Fischer's Farewell: Mahler's Symphony No. 3

Last night's Utah Symphony concert, while absolutely brilliant, was a little bit bittersweet for me because it was the final opportunity to see Thierry Fischer conduct the orchestra as the Music Director (I am holding out hope that he will return as a guest conductor at some point).  I have been attending Utah Symphony concerts for more than 30 years and Fischer is my favorite conductor (followed by Pavel Kogan who was the principal guest conductor for several years) because he has such a light touch and brings out the very best from the orchestra without a lot of theatricality.  For his final performance, Fischer selected Symphony No. 3 by Gustav Mahler and, in my opinion, it was the perfect choice because it is such a monumental piece about creation and he has done such a wonderful job of helping the orchestra create a distinctive sound.  The women of the Tabernacle Choir, the choristers of Madeleine Choir School, and mezzo-soprano Anna Larsson joined the Utah Symphony for this amazing piece and I loved it!  According to Fischer, the first movement is about the invisible forces within a planet and I especially loved all of the dramatic fanfares by the brass, particularly those by the solo trombone and the solo trumpet, along with the timpani (there are two sets of timpani used in this piece and I was fascinated by how many times the musicians changed mallets).  The second movement is meant to mimic the appearance of flowers and trees and is much more delicate with a beautiful melody by the oboe.  The third movement introduces birds and other animals and I loved all of the woodwinds and the trumpet solo played off stage.  The fourth movement is when man arrives and it features a powerful text by Nietzsche about the nature of mankind sung as a simple melody by Larsson (who has a beautiful voice).  The two choirs join the orchestra in the fifth movement and represent angels who watch over mankind.  I loved hearing the children's choir imitate the sound of bells along with the chimes.  Many believe that the sixth movement is Mahler's vision of Heaven and I really enjoyed the beautiful themes played by the swelling strings and then the triumphant notes played by the timpani (I couldn't take my eyes of the musicians because it was so thrilling).  The audience immediately erupted into a thunderous standing ovation for Fischer (he also received one when he took the stage) and he appeared to become emotional as he hugged Concert Master Madeline Adkins and acknowledged all of the section leaders.  I admit that I had a tear in my eye, too!  This was a spectacular conclusion to the 2022-2023 season (which has been stellar) and the remarkable tenure of Maestro Fischer!

Note:  The 2022-2023 season may be over but there are still plenty of opportunities to hear the Utah Symphony perform this summer.  There are community concerts (several of which are free) in June, the Deer Valley Music Festival in July (I can't wait for the Music of Queen), and a state tour in August (these concerts are free but require a ticket).  Go here for tickets and more information.

Bountiful High School Class of 2023

Yesterday Sean graduated from Bountiful High School and we were all able to watch him receive his diploma at the Dee Events Center.  We are so proud of him because it wasn't easy but he did it!

He will be going to Neumont College in the fall for a Bachelor's Degree in Cyber Security and we are really excited for him!

The Little Mermaid

Last night my sister Marilyn and I took our nephew Sean, our niece Tashena, and her boyfriend Tucker (they are in town for Sean's graduation) to see the new live action version of The Little Mermaid.  Marilyn and I absolutely loved it!  Everyone else?  Not so much!  A mermaid named Ariel (Halle Bailey) doesn't think that all humans are as evil as her father King Tritan (Javier Bardem) believes them to be and she is fascinated by them.  After she saves Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) during a storm which sinks his ship, Triton destroys her collection of human objects and forbids her from going to the surface again.  Ariel defies her father and accepts a deal with her aunt, a sea witch named Ursula (Melissa McCarthy), to trade her voice for a pair of legs.  She must get Eric to give her true love's kiss within three days so a crab named Sebastian (Daveed Diggs), a fish named Flounder (Jacob Tremblay), and a seabird named Scuttle (Awkwafina) attempt to help her.  Can Ariel get Eric to fall in love with her and, more importantly, can she convince Tritan that not all humans are bad?  Bailey is phenomenal in the role and her version of "Part of Your World" gave me goosebumps.  Her wide-eyed innocence is so charming and the chemistry between her and Hauer-King is palpable (especially in the star-gazing scene).  I also really enjoyed McCarthy and Diggs because their characterizations of Ursula and Sebastian are so much fun.  The new songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, including "Wild Uncharted Waters" by Eric, "For the First Time" by Ariel, and "The Scuttlebutt" by Sebastian and Scuttle (this is my favorite because I loved hearing Diggs of Hamilton fame rap again) are fantastic and really add to the narrative.  I also really appreciated some subtle changes to the story such as making the sisters more diverse as representatives of the seven seas and the addition of the character of Queen Selina (Norma Dumezweni) to emphasize the humans' fear of the ocean in juxtaposition to Tritan's fear of humans (this gives Ariel and Eric a better motivation to fall in love, in my opinion, because they recognize that they are both fighting against parental control and for more understanding).  Sean, Tashena, and Tucker criticized the visual effects and they do have a point because the underwater sequences look really unnatural, especially, rather ironically, in "Under the Sea." I also found the hyper-realistic portrayal of the animals to be somewhat jarring but it wasn't as bad as I was expecting (definitely not as bad as the live-action version of The Lion King) and it didn't detract from my enjoyment.  I loved it in spite of these flaws and Marilyn and I are making plans to see it again (without the others).

Shania Twain at USANA

I am not a big fan of country music (it is probably my least favorite genre) but there are a few artists that I like and Shania Twain is definitely one of them.  I love her and I always try to see her whenever she comes to town.  She was at USANA Amphitheater last night in support of her latest album Queen of Me and I had so much fun at this show!  She sang quite a few songs from the new album, starting with "Waking Up Dreaming" while she traveled through the audience in disguise wearing large sunglasses and a wig.  She also performed "Giddy Up!," "Inhale/ Exhale Air," "Number One," "Pretty Liar," and then "Queen of Me" to end her main set.  However, the crowd really wanted the hits and she sang them, too, including "Any Man of Mine," "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?," "Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)," "From This Moment On," "Honey, I'm Home," "Rock This Country," "You're Still the One," Party for Two," and a really sultry version of "Roll Me on the River."  The crowd sang every word of these songs!  Most people really love the album Come On Over but my favorite is Up! because this album was my first introduction to her music.  I was so happy that she played "Up!" (which is my favorite Shania Twain song), "I'm Gonna Getcha Good," and "Forever and for Always."  She also played a medley of songs from Up! including "Nah!," "She's Not Just a Pretty Face," "Waiter! Bring Me Water," and "Thank You Baby! (For Makin' Someday Come So Soon)."  She played her two biggest hits for the encore, starting with "That Don't Impress Me Much," while wearing the same leopard print outfit from the music video (there were many people in the audience also wearing leopard print), and ending with a rousing rendition of "Man! I Feel Like A Woman!"  Twain does not have the voice she had in her heyday because she sang many songs in a lower key and relied heavily on her backup singers but her performance was enthusiastic and she certainly hasn't lost any attitude!  She had the most stripped down stage I've seen at one of her concerts and she wore the same red mini dress until the encore but the show itself was dynamic with lots of cool visuals.  It was obvious that she was really happy to be back on stage because she repeatedly thanked the sold-out crowd and, at one point, she even brought a fan on stage to sing with her.  She is definitely still the one!

Note: The night got off to a rough start with heavy rain while I was standing in line (for over an hour) but it eventually stopped and I ended up really enjoying this concert!

The Prom at PTC

I absolutely love the movie The Prom (I've lost track of how many times I've seen it) because it has an incredibly powerful and important message and it is also a sparkly love letter to theatre. As good as the movie is, I have always really wanted to see the stage musical upon which it is based so I was thrilled when PTC announced it as part of the 2022-2023 season! I've basically been waiting impatiently since then to see it and I finally had the chance last night. It was definitely worth the wait because it is one of the best shows I've seen this year! Down and out Broadway stars Dee Dee Allen (Anne Tolpegin) and Barry Glickman (Branch Woodman) are commiserating over the fact that their latest show has closed on opening night because the critics don't like them as people. They think the best way to resurrect their careers is to champion a cause to show the public that they care about something other than themselves. They hear about a girl named Emma Nolan (Celeste Rose) in Indiana who wants to attend her high school prom with her girlfriend Alyssa Greene (Mia Cherise Hall). Rather than allow this, Mrs. Greene (Erin Wilson), the head of the PTA, cancels the prom despite the support of the principal Tom Hawkins (Bernard Dotson). They decide to help Emma and are joined by Trent Oliver (Josh Adamson), an out of work actor who never fails to mention that he attended Juilliard, and Angie Dickinson (Wendy Waring), a chorus girl who has been the understudy for Roxie Hart for twenty years, on a bus for a non-union tour of Godspell headed to Indiana. They help get the prom reinstated for the good publicity but, when the situation becomes worse, they realize that they really care about helping Emma. I love every single song because they are all so impactful but my favorites are "We Look to You," because it is about the power of theatre, "Love Thy Neighbor," because it calls out the hypocrisy of believing that you are a good person when you hate and discriminate against those who are different from you (a particularly important message here in Utah right now), "Alyssa Greene," because it is about the courage to be who you really are, and "Unruly Heart," because it is about the freedom to love who you want. The choreography is joyful and exuberant, particularly the Fosse-inspired "Zazz" as well as "Tonight Belongs to You" and "It's Time to Dance" with the young and talented ensemble. Everyone in the main cast is absolutely perfect but I especially loved Tolpegin as a narcissistic Broadway diva and her rendition of "It's Not About Me" had me laughing out loud!  I was also really impressed with Rose and Woodman because their versions of "Unruly Heart" and "Barry Is Going to Prom," respectively, are really touching. All of the costumes are colorful and sparkly and the multiple sets are so much fun, particularly the high school gym decorated for the prom. I loved this show so much and I cannot say enough about it! I had a big smile on my face from beginning to end and I highly recommend it (tickets may be purchased here).