It Happened One Christmas at PTC

I am not a fan of revues but, since I enjoyed It Happened One Christmas at PTC last night a lot more than I thought I would, maybe Christmas revues are an exception.  This original production was conceived by PTC Artistic Director Karen Azenberg and Kenneth Jones (who wrote the wonderful play Alabama Story performed at PTC last season) and features just about every Christmas song and story you can imagine.  The show takes place in an old and abandoned theatre in SLC on Christmas Eve.  Legend has it that all of the ghosts of Christmas shows past get together to perform for an imaginary audience and, if Santa Claus likes the show, it will snow on Christmas Day.  All of the musical numbers are a lot of fun to watch with dazzling choreography, coordinating costumes (someone sitting near me mentioned that it seemed like one long Gap commercial), magical sets, and incredibly talented performers (the children in the cast are adorable).  I especially loved the high energy opening number, Sparklejollytwinklejingley, featuring the entire company.  I feel that the second act lost a little bit of momentum but my favorite moment came near the end and included a reading from the New Testament about the birth of Christ followed by the song "Seasons of Love" from RENT.  This was an incredibly powerful moment and highlighted, for me, what the true meaning of Christmas is all about.  Of course, the show ended with a heart-warming rendition of "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!" with the requisite snow falling on stage (and in the audience) so I guess that Santa Claus enjoyed it.  I certainly did and I think you will, too, because there is definitely something for everyone in this Christmas extravaganza!  Go here to purchase tickets and give yourself a big dose of Christmas spirit!

Note:  I loved the audience sing-along of the "Twelve Days of Christmas!"  I think my section nailed four calling birds!

Brooklyn

The film Brooklyn premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last year and it got so much buzz that I really wanted to see it.  The only way I could get a ticket was to see it in Ogden, about an hour away from my house, on a school night.  It was worth it!  I liked it so much that I wanted to see it again now that it is in wide release.  Marilyn and I went Saturday night and she liked it just as much as I did.  Eilis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan) is a young girl living in a small town in Ireland in the 1950s with no prospects for the future.  A priest arranges for her to emigrate to America and finds her a boarding house and a job in a department store in Brooklyn.  At first she is almost debilitated by homesickness but she eventually meets Tony (Emory Cohen), starts a course in bookkeeping, and begins to make a life for herself.  When a tragedy occurs, she goes back to Ireland for a visit.  She is viewed as a glamorous American in her small town, a young man (Domhnall Gleason) begins to pursue her, and her bookkeeping qualification lands her a job.  She must decide whether her home is in Ireland or Brooklyn.  It is a sweet and sentimental story and Saoirse Ronan gives an affecting performance.  She is simply luminous on screen.  Emory Cohen is incredibly endearing as Tony and I loved Julie Walters as Mrs. Kehoe, the no-nonsense owner of the boardinghouse, especially when she warns her boarders against being  "giddy girls."  Marilyn and I laughed and laughed at that because we have been accused of being giddy once or twice!  The cinematography is beautiful and I loved the use of light.  The scenes in Ireland before Eilis goes to America are all very dark and dreary but when she returns the scenes are dazzling.  I also loved all of the period costumes and vintage cars.  I definitely recommend this lovely film.

Note:  After Brooklyn premiered at Sundance, there was a bidding war for the distribution rights.  Fox Searchlight eventually won in one of the biggest deals to come out of Sundance.  Good stuff!

Sean is Eleven

Last night we celebrated Sean's eleventh birthday with dinner (he picked hamburgers and fries as he always does), an ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins (chocolate cake and chocolate chip ice cream), and presents (his big present was a 3DS).  Words cannot express how much I love this boy!  He makes us laugh all of the time and he is so smart and sensitive.  Here are some other pictures from his party.

His 3DS!  It is seriously cool because you play games in 3D!

He got lots of games for his 3DS.

When Sean is interested in something, he gets really obsessed with it.  For a while he has been really obsessed with being a spy and getting lots of spy gadgets.  Now he is obsessed with magic.  Out of all the presents he got, this is the one that captivated him for the rest of the evening!

With his cake!  I can't believe that Sean is eleven!  When did this happen?

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Ode to Joy

Last night Abravanel Hall was definitely filled with a joyful noise as the Utah Symphony performed Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 and you should really stop reading right now and get yourself a ticket to tonight's concert!  The evening began with Control, a piece by Nico Muhly commissioned by the Utah Symphony to commemorate its 75th Anniversary.  The composer was in attendance and he explained to the audience that the piece represented various landmarks in Utah and how people interacted with them.  I absolutely loved it because it was very dramatic and included quite a bit of percussion.  At one point the first part featured a xylophone, a marimba, and a vibraphone in unison.  I also really loved the theme played by the brass in syncopation with a bass drum in part four.  As the orchestra played, there was also a video presentation of the Utah landmarks which inspired Control designed by Joshua Higgason.  I thought it was stunning.  I really appreciate that the Utah Symphony is such a dynamic organization able to program new and innovative pieces along with the cannon.  After the intermission the orchestra performed what is widely regarded as the greatest symphony ever written!  When I created my season package last summer, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 was at the top of my list (along with Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2) and I've been looking forward to it ever since.  The orchestra was joined by the Utah Symphony Chorus, the University of Utah Chamber Choir, and the University of Utah A Capella Choir (they looked very dramatic on stage) along with soloists Celena Shaffer (a Utah favorite), Sarah Coit, Eric Barry, and Michael Dean.  The first movement is stirring and dramatic, the second is lively and exuberant, and the third is romantic and atmospheric.  However, nothing can compare to the magnificent fourth movement featuring the chorus and soloists singing the lyrics from the poem Ode to Joy by Friedrich Schiller to the accompaniment of the instantly recognizable main theme played by the orchestra.  I think the lyrics, about the universal brotherhood of man, are particularly salient for these troubled times and listening to the chorus sing them gave me goosebumps.  If you are still reading this, I highly recommend that you go here to get tickets to hear this incredible piece!

Note:  The orchestra paid tribute to Joseph Silverstein, conductor of the Utah Symphony for over 15 years, by playing "Nimrod" from Elgar's Enigma Variations.  It was so beautiful!  I remember him fondly because he conducted the first Utah Symphony concert I attended.

Festival of Trees 2015

Yesterday I volunteered at the Festival of Trees for the seventh year in a row!  It is a wonderful opportunity to help raise money for Primary Children's Hospital.  Various individuals and groups decorate trees, often in honor or remembrance of a patient at Primary Children's Hospital, and donate them for auction.  After the auction, they are put on display for the general public at the South Towne Expo Center for several days.  I volunteer as a hostess and I am assigned to a particular area to answer questions about the trees and to keep them from being damaged.  Here are some of the trees in my area.

Most of my trees were in remembrance of premature babies who had died so, when people would ask me questions, I would tear up a little bit.

This "Angel Tree" really made me emotional because all of the ornaments were in honor of children who had died.  One mother asked to find her daughter's ornament for her and take a picture of it.  What an honor!

This "Superhero" tree was probably the most popular tree of the whole festival.  It was across the aisle from me and there was always a large crowd of people around it.  After my shift was over I walked around to look at all of the other trees.  Here are some of my favorites.

My very favorite tree was this "Travel" tree!

And, of course, there was the usual BYU/Utah rivalry tree!

The Festival of Trees runs until Saturday, Dec. 5 at the South Towne Expo Center.  Go here for more information.