It’s interesting without really planning it I ended up having a Shakespearean theme to this week at the theater. I will see Something Rotten twice, The Tempest, Henry V on Saturday and & Juliet as the national tour is coming to Eccles in Salt Lake. It’s really quite amazing when you think about it that a man who was born in 1564 is still monopolizing my week in 2025 as a theatre critic and fan! & Juliet has been a big hit on Broadway when it first debuted in 2022 and in a market where few shows last over a year that’s a very impressive run. I can see why it has such an appeal. It’s what I would call a gateway musical- It’s fun and most likely to appeal to young teen girls who are first getting into musical theatre. While there’s nothing wrong with that, it is a bit of a missed opportunity with a source material that has more to offer than such a bubble-gum treatment.

The concept for this musical is to subvert Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and reimagine it as a female empowerment piece accompanied by pop favorites from Britney Spears and The Backstreet Boys to name a few. The setup is that Anne Hathaway (Shakespeare’s real-life wife) doesn’t like the ending of his famous play and wants to rewrite it. The two then become the narrators of this reinvented story for Juliet and it’s all mostly a vehicle for catchy tunes and bubbly dance numbers. There is some diversity promoted with a queer love story Juliet’s beau Francois (Mateus Leite Cardoso) and May (Nick Drake) and another for Juliet’s nurse Angelique (Kathryn Allison) and Francois’ Dad Lance (Paul-Jordan Jansen) which is all soapy and fun.

The problem I had with the book of & Juliet is that it approaches Romeo and Juliet on a romance-only level. Granted the play does have iconic swoony scenes like the balcony and does end in tragedy. The whole reason for the tragedy, however is because of the hate that divides the two families and makes things impossible for the young love to thrive. There’s so much to that conflict that the surface level of ‘look at these two young people in love’ is a bit frustrating. Even with the queer love story they don’t really dive into the familial conflict much so it all feels more like ‘look at these mean people who hate true love.’ It could be a lot more than that.

That said, if you are just looking for a show with a bunch of bops than you’ll enjoy & Juliet. Rachel Simone Webb is terrific as Juliet and things get a lot more entertaining in the second act when Michael Canu has a plotline as Romeo returns into the story. Everything is directed by Luke Sheppard and the choreography by Jennifer Weber is a lot of fun. The costumes by Paloma Young are probably the standout of production elements. There is in particular a very effective quick-change for Juliet towards the end of the show that is very impressive.

In my opinion & Juliet is one of those Broadway shows where if you listen to the original cast recording and it sounds appealing than you will have a good time with the show. If you listen and think ‘that sounds like a lame jukebox musical’ than it won’t be for you. There’s nothing in the story that will win you over so it’s all about the songs and their execution. Those elements work well enough for me to recommend the experience but the source material leaves a lot left on the cutting room floor and that’s a shame. Oh well! & Juliet is playing at Eccles until June 22nd and tickets can be purchased here.

& Juliet has music by Max Martin, arranged by Bill Sherman with lyrics by Max Martin and others and a book by David West Read based on the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.

When I first started my journey into supporting local theatre I wanted to be open to new experiences and types of theatre. This has served me quite well over the years and I’m still finding ways to experience the stage in fresh and inventive new to me formats. I’d heard of Drunken Shakespeare before but as I don’t drink myself I hadn’t given it much thought. Then the good folks at Mad King invited me to see their drunk production of The Tempest and since they had a Sunday matinee I decided to give it a shot (from church to Drunken Shakespeare is an unusual combination but I am a unique person!) While this experience won’t be for everyone I had a great time and would encourage anyone looking for something fresh and original to give it a shot.

The rules for Drunken Shakespeare are simple. The troupe starts off the performance (in this case The Tempest) with a toast and a drink. Then they perform the first Act with their initial drink and at intermission the audience has the chance to sponsor whatever actors they are enjoying. Each $5 donation means a new drink for the actors. With it being Father’s Day our audience was on the small side so I was frankly quite shocked at how many orders were placed (wanting to just observe I did not place any orders myself.) I can only imagine how many orders there are for a full house which they had on Friday!

Naturally the more inebriated the cast get the more difficult it is to say the Shakespeare but they all do pretty well. This is of course a paired down version of The Tempest with some colorful language added in which suits the non-traditional setting. Like I said, this whole experiment won’t be for everyone but I found it quite refreshing. As much as I love theatre of all kinds sometimes I can feel we as a community can be a little stuffy. I get it we don’t want to be outright disruptive or rude but people that complain about a candy wrapper being opened or grumble at the fidget spinner I sometimes have in the palm of my hand take things too far. This isn’t a library where the audience should be afraid to move or make the tiniest sounds. It is refreshing to go to Drunken Shakespeare and hear people commenting at the actors, smiling and having a great time.

Anyway, the cast at Mad King is all up for the task. I just hope that they don’t have too big of headaches after all that! Carleigh-Jo Naylor grounds the whole thing as Prospera and Coco Berwald and Isacc Martinez-Trinidad were a lot of fun as Miranda and Ferdinand. In the program the director is listed as Madman Madriaga and any of the other technical elements are kept very simple in the black box space at the Gateway. I think it helps that the donations don’t start until Act 2 so the first part of the play is relatively true to the original text and free from most antics (the drunk thing could get old quick if we aren’t enjoying the actual play but they keep it just about right.)

It’s interesting I saw The Tempest the day after seeing Something Rotten. I guess Shakespeare is just on the mind! If this Drunken Shakespeare frivolity sounds like your kind of thing give it a shot. Try something new! It is playing through June 29th and tickets can be purchased here.

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.

Since I began attending so much live theatre one thing I have noticed is that the comedic plays and musicals don’t tend to be as rewatchable as the dramas. I’m not exactly sure why but that sizzle of the first laughs are hard to duplicate. I try to never hold a production responsible for my repeat viewing fatigue but it is still something I’ve noticed. The one exception to this rule is the musical Something Rotten. I have seen it many times by many different companies and it still makes me laugh every time. The latest version (I’m actually seeing it again this week at Murray Arts believe it or not.) is at Hopebox Theatre in Kaysville and it is a rollicking good time.

Hopebox, of course, stands out because of its wonderful mission of fundraising and supporting a hopebox recipient that has is fighting a cancer battle. What’s always impressive to me, however, about Hopebox is they don’t lean on this mission but they use it as a catalyst to produce great shows. I’m almost never leaving there thinking ‘that’s a great cause but…’ The show and the cause are fantastic and that is certainly the case with Something Rotten.

One of the big standouts in this production is the innovative set. The space is small at Hopebox and the set by Curtis Dalton is able to flip from Renaissance village to a kitchen with ease making transitions very fast. Director Ryan Bruckman has embraced the Broadway legacy of the piece and packed it full of references any musical theatre fan will love. For people less in on the inside theatre jokes there’s plenty of humor in the performances and entertaining tap dancing and other fun choreography.

Something Rotten is a saucy little show so the very strict puritans among us may not appreciate some of the jokes, but I find it very funny. The Shakespeare in the Teal cast I saw is played by Austin Shipp and he brings an aging suave dynamic to the character that’s hilarious. He reminded me of a cocky Tony Bennett or Donny Osmond. (The costumes by Kathy Richmond were excellent especially during the “Make an Omelet” number except Shakespeare’s non-leather pants were a little baggy for the overall look they are going for. The leather was much better) We had Ian Fife as Nick (he’s normally in the Silver cast but I’m so glad I got to see him and was impressed with the chemistry he had with the cast given it’s not his normal cast.) Ian Wellisch is very endearing as Nigel and has terrific chemistry with Kira Dalby as Portia.

I’m not sure if it was just because it was opening night but there were more singing errors than I typically see at Hopebox but they powered through and delivered the jokes with great skill. I don’t require perfection in my musical theatre. Just heart and soul and in this case a lot of laughs and that’s what you will get here. Something Rotten is playing through July 12th and tickets can be purchased here.

Something Rotten has music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick with a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell.

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.

I know the Broadway adaptation of the film Newsies is one that a lot of my friends in musical theatre roll their eyes at when they hear it is being put on by a company. There’s no question that it is performed a lot and I can understand why some people are sick of it. However, it is a show I have a lot of nostalgia for being a big fan of the movie and the pro-shot with Jeremy Jordan. It’s still a fun, energetic show if you ask me. Yesterday I had the chance to see a performance of Newsies at Heritage Theatre in Perry and is everything one could want in an evening of community theatre.

Heritage in many ways is an ideal community theatre venue. They still have a homespun charm to them but they are constantly innovating and challenging themselves. With Newsies, director and choreographer Alyn Bone seems to have thought of everything from having a live band accompany them, to large tap dancing number for “King of New York” with the entire ensemble wearing tap shoes, to completely hand-made sets (no projections.) It helps make a show like Newsies less predictable and more exciting.

The young cast is also fantastic in this production. I noticed in the program many of the young men and women are making their Heritage debuts but had worked in local high school productions. I am sure as this theater continues to challenges themselves and produce such good work more talent young and old will be anxious to work for them. This group of teens is led by Corbyn Macari as Jack Kelly and he’s honestly one of the best Jacks I’ve seen. He’s charismatic and charming while still pulling off the more vulnerable moments like when he reads Crutchie’s letter in “Letter from the Refuge” or of course in “Santa Fe.”

The stage at Heritage is small which makes it all the more impressive how many Newsies boy and girls are singing in dancing in songs like “Carrying the Banner” and “King of New York.” It’s a blast and like I said the live band just makes everything better. Other standouts in the cast are Matt Child as Crutchie and Tanner Jeppson as Davey. If I was going to give some advice it would just be to make sure to enunciate as clearly as possible when laying on those thick New York accents.

Also did I mention tickets at Heritage are as low as $10. You can barely see a movie for that price these days. Even if you think you’ve seen Newsies too many times I recommend giving this production a shot. It’s just that entertaining. It is playing through June 28th and tickets can be purchased here.

Newsies has music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Jack Feldman and a book by Harvey Firestein based on the 1992 film.

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.

I always love a chance to see a new to me company here in Utah but I love it even more when said company is doing not only Pride and Prejudice but doing the adaptation by Melissa Leilani Larson that I love and adore. Such was my treat this last weekend in beautiful Midway and the wonderful company Charitable Acts Theatre. You couldn’t ask more from a community theater production of this classic play. Plus ticket proceeds go to support the Peace House charity.

This production of Pride and Prejudice is put on at the Midway City Hall and what director Carrie Zabaldo and her team have done is segment the staging area into 3 sections each with different wallpaper and furnishings. This makes it very easy to transition between the settings whether it be Netherfield Park, Longbourn or Pemberley. On the walls hang empty frames and then the middle connecting the sections is an open frame with a platform for characters to stand in when they are being discussed (like when Lizzy is reading Mr Darcy’s letter or or the family is reading Lydia’s departure note. It is a very clever and fresh way to stage the scenes we all know and love so well. If anything they could have used this framing device even more than they did but it’s a fun piece of set design (set designer Carolyn Robison.)

The cast is also up for the challenge of this daunting piece. Connor McMaster and Madeleine Mustard have fantastic chemistry as Lizzy and Darcy and Jon Yusko and Madelynn Hunter are hilarious as Mr Collins and Mrs Bennet respectively. Ciera Kizerian is also very memorable as the snobbish Caroline Bingley. The whole cast kept their accents well and they have a nice spirit together as a company, which is of course the most important aspect of any piece of community theater. The costuming team also deserves high praise for not only getting the regency dresses correct but the undergarments with the right chemises, stockings and other clothing as well.

Since this isn’t in a traditional theater space I would recommend bringing a seat cushion with you as the office chairs can be uncomfortable for such a long play. Nevertheless, this would be a great date night or a chance to introduce anyone to the greatness of Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice is playing through June 14th and tickets can be purchased here.

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.

When I saw 12 Angry Men on this year’s Hale Center Theatre schedule I was surprised and intrigued. Hale is usually known for doing big spectacle musicals even on their Sorensen Legacy Jewel Box Stage. So, I was curious to see what they would do with a one-room, character piece like this. Now I have seen it, and I hope they are encouraged to take more risks like this in the future because it is an outstanding production and one I highly recommend.

Of course, I am very familiar with the 1957 film version of 12 Angry Men starring Henry Fonda as our brave Juror 8. Before that film it was a teleplay in 1954 starring Robert Cummings, which is kind of interesting. I can’t think of that many works that started as a TV movie and then went to stage and film (Cinderella comes to mind which debuted in 1957 so maybe it was a TV movie movement at the time?) All the versions were written and adapted by Reginald Rose so I suppose that is why they are all so effective. In addition, 12 Angry Men is a virtual showcase for actors, particularly character actors, to shine. In the film giving talent like Ed Begley, Lee J Cobb and Jack Warden a spotlight is incredible to watch (insane that nobody in the cast was nominated for Oscars that year!)

At Hale the cast is up for the legacy and gravitas this piece demands. Paul Cartwright and David D’Agostini have probably the most flashy parts as the racist/xenophobic Jurors 3 and 10 respectively, but the other actors have equally impactful if less bombastic moments. For example, Randy Honaker is really lovely as the tired weary older man of Juror 9. Morgan Gunter brings just the right amount of likability with a little smugness to our lead Juror 8. I noticed in the program a lot of actors making their Hale debut, which I love to see. A company like Hale should be cultivating new talent and widening their acting pool beyond the same expected faces.

This production at Hale is directed by Stephanie Breinholt, and she does a good job creating an atmosphere of heat and tension that boils over as the men talk. She has clearly brought out the best in her cast and in a play like this that is essential to its success. The set by Jenn Taylor is incredible in its attention to detail even making sure to account for the bathroom seen behind the door in the courtroom. It is also amazing to watch the projection of the city behind the windows with the rain changing throughout (video/projection design Madeline Ashton.)

The themes of 12 Angry Men are interesting to consider. In truth there are no perfect cases without any holes given to juries. Yes there needs to be beyond reasonable doubt but that’s not no doubt. If we held all evidence to such exacting standards we might never convict anyone (if every witness is wrong, every testimony false etc) But in the end, it’s an underdog story and who can’t root for that? Especially when it involves saving the life of a young man who obviously was in a bad situation. It also tries to show what 12 ordinary men might act like if placed under a microscope. It’s set in 1957 but would it be any different today (although juror 3 and 10 really should have been eliminated in the juror selection process)? Maybe? Maybe not? I suppose that is why it still rings true today and the production at Hale is as effective as it is. It’s truly a must watch of this theatre season. I may try to see it again with the other cast. I was that impressed.

With 12 Angry Men and Finding Neverland both playing I can’t think of when Hale has had a stronger 2 show line-up than what they are currently offering. Season ticket holders are definitely getting their moneys-worth there this May and June. 12 Angry Men plays through July 26th and ticket can be purchased here.

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.