The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

I usually really enjoy Guy Ritchie's movies (I have expunged King Arthur: Legend of the Sword from my memory) so I was really excited to see The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare last night.  This is inspired by a true story based on recently declassified files about a daring mission during World War II that led to the formation of the SAS and I had a lot of fun with it.  German U-boats control the Atlantic Ocean making it difficult for the Americans to join the war effort which Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Rory Kinnear) is desperate for them to do to alleviate the stress of constant bombing by the Lutwaffe and to stop his advisors from pushing for an appeasement agreement with Germany.  Brigadier Colin Gubbins (Cary Elwes) and Ian Fleming (Freddie Fox), a member of Naval Intelligence, come up with a bold but unsanctioned plan to destroy the U-boat supply ship, Duchessa d'Aosta, stationed at an island off the coast of West Africa called Fernando Po.  They recruit Major Gus March-Phillipps (Henry Cavill), an insubordinate officer serving time in prison, to lead Operation Postmaster and he assembles his own team, including Henry Hayes (Hero Fiennes Tiffin), Freddy Alvarez (Henry Golding), and Anders Lassen (Alan Ritchson).  Agents Richard Heron (Babs Olusanmokun) and Marjorie Stewart (Eiza Gonzalez) are sent ahead to distract Heinrich Luhr (Til Schweiger), the SS commandant of Fernando Po, while Gus and his crew make a detour to rescue Geoffrey Appleyard (Alex Pattyfer), a saboteur being held in the Canary Islands by the Gestapo.  When their plan goes awry they must use unconventional methods to achieve their mission.  This features everything I love about a Guy Ritchie movie: exciting action sequences, a distinctive score that adds to the mayhem, and a wise-cracking protagonist with a bunch of misfit sidekicks.  Cavill is incredibly charismatic as the agent who is believed to have inspired Ian Fleming to create James Bond and, even though Kinnear is probably the worst Churchill I have seen on film (he doesn't look or sound anything like him), the rest of the cast is *ahem* a lot of fun to watch and they have great chemistry with each other.  The story itself is compelling but I didn't really feel a lot of tension or suspense (the Nazis are dispatched almost too easily).  I was, however, very entertained and I recommend it to fans of Ritchie.

Timpanogos Community Theater's The Pirates of Penzance

Last year I was so impressed by Timpanogos Community Theater's production of The Sound of Music that I immediately vowed to come back for another show. I finally made good on that promise by seeing The Pirates of Penzance last night and I'm sorry that I waited so long because I really enjoyed myself! It is one of the funniest versions of this comedic operetta that I have ever seen! Frederic (Adam Moore) has reached his 21st birthday and wishes to leave the band of pirates to whom he has been mistakenly apprenticed. After leaving the pirates, Frederic meets Major-General Stanley (Brett Hansen) and his daughters, falls in love with the youngest daughter Mabel (Kyra Fowler), and enlists the Sergeant of Police (Aaron Bone) and his constables to arrest the pirates. Chaos ensues when the Pirate King (Aaron Williams) and Ruth (Vivian Mathias), Frederic's former nursemaid, tell him that he was born during a leap year and, since he has only had five birthdays, he must continue to serve his apprenticeship. The set is quite simple, consisting of a ship, the seaside, and a graveyard (there is also an amusing miniature ship that is used several times), and the costumes are a lot more straightforward than in other productions of this show that I have seen (the Major-General does not even have any medals) but it matters not because the comedy comes from the brilliant staging, choreography, and performances without having to rely on sight gags. I was laughing from beginning to end at the physicality in all of the scenes but my favorites were Frederic and Ruth's interactions "Oh! false one, you have deceiv'd me" when he learns that she is not as beautiful as she has claimed to be, Frederic hiding in plain sight from the daughters in "Climbing over rocky mountains," when the daughters feign disinterest in Frederic during "Oh, is there not one maiden breast" (Ciara Hulet's facial expressions killed me), when the daughters keep moving closer to overhear Frederic and Mabel in "How beautifully blue the sky," when the pirates and daughters dramatically gasp for breath during "I am the very model of a modern Major-General," and when the constables and the pirates hide in plain sight from the Major General in "Hush, hush! not a word." The ensemble, who all sing and dance as pirates, daughters, and constables, is outstanding and so much fun to watch and I also loved Fowler's beautiful rendition of "Poor wand'ring one" and Williams' enthusiastic version of "Oh! better far to live and die." My favorite performance, however, was that of Moore because he is incredibly appealing as Frederic! He has a beautiful voice, especially when he sings "Stay, Fred'ric, stay," "Ah, leave me not to pine," and "Oh, here is love, and here is truth" with Fowler, but his comedic timing coupled with his earnest expression (and rosy cheeks) is enchanting! Hurrah for this production for putting a big smile on my face! It runs at the Valentine Theater on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through May 4 and I highly recommend it (go here for tickets).

Guitar Celebrations: JIJI Plays Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto

I always love it when I walk into Abravanel Hall and see lots of percussion instruments on the stage but when they are joined by rows of amps and pedal boards it is even more exciting!  Last night's Utah Symphony concert was the culmination of a week long guitar festival conceived by USUO Creative Partner David Robertson featuring the super group Another Night on Earth (including the acoustic and electric guitarists Steven Mackey, Joe Gore, James Moore, Heiko Ossig, Daniele Gottardo, JIJI, and Gretchen Menn) with guitar pieces of every genre.  It was amazing!  The concert began with Mackey's Turn the Key with the composer as soloist.  This piece was very playful with a fun rhythm that was infectious.  I loved the use of lots of different percussion instruments (including the clapping of hands) and the harp solo.  Next came a piece arranged by Robertson and Gore called Falling Through Time: Music from the 1300s which is a collection of medieval music using modern instruments and percussion.  This was seriously cool and I loved how the electric guitar, played by Gore, seemed to take the place of the chanting that is usually heard in this type of music.  This was followed by Moore's Sleep is Shattered with the composer as soloist on electric guitar.  It is inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy and the guitar acts as the impetus for transporting the audience to various states of being and it features lots of interesting distortions.  It might not be for everyone because it was really trippy but I really dug it!  After the intermission Robertson joked that he knew the audience only sat through the other pieces just to get to this one (I really like him because he is so charming) before performing a piece arranged by Leo Brouwer called Beatlerianas with Ossig as soloist on acoustic guitar.  This is a medley of Beatles songs, including "Eleanor Rigby," "Yesterday," "She's Leaving Home," "Ticket to Ride" "Got to Get You Into My Life," "Here, There and Everywhere," and "Penny Lane," and it was absolutely beautiful!  It was obviously my favorite piece of the evening!  The world premiere of Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra by Gottardo came next with the composer as soloist on electric guitar.  This had a jazz sound and I especially liked the second movement because it is a bit melancholy (Robertson described it as nostalgia for something you haven't experienced yet).  The orchestra continued with one of the most popular pieces for guitar, Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquin Rodrigo, with JIJI as soloist on Spanish guitar.  I loved all of the guitar solos (JIJI was brilliant and so much fun to watch) throughout and the dramatic themes played by the strings in the second movement. All of the guitarists returned to the stage for an epic rendition of G-Spot Tornado by Frank Zappa which rocked the house to close out the concert!  I thoroughly enjoyed this show and now I really want to start playing my guitar again!  This program will be repeated again tonight (go here for tickets).

Big Fish at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts

I have seen the musical Big Fish many times (it is very popular in Utah) but my favorite production just might be the one I saw last night at the SCERA Center for Performing Arts because it is so heartwarming! Now that Will Bloom (Bryson Smellie) is about to become a father he laments the fact that he doesn't know his own father Edward (Mark Gordon) because of all the outlandish stories he has always told him about his life. These include having his fortune told by a witch (Adrienne Hansen) in a swamp, learning how to swim from a mermaid (Shelby Horton), going on the road with a giant named Karl (Rob Crockett), joining a circus owned by a werewolf named Amos (Samuel Benson), wooing his future wife Sandra (Christie Gardiner) with daffodils, and thwarting an assassination of a general (Drew Christensen) during the war. When Will learns that Edward is dying of cancer he returns home to attempt a reconciliation with him and, after a Wild West confrontation between the two of them, he discovers that the truth about his father is more extraordinary than the stories. Gordon is the best Edward that I have ever seen because he portrays his zest for life with an exuberance that is palpable but he is also incredibly affecting in his scenes with Smellie as a father who desperately wants his son to be proud of him and in his scenes as a dying old man hoping that he is leaving a lasting legacy behind. He made me laugh and cry and think about all of the stories my own dad used to tell. Smellie is also outstanding because he plays Will's journey from exasperation with his father to understanding him with so much emotion, especially in the scene with Jenny Hill (Anya Young Wilson) and in the song "What's Next." Gardiner has a beautiful voice and her renditions of "Two Men In My Life" and "I Don't Need a Roof" were also highlights for me. I really love the songs that bring Edward's imaginative stories to life and the costumes and choreography in this production are so fun and whimsical, particularly in "I Know What You Want" with the witch, "Favorite Son" with the townspeople of Ashton, "Closer to Her" with the circus (I laughed out loud at the elephant and the firing of the cannon is so fun), and "Red, White, and True" with the USO (the tap dancing by the ensemble is impressive). The set is very simple with various pieces used to create vignettes (Will's bedroom, Edward's bedroom, hospital rooms, the front porch, etc.) brought on and off the stage by the ensemble but the backdrop used for "Daffodils" is a show-stopper (literally). The use of projections is very effective, especially the different images introducing all of the characters in "Be The Hero" and recapping them in "What's Next." This production reignited my love for this show (which was starting to wane after seeing it so many times) and I would definitely recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through May 4.

Shakespeare in Love at West Valley Arts

Last night I went to see the stage adaptation of the movie Shakespeare in Love at the West Valley Performing Arts Center and I absolutely loved it! William Shakespeare (Josh Egbert) has writer's block and the deadline for his new play, which he has promised to both Philip Henslow (Stephen Kerr) and Richard Burbage (Joseph Spear), is fast approaching. He desperately needs inspiration and he finds it when a wealthy merchant's daughter named Viola de Lesseps (Jillian Joy) disguises herself as Thomas Kent in order to fulfill her dream of performing on the stage, which is illegal for women in Elizabethan England, and wins the role of Romeo in his unfinished play. When Will discovers that his talented leading man is really the woman he wooed on a balcony with the help of fellow playwright Kit Marlowe (Colton Ward) and when Viola discovers that Will is really her favorite playwright, they begin a passionate affair which is complicated by the marriage her father has arranged with Lord Wessex (Tyler Roberts). Art imitates life as their doomed love inspires Romeo and Juliet. I think this story is incredibly witty and clever (even if it takes liberties with historical accuracy) and I loved all of the references to Romeo and Juliet and other Shakespeare plays as well as the antics surrounding multiple mistaken identities and the backstage shenanigans at competing theatre companies. Egbert and Joy are outstanding as the leads and have tremendous chemistry with each other. Their performance of the final scene in Romeo and Juliet is absolutely heartbreaking and I had a tear in my eye (especially since it has a double meaning because of their imminent separation). I also really enjoyed the hilarious ensemble cast who portray the actors in Shakespeare's theatre company, especially Eliyah Ghaeini as the over-the-top actor Ned Alleyn who plays Mercutio, Angel Martinez as the actor Nol who plays Benvolio and takes every opportunity to display his prowess for fight choreography, and Sofia Paredes-Kenrick as the actor John Webster who is jealous when Thomas Kent is cast as Romeo. Speaking of choreography, this production features an intricate dance sequence at Viola's ball that is very well done as well as some fast-paced and highly entertaining stage combat. The use of original music, performed by various cast members, adds a lot to the Elizabethan setting as do the elaborate period costumes, particularly Queen Elizabeth's (Sonia Inoa-Rosado Maughan) gown. Finally, I was really impressed with the set, which is comprised of an elevated wooden platform made to look like a theatre, and the lighting design, consisting of a large rose projected on the stage and the outline of Shakespeare's writing projected during key moments. I really loved every aspect of this production and I highly recommend it (go here for tickets). It runs Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through May 4.