Custer State Park

Marilyn and I had never been to Custer State Park so we decided to spend our last afternoon in South Dakota there.  There is a lot to do within the 71,000-acre preserve, such as hiking, camping, hunting, boating, swimming, and birdwatching (there is even a playhouse with performances during the summer) but we decided to take two of the many scenic drives.  We started with the Wildlife Loop but it was a bust because we did not see any of the 1,400 buffalo who roam freely throughout the park (we didn't see any wildlife at all).  However, our next scenic drive on the Needles Highway was absolutely spectacular with needle-like rock formations made of granite that rise up through the pine and spruce trees.

This tunnel is called the Needle's Eye (it was nerve-wracking to drive through because it is very narrow).

The entrance fee is $25 per car and we spent about five hours in the park but could have stayed all day.  It is a beautiful place and I definitely recommend visiting (go here for more information).

Crazy Horse

My family would usually visit the Crazy Horse Memorial every time we went to Mount Rushmore (they are very close to each other) and it was always interesting to see the progress from year to year.  Marilyn and I decided to visit again on this trip and we both noticed that a lot of work has been completed on Crazy Horse's arm and pointing finger since the last time we were there.  It is quite impressive.

In addition to the monument, there is a Visitor's Center which includes the Indian Museum of North America (there are some beautiful artifacts and I especially loved a beaded dress) and the Native American Cultural Center (there are often live performances).  Marilyn and I decided to see the film describing the Oglala Lakota war leader Crazy Horse, the commission by Chief Standing Bear to the Polish sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski to create a memorial to him, and the laborious process of blasting and carving the rock.  It was so interesting to learn about the contributions of his wife Ruth and about how involved his children and grandchildren continue to be today.  Admission varies from $10-$35 depending on how many people are in your car and there is a separate $5 fee to take an optional bus ride to the base of the mountain.  I highly recommend visiting the Crazy Horse Memorial (go here for more information).

This is a model of what the monument will eventually look like.

Wall Drug

As we were driving through South Dakota on one of our trips back to Canada, we kept seeing hundreds of billboards for Wall Drug.  There seemed to be more and more of them the closer we got to the town of Wall.  My dad was so intrigued by these signs he decided that we just had to stop there.  It began in 1931 as a simple drug store operated by Ted and Dorothy Hustead.  They struggled to keep it going during the Great Depression so Dorothy had the idea to advertise free ice water to anyone who visited (you can still get free ice water!) and it eventually grew to become a sprawling collection of cowboy-themed stores, several restaurants, an art gallery with over 300 paintings, a backyard area with attractions for kids (including an animatronic T-rex and a giant statue of a jackalope), as well as the original drug store.  There is even a chapel inside!  It is a major tourist attraction and it draws over two million visitors every year but, honestly, I found it a bit underwhelming as an adult (I loved it as a kid and I remember buying a big sack of polished rocks!).  Marilyn and I still enjoyed it for the nostalgia (my dad loved it and had a bumper sticker that said "Where the heck is Wall Drug?" on his car for years).  Go here for more information.

I remember getting my picture taken on this jackalope (a portmanteau of jack rabbit and antelope) when I was a kid but I can't find it now.  Fun fact:  I thought jackalopes were real for an embarrassingly long time!

Mount Rushmore

I wanted to go on a road trip this summer but nothing was really piquing my interest until my sister Marilyn mentioned Mount Rushmore.  Even though I have been there several times, on family vacations when I was a teenager and a few times on my own, I got really excited about seeing it again (it is very awe-inspiring) and we started planning a trip.

The plaza leading up to the monument has flags from all of the states and there is a large viewing terrace, an amphitheatre, and a Visitor's Center at the base.  You can walk along the Presidential Trail for different views of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln and visit the Sculptor's Studio to learn more about Gutzon Borglund and how the monument was created.  There is also a cafe where you can get the world famous ice cream (I'm not sure why it is famous but it is really good).  Admission is free but there is a $10.00 fee for parking (there are two large parking structures) and it is valid for one year.

Even though I've been several times, I still find Mount Rushmore to be incredibly impressive and I recommend seeing it at least once in your life (go here for more information).

There is a turn-out where you can see George Washington's profile.  It is Marilyn's favorite view of the monument.

Devils Tower

After my family moved to the United States, we would go back to Canada on vacation every summer.  It took three days to drive from Utah to Ontario so my dad would always find places for us to stop and explore along the way.  One of my favorite places was Devils Tower in Wyoming (I was so excited to see it because I am a big fan of the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind).  My sister Marilyn and I were on our way to Mount Rushmore on a road trip when we spontaneously decided to revisit some of our favorite stops from those summer vacations, starting with Devils Tower.  It added about two hours to the ten hour drive to Mount Rushmore but it was worth it because it is so cool!

It is a large butte (867 feet from base to summit) formed from igneous rock with hundreds of parallel cracks (which makes it very popular to climb).  It is sacred to the Kiowa and Lakota Native American peoples because, according to legend, it rose from the ground to save a group of girls from a large bear that was chasing them.  The bear's claws left the cracks in the rock when it tried to climb up to the girls but the tower grew so high that the girls eventually became stars in the sky.  It costs $25.00 to enter the park (which you pay on your way out) and there is a loop you can drive which takes you all around the tower and leads to a Visitor's Center, a path you can take to the base as well as some longer hikes, and several routes of varying degrees of difficulty for climbing the tower (you must register for a permit, which is free, and then check back in when you finish).  Go here for more information.

I loved seeing it again but, sadly, no alien space ships landed there during my visit!

Eddington

My nephew and I are fans of Ari Aster so we were both excited to see Eddington at the Broadway last night.  I can certainly understand why this has divided critics but I found it to be incredibly thought-provoking.  In the small town of Eddington, New Mexico at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) clashes with the mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) over the latter's implementation of a lockdown and enforcement of a mask mandate.  Cross views Garcia's policies as a violation of personal choice (as an asthmatic he finds it difficult to breathe while wearing a mask) and eventually decides to run against him in his bid for re-election.  Soon, Garcia's son Eric (Matt Gomez Hidalka) becomes involved in a series of Black Lives Matter protests which creates havoc for the sheriff's department and Cross makes an allegation about the possible misconduct of Garcia towards his wife Louise (Emma Stone).  This contributes to the escalation of tensions between the sheriff and the mayor leading Cross to take matters into his own hands with unexpected consequences for all involved (the final scenes are quite satirical and had the audience laughing out loud, albeit uncomfortably).  There is a lot of social commentary to unpack beyond the obvious, including perceived government control, performative social justice, the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories, and the rise of dubious internet celebrities (I wish Austin Butler's character had been explored more fully), and I sometimes found the narrative to be very bloated and messy (Aster could use an editor).  However, he very effectively portrays the anxiety, confusion, mistrust, and division felt during this period through the changing relationship between Cross and Garcia.  I was particularly struck by the juxtaposition between an early scene in which they confront each other on the street but maintain civility and a later scene in which they challenge each other at a fundraiser and come to blows. I also enjoyed the use of the neo-Western genre to tell the story, particularly the climax which literally features a gunfight in the town square!  Phoenix is absolutely brilliant in this role because he is increasingly ridiculous as he unravels before our eyes.  Pascal is also very good but some of the other big name actors do not have much to do (particularly Stone and Austin).  Aster does not offer much in the way of explanations or solutions but I honestly have not been able to stop thinking about this movie.  I recommend it with the caveat that it will definitely not appeal to everyone.

Catch Me If You Can at CPT

I was really looking forward to Catch Me If You Can at CPT with my sisters last night because it is such a fun show. They had never seen it before and I think they enjoyed this production as much as I did! The show begins when Frank Abagnale, Jr. (Drew Dunshee) is arrested by FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Jeremy Botelho) at the Miami Airport. Then Frank breaks the fourth wall and begins telling the audience his story as if he were the emcee of a 1960s television variety show (complete with go-go dancers) in the big production number "Live in Living Color." When his parents, Frank Abagnale, Sr. (David Johnson) and Paula Abagnale (Mary Ann West), get divorced, sixteen year old Frank decides to run away to New York and he starts forging checks in order to get by (almost two million dollar's worth by the time he is caught). This gets the attention of the FBI, especially Hanratty who is relentless in his pursuit. Frank eventually impersonates a Pan Am pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer (even passing the bar exam) and he is always one step ahead of Hanratty until he falls in love with Brenda Strong (Emily Richman). Dunshee is incredibly charming and charismatic as the fast-talking confidence man, especially in the songs "Jet Set" and "Doctor's Orders," but he also brings a vulnerability to his portrayal of a teenager who is just looking for a home. Botelho is hilarious as the straight-laced FBI agent who has no life away from the job and his number, "Don't Break the Rules," was the biggest crowd-pleaser of the show! The interactions between them are both amusing, particularly the scene where Frank manages to elude Hanratty in a motel room, and poignant, most notably when Frank calls Hanratty on Christmas Eve and they both realize that they don't have anyone to talk to but each other. I also loved Richman's portrayal of Brenda because, in my opinion, the actress who plays her really needs to be able to sing the blues in the song "Fly, Fly Away" and she more than delivers! The choreography is very entertaining and I was beyond impressed with the female ensemble (they are all great dancers but they also have some quick costume changes in between numbers). The set looks like a colorful soundstage from a 1960s television show (such as Laugh-In or Hullabaloo) with various locations created by simple props moved on and off stage by the ensemble. The use of projections is also very creative (I loved the postcards from all of the places Frank visits). The period costumes are fantastic and, as previously mentioned, the sheer number for the female ensemble is quite impressive (my favorites are the Pan Am uniforms). I had a great time watching this high-energy show and, if you are in need of a fun night out, I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs on the Mountain America Main Stage through August 19.

Note:  This was my 50th theatre production of the year!  So far, my favorites are Macbeth at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Twelve Angry Men at HCT, Life of Pi with Broadway at the Eccles, Little Women at HCT, and An American in Paris at the Ruth.  An honorable mention goes to Hadestown: Teen Edition at CPT (I was so impressed by the young actors in this production).

I Know What You Did Last Summer

I enjoyed the legacy sequels in the Halloween and Scream horror franchises so I decided to see I Know What You Did Last Summer yesterday.  Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this one.  A group of friends, including Danica Richards (Madelyn Cline), Ava Brucks (Chase Sui Wonders), Milo Griffin (Jonah Hauer-King), Teddy Spencer (Tyriq Withers), and Stevie Ward (Sarah Pidgeon), who recently left rehab, decide to take a drive to see the Fourth of July fireworks after celebrating the engagement of Danica and Teddy in Southport, North Carolina.  While goofing off in the middle of the road, they inadvertently cause an accident when a truck swerves into a guard rail to avoid hitting them.  They try to get the driver, Sam Cooper, out of the truck but it ultimately falls into the water below.  Ava wants to call the police but the rest of them are scared of the possible consequences so Teddy swears them all to secrecy and has his father Grant (Billy Campbell), a wealthy politician, cover up the accident.  The group reunites a year later to celebrate Danica's engagement to her new fiance Wyatt (Joshua Orpin) but they panic when she receives a card with the message, "I know what you did last summer."  After Wyatt is brutally killed by a fisherman with a hook, the group eventually learns of a similar massacre in Southport 30 years ago and they seek out survivors Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt), now a psychology professor specializing in trauma, and Ray Bronson (Freddie Prinze, Jr.), the owner of a bar in Southport, to learn how to stop the fisherman before they become his next victims.  The dialogue is incredibly cringe-worthy and the acting is abysmal but I actually liked the story until a twist in the final fifteen minutes completely derails it (the motivation for what a certain character does makes absolutely no sense).  The kill sequences are surprisingly bland with very little tension or suspense and the tone is all over the place (it is not funny enough to be campy or scary enough to be a thriller).  I wasn't a huge fan of the original but I was still very disappointed by this and recommend giving it a miss.

Lady Gaga in Las Vegas

I love Lady Gaga and, even though I was able to see her Jazz & Piano show a few years ago, I have always wanted to see her in concert performing her own music.  I didn't think I would ever have an opportunity because she mostly does big stadium tours so I was beyond excited when she announced an arena tour in support of her latest album MAYHEM (which, in my opinion, is her best album since The Fame).  I was able to get a ticket to the opening show at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas last night and took a fun road trip to cross another item off my bucket list!  The concert was absolutely amazing and I am still on a high from it!  Every performance was very theatrical (the stage was even configured as an opulent opera house) with elaborate costumes, lighting, visuals, and choreography for each song.  The show was structured into four acts and a finale during which Lady Gaga periodically confronted a character called the Mistress of Mayhem (she is the personification of the inner chaos created by her trauma and fame as revealed in the opening manifesto, "The Art of Personal Chaos").  Act 1, Of Velvet and Vice, began with Lady Gaga inside a towering red Tudor gown singing an operatic version of "Bloody Mary" after which the skirt opened to reveal a steel cage filled with her backup dancers.  She emerged to perform "Abracadabra," with shortened versions of "Judas," "Aura," and "Scheiße" as an outro, and "Garden of Eden” with her on guitar.  This set concluded with "Poker Face" as Lady Gaga and the Mistress of Mayhem played a game of chess with dancers as pieces on a chessboard of lights on the runway jutting into the audience.  During Act II, And She Fell Into a Gothic Dream, Lady Gaga cavorted in a burial ground while performing dramatic renditions of "Perfect Celebrity" and "Disease" with skeletons all around her.  She then climbed out for "Paparazzi" (so symbolic) with an iridescent veil trailing her down the runway and then "LoveGame."  This set ended with atmospheric versions of "Alejandro" and "The Beast."  Act III, The Beautiful Nightmare That Knows Her Name, featured Lady Gaga dressed in a long black frock coat covered in black satin roses and a large headdress singing "Killah," "Zombieboy,"  and "LoveDrug" with a giant skull on stage and concluded with a burlesque performance of "Just Dance" with "Applause" as an intro.  Act IV, Every Chessboard Has Two Queens, included "Shadow of a Man," "Kill for Love," "Summerboy," and a very powerful performance of "Born This Way."  The Mistress of Mayhem pursued her during "Million Reasons" (also very symbolic) and then rowed her in a gondola down the runway for a solo version of "Shallow" (my favorite moment in the show because it was so cool).  She stayed on the secondary stage at the end of the runway to perform a solo version of "Die With a Smile" on piano and then gave a heartfelt thanks to her fans for supporting her throughout her career before going out into the crowd for "Vanish Into You."  For the Finale, Eternal Aria of the Monster Heart, Lady Gaga had her backup dancers perform surgery on her heart (her costume had a bloody incision that was stapled together) while she sang "Bad Romance" and this was followed by a recorded speech called "Monsters Never Die" which signified her victory over the Mistress of Mayhem.  For the encore, Lady Gaga sang "How Bad Do U Want Me," which is my favorite song from MAYHEM, starting from backstage.  I loved both the storytelling and the theatricality of this show and I was beyond impressed by Lady Gaga's incredible vocals (she is the ultimate performer).  I also liked her selection of songs because she sang almost everything from MAYHEM but also included the hits and a few deeper cuts that haven't been performed in a long time.  This is one of the best concerts I've seen and I am so glad that I was able to go!

Superman

Superman has always been my favorite comic book character so James Gunn's new reboot was my most anticipated movie of the summer.  I had the chance to see it at a Thursday preview with my nephew and sister last night and, while it is a bit messy, I absolutely loved it!  Clark Kent/ Superman (David Corenswet) acts without the authority of the U.S. government to stop the invasion of Jarhanpur by Borovia, a neighboring country and U.S. ally, in order to save lives but many, including Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), his girlfriend and colleague at the Daily Planet, question his motives.  Tech billionaire Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), who is jealous of Superman's notoriety, uses this incident and a previously unheard message from his Kryptonian parents to turn public opinion against Superman and he takes steps to destroy him in a perceived attempt to keep people safe.  I think the narrative is really bloated because it includes Luthor's allies Ultraman (also played by David Corenswet) and Angela Spica/ The Engineer (Maria Gabriela de Faria), the Justice Gang members Michael Holt/ Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Guy Gardner/ Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Kendra Saunders/ Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), and eventually Rex Mason/ Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) who help Superman save the people of Jarhanpur, as well as Clark Kent's Daily Planet colleagues Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo), Perry White (Wendell Pierce), Steve Lombard (Beck Bennett), and Cat Grant (Mikaela Hoover) who work to discredit Luthor.  I also think the story is very convoluted with lots of plot holes, especially Luthor's use of nanotechnology and pocket dimensions.  However, it hardly matters because this movie is incredibly entertaining with all of the fun and goofy non-stop action Gunn is known for (I especially enjoyed the battle against a kaiju).  In my opinion, the characterization for Superman is very true to the comic books.  I love that he is kind and strives to do what is right to protect the innocent (at one point he saves a squirrel), even when it is difficult, and I think his old-fashioned naivete is very refreshing.  I also love his character arc as an outsider who ultimately finds his strength in his humanity (the juxtaposition between the scenes with his Kryptonian parents and his Earth parents at the Fortress of Solitude is very powerful).  Corenswet (especially), Brosnahan, and Hoult are absolutely fantastic and I think Gisondo is the perfect Jimmy Olson but Gathegi steals every scene he is in as Mister Terrific (I hope to see more of him in future DCU projects) and Superman's dog Krypto is adorable.  As much as I love the direction Zack Snyder took the character, I think this is a great reset for the DCU and I am excited for what is to come!

Note:  There is a mid-credits scene and an end-credits scene.

Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale at St. Mary's Church

One of my favorite activities in the summer is to see the Utah Symphony at St. Mary's Church in Park City as part of the Deer Valley Music Festival so I was really excited for The Soldier's Tale by Igor Stravinsky last night.  I love St. Mary's Church as a venue because it is beautiful (I love the views of the mountains from the windows) but it is also very intimate so the concerts usually feature smaller groups of musicians and chamber pieces.  Last night's concert featured a clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, violin, double bass, and percussion which is a unique grouping of instruments selected by Stravinsky to represent the treble and bass in each instrument family.  The program began with Catch and Release by Esa-Pekka Salonen.  The guest conductor Yaniv Dinur, who was incredibly charming, explained that the contemporary Finnish composer Salonen is a great admirer of Stravinsky and purposely selected the same instruments so that Catch and Release could be played as a companion piece to The Soldier's Tale.  I really enjoyed all of the different textures within this piece (it reminded me of Middle Eastern music) and I especially liked how the ending went from extremely loud to just the vibrations from the strings because it was very dramatic.  After the intermission, the concert continued with The Soldier's Tale narrated by Kevin Nakatani (he recently performed in Utah Opera's production of Madame Butterfly).  A soldier on leave trades his old violin to the Devil in return for a book that tells the future.  He uses this to become rich but he soon realizes that his wealth means nothing and he longs for everything he had before.  He makes another deal with the Devil and regains his violin which wins him the hand of a Princess but this also has unforeseen consequences.  Nakatani has a deep and sonorous voice and I really enjoyed listening to him.  I also enjoyed how the specific instruments illustrate what is happening in the story.  I especially loved the theme played by the violin and clarinet together when the soldier first plays his violin, the fanfare played by the trumpet and trombone when the soldier visits the King, as well as the violin and percussion as the Princess dances.  The juxtaposition between these two pieces made for a very powerful concert and I loved it!  Go here for information and tickets for all of the remaining concerts in the Deer Valley Music Festival.

Note:  Construction in Parley's Canyon added over an hour to my drive home.  That was super fun!

Footloose at HCT

Last night I went to see Footloose at HCT and, much to my surprise, I really loved it. The stage musical is based on the 1984 movie of the same name and follows Ren McCormack (Ren Cottam) as he and his mother Ethel (Melody L. Baugh) move to the small conservative town of Bomont after his father abandons them. Ren immediately finds himself at odds with almost everyone, including the Rev. Shaw Moore (John Rex Kocherhans), because he cannot believe that the town has outlawed dancing. With the help of Ariel Moore (Kersee Whitney), the Reverend's rebellious daughter, and Willard Hewitt (Weston Wright), a redneck with a penchant for fighting who becomes his best friend, Ren eventually convinces Rev. Moore to let him and the rest of the teenagers have a dance which helps the town heal from a tragedy that affected them all. I have to admit that I am not usually a fan of this musical because I think the original songs, most of which were written specifically for the adults to sing, are incredibly contrived and not very memorable even though Baugh, Kocherhans, and Teaira Burge (who plays Vi Moore) have beautiful voices and do a great job in this production. I think the musical is at its best when it incorporates the songs from the movie, including "Footloose," "Somebody's Eyes," "Holding Out for a Hero," "I'm Free," "Let's Hear It for the Boy," and "Almost Paradise," and the staging of these songs in this version is absolutely spectacular with dynamic high-energy choreography that is executed brilliantly by an unbelievably talented cast! I loved, loved, loved the staging for "Footloose" because shiny door curtains encircling the stage are raised just enough to reveal the feet of the dancers (this replicates the iconic opening of the movie), for "Somebody's Eyes" because Rachel Martorana as Rusty, Maryn Tueller as Urleen, and Beyonca Davis as Wendy Jo (who harmonize beautifully) follow Ren around as he butts heads with various townspeople, for "Holding Out For a Hero" because it is set at a drive-in movie with 1980s movie heroes who come to life from the LED screens around the theater (my favorites are Indiana Jones, Luke Skywalker, the Karate Kid, and Elliot flying around on his bicycle with E.T.), for "I'm Free" because it takes place in the school's gym and the choreography incorporates basketballs, jump ropes, and trampolines, for "Let's Hear It for the Boy" because the country line dancing as Ren teaches Willard to dance is so much fun to watch, and for "Almost Paradise" because Cottam and Whitney have such sizzling chemistry. I couldn't help cheering out loud at the end of each of these numbers! The set pieces are so much fun, especially the Burger Blast with the aforementioned movie screens, the Bar-B-Que with rows of cowboy hats, hanging wagon wheels, old license plates, and dollar bills tacked on the bar and tables, and the church with stained glass windows, and so are the costumes, particularly the Bomont High School gym uniforms and all of the 80s prom dresses. I also loved the real VW bug that Ren drives and the snapshots taken on the drive from Chicago to Bomont displayed on the screens (I laughed out loud at the one in front of the Lehi Roller Mills). This is not my favorite musical but I had an absolute ball last night (it is the best production of this show I have ever seen including an earlier one at HCT) and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs on the Young Living Centre Stage through August 30.

Annie at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre

I went back to the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre last night to see a delightful production of the musical Annie under the stars and it was a lot of fun. An irrepressible orphan named Annie (Adaline Strong) lives at an orphanage run by the cruel and bitter Miss Hannigan (Brandi Washburn) during the Great Depression. She is determined to find the parents who abandoned her as a baby when she is selected by Grace Farrell (Karen Milne) to spend Christmas with her boss, the billionaire Oliver Warbucks (Chad Taylor). Annie asks Warbucks to help her find her parents and he offers a large reward to convince them to come forward. Meanwhile, Miss Hannigan devises a plan to have her brother Rooster (Doug Kaufman) and his girlfriend Lily St. Regis (Lauren Hodges) pose as Annie's parents to claim the reward. With the help of President Roosevelt (Drew Christensen) and the FBI, the plot is eventually exposed and Annie finds a permanent home with Daddy Warbucks. I really loved all of the young actors in the cast because their performances are so heartwarming and enthusiastic and I especially enjoyed watching one of the youngest orphans on stage because she was concentrating so hard on the choreography for "Hard Knock Life" and "Fully Dressed" (this is adorable and it made me smile). Strong is an appealing Annie and her rendition of "Tomorrow" is very stirring. She also has a great rapport with Taylor and I loved her interactions with him in "Something Was Missing," particularly when they clap their hands together because it is so playful. The adults in the show also do a great job because both Taylor and Milne have beautiful voices in "I Don't Need Anything But You," Washburn is a hoot in "Little Girls," and she, Kaufman, and Hodges give a hilarious rendition of "Easy Street." I laughed out loud over the antics of Burt Healy (Erik Schaumann) and the lovely Boylan Sisters (Lauren Hodges, Elizabeth Kelson, and Paige Wood) during the radio broadcast (the special effects are so funny to watch). I was very impressed by the elaborate set featuring a backdrop of the New York skyline which slides open to become the Warbucks mansion with pillars, windows, and a curved staircase.  The doors of various buildings very cleverly open and rotate to become Miss Hannigan's office in the orphanage and an interior room of the Warbucks mansion. The period costumes are a lot of fun and I specifically liked the differentiation between the lower and upper classes. This is an entertaining show for the whole family (there were a lot of children in the audience and those around me were absolutely riveted) and I especially recommend it for the young performers who sing and dance their hearts out. It runs at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through July 19 (go here for tickets).

Note:  A special shout out goes to Maui for being an incredibly well-behaved Sandy!