Souvenir at PTC

My final theatre production of 2024 was Souvenir at PTC last night and I certainly picked a good one to end with because it is absolutely charming! In 1964, pianist Cosme McMoon (Bob Walton) reminisces about his twelve-year musical partnership with Florence Foster Jenkins (Linda Mugleston), a wealthy socialite with a hilariously poor singing voice, on the anniversary of her death. Cosme narrates the show beginning with his first meeting with Foster Jenkins in 1932 when she hires him to accompany her for a recital that she is giving to benefit her favorite charities. He is horrified when he hears her sing for the first time but he takes the job because he desperately needs the money. When her recital becomes the talk of New York City, it becomes an annual event and, even though Cosme faces derision from his colleagues, he remains with her. They come to blows when she makes a recording of the "Queen of the Night" aria from Mozart's The Magic Flute and Cosme finally tells her the truth about her singing but he eventually comes to respect her unapologetic commitment to her art. Their collaboration culminates in a performance at Carnegie Hall in which they share a poignant moment after Foster Jenkins doubts her talent for the first time and Cosme reassures her because the music she hears in her head is beautiful. This show is so funny because the singing by Foster Jenkins is so incredibly bad (the recorded applause used in the Carnegie Hall performance was not necessary because the applause in the Meldrum Theatre was definitely loud enough) and Cosme's reaction to it is also highly amusing. As funny as it is, I also really enjoyed the touching portrait of a friendship and I found the ending to be incredibly moving. Mugleston is brilliant in the role because I would imagine that it takes a really good singer to sound so bad and Walton is perfect as the straight man to all of her antics (he has great comedic timing). The Meldrum Theatre (a venue I really like) is perfect for this play because it is so intimate and the simple set allows the audience to feel like they are observing the rehearsals conducted in the music room of the Ritz-Carlton. The period costumes are lovely and they became more outlandish with each aria during the Carnegie Hall performance. This hilarious and heartwarming production was a welcome relief from all of the Christmas shows I've been seeing lately and I highly recommend it (go here for tickets) but act quickly because there are only a few performances left.

Mufasa: The Lion King

Yesterday I went to a matinee of Mufasa: The Lion King and, while it has flaws, I enjoyed it more than most of the critics did.  When Nala (Beyonce Knowles-Carter) is about to give birth during a storm, Simba (Donald Glover) enlists Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) to babysit their daughter Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter).  Rafiki (John Kani) steps in to tell Kiara the story of how her grandfather Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) went from an orphan to the king of the Pride Lands.  When the cub Mufasa is separated from his parents Afia (Anika Noni Rose) and Masego (Keith David) during a flood, he is saved by Taka (Kelvin Harrison, Jr.) and taken in by his mother Eshe (Thandiwe Newton) and eventually by his father Obasi (Lennie James), the leader the pride.  Mufasa becomes a surrogate brother to Taka but they are both sent away by Obasi when the pride is attacked by a white lion named Kiros (Mads Mikkelsen) and his group of "Outsiders."  While on the run from Kiros, Mufasa and Taka encounter a lioness named Sarabi (Tiffany Boone), a hornbill named Zazu (Preston Nyman), and a young mandrill named Rafiki (Kagiso Ledigo) who are traveling to the mythological land of Milele and decide to join them.  Taka develops feelings for Sarabi but, when she falls in love with Mufasa, he becomes jealous and leaves marks so Kiros can follow them.  When they reach Milele, Mufasa must unite all of the animals for battle, face Kiros, and deal with Taka's betrayal.  The biggest flaws are the story, which is convoluted and uses a plot device that is very cliched, and the pacing, which becomes tedious whenever it returns to the present with Timon and Pumbaa (who are not funny).  However, I did really enjoy the relationship between Mufasa and Taka as brothers and I think Pierre and Harrison, Jr. do a great job voicing the characters.  The visuals, which showcase many diverse areas, are absolutely stunning, especially the scenes underwater, and the animals have expression and personality which is a vast improvement over the 2019 live action remake.  I really loved the original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, particularly "I Always Wanted a Brother," "We Go Together," and "Tell Me It's You," but I do think the tone of "Bye Bye" is a bit too campy for such a menacing villain.  I liked this (more than Moana 2, the other Disney cash-grab this year) enough to recommend seeing it over the holidays.

Mannheim Steamroller Christmas at the Eccles 2024

I have seen the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas concert many times but I just can't resist getting a ticket whenever they come to town.  Even though I originally decided not to go this year I ended up getting a ticket to the matinee yesterday and I really loved the show!  Musicians Mark Agnor on violin, Tali Rubenstein on percussion and recorder, Tom Sharpe on drums, Christopher Forte on guitar and bass, Anna Lackaff on keyboard, and Zachary Adamson on harpsichord and keyboard, along with the Mannheim Steamroller Orchestra, performed music originally arranged by Chip Davis featuring a unique fusion of classical, medieval, and contemporary sounds.  This concert mostly featured music from the group's many Christmas albums but there were also a few selections from the Fresh Aire albums including "Pass The Keg (Lia)," "Toccata," and "Come Home to the Sea" (which is a favorite of mine).  Since I really love Christmas music, I enjoyed hearing "Hallelujah," Renaissance and rock versions of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "Traditions of Christmas," "O Little Town of Bethlehem," "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," "Christmas Lullaby," "Catching Snowflakes On Your Tongue" (snow fell in the Eccles Theatre during this number), "Fairies" (which is a fun arrangement of "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies" from the Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky), "Little Drummer Boy," and "Winter Wonderland."  They ended the first set with "Cantique de Noel (O Holy Night)" which made me so happy because it is my favorite Christmas song (I bet you didn't know that!) and this particular arrangement is especially beautiful.  After the intermission they continued with "Feliz Navidad" (which I had never heard before), "Do You Hear What I Hear," "Joy to the World," "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow," and "Good King Wenceslas" which is one of their most popular songs.  The concert concluded with a festive rendition of "Carol of the Bells."  It was so much fun to watch the musicians play because they are very theatrical.  I loved it when Tom Sharpe would twirl and toss his drumsticks in the air and I don't think I've ever seen anyone play the triangle more dramatically than Anna Lackaff!  I also liked the different lighting effects and the laser shows (which replaced many of the usual videos shown year after year).  My only complaint is that they didn't play "Pat-A-Pan" which is my very favorite Mannheim Steamroller song but I thoroughly enjoyed this concert and, as always, I am glad that I changed my mind and got a ticket!

White Christmas

The movie White Christmas will always be a sentimental favorite of mine because my mom loved it so much.  Every time I watch it I think of her so I was thrilled to be able to see it on the big screen last night in honor of its 70th Anniversary (I bought a ticket as soon as the Fathom's Big Screen Classics series lineup was announced last December!).  After collaborating on a Christmas show while fighting in World War II, Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Phil Davis (Danny Kaye) continue performing together after the war and become big stars.  They meet the Haynes Sisters, Betty (Rosemary Clooney) and Judy (Vera-Ellen), after they are tricked into seeing their act.  Wallace and Davis eventually follow the sisters to Vermont where they are booked for the holidays at the Columbia Inn and discover that their former General, Tom Waverly (Dean Jagger), owns the inn and is in financial trouble due to the lack of snow.  Bob has the idea of staging their show on Christmas Eve to bring people to the inn and Phil has the idea of getting Bob and Betty together.  I have seen this movie so many times and I eagerly anticipate all of my favorite scenes, including the iconic number "Sisters" performed by the Haynes Sisters (my sisters and I can recreate this for you for a small fee) and, more hilariously, by Wallace and Davis (Danny Kaye is having way too much fun in this scene), the big song and dance numbers as Wallace and Davis rehearse the show (my favorite is "Mandy" as Vera-Ellen is flipped over and over as she descends a set of stairs), the scenes where Emma (Mary Wickes), General Waverly's housekeeper, eavesdrops on every phone conversation in her role as President of the New England chapter of Busybodies Anonymous (I laugh at everything she says), the emotional reunion of the 151st regiment to honor General Waverly (this always brings tears to my eyes), and, of course, the title song at the end of the show complete with snow falling in the background.  I don't think I will ever get tired of watching this Christmas classic and it was so much fun to see it with a big crowd (I don't think there was an empty seat) who clapped and cheered after every musical number.  You have one more chance to see this on the big screen tonight (go here) and I highly recommend getting a ticket.

Note:  The full lineup for the 2025 Fathom's Big Screen Classics series hasn't been announced yet but the January selection is The Goonies.

Beauty and the Beast at HCT

My sister Kristine loves the musical Beauty and the Beast so I exchanged my original ticket to HCT's current production for one to a show that both of us could attend together. The only performance with tickets available was a matinee that was added to the initial run (they keep adding matinees because it is so popular). We saw it yesterday and to say that it is spectacular would be an understatement. The set is absolutely amazing! I loved the attention to detail with the cobblestone streets and houses in Belle's village and the antlers in Gaston's tavern but that was nothing compared to the Beast's castle which is multi-level with a curved staircase around the perimeter upon which the characters walk as it rotates! Various rooms within the castle come up from the pit and down from the rafters and I especially loved Belle's room, the terrace, the West wing (the stairs going up to the rose are very dramatic), and the tower (I was, however, underwhelmed by the library). I also loved all of the Gothic arches, particularly the ones in front of the LED screens around the theater (the projections on these screens are fantastic and I did love the ones used in the library). It is certainly a technical achievement to coordinate everything so seamlessly because the set is always moving and the actors need to know where they are and what they are doing at all times (there was a small mishap right in front of us and, even though it was handled very well, it made me think of the potential for accidents!). The costumes are stunning because they are instantly recognizable from the 1991 animated movie but they also feature some fun embellishments to make them interesting. Belle's iconic yellow ball gown is so beautiful (I loved all of the yellow and pink roses attached to the skirts) and the enchanted objects are a lot of fun. The character design for the Beast is very well done, especially during the transformation, but I was also impressed with the wolves, who come to the stage from the aisles, because their glowing yellow eyes gave me a bit of a fright (there were lots of children in the audience and one started to cry when the wolves appeared). The choreography is lively and dynamic and I definitely loved "Belle," "Gaston" (especially when Gaston and Le Fou climb onto the antler chandelier), "Human Again," and "The Mob Song." However, "Be Our Guest" is just unbelievable and features a pas de deux between the salt and pepper shakers, a tango between Lumiere and Babette, a can-can with the napkins, an aerial act with the china, and a finale with a giant layer cake complete with fizzing (literally) champagne bottles and confetti (although the confetti guns held by the ensemble look like pipes and felt a little out of place). My sister's favorite song in the show is "If I Can't Love Her" by the Beast and at intermission she told me that Darick Pead's rendition more than exceeded her high expectations (I liked it, too!). I also really enjoyed Shae Robins, who has a beautiful voice, as Belle, Angel Martinez, who delivers a hilarious physical performance, as Le Fou, and Scott Hendrickson, whose facial expressions are so much fun to watch, as Lumiere. I had been told by a friend that Gaston was the highlight of the show (I laughed out loud at all of his antics in "Me" and "Gaston") but I was surprised to learn at intermission that the understudy Zack Wilson was performing the role because he was also the highlight for me (my sister didn't believe he was the understudy until I showed her in the program because he was so good). This is an absolutely magical production and all of the children in the audience were spellbound so this is the perfect show to see over the Christmas holiday. Tickets are hard to come by (go here) but, as I mentioned, a few matinees have been added and they have the best availability.

Note:  My sister and I were sitting on the first row and there were a few times when it was difficult to see some of the actors on the top level of the stage so, if you have the option, it would be better to sit higher up (although being able to see facial expressions close up was definitely compensation).