Showing posts with label West Valley Arts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label West Valley Arts. Show all posts

Sunday, February 25, 2024

A Tale of Two Cities at West Valley Arts

I really love the musical A Tale of Two Cities (it is my favorite novel by Charles Dickens). I saw both HCT's productions, in 2011 and 2021 (multiple times), and I count them as some of the best I've seen there. When I learned that the same production team (John Sweeney, Anne Puzey, and Marilyn Montgomery) responsible for the 2011 production was back (on the same stage) for the first show at West Valley Arts this season, I immediately bought a ticket for last night's performance. It was amazing! Lucie Manette (Brittany Andam), a young woman in London who believes that she is an orphan, learns that her father, Dr. Alexander Manette (Jared Haddock), is alive after having been wrongly imprisoned in the Bastille by the Marquise St. Evremonde (John Philpott). She travels to Paris to bring him home to London and meets Charles Darnay (Landon Horton), 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 (Preston Yates) 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 (Jane Bonner). In Paris, Evremonde is responsible for the death of a child when his carriage recklessly 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 (Ricky Dowse), to murder him which ultimately leads to revolution. Darnay feels responsible for Evremonde's household and secretly returns Paris where 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 music in this show is incredibly beautiful and stirring and I especially love "The Way It Ought to Be" by the men and women of Paris, "You'll Never Be Alone" by Dr. Manette and Lucie, "If Dreams Came True" and its reprise by Sydney and Charles, and "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" by Madame Defarge. The entire cast is outstanding but I was blown away by Yates' portrayal of Carton. His versions of "If Dreams Came True" in the second act and "I Can't Recall" as he slowly walks up the steps to the guillotine in the final scene moved me to tears. I also really loved Swenson, who has portrayed Madame Defarge in all three productions I've seen, because she sings "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" and "The Tale" with so much passion! Linda Jean Stephenson, as Miss Pross, Daniel Radford, as John Barsad, and Mason Gates, as Jerry Cruncher, provide a lot of comic relief with their hilarious performances (the novels of Dickens are very dense and filled with a lot of side characters so I appreciate how they are incorporated into the main story in this adaptation). The set, featuring several multi-level wooden platforms which are reconfigured into many different locations seamlessly by the ensemble, is simple but incredibly dramatic. My favorite set piece is the staircase leading to the guillotine, which slowly comes down from the rafters, because it is incredibly powerful! I also loved the bold lighting design, particularly the use of red hand prints projected on the floor during the scenes inciting revolution and the single spotlight on the stairs to the guillotine. I was very moved by this production and would highly recommend it but, unfortunately, the run ended last night. West Valley Arts will also be producing Shakespeare in Love, The Lightning Thief, Legally Blonde, and Jekyll & Hyde this season (go here for information and tickets).

Note:  Jill Santoriello, who wrote the book, music, and lyrics for this show, was in the audience last night. She sat a few rows ahead of me and I noticed that she was mouthing the words to the songs!

Saturday, October 7, 2023

Sleepy Hollow at West Valley Arts

Last night I saw the musical Sleepy Hollow at West Valley Arts and, on the whole, I enjoyed this retelling of the classic story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving. In the isolated village of Sleepy Hollow the townspeople, including a wealthy farmer named Balthus Van Tassel (Bryan Johnson) and his daughter Katrina (Emma Roberts), Van Tassel's farmhand Zander DeGroot (James Duncan), the carpenter Abraham "Brom" Van Bron (Jordan LeBaron), siblings Faas and Rosalie Brinkerhoff (Joseph Branca and Morgan Fenner, respectively), the widow Gusta Tenbrook (Emily Duncan) and her children Dorine (Mersedez Clifford), Willem (Soren Ray), and Anika (Cora Duncan), the stable master Hans Van Ripper (Taylor Smith), his wife Arabella (Caroline Anderson), and children Dirk (Luke Elzey) and Mina (Sofia Paredes-Kenrick), and the town spinster Sabine Vedder (Lauren Slagowski), seem to be living under a supernatural curse. No one is allowed to leave and everyone has suffered unexplained personal tragedies, the worst of which is a bride whose groom was killed and now roams the village headless.  A pompous and arrogant schoolmaster named Ichabod Crane (Ricky Parkinson) comes to the village and is cruel to his students, is a rival to Brom for Katrina's affections, and is openly disdainful of the town's legends and superstitions which causes the townspeople to turn against him. He disappears after he is chased by Brom and then the Headless Horseman (Lio River). Soon after, the tragedies endured by the townspeople seem to be repeating but is it the curse or is it Ichabod Crane exacting revenge? I loved the story, especially how Ichabod Crane is recast as the villain, but it is very convoluted at times and I didn't find the songs to be particularly memorable because they feature so much exposition (my favorites are "Never Spare the Rod," "A Conundrum," "Your Heart with Mine," and "Vanished"). The stage is simple but effective and features paths leading to a bridge that retracts and set pieces for the village green, the schoolhouse (I loved the old-fashioned desks), the church, the Van Tassel estate, the stables, and the woods (I loved the large hollow tree) that are brought on and off stage through the wings. The period costumes are also very well done (the velvet cloaks are gorgeous). There are way too many scenes featuring the townspeople just sitting and standing around but I did really like the choreography for the dances at the Halloween party and the wedding and I loved the way the chase with the Headless Horseman and the final transformation are staged because these scenes are so dramatic. I also found the portrayal of the horses to be a lot of fun. Finally, the best part of this production is the talented cast! They all have beautiful voices (I was especially impressed with Roberts, Duncan, and LeBaron) and Parkinson had me laughing out loud with his characterization of such an unlikable prig. Despite my few criticisms, I think this a great show to see during the spooky month of October and recommend it as a fun night out. It runs at the West Valley Performing Arts Center through October 30 and tickets may be purchased here.

Saturday, August 5, 2023

West Side Story at West Valley Arts

I have always really loved the musical West Side Story so I was very happy to have the opportunity to see a production at West Valley Arts last night! It is fantastic! The story revolves around the forbidden romance between Tony (Maxx Teuscher) and Maria (Samantha Paredes) and the animosity it stirs up between the Jets and the Sharks, two rival street gangs who are vying for territory. My favorite aspect of this particular show is the dynamic choreography by Ben Roeling! I especially loved the Prologue because it immediately establishes the tension between the two gangs just by using stylized movement, the Dance at the Gym because the way in which the Jets, the Sharks, and their girls part when Tony and Maria first see each other is incredibly dramatic, "America" because Anita (Sophia Morrill Mancilla) and the girls are so athletic and exuberant, the dream sequence during "Somewhere" because it is unbelievably ethereal and heartbreaking, and "Gee, Officer Krupke" with Action (Byerly Nielson) and the rest of the Jets because the physical comedy is hilarious. The performances in this show are outstanding and I particularly loved Teuscher's renditions of "Something's Coming" and "Maria" as well as his versions of "Tonight" and "One Hand, One Heart" with Paredes. Speaking of Paredes, her performance in the final scene is so affecting that it brought tears to my eyes. However, I was most impressed with Mancilla because her rage during "A Boy Like That" and her terror during the scene at the drug store when the Jets attack her are palpable. The minimal set, featuring brick walls and chain link fences surrounding the main stage and fire escapes (where the famous balcony scenes take place) in the areas above the wings, is very effective and so is the lighting design which uses warm reds for the Sharks and cool blues for the Jets. Having said that, I wish the costume design had done more to distinguish between the two gangs (especially at the dance) but I loved all of the period dresses with all of the layers of tulle. This is a beautiful production of a show with a powerful message that it still very relevant today and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs at the West Valley Performing Arts Center through August 26 with performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Music for a Summer Night at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center

Last night I attended a free Utah Symphony concert at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center and it was a lovely evening for listening to music under the stars (one of my favorite summer activities).  The program was an eclectic one featuring composers and pieces celebrating the Americas.  It included Toast of the Town Overture by Quinn Mason, El Cumbanchero by Rafael Hernandez, Starburst by Jessie Montgomery, Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman by Joan Tower, Four Novelletten by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland, Fanfare on Amazing Grace by Adolphus Hailstork, selections from Othello Suite by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Danzon No. 2 by Arturo Marquez, Cachita by Rafael Hernandez, Huapango by Jose Pablo Moncayo, and "Techno" from Fiesta! by Jimmy Lopez.  I really enjoyed all of these pieces but my very favorite was Fanfare for the Common Man because it is instantly recognizable and the themes played by the brass and the percussion, especially the timpani and the gong, are both dramatic and majestic (despite the name).  The crowd really loved Danzon No. 2 because the rhythms were infectious!  Associate conductor Benjamin Manis was practically dancing on the podium and I particularly liked the seductive solos played by the woodwinds and a playful theme by the piano.  The concert concluded, as summer concerts often do, with an encore featuring The Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa and this got the crowd on their feet clapping along.  The cute little ladies sitting next to me were thrilled when the piccolos and the brass sections stood for their solos.  It was such a fun night!  This same program will be performed again tonight at the Waterfall Amphitheater at Thanksgiving Point.  Tickets are required for this concert (go here) but there will be fireworks afterwards!  Also, last night's concert was the first in a series of free concerts every Monday night during the summer at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center (go here for more information) sponsored by West Valley Arts.

Saturday, June 10, 2023

Puffs at West Valley Arts

I am a huge fan of the Harry Potter franchise (I have read all of the books and seen all of the movies countless times and I even flew to San Francisco just to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) so I was absolutely thrilled to be able to see Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic at West Valley Arts last night! It is a really fun and clever parody of the popular series and I loved it! A Narrator (Brandwynn Michelle) introduces the audience to a brave orphan wizard with a lightning bolt scar named Harry Potter (Sofia Parades-Kenrick) but then tells us that this story is about another orphan named Wayne Hopkins (Grayson Kamel) who is also sent to the school of female magic and male magic after learning that he is a wizard. The story begins with a ceremony that sorts everyone into one of the four houses: Braves, Smarts, Snakes, and Puffs. The sorting hat places Wayne in Puffs and he is soon introduced to the prefect, Cedric Diggory (Adam Packard), and the other outcasts and misfits in this house, including Oliver Rivers (Tanner Larson), Megan Jones (Bryn Campbell), Susie Bones (Natalie Ruthven), J. Finch Fletchley (Oran Marc Di Baritault), Sally Perks (Ally Choe), Ernie Mac (Lucas Stewart), and others. Over the next seven years, Wayne struggles to learn magic and tries to protect everyone from the Dark Lord, Mr. Voldy (Adam Packard). However, he is constantly overshadowed by Harry who steals all of the attention, including the moment when the Puffs are finally allowed to shine during the three wizard tournament. Eventually he starts to feel useless but the Headmaster tells him that everyone is a hero to someone and that friendship is the most important magic! What makes this show so much fun (and so clever) is that all of the well-known characters from the books are alluded to with enough recognizable traits to know exactly who they are without naming them (my favorite is a certain potions teacher) and all of the memorable events still happen but they are shown from the perspective of secondary characters who are not involved in the action. Fans will have a blast spotting all of the references! The action is non-stop (it is almost frenetic), with most of the actors playing multiple roles (I laughed out loud when a different actor played the Headmaster in the second act), and the "magic" happens using ingenious costumes, props, and choreography rather than special effects. The ensemble cast does a great job executing all of the physical comedy with Packard as the standout for me, especially as the bumbling Mr. Voldy. The set, which consists of the great hall and the Puffs' common room on the main stage and a variety of classrooms and corridors in the castle located in areas above the wings, is incredibly simple but effective and I especially loved all of the candles floating in the rafters. I enjoyed this so much and I highly recommend it (go here for tickets), especially for fans of the series!

Saturday, April 15, 2023

Into the Woods at West Valley Arts

I really love the musical Into the Woods and the production I saw last night at West Valley Arts is the best one I've seen there!  A Baker (Jared Lesa) and his Wife (Annie Ferrin), a Witch (Dianna Graham), Cinderella (Chloe Victoria), Jack and the Beanstock (Ren Cottam), and Little Red Riding Hood (Sibley Snowden) must go into the woods in order to make all of their wishes come true but they eventually learn that actions sometimes have unintended consequences and that wishes do not always turn out happily ever after. The entire cast is absolutely stellar and it is hard for me to single out just a few performances because every actor is so well-suited to his or her role and every musical number gave me goosebumps. However, the highlights for me were "Agony" because Chase Peterson as Cinderella's Prince and Woody Brook as Rapunzel's Prince are so hilariously overwrought with over the top facial expressions and gestures, "It Takes Two" because it is such a turning point and both Lesa and Ferrin give spirited performances, "Last Midnight" because Graham's rendition is incredibly powerful, and "No One Is Alone" because it is such a poignant moment between the Baker, Jack, Cinderella, and Red and Lesa, Cottam, Victoria, and Snowden sing it beautifully (I may or may not have had a tear in my eye). Another performance that I really enjoyed was Dan Radford's as the puppeteer for Milky White because he is very humorous during his interactions with Cottam (and the design for Milky White is fantastic). The choreography is innovative and perfectly suited to the small and intimate space. I was particularly impressed with "Into the Woods," "So Happy," "Ever After," and "Children Will Listen" because of the sheer number of people on the stage and the intricate patterns they are able to create. I also loved the staging of "First Midnight" and "Second Midnight" because all of the actors enter the stage carrying illuminated lanterns and it is quite dramatic. There are a lot of really fun special effects and I especially liked when the Baker saves Red and her Grandmother (Natalie Peterson) from the Wolf (Chase Peterson) and when the Stepmother (Kerilyn Johnson) mutilates the Stepsisters' (Sydney Claire and Jaymie Lambson) feet to fit into the gold slipper. The set is absolutely magical with giant moss-covered tree stumps on the main stage, groups of trees located in the areas above the wings, and trees that come down from the rafters. The costumes are some of the best I've seen at WVCArts and I was really impressed with the attention to detail. My favorites were the Witch's gown after her transformation and Cinderella's ball gown. I truly loved everything about this production and it is definitely one that you don't want to miss (go here for tickets).

Friday, February 10, 2023

Clue at West Valley Arts

My very favorite show at the Utah Shakespeare Festival last summer was definitely Clue because it is such an incredibly funny slapstick comedy! I was, therefore, really excited when I found out that West Valley Arts was opening the 2023 season with it (and really curious about how they would stage it in the round). I had the chance to see it last night and it was so much fun! Six guests, including Colonel Mustard (Tyson Baker), Mrs. Peacock (Jayne Luke), Professor Plum (Anthony Lovato), Mrs. White (Sarah Shippobotham), Mr. Green (Colton Hattabaugh), and Miss Scarlet (Daysha Lassiter), are invited by Mr. Boddy (Joseph Kyle Rohan) to his manor on a dark and stormy night. Mr. Boddy has been blackmailing each of them and, after providing them with weapons, he tells them he will return the evidence he has against them...if they kill his butler Mr. Wadsworth (Benjamin "BJ" Whimpey). Murder and mayhem ensue! The staging is extremely clever because there are a series of moving doors that lead the characters to the lounge, the study, the billiards room, and the kitchen located on the main stage while stairs lead to the hall, the library, and the conservatory located in the areas above the wings. There is elaborate (and highly amusing) choreography as the characters move from room to room (which are seamlessly reconfigured by the ensemble). I loved the parquet floors and the mahogany wainscoting on the walls all around the theater as well as the velvet covered chaise lounges, the drinks cabinets (I loved the attention to detail), and the chandeliers. This show is filled with witty dialogue (the references to Republicans had my audience laughing out loud), funny sight gags (I loved it when the board game is used as a map of the manor), and hilarious physical comedy. My favorite scenes are when Mr. Wadsworth reenacts every single murder in detail and when he accuses a character of committing the murder and then the action rewinds in slow-motion as each character accuses someone else. The entire cast is wonderful and they all have great comedic timing but I especially enjoyed Hattabaugh's physicality in scenes where he is trapped under two different dead bodies and when a chandelier falls on him in slow-motion. The lighting is very dramatic and used to great effect to highlight the different areas of the manor and the costumes are completely over the top (especially Miss Scarlet's gown). I laughed and laughed at this production and I highly recommend it for a really fun night out (go here for tickets).

Friday, September 16, 2022

Little Shop of Horrors at West Valley Arts

I was very excited to see Little Shop of Horrors at the West Valley Performing Arts Center last night. It has been a really long time since I've seen this show and I had a blast getting reacquainted with it. Seymour (Zack Elzey) and Audrey (MacKenzie Pedersen) both work in a run-down flower shop in Skid Row owned by the persnickety Mr. Mushnik (Michael Hohl). Seymour thinks that an unusual plant, which he found during a total eclipse of the sun, will bring more business to the shop. He can't find it in any reference book so he names it Audrey II because he is secretly in love with his co-worker. The shop becomes wildly successful because of Audrey II but Mr. Mushnik worries that it isn't thriving. Seymour inadvertently discovers that Audrey II likes drinking his blood after he cuts himself on a thorn and, eventually, it grows to a giant size and asks him to feed him more! When Seymour can't feed it any more of his blood, his first victim is Audrey's boyfriend Orin Scrivello (Douglas Irey), a sadistic dentist, which wins him the love of Audrey but her namesake now wants more and more! Seymour enjoys the notoriety that Audrey II brings him but soon feels guilty about everything he has done to feed it! He wants to get rid of it but he soon realizes that Audrey II has an evil plan for world domination! The music, which is a combination of rock and roll, doo-wop, and Motown, is fantastic and I especially enjoyed the songs "Little Shop of Horrors," "Skid Row (Downtown)," "Somewhere That's Green," and "Suddenly Seymour." A girl group comprised of Crystal (Nneka Barcelona), Chiffon (Anna Kaitlyn Burningham), and Ronnette (Daysha Lassiter) act as a chorus narrating the action and they sound amazing together! Elzey and Pedersen (who are both understudies) did a great job last night and I especially liked all of Elzey's nerdy and awkward mannerisms, particularly when Seymour tries to kiss Audrey. Irey is absolutely hilarious as Scrivello and I laughed out loud during his over the top rendition of "Dentist!" However, my favorite character was Audrey II (with Jared Lesa as its voice and Byerly Neilsen as puppeteer).  The elaborate puppet is a lot of fun and looks like a giant Venus flytrap with a mouth full of teeth that opens wide and roots that get bigger and bigger as the show goes on. Its song "Feed Me" is definitely a highlight of the show because Lesa has a smooth and seductive voice! The production design, including the set, lighting, and costumes, is outstanding and I was very impressed! I had a smile on my face through the whole show and I highly recommend it (go here for tickets and information).

Note:  I was so happy to see such a large crowd last night!

Sunday, June 26, 2022

In the Heights at West Valley Arts

Before Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote and starred in another Tony Award winning musical called In the Heights. I have seen it several times (two different productions at PTC as well as the Broadway touring production in San Diego) and I really love it (maybe not quite as much as Hamilton) because it is a very powerful story about community and the family you make with the people around you. Last night I had a chance to see it at the West Valley Performing Arts Center and I think it is their best production yet! The story revolves around a woman named Claudia (Sonia Maritza Inoa-Rosado Maughan) who acts as an abuela (grandmother) to everyone in a small neighborhood in Washington Heights. Usnavi (Pedro Flores) owns a bodega beset with problems, such as a broken refrigerator, while trying to keep his wayward nephew Sonny (Scotty Fletcher) in line. He dreams of returning to the cool breezes of the Dominican Republic. Vanessa (Micki Martinez) is hoping to escape the barrio, and her abusive mother, to move downtown but a credit check for her new apartment stands in her way. Nina (Beatriz Melo) is the pride of her parents (Monte Garcia and Sophia Davis) and the whole neighborhood because she received a scholarship to Stanford but college is a lot harder than she thought it would be, especially since she has to work two jobs to make ends meet, and she is thinking of quitting. Abuela Claudia has looked after them all of their lives and she just might find a way to help them make all of their dreams come true. The entire cast, which is entirely made up of POC, is incredibly strong and I really enjoyed every performance.  However, my favorites were Luseane Pasa as Daniela because she is so sassy in "No Me Diga" and she just about blows the roof off of the theater in "Carnaval Del Barrio" and Melo because you can really feel her pain for disappointing everyone in the neighborhood in "Respira (Breathe)" and her rendition of "Sunrise" (with Kiirt Banks as Benny) is lovely. I was also struck by how much Flores sounds like Lin-Manuel Miranda but I also appreciated that he made the character his own.  Besides the cast, I was also quite impressed with the choreography by Izzy Arrieta and I loved the big ensemble numbers "In the Heights," "96,000" (which was a big crowd-pleaser), "Blackout," and "Carnaval Del Barrio." I also loved the staging of "Alabanza" (my favorite song in the show) because the candlelight processional is incredibly beautiful. The cast executes the choreography very well and it was really fun to watch them dance with so much energy and exuberance! Finally, I think the set by Jason Baldwin is fantastic and does much to enhance the story. The main stage is a courtyard with brick walls covered in graffiti and the dispatch, salon, and bodega are located in the corners (with additional set pieces rolled on as needed).  The aisles function as streets and are used by the cast for entrances and exits. The areas above the wings are configured as fire escapes (I loved the laundry hanging across the windows). This is definitely one of my favorite productions this year (and I have seen quite a few) so I highly recommend this wonderful show (go here for tickets).

Note:  I was so happy to see such a large crowd last night!

Friday, April 29, 2022

Little Women at West Valley Arts

Last night I went to see Little Women at the West Valley Performing Arts Center. I fell in love with this musical when I saw a production at HCT (on the same stage!) and I enjoyed this show just as much! The story, based on the beloved classic by Louisa May Alcott, shows the March sisters, Jo (Lindsea Garside), Meg (Madison McGuire), Beth (Ellie Hughes), and Amy (Mia Hansen), coming of age in Concord, Massachusetts during and after the Civil War. We first meet Jo when she is in New York pursuing her dream of becoming a writer.  However, when Professor Bhaer (Josh Egbert), another resident at her boardinghouse, tells her that she should write about what she knows rather than the sensational pieces she has been submitting to magazines, there are flashbacks to the trials and triumphs of her adolescence with her sisters and mother "Marmee" (Heidi Hunt), her neighbor Theodore "Laurie" Laurence (Ricky Dowse), his grandfather Mr. Laurence (Nick Cash), and her Aunt March (Wanda Copier). Jo encounters sorrow in the death of a sister, disappointment in love with Laurie, redemption as she writes a story she can be proud of, and, ultimately, love with Professor Bhaer. I have always loved the character Jo (I wanted to be her the first time I read the novel) because she is so fiery and independent and the beautiful music adds another layer to her story. I especially love the songs "Astonishing" and "The Fire Within Me." Garside has a beautiful voice and the emotion that she puts into these songs make them incredibly powerful. I also really appreciated her passion in the scene with Aunt March when she learns that she won't be going to Europe because you could really feel her frustration. A number that put a smile on my face was "The Weekly Volcano Press" where Jo reads one of her sensational stories to Professor Bhaer as it is acted out. I found myself watching Garside more than what was happening on stage because she mouths all of the words as they are sung and she is so hilariously over the top! There are quite a few poignant moments with wonderful performances from the rest of the cast as well, such as when Hunt (who is the swing) as Marmee laments that her husband is not with her to help her raise their daughters in "Here Alone," when Cash as Mr. Laurence allows a bit of vulnerability to show through his gruff persona in "Off to Massachusetts," and when Hughes as Beth confesses that she knows she will die in "Some Things Are Meant to Be." I had a tear in my eye during the latter number. The choreography, especially in "Five Forever," is a lot of fun and the minimalist set is very effective. I was a little bit disappointed with some of the costumes and wigs but this didn't detract from my enjoyment. This production is extremely well done with lovely performances and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here).

Note:  I would really love to see larger audiences for this theater because every show I have seen (as an usher and a patron) has been outstanding and the ticket price is very reasonable!

Friday, March 11, 2022

The Foreigner at West Valley Arts

Last year I had the opportunity to volunteer as an usher at the West Valley Performing Arts Center and I had a lot of fun while getting to see some great shows. Unfortunately I am not able to do it any more because of family responsibilities but I went back as a patron last night to see The Foreigner which is an absolutely hilarious show. Froggy LeSueur (Xander Richey) is a British demolition expert who is visiting rural Georgia to conduct training sessions at an army base. Froggy brings his friend Charlie Baker (Joseph Paul Branca) with him because he is depressed over his marital difficulties and installs him at a fishing lodge owned by Betty Meeks (Vicky Pugmire) while he is on maneuvers. Charlie doesn't like this arrangement because he is painfully shy and fears having to interact with strangers but Froggy solves the problem by telling Betty that Charlie is a foreigner who doesn't speak English. The other guests at the lodge are drawn to Charlie because they believe he can't understand them. Catherine (Amanda Anne Dayton) pours her heart out to him because he is a good listener, Ellerd (Brandon Green) gains confidence by successfully "teaching" him English, and David (TJ Thomas) inadvertently reveals a plot he has hatched with a local member of the Ku Klux Klan (Oran Marc de Baritault). Chaos ensues until Charlie begins to feel like he belongs. The show is incredibly funny because it exaggerates the idea of being a fish out of water but there are also some really important deeper themes about fearing those who are different so, even though I was laughing out loud through most of it, I was also thinking about how much we need a little understanding in the world right now. The entire cast is fantastic but the standouts for me are Green (who I have seen in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Peter and the Starcatcher at CPT and Is He Dead? and Arsenic and Old Lace at HCT) and Branca. Ellerd is a little bit slow so when he tries to teach Charlie the words to a few of the items in the lodge (fork has somehow become a two syllable word) it is absolutely hysterical because of Green's facial expressions. At one point, Charlie is asked to tell a story in his native language, which is completely made up, and Branca's delivery is the highlight of the show!  I couldn't breathe because I was laughing so hard. The set of the fishing lodge is a lot of fun and I was particularly impressed with the attention to detail (I loved all of the knickknacks everywhere). My only complaint with this show is a really strange costuming decision which put the Ku Klux Klan members is army fatigues instead the white robes they would normally wear (I've seen this show several times). I understand that the production team might have wanted to be sensitive in their portrayal of this group but it is very clear from the beginning of the play who they are so the robes wouldn't have been a surprise and this decision lessened the impact of the climax in my opinion.  Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this show and would definitely recommend it.  It runs Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through March 26 and tickets are very reasonable (go here).
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