Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella at HCT

I am not a big fan of the Rodgers & Hammerstein version of Cinderella (I much prefer the Disney version) but I was actually looking forward to HCT's production because I knew the sets and costumes would be amazing. I saw the show last night and I was definitely not disappointed. In fact, I was absolutely enchanted by this magical production! The updated version of the story turns Cinderella (Shae Robins) into a social reformer who must rescue Prince Topher (Preston Taylor) from the evil Lord Protector Sebastian (B. J. Whimpey) who is deceiving him about the conditions in his kingdom. Her Fairy Godmother (Michelle Blake) tells her that she has the power to make her own dreams come true and her stepsisters Gabrielle (Rachel Bigler) and Charlotte (Kristi Curtis) eventually become sympathetic conspirators. I understand that this update is to make the story more appealing to a modern audience but when I saw the Broadway touring production a few years ago I yearned for the classic fairy tale. I missed the romance and the magic. However, director Dave Tinney managed to infuse the magic back into the contemporary story for a show that is a must-see! First of all, this is one of the strongest casts that I have ever seen at Hale Theatre! I was especially impressed with Robins as Cinderella and Blake as the Fairy Godmother. Since this is the Rodgers & Hammerstein version, the songs require an impressive range and these actresses are absolutely brilliant, especially in the songs "In My Own Little Corner," "Impossible," "Glass Slipper/ It's Possible," and "There Is Music In You." The choreography is dazzling and I particularly liked the staging of "A Prince Is Giving A Ball/ Now Is The Time" because it involves multiple levels and props and "Ten Minutes Ago" because the dance between Cinderella and her prince is so romantic. The sets are absolutely gorgeous, with elements coming up from the pit, down from the rafters, and in from the wings. I think my favorites are the wisteria covered gazebo used in the wedding scene and the palace steps at the stroke of midnight. The costumes are amazing. Of course Cinderella's ball gown is every little girl's dream come true but all of the ball gowns are sparkling and the Fairy Godmother's dress is also beautiful. Finally, the special effects are incredible! I was completely immersed in this production and I almost believed that the transformation scene involved actual magic! There are LED lights all around the theatre that are programmed to blink on and off whenever the Fairy Godfather waves her magic wand and the effect is spectacular!  I was literally giggling out loud and the little girl sitting near me squealed with delight! The transformation of the fox and raccoon into the coachman and footman is so clever and that of the pumpkin into a coach is so much fun (the coach is spectacular). Cinderella's change into her ball gown happened so quickly I couldn't believe what I was seeing! It is simply one of the best productions I've seen at Hale Theatre and I highly recommend it, especially for children who will be captivated by what they are seeing (even if the story is different from what they are used to). Cinderella runs on the Main Stage until September 7 and tickets may be purchased here (but you better get them before the clock strikes twelve).

Note:  Don't forget Freaky Friday which is on the Jewel Box Stage until August 24.

Paul McCartney in Las Vegas

The first time I saw Paul McCartney in concert was in Las Vegas for the Driving World Tour at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in April of 2002.  I spontaneously bought a ticket and then completely freaked out about what I had just done (this was before driving hundreds of miles just to attend a concert became standard operating procedure for me) but it was definitely a bucket list item!  I was completely overwhelmed hearing all of the songs that I had listened to all of my life performed by a legend!  I have seen Paul McCartney several more times since that momentous occasion and I still get completely overwhelmed because I love him so much!  Last night I had the opportunity to see him in Las Vegas once again, this time at the T-Mobile Arena.  It was an absolutely amazing show!  He played for over three hours and included songs from the Beatles, Wings, and his solo albums including his latest, Egypt Station.  I really loved all of the Beatles songs, including "Hard Days Night," "All My Loving," "Got to Get You Into My Life," "I've Got a Feeling," "I've Just Seen a Face," "From Me to You," "Love Me Do," "Blackbird" (my favorite Beatles song), "Lady Madonna," "Eleanor Rigby," "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite," "Something," "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," "Back in the U.S.S.R.," and "Let It Be."  I sang every single word and I was thrilled that he played some songs that I had never heard performed live before!  My favorite Wings songs were "Let Me Roll It," "Let 'Em In," "Band on the Run," and "Live and Let Die" complete with spectacular pyrotechnics!  He dedicated "My Valentine" to his wife Nancy who was in the audience and sang an incredibly emotional version of "Here Today" which he dedicated to John Lennon.  My favorite moment came early in the set when he played "Maybe I'm Amazed."  I love this song so much and watching Rusty Anderson play the guitar solo just about did me in!  He ended his set with a rousing version of "Hey Jude."  As soon as the stage hands brought out his psychedelic piano I knew what was coming and it was awesome, especially the audience participation on "Na Na Na Na..."  For the encore he played "I Saw Her Standing There," "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)," "Helter Skelter," and a  fabulous rendition of "Golden Slumbers," "Carry That Weight," and "The End."  Paul McCartney is a captivating performer and his interactions with the crowd were so genuine.  He acted like he was playing these songs for the first time and was having the time of his life!  I can't even describe how much I loved this concert and I will probably be on a high from it for days.  I know that it is crazy to drive six hours just for a concert but I am so glad that I did it!

Yesterday

It seems like I have been looking forward to the movie Yesterday for so long!  I had the chance to see it yesterday (ha ha) and, as a huge Beatles fan, I absolutely loved it!  Jack Malik (Himesh Patel) is a struggling musician about to give up on his dream although his best friend and manager Ellie (Lily James) continues to encourage him.  During a solar flare which causes a blackout around the world, Jack is involved in a collision with a bus which knocks him out.  He wakes up in an alternate reality where the Beatles do not exist and only he remembers all of their songs.  He decides to play a few Beatles songs at one of his gigs and eventually gets the attention of Ed Sheeran (playing himself) who asks him to open for him on tour.  This gets the attention of Sheeran's manager Debra (Kate McKinnon) who signs him to a record deal.  He becomes insanely popular but just when his dreams are about to come true he starts to feel conflicted about taking credit for songs he didn't write.  The premise of this movie is so clever but you really need to suspend your disbelief in order to enjoy it.  You could make yourself crazy thinking about what kind of world would exist without the Beatles because their music had such an influence on so many other musicians.  I recommend that you don't think about it too much and just appreciate this movie for the feel-good comedy that it is.  Patel is endearing as Jack, James is charming as the girl who has had a crush on him since he sang "Wonderwall" at the school talent show, and their romance is very sweet.  Sheeran is adorably goofy and McKinnon is hilarious as the personification of greed in the music industry.  The best part of this movie is the music and I loved the staging of all of the songs, particularly when Jack sings "Yesterday" for his friends who are hearing it for the first time and are awe-struck by it!  If you are a fan of the Beatles you will probably enjoy this movie as much as I did!

RENT at the Eccles

I wouldn't go so far as to call myself a RENThead but I absolutely love the musical RENT and I have seen it many times (when PTC produced it several years ago I saw it three times during the run).  Last night I went with my sister Kristine to see the 20th Anniversary Tour at the Eccles Theatre and it was one of the best productions of this show that I have seen!  This musical is a modern version of Puccini's La Boheme, which is one of my favorite operas, and it tells the story of one year in the life of Mark Cohen (Logan Marks), an aspiring filmmaker, and Roger Davis (Joshua Bess), a musician, and a group of their friends as they try to stay true to their art, find love, struggle to pay their rent, and deal with the devastation of HIV/ AIDS.  The story about living every day to the fullest is incredibly powerful and the music is fabulous.  I judge every production by the actor playing Roger (I listen to the Original Broadway Cast recording over and over because I love Adam Pascal, who originated the role) and I really liked Bess.  His characterization of Roger was very different from what I've seen before but I liked it and his voice was amazing.  As soon as he started singing "One Song Glory," I was enthralled by his performance.  I also loved his version of "Your Eyes" and, while Deri'andra Tucker was not the strongest Mimi I've ever seen, their version of "Without You" brought tears to my eyes.  The rest of the cast was also incredibly strong and I especially enjoyed Lyndie Moe, as Maureen, and Lencia Kebede, as Joanne, when they sang "Take Me or Leave Me" and Devinre Adams, as Tom, when he sang the reprise of "I'll Cover You."  Javon King, as Angel, absolutely stole the show with his rendition of "Today 4 U" and I really loved his dancing (in high heels).  I'm so glad that I got to see this fabulous production.  RENT runs at the Eccles Theatre through Sunday and I highly recommend it (go here for tickets) with the proviso that it has very mature content (some people left at intermission).

Note:  I have my students read at the beginning of every class period.  One day a student asked me how long we were going to read and I answered by singing "Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes" from "Seasons of Love."  Most of the students looked at me as if I had lost my mind (a common occurrence) but the theatre kids all recognized it!

Summer Reading: Bring Me Back

The next selection on my summer reading list, Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris, is very suspenseful but it didn't quite grab me as much as the previous selections did. Twelve years ago Finn and his girlfriend Layla are driving home from a holiday in France. They stop at a gas station so Finn can use the restroom and when he returns to the car Layla is gone and is never heard from again. The two of them have a very dysfunctional relationship and there is more to the story of Layla's disappearance than Finn is willing to disclose to the police. Just when he is finally ready to move on with Layla's sister Ellen, he begins seeing signs that she may still be alive. Now Finn must confront his past with Layla if he is to have a future with Ellen. This novel has a very interesting premise and I enjoyed the exploration of guilt and its manifestations. As I mentioned, it is highly suspenseful and I kept reading well into the early morning hours because I wanted to unravel the mystery but I guessed the big plot twist before it was revealed and I thought it was incredibly far-fetched. However, my biggest problem with this novel is that Finn is such an unsympathetic narrator and, unfortunately, he is the most developed character. Layla, Ellen, Henry (Finn's business partner), and Ruby (his ex-girlfriend) are basically peripheral characters who only exist to show the extent of Finn's psychological distress. This is not necessarily a bad plot device but I didn't really like Finn as a character. He is controlling, manipulative, and makes very questionable decisions. I didn't understand why either Layla or Ellen would ever want to be in a relationship with him let alone the motivation for their actions later on. I understand the mood Paris is trying to create with her characterization of Finn and the theme that actions have consequences but by the end of the novel I didn't really care about what happened to him. I didn't hate this novel but it wasn't as satisfying as the previous ones on my list.

Note:  Have you read Bring Me Back?  What did you think?