There are times when I go to see a show based more on the reputation of the company than the material itself. The Scarlet Pimpernel at Music Theatre West in Logan is a good example. I think it’s a pretty middle-of-the-road show, but I knew MTW would make it entertaining and that’s just what they did.

If you didn’t know The Scarlet Pimpernel is based on the book by Baroness Orczy. It’s been a popular story for years because it meshes together so many genres- comedy, romance, adventure etc. And even though I think this adaptation is rather bland the source material is strong enough to deliver on all those areas making it an entertaining night for most any audience- young and old.

It’s interesting because my favorite part of this production of The Scarlet Pimpernel doesn’t actually come in until the last scene of the show (rare I know!) but director Melinda Potts Richards has built everything up to make the final fight choreography really work. It was one of the best sword fighting sequences Ive seen on stage ever. Perfectly choreographed (Holden Matthews and Amber Freestone are listed as choreographer but no fight choreographer spefically mentioned in the program.)

Dallin Clark as Percy Blakeney is more effective in the humor than the more heroic or romantic sections. I particularly loved him and his group of silly English lords in “The Creation of Man.” The costumes by Emma Lovan and wigs/hats by Rachel Olsen are also key to making that scene work. They need to be flowery and as silly as possible while still fitting the time and setting. Patrice Weatherston has a very convincing French accent as Maguriette St Just but the best singer of the leads is Nathan Scott as Chauvelin. I almost wish he was in more songs because his singing voice is so lovely. “The Riddle” with all 3 leads singing to close Act 1 is probably the highlight of the night vocally.

It’s a bit unfortunate the most elaborate set of the night is for the guillotine sequences because they aren’t used very much. The rest is fairly standard columns and the bookshelves of Percy’s English estate. The choreography for “They Seek Him Here when Chauvelin and Marguerite are trying to uncover the Pimpernel at the ball with people gaining clues as they dance from partner to partner is extremely effective.

The show is on the long side at 2 hr 50 minutes but it has enough humor and intrigue to make it an entertaining night. Plus, it’s a treat to hear such a great orchestra conduced by Dallas Aksoy. I do think this is weaker than the other shows like Ragtime, Catch Me if You Can or Singin in the Rain I’ve seen at MTW but that’s only because their standard of excellence is so high. The Scarlet Pimpernel is playing through June 28th and tickets can be purchased here.

The Scarlet Pimpernel has music by Frank Wildhorn and lyrics and book by Nan Knighton based on the novel by Baroness Orczy

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 have been reviewing Utah theatre long enough that I have come to look forward to certain traditions. One of those is the incredible productions put on by Murray Arts every summer in their amphitheater. They were in particular my introduction to Shrek: The Musical which was a million times better than I expected. This year they are putting on Something Rotten, which is another hilarious show from them even if the scaled back approach isn’t necessarily my favorite.

I must admit I feel a little bit redundant in talking about Something Rotten because I just reviewed it last weekend at the brilliant production at Hopebox Theatre. It’s a show I have seen many times and unlike some comedic musicals it is still enjoyable with each rewatch (I find comedies are sometimes less rewatchable than dramas or other genre plays.) You can read some of my other reviews of this musical for more of my thoughts on the material itself (I love it) but this review I will stick with the unique things at Murray Arts.

First of all, it was interminably hot the night of the show and I admire all the actors for pushing through with their performances especially in the Renaissance garb the show requires. I think I might have passed out particularly in the large dance numbers. Director Candy Tippetts and choreographer Alan LeFleur get everything from kick lines to full ensemble tap routines out of their company and it’s a ton of fun to watch.

The cast at Murray Arts’ Something Rotten is also really solid and entertaining with Nathan Holcomb and Patrick O’Boyle having nice chemistry as Nick and Nigel Bottom respectively. They have nice chemistry together and I enjoyed O’Boyle with Emma Roberts as Portia. The energetic spiritual of “We See the Light” is an underrated song in the show and was performed with the gusto the song requires.

It is also extremely impressive that Murray Arts has full orchestras for their productions especially when one considers the ticket prices are only $12-$15! I wonder if we realize how rare things like that are outside of Utah? It just doesn’t happen every day like it literally happens here!

I have seen Something Rotten productions that lean less into the musical theatre Easter eggs of the piece and this production is one of them. For the most part the jokes are kept to the lyrics rather than costumes or props. As an example, there is a line about things being miserable in Renaissance England and Nostradamus says “they call it Miserables.” In most versions I’ve seen a player will come out with a red flag in parody of the bastille moment in Les Miserables. Here it is kept just to the dialogue and no additional humor. I particularly think less seasoned theatre-goers might be left out of some jokes that a more blatant performance on stage might help them to understand (my dad, for instance, would have no idea what musical hints to Rent and Cabaret are without being more obvious in the staging.)

Anyway, one cant talk about a production of Something Rotten without a mention of Shakespeare himself played here by Aidan Hughes. I love seeing how different actors give their own unique takes on over-the-top roles like this and Hughes has an infectious energy we don’t always see. I love how he perks up whenever Nigel is talking about his play ideas and one can’t help but laugh when he says ‘that’s a good line.” Hughes’ take is cocky but there’s also a little bit of genuine theatre fan-boy in the performance that is very funny.

It is worth reminding Utah audiences Something Rotten is a saucier show for this area; although, I imagine much of the innuendo and tawdry humor will go over little one’s heads. Still it won’t be for the more puritan audience members. Fortunately it is extremely funny and the production at Murray Arts has plenty to delight and entertain. Unfortunately its last show is tonight 6/21, but I would definitely recommend checking it out if you get a chance. Tickets are on sale here.

Something Rotten has music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick with a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.

Hi everyone! I hope you are having a great time enjoying local theater wherever you live. I have a couple theatre logs to share with you as well as some reviews of several Broadway proshots I have recently watched. If you are new to my site these logs are quick thoughts on theatre I was a patron for where I do the full detailed reviews for shows I’ve been requested to view as a critic and the tickets are complimentary. I hope you enjoy both types of content and am always curious for what you have seen and had fun with.

TARZAN- Herriman Arts Council, Herriman

I’m a little sad that I got behind and didn’t do my log sooner on this incredible production of Tarzan. Hopefully my social media posts and reaction helped give it some love and attention. Make sure you are following me on instagram to see all of my out of theater reactions both film and live theatre.

Anyway, this really was a remarkable piece of community theatre. Herriman always goes above and beyond in whatever they put on. They not only have a full orchestra but every other detail is thought out. Like, for example, they had a jungle gym bars set up on the stage so they could make it look like the actors were swinging through the jungle as apes- how clever is that? Honestly producer Emily Berbert and director Shelby Walles thought of everything. They even have themed concessions with flavored sodas and treats to add to the immersion (I always love that!)

The cast was also very talented with Spencer Bowler and Leo Falbo giving professional worthy performances as old and young Tarzan respectively. Abigayle Berbert was a fiesty Jane and Meagan Rudd was a beautiful Kala. The costumes by Emily Berbert looked fantastic with makeup by Walles. The only challenge is the outdoor pavilion they use is very echoey which is tough vocally but it’s still a wonderful experience and thank them all for their gift to the community. You can find out more about Herriman Arts here.

CATS- Centerpoint Legacy Theatre, Centerville

I was really excited to see Centerpoint’s new production of Cats both because I love Centerpoint and it was the first show in their newly renovated Second Stage black box theater! Even though I don’t think it is the space feels bigger than what they had before and it is certainly more comfortable (my back thanks you for the new chairs!) It’s such an exciting thing for a company like Centerpoint to have a thriving black box where they can do more intimate and edgy stuff and they can keep the mainstage more family focused.

As far as Cats this was a blast. I always say that Andrew Lloyd Webber loves writing what I call “introducterals.” Meaning it’s not really a story but a couple hours of getting introduced to quirky characters. This is certainly true with Cats but also Starlight Express, Joseph and even Jesus Christ Superstar. So you just have to know what you are getting into when you see Cats and have fun with it.

This production is directed by Jared Haddock and he has brought the best out of his cast of cats and they all do an incredible job interacting with the audience, even coming up to us in the front row and playing with my purse like a cat would! I was especially impressed with Jessica Sannar who is Jellyorum who made eye contact with me throughout- I felt like she was performing just for me all night! Jessica Andrus is Broadway level quality as Grizabella and Gage Reese stood out as a dynamic Munkustrap. They did have some problems with the microphones the night I attended but other than that I don’t know how you could ask for more from a community production of Cats. The real and projected sets (designer Josh Roberts) are bright and vibrant, the makeup and costumes (Stephanie Colyar, Kristen Alley) are professional quality. The rotating stage with a staircase in the middle keeps things moving. It’s fantastic. I highly recommend. It is playing through July 15th and tickets can be purchased here.

YELLOW FACE- PBS Great Performances, Broadway PBS

I want to make sure to share a few quick thoughts on 2 proshots that are available to watch on PBS Great Performances just for a few more days. The first is the play Yellow Face. This is semi-autobiographical comedic play by David Henry Hwang. He is the protagonist of the piece and it chronicles the experience he had after a controversial casting of Miss Saigon in 1990. While it is an unreliable narrator the conceit of the story is that Hwang mistakenly hires a non-Asian actor to play an Asian role even though he had spoken out against such practices before. There is also the evolving relationship between Daniel and his banker father HYH who is very idealistic about his role as an immigrant and the American dream.

This is a very relevant play but it’s also funny and entertaining. Daniel Dae Kim is dynamic and captivating as Daniel and Francis Jue shows why he won the Tony Award for his role as his father. It perhaps gets a little more cluttered than it needs to. I’m not sure we needed to know about every actor who ever worked with Daniel and the actor Marcus (played by Ryan Eggold.) Still, Yellow Face is definitely worth checking out before it leaves PBS on 7/1/25.

NEXT TO NORMAL- PBS Great Performances, West End PBS

Also leaving PBS 7/1/25 we have the West End proshot of Next to Normal. While I do recommend this to anyone who hasn’t seen this musical, it doesn’t feel as special as Yellow Face. I have seen multiple local productions of Next to Normal that are as good as this version if not better including this year at the Hart Theatre Company. This version is directed by Michael Longhurst and stars Caissie Levy as Diana, Jamie Parker as Dan, Eleanor Worthington Cox as Natalie and Jack Wolfe as Gabe.

As I was watching this proshot I did have the thought- do we love Next to Normal because it dares to talk about mental illness more than it actually talks about that topic well? I am not a psychiatrist or a person with bipolar disorder so it’s hard to say but I do think Dan and even Natalie are a bit judged by the script when what they are going through is incredibly difficult. Having Gabe as an actual person makes Diana seem more logical and her behavior more appropriate. I’m not sure. It’s definitely a show that makes you think about things after you see it and requires so much of the actors that I admire anyone who takes it on. But like I said I wonder if I like the attempt more than the actual material itself?

Anyway, everyone is excellent here and if you haven’t seen Next to Normal it’s worth a watch especially since it’s a proshot that captures the theatrical experience perfectly. Nothing amazing but good.

To sign up for PBS Utah go to here.

Tarzan: The Musical has music and lyrics by Phil Collins with a book by David Henry Hwang (2 of him this post!) based on the 1999 film and the novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs , Cats has music by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by T.S. Eliot, Trevor Nunn and Richard Stilgoe based on the poem by Eliot. Yellow Face is by David Henry Hwang. Next to Normal has music by Tom Kitt and lyrics and book by Brian Yorkey.

These logged shows I pay for out of pocket and I’d love to do that as much as possible. If you have a show you’d like me to take a look at and write a full review let me know. I also have my patreon which is a great way to support what I do and get some really fun perks. Find out more here.

It’s interesting without really planning it I ended up having a Shakespearean theme to this week at the theater. I will see Something Rotten twice, The Tempest, Henry V on Saturday and & Juliet as the national tour is coming to Eccles in Salt Lake. It’s really quite amazing when you think about it that a man who was born in 1564 is still monopolizing my week in 2025 as a theatre critic and fan! & Juliet has been a big hit on Broadway when it first debuted in 2022 and in a market where few shows last over a year that’s a very impressive run. I can see why it has such an appeal. It’s what I would call a gateway musical- It’s fun and most likely to appeal to young teen girls who are first getting into musical theatre. While there’s nothing wrong with that, it is a bit of a missed opportunity with a source material that has more to offer than such a bubble-gum treatment.

The concept for this musical is to subvert Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and reimagine it as a female empowerment piece accompanied by pop favorites from Britney Spears and The Backstreet Boys to name a few. The setup is that Anne Hathaway (Shakespeare’s real-life wife) doesn’t like the ending of his famous play and wants to rewrite it. The two then become the narrators of this reinvented story for Juliet and it’s all mostly a vehicle for catchy tunes and bubbly dance numbers. There is some diversity promoted with a queer love story Juliet’s beau Francois (Mateus Leite Cardoso) and May (Nick Drake) and another for Juliet’s nurse Angelique (Kathryn Allison) and Francois’ Dad Lance (Paul-Jordan Jansen) which is all soapy and fun.

The problem I had with the book of & Juliet is that it approaches Romeo and Juliet on a romance-only level. Granted the play does have iconic swoony scenes like the balcony and does end in tragedy. The whole reason for the tragedy, however is because of the hate that divides the two families and makes things impossible for the young love to thrive. There’s so much to that conflict that the surface level of ‘look at these two young people in love’ is a bit frustrating. Even with the queer love story they don’t really dive into the familial conflict much so it all feels more like ‘look at these mean people who hate true love.’ It could be a lot more than that.

That said, if you are just looking for a show with a bunch of bops than you’ll enjoy & Juliet. Rachel Simone Webb is terrific as Juliet and things get a lot more entertaining in the second act when Michael Canu has a plotline as Romeo returns into the story. Everything is directed by Luke Sheppard and the choreography by Jennifer Weber is a lot of fun. The costumes by Paloma Young are probably the standout of production elements. There is in particular a very effective quick-change for Juliet towards the end of the show that is very impressive.

In my opinion & Juliet is one of those Broadway shows where if you listen to the original cast recording and it sounds appealing than you will have a good time with the show. If you listen and think ‘that sounds like a lame jukebox musical’ than it won’t be for you. There’s nothing in the story that will win you over so it’s all about the songs and their execution. Those elements work well enough for me to recommend the experience but the source material leaves a lot left on the cutting room floor and that’s a shame. Oh well! & Juliet is playing at Eccles until June 22nd and tickets can be purchased here.

& Juliet has music by Max Martin, arranged by Bill Sherman with lyrics by Max Martin and others and a book by David West Read based on the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.

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.

When I first started my journey into supporting local theatre I wanted to be open to new experiences and types of theatre. This has served me quite well over the years and I’m still finding ways to experience the stage in fresh and inventive new to me formats. I’d heard of Drunken Shakespeare before but as I don’t drink myself I hadn’t given it much thought. Then the good folks at Mad King invited me to see their drunk production of The Tempest and since they had a Sunday matinee I decided to give it a shot (from church to Drunken Shakespeare is an unusual combination but I am a unique person!) While this experience won’t be for everyone I had a great time and would encourage anyone looking for something fresh and original to give it a shot.

The rules for Drunken Shakespeare are simple. The troupe starts off the performance (in this case The Tempest) with a toast and a drink. Then they perform the first Act with their initial drink and at intermission the audience has the chance to sponsor whatever actors they are enjoying. Each $5 donation means a new drink for the actors. With it being Father’s Day our audience was on the small side so I was frankly quite shocked at how many orders were placed (wanting to just observe I did not place any orders myself.) I can only imagine how many orders there are for a full house which they had on Friday!

Naturally the more inebriated the cast get the more difficult it is to say the Shakespeare but they all do pretty well. This is of course a paired down version of The Tempest with some colorful language added in which suits the non-traditional setting. Like I said, this whole experiment won’t be for everyone but I found it quite refreshing. As much as I love theatre of all kinds sometimes I can feel we as a community can be a little stuffy. I get it we don’t want to be outright disruptive or rude but people that complain about a candy wrapper being opened or grumble at the fidget spinner I sometimes have in the palm of my hand take things too far. This isn’t a library where the audience should be afraid to move or make the tiniest sounds. It is refreshing to go to Drunken Shakespeare and hear people commenting at the actors, smiling and having a great time.

Anyway, the cast at Mad King is all up for the task. I just hope that they don’t have too big of headaches after all that! Carleigh-Jo Naylor grounds the whole thing as Prospera and Coco Berwald and Isacc Martinez-Trinidad were a lot of fun as Miranda and Ferdinand. In the program the director is listed as Madman Madriaga and any of the other technical elements are kept very simple in the black box space at the Gateway. I think it helps that the donations don’t start until Act 2 so the first part of the play is relatively true to the original text and free from most antics (the drunk thing could get old quick if we aren’t enjoying the actual play but they keep it just about right.)

It’s interesting I saw The Tempest the day after seeing Something Rotten. I guess Shakespeare is just on the mind! If this Drunken Shakespeare frivolity sounds like your kind of thing give it a shot. Try something new! It is playing through June 29th and tickets can be purchased here.

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.

Since I began attending so much live theatre one thing I have noticed is that the comedic plays and musicals don’t tend to be as rewatchable as the dramas. I’m not exactly sure why but that sizzle of the first laughs are hard to duplicate. I try to never hold a production responsible for my repeat viewing fatigue but it is still something I’ve noticed. The one exception to this rule is the musical Something Rotten. I have seen it many times by many different companies and it still makes me laugh every time. The latest version (I’m actually seeing it again this week at Murray Arts believe it or not.) is at Hopebox Theatre in Kaysville and it is a rollicking good time.

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Hopebox, of course, stands out because of its wonderful mission of fundraising and supporting a hopebox recipient that has is fighting a cancer battle. What’s always impressive to me, however, about Hopebox is they don’t lean on this mission but they use it as a catalyst to produce great shows. I’m almost never leaving there thinking ‘that’s a great cause but…’ The show and the cause are fantastic and that is certainly the case with Something Rotten.

One of the big standouts in this production is the innovative set. The space is small at Hopebox and the set by Curtis Dalton is able to flip from Renaissance village to a kitchen with ease making transitions very fast. Director Ryan Bruckman has embraced the Broadway legacy of the piece and packed it full of references any musical theatre fan will love. For people less in on the inside theatre jokes there’s plenty of humor in the performances and entertaining tap dancing and other fun choreography.

Something Rotten is a saucy little show so the very strict puritans among us may not appreciate some of the jokes, but I find it very funny. The Shakespeare in the Teal cast I saw is played by Austin Shipp and he brings an aging suave dynamic to the character that’s hilarious. He reminded me of a cocky Tony Bennett or Donny Osmond. (The costumes by Kathy Richmond were excellent especially during the “Make an Omelet” number except Shakespeare’s non-leather pants were a little baggy for the overall look they are going for. The leather was much better) We had Ian Fife as Nick (he’s normally in the Silver cast but I’m so glad I got to see him and was impressed with the chemistry he had with the cast given it’s not his normal cast.) Ian Wellisch is very endearing as Nigel and has terrific chemistry with Kira Dalby as Portia.

I’m not sure if it was just because it was opening night but there were more singing errors than I typically see at Hopebox but they powered through and delivered the jokes with great skill. I don’t require perfection in my musical theatre. Just heart and soul and in this case a lot of laughs and that’s what you will get here. Something Rotten is playing through July 12th and tickets can be purchased here.

Something Rotten has music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick with a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell.

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 the Broadway adaptation of the film Newsies is one that a lot of my friends in musical theatre roll their eyes at when they hear it is being put on by a company. There’s no question that it is performed a lot and I can understand why some people are sick of it. However, it is a show I have a lot of nostalgia for being a big fan of the movie and the pro-shot with Jeremy Jordan. It’s still a fun, energetic show if you ask me. Yesterday I had the chance to see a performance of Newsies at Heritage Theatre in Perry and is everything one could want in an evening of community theatre.

Heritage in many ways is an ideal community theatre venue. They still have a homespun charm to them but they are constantly innovating and challenging themselves. With Newsies, director and choreographer Alyn Bone seems to have thought of everything from having a live band accompany them, to large tap dancing number for “King of New York” with the entire ensemble wearing tap shoes, to completely hand-made sets (no projections.) It helps make a show like Newsies less predictable and more exciting.

The young cast is also fantastic in this production. I noticed in the program many of the young men and women are making their Heritage debuts but had worked in local high school productions. I am sure as this theater continues to challenges themselves and produce such good work more talent young and old will be anxious to work for them. This group of teens is led by Corbyn Macari as Jack Kelly and he’s honestly one of the best Jacks I’ve seen. He’s charismatic and charming while still pulling off the more vulnerable moments like when he reads Crutchie’s letter in “Letter from the Refuge” or of course in “Santa Fe.”

The stage at Heritage is small which makes it all the more impressive how many Newsies boy and girls are singing in dancing in songs like “Carrying the Banner” and “King of New York.” It’s a blast and like I said the live band just makes everything better. Other standouts in the cast are Matt Child as Crutchie and Tanner Jeppson as Davey. If I was going to give some advice it would just be to make sure to enunciate as clearly as possible when laying on those thick New York accents.

Also did I mention tickets at Heritage are as low as $10. You can barely see a movie for that price these days. Even if you think you’ve seen Newsies too many times I recommend giving this production a shot. It’s just that entertaining. It is playing through June 28th and tickets can be purchased here.

Newsies has music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Jack Feldman and a book by Harvey Firestein based on the 1992 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.