Breathless

My May Book of the Month selection was Breathless by Amy McCulloch (the other options were Yerba Buena by Amy LaCour, The Hacienda by Isabel Canas, Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez, and Darling Girl by Liz Michalski). I was hooked by this atmospheric and exciting thriller from the very first chapter and I read well into the early morning hours in order to finish it. Cecily Wong has just landed the interview of a lifetime with world-renowned alpinist Charles McVeigh as he attempts to climb Mt. Manaslu, the last in his quest to summit all fourteen peaks above 26,000 feet in one year. Even though she has limited climbing experience, McVeigh insists that she be a part of his expedition as a condition for granting the interview. Summiting at such a high elevations is extremely dangerous, even for experienced climbers, because of the freezing temperatures, harsh terrain, and lack of oxygen but it becomes even more menacing when two climbers die under mysterious circumstances. Cecily must not only face the elements, and her doubts about her abilities, but also a killer lurking on the mountain and it seems that everyone on her team is a potential suspect. I really enjoy murder mysteries with a closed circle of suspects and this novel takes that concept to new heights (pun intended) because everyone is trapped on the mountain due to the extreme conditions. The tension escalates the higher they climb and I was completely riveted. Cecily is an interesting narrator because she is a novice in the world of high altitude climbing and she is somewhat unreliable when she begins experiencing the effects of hypoxia (lack of oxygen to the brain). I actually started to question if the deaths were merely accidents or more sinister in nature myself which made the narrative even more suspenseful. It was also fascinating to learn about what it takes to summit a peak that high in elevation, particularly the need for acclimatization and how to scale sheer faces of rock and ice, and McCulloch's vivid descriptions (she actually summited Mt. Manaslu herself) made me feel like I was right there on the mountain with the characters. I even felt a little bit short of breath during several key moments. My only complaint is that the ending is a bit abrupt but, other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed Breathless and I recommend it to fans of thrillers.

Note:  Fans of this novel might also enjoy One By One by Ruth Ware. It has a similar vibe because it is a murder mystery that takes place at a Swiss chalet that is cut off from civilization after an avalanche.

Remembering My Mom

My Mom passed away very peacefully in the early morning hours of May 6 after a long and hard-fought battle with dementia.  This loss is especially difficult for me and my sisters because it comes so soon after losing our Dad but it is actually a blessing because she is now free from the disease that destroyed her mind.

Last night we held a visitation for family and friends and it was such a lovely evening.  My Mom's wish was to be cremated and we were able to find the perfect mother of pearl urn for her.  The flower arrangement we picked out for the display was also really beautiful.

It was nice to see so many family and friends pay tribute to my Mom and support me and my sisters (once again I wish I had taken more pictures).  The consensus was that my Mom was a gentle soul who touched the lives of everyone with whom she came in contact and these kind words were such a comfort to us!

Jesus Christ Superstar at the Eccles

I was able to see the Broadway touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar starring Ted Neeley as Jesus and Corey Glover (lead singer of the band Living Colour) as Judas with my friend Dana several years ago.  The experience of seeing the show was more memorable than the show itself because my friend, who is quite a bit older than me, had a massive crush on Ted Neeley and I was completely starstruck by Corey Glover (I loved Living Colour) so we were both a bit giddy!  Luckily, I had the chance to see it again, this time the 50th Anniversary Tour, at the Eccles Theatre last night and I loved it!  This is a rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice.  It tells the story of the Passion of Jesus Christ from the perspective of Judas as he grows dissatisfied with Jesus' popularity and fears that his cult of personality is taking away from his mission to help the less fortunate.  The show features contemporary sensibilities and Jesus is portrayed as a sort of rock star with a guitar and microphone.  This particular production has been completely reimagined with new sets, costumes, and choreography and I literally could not take my eyes off the stage because it is so dynamic!  The set features multi-level steel towers, that look a bit like scaffolding, on either side of a large platform in the shape of a cross.  It is very dramatic!  The costumes are very contemporary and quite subdued (except for King Herod's) in different shades of gray.  The choreography is absolutely amazing and almost seems frenetic with synchronized movement and dazzling light displays.  I especially loved how "Hosanna" incorporates stylized palm leaves and how "The Temple" uses glitter.  The three leads, Aaron LaVigne as Jesus, Omar Lopez-Cepero as Judas, and Jenna Rubah as Mary Magdalene, are outstanding and have beautiful voices.  I particularly enjoyed Rubah's rendition of "I Don't Know How to Love Him" (my favorite song in the show) and LaVigne's version of "Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say)."  Lopez-Cepero does a very good job in portraying Judas' psychological torment, especially in "Damned For All Eternity/ Blood Money."  I found the whole show to be exhilarating and very moving but it might not be for everyone because "Trial By Pilate/ 39 Lashes" and "Crucifixion" are difficult to watch.  It runs at the Eccles Theatre through May 15 (go here for tickets).

Utah Opera's The Pirates of Penzance

Utah Opera is closing out the 2021-2022 season with Gilbert & Sullivan's comic operetta The Pirates of Penzance and I had a chance to see this delightful production last night at the Capitol Theatre.  Frederic (John Reisen) has reached his 21st birthday and wishes to leave the band of pirates to whom he has been mistakenly apprenticed.  After leaving the pirates, Frederic meets Major-General Stanley (Hugh Russell) and his daughters, falls in love with the youngest daughter Mabel (Madison Leonard), and enlists the Sergeant of Police (Kevin Nakatoni) and his constables to arrest the pirates.  Chaos ensues when the Pirate King (Craig Irvin) and Ruth (Meredith Arwady), Frederic's former nursemaid, tell him that he was born during a leap year and, since he has only had five birthdays, he must continue to serve his apprenticeship.  The staging of this show is so much fun and I laughed out loud during the scene where the pirates attempt to seduce the Major-General's daughters and when the constables and the pirates both hide from the Major-General in the graveyard.  Reisen is incredibly engaging as Frederic and, not only does he have a fantastic voice, but he has great comedic timing as the straight man in the show.  I especially enjoyed his interactions with Ruth when he tries to find out if she is beautiful when compared with other women.  Leonard has a beautiful voice as Mabel and I loved her rendition of "Poor wand'ring one."  Russell is absolutely hilarious in "I am the very model of a modern Major-General" and I loved the choreography involving his umbrella.  Irvin also has great comedic timing and I especially enjoyed his fancy footwork in "Oh, better far to live and die."  The large chorus, performing as pirates, daughters, and constables who sing and dance, is outstanding and so much fun to watch.  I loved all of the costumes, especially all of the colors and patterns used for the daughters' dresses and the argyle socks worn by the Major-General.  The set is quite simple consisting of a ship, the seaside, and a graveyard, but the proscenium is meant to look like a vaudeville theatre and is very effective at creating an amusing mood even before the show begins.  Hurrah for this production because I loved everything about it and I highly recommend it to anyone, even children, who might be intimidated by opera because it is very accessible.  There are only two more performances (go here for tickets) so act quickly.

Note:  Utah Opera recently announced the 2022-2023 season and it includes The Flying Dutchman, The Daughter of the Regiment, Rigoletto, and The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs.  I am incredibly intrigued by the last one.

The Duke

Last night I went to my favorite art house theater, for the second night in a row, to see the charming British comedy The Duke.  It is based on the true story of the theft of Francisco de Goya's portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in 1961.  Kempton Bunton (Jim Broadbent), a retired bus driver from Newcastle who is also an aspiring playwright, feels tremendous guilt over the death of his daughter several years earlier and is compelled to do something for the good of mankind to assuage that guilt.  His chosen cause is a campaign against making pensioners and war veterans pay for a license to watch television.  His long suffering wife Dorothy (Helen Mirren) begs him to stop all of his nonsense but he requests one last trip to London to bring attention to his message.  When he is turned away from the BBC, The Daily Mirror, and Parliament, he impulsively steals the painting in order to blackmail the government into exempting the less fortunate from paying for a license as a condition to get it back.  He enlists the help of his son Jackie (Fionn Whitehead) to hide it but, after a few misadventures, he decides to return it after which he is arrested.  When his trial at the Old Bailey begins, his barrister (Matthew Goode) tells him that his case is hopeless but he unexpectedly becomes a hero to the common man.  The narrative has a few twists and turns to keep it from being completely predictable and both Broadbent and Mirren give stellar performances full of wit and charm.  I found many scenes to be highly amusing and I laughed out loud several times (I love British humor).  I also really enjoyed the retro vibe in the cinematography because it looks like actual footage from the 1960s.  This is a lighthearted feel-good movie and watching it was a delightful experience (I was in a theater full of people twenty years older than me).