Robert Trevino Conducts Walker, Grieg & Stravinsky

I was so happy to be back at Abravanel Hall last night for my first Utah Symphony concert of 2022 because it was absolutely amazing!  The orchestra began with Sinfonia No 4 "Strands" by George Walker.  I was not at all familiar with this piece (or this composer) but I really enjoyed it because it is very dramatic.  I particularly loved a theme played by a solo cello as well as themes played by the timpani and percussion, especially the gong at the end.  Next came Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto.  I was really excited for this because it is one of my favorite pieces and the orchestra and soloist Benjamin Grosvenor performed it brilliantly.  The instantly recognizable opening notes played by the piano gave me goosebumps and each successive repetition of the theme during the first movement was equally thrilling (the entire audience gave a rousing round of applause after this movement).  The second movement was my favorite because it is a just a bit melancholy and I loved the interaction between the piano and the solo horn.  I also really enjoyed all of the Norwegian folk dances featured in the third movement.  Grosvenor's fingers literally flew up and down the keyboard so he was very entertaining to watch.  He received a well-deserved standing ovation after which he performed a beautiful encore featuring Dance of the Beautiful Maiden by Alberto Ginastera.  After the intermission, the concert concluded with Petrouchka by Igor Stravinsky.  This ballet tells the story of three puppets who are brought to life at a fair in St. Petersburg and Stravinsky's music is incredibly stirring.  I could almost picture the action in my head as the orchestra played.  I especially loved the fanfare played by the brass to announce the carnival barker, the drum roll that announces the puppet show, and the theme played by the flutes as the puppets are brought to life.  All of the Russian folk music used as the puppets dance is quite exhilarating and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole piece.  This program will be performed again tonight and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here).

The 355

I am a huge fan of espionage movies so I have been looking forward to The 355 for weeks.  I had the chance to see it last night at a Thursday preview and I was really disappointed because it is an absolute mess.  After a computer drive capable of hacking into every secure system around the world is stolen, Mason "Mace" Browne (Jessica Chastain), a CIA agent, Khadijah Adiyeme (Lupita Nyong'o), a former MI6 agent, Marie Schmidt (Diane Kruger), a German BMD agent, and Graciela Rivera (Penelope Cruz), a psychologist with the Colombian DNI agency, decide to join forces to try to recover it.  After they are betrayed by members of their own agencies, they find an unexpected ally in Lin Mi Sheng (Fan Bingbing), a Chinese MSS agent, and go rogue to recover the drive and exact revenge.  The premise is really intriguing but the execution is terrible.  The characters are very thinly drawn and there are some major pacing issues because every time I thought there was a resolution something else would happen (I lost track of how many times the agents capture, lose, and recapture the world-ending device).  By the third act I didn't care about the fate of the device or any of the characters because I just wanted it to end.  I also predicted a major plot twist early on and I was almost disappointed when I was proven right.  All of this might be forgiven if the action sequences were exciting and engaging but the cinematography and editing are some of the worst I have ever seen.  The shaky hand-held camera work (I also lost track of how many times the camera makes a 360-degree sweep around the characters) and the disorienting split-second changes in focus gave me an actual headache.  The all-star cast is completely wasted here but at least they look good in fabulous costumes (the only good thing I can say about this movie).  I definitely recommend giving it a miss!

American Underdog

I am a sucker for inspirational sports movies and I have very vivid memories of watching Kurt Warner win Super Bowl XXXIV so I spontaneously decided to see American Underdog last night.  It is a very average biopic but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it.  Warner (Zachary Levi) dreams from a very young age of becoming the MVP in the Super Bowl after watching his idol Joe Montana in Super Bowl XIX.  However, he faces many seemingly insurmountable obstacles such as being benched until his fifth year as a college athlete, not being selected during the college draft, being cut by the Green Bay Packers on the first day of training camp, being forced to stock shelves at a grocery store to make ends meet, giving up on the NFL to play in the Arena Football League, and having to prove himself over and over again to the antagonistic offensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams.  Through it all, it is his relationship with his wife Brenda (Anna Paquin) and her disabled son Zack (Hayden Zaller) that inspires him to never give up.  He is finally given an opportunity when the Rams' starting quarterback is injured in a preseason game and, despite throwing an interception during his first play, he goes on to achieve his dream.  This movie focuses more on Warner's personal life than it does on football and, while I did appreciate seeing his struggles off the field, I wish it had included more of him on the field.  The few football sequences we get are a lot of fun, especially the requisite training montage featuring "Boom" by P.O.D. and the trash talking from Ray Lewis (Nic Harris) during his first game, but the depiction of his success with the Rams feels very rushed.  I also think the use of actual footage from several key games is sloppy.  Levi and Paquin give very affecting performances but nobody else makes much of an impression (Dennis Quaid has little more than a cameo).  There are flaws but there are also quite a few stand up and cheer moments (my favorite is when a stock boy who worked with Warner puts the Sports Illustrated with him on the cover out for display) and I did enjoy it.  This might be one that you can wait to see on a streaming platform but it is worth seeing.

Note:  The one and only time I waited at the stage door was for Zachary Levi after She Loves Me on Broadway.  He signed autographs and posed for pictures with everyone in line (Jane Krakowski flounced after only a few) and I found him to be incredibly charming.

The Tragedy of Macbeth

Last night I saw my first film of 2022, The Tragedy of Macbeth, at the Broadway and I could not have picked a better one to start the year because it is a brilliant adaptation of Shakespeare's Scottish play.  After Macbeth (Denzel Washington), the Thane of Glamis, is victorious in battle, he is met by Three Witches (all played by Kathryn Hunter) who prophesy that he will become the Thane of Cawdor and the King of Scotland.  When King Duncan (Brendan Gleeson) bestows the title of Cawdor on him, he starts to believe the prophecy will eventually come true.  However, the ambitious Lady Macbeth (Frances McDormand) is not content to wait and spurs him on to take matters into his own hands.  After the brutal murder of Duncan, his son Malcolm (Harry Melling) flees and Macbeth takes the throne but he is forced to kill again and again to keep it.  Both he and Lady Macbeth come undone because of their guilt over their bloody deeds until another prophecy comes true and Macbeth is defeated by Macduff (Corey Hawkins).  This adaptation is quite faithful to the original text but the action is stripped down to just the essentials and the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are much older and the motivation for their actions is informed by their age and the notion that time is running out for them to achieve their ambitions.  Both Washington and McDormand give riveting performances and the rest of the cast is also outstanding, particularly Stephen Root in a small role as the Porter.  This film is very moody and atmospheric with black and white photography, menacing sound design, and sets that feel more theatrical than cinematic.  I loved the use of light and shadow against stark geometric shapes, especially as Macbeth walks down a long corridor to reach the king's chamber.  I also enjoyed the staging of Birnam Wood coming to Dunsinane and the fight between Macbeth and Macduff on the ramparts of the castle.  Finally, the use of birds as a portent of danger in the opening scene, as a representation of the Three Witches, and as a representation of the ghost of Banquo (Bertie Carvell) is incredibly unsettling and, therefore, highly effective.  I love the play Macbeth and this adaptation is one of the best I've seen (the people in my audience applauded at the end) so I highly recommend it.

2021: Year In Review

This has been an extremely difficult year for me (in some ways it was even harder than 2020) but there have been a few noteworthy moments with lots of outdoor performances, a few road trips, and some outstanding theatre productions.  Here are some of the highlights!

Utah Shakespeare Festival

Zion National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park

Weekend Camping Trip

Capitol Reef National Park

Alanis Morissette Concert

Cats in Las Vegas

Frozen at the Eccles

Mean Girls at the Eccles

My Dad's visitation

Hamilton at the Eccles

I don't have any big plans for 2022 but my goal is try to get back to being me!  I hope everyone has a safe and happy new year!