The Hunchback of Notre Dame at Tuacahn Amphitheatre

I always like to see at least one show at Tuacahn every year so I took a quick road trip to St. George for The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Tarzan and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are the other shows being performed in repertory) last night.  I really love this musical and I knew it would be spectacular against the red rock!  Quasimodo (Justin Luciano) has been hidden by his master Frollo (Randal Keith) in the bell tower of Notre Dame Cathedral all of his life because he is deformed.  He wonders what it would be like to leave the cathedral and decides that he will be safe on the streets of Paris during the Feast of Fools.  He is eventually crowned the King of the Fools but when the crowd turns on him the gypsy Esmeralda (Sophia Marie Guerrero) rescues him.  She also catches the eye of the captain of the cathedral guard Phoebus de Martin (Sean Thompson) who falls in love with her and she bewitches Frollo who becomes obsessed with possessing her.  When Esmeralda rejects Frollo, he orders Phoebus to arrest her but when he refuses they both become fugitives who are given sanctuary in the cathedral by Quasimodo until the final confrontation in the bell tower.  The four main leads are amazing!  My favorite song in the show is "God Help the Outcasts" and Guerrero sings it beautifully; Keith's version of "Hellfire" is incredibly dramatic (it is also staged brilliantly with a projection of Esmeralda dancing in flames on the rose window of the cathedral); Luciano's rendition of "Heaven's Light" brought tears to my eyes; and Thompson is so romantic when he sings "Someday" with Guerrero.  The ensemble also does an excellent job narrating the story in "The Bells of Notre Dame" and its multiple reprises.  One of my favorite aspects of the show is the use of gargoyles as characters who help and inspire Quasimodo.  Most productions that I've seen use three actors who are costumed as actual gargoyles but this show features many of them who appear on the outside of the cathedral and the bell towers and then are brought to life as puppets by the ensemble.  This change is particularly effective in the song "Made of Stone" when they accuse Quasimodo.  The choreography is very energetic and engaging, especially in "Topsy Turvy" (I loved the ribbons) and "The Rhythm of the Tambourine."  As with most productions at Tuacahn, there are lots of fun details which set this apart from the other versions I have seen.  Phoebus appears in the cathedral square for the first time on horseback, King Louis XI visits Frollo in a carriage pulled by horses, real fire is used to burn the brothel down, Quasimodo really swings from a rope to save Esmeralda from the pyre, and he really throws Frollo from the bell tower (with some amazing special effects).  Finally, the set is absolutely spectacular!  The stage is dominated by a Gothic cathedral with two large bell towers on either side.  A large screen behind the cathedral features various projections (I especially loved the beautiful rose window when the inside of the cathedral is shown) and I think they are used very effectively.  The area in front of the cathedral becomes a square with the addition of a few set pieces and it becomes the inside of the cathedral when the doors open and pews and votive stands are added.  I was very impressed with this show and I highly recommend it (go here for tickets to this and the other shows this season).

Taylor Swift at Empower Field

I saw Taylor Swift when she was in SLC for the 1989 Tour and it was one of the best concerts I've ever seen so, when the Eras Tour was announced, I really wanted to go.  Even though I ended up on the waitlist for the Verified Fan presale, I was still hopeful until the entire Ticketmaster site crashed.  Such was my mania to see this concert that, even though everyone was up in arms over the outrageous prices charged by scalpers (It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me), I resorted to StubHub and convinced my sister Marilyn to get a ticket as well.  We both spent the equivalent of the GNP of a small country for these tickets but it was absolutely worth it!  We drove to Denver for the show last night at Empower Field and it was an amazing three hour set celebrating all of Taylor Swift's studio albums, or eras, with pyrotechnics, intricate choreography (I love that she has backup dancers of all ethnicities and body types), multiple wardrobe changes (my favorites were an asymmetrical black catsuit embellished with red snakes for the Reputation era, a sparkly while and gold sequined princess gown for the Speak Now era, and a flowing white gown for the folklore era), a runway that extended across the floor of the stadium with a diamond-shaped stage in the center, and wristbands that lit up in sync with each song.  The Lover era was first and included "Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince," "Cruel Summer," "The Man," "You Need to Calm Down," "Lover," and "The Archer."  For the Fearless era she sang "Fearless," "You Belong With Me," and "Love Story."  Next came the evermore era and she performed "'tis the damn season," "willow," "marjorie," "champagne problems," and "tolerate it." The reputation era featured "...Ready for It," "Delicate," "Don't Blame Me," and "Look What You Made Me Do." Marilyn's favorite era is Speak Now and Taylor played her favorite song "Enchanted" and "Long Live" which was recently added to the set.  Next came Red, which is my favorite era, and she sang "22," "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," "I Knew You Were Trouble," and "All Too Well."  For the folklore era she included "the 1," "betty," "the last great american dynasty," "august," "illicit affairs," "my tears ricochet" (one of my favorite Taylor Swift songs), and "cardigan."  The 1989 is another favorite era of mine and I loved hearing "Style," "Blank Space," "Shake It Off," "Wildest Dreams," and "Bad Blood."  Next came the surprise songs (which are exclusive to each show).  I have been paying attention and, after seeing a lot of my favorites get performed already, I was really eager to see what the Denver songs would be.  On the drive Marilyn and I decided that we wanted to hear "Back to December" and I about lost my mind when she actually played it (she also played "Starlight").  The show concluded with the Midnights era including "Lavender Haze," "Anti-Hero," "Midnight Rain," "Vigilante Shit," "Bejeweled," "Mastermind," and "Karma" (another one of my favorite Taylor Swift songs).  Swift is a consummate performer and every song felt like an elaborate theatrical production (my favorite performances were for "willow" because she and her dancers wore green velvet cloaks and carried orbs of light while cavorting in a circle like druids, for "the 1" because she was lying on the roof of a moss covered cabin while patterns of trees appeared in the crowd from the lights on the wristbands, and for "Vigilante Shit" because she and her dancers executed stylized Fosse-like choreography with chairs).  Marilyn and I both really loved this show (and so did the tens of thousands of appreciative fans all around us).  The tickets were ridiculously expensive and we had to drive eight hours but this experience is one I won't soon forget (and I would do it again in a heartbeat).

Avalanche vs. Oilers

Yesterday I went on my first road trip of 2023 to Denver to see the Colorado Avalanche play the Edmonton Oilers last night.  It was my first Avalanche game since I lost my Dad and I really missed him!  When I picked this game I was looking at dates rather than opponents but I think I subconsciously picked the game against the Oilers because my Dad and I were big fans when I was a teenager (because of Wayne Gretzky) and we watched almost every game together in the basement!  As much as I loved the Oilers back in the day, I am definitely an Avalanche fan now and I really wanted them to win!  Both are high scoring teams so this was a defensive showdown with stellar performances from both goaltenders, especially Alexandar Georgiev who stopped 38 shots.  It was my first time seeing Georgiev in action and I was really impressed with him.  The Avalanche scored first with a goal by Ben Meyers four minutes into the first period (which was really exciting) and then Mattias Ekholm scored for Edmonton 34 seconds later (which deflated all of the energy in Ball Arena).  No other goals were scored in regulation but it was still a really exciting game with several penalties and scoring opportunities from both teams.  I particularly enjoyed it when Georgiev saved a shot from a breakaway by Connor McDavid (who is an amazing player) in the second period.  The final minutes of the third period were really intense because Edmonton had a penalty and Colorado did everything but score (I think everyone in my section was standing up the last few minutes).  Just like the previous two meetings between these two teams, the game went into overtime but, unlike those other games, Edmonton scored on a power-play goal by Evan Bouchard to win (I think it is really unfair to call a penalty in overtime unless it is really egregious).  It is always a little disappointing to see the Avalanche lose, especially after driving eight hours to see the game, but I am really glad that I came because it was very cathartic for me.  It made me feel very close to my Dad (I cried a few times) because I have so many memories of Avalanche games with him.

Note:  The Avalanche did get a point for the overtime loss and, because the Minnesota Wild lost their game last night, they clinched home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs!

Hamilton in Las Vegas (Again)

I was not really planning on seeing Hamilton at the Smith Center in Las Vegas (I have seen it many times including at the Smith Center) but I decided that I would be really sad if I didn't go and ended up getting a ticket.  I went on my first road trip with my new car yesterday to see it and I loved it as much as the first time I saw it!  Alexander Hamilton was played by the understudy Manuel Stark Santos (he was Aaron Burr when I saw it in SLC) and I really enjoyed his interpretation of the role.  He has a beautiful voice so his renditions of "Dear Theodosia" and "Hurricane" were lovely and I had tears in my eyes when he kissed Eliza's hand during "It's Quiet Uptown."  He brought quite a bit of originality to his performance in "Non-Stop" and many of his facial expressions and gestures where hilarious ("I was chosen for the Constitutional Convention!").  I saw Donald Webber, Jr. as Aaron Burr in San Francisco and SLC and last night his rendition of "Wait For It" was incredibly powerful but the phrasing was a little bit different.  I have often wondered whether the actors change their performances from city to city and it seems that he does!  The same could be said for Paris Nix (who I saw as Marquis de Lafayette/ Thomas Jefferson in Chicago and SLC) because he changed the running man to wiping his feet (which Santos imitated) in "Cabinet Battle #1."  His interactions with Brandon Louis Armstrong (as Hercules Mulligan/ James Madison) were absolutely hilarious and I laughed out loud at his antics during "What'd I Miss," "The Reynolds Pamphlet," and "The Election of 1800" because he seemed even more over the top than usual!  Darnell Abraham was an incredibly commanding George Washington when I saw him in SLC and he gave me goosebumps, and earned thunderous applause from the crowd, once again when he stormed the stage during "Right Hand Man" (which is one of my favorite moments in the show).  Eliza was played by the understudy Milika Cheree (she also played the role as the understudy in SLC) and her performance of "Burn" brought a tear to my eye once again (she had a huge flame when she set the letter on fire!).  Finally, last night I noticed for the first time that when Eliza reads the letter about John Laurens' death, Lafayette and Hercules Mulligan are up on the balcony reading letters as well.  I've always been focused on Hamilton's reaction in that scene so I have never seen them before and it was very moving!  I loved every minute of this performance (I honestly don't think I will ever get tired of it) and I am so glad that I decided to get a ticket!

Note:  Since this is such a popular show, patrons were only able to select a section on the website and then seats were randomly assigned.  I selected the main floor and was thrilled to discover that my seat was a few rows from the stage in the exact center of the theater!

SIX in Las Vegas

Yesterday my sister Kristine and I went on a quick road trip to Las Vegas to see SIX at the Smith Center.  Both of us are huge fans of the music in this show (we listened to the cast recording during the whole drive) and we were so excited to finally have a chance to see it!  The former wives of King Henry VIII, including Catherine of Aragon (Gerianne Perez), Anne Boleyn (Zan Berube), Jane Seymour (Amina Faye), Anna of Cleves (Terica Marie), Katherine Howard (Aline Mayagoitia), and Catherine Parr (Sydney Parra), get together to perform a concert with their Band, The Ladies in Waiting (Katie Coleman on Keybords, Sterlyn Termine on Bass, Liz Faure on Guitars, and Caroline Moore on Drums).  Since they have no leader, they decide that it should be the one who has suffered the most heartache and then each Queen proceeds to tell her story.  Catherine of Aragon (Divorced) agreed to leave her homeland at age 15, come to a country where she didn't speak the language, marry a man, spend seven years in a nunnery after he died, and then marry his brother but she didn't agree to be replaced in "No Way."  Anne Boleyn (Beheaded) is sorry not sorry because she was just trying to have a little fun (what was she meant to do?) in "Don't Lose Ur Head."  Jane Seymour (Died) loved Henry but she knows that his love for her was only because of her son in "Heart of Stone."  Anna of Cleves (Divorced) was rejected by Henry for being ugly but brags about getting a castle out of it in "Get Down."  Katherine Howard (Beheaded) says she couldn't help it if she drove all the boys wild and that they used her for one thing in "All You Wanna Do."  Catherine Parr (Survived) argues that even though she survived her marriage she sacrificed true love for it in "I Don't Need Your Love."  However, they ultimately decide that they do not want to be defined by Henry and that they should lead the group together in "Six."  This is the ultimate ode to girl power and each Queen's song embodies her history so well (this show is so clever!).  I loved the fact that each performance is inspired by a real life pop star (Aragon by Beyonce, Boleyn by Avril Levigne, Seymour by Adele, Cleves by Nicki Minaj, Howard by Ariana Grande, and Parr by Alicia Keyes).  The costumes have a Tudor silhouette but feature the fabrics and bling of contemporary pop princesses and the dramatic lighting is so much fun (my favorite moment was when Henry swipes left then right while looking at profile pictures in "Haus of Holbein").  I enjoyed every Queen but I had goosebumps during Faye's performance of "Heart of Stone" because she just about blew the roof off the Smith Center!  Both Kristine and I really loved this show and we both agreed that it was definitely worth the drive to Las Vegas (we both hope that it comes to SLC at some point).

Note:  I am so glad that my sister was able to get the time off to go because she is the one who introduced this show to me and we had so much fun together!

Jagged Little Pill in Las Vegas

I have been a huge fan of Alanis Morissette ever since I heard the album Jagged Little Pill for the first time so the musical based on her music has been near the top of my must-see list for a really long time!  When I found out that it was part of the Broadway Las Vegas 2022-2023 season I immediately got a ticket and planned a little road trip.  People always think I'm crazy to drive such a long distance just to see a show but I had so much fun and I loved Jagged Little Pill!  The show includes most of the songs from Jagged Little Pill, including "All I Really Want," "You Oughta Know," "Perfect," "Hand in Pocket," "Forgiven," "You Learn," "Head Over Feet," "Mary Jane," "Ironic," "Not the Doctor," and "Wake Up," but it also includes songs from Morissette's other albums as well, including "So Unsexy," "So Pure," "That I Would Be Good," "Your House," "Unprodigal Daughter," "Uninvited," and snippets of "Hands Clean" and "Thank U."  Morissette also wrote the song "Smiling" especially for the show and it was one of the highlights for me!  I knew that I would love the music but I also found the story to be incredibly compelling!  The Healy family appears to be the perfect upper middle class suburban family but under the surface each of them are dealing with complicated issues.  Mary Jane (Heidi Blickenstaff) has become addicted to opioids after a car crash and an incident brings to light a past trauma that she has been repressing.  Her husband Steve (Chris Hoch) knows that something is wrong but he can't reach her so he retreats to his job more and more.  Her adopted daughter Frankie (Lauren Chanel), who is Black, is struggling to find her identity, her sexuality, and her voice about important causes she believes in while her son Nick (Dillon Klena) is buckling under the weight of his parents' high expectations.  Through their pain they learn that the most important thing is to love and accept each other.  There are many scenes that were so powerful and poignant that the audience spontaneously erupted in very enthusiastic cheering and applause and I was incredibly moved multiple times.  I especially loved the staging of "Smiling" as Mary Jane lives her day in reverse while trying to keep up appearances because the choreography is clever, particularly the soul cycle sequence, of "Forgiven" because Blickenstaff just about blows the roof off of the Smith Center as Mary Jane visits a church to deal with her trauma for the first time, of "You Oughta Know" when Jade McLeod, as Frankie's girlfriend Jo, accuses her of abandoning her for the new boy at school in a performance that generated a mid-show standing ovation, and finally of "Uninvited" (my favorite Morissette song) as Mary Jane literally wrestles with her younger self in order to continue repressing her trauma.  Also, the staging of "Ironic," when Frankie recites a poem in English class and is told by her classmates that she isn't using irony correctly, is proof that Morissette has a sense of humor!  I loved the performances, the dynamic choreography executed by the talented ensemble, the minimal sets and projections, and the message about healing so it was definitely worth the six hour drive!  If it ever comes to SLC I will probably see it multiple times!

Utah Shakespeare Festival 2022

I love going to the Utah Shakespeare Festival and I try to see at least one show every summer.  I especially enjoy it when my sister Marilyn is able to come with me and I was so happy that it worked out for her to come this year.  We were literally counting down the days because we were so excited!

We drove down Friday morning and got to Cedar City at noon.  We wandered around for a little while, attended a seminar, and then saw our first show in the Randall L. Jones Theatre.  I didn't really know what to expect from Clue but it was one of the funniest plays I have ever seen!  Even Marilyn (who is very reserved) was laughing out loud!  Six guests, including Colonel Mustard (Rex Young), Mrs. Peacock (Bree Murphy), Professor Plum (Michael Sharon), Mrs. White (Melinda Parrett), Mr. Green (Michael Doherty), and Miss Scarlet (Cherita Armstrong), are invited by Mr. Boddy (Andrew Fehrenbacher) to his manor on a dark and stormy evening.  Mr. Boddy has been blackmailing each of them and, after providing them with weapons, he tells them that he will return the evidence he has against them...if they kill his butler Mr. Wadsworth (Aaron Galligan-Stierle).  Murder and mayhem ensue!  I loved the staging!  There are two doors which open up to reveal the lounge, the study, the kitchen and the billiards room at various times with set pieces for the library and the conservatory coming from above.  There is very elaborate choreography as the characters move from room to room and it is hilarious.  The entire cast has outstanding comedic timing but Doherty's physicality, especially when a chandelier falls on him in slow motion, was my favorite part of the show.  We loved it!

Friday night we saw Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in the Engelstad Theatre.  After being unjustly convicted and sent to a penal colony in Australia by the unscrupulous Judge Turpin (Tim Fullerton), a barber named Sweeney Todd (J. Michael Bailey) returns to London hoping to be reunited with his wife Lucy and daughter Johanna (Lucy Austin) but, when he learns their fate, he vows revenge against the judge.  He is aided by Mrs. Lovett (Bree Murphy), who has a pie shop below his former barbershop, but things take a sinister turn when he begins killing all of his customers and she begins using his victims in her meat pies.  This is an amazing production with a phenomenal cast.  Bailey and Murphy, especially, have beautiful voices that are well-suited to the operatic score but they also give sympathetic performances even though their characters become more and more depraved.  I really loved their rendition of "A Little Priest."  The set and costumes vividly bring Victorian London to life and the dramatic red lighting emphasizes the horror of what is happening.  I loved the staging of the murders with Sweeney's barber chair in the balcony and a large lever sending the victims down to the bake house through a chute.  It was a little bit too macabre for my sister but I loved it!

Saturday morning we saw The Sound of Music at the Randall L. Jones Theatre.  The story of a spirited nun named Maria (Daria Pilar Redus) who is sent to be the governess to the children of Captain von Trapp (Michael Sharon) never gets old for me and I loved this production.  Redus is wonderful as Maria!  She has a beautiful voice in "The Sound of Music" and "My Favorite Things" but she is also just a little bit sassy in her interactions with the von Trapp children, Liesl (Julia Kuzmich), Friedrich (Brooks Mellen), Louisa (Shelby Fawson) Kurt (Mack Lawrence), Brigitta (Liv Harter), Marta (Penny Hodson), and Gretl (Gwynn Christ), in "Do-Re-Mi" and "The Lonely Goatherd" and she has tremendous chemistry with Sharon in "Something Good."  I was also impressed with Lisa Strum as the Mother Abbess because she almost blows the roof off of the theatre with her rendition of "Climb Ev'ry Mountain."  I really enjoyed the choreography, especially for "Do-Re-Mi," "Sixteen Going on Seventeen," and "The Lonely Goatherd," because there are a lot of really fun and unexpected details. My only complaint is the set because a large curved staircase is on stage during the whole show and it is sometimes a bit confusing, particularly during "The Sound of Music" because it seems like Maria is inside the abbey rather than on the mountain and during "I Have Confidence" when Maria travels from the abbey to the von Trapp residence because there is very little difference between the two, but this didn't detract from my enjoyment.  This show is lovely and is sure to appeal to everyone as a nostalgic favorite (Marilyn and I had tears in our eyes because it reminded us so much of our Mom).

Our final play was King Lear in the Engelstad Theatre Saturday night.  It was my most anticipated show at the festival and it definitely did not disappoint!  King Lear (Anthony Heald) divides his kingdom between his daughters Goneril (Lisa Strum), Regan (Stephanie Lambourn), and Cordelia (Kendall Cafaro) with disastrous results while the Earl of Gloucester (Chris Mixon) is fooled by his illegitimate son Edmund (Philip Orazio) into denouncing his legitimate son Edgar (Freedom Martin) which leads to tragedy.  Heald is absolutely brilliant as Lear and I really loved his characterization because he is incredibly arrogant at the beginning of the play and imperious when he visits his daughters so his downfall and descent into madness is even more dramatic!  Orazio is an absolute hoot and I loved his knowing looks at the audience every time he is about to do something despicable.  I also loved Strum's performance because she is the perfect embodiment of exasperation and Aidan O'Reilly's performance as the Fool (he was brilliant in Richard III last year) because he has such a presence.  The costumes in this show are exquisite with lots of jewel tones, patterns, and embellishments and this provides a huge contrast to the tattered rags worn by Lear and Gloucester when they come undone.  The lighting and sound design is very effective at creating an oppressive atmosphere (I wrote a paper about the use of weather in this play in college) and the staging of certain scenes is incredibly dramatic, especially the blinding of Gloucester (the audience gasped).  This is the best production of King Lear I have seen and my sister, who struggles with the Shakespeare tragedies, really enjoyed it!

This was a great trip, despite the heat and my disappointment with the tarts this year, and I had so much fun!  I am already excited for the festival next year!

Bryce Canyon National Park

Whenever I visit Zion National Park I usually stay on the Mt. Carmel Highway which eventually leads to Bryce Canyon.  I like to drive through the park and stop at all my favorite viewpoints then take Highway 89 home.

I met a couple from Florida in Zion and ran into them at just about every viewpoint in Bryce.  They took my picture at both signs!

Zion National Park

Zion National Park is one of my favorite places on Earth so it is really hard for me to resist driving through whenever I am in St. George.  The park was really crowded yesterday but I was still able to stop at some of my favorite viewpoints.

My best memory of Zion is driving through the park in my Dad's blue Dodge Ramcharger while listening to the Eagles.  Zion is my happy place!