I had a busy weekend with lots of film and theatre. Fortunately my experiences at the live theatre were a lot better than at the movie theater. You can read my movie reviews here. But here are my thoughts on the theatre I did see:

MATILDA- LEHI ARTS COUNCIL, LEHI

Most people know I’m not the biggest fan of the Broadway adaptation of Matilda. I don’t hate it but it’s not my favorite musical. Therefore, it might be surprising to see I have seen it 4 times in the last few months. It’s honestly too much but it’s such a popular show and I have so many friends who are in it and I’m always eager to support my friends so I go to see it!

This production was directed by Howard and Kathryn Little who are the best community theater directors in Utah working today and this was no exception. They know how to get the best out of their actors and work with an ensemble whether it be a large space like the Skyridge High School stage here or the smaller productions at Pleasant Grove Players where they’ve directed many shows.

Alicia Wright played Matilda here and she brought the right amount of spunk for the role and John Newall and Jas Petrell are a ton of fun as the parents. Kat Hawley Cook was another standout as Miss Honey.

I’m not a big fan of the escapologist sections of this musical but I must admit they were staged quite beautifully with silhouettes in this production. The large cast was very impressive and numbers like “Revolting Children” and “The Smell of Rebellion” are highlights.

Matilda is finished at Lehi Arts Council and I will probably take a break from this show for a bit but this is one of the best arts councils in the area so make sure to keep an eye on all their productions here.

This production…

but also on Matilda…

HAMILTON- BROADWAY AT THE ECCLES, SALT LAKE

I will never forget when my sad heart was comforted watching the pro-shot of Hamilton on Disney Plus in summer of 2020. It meant so much to me and so I will always have a special place in my heart for Hamilton and jump at the chance to see this iconic show. Fortunately the touring company is coming through Salt Lake and they are staying for over a month! Hopefully everyone who wants to see Hamilton will have the chance with such a long residency. I was blessed to see it with my friend Stefanie as I reviewed it for UTBA. This was Stefanie’s first Broadway show and what a great one to start with! I get the critiques of Hamilton (there’s bound to be a backlash for anything that’s so big) but I still think it is a fresh and exciting look at our history. You can read more of my thoughts in my review here. Hamilton will be in Salt Lake until September 1st and you can purchase tickets here.

TWELFTH NIGHT- PARKER THEATRE, SALT LAKE

I think every theatre fan has their favorites from William Shakespeare. I know for me it is the comedies- particularly Twelfth Night and Much Ado About Nothing. You wouldn’t think a comedy like Twelfth Night, written in 1601, would still hold up and be funny today but it does and the new production at the Parker Theatre is a gem that shouldn’t be missed (nothing at the Parker should be missed but this is no exception.)

The biggest strength of this production is the wonderful ensemble cast who are all professional quality actors. Camrey Fox is charismatic and likable as Viola who is pretending to be Cesario and woo the Countess Olivia for their master Duke Orsino. Fox manages to have great chemistry with both Olivia played by Hannah McKinnon and Orsino played by Jason Hackney. The whole cast is phenomenal and sold the humor even when the language can be challenging for modern audiences.

The highlight of the play is of course poor Malvolio who is tricked into looking ridiculous for Olivia by the scheming Sir Toby, Maria and the jester Feste. Malvolio is played by David Johnson and he brings just the right amount of snobbery while still making you feel a little sorry for him especially when he is locked up in the asylum for his antics. It’s truly laugh out loud fun.

All the technical aspects of Twelfth Night are excellently done by director Anthony Buck and I especially love the music and and sound design by Buck and David Campbell. It’s hard to believe you can see a show like this for under $30. Less than $20 if you get season tickets which I highly recommend as they have an amazing 2025 season planned. Twelfth Night plays until September 7th and you can purchase tickets here.

MAMMA MIA- SANDY ARTS GUILD, SANDY

I’m honestly not sure what inspired me to get a ticket for Mamma Mia at Sandy Arts Guild. I love a good rom-com of course but its thin plot can be a little much for me and I have left more bored than entertained in the past. Well, I’m glad I took a chance on them and saw Mamma Mia this weekend because I ended up loving this production. I may go see it again I enjoyed it so much.

While the cast was brilliant and terrific in their roles I have to give the most credit to the director David Hanson. He did such an incredible job with attending to every detail of the production. The set by Dwight Western was massive and impressive but it’s how it was used that stood out. In nearly every scene if there was something going on in the foreground actors were also doing something in the background- usually not even lit but they are opening shutters or talking to a neighbor. This made everything a richer experience.

The choreography by Jessica Pace was so well executed by the large ensemble cast and the storytelling moved across the stage and one could not help but smile at the bubbly singing and dancing. The entire cast played off each other well and I didn’t think there was a single weak link performance-wise. Carolyn Hogan had a young vibrant energy as Sophie and Julianna Boulter was perfect as Donna. I also loved Sara McDonald as Tanya. She completely sold “Does Your Mother Know” and I was cracking up at her performance.

Mamma Mia may be a show you dismiss as light and fluffy but I’d encourage you to give this Sandy Arts Guild production a shot. It was a blast and I left with a big smile on my face. One of the theatrical highlights of the summer for sure. It’s playing until August 15th (they extended it because it kept selling out!) and you can purchase tickets here.

So that’s this weekends theatre log. What have you been seeing?

Aside from the shows I reviewed for UTBA I paid for all of these logged shows out of pocket. I’d love to cover as many local shows as possible but I need your help to do so. If you’d like me to review more theatre and appreciate what I do please check out the patreon here