Thriller 2024

After a one year hiatus ODT's Halloween-themed dance extravaganza Thriller is back and this news made me so happy because it is one of my favorite traditions this time of year!  I saw the show at the Grand Theatre (it moved there from Kingsbury Hall) last night and it was so much fun.  All of my favorite dances were back including a group of the undead cavorting in a graveyard in "Thriller," a breakdancing Egyptian mummy and his maidens in "Curse of the Mummy," misbehaving pandas at their first dance recital in "Miss Alli's Nightmare," a Pas de Deux that goes horribly wrong in "Frankenstein & Frankenstein," tap dancing skeletons that glow in the dark in "Dem Bones," a trio of Jasons wielding a variety of weapons in "Jason Jam" (this crowd favorite gets more elaborate every year and it was hilarious last night), scarecrows that are not what they seem in "Children of the Corn," a coven of condemned witches seeking vengeance from beyond the grave in "Salem's Mass" (this is my favorite dance), demonic dolls who come to life in "Chucky-Rama," acrobatic vampires who find an unsuspecting victim walking home alone in "Lost Boys," and a costume parade in "Trick or Treat."  Even though I have seen all of these dances over and over year after year, I still look forward to them with great anticipation and I cheer out loud (like everyone else in the audience) when they begin.  This year there were three new dances.  I really liked "Day-O," a spoof of the possession scene from Beetlejuice, and "Squid Skid," a dance competition with the same rules as Squid Game, but "Covid Cotillion," a dance featuring highly exaggerated performance protocols from the pandemic, wasn't very funny.  The artists from Aeris Aerial Arts joined the company once again and performed "Black Widow" (this was new and it was my favorite), "Full Moon," "Phantom of the Opera," and "Slytherin."  I think these numbers are so much fun to watch because I have no idea how the aerialists do what they do!  Bubbles the Clown was back performing in between numbers but, unfortunately, so was Giggle Girl (I think she is so annoying and needs new material).  There was a huge crowd last night so, if you are thinking about getting a ticket (and I recommend that you do), you need to act fast.  It runs at the Grand Theatre through October 26 and at Tuacahn Amphitheare in St. George from October 28 through November 2 (go here for tickets).

Note:  This is my usual warning to avoid making eye contact with the undead roaming around the theatre before the show.

Jekyll & Hyde at West Valley Arts

Jekyll & Hyde is one of the first shows I saw on Broadway (with the original cast) so it will always be a favorite of mine. The production now playing at West Valley Arts is very well done and I absolutely loved seeing it last night! Dr. Henry Jekyll (Rhett Richins) is a passionate man of science who wants to save his father, who is suffering from madness, with a chemical formula he developed to separate good from evil. When his request to test his formula is denied by the hypocritical Board of Governors at St. Jude's hospital, he takes matters into his own hands. His alter-ego Mr. Edward Hyde, a terrifying madman, is created when Jekyll experiments on himself and all of his inner demons are unleashed. Two women, his fiance Emma Carew (Kersee Whitney) and a prostitute named Lucy Harris (Jessica Knowles Andrus), both love him but are unaware of his secret. Jekyll is unsuccessful in his efforts to control the monster within and Hyde eventually kills all of the members of the Board of Governors and becomes a danger to the rest of the citizens of London, to Lucy and Emma, and to himself. I loved the entire cast (my former student Christian Johnston plays Gabriel John Utterson so it was really fun for me to see him) but I especially enjoyed the performances from all three leads. Richins is impressive in "This is the Moment" as Jekyll and in "Alive" as Hyde because each character has a distinct persona and his version of "Confrontation," where both characters battle for control, is incredibly powerful because of his physicality. Whitney has a beautiful voice and her rendition of "Once Upon a Dream" is very affecting while the duet "In His Eyes" with Andrus is a highlight because their voices complement each other so well. Andrus (I've seen her play Lucy before) just about blows the roof off the theatre in "Someone Like You" and "A New Life" and I liked her performance of "Bring On the Men" even though I prefer "Good 'N' Evil" in this scene because it makes more sense thematically ("Good 'N' Evil" was written for Linda Eder who originated the role of Lucy on Broadway). One of my favorite aspects of this production is the dynamic staging. The juxtaposition of couples dancing a waltz as Jekyll and Emma sing "Take Me As I Am" with the prostitutes dancing with their customers as Hyde and Lucy sing "Dangerous Game" is very striking. I also loved having the ensemble actually personify all of Jekyll's inner demons in the scenes where he transforms into Hyde because it is so dramatic. The choreography in "Murder, Murder" is very clever because this number sometimes drags for me and I was very engaged in this version (I loved the use of umbrellas).  The red and blue lighting, especially during "Confrontation," is very effective in distinguishing between the different personas of Jekyll and Hyde. The set design, which mimics the cobblestone streets of London, is minimal but I loved all of the bubbling neon-colored potions in Jekyll's laboratory and the multi-level structure used for the Red Rat. All of the productions at West Valley Arts this year have been outstanding but I think this one is my favorite and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs Wednesdays - Saturdays through November 2 at the West Valley Performing Arts Center.

Saturday Night

I was a huge fan of Saturday Night Live in the late 1970s (when I was too young to understand most of the references) and the 1980s (when it was actually funny) so I was really excited to see Saturday Night last night with my nephew.  Unfortunately, I didn't love it as much as others seem to.  It is 90 minutes to airtime on October 11, 1975 and Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) is still trying to convince NBC executives Dick Ebersol (Cooper Hoffman) and David Tebet (Willem Dafoe) to air his groundbreaking sketch comedy instead of a rerun of The Tonight Show.  The set is not yet complete, technical elements malfunction, and the crew is fighting with each other.  Writers Michael O'Donoghue (Tommy Dewey), Rosie Shuster (Rachel Sennott), Herb Sargent (Tracy Letts), and Al Franken (Taylor Gray) struggle to get the script past NBC sensor Joan Carbunkle (Catherine Curtin) before Alan Zweibel (Josh Brener) is hired at the last minute to rewrite it.  The host George Carlin (Matthew Rhys) doesn't believe in the show and cast members Garrett Morris (Lamorne Morris), Chevy Chase (Cory Michael Smith), John Belushi (Matt Wood), Gilda Radner (Ella Hunt), Dan Aykroyd (Dylan O'Brien), Jane Curtin (Kim Matula), Laraine Newman (Emily Fairn), and Andy Kaufman (Nicholas Braun) are mostly unknown, inexperienced, and dysfunctional.  Many of the musicians, including Billy Preston (Jon Batiste) and Paul Shaffer (Paul Rust), are high and an NBC page (Finn Wolfhard) can't even give away tickets to be in the studio audience.  However, everything comes together (as we all knew it would) when we hear Chevy Chase utter the iconic opening line, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!"  This does a really great job at portraying the frenetic behind the scenes chaos with tight camera shots that follow Michaels as he puts out fires (literally and figuratively), quick edits, and a jarring score (by Batiste) and the use of a ticking clock is effective at adding tension until you remember that this show has been on the air for almost fifty years. The ensemble cast is excellent (Smith as Chevy Chase was the standout for me) but there are a lot of characters to keep track of and some don't make much of an impression (Hunt, Matula, and Fairn are essentially interchangeable as Radner, Curtain, and Newman, respectively, because they are underused).  I loved the nostalgia of all of the callbacks to the early days of SNL (I laughed out loud at the reference to Aykroyd's iconic impersonation of Julia Child and at Kaufman's Mighty Mouse routine) but, honestly, this wasn't as funny as I thought it would be.  I liked it but didn't love it.

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).