The Collective

My Book of the Month selection for November was The Collective by Alison Gaylin (the other options were A Little Hope by Ethan Joella, The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker, The Family by Naomi Krupitsky, and How to Marry Keanu Reeves in 90 Days by K.M. Jackson). To be perfectly honest, I was not very interested in any of these options and I even contemplated skipping November but I really wanted an add-on so I just defaulted to the thriller. I had very low expectations but, once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down! Camille Gardner lost her fifteen-year-old daughter Emily five years ago when the latter attended a fraternity party where she was drugged, raped, and left in the woods to die of exposure. The young man responsible, Harris Blanchard, was acquitted after his expensive lawyers assassinated Emily's character during the trial. Camille has been unable to move on from her daughter's death because she believes that her killer has gotten away with murder. She causes a scene at an awards ceremony for Blanchard which goes viral on social media and is then asked to join a private support group on Facebook for mothers who have lost children but have not received justice. Spurred on by the other members of this group, she begins sharing her disturbing fantasies about punishing Blanchard herself and this leads to an invitation to join another group on the dark web. This group is a collective of women who work together completing individual tasks assigned by the administrator to mete out the justice they were denied. She carries out an innocuous assignment because she believes that it is all just an elaborate role play to bring consolation to the group members but, when she realizes that it is all too real, she is strangely exhilarated until she is in so deep that she fears for her own safety. This novel is incredibly suspenseful with very high stakes and I loved all of the twists and turns, especially the final one which blew me away because I did not see it coming (even though I should have because the clues are there). I really liked Camille as an unreliable narrator because both her rage and her fear are palpable and I found her to be very sympathetic, particularly when she questions all of her parenting decisions and how they may have played a role in what happened to her daughter. I also enjoyed the discussion about vigilante justice and Camille's reaction to what happens to Blanchard is quite interesting. This is a riveting and thought-provoking read which I was not expecting to like as much as I did. I highly recommend it (and I will definitely be checking out more from this author).

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at HCT

Last night I saw Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at Hale Theatre and, unfortunately, it is the worst production I have ever seen at HCT. Last night was opening night for the THS cast and this could account for some of my issues with the show but not all of them. This musical is based on the 1968 movie of the same name and is set in motion when Jeremy (Asher Nehring) and Jemima Potts (Hailey Burnham) ask their father, an eccentric inventor named Caractacus Potts (Austin Dorman), to buy an old car that won the Grand Prix three years in a row but is now sitting in a junk yard. However, the Baron (Benjamin Henderson) and Baroness Bomburst (Ali Bennett) of Vulgaria also want the car and send their spies, Boris (Ashley Carlson) and Goran (Trevor Dean), to get it. Caractacus refurbishes the car, names it Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and takes the children and Truly Scrumptious (Whitney Hatch) on a picnic at the seaside. They are attacked by Boris and Goran but they soon discover that Chitty can float and fly and this allows them to get away. Boris and Goran, thinking that Grandpa Potts (Daniel Hess) is the inventor responsible for Chitty's transformation, kidnap him and bring him to Vulgaria to make another car for the Baron's birthday. Caractacus, Truly, and the children travel to Vulgaria in Chitty to rescue him and hilarity ensues. The story is rather silly but it is usually a lot of fun. I say usually because last night was anything but fun. I am almost always impressed with the sets at HCT but with this show I was a bit disappointed. The breakfast making machine is really elaborate but it didn't seem to do anything (from where I was sitting), the giant bubble bath in "Chu Chi Face" is weird and the actors had a lot of difficulty maneuvering in and around it, and the doors in the toy shop kept sticking when they were opened and closed. The car, which is meant to be the showstopper, had technical difficulties during the big reveal which literally stopped the show, not once but, twice. The second stoppage happened near the end of the first act so intermission was called and we never did get to see the final scene (where Grandpa Potts is kidnapped) which caused some confusion in the second act. The costumes and props are fabulous (definitely the best part of the show along with the projections) but cast members were dropping hats and props all evening and it was distracting. I didn't feel like the cast was particularly strong (I even felt that some roles were miscast) and the only actor who really stood out for me was Henderson as the Baron (he is hilarious). The choreography in the big song and dance numbers is underwhelming and, honestly, it seemed as if the dancers needed a few more weeks of rehearsal because their performances looked chaotic. To be sure, this was opening night and a few mishaps are to be expected but the tickets are expensive so I don't think it is unreasonable to demand a show that is more polished than this one was. I have been an Early Bird season subscriber for almost 15 years and I have never seen such a mess before. Part of me wants to see the MWF cast later in the run to see if I enjoy it more but part of me never wants to see this particular show ever again! I was very disappointed with this production and I can't in good conscience recommend it.

Spencer

I love the movie Jackie so I have been looking forward to Spencer, Pablo Larrain's latest portrait of an enigmatic woman, for a really long time and I was excited to finally have the chance to see it last night.  Even though the reviews from the Venice Film Festival, where it had its premiere, were outstanding, I was not expecting such a brilliant performance from Kristen Stewart!  The movie takes place over three days during the Christmas holiday at the Queen's Sandringham Estate in 1991.  Princess Diana (Stewart) decides to forego her chauffeur and security detail to drive herself but gets lost along the way.  She laments the fact that she can no longer find her way in the part of England where she was raised and this is symbolic of how she has lost herself as a member of the Royal Family.  When she arrives, she immediately feels claustrophobic and constrained by royal protocol, tradition, and lack of privacy.  She finds several allies in the Royal Head Chef (Sean Harris) and a Royal Dresser (Sally Hawkins) but is constantly held in check by the Equerry, Major Alistair Gregory (Timothy Spall).  She receives a pearl necklace as a Christmas present from Prince Charles (Jack Farthing) but is dismayed when she realizes that it is the same as one worn by his mistress and it becomes a metaphor for how trapped she feels.  She is also upset about Prince Charles' insistence on taking Prince William (Jack Nielsen) shooting on Boxing Day and identifies with the pheasants because they are pretty but not very bright. In her despair, she begins seeing visions of Anne Boleyn (Amy Manson) and fears a similar fate.  Just when she is about to come undone she sneaks away to Park House, her childhood home near Sandringham, and finds herself again.  I am a huge fan of Stewart (I think she is vastly underrated as an actress) but even I was a bit skeptical when I heard that she had been cast as Princess Diana.  Many of my fears were allayed when the first images of her in character were released and then the first trailer, where I heard her accent for the first time, convinced me.  Stewart gives a highly nuanced performance that completely embodies Diana's fragile state of mind during this period in her life.  It is so transformative that I sometimes forgot that I was watching Stewart.  I also really appreciate that Larrain chose to focus on one pivotal moment, rather than depict her whole life (much as he did with Jackie which focuses on the immediate aftermath of JFK's assassination), because it allows the audience to go beyond what we think we know about Diana.  The costumes, production design, and art direction are absolutely gorgeous and I loved the score by Jonny Greenwood because the almost discordant themes intermingled between the piano and strings emphasize Diana's status as an outsider.  I loved this movie and I highly recommend it.

Note:  In the final scenes Diana is wearing an O.P.P. (Ontario Provincial Police) hat.  I loved seeing this because I am originally from Ontario.

Stephen Hough Plays Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1

I was so happy to be at Abravanel Hall for a Utah Symphony concert last night and, even though I wasn't very familiar with the pieces that were performed, I really enjoyed them both.  The orchestra began with Symphony No. 4 "The Inextinguishable" by Carl Nielsen and I thought it was incredibly dramatic.  It was written as the world was on the brink of World War I and represents the will to live.  The mood and the tempo change quite a few times throughout the piece to emphasize the ebb and flow of life.  Sometimes it is very mournful with themes played by a solo cello and a solo violin, sometimes it is hopeful with themes played by the woodwinds, and sometimes it is triumphant with themes played by the brass.  My favorite was the fourth and final movement because it features two sets of timpani, placed on opposite sides of the stage, and it seems like they are dueling with each other.  It is really intense and it was actually a lot of fun to watch the back and forth between timpanists George Brown and Eric Hopkins.  The piece ultimately ends in victory with stirring themes by the strings and brass and I loved it so much.  So did the rest of the audience (people were talking about it in the elevator after the concert) because the orchestra and guest conductor Rune Bergmann, who is adorable, received a well-deserved standing ovation.  After the intermission the orchestra was joined by pianist Stephen Hough, who is very popular with Utah Symphony audiences, for Piano Concerto No. 1 by Johannes Brahms.  The piece also begins very dramatically with just the orchestra playing for quite a while before the piano enters softly.  Eventually the theme played by the piano gathers momentum to become really powerful and I loved watching Hough's fingers flying up and down the keyboard.  The second movement was my favorite because it is incredibly romantic and emotional (it was supposedly written for Clara Schumann, the wife of composer Robert Schumann, with whom Brahms had a complicated friendship) and Hough played it with so much feeling.  The final movement seems almost frenzied in comparison but it is no less beautiful.  I really enjoyed this concert, even more than I was expecting to, and I recommend getting a ticket (go here) to tonight's performance of the same program.

Note:  I am a season subscriber to the Masterworks series this year and my seat is next to the two cutest little old ladies.  They greet me like a long lost friend now and wondered where I was the last concert (I had to exchange my ticket in order to see James Taylor that night).

Eternals

The reviews for Eternals have been mixed (to say the least) so I have been looking forward to seeing it in order to form my own opinion.  I finally had the opportunity at a Thursday preview last night and, honestly, I think it is absolutely brilliant.  The Celestials, a powerful ancient alien race, send a group of ten Eternals, mysterious beings equipped with superpowers, to Earth in 5000 B.C. to fight the Deviants, deformed creatures who have evolved to kill humans.  Ajak (Salma Hayek) is the leader of the group and has the ability to heal, Sersi (Gemma Chan) has the ability to manipulate matter, Ikaris (Richard Madden) has the ability to fly and project cosmic energy from his eyes, Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani) has the ability to project cosmic energy from his fingertips, Sprite (Lia McHugh) has the ability to create illusions, Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) has the ability to invent new technology, Makkari (Lauren Ridloff) has super speed, Druig (Barry Keoghan) has the ability to manipulate minds, Gilgamesh (Don Lee) has super strength, and Thena (Angelina Jolie) has the ability to create any weapon out of energy.  The Eternals are forbidden from interfering in human history but they ultimately destroy all of the Deviants and scatter to live their own lives among humans.  In the present day, Sersi is in London working at the Natural History Museum while caring for Sprite and having a relationship with her co-worker Dane Whitman (Kit Harington) after being left by her partner Ikaris 500 years earlier, Ajak lives on a horse ranch in South Dakota, Kingo (a source of much comic relief) is a Bollywood star in Mumbai and relies on his manager Karun (Harish Patel), Gilgamesh is caring for Thena in the Outback of Australia, Druig is protecting the rain forests in the Amazon and ruling a tribe of indigenous people, Phastos is living in Chicago with his husband Ben (Haaz Sleiman) and son Jack (Esai Daniel Cross), and Makkari is an archaeologist collecting ancient artifacts in Iraq.  When Ikaris finds all of the Eternals again after the sudden reappearance of a Deviant, they discover that the Celestials pose an even greater threat to humanity than the Deviants and they must each individually decide how to respond.  I loved almost everything about this movie but I particularly loved how the character arcs and motivations for each of the Eternals are informed by the mythology surrounding their names (I didn't know anything about these characters so it was a lot of fun figuring out the references, especially the allusions to Circe, Athena, Ajax, Icarus, and Mercury) and I loved the relationships between the characters and how they are developed in a nonlinear way throughout ancient history to build the narrative cumulatively.  I also loved the philosophical debates between the characters about whether or not humanity deserves to be saved and I think the resolution of this question is beautiful and poignant.  I enjoyed the diversity of the characters, particularly one who is deaf and one who is openly gay, and I was beyond impressed with the sensitive depiction of a specific illness. Most of all, I loved that all of the above generated lots of epic discussions (which is a hallmark of great movies, in my opinion) between groups of people in the theater, the lobby, and the parking lot at my screening!  The performances are strong, the visuals are gorgeous, the action sequences are a lot of fun, and the score is amazing.  This movie is now my favorite in the MCU and is definitely one of my favorites of 2021.  I highly recommend it!

Note:  Several young girls squealed at the mid-credits scene.  I squealed at the end-credits scene!

Antlers

Last night I crossed another movie off my list by seeing Antlers and, even though I enjoyed many elements, I ultimately found it to be too bleak even for my taste.  Julia Meadows (Keri Russell) has recently returned home to an economically depressed small town in Oregon to be with her brother Paul (Jesse Plemons), the local sherriff.  She takes a job as a teacher at the middle school and, as a victim of abuse herself, she begins to suspect that one of her students, Lucas Weaver (Jeremy T. Thomas), is also being abused.  Several weeks earlier, his father Frank (Scott Haze) and his younger brother Aiden (Sawyer Jones) were attacked by an unknown creature inside of an abandoned mine that Frank was using as a meth lab.  They survive the attack but Frank begins a disturbing transformation so he forces Lucas to lock them in the attic and bring him roadkill to satisfy his insatiable hunger.  Frank eventually becomes a terrifying horned creature and escapes into the woods.  Soon after, Paul is called to the scenes of several brutal, but unexplained, murders and Julia suspects that Lucas is somehow involved.  When Lucas finally confides in her, she is forced to confront the creature, and her own inner demons, to save him.  I like horror movies that are based on folklore and the mythology surrounding the wendigo, a humanoid creature that is often depicted with antlers and represents an imbalance in many Native American cultures, is fascinating.  I really liked the design of the creature and there are quite a few genuinely frightening moments.  The narrative alludes to childhood trauma, poverty, addiction, and the destruction of the environment and, even though these themes are not as well developed as they could be, it is this hopelessness that unleashes the horror that follows.  I usually like movies that are dark and depressing because I find them to be cathartic (I don't know what this says about me) but this movie, especially the ending, is so devoid of hope that I left the theater feeling numb.  If even I find a movie too disheartening, I can't imagine that anyone else would enjoy it.

Last Night in Soho

The next movie on my list was Last Night in Soho and I was very excited to see it last night as it was one of my most anticipated movies of the fall.  I ended up really enjoying this stylish and atmospheric thriller.  Eloise "Ellie" Turner (Thomasin McKenzie) is a young and impressionable girl from the English countryside who is obsessed with the movies, music, and fashion of the 1960s.  She dreams of becoming a fashion designer and travels to London to study but has trouble fitting in with with her roommate and the other girls in the dorm.  She rents a room in Soho from a Mrs. Collins (Diana Rigg) instead and this seems to be a portal to the 1960s.  Each night she encounters Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy), an aspiring singer who once occupied her room in the past, and she experiences everything that happens to her.  At first Ellie is exhilarated and finds inspiration for her designs.  She even dyes her hair and buys vintage clothing in the present to mimic Sandie's style but this brings about the unwanted attention of a mysterious stranger (Terrence Stamp) who seems to recognize her.  When Sandie meets a dashing man named Jack (Matt Smith), who promises to help her with her singing career but actually becomes her pimp, Ellie is caught up in a dangerous lifestyle that follows her into the present.  Eventually, Ellie witnesses what she believes to be Sandie's murder by Jack in the past and becomes convinced that the mysterious stranger is really Jack in the present and tries to hold him accountable. McKenzie and Taylor-Joy are both outstanding and I also really enjoyed Rigg in her final role.  The camera work showing Ellie and Sandie seamlessly changing places in a dazzling dance sequence and mimicking each other as they descend a mirrored staircase is absolutely  brilliant.  I loved both the music, especially "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "You're My World" by Cilla Black, and the clothes from the 1960s (I might be as obsessed with the 1960s as Ellie is).  The exploration of how young women alone in a big city can be victimized is incredibly compelling and I found it interesting that both Ellie and Sandie experience the same type of harassment from men even though they are very different women in different time periods.  Finally, I actually enjoyed it when Ellie has difficulty distinguishing between the past and present in the third act because these scenes are very unsettling and they kept me guessing until the end.  This is a bit of a departure from Edgar Wright's other films (it features much darker themes than we usually get from the director) but I think his fans will recognize his distinct visual style and I recommend it.

The French Dispatch

There are quite a few movies on my list this week (I am a little bit behind) but, as a huge fan of Wes Anderson, I had to start with The French Dispatch last night.  It is probably the most Wes Anderson-like movie that Wes Anderson has ever made and I loved it!  Arthur Howitzer, Jr. (Bill Murray) is the editor of The French Dispatch, a Sunday supplement to The Liberty Kansas Evening Sun, located in the French city of Ennui-sur-Blase.  When Howitzer dies, the editorial staff, per his wishes, chooses four of the best stories from previous issues to become part of the farewell issue.  The Cycling Reporter by Herbsaint Sazerac (Owen Wislon) is presented as a video travelogue of Ennui-sur-Blase emphasizing how the city has changed but stayed the same over the years.  The Concrete Masterpiece by J.K.L. Berensen (Tilda Swinton) is presented as a lecture about the painter Moses Rosenthaler (Benicio del Toro) and his relationship with Simone (Lea Seydoux), the guard at the Ennui Prison/Asylum where he is incarcerated who becomes his muse, and Julien Cadazio (Adrien Brody), a fellow inmate who discovers his talent and promotes him when he leaves prison.  Revisions to a Manifesto by Lucinda Kremetz (Frances McDormand) is presented as a diary about her involvement in a student uprising and with the student leader Zeffirelli (Timothee Chalamet).  The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner by Roebuck Wright (Jeffrey Wright) is presented as a talk show interview about a dinner with the Police Commissaire (Mathieu Amalric) that goes awry when his son Gigi (Winston Ait Hellal) is kidnapped and the crime is solved by his personal chef Nescaffier (Stephen Park).  This movie is so funny!  In fact, I was laughing out loud through the whole thing because there are so many witty little details (I loved all of the names of characters and places).  I will need to watch it again because I am sure there are even more that I didn't notice.  I also really loved the cast, especially Chalamet as an angst-ridden revolutionary and Wright as a lonely outsider who finds solace in food.  Anderson is known for using the same actors over and over again and it seems as if everyone who has ever worked with the director wanted in on this movie because some well-known actors have little more than cameos.  These include frequent collaborators Anjelica Houston as a narrator, Jason Schwartzman as a cartoonist, Fisher Stevens as an editor, Wally Wolodarsky as a writer who never finishes any stories but lurks in the hallway, Tony Revolori as the young Rosenthaler, Bob Balaban as Cadazio's uncle and business partner, Liev Schreiber as the talk show host, Edward Norton as a kidnapper, Willem Dafoe as an underworld accountant, and Saoirse Ronan as a showgirl.  My favorite cameos were Lois Smith as an art collector and Elisabeth Moss as an editor with a passion for grammar (obviously).  Finally, it is visually stunning because Anderson plays around with color and black and white cinematography, different aspect ratios, and animation.  Surprisingly, I was not a fan of the score.  Alexandre Desplat is one of my favorite film composers but I found the music to be repetitive at times and, therefore, distracting.  Otherwise, I had a smile on my face from beginning to end and I highly recommend this movie, especially to fans of Wes Anderson.

Note:  As much as I loved this, I think my favorite is still The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Andrea Bocelli at the Vivint Arena

I have wanted to see Andrea Bocelli in concert for a really long time and I finally had the opportunity last night.  It was an absolutely amazing performance and I am so glad that I decided to get a ticket (even though it was pretty expensive).  Bocelli was backed by the American Festival Chorus and Orchestra, based in Northern Utah, under the baton of Music Director Steven Mercurio and they looked and sounded very impressive.  There was a large panel of screens behind the stage which featured dazzling visuals and several numbers incorporated choreographed dances on stage with Brittany O'Connor and Paul Barris so the show was more like a theatrical experience than a concert.  The first half featured many well-known selections from the operatic repertory and I loved it.  I particularly enjoyed "Di quella pira" from Il Trovatore by Guiseppe Verdi, "La donna e mobile" from Rigoletto by Guiseppe Verdi, "Mario! Mario! Mario!" from Tosca by Giacomo Puccini with soprano Larisa Martinez, "Vissi d'arte" from Tosca by Giacomo Pucinni as a solo by Larisa Martinez, "Come un bel di di maggio" from Andrea Chenier by Umberto Giordano, "Si Pel Ciel" from Otello by Guiseppe Verdi with baritone Edward Parks, "Au fond du temple saint" from The Pearl Fishers by Georges Bizet with Edward Parks (this was a highlight of the night for me because I love this duet), and "Libiamo ne' lieti calici" from La Traviata by Guiseppe Verdi.  After the intermission, the orchestra and chorus performed a stirring rendition of "O Fortuna" from Carmina Burana by Carl Orff.  Then the rest of the second half featured music from Bocelli's latest album Believe which includes songs of faith and inspiration.  I especially loved "Oh, Madre Benedetta!" (another highlight because it uses Adagio in G Minor by Tomaso Albinoni which is one of my favorite pieces in the classical repertory), "Ave Maria" (with music composed by Bocelli), a cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" with his nine-year-old daughter Virginia, "You'll Never Walk Alone," "Amazing Grace" with Loren Allred (she also performed her song "Never Enough" from The Greatest Showman), and "I Believe."  For the encore, Bocelli performed "Time to Say Goodbye (Con te Partiro)," which is probably his best known song, with Larisa Martinez (this brought the audience to their feet), a delightful version of "'O Sole Mio," and "Nessun dorma" from Turandot by Giacomo Puccini (this gave me goosebumps).  Many of these songs moved me to tears because Bocelli has such a beautiful voice and he performs with such passion.  After wanting to see him for so long, this concert exceeded all of my expectations and it will definitely be among my favorites!

The Invisible Man and The Wolf Man Double Feature

I enjoyed the double feature of Dracula and Frankenstein so much I decided to see The Invisible Man and The Wolf Man yesterday afternoon.  I had never seen these movies before so it was a lot of fun to watch them for the first time on the big screen.  In The Invisible Man, based on the novel by H.G. Wells,  Claude Rains, one of my favorite actors, plays Dr. Jack Griffin, a scientist who has found the formula to make himself invisible.  At first he searches for a way to become invisible because wants the fame and money such a discovery will bring him but an obscure compound in the formula is slowly driving him mad and now he wants to control the world.  He goes on a killing spree and it is up to his employer Dr. Cranley (Henry Travers), his colleague Dr. Kremp (William Harrigan), and his fiancee Flora (Gloria Stuart) to stop him.  Rains is captivating in the role, even though you only see his face in the final moments, because his voice is so sinister.  The special effects are impressive, even by today's standards, especially the scenes in which Griffin removes his bandages to reveal his invisibility (apparently achieved by having Rains wear a black velvet bodysuit under his costume and then filming against a black velvet backdrop) and when he causes a train derailment.  It is a great blend of horror and science fiction with a message about the dangers of meddling where one should not and I really liked it.  In The Wolf Man, which does not have a literary reference but is based on folklore instead, Lon Chaney is Larry Talbot, the heir to a large estate in Wales who has recently returned to reconcile with his father Sir John Talbot (Claude Rains).  When a large wolf attacks a woman in the forest, Larry kills it with a silver walking stick but not before being bitten.  A gypsy fortuneteller (Maria Ouspenskaya) tells him the the wolf was really her son Bela (Bela Lugosi), a werewolf, and that he will now become a werewolf.  During the full moon he is transformed and goes on a murderous rampage but doesn't remember anything in the morning.  Eventually, he begins to suspect that he is a monster and feels tremendous guilt over what he has done but his father protects him from exposure until forced to take action.  I didn't think the transformation from man to werewolf was that spectacular (although these scenes apparently took hours to film) but the makeup effects (which involve lots of yak hair) are outstanding.  I enjoyed Chaney's emotional performance as a man who is horrified by what he has become and I loved the use of fog in the forest scenes because it so menacing.  As with Dracula and Frankenstein, the portrayal of these characters in popular culture today is influenced more by these movies than by their source material (I kept thinking about Charlie Barber's Invisible Man costume in Marriage Story).  I think these movies featuring the so-called Universal Monsters are iconic and are definitely worth seeking out (even after Halloween).

Back to the Future in Concert

I think it is common knowledge by now that I am a huge fan of Utah Symphony's Films in Concert series!  I am pretty sure that I have been to all of them starting with the very first one, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and last night I went to the latest, Back to the Future.  It has been a really long time since I watched this movie and I had forgotten how funny it is (I laughed out loud at Huey Lewis as a judge for the Battle of the Bands).  I was also surprised by how well it holds up after more than thirty years since its release!  Needless to say, I had a great time seeing it again on the big screen while the orchestra played the score by Alan Silvestri live.  Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) meets his eccentric friend Emmett "Doc" Brown (Christopher Lloyd) to test his latest invention, a time machine made out of a DeLorean powered by plutonium.  When they are surprised by Libyan terrorists, who are not happy about having their plutonium stolen, Marty flees in the DeLorean and travels back to 1955.  He eventually finds Doc but he also inadvertently disrupts the meeting between his parents, Lorraine (Lea Thompson) and George (Crispin Glover), which puts his own existence in jeopardy.  Will he get his parents back together?  Will Doc be able to get him back to the future?  Silvestri's score adds so much excitement to the movie and I especially enjoyed the themes played when Marty is being chased by the Libyans before he travels to 1955 and when he is chased by Biff (Thomas F. Wilson) through the town square on an improvised skateboard.  The score also creates an almost unbearable feeling of tension and suspense (especially with all of the brass) when Marty and Doc face obstacle after obstacle as they try to harness the lightning from a storm to power the DeLorean and it is surprisingly poignant when Marty is reunited with Doc in 1985.  Another fun element to these concerts is the audience participation, which is encouraged.  There was lots of cheering and applause, especially when George punches Biff and when he kisses Lorraine at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance!  Seeing a film in concert is such a fun and immersive experience so I highly recommend getting a ticket for Back to the Future tonight or for one of the other films in concert later this season (go here for information and tickets).

Frozen at the Eccles

I had the chance to see a preview of the musical Frozen in Denver before it transferred to Broadway and I absolutely loved it!  I was so excited to see it again last night while the Broadway touring production is making a stop at the Eccles Theater through November 13.  The musical follows the movie pretty closely and begins with a young Elsa (Natalie Grace Chan) and a young Anna (Victoria Hope Chan) building a snowman together.  When Elsa accidentally freezes Anna with her mysterious powers, the King (Kyle Lamar Mitchell) and Queen (Marina Kondo) tell her than she must hide herself away from Anna and the rest of Arendelle.  When the King and Queen are lost at sea, Elsa (Caroline Bowman) must open the doors of the castle once again for her coronation.  She loses control of herself, with devastating consequences, when Anna (Caroline Innerbichler) requests permission to marry Hans of the Southern Isles (Austin Colby) and she flees Arendelle.  Anna follows her, hoping to save Arendelle from the endless winter, and is aided by an ice harvester named Kristoff (Mason Reeves), his reindeer Sven (Evan Strand), and Olaf (F. Michael Haynie), 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.  Many of the well-known songs from the movie are included, such as "Do You Want to Build a Snowman," "For the First Time in Forever," "Love is an Open Door," and, of course, "Let It Go," but my favorite songs are two new ones, "Dangerous to Dream" and "Monster," because they provide more insight into Elsa's character.  I also really loved a song that was added since I saw it in Denver called "I Can't Lose You" because Bowman and Innerbichler sing it so beautifully.  The sets and costumes are also informed by the movie as are the delightful puppets used for Sven and Olaf.  The special effects in this show are dazzling!  I especially loved it when the young Elsa makes it snow inside the castle and when the frozen Anna is thawed by Elsa.  However, "Let It Go" is absolutely magical with projections in sync with Elsa's gestures and a quick costume change.  All of the little girls sitting near me were giggling with delight (and I may have been, as well).  This is such a fun show to welcome patrons back to the Eccles Theater and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here).

Ass at PTC

Last night I went to see the world premiere, delayed twice by Covid, of Ass at Pioneer Theatre and, while I found it to be incredibly thought-provoking, I did not particularly enjoy it.  Jule Waterman (T. Ryder Smith) is a world-renowned artist known for his larger than life sculptures of specific body parts that are so captivating they suggest the whole person.  He is a genius but he is narcissistic and difficult.  He is also suffering from kidney disease which necessitates daily dialysis treatments while he waits for a transplant.  He is married to Tory (Laura J. Hall), a significantly younger woman who is the latest in a long string of wives and girlfriends.  Because she is insecure about her importance in his life, she is desperate to be immortalized in one of Jule's sculptures.  His son Will (Ben Cherry) has been immortalized in sculpture but he still feels unimportant to his father.  His wife Ana (Elizabeth Ramos) is anxious to have a child but she can't conceive and needs expensive IVF treatments.  She pressures Will to return to his childhood home to ask his father for a loan and Tory pressures Jule to ask Will for a kidney so he can continue working on a sculpture of her.  It takes a dialysis nurse named Ray (Vince McGill) to get Jule and Will to express their feelings to each other.  The title of the play comes from the imposing sculpture in progress that completely dominates Jule's living space (I liked the set which is an eclectic New York loft complete with an elevator) and from the fact that every character (with the possible exception of Ray) behaves like one.  Even though the subject of familial relationships is universal I couldn't really relate to any of the characters because they are so unlikable and the unnatural dialogue, which sometimes seems really bombastic, keeps them at such a distance.  Most of the humor falls flat (I only laughed once and I can't even remember what prompted it) and there are surprisingly few emotionally satisfying moments.  I did find some of the themes to be compelling, such as the degree to which someone should be indulged simply because they are a genius and how the children of famous people suffer by comparison yet often ride the coattails of their parents to unearned fame.  This show is interesting but I didn't love it as much as other productions at PTC.  It runs through Nov. 6 (go here for information and tickets).

Ron's Gone Wrong

Last night I finally had the chance to see Ron's Gone Wrong and it is both a touching story of friendship and a cautionary tale about the dangers of social media.  Barney (Jack Dylan Grazer) is a socially awkward teen who feels even more left out because he is the only student at Nonsuch Middle School who doesn't have a B-Bot.  Mark Weidell (Justice Smith), the CEO of the Bubble corporation (a tech giant obviously modeled on Apple), has created a robot that uses information from an owner's online profile to become his or her best friend and to find other online friends but Andrew Morris (Rob Delaney), the COO of Bubble, has more sinister plans for the B-Bot.  When Barney's dad (Ed Helms) and his Bulgarian grandmother (Olivia Colman) realize how much he wants a B-Bot, they go to the Bubble store but are told that there is a three month wait-list to get one.  Not wanting to disappoint him, they pay a delivery man under the table for one that fell off the truck.  Barney's B-Bot, named Ron (Jack Galifianakis), is defective and cannot download any of the software or connect to the Bubble network.  Barney tries to take Ron back but ends up bonding with him and decides to teach him manually how to be his friend.  Ron ends up teaching Barney how to be a friend and helps him to reconnect with the friends he had in elementary school.  What I loved most about this movie is that Ron serves as real friend to Barney rather than an online one and I loved the scenes where they are laughing and having fun playing together.  I also think it is interesting that all of Ron's former friends, Savannah (Kylie Cantrall), Rich (Ricardo Hurtado), Noah (Cullen McCarthy) and Ava (Ava Morse), ultimately become disillusioned with their B-Bots and find a more meaningful connection with Barney.  This is a theme that I particularly enjoy (go here and here).  The character design of Ron is really cute and Galifianakis's portrayal of him is incredibly endearing.  I also enjoyed all of the subtle humor, especially the digs at Apple (as someone who dislikes the Apple store intensely, I absolutely loved that the Bubble store employees, with their tablets in hand, could do nothing to fix Ron because it mirrors my own experience exactly).  As a former teacher, the docking station for the B-Bots at the school made me laugh out loud.  This is a really fun movie with a lot of heart and I highly recommend it.

Ballet West's Dracula

Last night I went to see Dracula, the first production of Ballet West's 2021-2022 season and the first large-scale ballet performed since the pandemic.  I was really looking forward to this ballet and I loved it!  In Act I Dracula (Chase O'Connell) emerges, dramatically, from a tomb in the crypt of his castle and summons all of his brides who dance at his command.  I loved the choreography because Dracula controls them with just a glance or a gesture and he works them up into a frenzy where they leap (and sometimes fly) across the stage.  Dracula's chief henchman, Renfield (Joshua Whitehead), brings a young woman named Flora (Emily Adams) to the castle in a horse-drawn carriage (I loved that the horses are portrayed by dancers).  With the help of his brides, Dracula detains her and then beguiles her in a gorgeous Pas de Deux before transforming her.  In Act II an Innkeeper (Jordan Veit) and his wife (Katlyn Addison, my favorite dancer with Ballet West) are celebrating the birthday of their daughter Svetlana (Beckanne Sisk) with a group of villagers who perform various folkloric dances (I especially loved the use of ribbons in these dances).  Svetlana is in love with a villager named Frederick (Hadriel Diniz) who asks her father for permission to marry her and, when it is granted, they dance another beautiful Pas de Deux.  They also dance a series of solos and I especially liked it when Svetlana twirls on her heels (I'm sure there is a proper term for this).  Dracula, who has heard of Svetlana's beauty, sends Flora, now under his control, into the village and they capture her.  In Act III Flora and the brides prepare Dracula's bedchamber in the castle (Flora flies dramatically across the stage and this made me gasp out loud) for Svetlana's arrival.  Dracula beguiles Svetlana in another amazing Pas de Deux where she appears to glide across the stage.  Frederick and several others from the village arrive at the castle to rescue Svetlana and a battle ensues (with some great special effects).  In addition to the choreography and performances, I loved the music by Franz Liszt (some of the themes reminded me of Symphonie Fantastique by Hector Berlioz), the costumes (especially the cape worn by Dracula which, when unfurled, looks like a bat's wings and the ethereal white dresses worn by the brides), and the sets (particularly the dark and atmospheric crypt in the castle).  I enjoyed this beautiful production so much that I now count Dracula among my favorite ballets and I highly recommend attending one of the remaining performances (go here for tickets and information).

James Taylor at the Maverik Center

I really love James Taylor and I have seen him live many times at many different venues including, rather memorably, the LDS Conference Center with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Utah Symphony.  I try to see him whenever I can and I was so excited when he announced a new tour.  The SLC show was originally scheduled for the last day of school in 2020 so I bought a ticket thinking that it would be the perfect way to celebrate my retirement.  We all know how that turned out!  Fortunately, the concert was rescheduled and I enjoyed it just as much last night.  The opening act was Jackson Browne and, since I had never seen him live before, I was looking forward to his set as much as Taylor's.  He sang quite a few of his more recent songs and I enjoyed them even though I didn't recognize them as much as the hits.  I loved "Somebody's Baby" at the beginning of the set, "Doctor My Eyes" in the middle, and "Running on Empty" at the end.  Another highlight was "The Pretender" because he was joined on stage by Taylor, to the delight of the audience.  Taylor began his set with "Country Road" and then included a few of his lesser known songs in the first half.  Of these, I really enjoyed "As Easy As Falling Off a Log" from his latest album, American Standard (which consists of covers from the American songbook), and I also liked his renditions of "Mexico" and "Steamroller" because his incredibly talented band basically turned these songs into improvisational jam sessions.  However, I have to admit that I absolutely loved the second half of the show because he played his most well-known hits, including "Sweet Baby James," "Fire and Rain," "Carolina in My Mind," and "Shower the People" (one of my favorite songs).  He ended the set with an emotional performance of "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)."  For the encore, he sang a cover of the Eagles song "Take It Easy" with Jackson Browne (which Browne co-wrote with Glenn Frey), a beautiful acoustic version of "You've Got a Friend," and "You Can Close Your Eyes" with his son Henry.  Taylor told lots anecdotes about his songs (at one point he said that his intro to a song was longer than the song itself) and his interactions with the audience were really funny (when multiple people yelled that they loved him he said that it was becoming a bidding war).  It was a wonderful show that was definitely worth the wait!

Note:  There is always one song from an artist's back catalog that I want to hear and with James Taylor it is "Handy Man."  I wasn't too disappointed that it wasn't included last night because I've heard him sing it before.

Dune

I am a huge fan of the book Dune by Frank Herbert.  I read it for the first time in tenth grade (about the time the David Lynch adaptation, which I did not like, came out) and, even though I didn't understand it completely, I loved the world building and the Chosen One narrative.  Upon subsequent readings, I came to admire the message about the evils of colonialism including the oppression of indigenous peoples and the destruction of the environment in pursuit of a valuable resource.  I have been anticipating the latest adaptation by Denis Villeneuve ever since I saw the first trailer (which blew my mind) and I finally had the opportunity to see it last night at a Thursday preview.  I loved it!  The Emperor, who rules the universe, has assigned Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) of House Atreides to be the new steward of the planet Arrakis, which is a harsh desert but the only source of a valuable spice necessary for interplanetary travel.  The Emperor views House Atreides as a threat and sets Duke Leto up to fail with the help of the former steward, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgard) of House Harkonnen.  Leto's son Paul (Timothee Chalamet) is the heir to the dukedom and has been trained in warfare and politics by his advisors Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa), Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin), and Thufir Hawat (Stephen McKinley Henderson).  Paul's mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), belongs to a holy order known as the Bene Gesserit and so he has also been trained in their superior mental and physical abilities.  When Paul begins having dreams about future events on Arrakis, Jessica summons the Reverend Mother (Charlotte Rampling) of her order to administer a test to determine if he is the one prophesied to bring peace to the universe.  After a betrayal and an invasion Paul must ultimately join forces with the Fremen, the native peoples of Arrakis, including a leader named Stilgar (Javier Bardem) and a young girl named Chani (Zendaya) who has appeared in Paul's dreams.  I loved the entire cast but I was especially impressed with Chalamet's portrayal of Paul's journey from resistance to and then acceptance of his destiny and Momoa's portrayal of Duncan's loyalty to Paul and House Atreides.  I loved the epic scope of the movie including some truly spectacular and visually stunning sequences, particularly the depiction of the ornithopters (they look like giant dragonflies) and the sandworms.  I loved the sound design, especially the portrayal of the Voice (it gave me goosebumps), and Hans Zimmer's incredibly atmospheric score (I loved the bagpipes when House Atreides arrives on Arrakis).  I love that Villeneuve chose to tell the story in two parts to really explore the mythology but this movie does feel incomplete (my only criticism).  I sincerely hope the next one gets made!  As someone who loves the source material, I highly recommend seeing this brilliant adaptation on the biggest screen possible (if you feel comfortable doing so).

Cats in Las Vegas

For Christmas two years ago I was given a season subscription to Broadway Las Vegas.  It was pretty much the best gift ever because I love live theatre and I love road trips!  Unfortunately, I only got to see one show before Covid shut everything down.  The good news is that I was able to apply my remaining tickets to the new 2021-2022 season and I saw the first show, Cats, last night.  I am not a big fan of the musical Cats because I saw it for the first time in London the night after I saw Les Miserables, which was a dream come true, and it suffered unfairly in comparison (and who can forget the trauma of watching the movie adaptation?).  I have since learned to appreciate the show and I was really happy to be back at the Smith Center for the first time since the pandemic started!  The story, such as it is, is based on a collection of poems called Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot and features music composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber.  Once a year the Jellicle Cats meet for the Jellicle Ball where Old Deuteronomy chooses one of them to ascend (in a giant tire) to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn.  Each cat explains why he or she should be the one chosen in big song and dance numbers.  My favorites are "The Rum Tum Tugger," "Bustopher Jones:  The Cat About Town," "Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer," "Macavity, The Mystery Cat," "Magical Mister Mistoffelees," and, of course, the showstopper "Memory."  The entire cast in this production is insanely talented but my favorite dancers were Hyla Mayrose Perillo as Victoria, Zach Bravo as Rum Tum Tugger, and Paul Giarratano as Mistoffelees.  Tayler Harris, as Grizabella, just about brought the house down with her powerful, yet vulnerable, rendition of "Memory" and I really liked Indalecio De Jesus Valentin's voice as Old Deuteronomy.  The choreography in this show is absolutely brilliant, especially in "Song of the Jellicles and the Jellicle Ball," "Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat" (I loved the way they created the train), and "Magical Mister Mistoffelees," and I really like how it incorporates the mannerisms of real cats. This show will never be my favorite but I have to admit that I got caught up in the excitement of the people around me and I really enjoyed it.  It has been a fun trip!

Note:  After watching the stage version again I was reminded that the movie was such a missed opportunity.

Halloween Kills

I really enjoyed Halloween, the 2018 direct sequel to the original movie, so I was looking forward to the next installment, Halloween Kills.  I saw it last night and, normally, seeing a horror movie on a Friday night in October with a large crowd is a lot of fun but this movie is an absolute mess and I left the theater disappointed.  Immediately after the events of Halloween, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is taken away from her burning compound to the hospital to treat the stab wound in her abdomen by her daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak).  Meanwhile, firefighters inadvertently free Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney) from the basement where he was trapped by Strode and he goes on a brutal rampage through the town of Haddonfield.  Tommy Doyle (Anthony Michael Hall), one of the children Strode was babysitting during the attacks on Halloween in 1978, is celebrating with several other survivors when he hears of Myers' return and vows to kill him once and for all.  He organizes a large mob, including the other survivors and Allyson, and they cause the death of an escaped convict, mistakenly believed to be Myers, before forcing a confrontation with Myers at his childhood home.  This movie is incredibly violent and gruesome, especially when Myers kills a firefighter with a chainsaw, but I would rather be genuinely scared than shocked (the tension, not the body count, is what made the original movie so scary).  I really enjoyed the exploration of Strode's PTSD in the last movie but her story is sidelined in this one in favor of Deputy Hawkins (Will Patton) and his guilt over not killing Myers when he had the chance in 1978 (in some revisionist flashbacks) and a heavy-handed message about mob mentality and the danger of becoming as morally depraved as the monster you seek.  Bringing back several characters from the original movie seems like a good idea in theory but it really just serves to emphasize the sheer stupidity of some their actions.  These characters have dealt with Myers before so they should know better than to approach him with just a pillowcase full of rocks or a baseball bat.  There are some weird tonal shifts, particularly the truly bizarre scenes involving the new owners of Myers' former home.  The dialogue is cringe-worthy, the acting is surprisingly bad, the editing is confusing, especially the slow-motion mob scene at the hospital, and the plot goes nowhere.  Honestly, I feel like this is just a set-up for the next movie and I recommend giving it a miss.

The Last Duel

When I found out that Adam Driver had been cast in The Last Duel I decided to read the book by Eric Jager (upon which the movie is based).  I was absolutely fascinated by the true story about the last legally sanctioned trial by combat in France and I immediately began anticipating the release of the movie.  I was able to see it last night at a Thursday preview (in a packed theater) and I think it is outstanding.  The movie opens with preparations for the duel between former friends Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) and Jacques Le Gris (Driver) and then depicts the events leading up to it from three different perspectives.  In the truth according to Jean de Carrouges, he saves the life of his squire Le Gris in battle but, in return, Le Gris ingratiates himself to their Lord, Count Pierre d'Alencon (Ben Affleck), and is rewarded with land that was meant to be a part of his wife's dowry and with a captaincy held by his father than was meant to be his upon his father's death.  He is angry with Le Gris for this betrayal but instigates a rapprochement to keep the peace.  When he returns home from battle, his wife Marguerite (Jodie Comer) informs him that she was raped by Le Gris.  When Marguerite tells him that she wants Le Gris to pay for his crime against her, he demands justice from King Charles VI (Alex Lawther) in the form of a duel.  In the truth according to Jacques Le Gris, he defends Carrouges for disobeying the Count's orders in battle and earns the land and the captaincy for services rendered to the Count.  Carrouges lashes out against him but he instigates the rapprochement because of their former friendship.  He can't help himself from falling in love with Marguerite and believes that she also has feelings for him.  He forces himself on her but asserts that he has done nothing wrong because her resistance is perfunctory.  He protests his innocence but agrees to the duel because he does not want to appear cowardly.  In the truth according to the Lady Marguerite, she has no importance in society beyond her dowry and her ability to produce an heir but she is capable and runs the estate better than her husband during his absence.  She views Le Gris as handsome and intelligent but untrustworthy and, when he attacks her, she fights him but is overpowered.  Carrouges flies into a rage when he hears of the rape because he sees it as an affront to his honor and demands a duel even though it puts her life in jeopardy.  The movie concludes with the duel and its aftermath.  I think the structure is absolutely brilliant because the characters view the same events very differently based on their experiences (Carrouges believes he is the hero, Le Gris believes he is justified, and Marguerite believes that she is a victim of the patriarchy) and it is up to the audience to determine the ultimate "truth."  While the rape scenes are hard to watch, the subtle differences between the two perspectives are very powerful.  My only problem is with Le Gris' version because it deviates from the book.  He always maintained that he didn't attack her at all and there was evidence, albeit disputed, that he had an alibi.  The scenes involving medieval combat are spectacular and I was particularly impressed with the portrayal of the duel.  Finally, I loved every performance.  Damon and Driver are fantastic and Affleck steals every scene he is in but Comer is absolutely amazing!  This might not be for everyone (it could be very triggering for some people) but I loved it and I highly recommend it to fans of historical epics.

Utah Opera's The Barber of Seville

Last night I had so much fun at The Barber of Seville, Utah Opera's first full-length production since the pandemic started, because it is absolutely hilarious!  Count Almaviva (Matthew Grills) has fallen in love with Rosina (Sarah Coit) but her guardian Dr. Bartolo (Matthew Burns) wants to marry her himself and keeps her under constant supervision.  Almaviva disguises himself as a poor student named Lindoro and hires a band in order to serenade Rosina under her balcony.  She falls in love with him, too, but they lament the fact that they cannot be together.  Almaviva enlists the help of Bartolo's barber, Figaro (Michael Adams), in order to infiltrate his household to get close to Rosina.  Figaro devises several plots, including having Almaviva impersonate a drunken soldier with orders to be billeted at Bartolo's house and having him impersonate a music teacher to replace Rosina's regular teacher, Don Basilio (Adam Lau).  Chaos ensues!  This is the funniest opera production I have ever seen and I loved it!  I normally do not like it when the source material is changed for effect but sometimes it works and, since the libretto for this opera is actually quite nonsensical, the changes work really well here.  The setting is now the 1960s and the production design is inspired by the movies of Pedro Almodovar with sets that feature bold patterns and colors and costumes that are reminiscent of the circus (one member of the ensemble is on stilts, another sells balloons and cotton candy, and others throw confetti whenever they are on stage).  The entire cast is incredibly strong and they sing their roles beautifully (Adams is especially charismatic) but I was most impressed with how adept each of them are with the physical comedy!  I especially loved the scene where Almaviva practices yoga and plays the sitar as a hippie music teacher, the scene where Bartolo gives an eye exam (he is an ophthalmologist) to a terrified patient while trying to discover what Rosina is up to, and the scene where the police come to arrest Almaviva for causing a disturbance and then create an even bigger disturbance.  I laughed out loud the entire evening!  I think this particular production is one that most everyone will enjoy (I saw quite a few laughing children in the audience) because it is very accessible.  The plot is easy to follow since it is basically a love triangle, the music is instantly recognizable, the recurring sight gags (mainly involving chickens) are laugh-out-loud funny, and the length is under three hours (including the intermission).  Even if you are not a fan of opera I highly recommend getting a ticket to one of the two remaining performances (go here).

Thriller 2021

I have been attending Odyssey Dance Theatre's Halloween extravaganza Thriller for years and years and it is always so much fun!  It is one of my favorite Halloween traditions!  I was able to see this year's production at Kingsbury Hall (it is being performed in six different venues) last night and I loved it!  I (along with the rowdy and enthusiastic crowd) always look forward with great anticipation to all of the old favorites, including the undead cavorting in a graveyard in "Thriller," a breakdancing mummy and his maidens in "Curse of the Mummy," misbehaving pandas in "Miss Alli's Nightmare," a Pas de Deux gone horribly wrong in "Frankenstein & Frankenstein" (I am always amazed at how flexible the Bride of Frankenstein is in this number), glow in the dark tap dancing skeletons in "Dem Bones," a trio of Jasons who wield various weapons in "Jason Jam" (this gets funnier every year), scarecrows that are not what they seem in "Children of the Corn," a coven of condemned witches seeking vengeance from beyond the grave in "Salem's Mass" (my favorite number in the show), acrobatic vampires in "Lost Boys," and a costume parade in "Trick or Treat."  I am also very eager to see if there are any new numbers in the show and this year there was one called "Annabelle at the Ball."  This involved dancing porcelain dolls inhabited by spirits summoned by a group of schoolgirls and it was really creepy when the lights came on to reveal the dolls in the audience!  As in year's past, artists from Aeris Aerial Arts performed in between the numbers and they were absolutely amazing.  In addition to "Siren of the Sea" and "Phantom of the Opera," which were performed last year, this year included a group of six artists costumed as wolves and one as Little Red Riding Hood performing on a spinning globe in "Full Moon" and two artists costumed as snakes performing on silks in "Slytherin." I have no idea how these aerialists do what they do!  My only complaint with this year's show was the return of Giggle Girl and her comedy routine in between the numbers.  I think she is so annoying and I wish they would bring back Bubbles the Clown!  Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed this show and I highly recommend adding Thriller to your list of Halloween traditions (go here for information, venues, and tickets).

Note:  This year marked the return of the undead who wander the aisles before the show.  Do not make eye contact with them!  Trust me on this!

The Lincoln Highway

My Book of the Month selection for October was The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles (the other options were The Perishing by Natasha Deon, The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling, Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead, and Everything We Didn't Say by Nicole Baart) and I absolutely loved it (almost as much as I loved his previous novel A Gentleman in Moscow which is high praise, indeed).  In 1954 Emmett Watson, age 18, has been released a few months early, in consideration of his father's death, from a work camp in Kansas where he has served 15 months for involuntary manslaughter.  He is driven home to Nebraska by the kindly warden who tells him that he has paid his debt to society and should try to live a productive life.  He learns that his father's farm has been foreclosed by the bank and decides that it would be best if he and his eight-year-old brother Billy make a fresh start in a new state.  After much research he decides that Texas would be a good option because the population is growing and he can use his carpentry skills to buy rundown houses and renovate them in order to sell them for profit.  However, his brother Billy, inspired by his copy of Professor Abacus Abernathe's Compendium of Heroes, Adventurers, and Other Intrepid Travelers, wants to go on an adventure to find their mother, who abandoned the family several years earlier.  He suspects that she is in California based on postcards sent to the boys from stops on her journey.  However, the brothers are surprised when they discover that two other inmates, Duchess and Wallace "Woolly" Wolcott Martin, went AWOL from the work camp and stowed away in the trunk of the warden's car.  They have a plan to go to New York to claim $150,000.00 left in a safe by Woolly's wealthy grandfather and offer to split the money with Emmett in exchange for a ride.  The four of them ultimately embark on an odyssey of sorts on the Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental highway in the U.S., in Emmett's baby blue Studebaker and they have a series of adventures, and misadventures, as they attempt to settle old scores and make a future for themselves. The narrative spans ten days and is told from multiple perspectives, including a myriad of secondary characters encountered in numerous settings, each with a distinctive voice. All four protagonists are incredibly compelling, especially the wide-eyed Billy, and the storytelling, reminiscent of Steinbeck and Twain, drew me in completely.  I really enjoyed the exploration of intention in determining culpability.  The three young men take actions that seem justified given what they have experienced in their lives but, when those actions have unintended consequences, should they be held accountable?  The prose is beautiful and I savored every single word!  After falling in love with A Gentleman in Moscow during the lockdown, I had very high expectations for The Lincoln Highway and it definitely did not disappoint. I highly recommend this thought-provoking tale of friendship, self-discovery, and adventure.

Amy Grant at the Eccles

When I was in college I worked as a counselor at a summer camp and my bunk mate was really into Christian rock.  Some of it rubbed off on me because that was the summer I became a huge fan of Amy Grant.  Some people are surprised when they learn this about me but I love her and I've seen her several times in concert.  I was so excited to see her again last night at the Eccles Theater for a concert to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Heart in Motion, her most mainstream and commercially successful album (although my favorite is Lead Me On).  As such, she played quite a few songs from this album, including "Hope Set High," "Good For Me," "That's What Love Is For," "Ask Me," "Baby Baby," and "Every Heartbeat."  She also played "Don't Ever Want to Lose It" which is a song she began writing when she was working on material for Heart in Motion but never finished.  When she was in the process of releasing a 30th Anniversary edition of the album she decided to finish and record it.  I had never heard it before and I really liked it.  She played "Saved By Love" and "1974" (which I had never heard live before) from my favorite album Lead Me On and I absolutely loved hearing these songs.  She also sang quite a few of my favorites from The Collection (which I listened to over and over again when I was in college), such as "Stay For a While," "Angels," "Find a Way," "El-Shaddai" (one of my favorite moments of the night), "Sing Your Praise to the Lord" (which got the crowd on their feet), and "Emmanuel" (another favorite moment).  She included a few songs from some of her later albums, such as "Say Once More," "If I Could See (What the Angels See)," "Children of the World," "Helping Hand," "Turn This World Around," "Out in the Open," and "Better Than a Hallelujah."  I wasn't as familiar with these songs but I really enjoyed them.  She ended her set with a cover of "Put A Little Love in Your Heart," which she often does, and then came back to perform a heartfelt version of "I Will Remember You" from Heart in Motion as the encore (when she came back to the stage for the encore people started shouting songs they wanted to hear, I wanted "Everywhere I Go," and she said she wasn't singing any of them but she was making a setlist for the next time she came to town).  Grant is a very charismatic performer and last night was no exception because she recounted many amusing stories before each song and she frequently had the audience laughing out loud.  I loved this concert (I sang almost every word) and it was wonderful to be back at the Eccles Theater for such a fun show!

No Time To Die

As a huge fan of the Bond franchise (I've seen every movie several times and some are definitely better than others) I have been anticipating Daniel Craig's final outing as my favorite Bond for what seems like forever!  I finally had the chance to see No Time To Die at a Thursday preview last night and I think it is an epic conclusion to a story arc that began with Casino Royale.  After the events of Spectre, Bond (Craig) is on holiday in Italy with Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux) but an incident at Vesper Lynde's grave leads him to believe that Swann has betrayed him and he leaves her.  Five years later, Bond has retired to Jamaica but CIA agent Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) enlists his help to investigate the kidnapping of Valdo Obruchev (David Dencik), a scientist who has created a deadly bioweapon capable of targeting an individual's DNA.  He joins a rookie CIA agent named Paloma (Ana de Armas) in Cuba to rescue Obruchev at a Spectre gathering coordinated by Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Christoph Waltz) but encounters a new MI6 agent named Nomi (Lashana Lynch) who is there for the same reason.  It turns out that Obruchev is working for Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek), a terrorist with a grudge against Blofeld and Spectre, and capturing him forces Bond to work with Nomi and, more importantly, Madeleine.  I really enjoyed so many things about this movie.  There are lots of iconic action sequences, including some amazing car chases featuring several Aston Martin models, but there is also quite a bit of heart because, while the stakes are incredibly high for mankind, they are also high for Bond personally and I love Bond's character arc through the five movies.  I have to admit that I particularly enjoyed the evolution of his attitude towards women (but I am glad the gadgets, cars, and martinis remained).  Lashana Lynch and Ana de Armas are fantastic and their characters more than hold their own with Bond in saving the world.  Naomie Harris isn't given much to do as Moneypenny but Ben Whishaw provides a lot of comic relief, as usual, as Q and Ralph Fiennes shows some vulnerability as M.  Rami Malek gives an incredibly menacing performance as the villain but one of my few criticisms is his character's lack of motivation for targeting Bond after destroying Spectre (my other criticisms are the length and Lea Seydoux as a bland love interest yet again).  Finally, I didn't especially care for the theme song by Billie Eilish but I loved the score by Hans Zimmer, especially during Bond's visit to Blofeld in Belmarsh Prison.  I had so much fun watching this on an IMAX screen with a large and enthusiastic crowd and I highly recommend it to fans of the franchise.

Note:  Producers will begin the process of looking for a new Bond next year.  Might I suggest Dev Patel?  It would be a bold choice but he is definitely up for an action role (if you don't believe me, watch The Wedding Guest).

The Hunchback of Notre Dame at HCTO

After seeing two outstanding productions (one at HCT and another at CPT) I have become a huge fan of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and, since I thoroughly enjoyed HCTO's production of The 39 Steps, I have been looking forward to their version of this stirring musical for weeks.  I was particularly interested in seeing how this big and complicated show (both of the aforementioned productions had very elaborate sets) could be adapted for the small and intimate stage at HCTO.  I was able to see it last night and I loved everything about it!  Quasimodo (Chase Ramsey) has been hidden by his uncle Frollo (Chase Petersen) in the bell tower of Notre Dame Cathedral all of his life because of a deformity.  He yearns to leave the cathedral and decides that the Feast of Fools would be the perfect opportunity to do so.  He is eventually crowned the King of Fools but, when the crowd turns on him, he is rescued by a gypsy named Esmeralda (Phoebe Shepherd Beenfield).  She also catches the eye of the captain of the cathedral guard, Phoebus de Martin (Woody Brook), who falls in love with her and she bewitches Frollo who becomes obsessed with possessing her.  When Esmeralda rejects Frollo, he orders Phoebus to arrest her but he refuses and they both become fugitives.  Quasimodo gives them sanctuary in the cathedral forcing a dramatic confrontation in the bell tower.  All four leads have incredibly beautiful voices and I loved their performances of "God Help the Outcasts," "Hellfire," "Heaven's Light," and "Someday."  Ramsey imbues Quasimodo with a childlike wonder while Petersen does an outstanding job of portraying Frollo's torment. I also really enjoyed the depiction of the Gargoyles, especially their interactions with Quasimodo in the songs "Top of the World" and "Made of Stone."  The staging of this show is incredibly innovative, particularly "Hellfire" because Esmeralda taunts Frollo in what appears to be flames and the confrontation in the bell tower because the pyrotechnics are quite spectacular.  The choreography in "Topsy Turvy," "Rhythm of the Tambourine," and "Tavern Song" is brilliant because it involves many dancers performing intricate steps in a small space.  I loved the set and, while it is not as substantial as the others I've seen, it is highly effective.  I particularly liked the stained glass windows and the bell tower (one of my favorite scenes is when Quasimodo rings the bells).  I was so impressed with this show (I actually saw a preview which was flawless) and I highly recommend it (go here for tickets).

Note:  My dear friend Karen, whom I haven't seen in more than a year, was in the audience and it was so much fun to talk to her during the intermission.  I met her on a trip to NYC and we bonded over our shared obsession with Hamilton.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

I was not a fan of Venom (to put it mildly) but I spontaneously decided to see the sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, last night and it was much better than I was expecting.  Shortly after the events of the first movie Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and his symbiote Venom are struggling to coexist because Eddie wants to reestablish himself as a serious journalist and Venom is increasingly frustrated because he wants more freedom to eat people.  A serial killer on death row named Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson) gives Eddie an exclusive interview but Venom is provoked into attacking him and the resulting altercation causes Cletus to ingest a piece of the symbiote.  Eventually a fully formed symbiote named Carnage emerges which allows Cletus to escape from prison during his execution.  The relationship between Eddie and Venom deteriorates and they separate for a time (with a hilarious scene where Venom goes to a club) but they are forced to work together when Cletus uses Carnage to rescue his girlfriend Frances Barrison (Naomie Harris), a mutant known as Shriek because of her sonic vocal abilities, and kidnap Anne (Michelle Williams), Eddie's former fiancee.  An epic confrontation ensues in which Eddie and Venom must learn that they are better when they work together.  I think the plot is incredibly thin with quite a few holes (Venom is inexplicably able to spawn a red symbiote that is bigger and stronger than him) but I still found it to be a lot of fun.  I especially enjoyed the witty and amusing banter between Eddie and Venom but I also found the exploration of their relationship to be surprisingly poignant.  Hardy's characterization of Eddie is more consistent in this movie than the last one and Harrelson looks like he is having a ball playing such an over the top homicidal maniac.  The battle between Eddie/Venom and Cletus/Carnage seems like it is over very quickly and the stakes are not as high compared to other superhero movies but it is still quite thrilling.  I can't say that I loved this movie but, in my opinion, it is an improvement over the first one and I recommend it to fans of the characters.

Note:  It goes without saying that you should stay for a mid-credits scene.  It's a good one!