Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir 2024

Whenever I am not selected in the lottery for tickets to the Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir concerts (which is often), I do the next best thing and attend the Music and the Spoken Word broadcast on the following Sunday because the guest artists usually perform a shortened version of the same program.  This year the guests artists were Ruthie Ann Miles (known for her Tony Award-winning performance as Lady Thiang from The King and I on Broadway) and Dennis Haysbert (known for playing David Palmer on the TV show 24) and they joined the choir, the Orchestra at Temple Square, the Bells at Temple Square, and the Gabriel Trumpet Ensemble yesterday morning at the Conference Center.  The choir began with a beautiful arrangement of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" while standing in the aisles holding lights and then they marched to the stage (it was perfectly coordinated and I was quite impressed) singing "'Twas Midnight in the Stable."  Miles joined the choir for a stirring rendition of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" which was followed by performances of "Welcome Christmas Morning!" by the orchestra and "Good King Wenceslas" by Brian Mathias on the organ.  The choir continued with "What Shall We Give?" which I had never heard before but found very moving.  Next, Haysbert read the Christmas story from Luke 2 (he has such a distinctive voice so this was very dramatic).  The broadcast concluded with "Angels From the Realms of Glory" with Miles and this was spectacular (I had goosebumps).  The Christmas concert usually features an uplifting true story and this year's was called "A Season for Shepherds."  After the broadcast ended the audience was able to hear this story, recounting the experiences of Dr. Charles Mulli and his family in helping generations of disadvantaged children in Kenya, narrated by Haysbert who was quite emotional.  I found Mulli's story incredibly inspiring, especially when he came to the stage and challenged the audience to care for the poor.  This was another wonderful Christmas concert and I particularly loved the overall message about service this year.  I'm glad I made the effort to attend.

Ballet West's The Nutcracker 2024

Ballet West's wonderful production of The Nutcracker is one of my favorite traditions (it just wouldn't be Christmas without it) and I was really excited to see it last night.  I love everything about this ballet and I eagerly anticipate every scene and every note from Tchaikovsky's magnificent score (it seemed to go by so quickly last night).  My favorite scenes include the party revealing the Christmas tree to Clara, Fritz, and the rest of the children because it is enchanting, the nutcracker leading a group of toy soldiers in battle against the mice because it is thrilling, and the dance of the Snow Queen and Snow King with their snowflakes because it is dazzling.  When Clara and her Nutcracker Prince reach the Land of Sweets, the Sugar Plum Fairy presents a series of divertissements for their entertainment and I always really love the Arabian dance because it is so exotic and the Russian dance because it is so athletic (it received the loudest applause last night).  However, the scene I anticipate the most is the Grand Pas de Deux between the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier because both Tchaikovsky's music and William Christensen's choreography are almost unbearably romantic (I love when she jumps into his arms and then leans all the way forward almost touching the stage).  I have to admit that I was disappointed because I specifically selected this performance in order to see Katlyn Addison and Adrian Fry in these roles and I was really looking forward to it but there was a casting change.  To be fair, Kristina Pool and Hadriel Diniz danced the roles beautifully and had great chemistry with each other but I was hoping to see my favorites and, unfortunately, I let that influence my enjoyment a bit.  I was, however, still completely caught up in the magic of the stunning sets, the opulent costumes, and the impressive special effects (the people sitting behind me gasped out loud when the nutcracker was transformed and when Clara's sled flew across the stage) and I felt like a child as I always do when watching this ballet.  It is a lovely tradition and I recommend getting a ticket for one of the performances through December 28 (go here).

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!