Newsies at HCT

I really love the musical Newsies (go here, here, here, and here for reviews of other productions) so I have been anticipating Hale's production all season. I was really eager to see what they would do with it on their intimate stage and, when I saw it Thursday night, I was certainly not disappointed. It exceeded my expectations in every way.  When Joseph Pulitzer (Ric Starnes) decides to raise the price of newspapers, Jack Kelly (James Bounous) rallies his fellow newsies to strike. With a little help from intrepid reporter Katherine Plummer (Kelly Hennessey Pulver) and Governor Roosevelt (Bradley Moss), the newsies score a victory for all of the children of New York. I loved the entire cast (they are all so incredibly talented) but Bounous and Peter Reid Lambert, who plays Davey, are especially charismatic. I also really liked Pulver's rendition of "Watch What Happens." The big production numbers are absolutely amazing and, as always, I really enjoyed "Carrying the Banner," Seize the Day," "The King of New York," and "Once And For All." I had goosebumps in my very favorite song, "The World Will Know" because it was performed with such passion. The choreography maintains the spirit of the Broadway production (there are plenty of high energy leaps and spins in unison) but there are a lot of touches here and there which keep it fresh and vibrant. I think this production might be the best I've ever seen because the staging is brilliant! I felt so close to the action. The metal towers used to represent the New York City skyline are in the middle of the stage making them three-dimensional and the actors utilize them very effectively. The use of the LED screens around the theatre for Jack's drawings and for the newspaper headlines is extremely clever.  I also loved the use of a vintage printing press during "Once And For All" because it looks like they are really printing a newspaper! I enjoyed this show so much and I highly recommend it!  It runs through September 1 at the Mountain American Performing Arts Centre (go here for tickets) but act soon because tickets will go quickly!

Summer Reading: Before We Were Yours

The next selection on my summer reading list, Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate, reminded me a great deal of a previous selection, The Orphan Train. They both shed light on a tragic and little known part of history involving the adoption of children during the Depression and they both employ a dual narrative with a contemporary story merging with one from the past. I enjoyed them both immensely! In the present day Avery Stafford, a former federal prosecutor from a wealthy and prominent South Carolina family, is being groomed to take her father's Senate seat. A chance meeting with May Weathers at a political event at a nursing home causes Avery to begin digging into her family's history. In 1939 Rill Floss lives with her family on a riverboat on the Mississippi River. When her mother goes into labor, her father leaves her in charge of her siblings to go to the hospital. The next morning the children are removed from the boat by a group of policemen who tell them they are going to visit their parents. Instead they are taken to an orphanage run by Georgia Tann for the Tennessee Children's Home Society. The children are mistreated and malnourished and Rill soon learns that they are meant to be adopted by families wealthy enough to pay Tann's outrageous fees. The two stories converge in a way that I was expecting but the predictability did not detract from my enjoyment of it. In fact, I found the resolution to be incredibly emotional. Rill's story, based on the real-life experiences of hundreds of children who were victims of Georgia Tann's illegal adoption for profit scheme, is incredibly compelling and my heart broke for these children who were at the mercy of such evil people while their biological parents who, because of their poverty and lack of education, were powerless to intervene. Avery's story is also interesting because she is fighting against her family's expectations of her and against the social conventions of her class (although I did think that the romance was really cheesy and not needed to advance the plot). The characters come alive off of the page and I spent several nights reading well into the morning to find out what happens to them. I highly recommend this novel!

Note:  Have you read Before We Were Yours?  What did you think?

Pirates of the Caribbean in Concert

I have become a huge fan of Utah Symphony's Films in Concert series and seeing the latest, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, last night was an absolute blast!  It has been quite a while since I've seen this movie but I quickly remembered why it is my very favorite in the franchise.  This is where we meet Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), and Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) for the first time in a swashbuckling tale about trying to reverse a curse on the crew of the Black Pearl.  The movie has a lot of great action sequences and Johnny Depp is so much fun to watch.  Having the iconic score by Klaus Badelt and Hans Zimmer played live by the Utah Symphony, along with a men's chorus, was absolutely thrilling.  The music is very energetic and I really liked all of the melodies played by the horns.  I particularly liked the music played during Will and Jack's sword fight, during the pirate attack on Port Royal, when Elizabeth finds out abut the curse of the Black Pearl, during the battle between the Black Pearl and the Interceptor, and when the pirates fight the crew of the Dauntless.  There was a huge crowd at Abravanel Hall which added to the festive atmosphere and that crowd erupted into a standing ovation during the final credits.  So much fun.  If you were not in attendance last night, cheer up me hearties because it will be screened again tonight (go here for tickets).

Pool Day With Sean

Sean and I used to go to a pool near my old house every summer (I used to take Tashena to this pool when she was younger, too).  We haven't gone there since I moved but this year Sean mentioned that he wanted to go back.  We were able to go yesterday and it was so much fun.  When we got there Sean was a little bit tentative so I told him that we could do something else if he wasn't having any fun.  Luckily he was able to make a few friends which meant that I could sit poolside and read my book!  Every time I looked over at him he had a big smile on his face.  It was perfect because it wasn't too hot and it wasn't too crowded.

Note:  The first time I took Sean to this pool, he wanted me to buy him some snacks.  The food isn't that great so I convinced him to wait and I would take him to lunch.  There is a Sonic right by the pool and we ate lunch there.  Now it is tradition to get a Sonic shake every time we go to this pool.

Utah Symphony at the Gallivan Plaza

In the summertime there is nothing I enjoy more than attending some kind of performance outside under the stars.  Last night my friend Angela and I went to a free outdoor concert at the Gallivan Plaza downtown featuring the Utah Symphony.  It was absolutely wonderful!  I brought a blanket and a picnic and thoroughly enjoyed the music and the breeze.  The orchestra played Huapango by Jose Pablo Moncayo, Symphony No. 25 by Mozart, Danzon No. 2 by Arturo Marquez, and Symphony No. 8 by Antonin Dvorak.  For the encore they played Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa.  Such a fun selection of music!  I really enjoyed hearing Mozart but all of the pieces were lively and exuberant, perfect for a summer evening.  The Utah Symphony will be performing in many outdoor venues this summer and I highly recommend getting a ticket to one of these concerts (go here for information and tickets).

Note:  The people watching was superb last night!  Don't get me started on the three couples sitting next to us...