Frozen at HCT

I have been looking forward to Frozen at HCT ever since the 2025 season was announced over a year ago! I finally had the chance to see it at a matinee yesterday and it is absolutely amazing (I think it is better than the Broadway touring production). Much like the movie, the musical begins with a young Elsa (Penny Hodson) and a young Anna (Bentley Nuila) building a snowman together. When Elsa accidentally freezes Anna with her mysterious powers, King Agnarr (Brock Dalgleish) and Queen Iduna (Breearna Mandla) tell her that she must hide herself away from Anna and the rest of Arendelle. However, after the King and Queen are lost at sea, Elsa (Jessica Hudson) must open the doors of the castle once again for her coronation. She loses control of herself, with devastating consequences, when Anna (Kelly Coombs) requests permission to marry Hans of the Southern Isles (Jon Rose) and then flees Arendelle. Anna follows her, hoping to save Arendelle from the endless winter, and is aided by Kristoff (Ethan Kelso), an ice harvester, Sven (Brae Anderson), his reindeer, and Olaf (BJ Whimpey), the snowman built by Elsa and Anna as young girls. Elsa fears that she is a monster but it is her ability to love that ultimately saves Anna and Arendelle. I loved Hudson's performance because Elsa's songs, "Dangerous to Dream," "Let It Go," and "Monster," are my favorites from the show and she sings them with so much emotion! Coombs is a perfect Anna and her versions of "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?," "For the First Time in Forever," "Love Is an Open Door' (with Rose), "What Do You Know About Love?, (with Kelso), and "I Can't Lose You," (with Hudson) have an appealing wide-eyed innocence and an amusing awkwardness that is so much fun to watch. The rest of the cast is also outstanding but I especially enjoyed Tanner Sumens as the Duke of Weselton and Ryland Despain as Oaken because they are both hilarious! The audience, which was filled with lots of children, loved Wimpey as Olaf and they cheered and laughed out loud at everything he did! I loved all of the special effects used in "Let It Go," particularly the dangling LED lights which look like falling snow, the projections that are synchronized to Elsa's movements, and the quick costume change (the two little girls sitting next to me were amazed by this). I also loved the staging of "Fixer Upper," because the puppets for Pabbie (portrayed by Ben Fonoimoana Tutor) and Bulda (portrayed by Janzell Luika Kim Tutor) are so cool and the choreography for the Hidden Folk is a lot of fun, and of "Colder By the Minute," because the way that Anna is frozen and then thawed is so clever. Speaking of puppets, the one for Sven is incredible! Most of the costumes, especially for Elsa, Anna, and the residents of Arendelle, are informed by the movie and are beautiful (I loved the embroidery).  Finally, the set pieces are pretty spectacular!  My favorites include the maypole used during the summer festival, the gates of the castle, the castle chapel used during the coronation, the bridge at the foot of the North Mountain, the vignettes used in Olaf's song "In Summer," and, of course, Elsa's ice palace (I loved the icicles that come up from the pit and down from the rafters). I can't say enough about this wonderful production and I highly recommend getting tickets for the whole family this holiday season (go here). It runs on the Young Living Centre Stage through January 31 with best availabilty for weekday matinees.

Jazz vs. Thunder

My friend Angela had her seats upgraded for the Utah Jazz game against the Oklahoma City Thunder last night and, luckily, this was a game that I had selected to go with her!  We got to sit on row two in the lower bowl and it is the closest I have ever been to the action!  It was so much fun!  I got to the arena early so I could watch the warm-up and I loved being able to see the players up close.  The Jazz started the game really well and scored 44 points in the first quarter, including eight 3-pointers, with 12 from Kevin Love (he electrified the crowd with every basket) and 11 from Lauri Markkanen.  Their 14 point lead at the end of the first quarter was their biggest of the night because the Thunder answered back with an 8-0 run to begin the second.  They eventually cut Utah's lead to one to end the first half 68-67.  Then the Jazz had an absolutely disastrous third quarter, as they often do, and let the Thunder go on a 33-4 run.  It was really frustrating to watch because the Jazz got lots of breakaways but they couldn't keep control of the ball once they ran it down the court (they ultimately had 28 turnovers during the game which resulted in 44 points for the Thunder) and ended the third down 110-88.  Utah had fewer turnovers in the fourth quarter and they got a spark from Walter Clayton, Jr. and Taylor Hendricks but it wasn't enough to stop Oklahoma City who went on to win the game 144-112.  Keyonte George had 20 points, Lauri Markkanen had 19, and Kyle Filipowski had 18 for the Jazz while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 for the Thunder (I have to admit that I really like him because he is Canadian).

Even though the Jazz lost (and were eliminated from the NBA Cup), I had a great time at the game because it was really exciting to sit so close!

Wicked Double Feature

Yesterday my sister, my nephew, and I went to a Wicked and Wicked: For Good double feature and it was so much fun!  I am glad that I got to see the first movie on the big screen again before the new one because, in my opinion, both of them form one cohesive narrative.  I think Wicked tells Elphaba's story (a misunderstood young woman learns how to control her magic and becomes the Wicked Witch of the West to fulfill her destiny) and Wicked: For Good tells Glinda's story (a popular young woman realizes that she doesn't need magic and becomes Glinda the Good to fulfill her destiny).  I was initially a bit concerned when it was announced that the stage musical was being divided into two movies because I think the second act is weaker than the first but Wicked: For Good definitely improves upon the source material with additions (of songs and scenes) that deepen the relationships between the characters.  I do think the movie gets off to a slow start with an expanded version of "Every Day More Wicked" (which includes reprises from many of the songs in the first movie) but I really loved the new songs "No Place Like Home" and "The Girl in the Bubble" and the expanded version of "Wonderful" because they add to the characterizations of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), Glinda (Ariana Grande), and the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum), respectively.  I also liked the addition of a scene between Nessarose (Marissa Bode) and Boq (Ethan Slater) because it shows her control over him, the wedding scene between Glinda and Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) with cuts to Elphaba because it is so powerful, and several scenes with the animals because they emphasize Elphaba's motivation.  I was impressed with how the filmmakers portrayed Nessarose's enchanted shoes as well as how Dorothy (Bethany Weaver), the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion (Colman Domingo) are depicted.  My favorite scenes were definitely the duet of "As Long as You're Mine" between Elphaba and Fiyero and the confrontation between Elphaba and Glinda at Dorothy's farmhouse after the tornado (the audience cheered during both of them).  As I previously mentioned, this movie focuses more on Glinda and Grande does a brilliant job portraying her journey.  Her acting is as exceptional as her singing, especially in "I Couldn't Be Happier," "I'm Not That Girl (Reprise)," and "For Good" (the scene that follows this song brought me to tears).  Erivo's performance of "No Good Deed" is absolutely amazing (I had chills), Bailey's portrayal of Fiyero's inner conflict is very affecting, and, even though her singing is not great, Michelle Yeoh is fun to watch as the villain Madame Morrible.  It is not as big a spectacle as the first movie (there are few big choreographed numbers) but I enjoyed the world-building, particularly Elphaba's tree house hideaway, the production design, and the costumes.  I really loved this (my sister and I are already talking about seeing it again) and highly recommend it!

Note:  My sister made us pink and green hoodies (my sister and nephew had pink ones and I had a green one) with the logo embroidered on them.  We got lots of comments!

Keeper

I didn't like Longlegs as much as other people seemed to (I think the unbearable tension so painstakingly crafted in the first two acts is completely undone when the mystery is explained) but I was willing to give Osgood Perkins another chance because the trailer for Keeper looked intriguing.  I went to see it last night at the Broadway with my nephew and, in my opinion, it is even worse than Longlegs.  Dr. Malcolm Westridge (Rossif Sutherland) arranges for a romantic weekend with his girlfriend Liz (Tatiana Maslany) at his secluded cabin in the woods for their one year anniversary.  When they arrive, Malcolm insists that Liz eat a piece of the cake left there for them by the caretaker and, even though she doesn't like chocolate, she eventually acquiesces.  The next morning Malcolm is called away to a medical emergency and Liz begins having disturbing visions, which may or may not be real, of strange women who seem to be haunting the cabin.  It is only when Malcolm returns that Liz discovers the true horror lurking inside.  There is an opening montage and an early scene between Malcolm and Liz that set up a possible exploration of toxic relationships and men who are unwilling to commit (my nephew had an even better take about a serial killer who preys on women) and I would have preferred that, or literally anything else, to the actual resolution to the mystery.  Even more frustrating than the underwhelming ending is the incredibly slow, and monotonous, build-up that prioritizes style over substance (I did really like the cabin, which is a character in and of itself, with architectural angles and plate glass windows that allow for some interesting shots with cool perspectives and reflections). This isn't even remotely scary and I found the creatures to be bizarre rather than creepy (my nephew and I laughed out loud several times).  Finally, I didn't especially like Maslany's performance (my nephew argues that she does the best she can with the cringe-worthy dialogue) but Sutherland is one of the worst actors I have ever seen and the two of them have zero chemistry.  I definitely recommend avoiding this (even to fans of Perkins). 

Note: I think Perkins needs better material.  He excels in creating atmospheric visuals but they are undermined by weak screenplays.

A Christmas Story at CPT

I think the musical A Christmas Story is really fun and the new production at CPT, which I was able to see last night, is so good it deserves a major award! It is one month to Christmas and Ralphie Parker (Sam Akerlow) desperately wants an official Red Ryder carbine action 200-shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time. However, his Mother (Lindsey Stephens), his teacher Miss Shields (Abigail June Mathews), and even Santa Claus (Micah Young) all tell him that he will shoot his eye out despite all of his elaborate schemes to convince them. What I love most about this show is that all of the iconic scenes from the movie (which I love) are brought to life on stage, including when Randy (Danny Gallagher) eats like a piggy, when Schwartz (Atticus Bronson) triple dog dares Flick (Jack Stephens) to stick his tongue to the flag pole, when the Old Man (Andy Leger) wins a major award, when Ralphie says the F-dash-dash-dash world while helping the Old Man change a tire, when Ralphie gets into a fight with Scut Farkus (John Nelson Wakley), when Ralphie gets a bunny costume from Aunt Clara, and when one of the Bumpus Hounds (played by Annie, making her stage debut) eats the turkey. I looked forward to all of these scenes and I often found myself mouthing all of the dialogue as it was spoken (I watch the movie several times every year). What I loved most about this specific production is the incredible talent of the young cast! Akerlow is a very endearing Ralphie and I loved his heartfelt performances of "It All Comes Down to Christmas," "Red Ryder Carbine-Action BB Gun," "Ralphie to the Rescue," and "Before the Old Man Comes Home." The kids in the ensemble are also outstanding, especially with the choreography in "It All Comes Down to Christmas (Reprise)," "When You're a Wimp," "Ralphie to the Rescue," "Sticky Situation," "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out" (I loved seeing the kids tap dance!), "Up On Santa's Lap," and "Somewhere Over Indiana" because they are so energetic. I particularly enjoyed Luciana Foster (the youngest member of the ensemble) because she is in character the whole time (her facial expressions are absolutely hilarious) and her tap dancing is incredible! The adults in the cast also do a great job and I really liked Rick Murdock, who narrates the show as radio personality Jean Shepherd, Mathews, who does a great job with the tap dancing in "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out," and Leger, who gives a spirited performance in "A Major Award" (I loved the kick-line with the lamps) and ad-libs a steady stream of made up expletives (my favorite was Fahrvergnugen).  Finally, this production features one of the best, and most elaborate, sets I've ever seen for this show (including the Broadway touring production and the one at PTC). I was really impressed by the Parker house, which features three large set pieces that rotate to show different views, and the Santa display at Higbee's Department Store, which includes a large slide. I had a huge smile on my face during the entire show and I recommend getting a ticket (go here) for a big dose of Christmas cheer! It runs on the Mountain America Main Stage through December 16.