A Kurt Bestor Christmas at the Eccles 2023

I really love hearing Christmas music performed live, especially Kurt Bestor's arrangements, so I always try to attend his annual Christmas concert.  The show was last night (along with tons of other Christmas events downtown which made driving and parking a lot of fun) and, as always, I thoroughly enjoyed it.  He began with "Suite de Noel," "Il Le Ne Le Divin Enfant," and "Good King Wenceslaus" before telling a funny story about performing "What Child Is This?" (many songs were prefaced with amusing anecdotes).  Next he played "Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella," which I loved because it is one of my favorites, and then "I'll Be Home for Christmas," which he dedicated to all veterans in the audience.  Then he featured his insanely talented band on a calypso-inspired version of "O Tannenbaum" with extended solos from Michael Dowdle on guitar, Carlitos del Puerto on bass, and Eric Valentine on drums.  It was very cool!  Next came a beautiful rendition of "Carol of the Bells" dedicated to the people of Ukraine and then his special guest for the evening, David Archuleta, came to the stage to perform a breathtaking version of "Prayer of the Children" (Kurt Bestor's best known song which is celebrating its 30th Anniversary) that brought the audience to its feet!  After the intermission, Bestor performed "Coventry Carol," another favorite of mine, and then a fun arrangement of "Christmas Time Is Here" complete with a Charlie Brown Christmas tree!  Next, he dedicated a lovely version of "All Through the Night" to one of his close friends who recently died.  David Archuleta returned to the stage for an incredible performance of "Pat-A-Pan" that gave me goosebumps and then gave a very heartfelt rendition of "Grown Up Christmas List" after telling the audience that his list included kindness and understanding for those who are different (he received thunderous applause for this).  Then he performed Bestor's arrangement of "I Wonder as I Wander" (at Bestor's request) and the audience leapt to their feet once again!  Bestor lamented that it would be impossible to follow such an amazing performance but his version of "O Holy Night" was definitely a highlight for me (it was the second time that I have heard my favorite Christmas song this season).  As is tradition, he chose someone from the audience to narrate "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" while he performed his amusing arrangement of songs to go with it.  He concluded the concert with "Joy to the World" and a lovely audience sing-along to "Silent Night" led by David Archuleta.  I always love this concert every year but I think this one might be my favorite!

Fallen Leaves

I was very intrigued by the trailer for Fallen Leaves (it won the Jury Prize at Cannes this year) so I decided to see it at the Broadway yesterday afternoon.  It is a quirky story about how two lonely people overcome a series of obstacles to be together and I loved it!  Ansa (Alma Pöysti) lives alone in a tiny apartment in Helsinki and works a series of low-paying and monotonous jobs.  She notices Holappa (Jussi Vatanen), an alcoholic metalworker who is frequently fired for drinking on the job, at a karaoke bar (in a hilarious scene) and they have a series of random encounters as they struggle to survive in an urban hellscape.  They eventually get together for a date (they see the movie The Dead Don't Die and I laughed out loud when Adam Driver appeared on the screen because I certainly wasn't expecting that) and realize that they are attracted to each other (but don't know each other's name).  Complications ensue which keep them apart until they both decide to take a chance on each other.  Aside from the unexpected cameo by Adam Driver, I loved so many things about this movie!  The humor is incredibly subtle (I once again laughed out loud at a throwaway line about Luc Besson) and the performances are almost deadpan but hint at the sadness underneath.  There is very little dialogue but both Pöysti and Vantanen convey so much with just a glance (and a wink) and all of the needle drops (depressing lyrics with surprisingly upbeat music) are perfect.  The time period is strangely ambiguous because, even though there are references to the Russian attack of Ukraine during the endless newscasts our protagonists listen to, the production design is anachronistic (they listen to the news on the radio rather than the TV) and there is a retro color palette evoking a post-war Finland.  This is very effective at setting a tone of hopelessness despite the hopeful resolution.  I found this gem to be absolutely charming and I highly recommend it!

A Christmas Carol at HCT 2023

Last night I attended my fourth and final performance of A Christmas Carol this season at HCT. I have seen this production dozens of times (I always joke that I have seen it so many times I could probably stand in for any role if needed) but it is a sentimental favorite and it just wouldn't be Christmas without it. The portrayal of Ebenezer Scrooge's redemption after visits from the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future in this show is so familiar to me by now but it is this familiarity that makes me love it so much! I eagerly anticipate all of my favorite scenes, especially when Marley's Ghost appears to Scrooge rattling his many chains, when the Ghost of Christmas Past appears to Scrooge from behind a scrim, when the guests dance during Mr. Fezziwig's party and Fred's party, when the Ghost of Christmas Future dramatically reveals Scrooge's name on the tombstone, when an ebullient Scrooge catches Bob Cratchit coming in late the day after Christmas, and when Tiny Tim exclaims, "God bless us, every one!" Many actors return year after year in the same roles (such as Stephen Kerr as Scrooge, Chase Peterson as Fred, Matt Kohler as Marley's Ghost, and Kaden Caldwell as young Ebenezer) and I look forward to seeing them again. However, this year there were a few new actors (at least new to me because the show is double cast) and I really enjoyed seeing them make these familiar roles their own with a new interpretation, particularly Anthony LeRoy Lovato as Bob Cratchit, and Koryn Sobel as Belle. Another element of this particular production that I especially love is the inclusion of Christmas carols in the narrative by an octet (Melinda DeBirk, Jennifer Riley, Keri Vance, April Kerr, Doug Wadley, Maxx Teuscher, Nathanael Abbott, and Alex DeBirk) and a violinist (Suzanne Chapman). My favorites are "Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella," "Silent Night" (the entire scene with the poor wife singing this song is incredibly affecting), "Wassail, Wassail," "What Child is This?," and "Sussex Carol." I also really love the sets (this production has the most elaborate sets of any I've seen) because the attention to detail with Scrooge's Counting House, Scrooge's Bed Chamber, Fezziwig's Factory, Bob Cratchit's House (two stories!), Fred's House (the giant Christmas tree!), the Rag and Bottle Shop, and the Graveyard is amazing! I loved it last night just as much as I did the first time I saw it and I'm sure it will always be one of my Christmas traditions. It runs on the Sorenson Legacy Jewell Box Stage through December 27 (go here for tickets) but act quickly because most shows are sold out (the best availability is for matinee performances).

Note:  In light of the fact that I have now seen four different versions, some friends have asked me which was my favorite.  I can honestly say that I liked all four of them for very different reasons.  Parker Theatre's version is incredibly dramatic, Terrace Plaza Playhouse's version is fun and lighthearted, HCTO's version is the most authentic, and HCT's version is comforting and familiar.

No One Can Know

My December Book of the Month selection was No One Can Know by Kate Alice Marshall (the other options were A Winter in New York by Josie Silver, The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen, The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan, and Tomb Sweeping by Alexandra Chang). I obviously love thrillers because my first selection for 2023 was What Lies in the Woods by this same author! Emma Palmer learns that she is pregnant on the same day that her husband reveals that he has lost his job. Since they are facing eviction from their apartment and other financial hardships she reluctantly agrees that they should move into her childhood home in the small town of Arden Hills, which she owns with her estranged sisters Juliette and Daphne, until they get back on their feet. However, this forces her to reveal something that she has kept secret from her husband: her parents were brutally murdered in this house fourteen years ago and she was the main suspect. Moving back after all of these years reignites interest in the still unsolved murders, especially for the vindictive police officers who worked the case, and this prompts Juliette and Daphne to return in order to ensure that Emma keeps the rest of their secrets about that night. We soon discover that her sisters have been keeping secrets of their own from her. The narrative alternates between the POVs of all three sisters, both in the past and the present, and it becomes incredibly suspenseful as it is revealed that each sister had both motive and opportunity to murder their parents. It is very fast-paced and there are so many twists and turns and bits of misdirection that it was hard for me to put it down. It definitely kept me guessing until the very last chapter! The characters are extremely well-developed and I especially enjoyed the psychological examination of how each of the sisters responded to the abuse inflicted on them by their parents in the past and how that informs their behavior in the present as well as their dysfunctional relationship with each other. I was particularly drawn to Emma's character arc because she is so complex (both incredibly sympathetic because of what she has been through but often unlikable because of how she responds to her situation). I really liked this and I highly recommend it to fans of psychological thrillers.

Note:  I have decided not to renew my Book of the Month subscription next year.  I spend way too much money on books and I am running out of room on my bookcases so I have made a goal to use the library more!

A Christmas Story

I love the movie A Christmas Story so it was really fun to see it on the big screen last night to commemorate its 40th Anniversary (this makes me feel old because I remember seeing it in the theater when it was first released).  During the week before Christmas in 1940, nine-year-old Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley) 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 but his Mother (Melinda Dillon), the Old Man (Darren McGavin), his teacher Miss Shields (Tedde Moore), and even Santa Claus (Jeff Gillen) all tell him that he'll shoot his eye out!  There was a really big and boisterous crowd at my screening (one large family took up all of the other seats in my row so they adopted me as a member) and I loved hearing everyone laugh out loud at all the funny moments, especially when Ralphie and his friends are chased to and from school by Scut Farkus (Zach Ward) and Grover Dill (Yano Anaya), when Schwartz (R. D. Robb) triple dog dares Flick (Scott Schwartz) to stick his tongue to the flag pole, when Randy (Ian Petrella) eats like a piggy, 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 Santa Claus pushes Ralphie down the slide, when Ralphie is forced to wear the bunny costume given to him by Aunt Clara, and when the Bumpus hounds eat the turkey forcing the Parkers to eat Christmas dinner at the Chop Suey Palace.  I had to stop myself from saying all of my favorite lines aloud ("Randy lay there like a slug.  It was his only defense.")  I look forward to watching this every Christmas Eve (several times because it is on for 24 hours) but I'm so glad that it was part of Fathom's Big Screen Classics this year (I love this series) because it put a huge smile on my face!

Note:  The movies in the Fathom's Big Screen Classics series for next year are The Wizard of Oz, My Fair Lady, Labyrinth, Gone With the Wind, Steel Magnolias, South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut Sing-A-Long, The Never Ending Story, Rear Window, Blazing Saddles, Mean Girls, The Fifth Element, and White Christmas.  Are you excited for any of these titles?