One of the tricky parts about being a critic is my experience of seeing so much theater and film is both helpful and not helpful. What I mean by that is something can feel tired to me who has seen 150 shows this year that the average person who see’s only a few will find fresh and exciting. MadKing’s latest girl-power piece MacB*tches is a good example of this. I did enjoy watching this MacBeth influenced play about drama girls that takes a dark turn but I probably would have enjoyed it more if I hadn’t also seen Heathers, We are Tigers, She Kills Monsters, and recently at Fringe Dramapocalypse. It’s not the repetition that’s the problem. I am famous for seeing many shows on repeat. It’s just in comparison to each of these similar shows MacB*tches comes up short, and it really isn’t until the last 15 minutes that I felt it started to earn its title.

I should clarify that MacB*tches is only 85 minutes with no intermission so an unhinged final act of around 15 minutes is no small part of the entire experience. I also found the cast to be excellent especially Mati Turner as queen bee Rachel. She is upset because she did not get the lead as Lady Macbeth, and a perky freshman named Hailey did. Hailey is played with the right youthful enthusiasm by Madison Hale and it does seem odd at first that she would be selected over Rachel for such a dark and twisted role. What was the director referred to as ‘Eric’ thinking? Well it becomes clear that he is the actual villain of the piece- manipulating and using these young girls in any way he can with the promise of impending theatrical greatness.

Indeed it is this disappointment that fuels Rachel’s character and leads her to eventually explode at the perky Hailey who she knows has replaced her. The problem is that the hour of the girls being civil to each other is a little dry and uneventful. Especially with the witches from Macbeth present throughout the play it keeps seemingly like something exciting is going to happen but it doesn’t until that unglued finale I keep talking about. Honestly I felt like the witches were a bit of a bait-and-switch and even in the finale they were underused. As I mentioned the recent Dramapocalypse had almost the exact same plot but used the Macbeth curse and an angry Shakespeare’s ghost in a much more entertaining way (that gave them juicy dialogue and something to do rather than just leering close to the other actors as it is here.)

This production is directed by Stina Madriaga-Stone and she keeps things simple not distracting from the actors or their performances. There is also a clear chemistry amongst the cast with Turner and Hale leading the way with Adalee Grindstaff, Sophia Abbott and Siena Crivac playing the other drama girls that each have different briefly developed arcs (Grindstaff getting the most story to work with as the innocent and inexperienced member of the group.) They all do what they can with the material, and it can be fun to watch in moments but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wanted more. I also wish the script had actually involved the plot of Macbeth in more interesting ways. At the end, for example, Rachel has blood all over her hands, and I was waiting for her to say “out out damn spot.” Something more overt to Shakespeare might have been fun especially for a character as hard-core as Rachel.

After my out of theater reaction I was told by MadKing that they have something fresh and exciting coming for next year’s season. I think this is a smart move. While it is good for a company to find a niche (especially in a market that needs more edgy daring material) they also never want to be in a rut. Recently Kismet Productions did Ordinary Days in that same space and that was something new and refreshing but it still has some grown-up elements. Honestly even something like The Spitfire Grill would be a great choice that is still female-centered with themes of abuse, misogyny, feminism and young womanhood still explored. Anyway, I do love what they are doing at MadKing and MacB*tches has fun moments and performances- especially that finale. It is playing until August 23rd. Tickets can be purchased here.

MacB*tches is a play by Sophie McIntosh. It is loosely inspired by Shakespeare’s Macbeth and was first performed in 2022.

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When I entered the wonderful Hopebox Theater to see their production of Anything Goes I was a little nervous for them. I absolutely love their mission and this particular musical is one of the hardest classic musicals to pull off for community theater. What makes it so difficult is it’s plot is paper thin so it relies completely on the quality of the singing and dancing. A lot times community theaters can get one or the other- the dancing might be good but then the singing isn’t and vice versa. Fortunately the good folks at Hopebox have managed to combine both making for a delightful night of theatre all for a wonderful cause.

This production is directed by Jan Willaims and Wyatt Welch and they have done a good job bringing out the best of the Teal Cast that I enjoyed. The set by Williams, Ashley Collins-Dowse and Ian Fife is easy to transform with doorways turning into beds and other such clever choices. It’s a small space at Hopebox but they make it work and at one point there are over 20 dancers all tap dancing with tap shoes. This is no small accomplishment! I also loved the costumes especially for Reno by Jamila Lowe and Shelbi Raynor.

My favorite songs of the night are “Blow, Gabriel, Blow” which I should have included in my recent podcast on my favorite Broadway songs. What a fun take on a Broadway spiritual. The dancing on this song is captivating from beginning to end. I also love “You’re the Top,” and the title song “Anything Goes.” One can’t help but smile when witnessing such entertaining song and dance numbers.

For the Teal Cast we had Samantha Wursten as Reno Sweeney. She has most of those difficult numbers I listed above- difficult both singing and dancing- but Wursten feels like a natural. Kayleigh Eagle is Hope Harcourt who is a ton of fun but I think my favorite is Stefan Kurzius as Moonface Martin and Kenna Ford as Erma Latour (“Be Like the Bluebird” and “Buddie, Beware” are a delight sung by these 2.) They both have terrific comedic timing as well as being good at the singing and dancing.

Watching this musical made me feel nostalgic for my Grandma who I miss very much. She loved old-fashioned song and dance shows like Anything Goes (Th Rockettes were her favorite in NYC.) My Grandma was the first person to introduce me to musical theatre taking me to shows and giving me cast albums. I hope that young people today can have the same experience with shows like Anything Goes at Hopebox. It’s important we pass down these classics to new generations and that’s what one can do by taking the whole family to this musical. Plus, when you support Hopebox you support their cancer-fighting Hopebox recipient so it is truly a win-win.

I saw the cast opening night and there were some jitters but it was nothing that stopped me from having a great time. One of the actresses fell of the set quite dramatically but she covered it quite well. I hope she wasn’t too bruised up from the incident! Also a few times they were a little out of sync with the backtrack but they pushed forward. It truly was a great night of community theatre. It is playing at Hopebox through September 5th and tickets can be purchased here.

Anything Goes features music and lyrics by Cole Porter with a book by Guy Bolton, P.G. Wodehouse, Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse with a Broadway revival book from John Weidman and Timothy Crouse. It first premiered on Broadway in 1934 and had a Broadway revival in 2011. It premiered on the West End in 1935 and has had 3 UK revivals the latest being in 2021 (which one can watch on proshot here)

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Now that I have been writing and podcasting about theatre for so long a lot of people know my opinions on certain shows. It is for this reason why I’m often surprised when a company asks for my review on a show that most people know I am lukewarm on but it happens all the time. Such was the case with a recent production of Into the Woods at Backstage Performing Arts. This is a show which I famously don’t love as much as most. I told them of my feelings and they still wanted me to review it and I’m so glad they did. What a wonderful production and even though I’m mixed on the show itself they blew me away with how well they executed this challenging material.

The first aspect that sticks out at Backstage is how unexpected the theater is. It’s in an office building in Centerville but this is not a black box. It’s a full theater with a curtain. I was amazed at all they did with the lighting and sound. They even had layers to the woods in the set design, which is something you don’t expect walking into a commercial office space. The production is directed by Shelby Hovley who seems to be a one-woman army also credited for the choreography, costumes, set design, props, and scenic artist! What an achievement for Hovley to create something like this for her community. Matt Stokes is the sound designer. April Bisek is the lighting designer as well as others Hovley gathered to put on this show.

Part of what makes Into the Woods so challenging for community theaters is the amount of tones the story takes on and the complexity of the music. On the surface it may seem a subversive yet simple take on fairytales but the melodies and acting requirements are not easy. Also here in Utah there can be an attempt to sand off the darker elements in the piece, which kind of defeats the purpose of doing it in the first place (or at least dulls it down.) If you want to tell a fairytale than do just that- put on Cinderella but if you want to do Into the Woods than do it completely.

Fortunately the production at Backstage is the full version with a couple of creative interpretations. The most noticeable is having the narrator as a young writer (Michelle Ludlow) at a desk on the side of the stage. They have dolls on the desk that look like the characters. This is perhaps the character that is the most open to interpretation, and I liked this whimsical take.

Hovley says in the director’s notes that “Utah’s theatre community is overflowing with talented artists, hundreds of people showing up to auditions, all hoping for the chance to tell a story. There is so much talent here, (call this a hot-take) but there simply aren’t enough opportunities.” What she says must be true because she not only has the very talented cast I saw, the Spell Cast, but a whole additional cast called the Midnight Cast. I can’t believe there are so many talented people for a new community production (a few people are single-cast like Nate Coleman as Rapunzel’s Prince- one of my favorites- and Noah Gentry Dixon as Jack who is also excellent in the role.)

A highlight of Into the Woods is always “Agony” and both of the princes are great here with Coleman and Sam Teuscher as Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf are a ton of fun together. Madison Archibald plays The Witch and I appreciate how her performance changed when she was under the mask and with powers to a frustrated yet commanding presence in Act 2. There are even times when she is imitating the shriveled up hags of the Evil Queen in Snow White and other type characters which made the performance captivating. Also the dress Hovley gave her for Act 2 is stunning. I want one!

Another favorite of the night is Savanna Sanborn as Little Red Riding Hood. She brought so much personality to that role and kept us all laughing. In general, the cast did all they could to bring out the humor of the piece which is particularly helpful in the darkness of Act II. Addie Jensen is really fun as Cinderella, Harriet Bauer-Miller and Kyle Esposito great as the Baker and Barker’s Wife. They were all excellent and had a nice chemistry together as a cast.

Like I said, I was very impressed with the lighting and sound throughout the piece. Particularly in Act II with the giant the space is so small you felt the giant’s presence in an immersive way most Into the Woods can’t capture. It amazes me we can see this quality of production for $21! We are so lucky to live in Utah.

The major downside to this production at Backstage is the seats are office chairs and quite uncomfortable for such a long show that Into the Woods is. I would recommend bringing a cushion but then the seats are pretty close together so make it a small one. There were some opening night jitters and intermission seemed to take longer than it should but overall I was really impressed with this production. I liked it enough I texted my friend who is an Into the Woods superfan and told her she needs to see it! It is playing through August 31st and tickets can be purchased here.

Into the Woods has music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim with a book by James Lapine. It first premiered on Broadway in 1987 and has been revived twice in 2002 and 2022. There was also a feature film adaptation from Disney in 2014.

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It’s not a big surprise that a show like Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a big favorite here in Utah. The Biblical elements of course but also the roadshow quality it has make it a great fit for the predominant Mormon culture. Even though I have seen it a lot I was excited to see it at Hale Center Theatre because they always deliver on the spectacle and it’s a spectacle-heavy show. Also it’s a show that is easy to inject personality into, and I was eager to see what the good folks at Hale would come up with.

Now I have seen the production and to be honest I’m confused at what director Jennifer Parker Hohl was going for. It’s fun to watch and the cast is very talented but it lacks a cohesive vision I usually enjoy with this show.

To give some examples one time when I saw Joseph they had a 90s boy band emphasis, another it was Taylor Swift, another was Vegas. Here it seems to be Old West, French, Vegas, reggae, 60s, country, circus acrobatics and then the most bizarre of all anime to finish the night. I’m just not sure what the director is going for with this confusing approach.

That said, the cast is talented with Zack Wilson having the leading man charm you need for the role of Joseph. His “Any Dream Will Do” and “Close Every Door” have the swoony crooner quality the songs require. I’m not sure why they have him and his brothers costumed in athletic socks and sneakers but he is great as Joseph.

The other highlight was “Song of the King,” which is always my favorite song of this show. They have Bryan Matthew Hague single-cast in the role of Pharaoh, and I can see why. He is over-the-top and funny as our Elvis-impersonating king, and I loved it. The only feedback I’d give him is he could enunciate better. I think if someone wasn’t as familiar with the lyrics and the song as I am they might struggle to understand what he is singing about. Still it’s a great sequence and one can’t help but smile watching it.

Another impressive element is the aerialists, coordinated by Ramsi Nia Stoker. I have noticed Hale is using aerialists more in the large stage and it adds that sense of spectacle you expect to get with a production here. These dancers are as talented as anything you’d see in Las Vegas or Disneyland. Honestly if Hale had a night in the style of Cirque du Soleil with just their dancers and acrobats I’d 100% buy a ticket to that performance.

The narrator is played by Adrien Swenson, and I admire how she handled an act 2 pause like a pro. Sometimes her singing felt a little shouty but she did have a big energy to her that is needed to lead this show.

I love the immersive nature of the production and was glad to see them using the video screens at the top of the theater adding more color and immersive qualities to the space (video projection designer Jaron Kent Hermansen.) The last couple shows in this theater didn’t use them very much so I was happy to see that change. Unfortunately they did commit one of my theater-in-the-round pet peeves. Nearly the entirety of Act 2 from “Grovel, Grovel, Grovel” onward Joseph’s back was to me so I couldn’t see him well. It’s very important in this type of theater to keep the actors, especially the leads, moving as much as possible so wherever you are seated you get a good look at the actors and their facial expressions.

Still, Joseph is an energetic, bubbly show that you can take the whole family to and have a good time. It’s also mercifully short which is a nice change of pace in the era of so many bloated shows. It does seem like a bit of a missed opportunity when it could have had a more cohesive vision but if you do see it at Hale you’ll enjoy yourself. It is playing until October 24th on the Centre Stage. Tickets can be purchased here.

Joseph and the amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat has music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics and book by Tim Rice. It is bsed on the story of Joseph in Genesis in the Bible. It first debuted in the West End in 1973 and then on Broadway in 1982. They haven’t had many revivals- none since 1993.

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The truth is I have actually written this review twice. I loved seeing Once at Centerpoint Legacy this Tuesday, and as I was late getting to see it (because of my recent travel) I wrote up my review on Wednesday and then I heard of the passing of Glen Hansard who wrote the music for Once, and I knew I had to come up with something else. Mostly I just feel grateful to have been able to witness a wonderful production of Hansard’s beautiful work the night before his passing. I’ll always treasure that gift of experience.

Anyway, back to the production. I admire Centerpoint for taking on the musical Once. It is definitely a stretching show for them and their audience. They are doing the squeaky clean version language-wise of this show but even so it is more mature than what they typically select; thereby, making it a bold pick. It also is challenging because all of the actors also play their own live music. This is tough for a company like Centerpoint that usually performs to recorded backtracks not a live orchestra. I’m amazed they found such all-around talented performers not only for one cast but enough to double cast it.

I definitely want to see the MWF cast because this TThS cast is incredible. I was truly impressed with all involved. Their talents and chemistry together is a joy to watch. Everything is led by Spencer Hunsicker as Guy and Ellie Hughes as girl. My friend who is Irish said Hunsicker’s accent is ‘insanely good.’

Once is also is a very intimate story for the large sprawling Centerpoint stage. Fortunately director David Martin succeeds in getting the best out of his actors and making the tenderness of the scenes sing out to the mezzanine where I was sitting. The set by Truxton-Moulton captures a street of Dublin but allows us to peer into the shops and storefronts and see what is happening. Again, it makes it feel intimate despite being such a large stage. I also really enjoyed how they used a marquee lighted sign to make Girl’s Czech language and background a part of the story.

If you are unfamiliar with the story of Once it is all about recognizing the small victories of life. Girl sees Guy singing on the street with the opening song “Leave” and can sense his despair. She decides to encourage him and they strike up a friendship. This doesn’t lead to a grand record contract or a concert before thousands. It leads to one day of recording together and then they all move on. They capture a moment together and that’s enough to be special- it’s one moment as the title suggests. “Falling Slowly” is the highlight of the show but there isn’t a bad song to be had, and they are performed beautifully by this talented cast.

There were some problems the night I attended with the sound mix coming off echoey and a little off at times but this is understandable as they don’t normally work with live performers on stage and it is a big theater space. Still, I really enjoyed it and feel grateful to have been able to be inspired by Hansard’s work the night before his passing. That is a gift. I hope I get to see the MWF cast at Centerpoint. I definitely recommend seeing this beautiful show before it closes on August 18th. Tickets are very affordable and can be purchased here. I also highly recommend their Tarzan which is still playing until August 15th.

Once has music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová with a book by Enda Walsh. It is based on the film which is written and directed by John Carney (who also did one of my favorite movies Sing Street which also has a musical version I have not seen but I’m dying to see it with a book by Walsh.) The film went on to win Hansard an Oscar Once premiered Off-Broadway in 2011 and on Broadway in 2012. It won 8 Tony Awards including best musical.

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This last Saturday was evidently my day for trying out musicals I didn’t like the first time around and fortunately I had a better experience with both of them on the second watch. The first was The Lightning Thief at The Empress (review here) and then I saw Ride the Cyclone at a new company Roller Coaster Theatrics. I had previously seen this cult favorite show a few years ago and did not have a great experience (see review here) Thankfully I had a much better experience this time and found a new company to be excited about.

It’s really quite poetic that Roller Coaster Theatrics would start out their company with a production of Ride the Cyclone. Like I said this is a cult favorite musical about what happens when a group of choir students has an accident on a roller coaster, all die and have to plead their cases to a fortune teller named The Amazing Karmak.

This show takes place at The Hive Collaborative and it is directed by Kate Allen with music direction by Zachary Sharp. They smartly keep things simple and in some ways it feels like a black box space rather than a thrust theater. It’s got that small intimate feeling of a black box. The cast is small with 7 in the afterlife and 2 actors playing Karnak (I think I had Alaina Hyland but I’m not positive.)

Each of the recently deceased has a song that serves as their introduction to the audience and their testimony before the Karmak to win a trip back to Earth. They are all very well performed with Maryn Christensen being the standout as Ocean O’Connell Rosenberg. My favorite part of Christensen’s performance is actually her acting outside of her song. Her responses when the others are singing is very compelling. She really creates a complete character we come to understand throughout the musical. I also loved Hailey Portolesi as Jane Doe. She has a beautiful voice and is perhaps the character who surprises us the most as viewers.

Part of the reason I didn’t like Ride the Cyclone before is it felt forced in its comedy and quirkiness. Because its a cult classic it felt like everyone was laughing at inside jokes that I didn’t get. This is obnoxious. I also felt like the actors were shouting at me in every song. It reminded me of Beetlejuice which in this aspect is not a good thing. Thankfully I did not feel this way in this more intimate heartfelt staging. I also really enjoyed the video of the actors as children made to look like old film reels (I don’t have program so not sure who to credit for that.)

That said if you do like Beetlejuice you probably will like Ride the Cyclone. They both have similar styles and themes. I think this feels a little more creative because it’s an original story but they have some elements in common. Unfortunately Ride the Cyclone is only playing 2 more times this weekend but I will be curious what Roller Coaster Theatrics does next. Tickets can be purchased here.

Ride the Cyclone has music, lyrics and book by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell. It is an original story and it first premiered in 2009 in Canada. Then it had its Off-Broadway premiere in 2016. It had its premiere in London this year

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It’s always interesting when I’m asked to review a show I haven’t been the biggest fan of in the past. I always let the company know of my previous experience and if they still want my opinion I will try and be as fair as possible with the review. Often the company will help me see the material in a new way and at the very least see why it is popular or appealing to a particular audience. Such was my experience watching The Lightning Thief at The Empress. This is flawed material that the teens at The Empress Theatre were able to elevate into something creative and exciting.

I do still think the musical book (not the novel) for The Lightning Thief is a bit of a mess. Characters are introduced and then abandoned, others reappear out of nowhere, the same is true for plot-points. For most of the first act it seems like this is going to be a summer camp coming of age story, then it becomes a quest with muddled goal, confusing villains and stakes, and much more. I know it is based on the book (which I have read) as well as being based on mythology but the writers of the musical didn’t do a good job creating a coherent vision with character arcs that are interesting and make sense.

All that said, a company like The Empress can still do creative things with flawed material and that’s what they did here. Percy Jackson is played by Elias Silva, and I don’t think I’ve seen him before in local theater, but he’s terrific as our lead. He’s a talented actor who has to mine a lot of different emotions including grief, anger, shame, victory and more. Plus, he is up for the fight choreography throughout (which is another highlight of the production by Marc Reading.) The rest of the teens have a nice chemistry together with Parker Skeen as Grover, Beck Bassett as Luke, and Eloise Derr as Annabeth to name a few. I also really enjoyed Cheryl Cripps who has a lot of fun playing villainous roles of Mrs. Dodds/Medusa/Charon

Besides the teens, the standout of this production directed by Beth Bruner is the creative visual effects they use throughout. Given this is a story about a modern teen who ends up on a quest with the Greek gods there’s a lot of magic and monsters that has to be created on a very small budget. What Bruner and set (and lighting) designer David Bruner do is create shadow puppets and silhouettes to look like the various creatures and settings (for example, at one point The Gateway Arch is silhouetted on to the fabric backdrop and it becomes part of the story.) This not only works for the narrative (muddled as it might be) but it creates a cool mystical tone that kept surprising me as a viewer. It also looked like they had 3D printed items as part of Medusa’s gallery. This attention to detail is very impressive.

I also really enjoyed how immersive everything felt. There was even a scene where the character throws a necklace into the audience and it landed right in my lap and then on to the floor. They also did a good job of using both sides of the platform at The Empress (it’s an unusually shaped theater but sometimes they use the platforms more than others and this was a good example of that.)

Most importantly it seems like the teens were having a great time and growing as people and performers. This is something I will always support and celebrate. I know The Lightning Thief has a lot of fans as a musical- especially young fans. If you or someone in your family is one of those people I would particularly recommend seeing this production at The Empress. It’s creativity and the energy of the teens is definitely worth seeing. It is playing until August 8th and tickets can be purchased here.

The Lightning Thief has music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki with a book by Joe Tracz based on the novel of the same name by Rick Riordan. It was first premiered Off-Broadway in 2014 and on Broadway in 2019.

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.