Ballet West's Almost Tango

Last night I went to a thrilling performance of three ballets featuring the amazing dancers of Ballet West. The first ballet was Square Dance which I really enjoyed because I found it to be highly amusing. While the choreography, costumes, and music (various selections from Vivaldi) were very classical, all of the steps were prompted by a caller on stage, who just happened to be Ballet West Artistic Director Adam Sklute!  He was absolutely hilarious because he made the traditional ballet steps sound as if they were being performed at a hoedown.  My very favorite phrase was, "Make your feet go whackety-whack!"  I also really liked, "Watch her twirl. Watch her whirl. My but she's a pretty girl." The solo performed by Rex Tilton was wonderful (he is very easy on the eyes, too). The next ballet was Almost Tango and it was my favorite of the three. The choreography was very innovative, the lighting was dramatic, and the performances were sensuous.  I absolutely loved all of the music in this piece but I also thought it was striking when there were interludes of dancing without music. One of the main soloists was Christiana Bennett. She has been one of my very favorite members of Ballet West for years and she is retiring after this season. I am really happy that I got to see her dance so beautifully one last time. The final ballet was In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated.  The music in this piece was very industrial and rhythmic, sometimes even jarring, and I thought the choreography was incredibly athletic.  It almost seemed like a spontaneous dance-off in a club. The performances were outstanding, especially the featured soloists. If you don't already know this, let me tell you now that Christopher Ruud is amazing!  His performances are always riveting and whenever he is on the stage it is difficult for me to see any other dancer but him.  I thoroughly enjoyed all of these ballets and I recommend that you get a ticket to one of the few remaining performances (go here), especially if you want to see Christiana Bennett one last time!

Woman in Gold

I am very restless.  Sometimes I feel the walls closing in on me and I have to go somewhere and do something.  I am also a night owl.  Whenever this mood comes over me you can usually find me at a late movie at the Broadway, my favorite art house theatre.  Last night when I checked the Salt Lake Film Society website, I noticed that Woman in Gold was playing and I got very excited!  I've been looking forward to this film because it combines two things I enjoy: history and art!  Also, who can resist Helen Mirren?  It tells the true story of Maria Altmann (Mirren) and her attempt to reclaim a Gustav Klimt painting of her aunt, stolen from her family by the Nazis, from the Austrian government.  She is aided by Randol Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds), a young lawyer and family friend who is first motivated by money (the painting is worth hundreds of millions) but eventually must come to terms with what the Nazis did to his own family (he is the grandson of composer Arthur Schoenberg).  I thought it was a lovely film and I particularly enjoyed the scenes where Maria and Randy visit Vienna (one of my favorite cities) and must confront the demons of their past, including flashbacks of the young Maria (Tatiana Maslany) fleeing from the Nazis and a particularly affecting scene where Randy attends a concert featuring his grandfather's music.  Mirren can always be relied upon for a great performance, especially as an imperious but strangely lovable older woman, but I was quite impressed by Reynolds, who is usually hit or miss with me.  He more than held his own with Dame Helen Mirren, especially in the scene where he begs Maria to continue the fight.  I recommend this movie for an enjoyable evening out (or as an escape from the four walls that are closing in on you).

Note:  I guess this feeling comes over me a lot!  The attendant at the parking garage next to the theatre always recognizes me (usually after midnight) and asks me what film I've just seen!

Daphnis & Chloe

I always enjoy the Friday evenings I get to spend listening to the Utah Symphony at Abravanel Hall but last night's concert was particularly amazing!  The orchestra began with Prelude a l'Apres-midi d'un faune (Prelude to an afternoon of a Faun) by Claude Debussy.  I had heard this piece several years ago at a performance by Ballet West but it is always easier to listen to the nuances in the music without the "distraction" of the dancing.  I really liked this piece because it was quite atmospheric, especially the themes played by the harp and flute (more about the flute later).  Next, the orchestra played Symphony in Three Movements by Igor Stravinsky.  This piece was incredibly dramatic (it was influenced by the events of World War II) and I really liked the timpani in the first movement and the harp in the second movement.  I also enjoyed the theme played by the clarinet.  I like to listen for the clarinet because I played it in school and I particularly enjoy watching Principal Clarinet Tad Calcara because he always looks like he is having so much fun.  After the intermission, we heard Daphnis et Chloe.  Maurice Ravel composed this piece for a ballet based on an ancient Greek story by Longus.  The ballet tells the love story of Daphnis, a young shepherd, and Chloe, the maiden he is pursuing and it is full of exciting action including innocent flirtation, jealousy, a duel for the prize of a kiss, temptation, an abduction by pirates, a desperate attempt at escape, the intervention of the god Pan involving a dramatic storm at sea, a daring rescue, and the glorious reunion of the lovers at sunrise.  There were supertitles describing the action in the ballet but it was amazing how the different instruments, including the voices of the Utah Symphony Chorus, were able to evoke the various scenes, especially the pirate battles, the storm, and the birds at sunrise.  My very favorite part was when Daphnis imitated Pan's flute so Chloe could dance for him.  Principal Flute Mercedes Smith was absolutely incredible during this section and it gave me goosebumps.  The entire piece was spectacular!  Do yourself a favor and go here to get tickets for tonight's performance!

Once

Last night when I walked through the doors of Kingsbury Hall, I had absolutely no expectations about the musical Once.  I didn't know anything about it; it was just a part of Broadway in Utah's 2014-2015 season.  When I walked out those same doors several hours later, I literally had tears streaming down my face.  It is a beautiful and moving story about the impact one person can have on your life.  A Guy (Stuart Ward) is singing one of his songs when a Girl (Dani deWaal) overhears him and strikes up a conversation.  He tells her that he wants to give up on music because all of his songs are about a girl who left him to move to New York.  She loves his music and encourages him, eventually arranging for him to record a demo.  The most poignant moment in the story is when he tells her that he wrote all of his songs for one girl but now he is singing them for her.  She then says that her estranged husband wants to work things out and he needs to go to New York to be with the girl he really loves.  I think we have all had people come into our lives and impact us profoundly before inexplicably leaving.  I know that I have and I had an almost visceral reaction to the story, particularly when it becomes apparent how much she loves him.  The music is absolutely incredible!  I really loved "Falling Slowly" because it is one of the most beautiful love songs I've ever heard and Ward and deWaal performed it with such emotion and passion.  I also really loved "Gold" and "If You Want Me."  The action takes place in a Dublin bar (you could actually go on stage and buy a drink during intermission) with minimal props and all of the incidental characters played instruments.  It was so clever and the musicians were outstanding!  I cannot recommend this show enough!  There is quite a bit of profanity (they are Irish, after all) but if you can overlook it, the story is just so beautiful!  It plays at Kingsbury Hall until April 12.

Note:  I downloaded all of the music at intermission.  It is wonderful!

Newsies in Los Angeles

I have wanted to see the musical Newsies for such a long time and I finally had the opportunity to do so at the Pantages Theatre in L.A. over spring break!  Sometimes I can't believe all of the incredible things I get to do!  I was momentarily distracted from my anticipation of the show because the Pantages Theatre is absolutely beautiful.  There are opulent gold and silver decorations everywhere in the Art Deco style and I was especially fascinated by the ceiling!  The show was amazing!  As a huge fan of the movie, I had a tendency to want to compare the stage musical to the Disney classic but they were so different.  After a few songs I stopped thinking about the movie because, as my friend Josh said, "this is so much better!"  Jack Kelly (Dan DeLuca) and his fellow "newsies" gather every morning to buy newspapers to sell to New Yorkers.  When Joseph Pulitzer (Steve Blanchard) raises the price of the papers, the newsies decide to go on strike.  With a little bit of help from fledgling reporter Katherine Plummer (Stephanie Styles), the newsies print their own newspaper and get the attention of Gov. Theodore Roosevelt.  I really loved the song "The World Will Know."  It is incredibly powerful and the cast performed it with such passion!  I had goosebumps throughout the whole song and the reprise (I have goosebumps now just remembering it).  Another favorite, of course, was "Seize the Day" and "King of New York" was a lot of fun.  The choreography in this show blew me away, especially when all of the newsies danced in unison with all of the high energy leaps and spins.  The assembled crowd was very vocal in their appreciation of the dancing.  I was also very impressed with the set design.  The three metal towers, which could be moved around and reconfigured to depict New York apartment buildings and printing offices, were very innovative and highly effective at portraying the industrialization of the turn of the century.  I loved it when they were covered with scrims and newspaper type was projected on them.  So clever!  I really loved this show and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to see it!

Note:  Ironically, Broadway in Utah just announced the 2015-2016 season and Newsies will be coming to SLC in June of 2016!  I get to see it again!