One of the hard parts of being a regional theatre critic is I usually get to see new shows later than my New York counterparts for obvious reasons. This means by the time the national tours get to me I have heard all kinds of reviews, seen awards given out and sometimes listened to the original cast recordings for the shows. This can leave me over-hyped for some shows (I’m talking to you Kimberly Akimbo) or under-prepared for something I end up really enjoying. Either way I try my best to set expectations aside and give everything I watch as fair a shot as is possible. Anyway, the latest new show to come through Salt Lake is the national tour of Hell’s Kitchen and fortunately it is one that exceeded my expectations.

Going into watching this show it had a bit of an uphill battle for me personally. To begin with, I’m not normally a big jukebox musical fan and I also don’t love a lot of angsty coming of age stories. They can feel one-note and frustrating. Plus I’m not very familiar with Alicia Keys music so I wouldn’t be able to enjoy it just on that level alone. Fortunately Hell’s Kitchen was able to break down all those barriers and provide a captivating night of theater. It just goes to show anything can be entertaining when executed well.

The story of this musical is rather formulaic but it’s what the creators do with that formula that makes it work. The story is semi-autobiographical of Keys life as a 17 year old (called Ali played by Maya Drake) being raised by a single mom in an artistic part of New York City (this mom if she didn’t want her daughter to start playing music might have picked a different building to live in!) Ali becomes introduced to playing the piano by a woman named Liza Jane (played by Roz White.) The minute you meet Liza it is totally obvious what her arc is going to be and that she’s probably not long for this world but again this show is all about the execution not the formula.

I was particularly moved by the character of the mom (named Jersey) played by Kennedy Caughell. She is a character that desperately wants to help her daughter but can’t figure out how besides telling her what she’s doing is a bad idea. In 2 moments of desperation she first calls her ex-love Ali’s father to try to break through to their daughter and then she actually slaps Ali in the face. Both choices are equally useless in actually helping her get her daughter to listen and she becomes more and more frustrated. This all culminates in the most powerful song of the show with “Pawn it All.” Caughell is absolutely riveting throughout this role but especially with that song. Wow! For the most part the father named Davis (Desmond Sean Ellington) is a forgettable character but it’s all about how he gets mom and daughter where they need to be for the story.

The dynamic between Ali and boyfriend Knuck is less compelling (hard to get invested in their love story when he should know she’s a young teen or he should ask more questions!) but it’s a means to an end in furthering the tension between mother and daughter so I was fine with it. Those who are familiar with Keys’ music will enjoy hearing all her greatest hits, but I loved seeing the dancing that accompanied what is happening on stage. This changed from hip-hop style to contemporary to classic Broadway (choreography by Camille A Brown.) I also liked how the set has layers to it with scaffolding and projections all used to create movement and interest in every scene that is happening (Robert Brill set designer.) It creates the feeling of a bustling city with history and music. The production is directed by Michael Greif.

One thing is for sure if you are a teen or are currently a parent of a teen Hell’s Kitchen is a must see. It’s so hard to find material that speaks to that time period in an authentic non-patronizing way and this does. Otherwise if you just enjoy seeing dynamite performances like Caughell gives as the mom you won’t be disappointed. I’d say it is one of the better shows we’ve gotten on tour this year outside of The Phantom of the Opera and it is definitely worthy of your time and money. It is playing through the 12th at Eccles and tickets can be purchased here.

Hell’s Kitchen is a jukebox musical with songs by Alicia Keys so she is credited as the music and lyricist. The book is by Kristoffer Diaz. It first premiered Off-Broadway in 2023 and on Broadway in 2024 where it just closed this February.

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. Please take a look here.

Anyone who has followed my coverage over the years knows I have some mixed feelings about the musical Matilda. In particular the framing device with Matilda telling the story of an escapologist I don’t think works at all; however, what I do think works really works so I never mind seeing it in spite of its flaws. In fact, I recently had the chance to see a wonderful production of Matilda put on at Timpanogos Arts and it’s one I highly recommend for the whole family.

The first exceptional aspect of this production of Matilda you will notice as soon as you enter the Valentine Theater is the professional set design. It looks as good as anything you’d see in any national touring company with a frame of letters surrounding the stage that lit up during different musical numbers. The sets throughout the show are handsomely mounted but also can easily evolve into the school, chokey, and the Wormwood house or any other scene with ease. In addition, off to both sides of the stage are sets that became Matilda’s room, Miss Honey’s house and the Trunchbull’s office, which is a smart use of space. I also don’t think I have ever seen the final chalkboard writing better executed in a Matilda production than the way they do it here. It is seamless. The scenic design is by Kristyan Williams with lighting by Caleb Wallengren, and I hope all of the local companies have both of them on their radars because they are very gifted.

Speaking of the cast, the night I attended was the Blue cast and they are all to be applauded for their chemistry together and great performances. Marie Ashton brings a lot of pluck and a good British accent to the role of Matilda (and gets the Bulgarian right at the end!) with Weston Klemetson delivering strong vocals and acting as Bruce (one of the more underrated roles of the musical in my opinion.) All the adults are also great especially Emma Austin as one of the best Miss Honey actresses I’ve seen. “My House” is such a critical moment of this musical because it shows that sometimes the quiet protest is equally valid if that’s what we are capable of and Austin sings that song powerfully.

If people know this show they know the song “Telly” is actually sung by Mr Wormwood during intermission. This allows the actor to ad-lib a bit and have fun with the audience. The night I attended John Newall picked me for “Telly” to play with and it was very funny all he had to say about my favorite book Pride and Prejudice LOL. He told me after that some people thought I was a plant because it played so well, which is very funny. I definitely wasn’t but it was a highlight of the night. Dani Klappoth is also a real hoot as Mrs Wormwood, and she’s a pretty good ballroom dancer for the song “Loud” (choreography by Alisa Farnsworth.)

My favorite song of the musical is “The Smell of Rebellion,” which is sung by Trunchbull played by Bryson Alley. He plays the role of Trunchbull like a seasoned veteran who has a lot of experience with this character. He’s not really camping it up, which I’ve seen other performers do. He’s a villain in the best kind of way, which is what makes this song in particular so effective.

I honestly don’t know what else one could ask for in a community theater production of Matilda. Sure I wish I could make changes to the actual show but as far as this production it is outstanding and families will have a great time seeing it together (youth and seniors have discounted prices.) It is playing through July 18th and tickets can be purchased here.

Matilda features music and lyrics by Tim Minchin and a book by Dennis Kelly based on the Roald Dahl classic novel. It first appeared on Broadway in 2013 and the West End in 2011.

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. Please take a look here.

I love all kinds of theatre- big, small, professional, amateur and everything in between but one of my favorite types is when it can become a true community event and not just an entertaining show. The good folks up at High Valley Arts are some of the best in Northern Utah at creating such an event with their outdoor musicals they have every summer (I’ve actually never been to any of their indoor shows as they are a long drive for me but I should.) I absolutely love sitting under the stars with a community of strangers and seeing the wonderful musicals they have to offer. This year it is The Little Mermaid and it’s a delightful night of community theatre for the whole family.

Outdoor theatre can be challenging especially when they don’t even have a true venue or amphitheater like is the case at High Valley. This makes what director Destry Pollard accomplishes particularly impressive. I attended opening night and everything basically went off without much of a hitch, which again is hard to do an outdoor make-shift environment like they have. They had to have been very happy with how everything turned out.

The most impressive aspect of the production is how they used projections to help add to the staging and storytelling. Sound and projection director Marvin Rust did an excellent job in this area particularly in the finale where Ursula becomes a part of the projections along with giant tentacle props that are also very well designed by props manager Laurie Fitzgerald. The sets by Pllard and Alexia Richins are well done with particularly Ariel’s grotto standing out. It even lights on fire when Triton has his fit and destroys everything.

Olivia Kelson and Dawn Brown also deserve a shout-out for the across the board strong costume design. Ursula’s costume is my favorite but they are all a lot of fun including both the mermaid and human looks for all of Ariel’s sisters (they are the candidates trying out for Eric’s attention at the ball.) I also really liked Sebastian and Flounder’s looks.

The cast at High Valley Arts is led by Sarah Cope as Ariel and she gives you everything one could ask for in a community performance of Ariel. She’s warm and endearing with a lovely singing voice. Russell Nielsen brings lots of personality to Sebastian and Forrest Lee is very funny as the weary Grimsby. The only odd aspect is the inconsistent use of the ensemble. For example, some numbers like “Kiss the Girl” had a large ensemble singing and dancing but then “Positoovity” only had 2 seagulls accompanying Skuttle. That might be a costuming budget decision but it stood out as strange.

Because it’s an outdoor venue it does start rather late at 8:15 which might be a problem for the young kids who The Little Mermaid is made for. All the kids around me seemed to be enjoying it but something to factor in if you have kids. This production is playing until July 20th and it’s definitely worth the drive up to Midway for an entertaining night of community theatre for the whole family. Tickets can be purchased here.

The Little Mermaid has music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater with a book by Doug Wright based on the classic story by Hans Christian Andersen and the 1989 animated film

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.

Everyone who has followed my writing knows how much I love the musical Les Misérables. It was the first musical I ever really loved and one that has consistently inspired and entertained me my entire life. That said, my love and nostalgia for it does not mean I will give a weak production a pass. For example, I famously was not a fan of the recent national tour and I said so in the review you can read here. So I went into the production of Les Mis at Tuacahn Amphitheatre with some anticipation but fortunately it did not disappoint. In fact, it was a total triumph. Whether you are a die-hard Les Mis fan or not you’ll agree this is an incredible night of musical theatre.

There are a lot of aspects to praise about this Les Mis production but the most important part is director Sarah Hartmann has found ways to make the material fresh and exciting without feeling self-indulgent or distracting. For example, when the musical opens with the Prologue and “Work Song (Look Down)” they open up the back of the stage to the red rock canyon behind and they have the actors on the rocks acting like miners with pickaxes and shovels. As they sang “Look Down” you could feel the heat of the day and the onerous life experiences for these men. It was a great opening to Les Mis and is something only Tuacahn could offer the piece.

Of course, being Tuacahn the talent is also across the board excellent with David Toole leading the way as Valjean. He has a maturity the character needs and a beautiful tenor voice that is up for the challenging numbers like “Bring Him Home” and “Who Am I?.” Randall Keith is perhaps my favorite of the cast with his commanding performance of Javert. I especially love his rendition of “Stars” and how the large stage fills up with starlight (again something one could only experience in this way at Tuacahn. Love that!) Kelsey Lee Smith is powerful as Eponine with Janna Cardia bringing needed comic relief as Madame Thénardier.

The only miss for me is Zach Berger as Thénardier. While his acting is full of comedic energy he slurs his words together too much and if I hadn’t been so familiar with the songs I might struggle to understand what he is singing. I’m not sure why but there was something about J.T. Wood’s portrayal of Marius that makes him feel particularly lame. It’s not the best written character but especially with Eponine it’s like “dude she is clearly shot and you’re surprised by blood.” My friend called him a “purse boyfriend” which was a new term to me but if it means slightly clueless participatory male figure than the term works.

My favorite moment of the night was probably the greatest directorial risk. During the “Turning” number they have the women place the clothing of the barricade soldiers on the stage. Then during “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” (which I’ve been annoyed at avante-garde interpretations of this number in the past) the “ghosts” of the soldiers came and took their clothing and then sang with Marius the rest of the song. This is a powerful and surprising way to stage this song and bring home the message of their brave sacrifice. I was also shocked with how they stage both Gavroche and Javert’s deaths.

I enjoyed this production of Les Misérables at Tuacahn so much I am contemplating how I can get back down there and see it again in the coming months. Fortunately it is playing through October 23rd and it’s a show I highly recommend. It has set the bar for Les Mis productions and I’ve seen it 3 times on Broadway. Tickets can be purchased here.

Les Misérables features music by Claude-Michel Schönberg and lyrics by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel. The book is by Boublil and Schönberg. It is based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo which was first published in 1862. It began as a French musical in 1980 and then moved to the West End and to Broadway in 1985 where it won 8 Tony Awards cementing itself as an instant classic. The 10th anniversary concert in 1995 was my obsession as a teen, and one I highly recommend (ad).

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. Please take a look here.

There are times when reviewing theatre or film one has to look at the intended audience for a piece and assess if the needs of the audience are being met. Not everything should or can be for everyone and it’s perfectly fine for something to have a niche appeal. Such is the case for the new parody musical from Salt Lake Acting Company called The Gaslight Zone. This is part of a tradition SLAC has of a summer comedy show each year, a tradition I have not attended until now. I’m honestly not the biggest fan of this type of skit type comedy play so I went in with some hesitation. I’m also way more mixed politically than the typical SLAC patron. I’d call myself a moderate conservative (yes those still exist.) After seeing the show I can’t say that it is all for me but I think it was well done and will definitely please the target audience it is going for. Local liberals looking for a homebase to connect and vent will love it. Nothing wrong with that!

This production is directed and choreographed by Cynthia Fleming, and I must say it was much more ambitious than a lot of this sketch comedy (particularly improv which by its nature is unplanned and usually not very funny) usually is. I was particularly impressed by the pre-recorded video bits used. I’d put them up there with anything you see on SNL these days (although that may be damning with faint praise but still it looked very professional.) Most of these are old-school advertisement style like an informercial for a Redact-O-Pen 5000 to use on the Epstein files or a Stretch Johnson toy commercial to make fun of Speaker Mike Johnson. One of the frustrating parts about the political life of President Trump is how horrifically Hollywood has failed to mine any humor from it. You’d think with someone like him it would be ripe for the parody and satire but especially SNL has fallen flat in that department most of the time (I particularly can’t stand Alec Baldwin’s bland and useless Trump.) Anyway, the fact I laughed as much as I did at what SLAC presented says something because so many have completely failed in that department in the last decade.

My favorite part of The Gaslight Zone outside of the video skits is the songs. I didn’t realize going into it that it was a musical. In parody fashion they have taken classic Broadway songs and reworked them to be topical like “Revolting Neighbors’ off of ‘Revolting Children’ from Matilda or a reworking of “American Idiot” from American Idiot with the same appropriate title. Some times I found the segments went on a little bit too long, and I grew weary of them after a while (particularly the local humor) but it was still overall a fun time.

The cast is up for the task ahead of them and not afraid to look silly or be controversial. Everything is hosted by Scotty Fletcher playing a drag queen Broad Sterling who was a perfect choice for that job. It was also impressive to see the massive costumes with elaborate headpieces designed by Dennis Hassan. In addition, I enjoyed Marc Nielsen’s Trump. The clips are shot by Kenny Riches and like I said they are the most polished aspect of the night.

Obviously The Gaslight Zone is not going to win over a lot of the conservative audience in Utah but it’s not designed to. I think it is perfectly fine for the liberal minority to have a place to go to laugh, gather and commiserate together. And for that purpose this show does its job well. It’s a situation where you have to know who you are and if something is a good fit for you. If it is, than you should go see it. Simple as that! It is playing through August 16th and tickets can be purchased here (also consider subscribing to SLAC if you are its target audience. You won’t regret their ambitious schedule)

For its audience I give it a

The Gaslight Zone is written by Olivia Custodio, Austin Archer and Penelope Caywood with direction and choreography by Cynthia Fleming. Music director is Zach Hansen.

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. Please take a look here.

Hi theatre friends! This post is extremely late which is both a good thing and bad thing. As anyone who follows my site knows I have both reviews and logs. The logs are just quick thoughts on shows I attend as a patron not detailed reviews. I try and post a log each month but I have been so busy with full reviews I have gone a month and a half in June. This is a good thing because I am being asked to cover more shows with full reviews but it makes the log rather ungainly when I get around to posting about it. Needless to say this one is likely to be particularly brief but hopefully it gives you all an idea of what has been on the stage in Utah over the last 9 weeks. I do always give my out of theater reactions to film and theatre on my instagram unless I’m embargoed so make sure you are following me there.

Also I would be willing to do full reviews of all of these if the companies are interested. Just email me at rachelsreviews65@gmail.com

Something Rotten- The Ziegfeld Theatre, Ogden

I have seen Something Rotten many times and I do find it very funny but I probably wouldn’t have gotten a ticket for the production at the Ziegfeld but their marketing worked and peaked my curiosity. They advertised an ‘uncensored version’ of Something Rotten so I was interested to see if it was really that different than the other versions I have seen. In the end I’d say it’s not with the main difference being in the innuendo for Brother Jeremiah (played by David Storm.) But it was still a fun production with Caleb Parry and Jonas Stone feeling like believable brothers as Nick and Nigel Bottom respectively. The Shakespeare by Colton Ward was also a hoot. This was directed by Jennifer Westfall and Ziegfeld is putting on Frozen (like every company this year!) right now until July 4th. Can find more information here.

Daddy Long Legs/Pride and Prejudice- Springville Playhouse, Springville

This log entry actually accounts for 3 performances. Springville Playhouse put on both Daddy Long Legs and Pride and Prejudice so you know I had to see all 3 (2 casts of DLL.) I love that they not only did a great job with both pieces they compared and contrasted them in the directors notes. Aside from them both being period romances I wouldn’t have thought of them together (P&P is more of a social commentary than DLL also one is enemies to lovers while the other is friends to lovers) so it was neat to think about 2 shows I adore in new ways. Director Sara Jane Isom has made this a labor of love and I appreciate she made the black box space flexible and easy to maneuver for both shows. The P&P was a new to me adaptation by CS Griffel and I could tell it was originally written for high school because it included every character. The cast was absolutely massive. I really enjoyed seeing Matthew DelaFuente as Darcy as he is one of my favorite local talents. I had just seen the version at Bluffdale Arts that was very silly and I prefer this more grounded take but it’s always fun to see new versions of P&P. Of the 2 DLL casts Cast 1 (called blonde haired cast) was probably my favorite with the better chemistry but they were both very pleasant and I enjoyed them very much. They had them alternating on the letters more than some other times I’ve seen the show getting Jervis to sing a little more than he sometimes does. I always prefer if there is some kind of mailbox or other device on the stage for the letters just to give them a little sense of connection but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Find out more about Springville Playhouse here.

Six: the Musical Teen Edition- Centerstage Performing Arts, Pleasant Grove

Unfortunately I do not have my program for Six: the Musical Teen Edition but I saw it at Centerstage Performing Arts at Liahona Theater. Most people know I’m not the biggest Six fan but these teens did such a great job. The costumes were incredible and looked just like Broadway. I was invited by Lia who played Anne Boleyn and she rocked it. In some ways I think teens makes a lot of sense for Six as their jr shows are shorter anyways and most schools have more interested female participants than male. They had actually triple cast the show which I like to see as it gives as much opportunity to participate as possible. Find out more about Centerstage here.

Hallmarked- Hale Center Theatre, Sandy

I have already written about Hallmarked 3 times so this will be extra brief. I wanted to get one more watch in before it closed at the beginning of June and I’m so glad I did. I was particularly glad I got to see Cameron Dietlein as Luke which I hadn’t seen him before. He is actually the talented composer behind the piece and I was able to interview him and the rest of the team here. Hale has Our Town coming up next on the Beehive Stage which I’m really looking forward to seeing next week. You can find out more information here.

No Time for Sergeants- Parker Theatre, Salt Lake

I really appreciate at the Parker they decided to put on an old fashioned show about the military for the celebration of America 250th birthday. I had heard of No Time for Sergeants but had never seen it before and overall I enjoyed it. This is directed by Joanne Parker and it is a very impressive production for community theater. The flight hangers and boot camps look professional with the always state-of-the-art sound and lighting the Parker always has. The cast is also fun with Truman Schipper playing the dopey Will. That said, I didn’t particularly find it very funny but maybe that’s just my sense of humor. Today is actually the closing day for No Time for Sergeants but I’m glad I had a chance to see such a classic. Next up the Parker has Cyrano De Bergerac and tickets can be purchased here.

School of Rock- Draper Amphitheatre, Draper

If I was making a list of underrated Broadway musicals I would definitely include School of Rock. It is of course based on the movie but they add to it with really good songs including one of my favorites “If Only You Would Listen.” I always look forward to the productions at the Draper Amphitheater and their School of Rock did not disappoint. My only surprise was how poorly attended it was. Usually Draper brings out crowds so I’m not sure what happened. I love how this show gets the teens to play instruments live and they were a highlight of the night. I also loved Kersee Whitney as principal Rosalie. It’s a harder role than you’d guess having to do everything from rock to opera but she nailed it all. This was probably less visually special and more reliant on projections than their previous productions of Mamma Mia and Hairspray but I still had a good time with it. School of Rock has finished its run but you can find out more on Draper Arts Council here.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels- Draper Historic Theatre, Draper

I will always support my local theatre companies but lately the productions at Draper Historic haven’t been as strong as they were for a while. This is why I was so happy to see such a strong staging of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. It’s a musical I honestly can find a little dry and boring when I’ve seen it in the past but they did the best version of it I’ve seen. I particularly loved the cast and Marion Pack as Muriel and Todd Taylor as Andre. They are both such talented comedic actors. The rest of the cast was first rate in both the singing and acting with sets and props that were all very well done. Draper Historic has High School Musical coming up next and tickets can be purchased here.

So there you have it 9 shows! What have you been watching? Have you seen any of these shows? Would love to hear your thoughts.

These logged shows I pay for out of pocket and I’d love to do that as much as possible. If you have a show you’d like me to take a look at and write a full review let me know. I also have my patreon which is a great way to support what I do and get some really fun perks. Find out more here.

I always love when a local company let’s me check a play or musical off of my theatre bucket list. Especially being here in Utah there are some shows that aren’t done often and yet I long to see them. This week I had such an experience provided to me by Lil Poppet Productions and their staging of True West. I’d long heard of this play but was delighted to get to see it and it did not disappoint. What a gripping night of community theatre.

This play is put on in the black box space at the Alliance Theater at Trolly Square and it is one of the strongest plays I’ve seen there recently. What I think makes it work is not only are the performances professional quality but it has a good mixture of humor and drama keeping the audience guessing on what will happen next.

The story is set in Los Angeles in the late 1980s and focuses on two brothers who have a volatile relationship to say the least. Austin is back in town to talk to a Hollywood executive about screenplay he has and Lee is financially irresponsible and angry man who has become a thief to make by. They are staying at their mother’s home while in Los Angeles and make a mess of things since she is vacationing in Alaska.

Once they start talking Lee shares with Austin his idea for a new western film and wants his help to write it. As you can imagine this collaboration between the brothers does not go well creating a good mixture of comedy and drama. They even end up attacking each other at several points in the story. I also like that the script stays ambivalent about which brother is our main protagonist. They both have positive and negative qualities to them and one can understand why they find it so difficult to be together at all let alone work together.

True West is directed by Morag Shepherd and she smartly keeps things simple so that we focus on the actors and the tension building between them. The set looks like a small apartment with a kitchen area getting the main focus (costumes, set and props by Stephanie Stroud.) It is also great how little details like the box TV and landline phones take us back to the setting of the play.

Technically this play has 4 actors but it is the 2 actors that get most of the stage time. It’s a play that lives or dies on its performances and fortunately they are excellent there. The more volatile angry brother Lee is played by Jesse Nepivoda in one of the stronger performances in Utah theatre this year. And then Austin is played by David Knoell and I had a lot of questions about his character, which is an interesting choice. For instance, he talks about having a family but then wanting to stay with Lee in the desert. Has he abandoned his family? Are he and his wife separated?

There is a sense of a time capsule appeal to a play like True West. Austin is writing his screenplay on a typewriter, Lee steals a box TV, and the men are writing a script for a version of Hollywood that basically doesn’t exist any more. The amount producer Saul (Jacob Barnes in a very LA performance) offers to pay for a new writer in a Western is wild by today’s standards. Now such a story would probably be co-opted into a Yellowstone spinoff but that’s about it. I’d be interested to learn how writer Sam Shephard would portray Hollywood now in the age of streaming and superhero movies.

The thing that makes a sibling dynamic especially ripe for theatre is it is the one relationship in life we have basically no say in. Outside of who our parents are everyone else we decide if they will be in our life or not. We decide whom to marry, date, be friends and work with. Siblings you’re stuck with and outside of rare circumstances you have to make things work. This in spite the fact you may or may not have anything in common with this brother or sister. Such is the case with Austin and Lee. They may be related but they see the world completely differently and hashing out those differences is the core of the story.

Lil Poppet has a ‘pay what you can’ system so with True West one gets a chance to see a classic play for low cost (be as generous as possible.) Unlike some straight plays it’s not that long and like I said it has both drama and comedy. It is playing through June 28th and tickets can be purchased here.

True West is play by Sam Shepard and it was first performed in 1980 in San Francisco and it was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 1983. It was nominated for a Tony Awards in 2000 for Best Play and the actors playing the brothers were Phillip Seymour Hoffman and John C Reilly.

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. Please take a look here.

There’s nothing like the early opportunities parents can take to introduce their children to the wonderful world of the theatre. I vividly remember early experiences I had like attending the Utah Shakespeare Festival with my Dad in 1991 when I was 10 or seeing The Phantom of the Opera in the early 90s with my Grandma in San Francisco. These moments helped me develop a love for the artform from a young age but also allowed me to decide on what my tastes are in terms of music, stories, styles and even fashion. Therefore, I rejoice when a company provides a quality experience aimed at kids and such is the experience that can be had at Tuacahn Center for the Arts this year and their Disney & Pixar’s Finding Nemo: A Family Musical (full title is a mouthful!)

I must admit when I heard Tuacahn was going to put on Finding Nemo I was a bit perplexed by the choice. With such long seasons it seems like it would be a hard show to fill such a large amphitheater up with. I’m still not sure it makes the most sense for attendance with it being only a 70 minute show including intermission but those who do attend will have a good time. It’s nothing life-changing but it’s a lot of fun and like I said will make for a great introduction to theatre for the kids who attend.

Most people have probably seen the Finding Nemo movie made by Disney/Pixar in 2003. It tells the story of clown fish Marlin and his journey to find his son named Nemo. Along the way he meets a forgetful fish named Dory, some sharks in rehab and chill turtles riding the East Australian Current (they are heading to Sydney.) The musical was first written for the Animal Kingdom park of Walt Disney World and it was a 40 minute attraction there. It has now been condensed to a shorter version for the park but it has been expanded to a 70 minute version here including an intermission (the movie is 100 minutes.)

Despite the condensed runtime one doesn’t feel like they are missing much of the story in this musical version. At Tuacahn Dominic Giovanni plays Marlin and his suit is a clever way to pay homage to a fish without it being too literal. There are characters like the turtle Crush that are actual large puppets (Sittichai Chaiyahat) but the mixture of costumes and puppetry keeps things exciting. The Crush puppet in particular takes 5 people to operate which is very impressive to behold.

The whole production by director/choreographer Mara Newbery Greer is impressive with all of the elements working together from the live orchestration (music director Alex Huff,) to the scenic design in scenes like the jellyfish forest (set designer Paul Black,) to the wildly creative costumes (designer Dustin Cross.) I also really enjoyed the set for the aquarium and how they used video projections, lighting and other visual effects to create the feeling of a tank complete with lots of bubbles.

Unlike most Disney offerings Finding Nemo has completely new songs unless one is super familiar with the Disney World attraction. While it is nice to hear something new it isn’t likely to have the same effect on kids as hearing a song they know and love from an animated film. The songs are also on the forgettable side and sometimes feel like padding we need to get done with to get back to the story we do know so well. It seems like this show would be just as enjoyable as a play as a musical. It’s a little surprising they don’t have a song for the seagulls as I think a “Mine, mine” song could be funny

Still what Tuacahn has put together for this production is a lot of fun. It’s bright and colorful and just long enough to entertain small children with short attention spans. It might feel like a lot of money for this type of experience for parents to afford particularly with large families but they do have season packages and at least if they can afford it they’ll have a good time with it. I don’t know if it has a ton of a appeal outside of families but it is well done so there’s plenty to enjoy. Fortunately you have until October 24th to see it and tickets can be purchased here. My advice is take the family and have a great time with Finding Nemo at Tuacahn.

Finding Nemo: The Musical has music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez and it was originally written for an attraction at Disney World which was 40 minutes and now it has been condensed down to 25 minutes. It first opened in 2007 and got the refurbishment in 2022. The movie is from 2003 where it received 4 Oscar nominations winning one for Best Animated Feature Film.

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