All Quiet on the Western Front

When the Academy Award nominations were announced last month, All Quiet on the Western Front was the only Best Picture nominee that I hadn't seen (click on the titles for my commentaries on Avatar: The Way of Water, The Banshees of Inisherin, Elvis, Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Fabelmans, TÁR, Top Gun: Maverick, Triangle of Sadness, and Women Talking).  Even though it is streaming on Netflix I really wanted to see it on the big screen so I waited, hoping that it would return to theaters.  I was able to find a screening yesterday afternoon and I was completely overwhelmed by this devastating portrayal of the futility of war.  After a particularly deadly battle three years into World War I, the uniforms are removed from the dead, transported, laundered, repaired, and given to the new recruits.  Paul Baumer (Felix Kammerer) and three of his school fellows, Albert Kropp (Aaron Hilmer), Franz Muller (Moritz Klaus), and Ludwig Behm (Adrian Grunewald), enthusiastically enlist in the Imperial German Army hoping for adventure and the opportunity for glory.  They unknowingly receive these repurposed uniforms and are transported to the front, where they are soon confronted by the brutal realities of trench warfare.  As Paul watches his friends and comrades, Tjaden Stackfleet (Edin Hasanovic) and "Kat" Katczinsky (Albrecht Schuch), die in battle one by one, a German politician named Matthias Erzberger (Daniel Bruhl) attempts to negotiate a ceasefire with the Supreme Allied Commander Ferdinand Foch (Thibault de Montalambert) to prevent more loss of life.  Foch refuses and gives Germany 72 hours to agree to Allied terms during which Paul's unit is decimated in battle.  The armistice is eventually signed with a ceasefire scheduled to take place at 11:00 on November 11 but General Friedrichs (Devid Striesow) does not want the war to end without a victory so he orders an attack at 10:45 with deadly consequences.  The battle sequences are some of the most realistic ones I've seen and they are visceral and unrelenting.  The jarring and foreboding score only adds to the horror and chaos of battle.  The juxtaposition of the elegant drawing rooms and beautifully appointed train compartments where the ceasefire is negotiated with the desolate landscape of battle littered with corpses is also very effective.  Kammerer gives a brilliant and heartbreaking performance, especially in a scene where he finds his friend's body after his first battle and a scene where he begs the soldier he has just killed for forgiveness.  This is a movie I will not soon forget and I highly recommend it even though it is hard to watch.

Note:  Everything Everywhere All At Once seems to be the front-runner to win but, honestly, with the exception of The Fabelmans (which I did not care for) I would be happy with a win for any of the nominees.  Do you have a favorite?

RRR

I didn't have a chance to see RRR (which stands for "Rise, Roar, Revolt") when it was first released so I am really glad that Salt Lake Film Society brought it back for a limited engagement!  I had heard a lot of rave reviews so I went to see it with a large crowd at a late screening last night and it was absolutely amazing!  I had so much fun watching it and I may or may not have cheered out loud during several thrilling sequences!  It takes place in India during the British Raj in the 1920s.  When a young girl named Malli (Twinkle Sharma) is taken from her village by the British Governor Scott Buxton (Ray Stevenson) and his wife Catherine (Alison Doody), the guardian of the tribe, Komaram Bheem (N. T. Rama Rao, Jr.), travels to Delhi and vows to do whatever it takes to rescue her.  Meanwhile, a member of the Indian Imperial Police named Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan) begins searching for him when the Governor offers a promotion to the officer who captures the man reported to be coming for Malli.  Bheem and Raju meet when they cooperate to save a young boy from a burning train wreck and bond with each other but, when they finally learn of their true allegiances, there is an epic confrontation between them at the Governor's residence leading to Bheem's capture.  However, Bheem eventually discovers Raju's motivation for his actions while Raju begins to question whether his cause justifies the betrayal of a friend and they ultimately join together (literally) to defeat their common enemy.  This is obviously about overthrowing the evils of colonialism (the portrayal of the British almost verges on caricature) but I really loved the message about the power of friendship.  Rao and Charan are incredibly charismatic and have tremendous chemistry with each other.  Their physical performances are almost larger than life and so dazzling on the screen!  The action set pieces are spectacular (my favorites are a scene where Raju single-handedly subdues an angry mob and a scene where Bheem fights a tiger) with unbelievable visual effects (I loved that Raju is associated with fire and Bheem with water) and soaring choral music which acts as narration.  Speaking of which, the dance-off between Bheem and Raju and the stuffy British guests at a garden party during the song "Naatu Naatu" is wildly entertaining (it is nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song and I am really looking forward to its performance during the broadcast).  I am so happy that I got a chance to see this on the big screen because I thoroughly enjoyed it and I highly recommend it (it is currently streaming on Netflix).

Note:  I enjoyed it so much it was worth having to drive home during a snow storm at midnight!

Dear Evan Hansen at the Eccles

When Dear Evan Hansen was announced as an add-on to the Broadway at the Eccles 2022-2023 season, I decided that I probably didn't need to see it again but, as the date of the run got closer and closer, I started to feel really sad that I wasn't going.  I ended up getting one of the few remaining tickets for last night's performance and I am so glad I did because I love this show and its message so much!  Evan Hansen (Anthony Norman) suffers from anxiety and feels insignificant and alone ("Waving Through a Window").  Heidi (Coleen Sexton), his busy single mother, doesn't know what to do to help ("Anybody Have a Map?").  His one friend, Jared (Ian Coursey), is only nice to him so his parents will pay for his car insurance and he is too scared to talk to Zoe (Alaina Anderson), the girl he likes.  His therapist encourages him to write letters to himself to help build his confidence but Connor (August Emerson), a deeply troubled young man, intercepts one of them from the printer because it mentions his sister Zoe.  When Connor takes his own life, his parents, Cynthia (Lili Thomas) and Larry (John Hemphill), find the letter and, assuming it is a suicide note, reach out to Evan.  To comfort Connor's parents, Evan pretends that they were friends ("For Forever").  When Cynthia and Larry press for more information, Evan asks Jared to create a history of emails between him and Connor ("Sincerely, Me").  Larry and Zoe struggle to reconcile Evan's version of Connor with the difficult son and brother they knew ("Requiem").  Zoe tells Evan that the only nice thing Connor ever said to her was in his suicide note, which Evan wrote ("If I Could Tell Her").  Alana (Gillian Jackson Han), another lonely girl at school, wants Evan to do more to keep Connor's memory alive ("Disappear") so they create The Connor Project and Evan gives a heartfelt speech about loneliness at a memorial assembly for him ("You Will Be Found") which goes viral.  He soon begins a relationship with Zoe ("Only Us") and bonds with her family ("To Break in a Glove") to the exclusion of Jared, Alana, and Heidi ("Good For You").  Eventually the falsehoods spiral out of control and, when the truth is finally revealed ("Words Fail"), Heidi helps him realize that he has never been alone ("So Big/ So Small").  As someone who suffers from anxiety and struggles to interact with people, I find Evan's story to be incredibly powerful and I always have tears in my eyes during "Disappear" and "You Will Be Found."  Norman is very endearing and sympathetic in the role and I loved all of his idiosyncratic tics and rapid-fire line deliveries.  The rest of the cast is also really strong and Anderson, Emerson, and Han portray Zoe, Connor, and Alana, respectively, very differently than I have seen before which I enjoyed.  Finally, as always, one of my favorite elements in this show is the use of social media, which is depicted on large moving panels, because, even though the world seems increasingly connected by technology, so many people still struggle to find a connection.  This inspirational show only has two performances left at the Eccles Theatre but it is definitely worth getting a ticket (go here).

Note:  Just so you know, the stage musical is so much better than the movie!

Dvorak's Symphony No. 5

I always love it when I have a Utah Symphony concert to look forward to during the week and the one last night was especially worth the anticipation because I was swept away by the music of Bruch and Dvorak.  The orchestra began with Ringelspiel by Ana Sokolovic and it pains me to say this but I didn't particularly care for this piece.  I appreciate that the composer meant to mimic the disoriented and dizzy feeling that one has while riding on a merry-go-round but most of the time it just sounded like noise to me, especially a section where it seemed like everyone was playing a different note (it was so jarring).  This hardly mattered because I absolutely loved the next piece as well as the soloist!  Randall Goosby joined the orchestra for Violin Concerto No. 1 by Max Bruch and he was brilliant!  I loved the themes played by the solo violin because they are passionate in the first movement, melancholy and filled with longing in the second movement, and intense in the third movement.  I also really enjoyed the orchestral background because it is incredibly lush but Goosby has such a magnetic stage presence that I couldn't take my eyes off him and all of my attention was focused on his dazzling performance.  The audience literally erupted with thunderous applause so he performed "Louisiana Blues Strut" by Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson as an encore!  After the intermission, the concert concluded with Symphony No. 5 by Antonin Dvorak.  I had never heard this piece before but I'm glad I had the chance last night because it is so emotional and romantic!  I always love it when the woodwinds are prominently featured and the themes played by the clarinets in the first movement are beautiful.  My favorite movement was the second because it has the feel of a Bohemian folk dance with a lyrical theme played by the cellos and then echoed first by the violins and then the woodwinds.  The final movement includes a tender dialogue between the clarinets and violins and another between the flutes, oboes, and violins followed by a triumphant conclusion from the brass.  It was another wonderful evening at Abravanel Hall and I highly recommend getting a ticket for tonight's performance of the same program (go here for tickets).

Note:  Yesterday I renewed all of my subscriptions (Masterworks, Films in Concert, and Opera) for the 2023-2024 season without even knowing what will be programmed!  That is how much I love attending Utah Symphony concerts (and Utah Opera performances).

Go Home Come Back at Plan-B Theatre

I was so excited to see Plan-B Theatre's production of Go Home Come Back in the Studio Theatre at the Rose Wagner Center for the Performing Arts last night because the playwright is my dear friend (and former colleague) Darryl Stamp. It is a heartwarming and humorous take on second chances and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Will (Calbert Beck) and James (Lonzo Liggins) find themselves in a waiting room of sorts with no explanation of where they are or how they came to be there. There are flashbacks to when Will met his future wife Janice (Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin) and to an awkward encounter between James and his estranged daughter Monica (Marilyn Melissa Salguero) as well as periodic announcements (thanking them for their patience which is, rather amusingly, repeated in Spanish) over an intercom.  They are eventually directed to enter to an office where they each meet Llecenia (Kris Wing Peterson), the replacement for the retired St. Peter. It turns out that both Will and James have recently died but, in a new promotion called "Go home come back," they have each been given the opportunity to go home for an hour before they return for permanent placement. Will uses his time to make sure Janice knows how much he loves her while James attempts to make amends for being an absentee father to Monica. There is a thought-provoking twist when they once again find themselves back in the waiting room. I loved so many things about this show! Heaven is portrayed as a corporation and it is a lot of fun, especially all of the references to marketing, but I also found Llecenia's final monologue about loving her job because of all of the happy reunions she gets to witness to be especially comforting after recently losing both of my parents. I also found it hilarious that, despite some questionable behavior in his past, Will is granted a place in Heaven because he taught middle school for ten years and I found it incredibly poignant that the ne'er-do-well James is offered a chance at redemption. The cast is wonderful (I was particularly impressed with the chemistry between Beck and Darby-Duffin), the simple set in the intimate space is highly effective, and the lighting is very dramatic (especially the pillar of light as the characters move from the waiting room to the office). This is such a lovely play (my audience responded very favorably) and I would definitely recommend getting a ticket but, unfortunately, all of the remaining performances are sold out!

Note:  Darryl also curated a playlist of music for the show which can be heard before it begins.  I especially liked "Once in a Lifetime" by the Talking Heads.

A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder at HCTO

I recently had the chance to see A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder at the Empress Theatre and I was very impressed by what they did with an incredibly ambitious show in such a small and intimate space.  Because HCTO is similar in scale I was really eager to see their version and I had the opportunity last night.  I was equally impressed by this production!  After the death of his mother, Monty Navarro (Jordan Nicholes) is informed by her friend Miss Shingle (Bonnie Wilson-Whitlock) that she was once a member of the wealthy and aristocratic D'Ysquith family but was disinherited for marrying his father.  He is really Montague D'Ysquith Navarro and he is in line to inherit an earldom.  However, there are eight family members ahead of him!  When his vain and heartless girlfriend Sibela (Brittany Sanders) marries the rich and handsome Lionel Holland, he decides to murder all eight family members in order to become the Earl of Highhurst and win her back.  Standing in his way are the Reverend Lord Ezekiel D'Ysquith (who has an unfortunate fall from the bell tower of his cathedral), Asquith D'Ysquith, Jr. (who has a bizarre skating accident), Henry D'Ysquith (who is stung by bees), Lady Hyacinth D'Ysquith (who disappears in deepest darkest Africa and is presumed dead), Major Lord Bartholomew D'Ysquith (who is decapitated while lifting weights), Lady Salome D'Ysquith Pomphrey (who is killed when a prop gun is mistakenly loaded with real bullets during her debut in Hedda Gabbler), Lord Asquith D'Ysquith, Sr. (who is driven to a heart attack after hearing about all of the deaths in his family), and, finally, Lord Adalbert D'Ysquith, the Earl of Highhurst, (who is mysteriously poisoned).  Along the way, Monty falls in love with Phoebe D'Ysquith (Lisa Zimmerman) and marries her which makes Sibela jealous.  When Monty becomes the Earl of Highhurst he is arrested for the murder of Adalbert, the only D'Ysquith death for which he is actually not responsible!  The charges are eventually dismissed when Phoebe and Sibela each give proof that the other committed the murder but Monty might not live happily after because Chauncey D'Ysquith, the next in line to the earldom, is lurking!  The cast is absolutely stellar and I particularly enjoyed both Wilson-Whitlock and Laurel Asay Lowe (as Lady Eugenia D'Ysquith) because their characters are so unhinged!  However, the star of the show is Bryan Dayley who plays every member of the D'Ysquith family (I loved him in a similar role in One For The Pot at HCT last year).  He is absolutely hilarious and makes every character feel distinct with his facial expressions and comedic physicality (as well as some quick costume changes).  Every time I see this show I always love a different family member and this time my favorites were the Reverend Ezekiel (because of the way he flails about before he falls) and Lord Adalbert (because of his plummy accent).  As with most productions of this show, the set is reminiscent of an old music hall but I loved the use of a falling red curtain in between scene changes and the elaborate painted backdrops.  A scene where Monty must keep Sibela and Phoebe apart at his flat is staged in an especially clever way and I also loved the singing ancestors at Highhurst.  Finally the period costumes are incredible, especially the highly embellished gowns worn by Sibela and Phoebe!  Do yourself a favor and get a ticket to this hilarious show (go here).  It runs through April 8 but many dates are sold out!

Cocaine Bear

Last night my nephew Sean and I went to see Cocaine Bear with a large crowd at the Broadway and we had a blast with all of the chaotic humor!  When a large shipment of cocaine is inadvertently dropped into the Chattahoochee National Forest, a 500-pound black bear ingests it and becomes highly aggressive as two unfortunate backpackers (Kristofer Hivju and Hannah Hoekstra) soon discover.  Drug kingpin Syd White (Ray Liotta) sends his henchman Daveed (O'Shea Jackson, Jr.) and son Eddie (Alden Ehrenreich) to retrieve it with a local detective (Isiah Whitlock, Jr.) hot on their trail.  Meanwhile, two teens named Dee Dee (Brooklynn Prince) and Henry (Christian Convery) skip school and head to the forest so she can paint a waterfall while her mother (Keri Russell) enlists the help of a park ranger (Margo Martindale) and a wildlife expert (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) to find them.  Add three juvenile delinquents (Aaron Holliday, J.B. Moore, and Leo Hanna), two paramedics (Kahyun Kim and Scott Seiss), and a police officer on the take (Ayoola Smart) and mayhem ensues!  As soon as I heard "Jane" by Jefferson Starship (all of the needle drops in this movie are fantastic) during the opening scene, I knew that it would be a wild ride and it was!  There are too many characters to keep track of and the pacing is sometimes uneven but I have to admit that it is wildly entertaining!  Sean and I laughed out loud through the whole thing with some of the funniest moments coming when the violence is at its most graphic (the ambulance scene is hilarious).  This is exactly what you would expect from a movie about a bear jacked up on coke and, if you go in knowing that, it is a lot of fun!  I recommend seeing it with the biggest crowd possible!

An American in Paris in Concert

I love the movie An American in Paris so I was positively giddy with excitement to see it on the big screen while the Utah Symphony performed the score by George and Ira Gershwin last night!  Who could ask for anything more?  Jerry Mulligan (Gene Kelly) is an American ex-GI who decides to stay in Paris after the war to study painting.  One day he meets a lovely Parisian shopgirl named Lise Bouvier (Leslie Caron) and they immediately fall in love while dancing along the Seine.  However, Lise is engaged to Henri Baurel (Georges Guetary) and feels that she can't break her engagement because he kept her safe during the war.  Jerry also feels indebted to his sponsor, an American heiress (Nina Foch) who is in love with him, because she is helping him sell his paintings.  It takes an incredible dream sequence with Jerry and Lise dancing through Jerry's paintings of Paris for them to realize that they belong together.  I loved hearing the orchestra play all of those wonderful Gershwin songs, including "Embraceable You," "Nice Work If You Can Get It," "I Got Rhythm," "Love Is Here to Stay," "I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise," and "'S Wonderful."  However, my favorite moments from the score were Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra and the American in Paris ballet.  The former is a piece that Adam (Oscar Levant), a composer living in the same building as Jerry, daydreams that he is performing and it is hilarious because he is also the conductor, several musicians, and members of the audience but I was too busy watching the same musicians in the Utah Symphony mimic him (especially the gong and the timpani) in those moments.  The latter is the music used during the extraordinary 17-minute ballet which is said to represent George Gershwin's impressions as an American visitor walking the streets of Paris and I especially loved the themes played by the oboe and horns.  I say this after every performance in the films in concert series but this was so immersive and I loved that the audience applauded after every number!  It was wonderful!

Note:  I had so much fun at this concert but I honestly cannot wait for the next one, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, because I get to hear "Kylo Ren Arrives at the Battle" performed live!  Go here for tickets.

Emily

It seems like I have been waiting forever to see Emily but I finally had the chance last night at the Broadway.  Not much is known about the life of Emily Bronte so this is a fictionalized account speculating about what could have made a sheltered and inexperienced young woman capable of writing something like Wuthering Heights and I loved it.  We meet Emily (Emma Mackey) when she is ill and near death.  In her final moments her sister Charlotte (Alexandra Dowling) asks her how she came to write a book as scandalous as Wuthering Heights. Several years earlier Emily is viewed as strange by the people in the village because she is sensitive, imaginative, and unconventional.  She is chastised for her behavior by her harsh father, the Rev. Patrick Bronte (Adrian Dunbar), and encouraged by her sisters, the uptight Charlotte and the docile Anne (Amelia Gething), to give up writing her fanciful stories and poems.  It is her poetry, however, that attracts the attention of her father's new curate William Weightman (Oliver Jackson-Cohen).  Despite clashing with each other, they fall madly in love and are soon drawn into a forbidden affair that is as passionate and doomed as that of Cathy and Heathcliff.  She is devastated when he suddenly ends the relationship and vows that she will never write again but her dissolute brother Branwell (Fionn Whitehead) reveals a secret which enables her to find her voice and write her masterpiece.  I love dark and brooding Gothic romances and this is a particularly good one due, in large part, to a highly nuanced performance by Mackey.  I loved all of the close-up shots of her face, because even when those around her are forcing her into submission her expressive eyes betray her inner rebellion, as well as all of the scenes depicting her wild abandon on the moors.  Jackson-Cohen is also outstanding, particularly in a scene where he struggles to suppress his passion while getting into his clerical garb, and I enjoyed Whitehead's boyish charm (as opposed to all of the psychopathic villains he has portrayed lately).  The beautiful cinematography showing the wild and windswept moors (which almost feel like a character) and the evocative score add to the otherworldly atmosphere.  Finally, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the subtle allusions to Wuthering Heights, particularly a scene involving the supernatural.  I highly recommend this, especially to all of my fellow fans of Gothic romances.

Note:  With this, Of An Age, and Close I am three for three with movies at the Broadway this week!

Jazz vs. Thunder

Last night I went to another Jazz game with my friend Angela and it was one of the most exciting games I've been to in a really long time!  I specifically picked the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder because, when I had season tickets many years ago, the Thunder and the Jazz had a great rivalry because of Deron Williams and Chris Paul.  The current Jazz and Thunder teams are very evenly matched so I was expecting a close game but the final minutes were absolutely crazy!  The Jazz took an early lead but the score went back and forth until the Thunder went on a 9-0 run to end the half ahead 55-46.  The Jazz had a lot of turnovers, struggled defensively under the net, and missed a lot of three point shots but they never gave up.  They battled back at the beginning of the second half with the help of Jordan Clarkson, who scored or assisted on the first six baskets, to come within two but the Thunder went on another run to end the third quarter 78-86.  The fourth quarter was the Lauri Markkanen show because he contributed 18 points, including a sweet slam dunk and a really pretty three point jump shot!  Walker Kessler got a nice block and putback layup to tie the Thunder 106-106 which sent the game into overtime (and sent the crowd into hysterics).  The score went back and forth in overtime with three point shots from Kelly Olynyk (whenever he does anything noteworthy Angela reminds me that he is Canadian), Lauri Markkanen, and Jordan Clarkson!  The score was 119-117 in favor of the Thunder with 4.6 seconds left when Markkanen was fouled on a three point shot.  He then made all three foul shots to pull ahead 120-119 and the crowd erupted!  It was so thrilling to be a part of it!  With only a few seconds remaining Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who ended the game with 39 points, missed a jump shot to give the Jazz the win!  Even though I had a hard time breathing during the final minutes I had to much fun at this game and I'm so glad that Angela keeps inviting me!

Of An Age

I originally had a ticket to see Of An Age on Wednesday night but the Broadway, like much of SLC, was closed because of the massive snowstorms we have been having.  Luckily, I was able to exchange my ticket and went to see it yesterday afternoon.  I can't even begin to express how much I loved this movie!  Kol (Elias Anton) is a young Serbian immigrant to Australia who aspires to be an amateur ballroom dance champion.  The only problem is that his partner Ebony (Hattie Hook) wakes up hungover on an unknown beach the morning of their competition with no memory of how she got there.  He has no way to come and get her so she suggests that he contact her older brother Adam (Thom Green) because he has a car.  Kol and Adam slowly get to know each other on the long drive to the beach and, by the time they reach Ebony, they are both clearly smitten.  Later that night, Adam attends a party with Ebony and insists that she invite Kol so he can see him again.  They end up spending a passionate night together but Adam is leaving to study abroad the next morning so they reluctantly part.  Eleven years later, they reunite at Ebony's wedding and, while they both realize that they cannot be together, it is clear that their encounter has had a profound effect on each of them.  I really loved how the dynamic between the two characters changes in the two timelines.  In 1999 Kol is awkward, insecure, uncomfortable in his own skin, and just beginning to question his sexuality.  Adam is confident, self-assured, and incredibly appealing and Kol is completely under his spell (so was I).  In 2010 Kol is handsome, stylish, successful, and social (the scene where he dances with Ebony at her wedding is in complete contrast to the one at the earlier party where he is bullied by his peers).  Adam is captivated by him (I have to admit that I was as well) and spends much of the wedding seeking him out without success.  Their scenes together are romantic and filled with so much longing that it is palpable (Anton and Green have tremendous chemistry) and I loved how the close-up camera shots on their faces reveal the feelings they are trying to repress.  Finally, I loved the messages about the importance of being truly seen by someone else and that it is better to experience love, even if it is fleeting or ephemeral, than not (it reminded me a lot of Call Me By Your Name but with a very different vibe).  It is melancholy but so beautiful (I really couldn't help but love it) and I highly recommend it!

Titanic The Musical at HCT

Other than Strictly Ballroom, I don't think I have ever been as excited for a show at HCT as I was for Titanic The Musical last night (I even drove through a major snowstorm to get to the theatre). It certainly didn't disappoint because it is amazing and rivals anything I have seen on Broadway! Just before the RMS Titanic sets sail on her maiden voyage, the designer Thomas Andrews (Kelton Davis), the owner J. Bruce Ismay (Justin Bills), and the captain E.J. Smith (Josh Richardson) marvel at the ship in the song "The Largest Moving Object" while a stoker named Fred Barrett (Brock Dalgleish), the lookout Frederick Fleet (R. George Banner), and the telegraph operator Harold Bride (Dallin Bradford) are in awe of it in the song "Ship of Dreams."  The third class passengers, represented by Kate McGowan (Adrien Swenson), Kate Murphy (Kenzie Davis Kremin), Kate Mullins (Erica Schoebinger), and Jim Farrell (Landon Horton), are excited to be going to America for a better life in the song "Lady's Maid," the second class passengers, especially Alice Beane (Ali Bennett), are excited to mingle with the wealthy passengers aboard the ship in the song "The Latest Rag," and the first class passengers, including John Jacob Astor (Paul Hamilton Murphy) and his wife Madeline (Kennedy Bradford), Benjamin Guggenheim (Davis Underwood) and his mistress Mme. Aubert (Casey Wawro), Isidor Straus (David Weekes) and his wife Ida (Sharon Lynn Kenison), John B. Thayer (Ricky Parkinson) and his wife Marian (Melody L. Baugh), George Widener (Tony Akin) and his wife Eleanor (Larissa Villers), Charlotte Drake Cardoza (Shawnda Moss), and a Major (Carson Davies), congratulate themselves on their success in the song "What a Remarkable Age This Is!" Ismay wants the ship to go faster to reach New York Harbor a day sooner for the publicity but that is dangerous and Titanic eventually strikes an iceberg in "No Moon." When it becomes clear that the ship will sink without enough lifeboats for all of the passengers, Andrews, Ismay, and Smith accuse each other in "Blame." Only women and children are allowed on the lifeboats and the men must say goodbye to their loved ones in "We'll Meet Tomorrow." Andrews laments the errors in his design as the ship goes down in "Mr. Andrews' Vision" while the survivors on the Carpathia express hope that they will be reunited with their loved ones in the song "Godspeed Titanic/ Finale." The large ensemble cast, which includes quite a few of my favorite regulars at HCT, is truly outstanding and everyone gets a moment to shine but I was particularly impressed by Richardson's commanding presence (pun intended) as the captain, especially when he takes responsibility in "The Blame." The music is beautiful and I loved it all but I was incredibly moved by the pathos in "The Proposal/ The Night Was Alive" when Barrett sends a telegram to his sweetheart, "The Staircase" when the third class passengers realize that they are trapped, "We'll Meet Tomorrow," as the men try to reassure their loved ones in the lifeboats that all will be well, and "Still" as Ida decides that she will stay on the ship with Isidor (I pretty much had tears in my eyes in all of these songs). The set is absolutely spectacular (one of the best I've seen at HCT and that is saying something!). A large multi-level structure rises from the pit to reveal the boat decks, the first class deck and smoking room, the second class deck, the third class deck and dining room, the boiler room, corridors, and the staircases to each level. The first class dining room, the bridge, the crow's nest (my favorite), and the radio room come down from the rafters. The costumes are fantastic, especially the elaborate turn-of-the-century gowns worn by the female first class passengers and the uniforms worn by the crew.  Finally, the opening montage when the crew and passengers first see the ship is very clever with blueprints and images projected on scrims and the sinking of the ship is incredibly dramatic (it even mimics when the ship breaks apart). I cannot say enough about this beautiful and moving production and, if you think you might want to see it (you should!), I recommend getting tickets as soon as possible because almost every show is sold out (go here).

Note:  Everyone is given the ticket of a real-life passenger with a QR code to scan to learn their fate. My passenger went down with the ship.

Close

I became really interested in Close when it was nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature (it also won the Grand Prix at Cannes this year).  Luckily it is now screening at the Broadway and I was able to see this poignant coming of age story last night.  Remi (Gustav De Waele) and Leo (Eden Dambrine) are thirteen year old boys who have an incredibly close friendship.  They spend all of their time together playing imaginative games and telling fanciful stories to each other.  However, when they begin secondary school, they are bullied by a group of their peers who notice their physical affection for each other.  This begins to bother Leo, especially when homophobic slurs are used, so he seeks out other friendships and goes to great lengths to avoid spending time with Remi.  Remi is devastated by this and confronts Leo about his behavior but it leads to a physical altercation which leaves him in tears.  When a tragedy occurs Leo must learn to live with the guilt he feels.  What I loved most about the narrative is that it is not necessarily about the sexuality of the two boys (although that interpretation works) but rather about them being viewed as different for having an unconventional friendship that people can't understand.  It does begin to meander a bit in the second half, although the portrayal of how a school reacts to a tragedy is spot-on (unfortunately, I have experienced this several times), but it is worth it for the emotional conclusion between Leo and Remi's mother (Emilie Dequenne) which brought me, and many in my audience, to tears.  The two young, and relatively unknown, actors give lovely performances and I was particularly struck by how well they portrayed their feelings for each other, especially during a scene where Leo watches Remi perform a solo during an orchestra concert.  I also really loved the luminous cinematography and the recurring visual motif of running and bicycling through a field of flowers (which makes the final shot so devastating).  It is beautiful and heartbreaking and I highly recommend it.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

I was really excited for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania because I enjoyed Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp so much.  I went to see it last night but, unfortunately, I thought it was a mixed bag.  After the events of Avengers: Endgame, Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton) builds a device that can make contact with the Quantum Realm but it accidentally opens a portal which transports her, Scott Lang/ Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), Hope van Dyne/ Wasp (Evangeline Lilly), Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), and Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) there.  They discover a world filled with fantastical beings and creatures but they also discover a time-traveling multiversal being known as Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) who was exiled there and then betrayed by Janet.  Kang is now the ruthless dictator of the Quantum Realm and demands that Scott help him rebuild the multiversal power core that Janet destroyed.  This leads to an epic battle where the fate of both the Quantum Realm and the Multiverse hangs in the balance.  What I loved most about the first two movies in this trilogy is the lighthearted and goofy banter between Ant-Man and his crew so I was really disappointed to find that missing in this installment (where is Luis?).  Much of the humor in the interactions between Scott and the natives doesn't really land and, in my opinion, the characters Lord Krylar (Bill Murray) and M.O.D.O.K. (Corey Stoll) are pointless and ridiculous, respectively.  The emotional core of this movie is meant to come from the father-daughter relationship between Scott and Cassie (Hope is completely sidelined) but I just wasn't very invested in it because I didn't like Cassie as a character (I'm not sure if it is because of Newton's portrayal or my growing annoyance with the plucky-teenager-who-knows-better-than-everyone-else trope).  The CGI is both messy (it is obvious that everyone is acting in front of a green screen) and exhausting (I found my mind wandering during the never-ending climactic battle).  Having said all of that, I absolutely loved the character Kang and Majors' portrayal of him is brilliant because he is so menacing but also a bit vulnerable.  I found Kang's interactions with Janet (Pfeiffer is also outstanding) to be the most compelling aspect of this movie and I am actually looking forward to seeing more from him moving forward (definitely stay for the mid- and end-credits scenes).  I didn't hate this because it sets up one of the most interesting villains in the MCU but yikes!

The 39 Steps at the Grand Theatre

I was so excited to see a new production of The 39 Steps at the Grand Theatre last night because it is one of the funniest plays I have ever seen!  It is a hilarious spoof of the 1935 spy movie of the same name by Alfred Hitchcock and features many references to other movies by the director, including Psycho, Strangers on a Train, Rear Window, North By Northwest, and Vertigo.  There are only four actors performing all of the roles and the action is lightning fast with scene changes and costume changes happening right on stage.  Nicholas Dunn plays Richard Hannay, a man at loose ends who becomes embroiled in a plot to stop a ring of spies from stealing military secrets after a mysterious woman named Annabella Schmidt is stabbed to death in his apartment.  Mara Lefler plays Annabella and several other women who become romantically involved with Hannay when he travels to Scotland to clear his name.  Michelle Lynn Thompson and Max Huftalin play every other character, including actors, traveling salesmen, policemen, innkeepers, farmers, spies, and more.  All four actors have brilliant comedic timing and I especially enjoyed it when Thompson and Huftalin performed several different characters in the same scene simply by changing hats and accents!  I also really enjoyed the physicality of the performances, such as when Dunn and Lefler get stuck trying to climb over a turnstile and when the two of them try to get undressed for bed while handcuffed together.  The audience sits right on the stage so it is an intimate space that is perfect for this show.  The sets and props are very minimal with pieces that are moved and reconfigured to become various locations such as Hannay's flat in London, a music hall, a train, a bridge, the moors, a crofter's cottage, a manor house, a hotel, an assembly hall, a police car, and the London Palladium.  The lighting design is brilliant, especially a sequence where Hannay is being pursued by planes across the moor, during another chase sequence on a train, and when Hannay jumps off a bridge.  The costumes are a lot of fun and are used to great effect to distinguish between the different characters.  I laughed out loud during the entire show and I had a wonderful time.  It is a Backstage at the Grand production and runs Thursday-Saturday until March 11 (go here for tickets).  I highly recommend it!

The Writing Retreat

My February Book of the Month selection was The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz (the other options were Someone Else's Shoes by Jojo Moyes, River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer, Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn, and Maame by Jessica George) and I liked it but I didn't love it. Alex has always wanted to be a writer so, when she is unexpectedly offered a spot at an exclusive writer's retreat at the estate of her favorite author Roza Vallo, she jumps at the opportunity. When she arrives at Blackbriar, however, Alex discovers that things are not what they seem.  Roza has assembled the five up-and-coming writers in order for them to compete against each other for a million dollar publishing deal, one of the other participants is Alex's former best friend with whom she has a complicated past, and the estate is remote and isolated (no Wi-Fi or cell service) with a mysterious history involving the occult. When one of the writers disappears, Alex wonders if the supernatural is involved or if one of the participants has sinister intentions. This psychological thriller is incredibly suspenseful and I couldn't put it down but there is a lot going on in this novel and not everything worked for me. I really enjoyed Alex as a character as well as the journey she takes in order to accept and then embrace her sexuality and to claim her power as a writer for the first time. I also really enjoyed the pacing of the novel because the tension builds and builds as information about each character is slowly revealed in order to subvert expectations. I didn't enjoy the supernatural element because it feels very forced, especially the novel-within-a-novel that Alex is writing as part of the competition (I found it very boring), and I feel that it is not necessary because the human intrigue and the locked-room mystery is compelling enough. Also, I didn't really care for all of the graphic sex scenes or the scenes involving drug use, which don't necessarily bother me per se, but I had a big problem with the lack of consent depicted. I would, ultimately, recommend this because of the intriguing premise and atmospheric setting (it has received lots of rave reviews) but I think there are a few elements that keep it from being great.

Titanic

It's been 25 years and I can still remember the excitement I felt seeing Titanic on the big screen on opening night!  It was the last day of school before Christmas break and, because you couldn't buy advance tickets back then, I went on my lunch break to get them for the first screening that night (which was almost sold out).  I had to stand in a really long line and I was almost late getting back to school (kids today will never know what we went through to get tickets back in the day).  I went to see it with my whole family and I was mesmerized by the love story between Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) and Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) as well as the amazing special effects used to depict the sinking of the RMS Titanic.  This was the first movie that I remember feeling really hyped about (the only other movies that I remember standing in line for are The Phantom Menace in 1999 and Spider-Man in 2002) and it was the first movie that seemed like a larger-than-life spectacle that everyone was talking about.  It was also the first movie that I saw multiple times in the theater (I had a lot of time to see it because it was released during Christmas break).  I loved this movie so much that I bought the VHS tapes (it was in two parts) and watched it over and over again.  When I heard that it was going to be re-released in theaters to commemorate its 25th anniversary I knew that I had to see it on the big screen again.  I went with both of my sisters last night and it was just as amazing as I remember it!  Once again, I was so impressed with the special effects (I think they hold up really well), especially when the ship splits in half and then finally submerges.  Even though I know almost everything there is to know about the sinking of the RMS Titanic (I was really obsessed with it for a while and read multiple books on the subject), I still found the final act to be so suspenseful because the tension builds and builds as the water slowly fills the ship (I found myself holding my breath several times).  There are so many indelible scenes (the old couple laying in bed as the water starts to fill their stateroom) and iconic lines ("Titanic was called the ship of dreams.  And it was.  It really was.") and I eagerly awaited every one.  I especially loved all of the transitions from the wreck on the bottom of the ocean to the ship in all of its grandeur.  Both Winslet and DiCaprio are phenomenal (not surprisingly, they both became superstars after this movie) but I was also really impressed with Kathy Bates as Molly Brown and by Billy Zane as Cal Hockley.  Finally, I forgot how much I love the score by James Horner, especially "Hymn to the Sea" and "Rose" because these themes feature haunting vocals by Sissel.  It was almost overwhelming to experience this again and I definitely recommend seeing it while it is back in theaters, especially if you have not seen it on the big screen before!

Ballet West's The Sleeping Beauty

I love being a Ballet West season subscriber but one of the disadvantages is that you can't choose individual performances based on casting so I don't often get to see my favorite ballerina, Katlyn Addison, in a principal role.  So I was absolutely thrilled when I discovered that she would be dancing the role of Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty last night!  This ballet is so beautiful and I thoroughly enjoyed Addison's performance (and the entire production).  In the Prologue the King (Zachary Brickson) and Queen (Michele Gifford) invite all of the Fairies of the land to the christening of their daughter, the Princess Aurora.  The Fairies bestow gifts of Kindness, Joy, Beauty, and Temperament in dances featuring fun and energetic choreography.  Carabosse (Emily Adams), angry that she wasn't invited to the christening, casts a spell on Aurora saying that she will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die then she flies off the stage dramatically with her minions.  However, the Lilac Fairy (Anisa Sinteral) has not yet bestowed her gift of Wisdom and changes the curse so Aurora will fall into a deep sleep instead and be awakened by the kiss of true love.  In Act I Princess Aurora (Addison) is celebrating her sixteenth birthday and a group of peasants come together in dances of joy (I loved the use of large flower garlands and the instantly recognizable music by Tchaikovsky in these dances).  Four princes vie for Aurora's hand in marriage in a dance with beautiful classical choreography (Addison is absolutely brilliant) and music featuring themes by a solo cello.  An old crone offers her a gift but she turns out to be Carabosse in disguise and the gift is a spindle which pricks Aurora's finger.  She vanishes from the stage (with some spectacular pyrotechnics) but the Lilac Fairy enchants the castle so Aurora and the entire court fall into a deep sleep.  In Act II Prince Desire (Adrian Fry) is leading a hunting party but soon grows bored and is lured away by the Lilac Fairy.  She shows him a vision of Princess Aurora and he becomes enthralled by her (in an incredibly romantic Pas de Deux).  The Lilac Fairy takes him to the enchanted castle where he banishes Carabosse (with more special effects) and awakens Aurora with a kiss.  Act III features the wedding of Prince Desire and Princess Aurora with dances of tribute from fairy tale characters (in spectacular costumes) culminating in a lovely Grand Pas de Deux.  In addition to the amazing choreography, performances, music, and costumes, this ballet also features new and opulent sets by Alain Vaes (the woods used in Act II are especially atmospheric).  I loved this ballet and I would definitely recommend getting a ticket (go here) for a spellbinding night out.

The Pirate Queen at the Empress

I absolutely loved the musical The Pirate Queen when I saw a production at HCT several years ago so I was really excited to see it again at the Empress Theatre last night.  I think they did an outstanding job with a complicated show!  I love the story about two extraordinary women who are enemies but perfect foils to each other because they both face the same limitations as women and ultimately triumph.  Queen Elizabeth I (Kayla Barlow) has just assumed the throne of England and needs to prove herself by conquering the Irish barbarians.  Grace O'Malley (Beck Skeen) has just become the chieftain of the O'Malley clan after proving herself in battle on her father's ship The Pirate Queen but needs to unite the clans to fight against submission to the English Crown.  The music is magnificent (the composers are Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil who are better known for a little show called Les Miserables).  Skeen has a beautiful voice and I loved how it blends with Shatan Duke's, as Tiernan, in the songs "Here On This Night" and "If I Said I Loved You" and with Barlow's in the songs "She Who Has All" and "Woman to Woman."  There are many powerful scenes in this show but my favorites are "Sail to the Stars" when Grace's father is given his final send-off to the sea (I loved the candles), the aforementioned "She Who Has All" between Elizabeth and Grace when a woman in the regalia of a monarch wants what a woman in chains and rags has in her life, and "I'll Be There" when Tiernan has to watch the woman he has loved since childhood marry someone else to unite the clans.  I was really impressed with the staging of "The Pirate Queen," especially when Grace climbs the rigging to free a sail during a storm, and "Boys'll Be Boys," because Hayden Porter, as Donal, gives a hilarious physical performance (I laughed at all of his facial expressions).  The choreography, particularly the Irish dancing in "The Wedding" and "The Christening" and the fight choreography in the battle sequences, is spectacular and a lot of fun to watch.  The Empress always does so much with their small and intimate space and this show is no exception.  The stage features a large backdrop of the prow of a ship in the middle of the ocean (with other set pieces such as a helm and hanging nets that are moved on and off) which is then cleverly draped with luxurious red fabric to become the court of Queen Elizabeth.  The costumes are fantastic, especially the over-the-top gowns worn by Elizabeth and her attendants.  I loved this show so much and I highly recommend it but, unfortunately, there are only two performances left (go here for tickets).