Forever Plaid at The Ruth

Last night I went to see Forever Plaid at The Ruth and it is both heartwarming and incredibly entertaining.  On February 9, 1961, Smudge (Chase Petersen), Jinx (Andrew Walker), Sparky (Isaac Moss), and Frankie (Carter McEwan), the members of a four-part harmony group called Forever Plaid, are killed on their way to their very first paying gig at the Airport Hilton cocktail lounge.  However, they are given the opportunity to come back and perform the show they never got to do in life.  Their setlist is incredibly nostalgic (the older gentleman sitting next to me knew the words to every single song) and includes "Three Coins in the Fountain," "Gotta Be This or That," "Moments to Remember," "Crazy 'Bout Ya Baby," "No, Not Much," "Perfidia," "Cry," "Catch a Falling Star," "Heart and Soul," "Scotland the Brave," "Shangri-La," "Rags to Riches," and "Love is a Many Splendored Thing."  My favorite numbers were "Sixteen Tons" which is hilarious and "Lady of Spain" because they recreate all of the famous acts from the Ed Sullivan Show in three minutes (I laughed out loud when one of them pretends to be a seal balancing a ball on his nose).  I also really loved a medley of songs highlighting what they are able to perform at your private function (they even handed out business cards to members of the audience).  The four of them harmonize beautifully and their vocal performance is definitely the highlight of the show but, in between the musical numbers, there is a lot of funny banter about meeting in their high school's audio-visual club, practicing in the back room of a plumbing supply store, and dealing with their individual idiosyncrasies (the show is interrupted by a nose bleed at one point). The elaborate, and often amusing, choreography is a lot of fun to watch and I especially loved the use of plungers in "Crazy 'Bout Ya Baby" and Sparky's flamboyant kicks in "Perfidia."  The minimal set is dominated by light panels, in a checkerboard pattern on the floor and in circles of different sizes on the backdrop, which change color throughout the show (I loved the plaid pattern on the floor during "Scotland the Brave").  There is also a large platform for the piano (played by Anne Puzey) and bass (played by Mathieu Foley) as well as smaller ones used for solo performances.  The costumes include white dinner jackets during Act I and then they are ceremonially awarded the plaid tuxedos that they were to have worn during their original concert in Act II.  This is a feel-good show that is sure to put a smile on your face and I recommend getting a ticket (go here) to one of the performances in the Lindsay Legacy Theatre through March 28.

Note:  Forever Plaid was the first show I saw at the brand new Hale Theatre.

Peter Pan Goes Wrong at HCT

Last night I had my first theatre trip of 2026 to see Peter Pan Goes Wrong at HCT and I definitely picked a good show to start the year with because it is absolutely hilarious! The Cornley Drama Society is back and, this time, Chris (Roger Dunbar) is directing the family classic Peter Pan with a significantly larger budget due to a generous donation. He is also playing Mr. Darling and Captain Hook with Robert (Taylor Seth Hall) as Nana, the Shadow, and a Pirate, Max (Doug Wadley) as Michael Darling and the Crocodile, Sandra (Corinne Adair) as Wendy Darling, Dennis (Ethan Freestone) as John Darling, Annie (Jillian Joy) as Mrs. Darling, Liza the Maid, and Tinkerbell, Jonathan (Davey Morrison) as Peter Pan, Lucy (Ali Bennett) as the Lost Boy Tootles, and Francis (Alex B. King) as the Narrator. Trevor (Langi Tuifua) is back as a Stagehand and he is assisted by Gill (Chad Brown). Mayhem ensues because Chris gets flustered whenever Captain Hook is booed by the audience, Sandra and Jonathan are dating but Max (who was only cast because his uncle made the large donation) has a crush on her and wants to play Peter Pan so he can kiss her, Annie must play two characters in the same scene and doesn't have enough time to change costumes, Dennis can't remember his lines so he has them read to him through large headphones that beep when used, Lucy suffers from stage fright and must be forced on stage, and Trevor must go on as Peter Pan (with script in hand) when Jonathan is injured in a flying mishap. However, after everyone else is incapacitated, it is up to Lucy to finish the show! The entire cast is fantastic and they are brilliant with the physical comedy, especially when Peter Pan spins upside down while flying, when Wendy, John, and Michael have to pretend to fly, when the Shadow's costume catches fire and Gill has to extinguish it, when Nana gets stuck in the doggy door, when Tinkerbell is electrocuted by her light-up costume (which requires an extension cord), when Lucy is injured by a falling tree, and when the Narrator's chair malfunctions. My favorite performances were from Wadley because his facial expressions are so fun to watch, especially when Max's crush on Sandra is accidentally revealed by a hot mic backstage, and from Freestone because his monotone delivery is a hoot when he repeats all of the stage directions (and other miscellaneous comments said by his prompter backstage) along with his lines. The set is so good because it falls apart so spectacularly, most notably the bunk beds that collapse while the children are in them, the pirate ship that rocks back and forth, and the turntable that spins out of control while the cast holds on for dear life! I don't think I stopped laughing all night and I can't think of a better show to see to get rid of the winter blues (go here for tickets). It runs on the Sorenson Legacy Jewel Box Stage through May 9.

Note:  I would also highly recommend Frozen which continues on the Young Living Centre Stage through February 14 (go here for tickets).

Utah Opera's Fidelio

Last night I went to Utah Opera's production of Fidelio by Ludwig van Beethoven at Capitol Theatre.  I always get a bit apprehensive when I see that a classic opera has been "reimagined" but the changes are absolutely brilliant and I really loved it.  Florestan (Thomas Kinch) is an innocent man unjustly held in a dungeon by the tyrannical prison commandant Don Pizarro (Zachary Nelson) as revenge for speaking out against him.  Florestan's wife Leonore (Wendy Bryn Harmer) is determined to save him and disguises herself as a man named Fidelio in order to gain the trust of the warden Rocco (Raymond Aceto) and thereby gain access to the prison.  Pizarro orders Rocco to kill Florestan but he refuses and, when he is forced to do it himself, Fidelio intervenes and denounces him to Don Fernando (Rodney Sharp II), a government minister who arrives to investigate allegations of abuse.  Fidelio reveals her true identity and Fernando has her remove Florestan's chains to show that love and courage overcome tyranny and oppression.  This powerful theme, which is incredibly relevant today, is further enhanced by the addition of a new character, the Oracle (Sharlene Wells), who periodically appears on stage in white billowing robes to recite quotes by 20th century authors and activists, such as Langston Hughes, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Lao Tzu, John Steinbeck, Martin Niemoller, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, J.R.R. Tolkien, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Viktor Frankl, in order to inspire the characters.  I loved all of these quotes (and so did the audience because most of them elicited applause) but I had goosebumps when the Oracle recites "Dirge Without Music" by Edna St. Vincent Millay (my new rallying cry is, "But I do not approve.  And I am not resigned.").  Beethoven's music is beautiful and the performances are incredibly moving.  I especially loved Harmer's rich and emotive soprano voice and her performances of the famous arias "Komm, Hoffnung, lass den letzten Stern" (Come, Hope, let the last star) and "Abscheulicher! Wo ist nur der Gatte?" (Abhorred! Where is my husband?) are full of resolve and determination as Leonore searches for Florestan.  My favorite moment came at the beginning of Act II when Kinch, who has beautiful tenor voice full of pathos, sings the aria "Gott! Welch Dunkel hier!" (God! What darkness here!) contrasting the darkness of the dungeon where he is imprisoned with a vision of Leonore which gives him hope.  The opening note begins hesitantly then grows in strength and it put a tear in my eye!  I also loved "O welche Lust!" (O what delight!) sung by a chorus of prisoners after Leonore (Fidelio) convinces Rocco to let them outside to see the sun and they dream of freedom.  The set is minimalistic and the costumes are drab but I loved the dramatic projections, especially a sinister symbol that is projected on the prison walls (and repeated on the guard uniforms) and the recurring motif of roses as a representation of love.  I honestly cannot say enough about this production (it is now one of my favorites) and I highly encourage you to get a ticket (go here).  There are three more performances (January 21, 23 and 25) at Capitol Theatre.

Dead Man's Wire

I thought the trailer for Dead Man's Wire, which is based on a true story, looked really intriguing so I went to see it last night and enjoyed it even more than I was expecting.  Tony Kiritsis (Bill Skarsgard) is a would-be Indianapolis real estate developer in 1977 who blames all of his financial woes on the Meridian Mortgage company.  He arrives at their office to confront the president M.L. Hall (Al Pacino) but, because he is on vacation in Florida, Tony abducts his son Richard (Dacre Montgomery), instead.  Tony uses a "dead man's wire" to bind Richard and himself to the trigger of a shotgun so that Richard will be killed instantly if anything happens to him.  He alleges that Meridian sabotaged his plan for turning his property into a shopping center by discouraging potential tenants from leasing from him so he demands $5 million for lost revenue, immunity from prosecution, and a public apology from M.L. Hall for his actions (which he callously refuses to do despite the threat to his son).  Detective Michael Grable (Cary Elwes), one of Tony's drinking buddies, attempts to negotiate but tensions escalate and Richard is kept hostage in Tony's apartment for three days.  However, Linda Page (Myha'la), a local TV reporter who happens to be in the right place at the right time, and Fred Temple (Colman Domingo), a popular morning DJ, both broadcast sympathetic portrayals of Tony which turn him into a folk hero and this leads to an outcome that I found quite surprising (and strangely satisfying).  This is very thought-provoking, incredibly entertaining, and surprisingly funny (a scene involving a flow chart on a chalkboard by an FBI profiler made me laugh out loud).  All of the performances are outstanding, particularly Skarsgard, who is absolutely brilliant as an ordinary man who has been pushed too far by a greedy company, and Domingo, who has such a velvety smooth voice that he could actually be a DJ.  I loved the cinematography in the style of a gritty 1970s crime thriller, especially Linda's TV footage and the black and white crime scene photographs, as well as the immersive production design and costumes.  Finally, all of the 1970s needle drops are a lot of fun (my favorite is "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" by Gil Scott-Heron).  I really dug this and highly recommend it.

The Hunger Games Marathon

Yesterday I spent the entire day at the Megaplex for another movie marathon.  This time it was for The Hunger Games and it was so much fun!  I really love the books and movies in this series because I think Katniss Everdeen's hero's journey and Coriolanus Snow's radicalization are very compelling.  In The Hunger Games, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) is thrust into the spotlight when she volunteers as tribute from the impoverished District 12 to save her sister Primrose (Willow Shields) when she is selected at the reaping.  Her survival skills in the game help her become the victor but an act of defiance with Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), the other tribute from District 12, sparks unrest and angers President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland).  In Catching Fire, Katniss is used as a pawn by the Head Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the District 12 Mentor Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson), and the Victors Beetee Latier (Jeffrey Wright), Finnick Odair (Sam Claflin), and Johanna Mason (Jena Malone) in their plot against Snow during the Quarter Quell. In Mockingjay Part 1, Katniss is uneasy about her role as the symbol of the rebellion and reluctantly participates in the propaganda used to unite the districts but, in Mockingjay Part 2, she finally accepts her role and fights to end the tyranny of both President Snow and President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore).  In The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) is traumatized by the fact that his once powerful family has sunk into poverty and obscurity.  He sees a chance for advancement by becoming a mentor to Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), the tribute from District 12, but he is forced to resort to deception, manipulation, fear, and ruthlessness in order to secure her victory and ultimately betrays her and his friend Sejanus Plinth (Josh Rivera) to restore his family to prosperity.  I watch these movies all of the time but I am so glad that I got to see them on the big screen again because the visuals are so vivid.  I love the worldbuilding, production design, and costumes, especially those worn by Katniss during the tribute parades and interviews with Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci) as well as all of those worn by Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks).  I love all of the action sequences in the arena, particularly the cornucopia bloodbath in Catching Fire because the changing aspect ratio is so dynamic, and during the Battle for the Capitol in Mockingjay Part 2 because it is so tense.  Finally, I love the performances because I think every actor perfectly embodies their character (I was not happy when Woody Harrelson and Lenny Kravitz were cast but now I can't imagine anyone else as Haymitch and Cinna, respectively).  The large crowd was a lot of fun and, even though I didn't see anyone dressed up, they were very enthusiastic and I enjoyed interacting with everyone seated around me (which is very unusual for me).  Megaplex has several more movie marathons scheduled this year, including ones for Pirates of the Caribbean in February, Jurassic Park in April, and Harry Potter in August, and I highly recommend the experience.

Now:  I am now even more excited for the movie adaptation of Sunrise on the Reaping.