Hi everyone! I hope you are having a great time enjoying local theater wherever you live. I have a couple theatre logs to share with you as well as some reviews of several Broadway proshots I have recently watched. If you are new to my site these logs are quick thoughts on theatre I was a patron for where I do the full detailed reviews for shows I’ve been requested to view as a critic and the tickets are complimentary. I hope you enjoy both types of content and am always curious for what you have seen and had fun with.

TARZAN- Herriman Arts Council, Herriman

I’m a little sad that I got behind and didn’t do my log sooner on this incredible production of Tarzan. Hopefully my social media posts and reaction helped give it some love and attention. Make sure you are following me on instagram to see all of my out of theater reactions both film and live theatre.

Anyway, this really was a remarkable piece of community theatre. Herriman always goes above and beyond in whatever they put on. They not only have a full orchestra but every other detail is thought out. Like, for example, they had a jungle gym bars set up on the stage so they could make it look like the actors were swinging through the jungle as apes- how clever is that? Honestly producer Emily Berbert and director Shelby Walles thought of everything. They even have themed concessions with flavored sodas and treats to add to the immersion (I always love that!)

The cast was also very talented with Spencer Bowler and Leo Falbo giving professional worthy performances as old and young Tarzan respectively. Abigayle Berbert was a fiesty Jane and Meagan Rudd was a beautiful Kala. The costumes by Emily Berbert looked fantastic with makeup by Walles. The only challenge is the outdoor pavilion they use is very echoey which is tough vocally but it’s still a wonderful experience and thank them all for their gift to the community. You can find out more about Herriman Arts here.

CATS- Centerpoint Legacy Theatre, Centerville

I was really excited to see Centerpoint’s new production of Cats both because I love Centerpoint and it was the first show in their newly renovated Second Stage black box theater! Even though I don’t think it is the space feels bigger than what they had before and it is certainly more comfortable (my back thanks you for the new chairs!) It’s such an exciting thing for a company like Centerpoint to have a thriving black box where they can do more intimate and edgy stuff and they can keep the mainstage more family focused.

As far as Cats this was a blast. I always say that Andrew Lloyd Webber loves writing what I call “introducterals.” Meaning it’s not really a story but a couple hours of getting introduced to quirky characters. This is certainly true with Cats but also Starlight Express, Joseph and even Jesus Christ Superstar. So you just have to know what you are getting into when you see Cats and have fun with it.

This production is directed by Jared Haddock and he has brought the best out of his cast of cats and they all do an incredible job interacting with the audience, even coming up to us in the front row and playing with my purse like a cat would! I was especially impressed with Jessica Sannar who is Jellyorum who made eye contact with me throughout- I felt like she was performing just for me all night! Jessica Andrus is Broadway level quality as Grizabella and Gage Reese stood out as a dynamic Munkustrap. They did have some problems with the microphones the night I attended but other than that I don’t know how you could ask for more from a community production of Cats. The real and projected sets (designer Josh Roberts) are bright and vibrant, the makeup and costumes (Stephanie Colyar, Kristen Alley) are professional quality. The rotating stage with a staircase in the middle keeps things moving. It’s fantastic. I highly recommend. It is playing through July 15th and tickets can be purchased here.

YELLOW FACE- PBS Great Performances, Broadway PBS

I want to make sure to share a few quick thoughts on 2 proshots that are available to watch on PBS Great Performances just for a few more days. The first is the play Yellow Face. This is semi-autobiographical comedic play by David Henry Hwang. He is the protagonist of the piece and it chronicles the experience he had after a controversial casting of Miss Saigon in 1990. While it is an unreliable narrator the conceit of the story is that Hwang mistakenly hires a non-Asian actor to play an Asian role even though he had spoken out against such practices before. There is also the evolving relationship between Daniel and his banker father HYH who is very idealistic about his role as an immigrant and the American dream.

This is a very relevant play but it’s also funny and entertaining. Daniel Dae Kim is dynamic and captivating as Daniel and Francis Jue shows why he won the Tony Award for his role as his father. It perhaps gets a little more cluttered than it needs to. I’m not sure we needed to know about every actor who ever worked with Daniel and the actor Marcus (played by Ryan Eggold.) Still, Yellow Face is definitely worth checking out before it leaves PBS on 7/1/25.

NEXT TO NORMAL- PBS Great Performances, West End PBS

Also leaving PBS 7/1/25 we have the West End proshot of Next to Normal. While I do recommend this to anyone who hasn’t seen this musical, it doesn’t feel as special as Yellow Face. I have seen multiple local productions of Next to Normal that are as good as this version if not better including this year at the Hart Theatre Company. This version is directed by Michael Longhurst and stars Caissie Levy as Diana, Jamie Parker as Dan, Eleanor Worthington Cox as Natalie and Jack Wolfe as Gabe.

As I was watching this proshot I did have the thought- do we love Next to Normal because it dares to talk about mental illness more than it actually talks about that topic well? I am not a psychiatrist or a person with bipolar disorder so it’s hard to say but I do think Dan and even Natalie are a bit judged by the script when what they are going through is incredibly difficult. Having Gabe as an actual person makes Diana seem more logical and her behavior more appropriate. I’m not sure. It’s definitely a show that makes you think about things after you see it and requires so much of the actors that I admire anyone who takes it on. But like I said I wonder if I like the attempt more than the actual material itself?

Anyway, everyone is excellent here and if you haven’t seen Next to Normal it’s worth a watch especially since it’s a proshot that captures the theatrical experience perfectly. Nothing amazing but good.

To sign up for PBS Utah go to here.

Tarzan: The Musical has music and lyrics by Phil Collins with a book by David Henry Hwang (2 of him this post!) based on the 1999 film and the novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs , Cats has music by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by T.S. Eliot, Trevor Nunn and Richard Stilgoe based on the poem by Eliot. Yellow Face is by David Henry Hwang. Next to Normal has music by Tom Kitt and lyrics and book by Brian Yorkey.

These logged shows I 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.