Mannheim Steamroller Christmas at the Eccles 2024

I have seen the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas concert many times but I just can't resist getting a ticket whenever they come to town.  Even though I originally decided not to go this year I ended up getting a ticket to the matinee yesterday and I really loved the show!  Musicians Mark Agnor on violin, Tali Rubenstein on percussion and recorder, Tom Sharpe on drums, Christopher Forte on guitar and bass, Anna Lackaff on keyboard, and Zachary Adamson on harpsichord and keyboard, along with the Mannheim Steamroller Orchestra, performed music originally arranged by Chip Davis featuring a unique fusion of classical, medieval, and contemporary sounds.  This concert mostly featured music from the group's many Christmas albums but there were also a few selections from the Fresh Aire albums including "Pass The Keg (Lia)," "Toccata," and "Come Home to the Sea" (which is a favorite of mine).  Since I really love Christmas music, I enjoyed hearing "Hallelujah," Renaissance and rock versions of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "Traditions of Christmas," "O Little Town of Bethlehem," "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," "Christmas Lullaby," "Catching Snowflakes On Your Tongue" (snow fell in the Eccles Theatre during this number), "Fairies" (which is a fun arrangement of "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies" from the Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky), "Little Drummer Boy," and "Winter Wonderland."  They ended the first set with "Cantique de Noel (O Holy Night)" which made me so happy because it is my favorite Christmas song (I bet you didn't know that!) and this particular arrangement is especially beautiful.  After the intermission they continued with "Feliz Navidad" (which I had never heard before), "Do You Hear What I Hear," "Joy to the World," "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow," and "Good King Wenceslas" which is one of their most popular songs.  The concert concluded with a festive rendition of "Carol of the Bells."  It was so much fun to watch the musicians play because they are very theatrical.  I loved it when Tom Sharpe would twirl and toss his drumsticks in the air and I don't think I've ever seen anyone play the triangle more dramatically than Anna Lackaff!  I also liked the different lighting effects and the laser shows (which replaced many of the usual videos shown year after year).  My only complaint is that they didn't play "Pat-A-Pan" which is my very favorite Mannheim Steamroller song but I thoroughly enjoyed this concert and, as always, I am glad that I changed my mind and got a ticket!

Leslie Odom, Jr. at the Eccles

Last night I was able to combine my love of Christmas music with my love of the original cast of Hamilton.  I went with my friend Wendy to see Leslie Odom, Jr. in a Christmas concert at the Eccles Theatre and it was absolutely amazing!  I am still on a high from it!  He took the stage dressed all in black with his insanely talented band, including Chris Cadenhead on piano, Steven Walker on guitar, Eric England on bass, and David Chiverton on drums (all of whom had extended solos all night which thrilled the audience), and played selections from his two Christmas albums, Simply Christmas and The Christmas Album.  I really love his jazz interpretations of Christmas classics and I enjoyed hearing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "My Favorite Things," "The Christmas Waltz," "The Christmas Song," "First Noel," "Please Come Home for Christmas," "Last Christmas," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," and "O Tannenbaum" (sung in German).  He also sang a beautiful rendition of "Christmas" by Pete Townshend as well as his own original songs "Snow," "Winter Song" and "Cold" (which was one of my favorites).  He was joined by his band members all around him for some stirring a capella versions of the Sam Cooke songs "Jesus Gave Me Water" and "He's So Wonderful" and these got the audience cheering as if we were at an old-fashioned gospel revival!  He then recited "Twas The Night Before Christmas" which was absolutely mesmerizing and I was reminded that he is not only a beautiful singer with a velvety smooth voice but he is also a talented actor!  He continued with an exquisite performance of "Ave Maria" and then ended his set with "Heaven & Earth" (which was another of my favorites).  For the encore he sang acoustic versions of "Merry Christmas Darling" and the Sam Cooke song "I Wish You Love" which was a lovely way to end the concert.  In between those songs he performed an acoustic version of "Wait For It" from Hamilton (he apologized that it wasn't a Christmas song but I can assure you that no one in the audience minded) and it was incredible!  It was so thrilling to be able to see Leslie Odom, Jr. again and I loved every minute of this concert!

A Kurt Bestor Christmas at the Eccles 2024

 A Kurt Bestor Christmas has become one of my favorite holiday traditions (I absolutely love his arrangements of Christmas music) and I thoroughly enjoyed this year's concert at the Eccles Theatre last night.  He began with his versions of "Deck the Halls," "Joy to the World," and "I Wonder as I Wander" (a favorite of mine).  Then he brought his first guest, thirteen-year-old soprano Lillian Breeze Manning, to the stage and she sang an incredible arrangement of "Pie Jesu" which brought the audience to their feet!  She continued with "Mary Did You Know?" which was also very beautiful.  Next came a fun arrangement of "Christmas Time Is Here" with snippets of other Christmas songs (and a Charlie Brown Christmas tree).  Bestor continued with "Prayer for the Children" which is probably his most well-known song and then "O Holy Night" which is what I was most hoping to hear (it is my favorite Christmas song and I really love his arrangement of it).  He finished his first set with "Suite de Noel" which highlighted every section in his band and orchestra.  After the intermission, he performed "Ode to Joy" from his forthcoming album Etches which features classical pieces reimagined for the solo piano.  Next came "I Saw Three Ships" and then he performed a medley of three pieces, "Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella," "We Three Kings," and "Feliz Navidad," which featured a Caribbean-inspired beat and extended solos from Michael Dowdle on guitar, Carlitos del Puerto on bass, and Eric Valentine on drums (it was very cool).  He brought his next guest, violinist Caroline Campbell, to the stage for a mashup of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Carol of the Bells" which was amazing!  She continued with "In the Bleak Midwinter" and then a rousing rendition of a Celtic-inspired arrangement of "Ding Dong Merrily on High" which I really loved!  He continued the tradition of having someone from the audience narrate "Twas the Night Before Christmas" while performing amusing songs to go with it.  This year he picked a man named Steve who looked like Santa Claus and, when he accidentally skipped a page in the story, he said it was because Bestor didn't give him a chance to rehearse!  The concert concluded, as it often does, with a beautiful performance of "Silent Night" with Manning and Campbell.  As always, this was a beautiful concert and I loved every minute of it.  There are three more performances and I definitely recommend getting a ticket (go here).

Gentri Christmas at the Eccles 2024

I love hearing Christmas music performed live so I was really excited to go to my first Christmas concert of the season with Gentri at the Eccles Theatre.  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 and then continued singing together when the run was over because their voices blend so well.  This was the third time I've seen their Christmas show and I think this one was my favorite because it was just them without any other guests.  They began the concert with an arrangement of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" with snippets from "The Carol of the Bells" and then performed a rousing rendition of "He Is Born The Heavenly Child" which I had never heard before but really loved.  They continued with "I Saw Three Ships" and then a beautiful version of "Still, Still, Still" which is one of my favorite Christmas songs because I sang it in choir when I was in college.  Next came their arrangement of "Noel" (which also contained snippets of "The Carol of the Bells") followed by a very moving version of "I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day."  I always hope that I will hear "O Holy Night" (it has been my favorite Christmas song ever since I was a little girl) and their version did not disappoint because, while most singers build to a powerful crescendo at the end, they sing it very softly and it is so beautiful.  They ended their first set with "The Little Drummer Boy" which is one of their most popular songs.  After the intermission they performed a mashup of "Coventry Carol" and "Poor Wayfaring Stranger" with dramatic themes by the cello (this was my favorite song at last year's concert) and then "Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella" which is another favorite from my college choir days.  Next they had their music director Stephen Nelson arrange a piece on the spot from an iconic movie score and a Christmas song suggested by the audience (they do this every year).  Our audience picked the theme form Raiders of the Lost Ark and "I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day" and it was actually amazing!  My favorite moment came next when they performed "Defying Gravity" from Wicked (I have now seen the movie three times) to the absolute delight of the crowd!  Their version was so good!  To conclude the concert they performed "Mary Did You Know," "Away in a Manger," "Love Is Alive" (with audience participation), and "O Come, All Ye Faithful" while narrating the Christmas story in between them.  I loved this concert and it was the perfect way to start the holiday season!

Ben Platt at the Eccles

I love Ben Platt's latest album Honeymind but I especially love the song "Andrew," which was released as the first single several months before the album dropped.  I listened to this song over and over and, every time I did, I would imagine how amazing it would be to hear it live!  So I was absolutely thrilled when the tour was announced and, even though the ticket was more than I wanted to spend, I bought one during the presale (my plan to be more frugal this summer is not going well).  Last night's concert at the Eccles was my first time hearing him live and it was incredible!  He performed quite a few songs from Honeymind including "Right Kind of Reckless" (which opened the show), "All American Queen," "Shoe to Drop," "Monsters," "Cherry on Top," "Before I Knew You" (which ended his main set), and "Andrew" (which definitely did not disappoint and was the highlight of the show for me).  He also performed some of his favorite songs from his previous releases Sing to Me Instead and Reverie (both of which I also love), prefaced with some highly amusing anecdotes, including "Ease My Mind," "Rain," "Share Your Address," a brilliant rendition of "Grow as We Go," and "I Wanna Love You But I Don't."  His covers of James Taylor's "Your Smiling Face" and Joni Mitchell's "River" were fantastic but he blew the roof off of the Eccles Theatre with "Maybe This Time" from Cabaret (his homage to Liza Minnelli was complete with an *ahem* appropriate costume).  For the encore he sang a beautiful medley of "When You Wish Upon a Star" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" which was unique to SLC audiences!  Platt is quite the performer and he, and his talented band, put on an amazing show that I won't soon forget.  He was so funny and he sounded even better than his recordings!  I had so much fun because all of the theatre girlies sitting around me were pretty much losing their minds screaming, crying, and singing every single word of every single song at the top of their lungs! Just kidding. It was me. I am theatre girlies!

Note:  I love the song "Andrew" so much because, to me, it is the perfect description of what unrequited love feels like when you are young (even though it is from a queer perspective, many of the feelings evoked are universal).

Encore: A Musical Review at the Eccles

Even though I just saw him in concert last summer at the SCERA Shell, I was so excited to be able to see Jeremy Jordan again, this time with fellow Broadway stars Kara Lindsay and Jessica Vosk, yesterday at the Eccles Theater.  I went to the matinee with my friend Wendy (we have had Broadway at the Eccles season tickets next to each other since the theater opened) and we had so much fun (we were practically screaming like thirteen year old girls during Jordan's entire set).  Voss took the stage first and began with a stirring rendition of "Don't Rain on My Parade" from Funny Girl which got the crowd cheering (not for the first time).  She continued with "Almost Like Being in Love" and "Both Sides Now" and then Lindsay joined her for the beautiful duet  "I Will Never Leave You" from Side Show.  She followed this with a fun version of "Gimme, Gimme" from Thoroughly Modern Millie and then told a funny story about having to go on as Golde in Fiddler on the Roof unexpectedly in Act 2 (she told lots of stories) before singing an amazing mash-up of "Do You Love Me?" from Fiddler, "I Don't Know How to Love Him" from Jesus Christ Superstar, and "Everybody Says Don't" from Anyone Can Whistle.  She ended her set with a powerful version of "Heart of Stone" from SIX with everyone in the audience singing along (this was a really cool moment).  Lindsay took the stage next with "Not for the Life of Me" from Thoroughly Modern Millie.  She gave a hilarious performance of "Adelaide's Lament" (complete with props) and then the crowd went absolutely crazy when she sang "Watch What Happens" followed by "Something to Believe In" with Jordan (she originated the role of Katherine Plumber and he originated the role of Jack Kelly in Newsies).  I saw Lindsay as Glinda in Wicked when the Broadway touring company came to SLC (she is one of the best Glindas I've seen) so I was really excited when she sang "Popular" next.  She ended her set with lovely renditions of "My House" from Matilda and "Goodnight My Someone" from The Music Man.  Jordan began his set, as he did when I saw him last summer, with "Something's Coming" from West Side Story and then gave us a preview of the upcoming musical The Great Gatsby by singing "For Her."  He continued with "Broadway Here I Come" from the TV show Smash and "Movin' Too Fast" from the movie The Last Five Years.  Voss joined him for an incredible version of "You Matter to Me" from Waitress and then he had an audience member play Audrey II for his amusing rendition of "Grow for Me" from Little Shop of Horrors.  I was hoping for "Santa Fe" from Newsies and he obliged me with a performance that gave me goosebumps!  He was such a goofball on stage and I loved it so much!  This was a wonderful show and I'm so glad Wendy offered me the ticket!

A Kurt Bestor Christmas at the Eccles 2023

I really love hearing Christmas music performed live, especially Kurt Bestor's arrangements, so I always try to attend his annual Christmas concert.  The show was last night (along with tons of other Christmas events downtown which made driving and parking a lot of fun) and, as always, I thoroughly enjoyed it.  He began with "Suite de Noel," "Il Le Ne Le Divin Enfant," and "Good King Wenceslaus" before telling a funny story about performing "What Child Is This?" (many songs were prefaced with amusing anecdotes).  Next he played "Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella," which I loved because it is one of my favorites, and then "I'll Be Home for Christmas," which he dedicated to all veterans in the audience.  Then he featured his insanely talented band on a calypso-inspired version of "O Tannenbaum" with extended solos from Michael Dowdle on guitar, Carlitos del Puerto on bass, and Eric Valentine on drums.  It was very cool!  Next came a beautiful rendition of "Carol of the Bells" dedicated to the people of Ukraine and then his special guest for the evening, David Archuleta, came to the stage to perform a breathtaking version of "Prayer of the Children" (Kurt Bestor's best known song which is celebrating its 30th Anniversary) that brought the audience to its feet!  After the intermission, Bestor performed "Coventry Carol," another favorite of mine, and then a fun arrangement of "Christmas Time Is Here" complete with a Charlie Brown Christmas tree!  Next, he dedicated a lovely version of "All Through the Night" to one of his close friends who recently died.  David Archuleta returned to the stage for an incredible performance of "Pat-A-Pan" that gave me goosebumps and then gave a very heartfelt rendition of "Grown Up Christmas List" after telling the audience that his list included kindness and understanding for those who are different (he received thunderous applause for this).  Then he performed Bestor's arrangement of "I Wonder as I Wander" (at Bestor's request) and the audience leapt to their feet once again!  Bestor lamented that it would be impossible to follow such an amazing performance but his version of "O Holy Night" was definitely a highlight for me (it was the second time that I have heard my favorite Christmas song this season).  As is tradition, he chose someone from the audience to narrate "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" while he performed his amusing arrangement of songs to go with it.  He concluded the concert with "Joy to the World" and a lovely audience sing-along to "Silent Night" led by David Archuleta.  I always love this concert every year but I think this one might be my favorite!

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!

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Live in Concert

Last night I got to see Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse while the score was played live by an orchestra and a DJ with a turntable.  It was awesome!  Seeing it on the big screen again reminded me of how much I love this movie and the soundtrack!  A Brooklyn teenager named Miles Morales (Shemeik Moore) is bitten by a radioactive spider and, after waking up with superpowers which disrupt his life, he returns to the alley where he was bitten.  He finds a secret lab with a supercollider created by Kingpin (Liev Schrieber) to access parallel universes in order to bring back alternate versions of his wife and son who died during an altercation with Spider-Man (Chris Pine).  Spider-Man is ultimately killed while trying to destroy the collider but not before several incarnations of Spider-Man from parallel universes appear.  These include a down-and-out Peter B. Parker/ Spider-Man (Jake Johnson), spunky Gwen Stacy/ Spider-Woman (Hailee Steinfeld), the cartoon Peter Porker/ Spider-Ham (John Mulaney), a monochromatic Spider-Noir (Nicolas Cage), and Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn) a young Japanese girl who pilots a biomechanical spider.  They help Miles discover his powers and find the motivation to fight Kingpin as well as other familiar villains.  The animation in this movie is absolutely dazzling and the music by David Pemberton is just as exciting.  The score was performed by Broadway Sinfonietta, an orchestra composed of women (mostly WOC) conducted by Emily Marshall, and they were a lot of fun to watch because the music features lots of percussion (the percussion section took up half the stage).  I really loved all of the dramatic and exciting themes punctuated by the percussion, especially "Security Guard" as Miles runs away from school after discovering his powers, "Are You Ready to Swing?" as Spider-Man and Miles swing through the trees at Alchemax, and "Miles Morales Returns" when Miles joins the fight against Kingpin, but I also enjoyed the more poignant themes, such as "Destiny" (I loved the trombone) when Spider-Man asks Miles to destroy the collider before he dies, "On Your Way" when Miles learns the truth about the Prowler, "This Spark in You," when Miles' dad talks to him through his door, and "Saying Goodbye" when all of the Spider-People return to their own universes.  Another really cool element of the score is the use of unusual sounds recreated on a turntable, such as the scratching in "Into the Spider-Verse," the howls in "Green Goblin Fight," an elephant trumpeting in "The Prowler," and the clicking of a pen in "Kingpin Clicks," and DJ Damage was on hand to provide these effects (he was also really fun to watch because was so animated).  It is really cool when the songs featured in the soundtrack blend seamlessly into the score, particularly when Miles sings along to "Sunflower" by Post Malone and Swae Lee and when "What's Up Danger" by Blackway and Black Caviar (I love this song so much and I am not alone because the audience applauded for it) fades into "Miles Morales Returns."  I love seeing films in concert but I think this one just might be my favorite because the sights and sounds were so dynamic!  I hope Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse will be next!

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Eccles

I have seen Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat so many times I've lost count so it takes something special to pique my interest in seeing yet another production.  When I found out that Casey Elliott (my sister has turned me into a huge fan) would be starring as Joseph in a concert version of the show with Lexi Walker as the Narrator and other well-known actors from the Utah theatre scene in the cast, I immediately bought a ticket!  The show was last night and Elliott is the best Joseph I have ever seen (I am still extremely bitter that I saw the understudy instead of Donny Osmond when the Broadway touring production was in town).  It tells the well-known Bible story of how Joseph rises to become the Pharaoh's second-in-command after his brothers betray him for being their father's favorite with songs that span every musical genre.  This is a concert rather than a full production but it features really fun costumes, exciting choreography, and a simple multi-level set.  The brothers, including Kyle Olsen (sigh) as Reuben, Abram Yarbro as Simeon, Zac Wilson as Levi, Matthew Sanguine as Naphtali, Corwin Belnap as Issachar, Keith Goodrich as Asher, Avery Ernsberger as Dan, Scotty Fletcher as Zebulon, McCade Matheson as Gad, Yahosh Bonner as Judah, and Joey Hokulani as Benjamin, each have a different color of athleisure wear with Joseph in white and the wives, including Abby Miller, Keyara Hebdon, Adrien Swenson, Maggie Christensen, Bailey Matheson, Eliza Lucero, and Emma Andreasen Moore, wear sparkly black outfits with shoes in a color that corresponds to a brother.  Accessories are added for various numbers and I especially loved the tinsel fringe coats (made famous by Taylor Swift) worn by the wives in "Go, Go, Go Joseph" and the berets worn by the brothers in "Those Canaan Days." The set looks a bit like a pyramid, which works especially well for "Song of a King," and has four different levels (Walker sometimes struggled to reach the different levels with her stiletto heels but her reactions to her wobbles were so funny) with lights on the edge of each one that flash and change colors (I loved the lighting effects for "Close Every Door" because they look like a prison). The fabulous live orchestra sits on stage on either side of the set and the One Voice Children's Choir is located behind it.  While the songs don't have the usual staging they do have some great choreography, especially "Jacob and Sons," "One More Angel in Heaven," "Go, Go, Go Joseph," "Song of a King," "Those Canaan Days," and "Mega Mix." The performances are outstanding and the audience responded the most to Elliott's powerful rendition of "Close Every Door" (he and the choir just about blew the roof off the Eccles Theatre), Walker's "A Pharaoh's Story," Shaun Johnson's hilarious "Song of a King," and Bonner's interpretation of "Benjamin Calypso."  This was so much fun and I recommend getting a ticket to one of the two remaining performances today (go here).

Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles at the Eccles

I love the Beatles and, even though I never had the opportunity to see them live, I have seen many tribute bands.  One of the best is Rain and I was so excited to be able to see them again last night at the Eccles Theatre.  It was an amazing show and I sang every single word (so did everyone around me).  Steve Landes (John Lennon), Paul Curatolo (Paul McCartney), Alastar McNeil (George Harrison) and Aaron Chiazza (Ringo Starr) look and sound a lot like the Beatles so it really feels like you are actually seeing them and the background images turn the concert into an incredibly immersive experience (the crowd even screamed as much as the early fans).  The concert was divided into different sets (or eras!) and it began with the Beatlemania set.  The lads were dressed in their signature black suits and Cuban-heeled boots and they performed "All My Loving," "Please Please Me," "This Boy," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "Roll Over Beethoven," "A Hard Day's Night," "If I Fell," "You Can't Do That," and "Yesterday" with background images from the Ed Sullivan Show.  The next set was Shea Stadium featuring "I Feel Fine," "Day Tripper," and "Twist and Shout" (which got the crowd up and dancing) with costumes and background images from that epic concert.  Next came the Revolver & Rubber Soul (my favorite albums by the Beatles) set with performances of "Drive My Car," "The Word," "Eleanor Rigby," "In My Life," and "Nowhere Man."  During this set they were dressed casually with video footage of the Beatles from that period projected on the screens.  After the intermission came the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band set with the iconic uniforms and lots of psychedelic images on the screens.  I really loved this set because it included "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," "With a Little Help From My Friends," "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," "She's Leaving Home," "Lovely Rita," "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)," and "A Day in the Life" which was brilliant!  Then came the Rooftop Concert set which mimicked the concert the Beatles performed on the roof of their Apple Corps headquarters in London.  They wore the same outfits the Beatles wore then (including John Lennon's fur coat) and the images on the screen made it seem like they were really on the roof.  They performed some of the setlist from this show, including "Get Back," "Dig a Pony,"and "Don't Let Me Down," with a bonus performance of "Let It Be."  The final set was Abbey Road and the costumes were based on what the Beatles wore on the cover of this album and the images on the screen were from the famous recording studio.  They performed "Come Together," "You Never Give Me Your Money," "Mean Mr. Mustard," "Polythene Pam," "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window," "Golden Slumbers," "Cary That Weight," and "The End."  Of course they performed "Hey Jude" for the encore and the entire crowd sang along which was really fun!  I'm so glad that I decided to see this show again because it featured a completely different setlist so I got to hear quite a few songs that I have never heard performed live before (I can't believe I still remember the words to "She's Leaving Home" and "Lovely Rita").  Due to popular demand another show was added tonight and there are still a few tickets available (go here).  I highly recommend it to all Beatles fans.

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!

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.

Gentri Christmas at the Eccles

I was introduced to Gentri last year when the members of this popular trio performed in HCT's production of Les Miserables (Casey Elliott was Jean Valjean, Bradley Quinn Lever was Enjolras, and Brad Robins was Marius) but my sister Marilyn has been a huge fan for years.  I really love Christmas music so, when I found out that Gentri performs a Christmas concert every year and suggested we get tickets, she immediately and enthusiastically agreed.  We went to the show at the Eccles Theater last night and it was wonderful!  They began with "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and then sang "Bring a Torch Jeanette, Isabella" which is a favorite of mine because I sang it when I was in choir in college.  They were joined by a vocalist named Bri Ray for "Do You Hear What I Hear" and then performed a really pretty original song called "All Is Well."  The Rise Up Children's Choir joined them for "Mary's Boy Child" and several members acted out the Christmas story complete with costumes (Casey Elliott's daughter was Mary).  Next came "The First Noel" and an amazing rendition of "Ave Maria" with the Rise Up Children's Choir behind them holding candles.  They performed another original song called "Somewhere In Your Silent Night" and then turned the Eccles Theater into an old time gospel revival with a rousing rendition of "Go Tell It On The Mountain" featuring Brad Wheeler on harmonica to end their first set.  After the intermission, they sang "Joy To The World" and then were joined by another guest vocalist named EJ Michaels for "Little Drummer Boy."  I always hope that I can hear "O Holy Night" (it is my favorite Christmas song) live at least once during the holiday season and Gentri performed a lovely arrangement of it.  Most singers build to a powerful crescendo that blows the roof off the venue but their version was very soft and contemplative and I loved it!  One of my favorites from the concert was another original song called "Noel" because the harmonies were so beautiful!  Next, they performed a song they wrote especially for this concert called "Love is Alive" with audience participation that made them quite emotional!  They brought out an upright piano to the front of the stage and gathered around it for "I'll Be Home For Christmas" with Elliot's mom joining them for the final verse.  They concluded with "Silent Night" and "O Come All Ye Faithful" with the children.  The gents (as they call themselves) were really funny and they seemed genuinely appreciative that the audience was there to hear them.  I loved every minute and, if I didn't have a lot of Christmas spirit before, I certainly do now!  I think this has become a new Christmas tradition!

Riverdance at the Eccles

I was able to see Riverdance many years ago at Kingsbury Hall and I remember thinking that it was absolutely spectacular.  The show is once again on tour with a new production commemorating its 25th Anniversary and I was able to see it last night at the Eccles Theatre.  I really loved the dancing, which was amazing, but I was a little bit underwhelmed with the performance as a whole.  The show features stylized Irish step dancing that is incredibly energetic and so much fun to watch with high kicks, leaps across the stage, and instantly recognizable poses.  I especially loved it whenever the dancers would get in a line and kick in unison!  There is a story loosely connecting all of the dances together with narration, lighting, and dramatic projections and this focuses on nature in the first act and migration in the second.  I particularly liked "Reel Around the Sun," "The Countess Cathleen," "Thunderstorm," "Firedance," "Riverdance," "Anna Livia," and "Home and the Heartland."  I also really enjoyed seeing the addition of flamenco dancing in "Andalucia" and Russian dancing in "Macedonian Morning" and "Russian Dervish."  However, my favorite number of the night was "Trading Taps" which is basically an epic dance off between tap dancers and step dancers and it was amazing.  The dancers in the troupe are insanely talented, especially the lead dancers Amy-Mae Dolan and James Greenan.  There are musical numbers between each of the dances featuring the bodhran, fiddle, saxophone, and uilleann pipes and, while the performers are incredibly talented, I found these interludes to be a bit boring after a while.  I tend to grow weary of long improvisational solos (even at rock concerts) and whenever the musicians were on stage I kept wishing that the dancers would come back soon.  I don't remember these "filler" numbers in the original production but, to be fair, it was a long time ago.  I enjoyed the show but I wish that there had been more dancing in Riverdance.  The run at the Eccles ended last night but the production will be touring around the country through the summer and, if it comes to a city near you, I recommend it.

A Kurt Bestor Christmas at the Eccles

I have attended Kurt Bestor's annual Christmas concert many times over the years and, when last year's concert was canceled, I really missed it.  When this year's concert was announced I bought a ticket immediately and I've been looking forward to it ever since.  I love hearing Christmas music performed live and the concert last night was wonderful!  Bestor began with "Let It Snow" which was very appropriate considering the snowstorm we had in SLC yesterday (it was a lot of fun driving to the Eccles Theatre from my house).  He continued with "Bring a Torch Jeanette, Isabella" which is one of my favorites because I sang it in choir in college.  He performed a beautiful rendition of "Still, Still, Still" on flugelhorn which he dedicated to his father.  He continued with an arrangement called "Christmas Cubanismo" which featured a Latin beat and this got the audience dancing in their seats!  The special guest for this concert was Alex Boye and he came out to perform "Christmas Time Is Here" and I loved his rendition of this song.  Next came "The Coventry Carol" and then "Sing We Noel" in which each section of Bestor's band was featured as he introduced them.  The first set concluded with "Prayer for the Children," one of Bestor's best-known songs, featuring vocalists from the One Voice Children's Choir.  It was really lovely and it brought a tear to my eye as it always does.  After the intermission he performed arrangements of "Carol of the Bells" and "What Child is This."  Then he performed another one of my favorite Christmas songs, "In the Bleak Midwinter."  My favorite version of this song is Sarah McLachlan's but Bestor's arrangement was also really beautiful.  Boye returned to the stage for a rousing rendition of "Go Tell it on the Mountain" which basically turned the Eccles Theatre into an old time gospel revival!  Then Boye performed an original Christmas song called "Newborn" and I really loved this, especially the African drums!  He continued with "I Pray on Christmas" and his moves rivaled those of James Brown!  It is just not Christmas until I hear "O Holy Night" performed live and Bestor played the flugelhorn on a lovely arrangement that gave me goosebumps!  He continued with a really cool Celtic version of "Ding Dong Merrily on High" featuring his concert master on fiddle.  It is a tradition at Bestor's Christmas concerts to have an audience member read 'Twas The Night Before Christmas while he performs his amusing accompaniment but this year, because of Covid, he had Boye read it and to say that it was entertaining would be an understatement!  I laughed and laughed at his antics!  Bestor concluded the concert with "Joy to the World" and had Boye return to sing a stirring rendition of "Silent Night."  There is just something about Christmas music that makes me happy so, of course, I really loved this concert!  Bestor's music is always beautiful but last night he seemed delighted to be back in front of an audience and was especially charming so I highly recommend getting a ticket to one of the remaining shows (go here) because this might be his best concert yet!

Amy Grant at the Eccles

When I was in college I worked as a counselor at a summer camp and my bunk mate was really into Christian rock.  Some of it rubbed off on me because that was the summer I became a huge fan of Amy Grant.  Some people are surprised when they learn this about me but I love her and I've seen her several times in concert.  I was so excited to see her again last night at the Eccles Theater for a concert to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Heart in Motion, her most mainstream and commercially successful album (although my favorite is Lead Me On).  As such, she played quite a few songs from this album, including "Hope Set High," "Good For Me," "That's What Love Is For," "Ask Me," "Baby Baby," and "Every Heartbeat."  She also played "Don't Ever Want to Lose It" which is a song she began writing when she was working on material for Heart in Motion but never finished.  When she was in the process of releasing a 30th Anniversary edition of the album she decided to finish and record it.  I had never heard it before and I really liked it.  She played "Saved By Love" and "1974" (which I had never heard live before) from my favorite album Lead Me On and I absolutely loved hearing these songs.  She also sang quite a few of my favorites from The Collection (which I listened to over and over again when I was in college), such as "Stay For a While," "Angels," "Find a Way," "El-Shaddai" (one of my favorite moments of the night), "Sing Your Praise to the Lord" (which got the crowd on their feet), and "Emmanuel" (another favorite moment).  She included a few songs from some of her later albums, such as "Say Once More," "If I Could See (What the Angels See)," "Children of the World," "Helping Hand," "Turn This World Around," "Out in the Open," and "Better Than a Hallelujah."  I wasn't as familiar with these songs but I really enjoyed them.  She ended her set with a cover of "Put A Little Love in Your Heart," which she often does, and then came back to perform a heartfelt version of "I Will Remember You" from Heart in Motion as the encore (when she came back to the stage for the encore people started shouting songs they wanted to hear, I wanted "Everywhere I Go," and she said she wasn't singing any of them but she was making a setlist for the next time she came to town).  Grant is a very charismatic performer and last night was no exception because she recounted many amusing stories before each song and she frequently had the audience laughing out loud.  I loved this concert (I sang almost every word) and it was wonderful to be back at the Eccles Theater for such a fun show!

Sarah McLachlan at the Eccles

Last night I went to my first concert of 2020 and it was such a good one!  I have been a fan of Sarah McLachlan ever since I heard the song "Possession" and bought the album Fumbling Towards Ecstasy (which I played almost continuously in the early 1990s).  I was so excited when I heard that she was coming to the Eccles Theatre because it is an amazing venue for concerts.  I bought a ticket as soon as they went on sale and I've been looking forward to it ever since (it is what got me through two nights of parent teacher conferences).  The concert was billed as an intimate evening of songs and storytelling and that is exactly what it was.  It was just her on piano and guitar with Vanessa Freebairn-Smith accompanying her on cello and backing vocals.  This resulted in some lovely arrangements of her best songs.  She included a few songs from the albums Shine On and Laws of Illusion, which I am not as familiar with, such as "In Your Shoes," "Monster," "Song For My Father," "Beautiful Girl," "Loving You Is Easy," and "The Sound That Love Makes."  However, she spent most of the evening singing all of my favorite songs, including "Possession," "I Will Remember You," "Adia," "Good Enough," "Building a Mystery," "Drifting," "World on Fire," "Fallen," "Sweet Surrender," "Hold On," and "Ice Cream," and hearing them took me back to some really great times and some really dark times in my life.  It was pretty emotional, especially her rendition of "Hold On" with a new arrangement on piano.  She also sang a cover of Peter Gabriels's "Mercy Street" after talking about how much he inspired her as a young girl.  In between each song she would tell various anecdotes about them.  My favorite story was when people tell her that they played "Possession" at their wedding she always wants to laugh because it is about a stalker.  For the encore she sang a new song from a forthcoming album called "Wilderness" and I really liked it (she seems to have had a lot of relationships with narcissists that have ended badly).  Then she played a beautiful version of "Angel" to end the evening.  I really enjoyed this concert so much!  McLachlan is incredibly talented and she was so engaging with the crowd last night.  It was the perfect way to end a long and difficult week!

Note:  As many of you know, there is always one song (usually an obscure song from the artist's back catalogue) that I hope will be played whenever I go to a concert.  Last night I hoped that McLachlan would play "Push" but I wasn't too disappointed because I have heard her play it live before (and I kind of understand why she didn't play it because it is a beautiful love song about her now ex-husband).

Mannheim Steamroller at the Eccles

I absolutely love Mannheim Steamroller but it has been a few years since I last saw them in concert.  Tickets to this year's shows at the Eccles Theatre sold out very quickly so I was thrilled when another show was added and I immediately got a ticket.  However, when the ticket arrived in the mail, I realized that the show was for 3:30 in the afternoon!  I had to leave school as soon as the bell rang yesterday but I made it in time and I thoroughly enjoyed myself!  Chip Davis created Mannheim Steamroller as a fusion between classical and contemporary music and I especially love his arrangements of Christmas music.  The concert began with "Celebration," "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," "Catching Snowflakes On Your Tongue," "Mere Image," "Hallelujah," "Angels We Have Heard On High," "Greensleeves," and "Christmas Lullaby."  I felt so lucky to be able to hear my favorite Christmas song for the third time this season when they played "Cantique De Noel (O Holy Night)."  It is such a beautiful version of the song and it gave me goosebumps!  I also really loved the song "Fairies" because it is a rock and roll version of "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" from the Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky.  They ended the first half of the concert with "Carol of the Bells" which is one of their most popular songs.  After the intermission they played "Wonders" from their latest album, Exotic Spaces.  This wasn't a Christmas song but I really liked it.  In honor of the 35th Anniversary of their first Christmas album, Mannheim Steamroller Christmas, they performed all of the songs on it in order!  This made me so happy because I have probably listened to that album hundreds of times and I love every song, including "Deck the Halls," "We Three Kings," "Bring a Torch Jeanette, Isabella" (I have now heard this song performed three times this season, as well), "Coventry Carol," "Good King Wenceslas," "Wassail, Wassail," "Carol of the Birds," "I Saw Three Ships," "God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen," and "Stille Nacht (Silent Night)."  This concert was so wonderful and it was just what I needed after a difficult day at school (I am counting the days until winter break)!  The concert tomorrow night at the Eccles is sold out but I definitely recommend checking them out if they come to SLC again!

Kurt Bestor at the Eccles

I have certainly been getting my fill of Christmas music this season because I went to yet another Christmas concert last night (the third in four days for those of you who are playing along at home).  This time it was the Kurt Bestor Christmas concert at the Eccles Theatre.  I think that Bestor can sometimes be really full of himself but I love his arrangements of Christmas carols and he always puts on a great show!  He was center stage at the piano (he also played the flugelhorn and harmonica) and was backed by a fantastic band and orchestra.  He began with "Suite De Noel" and continued with his arrangements of "Joy to the World," "Carol of the Bells," "What Child Is This," "Bring a Torch Jeanette, Isabella" (a favorite of mine from when I was in the Westminster College Choir), "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," "O Little Town of Bethlehem,"and "Let It Snow."  Then he brought his special guest, world-renowned tenor Nathan Pacheco, to the stage to perform his arrangement of "I Wonder as I Wander" and this was incredibly beautiful.  Pacheco's voice is so powerful that he just about blew the roof off the Eccles Theatre!  He next played "Christmas Concerto for Woodwinds" which is a fun medley of lots of different Christmas carols and it features musician Ray Smith on a variety of woodwind instruments.  I've been to Bestor's concerts before and whenever he performs this piece, Smith likes to add a new instrument (it originally began with 20).  Last night he attempted 38 different instruments to break the Guinness World Record (apparently he did it!).  After the intermission, Bestor performed the song that he is best known for, "Prayer of the Children," and he featured three members of the One Voice Children's Choir.  It was beautiful and everyone around me was crying by the end of it (I may or may not have been crying, too).  Next, he played his version of "Christmas Time Is Here" from A Charlie Brown Christmas (including a Charlie Brown tree).  Nathan Pacheco returned to the stage to perform "Oh Come, All Ye Faithful" and "Winter Wonderland" which were lovely.  My very favorite Christmas song is "O Holy Night" and every year I always hope that I can hear it performed live.  This year I got a bonus performance because Pacheco sang a beautiful arrangement and I absolutely loved it!  He gave me goosebumps!  Bestor then dedicated his version of "Still, Still, Still" to his father who passed away this year (this is another favorite from my choir days).  He brought an audience member to the stage to read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas to his accompaniment, as he does every year, and it was quite amusing because he chose the same man to read it last year!  He ended the set with "Silent Night" and then performed a rousing version of "Ding Dong Merrily On High" for the encore.  This concert included so many of my favorites and I thoroughly enjoyed it!