The Mousetrap at HCT

Even though I am a huge fan of Agatha Christie (I made a goal of reading all of her novels when I was a teenager) and The Mousetrap, based on the short story Three Blind Mice by Christie, is the longest running play in history (it has been performed in London's West End since 1952) I had never seen it before! I was, therefore, really excited to see HCT's production of this murder mystery yesterday afternoon. Mollie Ralston (Kristi Curtis) and her husband Giles (BJ Whimpey) have converted their large estate, Monkswell Manor, into a guesthouse and are nervously getting ready to welcome their first paying customers during a severe snowstorm. News of a grisly murder with ties to a neighboring village reaches the manor just as the guests, including Christopher Wren (Colton Hattabaugh), Mrs. Boyle (Heidi Scott), Major Metcalf (Douglas Irey), and Miss Casewell (Taylor McKay Barnes), arrive one by one.  An unexpected guest, Mr. Paravacini (Chandler Bishop), arrives rather suspiciously a few hours later after his car is overturned in a snowdrift and Detective Sergeant Trotter (Adam Packard) skis his way to the snowbound manor to investigate a clue about the aforementioned murder. When one of the guests, who has a mysterious connection to the murder victim, is found dead it seems that everyone has a secret and it is up to Sergeant Trotter to solve the crime before another murder occurs. Information about each character's backstory is revealed very slowly and strict attention must be paid in order to discover the solution, including a major twist, so I found the plot to be quite riveting (I love British period dramas).  I didn't guess the ending because it is a clever subversion of traditional murder mystery tropes (there were audible gasps from the audience during a key moment). The ensemble cast is outstanding (I saw a mixture of the MWF and TTHS casts) but I especially enjoyed Hattabaugh as the eccentric Wren because he is so flamboyant and all of his facial expressions made me laugh. My favorite aspect of this production is the spectacular set (which is often the case at HCT). It is exactly what you would expect a British country manor house to look like with a large stone fireplace, wall sconces, intricate staircases, Victorian-era furniture, doilies, and landscape paintings. I was particularly struck by the attention to detail, especially the authentic women's magazines from the 1950s. I also loved seeing the snow falling outside through the window. I had a lot of fun watching this play and the traditional admonition to keep the ending a secret from future audience members put a smile on my face as I left the theatre. I highly recommend it with the proviso that younger audience members might not enjoy it (the teens sitting behind me seemed a bit bored).  The Mousetrap runs on the Sorenson Legacy Jewel Box Stage through November 20 (go here fore tickets).

Note:  Don't miss the beautiful production of The Secret Garden on the Young Living Centre Stage which runs through October 23 (go here for tickets).

Hilary Hahn Plays Brahms

It is opening weekend for the Utah Symphony 2021-2022 season and last night's concert was a wonderful beginning.  This year I decided to subscribe to the entire Masterworks series (because I couldn't narrow it down to just a few concerts) and I am really looking forward to all of them but I was especially excited for last night's concert because it featured Hilary Hahn, a popular and frequent guest soloist with the Utah Symphony.  The concert began with the Overture to Egmont by Ludwig van Beethoven.  This is the incidental music for a play by Johann van Goethe which tells the story of a man who sacrifices himself to take a stand against oppression.  The Overture became the unofficial anthem for the 1956 Hungarian revolution and I can see why because it is very powerful and stirring.  Next, the orchestra was joined by Hahn for the Violin Concerto by Johannes Brahms.  I really loved this piece, especially the second movement because the theme played by the solo violin is so beautiful and tender.  It was really fun to watch Hahn play because she is such a brilliant and dynamic performer.  The audience leapt to their feet to give her a well-deserved standing ovation and she rewarded us with an encore (I'm not sure what the piece she played was but it was lovely).  After the intermission, the orchestra played Symphony No. 1 by Jean Sibelius.  I was introduced to Sibelius on a memorable trip to Finland and I have been a fan ever since.  I think all of his music is so stately and grand and this piece is no exception.  I particularly loved all of the solos played by the woodwinds and string instruments which echo each other throughout and I also loved the powerful themes played by the brass and timpani.  It gave me chills!  It was thrilling to see the full orchestra on stage with a large crowd in the audience once again and I thoroughly enjoyed the program!  It will be repeated again tonight and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here).

Note:  All patrons must show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to entry.  Face masks are required for those not vaccinated and strongly encouraged for those who are.  Go here for more information.

Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real at Red Butte Garden

In my quest to visit all of my favorite outdoor performing arts venues this summer I went to see Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real at the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre last night and it made me so happy to listen to live music while sitting under the stars!  I was first introduced to Promise of the Real when they backed Neil Young on tour and then I saw them again at the Commonwealth Room a few years ago.  I really love their rock-country sound and they always put on a great show!  They played quite a few songs from their latest album A Few Stars Apart, which I absolutely love, including "Perennial Bloom (Back to You)," "Throwin' Away Your Love," "More Than We Can Handle," "Leave 'Em Behind," and "A Few Stars Apart."  They also played some of my favorite songs, including "Start To Go," "Four Letter Word," "Fool Me Once," "Just Outside of Austin," "Little Girl," "Die Alone" "Carolina," and "(Forget About) Georgia."  They ended their set with a rousing rendition of "Find Yourself" with lots of audience participation.  For the encore they played "Wildest Dream" and "Smile" from the new album and then "Entirely Different Stars," a cover of "Get Off Of My Cloud" by the Rolling Stones, an incredibly passionate performance of "The Awakening" (which was my favorite of the evening), and "Something Real."  I think Lukas Nelson has an amazing voice (he sounds a lot like like his father Willie Nelson but a bit sultrier) and I really enjoyed seeing him play the piano in addition to his usual guitar.  He was very charismatic last night and joked quite a bit with the crowd.  It was a fantastic concert, not just because Promise of the Real put on such a great show, but also because hearing music performed live still feels like such a novelty!  I had a smile on my face the whole time and I will probably be on a high from this show for at least a week!  Red Butte Garden is a great venue and there are still some shows in the summer concert series (go here for tickets).  I definitely recommend checking one of them out.

Capitol Reef 2021

While I was staying at the KOA in Fillmore I took a little side trip to Capitol Reef National Park (about a two hour drive).  I was really surprised by how crowded it was (there were more people than I've ever seen before) so I didn't actually stay very long.  I just went on the scenic drive for a few photos (I was going to stop and pick some apples but even the orchards were really crowded) and then drove back to Fillmore.  Even though I didn't stay very long it was a beautiful drive to the park and through the park.

I am really hoping that I can get to Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park before the end of the year to complete the Mighty Five!

Weekend at My Favorite KOA

I knew that anywhere I wanted to go would be really crowded over the Labor Day weekend so, since I am retired and have the luxury of a flexible schedule, I decided to plan a little getaway for this weekend.  I booked a cabin at my very favorite KOA in Fillmore (which is about a two hour drive from my house) and drove down Saturday morning.  I know people might find it a bit strange but I love this campground.  It is close enough that it doesn't take forever to get to but it is far enough away that you feel like you have gone somewhere.  It is rustic enough that you feel like you are camping but there are enough conveniences (such as electricity, air conditioning, heating, a mini-fridge, and bathroom facilities nearby in the main lodge) to feel really comfortable.  Also, the hosts of this campground are some of the nicest people you will ever meet!  I spent Saturday afternoon out on the porch reading for hours and it felt wonderful because there was a cool breeze blowing through the trees.  I actually brought enough reading material this time!  My sister makes fun of me because I am notorious for finishing a book in the middle of a trip and then not having anything else to read for the rest of the time (I am like a junkie in need of a fix when I don't have a book) but she sent me a text telling me to take another book before I left and I, uncharacteristically, heeded her advice (I actually discovered that this KOA has a small library when I ran out of reading material on a camping trip several years ago but, luckily, I did not need to avail myself of it on this trip).  In the evening it started raining so I went inside, crawled under a bunch of blankets, and watched movies on my laptop.  It was incredibly cozy to listen to the rain hit the roof of the cabin as I fell asleep.  Sunday morning I got up early for a quick day trip and then spent the afternoon reading on the porch again.  I will be driving home later this morning and I am so happy that I had the chance to take this quick weekend trip because it was so fun and relaxing (and the campground wasn't very crowded).

Note:  I think I subconsciously selected this shirt because of the concert that I attended Friday night!