There are some times when seeing a play or musical that I have a complex and deep response to what I am seeing. I can look at it from many angles and have lots of discussion about a piece. I love these experiences but it is not the only way to appreciate theatre. There are times my response is more simple. I can often walk away having had a nice evening with a pleasant group of people and that’s ok too. Such was my experience at the musical Threads at Ideal Playhouse. It’s really more of a musical concert than a true musical but it’s very sweet and endearing that people of any faith will enjoy.

This production is the creation of Michael McLean and he is our narrator and musician for the night along with Lisa Blaser as our actor and lead vocalist. The conceit is McLean has had a dream about the women in his life and through telling their stories he hopes to inspire us to live as authentically as possible. This is a faith-based message that anyone could enjoy of any religious persuasion sticking to simple values of faith, forgiveness, hope etc. It’s all very sweet and heartwarming.

I actually interviewed McLean a few years ago (Dec 2020) which was a wonderful experience as I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for his The Forgotten Carols Christmas show. In many ways Threads is similar to The Forgotten Carols in that it has a narrator and then tells a variety of different stories to prove a point. Threads isn’t as memorable but it would be hard to duplicate the theatricality and poignancy of the traditions of Christmas. Things just ring differently at Christmas!

There are projections that go along with the various stories in Threads and they do bring those projections out into the walls of the audience at Ideal, which is fun. There were times when they used a background track that I didn’t really think was necessary. I would have been fine with just the piano and other instruments played by McLean.

All that said, if you are looking for a pleasant way to spend an evening check out Threads at Ideal Playhouse. There are only 6 performances 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.

It’s always fun when I get the chance to check a much talked about show off of my list and even better when that show proves to be a great experience. I recently had the chance to do so with Hale Center Theatre’s new production of Finding Neverland. This magical night of theatre combines heart and soul with the spectacle and fun only Hale can provide in this state.

Most people grow up hearing the story of Peter Pan, Wendy and Captain Hook and all the imaginative fun of Neverland. Finding Neverland, on the other hand, dives a little deeper telling you the backstory of the playwright J.M. Barrie. It is based on a play called The Man Who Was Peter Pan and of course the Oscar nominated film of the same name from 2004.

Going into this production I was honestly worried it would be on the dry side. I’m not the biggest Peter Pan person and it all sounded a little bit boring, but I was pleasantly surprised with how engaging the story is. A lot of credit has to go to the book writers Allan Knee and James Graham who expertly combine together the whimsical side of the creation of Peter Pan with the more grounded story of Barrie’s widow friend Sylvia Llewelyn Davies getting sick and dying with 4 young children to care for. That’s not an easy combination to make work but they do.

Presented in the larger Young Living Centre Stage director Dave Tinney has mostly used the bells and whistles of the big stage to its advantage and to help telling the story. There is one set that had a pole obstructing the view of the couple singing “What You Mean to Me” which was frustrating. I understand they need to have the platform for the dancers to perform on but I wish they had made the poles thinner or come up with some other solution for that scene. Nevertheless, the stage was mostly quite effective in combining elements of dance, aerialists and large setpieces like a giant crocodile’s head that was quite exciting.

The cast at Hale is all excellent with Keith McKay Evans leading the large ensemble as Barrie and Bre Welch as Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (they aren’t usually together but were the night I was there.) Some of the highlights musically are “We Own the Night,” which had almost a Tim Burton Beetlejuice quality to it, “When Your Feet Don’t Touch the Ground” is a very pretty number and “Play” made me smile. The 4 child actors are all wonderful, but I was particularly impressed with young Flynn Mitchell who has the emotional climax of the show when he tells Barrie to stop lying to him about his mother. He owns that scene.

As I said, the production elements are very strong with beautiful costumes by Joy Zhu and some inventive work with light, shadows and silhouettes by lighting designer Jaron Kent Hermansen. No matter the tastes Finding Neverland at Hale should have something for everyone! It is playing through June 14th but tickets are selling fast. They can be purchased here.

Finding Neverland features music by Scott Frankel, Gary Barlow, Eliot Kennedy with lyrics by Michael Korie, Barlow and Kennedy and a book by Knee and Graham.

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 heard they were doing a musical adaptation of the film Waitress I was confused. Nothing in that fairly forgettable indie film screamed musical to me but I was intrigued about the project as soon as I heard Sara Barielles was doing the music and lyrics. I’m a huge fan of Sara and I even have a signed poster of hers on my living room wall! I then got to see her in Waitress in October of 2021 (my return to Broadway after the pandemic.) Now Pioneer Theatre Company is putting on the show and it manages to take a challenging story and give it heart and humanity with some good songs too…

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Normally I’m not a big fan of adultery stories. I don’t like feeling manipulated by a piece of media into siding with the adulterers. Often they make the spouse a monster as a way to justify the affair in the minds of the audience and characters. My view is two wrongs don’t make a right. Just because something is bad doesn’t make something else bad good (like The Awakening by Kate Chopin is a book I loathe.) Anyway, the thing about Waitress (as a musical at least. The film not as much) is it never really tries to justify Jenna’s infidelity as a bold or great decision. She’s obviously very unhappy and stepping out of her marriage is a symptom of that unhappiness.

At PTC Claire Saunders captures this depression of Jenna beautifully. I honestly was a little unsure of her performance at first because one could see the emptiness in her face. But as the scenes unfold that emptiness became a clear character choice as she began to dive into her seemingly lack of attractive options for happiness. For Jenna, at least this relationship provides some moments of joy, which is something she can’t say about much else in her life.

Thankfully Waitress book writer Jessie Nelson has given us enough breaks from the sadness to make for an overall thoughtful and heartwarming experience. My favorite is the comic relief from Dawn (Lexi Rabadi) and Ogie (Daniel Plimpton.) They are hilarious and a much needed positive love story to counterbalance Jenna’s sad story.

Everything about the PTC production directed by Melinda Pfundstein is as high a quality as the Broadway production I saw back in 2021. There were a few little hiccups but the set by Yoon Bae looks great and the props including all the pies look completely edible and delicious. The backgrounds on Jenna’s house and the doctor’s office looked a little modern for our homespun story but nothing too jarring.

At one point Cal (Aaron Arnell Harrington) says to Jenna that he’s “happy enough” which becomes the emotional question of Waitress: Is “happy enough” good enough for a fulfilled life? Waitress‘ answer seems to be yes and no. The musical highlight of the show is the song “She Used to Be Mine” powerfully sung by Saunders at PTC. In this song Jenna says that she’s fine being ‘happy enough’ but only when it’s on her terms when she decides “to bring back the fire in her eyes. That’s been gone, but used to be mine.” Who can’t connect with that feeling? I know I can.

That’s what works with Waitress and the production at PTC brings all of these feels and more. It’s a wonderful way for them to finish off their season and one I recommend to anyone who enjoys heartfelt stories with good songs. Go see it! It is playing through May 17th with a Pay What You Can night on May 12th and tickets can be purchased here.

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

Hi friends! I hope you are all doing well and enjoying some local theatre. I hit an exciting milestone this week. With Cinderella at The Ruth I saw my 500th show since the pandemic! I had a cake to honor the occasion and did a live stream with my friend Jacks.

It’s crazy my little goal to help get theaters back up and running after the pandemic closures has turned into 500 shows! I never would have guessed that but what an incredible experience and gift. I’m so blessed.

Today I have 2 shows to log about that I saw but am not doing full reviews. Let me know what you have been watching:

CINDERELLA- THE RUTH THEATRE, PLEASANT GROVE

I had the chance to see Cinderella again at The Ruth. I had previously logged my seeing the T/Th/S cast, which I thoroughly enjoyed. They seemingly thought of everything for this production including bringing in puppetry and unforgettable costumes. The most special part of the MWF cast is it was a bit of a family affair with Hailey Bennett Sundwall and Jeff Sundwall, a couple in real life, playing our leads. To add to that Michelle Sundwall, mother of Jeff, is playing Marie or the Fairy Godmother character in this version. That’s just fun and helps with the chemistry to see.

Of the 3 shows done at The Ruth Cinderella is by far my favorite. It was magic and I’m so glad I got to see it twice. It was the perfect show for my 500th! You can find out more about The Ruth and their upcoming shows here.

HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD: HIGH SCHOOL EDITION- LIAHONA ACADEMY, PLEASANT GROVE

Speaking of productions that seemingly thought of everything I have to give the same praise to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: High School Edition at Liahona Academy. They are an incredible teen theatre company and this production is outstanding. I’m not the biggest fan of the story of this play or the pacing (I can’t believe it is LONGER on Broadway and at one point was 6 hours long KMN) but I do appreciate some of the opportunities it gives a high school company. It’s a show that has a lot of speaking roles, requires a lot of ensemble scenes and speaks to issues teens will likely relate with.

Director Jordan Long has helped his students give their best performances and there honestly wasn’t a missed line or opportunity for emotion within the show. The standouts for me are James Fox as Harry Potter with Ian Hadfield giving a very mature performance as Draco Malfoy.

I was particularly impressed with the amount of practical sets they use in the production. Other performances of this play I have seen recently have been very projection-reliant and I think that is a missed opportunity for the teens to show forth their creativity and learn new skills in set building, painting and designing (set design by Brian and Canon Hadfield.)

It is also amazing how many visuals effects they work into the story and them all coming off quite seamlessly. All the students should be very proud of what they have accomplished. Tomorrow is the last day of this production and I’d highly recommend it (even if I find the script a little dry.) Tickets can be purchased here.

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.

As much as I enjoy seeing the classics on stage it’s also nice when I see something that’s new to me. Such is the opportunity presented by Pygmalion Productions in their new play at Rose Wagner Black Box called Be Here Now. This is an entertaining little play that balances both humor and heart well making for a pleasant evening at the theatre.

The premise for Be Here Now is a simple one. It focuses on a middle-aged woman named Bari who lives in a small town in upstate New York and is disenchanted and frustrated by the world. She in many ways is like Jack Nicholson’s character in As Good as It Gets or if you saw a little movie called Hard Truths from last year the lead characters are very similar. Bari is a cynical character and she is struggling to find the motivation to finish her doctorate dissertation so she can continue teaching classes on nihilism at the community college. You have to be pretty cynical to be cynical about nihilism!

Things get messy when Bari starts getting seizures which cause her to have flashes of brilliance and hope. Then she is left with the question of does she fix the problem for her health or keep having the seizures which make her happy?

Such a straightforward black box play is very reliant on the material and the ability of the actors to translate said material to the audience. All of the actors are terrific at Pygmalion especially April Fossen playing Bari. She reminded me a lot of Oscar winning actress Kathy Bates. She is sarcastic and even a little rude but there’s always a little more going on in the background of her performance and the other actors help bring that out with their performances.

The set by Allen Smith is relatively simple with a wall of junk that is transformed to a yoga studio, fulfillment center and home to name a few settings. They also have sound (Mikal Troy Klee) and lighting (Chad Henwood) elements that are worked in quite seamlessly into the story by director Jason Bowcutt.

I do think the play tries to tackle too much for 90 minutes with the severe trauma that is behind the scenes with Mike (Matthew Sincell) who Bari goes on a blind date with. I don’t know if the script can adequately deal with all of Bari’s issues and Mikes. It’s too much and starts to feel like a pile-on after a while. Also Bari’s sarcastic humor gets a little old after a while.

But Be Here Now at Pygmalion comes down to the script by Deborah Zoe Laufer that is both funny and thoughtful and the performances by Fossen and others. It’s definitely worthy of your time and should give you some laughs and a few things to talk about as you leave the theater. It is playing through May 17th 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.

I don’t think it’s a big secret that I am a huge Jane Austen fan so I was thrilled when I was invited to watch a new production of Pride and Prejudice at new to me Eagle Mountain Community Theatre in Eagle Mountain. This was especially fun because it is the Andrew Davies version of the play and as he did the iconic 1995 miniseries version of this story I was very curious to see it in play form.

This production at Eagle Mountain was also unique because it was at an elementary school and this did provide some challenges for the cast and crew. The stage sits on the side of a gymnasium making the space very echoey and difficult to move from scene to scene. However, director Jerid Clark and their team pushed through and prevailed with a fun take on the classic story.

The biggest strength to this production is the cast. I have never seen a bald Darcy but Brigham Jenkins brings the awkward energy that has become the popular way of portraying the character. Rachel Lundberg is commanding as Lizzy and when The Ruth does their upcoming Pride and Prejudice I hope she is a serious contender for the role. Meg McCoy as Mrs Bennet and Cimony Carter as Lady Catherine De Bourgh are also standouts.

Unlike his miniseries, this play version by Davies clips along quite quickly especially in the second act but lovers of the story certainly get enough for them to fill in the details. At Eagle Mountain they use a combination of projections and handmade sets (Rochelle Rackliffe and Elizabeth Ellis) to take us through the many events of the novel. There was also obvious care put into the costumes, especially Lady Catherine’s dress by Elizabeth Mashburn. They also have musical interludes from Eagle Mountain Symphony Quartet, which was a nice touch.

As you can tell from my description, Pride and Prejudice at Eagle Mountain was a true community event with everyone putting forth their best efforts, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Unfortunately it was only last weekend so I saw the final show, but I will definitely attend shows in the future. You can find more information 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.

Hi friends! I hope you are all doing well. I have been mad busy as usual and most of the shows I’ve been seeing have been full reviews (which is amazing) but I have 2 logged shows to talk about today. Also if you missed it I had the chance to interview Victor Hamburger about the upcoming 2025-2026 Eccles National Tour season. This interview is only 7 minutes so well worth your time:

That said here are my 2 recent logs. (For those new to the site logs are for shows I pay for out of pocket and are not full reviews.)

AMELIE- RIVERTON HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA, RIVERTON

When I saw that Riverton High School was putting on Amélie: The Musical (High School Edition) I was intrigued because I had heard about the show but never seen it. This production is also in a black box which you don’t normally see with high school, so that was a neat experience to watch.

Directed by Clin Eaton Amélie at RHS gives students the chance to perform in a more intimate environment and learn to project properly without microphones. What an incredible skill to give your students and one that will help them greatly in their careers whether they are microphoned up or not. There were times when they didn’t project enough but I didn’t mind because it’s all part of the learning experience. The choreography and amount of kids involved in the production especially in a black box is impressive.

I also appreciate how many students were involved especially for a black box. Avery Rindlisbach plays adult Amélie well capturing the introverted quality of the character convincingly. Carter Reid also has a beautiful voice as Nino. All of the leads appear to be seniors and it’s a testament to this wonderful program to see their talent on stage and I look forward to seeing what they all do going forward on the Utah stage and beyond (their Hadestown was incredible)

In the end I was impressed with the students but underwhelmed with the material they had to work with. I think the problem is Amélie is a movie that charms with vibes and visuals more than the story. It barely has a story with Amélie trying to find the owner of a box of trinkets and learning to have the confidence to embrace life. With such thin story the music and lyrics need to be incredible, and they just aren’t here. “Stay” is probably the highlight of the show but it didn’t do much for me as far as a memorable musical.

If you are curious to see this show and to support the students Amélie at RHS has one more showing tomorrow Tickets can be purchased in the front office or at the door. More information on their instagram.

LEGALLY BLONDE- HERITAGE THEATRE, PERRY UTAH

I will just have a few quick thoughts on the Bruiser Cast of Legally Blonde: The Musical at Heritage Theatre in Perry. I already reviewed the production’s Rufus Cast here. The Bruiser cast is almost the same except for the 3 leads- Hannah Atkinson as Elle, Zackery George as Emmett, and Jess Tarbet as Paulette. Atkinson leans into the bubbly youthful energy of Elle and George brings a nerdy approach to Emmett which is accurate to the character. Tarbet is hilarious as Paulette and Luke Merkley steals the show as hot UPS man Kyle. Very funny. Ryan Boam quite possibly has the best voice of the cast as the smarmy Callahan (he makes for a great villain in ‘Blood in the Water’)

They could still work on the music volume levels but they fixed the costume problem of opening night so that’s good. I would recommend they tone down the amount of blush they had on Elle. Other than that everything else went off without a hitch.

Legally Blonde: The Musical is frankly a show that is tough to screw up. It’s just so overall entertaining and neither cast gets it wrong at Heritage. Whichever one you see I’m confident you’ll have a great time (unless you’re a content-complaining Karen. See above.) It is playing through May 10th and tickets can be purchased here.

Amélie: the Musical has music by Daniel Messé with lyrics by Messé and Nathan Tysen. Book by Craig Lucas. Legally Blonde: The Musical has music and lyrics by Nell Benjamin and Laurence O’Keefe with a book by Heather Hach.

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.

When I first heard about Bat Boy: The Musical at Salt Lake Acting Company I initially dismissed it. SLAC does a lot of broad comedy parody which is just not my thing but then I heard some positive reactions from people so I decided to give it a shot, and I’m so glad I did. Going in knowing absolutely nothing about this musical I walked away blown away by everything I saw and experienced.

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I think the easiest comparison to Bat Boy is another off broadway legendary show Little Shop of Horrors. They both have campy horror themed vibes and speak to similar themes of humanity and love. The show starts off in a cave beautifully created by set designer Jesse Portillo. It almost felt like I was entering a dark ride at Disneyland and about to enter the world of the cave. The sound design by Joe Killian also gives that immersive vibes for the cave and even the microphoning of the actors in the cave scene felt different with more of an echo than the rest of the night’s vocals.

This production at SLAC is directed by Eric Sciotto and he has managed to get the best from his cast with a very strong ensemble often taking on multiple roles in the same scene (even switching off genders within a scene.) All the leads are professional quality one expects from SLAC with Julian R Decker putting in a masterful performance in the title role as Bat Boy. Adrien Swenson is also perfect as the seemingly traditional mother Meredith who has an unexpected bond with Bat Boy. I also loved the whole revival sequence with “A Joyful Noise” sung by Reverend Hightower played by Chris Curlett (so much is happening in that sequence plus it’s a terrific song!)

I was definitely caught off guard with how much I enjoyed the songs but I really shouldn’t have been given it has music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe who also penned Legally Blonde and Heathers: the Musical– both musicals I love. He knows how to craft heartfelt, funny musicals that are just plain entertaining. I will never doubt him again! The book is by Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming.

I honestly have very few notes for Bat Boy at SLAC. It was fantastic, and I can’t recommend it more highly. It is playing through May 4th 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.