A Kurt Bestor Christmas at the Eccles 2023

I really love hearing Christmas music performed live, especially Kurt Bestor's arrangements, so I always try to attend his annual Christmas concert.  The show was last night (along with tons of other Christmas events downtown which made driving and parking a lot of fun) and, as always, I thoroughly enjoyed it.  He began with "Suite de Noel," "Il Le Ne Le Divin Enfant," and "Good King Wenceslaus" before telling a funny story about performing "What Child Is This?" (many songs were prefaced with amusing anecdotes).  Next he played "Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella," which I loved because it is one of my favorites, and then "I'll Be Home for Christmas," which he dedicated to all veterans in the audience.  Then he featured his insanely talented band on a calypso-inspired version of "O Tannenbaum" with extended solos from Michael Dowdle on guitar, Carlitos del Puerto on bass, and Eric Valentine on drums.  It was very cool!  Next came a beautiful rendition of "Carol of the Bells" dedicated to the people of Ukraine and then his special guest for the evening, David Archuleta, came to the stage to perform a breathtaking version of "Prayer of the Children" (Kurt Bestor's best known song which is celebrating its 30th Anniversary) that brought the audience to its feet!  After the intermission, Bestor performed "Coventry Carol," another favorite of mine, and then a fun arrangement of "Christmas Time Is Here" complete with a Charlie Brown Christmas tree!  Next, he dedicated a lovely version of "All Through the Night" to one of his close friends who recently died.  David Archuleta returned to the stage for an incredible performance of "Pat-A-Pan" that gave me goosebumps and then gave a very heartfelt rendition of "Grown Up Christmas List" after telling the audience that his list included kindness and understanding for those who are different (he received thunderous applause for this).  Then he performed Bestor's arrangement of "I Wonder as I Wander" (at Bestor's request) and the audience leapt to their feet once again!  Bestor lamented that it would be impossible to follow such an amazing performance but his version of "O Holy Night" was definitely a highlight for me (it was the second time that I have heard my favorite Christmas song this season).  As is tradition, he chose someone from the audience to narrate "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" while he performed his amusing arrangement of songs to go with it.  He concluded the concert with "Joy to the World" and a lovely audience sing-along to "Silent Night" led by David Archuleta.  I always love this concert every year but I think this one might be my favorite!

Fallen Leaves

I was very intrigued by the trailer for Fallen Leaves (it won the Jury Prize at Cannes this year) so I decided to see it at the Broadway yesterday afternoon.  It is a quirky story about how two lonely people overcome a series of obstacles to be together and I loved it!  Ansa (Alma Pöysti) lives alone in a tiny apartment in Helsinki and works a series of low-paying and monotonous jobs.  She notices Holappa (Jussi Vatanen), an alcoholic metalworker who is frequently fired for drinking on the job, at a karaoke bar (in a hilarious scene) and they have a series of random encounters as they struggle to survive in an urban hellscape.  They eventually get together for a date (they see the movie The Dead Don't Die and I laughed out loud when Adam Driver appeared on the screen because I certainly wasn't expecting that) and realize that they are attracted to each other (but don't know each other's name).  Complications ensue which keep them apart until they both decide to take a chance on each other.  The unexpected cameo by Adam Driver notwithstanding, I loved so many things about this movie!  The humor is incredibly subtle (I once again laughed out loud at a throwaway line about Luc Besson) and the performances are almost deadpan but hint at the sadness underneath.  There is very little dialogue but both Pöysti and Vantanen convey so much with just a glance (and a wink) and all of the needle drops (depressing lyrics with surprisingly upbeat music) are perfect.  The time period is strangely ambiguous because, even though there are references to the Russian attack of Ukraine during the endless newscasts our protagonists listen to, the production design is anachronistic (they listen to the news on the radio rather than the TV) and there is a retro color palette evoking a post-war Finland.  This is very effective at setting a tone of hopelessness despite the hopeful resolution.  I found this gem to be absolutely charming and I highly recommend it!

A Christmas Carol at HCT 2023

Last night I attended my fourth and final performance of A Christmas Carol this season at HCT. I have seen this production dozens of times (I always joke that I have seen it so many times I could probably stand in for any role if needed) but it is a sentimental favorite and it just wouldn't be Christmas without it. The portrayal of Ebenezer Scrooge's redemption after visits from the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future in this show is so familiar to me by now but it is this familiarity that makes me love it so much! I eagerly anticipate all of my favorite scenes, especially when Marley's Ghost appears to Scrooge rattling his many chains, when the Ghost of Christmas Past appears to Scrooge from behind a scrim, when the guests dance during Mr. Fezziwig's party and Fred's party, when the Ghost of Christmas Future dramatically reveals Scrooge's name on the tombstone, when an ebullient Scrooge catches Bob Cratchit coming in late the day after Christmas, and when Tiny Tim exclaims, "God bless us, every one!" Many actors return year after year in the same roles (such as Stephen Kerr as Scrooge, Chase Peterson as Fred, Matt Kohler as Marley's Ghost, and Kaden Caldwell as young Ebenezer) and I look forward to seeing them again. However, this year there were a few new actors (at least new to me because the show is double cast) and I really enjoyed seeing them make these familiar roles their own with a new interpretation, particularly Anthony LeRoy Lovato as Bob Cratchit, and Koryn Sobel as Belle. Another element of this particular production that I especially love is the inclusion of Christmas carols in the narrative by an octet (Melinda DeBirk, Jennifer Riley, Keri Vance, April Kerr, Doug Wadley, Maxx Teuscher, Nathanael Abbott, and Alex DeBirk) and a violinist (Suzanne Chapman). My favorites are "Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella," "Silent Night" (the entire scene with the poor wife singing this song is incredibly affecting), "Wassail, Wassail," "What Child is This?," and "Sussex Carol." I also really love the sets (this production has the most elaborate sets of any I've seen) because the attention to detail with Scrooge's Counting House, Scrooge's Bed Chamber, Fezziwig's Factory, Bob Cratchit's House (two stories!), Fred's House (the giant Christmas tree!), the Rag and Bottle Shop, and the Graveyard is amazing! I loved it last night just as much as I did the first time I saw it and I'm sure it will always be one of my Christmas traditions. It runs on the Sorenson Legacy Jewell Box Stage through December 27 (go here for tickets) but act quickly because most shows are sold out (the best availability is for matinee performances).

Note:  In light of the fact that I have now seen four different versions, some friends have asked me which was my favorite.  I can honestly say that I liked all four of them for very different reasons.  Parker Theatre's version is incredibly dramatic, Terrace Plaza Playhouse's version is fun and lighthearted, HCTO's version is the most authentic, and HCT's version is comforting and familiar.

No One Can Know

My December Book of the Month selection was No One Can Know by Kate Alice Marshall (the other options were A Winter in New York by Josie Silver, The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen, The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan, and Tomb Sweeping by Alexandra Chang). I obviously love thrillers because my first selection for 2023 was What Lies in the Woods by this same author! Emma Palmer learns that she is pregnant on the same day that her husband reveals that he has lost his job. Since they are facing eviction from their apartment and other financial hardships she reluctantly agrees that they should move into her childhood home in the small town of Arden Hills, which she owns with her estranged sisters Juliette and Daphne, until they get back on their feet. However, this forces her to reveal something that she has kept secret from her husband: her parents were brutally murdered in this house fourteen years ago and she was the main suspect. Moving back after all of these years reignites interest in the still unsolved murders, especially for the vindictive police officers who worked the case, and this prompts Juliette and Daphne to return in order to ensure that Emma keeps the rest of their secrets about that night. We soon discover that her sisters have been keeping secrets of their own from her. The narrative alternates between the POVs of all three sisters, both in the past and the present, and it becomes incredibly suspenseful as it is revealed that each sister had both motive and opportunity to murder their parents. It is very fast-paced and there are so many twists and turns and bits of misdirection that it was hard for me to put it down. It definitely kept me guessing until the very last chapter! The characters are extremely well-developed and I especially enjoyed the psychological examination of how each of the sisters responded to the abuse inflicted on them by their parents in the past and how that informs their behavior in the present as well as their dysfunctional relationship with each other. I was particularly drawn to Emma's character arc because she is so complex (both incredibly sympathetic because of what she has been through but often unlikable because of how she responds to her situation). I really liked this and I highly recommend it to fans of psychological thrillers.

Note:  I have decided not to renew my Book of the Month subscription next year.  I spend way too much money on books and I am running out of room on my bookcases so I have made a goal to use the library more!

A Christmas Story

I love the movie A Christmas Story so it was really fun to see it on the big screen last night to commemorate its 40th Anniversary (this makes me feel old because I remember seeing it in the theater when it was first released).  During the week before Christmas in 1940, nine-year-old Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley) desperately wants an official Red Ryder carbine action 200-shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time but his Mother (Melinda Dillon), the Old Man (Darren McGavin), his teacher Miss Shields (Tedde Moore), and even Santa Claus (Jeff Gillen) all tell him that he'll shoot his eye out!  There was a really big and boisterous crowd at my screening (one large family took up all of the other seats in my row so they adopted me as a member) and I loved hearing everyone laugh out loud at all the funny moments, especially when Ralphie and his friends are chased to and from school by Scut Farkus (Zach Ward) and Grover Dill (Yano Anaya), when Schwartz (R. D. Robb) triple dog dares Flick (Scott Schwartz) to stick his tongue to the flag pole, when Randy (Ian Petrella) eats like a piggy, when the Old Man wins a Major Award, when Ralphie says the F-dash-dash-dash word while helping the Old Man change a tire, when Santa Claus pushes Ralphie down the slide, when Ralphie is forced to wear the bunny costume given to him by Aunt Clara, and when the Bumpus hounds eat the turkey forcing the Parkers to eat Christmas dinner at the Chop Suey Palace.  I had to stop myself from saying all of my favorite lines aloud ("Randy lay there like a slug.  It was his only defense.")  I look forward to watching this every Christmas Eve (several times because it is on for 24 hours) but I'm so glad it was part of Fathom's Big Screen Classics this year (I love this series) because it put a huge smile on my face!

Note:  The movies in the Fathom's Big Screen Classics series for next year are The Wizard of Oz, My Fair Lady, Labyrinth, Gone With the Wind, Steel Magnolias, South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut Sing-A-Long, The Never Ending Story, Rear Window, Blazing Saddles, Mean Girls, The Fifth Element, and White Christmas.  Are you excited for any of these titles?

Maestro

The second movie in my double feature at the Broadway last night was Maestro.  I have been anticipating this for months but, while I did love many elements, I didn't enjoy it as a whole.  Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) is an up and coming conductor with the New York Philharmonic and a practicing homosexual when he meets the aspiring actress Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan) at a party.  They marry and have three children while Bernstein achieves tremendous fame and success and continues his relationships with men.  Felicia initially turns a blind eye but eventually his dalliances take a toll on the marriage as well as his relationship with his daughter Jamie (Maya Hawke).  However, Felicia reconciles with Bernstein after being moved by his legendary performance conducting Mahler's Resurrection Symphony at Ely Cathedral in England.  I really liked the theatricality and stylized direction of their courtship (with the black and white photography and many scenes taking place on stages as Felicia acts and Leonard conducts for an audience of one) but I was ultimately dissatisfied with the portrayal of the marriage (now in color) because it is very superficial and doesn't have much to say beyond the notion that loving a brilliant artist exacts a high price.  The audience is kept at a distance (literally) because so many scenes are staged to appear as if one is eavesdropping on private conversations with characters who appear and disappear very suddenly (it was hard for me to keep track of who was who including their children in some cases).  Many scenes are compelling but they are a series of vignettes rather than a cohesive story.  The music, consisting of selections from Bernstein's operettas and musicals as well as pieces by Mahler, Beethoven, and Schumann, is absolutely amazing and is definitely my favorite aspect of the movie.  The performances, especially Mulligan's, are outstanding but I didn't feel anything because there is no emotional connection to the characters.  This movie looks and sounds beautiful but it ultimately means nothing (it will probably win lots of awards).

The Boy and the Heron

Last night I decided to see a double feature at the Broadway.  I started with The Boy and the Heron, which is a beautiful coming of age story involving a fantastical journey, and I really loved it!  Twelve year old Mahito Maki (Soma Santoki) loses his mother in a fire during World War II and then moves from Tokyo to the countryside when his father Soichi (Takuya Kimura) gets remarried to Natsuko (Yoshino Kimura).  Mahito is still processing his grief and is not happy with the move or with his new mother when he encounters a gray heron (Masaki Suda) who pesters him until he follows him to a mysterious tower in ruins.  When Natsuko disappears, the heron lures Mahito into the tower promising him that they will find her and his mother.  Once inside, they encounter other worlds filled with magical characters and creatures (I loved the warawara) before finding Natsuko, a younger version of his mother (Aimyon), and the granduncle (Shohei Hino), a wizard who rules this world.  The granduncle offers Mahito the choice to stay and rule this world in his place or to return to his own world despite its malice and pain.  I really loved Mahito's journey of self-discovery in which he learns resilience in the face of grief and hardship and I loved the evolution of his relationship with both his mother and Natsuko.  The world of fantasy in this movie is really dense with meaning, mythology, and symbolism and I know that I missed a lot of the more subtle themes (I am a relatively new fan to Miyazaki and anime in general) but one of the metaphors that really stood out to me was the use of building blocks as a hope that the next generation will create a better world.  The animation is absolutely gorgeous and I love that the score by Joe Hisaichi seems to match the emotion in every scene.  I loved the experience of watching this with a really large crowd and I am looking forward to watching it again (I saw the subtitled version, which is my preference, but I also want to see the dubbed version because the English voice cast is intriguing).  I highly recommend this!

A Christmas Story at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts 2023

I loved SCERA's production of A Christmas Story so much last year I decided to see it again last night (it might become a new tradition for me because I don't have enough of them). It was just as much fun as I remember! Radio personality Jean Shepherd (Ed Eyestone) narrates a Christmas story from his youth about Ralphie Parker (Mitt Harris) and his quest for an official Red Ryder, carbine action, 200-shot, range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time. First Ralphie tries to convince his Mother (Emily Hawkes) and the Old Man (Mark Buffington), then he hopes to get Miss Shields (Marisol Peterson) on his side by writing the best theme, and he even turns to Santa Claus (Chad Taylor) as a last resort but they all tell him that he'll shoot his eye out! I am a huge fan of the movie and all of my favorite scenes are brought to life on stage including when Randy (Jackson Seaver) eats like a piggy, when Schwartz (Ty Poulson) triple dog dares Flick (Elijah Colledge) to stick his tongue to the flag pole, when the Old Man wins a Major Award, when Ralphie says the F-dash-dash-dash word while helping the Old Man change a tire, when Ralphie gets into a fight with bully Scut Farkus (Elias Kahler), when Ralphie is forced to wear the bunny costume given to him by Aunt Clara, and when the Bumpus hounds eat the turkey forcing the Parkers to have Christmas dinner at the Chop Suey Palace. The large cast (several of whom are reprising their roles from last year) does a great job and I was especially impressed with all of the children and their singing and dancing in "It All Comes Down to Christmas," "When You're a Wimp," "Ralphie to the Rescue," and "Somewhere Hovering Over Indiana." Harris is incredibly endearing as Ralphie (he was Schwartz last year) and I loved his singing in "Ralphie to the Rescue" and his tap dancing in "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out." I always think that the roles for the adults are not as compelling as those for the children (a flaw with the show not the performances) but I enjoyed having Eyestone as part of the action (while wearing the same costume as Ralphie) and Buffington's rendition of "A Major Award" is absolutely hilarious (the kick line with the leg lamps is a showstopper). This year's production makes clever use of projections but it also features some impressive sets including the two-story Parker house (I loved the smoke that comes out of a vent when the furnace acts up), the Santa display at Higbee's department store complete with a slide, and a working Oldsmobile (the best in any production I've seen of this show including the Broadway touring version)! I had a huge smile on my face from beginning to end and I highly recommend it (especially for families). There are four more performances at the SCERA Center for Performing Arts through December 16 (go here for tickets).

Eileen

I enjoyed the psychological thriller Eileen at Sundance this year so, now that it is in wide release, I decided to see it again with my nephew after he suggested it last night.  Eileen Dunlop (Thomasin McKenzie) is a lonely and repressed young woman working a thankless job as a secretary at a juvenile detention center in a small town in Massachusetts during the 1960s while caring for her alcoholic and abusive father Jim (Shea Whigham).  Her drab and dreary world is transformed when she meets and becomes infatuated with Dr. Rebecca Saint John (Anne Hathaway), the alluring new prison psychologist.  Rebecca draws Eileen into her orbit but the balance of power shifts between them when they take an interest in Lee Polk (Sam Nivola), an inmate convicted of stabbing his father to death.  This is an atmospheric and stylish slow-burn with a wild twist in the third act (it happens so suddenly that I was shocked the first time I saw it because I had no idea where the narrative was going and several people in the audience last night audibly gasped) but the abrupt ending left me wanting more.  Both Hathaway and McKenzie are outstanding and have great chemistry, especially as the intense connection between their characters is explored with lingering close-up shots of their faces, but Maren Ireland steals the show with a brief but devastating monologue.  I loved the score by Richard Reed Parry because it really adds to the tension and the cinematography brilliantly highlights the desolation all around.  I would ultimately recommend this because it is incredibly unnerving and compelling but I wish that it had gone a little further.

Ballet West's The Nutcracker 2023

Another favorite Christmas tradition (I have so many) is seeing Ballet West's production of The Nutcracker and I had the opportunity yesterday afternoon. I've seen it dozens of times but I love it so much and I eagerly await all of my favorite scenes, especially the party where the Christmas tree is revealed to all of the children and Clara is given a nutcracker by Dr. Drosselmeyer, when everything is magically transformed to an enormous size and the nutcracker defeats the Mouse King with Clara's help, when the nutcracker becomes a handsome prince and takes Clara to the land of the Snow Queen and the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy, and all of the divertissements arranged for Clara's entertainment (my favorites are the Arabian dance because it is so exotic and sensual and the Russian dance because of the sheer athleticism of the leaps and spins).  The highlights for me are always the Pas de Deux between the Snow Queen (Jenna Rae Herrera) and the Snow King (Jordan Veit) at the end of Act I and the Grand Pas de Deux between the Sugar Plum Fairy (Amy Potter) and her Cavalier (Tyler Gum) in Act II.  The choreography by William Christensen is absolutely beautiful (I love it when the Sugar Plum Fairy leaps into the arms of her Cavalier and then leans all the way forward almost touching the ground) and the dancers are always exquisite but, more than that, I think the music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky used in these scenes is some of the most romantic in the classical repertoire.  I am always impressed by how many young dancers appear in this production (there are 75 in each of the four rotating casts through the run) and by how well they perform but I especially enjoyed Cameron Spencer as the naughty Fritz (it seems like every Fritz adds his own bit of business in the party scene) and Mother Buffoon's children (they are adorable especially during their bows).  The sets and costumes were updated several years ago (I love the jewel tones in Act I and the pastels in Act II) but I noticed that the costumes for the Sugar Plum Fairy's attendants changed from monkeys to cats this year.  Everything about this show is magical, from the snow falling in the land of the Snow Queen to Clara's flying sled, and I highly recommend adding this to your list of holiday traditions.  There are evening and matinee performances at Capitol Theatre through December 27 (go here for tickets).

Schumann's "Rhenish" Symphony

The program for last night's Utah Symphony concert was, once again, curated by guest conductor and creative partner David Robinson.  The pieces were selected to evoke images of specific places and I really enjoyed all of them because they reminded me of past journeys.  The orchestra began with En Saga (A Fairy Tale) by Jean Sibelius.  I became familiar with the music of Sibelius on a trip to Finland in 2003 so I already picture that country whenever I hear any of his music but this particular piece conjured of many more images.  I especially enjoyed an effect created by the strings which sounded to me like a frozen wind blowing across a snowy landscape during a hunting party.  I also enjoyed several plaintive themes played by the solo oboe and solo clarinet which I feel represent the yearning of the Finnish people to be free from the yoke of Russia.  Next came Three Pieces in New England by Charles Ives and all three movements are intended to make the listener have a similar experience to ones he had while visiting each place.  The first movement, The "St. Gaudens" on Boston Common, was my favorite because it refers to a bronze statue of Colonel Robert Shaw depicting his march with a unit of Black volunteer soldiers into a massacre at Fort Wagoner and, like Ives, I also had a very poignant reaction to seeing this statue on a trip to Boston.  I really liked the integration of the Civil War songs "The Battle Cry of Freedom" and "Marching Through Georgia" as well as the faint fanfares from the brass representing an attempt by the soldiers to rally.  After the intermission, the orchestra performed Symphony No. 3 "Rhenish" by Robert Schmann.  This was written in response to a day trip taken by Schumann and his wife to Cologne where they viewed the Rhine River.  I loved this piece because I once took a river cruise of the Rhine on a trip to Germany in 1997 and I could see all of the beautiful castles that line the banks and hear the lapping of the water as I listened.  I especially loved the solemn fourth movement with its haunting themes first performed by the horns and trombones and then expanded by the woodwinds and strings.  I recommend taking a musical journey of your own when this program is performed again tonight (go here for tickets).

A Christmas Carol at HCTO 2023

Last night I went to my third peformance of A Christmas Carol this season and this time it was HCTO's version.  To say that I loved it would be an understatement!  This is a brand new production featuring the most faithful adaptation of the novel by Charles Dickens that I have ever seen because the playwright, Rodger Sorenson, employs a technique known as "Chamber Theatre" which includes both the dialogue and the narrative descriptions.  This technique is brilliant because it brings the words written by Dickens very vividly to life!  Ebenezer Scrooge is played by Ric Starnes and the rest of the cast is comprised of a large ensemble who narrate the story, portray the rest of the characters, bring the minimal set pieces and props on and off stage, provide sound effects, and perform all of the musical interludes.  This approach is simple but incredibly effective.  I especially enjoyed how the scenes at Fezziwig's warehouse, the Cratchit home, Fred's house, and the graveyard are staged because they make great use of the ensemble and the small and intimate space. I loved all of the music, particularly the inclusion of "Wexford Carol" and "Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella" because they are favorites of mine, but the use of "Lacrymosa," performed by the violin (Naomi White) and cello (Risa Bean), as Belle releases young Ebenezer and "Coventry Carol" as the Cratchits mourn the loss of Tiny Tim are incredibly affecting.  The set is very simple but the costumes are anything but!  The gowns, capes (I think capes and cloaks should make a comeback), and bonnets worn by the women and the topcoats and waistcoats worn by the men are gorgeous and feature elaborate embellishments.  Starnes gives a beautiful performance because all of the emotions that Scrooge feels as he is shown his past, present, and future are clearly visible on his face and in his delivery.  His reactions to Nan, Belle, and Tiny Tim are especially poignant but it is his simple interaction with a caroler busking on the street after his transformation that brought me to tears.  I also enjoyed David Matthew Smith's performance as Bob Cratchit because he is so emotional in the scene where he mourns the death of Tiny Tim and Ryann Bailey Wawro's performance as Belle because her facial expressions in the scene where she is wooed by young Ebenezer are so funny.  Jack Jewkes is adorable as Tiny Tim, especially when he sings "What Child Is This?," but Lilly Anderson absolutely steals the show as Fan and Sara Cratchit!  This is definitely my favorite production of A Christmas Carol (and I have seen a lot of them) and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here).  It runs through December 23.

Lower Lights Christmas Concert 2023

I really love hearing Christmas music performed live so one of my favorite traditions is attending the Lower Lights Christmas concert every year.  I went to their first show of the season at Kingsbury Hall last night and I absolutely loved it!  The Lower Lights is a supergroup of amazing musicians, many of whom are popular in their own right, who periodically come together to record and perform folk and bluegrass renditions of hymns and Christmas songs (Sarah Sample called the group a band of misfits last night).  I really love their sound and I especially love all of their arrangements of Christmas songs (any Christmas song that features steel guitars, mandolins, and banjos is automatically great in my opinion).  The concert began with "I Saw Three Ships," "Angels We Have Heard On High," and "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem."  Then Kiki Sieger sang a beautiful version of "Pretty Paper" (which is new to their set), Dominic Moore and Paul Jacobsen performed an incredibly poignant acoustic rendition of "Happy X-Mas (War Is Over),"  and Debra Fotheringham (who is back with the group this year) sang "A Cradle in Bethlehem" while accompanying herself on electric guitar.  The crowd last night was one of the most subdued I've seen at a Lower Lights concert but they got a lot more animated during the next set which featured "Trouble the Water," "When the Roll is Called Up Yonder," and "Just a Closer Walk With Thee." Cherie Call sang a lovely version of "Away in a Manger" and then she was joined by Kiki Sieger and Marie Bradshaw for "Still, Still, Still" which was a highlight of the show for me because the three of them harmonize so well together and they always give me goosebumps!  Next came an instrumental version of "Carol of the Bells" and then Dustin Christensen, who has a beautiful voice, performed "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."  There was an incredible violin solo by Megan Nay during "Maybe This Christmas" and then the crowd was on their feet once again for rousing renditions of "Go Tell It On The Mountain" and "Children, Go Where I Send Thee."  Sarah Sample asked the audience to dance in the aisles during "White Christmas" and then sang a tender version of "I'll Be Home For Christmas."  The whole group continued with "Mary's Boy Child," "Oh Come, All Ye Faithful," and "The River Jordan."  Another highlight was when they got down with an epic performance of "Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel" with lots of extended solos from everyone in the band!  They ended their main set with "Calling You" and "May The Circle Be Unbroken" featuring lots of audience participation.  During the encore they performed a hilarious version of "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" (which is a tradition), "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," and "Once in Royal David's City" (one of their best known Christmas songs).  They concluded, as they usually do, with an audience sing-along to "Silent Night."  This concert never fails to give me a huge dose of Christmas cheer and I loved every minute of it!  There are three more shows and I highly recommend getting a ticket to one of them (go here).

Christmas in Connecticut at PTC

Last night I saw the musical Christmas in Connecticut at PTC and I really enjoyed it. Most theatre companies near me produce A Christmas Carol, Elf The Musical, A Christmas Story, or White Christmas this time of year and, while I love these shows (I will be seeing them all this holiday season), it was refreshing to see something new and different. Liz Sandor (Alyse Alan Louis) is a young and independent writer living in NYC while trying to find a publisher for her column about tomorrow's woman. However, when she meets with Dudley Beecham (RJ Vaillancourt), an editor from Yardley Publishing, she is persuaded to write a column about living on a farm in Connecticut as a traditional wife and mother using the pen name Liz Lane even though it is a lie. The column becomes popular with housewives all over the country as well as with servicemen fighting in World War II because it reminds them of the homes they left behind. When Alexander Yardley (Gerry McIntyre) receives a fan letter from Jefferson Jones (Christian Magby), a war hero who has nowhere to go for Christmas, he decides to invite him to the farm. To avoid being exposed as a fraud, Dudley coerces his brother Victor (Eric William Morris) into letting them use his Connecticut farm and into pretending to be married to Liz. Chaos ensues when Victor and Liz take an immediate dislike to each other and when Yardley's suspicious secretary Gladys Higgenbottom (Tiffany Denise Hobbs) arrives determined to discover the truth. The story is as light and predictable as a Hallmark Christmas movie but it is definitely a lot of fun. It features memorable original songs and I especially enjoyed "Capital Idea" because Yardley is hilariously oblivious about the deception going on in his company, "The Ornament Song" because, even though it is really silly, it represents the chaos of trying to keep up the ruse (with fantastic choreography), "Remember What's At Stake" because Victor and Liz declare how much they hate each other (which obviously means that they will eventually get together), and "Recipe for Success" because Liz learns that it is always best to be your authentic self. The performances are delightful and I particularly enjoyed Louis because she has a beautiful voice and can belt out a song and I really appreciated the comedic timing of the entire cast as the hijinks get going. As always, the set is amazing, especially the two-story wood-paneled farmhouse decorated for Christmas, and the period costumes are distinctive.  There were a lot of empty seats last night which is a shame because this show is charming as well as something new this holiday season. It runs at PTC through December 16 (go here for tickets).

Scrooge: A Christmas Carol at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse 2023

Last night I attended the second of four productions of A Christmas Carol that I have scheduled this holiday season. This version, the musical Scrooge: A Christmas Carol at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse, could not be more different in tone from the dramatic interpretation I saw at Parker Theatre last week because it is very lighthearted and whimsical which makes it perfect for families. Ebenezer Scrooge (Kim Florence) is still visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Jacci Olsen Florence), Present (Don Wilhelm), and Future (Cougar Spens) for the reclamation of his soul but he is a figure of fun who is ridiculed by those who owe him money rather than a villain who is feared. This version also features original music by Leslie Bricusse and my favorite songs are "Christmas Children" by Bob Cratchit (Jon Talbot), "December the Twenty-Fifth" by Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig (Danny Hall and Carla Zarate, respectively), "Happiness" by Young Ebenezer (Kelby Talbot) and Isabelle (Shae Wright), and "The Beautiful Day" by Tiny Tim (Lincoln Hall). As always, I was very impressed by the way the space on the small and intimate stage is used, especially with the large cast (many of whom are children), and the choreography is really fun and spirited! I really liked how all of the townspeople are featured in "Sing a Christmas Carol," I loved how the children make fun of Scrooge in "Father Christmas" (one of the littlest children was concentrating so hard on the steps and it was absolutely adorable), and I laughed out loud when Tommy Jones (Trey Cornell) dances of Scrooge's coffin in "Thank You Very Much." I also liked how the Ghost of Christmas Present conducts Scrooge all around the theatre to get to the Cratchit house and Fred's house. Victorian London is brought vividly to life with a cobblestone street depicted on a backdrop with Scrooge's Counting House on a platform to the right of the stage and the entrance to Scrooge's house on another one to the left (I loved how Jacob Marley's face appears on the door knocker). Various set pieces are moved on and off stage and my favorites were Fezziwig's factory, Bob Cratchit's house (I loved the fireplace), Fred's house (I loved the Christmas tree), and the white silhouettes used to represent Scrooge's childhood with his sister Fan. The period costumes are beautiful, especially the gowns worn by the female guests at Fred's Christmas party and the robe worn by the Ghost of Christmas Present. Kim Florence's portrayal of Scrooge is more humorous than other productions I've seen (I laughed out loud during his rendition of "I Hate People") but his reactions to Isabelle's parting from Young Ebenezer and to Tiny Tim's fate are incredibly poignant. Other standouts from the cast are Wilhelm as the Ghost of Christmas Present, Wright as Isabelle, Danny Hall as Mr. Fezziwig, and Lincoln Hall as Tiny Tim (he is adorable). The ensemble gives their all and it is very heartwarming because you can see the love they have for this community tradition. My only complaint with this show is Jacci Olsen Florence's portrayal of the Ghost of Christmas because it is really silly and the shtick goes on far too long (it seems to be a tradition because other members of the audience liked it more than I did). I really enjoyed this production and, as I previously mentioned, I think this would be a great holiday tradition for families. It runs Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays through December 23 and tickets may be purchased here.

Happy Birthday Sean!

Yesterday my family celebrated Sean's 19th birthday!  It doesn’t seem possible that he could be this old because it was only yesterday when he was a tiny little boy!  He is not so tiny now!  We went to dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory in Trolley Square (which is one of Sean's favorite restaurants) and then came back to my sister's house for cake and presents.  I gave him the Blu-ray box set of The Big Bang Theory (which he asked me for a month ago).

I love him so much and I am really proud of him for how well he is doing in college.  I hope he had a great day!

A Christmas Carol at Parker Theatre

Last night I attended my first of four productions of A Christmas Carol this holiday season at Parker Theatre. I don't think I will ever get tired of seeing the reclamation of Ebenezer Scrooge's soul by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future because it is such a beautiful story about keeping the spirit of Christmas in your heart all the year long. I really enjoyed seeing a new and different interpretation of this classic story last night. This version begins, rather unusually, with the death of Jacob Marley (Stephen Harmon) and I liked seeing his ghost haunt Scrooge (Mark Knowles) before he appears to him in his chambers because it is so ominous. There are some elaborate special effects used as he and the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Alina Smith), Present (Brinton Wilkins), and Future (Alina Smith) appear to Scrooge (the Ghost of Christmas Future is quite scary) and the lighting design is incredibly effective.  I especially liked the use of a scrim, fog, and atmospheric lighting as Scrooge sees memories from his past and the use of low lighting, shadows, and silhouettes as he is shown a frightening possible future. I liked seeing all of the characters that Scrooge interacts with at the beginning of the show, such as a caroler (Caroline Jensen), a poor woman (Jasmine Hohl) and her child (Oliver Hohl), and his nephew Fred (Tanner Tate), return at key moments as if appearing in a dream to soften Scrooge's heart. I loved the staging of the romance between a young Ebenezer (Spencer Hohl) and Belle (Isabelle Purdie) because the dance conveys everything they are feeling without saying a word and it is in sharp contrast to the later scene between them when she releases him. I also liked the staging of the scene where Scrooge learns the truth in the cemetery because having him open the coffin to see who is inside is so dramatic (and very different from how I've seen this scene portrayed in other productions). Knowles gives one of the best performances of Scrooge that I've seen because there is such a huge difference between the bitter old miser at the beginning of the show and the lighthearted character he becomes at the end. You can actually see it in his facial expressions and body language as he learns the lessons taught by the spirits. I was especially moved by his interactions with Bob Cratchit (Lucas Charon) who thanks him for his generosity (this almost brought me to tears) and with Fred and his wife Rowena (Jasmine Hohl) as he entreats them to allow him into their lives after his transformation. The sets and costumes are much simpler than those of other productions I've seen but they are still very effective at bringing Victorian London to life (I loved all of the street lamps). I am so happy that I found Parker Theatre, not just for this show but every one I saw this year, and I will be sure to make this production a Christmas tradition from now on. It runs on Fridays and Saturdays through December 23 (go here for tickets).

Godzilla Minus One

I was on the fence about seeing Godzilla Minus One because I am not a huge fan of this franchise and I have a lot going on this week so I didn't think I had time.  After someone with whom I share a similar taste in movies raved about it, I decided to squeeze it in yesterday afternoon.  I am so glad that I did because it now ranks among my favorite movies this year!  In the final days of World War II, a Japanese kamikaze pilot, Koichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), feigns engine trouble and lands at a military base on Odo Island in order to stay alive.  When a giant lizard-like creature known by the locals as Godzilla attacks, everyone on the island is killed except Koichi and a mechanic, Sosaku Tachibana (Munetaka Aoki), who blames him for the deaths because he didn't shoot when he had the chance.  When he returns to Tokyo, Koichi encounters Noriko Oishi (Minami Hamabe), a woman who has rescued an orphaned child named Akiko (Sae Nagatani).  He allows them to live with him and they form a family of sorts.  He eventually begins work aboard a minesweeper and when he and his crew encounter Godzilla, who has now mutated after exposure to U.S. nuclear tests, they are ordered to stop its approach to Japan but they fail leaving more casualties.  After another devastating attack on land leaves thousands dead, including Noriko, Koichi is tormented by survivor's guilt and, even though a group of naval veterans devise a plot to stop Godzilla, he forms another plan to kill it himself.  The visual effects are some of the best I've seen in a long time, especially when Godzilla's dorsal fins light up before an attack and when its atomic breath is used.  There are some spectacular set pieces, particularly a rampage through Ginza involving a train derailment, and they are made all the more ominous by an epic score (the use of silence is also very effective).  However, as thrilling as the action scenes are, it is the human drama that makes this iteration so compelling and moving.  This has some very powerful messages about the consequences of war, including survivor's guilt and making the choice to live in the face of adversity, and the performances are very affecting.  I had tears in my eyes during several poignant moments (and I wasn't expecting that).  I loved this movie and I highly recommend it!

Note:  Thanks for recommending it, Larry!

Appalachian Spring

I really enjoyed last night's Utah Symphony concert because it featured such an eclectic program.  The orchestra was joined by pianist Awadagin Pratt for Johann Sebastian Bach's Keyboard Concerto in A Major.  What I really liked about this piece is that it features melodies played by the piano and strings together interspersed with showier passages for the piano.  Pratt has a light touch and is known for being agile, creative, and inventive so it was very entertaining watching his fingers fly up and down the keyboard.  He joined the orchestra once again to perform Rounds for Piano and String Orchestra by Jessie Montgomery.  According to Montgomery, it was inspired by the interconnectedness found in nature and how every living thing interacts with and impacts all of the living things around it with a multitude of outcomes.  I loved it because it evoked so many different emotions as I listened to it.  I especially enjoyed a passage where Pratt stood up to pluck the strings of the piano (I've never seen that before).  This piece was written specifically for Pratt and he improvises the conclusion so if you attend tonight's performance you will hear something entirely new.  After the intermission, the orchestra performed the Overture from The Greatest, an opera about Muhammad Ali composed by guest conductor Teddy Abrams.  He described it as loud, brash, and violent and I liked the urgency of the themes played by the strings, the bold fanfares by the brass, and the dramatic use of percussion.  The concert concluded with Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland in its entirety rather than just the Orchestral Suite which is normally performed.  I always love hearing this piece performed live because the themes of peace and remembrance during war are incredibly poignant.  I especially love the variations on the Quaker hymn "Simple Gifts" which is first developed by a solo clarinet and then repeated by various instruments.  I was really excited for this concert because of Appalachian Spring but I ended up loving Rounds just as much and I recommend getting a ticket to tonight's performance (go here) to hear both of them!

Festival of Trees 2023

Yesterday I was a hostess at the Festival of Trees for the thirteenth year!  Various individuals and organizations decorate and then donate trees, usually to commemorate someone who has been ill or died.  These trees are put up for auction and then displayed at the Mountain America Expo Center for the public to view for the duration of the festival.  All of the proceeds go directly to Primary Children's Hospital so it is a really worthwhile cause.  In addition to the trees, there are centerpieces, wreaths, quilts, and gingerbread houses with lots of crafts and treats for purchase (I really love the cinnamon rolls).  Most of the trees below were in my assigned area but I also spent some time walking around and some of my favorite are also included.

My main job was to watch the tree below.  It sold at auction for $100,000 which is the most any tree has sold for in the history of the festival!  It was featured on the news yesterday morning so many people were looking for it and were eager to hear the story behind it.  I was inundated by people (but it kept me busy so my shift went by very quickly).

The festival continues at the Mountain America Expo Center through Saturday.  Go here for more information and tickets.

Elf The Musical at HCT

Last night I saw HCT's production of Elf The Musical and I got a big dose of Christmas cheer! Santa Claus (Josh Richardson) tells the story of Buddy (David Paul Smith), a human who mistakenly believes that he is an elf because he crawled into his bag as a baby and was raised at the North Pole. After discovering who he really is, Buddy decides to find his dad, Walter Hobbs (Douglas Irey), and ends up bringing Christmas cheer to his new family, his girlfriend Jovie (Kelly Coombs), and everyone in New York City. The staging of the musical numbers is so much fun with exciting choreography and energetic performances. I especially loved the use of tricycles ridden by the elves in "Happy All the Time," the taxi cabs and police cars in "World's Greatest Dad," the tinsel used as jump ropes in "Sparklejollytwinklejingly," the confetti made of shredded paper in "Just Like Him," the real ice skates and a spectacular ice rink (with some cool technology that allows the actors to actually skate on it) in "A Christmas Song," the bags of toys in "Nobody Cares About Santa," and, of course, Santa's flying sleigh in the reprise of "A Christmas Song." The dazzling set pieces rise from the pit, descend from the rafters, and come in from the wings and my favorites were the snow globes used to designate the Empire State Building, Macy's Department Store, Rockefeller Plaza, and Central Park. I also loved the giant snowflakes with disco balls inside them hanging throughout the theatre. The costumes for Santa, Buddy, the elves at the North Pole, and the employees at Macy's are colorful and whimsical and I even liked the contemporary costumes worn by the employees at Greenway Publishing because they coordinated in shades of blue, gray, and green. Smith, who has appeared in many shows at HCT and is one of my favorites, is perfect as Buddy because his physicality and facial expressions are hilarious and his interactions with Coombs, as Jovie, are really sweet (they appeared together in HCT's production of Daddy Long Legs). I also really enjoyed Michelle Blake as Emily Hobbs and Cole Young as Michael Hobbs because their voices blend very well in the songs "I'll Belive In You" and "There Is a Santa Claus." However, Joanna Johnson, as Deb, steals every scene she is in because she is a hoot! I had a smile on my face from beginning to end and you would have to be a cotton-headed ninny-muggins to miss this show! I highly recommend it, especially to families during the holiday season (the little boy sitting near me was absolutely enthralled). It runs on the Young Living Centre Stage through January 6 (go here for tickets).

Dream Scenario

I was really intrigued by the trailer for Dream Scenario so I went back to the Broadway (my second home) last night to see it.  I found it to be hilarious and thought-provoking.  Paul Matthews (Nicolas Cage) is a mild-mannered evolutionary biology professor who inexplicably begins appearing as a benign presence in other people's dreams.  When a former girlfriend writes an article about the phenomenon that goes viral he becomes an overnight sensation.  He basks in all of the attention he receives from his daughters (Lily Bird and Jessica Clement) and his students and, even though his wife (Julianne Nicholson) warns that there will be negative consequences, he appears on television and tries to parlay his new-found fame into a book deal by signing with an agent (Michael Cera).  Suddenly his presence in everyone's dreams becomes malevolent which causes him to be feared and then vilified.  He loses his job and his family and finds it impossible to appear in public without being attacked.  Eventually, people stop dreaming about him but he tries to hold on to his notoriety by writing a trashy tell-all book and appearing at third-rate events.  This is an incredibly clever social satire about the fickle nature of fame and how someone or something can quickly catch the attention of the collective unconscious and then, just as quickly, disappear.  The commentary about the devastating effects of cancel culture is particularly fascinating and the scene where Matthews films a tear-filled apology, which seems to be de rigueur for any celebrity embroiled in a scandal, is quite amusing.  I also really enjoyed the scene where his prospective agent tries to get him to take a deal endorsing Sprite, because it perfectly embodies influencer culture, and all of the dream sequences, because they blur the line between the real and the surreal.  Cage, with a balding head, large glasses, graying beard, and over-sized parka, gives one of his best performances as an ordinary man caught up in a situation that he doesn't understand and can't control because his sputtering reactions to what is happening to him (both good and bad) are so funny.  There is a sub-plot in the third act about a device inspired by Matthews that allows people to visit other people's dreams that didn't really work for me but most of this had me laughing out loud.  I definitely recommend it.

Saltburn

The second movie in my double feature at the Broadway yesterday was Saltburn.  I was so excited to see this and it definitely did not disappoint!  Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) is a scholarship student at Oxford who struggles to fit in with his wealthier classmates.  He attracts the attention of the popular and aristocratic Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi) when he loans him his bicycle but gains his sympathy by describing his traumatic childhood with an alcoholic mother as well as the recent death of his father.  He is eventually invited to Saltburn, the vast estate owned by Felix's family, where he ingratiates himself to his parents Sir James (Richard E. Grant) and Lady Elspeth (Rosamund Pike) and his sister Venetia (Alison Oliver) but alienates his cousin Farleigh (Archie Madekwe) who is jealous of the attention lavished on him.  Oliver continues his machinations until the current guest, Poor Dear Pamela (Carey Mulligan), is sent packing and he enjoys a summer of excess and depravity until his obsession becomes malevolent.  This is both highly amusing (there were hoots of laughter in my screening) and provocative (there was also a lot of nervous giggling) and I loved it!  Keoghan is incredibly disturbing and you cannot look away as Oliver engages in one debauched act after another (there is an especially titillating scene involving a bathtub), Elordi is so charming and charismatic that it is easy to see why Felix would become the object of a powerful obsession, and Pike is an absolute hoot as the vacuous Elspeth.  However, Madekwe is absolutely brilliant because Farleigh is unlikable but yet strangely sympathetic as someone who is accepted but doesn't really belong and he nails this complexity with a highly nuanced performance.  I loved all of the elaborately composed shots, especially all of the reflections in ordinary objects because they show how much Oliver wants to belong to Saltburn, the opulent production design, and the killer (pun intended) soundtrack.  This features some interesting commentary on the class system but I appreciate the style with which it is presented a lot more!  There are some structural issues (I don't think the final recapitulation is necessary because the twist has been obvious all along) but this is wildly entertaining and I highly recommend it to fans of black comedies. 

Napoleon

Yesterday I went to the Broadway for a double feature (I was basically there all day) and I started with Napoleon which I really enjoyed.  This is a portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte (Joaquin Phoenix) chronicling his dramatic rise from an artillery officer during the waning days of the French Revolution to become the Emperor of France, his volatile relationship with an aristocratic widow named Josephine de Beauharnais (Vanessa Kirby), and his spectacular victories and stunning defeats in military campaigns across Europe.  The large-scale battle sequences are absolutely incredible and I was particularly impressed by the Siege of Toulon when Napoleon captures a fort in order to break the blockade of the city because it is so immersive, the Battle of Austerlitz when he bombards the Austrians and Russians as they retreat across a frozen lake because it is so visceral, and the Battle of Waterloo when his troops are decimated by the Duke of Wellington because the aerial shots of the British infantry squares (I've always been obsessed with this military tactic) are so dramatic.  These set pieces are are thrilling (Ridley Scott knows how to stage a spectacle) and they definitely compensate for the long runtime and pacing issues.  Phoenix is magnetic in the role and, while many have criticized his characterization of Napoleon and a brooding and petulant despot (in some surprisingly hilarious scenes), I think it really works because he is more noted for being a brilliant military tactician than a good ruler.  Kirby is outstanding, although I would have liked more of her character, and I also enjoyed seeing Rupert Everett as the sneering Duke of Wellington and Paul Rhys as the scheming Talleyrand.  I am a huge fan of historical dramas so I obviously loved the period costumes, numerous locations, lavish production design, and atmospheric score.  There are flaws but I would recommend this to fans of epic period pieces.