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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CHICAGO TEEN EDITION, H-B WOODLAWN, ARLINGTON VIRGINIA

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

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

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

TICK TICK…BOOM- KENNEDY CENTER, WASHINGTON DC

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

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

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

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

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

PRIDE & PREJUDICE- PARKER THEATRE, SALT LAKE CITY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Hey everyone from DC! I am here in town to see my family but also to see the new production of Tick, Tick… Boom at the Kennedy Center (thoughts to come) but before that I wanted to give my update on some of the shows I saw in January. Naturally due to the Sundance Film Festival and watching 28 movies in 10 days I didn’t see as much live theatre as I typically do but I managed to squeeze in some good stuff.

ANNIE JR- DRAPER HISTORIC THEATRE, DRAPER

Even though Annie has been an institution and fan favorite since it premiered on Broadway in 1977 I sometimes don’t think it is given the credit it deserves for how good a show it actually is. Its songs are extremely catchy and it has a wholesome and positive message at its core. Miss Hannigan is also an extremely fun, dishy villain character that can be played with a ton of pizazz. This month Draper Historic Theatre put on a production of Annie Jr and it was a great time with an absolutely wonderful leading child performance.

Stella Davies was a delight as Annie with a clear, confident voice and effective acting choices. Elizabeth Stotts was also a hoot as Miss Hannigan. The cast had a wonderful chemistry together and you could tell they were all having a great time, which is what you want to see in a show for children. I liked how they used the projections to create atmosphere with minimal sets (it’s a small space there) and there was some enjoyable choreography. Basically everything you could want out of Annie you got here (Annie Jr is not much different than Annie btw. The only reason they did Annie Jr was because the show is technically on tour and unavailable to produce at the full version but it doesn’t matter in the slightest.) Director Katie Davis deserves a ton of credit for getting the best out of her cast and making it a seemingly positive experience for all involved.

Draper Historic has Newsies coming up in March and I bet it will be a blast. Definitely get your tickets here.

PETER AND THE STARCATCHER- KENSINGTON THEATRE, SOUTH JORDAN

It’s always fun to check a popular show I’ve somehow missed off of my bucket list and that was what I was able to do in January when I finally saw Peter and the Starcatcher. This is a play by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson that takes the classic Peter Pan mythology and gives us a prequel of sorts about the origins of Peter, Captain Hook and everything else in Neverland. At Kensington Theatre this production was part of their ABC (Adult Boot Camp) program where adults get the chance to mentor teens in theatre and encourage their growth in the artform. I have yet to see a miss at Kensington and this was no exception (I even liked their Into the Woods!)

Director Toni Butler did an excellent job getting the most out of the small black box space by using projections and an adaptive set that could morph into anything the script needed. The cast was all energetic and having a good time led by Tevan McPeak in the Hook named Black Stache. He was very funny and I would definitely see him in anything he does going forward. It was also fun to see performers I’ve come to know over the years in their roles like Dallin Remund and Rebekah Price playing Mrs Bubrake and Smee respectively.

My only gripe with the show is I found the book to be rather confusing especially in the first act. I’m not sure if it was because of the small black box where a larger stage might allow for clearer scene delineations but I found the plot to be muddled and I was genuinely lost with what was happening for most of the show. It was still a good time because of the great performances but I will probably read up on the plot beforehand if I ever see it again.

Kensington next has Steel Magnolias which you won’t want to miss. Get your tickets here.

I’M A BIG GIRL NOW TOUR- OPPA, LAYTON

Finally we have a fun concert event I was able to attend on January 27th. It’s the start of the Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now tour that Broadway Hairspray allum Kerry Butler, Marissa Jaret Winokur and Laura Bell Bundy are putting on (kind of cool they started the tour in Utah.)

I will say upfront that the night got off to a bit of a bad start for me because they never notified patrons through email or social media when the VIP portion of the event was to begin despite my reaching out to them on both portals (I guess my emails were lost and they didn’t see my DMs.) I assumed the VIP must be happening during intermission or after the show, but I missed the meet and greet which was very disappointing. They have refunded my ticket and were very sorry so it’s just one of those things that happens. I hope next time they make sure to put any of that kind of information in the email when people buy their tickets. It’s always better to over-share information rather than make patrons have to hunt for it.

Anyway, the concert itself was a ton of fun with all 3 ladies having wonderful chemistry together and them each getting a chance to sing the best from their careers in music and the stage. Naturally we get a bunch of songs from Hairspray and it was really fun to hear their stories about how they were cast in the iconic musical, what their audition process was like and the early phases of rehearsing and beginning to perform the show.

If this tour is coming near you I recommend it and you can find out more information here.

It’s now time to do my first theatre update of 2024. It’s funny because I feel like I’ve hardly seen anything but that’s only because I didn’t see my first show of the year until 1/4 so there were like 2 weeks without any live theatre- madness! I now have a bunch of shows to update you all on and it’s turned out to be a promising start of the theatre year.

THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM VALLEY SPELLING BEE- UVP, SPRINGVILLE

My first show of the season was Spelling Bee at Utah Valley Players (which was new to me company) and this was a wonderful production of this very funny show. Unfortunately it also had a very short run closing on 1/9. You can read my full review at UTBA here. Look for future shows at UVP here.

A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER- REGALO, LEHI

Reviewing something like A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder at Regalo is a tricky prospect for a critic. It’s one of those productions with the best of intentions where seemingly little goes as planned. Especially with a community theatre production I hate to kick a man when he’s down but it was not a satisfying night of theatre. The biggest problem was obvious. The actor playing Monty ended up ill at the last minute (we arrived Thursday 1/5 and they asked me to come back on 1/9) and unfortunately the understudy was not prepared and had to perform with the script in hand.

A Gentleman’s Guide is already a show I have mixed feelings on. It can be quite funny but pretty much all the music is forgettable. With a show being so reliant on comedic timing and chemistry, having a flat, non-emotive lead actor just reading lines really hurt the overall enjoyment and everyone else’s performances suffered as a result. I understand you work with what you’ve got in community theatre, but I also can’t pretend to enjoy something when I really didn’t. Fortunately, the strength of the production was in the costumes (designer Brooke Holahan) and the 2 ladies playing Phoebe (Brittini Smith) and Sibella (Joy Austin.) It was, however, still an overall rough sit. I’m not sure if the understudy changed things but the way they staged the romantic scenes and kisses was also very strange with dramatic fake kisses. It’s like they were trying to make it more Utah Country friendly but it just felt awkward.

I’ve loved everything else I’ve seen at Regalo so this is just a bump in the road and hopefully in the future they will make sure their understudies are more ready to go. It’s just not fair to the rest of the performers to literally be acting opposite a talking script book. Oh well! Can’t win them all. A Gentleman’s Guide plays at Regalo until 1/20 and tickets can be purchased here.

STARLIGHT EXPRESS- LIAHONA THEATRE FOR YOUTH, PLEASANT GROVE

When I saw A Christmas Carol at Alpine Community Theatre they were using the theater at Liahona Preparatory Academy, and I noticed their school’s theatre was doing Starlight Express in January, and I was highly intrigued. I have heard about Andrew Lloyd Webber’s roller skating show but never had a chance to see it, so I immediately bought a ticket. I don’t always see youth theatre, but I really wanted to see this show so I went for it, and I’m so glad I did.

I understand that the skating element might make this show more daunting but for how much Joseph is done I wish more would consider Starlight Express instead. The skating was so fresh and fun with them turning the theater into a race track for multiple scenes (I was amazed that none of the cast slipped even once.) It’s not a show with a ton of plot but similar to Cats or Joseph it’s about the bubbly songs and the quirky characters.

I really enjoyed the songs in particular “Light at the End of the Tunnel” and “Momma Sings the Blues.” Lily Bennion and Amara Davis were my favorites of the cast as Pearl and Dinah respectively but the whole cast shined with their energy and joy. All the costumes and lighting were excellent, and like I said, the racetrack was outstanding. I will definitely see anything else that director Jordan Long does in the future because he got the best out of his young cast and the whole thing was fresh and exciting. There were a few technical flubs but nothing that impacted my overall enjoyment. I loved it.

Starlight Express has shows today and one on 1/15 and I highly recommend it. You can purchase tickets here.

Merry Christmas! I hope you are all enjoying this festive time of the year and supporting the arts all around you in any way you can. Make sure you check out our latest episode of Theater Tuesday to hear more about what me and Maren have been watching

Here are my thoughts on some recent shows I have been lucky enough to see.

WHITE CHRISTMAS- CENTERPOINT LEGACY, CENTERVILLE

I’ve said it before but I think this adaptation of White Christmas is one of the best examples of screen to stage adaptations I’ve seen. It keeps everything we love about the original film, tightens the slow parts and removes the culturally awkward parts such as the Minstrel number. David Ives and Paul Blake did an excellent job with the book and of course the incredible songs by Irving Berlin still entertain in 2023 as much as they did in 1954. While the production I saw at the Regalo in Lehi will always be my favorite this was an entertaining night of theater that should please old and young.

The cast is all strong with Craig Williams being my favorite as Phil Davis. I also really liked Melody L Baugh as Martha who is the busybody manager at the Inn. As is always the case at Centerpoint the choreography (by Jessica Merrill) was the standout with wonderful dancing in numbers like “The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing” and “Blue Skies.” The production was not on the scale with the attention to detail they had at the Regalo but it’s still a lot of fun for the holidays. White Christmas is playing until Dec 21st and you can purchase your tickets here.

A CHRISTMAS STORY- SCERA, OREM

Another enjoyable screen to stage adaptation for the holidays is A Christmas Story: The Musical based on the popular 1983 film and I recently had the chance to review a wonderful production at the Scera in Orem for UTBA. You can read my review here. A Christmas Story: The Musical plays until Dec 16 and you can purchase tickets here.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL- HALE CENTER THEATRE, SANDY

Once I decided to review as many versions of A Christmas Carol as I can this season I knew I needed to see the production at Hale Center Theatre in Sandy. It is probably the most famous regional version with them even doing a filmed version for all of us to get through the pandemic in 2020. I couldn’t have been more grateful for that in the year without theater. Now in their 39th year putting on the show they have another strong production. This one doesn’t take any risks like the recent production at Hale Orem or the bolder script at the Parker but it is comforting told and professionally mounted. Especially if you are someone who wants the traditional story than you can’t do better than A Christmas Carol at Hale Sandy.

I particularly enjoyed the watercolor backgrounds they had and the way they integrated traditional carols like “Greensleeves”, “Silent Night” and “Wassail Wassail” into the original score by Barlow Bradford. The Scrooge is always outstanding at Hale and this was no exception with David Weekes in the lead role. Again, if you are looking for a classic retelling of this story you can’t go wrong with Hale Sandy’s version. It plays until Dec 27th and you can purchase tickets here.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER- PG PLAYERS, PLEASANT GROVE

One of my favorite local theaters is the tiny theater in the Pleasant Grove library called The Pleasant Grove Players. I had the privilege to interview its directors Howard and Kathryn Little for Theatre Tuesdays and was so impressed with them as I have been with all their productions. The latest is The Best Christmas Pageant Ever which is a nice break from the Santa and Christmas Carol themed shows that actually focuses on Jesus and the power of His birth.

It’s a one act play about a family of roughians who make it their goal to take over the local church nativity pageant. Everyone starts more than a little judgy but they all learn something along the way. It was very impressive how many cast members they got on the stage with over 30 people, mostly children involved. I particularly enjoyed Julianne Barney as Imogene Herdman who showed a lot of vulnerability as her tough character realizes the value in the baby Jesus.

Unfortunately The Best Christmas Pageant Ever closes Dec 11th and it is sold out (which congrats to them for a sold out run!) but keep PG Players on your radar. They always have great shows

A CHRISTMAS CAROL- ALPINE COMMUNITY THEATRE, PLEASANT GROVE

When I decided to see as many versions of A Christmas Carol as possible this year one of the versions that intrigued me was by famed composer Alan Menken. I had seen the movie adaptation with Kelsey Grammar and thought it was alright but never the show. So I jumped at the chance to review a new to me theater company, Alpine Community Theater’s production staged at the Liahona Theater in Pleasant Grove. Evidently they have bene doing this adaptation for many years and they have the wonderful mantra “where everyone can act.” I adore this mission because as much as I love Utah theater sometimes it can be too competitive where someone who just wants to participate and have a fun community experience is prohibited.

The mission is certainly clear from the get-go with A Christmas Carol and the huge cast they have assembled. Practically every scene is bursting with people and it’s interesting how the entire introduction to Scrooge is staged in the town-square rather than in the office and other settings we normally see. The amount of people that Costume Coordinator Stephanie Russon had to get multiple outfits for is staggering and they were all well done. I particularly liked the design for Past that was just whispy enough with an elaborate crown on her head that lit up. I also liked a song called “Dancing on Your Grave” where Future and Scrooge are surrounded by monks in the graveyard. The choreography by Rebecca Call and Laura Snyder was also very impressive throughout the entire show.

My only criticisms of the production is that oftentimes Scrooge and the ghost was off to the side so we didn’t get his reaction or impression of what was happening. I particularly liked Charles Graves’ Scrooge at the beginning when he is angry Scrooge but I think part of that is we saw him more up close and centered on the stage in those sections.

My other critique of the show would be to the writing team including Alan Menken. Far too often it feels like warmed over versions of what we know and love from Beauty and the Beast. There’s even a baland about Home in both numbers and a boisterous Busby Berkeley style number with elves and a kickline that might as well have been “Be Our Guest.” Obviously this is no fault of ACT but it does make it feel less inspired as a piece of musical theater. Menken has done and can do much better!

Still, this is the kind of production you want to be a part of. It’s welcoming to all and really captures the spirit of the season. I highly recommend it! A Christmas Carol is playing at the Liahona Theater in Pleasant Grove until Dec 18th and you can purchase tickets here.

JACOB MARLEY’S CHRISTMAS CAROL- COVEY CENTER, PROVO

I had the chance to review a new take on A Christmas Carol at the Covey Center for the Arts in Provo called Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol for UTBA and unfortunately it was a bit of a disappointment. The talent was doing their best but I found the script to be frustrating. You can read my full review here. It is playing until Dec 23rd and ticket scan be purchased here.

There you have it! What have you been seeing lately? I would love to hear all about it