Hi friends! So I’ve had another busy week of theatre and the arts and I thought I would update you on what I’ve been able to watch.

RELATIVE SPACE

First, I was able to see a new musical Relative Space at Creekside Theatre Festival and you can read my review on UTBA here. I don’t think it is close to being ready for NYC but it was fun to see something new

SARA EVANS

I’ve been a big fan of Sara Evans for many years. She has such a unique quality and timbre to her voice, so I jumped at the chance to see her in this year’s Scera Shell in Orem. Fortunately she did not disappoint. At first I was worried she was only going to do new songs from her album Copy That but then she ended the concert with classics like “Suds in the Bucket” and “Born to Fly.” She was personable and engaging on stage and it was fun to have her daughter Olivia not only sing back up but a full song. It was very entertaining. The Scera Shell season (including outdoor movies- I saw Mulan last week and it was a blast) is one of the best deals in Utah County and worth investing in even if you can’t attend every event in the package (if you can it’s definitely worth it!) You can learn more about it here.

PUFFS (WVPAC)

I have never been that big of a fan of parody. A lot of times it doesn’t strike me as clever and is more a bunch ‘this looks like something you know.’ I’m also not a huge Harry Potter person, although I do enjoy them. So Puffs really wasn’t made for me and it didn’t win me over. I found it very looks-like in the humor, and I wasn’t laughing. I must admit I left at Act 1 intermission because I had a very busy day, and I just wasn’t enjoying it (I never do this but I could tell it wasn’t for me). If you like parody and/or are a big Harry Potter fan than you may like it more than I did. Puffs is finishing up this weekend but then they have West Side Story coming up Aug 3rd. That will be amazing so don’t miss it!

MACBETH (TOOELE VALLEY THEATRE)

Saturday was a special day because with Puffs and my evening show, Macbeth at Tooele Valley Theatre, it marked my 200th live theatre performance attended since getting vaccinated in April 2021. Fortunately I picked a great show to mark this occasion with TVT doing a special performance of Macbeth that I thoroughly enjoyed. Tucked away in a small cement amphitheater literally in the mountains (a deer came up to the stage just before the performance. That’s how wooded it was!) I was treated to outstanding performances and an intimate, simple production of perhaps Shakespeare’s most accessible play? PJ Stinson and Zel McAllister were very compelling as Lord and Lady Macbeth but the star of the show was Steven Argyle as Macduff. When he finds out what has happened to his family it is devastating, and we are invested in him getting his revenge on Macbeth. I am sure some could find flaws in this production but it was so neat to be out in nature hearing these time-tested words performed well. I absoloutely loved it. Unfortunately I also saw Macbeth on the last night but you can find out more about TVT here.

OLIVER! (HALE CENTER THEATRE OREM)

It’s always a fun experience to see musical with a member of my family and this week I got to do just that at HCTO’s Oliver!. I saw it with my sister and niece. It’s not a perfect show by any means but has some real entertaining songs and the staging was excellent as always at Hale. I really appreciated how director Ashley Gardner Carlson expanded the small stage with platforms for the actors to move about on. This added layers for the acting and showcased the energetic choreography. The whole cast is excellent with John Wakley as an endearing Oliver and Stephen Kerr as a charismatic Fagin. Bryan Harper did such a good job as the evil Bill Sikes that the crowd booed at his curtain call. If I were that actor I’d take it as a big compliment that people were so invested in my performance to boo! Nancy’s arc in the story is frustrating but accurate to the novel and some of the side characters like the Bumbles get more time than they need but it’s still overall a classic show well told. Oliver! is playing at HCTO Aug 5th and tickets can be purchased here.

42ND STREET (CENTERPOINT LEGACY THEATRE)

42nd Street is one of those musicals I’ve heard about but actually never seen until last night where I got the chance to see it at Centerpoint Legacy Theatre. I love CLT, and they have never missed in terms of production and the quality of the singing. This was no exception. 42nd Street is not a show you go to see for the plot (barely any exists and its one we’ve seen in many other musicals like Thoroughly Modern Millie and Crazy for You) but the song and dance are exciting and classic songs like “Young and Healthy” and “Lullaby of Broadway” are catchy. The choreography by Bailee DeYoung is the real star here with fun and energetic numbers with lots of tap dancing. Also I appreciate the casting of Danna Facer as Peggy who had an enthusiasm that fit the hopeful wannabe Broadway star character. I also really enjoyed Judy Binns as the veteran actor Dorothy Brock. The incredible costumes were also a standout by Brianna Taylor. I particularly loved a sparkly rainbow dress in the finale of Act 1. 42nd Street does feel long especially with how little story there is, so I don’t know if I’d jump to see it again. But as always they did a fantastic job at CLT. It is playing until July 11th and you can get tickets here.