating (which I actually applaud), I didn't think that I would be able to see A Christmas Carol this year. Even though I have seen it more times than I can count, the thought of missing out on yet another Christmas tradition made me a bit sad. Then HCT released a few tickets last weekend and I quickly grabbed one for an early show yesterday afternoon! I enjoyed it so much, probably more than I ever have before! HCT's production is a lovely adaptation of the well-known classic by Charles Dickens about the reclamation of Ebeneezer Scrooge (David Weeks) by the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Jackie Spendlove), Present (Jonathan Fifield), and Future (Spencer Hohl). What I love most about HCT's production is the addition of Christmas music in between every scene by an octet (Brett Myers, Taylor J. Smith, Michael Von Forell, Josh Shimizu, Emily Hawkes, Mindi Hansen, Emily Leishman Roh, and Erin Camp Worland) and in certain party scenes by the characters. I love Christmas music so much and I think the addition really helps add to the mood. My favorite song by the octet is "What Child is This?" and I also really love "Bring a Torch Jeanette, Isabella" during the Fezziwig's party (it was my favorite song to sing when I was in the choir in college) and "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" during Fred's party. This year they added a violin (Katie Frandsen) to the musical numbers and I loved it! Because I've seen this production so many times I always anticipate seeing the same actors return to the same role year after year but this year there were quite a few new faces! I particularly loved Elijah Thomas as Charles Dickens/Fred because his performance of the opening prologue (it seems like it was expanded this year) gave me goosebumps, Anthony LeRoy Lovato as Bob Cratchit because he is so tender after the death of Tiny Tim, and Jonathan Fifeld as the Ghost of Christmas Present because he is jolly but also a little bit stern. Of course the young actor playing Tiny Tim (Payson Inkley) is absolutely adorable and he really works it when he says his iconic line at the end of the show. The elaborate Victorian sets on the turntable (I love the rag and bottle shop) and the opulent costumes effectively transport the audience back to London in the 1800s but, because I was sitting on the side in the back of the theatre, I sometimes had a hard time seeing all of the projections and I missed the climactic moment when the Ghost of Christmas Future shows Scrooge his name on the tombstone. It mattered not because this show is full of so much Christmas cheer that you can't help leaving the theatre with a smile on your face and a vow to keep Christmas in your heart all year long! I highly recommend getting a ticket and, last I heard, there are still some available for a few shows (go here)
Sunday, November 15, 2020
Murder on the Orient Express at HCT
Wednesday, October 7, 2020
Million Dollar Quartet at HCT
Friday, February 28, 2020
Bright Star at HCT
Note: One of my former students is in the ensemble and I was thrilled to be able to see him last night! He is usually in the MWF cast but he had to go on for his double at the last minute!
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Strictly Ballroom at HCT
Note: I can't wait to see it again with my sisters. I just hope that we can control ourselves (I apologize in advance to anyone sitting near us!).
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
A Christmas Carol at HCT 2019
Note: Even though A Christmas Carol is sold out you can still get tickets to Seussical on the Main Stage (go here). It was not really my cup of tea but children are sure to love it and it would be a really fun Christmas outing for families.
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Seussical at HCT
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Phantom at HCT
Note: Don't forget about the creepy and kooky production of The Addams Family on the Jewel Box Stage through November 16 (go here for tickets).