Hi friends! I hope you have all been doing well. I have been very busy lately and admittedly took longer to get this post out than I should. My apologies but I have been reviewing for UTBA and keeping up on my social media with my out of theater reactions and more. Make sure you are following me on instagram for all of my life updates. I’ve also been having a blast with OnStage Blog bringing on my friend Jacks to do the episodes with! It’s a dream come true and our most recent episode was a ton of fun ranking community theater seasons.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF- HIGH VALLEY ARTS, MIDWAY

Midway is a good hour drive for me so going up there to see a show is a challenge but the folks at High Valley Arts almost always make it worth my while. During the summer they have an outdoor theater that I love and the community spirit is wonderful. This year they put on Fiddler on the Roof and it was an outstanding production I feel privileged to have enjoyed.

Everyone involved at HVA should be proud because all aspects were wonderful from the costumes (Kristen Hughes) to the live fiddler (Daniel Clegg) to the dancing (Choreographer Christie Moulton) and sets. I love how the Tevye’s house set unfolded to make the small space work. Todd Beagley played Tevye with warmth and big heart. The cast felt like a family and the chemistry between all of them was evident. The highlight of the night was the staging of Tevye’s dream with all the spirits covered in a sheer fabric so they looked very ghostly. They also had very few microphone issues which can be a challenge in an outdoor theater. Director David Thorpe put on a very special night of theater I won’t soon forget.

Unfortunately this run has finished this weekend but they have many fun shows in the future and you can find out more here.

disaster- taylorsville arts council, TAYLORSVILLE

As much as I love seeing classics like Fiddler it’s also fun when I get to see a new to me play or musical. Such was the case with Taylorsville Arts Council’s production of Disaster! I must admit I’m not the biggest fan of parody so I went into this with a little trepidation but ended up having a fun time with it. This show is kind of like the movie Airplane! meets The Poseidon Adventure with a disco hit soundtrack. It’s a jukebox musical stacked full of songs from everybody from Carly Simon to Donna Summer and more.

At Taylorsville I was not feeling the show much in the first act. The jokes weren’t landing and the singing wasn’t the best. However, the main disaster happens at the end of Act 1 and things got a lot better in Act 2. The jokes are funnier and it becomes more than just a karaoke night. Rachel Bates was definitely the highlight of the cast as the diva singer Jackie but Rylee Smedshammer was also very funny as the gambling addict nun Sister Mary Downy. The most impressive part of the night was the way the costumes and sets evolved as the crisis got worse. I don’t have my program but the team did a wonderful job with those elements. I don’t think I’d ever see Disaster! again, but I’m glad I got a chance to check it off my list and it’s always good to try something new.

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE- SUGAR FACTOR PLAYHOUSE, MIDVALE

I first saw The Drowsy Chaperone back on Broadway in 2006 when it was in previews. I loved it’s dry wit and clever satire of musical theater then and I still love it not but it has been interesting to watch the show evolve over the years. The latest iteration was at Sugar Factory Playhouse. The Man in Chair was younger than I usually see for this musical but Devin Spann brought the necessary sarcasm to the role. I also enjoyed Monte Garcia as Aldolpho and Maria Becerra as Janet Van De Graaff.

The biggest surprise for the production was the change of “Bride’s Lament” from monkey to a bunny theme. I think such changes are bizarre when people cry ‘racism’ when that’s the whole point. They are critiquing and mocking the racist themes and stereotypes of the past. What exactly are they critiquing with bunny? Especially a white bunny. That makes no sense. I realize the company doesn’t have any choice in the matter when such changes are made but I do find it very silly that they purposefully make their comedies weaker in order to not offend an extremely small number of audience members. What’s next are we going to get rid of “Springtime for Hitler” from The Producers? It’s not embracing it. It’s mocking it. That’s the whole point. Anyway, it is what it is. You can read my whole review at utba here. You can find out more about Sugar Factory Playhouse here.

MATILDA- DRAPER HISTORIC THEATRE, DRAPER

Most people know I’m not the biggest Matilda: the Musical fan. I don’t hate it and it has some bops but I do think the book is very flawed. My main problem with it is the escapologist plot is totally unnecessary and takes up so much time in the overlong script. Everything we learn about Miss Honey and her trauma in those scenes we learn in the “My House” section and it just makes the whole show a bit of a slog. That said it’s super fun for kids and I get why they love doing it and being in it. I’m actually going to see both casts at Draper Historic but the first up was the Revolting cast and it was a lot of fun.

Lilian Anderson is a diminutive but spunky little Matilda and she brought a lot of personality to the role. I also thought Neena Roberts Warburton was wonderfully modest and shy as Miss Honey with a beautiful singing voice. The highlight of the night, however, was Trevor Casperson as Trunchbull. He’s not as big and looming as Trunchbull can be but he is very funny and “The Smell of Rebellion” was the best number with him and the kids bouncing off each other very well. Some of the other technical elements felt a little off the night I was there but still more than enough fun to recommend it especially if you enjoy Matilda. I’ll have my review for the Miracle cast next time. Matilda is still playing at Draper Historic through 7/27 and you can purchase tickets here.

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME- MURRAY ARTS COUNCIL, MURRAY

It’s interesting because by accident I ended up having a Disney week last week at the theater. I can be hit and miss with these Disney adaptations but all 3 I attended were outstanding and the first out of the gate was The Hunchback of Notre Dame at Murray Arts at the Murray Amphitheater. I’ve said it many times that this is one of the rare screen to stage adaptations that actually improves upon the movie sanding off much of the film’s flaws and adding much needed context and backstory. This production in Murray is particularly impressive because they have a full orchestra and a 30 person choir accompanying all the performances! When do you get to see that in community theater? Not often! You can read the rest of my thoughts at UTBA here. Hunchback is playing through 7/27 and you can purchase tickets here.

NEWSIES- SYRACUSE ARTS COUNCIL, SYRACUSE

Next in my Disney week was Newsies at Syracuse Arts Council. I have a lot of nostalgia tied up in this show as the film was a favorite of mine as a pre-teen. Fortunately they did a fantastic job at Syracuse and I was so relieved for them that the technical issues they had opening night were mostly gone. Everything went off without a many problems which is what you like to see. I also really appreciate the choreography by Kayley and Kelsey Turner and especially that they included the “Seize the Day” newspaper dance section which is so iconic to this show.

I also really enjoyed the set and how it was maneuvered around to create different staircases and settings. The costumes all felt on period down to the newsboy hats and messenger bags and winning performances by the entire cast. Newsies at Syracuse has finished its run but you can find out about future productions here.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST- COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS ARTS COUNCIL, COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS

Beauty and the Beast is of course another show I have a lot of nostalgia for. Both because I love the film but also because I saw the Broadway show with my Grandma and cousin Lisa on our special trip in 2000. It is definitely one of the best screen to stage adaptations by Disney and I was thrilled when I heard Cottonwood Heights was putting it on (they did a terrific job with the marketing for this show making it look very appealing.) Fortunately this is a case with my expectations being completely met if not more so. What an incredible night of theatre!

You really can’t believe when you enter Butler Middle School you are going to get this quality of a production. Everything from the costumes (Belle’s yellow dress was better than her dress in the live action film!) to the singing talent of all the leads was outstanding. Summer Sloan Alvey played Belle and she was warm and empathetic and everything you want in Belle. James Carter was hilarious as Lumiere and Jix-Xiang Yu exceptional as Mrs Potts (she might be the finest singer in Utah today. Phenomenal.) But everyone was excellent.

One of the most creative touches director Brighton Sloan used is to have a dancer portray the rose throughout the show. This was elegant and something I’ve never seen before. I know some people disliked the AI projects but most of them worked for me and added a layer immersion into the story.

There were some microphone issues particularly in the “Belle”, “Gaston” and “The Mob Song” numbers (group numbers are really hard to balance sound on because there are a lot of microphones happening at the same time.) Anyway, it certainly wasn’t enough of a problem to put a damper on such a terrific performance!

THE EFFECT OF GAMMA RAYS ON MAN-IN-THE-MOON MARIGOLDS- HART THEATRE COMPANY/IMMIGRANT’S DAUGHTER THEATRE, SALT LAKE

I knew from the title the new show at Hart Theatre Company was going to be unique. The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Miracles is a play written by Paul Zindel in 1971 that he won the Pulitzer Prize for back in the day. It was definitely outside my comfort zone but I like to do that from time to time to stretch as a film and theatre critic. This play tells the story of 2 sisters who are trying to grow up despite their horrible mother. Ariana Farber plays the Mom and she brought enough humanity to the role but she really is a horrible human being. Especially what she does at the ending is unforgivable.

The 2 girls Heidi Farber and Jami Greenburg playing Tillie and Ruth respectively are fantastic and are up for the challenging, emotional moments (especially Greenburg in that ending scene.) All that said, I don’t think this play is for me and it’s not just because it is sad. It’s because I didn’t really see what the point of it was. What are we supposed to learn from these girls and their abusive mother? Are you just supposed to witness it happen as a cautionary tale? I’m not sure but it left me cold despite the very strong performances. Gamma Rays has finished its run but you can find out more about Hart Theatre Company here.

So there you have it. Everything I’ve been watching on the stage lately. What have you been seeing? Are these shows favorites of yours? Would love to hear. Happy theatre-going!

Aside from the shows 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