Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well and enjoying some quality community theatre in your area. Recently most of my trips to the theatre have been for full reviews (if you are new to the site I do full reviews for shows I’m attending as a critic and shorter log for ones I pay for as a patron.) This is great as I enjoy the more in-depth reviews quite a bit. If you would like me to review your show please email me at rachelsreviews65@gmail.com. Also make sure you are following me on instagram for my out of theater reactions to all films and theatre I see.

Anyway, I have 2 shows to log today but let me know what you have seen and if you’ve been to these shows anywhere.

BIG FISH- KENSINGTON THEATRE, SOUTH JORDAN

Big Fish is one of those shows I’ve had on my bucket list for some time. It’s been put on a number of times locally but for whatever reason I always missed it. This is one of the many reasons I was thrilled to see it on the Kensington schedule this year. Now I have seen and I couldn’t be more impressed with the production Kensington put on. They are definitely the most underrated theater in the area and this was no exception.

The story of Big Fish honestly was a little muddled for my taste. I hadn’t seen the movie in a long time or read the book so perhaps that would help if it fresher on my mind. The closest I can think to compare it to is The Fantasticks which I also find narratively rambling and weak so maybe it’s just me?

Fortunately at Kensington director Toni Butler has seemingly thought of everything and she manages to make something special out of a flawed show. It especially impressed me how many different settings, costume styles, props and visual elements are required for the story. They also have a full live orchestra led by Michelle Willis. The cast is also uniformly strong with Tanner Tate playing the many different sides of Edward Bloom convincingly. Jack Sheehan is equally good as Edward’s stubborn son who is tired of Edward’s tall tales. That father/son dynamic is something anyone who has a Dad can relate with. Big Fish is also a sweet and endearing love story, so you know I’m going to be a fan of that. Unfortunately I saw Big Fish on its closing night but keep an eye on Kensington. They are an outstanding community theatre in this area and one can find out more information on them here.

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT- TIMPANOGOS COMMUNITY THEATRE, AMERICAN FORK

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT- TIMPANOGOS COMMUNITY THEATRE, AMERICAN FORK UT

In contrast to Big Fish I have seen Joseph multiple times so I was a little less enthusiastic about seeing the production at Timpanogos Community Theatre but they are so outstanding and I heard such good thing I decided I needed to give it a shot. In the end, I’m so glad I did because this is perhaps the best production of Joseph I’ve ever seen.

One of the unique things about this musical is it allows for company’s to put their own creative stamp on the material. I’ve seen everything from Taylor Swift being brought in to the story, to boy bands and everything in between. What I like about what director Chip Brown has done is they give the production its own creative touches without going too far. Set designer Caleb Wallengren has given everything a Vegas/Western appeal with Canaan Roadhouse, Beans and Hebrews, and “Welcome to Egypt” signs. The actors are also allowed to improv with lines like a reference to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and signs about Julia Regan (IYKYK). This keeps things fresh without being stupid.

It’s also really nice how much community participation is within the show- all ages and ability levels are allowed in the large ensemble and I always love seeing that in community theatre. The cast is across the board excellent with Austin Simcox nailing all of the Joseph songs and Brandy Taylor as an enthusiastic narrator. Like I said, you could not ask for more in a community production of Joseph. The show is playing through July 1st and tickets can be purchased here.

Big Fish has music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa with a book by John August based on the novels by August and Daniel Wallace. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat has music by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics and book by Tim Rice based on the story of Joseph from the Bible.

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.