Fourth of July Weekend at the Property

My family owns property near Tabiona in Duchesne county and it is one of my favorite places on Earth.  I hadn't been up there in well over a year so I was really happy to go back over the long holiday weekend with Kristine and Trent.  I had the best time!

We drove up early Friday morning and it was so beautiful there with cool temperatures.  Kristine immediately built a fire and I spent most of the afternoon reading.  In the early evening it rained a bit so I moved to the trailer to continue reading (I loved listening to the rain hit the roof of the trailer and I loved the smell of the trees after the rain).  In the evening we had dinner and then I made my traditional flag cake.  Trent doesn't like sweets, especially cake, but he really likes this and even asks for seconds every time I make it!

We spent the rest of the evening sitting by the fire and then I went to bed in the trailer and slept better than I have in a long time!  Saturday morning Kristine and Trent made breakfast on the grill and it was delicious (one of my favorite things about camping is breakfast because I almost never eat it at home and everything tastes better outside).  Afterwards we went on a drive for most of the day and ended up in nearby Yellowstone Canyon with beautiful views of the rivers and reservoir.

On the way back we saw a large plume of smoke that looked really close to the property.  We eventually learned that there was a large fire on Tabby Mountain less than half a mile from us.  We were a bit nervous so we evacuated to a safer spot and watched about six fire trucks go by to fight it.  We also saw a small plane fly overhead and then a helicopter started dropping water on it (which was seriously cool to see).  After about two hours the fire was pretty much contained so we felt safe enough to go back to the property.  We had dinner and then built a fire (which we monitored carefully after all of the excitement!).

  When it got dark we were able to watch the Tabiona city fireworks.  We sat on the tailgate of the truck at the edge of the property and we had a great view.  It was a much more elaborate show than I was expecting!  Sunday morning, after another great breakfast cooked outside, we completed some projects around the property (when I say "we" I mean that I tried to stay out of the way while Trent and Kristine completed some projects) and then packed up to go.  It was a wonderful long weekend (even with the fire) and I hope it was for you, too!

Jurassic World Rebirth

After suffering through Jurassic World: Dominion, I vowed that I would never see another movie in the franchise but the trailer for Jurassic World Rebirth looked really intriguing to me (it actually featured dinosaurs!) so I went to see it last night with my sister.  There are definitely some flaws but I think it is one of the best sequels to the original movie and I enjoyed it.  The Earth's environment proves to be inhospitable to the dinosaurs so most of them have either died or relocated to tropical areas near the Equator.  Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend), a representative of the pharmaceutical company ParkerGenix, recruits covert operatives Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) and Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali) as well as paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey) to retrieve DNA samples from the three largest species of dinosaurs for use in a drug that could potentially prevent coronary disease.  The group is tracking a Mosasaurus in the Atlantic Ocean when they are called to rescue the Delgado family, including Reuben (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), his daughters Teresa (Luna Blaise) and Isabella (Audrina Miranda), and Teresa's ne'er-do-well boyfriend Xavier Dobbs (David Iacono), after their boat is destroyed by a Mosasaurus.  The team is able to rescue the Delgados and retrieve a sample but they are also attacked and shipwrecked on an island that was once used as a secret research facility for creating mutant dinosaurs.  Chaos ensues as they attempt to collect the remaining samples and evade the terrifying new dinosaurs created in the lab.  The cast does a great job and, even though the story follows the same beats as all of the other movies in the franchise, I liked the new characters.  The action sequences with the dinosaurs are spectacular!  The scenes showing the Delgados being chased by a Tyrannosaurus rex down a river in an inflatable raft and the team as they are confronted by a Distortus rex when trying to leave the island are absolutely terrifying but I also really felt the awe exhibited by Loomis and Bennett when they encounter a Titanosaurus and the Aquilops befriended by Isabella provides a bit of comic relief.  The biggest problem I had is the pacing because in between all of the dinosaurs there is a lot of dialogue in which the characters learn very important lessons (such as big pharma is bad and Xavier is actually good) and my mind would sometimes wander.  This is not quite as good as the original but is so much better than its predecessor and I recommend it as a fun summer blockbuster.

MJ Live at Sandy Amphitheater

I love outdoor concerts at Sandy Amphitheater in the summer and my sister is a big fan of Michael Jackson so we were both really excited to see MJ Live last night.  This show, featuring Jalles Franca as the King of Pop, is one of the best Michael Jackson tribute concerts in the world (it is performed nightly at Harrah's in Las Vegas) and it was fantastic.  Franca looks and sounds like Jackson but, more importantly, he definitely has all of Jackson's iconic moves and they were a lot of fun to watch.  It was also fun to see all of the familiar costumes, especially the red leather jacket from the "Beat It" music video, the white pinstripe suit and fedora from the "Smooth Criminal" music video, and the black sequin jacket, black fedora, white sequin glove, and white sequin socks from the performance of "Billie Jean" at the Motown 25th Anniversary special.  In addition to the songs mentioned above, Franca performed "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," "Bad," "Another Part of Me," "Dirty Diana," "She's Out of My Life," "I'll Be There" with lots of audience participation, "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Human Nature," and a medley of "I Want You Back," "ABC," and "The Love You Save" by the Jackson 5 with the backup dancers performing with Franca in some fabulous costumes and wigs.  After an epic performance of "Beat It" with backup dancers as rival gang members, Franca invited a group of kids on stage to show their best Michael Jackson choreography.  Some of them were really good!  Then Franca performed "Thriller" and this was a highlight because he replicated the choreography from the music video (I vividly remember when the video premiered on MTV because it was so groundbreaking) with the backup dancers as the undead!  He continued with "Jam," "Man in the Mirror," "Black or White," "Can You Feel It," and a rousing rendition of "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" that got everybody up dancing!  This was such a fun concert and the weather was perfect!  I highly recommend checking out a show at Sandy Amphitheater (it is a great venue and my sister was very impressed with how fast the attendants got everyone out of the parking lot) this summer.  Go here to see the lineup and to purchase tickets.

M3GAN 2.0

My nephew and I had a lot of fun with M3GAN so we were really excited to see the sequel, M3GAN 2.0, last night.  Unfortunately, I found the switch in genre from horror to action thriller to be disappointing.  Cady (Violet McGraw) is still traumatized by the events leading to the destruction of her AI robot M3GAN (Model 3 Generative Android) and her aunt Gemma (Allison Williams), inspired by her boyfriend Christian (Aristotle Athari), has become an advocate for the regulation of AI technology.  However, M3GAN's technology is surreptitiously used by a defense contractor to create a military-grade robot named AMELIA (Autonomous Military Engagement Logistics and Infiltration Android).  When AMELIA (Ivanna Sakhno) becomes self-aware and goes rogue, Gemma and her coworkers, Cole (Brian Jordan Alvarez) and Tess (Jen Van Epps), are persuaded to rebuild M3GAN to make her faster and stronger so she can stop AMELIA from attempting an AI takeover.  There are endless exposition dumps, convoluted plot twists (you may want to take notes to keep them all straight), derivative action sequences, and cringe-worthy dialogue before the long anticipated show-down between M3GAN and AMELIA culminates in a muddled message about working together with AI to solve the world's problems.  We get the requisite dance break and a song from M3GAN (this time she sings "This Woman's Work" by Kate Bush) but they are ridiculous and random rather than campy and my nephew and I gave each other several looks of incredulity.  M3GAN (portrayed by Amie Donald and voiced by Jenna Davis) is no longer scary and, as a result, she is no longer interesting but she is still better than the rest of the cast whose performances are surprisingly bland (except for a brief appearance by the always hilarious Jemaine Clement as a corrupt tech billionaire).  The premise is intriguing and I even enjoyed the initial setup with AMELIA going rogue but the execution is flat without the horror elements that made the first movie so iconic.  This is not the upgrade I was hoping for and I suggest waiting for it to stream.

F1

Last night my nephew and I went to an early access IMAX screening of F1 and it is an adrenaline rush from beginning to end!  Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) is a nomadic driver for hire after a promising career in Formula 1 racing was cut short by a near fatal crash.  Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), a friend and former F1 driver who now owns APXGB, lures him out of retirement to mentor Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), the hotshot prodigy who drives for him, in order to stave off calls from his board of directors to sell the team.  Without winning any points all season, APXGB has just nine races to improve their record but Sonny and Joshua immediately clash over training methods and racing strategy and get off to a disastrous start.  However, with help from Kate McKenna (Kerry Condon), an innovative technical director with something to prove, they eventually start to respect each other and work together to foil the plans of Peter Banning (Tobias Menzies), a duplicitous board member, during the final race of the year.  The story follows similar sports movie tropes (an experienced veteran looking for redemption and a cocky and arrogant rookie eager to make his mark join forces as underdogs who ultimately triumph) but it is also full of heart and the relationship that develops between Sonny and Joshua is very touching (I loved seeing Joshua slowly incorporate all of Sonny's training methods).  I do not know anything about F1 racing and, honestly, I have never really understood the appeal but I found the behind the scenes look at the sport to be fascinating, especially all of the strategy involved (although I suspect that some of the methods used by Sonny to disrupt the races in order to give himself an advantage are a bit far-fetched).  The racing sequences are exhilarating and incredibly immersive (seeing the track from the perspectives of the drivers is really intense).  It is also impressive that the actors actually drive the cars with footage from real races and that many current F1 drivers make cameos (the only driver I recognized was Lewis Hamilton but my nephew recognized a lot of them including the actual coach, or principal, of Scuderia Ferrari).  The propulsive score by Hans Zimmer adds tension to these thrilling scenes and the needle drops are fantastic (when a movie starts with "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin you know it is going to be awesome).  Finally, Pitt brings his movie star charisma to the role and Idris is a movie star in the making.  This movie is the definition of a summer blockbuster and I had so much fun watching it with my nephew!  Go see it in IMAX!

Utah Shakespeare Festival 2025

This year I ended up taking a quick trip to the Utah Shakespeare Festival by myself on Monday and, even though I was only there for one day, I saw two shows had a great time!

My first show was a matinee of A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder in the Randall L. Jones Theatre.  I wasn't particularly interested in seeing this again because I've seen it so many times but I am glad that I ended up getting a ticket because this production is very different and I thoroughly enjoyed the innovative staging!  The set is configured as a music hall in the early 1900s complete with old fashioned footlights at the edge of the stage and a tattered curtain upstage.  There is even a piano player (Brad Carroll) on stage for the whole show!  The props include items that might be found backstage such as suitcases, large steamer trunks, canvas laundry carts on casters, moving staircases, scaffolding, screens, and racks of costumes.  These items are configured and reconfigured to become various locations by an ensemble dressed as vaudeville performers.  There are no projections so all of the members of the D'Ysquith Family (Graham Ward) who are ahead of Monty Navarro (Rob Riordan) in the succession to the earldom are killed using practical stagecraft that would have been available in the early 1900s (I especially loved the Reverend Lord Ezekiel D'Ysquith's fall from the cathedral tower and Asquith D'Ysquith Jr.'s skating accident because they are so clever).  The costumes are really fun and, as usual, I loved the gowns worn by Sibella Hallward (Katie Drinkard) and Phoebe D'Ysquith (Nicole Eve Goldstein) but I was more impressed by those worn by Lady Hyacinth D'Ysquith and Lady Salome D'Ysquith Pumphrey!  The D'Ysquith family crest worn by all of the members of the family is also very amusing, especially Lady Eugenia D'Ysquith's because it is so big.  I laughed out loud at Ward's distinct characterizations for each member of the family (especially his doddering Ezekiel) and I loved Riordan's over the top facial expressions.  Both Drinkard and Goldstein have beautiful voices and their renditions of "I Don't Know What I'd Do Without You" and "Inside Out," respectively, are highlights.  I'm not often surprised by a show I've seen so many times but this put a huge smile on my face and I would definitely recommend it.

The play I most wanted to see at the festival this year was Macbeth in the Engelstad Theatre because it is one of my favorites by William Shakespeare (second only to Hamlet).  This production is absolutely amazing and I loved how it really leans into the supernatural.  The set features a large stunted tree that dominates the stage and I think this is a perfect symbol for the theme of unnatural deeds leading to unnatural consequences (which is really emphasized in this production).  The Weird Sisters (Evelyn Carol Case, Kayland Jordan, and Kat Lee) appear as Druids, dressed in muted greens and browns with headdresses made of twigs, and they can manipulate nature with their powers (they are atmospheric and otherworldly as they haunt different areas of the stage).  Hecate (Caitlin Wise), the witch who rules the Weird Sisters, is often omitted from modern productions because the character is so intense and, in this one, she is terrifying because she appears to hover above the stage by using her large iridescent wings (each one is manipulated by two puppeteers and the effect is quite dramatic) and her voice is incredibly strident.  She appears in the usual scenes in which she chastises the Weird Sisters for acting without her permission (they cower before her as if they are in pain) and when she instructs them to create illusions for Macbeth (Walter Kmiec) but she also appears in several other scenes including the final confrontation between Macbeth and Macduff (Lavour Addison) which is incredibly unsettling.  The sound design, which features staccato drums and droning pulses, is ominous and the lighting design often mimics stormy weather (I wrote a paper about the weather in Macbeth in college).  Both Kmiec and Cassandra Bissell (as Lady Macbeth) give powerful performances because they visibly come undone from their guilt and paranoia.  The rest of the cast is outstanding with shoutouts going to Chauncy Thomas as Banquo (especially when his ghost haunts Macbeth) and Addison as Macduff because the scene where he reacts to the death of his children is heartbreaking.  Finally, the fight choreography is really cool because, other than the fight between Macbeth and Macduff, the soldiers seem to be battling invisible opponents.  I loved this production so much and I think it is one you do not want to miss!  These shows are performed in repertory along with Antony and Cleopatra, As You Like It, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Steel Magnolias through October 4 (go here for tickets).

Note:  Other highlights of this trip include eating *ahem* several tarts and running into my friend Joe (it was so fun to talk to him).

Elio

Last night I spontaneously decided to see Elio and I loved the dazzling animation and the touching message.  Elio Solis (Yonas Kibreab) is sent to live with his aunt Olga (Zoe Saldana), an Air Force Major, after the death of his parents but he feels like he has interrupted her dream of becoming an astronaut and that she would be better off without him.  He is also bullied by the other kids on the Air Force base because of his obsession with life in space and he feels very lonely.  Elio overhears an analyst named Gunther Melmac (Brendan Hunt) tell Olga that a message has been received in response to the Voyager 1 space probe and he contrives to answer it which results in his abduction by an alien ship.  He is thrilled when he is welcomed to the Communiverse, an intergalactic organization where aliens share information about their home planets, as a candidate to be the Earth's ambassador.  However, he must first prove himself so he volunteers to negotiate with Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett), a warlord who is threatening the Communiverse.  He tries various methods to appease Grigon but they fail so he decides to use his more peaceful son Glordon (Remy Edgerly) as a bargaining chip.  Eventually, Elio and Glordon bond with each other because they both feel alone and misunderstood but will they ever find where they really belong?  This is absolutely adorable and I loved the world-building for the Communiverse and the character design for all of the aliens because everything is so colorful and luminous.  I especially loved Glordon as a character because he is incredibly endearing.  My favorite moments are when clones are made of Elio and Glordon to take their places and both Olga and Grigon realize the switch and prefer the originals (I enjoyed Olga and Grigon's character arcs as parents who are overwhelmed and make mistakes but learn that the most important thing is to show acceptance and love for Elio and Glordon).  The message that you are never alone is a powerful one the comparison between searching for life in space and searching for connection on Earth really works.  I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would and highly recommend it.

28 Years Later

I took my nephew to 28 Years Later at the Broadway last night and, as a fan of the first two movies in the franchise, I was excited to see it.  Even though it is very different from what I was expecting, I really loved the exploration of how to live in the midst of death.  Twenty-eight years after the spread of the rage virus, the UK is still heavily quarantined and survivors have been left to fend for themselves.  A group of these survivors, including Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), his wife Isla (Jodie Comer), who suffers from a mysterious illness that causes hallucinations, and his 12-year-old son Spike (Alfie Williams), have found refuge on an isolated island separated from the mainland by a fortified causeway that is only accessible during low tide.  Jamie takes Spike to the mainland to initiate him in hunting the infected but they soon become overrun by a large group that has mutated to become stronger and faster and they are forced to take shelter in the attic of an abandoned cottage.  Spike sees a large bonfire in the distance and, when they return to the island, he learns that it was most likely lit by Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), an eccentric who burns the bodies of the dead in a ritual of remembrance.  Spike is disillusioned by Jamie's exaggeration of their exploits on the mainland and by his behavior towards Isla so he decides to take her in search of Kelson so he can cure her.  The main narrative is bookended by Jimmy (Rocco Haynes as a child and Jack O'Connell as an adult) who survives an attack by the infected and then reappears twenty-eight years later with his cult to help Spike fight another group that has mutated.  Jimmy provides the chaos I was expecting but I loved the more meditative (relatively speaking) hero's journey taken by Spike as he learns how to reconcile himself to death (and new life) and become what his father pretends to be.  I also really enjoyed a montage showing images of war throughout the years accompanied by Rudyard Kipling's poem "Boots" read by Taylor Holmes (which is used very effectively in the trailer) because it establishes the idea that people have always had to survive the consequences of savagery.  Fiennes gives an incredibly moving performance but I was most impressed by Williams and I am very much looking forward to the continuation of Spike's story in the sequel(s).  I recommend this to fans of the franchise who are willing to set aside their expectations because it is definitely more haunting than frightening but I think it is brilliant.

& Juliet at the Eccles

I have been looking forward to seeing & Juliet ever since the Broadway at the Eccles 2024 - 2025 season was announced and I finally had the chance last night.  I loved it and I had so much fun singing along to all of the pop songs and laughing at all of the Shakespeare references!  William Shakespeare (Corey Mach) is ready to present his latest play Romeo and Juliet when his wife Anne Hathaway (Teal Wicks) unexpectedly arrives to watch it.  She is immediately unhappy with the tragic ending and offers suggestions for an alternate one.  Shakespeare reluctantly listens to her ideas while her version is acted out in front of them.  Juliet (Rachel Simone Webb) wakes up in her tomb to find Romeo (Michael Canu) dead and impulsively decides that she shouldn't kill herself over a man she hardly knows.  She learns that her parents plan to send her to a convent to punish her for forbidden relationship with Romeo so her Nurse (Kathryn Allison), her best friend May (Nick Drake), and her new friend April (who is portrayed by Anne), encourage her to run away.  They travel to Paris and crash the Renaissance Ball, a party thrown by Lance Du Bois (Paul-Jordan Jansen) to encourage his son Francois (Mateus Leite Cardoso) to find a bride, and soon "Frankie" and Juliet are bonding over the control their parents have over them.  Frankie proposes when his father tells him that he must either get married or join the army and Juliet accepts him when her parents arrive to take her to the convent.  However, Shakespeare is unhappy that there isn't enough conflict in the play so he secretly brings Romeo back from the dead which angers Anne.  Will Juliet choose Frankie, Romeo, or herself?  Will Shakespeare ever understand why Anne wants Juliet to have a choice?  This show is so clever because it reimagines a classic to tell a very modern story about empowerment and the use of pop songs written by Max Martin for the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, Jessie J, Katy Perry, The Weeknd, and others is absolutely brilliant.  The songs fit the narrative really well and I especially loved "Larger than Life"  when Shakespeare is first introduced, "Overprotected" when Frankie and Juliet complain about their parents, "Oops!... I Did It Again" when Juliet realizes that she has started yet another relationship too quickly, "Since U Been Gone" when Romeo suddenly reappears in Juliet's life, "Stronger" when Juliet refuses to do what her parents want, and "Roar" when she takes control of her life.  I laughed so hard when Frankie sings "It's Gonna Be Me" as he confesses his feelings for May (iykyk) and I also laughed out loud at a hilarious reference to Macbeth.  I loved Webb's dynamic performance, the fun choreography, the modern take on the Renaissance silhouette in the costumes, and the vivid neon colored set pieces and projections (especially the use of signs featuring the names Juliet and Romeo).  I had such a great time at this show and I highly recommend getting a ticket to one of the five remaining performances at the Eccles Theatre (go here).

An American in Paris at The Ruth

I was so excited to see An American in Paris at The Ruth last night!  It is such a beautiful show and I think this version   rivals the Broadway touring production I saw several years ago.  Jerry Mulligan (Johnathan Tanner) is an American soldier who decides to stay in Paris after the war to pursue his dream of becoming a painter.  He sees Lise Dassin (Ella Bleu Bradford), a Parisian shopgirl with aspirations of becoming a ballerina, on the street and is instantly enchanted by her.  They meet every afternoon along the Seine and inevitably fall in love but complications arise.  Lise feels a duty to the Baurel family for hiding her from the Nazis and accepts a proposal of marriage from their son Henri (Thomas Wood).  Jerry is indebted to his patron Milo Davenport (Teaira Burge), an American heiress who promotes his art and falls in love with him.  It takes an incredibly romantic ballet sequence for Lise and Jerry to realize that they belong together.  The dancing in this show is absolutely exquisite and I loved both the choreography and the performances.  I especially enjoyed "Concerto in F" on the streets of Paris because it conveys the hardships experienced after the war very effectively, "I've Got Beginner's Luck" as Jerry wreaks havoc in the Galeries Lafayette where Lise works because it incorporates a lot of fun props such as umbrellas, mannequins, bolts of fabric, and display cabinets, and "Stairway to Paradise" at a Paris nightclub because it is dazzling.  Bradford is an incredible dancer and I was so impressed by her ability to dance on pointe during the ballet "An American in Paris" because it is at the end of the show and requires an enormous amount of stamina.  Tanner is very exuberant and I loved his energy in "I've Got Rhythm" and "Fidgety Feet" as well as his chemistry with Bradford in "Liza" (which is really lovely).  Of course hearing all of the amazing music by George and Ira Gershwin is a treat and I particularly loved the beautiful rendition of "They Can't Take That Away From Me" by Jerry, Henri, and Adam (Jordan Briggs) at the end of the show.  The set is simple but very dramatic with an arched screen upstage used for projections of Paris and flowing fabric covered by twinkling lights above the stage to represent the Seine while the moody lighting gives everything a dream-like quality.  Finally, the costumes are gorgeous, especially Milo's elaborate gowns, the bold black and white costumes and masks at the ball, and the pink sparkly showgirl costumes and headdresses in "Stairway to Paradise."  I loved everything about this beautiful production (Who could ask for anything more?) and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here).  It runs in the Smith Grand Theater through July 19.

Materialists

I loved Past Lives so much I named it as my favorite movie of 2023 so I was very eager to see what writer/director Celine Song would do next.  My nephew and I saw her latest movie, Materialists, last night as part of our double feature at the Broadway and, while it doesn't quite have the same emotional impact as Past Lives, I really enjoyed it.  Lucy (Dakota Johnson) is a successful New York City matchmaker responsible for nine marriages using her own unique algorithm for compatibility.  At the wedding of one of her clients, she meets the groom's brother Harry (Pedro Pascal) and, because he is tall, handsome, charming, well educated, and incredibly wealthy, he fits the algorithm for her perfect match.  However, she also encounters her ex-boyfriend John (Chris Evans), a struggling actor working as a waiter for the company catering the wedding.  The two of them split five years earlier because of their incompatible attitudes towards money but they still clearly have feelings for each other.  Harry, who believes that Lucy is also the perfect match for him, pursues her with extravagant dates but she contrives to find ways to keep in contact with John.  Eventually, she must decide if she belongs with the one who is perfect for her based on what she thinks she wants or the one she loves in spite of his imperfections.  There is also a subplot involving one of Lucy's clients (Zoe Winters) who has a terrifying experience with a man who is matched to her using the surface-level specifications in Lucy's algorithm and this ultimately helps her make her decision.  As with Past Lives, Song explores what it means to find your soul mate but this time love miraculously overcomes all complications (which is certainly less heartbreaking but also feels a bit unearned).  Nevertheless, I loved the witty banter between the characters and the honest, if sometimes harsh, observations about dating and marriage.  I also loved the performances.  Johnson is hit or miss with me because I think she is the kind of actress who needs a good director to pull a good performance out of her and this is one of her best.  Pascal is incredibly charming and Evans is endearing (one of the things that makes this so compelling is that it is entirely plausible that she could end up with either of them).  This may not be as strong as Past Lives (how could it be?) but I definitely liked it and would recommend it.

The Life of Chuck

Last night my nephew and I had a double feature at the Broadway starting with The Life of Chuck.  I absolutely loved this and I find it even more meaningful the more I think about it!  In Act One, Charles "Chuck" Krantz (Cody Flanagan as a 7-year-old, Benjamin Pajak as an 11-year-old, and Jacob Tremblay as a 17-year-old) spends his formative years with his accountant grandfather (Mark Hamill) and free-spirited grandmother (Mia Sara) and becomes involved with an extracurricular dance club run by the gym teacher (Samantha Sloyan).  In Act Two, Chuck (Tom Hiddleston) demonstrates how the people in his life have influenced him during an encounter with a busker (Taylor Gordon) and a woman reeling from a recent breakup (Annalise Basso).  In Act Three, a high school teacher (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a nurse (Karen Gillan), and a mortician (Carl Lumbly) discover the influence Chuck has had on them at the end of his life.  This is told in reverse chronological order with narration from Nick Offerman and an elaborate conceit in Act Three that is both brilliant and thought-provoking (I haven't read the novella by Stephen King, upon which this is based, so I gasped out loud when I finally realized what was going on).  I loved all the recurring images that tie the three different acts together, especially the use of Walt Whitman's poem "Song of Myself" (which eventually provides a powerful message).  I also really loved Hiddleston's performance (he's got some serious moves) but I was really surprised by how little screen time he actually has.  In fact, I was surprised by the number of people who essentially have cameos (my favorites involve David Dastmalchian because his is very amusing and Matthew Lillard because his is incredibly profound) but this serves to emphasize the tremendous impact that one ordinary person can have in a lifetime.  This is a moving, and surprisingly optimistic, exploration of existence and I cannot recommend it enough!

School of Rock at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse

Last night I went to see School of Rock at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse. This is a fun high energy show and I loved seeing so many talented kids performing live on stage! Dewey (David Simon) is kicked out of his band No Vacancy right before the Battle of the Bands and his best friend Ned (Spencer Slade), with whom he has been living for several years, is under pressure from his girlfriend Patty (Crystl Naylor) to get him to pay rent. Desperate to earn some money, Dewey takes a substitute teaching job at Horace Green Prep School that is meant for Ned. As Dewey gets to know his students, he sees that they are being crushed by the weight of their parents' expectations so, after hearing them during their music class, he decides to form a band to give them some confidence. He puts Zack (Will Simon) on lead guitar, Katie (Lillian Logan) on bass, Lawrence (Luke Simon) on keyboard, Freddie (Charlotte Booth) on drums with Shonelle (Indie Magalei) and Marcy (Madi Child) on backing vocals. He recruits Billy (Andrew Slade) to be the band's stylist, Jamie (Nora Despain) as security, Mason (Luke Collier) on tech, and Summer (Grace Moore), the class know-it-all, as the band's manager. Tomika (Eva Teiter), a shy and insecure transfer student, eventually finds her voice and becomes the band's secondary singer. Dewey wants to enter them in the Battle of the Bands but, before he can, he must convince the uptight principal Ms. Mullins (Margaret Simon) to let him take them on a field trip (which he does in a hilarious scene involving the song "Edge of Seventeen" by Stevie Nicks). The parents eventually catch on to Dewey's deception but the kids win them over with their performance at the Battle of the Bands! As previously mentioned, the kids play their instruments live in the songs "You're in the Band," "Stick It to the Man," and "School of Rock" and they are amazing! David Simon is an irrepressible and energetic Dewey (I laughed out loud during his performance of "In the End of Time") but he also shows a lot of heart in his interactions with the kids (two of them are his real-life sons) and the bond he forms with them is palpable. Margaret Simon has a beautiful voice in "Here at Horace Green" but she also has a moment of vulnerability in "Where Did the Rock Go?" My favorite young actors are Moore, because is so funny as the boastful Summer (I always laugh when Dewey calls her Hermione) and does a great job in the song "Time to Play," and Teiter, because she is very hesitant as Tomika until she finally shows Dewey that she deserves to be lead singer and her solo in "School of Rock" is very powerful. All of the young actors do a wonderful job with "If Only You Would Listen" (my favorite song in the show) and I was really impressed with how well they perform the choreography in "Stick It to the Man" and "School of Rock." I loved the minimal set pieces used for Horace Green Prep School as well as the fun uniforms worn by the kids. I had so much fun watching this show (I couldn't help but cheer aloud during the Battle of the Bands) and I highly recommend it! It runs on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays through July 26 and tickets may be purchased here.

Note: Dewey's band No Vacancy played before the show started (they are really good) and I especially enjoyed hearing their cover of "Back in Black" by AC/DC.

Something Rotten at Hopebox Theatre

I love the musical Something Rotten so much I saw it again last night, this time at Hopebox Theatre. I really admire the mission of this theatre (go here to learn more about Rachel Milne, the Wall of Hope recipient for Something Rotten) and I thoroughly enjoyed this production. Nick Bottom (Ian Fife) and his brother Nigel (Ian Wellisch) are playwrights in London during the Renaissance. Nick will do anything it takes, even stealing the money he and his wife Bea (Brynn Thurston) are saving in order to consult the soothsayer Nostradamus (Andrew Stone), to become more popular than William Shakespeare (Austin Shipp) while Nigel just wants to be true to himself and use his poetry to woo Portia (Kira Dalby) despite the disapproval of her father Brother Jeremiah (Lee L. Perry). Nostradamus tells Nick that he should write a play with singing and dancing because that will be popular in the future so this is a really fun love letter to musical theatre. I always enjoy looking for all of the references because it seems like every production adds their own interpretation and in this show I noticed the fans made of blue feathers from White Christmas in "A Musical" and Maria from The Sound of Music, the Fiddler from The Fiddler on the Roof, and the chimney sweeps from Mary Poppins make an appearance in "Make an Omelette." I also love finding all of the allusions to Shakespeare and last night I noticed for the first time (because I actually read the program) that the actors in Nick's troupe are named Tom Snout, Robin, Peter Quince, Francis Flute, and Snug which are characters from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Too funny! The entire cast is great but shoutouts go to Stone for his energetic physical performance as Nostradamus, Wellisch for his hilarious facial expressions as Nigel (he portrays Nigel as overwrought which is very different from O'Boyle's characterization in the production at Murray Amphitheater the night before), and Shipp for all of his rock star poses (I laughed out loud every time he mimicked Elvis Presley) and all of his interactions with the audience as Shakespeare. I enjoyed the lively choreography for "Welcome to the Renaissance," "A Musical," "Bottom's Gonna Be on Top," "We See The Light," and "Make an Omelette" because it involves a large ensemble on a small thrust stage very effectively and I always appreciate tap dancing. I was really impressed with the elaborate set that is rotated to become a timbered cottage and an outdoor theatre. Finally, this production tones down the profanity and some of the more suggestive innuendos, especially in a scene when Nigel reads a sonnet to Portia, but I don't think this detracts from the humor. I recommend getting a ticket (go here) to this entertaining show for a fun night out and an opportunity to support a very worthwhile cause. It runs Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays (with matinees on Saturdays) through July 12.

Note: I will be seeing two more productions of Something Rotten later this year!

Something Rotten at Murray Park Amphitheater

I love attending outdoor performances during the summer so I had a lot of fun seeing Something Rotten at Murray Park Amphitheater last night.  This show is absolutely hilarious and I was very impressed with this production (it is definitely one of my favorites at this venue).  Nick Bottom (Nathan Holcomb) and his brother Nigel (Patrick O'Boyle) are playwrights in London during the Renaissance but they haven't been very successful.  Their patron, Lord Clapham (Jesse Rogers), is withdrawing his support, Shylock (Jeff Young) wants his loan repaid, Nick's wife Bea (Katherine Frandsen) is pregnant, and Nigel has fallen in love with Portia (Emma Roberts), the daughter of a Puritan named Brother Jeremiah (Dwight Western) who wants to shut down the theaters for debauchery, but, even worse, they are constantly overshadowed by the immensely popular William Shakespeare (Aidan Hughes)!  They need a big hit so Nick decides to consult the soothsayer Nostradamus (Alan LaFleur) to see what will be popular in the future.  Nostradamus suggests writing a play with singing and dancing!  When inspiration fails, he asks Nostradamus to look into the future again to see what Shakespeare's most popular play will be and, instead of Hamlet, he sees omelette (so close!).  As Nick tries to produce Omelette: The Musical, Shakespeare suffers from writer's block and attempts to steal his own play back!  Chaos ensues until Nigel convinces Nick to be true to himself.  What I love most about this show is all of the clever references to musical theatre, especially in the songs "A Musical" and "Make An Omelette," and all of the allusions to Shakespeare's plays in the song "Will Power."  Every time I see a new production I find even more of these references (this time I was able to catch a brief reference to Twelfth Night).  I really enjoyed the performances from everyone in the cast but my favorites are O'Boyle as Nigel because he is so sweet and endearing, especially in the song "To Thine Own Self," and Hughes as Shakespeare because he is really over the top and incredibly funny as he struts around the stage like a rock star with his entourage and groupies.  The choreography is very clever and I particularly loved seeing the iconic dance steps from popular musicals incorporated into "A Musical" (my favorites are from A Chorus Line and Chicago), all of the tap dancing (the dance off between Nick and Shakespeare in "Bottom's Gonna Be on Top" is hilarious), and Shakespeare's epic stage dive in "Will Power."  The Renaissance costumes are absolutely incredible, some of the best I've seen for this show, and the quick costume change during "We See The Light" elicited a lot of laughter from the audience.  I was also very impressed with the amazing painted backdrops featuring thatched and timbered cottages and an outdoor theatre (I laughed out loud at the red velvet ropes placed in front of the theatre for Shakespeare's appearances).  I had a blast at this show (I don't think I stopped laughing all night) and I highly recommend it for a fun evening under the stars.  Go here for tickets to this show (which runs June 13-14, 16, and 19-21) and to all of the fun shows playing at Murray Park Amphitheater this summer.

Hadestown: Teen Edition with the JAKS Theatre Company

Last night my sister Kristine and I were able to see another production of Hadestown: Teen Edition (we both love this musical so much), this time by the JAKS Theatre Company at the Regent Street Black Box at the Eccles Theatre (I had never been to this venue before and I was very impressed by the space). I think the theme of hope in the face of hardship explored in this show is especially appropriate for a young cast (this teen version is very popular in Utah at the moment). Eurydice (Jane Wuthrich) is a hungry girl who has experienced the world as it is so she is lured to the underworld by Hades (Caden Feller) in exchange for food. Orpheus (Xander Rohwer) is a poor boy with the gift of music who dreams of the world as it could be so he journeys to the underworld to rescue her when she is trapped in a cycle of endless work and desperation. He is aided by Persephone (Lauren Hunter), who is also trying to convince Hades to let her return to the living world, in his quest to save her but the Fates (Ava Nelson, Kimara Parcell, and Violet Rohwer) intervene and he is ultimately plagued by doubt. However, Hermes (Thom Fox) reminds us that, even though the song is a sad one, we must keep singing it if we want to change the outcome. Once again, I was absolutely blown away by the caliber of the talent in this young cast. Fox has a swagger as Hermes that is fun to watch in "Road to Hell" and "Way Down Hadestown," Rohwer does a great job emphasizing Orpheus's naivete in "Come Home With Me," "Wait For Me," and "If It's True," and Hunter is a very charismatic Persephone in "Livin' It Up on Top" and "Our Lady of the Underground."  Nelson, Parcell, and Rohwer have a lot of attitude as the Fates (I especially loved Parcell's facial expressions) and the way they harmonize in "When the Chips Are Down," "Nothing Changes," and "Word to the Wise" is a highlight of the show. Feller is incredibly compelling as Hades because he has dangerous charm in "Hey, Little Songbird," frightening intensity in "Why We Build the Wall" (this gave me goosebumps), and sizzling chemistry with Hunter in "How Long?" I especially loved Wuthrich's performance as Eurydice because she sings my favorite songs, "Any Way the Wind Blows" and "Flowers," with so much emotion and her impassioned plea in "Doubt Comes In" is so heartbreaking that I had tears in my eyes. The ensemble is also very strong and I was particularly impressed with their performance in "Chant" and its reprise, "Wait For Me" and its reprises, and "Why We Build the Wall" because it is extremely powerful. The live band on stage also features some unbelievably talented teens and I was blown away by Dylan Thomas on guitar. The set, costumes, and choreography are very reminiscent of the Broadway production and I loved all of it. I would highly recommend supporting these talented teens in this amazing production but, unfortunately, the remaining four performances are sold out (but you can go here to learn more about the JAKS Theatre Company).

Note: We were sitting by a really chatty young girl with lots of friends in the cast.

How to Train Your Dragon

Yesterday I went to a matinee of How to Train Your Dragon and, as a fan of the animated movie, I was a bit nervous about this live action remake but I really enjoyed it.  The Vikings on the island of Berk are regularly attacked by dragons but Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III (Mason Thames), the son of the chief Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler), is deemed too weak to fight them.  He is apprenticed to the blacksmith Gobber the Belch (Nick Frost), instead, but he wants his father to be proud of him so he makes a mechanical device which he uses to shoot down the rare Night Fury dragon during an attack.  When he discovers that the dragon was only wounded, he can't bring himself to kill him and sets him free.  He eventually befriends the dragon, naming him Toothless because of his retractable teeth, and makes a prosthetic for his wounded tail fin so he can fly again.  Hiccup ultimately discovers that everything the Vikings know about the dragons is wrong and that they must join together to face an even bigger threat.  The visuals are absolutely gorgeous and I especially loved the breathtaking scenes where Hiccup rides Toothless through the clouds, in between rock formations, into the ocean waves, and then to the Northern Lights with Astrid Hofferson (Nico Parker), his rival turned ally. The cast is fantastic and I love that Thames and Parker as well as the dragon-fighting recruits, including Julian Dennison as Fishlegs Ingerman, Gabriel Howell as Snotlout Jorgenson, Bronwyn James as Ruffnut Thorston, and Harry Trevaldwyn as Tuffnut Thorston, embody the key traits of their characters, even if they don't look exactly like their animated counterparts, while adding a little spark to make them fresh.  The rendering of Toothless is extremely well done.  He is very obviously a reptile but he is still recognizable as the adorable character we know and he is able to show emotions, unlike the photorealistic versions of animals in other live action remakes (I am looking at you The Lion King).  The scene where Toothless begins to trust Hiccup is incredibly affecting and I admit that I had a few tears in my eyes when he is captured and restrained.  Finally, the score is epic (John Powell embellished the themes from his score of the original movie) and I loved all of the booming brass and percussion during the action sequences as well the strings and piano in the quieter moments.  My only complaint is that, because it is an almost shot-for-shot recreation of the original, it is not quite as compelling as it could be (since I knew everything that was going to happen my mind started to wander during the third act).  I do, however, think this is one of the best live action remakes I have seen and would definitely recommend it.

Alice By Heart at West Valley Arts

The show I was most excited about when West Valley Arts announced the 2025 season was Alice By Heart. I really love the music (I listen to the original cast recording all of the time) so it was *ahem* wonderful to finally get to see a live performance with sets, costumes, and choreography last night. It definitely exceeded my high expectations! In London during the Blitz, Alice Spencer (Ivy Dunbar Jones) and her childhood friend Alfred Hallam (Charlie Beytieh) are forced to take shelter in an underground tube station. Alfred is quarantined in another area because he is extremely ill with tuberculosis but Alice sneaks into that area to be with him. She decides that they should read their favorite book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, in order to escape their circumstances but the Red Cross Nurse (Rachel Mardis) is angry that she has broken quarantine and rips up her book. Alice continues telling the story because she knows it by heart and takes Alfred down a rabbit hole into Wonderland. He becomes the White Rabbit while the inhabitants of the shelter slowly turn into the other characters from the book. They encounter two Caterpillars smoking a hookah (April Kerr and Olivia Lane), a Cheshire Cat (Makayla Palos Rodriguez), a Duchess (Sam Teuscher), and the Queen of Diamonds (Carly Haberman) and Queen of Hearts (Rachel Mardis) but the White Rabbit, who is late for a very important date, becomes angry when Alice refuses to turn the page to end the story. He is transformed into the March Hare and confronts her at a tea party with the Mad Hatter (Isaac Carrillo) and the Dormouse (Noah Lee) before returning to the shelter. She wants to follow him but the Jabberwock (Monte Garcia) stops her. She is eventually put on trial by the Queen of Hearts and is about to be beheaded when she realizes that she needs to turn the page and accept Alfred's death.  She escapes Wonderland and comes to terms with her grief by telling the inhabitants of the shelter about her curious dream. I think this is incredibly clever (although you probably need a familiarity with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to understand what is happening) and I love the message about the power of a good book to heal. Jones and Beytieh give amazing performances as Alice and Alfred, respectively, and their renditions of "Another Room in Your Head" and "Afternoon" (my favorite songs in the show) are beautiful and heartbreaking. I also enjoyed "Some Things Fall Away" by Rodriguez and "Isn't It a Trial" by Mardis (I loved both of their voices). The choreography is brilliant, especially when the ensemble mimics the movement of a caterpillar in "Chillin' the Regrets," the militaristic formations in "Brillig Braelig," and when a young Alice (Rosie Darling) and young Alfred (Henry Marshall) mirror the actions of their older counterparts in "Afternoon." The stage is configured as an underground tube station with tracks leading into tunnels located in the wings and it is transformed into Wonderland with the addition of crates, trunks, moving platforms, and the clever use of lighting (the checkerboard pattern used in "Isn't It a Trial" is especially effective). The costumes are a lot of fun because the inhabitants of the tube station become the characters in the book with just the addition of a few pieces. I particularly loved the waistcoat Alfred dons to become the White Rabbit and the use of poppies by the ensemble to become the hookah smoking caterpillar. I have wanted to see this show for a long time and I am glad I finally had the chance with such a great production! It runs at the West Valley Performing Arts Center through June 28 with performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays (go here for tickets).

The Phoenician Scheme

I am a big fan of Wes Anderson (I think The Grand Budapest Hotel is a masterpiece) so I took my nephew to see The Phoenician Scheme at the Broadway last night.  Those who are not already fans of Anderson's quirky and idiosyncratic style will probably not enjoy this but I absolutely loved it!  Wealthy business tycoon Anatole "Zsa Zsa" Korda (Benicio del Toro) has a near death experience during the latest of several assassination attempts on his life in which he is forced to defend his worthiness to enter heaven.  Shaken, he decides to make contact with his estranged daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton), a novitiate nun, and proceed with a plan to improve the infrastructure of Phoenicia.  However, Agent Excalibur (Rupert Friend) and a consortium of other government agents from around the world attempt to disrupt his plan by manipulating the cost of building supplies.  Korda enlists Liesl and Bjorn Lund (Michael Cera), a Norwegian etymologist acting as his tutor, to accompany him as he meets with all of his business partners in order to coerce them into covering the gap in funding.  These include Prince Farouk (Riz Ahmed), the crown prince of Phoenicia, Leland (Tom Hanks) and Reagan (Bryan Cranston), brothers from Sacramento, Marseilles Bob (Mathieu Amalric), a gangster and nightclub owner, Marty (Jeffrey Wright), a fast talking businessman from Newark, Hilda Sussman-Korda (Scarlett Johansson), his second cousin, and Nubar (Benedict Cumberbatch), his estranged half-brother.  Along the way, Korda survives an attack by a revolutionary guerrilla (Richard Ayoade), several more assassination attempts, and an attack by Nubar before deciding to fund the scheme himself, which will bankrupt him, in order to retire and live a simple life with Liesl.  I listed the usual characteristics of a Wes Anderson movie (a specific color palette to denote a mood, symmetrical shot composition, stylized production design, long tracking shots, elaborate title cards, deadpan delivery, an ensemble cast with recurring actors, and melancholy themes about dysfunctional families) for my nephew and he said he found all of them!  However, I found this to be one of Anderson's most philosophical movies with an incredibly touching redemption arc (I loved the black and white scenes in heaven with a hilarious cameo by Bill Murray as God).  I loved the relationship that develops between Korda and Liesl as he slowly realizes how amoral his business practices are and she comes to understand that he loves her the only way he knows how (Threapleton's performance is brilliant).  This is really funny but, as always, the humor is subtle and I was sometimes the only one in the audience laughing (a lot of the comedy comes from Cera's performance and I propose that he be in every future Wes Anderson movie).  I thoroughly enjoyed this (The Grand Budapest Hotel is still my favorite but this is one of his best) and recommend it to fans of the director.