Last year I saw a production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and was honestly underwhelmed with the material. It wasn’t bad but not as funny or endearing as I was expecting. I think I was anticipating a laugh riot similar to Spelling Bee (which of course was much later but a similar dynamic) and it’s just not that kind of show. Still I didn’t have a great desire to see it again but then Covey Center for the Arts in Provo announced they were doing a special revised version of the material and I was intrigued. The new production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown takes the show and makes slight alterations but has it cast with senior citizen actors giving the musical a whole new level of heart and soul. I really loved this production and I hope readers make time in their schedule to see it.
This season at The Covey they’ve been doing a terrific job of using the black box stage to its advantage. Whether it’s the creepy closeness of Woman in Black or the cramped apartment of Barefoot in the Park. Now for Charlie Brown director Heidi Mendez with scenic designer Robert Sealy have recreated the iconic Peanuts world to create an immersive experience. Of course they have Snoopy’s iconic red house but also a background box that turns from a mantlepiece to a sofa with ease. Jessica Moody has also recreated our team’s signature looks with adorable costumes.
The cast is drawn from some of Utah’s most well known theatre and screen stars with James Arlington leading things off as Charlie Brown. He is very endearing in the role and captures Charlie’s signature melancholy disposition as he tries to impress the red-headed girl and make friends. Peggy Matheson gets the best song of the night with “My New Philosophy” and Jayne Luke is hilarious as Snoopy (you can tell she is having a ball playing a dog at her age!)
Naturally as this show is about children much of the dialogue is about growing up so it’s an interesting experience to hear those kids-lines spoken by older actors. For example, when Charlie Brown says “I wonder if anyone would even notice if I got out of bed today.” That line rings different said by a senior citizen who is more likely to be under-visited and left alone. When Charlie see’s Snoopy getting more valentines than he did one can’t help but think of nursing home residents with little to no mail or signs of love from loved ones.
I honestly think one would have to be really cynical to not enjoy Covey’s You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. I did find the whole marketing push of it being a reunion to be a little confusing as the actors had never done it before but whatever. It’s so endearing and fun you can’t help but be charmed by the evening of fun. Plus, it’s not that long so you don’t go home fatigued. You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown plays through May 3rd and tickets can be purchased here. Take the whole family. You’ll have a blast!
You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown has music and lyrics by Clark Gesner with a book by John Gordon and a 1999 revision by Andrew Lippa
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.
Hi friends! I hope you are doing well and having a great time enjoying community theatre near you. I have 2 shows to do my quick logs for you tonight. These logs are my thoughts on shows I saw as a patron not as a formal critic. I would love to review as many local shows as possible so if you are interested contact me on social media or at rachelsreviews65@gmail.com and we can get that set up.
JERSEY BOYS- THE RUTH, PLEASANT GROVE
First up we have Jersey Boys at The Ruth. This is the iconic jukebox musical about Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons that set the standard for this type of biographical jukebox musical. I really enjoyed a production I saw at Pioneer Theatre last Fall but that was the full version whereas this is the edited version, which I didn’t like as much. Nevertheless, I actually do think it was a bold show for the Ruth to pick and I was alarmed at how many empty seats there were the night I was in attendance.
Despite lacking the edge to make it feel more authentic this is still an entertaining night of theatre. I particularly think the second act of Jersey Boys is effective. I love the sense of humor it has (jukebox musicals can be overly serious sometimes when showing us these people’s dramatic lives.) This production at The Ruth is directed by David Morgan and the 4 men have a nice chemistry together with nice harmonies for the many songs they are required to sing. It took me a bit to warm up to Kristian Huff as Frankie Valli and his version of the falsetto but it grew on me. Brock Dalgleish plays Tommy, David Matthew Smith is Bob and Bronson Dameron is Nick the night I was there. They are all excellent in their roles and in the harmonies together. I also really liked The Angels when they sang “My Boyfriend’s Back”
The set by Danny Rash moves easily between the different time periods. The lighting by Michael Gray is immersive and colorful and overall the whole thing went off without a hitch. Jersey Boys is playing until May 10th and tickets can be purchased here. If any of you have seen the authentic vs the cleaned up version let me know which one you prefer?
RIDE THE CYCLONE- WESTMINSTER UNIVERSITY, SALT LAKE
I had honestly never heard of the musical Ride the Cyclone before but I always like to try out new shows so when I saw it was playing at local Westminster University I decided to give it a shot. While in the end it wasn’t a show for me I always love supporting the students and their efforts.
The setup for this musical is fairly simple. A tragic accident in an amusement park has 7 teens to the afterlife and now they must decide which one of them deserves a chance back at earth. This reminded me of many other shows like Beetlejuice, Assassins, Our Town and even Cats. Each character gets their own segment and the actors are all talented and charismatic. The highlight is Jane Doe played by Chloe Mizantzidi who goes from belt to opera with ease in her “The Ballad of Jane Doe” number.
In a way my problem with Ride the Cyclone is a little unfair. The night I attended was sold out, which is great, but the boisterous crowd was ready to laugh at seemingly anything. Don’t get me wrong there are some chuckles but the show is also trying to say something about life and death and the laughter from the audience seemed to not appreciate those more thoughtful moments. As the night continued I became increasingly annoyed as it was clear those around me had come to cheer on their friends and not see a piece of theatre. I felt like I could barely appreciate the dialogue that was actually funny because I was distracted trying to figure out why people were laughing at a sad story being told. By the end, I was so annoyed that I was eager for it to be over and ready to head home.
This production of Ride the Cyclone is directed by Mark Fossen and has an incredible set design by Spencer Potter. The final performance is tomorrow 4/12 and tickets can be purchased here.
Jersey Boys features a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice featuring music by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Ride the Cyclone has music, lyrics and book by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell.
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.
One of the best parts about community theatre is the element of surprise. When I go to see a Broadway show I expect the talent to be top-tier and the production to be incredible but with community theatre, especially a company I haven’t seen before, I never really know what I’m going to get. For example, on Saturday I was invited to see a small production of Steel Magnolias put on by Millcreek Community Theatre and it was a wonderful experience I won’t soon forget.
Believe it or not I actually had never seen Steel Magnolias. It is performed fairly regularly I just for whatever reason had never seen it. This production kind of reminded me of when I saw Enchanted Aprilat Sugar Factory Playhouse last year. Both are women-centric plays with minimal sets that make them ideal for a community theatre to put on (both productions were also in city hall buildings!) Steel Magnolias is a play written by Robert Harling about the women in his town and how they rallied together after the death of his sister from diabetes. It of course was turned into the popular feature film with Dolly Parton and Julia Roberts in 1989.
With a play like this it really comes down to the casting and can the group of women create believable chemistry together on stage. Fortunately the cast at Millcreek achieve these criteria in spades. I can’t overstate how impressed I was with every performance and how easy it was to get emotionally invested in their friendships. Alexandrea Tara-Brett leads things off in the Parton-like role of Truvy in a performance Dolly would be proud of. Brittney Smith and Libby Mitchell make a believable mother/daughter combo playing Shelby and M’Lynn respectively and M’Lisa Bailey-Hansen is hilarious as crotchety Ousier. They are all also very good with their accents creating believable Southern characters.
This production of Steel Magnolias took place in an office room at Millcreek City Hall. The seats are just office chairs and the stage is an elevated platform where they create Truvy’s in-home beauty salon the women flock to for gossip and haircare. Nothing is fancy but I was impressed they got the sink to work for the hair shampooing. I’m not sure how they did that but it looked like M’Lynn got her hair wet in the sink.
As far as critique I might try to find a different gunshot sound effect. The one they used sounded like a light saber more than a gunshot. Other than that this was a wonderful afternoon of community theatre, and I’m so glad I got to take part in it.
This production of Steel Magnolias is directed by Traci Nelson and creative director Jim Nelson with stage manager Jax Jessup. All of these individuals have my attention. I will be curious what they do next because they accomplished so much with so little to work with here. The only sad part is (aside from what happens to poor Shelby) is the play only ran this weekend so only a handful of people got to experience it. (That’s always the sad part of live theatre. It’s so ephemeral unlike film that is archived for generations to watch.) Evidently next up for Millcreek is A Midsummer’s Night Dream which should be a ton of fun. Find out more on their facebook page.
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.
It’s always an exciting event when a new theatre company enters the Utah theatre scene and it is even more exciting when they do so with a bold ambitious choice that I’ve never seen before. Such is the case with the debut production of Dogfight from Sentinel Theatre at the Valentine Theater in American Fork. The mature content of this show won’t be for everyone but if up for the challenging material the audience will be richly rewarded. What a triumphant start to a new company, and I can’t wait to see what they do next (which is Bright Star so of course I’m thrilled about that!)
I first heard about Dogfight from a friend of mine on my podcast and especially it being the first music of now EGOT winners Benji Pasek and Justin Paul I was intrigued (book by Peter Duchan.) It tells the story of 3 soldiers in 1963 that are heading to the Vietnam War with a stop-over in San Francisco after basic training. The trio decides to enter a ‘dogfight’ competition where they all try to bring the ugliest girl they can find to a party to be judged. This pushes Eddie Birdlace into the company of a girl named Rose who may not appreciate the cruel joke the soldiers are playing.
If that plot feels too dark and cynical it may not be your cup of tea but we are dealing with foolish young people and the harsh realities of war so dark and cynical is not inappropriate. There are enough moments of humanity within the material to give hope and keep me engaged throughout.
The cast at Sentinel are all outstanding with Adam Moore as Birdlace and Sam Bennett and Nathan Bowser as Bernstein and Boland. They have a believable chemistry and they are all complex characters that do a mixture of good and bad things (like most humans even without the threat of war looming over us.) Moore is a very gifted singer but he also is endearing enough for us to not completely hate him for what he is doing to Rose (she also slaps him in the face which is more than deserved.)
Rose is played by Alison Gordon and she is wonderful at playing shy and awkward teenager. I like that she is insecure but never a complete pushover. River Robinson is also terrific as Marcy and I particularly enjoyed a duet she does with Rose called “Dogfight.” She is very funny in the role but also captures the deeper cynicism needed to teach the boys a lesson.
The whole team at Sentinel deserves praise for the thrilling production. Director Andrew Jefferies has left no detail unattended. I love how the actors are constantly moving with the entire large stage being used. Caleb Wallengren does mesmerizing work with the lighting and sound design creating everything from a simple diner, to a party, to a war with explosions and gunfire. The costumes by Kristin Christensen are period accurate from everything I know (I’m not a military expert but they appeared correct.) Liz Whittaker continues her incredible work across this valley as the intimacy coordinator (I found it very impressive thanks to Moore and Gordon that the intimacy scenes worked as well as they did when things are so cruel at the party.)
As far as critique my main feedback would be for the leads to try and enunciate a little bit better. I know it’s hard when doing accents but there were times when I had a hard time understanding the dialogue and was a little confused. I didn’t even realize what the dogfight actually was until the dance contest started. I think I missed something in the earlier dialogue that should have given me a clue.
Like I said, I know Dogfight will not be for everyone but I hope enough people take a chance on something bold and new to encourage Sentinel to keep going and producing more theatre. As theatre patrons it’s exactly the kind of ambitious work we should be promoting and supporting and I hope all my readers see it. It is playing through April 12th 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.
Typically I am not a style over substance girl when it comes to live theatre (or film for that matter.) If the story doesn’t impress me usually it doesn’t matter how visually impressive a production is. I say usually because there is an exception to every rule. Such is the case with the national tour of Life of Pi playing at Eccles until April 6th. The story is fine and has its thoughtful moments but the visuals including the puppetry are unforgettable.
At its core Life of Pi is a simple survival story. An Indian young man named Pi gets shipwrecked as his family is fleeing India with their zoo animals. Eventually he ends up (in one variation at least) on a boat with a bengal tiger named Richard Parker. This is based on the book by Yann Martel and was adapted to the stage by Lolita Chakrabarti. Readers may also be familiar with the Oscar winning film by director Ang Lee released in 2012. Chakrabarti tries to bring a lot of spirituality and existentialism into the script but a lot of that felt cloying and clunky where it was trying to be sincere.
The aspects of the script that worked better for me were the alternate realities and when things become practically a horror show with events getting very dark for poor Pi. These sections felt more fresh than the bland new age spirituality of the supposedly profound moments.
Anything lacking in the script is more than made up for in the mesmerizing visuals. It’s hard to throw something at me I’ve never seen (especially in a play!) but these animal puppets are jaw dropping. The puppeteers are unbelievable. They create the feeling of a real animal everything from the movements of the muscles to the sound of the animals breathing. They even have a giraffe for a small scene at the beginning that took my breath away.
Taha Mandviwala is also outstanding as Pi. He understands the physicality of the role and is up for the emotional range required to go through a 227 day marooned at sea struggle. The other elements brought together by director Max Webster are outstanding and one can hardly help but get caught up in the drama of what is happening. I loved the lighting by Tim Deiling and Tim Lutkin and the way projections were carefully used to further the story and make nature a real character in the piece beyond just the animals. There are some strobe lights used to create lightning and other effects that might be hard for some people but they totally helped me get engrossed in what was happening with poor Pi on this boat!
I almost didn’t need the callouts to God and religion with this story. Sheer survival and the test of the human spirit is enough to think about and ponder. How far would you go if tested and desperate? What kind of person do you want to be and what is the difference between human and animal natures. That’s enough without bringing in 3 faiths for Pi to juggle.
In the end, however, squabbles with the script didn’t keep me from having a great time at Life of Pi and giving it a strong recommendation. It’s a stunning work of theatrical art that one has to see to believe. It is playing through April 6th 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. Please take a look here.
It’s no big surprise to my readers that I am a huge fan of the musical Bright Star. I think after 2 recent viewings at Draper Historic Theatre I have seen it 15 times. That said, just because I love a piece doesn’t mean I’ll give a company a complete pass when I go to review a production. In fact, when I heard Draper Historic Theatre was putting the show on I was especially excited because they selected Mindi Eckroth to direct and I had previously seen her production at the Empress where just about everything that could go wrong went wrong. I was happy she could get some redemption and she did.
There are a lot of reasons I love Bright Star (with music by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, lyrics by Brickell and book by Martin) but mostly it is completely entertaining while still having huge heart and soul. I absolutely love the music and it’s the all-around emotional experience- it will make you cry, laugh, smile, and want to sing along. It’s a perfectly calibrated musical when it comes to the emotions it drags out of the audience.
I saw both casts at DHT and while I enjoyed both the MThS cast has the slight edge. Alexa Thompson as Alice and Isaac Carrillo as Jimmy have terrific chemistry and Josiah Johnson has a youthful look about him that fits the character of Billy very well.
As good as the actors are it’s the transformation of the DHT stage that surprised me bringing down the 2 side columns of the stage creating a good 2 feet on each side that could be filled with a 2-story platform for the bluegrass band, which was another highlight (Marie Buhler band conductor.)
The choreography by Sam Stowell is another standout with ensemble members frequently pulling off lifts and other elaborate skills I couldn’t hope to achieve. Plus, to have so many actors dancing on such a small stage is an accomplishment.
If by some miracle you haven’t seen Bright Star yet I highly recommend heading out to Draper Historic Theatre to check out this wonderful musical well told by a fantastic community theatre group. I brought my friend Stanford who’d never seen it before and he loved it (how could you not?) It’s one of the great American musicals and a wonderful version of it to watch and enjoy. It never gets old! Bright Star is playing through April 19th 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. Please take a look here. For the record I paid for one of these tickets and received one as a comp.
As someone who struggles with titles to draw people to my reviews and other content I recognize the temptation of a catchy title. However, one has to be careful not to set audiences up for something one can’t deliver on. Such is the problem facing playwright Samuel D Hunter and his bombastically titled play A Case for the Existence of God that just opened in the Meldrum theatre from Pioneer Theatre Company. That’s not to say this play is bad, it’s actually quite good but the title is frustrating.
A better title for this play would be ‘Toxic Masculinity’ or ‘Two Dudes in America’ or even ‘Mortgage Lending.’ I am sure Hunter has all kinds of reasons why he brings God into the title but it sets up audience for a religious themed show- something that is on the constant minds of Utah residents and then doesn’t deliver hardly at all. I suppose this subversion could be effective in surprising audiences but I just found it frustrating because I was disappointed for no reason.
Anyway, what we do get is a nice friendship story that is quite effective (hence my frustration.) The play is about 2 men Ryan played by Lee Osorio and Keith played by Jon Hudson Odom. Ryan is an alpha redneck male looking to buy a plot of land and Keith is a gay single foster dad who is a mortgage broker trying to help Ryan. We then see their relationship evolve as the lending process proves to be quite lengthy.
Osorio and Odom are excellent in their roles commanding the stage and having a believable chemistry together. The dialogue by Hunter feels authentic and genuine and I was engaged by their discussion. I am glad Hunter kept things as a friendship story as particularly with men I don’t think that relationship is explored enough especially 2 men supporting their roles as fathers.
The production itself is simple and it may have been more at home in a black box (I’m not sure why the Meldrum has only been used for 2-person small productions so far. It’s a great space. Let’s see it used to its potential! Also the chairs in the Meldrum are so comfortable.) Director Timothy Douglas keeps things simple and lets the 2 men do their jobs. The set is an office cubicle which for this remote worker can be nightmare fuel but it is highly relatable and a good choice. There are a few surprises with projections and lighting I won’t spoil towards the end but this is all about our two men (not God) and their friendship. Sometimes simple is best and that’s the case with this play.
In the end in spite of its convoluted title A Case for the Existence of God is a play any theatre lover will enjoy. The acting is excellent and it will make you want to call the Ryans and Keiths in your life to check in and make sure they are doing alright. We all need to take better care of our friends and this is a call to do so. I’d say definitely worth a ticket. A Case for the Existence of God plays through April 12th 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. Please take a look here.
It’s always fun when I get to check off a few shows off of my bucket list, which is what I was able to do recently with 2 recent local shows. Plus, I was able to see a superb version of a classic so it’s been a fun March in Utah theatre.
MAN OF LA MANCHA- KENSINGTON THEATRE, SOUTH JORDAN
First up, we have Man of La Mancha at Kensington Theatre. I was really looking forward to this as it is a classic show I’d never seen and the team at Kensington did not disappoint.
Director Toni Butler has become a friend of mine and she always does a wonderful job at getting the best out of her community theatre cast and crew. I honestly think the team at Kensington is very underrated in the area. What’s especially impressive for their mainstage shows (not the black box like recent Shrek) is they have a full orchestra that’s actually in a pit in the ground of the stage. Obviously I’ve seen many orchestra pits in my day but never one that is actually in a pit. I always get a kick out of that and it’s just super impressive for a small company like Kensington to have live music for all their shows (orchestra director Michelle Willis)
The music is the big star of Man of La Mancha with many classic songs like “The Impossible Dream” “Dulcinea” and “I’m Only Thinking of Him.” The set at Kensington by art director Logan Bingham is stunning with 1600’s Spain created with adobe-looking buildings with multiple levels for actors to sit on. Gil Murdock is charismatic as Don Quixote/ Miguel de Cervantes and Karllen Johnson is a feisty Aldonza/Dulcinea.
My main critique of this production (aside from it being a little slow moving) is I wish they had worked in more choreography into the piece. There are a lot of scenes where the large ensemble is sitting where some movement might have livened things up a little. Unfortunately Man of La Mancha has finished its run but the teens are doing Little Shop of Horrors which you can find more information about here.
Man of La Mancha has music by Mitch Leigh, lyrics by Joe Darion and a book by Dale Wasserman
THE PAJAMA GAME- TERRACE PLAZA PLAYHOUSE, OGDEN
Next up we have a comedy I had never seen before. It’s The Pajama Game put on by Terrace Plaza Playhouse in Ogden. While there are outdated relationship aspects of this musical it does have some memorable tunes and a story about labor that many people will be able to connect with.
Terrace Plaza is an amateur community theatre so there are plenty of imperfections, but I commend them for picking such a unique choice. They are a company usually known for their family-friendly offerings but this piece has more of an edge to it along with some very catchy tunes. Director Melissa Trenery gets all she can out of her cast and Blaine Hickman was my favorite playing Sid. Jamila Lowe and Jim Tatton also did excellent work with the 50s inspired costumes. The Pajama Game is playing through April 5th and tickets can be purchased here.
The Pajama Game features music and lyrics by Richard Alder and Jerry Ross with a book by George Abbott and Richard Bissell
THE SOUND OF MUSIC- CENTERPOINT LEGACY, CENTERVILLE
Watching The Sound of Music at Centerpoint Legacy Theatre made me wish the company was more open to having critics at their shows so I could write a full detailed review and not just this log. I know it’s a risk for them, but I really do have so much I could say in a longer review. This production was remarkable and I highly recommend it to anyone in the area.
The cast is all excellent in this production with Emily Henwood and Clay Rockwood sporting incredible chemistry as Maria and the Captain. The true star, however, is the set design by Truxton Moulton. I love the choice to have a continual background of the mountains where it would have been much easier to have a projection screen. The characters are constantly surrounded by mountains which makes sense metaphorically and especially triumphant when they literally climb the mountain of the set at the end (brilliant.)
Director Kristin Pettingill Callor also makes the bold choice to show German 1940s film reels throughout including a speech by Adolph Hitler before the big concert sequence. What a ballsy choice for a company to make for a show usually seen as squeaky clean children’s fare. It is an astonishing moment and brings home the gravity of the concert I have never seen before (even the movie isn’t so tense.) Centerpoint once again proves itself to be an incredible company and I highly recommend seeing The Sound of Music while you have the chance. I guarantee this will be on my best of the year list for 2025. It is playing through April 24 and tickets can be purchased here.
The Sound of Music features music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II with a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse.
THE STING- PARKER THEATRE, SALT LAKE
Going into The Sting at Parker Theatre I wasn’t sure what I was going to get. There is a musical by Bob Martin of Drowsy Chaperone fame but this a play (an original adaptation I believe but no adapter is credited in the playbill just the writer of the Oscar winning film David S Ward.) While crime stories aren’t my favorite this is a slick and very well made production at Parker one any fan of the genre will love.
The story of this production did feel a little scattered and all over the place director Joanne Parker keeps the energy from sagging with thrilling fight sequences and loud gunshots that are very exciting. The cast is across the board on a professional level with Spencer Hohl owning every scene he is in as Johnny Hooker (the Robert Redford role in the film.) It says something to the depth of talent in Utah that the Parker was able to get so many talented men for the show. Not a weak link in the bunch.
Hohl does the sound design at Parker and it is always a highlight. I hope for a rain scene in every show I see there because it is so immersive and it is here. The costumes by Rebecca Fenton are also outstanding. No detail in the 1930s aesthetic has been left out from the period accurate hats to the shoes (a small thing but I loved how Hooker put his hat on his foot whenever he was sitting down. It’s that attention to detail I so admire at Parker.)
Like I said this kind of story isn’t really my thing but it’s so well done I heartily recommend checking out The Sting at Parker Theatre. I saw it opening night so there’s still tons of time to see it through May 3rd. Tickets can be purchased here.
So there you have it. Logs for 4 recent shows here in Utah. If you get a chance to see any of them let me know what you think. Enjoy!
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.
There are some musicals that are entertaining and there are others that are enriching. What I mean by that is some are a fun escape from your problems but others are a grueling look into those problems. Next to Normal is definitely the latter. It’s deep dive into mental illness and the effects it has on a family are brutal but not without value. Suffice it to say it’s not a musical I can watch every day but I’m glad when I get the chance to see it (I’ve seen it 3 times in recent years.) The most recent production I saw was at Hart Theatre Company at the Regent Street Black Box and it was an outstanding show. Unfortunately I saw it closing night but it cemented Hart as one of the top 3 theatre companies working in Utah today and an amazing bang for your buck.
If you haven’t seen it Next to Normal tells the story of Diana, a woman with severe bipolar disorder and how that illness impacts her husband Dan and daughter Natalie. At Hart Diana is played with great passion and skill by Natalia Noble. Sam Torres is Natalie but the performance I most appreciated is Benjamin Henderson as Dan. Some other interpretations I’ve seen have been rather one-note on Dan. Painting him as some kind of patriarchal beast but I felt director Chase Ramsey and Henderson’s performance brought as much humanity to Dan as they could. After all, he is trying to keep his vows and love a rather unlovable person. He is dishonest with her and completely out of his depths in dealing with her condition but it is a character I feel a lot of sympathy for in spite of his flaws (would most of us do much better? That’s the power in the play to make you ask these questions.)
Being in a small black box it’s remarkable how much Hart was able to do in the space including having a full live band (conductor/piano Nicholas Maughan). They also have the 2-story set with rope lighting that is traditional with Next to Normal. My favorite visual moment of the show was “Wish I Were Here” to open act 2. The lighting and dance (lighting design Michael Gray) used to portray both shock therapy and drug addiction was arresting to say the least and very well executed by Torres and Noble.
Joseph Paul Branca plays the son Gabe and he has a terrific singing voice for some of the best songs like “I’m Alive” and “I’ve Been” (which Henderson was also mesmerizing in.) I don’t think there is any relation but Branca and Noble actually looked a lot like which helped make things feel all the more real. The interesting thing about Noble’s performance is I started to resent her as the story goes on. Resent her for what she’s doing to her family and marriage and I haven’t really felt that when seeing Next to Normal before. I think this is intentional and something that made me think about how we judge people who are suffering. Can we only feel compassion for likable people? When she makes her choice at the end of the piece you feel relieved for Natalie and Dan (and even Diana) and I don’t know that I’ve had quite that response to the end of this show before. It left me pondering long after I left the theater.
The other question that’s interesting in Next to Normal is if our pain is debilitating is it better we forget it? There’s no easy answers to such questions but I appreciated Hart Company for helping me ask them with their arresting production. It’s too bad this run has completed but as I said earlier keep Hart on your radar as next up is another compelling show about marriage- The Last Five Years. More information can be found here.
Next to Normal premiered on broadway in 2009 and has music by Tom Kitt, book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey,
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. Please take a look here.
Rachel Reviews Theatre 