The Eagles at the Vivint Arena

When I heard the sad news that Glenn Frey had died, I was really glad that my family had the chance to see the Eagles the last time they played in SLC because I thought that they would never tour again.  Then I heard that the surviving members of the Eagles were going to tour with Vince Gill and Glenn's son Deacon and I knew that I had to get a ticket!  I love the Eagles so much because their music has been such a big part of my life.  The Eagles' album Greatest Hits (1971-1975) was my Dad's favorite road trip music and we would sing every song at the top of our lungs!  This concert was amazing!  They began, as they often do, with "Seven Bridges Road" which gave me goosebumps with the beautiful harmonies.  Then, in an emotional moment, Don Henley talked about Glenn Frey and introduced Deacon (he sounded so much like his Dad) who sang "Take It Easy."  I was so impressed with Deacon!  It had to be emotional for him to sing these songs and a bit overwhelming to be on stage with so many veterans but he definitely held his own.  He also sang vocals on "Peaceful Easy Feeling" and "Already Gone."  Vince Gill was also a great addition to the lineup and he gave me goosebumps with his rendition of "Take it to the Limit."  I also loved his vocals on "Lyin' Eyes," "Tequila Sunrise," "Heartache Tonight," and "New Kid in Town."  They let Joe Walsh off his chain and he provided much entertainment for the evening with "In the City," "Life's Been Good," and "Funk #49."  Even if his vocals aren't what they used to be, he can definitely play the guitar!  Timothy B. Schmidt was seated the entire evening due to surgery on his foot but he performed one of my favorites, "I Can't Tell You Why," as well as "Love Will Keep Us Alive" from the Hell Freezes Over album.  I have always really loved Don Henley and I was thrilled when he performed a fabulous version of "The Best of My Love," which is a favorite of mine.  I also really enjoyed a very sultry version of "Witchy Woman."  They got the Vivint Arena rocking with "Those Shoes,” “Victim of Love,” and  "Life in the Fast Lane."  The Eagles played for over two hours and I was really sad to see this concert come to an end because I enjoyed reliving my youth so much!  Despite being one of the youngest in my section I sang the words to every single song!  For the encore, they performed "Hotel California," with an incredible trumpet solo introduction, "Rocky Mountain Way," and "Desperado" complete with strings!  An awesome night!

Disobedience

Last night I went to see the film Disobedience and it was an incredibly poignant experience for me.  I live in a very conservative community and I have several LGBTQ friends who have been disowned by their religious families so I was very eager to see how this film treated the subject.  Ronit Krushka (Rachel Weisz) is a New York photographer who is devastated by the news that her father, a distinguished Rabbi in an Orthodox Jewish congregation in London, has died.  She returns to her childhood home and, without a lot of exposition, it is clear that the community regards her with a mixture of curiosity and scorn.  She reconnects with Dovid (Alessandro Nivola), a protege of her father's who is poised to take his place, and Esti (Rachel McAdams), another childhood friend.  She is stunned to learn that the two of them are married.  Through a series of interactions between the two women that are fraught with tension (it is a very slow burn) we learn that they once had a sexual relationship and were condemned by the community.  Ronit is rebellious and left but the repressed Esti submitted to the will of the Rabbi and dutifully married Dovid in order to "cure" herself.  Neither woman is happy in her choice and they eventually resume their relationship, bringing consequences for Esti.  The final resolution left me a bit conflicted because, while they seem to find a way to reconcile their sexuality with their faith, it is rather vague and I don't know if their choices will bring them happiness. I know that many of my LGBTQ friends still believe even after they have escaped the repression and it torments them (Utah has one of the highest suicide rates in the country).  Both Weisz and McAdams are incredible, giving highly nuanced performances, and their love scenes are passionate and romantic (aside from one bewildering element).  Nivolo is also good as a deeply religious man caught between his duty and his love for his wife.  It is more than just a film about forbidden love and I would recommend it for its powerful exploration of the freedom to disobey.

Utah Opera's Die Fledermaus

Utah Opera ended their 40th Anniversary Season, rather appropriately, with the pop of a champagne cork in a delightful production of Johann Strauss Jr.'s Die Fledermaus.  I was able to see this opera last night and it was the perfect way to end a stressful week.  Prince Orlofsky (Abigail Levis) is throwing a ball and Falke (Troy Cook) is using it as an opportunity to play a practical joke on his friend Eisenstein (Daniel Belcher) as revenge for abandoning him in the middle of town wearing a bat costume.  He contrives to get Eisenstein to go to the ball as Marquis Renard instead of reporting to jail for insulting an official.  He also arranges for his wife Rosalinde (Sara Gartland) to attend as a masked Hungarian countess, as well as his maid Adele (Abigail Rethwisch) and the warden of the prison (Christopher Clayton) who are also using assumed names.  Hilarity ensues as everyone attempts to conceal their identities while having fun at the ball (with a little champagne).  Meanwhile, Rosalinde's former lover Alfred (Robert Breault) has reported to jail in Eisenstein's place to keep from compromising her.  When Eisenstein arrives at the jail in the morning and discovers him there, he confronts Rosalinde over her behavior bust she reveals that she is the Hungarian countess that he flirted with at the ball!  The story is so much fun to watch (it sounds convoluted but it is actually very easy to follow) and I found myself laughing out loud on multiple occasions.   The music is incredible and all of the songs are sung in English in this production.  My favorites were "Adele's Laughing Song" and the "Champagne Song."  The entire cast is wonderful but my favorite was definitely Levis as Orlofsky, whose antics are completely over the top.  The choreography, and the addition of four professional dancers to the cast, greatly enhances the party atmosphere and I loved the opulent costumes and sets.  I had so much fun watching this opera, almost as if I had also had a glass of champagne!  I highly recommend getting a ticket to the one remaining performance (go here)!

Deadpool Double Feature

Last night I went to a double feature of Deadpool and Deadpool 2 and it was so much fun!  I thought the first movie was absolutely hilarious (and I really enjoyed seeing it again) so I have been anticipating the sequel for quite a while.  Everything that I loved about the first movie was bigger and better in this one!  A drug lord that Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) was unable to kill follows him home to attack him and ends up killing Vanessa (Morena Baccarin).  To help him through his grief, Colossus (Stefan Kapicic) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) once again try to recruit him as a member of the X-Men.  As a trainee,  Deadpool accompanies them when they are called to respond to a standoff at an orphanage for mutants.  They encounter Firefist (Julian Dennison) and learn that Cable (Josh Brolin), a mutant soldier from the future, wants to kill him in order to stop him from killing his family in the future.  Deapool decides to assemble his own team, calling them the X-Force, to stop Cable because he feels that Firefist is worth saving.  In addition to the snarky humor, the self-awareness, the breaking of the fourth wall, the cheesy pop songs (the montage to "9 to 5" by Dolly Parton just about killed me), and the epic action sequences, I really loved the character arc for Deadpool in this installment.  He comes to the realization that killing is not necessarily the way to solve every problem.  There was real heart and a bit of humanity in the character which was quite unexpected.  Just like with the first movie I laughed out loud during the opening credits (a spoof of the Bond opening credits) and that was certainly not the last time I did so.  There are so many hilarious references and I'm sure I didn't catch them all!  I really liked Cable as a villain because he has a sympathetic backstory and I really liked Zazie Beetz as Domino, a member of the X-Force.  This movie is just a little bit naughty but it is so entertaining!  If you liked the first movie, you will absolutely love this one!

Note:  There are some hilarious mid-credits scenes (one made me laugh out loud) so definitely stay for those!

Sunset Boulevard

Last night I took my Mom to see Sunset Boulevard as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series and we both loved it.  I had seen the Andrew Lloyd Webber stage musical but I had never seen the Billy Wilder classic film before and I was really excited for the opportunity to see it for the first time on the big screen!  Joe Gillis (William Holden) is a down and out Hollywood screenwriter who turns into a driveway on Sunset Boulevard to avoid having his car repossessed.  The driveway belongs to Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) a former actress of silent movies who has been forgotten but lives in a fantasy world where she is still a star.  She is aided and abetted in this fantasy by her butler Max (Erich von Stroheim) who is in reality her first director Max von Mayerling and her first husband.  Gillis cunningly arranges a job writing a screenplay for Desmond and moves into her mansion.  Soon Gillis realizes that Desmond is in love with him and he tries to leave but, when she threatens suicide, he returns to her to become a kept man.  When Desmond's illusions of making a Hollywood comeback are dashed and she realizes that Gillis is in love with someone else, she comes undone in one of the most famous scenes in film.  Sunset Boulevard is a classic example of film noir with atmospheric lighting, black and white cinematography, and a pessimistic portrayal of the underbelly of Hollywood.  I also think it is a great example of a dark comedy.  Both my Mom and I found ourselves laughing but immediately stifled that laughter because it seemed inappropriate given the drama.  Swanson gives the performance of her career and, while she is imperious and hysterical, she is somehow incredibly sympathetic as a woman trapped in the past.  Holden is very charismatic (and quite good looking) as a man who despises what he has become but can't bring himself to leave.  The production design is incredible.  Desmond's house is suitably ghoulish and ostentatious (I particularly loved all of the photos of her in her glory days) and her costumes are fantastic (the feathers!).  I am glad that I finally had the chance to see such a classic movie and it was so much fun with my Mom!

A Day in Las Vegas

I love Las Vegas...in small doses.  It is a really fun place with lots to see and do but it can also provide sensory overload.  I can only handle it for about a day so I usually plan short excursions to Sin City.  The reason for my most recent excursion was the U2 concert last Friday night but I got there early in the afternoon with some time to play.  My base of operations was the MGM Grand and from there I ventured out to the famous Strip.  I am a people-watcher and the people here put on quite the show but I soon become very weary of all of the hustlers on the street trying to get you to come to various shows (be careful about accepting any flyers from people, trust me on this!).

The Las Vegas Golden Knights have made it to the semifinal round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in their very first year in existence and the whole city is incredibly excited which was really fun to see.  There were banners and billboards everywhere but my favorite show of support was the jersey on the Statue of Liberty at the New York, New York Hotel.  By the way, now that my Colorado Avalanche are out of the playoffs I have temporarily transferred my affections to the Knights!

Of course, no visit to Las Vegas (or any other major city, for that matter) would be complete without a visit to the Hard Rock Cafe.  I started the tradition of collecting pins at the first HRC I visited (in London) and now I have hundreds of them.  I didn't get another one from this one because I have so many but I had lunch.  My waiter looked like Daveed Diggs and he flirted with me outrageously!  I continued wandering around for a while and then went back to the hotel for a quick nap.

The concert was in the brand-new T-Mobile Arena and it was pretty amazing (so was the concert).  I especially loved all of the Stanley Cup Playoff banners all over the arena.  I had a lot of fun on this quick trip (I will be back in one month to see Hamilton again) and it was just what I needed to make it through the final weeks of school!

U2 in Las Vegas

Yesterday I took a much needed day off from school to drive to Las Vegas to see U2's Experience + Innocence Tour.  I have been looking forward to this concert for a really long time and it was absolutely amazing.  The stage was configured the same way it was for the Innocence + Experience Tour with a rectangular stage at one end of the arena, a circular stage at the other, and a runway connecting them.  Above the runway were giant screens with a catwalk between them.  I really love U2's new album Songs of Experience and I was glad that they began the concert with two songs from this album, "Love Is All We Have Left" and "Blackout," which were performed in between the screens with some really great effects.  Then Bono went to the circular stage to perform my very favorite song from the album, "Lights of Home," and I think he gave a great vocal performance.  This was definitely one of the highlights for me.  Bono returned to the rectangular stage for "Beautiful Day" and then the band played some of their early hits, including "I Will Follow" and "Gloria," which I've never heard live before (another highlight).  They continued with "Red Flag Day," another new song, which I think sounds a lot like their early hits.  Then Bono gave a heartfelt rendition of "Iris (Hold Me Close)" with home movies of his mother projected on the screens and, like he did for the Innocence + Experience Tour, he sang "Cedarwood Road" with an image of the actual street on the screens while he walked in between them.  It looked like he was walking up and down the street where he grew up and, once again, I really loved the effect.  They played an acoustic and edgy version of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "Raised By Wolves" while highlighting the troubles in Ireland on the screen.  They ended their first set with "Until the End of the World."  In between sets there was an animated superhero video depicting the history of U2 while "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" played and I thought it was hilarious.  The second set began on the circular stage with Bono wearing a top hat and white face paint (this is a stage persona called MacPhisto that hearkens back to the Zoo TV concerts).  They played "Elevation," "Vertigo," "Desire," and "Acrobat."  Next they performed an acoustic version of "You're The Best Thing About Me" which sounded very different from the album version (I heard them play it last September in Phoenix) but I really liked it.  They got a bit political with "Staring at the Sun" and a performance of "Pride (In the Name of Love)" that was quite emotional.  They returned to the rectangular stage for "Get Out of Your Own Way" and "American Soul," both from the new album.  They ended with "City of Blinding Lights" with, appropriately, images of Las Vegas on the screen.  For the encore, they performed "One" which just about made me cry because the entire audience sang along!  Another highlight was an incredible vocal performance by Bono of "Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way," another favorite from the new album, and "13 (There Is a Light)."  Sigh!  I thought there were some sound issues in T-Mobile Arena but it didn't really detract from the experience.  I love seeing U2 live (this was my seventh U2 concert) and I love watching Bono strut around the stage.  I think he is one of the most charismatic performers that I've ever seen and he certainly put on a show last night!  It was just amazing!

Tully

Yesterday I finally had the chance to see Tully, the new comedy from Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman.  Marlo (Charlize Theron) is a stressed out mom about to have her third child when she meets a friend from her days as a free-spirited young adult and begins ruminating on what she has given up to move to the suburbs.  Her husband (Ron Livingston) is well-meaning but he has a stressful job which frequently takes him out of town and is generally clueless about the toll motherhood has taken on Marlo.   Her wealthy brother (Mark Duplass) offers to gift her with a night nanny when the baby comes but she doesn't like the thought of a stranger taking care of her newborn.  After the baby is born she is almost incapacitated by fatigue and, after a particularly trying day with her son, who seems to be on the autism spectrum, she relents and calls Tully (Mackenzie Davis).  Tully's presence has an immediate effect on Marlo, who gets a good night's sleep for the first time in years and begins to re-engage with the world.  Tully reminds Marlo of the free-spirit she used to be while Tully tries to remind Marlo that her most important dream has come true.  There is a huge twist at the end which some viewers may have difficulty with but for me it worked very well.  It's hard to talk about why I loved it so much without giving too much away, but I think it shows that just because a woman's role may change she should never lose who she really is.  I loved that this film highlights the fact that you need to take care of yourself in order to take care of other people.  Charlize Theron is fantastic in this multi-layered role and she isn't afraid to show the real (read: unglamorous) side of motherhood.  You can really feel her quiet desperation.  She and Mackenzie Davis have great chemistry and the scenes of them giving each other advice are incredibly poignant.  I enjoyed this movie a great deal and I highly recommend it.

Note:  My very favorite moment is when a school counselor tells Marlo to stop apologizing for her autistic son after he reacts to a loud noise because he has done nothing wrong.  So powerful! 

Spring in the City

Friday night I was downtown and I had an hour to kill in between dinner and the symphony.  I happened upon this lovely little garden area in between the Joseph Smith Building and Temple Square.  There were lots of little flower beds and places to sit and I absolutely loved it.  The spring flowers were so beautiful and they smelled amazing!  I wanted to sit there for hours!  I always say that fall is my favorite time of year but the spring is pretty spectacular, too!

Richard Strauss' Don Quixote & Zarathustra

Last week I went to a Utah Symphony concert with my friend Angela and this week I persuaded my sister to come along.  I usually really enjoy doing things by myself but I have to admit that it has been kind of nice being social lately!  I invited my sister along because she plays the cello and last night's concert featured Rainer Eudeikis, the Principal Cello.  The entire program highlighted the music of Richard Strauss and it was absolutely epic!  The concert began with Serenade in E-flat Major which is a lovely piece featuring the woodwinds and the horns.  Since I played the clarinet in school I enjoyed this very much.  Next, the orchestra played Don Quixote, with the aforementioned Rainer Eudikis on cello and Brant Bayless on viola.  This amazing piece is, of course, based on the novel by Miguel Cervantes and if you are at all familiar with the story it is uncanny how the various instruments mimic the action!  The cello represents Don Quixote, a old man who thinks that he is a knight is pursuit of an adventure, and the viola represents Sancho Panza, his loyal sidekick.  There are ten variations which tell the story and my favorites are when Don Quixote mistakes a bunch of sheep for an army because the brass sound just like the bleating of sheep, when he mistakes a group of pilgrims as kidnappers because the brass, once again, mimic the singing of liturgical chants, and the death of Don Quixote because I always think of the cello as a mournful sounding instrument and the final note depicting the old knight's last gasp is heartbreaking!  After the intermission, the orchestra played Also sprach Zarathustra which I found to be absolutely exhilarating!  I have never heard this piece performed live before but it is instantly recognizable if you have seen the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.  In fact, I can never hear the opening fanfare without thinking of the movie!  This piece is simply spectacular and I loved hearing it live!  I suggest you get a ticket for this epic evening of music (go here).

Note:  One of the perks of having a companion for the symphony is being able to go out to dinner!  Last week it was the Cheesecake Factory and this week it was the Garden Restaurant!

A Chilly Bees Game

Marilyn was offered some free tickets to yesterday's Bees game at work.   The seats were right behind the dugout so we were pretty excited.  It was 80 degrees over the weekend but you just never know with the weather in Utah.  At one point it was actually snowing yesterday and I thought the game might be postponed.  But then it cleared up in the afternoon and we decided to go.  We had so much fun!  I can't begin to tell you how much I love spending time with Sean and Tashena!  We love going to Bees games and we have some silly rituals like what we get to eat (we opted for hot chocolate instead of ice cream, or at least three of us did).  We were laughing so hard I wondered if we were bothering the people around us!  The Bees played the Fresno Grizzlies and they scored three runs in the first two innings which was a lot of fun.  Then the Grizzlies scored three runs in the third inning and three more in the fourth inning which deflated the crowd a bit!  By the bottom of the sixth inning we were all really cold so we decided to leave and it might be a good thing we did because the Bees ended up losing 11-4.

It really doesn't matter what the score is because we always have so much fun and last night was a blast!  I am so grateful that I get to spend so much time with my niece and nephew.  Being an aunt is the best!

Lean on Pete

I have developed a lovely habit of seeing an independent movie at my favorite art house theater every Sunday afternoon and yesterday's selection was Lean on Pete.  Charlie Thompson (Charlie Plummer) is living a hand-to-mouth existence with an unreliable father when he finds a job at a racetrack working for an irascible trainer named Del Montgomery (Steve Buscemi).  He grows attached to an aging racehorse named Lean on Pete but, when the horse starts losing races, he is destined for slaughter.  After a tragedy involving his father, Charlie takes Lean on Pete for a cross-country journey to find his aunt.  It is a coming of age story about a boy whose situation becomes more and more perilous and it is absolutely unrelenting.  Much like Andrew Haigh's previous movie 45 Years, this movie does not have a lot of dialogue or exposition but everything that Charlie is feeling is evident and he is an entirely sympathetic character.  There were times when I had tears in my eyes and one scene made me gasp out loud but I never felt that it was manipulative.  It felt like an accurate portrayal of a segment of society living on the edge of poverty.  Plummer gives an astonishing performance, appearing in literally every scene.  The cinematography is beautiful, especially the nighttime scenes of Charlie walking with Pete through the desert with only a lantern for illumination.  I loved this movie and I highly recommend it!

Fischer Conducts Shostakovich

It has been a fun and busy week and I capped it off with a Utah Symphony concert with my friend Angela.  It is so nice to have a friend who likes classical music as much as I do and we had an absolutely wonderful evening.  After the lovely concert featuring the music of Dmitri Shostakovich we walked to the Cheesecake Factory for dessert and met with some rowdy fans who had just come from seeing the Jazz beat the Thunder to advance to the next round in the playoffs!  So much fun!  The orchestra began with Piano Concerto No. 1 featuring Boris Giltburg on piano and Travis Peterson on trumpet.  I found this piece to be a bit mercurial because at times it was very stirring but one of the themes played by the trumpet was so mournful.  Boris Giltburg joined the orchestra once more for Piano Concerto No. 2 and this was my favorite piece of the evening.  The first movement was bold and dramatic with all of the strings playing in unison.  The second movement was almost unbearably romantic and it brought spontaneous tears to my eyes.  The third movement was very playful and lively.  I really loved this and I enjoyed Giltburg's performance because he was so energetic.  After the intermission the orchestra concluded with Symphony No 10 which was incredibly moody and atmospheric.  I especially enjoyed all of the themes played by the woodwinds throughout and I loved the almost plaintive theme played by the solo horn in the third movement.  I was also very moved by the triumphant ending!  I love the Russian composers so much and, because Shostakovich is a particular favorite of mine, I enjoyed this concert immensely!  The same program is being performed again tonight and tickets may be purchased here.  I highly recommend it! 

Note:  I've been spoiled this season with so many concerts featuring Russian composers.  My final concert of the season will feature my favorite: Rachmaninoff!

Avengers: Infinity War

Last night I saw a Thursday preview of Avengers: Infinity War with a large and rowdy crowd and to say that it is epic would be an understatement!  All of the movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been leading up to this point and it certainly did not disappoint.  Thanos (Josh Brolin) is on a quest to assemble all of the infinity stones so that he may destroy half of the population of the universe, believing that it will preserve resources and, thereby, ultimately preserve life.  He, along with his followers, battle against various groups of Avengers, Dr. Strange, Spider-Man, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and the people of Wakanda in order to retrieve the stones.  The stakes in this movie are real with serious consequences and there are scenes of great pathos but the humor that we have all come to love and expect is there, as well.  I particularly enjoyed the interactions between Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and between Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) and Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch).  I really liked Thanos as a villain because in many ways he is very sympathetic.  The battle sequences are incredible and the CGI is actually quite amazing.  In my screening there were cheers and applause as every character came on screen and there were audible gasps at some of the more poignant scenes.  I really have no words for my reaction to this movie except to say that it lived up to my expectations in every way and I suspect that I will need to see it again!

Note:  The ending...

Beirut

My Dad and I are both big fans of espionage movies so I took him to see Beirut last night.  This movie is the type of old fashioned political thriller that Hollywood doesn't seem to make any more and we both loved it!  It is 1972 and Beirut is the Paris of the Middle East.  Mason Skiles (Jon Hamm) is a U.S. diplomat living the high life in Beirut when an incident with his friend Cal Riley (Mark Pellegrino), a CIA agent, leads to a personal tragedy.  Ten years later Skiles is an alcoholic working as a labor dispute negotiator in the U.S. when he is asked by the CIA to return to Beirut, now engulfed in a civil war, to negotiate the release of Riley who has been taken hostage.  There is much unfinished business between the two men as well as uncertain loyalties within the state department set against the backdrop of unrest in the Middle East which makes this movie incredibly intense and suspenseful.  One of the reasons I love espionage movies that are done well is that you have to pay attention to the subtle clues and it is so satisfying when you figure something out.  At one point, my Dad leaned into me and asked, "You know where this is going, right?"  I answered him and then we gave each other knowing looks when my prediction proved accurate!  I still didn't know how the events would ultimately be resolved so I found it to be very compelling until the final scene.  Hamm gives a great performance, one of his best to date, as a man who is forced to confront his past and Rosamund Pike does a nice job as a CIA officer who decides to trust him.  This movie doesn't do anything new for the genre but I found it to be very entertaining and it made for a fun night out with my Dad (we discussed it the whole drive home).

The Music Man at HCT

Last night I went to Hale Theatre's production of The Music Man and I had a huge smile on my face during the entire show because it is just so delightful! There is something so comforting about the old favorites and I eagerly anticipated every familiar song: "Ya Got Trouble, " "Goodnight My Someone," "Seventy-Six Trombones," "Marian, the Librarian," "The Wells Fargo Wagon," "Gary, Indiana," and "'Till There Was You." I tried very hard not to sing along but the adorable older gentleman sitting next to me told me he didn't mind if I did! Hale does a fantastic job of staging this show to make it interesting and fresh. I especially loved the choreography in "Seventy-Six Trombones," "Marian, the Librarian," and "Shipoopi."  This new stage may be bigger and more technologically advanced than the old one in West Valley but it still impresses me what the choreographers can do with such a large cast in a relatively small space. The sets are absolutely amazing! The train in "Rock Island," the multi-level library with wrought iron spiral staircases in "Marian, the Librarian," and the foot bridge in "'Till There Was You" were my favorites. Addison Welch is incredibly charismatic as Professor Harold Hill and Rachel Woodward Hansen has a beautiful voice as Marian Paroo. There are a lot of funny characters in this show and I thought they were very well cast especially Janae Gibbs Cottam as Mrs. Paroo, Brandon Suisse as Mayor Shinn ("Not one poop out of you madame!"),  and Sharon Lynn Kennison as Eulalie MacKecknie Shinn ("One Grecian Urn.").  Ryder Mason and Christine Bernards are adorable as Winthrop and Amaryllis, respectively.  Finally, the barbershop quartet (Luke Shepherd, Juston Lebaron, Jason Baldwin, and Ricky Parkinson) is fantastic! If you are a fan of the classic musicals, then this will definitely put a smile on your face like it did me.  It runs at the Mountain America Performing Arts Centre until June 9 (tickets may be purchased here).

You Were Never Really Here

You Were Never Really Here was the very first film that I saw at Sundance this year and it has haunted me ever since.  I knew that I would need to see it again. Luckily it is being screened by the Salt Lake Film Society and I got to see it yesterday afternoon.  Joe (Joaquin Phoenix) is a brutal and ruthless hit man, whose weapon of choice is a hammer.  He is clearly tormented, attempting suicide multiple times, and through flashbacks we learn that he is suffering from PTSD from a violent childhood at the hands of an abusive father, from combat duty in Iraq, and as a former FBI agent.  He is hired to rescue the daughter of a New York State Senator who has become the victim of a sex trafficking ring.  The operation to rescue the girl goes wrong and everyone involved in her rescue, except Joe who manages to escape, is brutally murdered which prompts him to seek revenge.  What I loved about this film is that a tragically flawed character is ultimately redeemed by the very person he sets out to save.  This is a theme that really resonated with me because, while this film is dark and gritty, it does end on a optimistic note.  Joaquin Phoenix gives a brilliant central performance.  There is not a lot of exposition or dialogue but you can instantly feel Joe's pain and desperation.  One scene, in particular, is incredibly powerful when he realizes that the girl he has been hoping to save will now be as damaged as he is and I was almost in tears as she attempts to comfort him.  Jonny Greenwood's pulse-pounding score adds to the almost unbearable tension and Lynne Ramsay's script is a powerful exploration of suffering.  It is beautiful in its brutality.  It is profound in its simplicity.  It is a masterpiece!

Prom 2018

Last night Tashena went to Bountiful High School's Prom with her date Noah, her best friend Channing, and their group.  I love how her group always seems to coordinate the color of their dresses!

I really loved Tashena's dress this year.  She always picks something really classic!

Tashena with her date Noah.  He was adorable!

The other couples.

The guys.

The girls.

The whole group!

Grieg's Piano Concerto with Alexandra Dariescu

I have to admit that I bought a ticket to last night's Utah Symphony concert because I am a huge fan of Sibelius but I ended up loving all three of the pieces performed and enjoyed myself immensely!  The orchestra began with Carl Nielsen's Helios Overture and I loved it!  It began with a beautiful and contemplative theme, representing the sun rising above the sea, and then became very powerful with a soaring melody played by the horns followed by a triumphant fanfare by the trumpets.  The piece ended just as mysteriously as it began as the sun set and I found it to be quite breathtaking!  Then the orchestra was joined by Alexandra Dariescu for Edvard Grieg's spectacular Piano Concerto.  Dariescu may have been wearing a sparkly gold dress but it was her playing that dazzled the audience as her fingers flew up and down the keyboard.  From the instantly recognizable opening notes to the dramatic conclusion, I absolutely loved it!  After the intermission came the piece that I had been waiting for: Symphony No. 2 by Jean Sibelius!  In my opinion, Sibelius is every bit as passionate and emotional as the Russian composers but he is a bit more stately and restrained.  Symphony No. 2 is incredibly dramatic and I especially enjoyed the theme played by the cellos in the first movement because it is very atmospheric.  I found the second movement to be filled with tension and I loved the energy in the third movement.  There was a full house at Abravanel Hall last night with good reason!  This concert is not to be missed and, luckily, it will be repeated tonight (go here for tickets).

Note:  When I bought this ticket I thought that I was unfamiliar with Grieg but I immediately recognized the Piano Concerto as soon as I heard the opening notes!