The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts

Last night I went to see The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts and, even though I recently saw an outstanding production, I love this musical and I don't think I will ever get tired of seeing it so I really enjoyed this version, too! It tells Victor Hugo's classic story about how a gypsy girl named Esmeralda (Rose Fletcher) inadvertently captivates Claude Frollo (Andrew Lambert), the Archdeacon of Notre Dame Cathedral, Phoebus de Martin (Adam Moore), the Captain of the Cathedral Guard, and Quasimodo (Benjamin Oldroyd), a deformed boy who has been hidden in the bell tower his whole life, which brings about tragedy and redemption. I love just about every song and the talented cast sings them beautifully! Oldroyd is incredible (he is one of the best Quasimodos I've seen) and his versions of "Out There" and "Heaven's Light" are beautiful and filled with both wonder and longing while his version of "Made of Stone" is incredibly plaintive. Fletcher is alluring in "The Rhythm of the Tambourine" (she is a great dancer) and playful in "Top of the World" with Oldroyd but her emotional performances of "God Help the Outcasts" (my favorite song in the show) and "Someday" with Moore brought tears to my eyes.  Lambert portrays Frollo's torment very well and his powerful rendition of "Hellfire" gave me goosebumps. I also loved the portrayal of the Saints (Stan Peck, Krystal Bigler, Sarah Glancy, Lindsey Lebaron, Tanner Lybbert, Shawna Packer, and Xander Richey) because they have some of the best costumes I have seen and their interactions with Quasimodo are highly amusing in "Out There," "Top of the World," and "Flight into Egypt" but poignant in "Made of Stone" (I love how they turn back to stone when they abandon him). One of my favorite aspects of this production is the choreography because it so exuberant and athletic, especially in "Topsy Turvy," "The Tavern Song," and "The Court of Miracles," and the ensemble does an amazing job with it (I loved all of Keith Allen's flips as Clopin). I was also impressed by the clever staging of "Hellfire," the rescue of Esmeralda from the pyre, and Frollo's fall from the bell tower. The elaborate set features a dramatic multi-level stone cathedral dominated by a stunning rose window which then becomes the bell tower, the town square, and the Court of Miracles with the addition of several pieces moved on and off stage by the ensemble. This is a wonderful production of one of my favorite shows and I am glad that I got to see it again! It runs through October 4 and tickets may be purchased here.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

I had planned on seeing Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale when it was first released but I knew that I needed to see it with both of my sisters.  The three of us eagerly anticipated each new episode on PBS every Sunday night and then discussed it at length for the rest of the week (I cannot even begin to express how shocked we were by Matthew's death) and I loved seeing each of the previous movies, Downton Abbey and Downton Abbey: A New Era, with them so it was only fitting that we went to a matinee yesterday afternoon together.  I am so glad we found a time when when the three of us could go because we had so much fun (I lost count of how many times we gave each other meaningful looks when a character had a full-circle moment) and we all think it is a great conclusion to a series we have loved for so long!  Lady Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern) thinks it is time for Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) to hand over the running of Downton Abbey to Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) but she has become a social pariah because of her divorce from Henry Talbot.  It is up to Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael) to rehabilitate Mary's reputation and up to Tom Branson (Allen Leech) and Lord Hexham (Harry Haddon-Paton) to convince Robert to pass the torch and move to the Dower House with Cora.  The theme of passing the torch is also mirrored with the other characters.  Lady Merton (Penelope Wilton) inherits the organization of the county fair from the late Dowager Lady Grantham and goes head to head with Sir Hector Moreland (Simon Russell Beale), Daisy Parker (Sophie McShera) becomes the cook after Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol) retires to live with her husband Mr. Mason (Paul Copley), Andy Parker (Michael Fox) takes over as butler when Carson (Jim Carter) finally steps down, and Baxter (Raquel Cassidy) is promoted to Lady Mary's maid when Anna (Joanne Froggatt) moves to the Dower House to be with Bates (Brendan Coyle).  My favorite scenes include when Mrs. Patmore asks Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan) about *ahem* marital relations (all three of us laughed out loud at this callback), when Barrow (Robert James-Collier) is invited upstairs, when Edith confronts a fraudster (Alessandro Nivola) who has been embezzling money from Cora's brother Harold Levinson (Paul Giamatti), and when Molesley (Kevin Doyle) becomes a footman once again to meet Noel Coward (Arty Froushan).  I enjoyed seeing how big all of the original children from the series have gotten, especially Sybbie (Fifi Hart), and the closing montage featuring several original characters brought a tear to my eye.  The production design, locations, and costumes (especially Lady Mary's red dress) are as fabulous as you would expect and it was very nostalgic to hear some of the original themes in the score.  I absolutely loved bidding a fond farewell to the Crawley family with my family and I highly recommend this to fans of the series.

Note:  Creator Julian Fellowes says that this is the definitive end to this story but he is open to spin-offs.  I think there should be a prequel with a young Violet!

2 Pianos 4 Hands at PTC

I didn't know much about 2 Pianos 4 Hands, the opening production for the 2025-2026 season at PTC, when I walked into the Meldrum Theatre last night but I ended up loving it so much! Richard Todd Adams and Matthew McGloin play Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt (who wrote the piece about their own experiences), respectively, as well as their parents, teachers, and adjudicators as they pursue their dreams of becoming classical pianists. The first half is really funny as ten-year-old Ted and Richard struggle to learn scales and time signatures from eccentric teachers, endure pushy parents who want them to practice while their friends play hockey outside, and suffer from stage fright during performances before they get serious and begin competing against each other. The second half is more poignant as seventeen-year-old Ted and Richard begin auditioning for conservatories and learn the difference between being good and being great. Ted eventually becomes a piano teacher to adult students and Richard plays "Piano Man" for drunk and belligerent patrons at a bar before they come together in an emotional performance that is simply for the joy of playing. I think almost everyone can relate to this show, even those of us who were not forced to take piano lessons in our youth, because at some point we have all had to settle for being good but not great at something. Both Adam and McGloin give brilliant performances because, not only are they playing all of the classical music live on stage, they are doing so with a lot of physical comedy thrown in (my favorite scene is when the two of them fight each other while practicing a duet without missing a note) and their timing is perfect (especially when they seamlessly transition back and forth between being the soloist and being another character). The music is absolutely incredible and I was thrilled to hear Prelude No. 15 in D flat major "Raindrops" by Frederic Chopin and Sonata No. 8 in C minor "Pathetique" by Ludwig van Beethoven because they are some of my favorite pieces. As much as I loved the classical music, one of my favorite scenes is when Ted and Richard start goofing off while practicing and play a medley of pop songs (my favorite was the music from Chariots of Fire complete with slow motion running). The set is very simple, with two grand pianos dominating the space and a backdrop with geometric cutouts used for projections and shadows, but it is effective in portraying a variety of spaces. Finally, as a Canadian I absolutely loved all of the subtle allusions to Canada (the playwrights are Canadian), especially the use of a loonie. I had heard nothing but rave reviews for this production before seeing it and I was definitely not disappointed (it is now one of my favorite shows produced by PTC). I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) but act quickly because most of the remaining performances through September 27 have limited availability.

Note:  Between this show, The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 at HCT, and Flowers for Mrs. Harris at the Ruth, September has been a good month for seeing something new!

The Sound of Music

I helped care for my mom during the last year of her life and we watched The Sound of Music every day (sometimes twice if she was having a bad day) because she loved it and it would soothe her.  Now whenever I watch it I am reminded of her.  It is back in theaters with a 4K restoration as part of the Fathom's Big Screen Classics series to celebrate its 60th Anniversary and, of course, I had to see it last night.  There was a large crowd and they were pretty vocal so it was a lot of fun (and a little bittersweet) listening to all of the iconic Rodgers and Hammerstein songs, including "The Sound of Music," "Maria," "I Have Confidence," "Sixteen Going on Seventeen," "My Favorite Things," "Do-Re-Mi," "The Lonely Goatherd," "Edelweiss," "So Long, Farewell," "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," and "Something Good."  I had to try really hard not to sing along!  My mom did not like the Baroness (Eleanor Parker) so she would hiss every time she appeared on screen and she clapped during the entire wedding sequence because that was her favorite.  These scenes definitely put a big smile on my face!  I always enjoy watching the young actress who plays Gretl (Kym Karath) because she is concentrating so hard on her part (watch her during the music festival) and it is adorable!  My favorite scenes are when the Captain (Christopher Plummer) and Maria (Julie Andrews) dance the Ländler (I am not exaggerating when I say that I have seen this movie hundreds of times and last night was the first time I noticed that all of the other couples are also dancing the Ländler inside) because Plummer is so handsome and it is incredibly romantic and when Maria and the children sing "Do-Re-Mi" because all of the locations remind me of a trip I took to Salzburg (I especially love the scenes in the Mirabell Gardens because I immediately recognized them from the movie when I was there).  I saw this on the big screen several years ago but it was even more meaningful watching it last night and I am so happy that I had the opportunity (go here for more upcoming releases presented by Fathom Events).

Note:  It is really jarring to me whenever I see the stage version because it differs significantly from the movie (I feel the same way about Grease).

Little Shop of Horrors at CPT

Little Shop of Horrors is such a fun show and I loved seeing a fantastic production at CPT with my sisters and nephew last night. Seymour (Jake Heywood) and Audrey (Janae Klumpp-Gibb) both work in a run-down flower shop on Skid Row but the owner, Mr. Mushnik (Robert Gibbons), decides to close it because there are no customers. Seymour thinks that an unusual plant, which he found during a total eclipse of the sun and named Audrey II after his co-worker, will bring more business. The shop becomes wildly successful but Mr. Mushnik is concerned because Audrey II isn't thriving. Seymour inadvertently discovers that Audrey II likes drinking his blood after he cuts himself on a thorn and, eventually, it grows to a giant size demanding more and more blood. When Seymour can't spare any more of his blood, he feeds it the body of Audrey's abusive boyfriend Orin Scrivello (Brock Dalgleish), a sadistic dentist who has an unfortunate laughing gas accident, which wins him the love of Audrey but makes Audrey II even more insatiable. Seymour enjoys the notoriety Audrey II brings him but soon feels guilty about everyone who has died so he could feed it. He decides to get rid of it but eventually he and Audrey succumb to Audrey II's evil plan for world domination! There is a girl group, including Crystal (Kortney King-Lives), Ronnette (Tory Sandoval), and Chiffon (Alexandria Bird), who narrates the show with music that is a mixture of rock and roll, doo-wop, and Motown and they sound amazing together. I also really loved Klumpp-Gibb's performance because she has a beautiful voice and her versions of "Somewhere That's Green" and "Suddenly Seymour" brought the house down. Heywood is awkwardly adorable in "Grow For Me" and Dalgleish is completely over the top in "Be A Dentist" but Austin Payne steals the show as the voice of Audrey II by singing the blues in "Feed Me (Git It)." All of the puppets used for Audrey II, which get bigger and bigger, are incredible and the way that they are manipulated by puppeteer Mitch Gibb is so much fun to watch! Finally, I loved the set which features a street on Skid Row with lots of really fun details (my favorite is the fire escape where the girls often appear). The exterior of Mushnik's Flower Shop opens up to reveal an interior that gets more elaborate as the show goes on, including more and more of Audrey II's tendrils which eventually reach out into the audience during "Finale Ultimo (Don't Feed the Plants)." The cute couple sitting next to me told me that I had a smile on my face during the whole show and I'm sure that I did because I had such a great time watching it. I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) during its run on the Mountain America Main Stage through October 14.