Antelope Island State Park

Antelope Island is the largest of the islands in the Great Salt Lake and can be easily accessed by driving on a causeway from the town of Syracuse.  It has been on my list of places to visit for awhile and I convinced Sean to come with me yesterday.  He has been there many times and I think he enjoyed showing me around.

There are great views everywhere you look (these are from Buffalo Point) and we went on several scenic drives to various points of interest.

The island is known for a herd of several hundred bison who roam freely.  I was really hoping that we would see one and I was so excited when we happened upon this one!

Then we drove a little further and found a whole herd of them!  I may or may not have squealed out loud!

Fielding Garr established the first permanent residence on the island in 1848 and you can tour the historic ranch.

There is a small museum filled with lots of original artifacts.  Sean took me around and explained everything which was just like having my own private docent.  I loved it!

There are various outbuildings that you can explore.  Sean told me that you can usually go inside but they were closed off yesterday due to Covid-19.  You could still see inside and I found it fascinating.

There is a restaurant on the island called the Buffalo Grill (the dining room was closed because of Covid-19 but you could still order at the take-out window).  We got some lunch and then ate it at one of the many campsites available.  Sean got the buffalo burger and then was really upset when he realized that it was buffalo meat.

There are lots of trails to hike all over the island with various degrees of difficulty.  We did an easy one to Ladyfinger Point.  There are also trails for horseback riding and mountain biking.  There is also access to the beach and the water and a Visitor's Center.

To get to Antelope Island State Park, take exit 332 on I-15 and follow Antelope Drive west to the park entrance (it took about 45 minutes to get there from my house in Bountiful).  You can then drive along the causeway to the island.  There is an entrance fee of $15 per car (up to 8 people) and $3 for motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians.  There are separate fees for camping at one of the campsites and reservations are recommended.  The park is open from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm and is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  We spent most of the day on the island and I really enjoyed it.  I highly recommend a visit because there are so many things to do!  Go here for more information.

Note:  Dogs are welcome if they are on a leash.  We brought my sister's dog Ebony with us and she attracted lots of attention wherever we went because she is so adorable!

Back to the Drive-In

The Redwood Drive-In is open again!  Marilyn and I have been promising to take Sean for weeks and we finally made good on our promise last night.  We picked a good night for it because one of the double features was Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Footloose.  Seeing these movies on the big screen made me feel like I was back in high school again and it was so much fun.  Marilyn and I quoted almost every line from Ferris Bueller's Day Off and I remembered every word of every song from Footloose (my favorite number is "Let's Hear It for the Boy" when Ren teaches Willard how to dance).  I don't know if Sean enjoyed the movies as much as Marilyn and I did but I know he likes going with us because we get him pizza, popcorn, and all the movie candy that he wants plus he gets our undivided attention!  The Redwood has several safety measures in place for Covid-19, including having cars park in every other space, and they have employees in masks walking around to enforce these rules.  It felt really good to do something normal again (we have a tradition of going to the drive-in every summer) and I recommend planning a visit this summer because there are several new releases coming soon.  Go here for more information about movies and showtimes.

Note:  Megaplex Theatres are opening up next week and I am so excited!  I already have a ticket for Singin' in the Rain!

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

Another place that I have wanted to visit is the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge so Sean and I took a little day trip there yesterday.  I'm pretty sure that Sean only agreed to go with me because I offered him lunch but he ended up really enjoying it!  We saw lots of different kinds of birds and it was fascinating even though we couldn't identify very many of them.  I quite enjoyed the pelicans and Sean loved seeing a blue heron.  I found the wetland habitat to be both peaceful and beautiful.

To get to the refuge, take I-15 north to Brigham City (exit 363) and follow the signs for about 1/4 mile.  There is a Visitor's Center and a 1.5 mile walking trail that you can take through the wetland.  We went on the Auto Tour which is 12 miles beyond the Visitor's Center and includes a 12 mile loop through the heart of the refuge.  It is a one-way dirt road (it is very well maintained) that is open from sunrise to sunset.  There are quite a few turn outs so that you can park and get out to observe the birds.  I really enjoyed the whole tour and I recommend it (go here for more information).

Birthday Private Screening

My sister and I have birthdays a week apart and we often celebrate them together.  She has always wanted to have a private screening and I have really missed seeing movies on the big screen so my parents arranged for our immediate family to see a movie at the Megaplex to celebrate last night.  It was probably the best birthday present I have ever received!  It was so much fun!  We were able to pick from hundreds of movies ranging from classics to newer releases and we eventually chose The Goonies because that appealed to everyone.  Incidentally, I read an article about the Megaplex Private Family Movie deal and the most popular movies being picked are Jurassic Park and The Goonies.  We really enjoyed this movie and we said many of the iconic lines ("Hey you guuuuuys!") out loud because we were the only ones there.  We were also able to pick the date and time (they may require as many as seven days notice depending on the movie you select).  The deal included a large popcorn and a large drink for everyone in our group and I have to say that I have really missed movie theater popcorn!  The Megaplex staff had everything ready to go for us in the lobby and then a staff member escorted us to the theater where there was a hand sanitizing station.  We could sit anywhere we wanted and, once we were all settled, they started the movie for us.  After the movie was over we were directed to a specific door to exit.  Everything was handled very smoothly and it was such a great experience!  I loved every minute and I highly recommend booking a private screening for your family (go here for the details).

All Adults Here

This month's Barnes & Noble Book Club selection was All Adults Here by Emma Straub and, while I didn't absolutely love it, I enjoyed it much more than I did Straub's previous novel, The Vacationers. Astrid Strick is a retired widow living in the small town of Clapham with three grown children and three grandchildren. She has been conducting a relationship with her hairdresser Birdie in secret for years. When she witnesses an accident that kills a former friend, she realizes that life is short and that she needs to reveal her secret to her children and make amends for her perceived shortcomings as a mother. All three of her children are also struggling with their own lives. Her oldest son Elliott, who has felt disapproval from her his whole life, struggles to make a name for himself in business and to form a bond with his own twin sons. Her daughter Porter, about to have a child on her own, worries that she will make the same mistakes her mother made. Her youngest son Nicky, a free-spirited former actor, ships his teenage daughter Cecelia off to live with her at the first hint of trouble. Astrid sees Cecelia as a second chance to get motherhood right and it is Cecelia's problems at school that bring the whole family together. There is a lot to unpack in this novel (maybe too much) with themes of motherhood, parental responsibility, sibling relationships, birth order, mortality, drug abuse, infidelity, friendship, bullying, sexuality, gender, and even gentrification which are explored superficially, almost as if Straub was ticking boxes for every social issue without giving any of them much development. However, I really loved the message that parents are just doing the best they can and that children will survive because everyone is ultimately responsible for their own happiness. There are a lot of quirky characters behaving badly, much like in The Vacationers, but I found them to be much more sympathetic and I enjoyed their antics. It is also very interesting the role the small town of Clapham plays in the narrative (Straub mentioned in an interview that her inspiration for Clapham was Stars Hollow) because everyone knows everyone else and people can't really escape their childhoods. It is a light and easy read without consequence that I wouldn't have picked for myself but I found it entertaining.

Note:  Next month's selection is The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. There will be a virtual discussion with the author via Facebook on July 7. Go here for more information.

Spiral Jetty

I have a very long list of places that I have always wanted to visit in my home state of Utah and, with most of my usual summer plans canceled, I have decided that I will attempt to see as many of them as I can. 

Yesterday my sister and I decided to take a day trip to the Spiral Jetty which is a really cool art installation crated by Robert Smithson in 1970 in the north end of the Great Salt Lake.  It is made out of over 6,000 tons of black basalt rock from the area and winds counterclockwise from the shore to the water.

The Spiral Jetty is about two hours north of Bountiful where I live.  Take I-15 north for 65 miles and then take Exit 365 to UT Route 13 .  You will come to the city of Corinne (where the road becomes Highway 83).   Follow the signs to the Golden Spike National Historic Site and then turn left on the Golden Spike Road.  The last 15 miles will be a gravel road and it seems like you are driving to the middle of nowhere when all of a sudden the lake appears.  There is a small parking lot with a nice view (it was really crowded with lots of cars when we were there so we had a hard time driving on the narrow road and finding a place to park but I am told that this is very unusual).  There is no cost to park.  You can hike up to two other vantage points for a better views and you can also hike down to the water.

I thought it was very interesting to see and it was so much fun to actually go on a little road trip after being cooped up inside for so long!

I recommend a visit!

Retirement

I am retiring after teaching at both Kearns Jr. High and Hunter High School for 30 years!  I can hardly believe that 30 years have gone by since I nervously walked into my first classroom and was mistaken for a student.  Over the years I have taught Utah History (that was interesting because seventh graders are needy and they invaded my personal space quite a bit), U.S. History, World Geography, English 9, English 10, and College Prep English.  I have been the advisor to the Academic Team, the Peer Leadership Team, the Cheerleaders, and the Student Body Officers (at both schools!) as well as the AVID Coordinator.  I have taken three different groups of students to Europe, gone with students to leadership camps at Utah State University and Dixie State University, arranged countless field trips (my favorite was the Sundance Film Festival every year), and chaperoned various activities and dances (I am very good at holding random objects).  I have worked with some of the best colleagues and have taught some amazing students (many of whom I am now privileged to call friends).  Teaching can sometimes be a really difficult job but, on the whole, it has been such a rewarding career!

Covid-19 changed just about everything this year, including the usual fanfare attendant upon reaching the milestone of retirement, but yesterday Hunter High School had an incredibly meaningful graduation ceremony for the Class of 2020 and all of the retirees were honored.  It really meant so much to me to have a banner congratulating us and to get to lead the graduates in while the entire faculty cheered.  I will always remember it!

Note:  Lots of people have asked me what I am going to do now.  I am taking a gap year (that is what I am calling it because it sounds so much better than saying that I am taking a year off!).

Conjure Women

The next selection for the Barnes & Noble Book Club was Conjure Women by Afia Atakora. Unfortunately, my group was not able to meet yet again because of the current situation but there was a live chat with the author yesterday on Instagram that was very interesting and informative. This novel takes place on a sprawling and isolated cotton plantation before, during, and after the Civil War (described as slaverytime, wartime, and freedomtime). In freedomtime Rue is a former slave who has reluctantly taken the place of her mother May Belle as a healer and a conjure woman after the latter's death. Her status in the community is threatened by the birth of a baby with a caul on his head and unnerving black eyes, the arrival of a charismatic preacher who espouses a belief in Christ rather than superstition, and a strange sickness that is killing all of the children. However, the status of the entire community is threatened by the secrets of the past, especially a spell created by May Belle connecting Rue and the master's daughter Varina. This is an incredibly compelling story about a group of people during a tumultuous time that I, a student of history, didn't know a lot about. Because Reconstruction is usually painted in such broad strokes, I didn't really realize what happened to the former slaves who were left behind on plantations after their masters were killed or were abandoned by them in the immediate aftermath of the war. It was really interesting to me to read about the lengths that Rue goes to in order to keep the community safe from both the master's relatives in the North as well as a new threat from those who resent their freedom. I also really enjoyed Rue's character development, particularly her journey from a scared girl who feels that she will never live up to her mother's expectations to a woman who is able to save the people she loves. She is so complex and resilient. I also found the relationship between Rue and Bruh Abel to be fascinating because they distrust each other's methods (using spells or working miracles) but once they realize that they are both essentially frauds they become friends. Even though many of the events described in this novel, such as torture and rape, are very brutal the prose is incredibly beautiful and I loved the symbolism, particularly the fox. This novel is epic in scope and so mesmerizing that I was transported to another time and place. I absolutely loved it and I am so glad that it was included as a Barnes & Noble Book Club selection because I don't think I would have chosen it if left to my own devices. Don't miss it!

Note:  The next selection for the Barnes & Noble Book Club is All Adults Here by Emma Straub (go here for more information).  I did not especially care for Straub's The Vacationers but I am willing to give this the benefit of the doubt.  There will be a virtual discussion via Facebook on June 2.

The Way Back

I actually had a ticket to see The Way Back but then the quarantine ended my plans. I love the theme of redemption and I love a good underdog sports movie (Gavin O'Connor also directed Miracle which is a favorite of mine) so I was really looking forward to this and was a little sad that I would miss it. Luckily it is already available on Amazon Prime Video and I had the chance to see it last night.  Construction worker Jack Cunningham (Ben Affleck) is an absolute mess who can't even make it through a shower without drinking and frequently needs the proprietor of his favorite bar to carry him home at night.  Not only is he fighting many inner demons but he has also never recovered from the death of his son and is hurt when his estranged wife (Janina Gavankar) moves on with another relationship.  He is asked by his former high school, where he was once the star player, to coach the basketball team.  They haven't made the playoffs since he was on the team and, at first he just goes through the motions, but he eventually takes the job seriously and mentors a player who reminds him of himself (Brandon Wilson).  The team begins winning against all odds but the only way Jack can help them is by helping himself recover.  I loved this movie so much!  Affleck, who is very hit or miss with me, gives one of the best performances of his career in a role that is pretty unsympathetic (there is none of his usual charm or charisma on display here).  His ultimate redemption is not at all what I was expecting but it still made me want to stand up and cheer.  The basketball sequences are thrilling because O'Connor puts us in the middle of the action (just like he did with Miracle) and the score adds to the intensity.  The young actors do a really good job as players looking for a reason to win, especially Wilson.  There is a lot of profanity (which precipitates a hilarious scene involving the school's chaplain) but I would definitely recommend this movie.

Note:  There are quite a few recent releases now available on Amazon Prime Video such as The Call of the Wild, The Invisible Man, Onward (which is also streaming on Disney+), and Emma.  I recommend all of these movies.

Dolphin Reef

This year there are two Disneynature documentaries to celebrate Earth Day in April and, as someone who loves these documentaries, I am here for it!  In addition to Elephant, Disney+ is also streaming Dolphin Reef which I really enjoyed!  The underwater cinematography featuring a beautiful and dynamic coral reef in Polynesia and all of the fascinating animals who live there is simply stunning.  The main narrative revolves around a young and easily distracted bottlenose dolphin named Echo as he is weaned from his mother Kumu.  He has a few adventures, such as swimming with a humpback whale who has migrated from the north to give birth to her calf in the warm water, and a few close calls, such as an incident with some tiger sharks and getting lost with a turtle in a deep underwater cavern, as he learns to survive on his own.  We are also introduced to many of the other animals who are vital to the symbiotic relationship in the reef ecosystem and my favorite is the peacock mantis crab who is portrayed as an OCD neat freak (this, like most Disneynature documentaries, features narration that is very anthropomorphic).  I feel you, mantis crab!  There is a message about doing our part to protect the delicate balance in nature to keep the coral reefs around the world thriving but I didn't find it to be heavy handed.  What I liked most about this documentary, aside from the breathtaking visuals, is that I actually learned quite a bit about dolphins that I didn't know, such as synchronized sleeping and the unique ways they catch fish.  I enjoyed Natalie Portman's lighthearted narration and I also really liked the score.  If you are a fan of the Disneynature documentaries, this is a spectacular entry in the canon that I would definitely recommend!

Note:  In addition to the premiere of Elephant, Disney+ is also steaming the 2019 Disneynature documentary Penguins which is a lot of fun.

Elephant

I am a huge fan of Disneynature documentaries and, since elephants are my favorite animal, I have been looking forward to Elephant for months.  Is there anything cuter than watching a baby elephant frolic in a watering hole?  I submit that there is not so I thoroughly enjoyed all of the spectacular footage of one herd's epic migration across the Kalahari Desert from the Okavango Delta to the Zambezi River when their watering hole dries up.  The narrative focuses on an elephant name Shani, her boisterous calf Jomo, and the matriarch of the herd Gaia.  Shani must protect her calf and learn from her mentor how to lead the herd as they face brutal temperatures, dwindling food sources, and dangerous predators.  What I really love about elephants is how tender they are towards their calves and how protective they are of each elephant in the herd.  There is a powerful scene of a mother trying desperately to free a calf from the mud, a dramatic scene as the elephants circle to protect a calf from a group of lions, and an incredibly poignant scene of the herd's reaction to a death (I may or may not have had a tear in my eye).  I loved the time-lapse photography showing the changing seasons in the Okavango Delta and the Zambezi River, particularly when a waterfall slows from a torrent to a trickle.  As with many Disneynature documentaries, the narration is very anthropomorphic and I thought it was adorable when Jomo wanted to go and play with a baby cheetah and when he was jealous of the attention paid to a new calf in the herd.  The narration is by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and many have been critical of her performance.  While I don't care for her personally, I think she does a pretty good job balancing the emotional and playful tones of the narrative (aside from an inconsistency in her pronunciation of Shani).  This is a compelling look at some of the most intelligent and majestic creatures on Earth and I highly recommend it.  Elephant is now streaming on Disney+.

Note:  One of the greatest experiences of my life was being able to see elephants on safari in Kenya and Tanzania.  I got to see two baby elephants frolicking in a watering hole and it was exactly like what was depicted in this documentary.  It brought back many wonderful memories!

A Good Neighborhood

I have been under a two week quarantine because a student at Hunter High tested positive for Covid-19 and, while some aspects have been difficult, I have really enjoyed the opportunity to read without feeling like I am neglecting other obligations. I actually read A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler in one day because it is absolutely riveting! The modest suburban neighborhood of Oak Knoll, North Carolina is slowly becoming gentrified as developers tear down the existing houses and cut down trees that are hundreds of years old to build extravagant mansions. The narrative revolves around Valerie Alston-Holt, a black professor of ecology and forestry, and the Whitmans, a nouveau-riche white family who moves into a mansion next door to her. They judge each other before they even meet but soon their uneasy rapprochement is tested by a series of events. Valerie decides to sue Brad Whitman for damages caused to an oak tree in her yard. She contends that building such a large house and an in-ground pool has damaged the root system of the tree causing it to die. The Whitmans are enraged when Valerie's son Xavier begins a relationship with their sheltered teenage daughter Juniper. This reads like a Greek tragedy with the neighborhood itself acting as the chorus foreshadowing the events to come. The narration provided by this chorus reveals background information about all of the main characters and offers commentary on the action taking place.  This is an incredibly effective device because the slow accretion of details makes the tragic events seem inexorable. I read this book in one sitting because there is such a sense of urgency and I had to know what happened! While I found the final resolution to be deeply upsetting on a personal level, this is a very thought-provoking look at race in America right now and I really appreciated the fact that multiple perspectives of people who think of themselves as "good" are explored. Even though A Good Neighborhood is ultimately heartbreaking, there is a redemption of sorts and I highly recommend this cautionary tale.

Note: A Good Neighborhood was this month's Barnes & Noble Book Club selection but, sadly, the meeting was canceled. Even though there was an interesting Facebook Live chat with the author, I would have really enjoyed discussing it with my group!

American Dirt

Last night I went to a meeting of my book club to discuss our latest selection, American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. It is one of the most thought-provoking books I've read in a long time and we had a very stimulating discussion about it. Lydia Quixano Perez is a middle class woman living in Acapulco with her husband Sebastian and their eight year old son Luca. She owns a bookshop and Sebastian is a journalist who writes about narcotrafficking. When he writes a critical piece about the leader of a drug cartel, he and fourteen members of Lydia's extended family are gunned down while the family is celebrating a quinceanera. She and her son are the only ones to survive but, because she knows the cartel will come looking for her, she makes the decision to flee Mexico and become one of the many migrants who try to come to the United States illegally because she feels she has no choice. She and Luca are forced to travel by La Bestia, a network of freight trains that run the length of Mexico north to the United States, which they board while the train is in motion. They face many other unspeakable dangers while riding the train before they give all of their savings to a coyote to take them across the border. This novel was deeply upsetting to me because I could feel Lydia's terror and desperation every step of the way. Intellectually I knew that it was dangerous to cross the border but I had no idea of the horrors involved, particularly for women and children who are attacked, beaten, and raped repeatedly. It was also very enlightening to learn than most migrants are not merely searching for a better life in the U.S. but they are literally fleeing for their lives. This book is very controversial because many have accused Cummins, who identifies as white, of cultural appropriation and have called her out for her stereotypical depiction of Mexicans. We had a great discussion, with an amazing moderator who is Mexican, about the fact that this story made all of us feel more sympathetic towards the plight of migrants and any book, regardless of who wrote it, that shines a light on a dark subject and gets people talking about it is a good thing. This book is a work of fiction that may have some inaccuracies but we didn't think that they detracted from the importance or relevance of the story.  I found it to be incredibly compelling, suspenseful, and heartbreaking and I highly recommend it.

Note:  The next selection for the Barnes & Noble Book Club is A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler.  Go here for more information and to sign up.  As always, if you are local consider joining us on April 7 at the Layton Barnes & Noble.  We are a small but lively group!

Emma

I love Jane Austen (I once took a class entirely devoted to the works of Austen in college and it was probably my favorite class) and I love her novel Emma.  I have literally been counting down the days until I could see this glorious new adaptation which I did yesterday.  After Emma Woodhouse (Anya Taylor-Joy), a wealthy young woman who has no desire to get married herself, is successful in matching her governess Miss Taylor (Gemma Whelan) with Mr. Weston (Rupert Graves), she decides to take Harriet Smith (Mia Goth), a young woman of unknown parentage, under her wing.  She encourages her to reject the proposal of Robert Martin (Connor Swindells) because he is a farmer and she deems him not worthy of her.  She first sets her sights on Mr. Elton (Josh O'Connor) as a suitor for Harriet but he mistakes her interest in him and declares his love for her.  Then she picks Frank Churchill (Callum Turner), whom everyone tries to match with her, but he is secretly engaged to another.  Then Harriet falls in love with Mr. Knightley (Johnny Flynn), a Woodhouse family friend, but chaos ensures when Emma realizes that she has loved Mr. Knightley all along!  Emma's village of Highbury is filled with many eccentric characters, such as her hypochondriac father Mr. Woodhouse (Bill Nighy), a chatty old maid named Miss Bates (Miranda Hart), her long-suffering niece Jane Fairfax (Amber Anderson), and Mr. Elton's snotty wife Augusta (Tanya Reynolds), who make this story absolutely delightful.  I loved Taylor-Joy's characterization of Emma because she doesn't try to make her likeable but you somehow care about her, nonetheless.  I also liked her chemistry with Flynn because in every one of their interactions you just know that they belong together, especially when they are sparring.  The ensemble cast is simply marvelous and I can't really decide who I enjoyed more:  Nighy as Mr. Woodhouse (the business with the screens absolutely killed me), Hart as Miss Bates (who steals every scene she is in), or O'Connor as Elton (it cracked me up when he opened one eye while he was praying).  Even the actors who play the household staff at Hartfield are absolutely brilliant!  I laughed and laughed at all of their antics.  The production design is sumptuous with beautiful interiors, bucolic exteriors, and period perfect costumes (those empire waists!).  The scene at the ball was my favorite (I wrote a paper about the ritual of dance in Austen's novels for the aforementioned class).  How can just the slightest touch of hands be so romantic?  I loved everything about this movie and I predict that I will watch it several more times (before I purchase it for my Jane Austen movie collection).  I highly recommend it!

Onward

Yesterday I took Sean to see the new Disney Pixar movie Onward.  I have been looking forward to this movie for months and I convinced a reluctant Sean to come with me.   Long ago the world was inhabited by mythological creatures and the use of magic was commonplace.  However, magic was difficult to master so many technological advances took its place until it was almost extinct.   In present day an elf named Ian Lightfoot (Tom Holland), who lost his father before he had a chance to know him, is given a posthumous birthday present from him.  It is a magical staff with a rare phoenix gem and a spell to bring his father back to life for just one day.  Ian is full of self-doubt so his attempt to use the spell only brings half of his father back.  His older brother Barley (Chris Pratt), a ne'er-do-well who is obsessed with a role-playing game called Quest of Yore (I loved all of the references to Dungeons & Dragons used in this game), suggests that they need to go on a quest to find another phoenix gem to complete the spell.  Their quest to discover if there is still magic left in the world turns into a journey of self-discovery that is so heartwarming it brought a tear in my eye.  I loved it!   I particularly enjoyed the world-building in this movie because it is filled with enough dragons, wizards, elves, fairies, unicorns, and centaurs to satisfy my fantasy-loving heart and the animation is dazzling.  I loved that all of the characters, not just Ian and Barley, have to discover the magic that is dormant within themselves in order to succeed in their quests.  My favorite character arc is that of the manticore (Octavia Spencer) because she has become so tame that her tavern is now a family-friendly themed restaurant used for birthdays and bachelorette parties and she must find her inner beast in order to reverse a curse.  I loved the relationship between Ian and Barley because they have a playful yet adversarial camaraderie that is fun to watch and it makes the resolution between them all the more impactful.  Holland and Pratt are endearingly believable as the insecure Ian and the doofus Barley, respectively.  Finally, I loved Guinevere, the Econoline van complete with a mural of a unicorn, and an important scene where it saves the day was Sean's favorite part of the movie!  If you are a fan of Pixar (or a fantasy-loving nerd like me) you are sure to love this movie and I highly recommend it!

Note:  I may or may not have had to bribe Sean to see this with me but I think he enjoyed it more than he said he did.

Sketches of Spain

If you can’t go to Spain, the next best thing would be to go to Abravanel Hall for a Utah Symphony concert featuring several pieces inspired by Spain.  I was able to attend such a concert last night and it was absolutely exhilarating (almost like being there).  The first piece was Symphonie espagnole for Violin and Orchestra by Eduoard Lalo with guest soloist Benjamin Beilman.  It was fiery and passionate and I kept seeing flamenco dancers in my mind as I listened to it, especially during the final movement.  Beilman played it brilliantly and it looked like he was having so much fun.  I certainly had a lot of fun watching his bow fly across the strings of his violin (it was so fast)!  He received a thunderous standing ovation and then performed a beautiful encore (I didn't recognize the piece but I really liked it).  After the intermission the orchestra played Maurice Ravel’s Rapsodie espagnole.  It was really wild and boisterous and I pictured a bull fight in my mind.  Next came Habanera by Louis Aubert which was my favorite because it was so mysterious and seductive (I loved the theme played by the clarinet).  This time the music reminded me of a couple dancing a sultry tango.  The concert concluded with Iberia (from Images pour Orchestre) by Claude Debussy which was filled with beautiful melodies.  My favorite was the third movement because it is meant to represent a carnival.  I thought it was very playful and I especially enjoyed the chimes.  Music has the power to transport you to another time and place and, for a few hours, I was back in Spain with the Utah Symphony!  Even if your passport isn't up to date you can still get a ticket to tonight's performance (go here) and I highly recommend that you do.

Dear Evan Hansen at the Eccles

I really wanted to see Dear Evan Hansen so, even though I knew it was coming to the Eccles Theatre this season, I decided that I didn't want to wait that long and took a road trip to Las Vegas to see it at the Smith Center last year.  I thought the message that you are not alone was extremely powerful and I fell in love with the music.  I couldn't wait to see it again!  I had the chance last night and I loved it just as much!  Evan Hansen (Stephen Christopher Anthony) suffers from anxiety and feels insignificant and all alone ("Waving Through a Window").  Heidi (Jessica E. Sherman), his busy single mother, doesn't know what to do to help him ("Anybody Have a Map?").  His one friend, Jared (Alessandro Costantini), is only nice to him so his parents will pay for his car insurance and he is too scared to talk to Zoe (Stephanie La Rochelle), the girl he likes.  His therapist encourages him to write letters to himself to build his self confidence but Connor (Noah Kieserman), a deeply troubled young man, intercepts one of his letters from the printer because it mentions his sister Zoe.  When Connor takes his own life, his parents, Cynthia (Claire Rankin) and Larry (John Hemphill), find the letter and, assuming it is a suicide note written to Evan, reach out to him.  To comfort them, he pretends that he and Connor were friends ("For Forever").  When Cynthia and Larry press for more information, Evan asks Jared to create a history of emails between him and Connor ("Sincerely, Me").  Larry and Zoe struggle to reconcile Evan's version of Connor with the difficult son and brother they knew ("Requiem").  Zoe tells Evan that the only nice thing Connor ever said to her was in his suicide note, which Evan wrote ("If I Could Tell Her").  Alana (Ciara Alyse Harris), another lonely student at school, wants Evan to do more to keep Connor's memory alive ("Disappear") so they create The Connor Project.  Evan gives a heartfelt speech about loneliness ("You Will Be Found") at a memorial assembly for Connor and it goes viral.  He begins a relationship with Zoe ("Only Us") and bonds with her family ("To Break in a Glove") to the exclusion of Emily, Jared, and Alana ("Good For You").  When the truth is finally revealed ("Words Fail"), Evan realizes that he was never really alone ("So Big/ So Small").  Evan was played by the same actor that I saw in Las Vegas and I found him to be incredibly endearing.  His portrayal of a boy who doesn't feel like he fits in made me laugh and cry.  My favorite song from this show has always been "You Will Be Found" but last night I was particularly struck by "Waving through a Window" because I think we have all felt like outsiders at one time or another and the words to this song are so poignant.  I really like the use of social media, which is depicted on large moving panels, because, even though the world seems increasingly connected, so many people struggle to find a connection.  I love this musical so much and I highly recommend seeing it if you have the opportunity.  It runs at the Eccles Theatre through March 14 (go here for tickets).

Once on This Island at PTC

Last night I went to see PTC's production of Once on This Island and I absolutely loved it!  On an island in the French Antilles, a young girl is frightened by a storm so a group of storytellers tell her about another girl named Ti Moune (Ava Lyn Smith) who survived a storm to try and calm her.  Ti Moune (Tyla Collier as an adult) is a dark-skinned peasant girl who falls in love with Daniel Beauxhomme (Jordan Alexander), a light-skinned wealthy descendant of a French plantation owner, after she rescues him from a car accident.  This relationship is frowned upon because the peasants and the grand hommes do not interact due to racial and class divisions.  The four gods of the island, Asaka, Mother of the Earth (Galyana Castillo); Agwe, God of Water (Terance Reddick); Erzulie, Goddess of Love (Kristian Espiritu); and Papa Ge, Demon of Death (Paul Jordan Jansen); intercede on her behalf in both positive and negative ways until love triumphs to bring the different groups together and her story is told again and again through the generations.  This fairy tale might not end the way you think it should but it has a beautiful message about love, loss, forgiveness, redemption, prejudice, and the power of storytelling.  I loved all of the Caribbean-inspired music in this show but my favorite songs were "And the Gods Heard Her Prayer," "Rain," "Pray," "Forever Yours," "Mama Will Provide," and "Why We Tell the Story."  Each number involves the clever use of items found around the stage (I especially enjoyed how the gods appeared and disappeared), dazzling choreography, and colorful and vibrant costumes.  The entire cast, many of whom play multiple characters with just the addition of an accessory or prop, is wonderful.  However, I was blown away by Collier (who has a beautiful voice and is an exceptional dancer) because she embodies so many emotions in her portrayal of a woman who sacrifices herself for love.   This is a beautiful and powerful production that should not be missed (go here for tickets).

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Yesterday I finally had the chance to see Portrait of a Lady on Fire and it is one of the best films I've seen recently!  Marianne (Noemie Merlant) is commissioned to paint the wedding portrait of a young aristocratic woman living on an isolated island in Brittany during the 18th century.  Heloise (Adele Haenel) has recently returned home from a convent and is uneasy about her forthcoming marriage to a man who was originally betrothed to her sister before she took her own life.  Heloise refuses to pose for this portrait so she has been told that Marianne has been employed as her companion.  Marianne must observe her furtively during their time together and then paint in secret at night.  When the portrait is finished Marianne, who feels guilty about the deception, insists that it be shown to Heloise who says that, while it is an accurate likeness, it does not capture the real her.  Marianne destroys the portrait but Heloise convinces her mother, the Countess (Valeria Golino), to let her paint another one by agreeing to pose.  When the Countess leaves, the two become close and bond over Vivaldi's The Four Seasons and the story of Orpheus and Eurydice.  When they eventually become lovers, Marianne is finally able to capture the real Heloise on canvas but the portrait becomes a symbol that Heloise will soon marry someone else and that they must part.  Their eventual parting mirrors the story of Orpheus and Eurydice and I found it to be incredibly poignant.  I loved everything about this film.  The story reminded me so much of Call Me By Your Name because it is about a forbidden affair where both of the lovers choose to cherish the memory of the relationship rather than regret the fact that it has ended.  I love that both Marianne and Heloise are profoundly affected by each other and I especially loved the scene where Heloise, shown years later, is overwhelmed by emotion when she hears a performance of The Four Seasons (which also mirrors Elio's response at the end of Call Me By Your Name).  I loved the depiction of their affair because their longing for each other is emphasized more than their physical relationship.  It is one of the most romantic films I have ever seen.  Both Merlant and Haenel give incredibly powerful performances and I was mesmerized by them throughout the whole film.  The two of them have amazing chemistry with each other and you can feel the tension between them almost from the moment they meet.  Finally, the images on the screen are absolutely luminous, especially the candlelit shots of Marianne painting.  I cannot recommend this film enough!  Go see it!

The Invisible Man

Horror movies are sometimes a hard sell for me because I like to be genuinely scared rather than shocked and it is very rare that a movie can really scare me (the exceptions are The Witch and Hereditary).  However, I really liked the trailer for The Invisible Man so I decided to see it last night.  If you are wondering if I was scared I will just say that I screamed out loud (and so did the majority of the people in my screening).  Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss) flees from an abusive relationship with Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), a wealthy and powerful tech guru in the field of optics, with the help of her sister Emily (Harriet Dyer).  She stays with her childhood friend James (Aldis Hodge) and his daughter Sydney (Storm Reid).  Several weeks later she learns that Adrian has committed suicide and has left her a large bequest in his will.  After a series of disturbing incidents that alienate her from Emily and James, she comes to believe that Adrian has found a way to become invisible and that he faked his suicide so that he can terrorize her.  She appears more and more erratic but no one believes that an invisible man is behind her behavior.  She is forced to take matters into her own hands but how can you fight someone you can't see?  This is a psychological thriller that is entirely believable.  The monster from H.G. Wells' classic novel has been updated to a villain (a domestic abuser who takes gaslighting to a whole new level) that contemporary audiences can relate to and it is a terrifying premise.  It is sometimes almost unbearable watching Cecilia's fear and powerlessness.  The tension builds and builds, more because of what you can't see than for what you can, until there is a twist that I didn't see coming and an ending that made me want to stand up and cheer!  Moss gives a riveting performance (she is great at portraying women in the midst of a breakdown) and I was fully invested in her plight.  This movie is genuinely scary and I recommend it to fans of the genre.

Singin' in the Rain in Concert

I am such a big fan of Utah Symphony's Films in Concert series and going to these concerts has become one of my favorite things to do!  Having the orchestra play the score while the movie is shown on the screen above them adds so much to the experience because it makes the music come alive!  I have especially enjoyed the movies in the Harry Potter and Star Wars series (they are continuing next season) but I have been giddy with anticipation ever since Singin' in the Rain was announced because I really love this movie and I think it is perfect for this format!  It is filled with big song and dance numbers, including "Fit as a Fiddle (And Ready for Love)," "Make 'Em Laugh," "You Were Meant for Me," "Beautiful Girl," "Moses Supposes," "Good Morning," "Singin' in the Rain," "Would You?," "Broadway Melody," and "You Are My Lucky Star," and hearing the orchestra play these songs live was amazing (I would sometimes catch myself watching the musicians instead of the action on the screen)!  The audience applauded after each number as if it was traditional concert and it was so much fun!  I had a huge smile on my face as soon as Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds appeared on the screen with rain coats and umbrellas.  That smile stayed on my face as silent film stars Don Lockwood (Kelly) and Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) have a hard time transitioning to talking pictures and must use an aspiring actress named Kathy Seldon (Reynolds) to dub all of Lina's lines.  This movie is filled with comedy, romance, and wonderful performances from Hollywood legends (and the Utah Symphony).  It was just delightful and, whether you are a fan of the movie or a fan of the Utah Symphony (or both if you are like me), I highly recommend getting a ticket to tonight's concert (go here for tickets if there are any to be had).

Note:  I would sometimes see the musicians looking up at the screen to watch the movie when they weren’t playing.  This made me smile even wider!

Bright Star at HCT

Last night I went to Hale Centre Theatre for the second time in a week (Monday night I saw Strictly Ballroom on the Main Stage again with my sisters and we had so much fun)! This time I was there to see Bright Star on the Jewel Box Stage. Several years ago I had the opportunity to see PTC's production of this incredibly moving musical and I absolutely loved it so I was really eager to see HCT's version! I loved it just as much! The story takes place in North Carolina in the 1920s and just after World War II and features incredible bluegrass music by Edie Brickell and Steve Martin. After the war, Billy Cane (Dallin Suman) briefly returns to his small town and his childhood friend Margot (Morgan Western) but he eventually decides to try writing for a magazine in Asheville where he meets the uptight editor, Alice Murphy (Donna Loudon), who once made Hemingway cry. When the magazine staff teases Alice about her boring existence, we see her (literally) transform into a wild and rebellious teenager who is in love with the Mayor's son, Jimmy Ray Dobbs (Adam Dietlein). The narrative goes back and forth between the two timelines as Alice learns about love, loss, and redemption. Since I already knew the major plot twist this time around, I found the story to be even more emotional and the ending to be even more triumphant! Loudon is simply amazing as Alice! I saw Carmen Cusack, who originated the role on Broadway, in PTC's production but Loudon (who understudied Cusack on the national tour) is able to make the role her own and I was very impressed with what she did with it (her voice reminded me a lot of Dolly Parton). Her renditions of "Please, Don't Take Him" and "I Had A Vision" are incredibly powerful and brought me to tears (I was not alone). The rest of the cast is also very strong and I enjoyed Western's version of "Asheville," Suman's version of "Bright Star," and Dietlein's version of "Heartbreaker." I particularly enjoyed the choreography in Hale's version, especially in "Way Back in the Day," "What Could Be Better," and "Another Round." The staging of this show is extremely clever with a set that looks like an old and weathered barn with various pieces, such as Margot's bookstore, Alice's office, the Mayor's office, and the cabin in the woods, moved on and off stage seamlessly by the ensemble. A key scene involving a train was the only disappointment for me because I couldn't tell that the Mayor was on a train (to be fair my seat was to the right of the stage so I couldn't see any of the projections) and the action seemed rather clumsy. The insanely talented bluegrass band (featuring Kelin Gibbons on banjo, Josh Ogden on cello, Becca Moench on violin, and Kelly DeHaan on piano) is located on stage in the rafters of the barn and they add so much to the overall feel of the show. I loved this production and I cannot recommend it highly enough!  It runs through May 2 on the Jewel Box Stage (go here for tickets).

Note:  One of my former students is in the ensemble and I was thrilled to be able to see him last night!  He is usually in the MWF cast but he had to go on for his double at the last minute!

The Color Purple

I have only seen the movie version of The Color Purple on cable TV so I was happy that it was a part of the TCM Big Screen Classics Series this year.  I had the opportunity to see it yesterday and I had forgotten how powerful this movie is!  Celie (played as young girl by Desreta Jackson and as an adult by Whoopi Goldberg), a young black girl living in the rural South in the early 1900s, has already had two children by her abusive father who have been taken away from her.  Eventually, she is forced to marry an older man known to her only as Mister (Danny Glover).  He beats her and forces her to cook, clean, and take care of his three children but, worse than that, he separates her from her beloved sister Nettie (Akosua Busia) and he hides all of Nettie's letters to her.  After several years of this treatment her spirit is entirely broken but it is her relationships with Sofia (Oprah Winfrey), the wife of Mister's son Harpo who teachers her that she can stand up for herself, and Shug Avery (Margaret Avery), Mister's mistress who teaches her to love herself, that give her the strength to overcome the adversity in her life.  The treatment that Celie endures is sometimes difficult to watch but it is worth it for the triumphant ending which always brings a tear to my eye.  There are so many scenes where Celie, almost wordlessly and almost without any change in facial expression, submits to the indignities of her life but Goldberg delivers an affecting performance that is both somehow sympathetic and compelling.  Her transformation is incredibly powerful, especially when she confronts Mister which, in turn, helps Sofia (a strong debut performance from Winfrey) find her voice again.  I wanted to cheer out loud during that scene.  I loved the message about the importance of female relationships and about finding the beauty in life when it seems so bleak.  I think the movie is more hopeful and inspiring than Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize winning novel (mostly because it is so beautifully shot in a bucolic setting filled with wildflowers) and I highly recommend checking it out!

The Call of the Wild

Yesterday my Mom and I went to see The Call of the Wild, a heartwarming adaptation of Jack London's classic tale of adventure and friendship, and we both enjoyed it.  Buck is a large and high-spirited dog belonging to a prominent judge in Santa Clara, California when he is stolen and transported to the wilds of Alaska during the gold rush of the 1890s because dogs are needed and top dollar is paid.  He is sold to Perrault (Omar Sy) and Francoise (Cara Gee), French-Canadian mail carriers who use him as a sled dog on their route along the Yukon trail.  Buck is challenged by the lead dog Spitz and, after defeating him, he becomes the lead dog and makes the trip to Dawson in record time.  Eventually the Canadian government determines that the mail route is no longer needed and the dogs are sold to a cruel gold prospector named Hal (Dan Stevens), his sister Mercedes (Karen Gillan) and her husband Charles (Collin Woodell).  They are inexperienced in the wild and abuse the dogs.  Buck is eventually saved by John Thornton (Harrison Ford), a man trying to escape his tragic past by hiding out in the Yukon, but it is Buck who really saves John.  Together they go on the adventure of a lifetime where Buck finds his true place in the world.  I may be biased because I love dogs but I found this movie to be incredibly touching.  I loved the relationship between John and Buck and I really enjoyed Ford's earnest performance as a grief-stricken man brought back to life by a dog.  The Alaskan and Canadian scenery is breathtakingly beautiful and I loved all of the action sequences, especially an avalanche, an incident on a frozen lake, and a canoe going down a waterfall.  Much has been made about the CGI used in creating the dogs but I honestly didn't find it distracting at all (there were a few moments when Buck's size in comparison to John is a little bit inconsistent but that is the extent to which I noticed anything amiss).  While there are a few scenes involving animal cruelty, I think this is a thrilling action adventure with a great message that the whole family would enjoy.  I highly recommend it!

Beethoven's Symphony No. 7

I love having a Utah Symphony concert to go to on a Friday night because, in my opinion, it makes the work week so much better to have something wonderful to look forward to at the end of it!  I have been looking forward to last night's concert for a long time because it featured Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, which is one of my favorites, and it didn't disappoint!  The orchestra also played two movements from Olivier Messiaen's epic piece, Des canyons aux etoiles, which he wrote after visiting Southern Utah.  The concert began with "Bryce Canyon and the Red-Orange Rocks" and the orchestra continued after the intermission with "Cedar Breaks and the Gift of Awe."  I enjoyed both of these pieces because I love the red rocks of Southern Utah and I imagined myself there as I listened.  They both featured a lot of percussion, including a few unusual instruments such as a large hoop filled with sand that was swirled around (does this "instrument" even have a proper name?).  Both pieces were often very discordant and jarring but these sounds evoked the powerful forces that created these formations and it was brilliant.  The orchestra was joined by pianist Francesco Piemontesi for Robert Schumann's Piano Concerto.  I really loved this piece because it was incredibly wild and dramatic.  It almost seemed as if Piemontesi was attacking the piano and it was very entertaining to watch!  I also really loved the long timpani roll at the end of the piece.  Piemontesi received a thunderous standing ovation and favored us with an encore (I didn't recognize the piece).  The concert concluded with Symphony No. 7 by Ludwig van Beethoven and this piece gave me goosebumps!  I especially love the second movement because of the repetition of the main theme by the various string sections followed by the woodwinds and the orchestra played it beautifully.  The rest of this symphony is incredibly exuberant and triumphant but I find this movement to be a bit more solemn and melancholy and it really appeals to my dark soul.  It was a wonderful evening and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) to tonight's concert featuring the same program.

Strictly Ballroom at HCT

I don't know if there is anyone out there who loves the movie Strictly Ballroom as much as my sisters and I do! We have probably watched it over one hundred times (not an exaggeration) and we can quote the whole movie to each other at will (and we often do). When HCT announced the 2020 season, the three of us could hardly contain our excitement over the U.S. premiere of the musical based on this cult classic. I was able to see it last night (I am seeing it again next week with both of my sisters and my Mom) and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the production. Scott Hastings (Noah Bradford) and his ballroom dancing partner Elizabeth Holt (Alexa Knutzen) are on their way to winning the Pan-Pacific Grand Prix Open Amateur Old Time, New Vogue, and Latin Championship but, after an incident on the dance floor with another couple, Scott resorts to his own flashy crowd-pleasing steps. The Australian Federation President Barry Fife (Zac Freeman) denounces them so Liz decides to dance with Ken Railings (Brandon Perry) instead.  His mother Shirley (Claire Kenny) and his coach Les (Bryan Dayley) try to find him another partner, including the Champion Tina Sparkle (Alexis Burton), but Fran (Serena Kozusko), a beginning student, tells him she wants to dance with him using his steps. They train in secret with her father Rico (John Graham), who teaches them a more authentic version of the Paso Doble.  However, Shirley, Les, and Barry Fife all try to convince him to dance Federation steps with Liz to win the Pan-Pacific Championship. His father Doug (Benjamin J. Henderson) ultimately convinces him that he will live his life in fear if he doesn't follow his heart and dance his own steps with Fran. The musical follows the movie pretty well, with the addition of a master of ceremonies named Wally Strand (Quinn Dietlein) who narrates the action and provides the music. All of the songs from the movie, including "Time After Time," "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps," and "Love is in the Air," are included but I really enjoyed the dance-themed pop songs that are interspersed throughout, such as "Let's Dance" by David Bowie, "Dancing With Myself" by Billy Idol, "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" by Whitney Houston, and "Dancing in the Streets" by Martha & and the Vandellas. The ballroom dancing in this show is absolutely fabulous and so much fun to watch. Bradford and Kozusko, in particular, are amazing dancers and have so much chemistry with each other! I loved the costumes, especially Fran's Paso Doble dress which is incredible, but I have one tiny complaint and that is that Liz's dresses should be yellow. The set is mostly comprised of a large stage with spotlights and cabaret tables all around (patrons can sit at these tables during the show) with Kendall's Dance Studio coming down from the rafters and the Hastings's kitchen coming up from the pit. The disco balls hanging from the ceiling and the red metallic door curtains at every entrance provide the perfect atmosphere for a dance competition. This show is just so much fun and, if you are a fan of the movie, you are sure to love it!  Go here for tickets.

Note:  I can't wait to see it again with my sisters. I just hope that we can control ourselves (I apologize in advance to anyone sitting near us!).