Utah Opera's Tosca

Utah Opera is slowly but surely converting me into a fan of modern librettos and more artistic interpretations of traditional operas but I will always be a fan of the classic tragedies where desperate lovers die for love and I will always prefer productions that stay true to the time and place in the source material.  For this reason, I have been looking forward to Tosca for what seems like forever!  Not only is this one of my very favorite operas but the performance last night was amazing!  Floria Tosca (Katie Van Kooten) is a fiery and passionate singer with two men in love with her:  her lover, the painter Mario Cavaradossi (Dimitri Pittas), and the Police Chief, Baron Scarpia (Stephen Powell), who wants to possess her at any cost.  Scarpia arrests Cavaradossi for aiding a political prisoner and sentences him to death.  He tells Tosca that he will release him if she submits to him, promising her that the firing squad will be a ruse.  She agrees but when he embraces her, she stabs him with a knife.  She visits Cavaradossi in the Castel Sant'Angelo to tell him that he must pretend to die and then they can run away together when the guards leave.  However, Scarpia has betrayed her and Cavaradossi is actually killed by the firing squad.  Knowing that she will be accused of Scarpia's murder and unwilling to live without Cavaradossi, Tosca leaps to her death from the parapet of the Castel Sant'Angelo.  The music by Giacomo Puccini is incredibly beautiful (Conductor Steven White has a very light touch and I really enjoyed his interpretation of the music) and the three main actors give brilliant performances!  There were so many moments that took my breath away, including a scene in the church of Sant'Andrea della Valle at the end of Act 1 where Scarpia reveals his plan to execute Cavaradossi and possess Tosca while a procession sings the Te Deum (I loved the Choristers of the Madeleine Choir School in this scene), Tosca's aria "Vissi d'arte" at the end of Act 2 where she asks God to help her, and the scene in Act 3 where Cavaradossi sings the aria "E lucevan le stelle" reminiscing about his love for Tosca while awaiting execution (my favorite moment in the opera).  The sets of the church of Sant'Andrea della Valle, Scarpia's study in the Palazzo Farnese, and the Castel Sant'Angelo are very elaborate and they add to the overall dramatic feeling of the opera.  I also loved the sumptuous costumes, especially Tosca's magenta dress (which is unceremoniously removed by Scarpia).  I loved everything about this opera and I highly recommend getting a ticket for one of the remaining performances (go here).

Note:  The young man sitting next to me was attending his very first opera.  He definitely picked a good one!

The Cartographers

My March Book of the Month selection was The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd (the other options were Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma, The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley, The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith, Tell Me Everything by Erika Krouse, The Verifiers by Jane Pek, and The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James). The novel begins as an intriguing murder mystery when Nell Young is informed that her estranged father, Doctor Daniel Young, has been been found dead at his desk in the Map Division of the New York Public Library under suspicious circumstances. When she returns to the NYPL after an absence of seven years to deal with her father's estate, she finds a worthless gas station map of New York state from the 1930s in a secret drawer. This map was the source of a bitter argument between the two of them and she wonders why he still has it in his possession.  As she begins investigating its origins, she discovers that there is much more to this map than meets the eye and that it may even be the reason her father was murdered. It is at this point that the novel becomes a fantasy with elements of horror as clues lead her to her father's friends from university and a dangerous group known as The Cartographers who are willing to stop at nothing to get the last copy of this map. I stayed up reading until the wee hours of the morning because I had to know why the map was so valuable and I was not disappointed because the reason is so clever and imaginative! The narrative alternates between Nell's investigation in the present and flashbacks to her early childhood as her mother and father begin their careers in cartography and this is very effective in building suspense. There are lots of twists and turns as each of the characters from Daniel's past tell Nell their stories and reveal a little bit more of the mystery. Nell is an incredibly compelling protagonist because she begins to experience the same dark obsession that set these events in motion and I enjoyed her character arc. As a bit of a history buff, I found all of the detailed descriptions of historical maps and the intricate processes (and secrets) involved in making them to be fascinating. I also loved all of the supernatural elements because, even though the plot is fantastical, it is grounded in reality. I absolutely loved this novel and would definitely recommend it, especially to fans of mysteries and magical realism (and nerds like me who appreciate an academic setting).

Rogers & Hammerstein's Cinderella at CPT

Last night my sister Marilyn and I took our Mom to see Cinderella at CenterPoint Theatre and we had so much fun! My Mom has late stage dementia and she also has some mobility issues but she loves the show so much and really wanted to go. Since she had a good day yesterday we called the box office and were able to get ADA accessible seats (the CPT box office is, hands down, the best in the SLC valley). It was a lot of work to get her there but she absolutely loved it so it was worth all of the effort! The Rodgers & Hammerstein version of the story is definitely not my favorite! I don't like the commentary on class structure or the fact that Cinderella is a social reformer who must rescue the prince from the advisors in his court who are deceiving him about the conditions in his kingdom. I also don't like the portrayal of the stepsisters as silly girls, rather than mean ones, who end up as Cinderella's sympathetic co-conspirators. However, I really enjoyed HCT's production a few years ago because it infused the magic back into the more contemporary story. CPT's production is just as magical! The cast is incredibly strong and I especially loved Mailee Halpin as Ella and Cynthia Klumpp as Marie/ Fairy Godmother. The songs require an impressive range and these actresses more than deliver in the songs "In My Own Little Corner," "Impossible," "Glass Slipper/ It's Possible," and "There Is Music In You." Halpin has great chemistry with Doug Wadley, as Prince Topher, and their songs "Ten Minutes Ago" and "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful" are incredibly romantic. Jaycee Harris (who is my brother-in-law's niece) as the stepsister Charlotte just about steals the show in "Stepsister's Lament" and "A Lovely Night" because her facial expressions are absolutely hysterical. She received more applause and laughter than any one else for good reason. The choreography is so much fun and I really loved how "The Prince Is Giving A Ball" with all of the townspeople in the town square and "The Pursuit" after the ball are staged, especially the transformation of the Fox (Kirsi Jarvis) and the Raccoon (Caleb Hodson) after the stroke of midnight. Speaking of transformations, Cinderella's change into her sparkling ball gown and tiara is absolutely magical and her coach, including horses made of puppets, is spectacular. I loved how the lights around the proscenium blinked in coordination with the Fairy Godmother's wand. Finally the set pieces for Cinderella's cottage, the prince's castle, the woods, and the town square are some of the best I have seen from CPT. I also loved the projection showing the chiming clock at midnight because it is so dramatic! I really feel like CPT has stepped up their game this season because I was also really impressed with the set for The Play That Goes Wrong! My Mom thought the whole show was beautiful (that was what she kept saying on the drive home) and I had such a great time watching her experience it! I would highly recommend Cinderella with the proviso that it is quite different from the Disney version that young children are more familiar with (the little girls in front of me seemed really bored at times but they seemed to enjoy the spectacle). It runs on the Barlow Main Stage through April 9 (go here for tickets).

I Am Here

Last night I went to my favorite art house theater to see the documentary I Am Here and I found it to be incredibly inspiring.  On the occasion of her 98th birthday, Ella Blumenthal gathers her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren around her in order to tell them the story of her survival during the Holocaust for the first time.  Through interviews in the present, archival footage, and animation sequences, she describes the German occupation of Poland, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, and the horrors of the Majdanek, Auschwitz, and Bergen-Belson concentration camps.  She also recounts her guilt at being one of only two survivors in her family, meeting her husband Isaac Blumenthal, starting her own family, and her decision to remove her tattoo and put her experiences behind her.  Blumenthal is incredibly vibrant and charismatic and her story is very affecting.  I was particularly struck by the use of animation to tell the darker aspects of the story because, in my opinion, it made the images more palatable without taking away from the impact.  The symbolic use of blue butterflies, which represent rebirth, is incredibly effective in portraying her fight to survive, especially during a scene where she returns to Warsaw after the war and confronts all of the damage to the city.  I also really enjoyed her message of forgiveness and that one should not return hate with hate because that does not solve the problems found in the world today.  She wakes up every morning with gratitude for every day that she is allowed to live and that is such a lovely attitude, especially after everything she has gone through.  My only disappointment is that a letter by Blumenthal to a Holocaust denier offering compassion and conciliation introduced in an opening montage about the rise of hate crimes around the world is never referenced again (I was waiting through the whole film for this to be explored more fully).  Nevertheless, Blumenthal's story is a powerful one and I highly recommend this documentary.

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).

Dog

I didn't get a chance to see Dog when it was first released a couple of weeks ago so I decided to make time to see it last night and my dog loving heart is so glad that I did!  Jackson Briggs (Channing Tatum) is a former U.S. Army Ranger who is suffering from PTSD after a traumatic brain injury.  He is trying to join a global diplomatic protection service but he needs clearance from his former commanding officer who is hesitant to give it because of some lingering effects from his injury.  When a fellow Army Ranger commits suicide, Briggs is asked to drive his dog Lulu, a Belgian Malinois who has also been severely traumatized by combat, from Washington to Arizona to attend his funeral and then to a nearby military base to be euthanized afterwards.  He will receive his clearance if he is able to deliver the dog as promised but Lulu doesn't make it easy for him.  They have a series of misadventures, some of which are very amusing (ahem) and some are incredibly heartwarming, before they end up saving each other.  I really enjoyed Tatum's performance as a man so damaged that he can't make a connection with anyone in his life until he is finally able to make one with a dog.  He imbues Briggs with a lot of vulnerability and I think it is one of his best performances.  I also loved Lulu (the three dogs who play her are pretty good little actors) and several of her scenes reduced me to tears, especially her actions at the funeral of her handler.  The resolution is totally predictable and a bit emotionally manipulative but it hardly matters because I spent most of the movie hoping for the very thing that happens.  I love dogs and I honestly can't remember a time when my family hasn't had at least one so I really enjoyed this feel-good movie.  It might not be for those who are expecting a road trip buddy comedy or for those who don't like dogs but otherwise it is definitely worth checking out.

Uncharted

I am not a gamer and I do not know anything about the world-building or the characters in the popular Uncharted gaming franchise but I finally had the chance to see the movie adaptation last night and I thought it was a lot of fun.  Fortune hunter Victor "Sully" Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) recruits Nathan Drake (Tom Holland), bartender, pickpocket, and younger brother of his former partner Sam, to help him locate the long lost treasure of Ferdinand Magellan.  They form an uneasy partnership with Chloe Frazer (Sophia Ali) and attempt to stay one step ahead of Santiago Moncada (Antonio Banderas), a descendant of the family who financed Magellan's voyage, and Jo Braddock (Tati Gabrielle), a mercenary hired by Moncada.  Drake faces many physical challenges as the search for clues takes him from Barcelona to the Philippines but his biggest challenge is deciding who to trust.  The characters are very thinly drawn, especially the villains, but Holland and Wahlberg, who is very hit or miss with me, are incredibly charismatic and I really enjoyed their chemistry together and the physicality of their performances.  The treasure hunting plot is one that we have all seen many times before (there are even references to Raiders of the Lost Ark and Pirates of the Caribbean, which are better movies, in the dialogue) but I was still really engaged with the story and I think a lot of that has to do with Holland.  Despite some of the sub-par CGI, I found the action sequences to be very exciting, especially Drake hanging out of a cargo plane and Magellan's ships being airlifted by helicopters.  There are flaws but I enjoyed this movie much more than I thought I would and I recommend it for a fun night out.

Note:  As the post-credits scenes (there are two) suggest, there is definitely the possibility of a sequel and I would probably watch it.

Riverdance at the Eccles

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

Louis Schwizgebel Plays Mozart's Piano Concert No. 12

It is always nice to start the weekend with the Utah Symphony but last night's concert was something really special!  The orchestra began with Escaramuza by Gabriela Lena Frank.  This piece is meant to symbolize the dance of an Inca warrior and it is incredibly energetic and dynamic.  It begins with the rhythmic pounding of a bass drum that doesn't let up until the end and the strings play a frantic theme that is really exciting to listen to.  I could almost see the dancers in bright and colorful costumes and I thought it was really cool.  Next came Piano Concerto No. 12 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with soloist Louis Schwizgebel.  I've mentioned this many times before but I was first introduced to classical music by watching the movie Amadeus when I was fourteen.  I became obsessed with Mozart's music, especially the music from the movie, and the first Utah Symphony concert I ever attended featured Mozart's Requiem (and the rest is history).  I think his music is really light and airy and highly accessible to the casual listener (which does not mean that it is simple).  Piano Concerto No. 12 is beautiful with almost playful themes and I really enjoyed it.  Schwizgebel was so much fun to watch because his fingers were moving so fast but he made it look so easy!  The concert concluded with Symphony No. 5 by Dmitri Shostakovich but, after the intermission, it was announced that the Utah Symphony organization had contemplated changing composers in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  They ultimately decided to keep Shostakovich on the program because, even though Symphony No. 5 was written to appease the Soviet state, it is actually a condemnation of the horrors found under Stalin.  I thought it was incredibly appropriate and the parallels to the situation today made the performance even more powerful.  Before the Shostakovich, the orchestra performed the national anthem of Ukraine and it was such a beautiful and powerful moment!  I became quite emotional because, for some reason, the music made the situation in Ukraine very real for me but I take solace from the fact that the people are as heroic as their anthem.  The first movement of Symphony No. 5 is bold with militaristic marches played by the brass and the second is very stirring (I loved the opening theme played by the cellos and basses).  However, my favorite was the third movement because it is so affecting, particularly a theme played by the harp and flute, and it provided a way for the public to express their grief over Stalin's purges at the premiere.  I also found it immensely moving.  The final movement becomes celebratory once again with an epic conclusion by the timpani.  This was an extraordinary evening of music and emotion and I am so glad that I got to experience it.  The same program will be performed again tonight (go here for tickets).

Something Rotten at PTC

I saw the Broadway touring production of Something Rotten a few years ago and I absolutely loved it (it is a hilarious spoof of Shakespeare and musical theatre so it was basically written for me).  I was thrilled when PTC announced that it would be part of the 2021-2022 season and I had so much fun watching it last night!  I could hardly breathe because I was laughing so hard!  Nick and Nigel Bottom (Matt Farcher and Daniel Plimpton, respectively) are playwrights in London during the Renaissance but they haven't been very successful.  Their patron, Lord Clapham (Peter Surace), is withdrawing his support, Shylock (Howard Kaye) wants his loan repaid, Nick's wife Bea (Galyana Cstillo) is pregnant, and Nigel has fallen in love with Portia (Lexi Rabadi), the daughter of a Puritan (Kevin B. McGlynn) who wants to shut down the theaters for debauchery, but, even worse, they are constantly overshadowed by the immensely popular William Shakespeare (Matthew Hydzik)!  They need a big hit so Nick decides to consult the soothsayer Nostradamus (Robert Anthony Jones) to see what will be popular in the future.  Nostradamus suggests writing a play with singing and dancing in one of my favorite numbers in the show, "A Musical."  When inspiration fails, he asks Nostradamus to look into the future again to see what Shakespeare's most popular play will be and, instead of Hamlet, Nostradamus sees omelette (so close!).  As Nick tries to produce Omelette: The Musical, Shakespeare suffers from writer's block in another one of my favorite numbers, "Hard to Be the Bard," and tries to steal his play back!  Chaos ensues until Nigel teaches Nick an important lesson in the number "To Thine Own Self."  What I love most about this show is all of the references to musical theatre (the audience applauded during the reference to Les Miserables but my favorite was RENT) and Shakespeare's plays (the allusions to Richard III and Romeo and Juliet during the song "Will Power" had me in hysterics).  It is so much fun when you are able to recognize a show or line of dialogue!  I loved the entire cast but my favorite was Hydzik as Shakespeare because he is completely over the top as the rock star of the Renaissance, especially when he crowd surfs during an appearance at the Globe Theatre, and I loved his bedazzled leather costume complete with a gigantic codpiece.  I really enjoyed the staging of the big song and dance numbers because it mimics the instantly recognizable choreography of the musicals being parodied, especially in "A Musical" and "Make an Omelette."  The set features the aforementioned Globe Theatre and other thatched Renaissance buildings and the period costumes are a lot of fun, especially the codpieces!  I laughed from beginning to end, as did the entire crowd (which was the largest one I have seen at PTC this season), so I highly recommend it, especially if you are a big theatre nerd like me.  It runs through March 12 and tickets may be purchased here.

Bright Star at HCTO

I fell in love with the musical Bright Star when I saw a production at PTC a few years ago which featured most of the original Broadway cast, including Carmen Cusack as Alice Murphy.  I was, therefore, really excited to see this show at HCT Orem last night and I loved what they did with it!  The story takes place in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina during the 1920s and just after World War II.  After the war, Billy Cane (Zack Elzey) briefly returns to his hometown of Hayes Creek to visit his father (Sanford Porter) and his childhood friend Margot (Maren Miller) but he soon decides to try writing for a magazine in Asheville where he meets the uptight editor, Alice Murphy (Anya Young Wilson), who once made Hemingway cry.  When Daryl (Dayne Joyner) and Lucy (Kelsey Phillips Harrison), staff members at the magazine, tease Alice about her boring existence, she transforms in front of our eyes into a wild and rebellious young girl in the small town of Zubulon.  She begins a romance with Jimmy Ray Dobbs (Benjamin Henderson), much to the chagrin of his father Mayor Josiah Dobbs (Stephen Kerr) who tries to separate them.  The narrative alternates between the two timelines as Alice suffers an unimaginable loss and then is unexpectedly made whole again.  The story is very powerful and heartwarming with amazing bluegrass music written by Edie Brickell and Steve Martin.  My favorite songs are "If You Knew My Story," "Asheville," "Sun's Gonna Shine," and "I Had a Vision."  Wilson has a beautiful voice and her emotional rendition of "Please Don't Take Him" brought tears to my eyes.  When she first appears on stage as the older Alice I was so impressed by her portrayal of the emotionally restrained professional woman that I wondered if she would be able to pull off the reckless teenage girl but she transitions seamlessly between the two with just a change in expression (and some quick costume changes).  The rest of the cast is really strong but the other standouts for me were Miller, as a young woman afraid that she will lose the one she loves to the big city, and Kerr, as a father who thinks he is doing the right thing for his son.  The staging of this show in such a small and intimate space is so clever!  The set includes the facade of a rustic cabin with a fenced in porch, where a three piece band (featuring Braden Williams on fiddle, Marcus Williams on mandolin, and Taylon Mann on banjo) performs, as well as an attached platform and a grassy area where the action takes place with the addition of portable set pieces and projections to denote the bookstore where Margot works and the office of the magazine.  I also really liked the use of vintage light bulbs. The members of the ensemble move props on and off stage very effectively and I was really impressed with how a key moment on a train is portrayed.  This is a wonderful production that should not be missed (go here for tickets).

The Batman

Last night I had the opportunity to see an early screening of The Batman and I had so much fun!  The giant IMAX theater was completely sold out (which I haven't seen happen since The Force Awakens) and full of boisterous fans, many in costume, who cheered throughout and applauded at the end!  This movie is one of my most anticipated this year and, after seeing so many positive reviews, I was super hyped which sometimes leads to disappointment.  I am happy to report that it exceeded all of my expectations!  Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) is a virtual recluse but his alter ego Batman is a vigilante fighting crime in Gotham City.  He has a working relationship with Lieutenant James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) who summons him to the crime scene of a brutal murder because the killer, known as the Riddler (Paul Dano), has left him a personal message.  His investigation of the clues left by the Riddler at each subsequent crime scene brings him in contact with a cat burglar named Selina Kyle (Zoe Kravitz), uncovers city-wide corruption involving a mobster named Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) and his henchman Oswald "Penguin" Cobblepot (Colin Farrell), and reveals uncomfortable truths about his family before an epic confrontation.  I really liked the darker tone.  It feels more like a classic noir thriller with a brooding protagonist and a setting that is grounded in gritty realism rather than a stylized superhero action movie.  The story is absolutely riveting and, in my opinion, the almost three hour runtime flies by.  I especially enjoyed Bruce Wayne's character arc as a man almost broken by the weight of living up to his parents' legacy to finally accepting their fallibility and Batman's journey from exacting vengeance to becoming a symbol of hope for Gotham City.  I was also really struck by a similarity between the characters of Bruce Wayne, Selina Kyle, and Edward Nashton (who becomes the Riddler) because their reactions to their experiences are very telling.  Pattinson is brilliant in the role (I think he is very underrated as an actor) and the way he uses his eyes under the cowl to convey emotion is incredibly effective.  I enjoyed the juxtaposition between his more explosive performance as Batman with his restraint as Bruce Wayne because it really shows that he has been using his alter ego as a means of coping with his traumatic past.  He only feels alive when he is the Batman.  The rest of the cast is also outstanding but Dano is truly terrifying as the Riddler and Kravitz is the most realistic Catwoman I've seen on screen.  I loved this movie's version of the Batsuit because it actually looks like something that Bruce Wayne could have made himself and there are some fantastic gadgets.  The action sequences are exciting and intense, particularly a fight in a subway station, an epic car chase involving the Batmobile that ends in flames, and Batman's use of a wingsuit to escape from the police station (this prompted the loudest cheers from the audience).  The images on the screen are absolutely gorgeous and I particularly enjoyed the use of the color red.  Finally, I really loved the atmospheric score by Michael Giacchino, especially a motif that is repeatedly used for the Riddler (I kept wondering if that was really what I was hearing which lead to an incredible "aha" moment).  I loved this movie so much and I will definitely be seeing it again!

Cyrano

I always enjoy seeing the play Cyrano De Bergerac by Edmond Rostand (I have been fortunate enough to see both Patrick Page and Brian Vaughn in the title role in productions at PTC and the Utah Shakespeare Festival, respectively) and I am a huge fan of director Joe Wright (especially for Pride and Prejudice, Atonement, and Anna Karenina) so I was beyond excited when I found out about his latest movie, Cyrano, especially since it is a musical.  Having it be delayed again and again was extremely frustrating for me because I wanted to see it so badly but I finally had the chance last night.  As predicted, I absolutely loved it!  Roxanne (Haley Bennett) is a penniless young woman who is being encouraged to marry the wealthy Count de Guiche (Ben Mendelsohn) by her maid Marie (Monica Dolan) but she wants more.  Her childhood friend Cyrano de Bergerac (Peter Dinklage), a poet and cadet in the French army, is in love with her but does not reveal his feelings because he believes that his physical appearance will keep her from loving him in return.  She falls in love at first sight with Christian de Neuvillette (Kelvin Harrison, Jr.), a new recruit in Cyrano's regiment.  Because he loves her, Cyrano agrees to take him under his wing and tells him of Roxanne's wish that he write to her.  Christian is also in love with Roxanne but he lacks the wit and intelligence to woo her the way she wants so Cyrano offers to write the letters himself but they express his feelings rather than Christian's.  Roxanne loves Cyrano's words but can she love him?  Despite the theme of unrequited love, I think the story is incredibly romantic and Dinklage gives a brilliant performance, one of his best, as a man afraid to take a risk for love.  It is heartbreaking to watch!  Bennett and Harrison are also very good and I was quite impressed by their singing voices.  I really enjoyed the songs, especially "Someone to Say," "Every Letter," and "I Need More," and the choreography is so organic that you can almost imagine it happening in real life.  I particularly loved the staging of "Someone to Say" when the soldiers parry and thrust in perfect syncopation with the music, of "Every Letter" when letters flutter all around Roxanne and Cyrano as they read and write them, and of "Overcome" when Cyrano is finally able to speak of his love to Roxanne because he is hidden from view as she stands on her balcony.  The images on the screen are beautiful with sumptuous costumes and lavish production design and I loved the use of light and shadow.  This movie is so good that it was almost worth the wait and I highly recommend it.

Note:  I have already pre-ordered the blu-ray even though there is not a release date yet!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in Concert

Last night the Utah Symphony performed Nicholas Hooper's score for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince while showing the movie as part of its Films in Concert Series and it was so much fun!  It was such an immersive experience with lots of audience participation.  There was a house roll call (three cheers for Ravenclaw) before the show and then boisterous applause when every main character appeared on the screen (the loudest was, rather unexpectedly, for Professor McGonagall).  This particular movie is one of my favorites in the franchise because the tone is much darker and the stakes are higher for every character.  As Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) begin year six at Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) convinces a former potions professor named Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent) to return to the school.  He enlists Harry's help to get Slughorn to reveal a secret about Tom Riddle which could help them stop Voldemort's reign of terror. Meanwhile, Draco (Tom Felton) is also given a dangerous assignment which eventually brings tragedy to Hogwarts and suspicion upon Snape (Alan Rickman).  The ominous score reflects this darker tone, particularly in "Snape & the Unbreakable Vow," "Into the Pensieve," "Malfoy's Mission," "The Drink of Despair," and "Inferi in the Firestorm."  There are also some some really fun and exuberant themes, such as "Wizard Wheezes" and "Ron's Victory," which provide some comic relief.  I really loved the harp in "Harry & Hermione" because it is such a poignant moment in the movie since, even though the relationship woes are meant to be lighthearted, this is when the characters admit that they have feelings for Ginny and Ron, respectively.  I also loved the cello in "Dumbledore's Farewell" because it is so mournful as the students raise their wands in tribute (this scene always gives me goosebumps).  The music really provides so much of the tension and emotion in this movie so hearing it performed live added much to the experience of watching it.  If you have never attended one of these concerts, I highly recommend doing so!  Conductor Conner Covington teased that the final two movies in the franchise might be coming next season!  I can't wait until the 2022-2023 season announcement to see what the films will be!

Big Fish at the Empress

I enjoyed the Empress Theatre's production of Daddy Long Legs so much I decided to see their latest show, Big Fish, last night.  It didn't quite live up to Daddy Long Legs (which set the bar really high) but I thoroughly enjoyed it!  Will Bloom (Austin Payne) has always been exasperated by all of the wild stories that his father Edward (Jeff Pashley) tells him.  These include hearing his fortune told by a witch (Mya Sanchez) in a swamp, learning how to swim from a mermaid (Audrey Kocherans), befriending a giant (Owen Pashley), running away to the circus, wooing a young woman (Amber Ellington) with daffodils, and stopping the assassination attempt of a general during the war.  As he is about to become a father himself, he learns that his father is dying of cancer and returns home to attempt a reconciliation with him.  After a Wild West confrontation between the two of them, Will discovers that the truth about his father is even more extraordinary than the stories.  The songs in this show are a lot of fun because they bring all of Edward's fantastical stories to life and I was really impressed with how well they are staged in such a small space with a very minimalistic set.  My favorite numbers were "Be the Hero," "Ashton's Favorite Son," "Daffodils," and "Red, White, and True."  This is a very complicated show technically with many different costume changes and multiple props moving on and off stage and I thought the transitions went very smoothly, especially so early in the run.  The majority of the cast members are much better singers than actors but they are very earnest and give it their all so you can't help but be enchanted by their performances.  It is a little bit quirky (all community theatre is a bit quirky) but the heartwarming story of a son trying to understand his father and a father trying to make his son proud is sure to please everyone.  It runs through March 12 and tickets, which are very reasonable, can be purchased here. 

The Worst Person in the World

One of my very favorite films at the Sundance Film Festival this year was The Worst Person in the World so I was really happy to be able to see it again at my favorite art house theater last night.  I think I loved it even more upon a second viewing!  Julie (Renate Reinsve) changes majors, boyfriends, and, rather amusingly, hairstyles several times before deciding to leave school to pursue photography.  She takes a temporary job in a bookstore and moves in with Aksel (Anders Danielsen Lie), a comic book artist who is several years her senior, after meeting him at a party.  She is ambivalent when Aksel presses her about starting a family and, even though she loves him, her dissatisfaction with the direction of her life causes her to question their relationship and whether she is ready to make a commitment.  She becomes infatuated with Eivind (Herbert Nordrum), a man she meets when she crashes a wedding, and eventually leaves Aksel to move in with him but he also proves to be a disappointment.  She continually wonders when life will begin but it takes a tragedy for her to realize that she has been living all along.  I love the character of Julie so much because, even though I am a bit (ahem) older than she is, I can really relate to feeling like you should have life figured out by a certain age and I definitely appreciate the message that there is not necessarily a timeline for doing so.  Reinsve give an absolutely captivating and moving performance (I think she deserved a Best Actress Oscar nomination), particularly in an emotionally charged but incredibly honest scene in which she breaks up with Aksel.  Danielsen Lie is also outstanding, giving a powerful monologue in the third act about the things we hold on to in life.  Trier uses the time of day (and the city of Oslo) very effectively in three brilliant scenes depicting Julie's state of mind.  First, she walks home wistfully at dusk feeling disillusioned with life until she is distracted by a party.  Next, she is giddy as she runs through the streets during the day, while time stops for every one else, to follow a sudden impulse.  Finally, she is heartbroken as she wanders the city in tears all night before she finds some peace at sunrise.  I love the imagery of these scenes because they are all so evocative and the time of day is a great metaphor for the ebb and flow of life.  I laughed out loud multiple times and I shed a tear or two!  This is one of the best romantic comedies that I've seen, mostly because it subverts the genre, and I highly recommend it!

Daniel Lozakovich Plays Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto

Last night's Utah Symphony concert featured the music of Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev so you can be sure that I really enjoyed it (I love the Russian composers).  The first piece, however, was not composed by a Russian but by a Brazilian!  The orchestra began with the U.S. premiere of Oji - Cheganca e impeto by Paulo Costa Lima.  The composer wanted to explore Afro-Brazilian folk traditions and this piece is meant to represent a trans-Atlantic journey from Africa to Brazil.  It features many different percussion instruments, including some rather unusual ones, and I was particularly struck by how well these instruments, along with the strings, mimic the sound of rolling waves in a storm.  I kept seeing a ship being tossed about in a thunder storm.  I could also really hear the relief that comes from reaching a destination safely as interpreted by the diminishing sound of a wind machine.  I thought it was really cool (you are pretty much guaranteed something cool when you see six percussionists on the stage).  Next, the orchestra performed the Violin Concerto by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and they were joined by Daniel Lozakovich on violin.  In my opinion, Tchaikovsky's music is incredibly emotional (which is why I love it) and the Violin Concerto is especially so.  The theme played by the soloist, which is repeated often throughout the three movements, is absolutely beautiful and I particularly enjoyed it when it was repeated by the flute.  Lazakovich was required to play faster and faster in the first movement (the violinist for whom this piece was composed declared it unplayable) and it was thrilling to watch, to say the least!  My favorite movement was the second because it is slower and just a bit melancholy with a beautiful introduction by the woodwinds.  The third movement includes variations of Russian folk music before it returns to the passionate main theme in a triumphant conclusion!  Lazakovich was absolutely brilliant and, in response to the standing ovation from the large crowd at Abravanel Hall, he played a dramatic rendition of Sonata No. 5, Danse Rustique, by Eugene Ysaye as an encore.  After the intermission, the orchestra concluded with selections from the ballet Cinderella by Sergei Prokofiev.  I saw Ballet West's production of Romeo and Juliet, which also features the music of Prokofiev, just last weekend so I was really excited for this!  I have also seen this ballet performed by Ballet West so I had many images in my head as I listened to the orchestra.  I especially enjoyed Cinderella Goes to the Ball, because it includes incredibly romantic themes played by the woodwinds, strings, and horns, and Midnight, because the percussion mimics the dramatic chiming of the clock (I could still see the giant clock used in Ballet West's production) as Cinderella leaves the ball.  I enjoyed every minute of this concert and would definitely recommend getting a ticket for tonight's performance (go here) of the same program.

Anastasia at the Eccles

I have always been fascinated by Russia and the rumor that the Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov may have survived the slaughter of her family during the Russian Revolution is incredibly compelling (even though it has been debunked by DNA evidence).  The musical adaptation of this story has been at the top of my list for a long time and I finally had the chance to see Anastasia last night at the Eccles Theater.  I really loved it!  Young Anastasia (Marley Sophia) is given a music box by her grandmother the Dowager Empress (Gerri Weagraff) before she leaves to live in Paris.  Several years later the Imperial family is arrested and executed by Bolsheviks but there is a rumor in St. Petersburg that Anastasia somehow survived.  Two conmen named Dmitry (Sam McLellan) and Vlad (Bryan Seastrom) want to find someone to impersonate her in order to demand money from the Dowager Empress.  They find an old music box once owned by the Romanovs and eventually encounter a young woman named Anya (Kyla Stone) who is suffering from amnesia.  As they try to teach her about the Grand Duchess, she recognizes the music box and starts remembering the Imperial family.  They escape the clutches of a Bolshevik general named Gleb (Brandon Delgado), who vows to finish the job of executing the Romanovs begun by his father, and eventually arrive in Paris.  With the help of Countess Lily (Madeline Raube), a lady in waiting, they introduce Anya to the Dowager Empress but is she really Anasatsia and does she want the life of a Grand Duchess?  I was really impressed by Stone as Anastasia and I loved her songs "In My Dreams," "Once Upon a December," and "Journey to the Past."  I also really enjoyed her facial expressions as she moves from saying the lines given to her by Dmitry and Vlad to remembering the events they describe.  I was absolutely blown away by the set, which consists of a series of columns, and the use of projections to bring the cities of St. Petersburg and Paris to life.  St. Petersburg is one of my favorite cities so it was really fun for me to recognize the Winter Palace, the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Nevsky Prospect, the Neva River, and the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood.  Several of the musical numbers are staged so brilliantly!  The use of red lighting in "The Last Dance of the Romanovs," which shows the transition from the Romanov family waltzing inside the Winter Palace to their eventual overthrow by the Bolsheviks, is incredibly powerful, the ghosts of the Romanov family dancing around Anya in "Once Upon a December" and "A Nightmare" is absolutely otherworldly, and the staging of Swan Lake is quite impressive because it includes the actual ballet (with Lauren Teyke as Odette, Taylor Stanger as Prince Siegfried, and Dakota Hoar as Von Rothbert) while Anya, Dmitry, Gleb, and the Dowager Empress sing "Quartet at the Ballet" in gold box seats on each side of the stage.  So many moments took my breath away and I am really happy that I was finally able to check this show off my list!  It runs at the Eccles Theater through February 20 but every performance is sold out!

Death on the Nile

I enjoyed Kenneth Branagh's version of Murder on the Orient Express so I was excited when I found out he was adapting Death on the Nile next.  It seems like I have been waiting forever to see it and I finally had the chance last night.  Like the first movie, it is stylish and entertaining with a bit of added poignancy.  Heiress Linnet Ridgeway (Gal Gadot) is on her honeymoon with her new husband Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer) in Egypt but Jacqueline de Bellefort (Emma Mackey), her former friend and Simon's former fiancee, pursues them wherever they go.  To escape her, they spontaneously decide to take the wedding party on a river cruise of the Nile.  Hercule Poirot (Branagh) is also vacationing in Egypt when he runs into his old friend Bouc (Tom Bateman) and his mother Euphemia (Annette Bening), who are part of the wedding party, and they invite him along.  When Jackie boards the cruise during a stopover at Abu Simbel, Linnet confesses to Poirot that she fears for her safety.  However, it seems that everyone on board has a grudge against Linnet: her longtime maid Louise Bourget (Rose Leslie), her former fiance Linus Windlesham (Russell Brand), her cousin and lawyer Andrew Katchadourian (Ali Fazal), her godmother Marie Van Schuyler (Jennifer Saunders), Van Schuyler's nurse and companion Mrs. Bowers (Dawn French), her former classmate Rosalie Otterbourne (Letitia Wright), and Rosalie's aunt Salome Otterbourne (Sophie Okenedo).  When Linnet is found dead with a gunshot wound to the head, it is up to Poirot to solve the murder.  As with the previous movie I really enjoyed the all-star cast, particularly Mackey, who all have a moment to shine as they are interrogated one by one.  I also enjoyed Branagh's portrayal of the famous Belgian sleuth because he expands on Poirot's backstory in a compelling prequel about a doomed relationship with a woman named Katherine (Susannah Fielding), a theme hinted at in the first movie, as motivation for his actions.  I think his performance in this movie is more nuanced and less affected.  However, while I loved the glamorous costumes and opulent production design, the sub-par visual effects are very distracting because it is glaringly obvious that this was filmed on a set with green screens.  There are also some pacing issues because it takes much too long to establish all of the characters and relationships before the murder happens and the resolution feels rushed as a result.  Finally, I found the suggestive dance sequence between Simon and Jackie to be very uncomfortable in light of what we know about Hammer's personal life.  This movie is not without its faults but I had a great time watching it as a bit of escapist fun and I recommend it to those who enjoyed Murder on the Orient Express.

Note:  My family had VHS copies of Murder on the Orient Express (1974), Death on the Nile (1978), and Evil Under the Sun (1982).  I often binge-watched them together when I was a teenager so I am hoping that Branagh adapts Evil Under the Sun next so that I can recreate that experience!