Hi theatre friends! I hope you are having a great Thanksgiving week and enjoying great local theatre wherever you might be. Lately I have been posting full reviews for most of the productions I’ve been seeing, which I am very grateful for but I have had 4 shows I’ve attended as a patron in the last month that I’d like to update you all on. Let me know if you’ve seen any of these shows and what you thought of them.

A Christmas Story: The Musical- Centerpoint Legacy Theatre, Centerville

As I’ve said many times I find this musical adaptation of A Christmas Story to be very underrated and I always enjoy a chance to see it especially at Centerpoint. They did it in 2021 and I adored it then and this new production is just as outstanding. Every element is impeccably made and executed. The stage is dominated by 3 large sets (set designer Josh Roberts) that are double sided making them work for multiple settings like the school and department store. The costumes (designer Stephanie Colyar) are period accurate with attention to small details like shoes and hats. The acting and singing is all great. I don’t know what more you could ask for a community theatre production that sells tickets for under $30.

It’s a real treasure for Northern Utah to have a place like Centerpoint and to see shows like A Christmas Story. This production is directed by Shelby Ferrin, and I saw the MWF cast with Lindsey Stephens being the standout as Mother. I absolutely loved her rendition of “What a Mother Does.” A Christmas Story is playing through December 20th and tickets can be purchased here.

Pride and Prejudice- Centerpoint Legacy Theatre, Centerville

Also at Centerpoint Legacy in their Second Stage is Pride and Prejudice. This is the adaptation penned by Melissa Leilani Larson, which is very popular here in Utah and for good reasons because it is excellent. I actually interviewed Melissa about the adaptation here. In fact, it’s so popular this production has completely sold out during it’s whole run! I saw the MWF cast and I am hopeful I can find a way of seeing the TThS cast but I may not be able to! I bet they are regretting not doing this on the big stage with this amazing response. They even added 6 additional shows and they sold out immediately. I love how much we love Jane Austen in Utah!

I’m so happy for Centerpoint because this is a wonderful production of this play. I loved all of the cast I did see and again the attention to detail is outstanding. Everything from the costumes to the accents is thought out and well executed. I even loved the projections which surrounded the actors (it’s a black box stage) and made the experience feel more immersive. For example, when Lizzie is at Pemberley we see the grand house all around us and when Jane travels to Netherfield in the rain we are surrounded by video of Regency rain. Everything is directed by Brighton Sloan with set and projections by Josh Roberts. They do have a standby list each day that I am going to try and get on for TThS but you can find more information here.

She Loves Me- BYU Theatre, Provo

Another musical I absolutely love is She Loves Me. I could never tire of seeing it and was thrilled when I saw that my alma mater BYU was putting it on. This is the classic Parfumerie story about 2 people who fall in love over letters while hating each other in real life. It’s a complete charmer of a show and they did a phenomenal job at BYU.

First of all the George and Amalia (Austin Zimmerman and Elena Shill respectively) had incredible chemistry with both being especially funny at the argumentative sequences. The whole cast was great and I love how director Geoffrey Reynolds worked in dance into so many scenes and paid attention to little details like making the shop sequences feel lived in with shoppers walking by interacting with the cast. I honestly walked away without any notes. Unfortunately the run has finished for the show but you can find out more about BYU OnStage here. Also Lehi Arts has a production of She Loves Me coming up in just a few weeks which I can’t wait for. You can find out more about that production here.

Steel Magnolias- On Pitch Performing Arts, Layton

Lately I’ve realized how much I enjoy seeing a good play. In fact, sometimes I prefer for community theaters to do straight plays because there are so many fewer parts to master than a musical. Steel Magnolias makes particular sense for community theatre because it is a play for all women and that’s usually the bedrock of most community theatre. I also love any chance I have to get up to OPPA in Layton because they nurture talent in a way that’s special and unique. This production of Steel Magnolias was in their black box Creator’s Stage and it is definitely rough around the edges but that’s what I liked about it.

I saw the TThS cast and was especially impressed by Heidi Williams as Shelby (she captured a young innocence needed for the character) and Sarah Casper as Ouiser (she actually had a frog in her throat that day which was perfect for the character!) The production is directed by Kennedy Miller and the set design by Peter Davis convincingly captures Truvy’s salon. Steel Magnolias is one of those plays that’s hard to screw up and they certainly don’t here. It is playing through December 6th and tickets can be purchased here.

I would recommend all 4 of the shows I logged today. A Christmas Story: The Musical features music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul with a book by Joseph Robinette based on the 1983 film script by Jean Shepherd and his book. It first premiered on Broadway in 2012. Pride and Prejudice is based on the novel by Jane Austen and adapted by Melissa Leilani Larson. She Loves Me has music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick with a book by Joe Masteroff. It is based on the Parfumerie play by Miklos Laszlo and first premiered on Broadway in 1963. Steel Magnolias is a play by Robert Harling and first premiered on Off-Broadway in 1987 with its Broadway debut in 2005.

These logged shows I usually 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.

As I’ve said many times I love when a theatrical company takes a risk- when they try something new to me or put on a show less commonly performed in this area. So I was intrigued when Sentinel Theatre invited me to come take a look at a play I’d never heard of entitled Circle Mirror Transformation. While in the end, I didn’t love the play I appreciate the swing and see value in much of what the production has to offer.

When I first heard the title I thought it must be some kind of trippy scifi piece but in reality Circle Mirror Transformation is a play about the communities we form every day and how they can impact our lives. These communities can form from a variety of interactions. It could be people gathering for a political rally or a book club, or in this case taking an acting class, but whatever it might be these relationships add value to our lives.

At Sentinel (performed at The Hive Collaborative in Provo) the ensemble is the greatest strength for the production. All 5 actors have chemistry together and are giving good performances for the roles they have. I particularly enjoyed Dani Klappoth as the new age class leader Marty and Wayne Keller III as the neurotic student Schultz.

My problem with Circle Mirror Transformation is unfortunately Annie Baker’s inauthentic script. We are given to believe these 5 people only interact at this weekly class and yet they can present obscure details about each other like what one class member calls her Grandma or what their childhood bedroom looked like. I’ve known people for decades that I could introduce less fully than the characters are able to do here after just a few hours together at a weekly class (2 of the characters are married so that relationship is probably the most convincing.)

I can see how this material might have worked better as a one act or short play but at nearly 2 hours it feels repetitive and tough to engage with. Baker’s script could have also brought in more humor- poking more fun at the silliness of these dramatic exercises and attempts at achieving mental clarity. The closest we get is the youngest class member Lauren getting frustrated with the lack of actual acting going on (I would be frustrated too!)

Fortunately the team at Sentinel does what they can with the material, and like I said, I’m always glad to see something that’s new to me. Circle Mirror Transformation is playing through November 22nd and tickets can be purchase here.

Circle Mirror Transformation is a play by Annie Baker and it opened Off-Broadway in 2009 where it won an Obie Award for Best New American Play

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.

Pretty much everyone knows at this point that I love and adore the musical Daddy Long Legs. I enjoy it so much I’ve seen it 11 times since the pandemic including seeing it 5 times just this year. I love the build up of the romance between Jerusha and Jervis and how they both grow as people through the show, and the songs are musical perfection. With this love for the material, I knew I wanted to get down to see St George Musical Theatre’s production, and it did not disappoint. I was able to see all 4 performers (they alternated the roles during the run) and they all did a wonderful job. It was worth the trip!

First up on Friday night, I saw Heather Oram as Jerusha and Tim Merkley as Jervis. Then, the next day I saw Mattea Denney and Pierce Robison in those roles. The production is directed by Edwina Jones, and she keeps things simple and lets her cast shine. I do love when the directors of this musical allow for some kind of connection between the 2 like a mailbox or a bookcase where they set the letters down. They didn’t do anything like that here, but it’s fine without it, too.

The only major feedback I’d give is the directors have to be very careful in the portrayal of Jervis. The text makes it clear that he is a young man, which helps excuse his many weaknesses. That said, leaning into the jealousy (saying things like ‘over my dead body’), while funny, makes the character seem more controlling and less likable. It’s a nuance thing, but I would advise productions to be as understated in those scenes as possible and show the right amount of remorse with “I’m a Beast” and “Charity.”

I enjoyed both of the couples and was impressed with the chemistry they were able to build, particularly Denney and Robison. With the show being epistolary, it could be dry if that connection between them wasn’t as well done and believable. This performance was at the Main St Performing Arts Campus, and this is a beautiful stage and building. I didn’t mind seeing 2 shows there one bit.

Unfortunately, the run of Daddy Long Legs at SGMT has finished, but I encourage any readers to see this wonderful show if you have the chance. It will help you believe in love and the power of human connection like never before. Make sure you check out A Christmas Story at SGMT while you have the chance. Tickets can be purchased here.

Daddy Long Legs has music and lyrics by Paul Gordon with a book by John Caird based on the novel by Jean Webster. It premiered Off-Broadway in 2015.

Make sure to check out my interview with Paul Gordon

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’ve said it many times before but the musical adaptation of the classic film A Christmas Story is underrated. While it won’t win over those that aren’t fans of the movie I find the songs to be very catchy and it manages to include every major event from the movie quite seamlessly. The new production of this musical at St George Musical Theatre captures this charm and makes for an ideal start to this year’s holiday season in Southern Utah.

Of course, this musical tells the story of young Ralphie Parker who’s greatest dream is to get a Red Ryder carbine action BB gun for Christmas. The problem is all the adults in his life are convinced he’ll ‘shoot his eye out’ if he’s given the gun. Most of us can relate to Ralphie and the big gift you were hoping to have for the holidays or a birthday. Plus there are bullies, pranks, daydreams and more that children of any era can connect with.

The cast at SGMT is led by Jake Dyas as Ralphie and he’s up for all the choreography and singing demands of the role. I also really enjoyed John Tanner as Old Man and Rachel Rose as Mother (I loved her rendition of “What a Mother Does” which is an underrated song from the show.) Roy Eckman grounds the story as the narrator Jean Shepherd which helps bring the audience back after the sillier scenes. The production is directed by Adam Mast and he has brought out the best of his cast and used the projections on the side wall to add to the storytelling (it’s theatre in the round so sets are challenging.)

Speaking of sets I do wish they had stretched out the house setpieces over the entire stage using all the platforms. As it is all of the house sets are crammed into one corner of the stage which kind of defeats the purpose of an immersive theatre in the round. I realize the other side of the stage is used for the department store and schoolyard so it becomes challenging. Nevertheless, most of the action did feel crammed into one corner of the stage.

I also didn’t love the decision to gender swap a bunch of the child roles. Randy, Flick, and Schwartz aren’t just girls playing boy roles but they are referred to by feminine pronouns and are female characters. Some of the scenes hit differently for girls rather than boys particularly the bullying scene. In addition, when Ralphie gets the bunny outfit he says Schwartz and Flick would give him grief, a statement that makes less sense if both characters are girls. If they have more girls auditioning just have them play boys rather than gender swapping but that’s just me.

Even so, I had a great time watching A Christmas Story at SGMT. It’s funny, full of heart and will make a great addition to your holiday festivities this year.

A Christmas Story: The Musical has music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul with a book by Joseph Robinette based on the book by Jean Shepherd and the 1983 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 know most theatre critics are hesitant to critique youth or high school theatre. I get it can be tough to know what kind of feedback to give to young performers but it’s also important to encourage and support students when we have the opportunity to do so. Recently I saw a production of Clue: High School Edition at American Preparatory Academy: Draper 3 campus and it was a fun reminder of the many people who are still doing things right for our young people.

I’ve said it before but I think it’s a real shame when high school productions rely too much on visual effects and projections. This robs the students of the opportunity to make their sets, props, costumes and all the other aspects of the production. What I loved at Draper 3 is they are empowering the students to participate in all of these areas. They even make sure to point out in the program “costumes, set and props designed and built by D3 theatre production classes” This is so important because how does a student know if they like or excel at something if they never get a chance to try? I also love the innovative nature of the set they built for Clue with rolling platforms that allows rooms to roll on and off of the stage; thereby creating more rooms than the small black box theatre would normally allow.

I saw the Dagger version of the cast and all the teens did a great job hamming it up for the roles. I particularly enjoyed Christopher Jorgensen as Wadsworth and Savannah Anderson as Colonel Mustard. The production is directed with care by Erik McGinnis who has managed to get the most of out of each of his students,

Unfortunately this production of Clue has finished its run but I’m excited to be aware of Draper 3, and I hope to come back for their next performance- The Secret Garden in the spring

Clue is written by Sandy Rustin based on the 1985 film and the Hasbro board game.

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 don’t know about you all but I really enjoy history particularly American history and love any chance I get to learn about eras of our great country. That’s why I was very excited to get to see the new musical Suffs that is playing at Eccles with the current national tour and fortunately it did not disappoint. I highly recommend checking out this boisterous look at the many women who helped give women the right to vote in the United States.

One of my favorite parts of this musical is how it captures the variety of the personalities and approaches of the women who created the movement for the 19th amendment. Some were activists led by Alice Paul (Maya Keleher) who is of the protest and hunger strike variety where Carrie Chapman Catt (understudy Merrill Peiffer) is the let’s have tea and convince you of how great we are variety. Both have value and honestly as an old fogie myself I could often relate more to Catt’s methodology over Paul. They also include these different approaches and personalities with the Black women in the movement with varied approaches from Ida B Wells (Danyel Fulton) and Mary Church Terrell (Trisha Jeffrey) (Mary believes in ‘dignified agitation, Ida thinks that is futile and they must do more.) This variation in the characters and philosophies helps the show feel more authentic and less like you are watching historical propaganda (which can be a problem with some of these type of shows.)

Probably the performance that veers the most into caricature is the portrayal of Woodrow Wilson (Marissa Hecker) but honestly I was fine with that as he was one of our most deplorable presidents and doesn’t deserve many accolades in my opinion. I was surprised how early they got to the march but Suffs is similar to Hamilton in that it gives the full scope of Paul’s career even giving us an epilogue with her work in the 1970s and the young activist of that time (a nice full-circle moment for the character.)

Speaking of Hamilton there will be many who compare Suffs to that iconic show, and they wouldn’t be incorrect. It’s an obvious inspiration especially with the more contemporary-sounding songs like “Finish the Fight” but it does enough to stand on its own so it avoids feeling like just a female Hamilton. This national tour is directed by Leigh Silverman and all the technical elements help add to effectiveness of the strong character-work from the actors. I particularly enjoyed the lighting design by Lap Chi Chu and how it created a silhouette feel which was perfect for the turn of the century setting and added to the tense tone in certain scenes.

The costumes by Paul Tazewell are also terrific with each suffragette expressing their personality through their clothes some more ostentatious, some more riscay and showy, others more masculine depending on the character.

I was a little sad that the narrative leaves out some important voices especially Elizabeth Cady Stanton who’s speech The Solitude of Self is one of my favorites in American history. That said, I realize you can’t include everyone and it is a pretty stuffed show so that’s bound to happen. Still, one of the times they mentioned Susan B Anthony they could have talked about Stanton but oh well. Helen Keller would have been another person they could have depicted as she was a suffragette and a fighter for disability awareness as well.

The national tour of Suffs would be a great show to integrate into a home school curriculum or to just educate teens about American history (there is a song with profanity but they will just have to deal with it!) Like I said, I highly recommend taking any children 10 and up and enjoying it together. It is playing through November 16th and tickets can be purchased here.

Suffs has music lyrics and a book by Shaina Taub and it first premiered off-Broadway at The Public Theater in 2022 and then on Broadway in 2024. It won Tony Awards for best book and best score for Taub.

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.

Watching the new play Tiny Beautiful Things at Pygmalion Theatre I couldn’t help but wonder- are advice columns still relevant in 2025? In a world where it seems like we get unending counsel from strangers about how to live our lives is the idea of writing one for advice appealing? Also the whole idea of crafting one’s problems in a letter format seems archaic. Aren’t we more likely to post a tiktok rant than write a letter? I realize the book this play is based on is a compilation of a self-help column called Dear Sugar but even that was published in 2012 and tiktok wasn’t even invented then so the question stands.

Anyway, let’s assume advice columns still exist the letters in Tiny Beautiful Things feel relevant and authentic (probably because they are in fact from actual letters.) At Pygmalion “Dear Sugar” columnist is portrayed by Tamara Howell who also directs the piece. She has a warm yet tough persona that works well for the part. It’s a tricky role because a lot of the time she’s staring at a computer but she makes it work. In fact, the entire cast has nice chemistry together. Even though they don’t really interact except through the letters to Sugar it still has a family feel to the group which keeps it from feeling too repetitive. I particularly enjoyed Matt Bennett’s work as he had some of the more emotional letters, and we don’t see men emoting as often in plays like this which I appreciated.

The production is kept simple in the black box space at the Rose Wagner downtown. Most of the space is Sugar’s home with four columns with the words from the letters on them. This lack of distraction helps the audience focus on the characters and the correspondence between them and Sugar.

I do wonder if Tiny Beautiful Things might have been better as a one act because I did start to get a little sleepy after a while. Not everything needs to be a 90 minute play after all.

Still this is a very touching play that just about anyone can relate with. It is playing through Nov 22nd and tickets can be purchased here.

Tiny Beautiful Things is based on the book by Cheryl Strayed and adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos. The Dear Sugar column ran from 2010-2012. It debuted Off-Broadway in 2016

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 wasn’t a big fan of fantasy stories as a kid. I preferred something like Little Women over The Lord of the Rings for example. The one exception to this rule was author Roald Dahl. His mixture of whimsy and realism really worked for me and I was a big fan of books like The Witches, Matilda, and the underrated George’s Marvelous Medicine. I had heard about the new adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when it opened on Broadway back in 2017 so I was excited to see it on opening night at The Ruth in Pleasant Grove. Like Matilda I have mixed feelings on the show itself but they did a terrific job with this production.

This version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has 4 songs from the beloved film starring Gene Wilder with songs by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley. These are “The Candyman,” “Golden Ticket, “Oompa Loompa” and “Pure Imagination” which are not surprisingly by far the strongest songs of the night. The book follows the novel fairly accurately and gives us act 1 leading up to the factory and Act 2 inside with the kids on the tour with Wonka. For me at least I far more enjoyed Act 1 over Act 2. You’d think everything in the factory would be magical but it really was quite a slog for one major reason- very little Charlie.

For most of Act 2 Charlie is sidelined to allow each of the other ticket winners to have their demise within the factory. I really was not a fan of how they modernized all of the kids and am mystified anyone thought it was a good idea to give them such cringe updates. For example, they have Violet be an influencer singing “The Queen of Pop” (because she likes bubble gum get it…) Where’s the whimsy, the charm in any of that? Mike Teavee was always a smart-allick but in this he’s cynical cliched gen z child who can’t be impressed by anything with an insufferable alcoholic mother. They made Veruca a Russian ballet dancer for some reason and give her a bizarre song called “Veruca’s Nutcracker: Sweet” (get it sweet instead of suite…)

In contrast, when the narrative would get back to Charlie and his hopes and dreams I was charmed again. His plucky spirit and hope is so much better than what they decided to do with the other ticket winners. There’s a lot more of Charlie in Act 1 so I enjoyed that much more.

As far as the production at The Ruth goes director Rob Moffat has brought together many elements to make a memorable impression on stage. The lighting by Renee Fowler has an 80s pop feel that kept surprising me (the stage is surrounded by panels of light that changed depending on the section of the factory.) They also add to the whimsy with a topsy turvy set designed by Carter Thompson. I particularly enjoyed Charlie’s house and the candy store in Act 1 although I thought all of the sets could have been a little larger and filled up the stage more fully. This would have added to the immersion but they are impressive sets.

I absolutely loved Flynn Mitchell as Charlie and he had a nice chemistry with Taylor Morris as Wonka. Morris gets the right mixture of kindness and mischievousness that you need for the character. All of the other ticket winners do a good job with their roles even if I wasn’t a big fan of the choices the book writers made for them. I did think it was really weird they cast some of the kids with adults and some with children. Usually in musicals if they have adults playing kids it’s consistent (like in Spelling Bee or You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown.) It’s a little jarring to have it switch back and forth.

If you are a fan of Roald Dahl, the novel and the Gene Wilder film I recommend getting tickets for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at The Ruth. It’s not a perfect show but I did enjoy Charlie and Wonka and visually it’s an exciting production. It might be fun to see it and then compare it to the movie with your kids. Ask them what aspects they like in each. If you do get to see it let me know what you think. Plus, it might be a nice break from holiday fare on the stage as it plays through December 31st. Tickets can be purchased here.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory features music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman with lyrics by Scott Wittman and a book by David Greig with additional songs from Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley. Based on the novel by Roald Dahl and the film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory directed by Mel Stewart. It premiered in the West End in 2013 and on Broadway in 2017 where it ran for 9 months.

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.