Hootie & The Blowfish at Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre

I have been a huge fan of Hootie & The Blowfish ever since their debut album Cracked Rear View was released because I love Darius Rucker's voice.  The first time I saw them in concert I was with both of my sisters and what I remember most is that Rucker kept breaking his guitar strings and a tech would bring him a new guitar every time it happened (even in the middle of songs).  I got to see them again last night at Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre with one of my sisters and I am happy to report that Rucker didn't break any guitar strings!  They began the show with my very favorite song by the band, "I Go Blind," and then proceeded to play all of their hits.  I especially loved "Time," "Let Her Cry," "Hold My Hand," and "Old Man & Me" (which was a cool mashup with "Mo Money Mo Problems" and "Big Poppa").  They did a really cool acoustic set featuring "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?/ Desert Mountain Showdown" and a cover of "I Hope I Don't Fall in Love With You" by Tom Waits.  These songs had a bluegrass sound that I really liked and I especially enjoyed the mandolin.  They performed quite a few covers and my favorite was "Hey, Hey What Can I Do" by Led Zeppelin (I've heard this live before and it is so good).  Other covers included "For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield, "Interstate Love Song" by Stone Temple Pilots (I loved this), "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M., and a rousing rendition of "Wagon Wheel" by Old Crow Medicine Show.  They brought Edwin McCain, who opened for them, back to the stage to perform McCain's song "Solitude" with them (I didn't recognize McCain's name when the tour was announced but I knew all of the songs in his set, especially "I Could Not Ask for More" and "I'll Be").  I also really enjoyed their performance of "Alright" which is one of Rucker's songs from his country solo career.  The night ended with an epic performance of "Only Wanna Be With You" and I was honestly sad for this concert to end because I enjoyed it so much.  I was so happy to be with my sister because she loves the band as much as I do and we sang all of our favorites!  We kept talking about how good Rucker's voice sounded (we think he might be getting better with age) and how tight all of the musicians were.  It was incredibly hot but it cooled down once Hootie took the stage so it was a perfect summer night listening to music that I love!

Note:  The other opening act was Collective Soul.  Other than a stirring rendition of "The World I Know," I was a bit underwhelmed with their set (especially when they played "Shine" twice in a row).  I really wanted to hear "Tremble for My Beloved."

Schubert's Symphony No. 6 at St. Mary's Church

Last night I drove up to Park City for a Utah Symphony concert at St. Mary's Church as part of the Deer Valley Music Festival.  St. Mary's is such a cool venue for a concert because it is a beautiful church with a large wall of windows through which you can see amazing views of mountains and pine trees and I look forward to seeing at least one concert here every summer.  Last night's concert began with Symphony No. 61 by Franz Joseph Haydn and it was really fun.  Guest conductor Chelsea Gallo talked about all of the humorous elements and throughout the piece she turned to the audience to let us know when to laugh (she was very charming).  I especially loved the whimsical themes played by the oboe, bassoon, and flute in the second movement.  Next came Romance No. 1 for Violin by Ludwig van Beethoven with Associate Concertmaster Kathryn Eberle as soloist.  Not much is known about why Beethoven wrote this shorter piece (along with Romance No. 2) but it is very beautiful and I loved the themes played by the violin (an exquisite performance by Eberle) which were then echoed by the orchestra.  Eberle joined the orchestra once again as soloist for Havanaise by Camille Saint-Saens.  This is based on a dance that originated in Cuba in the mid-nineteenth century and then became popular in Spain.  It has a distinctive repeating rhythm that begins with the cellos and is heard throughout.  The solo violin is quiet and reflective at times and then has some fiery virtuoso passages (featuring another brilliant performance by Eberle) and I loved it!  After the intermission, the concert concluded with Symphony No. 6 by Franz Schubert.  This piece was written when Schubert was only twenty years old but it wasn't performed until after his death.  I really enjoyed it, especially the melody played by the clarinet and the bassoon and then the response from the oboe and flute in the first movement.  It was a lovely evening listening to the Utah Symphony in a beautiful setting and I highly recommend getting a ticket to one of the remaining concerts at St. Mary's Church (or one of the concerts at Deer Valley).  Go here for tickets and information.

Crazy for You at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre

When the summer shows at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre were announced, I was most excited for Crazy for You because it is so fun with lots of fantastic singing and dancing. I had a wonderful time watching this delightful production under the stars last night. Bobby Child (Cam Bronson) wants to be a dancer in the Zangler Follies but his fiance Irene Roth (Lauren Billings) is eager to get married after waiting five years and his mother Lottie (Tina Fontana) wants him to work at the family bank. He is sent by the bank to Deadrock, Nevada to foreclose on a theatre owned by Everett Baker (Quin Swallow) but he falls in love with Everett's daughter Polly (Aubrey Jackson) and decides to save the theatre instead. Polly doesn't want anything to do with him so he impersonates Bela Zangler and brings his friends from the Zangler Follies to Deadrock for a show to raise the money to pay the mortgage. Chaos ensues when both Irene and the real Bela Zangler (Evan Meigs) come to town! The plot is a bit thin but it matters not because the best part of this show is all of the classic songs by George and Ira Gershwin, including "Shall We Dance," "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Embraceable You," "I Got Rhythm," "They Can't Take That Away From Me," and "But Not For Me." The choreography is spectacular and I especially enjoyed watching the dancing from the talented and enthusiastic ensemble in "I Can't Be Bothered Now," "Slap That Bass" (the use of rope as lassos and strings on a bass is so fun), "Stiff Upper Lip," and "Nice Work If You Can Get It." I also loved all of the physical comedy in "What Causes That" (the kids sitting around me laughed out loud through the whole number). Jackson has a lovely voice and her versions of "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Embraceable You," and "But Not For Me" are incredibly poignant and show a vulnerable side to the indomitable Polly. Bronson is very charismatic and has some impressive tap dancing skills (I love to see tap dancing in a show which is why I was so excited to see this). Another standout from the cast is Billings. She only has one big number, "Naughty Baby," but she makes it count by vamping it up in a thrilling performance. This set might be my favorite that I've seen at the SCERA Shell! Very detailed set pieces rotate to become the Zangler Follies Theatre, the buildings on Main Street in Deadrock, and backstage at the Gaiety Theatre in Deadrock and the backdrops, featuring the New York skyline and the red rocks of the desert, are visually stunning. All of the period costumes are great but I really liked the glitzy showgirl costumes and the colorful cowboy shirts. I highly recommend getting a ticket to this entertaining song and dance extravaganza during its run at the SCERA Shell (go here) because it is the perfect way to spend a summer evening (especially if you are an old-school musical theatre fan). Who could ask for anything more?

Green Border

I have very strong opinions about the treatment of refugees around the world so I knew that seeing Green Border at the Broadway last night would be upsetting, and it was, but I am glad that I did because it is a compassionate portrayal of people willing to do whatever they can to help those who have been unlucky enough to be born with the wrong passport.  Refugees from Africa and the Middle East are lured to Belarus by the dictator Alexander Lukashenko with promises of easy passage to the EU.  However, when they arrive, they are dumped by border guards in a treacherous forested area between Belarus and Poland as a political stunt.  Border guards in Poland, who fear that these refugees are terrorists sent by Lukashanko, transport them back to Belarus in the middle of the night only to be returned again.  This never ending cycle is shown from the perspectives of a Syrian family, including Bashir (Jalal Altawil), his father (Mohamad Al Rashi), his wife Amina (Dalia Naous), his son Nur (Taim Ajjan), and his daughter Ghalia (Talia Ajjan), trying to join a relative in Sweden, a Polish border guard named Jan (Tomasz Wlosok) struggling with the implications of what he is being asked to do, a group of activists, including sisters Marta (Monika Frajczyk) and Zuku (Jasmina Polak), trying to do what they can to help but fearful of being arrested, and a woman living near the forest named Julia (Maja Ostaszewska) willing to help the refugees no matter the cost.  The black and white cinematography, the narrative based on actual events and real people, and the authentic performances from the cast (most of whom worked for little or no compensation) make this seem like a documentary with very real and very high stakes.  I was incredibly moved by scenes depicting humanity both at its worst and at its best.  Of the former, I was particularly struck by a group of border guards who demand that a refugee pay 50 euros for a bottle of water and then pour it out in front of her because, even though there are more harrowing scenes, it is so cruel and petty.  Of the latter, I was moved to tears by a scene showing a group of boys interacting with the teens from the family who rescued them because it shows how similar they are despite their backgrounds.  This is a movie that is definitely going to stay with me for a long time, especially since this is still happening on the border between Belarus and Poland, and I highly recommend it.

Daddio

Another trailer that really caught my attention was the one for Daddio so I decided to see it at the Broadway last night.  It is a dialogue heavy two-hander that takes place in one location in real time but it is far more compelling than it has any right to be!  A young woman (Dakota Johnson) lands at JFK and gets into a cab driven by Clark (Sean Penn) for the ride home to midtown Manhattan.  At first the two of them engage in desultory small talk but, when they are detained for an extended period of time by a serious accident on the highway, he begins asking probing questions about her life and relationships.  She pushes back against his unsolicited advice but, when he suggests that he is the perfect person to talk to because she will never see him again, she opens up which allows both of them to share a profound human connection.  The script is incredibly intelligent with razor sharp insights about the dynamic between men and women that are sure to provoke lots of conversations.  Both Johnson and Penn give brilliant and highly nuanced performances (in my opinion Johnson is an outstanding actress when given the right material) and their chemistry with each other is authentic as they spar back and forth.  Even though almost all of the action takes place inside a cab, the cinematography is very dynamic with shots that alternate between Johnson and Penn and employ many different angles and perspectives (I loved the use of the rear view mirror).  I also really loved the moody original score because it adds another layer of subtext to the dialogue.  This might not be for everyone because it requires a lot of engagement but my attention never wavered and I would highly recommend it (with the caveat that there is a lot of profanity).

Janet Planet

I was intrigued by the trailer for Janet Planet so I decided to see it at the Broadway yesterday.  I was really impressed with the performances but I sometimes found it very tedious to sit through.  Janet (Julianne Nicholson) is a free-spirited acupuncturist living in rural Massachusetts with her precocious 11-year-old daughter Lacy (Zoe Ziegler).  During the summer of 1991 Janet has an ill-fated relationship with a withdrawn and troubled boyfriend (Will Patton), reconnects with an old friend (Sophie Okonedo) who is fleeing a new age commune, and pursues a friendship with the guru (Elias Koteas) of this commune.  Lacy cannot bear to be away from her mother (she begs to come home from summer camp and even pretends to be sick to delay going back to school) but she spends most of her time on the periphery of Janet's life while silently judging her choices.  This is a very impressionistic examination of a codependent relationship between a mother and daughter in which newcomer Ziegler brilliantly portrays the loneliness of a child who inhabits an adult world while Nicholson is heartbreaking as a mother who loves her child but is being suffocated by her neediness.  The narrative is incredibly thin and, while that is not necessarily a bad thing, the characters need to be compelling to sustain interest.  Unfortunately, I found them both to be unlikable (Janet is aimless and Lacy is manipulative) and there isn't any growth or resolution (I was actually stunned when the credits started rolling).  The images are beautiful and I liked the use of natural sound instead of an original score but the pacing is so boring deliberate that my mind wandered frequently (I get that many of these scenes are meant to mimic the boredom of a child spending the summer with only adults for company but that makes it boring for the audience, as well).  I am definitely in the minority but this just didn't do anything for me.

Fly Me to the Moon

Last night my sister and I went to an early access screening of Fly Me to the Moon (another movie on my sister's list) and we both really enjoyed it!  With support for NASA's mission to the moon waning, a marketing expert named Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) is brought in to improve public opinion and ensure continued funding from Congress, much to the dismay of the launch director Cole Davis (Channing Tatum).  As the launch date approaches, the White House fears what a failure will mean for US-Soviet relations so Jones is coerced by a government official, Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson), to create a simulation of the moon landing as a contingency plan.  However, Jones comes to believe in the importance of the mission, and develops feelings for Davis, so will she continue to fake it?  This is a fun and lighthearted romantic comedy, with a charming performance from Johansson and amazing chemistry between her and Tatum (even though I did have a hard time believing that Tatum was smart enough to be a director at NASA), and it is a lot funnier than I was expecting (I laughed out loud every time Jim Rash appeared on the screen as the flamboyant director of the fake moon landing).  This also has more substance than I was expecting with a dark backstory for Jones and a more poignant one for Davis that really informs the decisions that they make.  The story is also really compelling because the filmmakers manage to create a lot of suspense about the moon landing (even though we all think we know what happened).  I loved the 1960s aesthetic in the production design, especially the clothes, hairstyles, and cars, and I was impressed with all of the scenes at NASA, particularly the launch of the rocket.  This is an incredibly entertaining summer blockbuster that I highly recommend!

MaXXXine

I was quite surprised by how much I loved both X and Pearl so I was really excited to see MaXXXine, the conclusion to the trilogy, at an early access screening at the Broadway last night.  It is definitely the weakest of the three movies, which is a bit disappointing, but at least I had fun watching it with a big crowd.  After surviving a massacre at a Texas farmhouse, Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) is now living in Hollywood and working in the adult entertainment industry.  She signs on to star in a horror film, The Puritan II, written and directed by Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki) because she is hoping for more mainstream success but her big break is jeopardized by a mysterious serial killer with ties to her past who is killing her friends and colleagues and using a private detective named John Labat (Kevin Bacon) to stalk her.  She evades homicide detectives Marianne Williams (Michelle Monaghan) and Ben Torres (Bobby Canavale) to confront the killer herself, in an epic battle at the Hollywood sign, and uses the notoriety to become the star she was always meant to be.  Just as X is an homage to the slasher films of the 1970s and Pearl takes inspiration from the Technicolor Golden Age of Hollywood, MaXXXine references the neo-noir erotic thrillers of the 1980s (it reminded me of a Brian De Palma movie).  It portrays the sleazy underbelly of Hollywood and the fear of the religious right about the influence of horror prevalent during the time period but these themes are not explored with any depth.  As a result, I found the climax and the big reveal of the killer to be incredibly underwhelming and I kept waiting for there to be another twist in the final few minutes.  Even though there is more style than substance, I thoroughly enjoyed the 1980s aesthetic in the costumes and production design as well as all of the needle drops, especially "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood during a club scene.  Goth is as compelling as ever, particularly in a scene involving an audition, and Bacon's over the top performance is so much fun to watch but most of the other actors are not given much to do and Debicki seems like she is in a completely different movie.  I didn't hate this but I was expecting so much more (because the previous movies are so good).

The Nutty Professor at HCT

Other than one of the best versions of Fiddler on the Roof that I've ever seen, I haven't been very impressed with the shows at HCT this season. Happily, that changed with their production of the new musical The Nutty Professor, which I was able to see last night, because it is so much fun! I don't know what I loved more: the story, the performances, the choreography, the costumes, the sets, or the projections! Julius Kelp (Spencer Jackson Hohl) is a nerdy and socially awkward chemistry professor at Korwin College who is often reprimanded by the dean, Dr. Warfield (BJ Whimpey), for blowing up his lab. He befriends Stella Purdy (Bre Welch), a new adjunct professor, but when he is humiliated by the star football players (Eric Ascione and Even McKay Naef), he decides that he must make some changes in order to impress her. He creates a serum that transforms him into the handsome and charismatic, but narcissistic, Buddy Love and soon the entire studentbody, including Stella, is under his spell. However, when Stella sees that Buddy is having a negative influence on the students, she realizes that it is Julius who she truly loves! This is a delightful and entertaining show and I love the message that it is always better to be yourself. Hohl is absolutely hilarious as Julius/Buddy because he is so good at the physical comedy! A scene where the serum wears off and he keeps transforming from Buddy to Julius and back again at inopportune times, with just a change in posture and facial expression, had me laughing out loud. He is also incredibly charming in all of the scenes with the students and it is entirely believable that Buddy could have them all swooning over him (I think Hohl may have actually taken the serum because all of the girls around me were swooning over him, too!). Welch has a beautiful voice and I especially loved her performances of "Too Much for Me" and "While I Still Have the Time." Everyone in the ensemble is insanely talented but I have to give a shoutout to Phil Lewis for the epic baton twirling! The choreography by Afton Wilson is amazing and it is worth the price of admission just to see all of the dazzling song and dance numbers. My favorites were "Dance to My Own Drummer," "(Hey Is It Me Or) Is It Hot in Here," "Buddy's Place" (especially when Julius suddenly appears and starts dancing awkwardly and then all of the students mimic him), "Everything You've Ever Learned is Wrong," and "Step Out of Your Shell" (the ballroom dancing is lovely). All of Joy Zhu's costumes are incredible (I was impressed by the sheer number of them) but I really loved the purple sequined suit worn by Buddy the first time he appears and all of the purple and yellow uniforms worn by the Korwin College cheerleaders, football players, and marching band (probably because they are the same colors as my college alma mater). I always love the sets at HCT and this one is no exception! The attention to detail in Julius' laboratory (I loved all of the neon potions in the beakers) is fabulous! Finally, the projections featuring atoms and the periodic table on the LED screens around the theater and on the stage are very amusing! I really cannot say enough about every aspect of this production and I highly recommend that you do not miss it! It runs on the Young Living Centre Stage through August 17 and tickets may be purchased here (but act quickly because many shows are sold out).

Note:  I saw Bre Welch last night in this show and her husband Addison the night before in Kiss Me Kate!

Kiss Me Kate at CPT

I went to see Kiss Me Kate at CPT a few weeks ago with my sisters but I had to leave at intermission because I was feeling sick. I was really disappointed because I had been looking forward to it and I liked it up to that point. I decided to get another ticket and, thankfully, I was able to stay for the whole show last night! Ironically, I enjoyed the first act, which I had already seen, much more than the second. This features the classic show-within-a-show conceit as a theatre company stages a musical version of Shakespeare's play The Taming of the Shrew. Chaos ensues when life imitates art and the former husband and wife actors Fred Graham (Addison Welch) and Lilli Vanessi (Michelle Blake) engage in backstage squabbling that mirrors that of their characters Petruchio and Katherine on stage. I especially loved the scenes from The Taming of the Shrew (I will be seeing it at the Utah Shakespeare Festival later this summer) because they involve a lot of physical comedy that made me and the rest of the audience laugh out loud as Fred and Lilli actually fight with each other in character ("Were Thine That Special Face" and "I Sing of Love" were highlights because they are absolutely hilarious). I think the story takes a detour in the second act in favor of random musical numbers ("Too Darn Hot") and a less compelling subplot involving a romance between Lois Lane (Keely Parry), who plays Bianca, and Bill Calhoun (Isaac Carrillo), who plays Lucentio ("Always True to You in My Fashion" and "Bianca"), until Fred and Lilli, as well as Petruchio and Katherine, suddenly get back together without much motivation. Even though the musical numbers in the second act are extremely well done (the tapping in "Too Darn Hot" is amazing and the English teacher in me loved "Brush Up Your Shakespeare") I found my mind wandering because I wanted more hijinks from the main couple. My complaints are with the material and not with the cast because the performances are fantastic. Both Welch and Blake have beautiful voices and their renditions of "So In Love" and "Where Is the Life That Late I Led," respectively, gave me goosebumps. As previously mentioned, their comedic timing and chemistry with each other is so much fun to watch. Parry and Carillo also have beautiful voices and the ensemble is incredibly talented but Jeremy Botelho and Brandon Garside practically steal the show as gangsters collecting on an IOU who end up on stage. The choreography, particularly for "Another Op'nin, Another Show," "Tom, Dick, or Harry," and "Too Darn Hot," is incredibly dynamic and high energy. The set, featuring backstage, an alley behind the theatre, dressing rooms, as well as a curtain and backdrops for the production of The Taming of the Shrew, is brilliant and the period costumes look great. I enjoyed this production even if the show itself is not my favorite. It runs on the Barlow Main Stage through July 13 and tickets may be purchased here.

Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1

Last night I decided to see Kevin Costner's Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 because I really respect it when someone is willing to take a risk for something they are passionate about (this is why I am also eagerly awaiting Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis).  A group of rogue Apache stage a raid on a new settlement in the San Pedro Valley and massacre most of the inhabitants.  One survivor, a young boy named Russell Ganz (Etienne Kellici), joins a group of bounty hunters, led by a tracker (Jeff Fahey) interested in trading scalps for money, in order to get revenge.  Two other survivors, Frances Kitteredge (Sienna Miller) and her daughter Lizzie (Georgia MacPhail), follow Lt. Trent Gephardt (Sam Worthington) to the military fort Camp Gallant.  A horse trader named Hayes Ellison (Costner) arrives in the Wyoming Territory and, after he inadvertently runs afoul of brothers Junior and Caleb Sykes (Jon Beavers and Jamie Campbell Bower, respectively) as they search for the woman (Jena Malone) who shot their father and took their son, he flees with a prostitute (Abbey Lee) who was caring for the child.  On the Santa Fe Trail, Matthew Van Weyden (Luke Wilson) leads a group of covered wagons traveling west but an English couple, Juliette Chesney (Ella Hunt) and Hugh Proctor (Tom Payne), stirs up trouble within the group.  Tying the disparate narratives together is a poster, printed by Bailey Pickering (Giovanni Ribisi) and carried by many of the characters, advertising Horizon, the settlement attacked by the Apache.  This feels very much like the first episode of a TV miniseries where lots of characters and plots, which are sometimes hard to keep track of due to some major issues with pacing, are tantalizingly introduced but not developed or connected (there is even a montage at the end featuring scenes from the next episode).  Having said that, I do feel invested enough in the fate of these characters to see Chapter 2 (which will be released in August).  I also think the beautiful and sweeping cinematography, which showcases the grandeur of the West (it was filmed in Utah where I live), warrants releasing this on the big screen rather than as a TV show.  I did end up enjoying this (I really liked Costner's performance and direction) but I can only recommend it to people who are willing to commit to the entire saga (which could be four separate movies) because it definitely does not work as a standalone.

The Magic of Queen at Sandy Amphitheater

I think Sandy Amphitheater is a great venue (it has a similar vibe to the Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre but without all of the hassle of getting in and out) for summer concerts and the one there last night was so much fun!  The Magic of Queen is an amazing show featuring Brody Dolyniuk and his band performing the music of Queen (they also have shows featuring the music of Led Zeppelin and Elton John).  I have seen this show before and I enjoyed it so much I immediately got a ticket to see it again as soon as they went on sale!  They began with "One Vision" and the older gentleman sitting next to me was really impressed that I knew the words to this because he didn't recognize it!  He obviously had no idea who he was dealing with because I love Queen and I sang along to every single song!  They continued with "Tie Your Mother Down" (my neighbor told me that he definitely recognized this one), "Play the Game," "Keep Yourself Alive," "You're My Best Friend" (a highlight for me), "Killer Queen" (one of my favorite Queen songs), "Now I'm Here," "Somebody to Love," "Under Pressure," and "Love of My Life."  Then the crowd got to their feet for rousing renditions of "Another One Bites the Dust" and "Fat Bottomed Girls."  Next came "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," "Radio Ga Ga" (complete with clapping), and an epic version of "Bohemian Rhapsody" (which was another highlight of the night for me).  They ended their set with "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions" with lots of audience participation!  Dolyniuk sounds so much like Freddie Mercury that you might be fooled into thinking that you are really listening to Queen but he doesn't try to imitate him.  He has his own charismatic stage presence and I really enjoyed all of his banter with the audience.  It was a perfect summer night for a concert because, while it was hot when I got there, it cooled off a bit and it was wonderful listening to music as the sun went down!  Go here for a schedule of concerts at Sandy Amphitheater this summer.

Note:  I ran into a couple of people who said they knew I would be at this concert!  Have I mentioned that I really love Queen?

Kinds of Kindness

I think Yorgos Lanthimos is an incredibly provocative director (my favorite kind) and I have enjoyed all of his previous movies so I was really excited to see his latest, Kinds of Kindness, last night at the Broadway with my nephew.  We both really enjoyed this absurdist black comedy (I was surprised by how much my nephew liked it).  This is an anthology of three different stories featuring the same actors in repertory with similar themes and motifs.  In the first, Robert (Jesse Plemons) is under the complete control of his boss Raymond (Willem Dafoe) who dictates every aspect of his life including what he wears, what he eats, what he reads, and even when he can have sex with his wife Sarah (Hong Chau).  When Raymond asks him to do something that goes against his conscience, Robert refuses and his life falls apart.  He learns that Raymond has recruited a woman named Rita (Emma Stone) to complete the task instead and, in a fit of jealousy, he takes matters into his own hands to impress him.  In the second, Daniel (Jesse Plemons) is a police officer whose wife Liz (Emma Stone), a marine biologist, has gone missing at sea.  When she is miraculously rescued, Daniel becomes irrationally convinced that the woman is not really his wife.  This prompts Liz to take extreme measures to prove that she loves him.  In the third, Emily (Emma Stone) has abandoned her husband Joseph (Joe Alwyn) and their daughter to join a sex cult led by Omi (Willem Dafoe) and Aki (Hong Chau).  She and Andrew (Jesse Plemons) are assigned to leave the compound to search for a woman prophesied to have spiritual powers.  However, Emily takes the opportunity to visit Joseph and her daughter and, in doing so, she becomes "contaminated" and is expelled from the cult.  She then goes rogue in order to find the woman (Hunter Schafer or is it Margaret Qualley?) the cult is looking for.  This is absolutely wild (I heard a lot of uncomfortable laughter and my nephew gave me a WTF look at one point) but all three of these stories explore the lengths that people will go to find love, acceptance, and community which is something almost everyone can relate to.  The fact that the same actors reappear in similar roles also reinforces the idea that this is a universal theme that continually plays out in society.  There are several bizarre recurring images (I was particularly struck by the use of dreams, shown in black and white, to foreshadow events) and the continual use of jarring piano notes during key moments is incredibly unnerving.  Plemons is outstanding, showing a range that definitely deserved to be rewarded at Cannes this year, and Stone is a perfect foil to his caged unpredictability.  This is most definitely not for everyone but fans of Lanthimos will find this to be a return to the absurdity of The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer.

A Quiet Place: Day One

Last night my sister and I went to see A Quiet Place: Day One (checking another movie off her summer list).  As a huge fan of the franchise, I was really looking forward to this prequel and, even though it has a very different vibe than the other movies, I really liked it.  Samira (Lupita Nyong'o) is a bitter terminally ill woman living at a hospice facility in New York with her service cat Frodo.  One of her caregivers (Alex Wolff) convinces her to join an outing to Manhattan for a performance but it is interrupted by what turns out to be an alien invasion and she is knocked unconscious.  She awakens inside the theater with death and destruction all around her.  Other survivors, including Henri (Djimon Hounsou), warn her to be quiet and to head to an evacuation point to get off the island by boat.  The noise from the large crowds moving to the evacuation point attract the aliens so she heads the opposite direction with Frodo.  She eventually ends up at her old apartment but is dismayed to discover that she has been followed by a shell-shocked English law student named Eric (Joseph Quinn).  However, the two of them form a bond as they inspire each other to live in the midst of chaos.  This might not be what people are expecting from a prequel because it doesn't provide many new details about the invasion or the aliens but it is a very moving portrayal about finding the best of humanity in the worst of circumstances and it features incredibly poignant performances from both Nyong'o and Quinn.  It also features some incredibly scary action sequences that had me and my sister holding our breaths (much of my anxiety involved the status of the cat).  The visuals showing a post-apocalyptic New York City convey a real feeling of devastation and the unnerving sound design is very effective at creating tension but it is the intimate and emotional story that kept me riveted.  I really appreciate the fact that writer/director Michael Sarnoski took this in a very different direction and, even though some might be disappointed by that, I highly recommend it.

Ghostlight

I actually had Ghostlight on my schedule at Sundance this year but I ended up going to a different movie at the last minute.  I kind of regret that decision because so many people that I spoke to while in line recommended it.  Luckily it is now playing at the Broadway so I got to see it last night.  I absolutely loved this incredibly moving look at the healing power of art.  Dan (Keith Kupferer), his wife Sharon (Tara Mallen), and his daughter Daisy (Katherine Mallen Kupferer) are grieving the recent suicide of their son and brother Brian.  However, there is conflict within the family because Dan refuses to acknowledge his feelings.  Sharon is exhausted from dealing with the wrongful death suit they have filed against their son's ex-girlfriend, Daisy has started acting up in school, and Dan has an altercation with a rude motorist at his job on a road construction crew.  A woman named Rita (Dolly de Leon) witnesses this altercation and invites Dan to be a part of her community theatre group's production of Romeo and Juliet because she thinks it will help him to be someone else for a while.  At first he is resistant but he keeps going to rehearsals and is soon cast as Romeo.  This revives Daisy's interest in theatre and she also joins the company as Mercutio.  His performance as Romeo allows him to finally give vent to all of the feelings of grief he has been repressing and his analysis of Romeo's motivation helps him to understand what drove his son to suicide and to forgive the person he holds responsible.  He is also able to connect with his daughter through their shared experience on stage and with his wife as an audience member witnessing his catharsis.  Kupferer and Mallen are a real-life couple and Katherine is their daughter which gives an authenticity to their brilliant and emotionally complex performances as a family dealing with a tragedy.  I teared up quite a few times but there are also some really funny and lighthearted moments as the company rehearses Romeo and Juliet that made me laugh out loud (if you have ever acted in a school or community production you will definitely enjoy this because it is such a love letter to theatre).  I loved the blending of reality and fantasy as the plot of Romeo and Juliet slowly reveals the circumstances of Brian's death and, as a theatre nerd, I also loved the actual performance of the play.  I am so happy that I finally had a chance to see this and I highly recommend it!

The Little Mermaid at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse

I have a new favorite production at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse! Last night I saw my third and final production of The Little Mermaid this month and this one is fantastic!  Ariel (Kaylee Wheeler) is a mermaid who just wants to be where the people are so she defies her father King Triton (Sheldon Cheshire) and trades her voice to the sea witch Ursula (Olivia Lusk-Garibay) for a pair of legs and, with a little help from a crab named Sebastian (Ian Wellisch), a fish named Flounder (Grace Moore), and a seagull named Scuttle (Terran Lowe), she hopes to make Prince Eric (Drew Saddler) fall in love with her. What I loved most about this production is all of the amazing costumes and puppets because they are absolutely incredible (the best of any production I have seen including both of the ones at HCT). Ursula wears an elaborate black and purple gown with eight puffy tentacles that swirl all around her while Flotsam (Shaelynn Wright) and Jetsam (Davin Loveland) wear segmented eel puppets around their shoulders and arms (I think these were my favorites). The songs "Under the Sea" and "Kiss the Girl" feature a dazzling array of sparkling neon-colored fish and other sea creatures (I loved the multicolored coral reef headdresses and the jellyfish made from clear umbrellas) and it is quite the spectacle! Sebastian is covered from claw to claw in red sequins while Scuttle is covered in white feathers. Ariel and her sisters each have their own color with jewel encrusted gowns and mermaid tails made of organza and King Triton has regal robes of turquoise and silver. I was also impressed with all of the elaborate set pieces, including a reef that lights up in different colors as a backdrop, Prince Eric's ship located on a platform next to the stage, Ariel's grotto filled with her collection, and Ursula's lair complete with a bubbling cauldron. The staging of several of the numbers is incredibly clever, especially the portrayal of the sea when Ariel saves Eric after he falls overboard because it is so immersive as well as Ariel's final transformation because it is very dramatic, and the choreography is a lot of fun and integrates a large cast into the small space very well, especially in "Les Poissons." Finally, the cast is outstanding! Wheeler and Saddler are perfect as Ariel and Eric, respectively, but Wellisch steals the show as Sebastian because he is hilariously overwrought with facial expressions that are a hoot. I also really enjoyed the mersisters (Ginny Waldron, Shantell Eisenbarth, Aleksa Poulter, Hailey Burt, Kayli Sorenson, and Arianna Evans) because each of the characters is very distinct. This is definitely the best production I have seen at this theatre and I had so much fun watching it (as did the all of the children sitting around me). There are performances on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays through July 27 and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) to one of them!

Note:  In the "Battle of the Mermaids" this month I can't really pick a winner because I enjoyed every production for different reasons!

Timpanogos Community Theater's Anastasia

I have always found the idea that the Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov may have escaped the fate suffered by the rest of her family during the Russian Revolution to be incredibly compelling (even though it has now been debunked by DNA evidence) so I am a huge fan of the musical Anastasia. I was able to see the Broadway touring production several years ago so I was very intrigued to see what the Timpanogos Community Theater would do with it last night. I was quite impressed! Young Anastasia (Paisley Shepherd) is given a music box by her grandmother the Dowager Empress (Nicole Tupola) before she leaves Russia to live in Paris. Several years later the Imperial family is arrested and executed by Bolsheviks but there is a rumor in St. Petersburg that Anastasia somehow survived. Two con men named Dmitry (Tanner Tate) and Vlad (William Gardner) want to find someone to impersonate her in order to claim the reward money offered by the Dowager Empress. They find an old music box believed to be owned by the Romanovs and eventually encounter a young woman named Anya (Sierra Livermore) who is suffering from amnesia. As they try to teach her about the Grand Duchess using history books, she recognizes the music box and starts remembering the Imperial family. They escape the clutches of a Bolshevik general named Gleb (Dylan Bradford), who vows to finish the job of executing the Romanovs begun by his father, and eventually arrive in Paris. With the help of Countess Lily (Serene Parker), a lady in waiting, they introduce Anya to the Dowager Empress but is she really Anastasia and does she want the life of a Grand Duchess? The Broadway production is known for the beautiful and elaborate sets and projections that bring St. Petersburg and Paris to life. This show is much more scaled down with simpler set pieces brought on and off stage by the ensemble.  However, the upstage area is dominated by a gilded marble archway from an Imperial ballroom that is covered by white sheets, which are removed one by one as we learn more about Anastasia, and this is very effective at portraying a lost way of life that is rediscovered by Anya. I admit that I really liked this, maybe even more than the Broadway version, because it is less distracting and lets the story shine on its own with a lot more emotion. The staging of the musical numbers is still incredibly dramatic. The red lights in "The Last Dance of the Romanovs" as the Romanov family is captured by the Bolsheviks while waltzing in the Winter Palace are powerful, the ghosts of the Romanovs dancing around Anya in "Once Upon a December" and "A Nightmare" are otherworldly, and the performance of the ballet Swan Lake in "Quartet at the Ballet" as Anya, Dmitry, Vlad, Lily, and the Dowager Empress watch in box seats on each side of the stage is impressive. I also really enjoyed the choreography in "Paris Holds the Key" and "Land of Yesterday" (the Russian dancing is so fun). I've noticed that this community theater is able to attract a lot of unbelievably talented performers that other professional companies would envy and this show is no exception. Livermore is outstanding as Anya and I particularly enjoyed her renditions of "In My Dreams," "Once Upon a December," and "Journey to the Past"  as well as her portrayal of so many different emotions as she transitions from reading about the events in Anastasia's life to remembering them. Everyone else does a great job but Bradford gave me goosebumps, especially in "The Neva Flows" and "Still," because his voice is so beautiful. This is another stellar production from TCT!  It has fewer bells and whistles than the Broadway version but it is all the better for it and I would highly recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through July 6.

Into the Woods at OPPA

The musical Into the Woods is one of my very favorites because the story is incredibly clever, the music is beautiful, and the messages are both thought-provoking and poignant. I always try to see any production that I can find and last night I found one at On Pitch Performing Arts (I have recently become a fan of this theatre company). It was so much fun to see a different take on a familiar favorite! Several fairy tale characters must go into the woods to make their wishes come true: a Witch (Caitlin Olsen) wishes to reverse a curse, a Baker (John Wright) and his Wife (Heather Ann Jackson) wish to have a child, Cinderella (Cassie Hurt-McLarty) wishes to attend the festival and meet a prince, Jack (KJ Weidner) wishes to save his cow Milky White (Madison Tate) from being sold at market, and Red Riding Hood (Harriett Bauer) wishes to visit her Grandmother (Rachel Glad). However, having a wish come true does not always result in a happily ever after and actions can sometimes have unintended consequences. This production is unique in that the setting has been changed to an urban area (depicted with images on a large screen and minimal props) during the 1950s (including fun costumes such as the poodle skirts worn by the Stepsisters and the motorcycle jacket worn by Cinderella's Prince). In the many different productions of this show that I have seen I don't remember a change to the setting like this before but I think it is a really effective way to make the themes of team work, resilience, and acceptance more accessible to the audience through this modern sensibility. I especially liked the characterization of Rapunzel (Lauralye Anderson) as a young woman who is judged by her appearance and feels the need to be perfect (with 1950s era ads shown on the screen during her scenes). The entire cast is really fun to watch and I especially loved Olsen's dramatic facial expressions, Wright's nervous energy, Tate's physicality in manipulating the puppet for Milky White, and Bauer's sass. However, Preston Fullmer, as the Wolf and Cinderella's Prince (characters who are very similar if you think about it), absolutely steals the show with all of his over-the-top preening. I think I laughed at every single thing he did on stage (my favorite bit of business is when he winks at the Baker's Wife before continuing to chase Cinderella) and his version of "Agony" with Gage Andersen as Rapunzel's Prince is a highlight! I have always loved the songs "It Takes Two," because it is such a turning point in the relationship between the Baker and his Wife, and "No One Is Alone," because it is a very emotional moment of understanding between the Baker, Jack, Cinderella, and Red, and the performances by this cast gave me goosebumps. The choreography is very well suited to the small and intimate space and I was particularly impressed with "Into the Woods," "So Happy," "Ever After," and "Children Will Listen" because of the large number of people on stage and the intricate patterns they are able to create. I thoroughly enjoyed this interpretation of Into the Woods and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through July 13.

The Bikeriders

Last night I went to a Thursday preview of The Bikeriders and I liked it but I didn't love it.  Photojournalist Danny Lyon (Mike Faist) rides with the Vandals Motorcycle Club, based in Chicago, from 1965-1973 and interviews Kathy (Jodie Comer), the wife of a volatile member named Benny (Austin Butler), about her experiences.  Kathy tells Danny that she met Benny when her girlfriend invited her to a biker bar and that they immediately connected.  She soon becomes a part of the club, created by Johnny (Tom Hardy) as a place for a group of outsiders to belong, which also includes Brucie (Damon Herriman), Cal (Boyd Holbrook), Corky (Karl Glusman), Wahoo (Beau Knapp), Zipco (Michael Shannon), and Cockroach (Emory Cohen).  Kathy eventually begins to resent the hold that the club and Johnny have on her husband and, when the club morphs into a dangerous criminal organization through expansion to other chapters, the introduction of drugs (by a hilarious Norman Reedus), the inclusion of disaffected Vietnam war vets, and a challenge to Johnny's leadership from a violent young member (Toby Wallace), she issues Benny an ultimatum to choose between her and the club.  The story is simple but very compelling because the audience is slowly immersed into biker culture and the specific time period (the gritty production design is incredibly authentic).  Both Comer and Hardy give outstanding performances (their accents are not quite as grating as I feared they would be) but Butler is absolutely off the charts because he oozes both charisma and danger (I loved his expression in the final shot).  My biggest issue with this is that I felt emotionally disconnected from the characters because I didn't really know who they were or what their motivations were.  I definitely wanted more backstory for Benny (The Kid, a minor character, gets more backstory than any of the other main characters) and I wanted a deeper exploration of his relationships with Johnny and Kathy because, even though this triangle is integral to the story, it is very superficial.  There is a lot to recommend with this movie (and I suspect people will enjoy it more than I did) but I just didn't feel very invested in it.

I Used to Be Funny

The next movie in my double feature at the Broadway last night was I Used to be Funny and, as a big fan of Rachel Sennott, it was really interesting to see her in a more serious role.  Sam (Sennott) was once a stand-up comedian known for her provocative jokes about men and her sex life as well as a nanny for a man named Cameron (Jason Jones) and his 12-year-old daughter Brooke (Olga Petsa).  Now Sam is suffering from PTSD as a result of an assault and is no longer able to perform at the comedy club or do much of anything else.  She is further traumatized when Brooke lashes out at her and then goes missing.  The narrative alternates between the present, as Sam tries to work through her trauma while searching for Brooke, and the past, when she formed a close relationship with her, and this is an effective technique because I was very invested in the mystery (which is very slowly revealed) of what happened to derail both of their lives.  There is a very thought-provoking discussion about consent when Sam's material is used against her but I loved that she ultimately finds healing in her humor.  I also liked the exploration of how one person's trauma has a ripple effect on everyone around them, allowing for some poignant scenes between Sam and her roommates Paige (Sabrina Jalees) and Phillip (Caleb Hearon) and her ex-boyfriend Noah (Ennis Esmer).  Sennott gives an amazing performance because she is essentially playing two different versions of the same character (you immediately know which timeline you are in simply by the subtle changes in expression on Sam's face) and she straddles the line between comedy and tragedy very well.  I loved the soundtrack, which features lots of indie sad girl songs (two songs by Phoebe Bridgers), and all of the locations in Toronto and Niagara Falls (where I grew up).  I very much enjoyed this and would recommend it to fans of Sennott.

Tuesday

Last night I went to another double feature at the Broadway starting with Tuesday.  I was really intrigued when I saw the trailer for this but, unfortunately, it was not what I was expecting.  Death, in the form of a size-shifting talking macaw (voiced by Arinze Kene), appears to a terminally ill teen named Tuesday (Lola Petticrew).  Death is accustomed to hearing all of the inner thoughts of everyone who is about to die but, when he meets Tuesday, all of the noise stops and he is so grateful he allows her time to say goodbye to her mother Zora (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) before she dies.  Tuesday comes to view Death as a friend (in some truly bizarre sequences) but Zora, who has distanced herself emotionally from Tuesday because she is unable to cope and is in deep denial about her prognosis, is angry and lashes out at Death.  However, her interactions with Death (in some even more bizarre sequences) help her find understanding then acceptance and, finally, peace.  Louis-Dreyfus gives a powerful and affecting performance in a more dramatic role than we usually see from her and I liked the use of a bird as an allegory for death (even if the CGI is sometimes messy) because it is very imaginative.  I also loved the message that death is just a natural part of life and that we honor those who have died by living life to the fullest in their memory.  My biggest problem is that the tone is very inconsistent with some scenes that are so jarring they took me out of the emotional core of the narrative.  I liked the concept of this movie more than the execution.

Firebrand

I am a huge fan of historical dramas and I have always been strangely fascinated by the Tudors so I was really excited to see Firebrand last night.  It is definitely a revisionist take on Katherine Parr but I enjoyed it.  While King Henry VIII (Jude Law) is away fighting in France, his sixth and final wife Katherine Parr (Alicia Vikander) is appointed regent and she takes this opportunity to promote her radical Protestant beliefs which are shared by Edward and Thomas Seymour (Eddie Marsan and Sam Riley, respectively). When Henry returns early because of the worsening of a previous leg injury, he is angry, humiliated, and paranoid.  He takes it out on the radicals and burns Katherine's childhood friend Anne Askew (Erin Doherty) at the stake.  She must now suppress her beliefs because courtiers with anti-Protestant sentiments, such as the Bishop of Winchester Stephen Gardiner (Simon Russell Beale), suspect her of conspiring with Anne.  After her relationship with Henry breaks down after a miscarriage, Gardiner begins investigating her and, when conspiracies and betrayals threaten her very survival, she must take matters into her own hands.  What I loved most about this narrative is all of the palace intrigue which is portrayed very well with close-up camera work that shows the claustrophobia of being watched constantly, especially in a dance sequence between Katherine and Thomas, and with a tension-filled score that definitely had me on edge.  Adding to the unease is an outstanding performance from Law who is almost unrecognizable and fully embodies Henry's mercurial moods and debauchery.  Vikander gives a much more subdued performance but it worked for me because, even though Katherine is very progressive for the time period, she is still trapped by the dangerous whims of the king.  The costumes and production design are as stunning as you would expect from a period drama.  However, the pacing gets bogged down with a subplot about Katherine's influence on Henry's children, particularly Princess Elizabeth (Junia Rees) and her future reign, that isn't developed very well.  Also, the screenplay definitely makes use of *ahem* dramatic license with the ending.  This is a very serviceable historical drama with compelling performances and gorgeous visuals but I recommend waiting to see it when it streams.

Silent Sky at the Empress Theatre

I enjoyed HCT's production of Silent Sky a few years ago so I was really excited to see it again at the Empress Theatre last night. This is a much more stripped down version than the one at Hale but it is just as moving (maybe more so). It tells the true story of Henrietta Leavitt (Alyssa Powers) who begins working at Harvard University in 1900 as a human computer in the astronomy department along with a "harem" of women, including Annie Cannon (Carina Dillon) and Williamina Fleming (Stacy Mayren). She is very eager to use the university's refracting telescope to find answers to all of her questions about the universe but she is not allowed to because she is a woman. She may only use the images on glass photographic plates taken from the telescope in order to map the stars and she must keep her analysis to herself. Despite these obstacles she is able to make an important discovery that allows future astronomers to calculate the distance between galaxies but her dedication to her work puts her at odds with her sister Margaret (Madison Moretti) over family obligations and with her supervisor Peter Shaw (Alexander Richardson) over their romantic relationship. This is a simple story but what makes it so compelling for me is the juxtaposition between the two sisters. Margaret believes in home, family, and religion while Henrietta believes in hard work, exploration, and science but they both look to the sky to find the light they seek. The entire cast is outstanding but I was particularly impressed by Powers because she is able to portray so many different emotions very convincingly, such as exasperation at her lack of opportunity in the department, single-minded determination to succeed, giddiness at the possibility of love (I loved it every time she twirled), and wonder at the infinite nature of the universe. I also really enjoyed Dillon's imperious manner as a martinet in the office, Mayren's sassy Scottish brogue and hilarious facial expressions and gestures, and Richardson's awkwardness as he tries to get Henrietta's attention. I loved the staging because there are so many little moments that have a big impact, especially when the actors stand under a spotlight to read the letters between the characters. The minimal set consists of several tables and chairs that are reconfigured to become an academic office at Harvard, Margaret's home in Wisconsin, and Henrietta's apartment in Cambridge. There are no props because the actors pantomime handling various objects, including the glass photographic plates (these are painted on the stage and they are an incredibly dramatic focal point), and I loved this bold choice because I think it emphasizes the theme of discovery. I also loved the use of dramatic images from space shown on screens during scene changes. This production is outstanding and I now count it as one of my favorites from this theatre. I highly encourage getting a ticket (go here) for one of the remaining performances through June 22 because it deserves to be seen by a large audience.

Inside Out 2

My sister and I crossed another movie off her list last night by seeing Inside Out 2.  The theater was absolutely packed and we heard both kids and adults laughing out loud the entire time.  Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Tony Hale), Anger (Lewis Black), and Disgust (Liza Lapira) believe they have done a good job creating a Sense of Self for Riley (Kensington Tallman) by moving all of her bad memories to the back of her mind.  However, when Riley turns 13, a new group of emotions appear, including Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), and Ennui (Adele Exarchopoulos), and they disrupt Headquarters.  Riley is invited to a hockey camp with her friends Bree (Sumayyah Nuriddin-Green) and Grace (Grace Lu) but, when they tell her that they will be going to a different high school, Anxiety takes over to make sure that Riley does whatever she can to make the hockey team at her new school so she won’t be alone.  This includes shunning Bree and Grace in favor of Val (Lilimar), the team captain, and other actions that corrupt her Sense of Self.  As Joy fights to regain control, she realizes that all of Riley's emotions are necessary to create a more authentic Sense of Self.  What I loved most about this sequel is that the angst of being a teenager is shown so authentically.  I was particularly struck by how well Anxiety is portrayed, particularly when Riley is compelled to hide who she really is in order to avoid being rejected because I think almost every teen experiences this at some point.  Several scenes really resonated with me personally, such as when Riley is kept awake at night by the projections of everything that could possibly go wrong before a game and when she has a panic attack (this is very well done and reduced me to tears), because I have certainly experienced both many times.  I also really loved a scene where Riley chooses Joy as she rediscovers the real reason why she loves playing hockey (I also cried during this whole sequence) because I think doing things simply for the joy it brings rather than for a possible outcome is an important message.  In addition to feeling all of the feels, this made me (and my sister who is very reserved) laugh out loud because it is so funny and so clever.  The animation is incredibly vibrant, particularly the hockey sequences, and the voice cast is excellent (with Poehler and Hawke as standouts).  I loved this (I think I might love it more than the original) and I highly recommend it!

Girl from the North Country at the Eccles

The latest Broadway touring production to hit the Eccles Theatre stage is Girl from the North Country and the reaction from SLC audiences has been pretty negative (to say the least).  I decided to try and have an open mind when I went to see it last night and I am so glad that I did because I found it to be very well done and very moving.  The story is set in Duluth, Minnesota in 1934 during the Great Depression.  Nick Paine (Joe Schiappa) owns a guesthouse, occupied by his family and a group of other lost souls struggling to find a way to survive their dire circumstances, but it is about to be foreclosed on by the bank.  His wife Elizabeth (Jennifer Blood) is suffering from a form of dementia and is becoming more and more difficult to handle, his son Gene (Ben Biggers) is an alcoholic trying to find himself and is devastated when his girlfriend Kate (Chiara Trentalange) leaves him for someone with better prospects, and his adopted daughter Marianne (Sharae Moultrie) is pregnant and not forthcoming about the identity of the baby's father but does not want to marry the older man (Jay Russell) her father has arranged for her.  The residents include Mrs. Nielsen (Carla Woods), a widow waiting for her husband's estate to be settled and dreaming of the life she will have with Nick (with whom she is having an affair) once she receives the money, Mr. Burke (David Benoit), who lost his business during the stock market crash, Mrs. Burke (Jill Van Velzer), who is struggling with her loss of status, and Elias (Aidan Wharton), the Burkes' feeble-minded son.  One night during a storm, Joe Scott (Matt Manuel), a boxer recently released from prison who is trying to get back on his feet, and the Reverend Marlowe (Jeremy Webb), a suspicious bible salesman, arrive looking for shelter.  This is more like a slice-of-life depiction of the different ways in which people cope with adversity during a tumultuous time in history rather than a straightforward narrative and, while there are some very heavy themes, the message is that, no matter how difficult life may be, you must continue to press on (there is a glimmer of hope for several characters).  The musicians, including members of the cast, perform on stage using instruments from the 1930s and the new arrangements of over 20 songs written by Bob Dylan are beautiful (this won the Tony Award for Best Orchestrations).  Dylan's music is particularly well suited to this narrative because much of it is about protesting against injustice or fate but it is used more to showcase a character's state of mind rather than to advance the story.  The performances are all beyond amazing and it is hard to single anything out but my favorites were "Tight Connection to My Heart (Has Anybody Seen My Love)" by Moultrie, "Slow Train" by the Company, "I Want You" by Biggers and Trentalange, "Like a Rolling Stone" by Blood, "Hurricane"/ "All Along the Watchtower"/ "Idiot Wind" by Manuel and Moultrie, and "Pressing On" by Woods (this was a powerful moment).  I really liked the sets and I loved the staging of this show because the characters step away from the action to sing with old-fashioned microphone stands and I think this is a very effective way to portray their innermost feelings about their situation.  I can definitely understand why people might not like this show but I am really glad that I gave it a chance because I liked it (the more I think about it the more I like it).  It runs at the Eccles Theatre through June 16 (go here for tickets).

The Lightning Thief at West Valley Arts

I haven't read the book by Rick Riordan but, as a big fan of Greek mythology, I was really excited to see the musical adaptation of The Lightning Thief at the West Valley Performing Arts Center last night. I had so much fun with high energy show! Perseus "Percy" Jackson (Ren Cottam) is expelled from his fifth school in as many years after he kills a Fury masquerading as a substitute math teacher named Mrs. Dodds (Matthew Tripp) on a field trip. His mother Sally (MacKenzie Skye Pedersen) takes him to the beach to explain why he has powers that he can't control but, before she can reveal anything, they are attacked by a Minotaur (Grayson Kamel) who kills her before Percy is able to kill it. Soon after, his Latin teacher Mr. Brunner (David Weekes) reveals that he is really Chiron, a centaur, and that his best friend Grover Underwood (Kile Allen) is really a satyr, a goat-like creature, before taking Percy to Camp Half-Blood, a refuge for the children of humans and gods. The camp counselor Dionysus (Kelly Griffiths) introduces him to Luke Castellan (Zack Grob), the son of Hermes, Annabeth Chase (Hanna Schneck), the daughter of Athena, Silena Beauregard (Olivia Simmons), the daughter of Aphrodite, Katie Gardner (Sibley Snowden), the daughter of Demeter, and Clarisse La Rue (Natalie Wren), the daughter of Ares. He also discovers that he is the son of Poseidon.  However, he is accused of stealing Zeus' lightning bolt and must go on a quest to retrieve it from the real thief, Hades, to prevent a war between the gods. The Underworld is in Los Angeles so Percy, Grover, and Annabeth set out on this quest but complications ensue when they encounter three Furies, Medusa, and the Chimera. They eventually reach the Underworld but Hades informs them that they have been manipulated by Ares (Kelly Griffiths) which culminates in an epic battle in which Percy is helped by Poseidon (Wesley Valdez). They return to Camp Half-Blood as heroes but learn that they must face an even bigger threat. This is an incredibly funny and clever take on Greek mythology (I, along with the entire audience, laughed out loud multiple times) but, at its heart, it is a poignant story about the struggle to fit in and feel good enough. The three leads perfectly embody this struggle and I especially loved Cottam's performance of "Good Kid," Schneck's performance of "My Grand Plan," and Allen's performance of "The Tree on the Hill." All three gave me goosebumps! The rest of the cast, most of whom play multiple roles, is also outstanding because each character is distinct. The staging is incredibly imaginative because the set is very minimal, with just a few movable platforms and stairs, so everything is portrayed through costumes, props, and the physical performance of the actors. I particularly loved how Percy uses the ocean in the battle with Ares. The choreography is dynamic and energetic (I would expect nothing less from Izzy Arrieta) and I was blown away many times by the athleticism of the actors, especially Allen. The costumes for the Furies, the Oracle, and Chiron (who becomes a centaur with the use of an elaborate prosthetic) are so much fun. I thoroughly enjoyed this show and I highly recommend it to families. It runs at the West Valley Performing Arts Center  on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through June 29 (go here for tickets).

Songs of Earth

Taking a cruise to see the fjords while on a trip to Norway is one of my very favorite travel experiences so as soon as I saw the trailer for the documentary Songs of Earth (it was Norway's entry for the Best International Film at the Academy Awards this year) I immediately wanted to see it.  I had the opportunity last night at the Broadway and it is stunning!  Filmmaker Margreth Olin returns to her childhood home in Oldendalen in Western Norway, where generations of her family have lived dating back to the 1600s, to spend a year with her father Jørgen Mykløen in order to experience all four seasons with him and to explore his deep connection to nature.  This features absolutely gorgeous aerial shots of the Oldeeva river valley, the Nordfjorden fjord, the steep mountains surrounding the Jostedalsbreen glacier at one end and the Myklebustbreen glacier at the other end, and the Oldevatnet lake as well as close-up shots of the wildlife (the owls were my favorite).  I especially loved an extended shot that follows the progression of a stream as it becomes a river, a lake, a waterfall, a glacier, and then, finally, the top of a mountain peak.  The camera also follows Jørgen as he walks through the valley, hikes the mountain, canoes on the lake, skates on the ice, and ruminates on the importance of being present as one experiences nature.  He speaks about the lessons one can learn from nature when he finds a small flower that has survived by growing from the rock at the top of a mountain peak and he describes the connection he feels to his ancestors when he sees a spruce tree planted by his grandfather in 1900 (there is a lovely scene in the epilogue where he plants a spruce tree to continue his connection with future generations).  This is very slow and meditative but that is the point because, as Jørgen tells us, we need to slow down and really look at nature in order to learn the lessons it has to teach us.  I highly recommend this beautiful documentary!

The Little Mermaid at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre

Last night I saw the second of three productions of The Little Mermaid that I have scheduled this month! This show was at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre, which is one of my favorite summer venues, and I was blown away by the talented cast because every single performance is incredible! Elena Shill shines as Ariel because, not only does she have a beautiful voice during a lovely interpretation of "Part of Your World," she portrays Ariel's wide-eyed wonder and naivete very well with every facial expression. I especially loved her physical performance in "Positoovity," as she learns how to walk on two legs for the first time, and in "One Step Closer," as she conveys her feelings for Prince Eric without saying a word. Jeff Sundwall is brilliant as Prince Eric, one of the best I've seen, and his performance is filled with so much longing and emotion, particularly in "Fathoms Below" (I had goosebumps when the male ensemble joined him in this song), "Her Voice," and "One Step Closer." It is fortunate that this production is outside because Tannah O'Banion, as Ursula, would have blown the roof off a traditional theatre with her powerful rendition of "Poor Unfortunate Souls." AJ Nielsen is incredibly charismatic and energetic as Sebastian (his versions of "Under the Sea" and "Kiss the Girl" are a lot of fun) and Porter McCormick is absolutely adorable as Flounder (he definitely holds his own with the Mersisters in "She's in Love"). My favorite performance, however, was that of Shannon Follette as Scuttle because she is fully committed to the eccentricity of the character with a voice and a physicality that is hilarious. I laughed out loud at just about everything Scuttle said and did (I noticed Foulette interacting with the crowd as Scuttle during the intermission). The main cast is outstanding but I was also very impressed with the ensemble because the vocals in every big production number are amazing, especially the sailors in the aforementioned "Fathoms Below," the Mersisters in "Daughters of Triton" and "She's in Love," and the sea creatures in "Under the Sea" and "Kiss the Girl." As usual, the costumes for the sea creatures are clever (I loved the shark and the schools of fish) but my favorites were those worn by Ursula, Flotsam (Braden Clement), and Jetsam (Eliza Dunn) because they light up! The main set is also really clever because it features a castle representing both of the worlds above and below the water with set pieces that rotate to become specific locations in Prince Eric's kingdom and King Triton's kingdom. I loved that Eric's ship, where he tries to escape his life on land, rotates to become Ariel's grotto, where she tries to escape her life under the sea. Ursula's lair is also a lot of fun because it provides many of the show's special effects. I had so much fun watching this show (I may or may not have giggled when the audience filled with bubbles during "Under the Sea") and I highly recommend this for families. It runs Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through June 22 at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre (go here for tickets).

The Watchers

I really enjoyed the novel by A. M. Shine and I am a big fan of M. Night Shyamalan so I was very excited for the movie adaptation of The Watchers by his daughter Ishana Night Shyamalan in her directorial debut.  I saw it last night and I liked it but I didn't love it.  Mina (Dakota Fanning) is a troubled American expat living in Ireland and working in a pet shop.  Her boss asks her to deliver a rare bird to a customer but her car breaks down in the middle of a large and menacing forest.  She decides to search for help and gets lost as night falls but, when she hears strange noises, a woman named Madeline (Olwen Fouéré) appears and she follows her into a concrete bunker also occupied by Ciara (Georgina Campbell) and Daniel (Oliver Finnegan).  The bunker has a large window which becomes a mirror at night and, as Madeline explains, the four of them must face it so the mysterious watchers outside can observe them.  Mina learns that the watchers retreat underground in burrows during the day so they are free to explore the forest as long as it is light but they must lock themselves in the bunker once night falls or risk an attack.  The forest is too large to leave during daylight hours and the one person who attempted it, Ciara's husband John (Alistair Brammer), hasn't returned for days.  However, Mina begins to doubt the existence of the watchers but, when she sees them and learns what they really are, she leads them in a desperate attempt to leave.  I loved the use of Irish folklore in the story but I think the screenplay suffers from too much exposition in the third act (there is a lot more in the movie than in the book and I don't think it is necessary).  I loved the depiction of the creatures and the visuals in the forest are very sinister, especially when the creatures are revealed, but I didn't feel a lot of tension when they attack or when the group escapes.  Fanning is great as a detached observer and Fouéré has tremendous screen presence but their performances, and those of the rest of the cast, are marred by clunky dialogue.  I didn't hate this but it was a bit of a mixed bag for me and I recommend waiting for it to stream.

Note:  I do think Ishana shows a lot of potential as a director but she should probably use a different screenwriter for her next project.