Utah Opera's Sweeney Todd

When the Utah Opera 2024-2025 season was announced the only opera I was interested in seeing was Madame Butterfly so I decided not to renew my subscription.  I changed my mind about Sweeney Todd and got a ticket to see it last night and I'm very glad I did because the production is amazing!  Sweeney Todd (Michael Mayes) is a Victorian-era barber who has just returned to London after 15 years of exile in Australia.  When he learns the fate of his wife Lucy (Megan Marino) and daughter Johanna (Amy Owens), he immediately wants to get revenge on Judge Turpin (David Soar), the man who ruined his life.  He goes back to his former rooms above the pie shop run by Mrs. Lovett (Audrey Babcock) and discovers that she has kept all of his barbering tools so he decides to set up shop and lure the judge in for a shave so he can slit his throat.  However, the judge eludes him and he vows vengeance on the whole human race.  He begins to kill all of his customers and Mrs. Lovett uses the bodies in her meat pies!  Eventually, his quest for revenge turns to madness.  I have always loved the music by Stephen Sondheim so hearing it performed by operatic voices was absolutely stunning!  Both Mayes and Babcock have incredible voices and they bring these despicable characters to life in a way that is both comedic and tragic.  Mayes' rendition of "Epiphany" is terrifying and I found Babcock's versions of "The Worst Pies in London" to be hilarious and "By The Sea" to be incredibly poignant.  I laughed out loud when the two of them sang "A Little Priest."  Other highlights include a lovely performance of "Green Finch and Linnet Bird" by Owens, a moving version of "Johanna" by John Riesen as Anthony Hope, and a hilarious rendition of "Parlor Songs (Part II)" by Bille Bruley as Beadle Bamford (his facial expressions killed me).  I also really enjoyed "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" and all of its many reprises by the Chorus because they are all very dramatic, especially the Bedlam scene.  The large sets, including Judge Turpin's house, Mrs. Lovett's Pie Shop, and the bakehouse, all rotate in front of an imposing silhouette of a factory that is eventually revealed to be the asylum (in condemnation of the industrialization of London).  I loved the barber chair which sent Sweeney's victims to the bakehouse and the use of smoke, lighting, and other special effects (particularly all of the blood as Sweeney slits his victim's throats) add much to the spooky atmosphere.  This is a great show to see right before Halloween and I think it is very accessible for those who might not be very familiar with opera.  There are performances on Wednesday and Friday nights and a matinee on Sunday (go here for tickets) at the Capitol Theatre.

Timpanogos Community Theater's The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Last night I went to see Timpanogos Community Theater's production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and, of the three versions of this show I've seen this year, this one is the best! I absolutely loved it! Quasimodo (Adam Moore), a hunchback who has spent his entire life hidden in the bell tower of Notre Dame cathedral, yearns to be a part of the outside world. He summons the courage to attend the Feast of Fools and meets the gypsy Esmeralda (Teresa Jack) when she saves him from an angry mob. However, Quasimodo's master, the archdeacon Claude Frollo (Stanley Johnson), and the new captain of the cathedral guard, Phoebus de Martin (Casey Copier), also meet her and fall in love with her. When Esmeralda rejects Frollo, he orders Phoebus to arrest her but he refuses and they both become fugitives who are aided by Quasimodo until the final confrontation in the bell tower. I was very impressed by the incredibly talented cast, especially the four leads! Moore (he was amazing as Frederic in a previous production of The Pirates of Penzance) imbues Quasimodo with naivete and strength and I loved both his physicality as he moves up, down, and around the bell tower and his powerful vocals in the songs "Out There," "Heaven's Light," and "Made of Stone." Johnson does an excellent job portraying Frollo's torment and his rendition of "Hellfire" is incredibly stirring. My favorite song in the show is "God Help the Outcasts" and Jack's performance of it gave me goosebumps.  I also really enjoyed her dancing in "Rhythm of the Tambourine" and her interactions with Moore in "Top of the World" and with Copier in an incredibly emotional version of "Someday." Copier's characterization of Phoebus is a lot more playful than I have seen before but he still shows a bit of vulnerability in "Rest and Recreation." The ensemble in this show is also outstanding because not only do they effectively narrate events in "The Bells of Notre Dame" and all of its reprises as monks, gypsies, and townspeople but they also move set pieces seamlessly around the stage (I particularly loved the transitions between the interior of the cathedral and the bell tower). The gargoyles (Lily Shepherd, Ben Dunford-Cable, Kristyan Williams, and Scott Mason) who help and inspire Quasimodo are a lot of fun when they come to life and they have great costumes. The choreography in "Topsy Turvy," "Rhythm of the Tambourine," and "Tavern Song" is energetic and engaging and I loved the addition of acrobatic elements (there were a few ooohs and aaahs from the audience). The elaborate multi-level set is spectacular and includes large moving pieces that transform the stage into the interior of the cathedral, the bell tower, the town square, and the Court of Miracles. There is also a beautiful rose window, enhanced by some incredible lighting effects, that dominates the stage as well as some dramatic bells suspended from the rafters. The staging of the confrontation is very clever but I was moved to tears during the final sequence because the members of the ensemble are dressed in white and surround Quasimodo and Esmeralda like angels welcoming them to Heaven (it is so powerful). This production is better than some professional ones I have seen and, in my opinion, it should not be missed! There are four more chances to see it on Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday at the Valentine Theater (go here for tickets).

National Theatre Live: Fleabag

I love the BBC series Fleabag (especially the second season with Hot Priest) so I was really excited to see the National Theatre Live presentation of the acclaimed one-woman show that started it all!  It was filmed live from the Wyndham Theatre in London's West End during its run in 2019 and it was screened at the Broadway yesterday by the Tanner Humanities Center and Salt Lake Film Society.  Phoebe Waller-Bridge is both humorous and heartbreaking as a twenty-something woman navigating modern life in London.  There is a framing device with Fleabag behaving inappropriately during a job interview before and after describing her on-again off-again relationship with her boyfriend Harry, her random hook-ups with men she meets on the tube, her addiction to porn, her alienation from her family, particularly her sister Claire, and her struggle to keep her guinea pig-themed cafe running all while trying to come to terms with her guilt over the death of her best friend and business partner Boo.  I really love the subversive humor because the situations are actually quite sad but Waller-Bridge uses them as fodder for her comedy (I think the appeal of the character is that using humor as a coping mechanism for the vicissitudes of life is something a lot of people can relate to).  Waller-Bridge is absolutely captivating, even though she rarely leaves a stool located on an empty stage, because she is able to create so many different characters with her delivery, facial expressions, and body language.  I loved the interaction between her and her sister Claire but my favorite was when she imitated her guinea pig listening to music!  This was so much fun (these NT Live screenings at the Broadway always draw a big and energetic crowd) and I am looking forward to Present Laughter in November, Nye in January, and The Importance of Being Earnest in March (go here for more information).

The Apprentice

Last night I went to see The Apprentice (my second Sebastian Stan movie this week) and I was absolutely riveted by this character study detailing how Donald Trump rose to become a New York real estate tycoon under the tutelage of the notoriously corrupt lawyer Roy Cohn.  In 1973 Donald Trump (Stan) is essentially an errand boy collecting rents for his father Fred (Martin Donovan) and the Trump Organization when he meets Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong) at a club.  Fred is embroiled in a federal investigation about his discriminatory practices against Black tenants and, despite Fred's opposition, Donald hires Cohn who settles the case favorably despite solid evidence against the Trump Organization.  Donald comes to see Cohn as a mentor and enlists his help in developing the Commodore Hotel.  When Donald expresses reservations about his unethical and illegal methods, Cohn teaches him that he must always attack, always deny wrongdoing, and always claim victory if he wants to succeed in business.  He also tells him that he must be willing to do whatever it takes, however abhorrent, to defeat an opponent.  Donald takes this advice to heart and, not only does he become ruthless in business during the 1980s, but he eventually betrays his brother Fred Jr. (Charlie Carrick), his father, his first wife Ivana (Maria Bakalova), and, eventually, Cohn himself.  I am not a fan of Donald Trump (to say the least) so I have to admit that I enjoyed seeing him portrayed so unsympathetically, especially the scenes showing his liposuction and scalp-reduction surgeries, but it was also very enlightening to see all of the influences on his evolution to the person we know today.  Stan's portrayal is brilliant and he completely nails all of Trumps's mannerisms, particularly the way he moves his lips when he talks, and Strong is also outstanding in a complex role.  This is so much better, and more objective, than I was expecting but I suspect that one's enjoyment of it will depend on one's opinion of Trump.

Funny Girl at the Eccles

I have seen the movie Funny Girl dozens of times so I was really excited to see the stage musical upon which it is based last night at the Eccles.  I absolutely loved it!  After Fanny Brice (Leah Platt) is fired from the chorus of a vaudeville show, she and her friend Eddie Ryan (Izaiah Montaque Harris) contrive to get her back on stage and she wins the audience over.  This leads to stardom with Florenz Ziegfeld (Mathew Fedorek) and the Ziegfeld Follies as well as love, and eventual heartache, with Nick Arnstein (Stephen Mark Lukas). I loved hearing all of the instantly recognizable songs, especially my favorites "I'm the Greatest Star," "People," "You Are Woman, I Am Man," "Don't Rain on my Parade," "Sadie, Sadie," and "Who Are You Now," and I really had to try, sometimes unsuccessfully, not to sing along (I don't feel too badly about singing occasionally because the man sitting behind me was saying some of the dialogue out loud).  The staging of the big Ziegfeld Follies numbers "His Love Makes Me Beautiful" and "Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat" are really fun and I also enjoyed the choreography for "Henry Street" because it is so exuberant.  Platt does a great job as Fanny because she makes the iconic character, immortalized by Barbra Streisand, her own.  I loved her unique interpretation of "People" and her heartfelt versions of "The Music That Makes Me Dance" and  "Funny Girl" but I was most impressed by her rendition of "Don't Rain on my Parade (Reprise II)" at the end of the show because she just about blew the roof off of the Eccles Theatre.  Lukas is gorgeous (iykyk) and charismatic, especially in "You Are Woman, I Am Man," but my favorite performance from him was "Temporary Arrangement" because his vulnerability is palpable.  Singer Melissa Manchester is Mrs. Brice (she received applause when she took the stage for the first time) and I loved how she and her cronies Mrs. Strakosh (Cheryl Stern) and Mrs. Meeker (Christine Bunuan) serve as a Greek chorus as they play cards on Henry Street.  I was happy to see all of the traditional backdrops (this really feels like a big old-fashioned musical) and the period costumes are fabulous.  It was great to finally get to see this show after being a fan of the movie for so long and I highly recommend it.  There are five more shows through October 13 (go here for tickets).