Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour

Last night my sister Marilyn and I relived one of the best concert experiences we have ever had by watching Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour and, while nothing can compare to the exhilaration of actually being in the audience for this concert, the movie comes really close!  We both loved it!  What I enjoyed most about this is the dynamic camera work and editing because you really get a feel for the entire experience with lots of wide shots of the entire stage, the crowd, and the visuals on the screens along with all of the details that might have been missed (especially if you were sitting in the upper levels of the stadium like Marilyn and I were) with close up shots of Taylor and her dancers.  I loved seeing all of her facial expressions and gestures because they definitely enhance the storytelling found in each song.  I particularly loved seeing "willow," as Taylor cavorts in a circle with her coven of dancers wearing green velvet cloaks and carrying glowing orbs, because it is such a theatrical performance and it was cool to have so many different angles to see the overall effect.  I liked seeing "tolerate it" up close because the performance, which features two people in a dysfunctional relationship having dinner, is so intimate and being able to see facial expressions really adds to the vibe of the song.  I was also happy to get to see "the last great american dynasty" up close because I didn't realize that one of the dancers is portraying Rebekah Harkness and that Taylor doesn't come forward until the change in POV.  I was really struck by the emotion on Taylor's face during "marjorie" (she and I both have a grandma named Marjorie who is no longer living) and seeing her give Bianka Bryant the hat in "22" up close also made me emotional because it was such a sweet moment.  The production values are fantastic because the music seems like it has been enhanced (it sounded good live at Empower Field but it sounded great in Dolby surround sound) and the titles for each era are a lot of fun (especially for reputation).  I think Denver Night 2 won for its surprise songs ("Back to December" was a major highlight of the concert for me) but I liked the fact that she featured one from her first album, "Our Song," and one from her latest album, "You're On Your Own, Kid," as surprise songs for the movie.  I was a little bit sad when I heard that "'tis the damn season" was cut (it is one of my favorite Taylor Swift songs) and really surprised that she cut "cardigan" (especially since she included "betty" and "august" from the teenage love triangle) but I didn't miss them, or any of the other songs that were cut, while I was watching.  Since we saw this at a late screening on a Sunday night, it wasn't very full so we missed out on having lots of loud and rowdy fans sing and dance but we wore our concert hoodies and sang at the top of our lungs (even Marilyn who is normally very reserved).  It was so much fun!  I highly recommend this because, if you didn't have the opportunity to see this concert in person, this is the next best thing and, if you did, it will bring back so many memories!

Note:  I even bought the commemorative popcorn bucket and cup!  I almost never buy stuff like this because I abhor clutter but I simply cannot resist the siren song of Taylor Swift merchandise!

U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas

When I found out that U2 was doing a residency at a cool new billion dollar venue in Las Vegas I had a really stern talk with myself about how much money I had already spent on concerts this year and maybe, since I have already seen them seven times, I could skip this one.  That went over about as well as you might expect!  I ignored responsible Phaedra and immediately registered for the Verified Fan Presale and, when I was selected, I took it as a sign that I needed to see this show!  Amazing doesn't even begin to describe what I experienced last night!  The Sphere, as the name implies, is a giant sphere-shaped structure with both interior and exterior LED screens (the largest of their kind) and seating areas that cover two-thirds of the interior with an area that can be configured as a stage in the remainder.  U2 has a small square stage with a circular platform that is meant to mimic a turntable (Bono would frequently spin around on the circle).  This particular concert showcases the album Achtung Baby and U2 performed it in its entirety with a side one set and a side two set.  It was great to hear the hits from this album, including "Zoo Station" (which opened the show), "The Fly," "Even Better Than the Real Thing," "Mysterious Ways," "One" (sigh), and "Until the End of the World," but I also really enjoyed hearing the deeper tracks that I've never heard performed live before, such as "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses," "Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World," "So Cruel" (my favorite of the show because Bono's vocal performance was so passionate)," "Acrobat," "Ultra Violet (Light My Way)," and "Love Is Blindness."  Each of these songs has an incredibly immersive visual display on the state-of-the-art LED screens.  My favorite visuals were for "The Fly" because they feature rows and rows of random numbers and letters that keep climbing up the screens and, when they reach the top, they actually collapse on each other and it looked like they were three-dimensional and coming towards the audience (it is hard to explain but it was pretty much the coolest thing ever).  Not only are the images three-dimensional but they also surround the audience!  Sometimes the images would include a live feed of the band and, because I was sitting in the cheaper seats at the top of arena (my one concession to responsible Phaedra), they were eye-level as if I was watching Bono from the front row (sigh).  In between the two Achtung Baby sets, the band performed a more stripped down acoustic set featuring "All I Want Is You," "Desire," "Angel of Harlem," and an incredibly emotional rendition of "Love Rescue Me" which Bono and The Edge sang as a duet (goosebumps).  For the encore, they performed their new song about Las Vegas, "Atomic City," as well as "Elevation," "Vertigo," "Where the Streets Have No Name," "With or Without You" (which included amazing visuals featuring different animals), and "Beautiful Day." Bono is one of the most charismatic performers that I've ever seen and he was in fine form last night!  He struggled a bit with some of the higher notes but he was so engaging it didn't even matter (at least not to me or anyone around me).  This concert reminded me of how much I love him and, between his performance and all of the high-tech gadgetry, I felt like I was in sensory overload all night (in the best possible way).  It is definitely something I will never forget and I am so glad that irresponsible Phaedra won the argument!

The Music Man at HCTO

I had so much fun at HCTO last night because I saw their wonderful production of The Music Man (it is a sentimental favorite of mine).  I think I had a huge smile on my face from beginning to end!  This show tells the well-known story of a traveling salesman who comes to swindle the residents of River City by selling band instruments but falls in love with a librarian instead.  It features an amazing cast led by Bronson Dameron, who is incredibly charming and charismatic as Harold Hill, and Brittany Sanders, who has a beautiful voice as the uptight yet vulnerable Marion Paroo.  Dameron's renditions of "Ya Got Trouble," "Seventy-Six Trombones," and "Gary, Indiana" are so much fun and I had to try really hard not to sing along (I mostly succeeded) while Sanders had me swooning during "Goodnight My Someone," "My White Night," and "Till There Was You."  Other standouts from the cast are Shawn Lynn as the befuddled Mayor Shinn ("Not one poop out of you madame"), Bonnie Wilson Whitlock as my favorite character Eulalie MacKecknie Shinn (I could not stop laughing during her hilarious performance as a Grecian Urn), and Thomas Wood, Jason Baldwin, Ryan Withers, and Davis Underwood as the feuding members of the school board who form a barber shop quartet ("Sincere," "Goodnight Ladies," "It's You," and "Lida Rose" are highlights of the show).  Ella Bleu Bradford as Zaneeta Shinn, Mayor Shinn's oldest girl, and Evan Naef as Tommy Djilas, a boy with reform school written all over him, are amazing dancers who lead a terrific ensemble in the big production numbers, particularly in "Seventy-Six Trombones," "Marion the Librarian," "The Wells Fargo Wagon," and "Shipoopi."  I am always so impressed with how HCTO is able to stage these big numbers with energetic choreography in such a small space!  I wondered if "Marian the Librarian," my favorite number in the show, would be as dynamic as it has been in other productions I've seen but I loved the clever way the choreography incorporates a desk, a card catalog (so fun), a book cart, benches, and books.  I also loved the staging of "Rock Island" with all of the suitcases.  The set, which features the lattice porch of the Paroo house, a wisteria draped gazebo, and a wooden footbridge, is beautiful and the period costumes, especially Marian's dress for the social, are some of the best I've seen at HCTO (and the bar was already set pretty high with this theatre).  This is a delightful production that everyone is sure to love as much as I did and I highly recommend it!  It runs at HCTO through November 18 and tickets may be purchased here.

Note:  Just wait until you see the finale!  It is pretty spectacular!

The Royal Hotel

Last night I went to the Broadway to see The Royal Hotel because I found the trailer very intriguing.  It is a compelling examination of toxic masculinity and the unequal power dynamic between the sexes that had me squirming the whole time.  Hanna (Julia Garner) and Liv (Jessica Henwick) are two young "Canadian" women backpacking through Australia and, when they run out of money, they seek employment through a work-travel program and end up at a pub called the Royal Hotel in a remote mining town in the Outback.  The men who frequent the pub are often belligerent, offensive, and sexually inappropriate but the owner, a curmudgeonly drunk named Billy (an unrecognizable Hugo Weaving), expects the girls to put up with it to keep the customers happy.  Hanna finds one of them, a miner named Dolly (Daniel Henshall), to be especially menacing and wants to leave immediately but Liv thinks it is all harmless fun and befriends two of the patrons, Matty (Toby Wallace) and Teeth (James Frecheville).  However, Hanna becomes more and more disturbed by the situation because Billy refuses to pay them, there is no cell service, and the only way to leave is a bus that comes once a week.  When events spiral out of control, she must take matters into her own hands.  The tension builds and builds until it is almost unbearable (I was so stressed out watching this) and what makes the situation so terrifying is that it is not necessarily the sociopaths that they should fear but the ones who seem to be "nice guys."  I was really struck by the shot composition and the lighting design because they effectively emphasize both the claustrophobia of the pub and the isolation of the area that surrounds it.  One scene in particular, where Hanna sees a shadow underneath her bedroom door, perfectly captures her terror. Both actresses give riveting performances but I was especially impressed with Garner because everything is viewed from her perspective and her escalating dread is palpable.  Even though the dramatic climax is a bit rushed and not really earned after the subtle build-up that precedes it, I would definitely recommend this.

Utah Opera's La Boheme

I love the opera La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini (I actually flew to San Francisco just to see it performed by one of the best opera companies in the world and it was incredible) so I was really excited to see Utah Opera's production last night!  Marcello (James Westman), a painter, and Rodolfo (Christopher Oglesby), a poet, are penniless and live a hand-to-mouth existence with their friends Colline (William Guanbo Su), a philosopher, and Schaunard (Tshilidzi Ndou), a musician, in a Parisian garret.  When the others leave to celebrate Christmas Eve at Cafe Momus in the Latin Quarter, Rodolfo receives a visit from their neighbor Mimi (Laura Wilde) who is looking for a light for her candle.  She faints from breathlessness because she is suffering from consumption and Rodolfo catches her in his arms.  They fall madly in love and decide to join the others in their revelry at Cafe Momus.  Marcello sees Musetta (Marina Costa-Jackson), his former lover, in the cafe with her new suitor, a rich old man named Alcindor (Danny Belcher), and is jealous but refuses to look at her.  She tries desperately to get his attention by flirting with every man in the restaurant and they eventually leave together while Alcindor is left with the bill!  After a few months, Marcello is jealous of Musetta's flirtation with other men and Rodolfo feels guilty for being too poor to care for Mimi adequately so the couples separate (one acrimoniously and one amicably).  Later Musetta brings a dying Mimi to the garret because she is desperate to see Rodolfo.  Marcello, Musetta, and their friends go for the doctor but Mimi ultimately dies and Rodolfo collapses in despair while calling her name.  The story is unbelievably romantic but also tragic and this is what makes it so compelling and the music is breathtaking!  I loved everyone in the cast (it is one of the best I've seen from this company) and they all sing their roles beautifully!  I had tears in my eyes after "O soave fanciulla" at the end of Act I because Ogelsby and Wilde have amazing voices and tremendous chemistry together as they visibly fall in love and I laughed out loud during "Quando m'en vo," ("Musetta's Waltz") during Act II because it is staged so well and Costa-Jackson has hilarious facial expressions and an over-the-top physicality.  Ndou and Su are also outstanding as the other bohemians and I was very moved by Su's rendition of "Vecchia zimarra" in Act IV.  The costumes are fantastic and I especially loved Musetta's red dress and feather boa because it really pops against the muted tones of the other costumes.  I was really impressed by the clever transformations, from a humble garret apartment to the boisterous Cafe Momus to a dreary gated checkpoint into the city, that happen with the addition of a few elements to the multi-level set.  I loved this production and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) for one of the three remaining performances.

Note:  If you have never been to an opera before I think this is a good one to start with because it is very accessible (the musical RENT is based on it).