Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Ain't Misbehavin' at PTC

The joint was jumping (in more ways than one) last night as audiences returned to PTC after an absence of 18 months for the musical Ain't Misbehavin'.  When the 2021-2022 season was announced, I didn't know anything about this show but I discovered that it is a musical revue featuring the songs of Thomas "Fats" Waller, a well-known jazz pianist and composer who wrote over 400 songs from 1920 to 1940.  It was basically a concert featuring five incredibly talented and charismatic vocalists, including Tyla Collier (she was in Once on This Island, the last show I saw at PTC before the pandemic), Tyrick Wiltez Jones, Mariah Lyttle, Terita Redd, and DeMone Seraphin, and an equally talented band on stage, including Music Director William Knowles on piano, Michale Evans on trombone, Otis Gould on drums, Keith Parietti on tenor sax and clarinet, Hillary Fuller on bass, Scott Harris on alto sax and clarinet, and Jesdelson Vasquez on trumpet.  They performed close to 30 different songs during the 90 minute run time and, even though I wasn't very familiar with Waller, I recognized at least a third of the songs.  My favorites were "Mean to Me," a torch song delivered by Redd while leaning seductively against the piano, a sultry version of "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now" performed by Collier, a rousing rendition of "The Ladies Who Sing With The Band" by Jones and Seraphin, a hilarious performance of "Your Feet's Too Big" by Seraphin, the innuendo-filled "Squeeze Me" by Lyttle, and the heartbreaking "Black and Blue" performed by the whole company with beautiful harmonies and dramatic lighting.  There was almost no dialogue, beyond the occasional ad-libbing with audience members (some of which was highly amusing), and the choreography was simple but executed very well.  At the beginning of the show the set consisted of a backstage area in shadows with instruments covered in dust cloths and a ghost light prominently displayed.  The performers entered the stage from different areas, removed  their coats, and arranged their instruments and props before the first number began.  As the show progressed, the stage became more and more elaborate (I loved all of the chandeliers) until it was transformed into several different jazz clubs.  I don't know if the show is always staged in this manner but it was a highly effective way to represent the return to live performances after a lengthy break.  I really enjoyed this wildly entertaining show but, unfortunately, I did not get to see the last few numbers because the theater was evacuated when a fire alarm went off (this is the second time this has happened to me during a performance).  Even so, I highly recommend this show which runs through September 25 (go here for tickets).

Tuesday, September 21, 2021

The Drowsy Chaperone at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts

The SCERA Center for the Performing Arts is another venue that I had never been to before, again because it is about a 45 minute drive from my house, but I learned that The Drowsy Chaperone was being performed there and, since it is one of the funniest shows that I have ever seen, I just had to get a ticket. I saw it last night and I was really impressed with the venue and the production! The Drowsy Chaperone is such a fun show because it is a hilarious parody of the genre with every musical theatre trope you can think of but it is also a poignant ode to the power of theatre to transport you away from the real world and all of your problems to a place where happy endings are possible for a few hours. Man in Chair (JD Ramey) is feeling a little bit blue so he decides to listen to the cast recording of The Drowsy Chaperone, a popular musical from 1928. As he listens to the record, the actors appear in his apartment and bring the show to life with frequent pauses for his wry explanations and commentaries. Mrs. Tottendale (Katie Warne) and her Underling (Dane Allred) are hosting the wedding of oil tycoon Robert Martin (Bryan Johnson) to a Broadway star named Janet Van De Graaff (Samantha Frisby), who is giving up her glamorous career for love. Robert is leaving the wedding details to George (Jared Wilkinson), his best friend and best man, while Janet's Chaperone (Tannah O'Banion), who gets drowsy when she drinks champagne, is charged with keeping the couple apart to avoid bad luck. Broadway producer Feldzieg (Robert Holcombe) is unhappy about losing his biggest star and sets out stop the wedding by hiring a Latin lover named Aldolpho (Devin Glenn) to seduce the bride. An investor in the Feldzieg Follies is also worried about losing its biggest star and hires two gangsters (Jarom Swanson and Erik Rytting), disguised as pastry chefs, to stop the wedding but a ditzy chorus girl named Kitty (Abby Bradshaw) is hoping to take Janet's place. Mayhem ensues but the happy ending comes eventually when Trix the Aviatrix (Abigail Crist) is enlisted to marry four couples on her plane while flying to Rio. This production is simply delightful and I especially enjoyed the choreography in the big song-and-dance numbers "Cold Feets," "Show Off," "Toledo Surprise," "Bride's Lament," "Love is Always Lovely in the End," and "I Do, I Do in the Sky." I particularly liked how the choreography incorporates the furniture and other items in the apartment. The use of the bookcase in "Show Off" is ingenious! It is absolutely hilarious when the actors freeze every time the Man in Chair stops the record and when they perform the same notes over and over when the record has a scratch. I also loved it when the Man in Chair puts the wrong record on at the beginning of Act 2 and the cast, as different characters, performs "Message From a Nightingale" from a different musical until he realizes his mistake. So funny! The entire cast is incredibly strong but I was really impressed with O'Banion because she is the ultimate diva in her rendition of "As We Stumble Along," Glenn because he is completely over-the-top in "I Am Aldolpho," and Ramey because he shows a lot of vulnerability as he compares the musical to his life. I laughed and laughed at the antics on stage (I was not alone) and I think this is a show that most everyone would enjoy.  It runs at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts through October 9 (go here for tickets).

Note: The first time I saw The Drowsy Chaperone it was the Broadway touring production starring Jonathan Crombie (better known as Gilbert Blythe) as Man in Chair! Sigh!

Sunday, September 19, 2021

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).

Saturday, September 18, 2021

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.

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

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.
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