Into the Woods

On Christmas Eve Marilyn and I took Sean and Tashena to see the first screening of Into the Woods because I literally could not wait another moment to see it.  Stephen Sondheim's Tony award winning musical is one of my very favorites and I have been waiting for months and months for the movie adaptation to come out.  The story incorporates well-known fairy tales, such as "Little Red Riding Hood," "Cinderella," "Jack and the Beanstalk," and "Rapunzel," to demonstrate that actions can sometimes have unintended consequences and wishes do not always turn out happily ever after.  It is a very faithful adaptation and its strength is in the wonderful cast.  Meryl Streep is amazing as the Witch and, although I was not especially impressed with her singing in Mamma Mia, I really liked her renditions of "Stay With Me" and "The Last Midnight."  I think Anna Kendrick is absolutely perfect as Cinderella and I especially loved her performance of "On the Steps of the Palace."  When I found out that Johnny Depp was playing the Wolf, I may or may not have squealed because, in my opinion, he was made for this role.  I was positively giddy during his version of "Hello, Little Girl."  My favorite song in the stage musical has always been "Agony" sung by Cinderella's Prince and Rapunzel's Prince.  I was a bit surprised that Chris Pine not only pulled it off but, along with Billy Magnussen (who I was not familiar with), he actually turned it into one of the highlights of the movie.  Pine is hilarious as the prince who was raised to be charming not sincere and I loved all of his facial expressions and all of his strutting around.  The entire cast is well suited to their roles and Rob Marshall does a great job staging all of the song and dance numbers, especially the aforementioned "Agony" in a waterfall.  I really love the production design, making the woods seem much darker and more foreboding than they are usually portrayed on stage, and I think the costumes are fantastic, especially those worn by Cinderella's stepmother and stepsisters.  My only complaint is that Rapunzel's storyline becomes rather ambiguous (it is pretty bleak in the musical) at the end but it is a small deviation.  Overall, I think it is a fabulous adaptation and fans of the musical will probably love it as much as I do.  I highly recommend it;  in fact, I will probably see it again!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a pair of tickets to see the Utah Symphony New Year's Eve weekend.

Gingerbread Houses 2014

Ever since Tashena joined our family, we have had the tradition of making gingerbread houses (which is funny because I don't really remember doing this as a child).  This year we made them during the day on Christmas Eve.

Sean actually eats more frosting than he puts on his house (I have a picture like this every year) and we inevitably drop half of the candy on the floor, much to the delight of the dogs!

We buy the kits and then we use a hot glue gun to put them together (we never actually eat them).  We are impatient and we like to get to the fun part, which is decorating them, as soon as possible.  It doesn't really matter what they look like in the end because we have so much making them!

My masterpiece.

Marilyn's masterpiece.

Sean's masterpiece.

Tashena's masterpiece.

Our gingerbread house village!

2009

2010

2011

2012

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a pair of tickets to see the Utah Symphony New Year's Eve weekend.

A Christmas Carol at HCT 2014

Like The Nutcracker, another one of my cherished holiday traditions is seeing Hale Theatre's production of A Christmas Carol.  I've seen it so many times that I really think I could stand in for any part (happily, my services were not required last night) but it just wouldn't be Christmas without it!  The well-known story of Ebeneezer Scrooge's redemption after visits from the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future is so touching that I always walk out of the theatre vowing to keep Christmas in my heart all year long.  Some of the actors (such as David Weeks as Scrooge and Brad Charon as Bob Cratchit) return again and again and I look forward to seeing them.  I also look forward to seeing new actors making very familiar roles their own and I particularly liked Brannon Killgo as the Ghost of Christmas Present and, of course, Jimmy Empey was adorable as Tiny Tim.  I love the familiar sets, the opulent Victorian costumes, and the beautiful Christmas carols sung by an octet throughout the play.  It is always fun for me to look for any subtle changes that are made to the production (again, I've seen it so many times I can detect any change in an instant).  This year there was a new set for Scrooge's Counting House, which I thought was highly effective because it put Scrooge above Bob Cratchit and the rest of the office serving to emphasize his isolation from everyone (I have no idea if Kacey Udy, the brilliant set designer for HCT, intended it thus but I literally cannot stop my brain from analyzing everything I see).  There was also a new costume for the Ghost of Christmas Future which I really liked because, quite frankly, the old one was rather scary!  Last night was another lovely evening filled with Christmas spirit but, unfortunately, it was the final performance of A Christmas Carol for 2014.  However, you can go here to check out HCT's 2015 season! I'm looking forward to it!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a pair of tickets to see the Utah Symphony New Year's Weekend.

Leaping Russians and a Sugar Plum Fairy

Last night I attended Ballet West's production of The Nutcracker. This is such a beautiful production (in fact, it is so amazing that Ballet West recently performed five sold-out shows in Washington, D.C. at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts) and it is one of my very favorite Christmas traditions. I look forward to it every year! No matter how many times I see it, I always feel like a child again anticipating those well-known opening notes of Tchaikovsky's magnificent Overture. I am just as excited as the children in the party scene as they await the unveiling of the Christmas tree and I marvel as the toy nutcracker is transformed into a handsome prince in the first act.  In the second act, Clara and her prince travel to the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy and I definitely enjoy the divertissements she arranges for their pleasure.  I love the Arabian dance, but my favorite is the Russian dance for the sheer athleticism of it!  The Grand Pas de Deux between the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier gives me goosebumps every time and, tonight, Emily Adams and Beau Pearson danced it beautifully.  I absolutely love Tchaikovsky's score for this dance!  I think it is one of the most romantic pieces of music in the classical cannon and William Christensen's original choreography really complements it!  I love everything about this ballet and it was such a wonderful way to start my Christmas vacation.  The Nutcracker will be performed at Capitol Theatre until Dec. 31 (with matinee and evening performances excluding Christmas Day) and I highly recommend it. Go here for information and to purchase tickets.  Whether it is your first time or, like me, you've been going for years, you're sure to be enchanted by this holiday classic!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a pair of tickets to see the Utah Symphony New Year's Eve weekend.

Utah Symphony Giveaway!

Vienna is traditionally the place to be on New Year's Eve with its many opulent balls and concerts featuring stirring waltzes and marches but, if you can't afford the airfare, I have the next best thing!  How would you like to win a pair of tickets to see the Utah Symphony perform its version?  I have been given two pair of tickets for the New Years in Vienna concerts to give to my readers.  You can choose Friday Jan. 2 or Saturday Jan. 3 at Abravanel Hall in SLC at 8:00pm.  (Go here for more information about the pieces the orchestra will be performing).  I will be attending the Friday concert and I am so excited!  If you would like a pair of tickets, follow Phaedra's Adventures via Google Friend Connect (located in the sidebar) and enter the Rafflecopter below (you can enter every day until the giveaway closes on Dec. 28).  I will notify the winners by email on Monday Dec. 29 and tickets will be held in Will Call at Abravanel Hall.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck!

The Hobbit

I fell in love with all things Tolkien when I was in Jr. High and watching the movies adapted from my favorite Tolkien book, The Hobbit, has been quite an adventure!  I arranged for a private screening of An Unexpected Journey for my students (a new theater had just opened near my school and they had a great promotion for private screenings) two years ago and it was so much fun.  I don't know what my students liked more:  the actual movie or the fact that they were missing school!  I was completely enchanted by it, especially Radagast the Brown...and his rabbits!  I was so excited for The Desolation of Smaug so I saw it last year at midnight right before an early morning flight to Denver!  Hmmm.  While I really liked the sequences with the spiders and the Dwarves' escape from the Elves in wine barrels, this installment was my least favorite because it didn't really advance the plot very much.  Last night I saw the first screening of The Battle of the Five Armies  in IMAX 3D and I thought it a fitting end to the trilogy.  The story begins with the the death of Smaug after the dramatic destruction of Laketown (which, in my opinion, is where The Desolation of Smaug should have ended).  The Dwarves then return to Erebor to look for the Arkenstone and Thorin descends into madness over lust for the treasure left by Smaug.  The inhabitants of the decimated Laketown, having been promised a share of the treasure for helping the Dwarves, also travel to Ereborn, as do the Elves seeking to reclaim valuable heirlooms stolen by Smaug.  Dwarves, Humans, and Elves begin battling with each other, until a threat from Azog and his army of Orcs unite them against a common enemy.  The battle sequences are epic, if somewhat repetitive, especially when Tauriel fights Bolg (girl power), when Thorin pushes Azog under the ice, and when the Eagles drive off the rest of the Orcs.  I really liked the resolution between Bilbo Baggins and Thorin and I think this movie does a great job of bridging the gap between The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy.  I definitely recommend it but, honestly, if you haven't seen the previous movies, you may be a bit confused.  If, however, you are a fan of the franchise, I suspect you will love it!

Note:  I really think that men should wear their hair long.  Just my opinion.

Here Comes Santa Claus

Last December Marilyn and I took Sean and Tashena to see Elf: The Musical at PTC.  They enjoyed it so much we decided to take them to another Christmas performance this year (a little culture never hurt anybody).  Every year the Utah Symphony performs Here Comes Santa Claus as part of its Family Series and we went to this concert yesterday afternoon.  It was only one hour long (the perfect length for children) and the orchestra played well-known Christmas songs such as "Joy to the World," "O Christmas Tree," "Here Comes Santa Claus," and "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer."  For the finale, a visitor from the North Pole came and conducted the orchestra (and the audience) in a sing-along featuring "Deck the Halls," Jingle Bells," and "Frosty the Snowman."  These concerts in the Family Series are a great way to introduce classical music to children (see the Halloween concert here) because they are a lot of fun and the music is accessible for all ages.  Tashena loved it and Sean did a really good job sitting through the whole thing (of course, we did a full pat-down before entering Abravanel Hall and confiscated several toys with lasers).  I loved every minute of it and so did Marilyn (she thinks that Associate Conductor Vladimir Kulenovic is adorable).  I am so glad that the Utah Symphony performs concerts that are geared for the whole family.  I derive a great deal of pleasure from the performing arts (as you know if you read my blog regularly) and it makes me very happy to give Sean and Tashena opportunities like this concert.  Afterwards, we went out to lunch and Sean told us that this was the best day ever!

Lights at Temple Square

Every year millions of lights are illuminated around the LDS Temple in downtown Salt Lake.  About that many people, from all over the world, come to visit the spectacular display beginning the day after Thanksgiving through New Year's Eve.  Marilyn and I were among the crowd last night.  Actually, it wasn't too crowded and, more importantly, it wasn't too cold (we are having a very mild winter so far).  It is quite a sight to see.

There are also free Christmas concerts every night on Temple Square.  I was able to see the Hunter High School Concert Choir and Madrigals perform last night and I thought they were amazing!  The Madrigals sang one of my very favorite Christmas songs, "Lo How a Rose 'Ere Blooming."  You can go here for more information about all of the events on Temple Square.

Peter and the Starcatcher at PTC

Two years ago the Utah Shakespeare Festival produced Peter and the Starcatcher.  That year I could only spend one day at the festival and, since I didn't know anything about that particular play, I didn't choose to see it.  Of course it turned out to be the most popular show of the season and I was a little bit sad that I hadn't seen it (especially since the theatre teacher at my school raved and raved about it).  As luck would have it, I got a second chance to see it last night at Pioneer Theatre and I absolutely loved it!  Much like Wicked does for The Wizard of Oz, Peter and the Starcatcher tells the backstory of Peter Pan.  We learn how a mistreated orphan boy gets magical powers and arrives in Neverland and how the inept pirate Black Stache becomes Peter's arch-nemesis Captain Hook.  It is a fantastical journey that is best enjoyed through the eyes of your inner child.  You must be willing to believe (there is a hilarious spoof of the classic "clap if you believe" speech to save Tinkerbell) that stars fall to the ground and give ordinary people magical powers (such as turning the male ensemble into dancing mermaids).  I believed every bit of it!  The entire cast is wonderful (almost everyone plays multiple roles) but I laughed and laughed at Leo Ash Evens as Black Stache.  To be sure, Black Stache is a great character (a poetic pirate looking for a hero to defeat so he can become a memorable villain) but Evens is especially flamboyant!  I loved watching his facial expressions, particularly in the scene where he loses his hand.  The set is very minimal.  The actors pantomime much of the action, with the addition of some fabulous sound effects, and many of the props are ordinary objects such as ladders, which become the masts of ships, as well as plungers and umbrellas, which become swords.  The actors are almost like children using their imaginations while playing with whatever is at hand and I thought it was highly effective.  I definitely recommend Peter and the Starcatcher for children and for adults who, like Peter, refuse to grow up!  It runs through Dec. 20 and tickets can be purchased here.

Note:  The theatre teacher at HHS is taking her students to see it this afternoon.  I wish I could go with them and see it again!

Happy Birthday Sean!

Sean's birthday was actually last Wednesday but we had the family celebration yesterday.  Sean gets so excited about everything so he couldn't wait to get the party started!  Dinner was chosen by the birthday boy and he picked hamburgers and fries (he always does).  Then we had an ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins (a birthday tradition in our family).

Sean's cake had trick candles so every time he blew them out they would light up again!  He tried really hard to blow them out!

After cake, Sean opened his presents.  He got lots of clothes and superhero action figures (which he plays with for hours) from Grandma and Grandpa, Marilyn, and me.  As he opened presents, he seemed to get more and more distressed.  For weeks he has been telling us that he wanted a bike (with gears) for his birthday.  He thought it would be too expensive so he told all of us to go in together and get it as a "family gift."  Because he was opening presents from us, he thought he wasn't going to get a bike.  But his Mom and Dad came through!

When my brother-in-law brought it in, the look on Sean's face was absolutely priceless!  He went from disappointment to extreme joy in about ten seconds!

He immediately took it outside to try it out and practice "changing gears."  I asked him if he had a good birthday and he said he was so happy because he had lots of new toys to play with, new outfits to wear to school next week, and a new bike!  Happy Birthday Sean!  We sure do love you!

Note:  I am so glad that Sean still likes to play with superhero action figures!  I sometimes wish we could go back to the days when all Tashena wanted was Barbies!

Beethoven's Ninth

If you live in the Salt Lake City area, stop reading this post right now and go here to get tickets to tonight's Utah Symphony concert featuring Beethoven's Ninth Symphony!  If you are lucky enough to get tickets (there were very few empty seats in Abravanel Hall last night), you will hear what is widely regarded as the greatest symphony ever written and, even if you are not a big fan of classical music, you can't help but be swept up in the emotion.  This piece of music, about the universal brotherhood of man, is absolutely sublime and the Utah Symphony performed it beautifully.  The orchestra was, once again, joined by the Utah Symphony Chorus and some wonderful soloists, including the amazing Celena Shafer, Cynthia Hanna, Chad Shelton, and Michael Dean.  I absolutely love Symphony No. 9 and this was actually the first concert I selected when I created my season package.  I have been looking forward to it ever since.  I had goosebumps almost from the first note because I think the first movement is incredibly stirring and dramatic.  The second movement is lively and exuberant and the third movement brings tears to my eyes because it is so hauntingly beautiful.  All of this is merely a prelude to the incredible fourth movement featuring the chorus and soloists singing lyrics from the poem Ode to Joy by Friedrich Schiller to the accompaniment of the instantly recognizable main theme played by the orchestra. Words cannot express how amazing it was to hear this performed live with the acoustics in Abravanel Hall!  The symphony is more than an hour long but, like all wonderful things, it felt like it was over in an instant.  I get chills just thinking about it! It was a joyful noise, indeed!  If you are still reading this, stop now and get your tickets here.  You will thank me later!

Note:  If you do get tickets, go a little bit early because the traffic downtown at this time of year is really heavy.  However, this performance is worth the hassle!

Festival of Trees 2014

I have been volunteering at the Festival of Trees for many years (some years I even took students with me which was incredibly rewarding) and I had the opportunity to do so again last night.  The Festival of Trees is a holiday event where groups and individuals donate decorated Christmas trees (and other items such as wreaths, centerpieces, and gingerbread houses), usually in honor of someone who has died or who has been very ill.  Corporations, and sometimes individuals, bid on the trees at an auction and all of the proceeds go to Primary Children's Hospital.  Then the trees, and other items, are put on display for the public at the South Towne Expo Center.  I volunteer as a hostess and my job is to monitor a small area of trees.  It is such a worthwhile cause and I look forward to it every year!  After my shift is over I like to wander around and look at all of the trees (and get one of the delicious sweet rolls).  Here are some of my favorites.

While I was working in my area, I kept hearing people talk about the Pirate Tree!  When my shift was over, I decided that I should try and find it.  So fun!

This was my favorite tree of the evening.  Obviously!

 One of the trees in my area was donated by the musicians of the Utah Symphony.  You know how much I love the Utah Symphony so I thought that was awesome!

This cute Frozen tree was also in my area.  I actually had to chase down a little girl who took a doll from the tree!

The most popular tree in my area was called "Unified Heroes."  It was donated in honor of a little boy named Gage who loved firemen.  All of the children (and some adults) wanted to touch it!

The Festival of Trees continues every day until Saturday, Dec. 6 from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm.  Go here for more information.