Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well and enjoying local theatre in your area. We had another wonderful episode of Theatre Tuesday including a look at 14 local theatres upcoming 2024 slates. Fellow critic Maren Swensen and myself give each slate a grade based on our excitement level:

I just had an unbelievable long weekend of performances and I can’t wait to tell you about all these amazing shows. Here goes!

THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD- PARKER THEATRE, SALT LAKE

As much as I love seeing my favorites like Bright Star and Les Miserables it is also neat to check shows off my bucket list. This is what I got to do with The Mystery of Edwin Drood at one of my favorites Parker Theatre. This is a show based on Charles Dickens unfinished novel and it’s biggest strength is its interactivity. Audience members get to decide what happens to the characters in Act II and when you have a particularly boisterous audience like I did it makes for an enjoyable night of theatre.

I must say I was somewhat underwhelmed by the songs considering it won the tony for Best musical, book and score but they were performed well with one exception. Unfortunately the actress for Princess Puffer was injured so director Mary Parker Williams stepped in and it wasn’t the best performance if I’m being blunt. I get it. You make it work but it was challenging to listen to.

I know it’s just a little thing but I love the attention to detail the Parker has. They even have concessions themed to the show you are seeing. It just makes the whole experience more fun and immersive. There are also some of the best lighting (Danna Barney- such good lightning!) and sound design (Anthony Buck) in the entire state. I definitely recommend The Mystery of Edwin Drood at Parker Theatre to have a unique, interactive experience with a show not done very often.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood is playing at the Parker until Oct 28 and you can purchase tickets here.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN (1965)- HALE CENTER THEATRE, SANDY

I’ve recently realized something about mysteries- that I almost always find the first act to be boring and the second act to have all of the fun. It makes sense if you think about it because all of the clue building happens in the first act and then all the reveals and problem solving happens in the second. I suppose the success of the mystery then depends on how satisfying that pay-off is and does it make the tedious sections worth sitting through. In the case of Catch Me if You Can at Hale Sandy I’d say it does.

You might be thinking this is the musical based on the film about the con-man but this far pre-dates it (and I admire Hale for picking such an obscure piece that could be confusing for some audiences.) The mystery revolves around Daniel Corban (Dallin Bradford who I have really enjoyed in a number of local productions) who’s wife is missing while on vacation in the Catskills. Inspector Levine is on the case and played with a ton of charm by Jason Hackney.

For the most part the big reveal really worked in this play but the most impressive aspect was the unbelievable set recreating a mid-century vacation home with 2 stories and a wall of “glass” for background. It is stunning and scenic designer Jenn Taylor deserves huge praise for it. I wasn’t planning on seeing Catch Me if You Can because I’m not the biggest fan of mysteries but I received my ticket as part of an instagram giveaway. In the end, I’m glad I went and I enjoyed an afternoon of mystery in the 60s!

Catch Me if You Can is playing at Hale Sandy until Nov 11 and tickets can be purchased here.

DADDY LONG LEGS- OPPA, LAYTON

There are certain shows that are hard to miss for me (I think every theatre critic and fan feels that way about particular shows.) Well, I feel that way about Daddy Long Legs. I truly feel like Paul Gordon (music and lyrics) with a book by John Caird (based on the novel by Jean Webster) have crafted a perfect show here. I love basically everything about it. What’s interesting though is I had actually never seen it not performed by David Smith and Kelly Coombs at both Hale Theatre Sandy and Orem (and Hale at Home) unless you count the Broadway HD version with the original cast, which I highly recommend.

So I wondered how I would warm up to the production at OPPA with new leads and now after having seen Emily Voorhees as Jerusha and Danny Ketch as Jervis I still loved it and loved their performances. It was a perfect show for the pandemic because it only features 2 actors and it is all about corresponding over letters. Jervis is the mysterious benefactor orphaned Jerusha is writing to as she goes to college on his dime. Her letters are charming and their relationship builds organically bit-by-bit over the course of the musical until the final reveal pays off.

This production at OPPA is on their smaller creators stage and it is directed by Leslie Barrett (who I saw recently at CenterPoint’s The Lion in Winter) and she wisely relies on the strength of the book and the chemistry of the actors to do all the heavy lifting. By the end of the show you are rooting for these two people to get together and be happy. I love all the songs and admire any actor brave enough for taking on such a daunting word-heavy, challenging show. It is an exhilarating love story to watch unfold and I will drive to any local company who puts it on. Perfection!

Daddy Long Legs is playing through Oct 14 and tickets can be purchased here.

AMADEUS- REGALO THEATRE, LEHI

When I heard that one of my favorite local theaters, Regalo in Lehi, was putting on Peter Schaffer’s Amadeus I bought my ticket immediately. I love the feature film by director Milos Forman and think it is one of the most deserving best picture winners of all time. I’ve always wanted to see the play which it was based on and the production at Regalo did not disappoint. What an amazing piece of theatre and one that I wish far more people would take time to see.

If you don’t know Amadeus tells the fictionalized story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart through the lens of his rival fellow-composer Antonio Salieri. Shaffer weaves the music from both men seamlessly as we the tension between them builds. He also gives Salieri a feud with not only Mozart but with God himself and how God chooses to dole out the talents of men and women.

Director Michael Carrasco uses simple sets and costumes to allow his actors to shine and tell their stories. Patrick Brannelly is nuanced and yet just unhinged enough as Salieri and Morgan Gunter is both irritating and sweet as Mozart. It’s brilliant work I hope you all seek out. I enjoyed it so much I told my parents (big classical music fans) they need to see it and they are going this weekend. Definitely make time in your schedule for this very special experience and let’s reward a company for taking a risk on a play like Amadeus. It’s one I won’t soon forget.

Amadeus runs through October 16th and tickets can be purchased here.

If you like my writing and want to support what I do check out the patreon for some great perks here.