A Christmas Carol at HCT 2021

I have a long-standing tradition of seeing HCT's production of A Christmas Carol every year (I like to joke that I have seen it so many times I could probably stand in for any role) and I had the chance to see it again last night. I love the well-known story by Charles Dickens of Ebeneezer Scrooge's reclamation by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future and I think Hale's adaptation is absolutely beautiful. This year the cast includes many actors that I have never seen before (which is unusual because many actors return to the same roles year after year) and I particularly enjoyed Stephen Kerr as Scrooge, Ben Oldroyd as Bob Cratchit, Spencer Jackson Hohl as Fred, Jared Lesa as the Ghost of Christmas Present, and Patrick Despain as Tiny Tim. I loved Kerr's cantankerous and grouchy characterization of Scrooge and the subtle changes in his demeanor as he encounters each ghost and internalizes the lessons they teach him are incredibly effective. His interactions with Oldroyd during the final scene are so tender they brought a tear to my eye. Hohl is the perfect counterpoint to Kerr because he imbues Fred with a lot of cheerfulness and charm. I also really enjoyed Lesa's characterization because he is very merry as the embodiment of Christmas but he is also quite harsh with Scrooge. Despain is absolutely endearing and I loved his delivery of the iconic line at the end of the show. One aspect of Hale's production that I really love is the use of music in between scenes by an octet (Mindi Hansen, Samantha Paredes, Jessica Pearce, Emily Roh, Ryan Withers, Barton Sloan, Bryan Johnson, and Taylor Smith) and in certain party scenes by the characters. My favorite song is, of course, "Bring a Torch Jeanette, Isabella" which is sung during the Fezziwig's party. The elaborate Victorian sets are incredibly immersive (the projections are fantastic) and I particularly love Scrooge's bedroom (the wallpaper is amazing), Fezziwig's warehouse, and the rag and bottle shop. I usually sit on the extreme right side of the theater so I often miss out on some of the special effects but last night I sat on the front row in the center section so I was quite enchanted when Jacob Marley (Matt Kohler) comes through Scrooge's fireplace to visit him and when the Ghost of Christmas Future (Ren Cottam), who is quite scary, reveals Scrooge's name on the tombstone. I keep returning to see this show year after year because it fills me with so much cheer and I always leave the theater vowing to keep Christmas all year long. Unfortunately, every performance during the run is sold out but HCT has been known to add shows so keep checking the website (go here) for tickets.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

I was supposed to see Spider-Man: No Way Home last Thursday (I even stayed up until midnight to get a ticket as soon as they went on sale) but I postponed it several days to be in a better headspace for it and, unbelievably, I managed to avoid seeing any spoilers.  I took my nephew to see it yesterday and I am so glad that I didn't know anything going in because I loved it!  It was one of the best movie viewing experiences that I have had in a very long time with scenes that made me cheer out loud and scenes that made me cry!  Immediately after the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home, J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons) shows a doctored video accusing Peter Parker (Tom Holland) of murdering Mysterio and exposing his identity as Spider-Man on his sensationalist news website.  This makes Peter's life increasingly difficult and, by extension, it also adversely affects his friends M.J. (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon).  He turns to Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for a spell to make the world forget that he is Spider-Man but, when he realizes that those closest to him will also forget, he interferes with the spell.  When Peter encounters Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina) wreaking havoc on a highway, Strange realizes that the spell has had the unintended consequence of summoning everyone who knows Peter Parker's identity from other parts of the multiverse.  Peter, with the help of M.J. and Ned, is tasked with capturing all of the displaced villains while Strange works on another spell to send them home.  However, Peter begins to have second thoughts about dooming them to their fates.  This installment expands upon the character development that began in Far From Home and shows Peter wrestling with both the responsibility and the consequences of being Spider-Man.  As much as I enjoyed Peter's awkward teenage antics in the first two films, I loved the grittier tone and higher stakes of this installment and Holland gives a brilliant performance.  I also enjoyed the character arcs of the various villains as well as the performances of the actors in these roles.  The final battle is both exciting, with lots of hand-to-hand combat, and surprisingly poignant.  As a fan of the Spider-Man franchise in all of its past iterations I absolutely loved the nostalgia of this movie (see the aforementioned reference to my tears) but my nephew loved it, too!  I cannot recommend this movie enough!

Holiday Pops Starring Jodi Benson

I didn't really feel up to going out last night but a Christmas concert featuring the Utah Symphony and Broadway star Jodi Benson (the voice of Ariel in The Little Mermaid) was exactly what I needed so I am glad that I made the effort!  The orchestra, under the baton of Larry Blank, began with a medley called A Christmas Festival featuring "Joy to the World," "Deck the Halls," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "Up On the Housetop," "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," "Silent Night," "Jingle Bells," and "O Come All Ye Faithful."  Then Jodi Benson came to the stage to sing "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," "The Christmas Song," and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."  She has such a beautiful voice and I had goosebumps during every song.  She continued with "Grown Up Christmas List" and then took a break while the orchestra performed another beautiful medley called Christmas Scherzo which I loved because it featured "Bring a Torch Jeannette, Isabella."  Then they played "Trepak" from The Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky and the Overture to A White Christmas by Irving Berlin.  Benson returned to the stage for "Ordinary Miracles" by Marvin Hamlisch, which was beautiful, and then introduced her daughter Delaney who sang "Winter Wonderland."  I loved hearing her talk about her daughter because she is so proud of her and it was so endearing!  She concluded the first act with a rousing rendition of "Mary, Did You Know?" that just about blew the roof off Abravanel Hall!  After the intermission the orchestra played a really fun version of "Sleigh Ride" complete with the neighing of a horse (provided by a trumpet player wearing a horse mask).  Benson returned to sing "We Need a Little Christmas" and a sultry version of "Let it Snow."  Next the orchestra performed a Disney medley featuring songs from Pinocchio, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, and Aladdin.  Benson sang "When You Wish Upon a Star" from Pinocchio and her daughter Delaney returned to sing "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music.  One of my favorite moments came next when Benson sang "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid!  It was absolutely magical to hear Ariel sing this song and I may or may not have giggled at the end of it!  The orchestra performed another medley called Christmas Fantasy which featured "I Saw Three Ships," "We Three Kings," and "Sing We Noel."  The concert concluded with my very favorite Christmas song "O Holy Night."  I recently heard an instrumental version by Kurt Bestor but it was so lovely to hear it sung by Benson!  For the encore, she sang "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" with her daughter.  I really loved this concert and, if you are in need of a little comfort and joy this season, I definitely recommend getting a ticket for tonight's performance (go here).

West Side Story

I am a huge fan of the old Hollywood musicals, such as The Sound of Music, South Pacific, The Music Man, and Fiddler on the Roof, because I have very vivid memories of watching them on VHS at my Grandma Anderson's house.  My all-time favorite is West Side Story.  I know that it is problematic when viewed with a modern lens but I love the songs and the dancing so much!  I was, therefore, a bit concerned when I heard that Steven Spielberg was directing a remake because I didn't think anything could compare to the original.  I was wrong!  I finally had the chance to see it last night and I absolutely loved it!  The story revolves around the forbidden romance between Tony (Ansel Elgort) and Maria (Rachel Zegler) and the animosity it stirs up between the Jets and the Sharks, two rival street gangs who are vying for territory.  I really enjoyed some new additions to the story.  The gentrification of the neighborhood raises the stakes for both the Jets and the Sharks because they are not just fighting for territory but for a place to live. The backstory of Tony as a former gang member trying to go straight after serving time in prison for assault provides more motivation for his desire to stop the fighting.  The new character of Valentina (Rita Moreno), the Puerto Rican widow of Doc who now runs his drug store, becomes an important mentor for Tony because she shows him what is possible (Moreno provides one of the most poignant moments in the movie).  The entire cast is absolutely brilliant but the standouts for me are Mike Faist as Riff and Ariana DeBose as Anita because their singing, dancing, and acting are amazing (this is what happens when you cast Broadway stars in movie musicals).  I also really liked Elgort, despite his tumultuous personal life, because he is an endearing Tony and has great chemistry with Zegler.  His rendition of "Maria" gave me goosebumps!  Speaking of Zegler, I loved her voice and she imbues Maria with a strength that I appreciated.  I absolutely loved the new staging of the musical numbers, particularly "America," which happens more organically on the street, "Gee, Officer Krupke," which happens inside the police station as the gang members are questioned about the upcoming rumble, and "Pretty," which happens in the window displays of the department store where Maria works as a cleaner.  I really loved that "Cool," one of my favorite numbers, is changed so that Tony sings it to convince the Jets not to rumble with the Sharks.  (The only number that I prefer from the original movie is the prologue because the hostility between the gangs is conveyed entirely through dance rather than a fight as is the case in this version).  All of the costumes are fantastic but the ones at the school dance are especially striking because the Jets and their girls are primarily in blue and the Sharks and their girls are primarily in red.  Finally, I loved the cinematography and shot composition, especially all of the overhead shots because they are so dramatic!  I went into the theater last night feeling a bit skeptical but left it loving this movie.  I highly recommend it!

A Flicker in the Dark

My Book of the Month selection for December was A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham (the other options were Olga Dies Dreaming  by Xochitl Gonzalez, A History of Wild Places by Shea Earnshaw, Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C. Ford, and The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox). It is an atmospheric psychological thriller that is almost impossible to put down! It has been twenty years since Chloe Davis provided the evidence leading to the arrest of her father for murdering six teenage girls in the small town of Breaux Bridges. She is now a successful psychologist in Baton Rouge about to be married but she still has difficulty reconciling the loving father she once knew with the serial killer that he is and, as a result, she has had problems trusting people, especially men, and often self-medicates with prescriptions she writes herself. When several young girls go missing in a manner eerily similar to her father's modus operandi, she fears that history is repeating itself and that, once again, she has placed her trust in a monster. I really enjoyed the structure of this novel because the narrative takes place in the present with Chloe having flashbacks when events in the present seem to mimic those of the past. It is a really effective device because it shows how much Chloe is still traumatized by the past despite her best attempts at normalcy. I also enjoyed all of the many twists and turns as Chloe comes to suspect everyone in her life and then begins investigating each of them when her suspicions go unheeded because of her drug use and paranoia in past relationships. I predicted one of the major twists early in the proceedings but started to doubt myself as the narrative went on and I have to admit that I didn't see the final one coming (I love it when that happens). Finally, the writing is fantastic and I especially enjoyed the lyrical descriptions of the setting because it is so eerie and contributes much to the tension. This kept me reading during every spare moment I could find this weekend and I highly recommend it to fans of the genre.

Note:  It is hard to believe but this is Willingham's debut novel! As a fan of psychological thrillers, I am now eagerly awaiting more from this talented author!