Train Dreams

When the Academy Award nominees for Best Picture were announced last month, there were two movies that I had not seen yet (click on the titles to read my commentaries on Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Sentimental Value, and Sinners).  Since I always like to see each of the nominees on the big screen, I went to a double feature for the remaining movies yesterday beginning with Train Dreams.  It is a hauntingly beautiful and meditative look at the extraordinary story of America at the beginning of the 20th century through the eyes of an ordinary man.  Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton) is brought to the Pacific Northwest on a train as an orphan with no recollection of his parents and spends his early years alone and without purpose until he meets and falls in love with Gladys (Felicity Jones).  They build a cabin on an acre of land near a river and have a daughter named Kate but he is forced to leave them for long periods of time to work in the logging and railroad industries which transform the country.  As he witnesses the rapid growth taking place around him, he has many experiences, including a series of tragedies involving strangers, co-workers, and family members, which cause him to search for meaning.  What I loved most about the narrative is that there is no answer and yet Grainier still continues to live with hope and the memories of those lost all around him.  It is slow but incredibly moving and I loved Edgerton's restrained performance (one of his very best) because he is able to evoke so many emotions with very little dialogue (so much so that the voice-over narration by Will Patton sometimes feels intrusive).  There is a large supporting cast of characters who drift in and out of Grainier's life but I especially loved William H. Macy as Arn Peeples, a grizzled explosives expert, and Kerry Condon as Claire Thompson, a surveyor for the U.S. Forest Service.  The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous (I lost count of how many times I was mesmerized by the beauty of a particular shot) and the atmospheric score by Bryce Dessner enhances the otherworldly vibe.  I really loved this and highly recommend it!

Little Shop of Horrors at the Empress Theatre

Last night I went to see a really fun production of Little Shop of Horrors at the Empress Theatre and I had a great time! Seymour (Riley Ernst) and Audrey (Taylore Cahoon) both work in a run-down flower shop on Skid Row owned by the persnickety Mr. Mushnik (Nate Fairclough). Seymour thinks that displaying a strange and interesting plant, which he found during a total eclipse of the sun, will bring more business to the shop but he can't find it in any of his reference books so he names it Audrey II because he is secretly in love with his co-worker. The shop becomes wildly successful because of Audrey II but Mr. Mushnik worries that it 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 and asks him to feed it more. When Seymour cannot spare any more of his own blood, his first victim is Audrey's boyfriend Orin Scrivello (Carl Smith), a sadistic dentist, which wins him the love of Audrey but now her namesake wants more and more. Seymour enjoys the notoriety that Audrey II brings him but soon feels guilty about everything he has done to feed it. He wants to destroy it but realizes too late that Audrey II has an evil plan for world domination! The music is a great mix of rock and roll, doo-wop, and Motown. A girl group, including Crystal (Michelle Frierson), Chiffon (Leyla Vave), and Ronnette (Rebecca Meats), acts as a sort of Greek chorus narrating the action and the three of them bring a little bit of sass and a lot of vocal power to the songs "Little Shop of Horrors," "Skid Row (Downtown)," and "Da-Doo." They harmonize really well together and they were the highlight of the show for me. Smith is hilariously unhinged and his rendition of "Dentist!" was definitely a crowd favorite, Cahoon is over the top in her characterization of Audrey and she does a great job belting out "Suddenly Seymour" but she also shows some vulnerability in "Somewhere That's Green," and Ernst is so much fun to watch with all of his nerdy and awkward mannerisms in "Grow for Me" and his growing confidence in "Suddenly Seymour." I really enjoyed how Audrey II is portrayed.  The puppets (operated by Easton Fairclough), which grow larger and more elaborate as the show progresses, look great and they function really well (I was particularly impressed with how the largest one eats people) and I loved the smooth and seductive vocal performance from Joshua Adams in "Feed Me (Git It)." The set, which is dominated by Mr. Mushnik's flower shop, is now among my favorites at this theatre and it was fun to see all of the changes (I was impressed with how quickly they happen) as the shop becomes more successful and as it gets overtaken by Audrey II (I especially loved an effect used in "Don't Feed The Plants" at the end of the show). There are three more opportunities to see this fantastic show and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here).

Jazz vs. Knicks

Last night I went to see the Utah Jazz play the New York Knicks with my friend Angela.  I specifically picked this game because I wanted to see Jordan Clarkson's return to the Delta Center.  I really liked him when he played for the Jazz (Angela liked him, too) so it was bittersweet to see him playing for another team (especially since he had such a great game for the Knicks).  The fans gave him a very warm reception when he came on to the court and there was a nice tribute video during a timeout.  After the game he interacted with Jazz players, trainers, and coaches (I even saw him hug one of the team photographers), he gave multiple interviews, and he signed lots of autographs.  He is definitely a class act!  The game was really exciting and I think it was the most fun I've had watching the Jazz in a very long time (the crowd was really hyped up) because the Jazz got to an early lead when Brice Sensabaugh, Ace Bailey, and Kevin Love combined for seven three-pointers to end the first quarter 41-26.  I saw a huge improvement in shooting and rebounding, both offensively and defensively, since the last game I saw and it gave me some hope that we could win.  In the second quarter, the Jazz let the Knicks cut their lead to nine to end the half 65-56.  I have often witnessed the Jazz have a disastrous third quarter and, true to form, they started to fall apart in the last few minutes.  Clarkson got them within a point when he hit two free throws and then the Knicks took the lead for good when Jalen Brunson made three points after being fouled on a jump shot.  The Jazz started the fourth quarter down by two but then Clarkson spurred a 20-4 run with two back-to-back baskets (he finished the night with 27 points) to push the lead to 22.  New York ended up winning 134-117 and, even though it was great to see Clarkson again, this game was frustrating because I really think we could have won it after such a great start.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame at HCT

I saw the musical The Hunchback of Notre Dame for the first time at HCT in 2018 so I was thrilled to see a new production there last night (I was also thrilled to see Josh Richardson and Rebecca Burroughs reprise their roles as Frollo and Esmeralda, respectively). I find the story by Victor Hugo about outcasts who find sanctuary in a Gothic cathedral to be incredibly moving and I loved everything about this show. The cast is absolutely phenomenal! Alex Young is slight in stature so his Quasimodo has a vulnerability that often brought tears to my eyes. I especially loved his versions of "Out There" and "Heaven's Light" because they are full of longing. Richardson is an imposing and powerful Frollo and his performance of "Hellfire" is definitely a highlight of the show, both for his portrayal of Frollo's torment and for the spectacular way that it is staged (the special effects left the audience in awe). Burroughs is a beautiful singer and dancer who is able to portray so many different emotions through song and movement. She is alluring in "The Rhythm of the Tambourine," plaintive in "God Help the Outcasts" (my favorite song in the show), playful in "Top of the World" with Young, and heartbreaking in "Someday" with Ethan Kelso as Phoebus de Martin. Kelso is quite different from most actors I have seen play Phoebus and he is very nuanced in his performance, particularly in "Rest and Recreation" when he remembers the trauma of battle and in "Esmeralda" when he refuses to comply with the order from Frollo. Scotty Fletcher is by far the best Clopin I have ever seen! The character acts as the narrator for the show and appears in practically every scene. He is incredibly energetic and absolutely commands the stage in "The Bells of Notre Dame," Topsy Turvy," "Tavern Song," and "The Court of Miracles." This production features a young girl (Lydia Sandor-Pitcher) who stands in for the audience as Clopin tells the story and their interactions are very poignant.  I really liked this addition because it emphasizes the importance of teaching children to be kind. The set is amazing and it makes watching the show an immersive experience because it feels like you are actually inside the cathedral with statues and gargoyles all around the perimeter of the theatre and Gothic arches that come down from the rafters. A large multi-level bell tower, complete with bells that Quasimodo periodically rings, also comes down from the rafters and elaborate staircases leading to the tower come up from the pit.  Beautiful costumes (Frollo's purple cassock and the headdresses worn by the gargoyles were my favorite) and dramatic lighting add to the spectacle while the lively choreography and clever staging (the aforementioned staging of "Hellfire" is worth the price of admission alone) are very entertaining. This is one of my favorite musicals (I don't think I will ever get tired of seeing it) and I really loved this production. It runs on the Young Living Centre Stage through April 25 and I definitely recommend getting a ticket (go here) but act quickly because most shows have low availability.

Note:  I am always so happy when I see Christian Johnston, a former student of mine, on stage. He is Saint Aphrodisius in this show and I loved his performance of "Flight into Egypt."

Hoppers

I thought the trailer for Hoppers was a bit weird but I decided to see it last night because the response has been overwhelmingly positive.  I am so glad I did because I ended up really enjoying it!  Mabel Tanaka (Piper Curda) is an animal lover who learned an appreciation for nature from her grandmother (Karen Huie).  After her grandmother's death, she becomes determined to save the forest glade she visited with her as a child from a freeway overpass developed by Mayor Jerry Generazzo (Jon Hamm).  She turns to her biology professor, Dr. Samantha "Sam" Fairfax (Kathy Najimy), for help and inadvertently discovers her secret research project, known as "Hoppers," which allows human consciousness to hop into a lifelike animal robot in order to interact with real animals.  Thinking that she can encourage the animals to return to the glade by becoming one of them, she hops into a beaver and escapes from the lab even though Dr. Sam warns her against interfering with the natural order.  She befriends the Mammal King, a beaver named George (Bobby Moynihan), and persuades him and the other beavers to build a new dam in the glade.  However, when this effort fails, George appeals to the Animal Council which includes the Insect Queen (Meryl Streep) and her son Titus (Dave Franco), the Amphibian King (Steven Purcell), the Fish Queen (Ego Nwodim), the Reptile Queens (Nichole Sakura), and the Bird King (Isiah Whitlock, Jr.).  Chaos ensues when Mabel's impassioned plea persuades the Council, and the new Insect King Titus, to assassinate Jerry.  The narrative becomes a bit unwieldy at this point but I really loved the ultimate message about cooperation, compromise, and coexistence because it is both powerful and timely.  I also really loved Mabel's character arc because she thinks that she is the only one who cares about the environment and trying to make a difference all by herself feels daunting but she eventually succeeds when she finds community and is willing to listen to what others have to say.  The character design is adorable, the animation showing the natural world is beautiful, the action sequences are exciting (especially the scene in which a shark is used as an assassin), and the comedy is a lot of fun (the montage of building the dam to "Working for the Weekend" by Loverboy made me laugh out loud).  I was very pleasantly surprised by this and highly recommend it!