The Order

Last night my nephew and I had a double feature at the Broadway starting with The Order.  It is a tense thriller based on true events that I found disturbing but very compelling.  Terry Husk (Jude Law) is a world-weary FBI agent who arrives in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho to investigate a disappearance that he believes is connected to a string of bank robberies.  The local police chief (Philip Granger) is not very helpful but an eager young officer named Jamie Bowen (Tye Sheridan) believes that the nearby Aryan Nation, under the direction of Richard Butler (Victor Slezak), is involved.  They eventually discover a splinter group called The Order which was formed by Robert Mathews (Nicholas Hoult), a former disciple of Butler who has become radicalized and is following the blueprint set out in The Turner Diaries which calls for fundraising, recruitment, assassination, and domestic terrorism.  As The Order becomes increasingly more brazen, including the murder of provocative Jewish disc jockey Alan Berg (Marc Maron), Husk, his former FBI partner Joanne Carney (Jurnee Smollett), and Bowen close in on Mathews resulting in a fiery standoff.  This is a gritty old-school procedural with a tormented cop playing a cat and mouse game with a charismatic sociopath and it is extremely well-done.  The action sequences, particularly the bank and armored truck robberies, are incredibly intense but some of the scenes involving the recruitment of potential white supremacists are hard to watch (particularly since this is still going on around the country) and the sense of dread escalates until it becomes almost unbearable.  I was especially fascinated by the juxtaposition between the beautiful natural surroundings (the cinematography is stunning) and the evil lurking just under the surface.  Law is outstanding as a man who is living with regrets and both Sheridan and Smollett deliver strong supporting performances but Hoult is brilliant because he completely disappears into a role unlike anything he has done before.  I couldn't take my eyes off the screen.  This is not getting much attention but it is definitely worth seeking out.

A Kurt Bestor Christmas at the Eccles 2024

 A Kurt Bestor Christmas has become one of my favorite holiday traditions (I absolutely love his arrangements of Christmas music) and I thoroughly enjoyed this year's concert at the Eccles Theatre last night.  He began with his versions of "Deck the Halls," "Joy to the World," and "I Wonder as I Wander" (a favorite of mine).  Then he brought his first guest, thirteen-year-old soprano Lillian Breeze Manning, to the stage and she sang an incredible arrangement of "Pie Jesu" which brought the audience to their feet!  She continued with "Mary Did You Know?" which was also very beautiful.  Next came a fun arrangement of "Christmas Time Is Here" with snippets of other Christmas songs (and a Charlie Brown Christmas tree).  Bestor continued with "Prayer for the Children" which is probably his most well-known song and then "O Holy Night" which is what I was most hoping to hear (it is my favorite Christmas song and I really love his arrangement of it).  He finished his first set with "Suite de Noel" which highlighted every section in his band and orchestra.  After the intermission, he performed "Ode to Joy" from his forthcoming album Etches which features classical pieces reimagined for the solo piano.  Next came "I Saw Three Ships" and then he performed a medley of three pieces, "Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella," "We Three Kings," and "Feliz Navidad," which featured a Caribbean-inspired beat and extended solos from Michael Dowdle on guitar, Carlitos del Puerto on bass, and Eric Valentine on drums (it was very cool).  He brought his next guest, violinist Caroline Campbell, to the stage for a mashup of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Carol of the Bells" which was amazing!  She continued with "In the Bleak Midwinter" and then a rousing rendition of a Celtic-inspired arrangement of "Ding Dong Merrily on High" which I really loved!  He continued the tradition of having someone from the audience narrate "Twas the Night Before Christmas" while performing amusing songs to go with it.  This year he picked a man named Steve who looked like Santa Claus and, when he accidentally skipped a page in the story, he said it was because Bestor didn't give him a chance to rehearse!  The concert concluded, as it often does, with a beautiful performance of "Silent Night" with Manning and Campbell.  As always, this was a beautiful concert and I loved every minute of it.  There are three more performances and I definitely recommend getting a ticket (go here).

Festival of Trees 2024

Yesterday I volunteered as a hostess at the Festival of Trees for the fourteenth year.  Various individuals and organizations decorate trees, usually to commemorate someone who has been a patient at Primary Children's Hospital, and then donate them.  These trees are put up for auction and then displayed at the Mountain Expo Center for the public to view for the duration of the festival.  All of the proceeds go directly to Primary Children's Hospital so it is a really worthwhile cause.  In addition to the trees, there are centerpieces, wreaths, quilts, and and gingerbread houses with lots of crafts and treats for sale (I highly recommend the cinnamon rolls).  After I am finished I like to wander around and look at all of the trees.  Here are some of my favorites.

This American Red Cross tree was my favorite in my assigned area.

The festival continues at the Mountain America Expo Center through Saturday.  Go here for more information and tickets.

A Christmas Carol at HCTO 2024

Last night I went to HTCO for the fifth and final production of A Christmas Carol that I have scheduled this season (whew!).  This tells the well-known story of Ebenezer Scrooge's reclamation by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future but it is a much simpler version.  Several of the extraneous scenes involving interactions between Scrooge and various townspeople have been omitted and other scenes feature voice-over narration rather than action.  The set is also very minimal with only a few pieces brought on and off the stage by the ensemble.  Even though the production is spartan, it is no less powerful and there were many moments that I found very impactful.  The scene between Scrooge (Mark Fossen) and Jacob Marley (Morgan Gunter) is incredibly eerie because we only hear Marley's disembodied voice for much of the time until he suddenly appears to Scrooge to prove that he is real.  There were lots of audible gasps from the audience during this scene!  I was also very struck by the scenes between Young Ebenezer (Lucas Morley) and Belle (Ondine Morgan-Garner) because he has a playful demeanor when he is wooing her but then he is incredibly cold and heartless when she leaves him.  Morley's portrayal of this transformation is very compelling because it mirrors that of Fossen before his reclamation.  Finally, the scene with Bob Cratchit (Bryson Smellie) and Mrs. Cratchit (Shani Harper) at Tiny Tim's grave moved me to tears because it is so heartbreaking.  As with the production at HCT, this one also uses music to tell the story.  I especially loved "Joy to the World," "Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella," "Coventry Carol," and "Christmas is Coming" by the Carolers (Delaney Johns, Eliza Stevenson, Ally Johnson, Elizabeth Thompson, Ben Driggs, Jake Oaklyn, Ryan Withers, and Steve Winters), "What Child is This?" by Bob Cratchit, and the original songs "I Was a Boy" by Young Ebenezer and Scrooge, "Hey Old Joe" by Old Joe (Chip Brown), the Undertaker (Morgan Gunter), the Laundress (Natalie Killpack-Daniel), and the Charwoman (Kelsea Kocherhans Smellie), and "Am I That Man?" by Scrooge (these songs really add to the narrative).  As with every production that I have seen at HCTO, I was so impressed by the costumes because they all feature beautiful fabrics with lots of elaborate embellishments.  I particularly loved a green and white houndstooth cloak worn by one of the carolers, a purple frock coat worn by Mr. Fezziwig (David Kocherhans), and a white fur coat and hat worn by Belle.  I thoroughly enjoyed this show and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) to one of the performances through December 28.

Note:  This is the final production at the theatre in Orem.  I am really looking forward to the inaugural season at The Ruth beginning with Ragtime in January.

A Christmas Carol at HCT 2024

Last night I went to Hale Centre Theatre for the fourth of five productions of A Christmas Carol that I have scheduled this holiday season. This is a very traditional version of Ebenezer Scrooge's reclamation by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future and it is my sentimental favorite. I have been attending this show 25+ years and, since it isn't part of the season subscription, I sometimes try to convince myself that I don't need to see it every year but then I realize that I would really miss it and end up getting a ticket. I am so glad that I did this year because I enjoyed this production even more than usual. I wait with anticipation for every single scene (I think I have the whole show memorized) and I love seeing actors return year after year in the same role, particularly Stephen Kerr as Scrooge because his transformation is very powerful. I also really enjoy seeing new interpretations of characters and I especially loved John Rex Kocherhans because he brings a dignity to Bob Cratchit, Ben Parkes because he is so overwrought as Marley, and Taylor J. Smith because he is absolutely hilarious as the Ghost of Christmas Present (his facial expressions are so funny and I laughed out loud every time he threw confetti at Scrooge). One of the things I love best about HCT's production is the use of music to tell the story with an octet (Brett Myers, Zack Grob, Dan VanOrmer, Quinn Dietlein, Rachel Worthen Grob, Jennifer Riley, Luana Parkes, and Courtney McMullin) who sing in between the scenes and various characters who sing as part of the narrative. My favorites are "Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella" by Mr. Fezziwig (Mark Brocksmith) and his party guests, "Greensleeves" by Belle (Jordyn Aspyn Durfey), "Wassail, Wassail" by Fred (Josh Durfey) and his party guests, "Infant Holy, Infant Lowly" by the Poor Wife (Dawn Dietlein), and "Sussex Carol" by the Company. I also really love the elaborate sets, particularly the attention to detail in Scrooge's counting house (I love the ledgers and file boxes on the shelves), Scrooge's bed chamber (I love the opulent fabrics and wallpaper), Bob Cratchit's house (I love the fireplace), Fred's house (I love the Christmas tree), and the Rag and Bottle Shop (I love all of the items for sale displayed on the shelves). The only criticism I ever have of this show is that I think the scene at the Rag and Bottle Shop goes on a bit too long but last night I loved it because Taylor J. Smith made me laugh out loud as Old Joe. The holidays just wouldn't be the same without this show and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) but act quickly because many dates are sold out. It runs on the Sorenson Legacy Jewel Box Stage through December 28.