A Christmas Story at CPT

I saw the Broadway touring production of A Christmas Story several years ago and I thought it was delightful so I was excited to see it again last night at CPT. The musical is very much informed by the iconic movie of the same name (a favorite of mine).  It is narrated by radio personality Jean Shepherd (Darin J. Beardall) on Christmas Eve as he tells the story of a memorable Christmas from his youth. Ralphie (Soren Ray) desperately wants an official Red Ryder, carbine action, 200-shot, range model air rifle, with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time for Christmas but his Mother (Jessica Love), the Old Man (Juston LeBaron), his teacher Miss Shields (Bailee DeYoung), and even Santa Claus (Andy Leger) tell him that he'll shoot his eye out. All of the well-known scenes from the movie are brought to life on stage including when Randy (Sam Akerlow) eats like a piggy, when Schwartz (James Leger) triple dog dares Flick (Trevin Hamblin) to stick his tongue to the flag pole, when the Old Man wins a major award, when Ralphie says the F-dash-dash-dash word while helping the Old Man change a tire, when Ralphie gets into a fight with Scut Farkus (Ben Liljenquist), when Ralphie gets a bunny costume from Aunt Clara, and when one of the Bumpus hounds (Phoenix, making his stage debut) eats the turkey forcing the Parkers to eat Christmas dinner at the Chop Suey Palace! The songs are not especially memorable but I really liked how they are staged and the talented cast does a great job, particularly the young actors. I really enjoyed the choreography in "When You're a Wimp," "Ralphie to the Rescue," "A Major Award," and "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out." Ray has a great voice and gives a really endearing performance as Ralphie, especially in "Red Ryder Carbine Action BB Gun," and Akerlow is absolutely hilarious as Randy (he made me laugh out loud several times), but, in my opinion, Phoenix steals the show when he chases the Old Man around to get to the turkey (he got the loudest applause all evening). The period costumes are fantastic and the elaborate sets, which feature Higbee's Department Store, the Parker house, and Warren G. Harding Elementary School, are cleverly placed side by side on stage to mimic an actual street. I had a smile on my face throughout the whole show and it definitely gave me a big dose of Christmas cheer! It runs on the Barlow Main Stage through December 23 (go here for tickets) and I highly recommend it to fans of the movie!

Handel's Messiah 2021

I always try to attend the Utah Symphony's annual holiday performance of Handel's Messiah (it was virtual last year and I really missed it) whenever possible and I am so happy that I had the opportunity last night.  Because we are not quite out of the woods with Covid yet, the orchestra opted for a traditional performance rather than the usual format with audience participation during the choral sections.  Even though I love singing along I really enjoyed this concert and it was the perfect way to begin the holiday season.  The orchestra was joined by members of the Utah Opera Chorus and soloists Julia Gershkoff, Edith Grossman, and Daniel O'Hearn.  Unfortunately, Evan Hammond was feeling under the weather and was unable to perform.  Conductor Conner Covington said he was going step in and sing his part but thought better of it when he realized that we had all paid money for our tickets!  This is such an incredibly stirring piece and it was performed beautifully!  My favorite sections are "For unto us a child is born," "Glory to God in the highest," and, of course, "Hallelujah."  I did miss "The trumpet shall sound" because the baritone solo is usually a highlight for me but the other soloists were amazing.  If you have never seen a performance of Messiah, definitely put it on your list for the future!

Note:  I am starting to get really excited for Christmas.  I love hearing Christmas music performed live and last night's concert was the first of several that I have planned in the coming weeks!

Christmas Cheer

Last year I put up my tree on Halloween because I was really in need of some Christmas cheer.  This year I wasn't feeling very festive but I eventually decided to put my tree up the day after Thanksgiving and I put up the smaller tree in the loft last night.  Now that my house is all ready for Christmas, I am starting to feel a bit merrier.

I actually really enjoy decorating my tree because I have collected all of my ornaments over the years and they all hold special memories for me.  My Mom gave me all of the Hallmark Keepsake hockey ornaments, I collected quite a few from my travels (my favorites are some hand-carved wooden ornaments from a Christmas store in Germany), I have some from popular culture (such as my Kylo Ren and Harry Potter ornaments), and I've recently started collecting them from musical theatre performances (my newest ornament is from Frozen).

Last year, in a fit of madness, I decided to get another tree for the loft and I enjoyed it so much I decided to put it up again this year.  I spend a lot of time in the loft reading so this is a nice addition to my holiday decorations.

Note:  Do you have more than one tree?  I used to think it was crazy to have more than one!

The Power of the Dog

Last night I had the chance to see The Power of the Dog on the big screen before it begins streaming on Netflix next week.  It is definitely a slow burn but I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.  Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George (Jesse Plemons) Burbank are wealthy Montana cattle ranchers in 1925.  Phil is rude and uncouth and constantly berates the quiet and gentle George.  During a cattle drive, the brothers, along with the ranch hands working for them, stop at a restaurant in the nearest town owned by a widow named Rose Gordon (Kirsten Dunst).  She is reduced to tears when Phil cruelly mocks her effeminate son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) so George stays behind to apologize to her.  They soon become close and eventually marry.  George sends Peter to college to study medicine and Rose comes to live at the ranch, much to the displeasure of Phil who believes her to be a gold-digger.  He makes Rose's life unbearable and she begins drinking behind George's back in order to cope.  When Peter arrives to spend the summer at the ranch, Phil takes every opportunity to intimidate him and he encourages the ranch hands to call out homophobic slurs whenever he is around.  Phil, remembering his close relationship with his mentor Bronco Henry, suddenly takes an interest in Peter, much to the dismay of Rose, teaching him to ride a horse and making him a lasso from rawhide.  This relationship is incredibly menacing because Phil's intentions are unclear and I watched the scenes between them with a sense of dread waiting for something tragic to happen.  I thought I knew where it was going and I have to admit that my mind sometimes wandered during scenes which, on the surface, didn't seem important.  However, even the most mundane actions are fraught with tension and attention must be paid to fully appreciate the resolution.  Cumberbatch is absolutely brilliant in a role that seems like a huge departure for him.  He is unnerving yet captivating as someone who feels compelled to assert his masculinity at all times.  Dunst also gives one of the best performances of her career as a woman who unknowingly challenges the status quo at the ranch.  I was particularly struck by a scene where Rose withers under the pressure of having to play the piano for guests at a dinner party.  There is almost no dialogue but her despair is palpable.  The cinematography is beautiful and the score by Jonny Greenwood serves to emphasize the atmosphere of foreboding.  This is the kind of thought-provoking movie I love but it might not appeal to everyone.

Encanto

My nephew Sean and I have a tradition of seeing a movie together over the Thanksgiving holiday (we have seen The Good Dinosaur, Moana, Coco, The Grinch, and Frozen II) so, of course, we had to see the new Disney movie Encanto together.  We saw it last night and we both really enjoyed it.  When Alma Madrigal (Maria Cecilia Botero) loses her home and husband while fleeing from conquerors, the candle she is holding is enchanted and it creates a magical casita for her and her three children, Julieta (Angie Cepeta), Pepa (Carolina Gaitan), and Bruno (John Leguizamo).  Eventually, her children and grandchildren are given magical gifts, such as the ability to heal, the ability shape-shift, the ability to see the future, the ability to speak to animals, etc, and the family members are encouraged use their gifts to help their village prosper.  However, Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz) is not given a gift and she often feels left out while Bruno is ostracized because his gift is misunderstood.  When cracks begin appearing in the casita, it takes Mirabel, with a little help from uncle Bruno, to save the magic.  The message that expectations can sometimes be a burden and that people should be appreciated for who they are rather than who they are supposed to be is extremely powerful and I loved that a Disney heroine is just an ordinary girl (who wears glasses!).  The animation is incredibly colorful and vibrant and I really loved the attention to detail, such as the embroidery on Mirabel's blouse and skirt and all of the textures of the hair.  The music by Lin-Manuel Miranda is as fabulous as you would expect!  My personal favorites are "Waiting On A Miracle," "Surface Pressure," and "We Don't Talk About Bruno" but I heard lots of people singing the chorus of "Colombia, Mi Encanto" as they left the theater.  My biggest complaint, and my nephew echoed this as we talked about the movie on the way home, is that the introduction of the characters and their gifts is really rushed so I didn't feel very connected to anyone other than Mirabel and I sometimes had a hard time figuring out the familial relationships.  Another complaint is that, while I loved the songs, they sometimes seemed randomly inserted and interrupted the momentum of the narrative.  On the whole, I found this to be charming and I think is the perfect movie for families to see over the Thanksgiving break.