Any of my readers knows I love a chance to support small community theater productions. Such was my opportunity this week with musicals at Sanctuary and the Empress and while both having basic flaws of community productions they are definitely worth supporting and enjoying.

ONCE UPON A MATTRESS- SANCTUARY THEATRE, WEST JORDAN

First up was Once Upon a Mattress at Sanctuary Theatre which is a small black box theater in West Jordan. Their productions are always of the amateur variety with pretty raw talent if I’m honest but what they lack in skills they make up for in heart, community and energy. If you are someone who cant sit through less-than polished performances than this isn’t the company for you but in my opinion the imperfections give a ton of charm and heart. Such is the case with Once Upon a Mattress which is a show I love and find to be very underrated (I wish that a few of the companies that constantly do Into the Woods would do Once Upon a Mattress every now and then because I think they are quite similar.)

The strongest performer in this production was definitely Kyra Furman as Princess Winnifred. It was actually a little distracting because her voice was so much better than anyone else in the cast but as she is the lead I’ll take it! I wasn’t surprised to read in her bio that she is a vocal performance grad because she had a beautiful timber and tone to her voice. I also thought Connie Beaty costumed and make-upd her well. She looked gorgeous especially her opening purple dress.

It’s a small space at the black box and as the director Beaty used the space well with creative touches like using a fabric panel in place of all the mattresses. The only major downside to the production is it was roasting in that little black box so I would recommend bringing a hand fan with you if you see it. There was a point where they bring an electric fan onto the stage as a prop and I was like ‘wait leave it for us!’ so they might want to consider doing that in the future! It was brutal.

I also want to say how grateful I was to be greeted by name by the staff and welcomed so warmly. In a week where I wasn’t treated that well as a critic by other more fancy theaters I will throw my support behind the less-polished but caring Sanctuary. They are a company that actually cares about the cast having the best experience possible and their patrons as well so I would love to see them get some support. Once Upon a Mattress is double cast and playing until May 4th. You can purchase tickets here.

THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL- EMPRESS THEATRE, MAGNA

Even though they are one of my favorites it had been a bit since I had been to the Empress Theatre in Magna. I have season tickets but their last 2 shows didn’t interest me (sorry I just don’t like that Anastasia adaptation and was too busy for their holiday show) so I was excited to see their adaptation of The Spongebob Musical even though I have very mixed feelings about the book of this show. I was hoping a second helping of it would win me over but I still don’t love it. That said, the production at The Empress was fantastic and I recommend it even though I don’t love the show.

My problem with the book by Kyle Jarrow is I find it surprisingly joyless for a Spongebob musical. Having seen the TV show and movies I was expecting something nutty and silly going into it and instead I get an apocalyptic dystopian narrative where friends are divided and characters treat each other in unkind ways. Shrek: The Musical is the gold standard to this kind of animated adaptation and it far exceeds anything in Spongebob in every way. For one thing, it’s actually funny… I honestly think one is better approaching Spongebob as a drama because the laughs are so few and far between it’s bizarre. I just don’t know what the creators were thinking with this one.

That aside director Chalese Craig has done what she can with the material to make for an entertaining night of theatre. She keeps the action moving and uses both the main stage and the second level in their theater-in-the-round set up they have at Empress. They were very creative in coming up with the worlds of bikini bottom and the volcano and other set pieces they need. They even passed out little flashlights to the audience to help with mood. I think it’s one of the most impressive looking shows The Empress has done in some time.

I also really enjoyed the cast with Tanner Larsen and Maddy Bishop being the standouts as Spongebob and Sandy. Both of them sang well and captured the energy and spirit of their characters in nearly every scene. I also liked Alexander Richardson as Squidward who I think has the best song of the show in “I’m Not a Loser.” Aaron Evensen was also hamming it up as the villainous Plankton.

I know a group of artists wrote the songs and maybe that is why they feel disjointed and like they were all written by different people. Still they did what they could to bring energy to the material at The Empress and I think it is bright and colorful enough to entertain families and little ones especially if they are fans of the cartoon. I probably won’t see this show again but I’m glad I gave it another try and supported the Empress with my season tickets. I was surprised to find out the regular tickets are $25 which seems high for this level of community theater but they were mostly sold out so good for them. Spongebob is playing at the Empress until April 20th and tickets can be purchased here.

I try to not ask for comps whenever possible (and paid for both of these shows) 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

I don’t care what a theatre critic says we all have our favorite shows. Now that doesn’t mean we automatically give a positive review to a production of our favorites. In fact, we can be harder on a show we love and know particularly well compared to something new and fresh without any expectations (ie I was pretty tough recently of the national tour of Les Miserables which is a show I love.) I say all this to add context to my glowing review of the new production of Daddy Long Legs at the Covey Center for the Arts. This is a show I love and adore and it is told exceedingly well.

Daddy Long Legs is a perfectly crafted piece of musical theatre with music and lyrics by Paul Gordon and a book by John Caird. It is based on the novel by Jean Webster. Many may also know the 1955 film with Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron although this retelling is miles better than that film. The story is told through letters and is mostly a romance between orphan Jerusha Abbot and her mysterious benefactor she names Daddy Long Legs (real name Jervis) but it is also a coming of age story as she experiences all the new joys of college and becoming an independent woman.

I love what Gordon and Caird have done so much taking the novel and building the relationship and characters bit by bit until we are so invested in their journey. It is a masterpiece in romantic comedy writing if you ask me. I also love the songs and marvel at the talent of the actors for commanding the stage in an only 2 person show for the entire runtime (this show saved me during the pandemic because it could be done easily by companies and its themes were so applicable with a correspondence over letters.)

It’s interesting because at first I didn’t know if I was feeling the chemistry between Dylann Riggs playing Jerusha and Scott Hendrickson as Jervis but I warmed up to them and really loved what they brought to the characters. Riggs brings out the comedy in Jerusha and is so expressive in songs like “I Couldn’t Know Someone Less” and especially in “Graduation Day.” You feel the highs and lows of the character and go on a journey with her. Hendrickson was a little stuffy at first as Jervis which is appropriate but it just took me a second to warm up to him and then I loved his nerdy awkward take on the character. “The Man I’ll Never Be” and “Charity” were the highlights for his performance and character. By the end I was so happy to see them come together and forgive each other. Again this is a perfect piece of romantic comedy on stage.

Another feature I really enjoyed is director Kris Peterson set up a bookcase in between Jervis’ office and Jerusha’s set (this is all in the block box at the Covey) and then the characters passed items and letters to each other through the bookcase. For a show entirely told through letters this was a very creative way to keep the characters connected and build the chemistry between the actors. They almost touched as they were reading each other’s letters a number of times through the bookcase.

I also loved the 1912 appropriate costumes by Elizabeth Crandall including cute little bowler hats for Jervis and I loved Jerusha’s final blue dress with buttons down the front. It reminded me of something you’d see in Anne of Green Gables which fits her character perfectly. My only real critique of this staging of Daddy Long Legs is the backtrack was a little too loud making the actors having to shout their lyrics from time-to-time. Also you definitely want to try and get a B seat because Jervis had his back to me in C section a lot including the entire finale. It’s nice when the actors can move a little to help everyone even in a small black box participate in the action equally.

Those are small quibble, however, in a wonderful night of entertainment. I can’t recommend Daddy Long Legs at Covey more strongly. It would make the perfect date night with a special someone and I’m sure tickets will sell out quick so don’t miss out. It is playing through May 6th and tickets can be purchased here.

I try to not ask for comps whenever possible (I did receive them for this review) 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

Being a theatre patron and critic certainly can give one a variety experiences. At no point was that more true than recently with 2 productions I’ve experienced: Pretty Woman: The Musical and Of Mice and Men. Here are some thoughts:

OF MICE AND MEN- PARKER THEATRE, SALT LAKE CITY

We all have those classics of literature that we don’t care for. Often we’ve read them in high school or growing up and for whatever reason they didn’t sit well with us or we didn’t enjoy them. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is such a story. I understand why people like the tragic tale of friendship but I’ve always disliked it especially the ending. There are lots of reason for this but suffice it to say I had very mixed feelings when I saw it was a part of the season at the Parker- a theater I have a season pass with. So then the question is do I see a story I know I dislike to support the theater or pass? Well, I decided to see it and I’m glad I did even though I still hate the story. They did an outstanding job and it was wonderful to watch for the craft on display alone.

Of Mice and Men tells the story of 2 friends, Lennie and George, in the 1930s who have stopped to work at a farm in California. Lennie is mentally handicapped, and childlike in his understanding of the world but he is large and strong. George loves Lennie but also resents the trouble he is constantly getting into by mistake. Lucas Charon plays George with warmth and kindness (almost too much so to buy the ending) and Brinton M Wilkins plays Lennie in a performance that could be demeaning if not as carefully performed as Wilkins does. The chemistry between both actors is palatable and real making everything that happens even more devastating.

The whole cast is strong with the always great Matthew Delafuente as the villain Curly and Brook Robertson in a devastating turn as Candy. (An unforgivable sequence when his dog is killed. ) The production is all outstanding with the incredible lighting and sound work I expect to see at the Parker. If you like this story than I can’t recommend this production more highly. It is a professional quality retelling of this classic of American literature.

I guess the reason why I don’t like the story is because I feel overly manipulated to accept an ending that’s not acceptable. I frankly think George would be more likely to shoot himself rather than Lennie. Why did he leave him alone? Why didn’t they run away? I don’t care what solution there could have been. Anything would be better than the ending we get. It also perpetuates the idea that handicapped individuals are dangerous or scary when in truth they are more likely to be the victims of abuse not the other way around.

Nevertheless, I can see value in a production even if the source material isn’t my favorite and this is an outstanding production of Of Mice and Men at Parker (Director Joanne Parker, set and lighting by James B Parker.) I highly recommend it to anyone that is willing to give it a chance especially if you appreciate the story more than I do. Of Mice and Men is playing at the Parker through April 27th and you can purchase tickets here.

PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL- ECCCLES (NATIONAL TOUR) SALT LAKE

Now for the other end of the spectrum we have Pretty Woman: The Musical with the national tour coming through to Eccles in Salt Lake. I actually hadn’t heard good things about this adaptation of the popular film but I figured as the resident rom-com girl I better check it out. In the end, it’s watchable but forgettable and not worthy of the high prices the tour will cost you.

If you know the classic film this production tells the story of a prostitute Vivian who is picked up by businessman Edward and the two have a Cinderella romance where she is treated like a princess, they fall in love and he learns to be a good man of business that builds boats rather than taking apart companies.

All the main moments from the film are there except bizarrely they don’t have the iconic Roy Orbison song in the actual show until the curtain call (they poke fun at this at intermission but its missing is very strange.) Unfortunately the songs they do give by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance are completely forgettable and bland. I also thought Ellie Baker who played Vivian had a shrillness to her belt singing I didn’t enjoy. Chase Wolfe is fine as Edward but pretty bland and the two don’t have any chemistry which is a key element of the film working with Richard Gere and Julia Roberts.

I also was expecting the costumes to be stronger with them often feeling like dime-store ripoffs of the costumes from the movie. We particularly didn’t get the brown with white polka dot dress she is so well known for wearing to the big party. They changed it to a black dress for some reason.

There is some nice 80s inspired lighting and set design (director DB Bonds with scenic design Christine Peter) and the supporting cast is energetic Adam du Plessis takes the Hector Elizondo role from the movie and has a fun time being the fairy godmother of the story. I also enjoyed Connor Kabat as the dancing bellhop who comes in and out of the story.

I know many really disliked Pretty Woman: The Musical. I have a good friend who left at intermission, and I can understand why. It’s definitely average at best. It is finished at Eccles but if it’s coming by you I’d only see it if you can get a deal and you love the movie. If not I’d just watch the movie and enjoy the better version of this story.

So there you have it. 2 widely different shows and experiences. The joy of being a theatre fan and critic in Utah!

I try to not ask for comps whenever 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

It goes without saying that I love any chance I get to see an equity production at Pioneer Theatre Company. Even if it’s a show I don’t love they always execute it with the height of professionalism. On Saturday, however, there was a special degree of excitement with their new show, The Lehman Trilogy for a couple of different reasons. First of all, the play is highly lauded winning 5 Tony Awards including best play in 2021 and it tells the ambitious and sprawling story of the Lehman Brothers Corporation and the 3 Lehman brothers from 1844 to 2008.

Second, it is the first 3 act play with 2 intermissions I’ve ever seen. Third, it is the first production in the new Meldrum Theatre at the Einar Nielsen Fieldhouse and Lastly, it marked my 300th show since I returned to live theatre after the pandemic. What a ride it has been!

Let me say a few words about the new theatre. This is an absolutely beautiful thrust theatre that can accommodate hundreds of patrons in very comfortable chairs (they did an excellent job choosing those chairs out because I was nervous how a 3.5 hour show would be on my back! No problems!) There is space for a orchestra pit if they want and state of the art lighting and other production qualities that should allow PTC and the students at UofU to put on just about anything. I can’t wait to see many a wonderful show at the Meldrum!

As far as the actual play itself it was a fascinating experience. Written by Stefano Massini and adapted to English by Ben Power it is a small production with only 3 in the cast but like I said covers 160 years of American history through the lens of the Lehman Brothers company and family. There were times when the business talk and exposition was a little dry (it got less so in the 3rd act but maybe that’s partly because I am more familiar with recent events than 19th century American history.) Huge praise goes to the amazing 3 actors Jeff Talbot, William Connell and Seth Andrew Bridges in a never-ending stream of roles including switching accents and occasionally playing women.

The director Karen Azenberg keeps the actors moving which helps break up the exposition and helps make it clear when they are transitioning in and out of a character. The costumes by Yoon Bae are kept simple and give hints to the period with things like a top hat and a scarf.

The lighting by Michael Gilliam did a great job at keeping us focused on the 3 actors as they moved across the stage; however, I do think they could have picked a play requiring more ambitious lighting and production for the first test of this new theatre. There’s nothing production-wise that astonishes in The Lehman Trilogy. It’s the acting and writing that stand out and could just have easily been performed in the small Black Box theatre the University has (I saw Cabaret there and it was incredible!) Why not do something that really shows off your new space?

In a way though I can see why they chose The Lehman Trilogy because it captures the history of America and American capitalism just at a time when we are embarking on a perilous election cycle. In a year where it seems hard to believe our 2 options are the best we could come up with it’s helpful to contemplate on how we got here as a nation- a nation of companies and families.

Mostly I recommend seeing The Lehman Trilogy for what will no doubt be some of the best acting of the year. It’s a tour de force from our cast of 3 and it should not be missed.

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Hi everyone! Since I got home from Texas I’ve been busy but trying to heal from this non-bronchitis that’s been morphed from the allergies that I had on the trip (this is one of those viruses that is sticking around forever!) Nevertheless, I have had the chance to see 2 shows and I love the chance to give both productions a shoutout (Plus I saw the new production at the new theatre at Pioneer Theatre Company but that gets its own post.)

NEWSIES- DRAPER HISTORIC THEATRE, DRAPER

One of the most reliable local theatres of late has been right here in Draper at Draper Historic Theatre. I recently saw Annie there that was delightful and last year I was blown away by their Jekyll and Hyde (I’ll never forget that show.) Their latest production is the very popular Newsies and it was once again a very well done piece of community theatre. This production is particularly fun because my sister and niece were in town so they got to see it with me.

I’m always so impressed at Draper Historic how well they use the little space with such large casts and this was no exception. They also use projections and flexible sets (scaffolding for this show) to make the stage as versatile as possible.

Of course, Newsies has a special place in my nostalgic heart with a score by Alan Menken and lyrics by Jack Feldman and a book from Harvey Fierstein. I think most of the changes they made for the movie are to its benefit and the cast at Draper is totally up for the challenge. Jared Gaskill isn’t the strongest singer I’ve ever heard for Jack but what he lacks in polish he makes up for in sincerity and charisma. He also has terrific chemistry with Tearza Foyston. The rest of the cast is excellent and there is a tremendous community spirit about the whole production which is what you want in this kind of community theatre. There were flaws particularly in the microphones but nothing that hindered my enjoyment. It was also fun to see one of my favorite local couples in the cast with Dylan and Sophie Manzanares playing Davey and Spot Conlon.

Newsies at Draper Historic finished today with a sold out run (congrats!) but I recommend checking out their very reasonable season tickets. Next up they have Legally Blonde which I can’t wait for! You can purchase tickets here.

SEUSSICAL: THE MUSICAL- CENTERPOINT LEGACY, CENTERVILLE

It’s interesting because Seussical: The Musical is a show that is done all the time in Utah but somehow I’ve never actually seen it! I had listened to the music and most of my friends aren’t high on it so I just hadn’t seen it until this week. It was part of my season pass for Centerpoint Legacy in Centerville so I decided to finally check it off of my list.

Now that I have seen it I can see why it isn’t a favorite of many of my friends. If you are a story person (which I am) it doesn’t weave the Seussian elements together into a very coherent story. It’s a bit of a mess in that regard and it has so many characters and subplots that it can feel less than satisfying. It does, however, give lots of opportunity for creativity in productions and has a large cast so lots in the community can participate, which I am sure is why it is so popular.

Centerpoint always does an incredible job with their material and this is no exception. Director Kristin Pettingill Callor has brought out the best in her cast by using the entire stage and helping the actors be as dynamic in the roles as possible. There is particularly a sequence using fluorescent light that was very inventive and eye-catching.

I particularly enjoyed Dan Call as Horton and Emily Henwood as Gertrude who I think has the best song of the musical with “Notice Me Horton” and “Alone in the Universe.” The costumes by Stephanie Colyar are also first rate managing to capture so many different worlds and characters.

The only thing I didn’t love in this production was the AI-looking projections they had as part of the background. Everything else was so lush and colorful so to have that flat AI look wasn’t my favorite. I would have rather just a plain painted background personally.

If you like Seussical you definitely should check out this production at Centerpoint. It plays through April 17th and you can purchase tickets here.

If you enjoy my writing please support me on patreon and you will get some great perks along the way! As I try to get as few comps as possible to support local theatre any support you can give will allow me to cover more amazing shows. More information is  here.

Hello from Texas! I am finishing up the last few hours of my 9 day trip to Austin, Texas with my thoughts on 2 live shows I got to experience during my trip. Unfortunately I got a bad case of Texas allergies and was pretty sick especially at the end of my trip so it’s been a challenging trip but I am always glad when I get to see live theatre whether I’m at home or abroad.

DANCING AT LUGHNASA- CITY THEATRE AUSTIN, AUSTIN TEXAS

I love finding small community theatres across the country to support and encourage in their productions, so I was thrilled when City Theatre Austin accepted my request to come and review their latest production of the play Dancing at Lughnasa. This is one of those plays I had heard of but had never seen and of course I know of the movie version starring Meryl Streep although I have also never seen that. So I went to CTA not knowing what to expect and I left having seen a delightful piece of community theatre with a big heart attached to it.

Dancing at Lughnasa won the Tony Award for best play in 1992 and was written by Brian Friel. The production at CTA is directed by Peyton Trahan with artistic director and manager Andy Berkovsky leading things along. The stage for the play is at a church and the sets and props stay constant throughout the runtime.

The most important factor to the success of a play like this is are the sisters a believable family unit? Do they have chemistry together so they can sell the scenes and fortunately I’d say the cast at CTA has chemistry in spades. They also all did well with their Irish accents which I found impressive for community theatre. My favorite of the women were Josie Hood as Kate and Catherine Woodiwiss as Maggie. I also enjoyed Moses Kutz as the narrator Michael who is an old man remembering this time with his Mother and aunts.

I was also impressed that it didn’t appear any of the actors were microphoned and yet they all projected well. I do think the actors could move around a little more as much of the action was spent sitting at the family table. For a play with dancing in the title there’s not much of it to be found and that can make it a little dry in spurts.

Still, if you are a someone who has sisters or family of any kind you should be able to relate to the dynamics going on with these 5 sisters. It’s real and honest and explores the deep topics of life with everything from war to religion to what makes a fulfilling life.

If you are in the Austin area check out City Theatre Austin. I know I will be on future trips. Dancing at Lughnasa plays through March 31st and one can purchase tickets here.

COME FROM AWAY- NATIONAL TOUR, MAJESTIC THEATRE, SAN ANTONIO

I have long wanted to see Come From Away on the stage but hadn’t had the chance aside from the excellent pro-shot that is available on Apple TV (which I highly recommend.) Needless to say I jumped at the chance to see it with my friends when visiting San Antonio as part of my trip. And even though I was not feeling well it still wowed me as a heartfelt and human musical.

Come From Away has music, book and lyrics by Irene Sankoff annd David Hein and it tells the story of what happened in Newfoundland when 7000 people were transferred there after the Sept 11 attacks. What this show does so well is it takes on weighty themes of loss, racism, war, fear and more but it tells its story with such humanity and warmth that it all works. I was so impressed with how many stories it manages to tell in a relatively brief 100 minute runtime.

Technically Come From Away is a simple show with mostly chairs that are rearranged to make the plane and other rooms for the passengers so it’s really all about the writing and characters and these are winners. They didn’t give us a program (which is very annoying for Broadway level pricing) but the highlights are probably Hannah singing “I Am Here” and Beverley singing “Me and the Sky.”

Truly it is the ensemble that makes Come From Away special. It’s one of those shows I have a hard time imagine anyone disliking. It’s such a positive yet impactful musical. If the tour is coming by you I recommend giving it a watch.

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Some might find it hard to believe but I actually don’t enjoy writing negative reviews especially for theatre. This is especially true for a production that tries their hardest but is working with underwhelming material. It seems unfair to be overly harsh when they did all they could to salvage a weak book and music but alas sometimes that is simply the case and it certainly is true for the new production of Bonnie & Clyde at Pioneer Theatre Company. While I appreciate them trying out new shows that aren’t done often in Utah this is perhaps one that its scarcity of performances is for a reason. Suffice it to say I really didn’t like this musical.

Of course, Bonnie & Clyde tells the story of American bandits Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow who during the 1930s led a gang that robbed banks and funeral homes in Louisiana and Texas. They also murdered at least 9 police officers and 4 civilians. Their story received media attention at the time and then was memorialized with the 1967 film starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. One of the most interesting parts of the film is they chose to portray Clyde as a virgin who resists Bonnie’s advances through most of the movie. I have no idea if this is accurate to the man but it makes the film more interesting because Bonnie has so little to motivate her into the life of crime and Clyde is a more unusual, complex character. I wish Ivan Menchell had brought some of that complexity into the book in this musical version. As it is the relationship between Bonnie and Clyde is romanticized and as bland as it gets. It’s then not helped by schizophrenic songs (music by Frank Wildhorn and lyrics by Don Black) that can’t decide whether this is a gospel, country, jazz or musical belt style of show. There’s no cohesion with the music and even the reprises are weirdly placed with no great 11 o’clock number to bring everything together.

Like I said, there are positives to Bonnie& Clyde at PTC. The sets by Bryce Cutler are some of the most impressive I’ve ever seen there with pictures of the real life Bonnie and Clyde and a theatre marquee that lit up the title of the name of the place whenever the setting changed. The production is overall directed and choreographed well by Gerry McIntyre. There is also a very impressive vehicle that I wish had been used more (they really only get on the run at the very end of the long first act.) but it was cool when we did get to see it. In addition, there is an impressive bedroom set that is in on the 2nd story of the backdrop that was integrated successfully into the story particularly in act 2.

The singing is across the board excellent with Alanna Saunders and Michael William Nigro doing all they could with the songs as Bonnie and Clyde. I also enjoyed Gina Milo’s performance in the very strangely written character of Blanche Barrow. The character was poorly done but she was trying as hard as possible to make it work.

Speaking of Blanche I was baffled in a Bonnie & Clyde musical how much time was devoted to Clyde’s sister-in law. You could easily make an argument that she is a co-lead and is given 6 songs including several with a preacher that make no sense with the overall narrative. This show isn’t trying to say anything about religion. Bonnie and Clyde are not religious characters. There is no reason to have sister-in law Blanche singing with a preacher about “God’s Arms Are Always Open.” What on earth? And we get a reprise of the song with the Preacher back for the second act! As if it wasn’t bad enough the first time.

Blanche also gets such bland numbers as “You Love Who You Love” and “That’s What You Call a Dream.” I frankly felt bad for Milo because she was so good with such a poorly written character. Sometimes the theatre just isn’t fair.

Honestly if I hadn’t been reviewing the show I might have left at intermission. That’s how much I disliked the music and story (and almost I never do that.) It was so oddly paced with huge exposition dumps and characters given arcs that added nothing to the overall narrative. For example, did we really need the police officer who has a crush on Bonnie to get a whole story with songs? At one point it’s almost portrayed like Clyde is a Jean Valjean archetype being poor persecuted inmate even though that makes no sense as he actually committed serious crimes to end up in jail. Bonnie and Clyde were also not much of a Robin Hood type of characters as often who they were hitting up were small establishments that needed the money just as much as they did if not more so. Not that it matters the musical doesn’t stick to history, but what they chose instead was blander and less interesting than the actual events.

Since I saw Bonnie & Clyde last week I’ve spoken with some people who really enjoyed it. That’s the subjectivity of theatre I suppose. They did all they could at Pioneer Theatre Company to make it an entertaining show but it could not be saved from the muddled and poorly written book and songs. A great production can only do so much. At least in the case of this critic, you can add wasting everyone’s time by inspiring this musical to the list of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Darrow’s crimes…

Bonnie & Clyde is playing through March 9th and tickets can be purchased here.

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Hey everyone! I hope you are doing well. I’ve been busy with the Sundance Film Festival, a trip to DC and some more great local theatre here in Utah. As always I love to keep you all up to date on what I’ve been watching.

CHICAGO TEEN EDITION, H-B WOODLAWN, ARLINGTON VIRGINIA

Naturally I was thrilled to get to see my niece Nelle Lloyd in a musical while I was in town for my DC trip. Living so far away from my nieces I don’t often get to participate in their events or activities. That said, I was a little skeptical of how Chicago could get adapted for a teen audience in Chicago: Teen Edition. However, after seeing it I can say I’m impressed with the adaptation. I’m not an expert on Chicago, having only seen it the one time (along with the movie) but I think they did a great job toning it down for teens and the production allowed the whole cast to participate in the dancing and singing experience.

With teen productions the most important aspect is if the cast appears to be having a good time and a large group of students gets to join in the fun. I hate it when schools pick shows that only a few students get to be involved in. How can a young person know if they like something if they never get a chance to try? I was a little surprised by some of the cursing left in this cleaned up version but they still did a pretty good job making it teen-friendly. Lead Avery Seligman stole the show as Velma with David Myers putting in a charismatic turn as Amos Heart. It’s often a worry in theater for youth that I won’t be able to hear the performers (both because of poor microphones and big halls) but for the most part the sound worked here and it made the entire evening a jazzy good time.

I hope the cast is inspired by their experience to keep pursuing the arts and exploring their creative sides. That’s what these type of experiences should give our students.

TICK TICK…BOOM- KENNEDY CENTER, WASHINGTON DC

One of the reasons I felt inspired to plan a DC trip in February is to see a staging of tick, tick…Boom! at The Kennedy Center. I mentioned the idea to my sister and she very kindly helped make this all happen for me (thank you Megan!!) I absolutely adore the movie version from 2021 and as it’s not performed very much I jumped at the chance to see this production. You can read my review for Utah Theatre Bloggers here (I loved it!)

A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER- CENTERPOINT LEGACY, CENTERVILLE

One of the most consistently excellent theatre companies in Northern Utah is Centerpoint Legacy in Centerville. Not only are they routinely equity quality but their prices are a bargain especially when compared with the likes of the Hale theatres. Their latest production is A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. I have now seen this show 5 times (I think I will take a break from this one for a while) but this was one of the finest stagings of this musical I’ve seen. Director Shelby Ferrin does an excellent job using her cast to the best of their abilities and bringing out the humor in each scene. It’s, of course, a black comedy and a big factor of its enjoyment depends on the casting, particularly with whomever they get to play the D’Ysquith family members. In this case it was the incredible Danny Inkley.

The costumes and other production values were also very strong. My only gripes are with the show itself which of course they have no control of at Centerpoint. I think it is a show that would be better as a straight play instead of a musical. The songs are largely forgettable and I just think it would be more entertaining as a play akin to The 39 Steps. It feels really long and the gimmick starts to feel tiresome. However, that is also probably a fact of my seeing it 5 times.

If you haven’t seen it I highly recommend this production of Gentleman’s Guide. It is funny with great performances and production values. Another winner for Centerpoint. This show is playing until Feb 17th and tickets are as low as $20 with great season ticket rates. More information can be found here.

PRIDE & PREJUDICE- PARKER THEATRE, SALT LAKE CITY

One of my most anticipated plays of 2024 was Pride & Prejudice at The Parker Theatre in Salt Lake. I have loved to liked everything I’ve seen from there and I love the novel/story so I was pretty confident I would love this, and surprise I did! This was an outstanding production from top to bottom. I highly recommend if you are in the area to see it while you have the chance. I may even see it another time I enjoyed it so much.

Of course, we all know the story of Pride & Prejudice but this adaptation sparkled with energy and a cast with loads of chemistry. Director Jennifer Hohl says in her note she is new to Jane Austen but you would never know it for how much of the novel is packed into this play and how well it is executed. It’s always a good sign when I start to wonder if the lead couple in a romance is actually a couple in real life. Maryn Tueller and Spencer Hohl made me ask that question as Elizabeth and Darcy here. Their chemistry is so strong!

The rest of the cast is equally strong with Tyler Hanson owning every scene he is in as the buffoon Mr Collins. The scene where he can’t dance was particularly funny. If you are worried this is a dry and stuffy Austen play that is not the case here. The Parker has inserted as much humor and levity as possible and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I can’t recommend it more highly.

My only critique is the beautiful costumes sometimes looked wrinkled and messy which was a little distracting considering the time period. It’s a small nitpick but something they could easily fix so I thought I’d mention it. Like I said, I’d consider going again I enjoyed it so much.

Pride & Prejudice runs through March 9th and tickets can be purchased here.

So there you have it! I’d love to know if you’ve seen any of these shows. What local theatre have you been supporting? Please share!

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