Anyone who has bee reading my reviews for any extended amount of time knows I am not the biggest fan of experimental theatre and prefer more traditional narratives, so I was a little anxious going into the original work The Lilium Club at the University of Utah put on by Open Door Productions but fortunately it ended up being a bloody good time at the theater.

This original play is written by Morgan Champine and it shows a lot of potential for her skills at crafting characters and establishing tone. The easy comparison for this show is Heathers: The Musical (a show I love) and maybe even more the Heathers movie. Heathers is set in high school where The Lilium Club is in a private college but it has similar characters with Hope being a maniacal group leader much like Heather Chandler. The difference is Hope is causing chaos not for power or control but because she’s bored and not intellectually challenged enough at her school. Of course, this isn’t an excuse for murdering multiple people but it is an interesting motivation especially in the world of devices and nearly constant available entertainment available to the youth of today.

In the play Hope invites her schoolmates into a secret organization called the Lilium Club where they dress in togas and recite pledges to each other. Really the blood oaths on the first evening would have been the first hint for me to get out of there but they all agree. Then things get increasingly unhinged as Hope justifies her first victim as someone who is a sleezy student who assaulted one of the group members. I won’t spoil what she does with said victim but is quite over-the-top and shocking but in a fun way.

Obviously the material for this show will not be for everyone but Champine gets the right mixture of camp and sincerity from her actors (she directs and writes.) Abbie Graham is wickedly confident in her portrayal of Hope. One can imagine she would be an extremely intimidating person to try and oppose or contradict, and few members of the club do until it is too late. I also enjoyed Alyssa Miller as Hope’s girlfriend Guinevere and Jason Hogue as the beleaguered James who is most manipulated by these women.

As far as room for improvement there is a sequence where the group takes a psychedelic tea and I think Champine could have had more fun with the antics of that scene. It was pretty tame considering how wild the carnage gets later on. No need to hold back. Also it does seem like the kind of material more suited to a one act play rather than the longer 90 minute format. It is also not even trying for any kind of realism as the body pileup would certainly be noticed but having the dean of the school be an early victim may be pushing credulity even for something over-the-top like this. I might have kept it just within the secretive club.

All that said Champine shows a lot of promise as an emerging playwright and the students put on a bloody good time with The Lilium Club. It is playing at the black box theater in the Performing Arts Building of the University of Utah through Feb 8th and tickets can be purchased here.

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.

One of the keys to being an effective critic is recognizing when material just isn’t made for me. I can see the value in a film or piece of theater but also acknowledge I did not personally love it for a variety of reasons. Such is my feeling coming out of the new original play, Sunny in the Dark, at Salt Lake Acting Company. It is well done and definitely has its audience but it is not something that I personally loved.

Let’s start with the positives. Playwright Elaine Jarvik has captured the voice of a teenager well and her frustration with being told half-truths and flat out lies is understandable. CoCo May Berwald is believable as Sunny, and I particularly enjoyed her scenes with her imaginary dads (played with gleeful enthusiasm by Matthew Ivan Bennett and Jason Andrew Hackney). Their interactions are funny and unpredictable which was a refreshing jolt to the narrative. I also particularly found her chemistry with step-dad Tom played by Paul Mulder to be warm and believable.

Where the play worked less effectively is anything involving a political consultant character named AJ played by Micki Martinez. I realize the character is supposed to be grating and over-the-top but a little of that goes a long way, and I grew weary of it quite quickly. I also don’t believe such scheming would be required for a local school board election. Mayor or even a state representative would have been more believable. Also even though I was sympathetic of what Sunny is going through her ranting and raving (even on social media) about her mother was exhausting and the lessons gained from the situation not that insightful.

Alexandra Harbold is believable as the mom Elise, and and I’m sure moms of teens will relate to her struggles. Director Marion Markham gets the most out of her actors and keeps the staging relatively simple. The different dads are brought in on a swing which is a fun detail and there is a disco ball used to create constellations that is a whimsical choice. Also, nothing gets too heavy which is a feat considering topics like abortion and child rearing are discussed.

If you have a teen than I think Sunny in the Dark is worth seeking out and supporting. All of the elements are well done and it is likely to spark a lot of helpful conversations in families. It just had some elements I find irritating and in particular the political consultant character that was too much for me to enjoy the experience. It is playing at SLAC through March 1st and tickets can be purchased here.

Sunny in the Dark is a world premiere by playwright Elaine Jarvik. It is 90 minutes with no intermission. There is some profanity for those concerned about that.

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.

If someone asked me for a good introductory musical to someone not familiar with the medium I just might say Fiddler on the Roof. The songs are authentic and moving, the themes easy to relate with and the characters are endearing. It’s only real downside is how long it is but its charms more than make up for that element. If you want to see a very solid version of Fiddler check out the new production at The Ruth. It won’t disappoint!

I saw the MWF version of the cast, which is led by Ben Henderson as Tevye with Claire Kenny as Golde. The whole cast has a lovely chemistry together including the leads and the large ensemble, well directed by Barta Heiner. The lighting by Michael Gray is also beautifully done with a bold color background helping to amplify whatever Tevye might be feeling- red for anger, yellow for friendship etc.

In addition to Henderson and Kenny, real life married couple Sydney and Bronson Dameron play Hodel and Perchik respectively. This gives them a natural chemistry that adds a lot to their characters (it is a love story after all.) I also really enjoyed Maria Stephens as Chava. Her “Little Bird” ballet is always one of my favorite parts of Fiddler and this is no exception with beautiful choreograpy by Ben Roeling.

If you have seen Fiddler than nothing in this production will surprise you but with such strong material we don’t really need surprises. “Tevye’s Dream” is the spot in the musical where the director can be the most creative. Here they start out simple and then it expands into something that feels like it’s from a lyric opera. Fruma-Sarah even begins growing to cover the entire stage as things get more and more madcap during the song.

I don’t see any cultural representatives credited in the program but everything feels like it has a high attention to detail in an attempt to be accurate including all the traditional clothing (costumes by Elizabeth Banks Wertz) and the chuppah at the wedding (set designer James Baldwin.) The lace shawls used by the women in the “Sabbath Prayer” scenes particularly stand out for their beauty and simplicity.

I do think the 2nd story of the set could have been used to create more movement across the stage but that’s just me. They did start the bottles dance scene (as well as others) on the spiral staircase, which is very impressive. The only other main critique I’d give is the cast is somewhat fast and lose with the accents. Some have strong ones while others don’t try much at all and sound very modern. This can be a little jarring at times. I could have also used more interaction between Tevye and Angelica Salazar as the Fiddler (she is one of the only people on that 2nd story of the set) but I still like the interactions we did get.

Of course, Fiddler on the Roof at The Ruth does contain sobering moments and themes so if you take kids make sure they are prepared for the experience. Like I said, it’s also a long show so preparation is key for kids or adults! It is playing until March 21st and tickets can be purchased here.

Fiddler on the Roof has music by Jerry Bock with lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and a book by Joseph Stein based on Teye the Dairyman by Sholem Aleichem. It first premiered on Broadway in 1964 and yet it still feels more relevant that ever. It has been revived multiple times and is a beloved favorite for many.

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.

As much as I enjoy a classic show I also love any chance I get to see something new and original. Such is the opportunity with Pioneer Theatre Company’s latest musical entitled Ten Brave Seconds. It’s a coming of age story that I see a lot of potential in although like anything new there is room for improvement and growth. If this review seems a little stacked on the negative side it’s only in an attempt to be helpful as they are developing the material (and I really do see the potential there.)

Ten Brave Seconds tells the story of a young man in 2015 named Mike who is trying to navigate his coming out experience with his friends and family while also trying to deal with his departed Mother’s birthday. The strength of the show is in the cast who are all strong singers and have a nice believable chemistry together. The standout is Will Blum as the Dad, Carl. His song “Sally at the Park” is probably my favorite of the night as it has a real narrative arc within the song that paints a vivid picture of what the character has been through emotionally. It reminded me of “Soliloquy” from Carousel, the way it told a story through the song.

The show at PTC is directed by Ellie Heyman and she with scenic designer James Noone have made everything flow smoothly with double-sided sets that flip around making the transitions from locker room, to class, to home easy. This keeps the momentum going and the tension building as things get harder for poor Mike.

Speaking of Mike, Carson Stewart brings a warmth and awkwardness the role needs although the music doesn’t give him the stand-out solo I would have liked to see. There is “Citizen” in Act 2 but it was underwhelming for an iconic 11 o’clock number.

While I am sure teens who attend Ten Brave Seconds will feel seen, (especially queer young people that are struggling to come out) it doesn’t feel like the musical has much to add to the coming out conversation that hasn’t already been portrayed so frequently over the last 2 decades. That’s not to say it doesn’t need to be told but the book oddly doesn’t feel very brave in it’s storytelling both with the portrayal of Mike’s struggles and with the responses he receives.

There is also a problem with the conflict feeling redundant. The reaction to his news by his father (who says ‘guess I’m not getting any grandkids’ when told, which seemed like a highly unlikely thing for him to say) and his girlfriend Gabby are very similar. I would encourage them to find a more interesting response for Gabby than betrayal and “but I’m in love with you” (which she probably wouldn’t say at that moment even if that’s how she actually felt.) The teenager discussion should feel different than the parents and yet it really didn’t.

The best scenes in the show occur between Mike and his gay teacher Mr G played by John Cariani. This is partly because it is a distinctly different response than the other 2 main characters but it also felt the most difficult to pin down and a perspective I haven’t seen as often (he’s a realist teacher who is blunt but kind. He also speaks to the evolution of the gay movement and his experience as a gay man vs a modern gay teenager.)

Whether it is fair or not a show like Ten Brave Seconds is almost inevitably going to be compared to Dear Evan Hansen. This is probably especially true for PTC audiences because they just put on a popular production of that musical last Fall. DEH has its issues but it also has some of the best music and lyrics of modern musical theatre, so the comparison is a challenging one. If it were up to me I would make this show stand out more by amplifying the themes of space, the galaxy and Star Trek. This is minimally used in the book and songs and more would help make Mike and Evan’s journeys feel different (the social media component is also a big factor in making DEH work and nothing like that really stands out for Mike’s story.)

All that said, I do see potential here and the earnestness with which Ten Brave Seconds is presented by PTC make it hard to not embrace. It’s definitely worth taking the time to support, and I look forward to seeing how it evolves and grows over the years. If you get to see it I would love to hear what you think (I’d especially love to hear any teenager responses.) It is playing through February 14th and tickets can be purchased here.

Ten Brave Seconds has music and lyrics by Will Van Dyke with book and lyrics by Jeff Talbott. Karen Azenberg is the artistic director of PTC with Adrian Budhu as managing director.

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.

We all enjoy going to the theater to be challenged and confronted with the problems we are facing today but it’s also nice to simply be entertained. Such is the experience one can have at The Ruth with their new production of Forever Plaid. This bright and sunny jukebox musical is really more of a revue or a concert but it’s completely enjoyable on that level.

It’s funny that I describe it as bright and sunny because the setup is actually quite grim. A doo-wop group from the 1950s dies before they are able to produce albums or become famous. Fortunately in the spirit world they are given the opportunity to return to earth for one final performance and that is what we get in the musical. We hear songs like “Three Coins in the Fountain,” “Perfidia” and the highlight of the night with “Heart and Soul” which is performed with a volunteer from the audience at the piano.

Speaking of the piano, the pianist Kelly Dehaan is one of the highlights of the night. Not only is he an incredible musician but his chemistry with the boys shines through and he becomes a character in the piece along with Trevor Watson at the bass.

I was at the MWF performance so I enjoyed Chase Petersen as Smudge, Andrew Walker as Jinx, Justin Ravago as Sparky and Carter McEwan as Francis. Their harmonies are beautifully executed and they all have the nerdy energy needed for these parts.

The production at The Ruth is directed by David Eggers and he smartly doesn’t let anything get in the way of his cast and the songs. Sometimes the best choice a director can make is keeping things simple and that’s what they do here. The costumes including our iconic plaid tuxedos are well done by Dvorah Governale and the lit circle backdrop by set designer Jason Baldwin kept that 1950s aesthetic going strong (and made it easy to put the CBS logo on stage for the Ed Sullivan sequence.)

At the end of the day Forever Plaid is all about the guys and the songs and that is all done very well in this production at The Ruth. It’s one of those musicals that would make for a nice date night as anyone who likes 1950s music will enjoy this show. You don’t have to be a Broadway musical fan to have a good time with it. I saw it on my birthday and it was a great time! It is playing through March 28th in their Lindsay Legacy Theater and tickets can be purchased here.

Forever Plaid has music and lyrics from various artists with a book by Stuart Ross. It was first performed in New York in 1989. It’s very popular here in Utah but I’ve actually only seen it one other time at Hale Center Theatre as their debut show for their Sandy location.

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.

Anyone who has followed my reviews knows I have seen and reviewed The Play That Goes Wrong many times and for the most part enjoyed it; however, the gags certainly aren’t as fresh or as funny as the first time I saw it. It is for this reason I was pretty excited when I heard Hale Center Theater was doing a different play written by the same team (a spin-off you might say) called Peter Pan Goes Wrong. It is of course the same basic concept of a community theatre production becoming a mess but put to the classic Peter Pan. The ironic element is the night I attended (MWF cast) a bunch of elements actually did go wrong but the team at Hale handled it like champs and it didn’t prevent me from having a thoroughly good time with this zany comedy.

I have never seen this show so I’m not sure if it is always part of the script, but I appreciate they took a second to explain why the The Cornley Drama Society had an infusion of capital to make such elaborate sets and visual effects as one sees at Hale. This production is in their Jewel Box Theater and director Ryan Simmons and scenic designer Jenn Taylor has created a rotating stage that changes from the Darling’s bedroom, to Hook’s pirate ship, to the Peter Pan’s house in the woods with ease. Of course, this being a Wrong play each element from scene-to-scene is a mess and doesn’t go as our poor drama society wishes it would, but the set is very well done.

Like I said, the ironic thing is the night I attended I believe there was a problem with the flight equipment and they had to pause the show for a long break (at least 20 minutes) to make adjustments. I do think a little more clarification from the company might have been nice because I didn’t know whether this was a bit in the play or an actual pause for technical reasons. The only reason I gathered it wasn’t a planned break is because it was so long but also because the wife of one of the actors happened to be sitting near me and was texting with the actor giving us updates. If that hadn’t been the case I would have been quite confused, which I suppose is on theme for the show but there can be too much of a good thing!

Fortunately the cast is all top rate and up for any improving and the demands the physical comedy requires. Keith McKay Evans is the standout as the show’s director Chris and he also plays Captain Hook/Mr Darling. Most of the chaos revolves around a showmance love triangle between Sandra who is playing Wendy (Twyla Wilson,) Jonathan who is playing Peter Pan (Jacob Chapman,) and Max who is playing Michael (Colton Hattabaugh) but only got the job because his family is the benefactor who allows the production to have such fancy sets. The back and forth between these 3 actors is very funny and keeps enough of a through-line to give some story and not just be a series of antics.

That said, the antics are very funny. Some times it’s the big over-the-top scenes with trees falling on the stage frightened Lucy (Ali Bennett) and other times it’s smaller gags that are stretched out and repeated to great effect like when the narrator Francis’ (Ben Parkes) automated chair keeps malfunctioning. I do think the show doesn’t use the Cornley Society crew as well as the traditional Wrong. Also because the sets keep changing it’s harder to pull off smaller gags like how the original has the jokes with the mantle or the various wall-hangings. One of my favorite gags in the original is when the props get messed up and each actor has to pretend a book is a key, a cup is a telephone etc. There aren’t as many smaller jokes like that in this Peter Pan version.

Still it is very funny and at the end of the day that’s what matters most in a comedy. I was laughing throughout and the cast was all selling the jokes well. It does have some more saucy humor particularly with the love triangle but nothing beyond a PG-13 type level. It is playing through May 9th and worthy of your time and money. There’s so much actually going wrong in the world head up to Hale and have some laughs with fake things going wrong. It’s quite cathartic really! Tickets can be purchased here. Frozen at Hale is also fantastic at their other larger theater.

Peter Pan Goes Wrong is written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields of the Mischief Theatre Company. It first premiered in London in 2013 (just a year after The Play that Goes Wrong premiered.) It recently had a run on Broadway in 2023.

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.

In the world of the jukebox musical there are shows that rise above the genre (usually because of a captivating book) like Jersey Boys but then there are others that are just for fans of the musician being profiled who want to his or her songs performed by a Broadway pro. The new Neil Diamond musical A Beautiful Noise is strictly the latter but as his songs are quite catchy it’s an entertaining enough night of theatre. Your mileage may vary depending how big of a Neil Diamond fan you are (I kept thinking about that quote in What About Bob? “There are two types of people in this world: Those who like Neil Diamond, and those who don’t. My ex-wife loves him.” Everyone at Eccles theater where the national tour of A Beautiful Noise is performing definitely likes Neil Diamond, and I guess I do too because I had a good time.

The best way to look at this musical is as an extended concert. In fact, I wish they took the Ain’t Misbehaving route and just went full-on musical revue because that’s what works in the show. Diamond has a lot of hits stretching over many decades and it’s a lot of fun to hear the songs, well sung by young Neil played by Nick Fradiani. The highlight is of course “Sweet Caroline” which we find out literally saved him from a deal with the mob. “Cherry, Cherry” and “Cracklin’ Rose” are also highlights (btw I hate that the program has the songs in alphabetic order not in order sung.)

The ensemble seemed a little wasted and outside of his wives and a few managerial type roles, I didn’t really need any other performers on stage. Director Michael Mayer delivers the big spectacle on the concert scenes and the costumes by Emilio Sosa are very impressive with some extremely quick costume changes.

My big gripe with the production is the decision to surround the songs with an annoying narrative device of older Neil (Robert Westenberg) telling his problems to a therapist (Lisa Renee Pitts.) There’s no other way to say it but this was completely cringe and I hated every time they went back to it. Worst of all they kept trying to sell these great insights about loneliness and somehow kept bringing up frogs and kings and I had to work to contain my groans. Luckily they get back to the songs rather quickly but what an unnecessary and ineffective aspect of this musical! The songs are of course by Neil Diamond with a book by Anthony McCarter.

Still, if you are a fan of Neil Diamond than the music will definitely entertain you, which is the main point of going to a show like A Beautiful Noise. It is playing at the Eccles until January 25th and tickets can be purchased here.

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.

When they first announced that Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic Broadway musical The Phantom of the Opera would be available for high schools to put on I was skeptical. I doubted whether teenagers could pull off the opera required in numbers like “Think of Me” and “Prima Donna” nor did I think high schools would be able to mount the sets and props required for it to work. Now I have seen 3 productions over the years and I am delighted to be wrong. All of them have been outstanding including the latest put on by Ziegfeld Arts. It truly was an unforgettable night of theatre.

My seatmates told me they only had 5 weeks to put on this show, which I’m not sure why it was so limited but holy cow! I do not know how director Kristin Parry made this all work so seamlessly. I really have very few notes that could be improved. I saw the Opera cast, and I wish I had time to see the other one because it’s hard to believe there’s a whole different group of teens doing this material. Kayleigh Eagle should submit for the Jimmy Awards with that voice. She didn’t miss a note the entire night but she also invested us all in emotional journey of Christine especially when she is grieving in “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” and feeling sympathy for the Phantom at the ending.

I can’t explain it but there is a little bit of a nerdy energy to Landon Fugal’s portrayal of The Phantom (I’ve always thought that was the case especially with his confidence in his terrible opera and portraying himself as Don Juan.) They put a lot of scar makeup on him and it was starting to fall off by the end but he soldiered on and did a terrific job. The rest of the cast is excellent and the crew managed the set transitions very well. The costumes (including all the opera gowns) by Karly Van Komen would be at home in any permanent production.

The only major item they could work on is the lighting sometimes provides a glare on the screen which obfuscates the projections making it look like a white background or rainbow colored background. If we are going to all the effort to design projections as part of our sets than we want to make sure we can see them clearly. Unfortunately tonight is the last night of this The Phantom of the Opera (the Opera cast was crying as they took their vows and it honestly made me tear up. What a cool experience to be part of!) but I will definitely be on the look for more Arts Academy shows at the Ziegfeld in the future. It’s been a while since I have been at this venue but happy to be asked back. One can find out more about them here.

The Phantom of the Opera has music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe with a book by Stilgoe and Webber based on the classic novel by Gaston Leroux. It first premiered in London in 1986 and then on Broadway in 1988.

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.

I love any chance I have to support teens in the arts whether it be a youth production or at a high school it is a privilege to see emerging talents blossom. This weekend I had the joy of seeing the teens at Liahona Preparatory Academy in their latest production of Children of Eden and they once again knocked daunting material out of the park. What director Jordan Long pulls off with these talented teens is always outstanding and this was no exception.

First of all it should be clarified that this was not Children of Eden Jr. No it is the full adult version with 33 songs! They could easily have done the teen version and nobody would have questioned it so it’s pretty impressive they took on the complete version. It also has an absolutely massive cast with most of the actors taking on multiple roles (the first act is the Adam/Eve story and the second act is Noah.) I was very excited to see this musical because the last time I saw it was when BYU did it way back in 2009! It’s such a daunting show that it’s not tried often. Plus, not every company wants to take on such overtly Christian material (Stephen Schwartz says it’s not a Biblical musical in the director’s notes but I think that’s kind of ridiculous. Just because it is also a father story doesn’t mean it’s also not Biblical.)

I love the fact the ensemble at Liahona is so large and involved in the production. The choreography by Joleah Long is varied from contemporary to tap and so many of the students get to have solos and play named characters. The Storytellers were particularly impressive along with Brigham Ker as Father and James Fox and Lily Bennion as Adam/Noah and Eve/Mama Noah respectively. The set for act 1 is kept on the simple side (set design Brian and Canon Hadfeild) but then the ark in act 2 is large and impressive. The most awe-inspiring scenes of the night are the rain sequences on the ark with Yonah (Katira Davis) singing “Stranger in the Rain” and Japeth (Ryker Trumble) and Yonah singing “In Whatever Time We Have.”

The only major thing I would change about the night is I wasn’t crazy about the backtrack they were using. It sounded synthesized and electronic. I guess I prefer something with a little more of a traditional orchestral sound. It’s also a long show and there will probably be some who wish they had done the Jr version! But I was very impressed with the students and Jordan Long for continuing to push his teens with bold ambitious projects. I will always be first in line to see what they are working on! There is one more night to see Children of Eden at Liahona and tickets can be purchased here.

Children of Eden features music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by John Caird based on the Biblical book of Genesis. It first premiered at the West End in 1991 but has shockingly never been in New York- not on or Off-Broadway.

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.

Hi theatre lover friends. I hope that you are doing well. The beginning of the year is always slow theatre-wise because of the changeover from holiday to other shows but I do have 2 performances to report on. Both of these were technically comped but I a choosing to just do the logs for various reasons. This upcoming weekend I have several teen shows I will be seeing so that should be a blast to write about. Anyway, here’s some thoughts on 2 recent shows I saw

The Last Five Years- Hart Theatre Company, Salt Lake

The main reason I am not doing a full review of The Last Five Years at Hart Theatre Company is frankly they never gave me a program. Pretty hard to write a review without a program! I’m a big fan of The Last Five Years, particularly the songs, so I attended the production with a lot of excitement. While it does have much good about it, particularly Rebecca Lichfield as Cathy, it didn’t quite come together for me as an interpretation of this musical. It’s certainly not awful but also a weaker version of this material than I have previously seen.

My biggest gripe with the production is Diego Rodriguez as Jamie. He lacked the swagger and confidence one needs for the character. Ideally we should dislike Jamie because he cheats on Cathy but we should also find him oddly compelling especially because he starts the musical young and in love.

That brings me to my other major gripe is the direction by Morag Shepherd forgoes the tradition of having Jamie and Cathy not interacting on stage until the wedding (if you don’t know they are telling flip sides of their love story.) Maybe I’m too attached to the way I’ve always seen it but having them touch, exchange clothing, be on a bed together etc takes away from the building tension and the importance of the “The Next Ten Minutes.” I guess you could say it’s a new take on the material but it didn’t really work for me.

Fortunately, like I said, I did like Lichfield and the musical itself is fantastic so there’s that to enjoy. It’s currently playing at the Regent Black Box at Eccles. The Last Five Years is currently playing until the 18th and tickets can be purchased here.

Now over to Heritage Theatre in Perry, Utah. Instead of a traditional musical or play they are doing a revue full of Rodgers and Hammerstein songs. This is all directed by Kaylee Nelson who also did the scenic design, choreography and props for this production (she is certainly busy!)

The production is more like a recital full of songs by Rodgers and Hammerstein. It has a small cast of only 5 but by the end of we get 33 songs from a variety of shows to enjoy. I appreciate they even include songs from lesser-known Rodgers and Hammerstein shows like Flower Drum Song. It’s also nice to enjoy the more dated songs from something like The King and I without the more outdated elements.

Some highlights are “The Gentleman is a Dope,” “I Enjoy Being a Girl,” “This Nearly was Mine,” and “Don’t Marry Me,” “Sixteen Going on Seventeen,” and “I’m Goona Wash that Man Right Out of My Hair.” It’s by no means a professional production at Heritage but it is a charming amateur show and one I had a good time watching. It is playing through January 17th and tickets can be purchased here.

Please let me know what you have been watching in live theatre in 2026 so far. “Some Enchanted Evening” contains songs with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein with a concept by Jeffrey B Moss. The Last Five Years has music and lyrics and book by Jason Robert Brown

These logged shows I usually 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.