Hilary Hahn Plays Ginastera and Sarasate

I have been looking forward to last night's Utah Symphony concert for quite some time because it featured the return of fan favorite Hilary Hahn for the second time this season!  The orchestra began with Prelude a L'apres-midi d'un faune (Prelude to the afternoon of a Faun) by Claude Debussy and it was lovely.  I think this piece is incredibly romantic and it always reminds me of Spring (I once saw a beautiful performance by Ballet West to this music).  I especially enjoyed the themes played by the flute and the harp.  Next on the program was the U.S. premiere of Nature Symphony by Composer-in-Association Arlene Sierra.  According to the composer, each movement represents different processes within and against nature such as the migration of butterflies, the destruction of the landscape by fracking, and the rebellion of a bee colony.  I particularly liked the second movement because the main theme repeats and builds and builds in intensity (I loved the percussion).  After the intermission, Hahn joined the orchestra for Alberto Ginastera's Violin Concerto.  I was not at all familiar with this piece or this composer but I enjoyed it because it was very surrealistic.  The opening passage by the solo violin is incredibly technical and Hahn performed it brilliantly.  When the rest of the orchestra eventually joins the soloist it is very dramatic, especially the timpani and the brass.  Hahn returned once again for Fantasy on Bizet's Carmen by Pablo de Sarasate.  This is an adaptation of the Aragonaise, the Habanera, an interlude, the Seguidilla, and the Gypsy Dance from the well-known opera and it is meant to be a showpiece for the violin soloist (it often seemed like the orchestra was accompanying the violin).  It is another highly technical piece and, once again, Hahn gave an amazing performance.  This was definitely my favorite piece of the evening because I love Carmen so much.  It was the first opera that I saw performed live so it will always be among my favorites.  Hearing this version performed by Hahn and the orchestra pretty much blew me away!  The entire concert was pretty spectacular so I would definitely recommend getting a ticket to tonight's performance of the same program (go here).

Everything Everywhere All at Once

To be honest, Everything Everywhere All at Once wasn't really on my radar until I started hearing a lot of positive buzz from South by Southwest.  The more I heard about it, the more I wanted to see it!  I had an opportunity to attend an early screening (which was completely packed) at the Broadway last night and I absolutely loved it!  Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) is a middle-aged Chinese immigrant who runs a laundry, which is being audited by the IRS, with her husband Waymand (Ke Huy Quan).  She is extremely dissatisfied with the choices she has made in life and is disappointed with her relationships with her frivolous husband, her disapproving father Gong Gong (James Hong), and her wayward daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu).  While meeting with an IRS auditor (a hilarious Jamie Lee Curtis), an alternate version of her husband from a parallel universe confronts Evelyn and explains that there is a threat to the multiverse that only she can defeat.  It turns out that every choice a person makes creates a new universe and Evelyn is given the technology to access all of the alternate versions of herself in order to acquire their skills to use in the fight.  However, Evelyn eventually realizes that she must make peace with all of her perceived failures in order to defeat the threat.  The narrative is chaotic, strange, fantastical, and sometimes even ridiculous but it tells an incredibly touching story about the weight of missed opportunities and the pressures of living up to expectations (after laughing uproariously through most of it I had a tear in my eye at the resolution).  The images on the screen are gorgeous and I loved the fact that each of the multiverses has its own unique visual style with brilliant cinematography and editing.  The fight choreography is intense because most of it takes place inside the IRS building using everyday items found in an office.  My favorite sequence involved the use of a fanny pack to fight a group of security guards.  I enjoyed the entire cast (did I mention that Jamie Lee Curtis is hilarious?) but Michelle Yeoh gives a brilliant performance that showcases her amazing range (she performed most of her own stunts) and, even though it is still very early, I will go on record saying that she should be in contention for all of the Best Actress awards this year.  I am not exaggerating when I say that this is a masterpiece and it is currently my favorite movie of 2022.  See it on the big screen!

Another Jazz Game

My friend Angela invited me to another Jazz game last night and, because we had so much fun last time, I have been looking forward to it for weeks!  The Jazz clinched a playoff spot after winning their last game so several key players, including Donovan Mitchell, were sitting out in order to rest.  They played the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have a really bad record, so the atmosphere at the Vivint Arena was not quite as electric as the last time I was there but it ended up being a great game.  I actually thought it would be more of a rout than it was so I have to give the Thunder some credit for staying with the Jazz, even getting to within two points in the second quarter, until they were completely outplayed in the fourth quarter when the Jazz went on a 27-5 run.  Rudy Gobert was really fun to watch with 20 points and 10 rebounds and Bojan Bogdanovic had a great night with 27 points.  The Jazz ended up winning 137-101 but the best part of the evening was spending time with Angela.  We spent as much time chatting as we did watching the game!

Note:  Because the Thunder have such a poor record, tickets to this game were really cheap!  I paid more to park than I did to watch the game!

School of Rock at HCT

Several years ago I went on a theatre trip to New York with Hale Centre Theatre. On one of our free nights a group of HCT staff went to see the new musical School of Rock. The next morning they were all buzzing about it because it seemed like a good fit for HCT if they could find enough kids who played instruments. When HCT announced the 2022 season, one of the shows was left as TBA and, remembering those conversations, I suspected that it would be School of Rock and I was right! I had the chance to see the show last night and I loved it even more than the Broadway touring production I saw a few years ago! Dewey (Bryan Hague) is kicked out of his band No Vacancy right before the Battle of the Bands and his best friend Ned (Will Ingram), with whom he has been living for several years, is under pressure from his girlfriend Patty (Riley Squire) to get him to pay rent. Desperate to earn some money, Dewey takes a substitute teaching job at Horace Green Prep School that is meant for Ned. The students in his class are being crushed under the pressure put on them by their parents who don't understand them. After hearing them during their music class, Dewey decides to form a band with Zack (Cameron Dietlein) on lead guitar, Katie (Sydney Madsen) on bass, Lawrence (Miles Jeppson) on keyboard, Freddy (Nat Paxman) on drums, and Shonelle (Afton Grace Higbee) and Marcy (Alice Alcorn) on backing vocals. He recruits Billy (Amauree Mack) to be the band's stylist, James (Cade Hixon) as security, Mason (Nolan Reinbold) on tech, and Summer (Katherine Clark), the class know-it-all, as the band's manager. Tomika (Taryn Davis), a shy and insecure transfer student, eventually becomes the band's secondary lead singer. Being in the band gives the students more confidence so Dewey decides to enter them in the Battle of the Bands. He just needs to convince the uptight principal Ms. Mullins (Bailee Morris) to let him take the students on a field trip (in a hilarious scene involving the song "Edge of Seventeen" by Stevie Nicks). The parents eventually catch on to Dewey's deception but the kids win them over with their performance at the Battle of the Bands. This kids in this show are insanely talented and play their instruments live on stage in the songs "You're In The Band," "Stick It To The Man," "Time To Play," and "School Of Rock."  Dewey's band No Vacancy, with Doug (James Densley) on drums, Theo (Memphis Hennesy) on guitar, Gary (Mark Maxson) on guitar, Snake (Brady Bills) on guitar, Kevin (Eric Noyes) on keyboard, Kyle (Kelly DeHaan) on keyboard, and Bob (Davin Tayler) on bass, perform "I'm Too Hot For You" during the Battle of the Bands and serve as the house band on stage for all of the other songs. They are also fantastic! Hague is incredibly charismatic as Dewey (he does a great job of differentiating his performance from Jack Black's in the movie) and he has a great rapport with the kids. Davis is my favorite young actor in the show because she portrays Tomika's vulnerability very well (after a poignant moment when Tomika proves that she deserves to be the lead singer, Davis broke character for a minute to smile at all of the applause and that was really endearing). The set is a lot of fun, particularly the halls and classrooms at the Horace Green Prep School and all of the speakers and flashing lights that come down from the rafters for the Olympic Powerhouse Club. I also liked the school uniforms worn by the kids (there are Horace Green Prep School patches on their blazers and school bags), especially when they are embellished for their performance. I had so much fun at this show (it will definitely be one of my favorites this year) and I highly recommend it but act quickly because tickets are going fast (go here).  School of Rock runs on the Young Living Main Stage through May 28.

You Won't Be Alone

I usually really enjoy horror films based on folklore but somehow I missed You Won't Be Alone at Sundance this year.  Luckily my favorite art house theater eventually screens the noteworthy films from Sundance (and other festivals) so I was able to see it last night.  It is slow and sometimes meandering but I found it to be a fascinating take on witchcraft and the nature of humanity.  In a remote mountain village in 19th century Macedonia, a disfigured shape-shifting witch (Anamaria Marinca) comes to claim a newborn baby.  Her distraught mother (Kamka Tocinovski) negotiates with the witch to allow her to keep the child until she turns sixteen and the witch unexpectedly agrees.  However, the mother, hoping to trick the witch, keeps the child hidden in a cave but the witch still comes to claim her at the appointed time (I really enjoyed this fairy-tale inspired prologue).  Nevena (Sara Klimoska) is feral after living in the cave her whole life and, despite being transformed into a witch herself, she is overcome by the beauty of nature.  When Nevena is left on her own, she assumes the shape of several villagers (Noomi Rapace and Carloto Cotta) out of curiosity but it is when she becomes the child Biliana (Anastasija Karanovich) that she discovers the joy of being human.  Nevena chooses to live as Biliana (Alice Englert) and finds happiness as a wife and mother but the witch, whose tragic backstory is revealed, warns her of the evil in the world.  Despite some really gruesome scenes involving body horror (the way the witches assume the shape of people and animals is quite disturbing), the visuals showing the simplicity of village life are beautiful and the score is haunting.  Most of the dialogue is an internal monologue from Nevena's perspective as she discovers the world and the people around her and this is a very effective way to explore many different themes, such as gender roles, community, and cycles of abuse, as Nevena experiences them.  It does get a bit repetitive and it definitely won't be for everyone but I thought it was very compelling.

Ballet West's Carmina Burana

I usually prefer seeing full-length ballets that tell a story but I have been trying to be bolder with my choices (especially with Ballet West and Utah Opera) so I went to Ballet West's production of Carmina Burana last night.  I am so glad that I did because this performance was simply amazing!  The first ballet was Glass Pieces with choreography by Jerome Robbins and music by Philip Glass.  It is meant to represent the random movements of New York commuters passing through Grand Central Station.  I really liked the entire ballet but my favorite was Movement 1.  The music is very chaotic and almost discordant as several groups of dancers walk back and forth across the stage in opposite directions.  Three main couples, Katlyn Addison and Dominic Ballard, Amy Potter and Hadriel Diniz, and Jenna Rae Herrera and Jordan Veit, dance individually and as a group before they begin interacting with the other dancers.  At first the other dancers simply step around them to get to their destination but the couples eventually begin to have an impact on select groups who join them and dance with abandon.  It is incredibly dynamic and I especially enjoyed seeing Addison, my favorite dancer in the company, perform a main role.  After the intermission, the entire company performed Carmina Burana with choreography by Nicolo Fonte and music by Carl Orff.  The text, which is based on a collection of medieval poetry, describes a wheel of fortune as it turns and features themes of luck and fate.  It is unbelievably dramatic and I had goosebumps multiple times!  The Cantorum Chamber Choir, under the direction of Chorus Master Steven Durtschi, is elevated above the stage on a platform with arches and columns holding it up and there were audible gasps from the audience when the curtain rose to reveal it for the first time.  Soprano Melissa Heath, Tenor Christopher Puckett, and Baritone Christopher Clayton also perform on stage, and even interact with the dancers at times, during several of the sections.  My favorite was "O Fortuna" at the opening and conclusion because it is so powerful!  The first section is about the rebirth found in Spring and the choreography is really energetic.  The second section is about feasting and drinking and the dances include a bit of debauchery which had the audience chuckling.  The third section involves romantic love and the movements of the dancers are incredibly tender.  I really liked Glass Pieces but Carmina Burana is absolutely brilliant and is not to be missed!  There are only three more performances so act quickly (go here for tickets)!

Note:  Ballet West has had an incredible season!  I have loved every production but if I had to pick a favorite it would be Dracula.

The Sound of Music at the Empress

Last night I went to the Empress Theatre for the first of three productions of The Sound of Music that I have scheduled this year.  Obviously I really love this show (although I actually prefer the 1965 movie starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer to the stage musical) and I had so much fun watching an aspiring nun sent to be the governess to the seven children of Captain von Trapp bring music back into his household.  I love every song (they are all so instantly recognizable and I really had to try hard not to sing along), particularly "The Sound of Music," "Maria," "My Favorite Things," "Do-Re-Mi," "Edelweiss," "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," and "Somthing Good."  Laura Strong, who plays Maria, has a really beautiful voice (although there were lots of problems with her microphone) and I really enjoyed her interactions with the von Trapp children, Liesl (Kimberly Allred), Friedrich (Sam Selcho), Louisa (Brynlee Dalton), Kurt (Bridger Dalton), Birgitta (Mabel Utley), Marta (Roux Carter), and Gretl (Daphne Carter).  All of these young actors do a wonderful job, especially in "The Lonely Goatherd" and "So Long, Farewell."  I wish that there had been more interaction between Strong and and Don Smith, as Captain von Trapp, because their romance seems to come out of nowhere but I think that is a problem with the show itself rather than the actors.  Kacee Mickelsen, as the Mother Abbess, and Morgan Hekking, as Baroness Schrader, are the other standouts from the cast because they both are very powerful (even though Mickelsen also had issues with her microphone).  I really enjoyed the choreography, especially the entrance of the nuns in the opening number and the interplay between Liesl and Rolf (Patrick Hawkins) in "Sixteen Going on Seventeen."  The entire space is utilized very effectively, especially the stairs and the areas behind the top row of seats which feature a beautiful mural of mountains (it felt like we were actually sitting in the middle of the Alps), and I particularly loved the final scene as the vop Trapps climb to freedom.  This is the most elaborate set I've seen at the Empress and I was quite impressed with both the abbey and the von Trapp mansion.  Community theatre can sometimes be very quirky but this show equals many professional productions I've seen.  My only complaints are the aforementioned issues with the microphones and some of the transitions run a bit long (all of which will probably be resolved as the run continues).  I highly recommend this show which runs through April 16 (go here for tickets).

Note:  There was a couple sitting across the stage from me who were very obviously the parents of one of the children.  They literally beamed every time the children were on stage and I thought that was so sweet!

Noises Off at the Grand Theatre

Noises Off is one of my very favorite plays and I have seen it many times, including productions at PTC and the Utah Shakespeare Festival, so I was thrilled when I found out that the Grand Theatre was performing it this season.  I saw it last night and it wasn't quite up to par with those other productions but I definitely enjoyed it.  Lloyd Dallas (David Hanson), a temperamental and sarcastic director, is staging a play called Nothing's On starring Dotty Otley (JJ Neward), an aging television star, as Mrs. Clackett, Gary Lejeune (Nick Dunn), a scatterbrained actor incapable of improvising, as Roger Tramplemain, Brooke Ashton (Taylor McKay Barnes), a young and inexperienced actress involved with Lloyd, as Vicki, Frederick Fellowes (Michael Scott Johnson), an insecure and accident prone actor, as Philip Brent, Belinda Blair (Amy Williams), a reliable actress who knows all of the gossip about the cast, as Flavia Brent, and Selsdon Mowbray (Richard Scott), an accomplished actor who has a drinking problem and a tendency to miss his cues, as the Burglar.  Poppy Norton-Taylor (Anne Louise Brings) is the put-upon assistant stage manager who is also involved with Lloyd and Tim Allgood (Alvaro Cortez) is the overworked stage manager tasked with fixing every problem.  Act I involves a disastrous dress rehearsal before opening night involving missing props, a malfunctioning set, an actor questioning his character’s motivation, and a missing contact lens.  Act II takes place backstage while the show is on tour and features the deterioration of a relationship between Dotty and Gary where they do everything to sabotage each other's performance and Lloyd's ill-fated attempts to keep both Poppy and Brooke happy (and multiple attempts to have Tim buy them flowers).  Act III takes place at the end of the run and features a complete breakdown with the actors ad-libbing the entire scene.  I thought the performances were a bit uneven and the pace was sometimes sluggish (especially in the first act) but the physical comedy throughout had me laughing out loud.  I especially enjoyed it when Gary has a spectacular fall down the stairs (the audience spontaneously applauded after this), when two different understudies play the Burglar after Selsdon misses his cue and then finally enters, and when Frederick tries to perform with a head injury and a broken arm.  The elaborate set, especially backstage, and the costumes work really well for a play-within-in-play that fails so dramatically.  It has flaws but it is a lot of fun!  It runs at the Grand Theatre on the south campus of Salt Lake Community College through April 16 and tickets may be purchased here.

X

Last night I finally had the chance to see X and it was not at all what I was expecting.  It was so much better!  A group of free-spirited filmmakers decide to make an adult film in the late 1970s.  Maxine (Mia Goth) is hoping to use this film to escape her mundane existence and become a star, Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow) and Jackson Hole (Scott "Kid Cudi" Mescudi) are more seasoned performers in it for the thrill, Maxine's boyfriend Wayne (Martin Henderson) is a wannabe producer hoping to cash in on the burgeoning home video market, RJ (Owen Campbell) is an idealistic director who believes that porn can be elevated into serious art, and Lorraine (Jenna Ortega) is RJ's timid girlfriend who disapproves of the genre but acts as his sound technician.  They travel to a remote farm in rural Texas to stay as paying guests but they film secretly without the owner's knowledge.  When the elderly owners Howard (Stephen Ure) and Pearl (Mia Goth, in a dual role) witness what is going on, things turn deadly.  This is very definitely an homage to the slasher films of the 1970s (particularly The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) but the narrative also manages to be entirely original and fresh.  It is tense and atmospheric with some gruesome kills but underneath it there is a very powerful message about regretting one's lost youth.  This theme is subtly, but brilliantly, emphasized by having Goth portray both Maxine and Pearl (I actually didn't realize this until almost the end) because it is appears as if Pearl is looking at her younger self whenever she sees Maxine.  The structure is also absolutely brilliant because there are quite a few moments that seem to be incongruous but ultimately pay off later in a big way, particularly an accident on the road involving a collision with a cow.  The technical aspects are outstanding, especially the lighting and sound design, and I think the editing is highly effective because there are many quick cuts between images that mirror each other throughout.  This movie is really good on so many levels but it might not be for everyone because of the subject matter.  I had a blast watching it and, if the post credits scene is to be believed, I will definitely watch the prequel!

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse

I am so excited because I just discovered a new venue for community theatre called the Terrace Plaza Playhouse and I now want to see every show in their upcoming season (go here to check it out). I was able to attend their latest production, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, last night and it was so much fun! This is one of the movie musicals I grew up watching at my Grandma Anderson's house and, even though the story is actually quite problematic, I love it for the singing and dancing! Adam Pontipee (Brian Sears) leaves his frontier home in the mountains in search of a wife in the nearest town. He finds the perfect candidate in Milly (Victoria Hall) but she is dismayed when she discovers that she must also care for his six brothers. Her solution is to get them all married off so she tries to teach them how to court women.  After all of the brothers meet women they like at the town social, they ruin their chances with them by getting in a brawl with their suitors. Adam fears that Milly has made his brothers too soft and suggests that they simply go get the women they want and marry them. Chaos ensues! Sears and Hall have lovely voices (although it was sometimes hard to hear Hall) and I especially enjoyed their renditions of "Bless Your Beautiful Hide" and "Wonderful, Wonderful Day," respectively.  All of the brothers, Benjamin (Danny Hall), Caleb (Kimball Bennion), Daniel (Trevor Griffin), Ephraim (Garret Rushforth), Frank (Dallin Johnson), and Gideon (Peter Jenkins), harmonize beautifully, especially in the song "We Gotta Make It Through The Winter."  All of the brides, Dorcas (Katie Hamblin), Ruth (Katelyn Webb), Liza (Megan Griffin), Martha (Cami Johnson), Sarah (Anna Higgins), and Alice (Andrea Poll), each have distinct personalities (beyond the different colored gingham dresses they wear) and are fantastic dancers, especially in "The Challenge Dance" at the town social because they whirl seamlessly between the brothers and the suitors without missing a beat! All of the big song and dance numbers feature really fun choreography and are executed very well.  Besides "The Challenge Dance," I really loved "Goin' Courting," because the way Milly tries to teach the brothers how to dance is absolutely hilarious, and "Spring Dance," because you can see the brides and brothers falling in love with each other through their interactions. There is also a fun recurring bit of business between Daniel, Ephraim, Liza, and Martha that had the audience laughing every time it happened. The stage is small and intimate and the space was utilized very well for all of the various chase scenes and I was very impressed with the elaborate set pieces for the Pontipee cabin and barn which rotated for scenes inside and outside. I enjoyed this show very much and I am looking forward to seeing a lot more at this theater!

Note:  During the intermission, this little old lady came up to me and told me that I had a big smile on my face during the whole first half.

Compartment No. 6

Yesterday I went to see Compartment No. 6 at my favorite art house theater (I was very intrigued because it won the Grand Prix at Cannes this year along with A Hero) and I loved it because it is so charming.  Laura (Seidi Haarla) is a young woman from Finland who is studying archaeology in Moscow.  She lives with her lover Irina (Dinara Drukarova), a professor of literature at the university, and she longs to be a part of Irina's cultured and sophisticated world.  They have planned a trip to Murmansk to view some ancient petroglyphs but Irina suddenly backs out and Laura goes on her own.  To her dismay she is sharing a compartment on the train with an uncouth Russian laborer named Lyokha (Yura Borisov) who is on his way to Murmansk for temporary work at a mine.  She takes an immediate disliking to him and not only tries to get another compartment (to no avail) but contemplates getting off the train at a stop in St. Petersburg.  She ultimately opts to continue and, as her relationship with Irina deteriorates, she begins to see Lyokha in a new light.  Once she reaches Murmansk she is told that it is impossible to get to the famous petroglyphs in the winter so Lyokha goes to extraordinary lengths to get her there.  She eventually discovers that the journey with Lyokha has been more meaningful than the destination.  I loved both of these characters so much because, on the surface, they couldn't be more different but over the course of the journey they come to understand that they have more in common than they realize.  The connection that they form with one another is so warm especially in contrast with a harsh Russian winter.  Haarla and Borisov give wonderful performances, particularly in a pivotal scene when their characters finally acknowledge the pain they both feel, and their chemistry is palpable.  The camera work on the train is very effective at creating a mood and I loved that the titular compartment is incredibly claustrophobic at the beginning of the journey but seems to grow larger and as the characters become more comfortable with each other.  The ending, which is a callback to an amusing moment when they first met, put a huge smile on my face!  This is definitely a slow moving character study but it is brilliant in its simplicity and I highly recommend it.

Infinite Storm

Last night I went to see Infinite Storm and, while this survival thriller based on true events is visually stunning, I found it to be a bit underwhelming.  Pam Bales (Naomi Watts) frequently climbs Mt. Washington in the White Mountains of New Hampshire but, as she prepares for her next attempt, a colleague warns her not to go because of a coming winter storm.  The date seems to have some significance for her and she mentions that she needs to get up on the mountain as therapy for a past trauma.  She is very skilled and incredibly prepared but the storm soon becomes too much for her and she decides to head down.  However, she sees footprints in the snow and decides to follow them to an unresponsive man (Billy Howle) who is so ill-prepared for the mountain that it is implied he is suicidal.  Pam is determined to rescue him, even when he becomes combative, and they face many hardships beyond the weather as they struggle to survive.  During several moments of peril, there are flashbacks to an earlier time in her life that attempt to provide some context for the purpose of her journey but they are annoyingly vague until Pam and the man she calls John have a reunion during the third act.  I really enjoyed the woman against nature narrative and the cinematography is so immersive that there were moments when I felt like I was on the mountain with Pam.  The mountain scenery (the Alps in Slovenia stand in for the White Mountains) is breathtaking and Watts gives a riveting and physical performance that is entirely believable.  Where this movie loses its way is when it leaves the mountain and tries to become a human drama.  The explanation of why Pam and John both came to be on the mountain is such a tonal shift from what precedes it that it feels almost anticlimactic and unnecessary.  This is probably a movie that you can wait to see on a streaming platform.

Tito Munoz Conducts Beethoven 6, Sibelius & Buxtehude

Whenever Augustin Hadelich comes to town to perform with the Utah Symphony I always make a point of being in attendance because I think he is absolutely brilliant (go here and here).  I am certainly not alone in my admiration because there was a sizable crowd at Abravanel Hall last night to hear him perform the Violin Concerto by Jean Sibelius.  Before the Sibelius, the orchestra began with Chaconne in E Minor by Dietrich Buxtehude with an arrangement by Carlos Chavez.  As explained by guest conductor Tito Munoz, this piece was originally written by Buxtehude for the organ during the German Baroque period.  Several hundred years later Chavez orchestrated it for the Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional emphasizing more modern instruments.  I had never heard this piece before (Munoz further explained that it is not performed in the United States very often) but I absolutely loved it!  I loved the opening fanfare by a solo trumpet and horn along with the timpani and I also loved how the same progression of notes seems to be repeated again and again with more and more intensity.  It was very powerful!  Next came the Violin Concerto with Hadelich.  Sibelius is one of my favorite composers (I discovered him on a trip to Finland) and this piece is widely considered to be one of his greatest masterpieces.  It calls to mind a dark wintry night and I particularly enjoyed the first movement because the solo violin plays a haunting melody that is beautifully echoed by a clarinet.  I also liked the final movement because the speed with which Hadelich moved his fingers was absolutely mind-blowing.  He gave an incredibly passionate performance and the audience leapt to its feet immediately for a thunderous ovation.  After the intermission, the orchestra concluded with Symphony No. 6 "Pastorale" by Ludwig van Beethoven and it was amazing.  This piece is meant to evoke feelings about nature and I especially liked a motif played by the strings mimicking the sound of moving water in the second movement and the sound of a thunderstorm created by the cellos, basses, and timpani in the fourth movement.  I loved every minute of this concert and it just might be my favorite this season (which is no mean feat because it has been a season full of wonderful music).  I highly recommend getting a ticket for tonight's performance featuring the same program (go here).

Journey at the Vivint Arena

Last night I saw my first concert of 2022 and I certainly picked a good one to begin with!  Journey is a nostalgic favorite of mine and I have seen them in concert many times (including an epic show featuring Journey and Foreigner at Red Rocks in Denver with my friend Tony).  I haven't listened to their music for quite some time but, as they played all of their hits one after the other, I somehow remembered every single word of every song!  All the band had to do was play one or two opening notes to a song and the crowd would go crazy!  It was so much fun!  Normally I try to control myself because I realize that the people sitting around me didn't pay money to hear me sing but everyone in the arena was singing at the top of their lungs (sometimes Arnel Pineda would stop singing and hold his microphone out to the crowd, as lead singers are wont to do, and there would be no difference in volume).  The girl sitting next to me was probably about 15 or 16 and even she knew the words to every song which I thought was really cool.  As I mentioned, they played the hits for almost two hours starting with "Only the Young" and then continuing with "Stone in Love," "Lights," "Send Her My Love," "Who's Crying Now," "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'," "Faithfully," "Open Arms," "Wheel in the Sky," "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)," "Be Good to Yourself," and, finally, "Any Way You Want It."  There is always one song, usually a more obscure track, that I always hope the band will play and in this case it was "Girl Can't Help It" but I wasn't too disappointed when they didn't play it because they played my favorite song, "Don't Stop Believin'," really early in the evening!  Arnel Pineda, who has been with the band since 2007, is a great frontman because he sounds a lot like Steve Perry but he has been able to make the songs his own and he is so energetic.  He was running all over the stage and jumping off the speakers all night and I thought he was really fun to watch.  I had such a good time at this concert and, even though it got out really late, I'm so glad I was able to go!

Note:  The opening band was Toto.  I am not as familiar with their discography as I am with Journey but I recognized "Hold the Line," "I Won't Hold You Back, and "Rosanna."  Of course they ended their set with their most popular song "Africa" which got the crowd on their feet singing every word.  I enjoyed them, as well.

The Lost City

I had the chance to see an early access screening of The Lost City last night and, even though I am not a big fan of romantic comedies (for some reason I really dislike the abbreviation often used for this genre), I really enjoyed it!  Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock) is a romance novelist who is still grieving the death of her husband.  She has become a recluse but Beth (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), her publicist, needs her to promote her latest book, The Lost City of D, which features a recurring character named Dash McMahon who is searching for a valuable artifact.  Beth invites Alan Caprison (Channing Tatum), the model who has portrayed Dash on all of Loretta's covers, to join her on the book tour but Loretta dismisses him as superficial.  An eccentric billionaire named Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe) kidnaps Loretta because he believes the artifact in her novel is real and wants her to help him find it.  Alan, wanting to prove to Loretta that he is more than just a dimwitted model, attempts to rescue her and chaos ensues as both Loretta and Alan are ill-equipped to deal with the jungle.  The physical comedy is absolutely hilarious, especially since Loretta is wearing a purple sequin jumpsuit and high heels, and I laughed out loud multiple times (as did the audience).  Bullock and Tatum are incredibly charming and their chemistry is off the charts!  I also really enjoyed Radcliffe as a petulant villain and Brad Pitt just about steals the show as a former Navy SEAL (I laughed so hard when he flips his hair).  This doesn't reinvent the wheel but, in my opinion, it doesn't need to because it is so much fun.  I had a great time watching this movie and you can be sure that if I liked it fans of the genre are sure to love it!

The Outfit

Since I was out of town last weekend, I missed several new releases that are on my list.  I decided to see one of them, The Outfit, last night and I really enjoyed it.  Leonard Burling (Mark Rylance) is a meticulous and fastidious cutter (not just a tailor) who learned his trade on Savile Row in London and now makes suits for members of the mob, the only clientele who can afford his services, in Chicago during the 1950s.  There is more to Burling than meets the eye because it is implied that he left London under mysterious circumstances.  He keeps to himself as the members of the Boyle crime family, the boss Roy (Simon Russell Beale), his son Richie (Dylan O'Brien), and their enforcer Francis (Johnny Flynn), use his shop as a drop but his receptionist Mable (Zoey Deutch) notices everything.  Over the course of one evening, Richie is shot and he and Francis take refuge in Burling's shop in order to elude a rival crime family.  Eventually, Roy and his henchman (Alan Mehdizadeh) show up looking for them and for evidence of a rat who has been informing on them to the FBI.  Burling and Mable are coerced into helping them but who is double-crossing whom?  This is definitely a slow burn (there is an extended sequence in which Burling demonstrates the entire process of creating a suit, including making the pattern, transferring it to the cloth, cutting it, and sewing the pieces together) but I found it very compelling.  The tension builds and builds with lots of unexpected twists and turns and, just when I thought I had everything figured out, there was a new revelation that made me rethink everything I thought I knew!  All of the action takes place in a single setting, almost as if it is a stage play, but Burling's shop provides many opportunities for misdirection with all of its nooks and crannies and I loved the production design.  Rylance is always at his best when portraying an ordinary man caught up in extraordinary circumstances and he is absolutely mesmerizing, even when he doesn’t say a word.  This is a very well-crafted crime thriller that will keep you guessing and I highly recommend it!

Spring Camping Trip

For the past three days I have been at my favorite KOA in Fillmore relaxing!  I needed a little getaway and I couldn't think of anything better than sitting on the front porch of a cabin and reading all day.  I really like this KOA because it is in the middle of nowhere so it is very quiet and peaceful and it is close enough that it doesn't require a lot of travel time (it is about two hours south of where I live) but far enough away to feel like a real getaway.  I have been coming here for years (by myself and with various members of my family) and the former owners knew me by name.  There are new owners now but they are very kind and welcoming and I had to laugh when they offered to show me the way to my cabin because I've stayed in this exact one several times (as well as others).  I didn't take any day trips this time because I just wanted to relax but there are quite a few things to do within driving distance.  The weather was a bit too cold to stay outside for long periods (it even snowed on Sunday) so I spent most of the day inside the cabin reading under a blanket (the cabin has a heater) which was wonderful.  I spent the evening watching movies on my laptop before falling asleep to the sound of rain hitting the roof.  It was perfect!  My sisters and I are caring for our Mom full-time now and I really appreciate the fact that they were willing to pick up the slack so I could have a weekend away!  It was exactly what I needed!

Jazz Game With Angela

It has been more than two years since I have been to a Jazz game (the last time I went was over Christmas break in 2019 with Sean and Tashena) and I have really missed going!  It has also been almost two years since I have seen any of my former colleagues from Hunter High and I have really missed them.  My friend and former colleague, Angela, invited me to the Jazz game against the Los Angeles Clippers last night and it was so much fun to catch up and watch the game together!  Even though quite a few players, including my favorite Donovan Mitchell, were out for injuries, it was a really good game and the atmosphere at the Vivint Arena was positively electric.  The Jazz took an early 17-4 lead in the first few minutes of the first quarter and they never gave it up!  They went on a 30-4 run before half-time and that got the crowd on their feet cheering!  The Jazz lost a little momentum in the third quarter but were never in any danger of losing the lead and ended up beating the Clippers 121-92.  It was really exciting to watch because Rudy Gobert, Jordan Clarkson, Eric Paschall, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Jared Butler were all on fire and ended the night in double digits.  Both Angela and I had smiles on our faces during the entire game and I had such a great time.  She invited me to another game next month and I am so excited!

The Band's Visit at the Eccles

I didn't know anything about the musical The Band's Visit, other than it won ten Tony Awards including Best Musical, before I saw the Broadway touring production last night.  It was unlike anything I have ever seen before but I found it to be a bit underwhelming, especially for a show that has received so much acclaim.  The Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra arrives at the Tel Aviv airport in Israel after being invited to perform at a cultural center in Petah Tikvah.  The representative appointed to meet them is not there so they decide to take a bus.  However, they mispronounce the name and arrive in the desert town of Bet Hatikva (the mispronunciation of the name of the town is a running joke throughout the show) instead.  They stop at a cafe owned by Dina (Janet Dacal) and, when they ask for directions to the cultural center, she figures out the mistake.  She and two of her employees, Papi (Coby Getzug) and Itzik (Clay Singer), offer to put them up for the night.  Once the band members realize that they have missed the one and only bus to Petah Tikvah and that there is only one pay phone, which is guarded by a man (Joshua Grosso) waiting endlessly for his girlfriend to call him back, they reluctantly agree.  Three of the band members, Tewfiq (Sasson Gabay), Simon (James Rana), and Haled (Joe Joseph), share their stories and have a positive effect on the lives of Dina, who feels like her life is going nowhere and yearns for a connection, Papi, who doesn't have the confidence to approach his secret crush, and Itzik, who is struggling to live up to the responsibilities of being a husband and a father.  The action is very slow and very understated and it almost seems like a series of vignettes rather than a cohesive story.  The musical numbers are also strangely unremarkable, except for "Papi Hears the Ocean" and "Answer Me" which were my favorites, and there are long periods of total silence as the characters, who speak different languages, struggle to communicate with each other in English (I found the silence very disconcerting).  None of the actors have particularly strong voices, but I was especially disappointed by Dacal because she was unable to project the strength and charisma required by her character.  I did really enjoy the traditional music played by the band members (Yoni Avi Battat, Roger Kashou, Brian Krock, Kane Mathis, and Wick Simmons) in between the scenes, the drab colors used in the minimal set juxtaposed with the bright blue of the band member's uniforms, and the message that people are more alike than different but I didn't especially like the show as a whole.  The Band's Visit has been on my list for a long time so I am glad I had the opportunity to see it.

Note:  I was extremely tired last night so there is every possibility that I was not in the proper mood to appreciate the subtleties of this show.  Others may find it more appealing (go here for more information and tickets).