Hi theatre friends! I hope you are doing well. I’ve been busy as usual supporting local theatre in any way I know how. Here’s some of what I’ve seen in the last 2 weeks.

SANTINO FONTANA- OPPA GALA DINNER AND CONCERT, LAYTON

As part of their annual gala dinner and Big Band Concert event On Pitch Performing Arts (or OPPA) had Broadway star Santino Fontana as their guest singer and he is every bit as great a performer as you imagine he’ll be. He sang a lot of obscure songs that I admittedly didn’t know but the quality of his voice is very pleasing to listen to. The highlight of the night was him singing “Love is an Open Door” from Frozen with a bunch of kids from the audience (see above.) All in all it was a very nice evening with good food, company, and music. Can’t ask for much more than that . For more about OPPA click here.

MRS DOUBTFIRE: THE MUSICAL- NATIONAL TOUR AT ECCLES, SALT LAKE

Every once in a while as a critic we end up having an unpopular opinion that ruffles more than a few feathers. Such is the case with my review of the national tour of Mrs Doubtfire: The Musical. Aside from some very impressive costume changes I found little to admire in this bland and movie adaptation. I know nation-wide the reviews were lukewarm of it but here in Utah everyone seems to have really loved it. As is always the case to each their own. I hope I defended my point of view as well as I could. You can read my full review here. To get a ticket to Mrs Doubtfire when it comes to your town look here.

I also wrote up a full review of Fiddler on the Roof at Empress to help UTBA out. You can read that review here.

SOMETHING ROTTEN- MUSIC THEATRE WEST, LOGAN

I was assigned to review Something Rotten at Music Theatre West in Logan for UTBA. They have yet to publish my review so I will just make a few quick points here. I’ve found with a lot of comedic shows the more I see of them the less I love them but that hasn’t been the case with Something Rotten. I think the reason it works better than a lot of other show in its genre is it is so consistently funny through both acts. If you don’t like one joke only a few minutes go before another joke comes and then another. The team at MTW is excellent with terrific chemistry and comedic timing between Sam Teuscher and Landon Weeks as the Bottoms brothers. Chris Metz also has the appropriate swagger for Shakespeare.

I was particularly impressed with how much dancing they worked into the show. It’s probably because director Stephanie Whte is also the choreographer. I swear there was tap dancing in practically every scene. I also loved the egg costumes in the “Make an Omelette” number. Very clever. In th end, Something Rotten at Music Theatre West is worth the drive up to Logan. It’s hilarious and highly entertaining. The Bard would be proud. It is playing until the 21st and you can purchase tickets here.

This is a coproduction with Cache Theatre Company.

NEXT TO NORMAL- OPPA MAIN STAGE, LAYTON

It’s interesting when I attend a particular company enough as a critic and patron I start to see where their strengths lie and where they tend to struggle. The more productions I see at OPPA in Layton the more I feel they are best when tackling the edgy and challenging material over the more fairytale, family-friendly variety. In fact, the very first show I ever saw at OPPA was their production of Rent a few years ago. (They have an education mission so I understand the need to produce the family friendly shows but my favorites have been the edgier ones.) This is definitely the case with their new production of Next to Normal. It’s a challenging show for any company to put on but this team directed by Todd Taylor is up for the task.

Next to Normal tells the story of a woman named Diana who has severe mental illness and the impact it has on her husband and daughter. I know many see husband Dan as the villain of this piece because he pushes her into treatments but I have a lot of sympathy for him. At OPPA Diana is played by Mindi Hansen and Dan is Nathan Sachs. Mental illness as severe as Diana experiences is extremely difficult to support and understand and I think Dan tries his best to be loyal and loving to Diana. At a certain point nothing will save her outside of her own determination and will power. Not medicine, not therapy, not treatments, not love. It’s just a tough situation and I have empathy for all of them.

The most important aspect of Next to Normal is the acting because it will not win over audiences on its music, which is fine but nothing special. Fortunately the cast is all strong at OPPA and left me pondering the themes of the material. Jacob Ericksen has probably the strongest voice of the cast as Gabe and Logan Kelley is understated yet effective as Henry.

My only big critiques is I probably had the worst seat in the house because I was right behind this doorway made by iron bars that obfuscated my view of the action and seemed unnecessary to the action. I also felt the wigs on the women were an odd choice. There’s no reason why Natalie needs black hair or Diana needs long brown hair. Their regular hair would fit the characters just fine, so the wig becomes a distraction to the audience.

Still Next to Normal at OPPA is definitely worth checking out. I would particularly recommend it for young adults and teens (it is R rated material but just language) as it should inspire a lot of conversation. It presents no easy answers which is powerful and true to live. You can find out more and purchase tickets here. It plays through Oct 5th.

 If you’d like me to review more theatre and appreciate what I do please check out the patreon here. You will find the patreon has many benefits including watch alongs with writers and actors of TV and films and more. Please take a look.

Hi friends! I hope you are all doing well and enjoying live theatre wherever you might be. I have 3 shows to log from the last few days but also make sure you check out my full review for The Addams Family at Hale Center Theatre and The Secret Garden at Payson Community Theatre. I would love to do full reviews on every show I attend (let me know I’m available!) but I also enjoy these little logs so you know what I’ve been attending on my own dime.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF- THE EMPRESS THEATRE, MAGNA

When a theatre company misses with a production I’m always hopeful the next show they can rebound and do something I love. Such is the case with the Empress Theatre and their new production of Fiddler on the Roof. While it is not the best Fiddler I’ve seen this year it was an enjoyable night of classic musical theatre and a significant improvement from their recent The Little Mermaid, which was not for me.

Fiddler on the Roof is of course the classic musical with book by Joseph Stein, music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick. I recently saw an unforgettable version by High Valley Arts and the production at Hale Center Theatre was also solid so it’s been a good year for Fiddler productions in Utah. It has such beautiful songs and has the right balance of humor, drama, romance and emotion. Something for everyone.

At the Empress the community spirit shines through with everyone doing their best and the large cast having chemistry together. The highlights wereMarie Roe as Golde and Makayla Porter as Tzeitel. It was very carefully directed by Candice Jorgensen and my favorite parts were “Tevye’s Dream” where they brought in black light and fluorescent paint for the spirits (it sounds weird but it really worked!) I also really enjoyed the Chavaleh dance where they had both adult and child versions of Chava dancing to the piece.

They were also extremely fortunate that opening night went off without a hitch. No microphone gaffs to speak of which is a win for any community theater! There is some overacting they could work on- sometimes subtle and softer is the best way to go- but overall I enjoyed the production and would encourage anyone to check out Fiddler at The Empress. It is playing until Sept 14th and you can purchase tickets here.

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE- THE GRAND THEATRE, SALT LAKE CITY

I must say I consider myself a bit of an expert when it comes to The Drowsy Chaperone. I first saw it when it was just in previews back in 2006 and have seen it countless times since. Just this year I have seen it 2 other times. It’s a show that might be too inside baseball (or inside Broadway) for the casual viewer but for a veteran patron like myself it’s a both sentimental and hilarious.

Being an original work with music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison and a book by Bob Martin and Don McKeller it seeks to poke fun at the tropes and traditions of musical theater while also making a case for the good they can do in giving the audience a song to hum when they’re feeling blue. Such combination of humor and heart is what makes the show work.

A The Grand they have a very strong cast for all the leading roles Jason Campbell making a particularly snarky Man in Chair lead. As he tells the story of The Drowsy Chaperone the scenes come alive in his apartment and we get lots of laughs. I particularly enjoyed Lauren Slagowski as the Chaperone real life couple Morgan Fenner and Clayton Barney are a lot of fun as Janet and Robert respectively.

My only complaints with the production is they could have used the apartment more. Characters primarily came through the doors and with all that space they could have come up with more interesting ways for them to enter and exit. (In the Broadway version characters came out of stoves and ironing boards, which kept things surprising.) I also wish they would lower the price at The Grand. As it is $35 is cost prohibitive for so many who would enjoy it and the space is so large it always feels sparsely attended even if it is a decent crowd. I was also happy to see they did the monkey not bunny version of “Bride’s Lament.”

The Drowsy Chaperone is directed and choreographed by Jim Christian and will be playing until Sept 14th. Ticket scan be purchased here.

JANE EYRE- THEATRE RALEIGH, VIRTUAL PREMIERE

One of the coolest parts of the pandemic (that sounds weird to write but it’s true!) was how the arts was forced to get online and join the streaming scene. As such I was able to enjoy film festivals and theatre companies from around the globe from my home. While nothing will beat in-person attendance, streaming is a wonderful service we should not give up on as we strive to rebuild the arts and make it fulfilling for all involved. This weekend Theatre Raleigh in Raleigh, North Caroline hosted a live stream broadcast of their production of Jane Eyre. I jumped at the chance to watch this because I love this musical and it’s rarely performed but also I had just interviewed the composer and lyricist Paul Gordon a few months ago. You can watch that interview here.

Jane Eyre is based on the classic novel by Charlotte Bronte and has a book by John Caird. The last time I saw it was when Hale Center Theatre Orem did it in 2016 so it’s been a long time and I don’t know why it isn’t done more because it’s a beautiful piece. Theatre Raleigh went all out for this production with Julie Benko playing Jane and she is such a gorgeous singer and moving actor. Matt Bogart makes for a very attractive Rochester although they could have given him a little more makeup for the final scenes. He’s almost too good looking post fire! Ada Manie is the other standout. She is truly incredible as the Young Jane/Adele even playing characters with different accents in the same show effortlessly.

It was also a well filmed proshot with different angles and close-ups of the actors when it required. If it was available to purchase I totally would do so. My only real complaint was in the 2 most romantic scenes, the proposal and reunion, the director Megan McGinnis kept Jane and Rochester apart for most of the scene. They are such intimate scenes that having them on separate parts of the stage was an odd choice.

Nevertheless, I applaud Theatre Raleigh for doing this live stream and I will definitely make sure to attend their theater in person if I ever get the chance. I hope more companies around the globe follow their example and we see many wonderful productions like this wonderful Jane Eyre. To learn more about Theatre Raleigh click here.

All of the shows logged here I paid for out of pocket. I’d love to cover as many local shows as possible but I need your help to do so. If you’d like me to review more theatre and appreciate what I do please check out the patreon here. You will find the patreon has many benefits including watch alongs with writers and actors of TV and films and more. Please take a look.

Last year I did a fun post for OnStage Blog where I ranked 11 Halloween themed Broadway shows. I won’t tell you where The Addams Family landed but it is unquestionably the most popular of the grouping. Regional theaters in our fair state and abroad have embraced this fun romp about the family that loves the macabre. Now Hale Center Theatre in Sandy is putting on this popular show through Nov 16th and it’s a good time for the entire family

Based on the comic strip by Charles Addams The Addams Family has music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa with a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. I won’t go into it all here but it’s a show with a fascinating evolution as it was continually reworked on its way to regional theater success.

With the production at HCT director Rob Moffat and team have nailed the most important aspect of The Addams Family– the family. The casting is spot on with Josh Richardson leading the way as the patriarch Gomez and Bailee Morris as a seductive Morticia. With these leads cast correctly half the battle is done, and HCT struck gold with these two. They have terrific chemistry together and Richardson and was particularly endearing in the best song of the show “Happy/Sad.” I also loved the choreography by Lindsey D Smith in numbers like “Tango de Amor.”

The sets by Jenn Taylor are perfect for capturing the mood and tone of the piece. In particular a 2-sided spiral staircase that was moved around to make room for many different parts of The Addams house and some of the projections by Maddy Ashton were fun like the lady on the moon winking at Festor (Dallin Bradford). Others, however, I didn’t care for as much like the giant topiary hand which looked rather garish and not in the way the Addams would approve of.

The costumes by Candice Nelson are also strong. I particularly loved the yellow dress for Wednesday (Tearza Foyston), which had just enough black to suit her personality. In addition, the costumes for the ancestors are textured and beautiful. Foyston and Richardson have a wonderful father/daughter dynamic and like I said “Happy/Sad” is the highlight of the show.

Any other complaints I have with The Addams Family are more with the show itself and there’s nothing HCT could do about it. I really dislike the “Full Disclosure” number that ends Act 1. It’s such a long sequence and nothing but a giant exposition dump mostly for the Beineke’s who I don’t care about. If it were up to me I would excise the Beineke parents completely from the show. They add little and are distracting from our main family and the relationship between Lucas (Danny Kenny) and Wednesday.

Pugsley is triple cast and the night I attended was played by John Wakley and he did struggle with the high notes in “What If” but Hiedi Mendez is a hoot as Grandma Addams. All in all it feels like a family on stage and that’s what you want out of this show. The Addams Family at HCT is a ghoulish delight perfect for this Halloween season. Take the whole family or make it a date night with you and your punishing partner. The production plays through November 16th and tickets can be purchased here.

I’d love to cover as many local shows as possible but I need your help to do so. Please spread the word about my reviews and check out the patreon here

Hi friends! I hope you are doing well and having a great time at the local theater near you. In the last week I had the privilege of seeing three shows, one I was blessed to be there as a critic and did a full review of on this site. See my review of The Secret Garden in Payson to learn more of my thoughts. I would love to do full reviews on more shows and as a professional theatre critic can give a fair and balanced analysis of any production small or large. Please email me at rachelsreviews65@gmail.com with your review requests and I will do all in my power to make that happen. Also make sure you are following me on social media as I publish all of my out of theatre reactions there and promote what I am seeing as much as possible.

All that said, I have 2 other shows I have saw as a patron that I want to do my shorter logs for. Since I pay for these shows and am not requested by the venue as a critic these are just my quick thoughts for any who may be interested. So here goes

ARSENIC AND OLD LACE- HALE CENTER THEATRE, OREM

Arsenic and Old Lace is a classic play I have seen many times. In fact, I have even seen some of these actors that were in the HCTO’s version in the play before. Particularly Jayne Luke was in a version I reviewed for UTBA at Pleasant Grove Players last Fall. Fortunately this is a classic play for a reason and it still holds up as a very funny piece of dark comedy.

If you didn’t know the play centers on 2 seemingly sweet elderly sisters who have a very unsightly hobby of poisoning old men who come to rent out a room at their house. In their demented philosophy they are helping these men from their lonely existence and ensuring they have the proper Christian burials they deserve (they make sure to know which denomination the gentleman are before administering the poison.) When their beleaguered nephew Mortimer uncovers what is happening the whole plot becomes a comedy classic full of laughs.

This version at HCTO works because it is manned by such pros like Luke and Melany Wilkins who play Agatha and Martha respectively. Jon Liddiard is a convincing straight man as Mortimer and Matt Kohler gets a lot of laughs as the bizarre Boris Karloff imitating brother Jonathan. Director Mark Fossen is smart enough to keep things simple and let his cast do their jobs. The 1940s home sets by Jason Baldwin are immersive and the costumes by Kim Wright are very well done. My favorite parts of this play is when playwright Joseph Kesselring takes jabs at theater critics (this is Mortimer’s job) and how they just might write their reviews on the way to seeing the play (I would never!) It’s this witty script that makes a play like Arsenic and Old Lace still work today and I was in stitches throughout along with the rest of the audience I was with. When something works it just works. Arsenic and Old Lace is playing at HCTO until Sept 21st and you can purchase your tickets here.

LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL- WEST VALLEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, WEST VALLEY

Most people who have followed my reviews for a long time know I’m a big fan of the musical adaptation of Legally Blonde. I enjoy the movie but I sincerely think what the team did (music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin and a book by Heather Hatch) elevates it above the movie, making it one of the strongest screen to stage adaptations out there (you can see me rank a bunch of adaptations here.) All that is to say Legally Blonde is an easy win for me and WVPAC came through with a terrific version of this wonderful show (I recently saw it in Draper and that was fantastic as well.)

While the cast is uniformly strong what impressed me the most is the direction from Brooklyn Pulver Kohler and how she managed to elevate songs that are typically some of the weaker moments of the show. For example, “Whipped Into Shape” is usually pretty forgettable but the jump rope routine they accompanied with it is super cool and entertaining (terrific choreography by Benjamin Rowling.) How Bryn Campbell and the whole ensemble are able to sing and jump-rope so effortlessly is very impressive. I also loved the entire “Gay or European” number which is often a bit of a throw-away but was extremely funny and well executed.

Rachel Matorana brings the bubbly energy you need for Elle and Geoff Beckstrand is a nerdy version of Emmett I enjoyed quite a bit. Even though he’s the villain, Jared Lesa as Callahan probably has the best voice of the cast and his “Blood in the Water” is another song elevated by such a strong production.

I also really loved the ensemble throughout and they all nailed the humor making for a very fun evening of musical theater. My only main critique would be the wig they got for Matorana was too big. It looked like a Dolly Parton wig reused for Elle and that’s not who Elle is. She’s far too fashion-conscious to have a huge bouffant curly hairstyle and it managed to swallow Matorana up distracting from her wonderful performance.

Still this is a show in Legally Blonde: The Musical that I love, well done at WVPAC. It’s definitely worth your time. You can see it through August 31st and purchase tickets here.

I paid for both of these logged shows out of pocket. I’d love to cover as many local shows as possible but I need your help to do so. If you’d like me to review more theatre and appreciate what I do please check out the patreon here

Because Utah is so flush with theatre and theatre companies there are some really wonderful organizations that don’t get the praise they deserve. Payson Community Theatre is one such organization. I have reviewed their shows multiple times and have yet to leave disappointed. Their current production of The Secret Garden is no exception and anyone in the area should take advantage of the opportunity to see this moving show.

The Secret Garden is of course based on the classic novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett and features music by Lucy Simon and lyrics and book by Marsha Norman. The musical tells the story of young orphan Mary Lennox who is sent to live with her mysterious uncle Archibald. She begins as a spoiled child but as she comes to know the trauma of the Craven house she becomes more empathetic (while still stubborn) and the entire family is able to grieve when she revives the secret garden of the title.

What makes this musical work is the transformation of the characters accompanied by the beautiful music. It all starts with the foundation of a dynamic and talented Mary and that’s what they have at PTC. The cast I saw is the Iris Cast and features Izzy Deschamps as Mary and she didn’t miss a beat the entire performance. I especially loved her when she throws a fit at the school superintendent. With the belligerent moments, however, she also has sweet ones with Wyatt Bills as Colin and Daniel Mason as Archibald. In addition to a strong Mary I loved Cecily Ellis-Bills as Lilly (she has a gorgeous soprano voice) and Talia Rowberry as Martha who nails the Yorkshire accent and delivers one of the more underrated songs of the show “Hold On” with power and conviction.

The cast is large at PTC and director Kris Holley does an excellent job keeping things moving. As lovely as it is sometimes The Secret Garden can drag and this production has energy and movement to it that kept me engaged. This was aided by the panel background sets by Perry Ewell that flowed and made it easy to move from scene to scene. The final reveal of the garden also really paid off and was appropriately magical. The period appropriate costumes by Miranda Mobbs are extremely impressive especially for such a large cast to dress. They do chose to give Archibald a barely-noticeable hunchback but I didn’t mind that choice given he is still a social and active person not limited in his travels and activities by a disability.

The major frustration with the evening was some recurring microphone issues particularly with Ewell as Neville. I’m sure as they continue their performances they will work on fine tuning the microphones and it will improve. I’m not sure if it was these sound issues but the powerful duet “Lily’s Eyes” between Neville and Archibald could have more of a connection between the two actors. Even though they are in different areas of the stage they are singing the song to each other and that could be more clear.

In the end, The Secret Garden is a story about family and how we can help each other heal from the wounds of grief and loss. The talented cast and crew at PTC capture this message beautifully making for a moving night of community theatre. It is playing at Payson High School through September 2nd and you can get tickets here.

I’d love to cover as many local shows as possible but I need your help to do so. Please spread the word about my reviews and check out the patreon here

Hi friends! I hope you are all doing well and enjoying great community theater wherever you are. I have 3 shows to update you on today and all 3 worth your time.

SCHOOL OF ROCK- CENTERPOINT LEGACY THEATRE, CENTERVILLE

I first saw the musical adaptation of the School of Rock film in June at Creekside Theatre Fest in Pleasant Grove. While that production had some technical challenges I was really impressed with the show itself especially the song “If Only You Would Listen” which has become a new favorite showtunes. So I was thrilled when I saw that Centerpoint Legacy was putting on the show in August. They are quite possibly my favorite community theater in Northern Utah and certainly the biggest quality for the lowest price you can ask for.

Now having seen the MWF cast I can say their School of Rock did not disappoint. One can easily tell that this musical has an all-star team behind it with Julian Fellowes writing the book, Andrew Lloyd Webber the music and lyrics by Glenn Slater (with additional lyrics and music by Jack Black, Mike White and others.) It’s a very tricky thing the book pulls off because the lead Dewey Finn (J.R Moore) is a very unlikable character especially in a show with children. He is rude, ungrateful and seems completely oblivious to what a school even is. At one point he asks the children to go off campus and get him lunch which is just wild. You’d think he would at least be trying to play the part. Later he’s accused by Patti of not even knowing how to read and not that illiteracy is a character flaw but it does seem plausible given his total cluelessness of what a normal school day consists of.

Anyway, the thing that makes it all work for Dewey is his authenticity. That might sound weird given he is lying but his responses to the world around him are authentic and natural. And then what makes that work with the kids is he allows them to be authentic. When the kids sing “If Only You Would Listen” it becomes endearing because Dewey is in fact the only one who is listening.

J.R. Moore makes for a good Dewey at Centerpoint with him doing more of a Jack Black impersonation than Kristian Huff did at Creekside but he has a nice chemistry with the children and it works for the role. Michaela Shelton stood out even more as Rosalie Mullins. She has obvious opera experience and was incredible in the “Queen of the Night” sections. The kids are all also terrific and play their instruments convincingly.

Director Danny Inkley creates a believable rock environment for the Battle of the Bands segments and the scenic and projection designs by Joshua Roberts give that 80s power band feel we need.

Most importantly School of Rock at Centerpoint is a show anyone can enjoy. The whole family will be able to relate to it and be entertained. Plus it might start some good discussions between teens and parents hopefully encouraging parents to listen more effectively to their kids. I would say School of Rock is an underrated Broadway musical and the production at Centerpoint is a rocking good time! Stick it to the man and go see it! It is playing until Aug 31 and tickets can be purchased here.

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS- TERRACE PLAZA PLAYHOUSE, WASHINGTON TERRACE

I haven’t been up to Terrace Plaza since their Christmas show Scrooge for a number of reasons (mostly they are a long drive from my house) but when I saw they were putting on Dirty Rotten Scoundrels I jumped at the chance to visit them again and check this show off of my musical theater bucket list. Now that I have I’m glad because I think it was one of the stronger outings from Terrace Plaza and a show that’s uneven but really grew on me as it went into its second act.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is based on the 1988 film starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin about 2 con men who try and cheat an heiress out of her money but as they do so they end up being the ones conned by her. The musical has music and lyrics by David Yazbek and a book by Jeffrey Lane and was famous for getting Norbert Leo Butz his Tony Award (his speech at the Tonys is an all-timer!)

At Terrace Plaza I saw the T/Th/S cast with Nicholas Balaich playing a confident and slick Lawrence and Jeff Erickson as a bumbling Freddy. My favorite of the cast, however, was Scott Ogden as Andre and Carla Zarate as Muriel. Their little side relationship was so winning and lovely I could have had the entire show about them. I loved their banter in “Like Zis/Like Zat.”

It took a while for this show to get going. I felt like the first act was far too focused on disabled jokes with Freddy pretending to be an injured victim. It just got old fast and I even contemplated leaving at intermission but I’m glad I didn’t because it turned around. Like I said Andre and Muriel were so winning and soon after the 2nd act starts they abandon the wheelchair bit and it became funnier for our leads.

The production was all solid at Terrace Plaza. The direction by Whitney Cahoon kept the action moving across the stage and up the staircases to different platforms. The costumes by the team have a glamorous appeal to them and the choreography by Katie Swainston was energetic and fun.

I was surprised when Terrace Plaza chose to put on Dirty Rotten Scoundrels as it definitely has its non-family friendly moments so I don’t know I’d bring the young ones to this but for adults it’s one of the better shows I’ve seen from them and a good time to be had by all. It is playing until September 21 and tickets can be purchased here.

BANDSTAND- DOGOOD THEATRE COMPANY, PLEASANT GROVE

I was so excited when I heard a company was putting on Bandstand here in Utah and even more thrilled when I learned it is a new company trying to make a name for themselves. DoGood Theatre’s production of Bandstand is the first time the show has been done in Utah and they crushed it in this production. Especially with the quality of the lead singers with Kiley Todd Drake playing Julia and Luke Urry as Donny I don’t think anyone could ask for better leads in a community production like this. Drake was especially powerful in her closing number “Welcome Home” and Urry got every high note thrown at him. It was so good.

The show also has real emotional depth to it. Something you don’t typically see with WWII stories. I was moved by the journey of the characters as they dealt with their PTSD and conflicted feelings over a war we typically paint in only heroic colors. I describe more of my thoughts in my review for UTBA. You can read it here. Bandstand is playing until the 24th. Please go see it. You can purchase tickets here.

Aside from the show I reviewed for UTBA I paid for all of these logged shows out of pocket. I’d love to cover as many local shows as possible but I need your help to do so. If you’d like me to review more theatre and appreciate what I do please check out the patreon here

Hi friends! I’m back in Draper after a nice little 5 day trip down to Cedar City to attend this year’s Utah Shakespeare Festival. This year I went with a group from Utah Theatre Lovers and had a fantastic time. They are a very welcoming group and the airbnb we rented was perfect for our needs. Make sure you check out my log of the first 3 shows I saw here. Here are the remaining 3:

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING- UTAH SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL, CEDAR CITY

I enjoyed the festival’s production of Much Ado About Nothing so much I decided to see it a second time at the matinee on Saturday. This time I was in the cheap seats in the gallery but I think I actually preferred the experience as I could get the scope of the entire production better and I didn’t have air conditioner blasting on me like in the first row.

I don’t have much more to say about it this time as the cast is the same as my first log but just want to reiterate how well directed the production is by Brad Carroll, not sparing any details to make a gag funnier or a sequence work better. For example, when the gulling scene happens Benedick has a pail attached to his foot and him maneuvering around the stage with a pail makes an already funny scene even funnier. Walter Kmeic is outstanding as Benedick and I’d see anything he does after this I enjoyed his performance so much.

In the after-performance seminar they said part of the reason Much Ado About Nothing is so accessible is because it has a higher prose to poetry ratio than most of Shakespeare’s text and that makes sense because there are so many long sections of monologuing particularly with Benedick. I guess some people debate whether Beatrice or Benedick is the lead protagonist and I think at least in this production it’s definitely Benedick. He has a lot of scenes where he is either alone or with just Claudio or the Prince. More so than Beatrice.

Since Much Ado About Nothing is playing in the Randall I think it will be continuing through the festival which ends October 5th. I highly recommend checking this one out and bring the whole family. This is a terrific introduction to the Bard and everything the festival has to offer.

THE WINTER’S TALE- UTAH SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL, CEDAR CITY

I’m not sure why but going into seeing The Winter’s Tale I was worried it wouldn’t be a Shakespeare I’d enjoy much. Maybe because it’s not performed often and the plot sounds a little dry I was prepared to be entertained but bored. Imagine then my surprise when it turned out to be a thoroughly absorbing play put on with great skill and craftmanship by the team at the festival.

In truth I’m not sure why The Winter’s Tale isn’t put on more as it’s a nice mixture of elements. It has the drama of jealousy and revenge but it can also be quite funny and romantic as well. In addition, it has the whimsy and magical realism of some of Shakespeare’s other plays like A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The story focuses around a King Leontes who becomes fixated on the idea that his pregnant wife is having an affair with his best friend and that the child she is caring might not be his. His jealousy tears his marriage and family apart and her repeated denials do nothing to satisfy his desire for revenge.

Tracie Lane plays Queen Hermione and her performance is very impressive especially late into the show where she has to hold a pose as a statue for a very long time. The makeup and costuming given to her adds a lot but still the regality she holds even while remaining still is wonderful to watch. Chauncy Thomas is devastating as Leontes and he really sold the scenes where he realizes the mistakes he has made.

The play, however, is not a heavy production or at least it doesn’t feel so with humorous segments with silly characters like Autolycus who literally steals the clothes from off the back of characters. The costumes by Raven Ong add a lot to each scene making the entire production feel lush and full of imagination.

But mostly The Winter’s Tale is a great mixture of light and darkness, full of compelling characters and a story that never fails to entertain. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone attending the festival.

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW- UTAH SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL, CEDAR CITY

My last of the festival, The Taming of the Shrew, I can’t fully comment on because unfortunately we only made it through the first half and then we were canceled (after a mighty effort to try and restage) because of repeated lightning strikes. Nevertheless I will share my thoughts on the first act.

The team behind this version of The Taming of the Shrew decided to use an introduction with a company putting on a play for the drunk Christopher Sly (Topher Embrey who is such a talented comic actor) and then everything becomes a play within a play. This is a true version of the play and I didn’t mind the choice. I also understand the desire to paint The Shrew story as something in a heightened reality as a way to make the problematic elements more palatable to modern audiences.

That said, I think they went a little overboard in the fantastical elements with hair, costume and background choices that were distracting more than compelling. For example, Bianca is supposed to be a great beauty that all the men desire after and yet she has a bizarre hairstyle with braids that made her look like Cindy-Lou Who from the Grinch not something from Shakespeare. All of the costumes are bright strange colors and the hairstyles strange with a background that really did look more out of Seuss than Shakespeare. It kept me from getting immersed in the story.

That said, the performances were all full of energy with Cailtin Wise selling the most unhinged Kate I’ve ever seen and John DiAntonio unleashing a charm machine as Petruchio. They are both pretty crazy characters so it makes the violence they unleash on each other a little more even-keeled than the text might imply.

It’s too bad I didn’t get to see the second act of The Taming of the Shrew but they did give me a credit to return so maybe I will get a chance to see it another time. As what I did see I’m not sure the choices worked for me, but I suppose better to have swung and missed than not tried anything creative at all. If you got to see the entire production I’d love to hear what you think?

So there you have it! It was a terrific trip and a wonderful festival. I hope to return next year and see more professional theatre in Cedar City. Have any of you been to the festival? What are your favorites from this year or other years?

All of the shows logged here I paid for out of pocket. I’d love to cover as many local shows as possible but I need your help to do so. If you’d like me to review more theatre and appreciate what I do please check out the patreon here. You will find the patreon has many benefits including watch alongs with writers and actors of TV and films and more. Please take a look.

Hello from Cedar City! I am down in Southern Utah with some other ladies from Utah Theatre Lovers (a great group on facebook and meetup for theatre lovers from anywhere) and taking a little bit of much needed vacation (my last trip to SXSW was spoiled because I grew very sick as the trip progressed.)

Anyway, I am here to see 5 performances at the Utah Shakespeare Festival and this entry will log 3 of them. I also saw You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown at Centerpoint on Monday so I will log that as well. I hope you are enjoying some great theatre wherever you are!

YOU’RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN- CENTERPOINT LEGACY, CENTERVILLE

You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown is a show I’ve had on my bucket list for some time and so I jumped at the chance to see it at the black box at Centerpoint Legacy. In the end, I’m glad I did because it’s a very cute show that captures the look and feel of our favorite Peanuts characters.

It’s interesting the show is not done more because it has a lot going for it. It’s based on beloved characters. It has cute songs and is appropriate for the entire family. I do think Putnam Spelling Bee came along decades later and did this same idea but made it better and much funnier (although less kid friendly.) This is perfectly cute for a family.

The standouts in the Centerpoint production are the scenic design by Brian Hahn and costumes by Rachel Lindsay. They perfectly capture the charm and whimsy of the Peanuts world. My friend told me there were lighting problems on opening night but they must have fixed those issues because it was all perfectly well lit.

My favorite song of the show is probably “My New Philosophy” and it is sung well by Anissa Roberts playing Sally. Scot D. Struble was also a very cute Snoopy the dog. You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown is probably not a show I will jump to see again but I’m glad I caught it once and would recommend it to anyone in or near Centerville. It’s a cute sweet show for the entire family. You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown is playing until August 17th and you can purchase tickets here.

THE 39 STEPS- UTAH SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL, CEDAR CITY

Since I have become a frequent theatre patron I have noticed certain shows are more rewatchable than others. In particular I have found myself growing especially weary of comedies. If I never see A Gentleman’s Guide again it will be too soon. The Play that Goes Wrong I’m very tired of etc. So when I say this staging of The 39 Steps didn’t do much for me put that in perspective as someone who has seen it many times and the gimmick is getting a little stale.

In addition, the environment of this production was working against it as the Randall L Jones theatre is blasting out air conditioning to the point people are bundling up to watch a show there and as I was in the front row I had a burst of air right on top of me the entire time. It’s a very bad situation especially when you are paying $50 for these tickets!

If you didn’t know The 39 Steps is a farce loosely based on the classic film and novel. It has a small cast of only 4 people and they literally wear different caps and play over 140 characters by the time the play is finished. It can be quite funny particularly with the supporting characters Clown 1 and Clown 2 played by Michael Doherty and Bailey Savage respectively. My favorite bit is a political rally where clowns are old people who walk absurdly slow. That was a really good piece of comic acting.

Tom Coiner as Richard Hannay was less successful in my opinion. His choices were too big all the time making the truly humorous moments fall flat. He’s supposed to be the straight character that has all this madness happen to him but in this version he was as crazy as anyone else which made it less funny. I also did not appreciate when he heckled the audience. In particular me for wrinkling my bag to get out my water. Especially when I’m being forced to sit in this freezing theatre a little bit of grace from the actors is expected as we are all trying to do our best.

If you have never seen The 39 Steps you’ll probably enjoy this production more than I did but for the price I would pass on this show and see something else at the festival. If you do go bring your sweatshirt!

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING- UTAH SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL, CEDAR CITY

Yesterday I braved the Randall L Jones theater again to see one of my favorite Shakespearean plays (perhaps my absolute favorite?) Much Ado About Nothing and it was worth the cold with one of the best plays I’ve seen all year! I adored this production.

Much Ado is one of Shakespeare’s comedies and it in many ways set the blueprint for the screwball comedies and romantic comedies that would follow it. It’s very funny and the team at USF was able to keep things accessible and easy to follow with the Shakespearean language. I could tell everything happening on stage was guided by a very talented director, Brad Carroll, because it wasn’t enough just to have an action occur it had to be topped off with an extra ingredient to provide laughs. For example, when Benedick overhears the conversation about Beatrice loving him he has a pail on his foot and this pail stays on there for the entire scene making everything he does even funnier than it would otherwise be.

Speaking of Benedick, Walter Kmiec, is outstanding in the role. He is funny when he needs to be funny but also serious when the moment calls for it. It’s that calibration that makes the character so endearing and makes us as the audience root for him and Beatrice ( who was also excellent played by Melinda Parrett.) The costumes by Brenda Van der Wiel are moved up to the turn of the century Italy as opposed to the 1600s but they all suited the characters well. I know Shakespeare isn’t for everyone but this Much Ado About Nothing I can’t imagine anyone disliking. It’s a blast.

HENRY VIII- UTAH SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL, CEDAR CITY

When I saw Henry VIII was on the docket for the festival this year I was very intrigued. It’s one of Shakespeare’s plays that is rarely done. In fact, it is only the 3rd time they have produced it in the 63 years of the festival. Now that I’ve seen it I can understand why it isn’t done that much but it was still interesting to watch and I’m glad I can check it off my theatre bucket list.

What is fascinating is I just saw the feature film Firebrand which is all about Henry but paints a very different picture of the king as a brute of a man who used and abused everyone in his life especially the women. You can read my review for Firebrand here. Of course Shakespeare being close to Henry’s reign and literally having the monarchy sponsor his Kings Players he couldn’t write a play like Firebrand. One of the actors told me it’s basically political propaganda for its day and that is a fascinating thing to watch and see how they tried to sell Henry and in what ways he’s presented as a towering noble figure.

The cast in Henry VIII is all excellent as are the costumes by Bill Black. Director Derek Charles Livingston does what he can to keep things moving along the stage and not have actors just standing in one spot too long. The dramaturg Isabel Smith Bernstein evidently did a lot to pair down the lengthy play and make it more approachable for modern audiences.

The main thrust of the story is Queen Katherine who is put on trial because she won’t agree to an annulment of her marriage to Henry. Cassandra Bissell is excellent in the role and commands the stage whenever she is speaking. Topher Embrey is Henry and has a big booming voice appropriate to a monarch. The rest of the cast is all good. It’s just, even with the changes, a little dry and uninteresting. But in truth I feel this way about most of Shakespeare’s histories. They are more interesting as a historical artpiece than an actual engrossing plot/characters. Henry V plays being the big exception. Still, I’m glad I saw Henry VIII and would recommend it for any history buffs in the area.

The Utah Shakespeare Festival is running until October 5th so there is still lots of time to see any of the 7 shows playing there. I will have 2 more to recap during my trip but I would love to hear what you think of these plays if you’ve seen them here or otherwise. Happy Shakespeare!

All of the shows logged here I paid for out of pocket. I’d love to cover as many local shows as possible but I need your help to do so. If you’d like me to review more theatre and appreciate what I do please check out the patreon here. You will find the patreon has many benefits including watch alongs with writers and actors of TV and films and more. Please take a look.