Hey everyone! I am back to give you an update on everything I’ve been watching at the theatre over the last couple of weeks. It’s been a fun and eclectic time and I’m excited to tell you about them.

My latest Theatre Tuesdays is up with a fun exercise. Tanner Tate and myself figure out what alternatives could be chosen by theatre companies over the most popular shows we’ve all seen a million times. Check it out

SISTER ACT- DRAPER HISTORIC THEATRE- DRAPER

I’ve said it many times before but sometimes I think I prefer a scrappy flawed community theatre production over the glossy equity level professional shows. Both have their place but there’s something wholesome and satisfying about seeing untrained performers come together and put together the best show they can. Such is the case with Sister Act at Draper Historic Theatre. It was not on the same level as their recent Jekyll and Hyde which blew me away but it still has much to offer.

Some might not know this Sister Act musical is adapted from the movie by Alan Menken with lyrics by Glenn Slater (the team behind Tangled.) Based on the 1992 film with the same name the musical is actually surprisingly full of mature moments. For example, in one scene our bad guy shoots a man point blank with no remorse. This is an important scene because you need compelling motivation for Deloris to go into hiding but I still always find it surprising.

At Draper Historic director Beth Bruner uses the small stage to its maximum capacity bringing in projections and using the aisle to expand the stage. Sophie Manzanares is the vocal standout in the production as the shy diminutive Mary Roberts with Nicole Scoubes also shining as Mother Superior.

Some of the other singing was weak (particularly with the men) but it was all done with such cheerfulness I couldn’t help but leave with a smile. Sister Act is playing through 9/25 and you can purchase tickets here.

BRIGHT STAR- THE EMPRESS- MAGNA, UT

Everyone who knows me knows how much I love Bright Star. I love the story, songs, score, and everything else. Still, I was unsure whether I wanted to support this production at The Empress because of a recent scandal. You can read more about that here.

Believe it or not I think this might be my 10th time seeing Bright Star. I love everything about this musical written and created by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell. This version at The Empress had a lot going for it. In particular the large 11 member live band (band conductor Marie Buhler) is outstanding. I honestly wish they had a concert night where I could just enjoy the band.

Of the main cast Bradley Barker stood out the most as Billy with a natural stage charisma and personality and a beautiful singing voice. Heather Shelley is also strong as the lead Alice. In addition, Ashley North and Cheryl Cripps do excellent work as the costume and wig designers respectively. It’s particularly impressive the way they are able to transform Alice from old to young even in her hairstyle so quickly.

Unfortunately the night I attended was one of those nights of theatre where just about everything goes wrong. The sound was giving them all kinds of grief losing the microphones and then pinging loudly at times. But even worse the light panel began malfunctioning so they had to start intermission before the important Act 1 train scene. However, as we all know in theatre ‘the show must go on’ and they powered through it and did the best that they could. I’m sure future performances won’t have such bad luck. Either way, it’s a beautiful show and for a theatre that oculd use a dose of hope it’s just what the doctor ordered. You can see Bright Star at Empress until Sept 30th. Get your tickets here.

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS- HALE CENTER THEATRE- SANDY

I was honored and thrilled to get to review the latest extravaganza production over at Hale Center Theatre for UTBA- Around the World in 80 Days. It was a challenging review to write because I am not well-versed in circus acrobatics and dance. However, I asked questions and did the best I could. Enjoy! You can read my review here.

Around the World in 80 Days is playing until Oct 20th and tickets can be purchased here.

A DOLL’S HOUSE- OPPA- LAYTON

As much as I love a musical sometimes I wonder if community theatres would be better off performing more straight plays. I know they usually sell less tickets but there are such fewer moving parts it can be easier to nail than a musical. Anyway, I got to see A Doll’s House at OPPA on Monday and I was very impressed by it.

The play, A Doll’s House, goes all the way back to 1879 when it was first published by Henrik Ibsen. Particularly in the 2nd act, the play expertly explores themes of marriage, honesty, conflict, womanhood and more. There’s a moment where the lead Nora (Katie Plott) realizes her husband isn’t the man she thought he was and the actress completely pulled off that devastating realization but in a subtle way. I still don’t know if I buy the character would actually leave her children like that but was an impressive moment of acting.

The rest of the production is relatively simple but it does the job for this story. If you want to see A Doll’s House it’s at OPPA through Sept 30th. Tickets can be purchased here.

So there you have it! Have you seen any of these shows? I would love to hear your thoughts

If you enjoy what I do please support me at my patreon here.

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well. I suppose I should give a quick update from my last post about The Empress. I have decided to support the new leadership of the theatre and the cast of Bright Star who have worked so hard and some of who were the whistleblowers for the whole unfortunate situation. I will definitely have my eye on them but I feel good about this decision and look forward to seeing my favorite show this Saturday.

If you missed it make sure to check out my latest episode of Theatre Tuesdays. I was privilege to host local directing team Howard and Kathryn Little who are a true powerhouse of the theatre. Their love story is beautiful and I loved hearing about their experiences behind one of my favorite local theatres- the Pleasant Grove Players at the Pleasant Grove, Library.

PEABO BRYSON

One of the best deals in entertainment in Northern Utah is the Summer season pass to the Scera Shell in Orem, Utah. You not only get to see 3 theatrical productions but there are 7 live concerts and 6 outdoor movies. Some of the concert performers I’m very familiar with and others are new to me which can be fun. One new entry this year is the R&B singer Peabo Bryson. I admittedly went to hear his 2 big Disney hits- “A Whole New World” and “Beauty and the Beast” but was curious for the rest of the set list.

Overall it was an enjoyable concert. While some of his selections felt a little too long and his backup singers and duet partners could use some work he is clearly a pro and was fun to listen to. Of course, the highlight was the Disney numbers but again his singing partner felt amateurish for such iconic songs. Still I enjoyed the night and seeing someone I’ve never seen before.

JEREMY JORDAN

Also at the Scera in Orem we had the much hyped (and very well attended) concert from Broadway star Jeremy Jordan with the Utah Valley Symphony. This concert was a bit reason I bought the pass and it didn’t disappoint. Jeremy is super charming and puts on a wonderful show. I also appreciate the symphony did approachable sets from Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera for their numbers. Some of his choices were a little weird like singing “Soliloquy” from Carousel which is such an exposition plot-heavy song that it feels out of place in a concert setting. I also thought his medley of Oscar standards sung by Andy Williams could have been more modern. It would have been nice to hear him sing something from Little Shop of Horrors since he is returning to that show.

Like I said he was very personal and engaging as a performer and it was super fun to hear him sing favorites like “Santa Fe” from Newsies and “Moving Too Fast” from The Last Five Years. I also appreciate it wasn’t a perfect performance. He had to fight for some notes and that made the experience more memorable and endearing. Overall, it was a super fun concert and I’d definitely see Jeremy again.

Also I find it impressive how Scera keeps everything organized and well run. Compared to other outdoor venues like USANA or Deer Valley it’s such a better more pleasant experience. To purchase tickets for the indoor Scera season here.

CLUE- HALE CENTER THEATRE OREM, OREM

There are a couple of comedic straight plays that seem to be making the rounds amongst the local theatres here in Utah: The Play that Goes Wrong, The 39 Steps, See How They Run and Clue seem to be the favorites. These plays are popular for a reason because they are funny and relatively family-friendly so they find a home in this state. Clue is probably my least favorite of that group but it’s enjoyable and since I am a season ticket holder at HCTO I went down to see it last Friday. I did review a production at WVPAC for Utah Theatre Bloggers in February which I think was overall stronger but they have the advantage of a much bigger stage (you can read my review of that production here.) Still, the production at HTCO was a lot of fun and certainly anyone who hasn’t seen Clue will have a great time with this energetic production.

My biggest praise for the show has to go to the brilliant direction by Rodger Sorenson who found a way to make the tiny stage work for multiple rooms and set pieces for the mystery. This is not easy to do as there are clues in each of the rooms and sometimes multiple storylines within a particular scene that have to make sense. I also really enjoyed Jon Liddiard as Wadsworth and Bryson Smellie as Mr Green. They worked in some improv into their scenes and had a winking charm to the audience that brought a lot to the mystery and overall enjoyment of the production.

Some of the casting felt a little off to me. Particularly Mrs White and Mrs Peacock are usually cast with older actresses which seems to make sense for their characters but the cast did have a nice chemistry together and worked well off of each other. They also did a good job integrating sound effects and props (like a gun shot going off at the right time or a chandelier crashing down) to maximum effect for the mystery story.

I could probably go without seeing Clue again for a while but if you are in the area it’s a fun time, and I always love supporting HCTO and their wonderful productions. I hope they don’t lose what makes them special in their new grand theatre opening next year. We’ll see… Clue plays through Sept 23rd and tickets can be purchased here.

If you appreciate what I do in covering theatre and film support my patreon and get some great perks https://www.patreon.com/hallmarkies

Hey everyone! I hope you are doing well. I have some local productions to update you all on as well as my other theatre work to tell you about.

SHE LOVES ME- BROADWAY HD

This week for my Family Movie Night segment on my youtube channel I reviewed a pro-shot that is available on Broadway HD. It’s the 2016 live broadcast of She Loves Me from Broadway production at the Studio 54 theater. It’s a wonderful staging with Laura Benanti and Zachary Levi and well worth your time. You can get a 7 day free trial of Broadway HD here.

ANNIE GET YOUR GUN- PAYSON COMMUNITY THEATRE, PAYSON

I love going down to Payson for the shows at Payson Community Theatre. Their staging of Matilda is still one of the finest pieces of community theatre I’ve seen as a critic. Outstanding. Their recent Annie Get Your Gun may not have been on that level but it was still highly enjoyable. I was proud to not only review it for UTBA but it be the 2600th review on the site. You can read my review here. Annie Get Your Gun plays until Sept 4th and you can get tickets here.

THE DUCHESS OF MALFI- THREEPENNY THEATRE CO- SALT LAKE

Any theatre fan is a great theatre fan in my books but one of the most rewarding parts of my quest to support local theatre in the last 2 years has been in digging deeper and finding the unique small productions that I would have otherwise missed. Such is the case with the ThreePenny Theatre company and their new production of The Duchess of Malfi. This is an Jacobean tragedy first published in 1613 by John Webster (so just after Shakespeare’s era.) It has many of the same beats of a Shakespearean tragedy and reminded me most of Othello or King Lear.

What’s really cool is ThreePenny is producing the play as a public service and inviting anyone to come and pay whatever they can. The cast is excellent with Isabella Giordano as the title character Duchess and Ryan Kiville as Bosola (I recently saw both of them in The Lion in Winter at Centerpoint Legacy). Syd Vance is also strong as Ferdinand-the woman who hires Bosola to kill her sister who has had a child in an inappropriate marriage. I have never seen this play before but it was all done in a way that I had no trouble understanding what was going on and the acting was excellent. The costumes are simple and the sets non-existent so we focus solely on the story and I highly recommend the experience. This is true ground-roots theatre! You can see The Duchess of Malfi at St Paul’s Episcopal Church through Sept 3rd and get tickets here (parking is limited.)

NINE- HART THEATER CO- TAYLORSVILLE/PARK CITY

I love me an old classic. I’ve seen The Music Man, Singin in the Rain and Beauty and the Beast countless times. That said it is nice when a company does something fresh and new, that isn’t often done in Utah. Such is the case in the Hart Theater Company’s new production of Nine. I saw it at Midvale Performing Arts Center- a venue I love. But it is going to be up at the Egyptian Theatre in Park City Sept 1-10th and I’d definitely recommend adult audiences checking it out.

Nine is based on the movie 8 1/2 by Federico Fellini, which is not a movie I love. You can read my review here (I know it’s a ‘classic’ but one of the things you learn being a film fan is you don’t have to like all the classics!) Regardless, the story focuses on a director named Guido who is at a creative crossroads and all of the women who for some reason are drawn to him. The story isn’t my favorite but the cast at Hart were all strong especially Jin-Xhang Yu as Guido’s wife Luisa. She is new to Utah and I’m thrilled because the way she hit the low notes was outstanding. The whole cast felt professional in their singing abilities. The musical highlights were probably “Be Italian,” “My Husband Makes Movies” and “Unusual Way” (the latter sung beautifully by Erin Royall Carlson.)

I didn’t mind the mature content for the show. I knew that having seen the movie but it was a little disturbing to have such racy scenes with a child featured in them. I don’t know how you get around that as it is part of the script but it did make it seem more shocking than it might otherwise have been. Still, for a chance to see a show rarely performed and performed well check out Nine while it is playing in Park City next week. You can purchase tickets here.

So there you have it! What have you been watching? I would love to hear your thoughts if you’ve seen any of these shows. And don’t forget to check out Theatre Tuesday coming tomorrow to the channel/podcast.

Over the last week my mind has been on Shakespeare a lot! Not only did I go to Cedar City for the Utah Shakespeare Festival for the first time in years, but also I saw the hilarious musical satirizing Shakespeare Something Rotten at Centerpoint Legacy Theatre. So here are all my thoughts on all this Shakespeare:

somethinG rotten- centerpoint legacy, centerville

Seeing the show at Centerpoint last Wednesday marks my 3rd time seeing Something Rotten in the last 2 years. I saw it at Pioneer Theatre Company and then reviewed it for UTBA at Midvale Arts in June. They were both excellent productions and I do think there is something that makes comedies harder to impress on the repeat. However, I still thoroughly enjoyed the production at Centerpoint and as always they excelled at the dancing, singing and other production values.

With music and lyrics by brothers Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick, Something Rotten tells the story of 2 brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom who are trying desperately to compete with the foppish and conceited star of the Renaissance William Shakespeare. Obviously nothing in this show should be taken for historical accuracy but they get a lot of laughs playing Shakespeare as a pompous superstar and lampooning musical theater as the Bottoms discover the future of the artform.

All the leads are strong in the cast but the standout for me was Scott W Butler as Nostradamus. He brought a manic energy to the role that really worked. I also loved Annie Ferrin as Nick’s wife Bea and Isaac Carillo is appropriately hamming it up as Shakespeare. They did make some alterations to the script but it still has some bawdy humor. My favorite songs were probably “A Musical” sung by Nostradamus and “Hard to Be the Bard” by Shakespeare.

Like always the production at Centerpoint is strong with energetic choreography by Heather Sessions-Gaillard and costumes by Tammis Boam. Something Rotten is playing at Centerpoint until Sept 2nd and I highly recommend it. Tickets can be purchased here.

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG- UTAH SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL, CEDAR CITY

Along with Something Rotten, one of the best comedies to come out of Broadway in recent years is the farce The Play That Goes Wrong. Created by a group called The Mischief Theatre Company (Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields) this show is now part of a franchise of ‘Goes Wrong’ plays including Christmas Carol Goes Wrong and Peter Pan Goes Wrong. I do admit the shock factor on some of the gags is lessened the more times I’ve seen it but it’s still a lot of fun and the production at Utah Shakespeare is excellent.

The gimmick for the show is the Cornley Drama Society is putting on a mystery show called Murder at Haversham when everything (and I mean everything!) that could go wrong, goes wrong (as the play’s title would suggest). The whole cast was strong and they all commit to physical comedy giving just the right expressions when their hands are stepped on or they get hit on the head by a door. It’s all very over-the-top but a lot of fun.

The set by Jason Lajka does a ton of heavy lifting for the production. Mantles and paintings have to fall at just the right moment, elevators have to stop working, clocks have to fit a person and yet be moveable etc. It all works great and feels effortless, which is the sign of a great set. Director Geoffrey Kent clearly has a tireless attention to detail and a skill at getting the most out of every joke from his actors that it’s a delight to watch.

The Play That Goes Wrong plays through Oct 7th and you can get tickets here.

EMMA, SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL, CEDAR CITY

Anyone who follows my content knows what a big Jane Austen fan I am. I’ve read her books countless times, seen all the movies and series and adore any chance I get to see an Austen adaptation on the stage. I am also a huge fan of lyricist and composter Paul Gordon. In particular his show Daddy Long Legs is a favorite of mine. This is why I was so disappointed the first time I saw his adaptation of Austen’s Emma at HCTO in 2021. Nevertheless, I decided to give it another try at Utah Shakespeare hoping more measured expectations would help me enjoy it more. Unfortunately I still left thoroughly underwhelmed.

The production of Emma is strong and it was hard for me to believe it is the same stage I had seen The Play that Goes Wrong just the day before. I don’t know how they get such complicated sets taken down and reassembled so quickly. Jason Lajka brings a lot of regal charm to his sets here and Lauren T Roark’s costumes feel expensive and accurate to the regency time period. I also thought it was funny how director Valarie Rachelle stages the actors to come out as a silhouette in the background when they are being discussed by other actors (for instance, Robert Martin in the background when they sing “Robert Martin”)

Aside from the thoroughly bland and unremarkable songs, my main problem with this production is the casting. Cedar City is a college town so I don’t know why they couldn’t have found a younger actress to play Emma and Harriett. Allie Babich and Laura Brennan bring a lot of humor to the roles respectively and have nice voices but they both felt too old for the characters- who’s immaturity are essential to their character arcs.

I love supporting Jane Austen adaptations but I will probably pass on seeing this particular musical again. It just doesn’t do it for me and I find it to be an overlong and tedious watch. I’d rather watch the straight play version of Emma I saw at Parker Theatre earlier this year any day!

a midsummer night’s dream- utah shakespeare festival, cedar city

Despite my experience with theatre and so many productions over the years, I am actually far from an expert on Shakespeare and his plays. Of course, I know the basic stories, but I can’t give the kind of detailed analysis some scholars of his work can do. Nevertheless, the production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Utah Shakespeare Festival was truly outstanding especially under the unique circumstances we experienced on the night of August 19th.

The first 2 acts of the play were a mild drizzle but by the 3rd act moving forward the rain had turned into a torrential downpour. I thought for sure the staging would be canceled, and we wouldn’t get to see the rest of the show but in the grand theatrical tradition of ‘the show must go on’ the actors pushed forward and it made for a very memorable night of theatre.

All the actors were outstanding, many playing dual roles, but the particular standout was Topher Embrey as one of the acting troupe members (or mechanicals.) He brought a ton of humor to his performance and even broke character to comment on the rain several times. It was very impressive. I also really enjoyed Kayland Jordan’s Helena as she is fought over by lovesick Lysander (Aamar-Malik Culbreth) and Demetrius (Ty Fanning.)

The set by Jo Winiarski for this Midsummer was also outsanding with beautiful pillars of light that changed colors as the story grew and changed and a forest backdrop that delivered all the whimsy we needed for a story with Gods and magic. Ann Closs-Farley’s costumes, particularly for Hippolyta, are awe inspiring and often allowed the characters to easily morph and change losing fabric to create new looks right before our eyes.

I do think the mechanicals section almost feels like a different play than the forest plot and I was getting a little fatigued after a while but it still was an outstanding retelling of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and one I’d recommend to anyone attending the festival- especially if you can get to see it in the rain! What a treat!

Hey everyone! I hope you have been having a wonderful August and a nice end to your summer. I’ve been extremely busy (as usual) and seen lots of great theater. The latest episode of Theatre Tuesdays is up and it was a lot of fun with my giving my pick for the best shows I’ve seen at my favorite local (and Broadway) theaters.

I have also reviewed a lot for UTBA lately with reviews for 3 shows that are all still currently playing and that I heartily recommend:

The Music Man at Sandy Arts Guild- review here

Beauty and the Beast at Terrace Plaza- review here

West Side Story at WVPAC- review here

Of course there have been a few others so make sure you are following me on instagram to get my out of theatre reactions to everything I see both theatre and film.

ROMEO & JULIET- PARKER THEATRE, SALT LAKE CITY

I think everyone has Shakespeare plays that they love and others they could do without. Romeo & Juliet is one of the latter for me. It’s obviously incredibly important in the history of English literature but I would almost always rather watch one of its inspirations rather than the OG play itself. In fact, it was kind of fun that the same weekend I saw it at the Parker Theatre I saw West Side Story at WVPAC and as expected I much preferred WSS. That’s not to say this interpretation of R&J is bad. It just was a basic competent version of this play I find rather dull and uninspired.

We had our UTBA training at the Parker and my colleague Scott Savage was a lot harder on their Romeo & Juliet than I was. His review makes lots of good and fair points that someone who is more familiar with the source material could make. You can read it here. For my part, I thought it was fine with good performances from Dallin Suman and Isabelle Purdie as our leads, and I appreciate they tried to spice up the production with sword-fights and other action.

It also had a tremendous set design with beautiful lighting by James Parker. If you want an introduction to Romeo & Juliet you could certainly do worse and The Parker is a theatre worth your support (Plus, I love that they have show themed food at the concessions stand!) It’s also fun that you can see West Side Story and Romeo & Juliet at the same time at 2 awesome theater companies and compare them. Romeo & Juliet plays through Sept 2 and you can purchase tickets here.

BEETLEJUICE- BROADWAY AT THE ECCLES, NATIONAL TOUR

One thing I struggle with as a critic is how much my individual experience can impact my feelings about show or film. I try to reduce it as much as possible but I’m still a human reviewing a piece of media and not a robot so my life experience, individual biases and even daily moods can impact my overall impressions of a project. In 2021 I saw Beetlejuice on Broadway and I for the most part enjoyed it. I was particularly taken with the incredible production design and unusual artistic design that captured the energy and tone of the film despite it differing quite a bit storywise.

After this mostly positive response you can imagine my surprise when I felt quite the opposite about the National touring production at Eccles. The production design was still there but I was thoroughly annoyed by almost everything else. I found everything to be shouty and grating, which I get is part of its whole gimmick and appeal, but for whatever reason it did not work for me this go around. I also noticed how much Beetlejuice is off stage, which is a big problem because he had nearly all of the funny jokes. Andrew Kober is fine as Beetlejuice. All the performances are good but the show needs to take a second to breathe and actually help you to care about the characters and story. Instead it’s an unending gag-fest that felt like someone shouting in my ears for nearly 3 hours.

I can’t say I wouldn’t recommend it because the first time I did enjoy it for the production values alone but this national tour I’d probably skip (I’d be interested to know if they changed it at all for the tour) and I think it’s a show that I just have to be in the right mood for and I wasn’t this time. It’s weird and maybe unfair but true. You can find out more information about the tour here.

CINDERELLA- EMPRESS THEATRE, MAGNA

It’s interesting The Empress started their year off announcing a bold set of shows including Kinky Boots but then funding forced them to change plans and go with a more traditional set of shows including Freaky Friday and Cinderella. I sincerely hope they get to do Kinky Boots someday but it’s fascinating how they have taken something as tried and true as Cinderella and injected into it as much personality, style and edge as they can. Director Sarah Walker Bringhurst deserves a lot of credit for squeezing everything out of this production as possible. I loved how the Fairy Godmother (Marie in this version played by Cassie Hurt-McLarty) character was a continual presence throughout the show commenting on what was happening like a member of the audience herself.

Joy Austin was completely lovely as Ella and Aaron Allred stole the show as prince Topher. Their chemistry was off the charts and “Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful” was the highlight. The costumes by Ty Whiting and Callie Halverson stood out with Ella’s ballgown morphing into several different looks depending on the occasion (its final look as a wedding dress was too perfect!) I recently saw Cinderella at OPPA (and enjoyed that although the talent here was much stronger in the leads) but this was a different version based on the 2013 Broadway revival and it was so interesting to see the changes. Unfortunately the show closed on 8/12 but I am beyond excited for Empress’ next show my favorite Bright Star. Make sure you have tickets for what is sure to be an unbelievable production here.

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN- SCERA SHELL, OREM

I think by my count I have seen the Broadway adaptation of Singin in the Rain 9 times including a recent production up at Terrace Plaza. I famously loved the production at Hale Centre Theatre Sandy so much I saw it 3 times! It’s such a good adaptation of the classic film. My latest outing to this classic is at the outdoor Scera Shell in Orem and once again I had an absolute blast with this high spirited night of song and dance.

Director DeLayne Bluth Dayton has put their own unique spin on the material with a sprawling stage made up mostly of a long staircase that made for terrific dance sequences like the “Broadway Melody” ballet having several layers of dance to look at. The casting is also strong particularly with TJ Thomas as Don Lockwood and Heidi Hughes as Kathy Seldon. Tanner Frederiksen was less successful as Cosmo but it wasn’t really his fault. The choreography they gave him for “Make Em Laugh” was odd with him flailing on the floor instead of doing the normal flips associated with the number. Tina Trimble is a riot as Lina Lamont and I loved the filmed silent movie segments even if the screen was very small because of the large staircase.

Overall, Singin in the Rain at Scera is a delightful night of theatre that any fan of film, dance or music should enjoy. The ensemble is large and talented and all the technical details from the sound, to the rain effects, to the costumes are very well executed. It is playing until 8/22 and tickets can be purchased here.

So there you have it! What have you been watching? Have you been able to see any of these shows? I would love to hear your thoughts on any of them. Thank you and remember theatre matters

Another month of incredible live theatre in Utah has come and gone. My friend Maren was dealing with a death in the family so my friend Marc Bonanni was kind enough to join me for the end of the month episode of Theatre Tuesdays and this time we made it a live stream. It’s a lot of fun.

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (TERRACE PLAZA PLAYHOUSE, WASHINGTON TERRACE)

If you follow my content at all you know I am a huge fan of the screen to stage adaptation of the classic film Singin’ in the Rain. I love it so much I saw Hale Sandy’s amazing version 3 times! It’s got just the right mixture of humor, romance, dance, and whimsy for my musical loving heart. Seeing it was coming to Terrace Plaza I just knew I had to see it. They are a community theatre in every sense of the word. Nothing is polished or snazzy but it always has a wonderful community spirit to it and I leave having had a good time. And that’s what happened with Singin’ in the Rain. It’s definitely up there with one of the best shows I’ve seen at Plaza (The Scarlet Pimpernel still holds that prize.)

My favorite part of the production was the 2 comedic leads with Emily Dickerson as Lina Lamont and Quinten Moon Wood as Cosmo. They were both hilarious in their roles and Jayson and Madison Benedict as Don and Kathy were good as well. What stood out the most was how well they did with the filmed silent movie segments. For a small community theatre I was impressed with the effort they put into these sequences. The costumes by Kathy Richmond were also excellent and they always have the best hats/wigs at Terrace by Jacci Florence. Singin’ in the Rain is a show that’s hard for me to dislike and I certainly liked this version! Singin in the Rain is finished but I am heading back up to Terrace Plaza tonight to see Beauty and the Beast so check out their website for more information and to purchase tickets here.

DIAL M FOR MURDER (COVEY CENTER, PROVO)

I had the chance to review Dial M for Murder at the Covey Center in Provo for UTBA. It wasn’t my favorite play but the cast did what they could with it. You can read my review here.

THE PRINCIPLE WIFE (COVEY CENTER, PROVO)

Unless I am reviewing a play or musical for UTBA I usually don’t receive comp tickets for the shows I review but occasionally a member of a production will reach out to me and ask for my feedback. That was the case with The Principle Wife– a new musical I saw last month at the Covey Center in Provo. I went in hoping for an intriguing story about a polygamous pioneer and left feeling mostly befuddled at the strange piece that felt more like polygamy propaganda than a sensitive look into a religion’s past. I say this as someone who is a Latter-day Saint but is also open to frank discussions of the past and the messy policies and beliefs that make up my church.

There are some positives of the production. I liked Ethan Kelso as the father in the story and the full orchestra was impressive (he has a beautiful voice and great stage presence). There were also a few stand out songs, and I appreciate the humor Erin Wilson brings to her role as Sarah the second wife. However, the script is just not there yet. I felt like I was at a sales pitch for polygamy of all things not being given an honest look at the highs and lows of ‘the principle.’ Also the show is way too long coming in at over 3 hours it needs at least 45 minutes removed. There is an entire subplot involving a soldier who is in love with the first wife Rebecca that added nothing to the story and could easily be removed.

A friend said she felt like they were going for a Mormon version of Fiddler on the Roof but if that’s the case they need a lot more nuance and the characters need to feel more like human beings with flaws mixed in with their faith than we got here. I was also shocked to discover the tickets for this play were $49 so it’s not like they were offering it at workshopping prices. It has finished its run but I definitely would be frustrated if I paid that price for it. You can find out more about The Principle Wife here.

Hi friends! I hope you all have been doing well. I have admittedly gotten behind in my theatre reviews but am still seeing lots of shows. Make sure you are following me on instagram to get my out of theatre reactions to everything I see.

I also have been busy with my film reviews here and been keeping up my weekly Theatre Tuesday series on my podcast/youtube channel. This week I had local actor, the very talented, Matthew DelaFuente on to talk about his path to being an actor and the several great performances I’ve seen from him. It’s a lot of fun.

I have seen 6 shows over the last 2 weeks so let’s talk about all the fun!

the music man- high valley arts

I had a blast seeing The Music Man at High Valley Arts- out under the stars in a wonderful community environment. You can read the rest of my thoughts in my UTBA review here. High Valley Arts is such a breathtaking way to see a show. This production has concluded but you can learn more about future productions here.

THE SECRET GARDEN- KAYSVILLE CITY

When I was interviewing friend Caitlin Olsen about her dream role she told me how much she loves The Secret Garden and how she almost auditioned to play Lily in a new production in Kaysville City. I had never seen a show there, and I’m sure glad I took a chance because it turned out to be an outstanding production. I am fully convinced this is the best you could do The Secret Garden from all aspects. Everything from the lush production design (production designer Kristin Pettingill Callor) to the stunning costumes, to the beautiful singing were first rate. The highlights were “Lily’s Eyes” and “A Bit of Earth.” The only complaint I had was the little boy Colin had a strong lisp that made him difficult to understand at times. I’m not sure if that was an acting choice or just his natural voice but it was a barrier to the performance. I was so impressed with everything else, and will make sure to see any future productions in Kaysville. This is done but you can find out more here.

THE LION IN WINTER- CENTERPOINT LEGACY, CENTERVILLE UT

It’s always fun to see a classic play with good performances that I’ve never seen before. Such was the case with The Lion in Winter. This ran through July 9th and I saw one of the last performances. It tells the story of the family of King Henry II and his family drama during the Christmas season of 1173. This is a story I wasn’t familiar with and the actors were all top notch especially Leslie Barrett as Eleanor. She captured well the desperation inherent in the character. Some of the other casting felt a little off- like Phillip (Ryan Kinville) seemed the same age as Alais (Isabella Giordano) and she talks about carrying him as an infant. That didn’t make much sense. What was most shocking, however, is it was the first time in my life a patron has picked up her phone and answered in the middle of the play! Especially in a small blackbox this was shocking. Don’t do that folks! Still it was a very engaging story that went to darker, edgier places than I expected. They finished the show on July 8th but I highly recommend getting out to CenterPoint for their future blackbox productions. More info here.

OKLAHOMA, SCERA SHELL OREM UTAH

Oklahoma is one of those shows I feel like I’ve seen more than I actually have. It’s such a part of musical and pop culture but it’s not performed that often. Fortunately I was able to see it at the Outdoor Scera Shell in Orem. This was a wonderful outdoor theatre production starring a married couple IRL Jeff and Hailey Bennett Sundwall as Curly and Laurey respectively. The strength of this show was the dancing particularly the “Dream Ballet” choreographed by Janessa Ramsey. I also really enjoyed McCall Brainard as Ado Annie and Ty McQuiston as Will Parker. There were times the transitions between scenes felt a little rushed and there are definitely some outdated segments of the show- particularly involving how everyone treats Jud. Curley basically telling him to kill himself in “Poor Jud is Dead” (he’s a bad dude but arguably driven to it by the way he is treated.) It’s definitely a show that is darker than its wholesome reputation and cheerful songs would imply. This weekend is the last of Oklahoma at Scera but they have one more Summer show you won’t want to miss with one of my favorites: Singin in the Rain. You can purchase tickets here.

JEKYLL & HYDE- OPPA, LAYTON

OPPA or On Pitch Performing Arts in Layton is a wonderful place to see true community theatre. Their focus is on education and providing a nurturing environment for all who participate to learn and grow. Their shows do not have the polish of a Hale or CenterPoint but that has its own charm. I also appreciate they are braver than other companies in their selections. I’ve seen everything from Rent to Legally Blonde there and their latest production is Jekyll & Hyde. I did just see an outstanding version of this show at Draper Historic but I still enjoyed this more imperfect version. The women were particularly strong with Cariel Goodwin and Caitlin Olsen killing it as Lucy and Emma. Them singing “In His Eyes” was the highlight of the show. I also enjoyed Tyler Neil who played Emma’s father Sir Danvers. The costumes by Stacey Hastam were a lot of fun and I appreciate they weren’t afraid to zoosh it up a bit with “Bring on the Men.” Austin Payne has a nice voice as Jekyll/Hyde, but I wish they had just used his regular hair instead of the atrocious mullet-styled wig they gave him. It was awful but the performance was nice. Jekyll & Hyde has finished its run but you can get tickets to OPPA shows here.

NEWSIES- LEHI ARTS COUNCIL, LEHI

Last up is the wonderful staging of Newsies by the Lehi Arts Council. This production is held at Skyridge High School which is a totally different environment than the very small normal Lehi Arts Center. Fortunately they are up for the challenge of a large stage and fill it with wonderful singing and dancing (I just saw Newsies at Hale Sandy and this was every bit as good for much less cost). The large cast is up for the energetic choreography by Rebecca Boberg and every scene is skillfully directed by Kathryn & Howard Little (they are local legends here and I hope to have them on Theatre Tuesdays one of these days!) The cast is top notch with Luke Ellison shining with charisma as Jack Kelly and Cairo McGee as Davey. With 2 major strikes happening in Hollywood what a perfect time to take your family to see Newsies and have an important conversation about labor and its value in the past and today. I admit I have huge nostalgia for the Alan Menken music and lyrics by Jack Feldman but it still has to be performed well and it is here. “King of New York” and “Carrying the Banner” are probably the highlights but there wasn’t a bad number in the show. For only $15 for adults and $12 for kids/seniors that’s a tremendous bargain for the quality and energy of a wonderful production. Newsies is playing through the 29th and you can get tickets here.

So there you have it! Let me know if you have seen any of these shows and what local theatre you’ve supported in July. Thanks!