The Duke

Last night I went to my favorite art house theater, for the second night in a row, to see the charming British comedy The Duke.  It is based on the true story of the theft of Francisco de Goya's portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in 1961.  Kempton Bunton (Jim Broadbent), a retired bus driver from Newcastle who is also an aspiring playwright, feels tremendous guilt over the death of his daughter several years earlier and is compelled to do something for the good of mankind to assuage that guilt.  His chosen cause is a campaign against making pensioners and war veterans pay for a license to watch television.  His long suffering wife Dorothy (Helen Mirren) begs him to stop all of his nonsense but he requests one last trip to London to bring attention to his message.  When he is turned away from the BBC, The Daily Mirror, and Parliament, he impulsively steals the painting in order to blackmail the government into exempting the less fortunate from paying for a license as a condition to get it back.  He enlists the help of his son Jackie (Fionn Whitehead) to hide it but, after a few misadventures, he decides to return it after which he is arrested.  When his trial at the Old Bailey begins, his barrister (Matthew Goode) tells him that his case is hopeless but he unexpectedly becomes a hero to the common man.  The narrative has a few twists and turns to keep it from being completely predictable and both Broadbent and Mirren give stellar performances full of wit and charm.  I found many scenes to be highly amusing and I laughed out loud several times (I love British humor).  I also really enjoyed the retro vibe in the cinematography because it looks like actual footage from the 1960s.  This is a lighthearted feel-good movie and watching it was a delightful experience (I was in a theater full of people twenty years older than me).

Petite Maman

I absolutely loved Portrait of a Lady on Fire so I was very eager to see the latest from Celine Sciamma, Petite Maman.  It seems like I have been waiting forever for it to get a wide release but it is finally playing at the Broadway and I had a chance to see it last night.  Sciamma is two for two with me because I loved Petite Maman just as much as Portrait of a Lady on Fire!  After the death of her maternal grandmother, eight year old Nelly (Josephine Sanz) travels with her mother (Nina Meurisse) and father (Stephane Varupenne) to her mother's childhood home to clear it out.  Nelly asks her mother questions about her childhood, including the location of the fort she once made out of tree branches, but she is too upset to answer her and eventually leaves in the middle of the night without saying goodbye.  While her father clears out the house, Nelly explores the nearby woods and finds a young girl named Marion (Gabrielle Sanz) building a fort out of tree branches.  Nelly begins spending all of her time with Marion building the fort, playing games, and acting out plays.  Marion ultimately helps Nelly understand her mother and helps her say goodbye to her grandmother.  This is such a beautiful film!  It is very slow and deliberate and, at times, it is unclear what is happening but if you are patient you will be rewarded with a beautiful message about love, grief, and the evanescence of childhood.  There are so many scenes that seem really simple, even mundane, on the surface but end up fraught with meaning and I found myself with tears in my eyes on more than one occasion.  The images on the screen are gorgeous, especially when the natural light bathes the fall foliage in the woods with a golden glow.  Finally, Josephine and Gabrielle Sanz give captivating performances and I couldn't take my eyes off of them even when they are simply walking together.  I was incredibly moved by this simple film and I cannot recommend enough!

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

I have been looking forward to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness with great anticipation because I am a fan of the character and the first trailer was so thrilling it gave me goosebumps.  I had the chance to see it last night and I enjoyed it but I didn't love it as much as I expected to.  Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is attending the wedding of his colleague and former lover Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) when he is forced to rescue a young girl named America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) from a demon with the help of Sorcerer Supreme Wong (Benedict Wong).  It turns out that Chavez is being pursued by demons because she possesses the power to travel through the multiverse.  Strange enlists the help of Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) to protect Chavez but learns that the Scarlet Witch is responsible for the attack and is using spells from the Darkhold, a book of forbidden magic, to summon the demons.  Wanda wants Chavez's power to travel to an alternate universe where a version of herself is still a mother and will stop at nothing to get it.  Strange and Chavez travel to another universe looking for the Book of Vishanti, which will counteract the Darkhold, and chaos ensues as he is confronted with different versions of himself and other superheroes.  I think the story is incredibly convoluted with a lot of different characters and backstories to follow (you might find the action confusing if you haven't seen WandaVision, which I have, and What If?, which I have not).  I got the gist of what was happening but I feel like I missed a lot of the subtleties because I am not familiar with all of the characters, especially scenes involving the Illuminati (which feature some really fun cameos).  Having said that, Sam Raimi's distinct visual style is what makes this movie so entertaining because the images on the screen are absolutely brilliant, especially when Strange and Chavez travel through the multiverse and the space between universes.  I also really enjoyed the horror elements integrated into the action, particularly the sequences involving a zombie.  Finally, Cumberbatch is, as ever, a fantastic Stephen Strange but this movie really belongs to Olsen because Wanda's character arc dealing with her grief is very powerful and she absolutely delivers!  I definitely recommend seeing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness but I think the MCU is running the risk of becoming bloated with too many characters, stories, and timelines for the casual movie fan.

Camelot at HCTO

The first theatrical performance I remember seeing is the musical Camelot.  I remember everything about it very vividly because it was the last day of school so spirits were already running high.  I got all dressed up and went with a youth group to see the show at Promised Valley Playhouse and I found it to be an incredibly thrilling experience.  It is not performed very often any more but it will always be a sentimental favorite!  I was very excited to see HCTO's version last night and it was no less thrilling than when I saw it as a 13 year old girl!   This production is a stripped down and simplified telling of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table featuring Rex Kocherhans as Arthur, Kat Hawley Cook as Guenevere, and Scott Hendrickson as Lancelot with a small ensemble (Jordan Briggs, Jake Slater, Wade Flanagan, Caleb Collier, Braedon Reynolds, and Daniel Bradley) performing all of the other roles.  The set and props are very minimal and several scenes are described by narrators rather than explicitly portrayed.  However, all of the well-known songs are included such as "Camelot," "The Lusty Month of May," "How to Handle a Woman," "If Ever I Would Leave You," "Fie on Goodness," "What Do the Simple Folk Do?," and "Guenevere."  Despite the simplicity of the storytelling, I really loved the staging of all of the numbers, particularly "The Lusty Month of May" during which colored ribbons drop from the ceiling with choreography that mimics the dancing of the maypole, "The Joust" during which members of the ensemble create the sounds of the galloping horses and the crashing armor with household objects, and "Guenevere" during which the death of the knights in battle is portrayed with red scarves surrounding them as they fall.  This adaptation really focuses on the love triangle between Arthur, Guenevere, and Lancelot and the three lead actors give wonderful performances filled with pathos.  I was especially impressed with Kocherhans in the scene where Arthur discovers that Lancelot and Guenevere love each other because the conflict he feels is palpable.  Even though the sets and props are scaled down, the costumes are not because they are gorgeous!  I couldn't pick a favorite among Guenevere's gowns because they are all incredibly elaborate and beautifully embellished!  There's simply not a more congenial spot than HCTO for their production of Camelot!  I highly recommend that you get a ticket (go here) before the lusty month of May is over!

The Scarlet Pimpernel at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse

I enjoyed the Terrace Plaza Playhouse's production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers so much I knew I had to come back! Last night I was able to see their version of one of my very favorite shows, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and I loved it. Percy Blakeney (Jeremy Gross) has disguised himself as the Scarlet Pimpernel and has recruited a band of followers in order to save the people of Paris from the sinister Chauvelin (Maxx Teuscher) and his guillotine during the French Revolution. He keeps his identity a secret from his wife Marguerite St. Just (Jessica Andrus), a Parisian actress, because he believes that she is helping Chauvelin, her former lover. He is also keeping his identity secret from the Prince of Wales (Quin Geilman) by pretending to be a foppish nincompoop. However, he must make his most daring rescue when Marguerite is arrested trying to rescue her brother Armand (Jaron Michaelis). I have attended three different productions of this musical at HCT as well as other productions around the Salt Lake valley and I think Gross is the best Percy I have ever seen. He is incredibly powerful in "Into the Fire" (my favorite song in the show) and very moving in "She Was There" but I especially enjoyed his hilarious physicality as the foppish nincompoop. I laughed out loud every time he mispronounced Chauvelin and could hardly breathe during "The Creation of Man." I also really enjoyed Teuscher's portrayal of Chauvelin, particularly his exasperation with Percy. His rendition of "Falcon in the Dive" is very stirring and he displays more passion during "Where's the Girl" than I have ever seen before. Andrus has an incredibly beautiful voice but she is sometimes overpowered by the music and the ensemble, especially during "Storybook" and "The Scarlet Pimpernel." However, she gives a very affecting performance of "I'll Forget You" (I had a tear in my eye) and I loved her interactions with Gross and Teuscher during "The Riddle." As with Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, I was really impressed with the clever use of the intimate space, particularly the staging of "Into the Fire" as the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel travels from England to France by boat and then rescues the condemned prisoners from the guillotine. The choreography is fantastic and I loved how silk handkerchiefs and walking sticks are incorporated into "The Creation of Man" and I loved the intricate patterns created in "Ouilles Gavotte." The backdrop consists of marble archways with flags denoting England or France and various set pieces are brought in to create Percy's study, a garden, and a prison. The guillotine is very dramatic and the special effects used as the blade drops are impressive because it looks very real.  Finally, the costumes in this show are spectacular!  All of Marguerite's gowns are absolutely gorgeous but the outfits worn by the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel take "frou frou" to new levels (I loved the neon colored animal prints). I can't tell you how many times I've read the novel by Baroness Orczy (I love the story) or how many times I've listened to the Original Broadway Cast recording (I love the music) so I have very high expectations whenever I see this show and the Terrace Plaza Playhouse did not disappoint! I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here).

Hatching

There are always a few films at Sundance that catch my eye but, for one reason or another, I am not able to see them.  One such film was Hatching but, luckily, it is now playing at the Broadway.  I had the chance to see it last night and, while I found it to be a bit gross, it is absolutely riveting.  Tinja (Siiri Solalinna) is a twelve-year-old gymnast who is desperate to please her mother (Sophia Heikkila), a lifestyle blogger who continually documents her "lovely life."  Mother expects perfection from everyone in the family, especially from her daughter, and they do everything they can to keep up appearances like automatons.  Mother is even going through the motions herself because she is having an affair with a handyman (Reino Nordin) but stays with her meek husband (Jani Volanen) for the sake of her blog.  When a bird accidentally flies into their living room and wreaks havoc in the picture perfect space, mother kills it mercilessly.  Tinja finds the bird's abandoned nest and discovers an egg which she brings home and cares for until it hatches.  Tinja lavishes all of the love that has been denied her by her mother on the creature (a bird with humanoid characteristics) until it begins acting out all of her repressed emotions with tragic consequences.  Solalinna (in her acting debut) gives an amazing performance as a young girl coming undone under the weight of her mother's expectations, particularly in several scenes where Tinja looks at her mother and tries to figure out what she wants and in the scenes where she interacts with the creature and is finally able to show her emotions.  Heikkila is also outstanding because mother always has a smile on her face but she still manages to be incredibly menacing.  The design of the creature is brilliant because it is quite scary but also sympathetic, especially as it transforms into a version of Tinja, and the practical effects involving the creature (which required five puppeteers) are deeply disturbing to watch but you can't look away.  The production design creates a world where everything is perfect on the surface (lots of pastels and flowers) but the lighting and sound design show the evil lurking underneath and this is incredibly effective in creating an unsettling atmosphere.  This is definitely a cautionary tale about seeking perfection.  Sometimes the highly curated images people post on social media mask a deep unhappiness and I found the exploration of this theme to be fascinating.  I recommend this movie but only to fans of body horror (it is really gross).

The Bad Guys

Last night I spontaneously decided to see The Bad Guys (there aren't many new releases this weekend) and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.  A crew of notorious criminals made up of anthropomorphic animals known for being scary to humans, including Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina), and Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos), attempt to steal a valuable trophy being presented to a philanthropist guinea pig named Professor Marmalade (Richard Ayoade) by the governor Diane Foxington (Zazie Beetz) but they are caught by the overzealous human chief of police (Alex Borstein) who has been pursuing them for years.  Professor Marmalade convinces the governor that he can reform them by the time of his charity gala and she promises them a pardon if he succeeds.  Mr. Wolf agrees to the proposal, telling his crew that they will only be pretending to be good to get the pardon and to have another crack at stealing the trophy.  However, Mr. Wolf starts to like being one of the good guys and some of the heroes start acting like bad guys.  Chaos ensues.  The story gets a bit bogged down in the second act but I think the emphasis on each animal's defining characteristic is really clever, particularly when the tarantula (a computer hacker) uses all eight of her legs to type on different keyboards.  The voice cast is outstanding and I liked the look of the animation because it is very stylized with both 2D and 3D images.  The action sequences are a lot of fun, especially a high-speed chase after a bank robbery and an elaborate escape from prison, and the message that you shouldn't judge someone based on their appearance is a good one.  As with most animated features geared for children, there are a lot of references that adults are sure to find very amusing (lots of nods to other heist movies).  This is a highly entertaining movie and I recommend it for both children and adults.

Little Women at West Valley Arts

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

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

An Evening With Brian Stokes Mitchell and the Utah Symphony

I have been lucky enough to see Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell perform several times, including an amazing concert with the Utah Symphony and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, so I was thrilled when I found out that he would be performing with the Utah Symphony again and I bought a ticket almost immediately!  The concert last night was in honor of Kem Gardner, a long time USUO board member, and it was wonderful!  He began with a lively rendition of "There's No Business Like Show Business" from Annie Get Your Gun and then performed an eclectic program featuring Broadway hits and standards from the great American songbook with lots of stories and anecdotes in between (he is so charming and engaging).  I especially enjoyed "Man of La Mancha" from Man of La Mancha (he was nominated for a Tony award for his performance as Don Quixote) and a very sultry version of "Feeling Good."  Many years ago, during a Bravo Broadway concert with the Utah Symphony, he performed one of the most beautiful versions of "Stars" from Les Miserables that I have ever heard and I have always wanted to hear him sing it again.  I got my wish last night and it was definitely the highlight of the concert for me!  He ended the set with "Wheels of a Dream" from Ragtime (he originated the role of Coalhouse Walker, Jr. and was nominated for a Tony) which was incredibly powerful.  For the encore he sang "The Impossible Dream" from Man of La Mancha, which is the song he sang out of his apartment window in New York for essential workers during the pandemic, and then a heartfelt version of "Wonderful World."  I loved this concert and I love the fact that so many Broadway stars enjoy performing with the Utah Symphony!

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Last night I crossed off another one of my most anticipated movies on my list by seeing The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.  It is hilarious and it was so much fun laughing out loud with a large and boisterous crowd!  Nicolas Cage plays Nick Cage, a fictionalized version of himself who has just lost out on a coveted role of a lifetime and is tormented by a younger version of himself named Nicky (Nicholas Wittman) who bears a striking resemblance to his character in Peggy Sue Got Married.  He also has massive debts and a strained relationship with his sixteen-year-old daughter Addy (Lily Sheen) so, when his agent Richard Fink (Neil Patrick Harris) tells him that an eccentric billionaire named Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal) has offered him $1 million to appear at his birthday party, he accepts.  He flies to Mallorca and soon bonds with Javi after role-playing some of his famous movies and watching Paddington 2.  However, CIA Agents Vivian (Tiffany Haddish) and Martin (Ike Barinholtz) believe that Javi is the leader of a notorious drug cartel responsible for the kidnapping of a politician's daughter (Katrin Vankova).  They recruit Nick and hilarity ensues as he channels all of his action hero characters to spy on Javi.  The plot is a bit nonsensical but it hardly matters because it is so entertaining.  Cage is at his most self-deprecating best (I loved the line about his nouveau shamanic acting style) and he has great chemistry with Pascal, particularly during an LSD-fueled trip around the island and a visit to Javi's shrine to the actor.  I also enjoyed all of the references to Cage's movies, including Con Air, Croods 2, Leaving Las Vegas, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Guarding Tess, The Rock, Gone in 60 Seconds, Mandy, National Treasure, and Face/ Off (there are probably more), because they show what a unique career he has had.  I haven't laughed this much during a movie in a long time so, if you are in the mood for some lighthearted fun, definitely check this out!

The Northman

I am a huge fan of Robert Eggers (I think The Lighthouse and The Witch are both masterpieces) so The Northman was another one of my most anticipated movies of 2022.  I had the chance to see it last night at a Thursday preview and it certainly did not disappoint!  King Aurvandil (Ethan Hawke) returns home from battle with many injuries so he holds an initiation rite for his young son and heir, Prince Amleth (Oscar Novak), which is presided over by his friend Heimir (Willem Dafoe).  Amleth receives visions about his destiny and promises his father that he will avenge him should he fall in battle.  Soon after, Amleth witness his uncle Fjolnir (Claes Bang) brutally murder his father and kidnap his mother Queen Gudrun (Nicole Kidman).  Amleth escapes pursuit and vows to avenge his father, save his mother, and kill Fjolnir.  Years later Amleth (Alexander Skarsgard) has become a Viking warrior but, when he encounters a seeress (Bjork) while sacking a village, he is reminded of his vow and soon discovers that Fjolnir has been overthrown and exiled to Iceland.  He smuggles aboard a ship taking slaves to Fjolnir and encounters Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy), a sorceress with whom he eventually begins a relationship.  As he comes face to face with Fjolnir, he struggles to fulfill his destiny because he must choose between showing kindness to his kin or hatred for his enemy.  This is a very simple revenge story but the references to Norse mythology and symbolism (it is based on a medieval Scandinavian legend which is also the source material for Shakespeare's play Hamlet) are what make it so interesting and compelling, particularly the portrayal of the Tree of Kings, the Valkyrie, and Valhalla.  The images on the screen are stunning and feature the usual atmospheric world-building that Eggers is known for.  I lost count of how many times I was mesmerized by the beauty of a particular shot.  I also loved the sound design, the heart-pounding score, and the period detail.  The medieval warfare is visceral and unrelenting, especially the final confrontation between Amleth and Fjolnir, and many might be put off by this but I found it exhilarating!  Skarsgard is an absolute beast but I also found Kidman's portrayal of Queen Gudrun to be fascinating (it made me rethink Queen Gertrude's motivations in Hamlet) and Taylor-Joy is luminous.  Eggers has done it again because The Northman is brutal, bloody, and brilliant (but might not be for everyone).

The Light in the Piazza at HCT

When HCT announced the 2022 season this time last year, the show I was most excited for was The Light in the Piazza. I had the opportunity to see it last night and I was not disappointed because it is one of the most beautiful productions I've seen! In 1953 Margaret Johnson (Michelle Blake) and her daughter Clara (Rachel Tregeagle) are touring Italy for the summer. When a strong wind blows Clara's hat across the Piazza Della Signoria in Florence, a young man named  Fabrizio Naccarelli (Matthew Sanguine) retrieves it for her and the two of them fall instantly in love. Margaret immediately separates them and continues to do so as Fabrizio pursues them to the Uffizi Gallery and the Duomo. Margaret finally gives in and agrees to a meeting with Fabrizio's family, including his father (Danny Inkley), mother (Mandi Barrus), brother Guiseppe (Landon Horton), and sister-in-law Franca (Cecily Bills), during which they are all enchanted by Clara. When it becomes clear that Fabrizio and Clara want to get married, Margaret takes her to Rome to get her away from him. It turns out that Clara is intellectually and emotionally delayed as the result of a tragic accident in her childhood and Margaret has always felt the need to protect her. However, she soon comes to realize that Fabrizio is the light in Clara's darkness. This is a very sweet and old-fashioned story where true love overcomes all obstacles and I found it to be charming. Every one in the cast is outstanding but I was particularly impressed by the three leads because they have beautiful voices.  Blake is formidable as a mother protecting her child but also shows a lot of vulnerability when she realizes that her own darkness might be influencing her decisions, Tregeagle is very effective at portraying wide-eyed wonder at everything Clara is experiencing, and Sanguine is incredibly charismatic as a smitten young man searching for the right words to express his love. I also really enjoyed Horton as Fabrizio's philandering brother because he can dance and his facial expressions are hilarious. The best part of this show is the music and I loved seeing the musicians (Sebastian Neugebauer on piano, Julie Beistline on violin, Hannah Brown on cello, and Alyssa Holman on harp) performing live on stage. My favorite songs are "Statues and Stories" because it describes the excitement Margaret feels as she discovers all of the history found in Florence (I felt the same way when I was in Florence), "Say It Somehow" because it is swoon-worthy as Clara and Fabrizio find a way to express their love without words, and "The Light in the Piazza" because it shows that, even with all of the beauty surrounding her in Italy, all Clara can see is Fabrizio's love. I had goosebumps through most of the songs because they are so beautiful. The set, designed by Jenn Taylor, features Roman columns that rotate on a turntable with various pieces that are brought in to create different scenes (my favorite was the Uffizi Gallery with paintings coming down from the rafters).  The attention to detail is incredible and I especially loved a cut-glass lamp used in Margaret's hotel room. Projections can be hit or miss with me but in this production they are literally works of art because they feature amazing impressionistic paintings of locations in Florence created by Madeline Ashton. Finally, the costumes, designed by Joy Zhu, are gorgeous! Every dress features textured, embellished, or embroidered fabrics and every outfit includes shoes, a hat, gloves, a purse, and jewelry (the brooches!). Everything about this show, which runs on the Sorensen Jewel Box Stage through June 18, is absolutely delightful and I highly recommend it (go here for tickets).

Note:  Don't miss out on seeing some insanely talented kids rock out in School of Rock now playing on the Young Living Main Stage through May 28 (go here for tickets).

Catch Me If You Can at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts

The musical Catch Me If You Can, based on the movie of the same name starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, is a lot of fun so I went to see a new production at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts last night. It is fantastic! The show begins when Frank Abagnale, Jr. (A. J. Nielsen) is arrested by FBI Agent Carl Hanratty (Mark Gordon) at the Miami Airport. Then Frank breaks the fourth wall and begins telling the audience his story as if he were part of a 1960s television variety show (complete with go-go dancers) in the big production number "Live in Living Color." When his parents, Frank Abagnale, Sr. (Nathaniel Noyes) and Paula Abagnale (Samantha Frisby), get divorced, sixteen year old Frank decides to run away to New York and he starts forging checks in order to get by (almost two million dollar's worth by the time he is caught). This gets the attention of the FBI, especially Hanratty who is relentless in his pursuit as Frank impersonates a Pan Am pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer (he even passes the bar exam). Frank is always one step ahead of Hanratty until he falls in love with Brenda Strong (Shannon Follette). The two leads are so much fun to watch and I particularly enjoyed their interactions together! Nielsen is charm personified as the fast-talking confidence man (especially in the songs "Jet Set" and "Doctor's Orders") but he is equally adept at portraying the vulnerable teenager who ran away from home. Gordon is absolutely hilarious as the straight-laced FBI agent who has no life away from the job and his number, "Don't Break the Rules," is a definite crowd pleaser! The scene where Frank manages to elude Hanratty in a motel room is really funny but there is also a poignant moment between them when Frank calls Hanratty on Christmas Eve and they both realize that they don't have anyone to talk to but each other. I was also very impressed with Follette and her rendition of "Fly, Fly Away" is my favorite out of all the productions of this show that I've seen because she can definitely sing the blues! The choreography is a pastiche of the variety shows of the 1960s (such as Laugh-In and Hullabaloo) and the big song and dance numbers are incredibly entertaining. The set, which looks like it could be from a television awards show, has multiple levels which are used very effectively as various locations with the addition of just a few set pieces. Finally, the costumes are quite impressive (especially for the female ensemble who appear as go-go dancers, Pan Am stewardesses, FBI agents, nurses, and southern belles among other characters). I had a great time last night and, if you need a fun night out, look no further than Catch Me If You Can which runs at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts through May 7 (go here for tickets).

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

As I huge fan of the Harry Potter franchise, I was so excited to see the Wizarding World expand into a new series.  Unfortunately, I thought Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was a bit underwhelming and The Crimes of Grindelwald was absolutely awful.  I even contemplated skipping The Secrets of Dumbledore but ultimately decided to see it last night and, to my surprise, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.  While the bar was set very low, I think it is the best movie in the franchise.  Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) is prevented from fighting against Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) because of a blood pact taken when the two were in a relationship so he recruits Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), a Magizoologist, Theseus Scamander (Callum Turner), an Auror in the British Ministry of Magic, Eulalie "Lally" Hicks (Jessica Williams), a Professor at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizadry, Yusuf Kama (William Nadylan), a French Wizard, and Jacob Kowalski (Dan Folger), a Muggle, to stop his quest for Wizard domination.  Grindelwald is acquitted of his crimes by the International Confederation of Wizards (ICF) and is now running as a populist candidate (there is a bit of commentary on the rise of fascism that is pretty interesting) against Vicencia Santos (Maria Fernanda Candida) of Brazil and Liu Tao (Dave Wong) of China to be the Supreme Head of the ICF.  One of Newt's magical creatures overturns a manipulated election and Dumbledore's protection of Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller) breaks the blood pact leading to an epic confrontation with Grindelwald.  Unlike the first two, I think this tells a more complete story that ties up most of its loose ends (I credit the improvement to Steve Kloves who co-wrote the screenplay with J.K. Rowling).  If this is to be the last movie in the franchise, as has been speculated, I think the resolution is a fitting conclusion to the trilogy.  As with the other movies my favorite moments involve Newt Scamander interacting with the magical creatures, particularly a hilarious scene when Newt must rescue Theseus from prison and an affecting scene where he saves a newborn creature.  There are also some exciting action sequences, including a duel between Dumbledore and Credence and the climactic battle, and some fun references to the Harry Potter movies (I loved the use of the original score).  Finally, I think recasting Mikkelsen as Grindelwald is a huge improvement over Johnny Depp, who was rather bland in the role, because he is much more menacing and he has great chemistry with Law.  I liked this movie enough to recommend it, especially to those who are already fans of the franchise.

Thierry Fischer Conducts Haydn 11, Arlene Sierra, Nielsen & Elgar

Last night's Utah Symphony concert will definitely be another one of my favorites this season!  It began with a small chamber group playing Symphony No. 11 by Franz Joseph Haydn.  This piece is very delicate with beautiful melodies and I especially enjoyed the themes played by the strings and the horns in the third movement.  Next, the full orchestra was joined by Anthony McGill as the soloist for Carl Nielsen's Clarinet Concerto.  This piece is very lively and energetic with what seems like a great battle between the clarinet and the snare drum but I found the ending to be quite surprising because it is almost anticlimactic as the melody just fades away in resignation.  I loved it!  As someone who played the clarinet, very badly, all through school beginning in the fifth grade, I loved hearing someone play the instrument brilliantly.  I loved watching McGill's fingers fly up and down the holes and keys and there was a small part of me that wished that I had kept playing.  After the intermission, the orchestra performed the world premiere of Bird Symphony by Composer-in-Association Arlene Sierra.  I must admit that it was absolutely thrilling to be the first to hear a brand new piece commissioned by the Utah Symphony!  I loved it and I think I enjoyed it even more than Sierra's Nature Symphony which was performed last weekend.  I especially liked the second movement because it features a recording of a birdsong and the orchestra interacts with it.  The concert concluded with In the South ("Alassio") by Edward Elgar.  I always think of Elgar's music as stately and dignified and this piece is no exception.  It was written while the composer was on holiday in Italy and it is meant to represent life during the Roman Empire.  I especially loved the theme played by the solo viola.  I enjoyed every piece performed during this beautiful concert and I cannot recommend tonight's performance of the same program enough (go here for tickets).

Note:  The adorable ladies who sit by me asked me if I had renewed my subscription for next season and they cheered when I told them that I had.  It will be Thierry Fischer's final season as Music Director and I am looking forward to so many concerts, including ones featuring Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, and Prokofiev (go here to explore the season).

Fireflies at PTC

Last night I saw Pioneer Theatre Company's charming production of Fireflies and I thoroughly enjoyed this simple story about two people finding love late in life.  Eleanor Bannister (Joy Franz) is an uptight and lonely retired teacher living in the small town of Groverdell, Texas.  She is very set in her ways and is known as the most respected person in town but she has started questioning who she is and what she wants out of life after experiencing a panic attack.  Abel Brown (David Manis) is just passing through town when he notices that a recent storm has damaged the roof on a cottage that belongs to Eleanor.  He seeks her out and offers to repair it and she reluctantly agrees to let him.  A romance slowly blossoms between them but is he ready to settle down and is she right to trust him?  Franz is absolutely delightful as a curmudgeonly woman who delights in correcting everyone's grammar but she also imbues Eleanor with a little bit of vulnerability.  She has great chemistry with Manis and I loved her reaction when he kisses her.  As much as I enjoyed Franz and Manis, my favorite character was Eleanor's nosy neighbor Grace (Joy Lynn Jacobs).  Many of her over the top antics were greeted with hoots of laughter from the audience.  I also enjoyed it when Eugene Claymire (Tito Livas), a police officer who is also Eleanor's former student, spontaneously recites the poem "Kubla Khan" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge when he is questioned about Abel but, as a former English teacher, I was probably the only one laughing at this!  All of the action takes place in Eleanor's well lived-in kitchen over the course of one week.  I really liked the attention to detail because the kitchen looks a bit tidier during every scene as if Eleanor is trying to impress Abel.  Another aspect of the production that really struck me was the lighting design, particularly the sunsets and night skies that are visible through the windows of the kitchen.  The whole show feels very authentic with likable characters who find an unexpected connection and I found it very heartwarming.  Fireflies runs at PTC through April 16 and I highly recommend it (go here for tickets).

Like A Sister

My April Book of the Month selection was Like A Sister by Kellye Garrett (the other options were The Good Left Undone by Adriana Trigiani, Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel, Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole by Susan Cain, and True Biz by Sara Novic). Once again, none of the selections really jumped out at me so I defaulted to the thriller and I ended up liking it more than I thought I would. Lena Scott is a graduate student at Columbia who could not be more different from her reality star half-sister Desiree Pierce. She has been estranged from her sister for the past two years because of her addictions and self-destructive behavior so, when Desiree's body is found at a playground near Lena's house in the Bronx, she feels tremendous guilt because she believes that Desiree was attempting to see her when she died. The police have ruled Desiree's death as an accidental overdose due to the heroin in her system but Lena knows that she would never shoot heroin because of her fear of needles. She is obsessed with finding out what really happened to her sister and begins trying to reconstruct her final days. Lena reaches out to her former reality show co-star, her new best friend, her on-again off-again boyfriend, and an old family friend who recently reentered her life. She must also reestablish contact with her father, the man who abandoned her and her mother when she was a child to start a new life with Desiree and her mother. All of these encounters lead to some uncomfortable truths about her sister and her family and they also put her life in danger. There are lots of twists and turns which kept me engaged with the murder mystery aspect of the narrative but I think I enjoyed the commentary on race, class, social media, and celebrity even more. Lena is an entertaining first-person narrator and I really appreciated her perspective on what it is like for a young Black woman to navigate life in today's society, particularly interactions with the police. Much of this novel is set in the world of hip-hop music (Lena and Desiree's father is a wealthy and influential music producer) and, while I did miss more than a few references, I found it to be fascinating. I especially enjoyed all of the scenes that take place backstage at various concerts because I have always wanted to know what really goes on before a performer takes the stage. I was also really intrigued by how social media is used to solve the mystery, especially posts on Instagram. It is a bit frightening how much someone can learn about you from your posts! I don't think I would have picked this novel if left to my own devices (one of the reasons why I like BOTM) but I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it to fans of thrillers.

Mothering Sunday

Mothering Sunday is a British period drama (my favorite genre) set during the aftermath of the Great War (a time in history that fascinates me) featuring Colin Firth and Olivia Colman (two actors I admire greatly) about a forbidden romance between a servant and the son of an aristocratic family (swoon).  It seems to be a movie made especially for me and I went to see it last night believing that I would absolutely love it.  I didn't love it.  In fact, I found it to be quite underwhelming.  Jane Fairchild (Odessa Young) is a maid in the home of Godfrey (Firth) and Clarrie (Colman) Niven, a couple who are almost debilitated by grief because both of their sons were killed during the war.  On Mother's Day the Nivens give Jane the day off because they are joining their friends, the Sheringhams and the Hobdays, for lunch to celebrate the forthcoming marriage of their children Paul Sheringham (Josh O'Connor) and Emma Hobday (Emma D'Arcy).  The lunch is fraught with tension because Emma was going to marry Paul's older brother James but he also died in the war and she seems ambivalent about marrying Paul.  It turns out that Paul is only marrying Emma out of a sense of obligation and, instead of joining the families for lunch, he invites Jane, with whom he has been having a passionate affair, to his estate for a tryst.  They enjoy the morning together in bed and, after he leaves to attend the lunch, she stays and wanders around the house (completely naked, as one does) admiring the paintings and books.  Later in the day she receives some devastating news and makes the decision to leave service.  These episodes are periodically interrupted by scenes in the near future when, while working at a bookstore, Jane meets her future husband Donald (Sope Dirisu) who convinces her to use her experiences to become a writer.  It ends with an older Jane (now played by Glenda Jackson) winning a prize for her writing.  The images on the screen are beautiful and lyrical but they don't really amount to much of anything because they are a series vignettes rather than a cohesive narrative.  I was often bored with what was happening (so many close-ups of characters smoking) and, despite some great performances, I didn't feel a connection to the characters.  I was never really sure if this was an indictment of the rigid class system (there is a bewildering reference to a race horse running free at the beginning and end), an exploration of grief, or a portrait of the artist as a young woman.  None of these themes are explored with any depth and I spent most of the runtime waiting for something, anything, to happen.  I wanted to love this but I left the theater feeling disappointed.  I recommend giving it a miss.

Ambulance

I am not a big fan of Michael Bay (a major understatement) but I thought the trailer for his latest movie, Ambulance, looked intriguing and I heard enough positive word of mouth to warrant seeing it last night.  I didn't hate it.  In fact, I liked it more than I thought I would!  Will Sharp (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is a decorated combat veteran who is trying desperately to find the money for an experimental surgery that his wife needs.  He turns to his estranged brother Danny (Jake Gyllenhaal), a notorious bank robber, for a loan but gets drawn into his latest heist.  The job goes awry when an officer (Jackson White), spurred on by his partner (Cedric Sanders), enters the bank in order to make a date with one of the tellers and is shot by Will.  There is a dramatic shoot-out with the police and Danny and Will are the only members of the crew to make it out alive.  They hijack the ambulance transporting the injured officer and take Cam Thompson (Eiza Gonzalez), the cynical EMT treating him, hostage as they lead police, led by SIS Agent Monroe (Garrett Dillahunt) and FBI Agent Clark (Keir O'Donnell), on a high speed chase through rush hour traffic on the streets of Los Angeles.  Their escape is complicated by the need to keep the officer alive and by the involvement of one of Danny's criminal associates (A Martinez).  The action sequences are as chaotic as you would expect from Michael Bay (I saw it in IMAX and found all of the angles and fast cuts to be quite disorienting at times) but the story is surprisingly compelling with high stakes and characters that you actually care about.  I was especially invested in Will's fate and I was actually dreading what I imagined would be the inevitable conclusion (it was not what I was expecting).  Fans of the director are sure to enjoy this but I would also recommend it to anyone who enjoys action thrillers because it is a wild ride, especially on a Saturday night with a big tub of popcorn.