If you have followed my content for a long time you know I have a mixed experience with Disney’s animated classic The Hunchback of Notre Dame. My first exposure to it was when I was babysitting the nephews of my friend and put it on and was shocked at what I saw. However, as an adult I have come to appreciate it more for the bold swing it was especially for a company like Disney and for the adult storytelling it attempts to tell. Now with the musical adaptation of the animated film Disney theatricals has refined the film and actually made an improved version of the story. It’s subtler, abandons most of the off-putting comic relief, and provides more character motivations particularly for the villain Frollo than the animated film. I have seen the musical many times but I don’t know that I’ve ever seen it better than at West Valley Arts Center this week. It is truly an astonishing production and something all involved should be very proud of.

I was especially thrilled to see such a great show at WVA because their last few shows haven’t been my favorite. I was particularly happy to see director Kate Rufener use the theater-in-the-round space to its full advantage, really immersing us in the world of the story. The sets by Adam Flitton are astonishing with some of the most impressive bells and stained glass I’ve ever seen. There’s also an incredible attention to detail with the costumes by Alicia Kondrick even getting side characters like Snt Aphrodisius with the correct robes and head coverings. I was amazed how many ensemble members they fit on the stage all executing the dancing choreographed by Marilyn Montgomery. One would have to work to not be drawn in by the world created around them.

They also make the very interesting choice of having the virgin Mary (Sophia Morrill Mancilla) as an actor holding a baby that all the actors especially Frollo confront and interact with. I have never seen that approach taken and it is very compelling and adds to the immersion.

The cast is across the board as good as anything I’ve seen at any professional theater in Utah or abroad. It almost seems immoral such incredible performances aren’t being rewarded with professional contracts and salaries. They are all that good. Chase Petersen as Claude Frollo is the standout. His deep baritone voice and commanding presence is perfect for the role. His Frollo is unyieldingly selfish but has just enough humanity set up at the outset with his relationship with his brother to be extra realistic and terrifying. His “Hellfire” is an unforgettable villain moment.

Taylor J. Smith manages to avoid any sense of disability tokenism that might be present in his Quasimodo, and I was on the journey with his character. Him singing “Out There” is one of the highlights of the night. Beatriz Melo has a beautiful voice as Esmeralda and her character is the emotional glue that holds the ensemble and cast together. It’s just a remarkable cast i would put it up against any Hunchback cast ever assembled. Period end of story.

With Hunchback originating from a novel in 1831 there are some outdated language particularly when it comes to the Romani people depicted. Also the ending and some other elements from the animated film are changed (mostly for the better but it is not the most kid-friendly offering the Disney association might imply.) I saw plays with deep themes when I was a child. Parents just need to be aware and help their kids process a show like Huncback.

No matter the age, child or adult, I can’t recommend West Valley Art’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame more heartily. It is a wonderful, moving, human experience with beautiful songs, dance, and performances. I was thrilled to see my night mostly sold out (which doesn’t often happen at WVA) so get your tickets now. It is playing through August 30th and tickets can be purchased here.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame has music by Alan Menken and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz with a book by James Lapin and Peter Parnell based on the 1996 animated film and the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo.

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.

As a local theatre critic every so often I get presented with the question ‘is it fair to critique community theatre?’ The question is a fair one and something I’ve grappled with myself. I like to look at myself as celebrating community theatre but also providing some useful feedback that will help companies improve. It’s particularly tough on nights like I had this Monday watching a local production of Annie. Objectively speaking little seemed to go the company’s way and yet their persistence and the optimism of the piece left me with a big smile on my face (as Annie should do!) and I’d still recommend seeing it flaws and all.

This production of Annie is a combined project by Sandbox Theatre Company and Wasatch Theatre Company and was put on at the Regent’s Black Box at Eccles in Salt Lake. Being in a black box this is a much more scaled down version of Annie than I just saw in Ogden but both versions have their charm. This has a huge cast with 18 orphans who are all very cute with some of them showing off their acrobatic skills in the numbers.

Bentley Nuila plays Annie and she is terrific in the role, very expressive and animated. They do go with the subtle red hair route but it’s cute, and she has excellent chemistry with Jake Hendriksen who is a warm and endearing Daddy Warbucks. Bren Tew is lovely as Grace Ferrell and Wendy Richhart makes for a very boozy Miss Hannigan (she had to improv for several minutes with the girls when another adult was late on stage and it was a hoot to watch.)

It’s just a shame that there were so many technical hiccups. The microphones were a total mess. In fact, when they would stop working I wondered if it would be better just to have the actors shout their lines given it is a small black box? There were also problems with lighting and the transitions took a long time (we were there almost 3 hours which is a lot for Annie.) They also had sets fall apart and people missing their cues. It was just one of those nights!

Still, they kept plugging away and concluded by inviting us as audience members to sing ‘Tomorrow’ with them, and I was quite moved by the experience. At the end of the day, they had all done their best and isn’t that what community theatre is all about? This Annie is directed by Karyn Tucker and is playing through August 16th. One can purchase tickets here.

Annie has music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Martin Chamin and a book by Thomas Meehan based on the comic and radio program by Harold Gray.

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 started my support of community theatre after the pandemic one of the biggest surprises I’ve seen is Shrek: The Musical. I’m not the biggest fan of the movie (I like it but don’t love it) and the idea of it being turned into a musical seemed uninspired at best. Then I went and saw it and ended up loving it! It’s such a funny show and expands on all the good parts of the movie. The latest production of 2 I am seeing in August is from The Sandy Arts Guild and is another winner from this wonderful local arts council.

The first element that one can’t help but be impressed by here is the incredible sets by Vic Groves. They always crush it on the sets at Sandy Arts Guild and this is no exception. I love the way they seamlessly combined the projections with the handmade sets making it look immersive and vibrant. Fiona and Lord Farquaad’s castles are particularly impressive with Fiona’s castle creating a believable lava look with stage smoke added in for additional atmosphere. The costumes by Rebecca Fenton-Richards are also magical with the massive cast with unique looks for each of the fairytale characters and looks like Fiona’s short and longer dresses that need to transition quickly. They also have a rubber mask for Shrek that has to look convincing without taking away from the expression of actor Zac Freeman.

Speaking of actors I have little to complain about there. Freeman and Ella Henrie as Fiona have beautiful voices and a fun chemistry together. They could hold their own in any touring company coming through to do Shrek. Alex Taylor is also amazingly nimble on his knees as Lord Farquaad and especially in the opening scenes with Gingy (Savannah Ponder) delivers on the laughs.

One of my favorite moments of the show is “Morning Person” where Fiona ends up tap dancing ala Riverdance style with the blind mice and choreographer Judy Binns along with her strong ensemble of dancers pull this off very effectively. It’s a blast seeing the song grow from just Fiona and the Piper to a giant kickline to close out the song. It’s certainly a terrific way to open the Act 2. “Freak Flag” is another fun number and it’s a chance for us to get a break from the 4 leads and let the ensemble shine (something I really value in community theatre.)

The main feedback I’d give the company is because most of the cast is trying to do an exaggerated voice sometimes it is hard to understand what they are saying or singing about. Make sure to enunciate as much as possible particularly for the songs.

All in all, Shrek: The Musical at Sandy Arts Guild is a good time with enough laughs and heart to entertain the entire family. It is playing through August 16th and tickets are as low as $12. It will sell out quickly so get your tickets now. They can be purhcased here.

Shrek: The Musical has music by Jeanine Tesori with lyrics and book by David Lindsay-Abaire. It is based on the film Shrek by Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Joe Stillman, and Roger S. H. Schulman and book by Shrek!
by William Steig.

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.

Annie as a Broadway musical is underrated. This may seem like a crazy thing to say given its classic status and many revivals but I feel like it is rarely brought up in discussions of the great musicals and it deserves such praise. The songs are so catchy and it has been the catalyst for inspiring many a young girl into a love of theatre. Over at OnStage Blog we did an episode of our podcast comparing Annie vs Matilda (I am sure you all know what side I was on) and it turned out pretty fun.

Anyway, I always jump for any chance I have to see Annie and the current production up at Ogden Musical Theatre was no exception. It’s a drive for me to get all the way up there from Draper where I live but well worth it for this outstanding night of family theatre. Annie at OMT is one of the best productions I’ve seen this year and definitely worthy of your time and money.

This production is directed by Jennifer Hughes and she brings together all the show elements together to fool audience members into thinking they are spending far more than the $23-$31 they’ve just spent. The sets by Daniel Simmons are particularly impressive with the orphanage platforms having 2 levels and the Daddy Warbucks house looking appropriately opulent. She also works with lighting director Daniel Garner to create a convincing New York skyline and a presidential seal for the FDR scenes.

I was also extremely impressed with the attention to detail on the costumes. Annie’s clothes are adorable particularly her finale red dress and her wig changes as she is at the Warbucks. It’s very cute! But even beyond that the attention to detail in period accurate hair clips, tuxedos, maid dresses and footwear did not go unnoticed (costumes by Shelly Burkhardt and wigs by Cynthia Johnson.)

I’ve seen a few productions at OMT and always enjoyed myself but the talent on display and the chemistry of the cast for Annie was exceptional- definitely the best show I’ve seen from them and one of my favorites of this year of community theatre. Elle Hirst is ideal as Annie. You couldn’t ask for more from a young performer and her chemistry with Addison Welch as Warbucks is endearing.

Micky Larson has just enough moxie to play Miss Hannigan giving the right amount of camp in her performance of “Little Girls” and then “Easy Street” with Eva Terranova and Michael Hernandez as Lily St Regis and Rooster respectively. Miss Hannigan is one of the more deliciously villainous characters of Broadway and it’s nice when an actor goes for it in her drunken disdain for the adorable children.

The kids are wonderful in songs like “Hard Knock Life” and “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile” but the standout is Annie Durham as Molly. It’s a wonder Ms Farrell (Jillian Durham-who’s also great) could resist taking both Annie and Molly they are both so cute. It’s especially impressive how the kids all knew their choreography and projected their songs well in the large Perry’s Egyptian Theater. It’s no easy task!

After seeing this production of Annie, I left the theatre in Ogden thinking “what else could a community theatre do?” It was a marvelous night of theater and all involved should be proud of their accomplishments. I hope that all involved especially the young kids are inspired to do even more local theater. That is after all the greatest indicator of community theatre success in the end. Annie plays through August 9th and tickets can be purchased here.

Annie has music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Martin Charnin with a book by Thomas Meehan based on Little Orphan Annie comic strip by Harold Gray (and radio show.)

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’ll be honest sometimes I go into Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival with a little hesitation. I’m not the most artsy theatregoer and critic. I can appreciate artistic expression of all types but don’t tend to enjoy the experimental and original works sometimes seen at Fringe. Fortunately this year I chose well and all 5 plays I saw are approachable and narratively easy to digest. The festival continues until August 3rd so there is still time to see these shows and others (I may attend on Sunday to see a few more but I also might want to quit while I’m ahead so let me know if you recommend anything.) Anyway, here is what I enjoyed (the 5th show I saw last week at Immigrant’s Daughter- My Brother Was a Vampire)

I would give them all recommendations

The Words at the Door

The first up was The Words at the Door put on by Sackerson. This is in the Alliance Theater Blackbox and features 2 actors in a relationship drama. The couple is portrayed by Kristina Shearer and Jason Hackney and the play is written by Jesse Nepivoda. The thing that makes this drama unique is the refreshing look at Hackney’s character’s schizophrenia.

I like that the relationship is not all steeped in trauma. We see them meet and have happy even sexy times. Even when things are getting hard the narrative feels realistic and full of humanity for both characters and their experiences. The only thing I might add is a little more context as to why Shearer’s character feels like she can’t raise children with Hackney. While I can see why one wouldn’t want to pass on a genetic condition there are ways to raise children without doing that. I did like the emphasis on our different memories and how it can be a strange thing how differently we look back on the same things. Words at the Door is directed by Matthew Ivan Bennett.

Still Life

My favorite of the festival is a little 2-hander on the Alliance mainstage called Still Life. It’s a friendship story done by Tami Anderson and Beth Anne Martin. The two women are taking their annual friendship retreat together at a wine and painting night somewhere. Martin and Anderson have crafted a very funny script that touches on issues any woman (or middle-aged person) should relate with. I also appreciate that it is purely a friendship story as sometimes I feel like all female stories these days have to be queer romances (which can be great but I also love friendship stories.) One of my favorite lines is when she says “a hot flash is not a power surge”

They time the needle drops of popular 80s songs perfectly and the voice performances add just the right touch. I really enjoyed this one and it’s too bad it’s done at the festival because more deserve to see it.

A Haircut in SLC

Next up we have another insightful comedy with A Haircut in SLC. It is written by Max Ricks and stars him as a young man who is chatting with a hairdresser about their shared Mormon to gay coming out journeys. This is obviously a very personal story for Ricks and one that touches on many local themes and issues. Autumn Bay places the hairdresser and she’s very warm and authentic. In general that’s how I would describe this play- warm and authentic.

There is a point where we learn that Bruce hasn’t been honest with Stevie as he has been telling his coming out story, and I thought he was going to admit he actually hadn’t come out but she had inspired him to do so but that’s not where it goes. Still it’s very sweet and believable. It’s not trying to judge anyone harshly but be supportive and kind. I’m sure many people will be able to connect with it which makes it a great fit for a GSL Fringe.

The Rest is Silence-

I should say that The Rest is Silence is actually written by my cousin Elise C Hansen but I didn’t know that until I was looking at the poster for the show. It is put on by New World Shakespeare Company and is in the Alliance Black Box (Everything I saw at Fringe was in the Black Box except for Still Life.)

This play has a clever concept of the characters from Shakespeare coping with the afterlife at a group therapy rage session. While I don’t think the characters needed to change in Act 2 the actors are game enough and the concept is funny enough to entertain. I do think a certain understanding of Shakespeare and his characters is required to understand (which might not be obvious from the title) but aside from Anthony and Cleopatra I got most of the jokes (I’m seeing that this summer at the Utah Shakespeare Festival for the first time.)

Probably the best joke of the play is when Hamlet (Zachari Reynolds) refuses to hold the skull and shrinks away from it. It could have been funny to have the characters battle with involuntary iambic pentameter or maybe squabble on who has the most iconic lines but still it was an amusing little one act play.

I also have to give Elise credit for playing Ophelia/Queen Elizabeth and having water dumped on her at one point. The Rest is Silence is directed by Blayne Wiley and worthy of your time.

So there you have it. This year’s GSL Fringe. What sounds appealing to you? Are you going to support our local playwrights and actors? I hope so!

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.

Anyone who is a theatre fan has special shows that first ignited their interest in the medium. One of those for me was The Phantom of the Opera. It was the first Broadway show I ever saw with my Grandma in San Francisco around 1990.

Back then I would have been stunned to be able to participate in a youth production of Phantom (not that I had the talent to do so but still) and it’s so neat that it is currently available for teenagers to do. I love, like Hadestown, that they made it available for young people before regional theaters. I saw it last year at Kensington and that was outstanding and now I had the chance to see it The Ruth and it is a real achievement for these teens.

The biggest praise of the night has to go to the 2 leads with Amalie Strongin and Braedon Reynolds giving commanding performances as Christine Daae and The Phantom respectively. What interested me most is with Reynolds take on the character because being a young man he’s naturally smaller than a typical actor for the role. This is gave a frailness I have never seen before which is a nice juxtaposition to the towering spooky vocals.

Strongin is up for all the vocal requirements of the role including those wicked high notes in “Think of Me” and she does all she can to embody the various emotions of the character. “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” is my favorite song of the show, and she brings a soft vulnerable quality to her performance of it.

There are some challenges director Brighton Sloan had to deal with in working on their Mainstage. There isn’t much variation in the stage with only a small staircase and a few moveable set-pieces. This is tough when trying to get the feel of an opera house with a giant lair underneath. Scenes like “Masquerade” are usually performed on a staircase but they don’t have that luxury, and I was impressed with the movement and spectacle they are able to create given the restrictions (choreographer Ben Roeling.)

Unfortunately I was seated on one of the wings of the theatre which did obfuscate my view of center stage a fair amount. If you get tickets I highly recommend trying to find a center seat if at all possible. Lauri Baird does superb work with the costumes. I particularly loved blue dress Christine wears in Act 2 and pretty much anything for Carlotta (played by Malea Hyte who is completely believable with her opera voice.) This production did not feel like anything was done on the cheap for the teens. It felt lush and extravagant with everything I could want out of a local production of Phantom. I am sure all the teens learned so much about every aspect of theatre from their involvement, and I love to see that.

Sadly the run of The Phantom of the Opera at The Ruth is brief going through the 26th, but I highly recommend getting a ticket while you have the chance. I hope that teens involved and watching it will be as inspired by Phantom as I was when I saw it back in 1990. It’s a neat legacy for one of the seminal works of musical theatre.

The Phantom of the Opera features music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe with a book by Stilgoe and Webber based on the novel The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux.

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.

Perhaps it is just me but lately I’ve noticed particularly with plays a lot of the titles feel like the theatrical equivalent of clickbait. I get the challenges of getting people to engage with something original without the IP or music to attract an audience but it can also create an unnecessary barrier of expectation between the audience and the play they are seeing. Let’s remember that some of the greatest plays ever written also have simple titles like Our Town, Hamlet, or Doubt. Anyway, I say this because seeing the new play at Immigrants Daughter which is going to be at GSLC Fringe and Edinburgh Fringe My Brother was a Vampire I actually enjoyed the play but felt a bit hoodwinked by the title. It also has the subtitle “a horror comedy” on the poster and maybe I missed something but I saw very little of either in this play.

That’s not to say it’s bad. It’s not. As an exploration of family trauma and the manipulation of siblings I found it quite effective. Ariana Braumas Farber and Tyler Fox play a brother and sister who have dealt with abusive parents and a certain degree of co-dependence on each other that has led to addiction, underwhelming relationships and other dysfunction in their lives. The narrative starts with them in their 30s and then tells their story going backwards until ending as children in a very abusive situation. My friend who saw the play had a very different take on the brother than I picked up on but it’s definitely a character steeped in trauma. Both Farber and Fox are quite good and believable as siblings, which is key in this type of two-hander in a black box to work.

The show is written by local playwright Morag Shepherd and directed by Stephanie Stroud. The only thing I might have changed in the presentation is I wish the 2 actors had moved around a little bit more. I felt like I had Fox’s back to me for most of the play until they switched places and then I had Farber’s back to me. Creating some variety in the movement helps us see both actor’s faces more, which allows us to be more invested in the story.

I am sure audience members who have more challenging sibling relationships will relate strongly to My Brother was a Vampire. I’m lucky and mine are relatively drama-free but there’s always insight to be gained from diving into any human conflict. My Brother was a Vampire is playing at GSLC Fringe 7/25-7/27 and tickets can be purchased here and then at Edinburgh Fringe 8/1 and tickets can be purchased here. Best of luck to them at the festival

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.