The Creator

I went to an early access screening for The Creator last night and I loved it so much!  In the near future, an advanced artificial intelligence detonates a nuclear weapon in Los Angeles causing the death of millions and prompting a war between the United States and countries that refuse to ban AI.  Joshua Taylor (John David Washington), a special forces agent, goes undercover in New Asia to find the creator of this advanced AI but ends up marrying Maya (Gemma Chan), the daughter of the man he believes to be responsible.  When Maya and his unborn child are killed during an attack by the USS Nomad, an airship with weapons of superior firepower, he returns home a bitter and disillusioned man who is viewed as a traitor.  Five years later, because he knows the area better than anyone else, he is recruited by General Andrews (Ralph Ineson) and Colonel Howell (Allison Janney) to lead a mission back to New Asia to find a powerful new weapon developed by the creator that could defeat the U.S. but he is more motivated by the news that Maya might still be alive.  He eventually discovers the weapon in the form of a "simulant" child he names Alphie (Madeleine Yuna Voyles) and, when he decides to protect this advanced AI because of a possible connection to Maya, he rediscovers his humanity.  This is a bold and original sci-fi thriller and, even though the action set pieces become a bit unwieldy in the final act, the world-building is intriguing, the images are absolutely stunning (definitely see it in IMAX), and the story is incredibly thought-provoking.  It tackles important themes of what it means to be alive, the futility of war, and the fear of those who are different but, at its core, it is about a relationship that is brought to life beautifully by outstanding performances from Washington and Voyles (at one point I had tears in my eyes during an especially poignant moment between the two characters regarding the existence of heaven).  I also really loved the moving score by Hans Zimmer because it adds so much emotional weight.  This is definitely one of my favorite movies this year and I highly recommend it!

Jekyll & Hyde at CPT

When my sister Kristine and I took a theatre trip to New York City in the summer of 1997 we were able to see the original cast of Jekyll & Hyde (featuring Linda Eder as Lucy and including the song "Good 'N' Evil" which was my favorite but is no longer in the show). We saw quite a few shows on that trip but Jekyll & Hyde was definitely our favorite so I was really excited to see it again with both my sisters (and my brother-in-law) last night at CPT. The three of us absolutely loved this production (my brother-in-law was definitely not a fan). This musical is loosely based on the novella by Robert Louis Stevenson and tells the story of Dr. Henry Jekyll (Christian Lackman), a passionate man of science who wants to save his ailing father by finding a chemical formula to separate good from evil in mankind, his alter-ego Mr. Edward Hyde, a terrifying madman created when Jekyll's experiments on himself unleash his inner demons, and the two women, his fiancee Emma Carew (Karllen Johnson) and a prostitute named Lucy Harris (Jessica Knowles Andrus), who love him but are unaware of his dark secret. As Jekyll struggles to control the monster within, he becomes a danger to the citizens of London, to Emma and Lucy, and to himself. I love the music in this show and the three leads do a fantastic job with the rock opera score. Johnson has a beautiful voice and I loved her rendition of "Once Upon a Dream" but the highlight for me was when she and Andrus sing "In His Eyes" because their voices blend together so well. Andrus has an incredibly powerful voice and she just about blows the roof off the theatre with "Bring on the Men" and "A New Life" (although I still think "Good 'N' Evil" makes more narrative sense than "Bring on the Men" because this is the turning point that convinces Jekyll to begin experimenting on himself) and her performance of "A Dangerous Game" with Lackman is incredibly passionate. I really enjoyed Lackman's unique interpretations of Jekyll in the song "This is the Moment" and of Hyde in "Alive" and "Streak of Madness" because each character has a distinct persona but "Confrontation," where both characters battle for control, isn't as dramatic as I've seen it done before. I also really enjoyed the ensemble in "Facade" (the use of mirrors as a motif for hiding who you really are, in this scene and throughout the show, is very well done) but the other big musical number, "Murder, Murder," drags a bit. The incredible set is one of the best aspects of this production and it really brings Victorian London to life. There is a dramatic backdrop featuring buildings with windows that light up and a multi-level area downstage used to create many different vignettes. Jekyll's laboratory comes down from the rafters and features bubbling potions and moving cogs and wheels (it's really cool). The lighting design is dark and atmospheric with spotlights on the aforementioned vignettes and the period costumes are very effective in revealing the ways in which the characters are hiding their true natures, particularly in "Facade." I love this show and this production is so good!  It runs on the Barlow Main Stage through October 21 (go here for tickets).

Note:  In case you couldn't tell, I'm sad that the show no longer includes "Good 'N' Evil"  but I did get to hear Linda Eder sing it again during a concert with the Utah Symphony!

It Lives Inside

I always enjoy seeing scary movies in October, and since we are getting close to my favorite month, I decided to see It Lives Inside at the Broadway last night.  I found it to be an interesting take on a traditional monster movie.  High school student Samidha (Megan Suri), who prefers to be called Sam, has seemingly turned her back on her Indian culture and her former best friend Tamira (Mohana Krishnan) in favor of fitting in with the more popular Caucasian kids and she is at odds with her very traditional mother Poorna (Neeru Bajwa).  When a disheveled Tamira approaches her for help, Sam smashes the strange mason jar she is carrying which releases the monster living inside it.  Tamira mysteriously disappears and an invisible demonic presence begins stalking Sam and harming those she loves.  She eventually discovers that the demon is a Pishach and that she must embrace her heritage in order to defeat it.  I really liked the use of Hindu mythology and the use of a monster as a metaphor for losing yourself in order to assimilate because this makes what could be seen as a derivative story (it reminds me so much of The Boogeyman) more compelling.  There are some great tension-filled sequences, such as a shadowy figure hiding in the closet and an amorphous shape stalking Sam's teacher (Betty Gabriel) down a hallway, that are frightening more for what we don't see than for what we do.  However, this makes the final confrontation, when we finally do see the monster, a little bit underwhelming because it is not as scary.  None of the characters are well developed (I especially wanted to know more about Tamira) but Krishnan and Suri both give performances that sell the terror they feel very effectively.  Despite a few flaws It Lives Inside is an intriguing way to begin the spooky season and I recommend it.

Sting at USANA

Yesterday may have been the official first day of fall but I still had one more summer concert left!  Sting at USANA Amphitheatre was a great one to end on (even if it was really cold).  His setlist last night spanned his nearly 45 year career, both as a member of the Police and as a solo artist, and included both his biggest hits and a few deeper cuts.  The latter included "Heavy Cloud No Rain," "If It's Love," "Loving You," "Rushing Water," "Why Should I Cry For You?," "I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying," and a fantastic version of "So Lonely" which turned into "No Woman No Cry."  The hits from his prolific solo career included "Englishman in New York," "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free," "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You," "Fields of Gold" (one of my favorite moments), "Brand New Day" (with an incredible harmonica intro by Shane Sager), "Shape of My Heart" (with a soulful solo by backup vocalist Gene Noble), "All This Time," "Mad About You," and "Desert Rose" (another favorite moment).  I have to admit that I really loved it when he sang the songs he wrote while he was a member of the Police because they brought back so many memories for me (this was yet another concert filled with nostalgia).  He began the show with "Message in a Bottle," which got the crowd up and cheering, and continued with "Everything Little Thing She Does Is Magic," "Invisible Sun," Walking on the Moon," "King of Pain" (which he sang with his son Joe Sumner who opened for him), then he ended his main set with "Every Breath You Take."  I sang every single word to these old Police songs and it was so much fun!  For the encore, he came back to the stage and asked the crowd what they wanted to hear and then played a sultry version of "Roxanne" (it was the overwhelming response from the crowd and I may or may not have screamed it myself).  He ended the show with "Fragile," like he did the last time he was at USANA with the Utah Symphony, because he likes to give the crowd something to think about on the drive home.  He didn't play "Fortress Around Your Heart" (my very favorite Sting song) but I forgave him because I've heard it live before and this show was so amazing!  I was really impressed with Sting's performance because, at 71 years old, he sang and played bass for close to two hours without a break and his voice sounded great!  He wasn't quite the raconteur that he was the last time I saw him (he had a lot of songs to get through) but he was very charming and had some humorous interactions with the crowd.  I loved every minute of this show (even when I got cold).

Note:  My friend Tony and I saw him in concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver and then drove home the next day to see him again that night at the Maverick Center.  It was awesome!

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Eccles

I have seen Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat so many times I've lost count so it takes something special to pique my interest in seeing yet another production.  When I found out that Casey Elliott (my sister has turned me into a huge fan) would be starring as Joseph in a concert version of the show with Lexi Walker as the Narrator and other well-known actors from the Utah theatre scene in the cast, I immediately bought a ticket!  The show was last night and Elliott is the best Joseph I have ever seen (I am still extremely bitter that I saw the understudy instead of Donny Osmond when the Broadway touring production was in town).  It tells the well-known Bible story of how Joseph rises to become the Pharaoh's second-in-command after his brothers betray him for being their father's favorite with songs that span every musical genre.  This is a concert rather than a full production but it features really fun costumes, exciting choreography, and a simple multi-level set.  The brothers, including Kyle Olsen (sigh) as Reuben, Abram Yarbro as Simeon, Zac Wilson as Levi, Matthew Sanguine as Naphtali, Corwin Belnap as Issachar, Keith Goodrich as Asher, Avery Ernsberger as Dan, Scotty Fletcher as Zebulon, McCade Matheson as Gad, Yahosh Bonner as Judah, and Joey Hokulani as Benjamin, each have a different color of athleisure wear with Joseph in white and the wives, including Abby Miller, Keyara Hebdon, Adrien Swenson, Maggie Christensen, Bailey Matheson, Eliza Lucero, and Emma Andreasen Moore, wear sparkly black outfits with shoes in a color that corresponds to a brother.  Accessories are added for various numbers and I especially loved the tinsel fringe coats (made famous by Taylor Swift) worn by the wives in "Go, Go, Go Joseph" and the berets worn by the brothers in "Those Canaan Days." The set looks a bit like a pyramid, which works especially well for "Song of a King," and has four different levels (Walker sometimes struggled to reach the different levels with her stiletto heels but her reactions to her wobbles were so funny) with lights on the edge of each one that flash and change colors (I loved the lighting effects for "Close Every Door" because they look like a prison). The fabulous live orchestra sits on stage on either side of the set and the One Voice Children's Choir is located behind it.  While the songs don't have the usual staging they do have some great choreography, especially "Jacob and Sons," "One More Angel in Heaven," "Go, Go, Go Joseph," "Song of a King," "Those Canaan Days," and "Mega Mix." The performances are outstanding and the audience responded the most to Elliott's powerful rendition of "Close Every Door" (he and the choir just about blew the roof off the Eccles Theatre), Walker's "A Pharaoh's Story," Shaun Johnson's hilarious "Song of a King," and Bonner's interpretation of "Benjamin Calypso."  This was so much fun and I recommend getting a ticket to one of the two remaining performances today (go here).