Happy Birthday Sean!

Yesterday my family celebrated Sean's 19th birthday!  It doesn’t seem possible that he could be this old because it was only yesterday when he was a tiny little boy!  He is not so tiny now!  We went to dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory in Trolley Square (which is one of Sean's favorite restaurants) and then came back to my sister's house for cake and presents.  I gave him the Blu-ray box set of The Big Bang Theory (which he asked me for a month ago).

I love him so much and I am really proud of him for how well he is doing in college.  I hope he had a great day!

A Christmas Carol at Parker Theatre

Last night I attended my first of four productions of A Christmas Carol this holiday season at Parker Theatre. I don't think I will ever get tired of seeing the reclamation of Ebeneezer Scrooge's soul by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future because it is such a beautiful story about keeping the spirit of Christmas in your heart all the year long. I really enjoyed seeing a new and different interpretation of this classic story last night. This version begins, rather unusually, with the death of Jacob Marley (Stephen Harmon) and I liked seeing his ghost haunt Scrooge (Mark Knowles) before he appears to him in his chambers because it is so ominous. There are some elaborate special effects used as he and the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Alina Smith), Present (Brinton Wilkins), and Future (Alina Smith) appear to Scrooge (the Ghost of Christmas Future is quite scary) and the lighting design is incredibly effective.  I especially liked the use of a scrim, fog, and atmospheric lighting as Scrooge sees memories from his past and the use of low lighting, shadows, and silhouettes as he is shown a frightening possible future. I liked seeing all of the characters that Scrooge interacts with at the beginning of the show, such as a caroler (Caroline Jensen), a poor woman (Jasmine Hohl) and her child (Oliver Hohl), and his nephew Fred (Tanner Tate), return at key moments as if appearing in a dream to soften Scrooge's heart. I loved the staging of the romance between a young Ebeneezer (Spencer Hohl) and Belle (Isabelle Purdie) because the dance conveys everything they are feeling without saying a word and it is in sharp contrast to the later scene between them when she releases him. I also liked the staging of the scene where Scrooge learns the truth in the cemetery because having him open the coffin to see who is inside is so dramatic (and very different from how I've seen this scene portrayed in other productions). Knowles gives one of the best performances of Scrooge that I've seen because there is such a huge difference between the bitter old miser at the beginning of the show and the lighthearted character he becomes at the end. You can actually see it in his facial expressions and body language as he learns the lessons taught by the spirits. I was especially moved by his interactions with Bob Cratchit (Lucas Charon) who thanks him for his generosity (this almost brought me to tears) and with Fred and his wife Rowena (Jasmine Hohl) as he entreats them to allow him into their lives after his transformation. The sets and costumes are much simpler than those of other productions I've seen but they are still very effective at bringing Victorian London to life (I loved all of the street lamps). I am so happy that I found Parker Theatre, not just for this show but every one I saw this year, and I will be sure to make this production a Christmas tradition from now on. It runs on Fridays and Saturdays through December 23 (go here for tickets).

Godzilla Minus One

I was on the fence about seeing Godzilla Minus One because I am not a huge fan of this franchise and I have a lot going on this week so I didn't think I had time.  After someone with whom I share a similar taste in movies raved about it, I decided to squeeze it in yesterday afternoon.  I am so glad that I did because it now ranks among my favorite movies this year!  In the final days of World War II, a Japanese kamikaze pilot, Koichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), feigns engine trouble and lands at a military base on Odo Island in order to stay alive.  When a giant lizard-like creature known by the locals as Godzilla attacks, everyone on the island is killed except Koichi and a mechanic, Sosaku Tachibana (Munetaka Aoki), who blames him for the deaths because he didn't shoot when he had the chance.  When he returns to Tokyo, Koichi encounters Noriko Oishi (Minami Hamabe), a woman who has rescued an orphaned child named Akiko (Sae Nagatani).  He allows them to live with him and they form a family of sorts.  He eventually begins work aboard a minesweeper and when he and his crew encounter Godzilla, who has now mutated after exposure to U.S. nuclear tests, they are ordered to stop its approach to Japan but they fail leaving more casualties.  After another devastating attack on land leaves thousands dead, including Noriko, Koichi is tormented by survivor's guilt and, even though a group of naval veterans devise a plot to stop Godzilla, he forms another plan to kill it himself.  The visual effects are some of the best I've seen in a long time, especially when Godzilla's dorsal fins light up before an attack and when its atomic breath is used.  There are some spectacular set pieces, particularly a rampage through Ginza involving a train derailment, and they are made all the more ominous by an epic score (the use of silence is also very effective).  However, as thrilling as the action scenes are, it is the human drama that makes this iteration so compelling and moving.  This has some very powerful messages about the consequences of war, including survivor's guilt and making the choice to live in the face of adversity, and the performances are very affecting.  I had tears in my eyes during several poignant moments (and I wasn't expecting that).  I loved this movie and I highly recommend it!

Note:  Thanks for recommending it, Larry!

Appalachian Spring

I really enjoyed last night's Utah Symphony concert because it featured such an eclectic program.  The orchestra was joined by pianist Awadagin Pratt for Johann Sebastian Bach's Keyboard Concerto in A Major.  What I really liked about this piece is that it features melodies played by the piano and strings together interspersed with showier passages for the piano.  Pratt has a light touch and is known for being agile, creative, and inventive so it was very entertaining watching his fingers fly up and down the keyboard.  He joined the orchestra once again to perform Rounds for Piano and String Orchestra by Jessie Montgomery.  According to Montgomery, it was inspired by the interconnectedness found in nature and how every living thing interacts with and impacts all of the living things around it with a multitude of outcomes.  I loved it because it evoked so many different emotions as I listened to it.  I especially enjoyed a passage where Pratt stood up to pluck the strings of the piano (I've never seen that before).  This piece was written specifically for Pratt and he improvises the conclusion so if you attend tonight's performance you will hear something entirely new.  After the intermission, the orchestra performed the Overture from The Greatest, an opera about Muhammad Ali composed by guest conductor Teddy Abrams.  He described it as loud, brash, and violent and I liked the urgency of the themes played by the strings, the bold fanfares by the brass, and the dramatic use of percussion.  The concert concluded with Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland in its entirety rather than just the Orchestral Suite which is normally performed.  I always love hearing this piece performed live because the themes of peace and remembrance during war are incredibly poignant.  I especially love the variations on the Quaker hymn "Simple Gifts" which is first developed by a solo clarinet and then repeated by various instruments.  I was really excited for this concert because of Appalachian Spring but I ended up loving Rounds just as much and I recommend getting a ticket to tonight's performance (go here) to hear both of them!

Festival of Trees 2023

Yesterday I was a hostess at the Festival of Trees for the thirteenth year!  Various individuals and organizations decorate and then donate trees, usually to commemorate someone who has been ill or died.  These trees are put up for auction and then displayed at the Mountain America Expo Center for the public to view for the duration of the festival.  All of the proceeds go directly to Primary Children's Hospital so it is a really worthwhile cause.  In addition to the trees, there are centerpieces, wreaths, quilts, and gingerbread houses with lots of crafts and treats for purchase (I really love the cinnamon rolls).  Most of the trees below were in my assigned area but I also spent some time walking around and some of my favorite are also included.

My main job was to watch the tree below.  It sold at auction for $100,000 which is the most any tree has sold for in the history of the festival!  It was featured on the news yesterday morning so many people were looking for it and were eager to hear the story behind it.  I was inundated by people (but it kept me busy so my shift went by very quickly).

The festival continues at the Mountain America Expo Center through Saturday.  Go here for more information and tickets.