Newsies at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre

I love the musical Newsies so very much and I had a lot of fun watching a fantastic production at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre under the stars last night. Jack Kelly (William Madsen) and his fellow "newsies" gather every morning to buy newspapers to sell to New Yorkers, but when Joseph Pultizer (Mike Handy) raises the price of the papers, the newsies decide to go on strike. With help from fledgling reporter Katherine Plummer (Mia Schoebinger), the newsies print their own newspaper about the plight of working children in New York which gets the attention of Governor Theodore Roosevelt (Chuck Archer). The music in this show is incredibly stirring and the large ensemble performs it with enthusiasm and energy. Their dazzling vocal performances in "Carrying the Banner," "Seize the Day," "King of New York," "Once and For All," and "The World Will Know" (which is my favorite song and gave me goosebumps because it was so powerful) are the highlight of this production. The choreography is also a lot of fun and, while there are lots of the iconic leaps, jumps, and spins, I think it is really fresh and innovative. I especially loved the tap dancing in "King of New York," the newsies running through the audience in "Brooklyn's Here," and the way the newspapers are distributed in "Once and For All." I was also very impressed by the leads in this show. Madsen is an incredibly appealing Jack. He gives a heartfelt rendition of "Santa Fe" (all of the young girls sitting around me were very appreciative of his performance) and a touching version of "Something to Believe In" with Schoebinger.  Another one of my favorite songs in this show is "Watch What Happens" and, even though Schoebinger (who has a beautiful voice) was not feeling well last night, she still gave it her all and delivered a plucky performance which I really liked because it fit the character. Gage Gillette, Porter McCormick, and Brayden Phillips are also very strong as Davey, Les, and Crutchie, respectively. The multi-level set featuring a New York neighborhood made of wood, brick, and metal is the biggest and most elaborate one I've seen for this show but the large ensemble use the space very well. The costumes are what you would expect (including the ubiquitous newsie caps) but one of the things I immediately noticed is that Davey and Les are dressed a bit better than the other newsies (denoting their more financially stable background) and I liked that attention to detail. Seeing an outdoor performance is one of my favorite summertime activities (the weather was absolutely perfect last night) and this crowd-pleasing show is one that you don't want to miss! It runs at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre every day but Wednesday and Sunday through June 21 (go here for tickets).

Dangerous Animals

Last night I went to a late screening of Dangerous Animals and it is a very intense mash-up of the survival and serial killer genres.  Zephyr (Hassie Harrison) is a free spirited surfer in Australia on the run from a difficult past.  She hooks up with Moses (Josh Heuston) after helping him jump-start his car but leaves early the next morning without saying goodbye.  She plans to surf that morning but is abducted by Tucker (Jai Courtney), an eccentric boat captain who survived a shark attack as a child, and is taken aboard his boat.  She discovers another tourist (Ella Newton) being held captive and is horrified when Tucker lowers her into a group of circling sharks that have been lured to the boat by chum.  Tucker films her being devoured by the sharks and adds the VHS tape to a large collection of similar tapes.  Meanwhile, Moses attempts to find Zephyr so he can surf with her and becomes alarmed when he sees her van being towed.  Zephyr realizes that she will be next and takes extreme measures to escape while Moses continues to try to find her.  However, they both have more to fear from Tucker than the sharks.  The tension is almost unbearable and I was on the edge of my seat holding my breath every time Zephyr gets away only to be captured once again by Tucker (which happens so many times).  The action sequences are very dynamic because Zephyr is forced to use whatever is at hand, including the broken handle of a bucket, a grappling hook, and a harpoon, to fight with and the booming score adds to the frenzy.  The underwater cinematography featuring the sharks is equal parts terrifying and mesmerizing.  Courtney is incredibly unsettling (I knew immediately that the tourists who hire him for a cage dive were in danger before they even got on the boat) and I think he should play the villain more often while Harrison gives a ferocious performance that is easy to cheer for.  This is a lot better than I was expecting and I recommend it as a fun, but grisly, summer movie.

Noises Off at Parker Theatre

Last night I went to Noises Off at Parker Theatre and it is definitely one of the best productions of this play that I have seen! Act I involves a disastrous dress rehearsal for the play Nothing On starring Dotty Otley (Mary Parker Williams), an aging television star, as Mrs. Clackett, Gary Lejeune (Roger Dunbar), a scatterbrained actor who can't finish a sentence, as Roger Tramplemain, Brooke Ashton (Corinne Adair), a young and inexperienced actress involved with the director, as Vicki, Frederick Fellows (Thomas Hohl), an insecure and accident prone actor, as Philip Brent and the Sheikh, Belinda Blair (MacKenzie Pedersen), a reliable actress who knows all of the gossip about the cast, as Flavia Brent, and Selsdon Mowbray (Duane Stephens), an accomplished actor with a drinking problem and a tendency to miss his cues, as the Burglar. Lloyd Dallas (Michael Hohl), the exasperated director, Poppy Norton-Taylor (Nicole Holbrook), the put-upon assistant stage manager, and Tim Algood (Seth Larson), the overworked and sleep deprived stage manager tasked with fixing every problem, are dismayed by how unprepared the cast is for opening night. Act II takes place backstage while the show is on tour and features the deterioration of a relationship between Dotty and Gary causing them do everything they can to sabotage each other's performance as well as Lloyd's ill-fated attempts to keep Poppy and Brooke from finding out that he is having an affair with both of them (and multiple attempts to have Tim buy them flowers). Act III takes place at the end of the run and Dotty has a complete breakdown forcing the other actors to ad-lib the rest of the show while Brooke performs her lines and blocking as normal. The pace of this show is so fast that it is frenetic and the entire cast has brilliant comedic timing because they make the action look spontaneous and effortless. There is an extended sequence involving an axe in the second act that had me, and the entire audience, in hysterics and I have no idea how they were able to pull it off! In fact, I don't think I stopped laughing during the entire second act because the chaos is so well choreographed. I also really enjoyed all of the subtle bits of characterization created to distinguish this production from others, especially having Dunbar point his fingers whenever Gary makes a nonsensical comment, having Williams become emotional whenever Dotty forgets a prop, having Pederson speak all of Belinda's lines with a southern accent, and having Stephens recite all of Selsdon's lines as if he was in a Shakespearean tragedy. This features the largest and most elaborate set I have seen at this theatre and the attention to detail, especially in the backstage area, is impressive. The sixties aesthetic used in the set decoration and costumes works really well but I think that Vicki's babydoll nightgown looks too similar to the dress she wears at the beginning of the show because I didn't immediately notice the costume change. I thoroughly enjoyed this production and I highly recommend seeing this stellar cast forget their lines, miss their cues, and misplace their props (go here for tickets).  It runs on Fridays and Saturdays (with matinees on Saturday) through June 28.

Ballerina

I am a huge fan of the John Wick franchise so I have been looking forward to the latest installment, Ballerina, for what seems like a really long time.  I went to see it with my nephew last night and I think it is a great addition to the series.  A young Eve Macarro (Victoria Comte) witnesses the death of her father Javier (David Castaneda) by assassins bearing the mark of a cult led by the Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne).  He wants her back after her father fled the cult to give her a normal life but Winston Scott (Ian McShane) finds her and takes her to the Ruska Roma where the Director (Anjelica Huston) trains her as a ballerina and an assassin.  Twelve years later, while working as an assassin, Eve (Ana de Armas) recognizes the mark on her victim and wants revenge.  She asks the Director for information but she refuses to help her because the Ruska Roma has a truce with the cult.  She then turns to Winston and he leads her to an assassin named Daniel Pine (Norman Reedus) who is on the run from the cult and has claimed sanctuary at the Prague Continental.  When she confronts Pine, she finds an even greater motivation for finding the Chancellor.  She eventually tracks him to the village of Hallstatt in the mountains of Austria and, when she proves difficult to capture, the Chancellor threatens war with the Ruska Roma so the Director sends John Wick (Keanu Reeves) to stop her.  I really enjoyed Eve's character arc because, even though it seems to be her fate to become an assassin, she still has a choice about whether to destroy or protect (two sides of the same coin) and I think this is portrayed very well through Eve's interactions with Pine's daughter Ella (Ava McCarthy).  The narrative does take a while to get going because it includes Eve's backstory and training, which go on a bit too long in my opinion, but once Eve sets out on her quest for revenge it is so much fun to watch!  As you would expect from an entry in the John Wick franchise, there are some epic and innovative action sequences in which Eve must improvise in order to compensate for her small stature.  My favorites include the use of a pick axe in a nightclub made of ice, a fight involving dinner plates in a restaurant, and a duel between a flamethrower and a firehose in the village.  I think Ana de Armas does a great job with the fight choreography (I really liked her in No Time To Die) and I also liked her performance in the more emotional moments.  Reeves doesn't have much to do but it was fun to see him return as John Wick (it was also fun to see some of the other returning characters but it was bittersweet to see Lance Reddick play Charon for the final time).  This does not feature the same dynamic cinematography or dazzling locations as the other movies in the franchise but I enjoyed it and would definitely be interested in seeing a sequel.

The Play That Goes Wrong at The Ruth

My second theatre production yesterday was The Play That Goes Wrong at The Ruth and laughing out loud at this hilarious show was a great way to spend my birthday!  The titular play is the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society's production of The Murder at Haversham Manor by Susie H. K. Bridewell and everything that can go wrong does go wrong!  The Stage Manager Annie (Darci Ramirez) is still making adjustments to the set, with the help of a few audience members, and the Sound Technician Trevor (Luke Logan) is searching for a missing dog before the Director, Chris (Samuel Wright), welcomes the audience to the Society's most ambitious production to date.  The cast, including Chris as Inspector Carter, Robert (Charlie Flint) as Thomas Colleymoore, Jonathan (Chad Brown) as Charles Haversham, Dennis (Adrian Alta) as Perkins the Butler, Max (Brett Jamison) as Cecil Haversham/ Arthur the Gardner, and Sandra (Heather Shelley) as Florence Colleymoore, must cope with a set that is slowly falling apart, props that are misplaced and malfunctioning, and sound cues that are replaced by the music of Duran Duran.  Jonathan is unable to stay still while playing a dead body, Max is overdramatic and milks the audience for attention, Dennis mispronounces his dialogue, Sandra is injured midway through the performance and must be replaced by the unprepared Annie, and Chris cannot hide his exasperation with the goings-on.  But the show must go on until the murderer is finally revealed!  I have seen this show many times so I really enjoyed seeing some subtle changes to make this production unique.  My favorites involved one character being unable to see during the last few scenes and another actor quitting mid-show and leaving the stage in street clothes.  The entire cast is outstanding and the physical comedy is so much fun to watch!  I especially loved seeing the elaborate way in which Robert and Max must answer a phone call because they are both trying to hold the set together, the long drawn out fight between Sandra and Annie because they both want to keep playing Florence (I loved when they would both speak the lines in unison), the duel between Robert and Max after they break their swords and continue with pretend light sabers (I laughed so hard when Max jumped on the couch and said he had the high ground), and the spectacular collapse of the second floor study as Robert and Chris struggle to continue the scene while holding on for dear life.  The set is so much fun (it is basically another character) and, in addition to the collapse of the study, I loved the malfunctioning elevator complete with smoke!  If you are in need of a good laugh, get yourself a ticket (go here) to this thoroughly entertaining production.  It runs in the Lindsay Legacy Theater at The Ruth through August 16.

Hadestown: Teen Edition at CPT

Yesterday was my birthday and I got to celebrate it by going to two theatre productions! In the afternoon my sisters took me to see Hadestown: Teen Edition at CPT starring students from the CenterPoint Academy. I love this musical so much because I think it is incredibly clever how it uses the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice to provide commentary on what is wrong with the world, including climate change, poverty, exploitation of workers, diminishing resources, and extreme nationalism, along with the hope of how the world could be better through the power of music! I also love that the music is a fusion of folk, rock, and jazz with incredibly stirring musical numbers ("Why We Build the Wall" is one of the most powerful songs I've heard in musical theatre). In the teen version some of the more suggestive content is modified (although none of the songs are cut in this show) and the ensemble is expanded to allow for a larger chorus of workers. I was beyond impressed with this production and I especially loved all of the performances from the main cast (these teens are insanely talented). Ryker Thompson is an incredibly charismatic and entertaining Hermes and he absolutely owns the stage in "Road to Hell" and "Way Down Hadestown." I couldn't take my eyes off him whenever he was on stage! Jocelyn Weeks has a beautiful voice and she gives a heartbreaking performance as Eurydice, particularly in "Any Way the Wind Blows" and "Flowers" (which are my two favorite songs in the show). I think the role of Orpheus is a difficult one because it requires a tremendous vocal range as well as an emotional vulnerability and Xander Ferrin absolutely nails his earnestness and awkwardness, especially in "Come Home With Me." I was also really impressed with his guitar playing in "Epic I," "Epic II," and "Epic III." Tad Sharp, as Hades, has a rich baritone voice and his powerful rendition of "Why We Build the Wall" gave me goosebumps. I also found his performance of "Hey, Little Songbird" to be so compelling. Chloe Davis gives a powerhouse performance as Persephone in the numbers "Livin' it Up on Top" and "Our Lady of the Underground" (she can really sing the blues) but she is also very affecting in "How Long?" I love how the Fates are integrated into the story and Emmalee Larson, Rylee Hunt, and Xanti Cabrera harmonize beautifully in "When the Chips Are Down" and "Word to the Wise." The choreography for the workers, which includes an ensemble of twenty, is very clever and I particularly enjoyed when they utilized the aisles in "Chant" and its reprises and when they joined a circle around Orpheus one by one during "If It's True." I also loved the choreography for "Wait For Me (Reprise)" and "Doubt Comes In" because it is very dramatic (I was practically holding my breath through the whole sequence waiting for Orpheus to turn around). The live band on stage (which also features young performers) is incredible and a shout out goes to Gabe Winter on trombone. All of the other elements in this production (the set, costumes, and lighting) are outstanding but I cannot say enough about the amazing cast and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) to one of the five remaining performances.

Karate Kid: Legends

My sister and I are fans of the original movie (it was incredibly popular the summer after my sophomore year in high school) and my nephew is a big fan of the reboot so we obviously had to see the latest installment in the franchise, Karate Kid: Legends, together last night.  I think it is a lot of fun and all three of us really liked it.  Li Fong (Ben Wang) has been secretly studying kung fu with his great-uncle Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) in Beijing but his mother (Ming-Na Wen) forbids him to continue because her son and Li's older brother was killed by an opponent after a tournament.  She takes a job in New York to get Li away from kung fu and hires a tutor (Wyatt Oleff) to encourage him to focus on his studies, instead.  However, he soon befriends Mia Lipani (Sadie Stanley) and her father Victor (Joshua Jackson) and learns that he owes a great deal of money to a loan shark named O'Shea (Tim Rozon) who owns a dojo.  He also runs afoul of Mia's ex-boyfriend Conor Day (Aramis Knight), a karate prodigy who trains with O'Shea.  Li eventually decides to enter the Five Boroughs Tournament, an epic mixed martial arts competition, so he can give the prize money to Victor and so he can confront his demons over his brother's death.  Mr. Han comes to New York to help train him and he also enlists Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) to train him in karate.  Li makes it to the finals but he has to fight Conor, who has bested him in several skirmishes, and it all comes down to the "dragon," a flying kick that he learned from his brother.  The story follows the exact same formula beat for beat as the previous movies and the outcome of the tournament is a foregone conclusion but Wang is so appealing in the role that he is easy to cheer for.  There are some emotional themes but, for the most part, the tone is light and the action moves very quickly with dynamic and colorful titles and a bombastic score.  I loved all of the fight sequences, especially when Li becomes the mentor in Victor's attempt to make a boxing comeback, when Han and Daniel try to demonstrate who has the best moves with Li as their unwitting victim, and Li's final stand-up-and-cheer move in the tournament.  I also enjoyed all of the callbacks to the previous movies, especially a fun reference at the end.  Fans of the franchise will definitely have a great time with this (audiences seem to be enjoying it more than the critics).

Jane Austen Wrecked My Life

Last night I went back to the Broadway to see Jane Austen Wrecked My Life.  I am not a big fan of romantic comedies but if Jane Austen is in the title I will be seated and I really enjoyed this.  Agathe (Camille Rutherford) is a struggling writer in Paris who has put her life on hold after a traumatic car accident that took the lives of her parents several years ago.  Her best friend Felix (Pablo Pauly) wants to give her a spark so he sends some of her previous work to the Jane Austen Residency run by descendants of the author in England and she is accepted.  Felix convinces a reluctant Agathe to go and, because she is secretly in love with him, she spontaneously kisses him as she leaves and sends him a provocative text when she arrives which confuses him.  She soon meets Oliver (Charlie Anson), the arrogant son of the proprietors, and they take an immediate dislike to each other.  However, she is still unable to write so she spends most of her time with Oliver and develops feelings for him before Felix arrives to surprise her.  She eventually realizes that she needs to resolve the trauma in her life before she can write or decide which man is meant for her.  This is a slow burn but it is so charming that it will win you over.  The cinematography is gorgeous and I enjoyed all of the locations, especially Shakespeare and Company where Agathe works.  I loved the scene where Agathe compares herself to Anne Elliot in Persuasion because she is letting life pass her by and Felix to Henry Crawford in Mansfield Park because he is a cad who is unwilling to commit (I also loved that Oliver is obviously modeled on Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice).  There are lots of other moments that put a smile on my face but I definitely swooned during the Regency costume ball when Agathe dances with Felix and then with Oliver because it is so apparent who she belongs with (I wrote a paper in college about the importance of dancing in Jane Austen's works).  Rutherford and Anson are very appealing and have tremendous chemistry but I really appreciate that this focuses just as much on Agathe's journey to find herself as a writer as it does on finding a romantic partner.  This is a lot more subtle and thoughtful than Austenland and The Jane Austen Book Club but it is a lot of fun and I recommend it.

Bring Her Back

As a huge fan of Talk to Me, I was really eager to see what Danny and Michael Philippou would do next.  Their latest, Bring Her Back, is now playing at the Broadway so I went to see it last night and, like their first movie, it is incredibly gory and disturbing but it is also a powerful exploration of grief.  After their father dies, Andy (Billy Barratt) and his visually impaired step-sister Piper (Sora Wong) are temporarily placed with Laura (Sally Hawkins) and her other foster child Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips).  Laura overtly favors Piper but Andy believes it is because she had a visually impaired twelve-year-old daughter named Cathy (Mischa Heywood) who accidentally drowned in the backyard pool so he tries to make the best of the situation.  However, Andy is soon disconcerted by strange goings-on, especially the erratic behavior exhibited by Oliver, who is frequently locked in his room and denied food, and the demonic ritual shown on a grainy VHS tape that Laura obsessively watches at night.  Laura turns Piper against Andy with the hope that she will stay with her permanently so he goes searching for answers and discovers Laura's plan to implement the strange ritual with Piper and Oliver in order to bring her daughter back to life.  The escalating dread is almost unbearable because the characters are unpredictable and keep each other (and the audience) off balance.  Laura is often sympathetic and almost debilitated by her grief over the death of her daughter but then she becomes increasingly unhinged as time goes on while Andy is volatile with unclear motivations until they are slowly revealed.  Hawkins gives a powerful and unsettling performance as she transitions from warm and caring to evil and manipulative and back again (she is so scary).  The young actors are also outstanding and I was particularly impressed with Phillips because he matches Hawkins in intensity.  The visuals add to the unease because the camera angles are disorienting and the focus is sometimes distorted to mimic what Piper is seeing inside the house.  Finally, this is not for the faint of heart because the scenes involving the ritual (which feature elaborate prosthetics worn by Phillips) are so grisly that I averted my eyes several times (and I have a strong tolerance for body horror).  This might be a brutal watch but fans of the genre are sure to find it as riveting as I did.

Final Destination Bloodlines

I am a casual fan of the Final Destination franchise at best (my favorite is the third one but they all kind of blend together because they are so formulaic) but I had heard great things about the latest installment, Final Destination Bloodlines, so I decided to see a matinee yesterday.  I really liked it and I think it is the best movie in the series.  College student Stefani Reyes (Kaitlyn Santa Juana) is tormented by a recurring dream in which a woman named Iris (Brec Bassinger) and her fiance Paul (Max Lloyd-Jones) die in an explosion during the opening of a restaurant in a high-rise tower fifty years ago.  She eventually realizes that Iris is the estranged grandmother she has never met and finds her living in an isolated and fortified cabin.  Iris (Gabrielle Rose) tells her that she had a premonition about the explosion and was able to evacuate everyone before the tragedy could happen.  However, Death refused to be thwarted and started killing the survivors in the order they died in her vision.  She and a little boy named J.B. (Jayden Oniah) were the last to die and Death is finally catching up to the two of them as well as her descendants who were never meant to be born.  After Iris is impaled by a weather vane, Stefani tries to warn her uncle Howard (Alex Zahara), her estranged mother Darlene (Rya Kihlstedt), her cousins Erik (Richard Harmon), Julia (Anna Lore), and Bobby (Owen Patrick Joyner), and her brother Charlie (Tio Briones) that they are next to die but they refuse to listen because Howard and Darlene believe that their mother was delusional.  After Howard dies in a freak accident with a lawn mower, Stefani searches for J.B., who turns out to be William Bludworth (Tony Todd), to get answers before it is too late for her family.  I love that there is a twist to the usual formula and that expectations are often cleverly subverted (especially with Erik).  The characters and their relationships with each other are much more developed than they are in the previous movies and the family dynamic adds an emotional core that I found very compelling.  I also found William Bludworth's arc (it is ingenious how he ties all of the movies together) to be quite moving and I loved his message that death is coming for us all one way or another and that we might as well live our lives to the fullest while we can (Todd knew he didn't have long to live and this makes his performance all the more poignant).  Another shout out goes to Harmon because he steals every scene he is in and he also gives a surprisingly touching performance.  Finally, all of the elaborate sequences leading to the deaths of each character are absolutely epic (I will never have another MRI).  I enjoyed this so much more than I expected and I highly recommend it.

Note:  There are a lot of really fun Easter eggs for fans of the franchise (pay close attention to Iris's book).

Friendship

Last night I took my nephew to see Friendship at the Broadway because the trailer made me laugh out loud.  It is absolutely hilarious but it is also a really sad exploration of the extent to which someone will go to be accepted.  Craig Waterman (Tim Robinson) is an unremarkable middle-aged man living in the suburbs with a corporate job who is so socially awkward that he gets nosebleeds when he gets excited.  He meets Austin Carmichael (Paul Rudd), a charismatic TV weatherman, when he moves into Craig's neighborhood and they soon begin spending lots of time together.  Craig becomes infatuated with Austin but, when they are hanging out with Austin's friends, he commits a social faux pas that ends the evening on a sour note.  This causes Austin to distance himself from Craig because he is also insecure and wants to keep his friend group.  Eventually, Craig goes to extreme lengths to reestablish his friendship with Austin even though his actions threaten his job and his relationships with his wife Tami (Kate Mara) and his son Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer).  I was unfamiliar with Tim Robinson and his popular sketch comedy I Think You Should Leave so this was my introduction to his particular brand of cringe comedy and I laughed out loud so many times (as did everyone else in the audience) at his antics.  He has outstanding comedic timing and his facial expressions, physical movements, and line deliveries as a character who cannot read social cues but desperately wants to fit in are brilliant.  Rudd is also very funny as the straight man to all of Robinson's mania.  Having said all of that, this is sometimes very difficult to watch because both Craig and Austin are profoundly lonely characters (even though Austin is more socially adept) searching for connection and, while it is realistic, the resolution between them is unsatisfying.  This will make you laugh but it will also make you squirm and I recommend it to fans of this specific genre (it's definitely not for everyone).

Memorial Day Weekend at Lava Hot Springs

Marilyn and I decided to spend the long Memorial Day weekend in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho (a two hour drive north from where I live) at a KOA campground.  We stayed in a cabin located near the bank of the Portneuf River (a tributary of the Snake River) with trees and mountains all around us and it was beautiful.  The cabin was very comfortable with two beds, a table and chairs, a kitchen (with a mini fridge, microwave, and a sink with running water) and a full bathroom.  We spent the majority of our time outside on our patio which had a fire pit, two Adirondack chairs, a metal table and chairs, and a barbecue.  The weather was absolutely perfect so I really enjoyed reading outside during the day and sitting by the fire in the evening (my favorite part of camping).  We made tin foil dinners in the fire on Saturday night and burgers on the barbecue on Sunday night and we ate outside (everything tastes so much better outside).  Marilyn's dog Reese loved it because everyone (in the other cabins next to us and the RVs across from us) was so friendly and would talk to us and pet her.

This quick trip was so relaxing and we had a great time!  We were sad to leave yesterday but we have decided that we want to come back (we have even scoped out a cabin in another area of the campground that we want to reserve next time).  I highly recommend this KOA (go here to reserve RV hookups, cabins, and tent sites) because there are a lot of different activities available and the staff is extremely helpful and friendly.

Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique

I specifically picked last night's Utah Symphony concert for the program but I was really excited to discover that the guest conductor was the new Music Director Markus Poschner.  I've seen him conduct the orchestra before and I always enjoy watching him on the podium because he is so expressive (and frequently conducts without a score as he did last night).  The orchestra began with For A Younger Self, a violin concerto composed by Kris Bowers who is known primarily for his film scores, with Charles Yang, to whom the piece is dedicated, as soloist.  The composer likened this piece to the Hero's Journey as a musician finds confidence as a performer after years of study.  I really liked the back and forth between Yang and the orchestra in the first movement because it is so chaotic and then I loved Yang's virtuosity in the violin solos featured in the second movement.  The final movement is incredibly dynamic and I enjoyed watching Yang's fingers fly up and down his violin!  Yang is known for an encore that went viral on social media featuring "A Change Is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke which he spontaneously improvised after a performance with the Dallas Symphony and I was absolutely thrilled when he did it for us.  Not only does he play a bluesy rendition of the song but he also sings it (he has a great voice and could probably have a singing career if playing the violin doesn't work out) and the crowd went crazy!  After the intermission, the orchestra played Symphonie fantastique by Hector Berlioz and I was so excited to hear this piece performed live in its entirety for the first time.  It begins as a daydream about a woman the protagonist loves but then turns into a nightmare where he kills her and she comes back to haunt him (it is rumored to be inspired by the composer's own unrequited infatuation with Harriet Smithson) and you can really hear a shift in the mood as the piece progresses.  There is a recurring theme, which represents his obsession with the woman he loves, introduced by the flutes and violins in the first movement and then repeated by various instruments throughout but I especially love the theme played by the brass with a tolling bell in the final movement because it is so ominous (I always see the opening credits of The Shining in my mind whenever I hear this).  It was an epic performance and I haven't felt so exhilarated by a Utah Symphony concert in a very long time!  This same program will be repeated tonight and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here).

Note:  I was sitting next to a college student attending his first Utah Symphony concert and he asked me lots of questions about the orchestra and classical music.  I am definitely not an expert (to say the least) but I enjoyed talking to him because I attended my first Utah Symphony concert when I was in college and I would have loved to have had someone answer my questions.

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning

I am a huge fan of the Mission: Impossible franchise so I was beyond excited to see Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning at a Thursday preview with my sister last night.  It is unbelievably convoluted but it is an epic and heartfelt conclusion to the series (if, in fact, it is actually the conclusion) and we both loved it!  Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) now has the cruciform key needed to acquire the source code for the Entity from the wreckage of the Russian submarine Sevastopol.  However, Gabriel (Esai Morales) has stolen the malware, called the poison pill, created by Luther (Ving Rhames) which will enable him to control it.  Ethan and his team, Benji (Simon Pegg), Grace (Hayley Atwell), Paris (Pom Klementieff), and Degas (Greg Tarzan Davis), must get the source code from the submarine and the poison pill from Gabriel before the Entity gains access to the world's nuclear codes and before President Sloane (Angela Bassett) launches a preemptive strike to mitigate the fallout for the United States.  They must also evade CIA Director Kittridge (Henry Czerny) and Agent Briggs (Shea Whigham), who have personal reasons for stopping Ethan.  The first hour is really exposition heavy but, once it gets going, there are some amazing action set pieces (Tom Cruise is a madman).  I especially loved the cross-cutting between a scene of hand-to-hand combat between Ethan and a sailor on a submarine and a scene where the team fights a group of Russian soldiers on an island in the Bering Sea and, of course, the much hyped aerial sequence between Ethan and Gabriel on a biplane is spectacular (it is even better than I was expecting) but my favorite scene is a breathtaking underwater sequence where Ethan dives to the wreckage of the Sevastopol and gets trapped (I was on the edge of my seat the whole time because the sound design is so foreboding).  I also enjoyed Ethan's arc because he feels the weight of all of his decisions even more in this installment and there are some really touching moments between him and several other characters (especially with one from his earliest mission) which lead to a very satisfying resolution for him.  Cruise shines in a role he has been playing for thirty years (a montage of all of his missions while he is receiving his latest one is very well done) and the rest of the large cast does a great job (the standout for me is Tramell Tillman as the captain of a submarine because one of his line readings made me laugh out loud).  It is not without faults (I had only the vaguest notion of why things needed to happen and a scene where Ethan communicates directly with the Entity is a bit silly) but it is exhilarating and it must be seen on the big screen (my sister and I are already planning to see it again in IMAX).

Note:  I rewatched all of the earlier movies in preparation for this one and I think Fallout is still my favorite.

Dreamgirls at the Grand Theatre

I was so excited for Dreamgirls at the Grand Theatre last night because I had never seen it before (not even the movie).  This production is thoroughly entertaining with an incredibly talented cast and I loved it! The Dreamettes, a girl group from Chicago consisting of Effie White (Quesley Soto), Deena Jones (Kandyce Marie), and Lorrell Robinson (Darby Mest), enter a talent competition at the Apollo Theatre in New York singing a song written by Effie's brother C.C. White (Asher Head).  The contest is rigged against them by a used car salesman named Curtis Taylor (Steven Taylor) because he wants to manage them.  He arranges for them to sing back up for James "Thunder" Early (Kiirt Banks) on tour but he soon has the girl group, renamed The Dreams, perform on their own.  He wants Deena to replace Effie as the lead singer because, even though Effie is a better singer, he thinks Deena is prettier.  Effie is eventually replaced by the singer Michelle Morris (Kimberly Teitter) and, several years later, Deena Jones and the Dreams are incredibly successful while Effie is a struggling singer in a club.  C.C. is unhappy with how Curtis wants to record his latest song so he offers it to Effie and her version becomes a hit.  Deena, Lorrell, and Michelle become disillusioned with performing, and with Curtis, so they give a farewell concert and sing one final number with Effie.  The show is basically a series of performances by James "Thunder" Early, The Dreams, and Effie at various locations interspersed with a narrative about how the pressures of the music industry impact their friendship with each other and their romantic relationships but these performances are amazing!  My favorite numbers were "Move (You're Steppin' On My Heart)" during the talent competition, "Steppin' to the Bad Side" which becomes the group's first hit single with Early, "(And I Am Telling You) I'm Not Going" after Effie is replaced, "I Miss You, Old Friend" when C.C. and Effie reconcile, "One Night Only" as Effie makes a comeback, and "Dreamgirls" during the final number with Effie.  The set consists of a multi-tiered stage (a fantastic live band sits on the top tier) with multiple backdrops to denote different locations (I loved the red velvet curtains of the Apollo Theatre) and smaller set pieces are brought on and off in front of the stage by the ensemble for the more intimate scenes.  The girl group costumes from the 1960s and 1970s are as fabulous as you would expect (with as many sequins as you would expect) and the lighting is very dramatic.  Finally, the entire cast is insanely talented but Soto blows the roof off of the theatre!  I had a lot of fun at this show (audience participation is highly encouraged) and I definitely recommend it!  There are performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays (go here for tickets) through June 14.

Twelve Angry Men at HCT

Last night I was back at Hale Theatre to see Twelve Angry Men and I think it is not only one of the best productions I have seen at HCT but it is one of the best productions I have seen anywhere! It is a sweltering afternoon in New York City in the summer of 1957 when the jurors (Bradley Moss, Bradley Mackay, Jake Ben Suazo, Neal C. Johnson, Garret Woolley, Dustin Bolt, Bryan Dayley, Dylan Hamilton Wright, David Nieman, Brian Neal Clark, Mark Fotheringham, and Derrick Dean) begin deliberating a first degree murder case involving a sixteen-year-old boy who is accused of stabbing his father to death. Eleven of the jurors are convinced that he is guilty but, because a guilty verdict carries an automatic sentence of death, one lone juror insists that they examine the case against him in detail (much to the chagrin of everyone else). As they slowly work their way through the witnesses and the evidence, tempers are frayed, recriminations are leveled, and prejudices and biases are revealed but they eventually reach a unanimous verdict. Despite the fact that this takes place in one location (the set is minimal but highly effective) in real time with lots of dialogue and very little action, it is absolutely riveting and there were moments when everyone in the audience was holding their breath (I heard a collective sigh of relief followed by nervous laughter after a particularly charged scene at the end of the first act). I was on the edge of my seat waiting in anticipation to see what would eventually change each juror's mind and I was especially struck by the scene where one of the jurors realizes that he has been projecting his troubled relationship with his son on to the defendant (this is an amazing moment). The message of this play is incredibly powerful (and timely) because it is so important to stand up for what you believe even if you are the only one standing. Finally, every member of the cast is giving a master class in acting and they all have moments of absolute brilliance but I was beyond impressed with Clark because his monologue near the end of act two is a literal show stopper (this was another moment when the audience was holding its breath). Believe me when I say that you definitely do not want to miss this thought-provoking show (tickets may be purchased here). It runs on the Sorenson Legacy Jewel Box Stage through July 26.

Tuck Everlasting at CPT

Last night I went to CPT with both of my sisters to see Tuck Everlasting, a delightful musical adaptation of the book by Natalie Babbitt (you probably read it in elementary school). All three of us really enjoyed this charming production. Winnie Foster (Penny Hodson) feels trapped in a house where her mother Betsy (Amanda Rogers) and her Nana (Meredith Carlson) are in mourning for her dead father and she longs for adventure. One day she sneaks into the woods and meets Jesse Tuck (Maxwell Sperry). He stops her from taking a drink from a stream and inadvertently reveals that the water has made his family immortal. Jesse is happy to have made a friend but the rest of the Tuck family, including Mae (Brooke Liljenquist), Angus (Andy Leger), and Miles (Cameron Ropp), worry that their secret will be revealed. However, the Man in the Yellow Suit (Tyler Hanson) has overheard Jesse and has nefarious plans for the water. Eventually, Jesse asks Winnie to drink the water when she turns seventeen but his family warns that being immortal is not as enchanting as it appears. Hodson is really endearing as Winnie and I was very impressed by her stage presence because she very ably provides the heart of the show. I love that she still has the voice of a child and that she displays a wide-eyed wonder at everything she sees. Her interactions with Sperry, especially, are really sweet and their renditions of "Top of the World" and "Seventeen" are highlights. I was also very touched by Liljenquist's performance of "My Most Beautiful Day" (I also really liked the choreography in this number) and Ropp's emotional performance of "Time." My favorite number in the show is "The Wheel" where Angus tells Winnie that she doesn't need to live forever she just needs to live (this message is so lovely) and both Leger and Hodson sing it beautifully (it is also staged very well). The staging of the scenes at the fair is simple with a minimal cast but it is very effective and I enjoyed the choreography in "Join the Parade" and its reprise as well as in "Partner in Crime." I also liked that the characterization for the Man in the Yellow Suit is more menacing (Hanson actually provides a bit of comic relief) than evil which I've seen in some productions. One of my favorite aspects of this show is how the members of the ensemble seem to shadow Winnie and the revelation of who they are in "The Story of Winnie Foster" is incredibly poignant in this production. Finally, the set is quite spectacular and includes a lush backdrop of trees with sets for Winnie's front porch and garden (I loved the white picket fence covered by flowers), the Tuck's cabin, and Jesse's tree and the stream on a rotating turntable. This is a wonderful show for the whole family and I recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs on the Mountain America Main Stage through June 17.

Note:  I saw this show on Broadway and then it closed two days later!

Finding Neverland at HCT

I don't think I have ever had a more emotional response to a show than than the one I had when I saw Finding Neverland on Broadway (I was crying my eyes out by the end) so I was beyond excited when it was announced as part of the 2025 season at HCT and I have been eagerly awaiting my chance to see it ever since (I've also been recommending it to all of my theatre friends). I went to a matinee yesterday afternoon and, while I thoroughly enjoyed it, I feel like it is missing some of the magic of the Broadway production. J.M. Barrie (Keith McKay Evans) is a playwright suffering from writers' block, much to the chagrin of his snobby society wife Mary (Jordyn Aspyn Durfey) and his exasperated theatre director Charles Frohman (Alex King), when he meets the Llewelyn Davies brothers, George (Lucas Huizingh), Jack (Andrew Laudie), Peter (Flynn Mitchell), and Michael (Link Evans), and their mother Sylvia (Amy Shreeve Keeler), in Kensington Gardens. The Llewelyn Davies family, especially Sylvia and Peter, help him find his imagination again and inspire him to write the play Peter Pan while Barrie helps Sylvia, who is sick, and Peter, who is still mourning the loss of his father, learn that you shouldn't take life too seriously. I really love all of the music in this show but I was especially impressed by Evans' passionate rendition of "My Imagination" and Keeler's powerful performance of "All That Matters" (they both have beautiful voices) and their chemistry is palpable in "Neverland" and "What You Mean to Me."  I loved the innovative staging of "Believe," when the brothers fly around Kensington Gardens in a giant paper boat, "Circus of Your Mind," when ticking clocks (which represent the people who disapprove of Barrie) are transformed into a giant crocodile, "Stronger," when Barrie's alter ego Captain Hook (Alex King) takes him to a pirate ship to encourage him to be bolder, and "What You Mean to Me," as Barrie and Sylvia dance with their shadows (performed by aerialists Lance Nielson and Samantha Nielson). I also enjoyed seeing Peter Pan (Tyson Russell) fly around Barrie in certain scenes because he represents Barrie. The stage is brilliantly configured as a series of giant books with projections of text all around the theatre and many of the set pieces, which come in from the wings, up from the pit, and down from the rafters, look like line drawings (I especially liked the duvets on the beds in the nursery). The period costumes are gorgeous, especially all of Sylvia's gowns and Captain Cook's elaborate frock coat. However, with the exception of Shelby Maughan, who plays Mr. Henshaw, and Colton James Kraus, who plays Mr. Cromer, I found the acting troupe to be very bland (they are completely over-the-top in the Broadway production) so the songs "The World Is Upside Down," "Something About This Night," and "Neverland (Reprise)" are a bit underwhelming. To be fair, I attended a matinee with many empty seats (my whole row was empty) so that may have affected the energy. Finally, I waited with great anticipation for the penultimate scene with Sylvia because, in the Broadway production, it is one of the most magical bits of stage craft that I have ever seen and, honestly, I was disappointed with this version because I found it a bit pedestrian (I expected more from Dave Tinney and the state-of-the-art stage). There is actually a lot to love about HCT's version and my comparison to the Broadway production is probably unfair so I definitely think it is worth seeing. It runs on the Young Living Centre Stage through June 14 (go here for tickets) but act quickly because many shows are sold out.

Note:  A huge shout-out to Indy, who is making her acting debut as the Barries' dog Porthos, because she is adorable and she does such a great job!

Juliet & Romeo

My sister and I are not the biggest fans of Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet but, as soon as we saw the trailer for a new adaptation, we knew immediately that we wanted to see it because it is a musical!  We had the chance to see it yesterday and both of our inner thirteen year old selves loved it.  Prince Escalus (Rupert Graves) is fighting to keep control of Verona and he must ally himself with either House Montague or House Capulet to get the support he needs and this escalates the ongoing feud between them.  Lord Montague (Jason Isaacs) looks to his adopted son Mercutio (Nicholas Podany) to advance their cause because his own son Romeo (Jamie Ward) has started to rebel while Lord and Lady Capulet (Rupert Everett and Rebel Wilson, respectively) bring their unsuspecting daughter Juliet (Clara Rugaard) home from school to form an alliance with Lord Paris (Dennis Andres) in exchange for his army.  Romeo spots Juliet across a crowded square and they bond over their appreciation of Dante Alighieri.  They eventually fall in love and, when they realize that they represent opposing houses, they turn to the Friar (Derek Jacobi) who sees their union as a way to achieve peace and he marries them.  However, when violence erupts on the streets leading to the deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo), Romeo is banished and he must resort to a bold plan involving the Apothecary (Dan Fogler) in order to be with Juliet.  This takes quite a few liberties with the source material, including a really wild ending, and this would normally bother me but the changes work within the context of a story about choosing your own destiny.  The runtime starts to feel long during the third act when Juliet takes the potion and Romeo misses the message from the Friar but I always find this section of the play tedious when it is performed on stage so I can't fault the movie for it.  The songs eventually all blend together and they definitely have a Disney Channel Original Movie sound but I really enjoyed them (see the aforementioned comment about my inner thirteen year old self) and I suspect that teens everywhere (the target audience) will love them.  My favorites are "Beat the Same," "I Should Write This Down," "The Mask I Wear," and "Streets On Fire."  Ward and Rugaard are very appealing and have great chemistry as the titular characters and I also liked Jacobi as the Friar because he acts as a sort of narrator.  The visuals are gorgeous, with production design by Dante Ferreti and costume design by Luciano Capozzi (I loved the masquerade ball), and the cinematography is dazzling (especially the overhead shots of the fight between Mercutio and Tybalt on the bridge).  I know that everyone is going to hate this but, to me, it was a bit of escapist fun and my sister and I had a blast watching it.