Beethoven's Fifth

There was a huge crowd at Abravanel Hall last night because the Utah Symphony performed one of the world's most famous symphonies and it was amazing!  The orchestra began, however, with a piece called Fires by a young Lithuanian composer named Raminta Serksnyte.  It was moody and atmospheric (it sounded like the score of a movie set in space) and kept building and building in intensity.  I loved the chimes, the brass, and the dramatic timpani!  Next, the orchestra was joined by soloist Maximilian Hornung for Cello Concerto No. 1 by Dmitri Shostakovich.  I always think of music for the cello as mournful but the first movement of this piece was very lively and energetic.  The second movement was a bit more subdued, with beautiful themes played by the solo cello and the woodwinds, but the third and fourth movements returned to a more vibrant pace and the concerto definitely ended with a flourish!  Hornung was so much fun to watch and I loved it whenever he would bob his head in time with his bow!  As an encore, he performed a beautiful version of Cello Suite No. 1- Prelude by Johann Sebastian Bach (I was very proud of myself for recognizing it).  After the intermission the orchestra played the piece everyone was waiting for, Symphony No. 5 by Ludwig van Beethoven, and the performance was brilliant, especially since guest conductor Markus Poschner did not use a score!  Those iconic and instantly recognizable opening notes are incredibly dramatic (I have heard them referred to as fate knocking on the door) and I enjoyed listening to all of the variations of this theme throughout the first movement (and the rest of the symphony).  I also enjoyed the stately themes played by the whole orchestra, but especially the horns and the woodwinds, during the second movement.  Whenever I hear the third and fourth movements I always imagine goblins because there is a scene from the movie Howards End where one of the main characters goes to a lecture on music and meaning and the conductor describes goblins during this section (clearly I have seen this movie too many times).  Whether it is about goblins or not the symphony ends triumphantly and I loved hearing it!  I highly recommend getting a ticket for tonight's performance of the same program (go here for tickets).

Note:  I've said it before but the current Utah Symphony season has been absolutely spectacular!

Moulin Rouge at the Eccles

After seeing Hadestown, Jagged Little Pill, and SIX, the only show left on my must-see list was Moulin Rouge and I had the chance to see it last night at the Eccles Theater.  I was really excited for this because I love the movie (I have seen it an embarrassing number of times) and it certainly did not disappoint!  The musical is loosely based on the movie and tells the story of a courtesan named Satine (Courtney Reed) who is torn between the wealthy Duke of Monroth (David Harris), who can save the Moulin Rouge cabaret club where she performs, and the penniless songwriter Christian (Conor Ryan), who she loves, but many of the songs featured in the movie have been updated to more recent ones.  It was really fun to pick out all of the snippets of songs used in the musical numbers and my favorites were "Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love" which includes "Royals," "Children of the Revolution," and "We Are Young;" "The Sparkling Diamond" which includes "Diamonds Are Forever," "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," "Material Girl," "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," "Brick House," "Jungle Boogie," and "Diamonds;" "Sympathy For The Duke" which includes "Sympathy For The Devil," "You Can't Always Get What You Want," and "Gimme Shelter;" "Elephant Love Medley" which includes "All You Need is Love," "Just One Night," "Pride (In the Name of Love," "Can't Help Falling in Love With You," "Don't Speak," "I Love You Always Forever," "It Ain't Me Babe," "Love Hurts," "Love is a Battlefield," "Play The Game," "Such Great Heights," "Torn," "Take On Me," "Fidelity," "What's Love Got to Do With It," "Everlasting Love," "Up Where We Belong," "Heroes," "Your Song," and "I Will Always Love You;" "Backstage Romance" which includes "Bad Romance," "Tainted Love," "Seven Nation Army," "Toxic," and "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This);" and "Crazy Rolling" which includes "Crazy" and "Rolling in the Deep."  I also really loved the original song "Come What May" because Reed and Ryan (who are amazing) perform it with so much passion.  The choreography in this show is spectacular, especially in "Welcome to the Moulin Rouge" (I loved the Can-Can) and "Backstage Romance" (I loved the tango during "Bad Romance") and the ensemble is incredibly talented, particularly Nicci Claspell as Arabia, Libby Lloyd as Nini, Andres Quintero as Baby Doll, and Harper Miles as La Chocolat in "Lady Marmalade."  The costumes, which range from corsets and fishnets to top hats and tails, and the sets, including a cabaret with nesting filigreed hearts, a dressing room inside a papier-mache elephant, and a garret apartment in Montmartre, are fantastic.  The lighting, which bathes the stage in reds, pinks, and purples, is incredibly dramatic and I loved the neon green used to represent absinthe in "Chandelier."  This high energy spectacle is wildly entertaining and I loved it!  It runs at the Eccles Theater through December 11 (go here for tickets).

Note:  Now that I have seen everything on my must-see list, what new musicals should be added to it?  Nothing is really catching my eye at the moment except for maybe Beetlejuice.

Let's Go Jazz!

Last night I went to my first Utah Jazz game of the season with my friend Angela and I could not have been more excited!  When the two best players, Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, were traded during the off-season I didn't really have a lot of hope for the team.  However, against all odds, the team had an outstanding start!  Jordan Clarkson has taken on a leadership role and some of the new team members, such as Lauri Markkanen, are playing very well.  At one point the Jazz were at the top of the Western Conference and they have been so much fun to follow!  Angela got a ticket package this season and very graciously let me pick a few games to see with her.  I have been looking forward to last night's game against the Los Angeles Clippers all month but the Jazz were on a five game losing streak so I didn't really know what to expect.  It ended up being a great game because all five starters were in double-digits!  Clarkson had a season high of 33 points, Markkanen had 23, Sexton had 21, Vanderbilt had 14, and Olynyk (he's Canadian) had 12!  The Jazz led by as many as twenty points in the first quarter but the Clippers went on a 12-0 run in the second quarter and eventually went up 60-58 to end the first half.  The Jazz responded with a 22-6 run in the third quarter and did not relinquish the lead for the rest of the game, although the Clippers came within three in the beginning of the fourth quarter.  Then the Jazz took control with some really great plays by Vanderbilt, Clarkson, and Sexton.  The lead was pretty much assured by the final two minutes so Coach Hardy put the entire bench in the game.  It was hilarious!  The Jazz ended up winning 125-112 and it was so much fun!  Angela said that I ended the losing streak by being at the game and I'm just going to go with that!

Fetival of Trees 2022

Yesterday I was a hostess at the Festival of Trees for the twelfth year (after a two year pause for Covid).  Various individuals and organizations decorate and then donate the trees (usually to commemorate someone who has been ill or died) for auction (this year the auction is a silent one and you can still bid on trees until 8:00 tonight) and then they are displayed for public viewing at the Mountain America Expo Center.  All of the proceeds go directly to Primary Children's Hospital!  In addition to the trees, there are centerpieces, wreaths, quilts, and gingerbread houses on display as well a lots of treats for purchase (I love the homemade cinnamon rolls) so it is a lot of fun!  Most of the following trees were in my area but I did walk around a little bit after my shift was over to see some of the others.

One of the main jobs of the hostess is to make sure that the trees are not harmed.  I had to remind several kids not to touch this particular tree!  I think they wanted to feel the fur!

I noticed that many of the trees were not as elaborate as those in years past and didn't have as many items surrounding them.  This tree was the exception!

This tree was my favorite one in my area.  I loved the old fashioned snowshoes!

The festival will continue at the Mountain America Expo Center through Saturday.  Go here for more information and tickets.

Gentri Christmas at the Eccles

I was introduced to Gentri last year when the members of this popular trio performed in HCT's production of Les Miserables (Casey Elliott was Jean Valjean, Bradley Quinn Lever was Enjolras, and Brad Robins was Marius) but my sister Marilyn has been a huge fan for years.  I really love Christmas music so, when I found out that Gentri performs a Christmas concert every year and suggested we get tickets, she immediately and enthusiastically agreed.  We went to the show at the Eccles Theater last night and it was wonderful!  They began with "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and then sang "Bring a Torch Jeanette, Isabella" which is a favorite of mine because I sang it when I was in choir in college.  They were joined by a vocalist named Bri Ray for "Do You Hear What I Hear" and then performed a really pretty original song called "All Is Well."  The Rise Up Children's Choir joined them for "Mary's Boy Child" and several members acted out the Christmas story complete with costumes (Casey Elliott's daughter was Mary).  Next came "The First Noel" and an amazing rendition of "Ave Maria" with the Rise Up Children's Choir behind them holding candles.  They performed another original song called "Somewhere In Your Silent Night" and then turned the Eccles Theater into an old time gospel revival with a rousing rendition of "Go Tell It On The Mountain" featuring Brad Wheeler on harmonica to end their first set.  After the intermission, they sang "Joy To The World" and then were joined by another guest vocalist named EJ Michaels for "Little Drummer Boy."  I always hope that I can hear "O Holy Night" (it is my favorite Christmas song) live at least once during the holiday season and Gentri performed a lovely arrangement of it.  Most singers build to a powerful crescendo that blows the roof off the venue but their version was very soft and contemplative and I loved it!  One of my favorites from the concert was another original song called "Noel" because the harmonies were so beautiful!  Next, they performed a song they wrote especially for this concert called "Love is Alive" with audience participation that made them quite emotional!  They brought out an upright piano to the front of the stage and gathered around it for "I'll Be Home For Christmas" with Elliot's mom joining them for the final verse.  They concluded with "Silent Night" and "O Come All Ye Faithful" with the children.  The gents (as they call themselves) were really funny and they seemed genuinely appreciative that the audience was there to hear them.  I loved every minute and, if I didn't have a lot of Christmas spirit before, I certainly do now!  I think this has become a new Christmas tradition!

Strange World

My nephew Sean and I have a tradition of seeing the latest Disney/ Pixar movie together over the Thanksgiving holiday (we have seen The Good Dinosaur, Moana, Coco, Frozen II, and Encanto) so we went to see Strange World yesterday despite the lukewarm response.  We actually really liked it!  Legendary explorer Jaeger Clade (Dennis Quaid) and his son Searcher (Jake Gyllenhaal) are on an expedition to cross the mountains that surround their home Avalonia.  Along the way, Searcher discovers a plant that gives off energy and wants to return to Avalonia to grow it and improve the lives of the people there.  Jaeger, disappointed that Searcher doesn't have his adventurous spirit, continues on without him.  Twenty-five years later, Jaeger is presumed dead and Searcher is a farmer of the plant, called Pando, that powers every aspect of life with his wife Meridian (Gabrielle Union) and son Ethan (Jaboukie Young-White).  When Callisto Mal (Lucy Liu), a former member of Jaeger's team, informs Searcher that the Pando crop is failing, she convinces him to join an expedition to find the cause.  Disenchanted with life on the farm, Ethan sneaks aboard the ship and, when it becomes stranded in a subterranean world filled with fantastical creatures, he becomes separated from the group.  It turns out that Jaeger has been trapped in this world the whole time and he and Searcher must work together to find Ethan and save Avalonia.  I loved the beautiful and vibrant animation used in this movie, especially the style inspired by the pulp magazines of the 1930s and 1940s used for Jaeger's story, as well as the dazzling world-building and creature design (Splat is adorable).  I loved the diversity represented by the characters, particularly Ethan because he is an openly gay character who is completely accepted by everyone.  I was expecting some backlash from Jaeger (he is a hyper-masculine character) when he meets Ethan but I loved it when he gives him some advice for getting the attention of his crush!  Finally, I loved the messages about fathers and sons learning to accept one another for who they are and the importance of caring for the environment even when it might require a sacrifice.  I definitely recommend giving this movie a chance!

Christmas Time is Here Again!

I put my Christmas tree up this week and it makes me so happy!  I love seeing all of the ornaments that I have collected over the years and I love sitting in my living room with just the light of the tree.

Christmas was really difficult for my family last year but I am hoping that this year will be a little easier.  I have quite a few activities planned and I am already looking forward them!

Thanksgiving 2022

My family was able to have a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday.  This was our first Thanksgiving without our parents so it was really bittersweet but I know that they would both be so happy to see us all together and enjoying ourselves.  We had the traditional dinner with turkey, ham, potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes, pomegranate salad (a family tradition), vegetables and dip, and rolls.  We had pie for dessert and lots of treats when we played Shanghai rummy later that night.  We ended up laughing all night and that felt really nice after the year we have all had!

I hope you were all able to spend Thanksgiving with the people you love!

The Fabelmans

The second movie in my double feature yesterday was The Fabelmans and I enjoyed Steven Spielberg's semi-autobiographical coming of age story about the power of movies but I didn't love it as much as everyone else seems to.  Young Sammy Fabelman (Mateo Zoryon Francis-DeFord) is taken by his parents Mitzi (Michelle Williams) and Burt (Paul Dano) to see The Greatest Show on Earth and he becomes obsessed with recreating the train derailment at the end of the movie.  Burt is angry when Sammy crashes his expensive model trains but Mitzi suggests that he film the crash so he can watch it again and again without destroying his trains.  Thus begins his passion for filmmaking!  The teenage Sammy (Gabriel LaBelle) regularly uses his sisters Reggie (Julia Butters), Natalie (Keeley Karsten), and Lisa (Sophia Kopera) as well as his boy scout troop to make elaborate movies.  Burt sees his movies as a hobby and Mitzi sees them as the artistic expression she was denied but, for Sammy, they provide a way to understand the tensions within his family and to deal with the prejudice he encounters at school.  Most people are raving about Williams (I think her performance is a little bit overdone) but I loved Judd Hirsch as Sammy's Uncle Boris because, even though it is short, the scene where he tells Sammy that he might need to choose between his family and his art is very powerful.  There is also a hilarious cameo by David Lynch at the end of the movie that leads to a perfect final shot (which made me laugh out loud).  I found the story to be very episodic and, while most of the episodes worked for me, some of them did not, particularly one with Sammy's girlfriend Monica (Chloe East) which is bizarre and seems irrelevant, and the narrative sometimes lacks focus.  My favorite scenes were those where Sammy shoots his elaborate movies because I kept seeing the inspiration for Steven Spielberg's future filmography but then I realized that Spielberg has made movies that explore the trauma of his formative years much better than this one does.  I didn't hate it but I am definitely in the minority on this one!

Glass Onion

As a huge fan of Knives Out, I have been looking forward to the sequel Glass Onion for what seems like forever!  I was able to see it yesterday as the first in yet another double feature (there are so many movies on my list) and I loved it!  An eccentric tech billionaire named Miles Bron (Edward Norton) sends an elaborate puzzle to his long time friends Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn), a politician running for the Senate, Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom, Jr.), an idealistic scientist, Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson), a supermodel turned fashion designer, and Duke Cody (Dave Bautista), a YouTuber known for his misogynistic viewpoint, as well as Cassandra "Andi" Brand (Janelle Monae), his disgruntled former business partner, inviting them along with Peg (Jessica Henwick), Birdie's assistant, and Whiskey (Madelyn Cline), Duke's girlfriend, to his private Greek island for a murder mystery party with himself as the victim.  Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is also mysteriously sent one of the puzzles and travels to the island where he is immediately invited to participate.  Blanc easily solves the murder mystery before the game even begins but he has more difficulty when an actual murder occurs because everyone on the island seems to have a motive.  Where Knives Out is an indictment against inherited wealth, this installment takes aim at celebrity culture and it is a lot of fun.  Just when we get to know all of the characters and their relationship to one another, there is a huge twist that changes everything we think we know and it is so clever.  Then there are even more twists and turns that lead to a shocking, but satisfying, ending.  The ensemble cast is outstanding, with Monae as the standout, and I loved all of the cameos, including Stephen Sondheim and Angela Lansbury in their final roles and a hilarious Ethan Hawke among others.  The production design is fantastic, featuring an exotic island location and a gaudy mansion decorated with glass, and the costumes are completely over the top!  This movie is so entertaining and, even though it will stream on Netflix beginning on December 23, I recommend seeing it in a theater with a large audience!

Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the Vivint Arena

I had a ticket to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christmas show last year but because of everything going on with my family I decided not to go.  It was definitely the right decision because I wouldn't have enjoyed it but a little part of me was sad to have missed it.  Luckily, I had another chance to see the show yesterday (apparently they come to SLC every year?) and it was epic!  Trans-Siberian Orchestra is a rock band and their show is very visual and theatrical, featuring images on giant screens, dramatic lights, lasers, fog, and pyrotechnics in sync with the music, platforms that rise from the stage and lower from the rafters, dramatic choreography, and over-the-top performances (with lots of head banging and hair flipping).  It was an absolute spectacle and I loved it!  Their setlist features rock versions of classic Christmas carols as well as original songs.  Of the former, my favorites were "Oh Come All Ye Faithful/ O Holy Night," "Good King Joy" which is a mashup of "Good King Wenceslas" and "Joy to the World," "Christmas Canon Rock" which is a cool arrangement of Pachelbel's Cannon in D, "What Child Is This," and "Requiem (The Fifth)" which is a fantastic mashup of Mozart's Requiem and Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 (I really loved this because I love Mozart's Requiem so much).  Of the latter, my favorites were "Christmas Dreams," "First Snow," "The Last Ornament," "Christmas in the Air," "Wizards in Winter," and "The Snow Came Down."  The song I loved most was "A Mad Russian's Christmas" because it is a fantastical arrangement of The Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky (one of my favorite composers) and it sounded amazing.  I also loved all of the Nutcracker-themed visuals that went along with this number.  I think the narration before the songs in the first half of the show was a bit convoluted and confusing and the banter with the audience was forced and awkward (the comment about face masks was not necessary in my opinion) but I definitely enjoyed the show!

Elf The Musical at CPT

Last night both of my sisters and I saw Elf The Musical at CPT and we all got a big dose of Christmas cheer! This musical is based on the popular movie starring Will Ferrell and it is so much fun! Santa Claus (Dave Hill), the narrator, reads from a book while sitting in an arm chair and he is the source of much amusement with lots of references to popular culture. He tells the story of Buddy (Addison Welch) who has been raised as an elf at the North Pole because he crawled into Santa's bag when he was a baby. After discovering that he is really a human instead of an elf, he decides to find his Dad, Walter Hobbs (Scott W. Butler), and he ends up bringing Christmas cheer to his new family, his girlfriend Jovie (Emily Woods Sparks), and all the people of New York City. I really enjoyed all of the fun choreography in this show, especially in "Happy All The Time" as the elves (played by some adorable children, including McGuire K. Bingham and Bridget Maxwell who got one of the biggest laughs of the night) make the toys for Santa, "Sparklejollytwinklejingley" as Buddy helps the Macy's employees decorate the store for Christmas, "Just Like Him" as Buddy wreaks havoc on Walter's office, "A Christmas Song" as Buddy and Jovie watch the ice skaters at Rockefeller Plaza (every production that I've seen of this show has had really innovative staging for this scene and this show is no exception), "Nobody Cares About Santa" as Buddy and all of the Santas commiserate about the lack of Christmas cheer (I loved the kick line), and "The Story of Buddy" as Buddy comes to Walter's rescue and pitches an idea for a story to his boss. Welch is a fabulous Buddy because not only is he exuberant in all of the musical numbers but he also has great comedic timing and facial expressions that show a wide-eyed wonder! His performance was the highlight of the show for me, especially when he plays the Salvation Army Santa's bells! I also liked John Nelson Wakley, the young actor who plays Michael Hobbs, because he has a great voice in the songs "I'll Believe In You" and "There Is a Santa Claus." The costumes for Santa, Buddy, the elves at the North Pole, and the employees at Macy's are incredibly elaborate and colorful and the set, which looks like a giant snow globe, is impressive. I even liked the use of projections, particularly for Rockefeller Plaza, but I was a bit disappointed that they were used for Santa's sleigh in Central Park because seeing Santa fly away is usually one of the highlights of the show. Other than that, all three of us thought the production was really cute! You would have to be a cotton-headed ninny-muggins to miss this show (go here for tickets) which runs on the Barlow Main Stage through December 17.

Note:  I have been really impressed with the shows at CPT this season.  My favorites have been The Play That Goes Wrong and Bright Star.  I am especially looking forward to Jekyll & Hyde and Something Rotten next season!

Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio

Yesterday I found myself at the Broadway, my favorite destination on a Sunday night, to see Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio.  I was absolutely amazed by this dark interpretation of the classic tale about a puppet who comes to life.  In Fascist Italy a woodcarver named Geppetto (David Bradley) is mourning the death of his beloved son Carlo, who was killed by a bomb during the Great War.  He uses the wood from a pine tree near his son's grave to make a puppet to replace him.  Seeing his despair, a Wood Sprite (Tilda Swinton) brings the puppet she names Pinocchio (Gregory Mann) to life and asks Sebastian J. Cricket (Ewan McGregor), who was living inside the tree used for the puppet, to help him be good.  Pinocchio is exuberant and disobedient so Geppetto, wanting him to be like Carlo, tells him that he is a burden.  This causes Pinocchio, upon learning that he is immortal after an encounter with Death (Tilda Swinton), to leave and have a fantastical adventure with the unscrupulous Count Volpe (Christoph Waltz), a puppet master who uses him in his traveling show, the Podesta (Ron Perlman), a fascist government official who forces him to become a soldier, and the Podesta's son Candlewick (Finn Wolfhard), who is trying to live up to his father's brutal expectations.  After a change of heart Geppetto sets out to find Pinocchio and has an adventure of his own with a giant whale before learning to accept him for who he is.  I loved so many things about this movie, including the beautiful stop-motion animation, the whimsical character design for Pinocchio (particularly when his nose grows), the powerful themes about the need for fathers and sons to love each other for who they are and that blind obedience is not always the answer, the emotional score and charming original songs by Alexandre Desplat (one of my favorite film composers), and the delightful performances (especially McGregor and Mann).  This might be a bit too dark for younger children but I think it is enchanting and highly recommend it!

She Said

The second movie in my Saturday double feature was She Said.  I had been anticipating this for a really long time but, unfortunately, I didn't love it.  When New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan) receives a tip that actress Rose McGowan was sexually assaulted by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, she begins investigating and discovers that Ashley Judd and Gwyneth Paltrow had similar encounters with him.  However, none of them want to go on the record because they are afraid that their careers will suffer.  Kantor asks Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan), a reporter who broke the story about allegations of sexual assault against Donald Trump, to help her with the investigation.  They find three former production assistants at Miramax, Rowena Chiu (Angela Yeoh), Zelda Perkins (Samantha Morton), and Laura Madden (Jennifer Ehle), who also report being sexually assaulted but fear speaking out after receiving settlements.  Even though Kantor and Twohey eventually receive corroboration from an accountant at Miramax, it is when two of the women consent to go on the record that the story is published.  For a movie that is about such an important investigation that launched a global movement and systemic change in the workforce, I found it to be strangely flat and not very compelling.  I feel like this topic could have benefited from from waiting a few years in order to get more perspective because it definitely didn't help that the details as well as the outcome of the investigation were fresh in my mind. Kazan and Mulligan do give very powerful performances but I found the scenes about their experiences as women investigating the story, such as Kantor's guilt at leaving her children, Twohey's postpartum depression, and their male editor (Andre Braugher) having to intervene on a phone call to get an answer to a question for them, to be more interesting than the investigation itself.  Morton and Ehle are also outstanding but the interviews of the victims start to become monotonous after a while, especially since they are not learning anything new just trying to get victims to go on the record.  Also, many of the interviews, including those with an unseen Weinstein, McGowan, and Paltrow, happen over the phone so they are not very interesting from a visual standpoint and they lack tension.  Finally, for a movie with a $32 million budget, the production design, while authentic, is quite dull.  I wanted to like this more than I did but I struggled with it.

The Menu

Because there are so many movies that I want to see right now I decided on another double feature yesterday and I started with The Menu.  I laughed out loud all through this scathing indictment of the privileged class.  A select group, including self-styled foodie Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) and his date Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy), outspoken food critic Lillian Bloom (Janet McTier) and her editor Ted (Paul Adelstein), wealthy businessman Richard Liebbrandt (Reed Birney) and his wife Anne (Judith Light), washed up actor George Diaz (John Leguizamo) and his assistant Felicity (Aimee Carrero), and entitled investors Soren (Arturo Castro), Bryce (Rob Yang), and Dave (Mark St. Cyr), travel by boat to a private island for dinner at Hawthorne, the trendy but exclusive restaurant operated by celebrity chef Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes).  The captain Elsa (Hong Chau) is disconcerted by the fact that Margot is a last minute replacement for another guest but service begins with one pretentious course (with amusing on-screen descriptions) after another.  The guests, especially Tyler, try to out perform each other with their pompous analysis of each dish but Margot is decidedly not impressed.  She soon realizes that the guests are not there by accident and that the chef has sinister intentions.  This is a delicious dark comedy making fun of haute cuisine and those who partake of it but I found the message that success can sometimes ruin the joy that one takes in executing one's craft to be very poignant.  Fiennes gives an over-the-top performance, especially when he imperiously announces each course with a loud clap, but it works so well because he plays it completely straight, especially in his interactions with Taylor-Joy when Margot refuses to fawn over him.  Chau and Hoult are also a lot of fun to watch because their characters are so slavishly devoted to the chef.  What begins as a satire eventually becomes a suspenseful thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat with tension that builds and builds until the action comes full circle with a conclusion that is a hilarious antithesis of fine dining.  Finally, the production design is fantastic and I loved the overhead shots of the meticulously prepared dishes.  This is clever and wildly entertaining (it reminded me of Triangle of Sadness) and I highly recommend it!

Bernadette Peters with the Utah Symphony

I cannot believe that I actually got to see the incredible Bernadette Peters perform with the Utah Symphony last night!  It is a concert that I will not soon forget because it was basically a love letter to Broadway, especially for fans of Stephen Sondheim!  The first half of the concert featured the orchestra under the baton of Lee Mills.  They performed Cole Porter Salute, Three Dance Episodes from On the Town by Leonard Bernstein, and Salute to the Big Bands and I enjoyed these pieces very much.  After the intermission, Bernadette Peters took the stage with her music director Joseph Thalken and began with "Old Friends" from the musical Merrily We Roll Along and continued with "No One Is Alone" from another Sondheim musical, Into the Woods.  Then she performed incredibly sultry versions of "There Is Nothing Like a Dame" from South Pacific (which involved quite a bit of flirting with one of the cello players) and "Fever" (while reclining on top of the piano).  She talked about listening to her parents' Rodgers & Hammerstein records when she was young and said that her favorite was Carousel before singing a lovely version of "(When I Marry) Mister Snow" from the show and then the Rodgers & Hammerstein song "It Might As Well Be Spring" from the movie State Fair.  She returned to the music of Sondheim by singing "In Buddy's Eyes" and "Losing My Mind" from Follies, "Johanna" from Sweeney Todd, and "Children Will Listen" from Into the Woods.  She recently starred as Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly! on Broadway and gave a poignant performance of "Before the Parade Passes By" and a really playful performance of "So Long Dearie."  Her emotional rendition of "Send in the Clowns" from A Little Night Music by Sondheim was definitely the highlight of the concert for me because it was absolutely amazing and gave me goosebumps!  Her final number, "Being Alive" from Company by Sondheim, was equally amazing and prompted an enthusiastic standing ovation!  She returned to the stage to perform "Kramer's Song," a lullaby she wrote for her charity Broadway Barks, as an encore.  To say that I loved this concert would be an understatement and I am so glad that I got to see this Broadway legend!  She will be back with the Utah Symphony again tonight (go here for tickets) and I highly recommend getting a ticket!

Carrie Underwood at the Vivint Arena

I like Carrie Underwood but my niece Tashena is a huge fan!  I wasn't really planning on seeing her on her latest tour until Tashena mentioned that she wanted to go.  Since we had so much fun the last time we saw her, I decided to get tickets and I am really glad that I did!  The show last night was amazing and I loved seeing Tashena sing along to all of her hits!  She played quite a few songs from her latest album Denim & Rhinestones, including the title track, "Burn," Crazy Angels," "Garden," "Ghost Story," "Hate My Heart," "Poor Everybody Else," and "She Don't Know."  I wasn't very familiar with these songs but it didn't matter because Underwood has such a big voice and her performance was spectacular with multiple costume changes (with lots of the requisite rhinestones), pyrotechnics, platforms that emerged from below the stage, a floating sphere that transported her across the arena, and even a drum solo.  She had a long diamond-shaped stage and a smaller stage at the end of the arena which allowed her to interact with lots of the fans and she was so engaging and fun to watch.  However, it was when she sang the hits that the audience, especially Tashena, really got loud.  She started the evening with "Good Girl" and continued with "Church Bells," a rousing rendition of "Undo It" with lots of audience participation, "Cowboy Cassanova," "Wasted" (which was Tashena's favorite of the evening), a powerful rendition of "Blown Away," "Cry Pretty," "Two Black Cadillacs," "Flat on the Floor," and "Something in the Water."  I really love the song "Jesus, Take the Wheel" and her performance of it gave me goosebumps because she included "How Great Thou Art" at the end of it and she just about blew the roof off the Vivint Arena!  She also performed my very favorite of all her songs, which is "Last Name," and I sang every word at the top of my lungs!  For the encore, she sang a cover of "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses (which was another highlight for me) and then she got the entire arena singing with "Before He Cheats."  I had so much fun at this concert and I am so glad that Tashena suggested it (and I'm glad that she still likes hanging out with her aunt).  I think we should see Carrie Underwood together every time she comes to town!

Note:  The opening act was Jimmie Allen.  I wasn't familiar with any of his songs (I'm not a big fan of country music as a genre) but I really liked his voice and he was very entertaining!

We Are the Light

My November Book of the Month selection was We Are the Light by Matthew Quick (the other options were The Wilderwomen by Ruth Emmie Lang, The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh, White Horse by Erika T. Wurth, and Someday, Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli). I selected this because it deals with important topics such as PTSD and mental health and I really wanted to like it but, unfortunately, I didn't. Lucas Goodgame, a high school counselor in the town of Majestic, Pennsylvania, is the survivor of a mass shooting that claimed the life of his wife, Darcy. He is really struggling but his Jungian analyst, who also lost his wife in the tragedy, has terminated his sessions and is now refusing to answer his letters. Eli, the younger brother of the shooter, is also struggling because he saw his brother's behavior become erratic but said nothing and now blames himself for what happened. Lucas comes to believe that helping Eli through his trauma will be the way forward in healing himself as well as the people of Majestic. The narrative is completely from the perspective of Lucas because it is in the form of letters written by him to his analyst and this is why I didn't entirely like it as much as I expected to given the subject matter. I found Lucas to be an incredibly unsympathetic character despite his trauma and the obvious mental health issues stemming from his childhood (he was in analysis before the tragedy) and, while I understand that he was suffering, I just couldn't get past my dislike of him as a character and that made it very difficult for me to be invested in what happens to him. Also, I could not understand the motivation for why all of the other characters literally do everything they can to help him, especially his wife's best friend Jill who sells her house and neglects her business to care for him, because we never get their perspectives. Finally, I found all of the constant references to Jungian analysis (phallic energy?) to be incredibly off-putting. Most people seem to have enjoyed this more than I did but it just wasn't for me.

The Little Mermaid at HCT

I went to see Hale Theatre's production of The Little Mermaid last night and it is one of the most immersive and magical shows I've ever seen! I loved everything about it! This musical tells the well-known story of a mermaid named Ariel who just wants to be where the people are so she defies her father and trades her voice for a pair of legs to make a prince fall in love with her. What I loved most about this show is that you actually feel like you are under the sea during the first act because all of the characters, especially Ariel and her sisters, fly through the air with lots of really cool water effects. I also really loved the amazing costumes and puppets for all of the sea creatures because they are absolutely incredible! Ursula wears an elaborate gown of black sequins with dancers who manipulate her eight tentacles while Flotsam and Jetsam are in silver lamé with segmented puppets that twist and turn around each other!  The song "Under the Sea" features neon colored fish carried by dancers with headdresses that look like coral reefs, stingrays that flutter above the audience, giant whales and groups of turtles that come in from the wings, and aerialists who spin around on globes that look like bubbles! It is quite the spectacle! Sebastian is covered from claw to claw in red sequins while Scuttle is covered in white features. Ariel and her sisters each have their own color with jewel encrusted gowns and mermaid tails made of organza and King Triton has regal robes of gold and turquoise. Also, I was impressed by the sheer number of sets and my favorites were Prince Eric's ship, Ariel's grotto filled with her collection, and the lagoon where Eric takes Ariel on a boat ride (the hanging vines and all of the lanterns are so beautiful). I also loved all of the clear glass bulbs, which resemble bubbles, around the perimeter of the stage and up in the rafters. The staging of several of the numbers is absolutely magical, especially when Ariel saves Eric after he falls overboard because they seem to float and the aforementioned "Under the Sea!" Finally, the cast is phenomenal!  Sophia Marie Guerrero is the perfect Ariel because not only does she have a beautiful voice but she also has a look of wide-eyed wonder that makes the songs "Part of Your World" and "Beyond My Wildest Dreams" so much fun to watch! Eric was played by the understudy Scott Hendrickson last night and, honestly, I thought he was fantastic! He has great chemistry with Guerrero and is incredibly endearing in "Kiss the Girl." Luseane "Lucy" Pasa, as Ursula, just about blows the roof off HCT with her gospel rendition of "Poor Unfortunate Souls" with Jason Buonforte (Flotsam) and Gunnar (Jetsam) as her back up choir! The same could be said for Alec Powell, as Sebastian, because his rendition of "Kiss the Girl" also had a gospel feel that I really liked. I had so much fun at this show (it is definitely the best production of The Little Mermaid that I have ever seen) and the children sitting around me were mesmerized! You definitely do not want to miss this wonderful show which runs on the Young Living Centre Stage through January 28 (go here for tickets) but act quickly because many shows are sold out!