An Evening in Spain

Last night I decided to take a little trip to Spain.  Well, I did take a little trip downtown to Abravanel Hall to hear the Utah Symphony perform music inspired by Spain and it was pretty spectacular!  The orchestra began with Espana by Emmanuel Chabrier which was written after the composer was first introduced to flamenco dancing.  It is very lively and exuberant.  Next, the orchestra played Nights in the Gardens of Spain by Manuel de Falla with soloist Ingrid Fliter on piano.  The composer took inspiration for this piece from the Alhambra in Granada, Spain.  I found it to be very moody and atmospheric at the beginning and then it becomes more passionate and stirring as it progresses.  I really enjoyed it.  After the intermission, the orchestra played a selection from the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet.  Carmen is the first opera that I fell in love with as a teenager (Utah Opera performed a portion of it at my school and I was captivated) and I have since seen it countless times.  The music is incredibly dramatic and my favorite selections are "The Toreador Song" and the "Habanera."  I have to admit that when the orchestra was playing the "Habanera," I couldn't help but picture the scene in Bohemian Rhapsody when Queen is pitching their idea for a new album to an EMI executive while Freddie plays a recording of it.  I even did the same fist pump that Freddie does during a particularly dramatic point in the aria!  I think the lady sitting behind me thought I was crazy!  I absolutely loved hearing it!  Next, the orchestra played Capriccio espagnol by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.  Even though Rimsky-Korsakov is one of my favorite composers, I had never heard this piece before.  I really liked it, especially the theme played by a solo clarinet during the first variation.  Finally, the orchestra played the piece that I had come specifically to hear: Bolero by Maurice Ravel.  When I was a child my Dad had a recording of various classical pieces played by a Moog synthesizer.  I loved the whole thing but Bolero was my favorite piece because the synthesizer mimicked all of the instruments, including the applause at the end!  There is a continual rhythm played by a snare drum throughout the whole piece.  Then the melody begins slowly and softly with a theme played by a solo flute and then that same theme, with variations, is repeated by all of the different instruments in the orchestra for fourteen minutes, gaining in speed and intensity until a final thundering crescendo at the end.  It is absolutely epic and I love it! I may or may not have been pumping my fist again by the end (the poor lady behind me!).  It was quite the evening and I recommend that you visit Spain, too, when this program is repeated again tonight (go here for tickets).

Note:  The guest conductor was Jun Markl who is a favorite with Utah Symphony audiences, including me!

Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir

Last summer Kristin Chenoweth was going to perform a concert with the Utah Symphony at the Deer Valley Music Festival.  I bought a ticket immediately but, sadly, she had to cancel because of an injury (Sutton Foster replaced her so it was still an amazing concert).  I was a little bit disappointed because I really wanted to see her so, when it was announced that she would be the special guest for this year's Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir concert, I was so excited!  This might be my favorite one yet because Kristin Chenoweth is absolutely adorable!  The Choir, Orchestra on Temple Square, Bells on Temple Square, and the Gabriel Trumpet Ensemble began with "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" which was just lovely.  Chenoweth appeared from the audience (after interacting with some lucky audience members) and sang "We Need a Little Christmas" while flirting with Mack Wilberg!  She said her goal was to make him blush and he certainly did!  The highlight of the concert for me came next when she sang a beautiful arrangement of "O Holy Night" which is my very favorite Christmas song!  It gave me goosebumps (and a few tears).  Then the Choir sang "For Unto Us a Child Is Born" from Handel's Messiah which is always very stirring.  Next, Chenoweth sang an almost bluesy rendition of "Mary, Did You Know?" and a rousing rendition of "Come On, Ring Those Bells."  The Orchestra played selections from The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky, which is a favorite!  Chenoweth then sang "The Christmas Waltz" and pulled a member of the Choir to dance with her (did I mention that she is adorable?).  The audience joined in on a fun arrangement of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and Chenoweth appeared with the Choir wearing one of their costumes.  Then she appeared with the Bells on Temple Square in one of their costumes carrying a bell that was bigger than her for "Carol of the Bells," another favorite of mine.  She then narrated "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry, sang "Angels Among Us," "What Child Is This?," and concluded with "Angels from the Realms of Glory."  I loved this concert so much and I am so grateful and happy that I got to go again this year!

Note:  I have seen Renee Fleming, Sissel, Natalie Cole, Sutton Foster, and, now, Kristin Chenoweth perform with the Tabernacle Choir during their annual Christmas concert.  Chenoweth is my favorite guest...so far!

The Wizard of Oz at HCT

Last night I saw The Wizard of Oz, which is quite possibly the biggest and most ambitious show ever produced by Hale Theatre! It is an awesome spectacle, using all of the bells and whistles afforded by the new stage! This version of the L. Frank Baum book is very much informed by the 1939 film of the same name and tells the familiar story of how Dorothy Gale (Lexi Walker) lands, literally, in the fantastical world of Oz and how the Scarecrow (Jordan Dahl), the Tin Man (Preston Taylor), and the Cowardly Lion (Dustin Bolt) help her get to the Wizard (B.J. Whimpey), hoping that he can get her back to Kansas, while avoiding the Wicked Witch of the West (Carolyn Hartvigsen), who wants her sister's ruby slippers back. I have to be honest and say that I have seen a few productions of the stage musical and I vastly prefer the movie but I thought this was a lot of fun. Lexi Walker gives an incredible performance and her rendition of "Over the Rainbow" will definitely give you goosebumps. Dahl, Taylor, and Bolt are amazing dancers and they each have a moment to shine in "If I Only Had A Brain," "If I Only Had A Heart," and "If I Only Had A Nerve," respectively. I was especially impressed with Dahl's acrobatics. The costumes are spectacular and the sheer number of them created for this show is mind-boggling! I particularly loved Glinda's (Eden Benson) glittering gown and the Wicked Witch's cape of raven feathers. The special effects are dazzling, especially the tornado and the scenes with the Wizard! The Wicked Witch (and her monkeys) fly all around the stage, beautiful aerialists represent the snow in the poppy field, and Glinda's floating bubble is epic. My only complaint is that the pacing seems a bit off because some scenes went on for much too long, especially in Act II. However, it is very early in the run and I am sure things will tighten up. This would be a perfect holiday show for families (go here for tickets) and I recommend it.

Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley at PTC

Since I am a huge fan of Jane Austen in general and of Pride and Prejudice in particular, I have been anticipating PTC's current production for months!  Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley takes the beloved characters we know so well and places them in a delightful drawing room comedy that is perfect for the holidays!  Mr. and Mrs. Darcy (Greg Balla and Emily Nash, respectively) invite the entire Bennet family to Pemberley for Christmas.  Mr. and Mrs. Bingley (Logan James Hall and Rachel Clausen, respectively) are expecting a baby imminently, Mrs. Wickham (Jessica Naimy) is lonely and unhappy in her marriage to Mr. Wickham, and Mary Bennet (Elizabeth Ramos) is lamenting the fact that she has been abandoned and forgotten by her sisters at Longbourn.  Mr. Darcy reveals that, since Lady Catherine de Bourgh has recently died, he has invited the new heir to Rosings, Arthur de Bourgh (Jamen Nanthakumar), to Pemberley for Christmas.  He takes an immediately liking to Mary (he likes to read as much as she does) but Mrs. Wickham flirts outrageously with him leading to a misunderstanding involving love letters.  When this is resolved, Catherine de Bourgh's daughter, Anne (Savannah Moffat), arrives declaring herself to be engaged to her cousin.  Can the former Bennet sisters get Mary and Arthur back together?  I thoroughly enjoyed this charming production!  What I liked most is that the characterizations from the novel are completely maintained.  I know these characters intimately and they are immediately recognizable.  My favorite scenes are those when Arthur asks Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley for advice on courting a Bennet sister (since they are such experts).  Mr. Darcy suggests writing a letter declaring his feelings and Mr. Bingley suggests that he simply ask Mary if she likes him.  So clever!  The entire cast is outstanding but Nanthakumar and Ramos are hilarious to watch as Arthur and Mary try awkwardly to declare their love to each other.  Balla and Hall are also really fun together as Darcy and Bingley contemplate their status as happily married men.  The set, filled with beautiful Regency furniture and a Christmas tree which is the source of much amusement, and the costumes, in rich and sumptuous fabrics, do much to evoke 19th century England.  Sometimes the action is quite slow but the witty banter is hilarious!  If you are a fan of Pride and Prejudice, this play is sure to delight you.  It runs through Dec. 15 (tickets may be purchased here).

White Christmas

Since White Christmas is one of my Mom's all-time favorite movies I have seen it countless times (I've even seen the Broadway touring production of the stage musical) but never on the big screen.  This Christmas classic is part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series so I had the chance to see it as it was meant to be seen yesterday and it made me so happy!  After collaborating on a Christmas show while fighting in World War II, Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Phil Davis (Danny Kaye) continue collaborating after the war and become big stars.  Soon they meet Betty (Rosemary Clooney) and Judy (Vera-Ellen) Haynes after seeing their act.  Wallace and Davis eventually follow the sisters to Vermont where they are booked for the holidays at the Columbia Inn and discover that their former General, Tom Waverly (Dean Jagger), owns the inn and is in financial difficulties due to lack of snow.  Bob has the idea of staging their show on Christmas Eve to bring people to the inn and Phil has the idea of getting Bob and Betty together.  I love all of the big production numbers as Wallace and Davis rehearse their show but I wait through the whole movie for the reunion of the 151st Division for General Waverly and the title song complete with snow falling in the background.  It is a movie filled with so much nostalgia and I definitely recommend seeing it on the big screen!  You have another chance to see it on Wednesday (go here for tickets).

Note:  I got to see all of the movies in the TCM Big Screen Classics series this year and I enjoyed all of them!  The 2019 movies have been announced and I am so excited: The Wizard of Oz, My Fair Lady, To Kill a Mockingbird, Ben Hur, True Grit, Steel Magnolias, Field of Dreams, Glory, Hello, Dolly!, Lawrence of Arabia, The Shawshank Redemption, Alien, The Godfather Part II, and When Harry Met Sally.  Are you looking forward to any of these classic movies?