Hey everyone! I hope you are all doing well I am actually typing this post from the Big Apple! I am taking a little trip to the city to attend the NYFF and I will be of course seeing a bunch of Broadway shows (5 to be more specific!) I will update my thoughts on those musicals here, so that should be fun. Before I do that, however, I have 2 theatrical experiences in Utah to update you all on. Here goes:

war of the worlds- covey center, provo

I’ve always been a big fan of old-time radio broadcasts. It’s a nostalgic form of storytelling that I find very engaging. It is for this reason I was intrigued by the new production of War of the Worlds at the Covey Center. I also know the director Adam Cannon and worked with him on the Schmigadoon recaps I did earlier this year. Fortunately it turned out to be a very enjoyable night of theatre and one I recommend checking out if you have the chance.

The play is written by David Hanson and it focuses on the broadcast of H.G. Wells’ novel War of the Worlds that caused large-scale pandemonium because people believed it was a real broadcast. The most compelling part of the play is the dynamic between Orson Welles, his writer Howard and producer John. 2 of these roles Howard and Orson are played by women NaRhea Dawn and Cathleen Metten respectively. At first I was a little nervous about this but they did a good job of creating a successful opposite gender character without it feeling like a caricature. Jacob Baird is excellent as the much put-upon John.

I actually think the play would have been better off focusing on just the 3 main leads and talked about the people reacting rather than showing them. That’s where the piece fell into caricature as most of the believers of the broadcast were depicted as hicks and buffoons. A simple 3 person structure with snippets of the broadcast played would have been more effective but I still enjoyed what we got.

It was also a lot of fun to see the workings of an old-time radio broadcast including the foley set-up creating sound effects for the show. Costume designer Elizabeth Crandall also does excellent work in creating the feel of 1938 and giving the women in opposite gender roles convincing attire and hair.

If you are a fan of old-time radio broadcasts or just want to see some terrific acting check out War of the Worlds at the Covey Center in Provo. It’s a real theatrical treat and is playing until Oct 21. You can get tickets here.

DISNEY ENCANTO; THE SING ALONG FILM CONCERT- ECCLES, SALT LAKE

I really enjoyed Disney’s animated classic Encanto but I actually have never gotten the chance to see it with a crowd of kids. The one time I saw it in the theater was at a critics screening. So I jumped at the chance to attend the sing-along concert done by Disney Concerts. It ended up being a fun night but I don’t know if it is worth the high cost especially for a family. To pay $50 plus for a movie screening with a small band is a lot. Also the new parking situation at the Eccles is a mess. They have closed off Main Street to vehicles making it difficult to access the main parking lots because of construction on neighboring streets. I ended up paying $18 for a parking lot 2 blocks away. The whole experience was frustrating to say the least.

Like I said, the whole concert is a fun experience particularly to hear the kids laughing and singing with the music. It reminded me what an excellent film Encanto is and it’s a shame it got caught up in all the Covid mess because it should have done better in the theaters. I’d probably skip the concert because of the cost but if you get a chance to see Encanto on the big screen and can afford it I’d take it! You can purchase tickets to the Encanto Sing Along here.

So there you have it! What have you seen lately? Next update will be on my big Big Apple trip! Happy theatre friends!

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