The Last Showgirl

Last night my nephew and I went to see The Last Showgirl at the Broadway.  I was really eager to see this because of everything I had heard about Pamela Anderson's performance and it is definitely the highlight of the movie.  Shelly Gardner (Anderson) has been a dancer in a Las Vegas revue called Le Razzle Dazzle for over thirty years.  Her much younger castmates Mary-Anne (Brenda Song) and Jodie (Kiernan Shipka) see the show as just a way to earn money but she thinks of it as a glamorous career in an iconic show where she feels beautiful and seen.  However, when she learns that show will be closing permanently very soon, she must come to terms with the effect her career has had on the relationship with her estranged daughter Hannah (Billie Lourd) and with the fact that she has only been deluding herself that she is a star after a disappointing audition for another director (Jason Schwartzman).  I really loved the exploration of what it means to follow a dream even when that dream requires sacrifices or is derided by others and I found the ending to be almost triumphant even though Shelly's future remains uncertain.  I also liked the examination of how society treats women when they age (this would be a great double feature with The Substance), especially in the scenes involving Shelly's friend and former castmate Annette (Jamie Lee Curtis).  Anderson gives the performance of her career and, as a woman who was herself sexualized in most of her acting roles and then discarded, she brings an authenticity to the role that is incredibly poignant.  I particularly loved her vulnerability in the audition scene.  I was also really impressed by Dave Bautista as Eddie, the producer of the revue, but I found Curtis to be too over the top.  Unfortunately, the script is quite weak with ambiguous relationships that I wish had been explored more fully and much of the already short runtime is taken up with artistic shots of Shelly standing in front of various locations (I get that this is supposed to represent the real Las Vegas that tourists don't see but the repetition becomes tedious).  Much like with Maria, I really loved the central performance but didn't necessarily love the movie.

Ragtime at The Ruth

I really love the musical Ragtime so I was thrilled to be able to see it last night in the Scott & Karen Smith Grand Theater at The Ruth.  It is an amazing production (and the theater isn't too shabby, either).  This show tells the story of America at the turn of the 20th Century from the perspectives of three different groups of people.  Mother (Amy Shreeve Keeler) is the matriarch of an upper-class family living in the suburb of New Rochelle when Father (Christopher Higbee) leaves on a voyage to the North Pole and she is forced to make decisions for the first time in her life.  Tateh (Taylor Morris) is an Eastern European Jew who brings his daughter to America hoping for a better life.  Coalhouse Walker, Jr. (Yahosh Bonner) is a Harlem piano player looking for justice after the death of his fiance Sarah (Brittany Andam).  Their stories converge along with those of the most notable figures of the day, including the illusionist Harry Houdini (Clayton Barney), a showgirl named Evelyn Nesbit (Morgan Fenner) who gets caught up in the Crime of the Century, the Black leader Booker T. Washington (Chad Brown), the financier J.P. Morgan (Bradley Moss), the inventor of the Model-T Henry Ford (Trevor B. Dean), and the anarchist Emma Goldman (Marcie Jacobsen), with ragtime music as a metaphor for the dramatic changes taking place in American life before World War I.  The entire cast is outstanding but I especially enjoyed Bonner and Andam because they sing "Sarah Brown Eyes," my favorite song in the show, so beautifully (the two of them also just about blow the roof off the brand new theater with their powerful rendition of "Wheels of a Dream") and I found Bonner's performance of "Make Them Hear You" and Andam's performance of "Your Daddy's Son" to be incredibly stirring.  I was also really impressed with Keeler because she sings "Back to Before," another one of my favorites from the show, with so much emotion.  Speaking of emotion, the ensemble brought tears to my eyes during "Till We Reach That Day" because it is so affecting.  The dynamic staging and choreography really add to the storytelling, especially in "Ragtime" as the various groups circle around each other, in "Journey On" as Father and Tateh arrive and depart from New York Harbor as Mother waves to both of them, in "A Shtetl Iz America" as the immigrants arrive at Ellis Island with metal fences that are moved and configured as barriers and then as a gate, and the synchronized movements that mimic an assembly line by the factory workers in "Henry Ford."  I also really loved the energy in "Gettin' Ready Rag" and "Atlantic City."  This new theater features a thrust stage which retains the intimacy of the old theater but allows for more elaborate sets and I liked the use of bricks, glass, and iron girders to represent the industrialization of the age.  Finally, I have always loved HCTO's costumes and this show is no exception.  I especially loved the white Edwardian dresses worn by the women of New Rochelle and Evelyn Nesbit's showgirl costume.  Every aspect of this production is extremely well done and I highly recommend it (you definitely do not want to miss out on being a part of The Ruth's inaugural show).  It runs through February 22 and tickets may be purchased here.

Note:  I thoroughly enjoyed seeing shows at the quirky HCTO theater but I have to admit the the new theater is much more comfortable (lots of leg room).

Titanic The Musical at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse

I loved HCT's production of Titanic The Musical so much I saw it twice! I was, therefore, really intrigued by the concert edition of this show now being performed at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse. I saw it last night and, while it doesn't have the same technical wizardry as HCT's version, it is beautiful and very moving. This musical tells the story of the doomed maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic from the perspectives of the different groups on board. The White Star Line is represented by the designer Thomas Andrews, the owner J. Bruce Ismay, and the captain E.J. Smith who marvel at the ship in the song "The Largest Moving Object." The crew is represented by a stoker named Fred Barrett, the lookout Frederick Fleet, and the telegraph operator Harold Bride who are in awe of it in the song "Ship of Dreams." The third class passengers are represented by Kate McGowan, Kate Murphey, Kate Mullins, and Jim Farrell who are excited to be going to America for a better life in the song "Lady's Maid." The second class passengers, especially Alice Beane, are excited to mingle with the wealthy passengers aboard the ship in the song "Doing the Latest Rag." The first class passengers are represented by John Jacob Astor and his wife Madeline and Isidor Straus and his wife Ida who congratulate themselves on their success in the song "What a Remarkable Age This Is!" Ismay wants the ship to go faster to reach New York Harbor a day sooner for the publicity but that is extremely dangerous and Titanic eventually strikes an iceberg in "No Moon." When it becomes clear that the ship will sink without enough lifeboats for all of the passengers, Andrews, Ismay, and Smith accuse each other in "Blame." Only women and children are allowed on the lifeboats so the men must say goodbye to their loved ones in "We'll Meet Tomorrow." Andrews laments the errors in his design as the ship goes down in "Mr. Andrews' Vision" while the survivors on the Carpathia express hope that they will be reunited with their loved ones in "Godspeed Titanic." This is a stripped down version with a live orchestra on stage and an ensemble cast of twenty, many of whom play several parts, with minimal props (I loved the life preservers and the blankets with Carpathia stenciled on them) and costumes (the fur stoles worn by the first class passengers were my favorites) and a large screen showing actual photos of various locations on the Titanic. Cast members are located on risers behind the orchestra and move to center stage or on platforms on either side to perform the songs (although there is choreography for "Doing the Latest Rag") and I think this is very effective because the emphasis is on the music rather than an elaborate set. The sinking of the ship is not quite as dramatic but it is still powerfully conveyed through sound and lighting design. The cast is wonderful and the standouts for me were Blaine Hickman as Andrews because he is so emotional in "Blame," Cydney Hall as Bride because her physicality and facial expressions are hilarious in "The Night Was Alive," Ben Teeples as Fleet because his voice is so beautiful in "No Moon," April Beardall as Alice because she made me laugh out loud trying to elude the first class steward in "Doing the Latest Rag," and Mary Nakayu as Ida because she is heartbreaking in "Still." I was very impressed with this production and I highly recommend it (there were a lot of empty seats last night and this definitely deserves a big crowd). It runs on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays through February 8 (go here for tickets).

Note:  There is a wonderful display in the lobby with pictures and information about the real people on the Titanic. Make sure to check it out.

The Music of John Williams

Last night I was so excited to hear the music of prolific film composer John Williams performed by the Utah Symphony!  The program was curated by Creative Partner David Robertson and he was full of fun anecdotes about each piece (I think he is really charming and I always like to be in attendance whenever he is the guest conductor).  The orchestra began with the Overture to The Cowboys, which is one of the earliest scores composed by Williams, and I have to admit that I have never seen this movie or heard the score before last night but I really liked it because it is very stirring.  The concert continued with "The Flight to Neverland" from Hook, the Flying Theme from E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, and then "Hedwig's Theme" and "Harry's Wondrous World" from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (which always puts a smile on my face).  After the intermission, the orchestra played "Superman March" from Superman: The Movie, the Main Theme from Jurassic Park (this is one of my favorites because every time I hear it I can visualize Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler seeing the dinosaurs for this first time and this scene is absolutely magical thanks, in large part, to the music composed by Williams), the Main Theme from Schindler's List with the violin solos performed by Concertmaster Madeline Adkins (this was heartbreakingly beautiful and the audience leapt to their feet in a standing ovation for Adkins at its conclusion), and the Main Theme from JFK (I loved the snare drum and the fanfare from a solo trumpet).  The concert concluded with the piece I had been waiting for all evening, the instantly recognizable Main Title from Star Wars: A New Hope, and it gave me goosebumps (as it always does).  The encore included "Imperial March" from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (another favorite) and "The Raiders March" from Raiders of the Lost Ark.  I really enjoyed this concert and I highly recommend getting a ticket for tonight's performance of the same program (go here), especially if you are a fan of movies, but act quickly because last night's concert was sold out.

The Fire Inside

My first movie of 2025 was The Fire Inside at the Broadway last night and I definitely picked a good one to begin the year with!  I am a sucker for real-life inspirational sports movies but this subverts the usual formula to focus on what happens after all of the glory.  Eight year old Claressa Shields (Jazmin Headley) runs every day to a boxing gym in Flint, Michigan to escape her dysfunctional home life but the volunteer coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry) doesn't want to train a girl.  He eventually relents when he sees her fierce determination and, five years later, "T-Rex" (Ryan Destiny) is the best boxer in the gym with a chance to go to the 2012 Olympics in London.  Motivated by the opportunity to help her family, she overcomes incredible odds and wins the first women's boxing medal for the USA.  However, the real fight begins after the Olympics when she is unable to find representation or lucrative endorsement deals because the public is not interested in women's sports, especially boxing, and when USA Boxing offers a training stipend that is significantly less than the one for the men even though she was the only boxer to win a gold medal.  This true story is incredibly inspirational but it is also heartbreaking because winning was not enough and, as much as I loved all of the stand up and cheer moments (including the requisite training montage), I was really moved by some of the more poignant ones such as when Claressa silently weeps when she sees all of the other gold medal winners on the Wheaties boxes and when she tries to pawn her gold medal.  Both Destiny and Henry give highly affecting performances and I loved the way their relationship is portrayed because they need each other and inspire each other but they also butt heads in scenes that crackle with energy.  I also really loved the way in which the boxing sequences are filmed because they are dynamic and exciting.  I feel like this movie has been overshadowed by some of the bigger Christmas releases but it is a crowd-pleaser about the power of perseverance and fighting twice as hard for what you want that is definitely worth checking out.  I loved it!