book-review

Feed the plant at PTC’s fun Little Shop of Horrors (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

During the spooky season of Fall companies are looking for a darker/horror themed show to do that Utah conservative audiences will tolerate. The Addams Family is a favorite (which can still be seen in all its grandeur at The Ruth) but others like Wait Until Dark and Woman in Black are done frequently. Another local favorite is the campy 80s classic Little Shop of Horrors. It is currently playing at 4 different companies in Northern Utah alone. The latest is at Pioneer Theatre Company and while I think it loses some of its charm on a big professional stage it’s an entertaining production audiences will enjoy.

If you are unfamiliar with Little Shop it tells the story of nerdy botanist Seymour who works in Skid Row Florist Shop and one day finds an unusual venus flytrap type plant he names Audrey II after Audrey the floral assistant who works at the shop who Seymour is in love with. The other main characters are Mr Mushnik who owns the shop, the Urchins who are our Greek chorus for the show and Audrey’s boyfriend dentist, the abusive egotistical, Orin.

Of course the biggest character of the show is Audrey II which starts out small and then becomes bigger with each feeding. The only problem for Seymour is those feedings have to be fresh human blood, which becomes increasingly harder to come by as Audrey II grows (and becomes increasingly larger puppets) and becomes more famous with each passing day.

Little Shop at PTC is directed and choreographed by Gerry McIntyre and he keeps things simple and doesn’t let anything get in the way of the story and characters. The scenic design (designer Bryce Cutler) is kept to the florist shop and anything like the dentist office is staged in front without its own set. The shop is very impressive with the front panel being outside the shop and then it can be lifted up to reveal the inside of the shop. This certainly makes transitions fast and seamless. I will say that some of the signs on the outside of the shop had the look of generative AI graphics. It’s so hard to tell these days but I would prefer a more hand-painted aesthetic especially for a show like Little Shop which thrives on its underground off-Broadway gritty roots.

The standout at in this production is the cast which is uniformly excellent. Andrew Faria is convincing nerd as Seymour and he is up for the challenging vocals and choreography in songs like “You Never Know.” Nicholas Ward gives a deep and surprisingly charming take on Audrey II’s voice (puppeteer Joe Gallina) that you can almost feel him winking out to the audience with his performance. Alanna Saunders has the most difficult role of the piece with Audrey and she brings all the vocal prowess you could ask for to songs like “Somewhere That’s Green” and “Suddenly Seymour.” I also admire how she grows in her performance of the character. The first time we meet her she shoves off having a black eye and says that being from Skid Row that’s all she can expect but by the end she’s strong and makes her own decisions for her life. Not all actors playing this role can bring that kind of journey to the character.

Other standouts at PTC’s Little Shop of Horrors are the impressive costumes by Tina McCartney and the hair and makeup by Kate Casalino- particularly on the Urchins, with that high 1960s look to them perfectly executed. My only real complaint about this production is I do think Little Shop is more at home in smaller more intimate venues and when one can see it for a third of the price at a venue like Murray Arts ($20 there vs $62 at PTC) it becomes harder to recommend. It’s not bad. In fact, it’s very entertaining but is it 3 times as good? Probably not but if you do see it you’ll have a bloody good time and that’s what’s most important. Little Shop of Horrors is playing until Nov 7th at PTC and tickets can be purchased here.

Little Shop of Horrors has music by Alan Menken with lyrics and a book by Howard Ashman based on the 1960 film of the same name directed by Roger Corman. It first opened Off-Broadway in 1982 and has a current revival there since 2019.

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.

Weaknesses of Witch were on my part not Pygmalion (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

One aspect I struggle with as a critic is when my own weaknesses and biases as a human unfairly influence my feeling about a theatrical production or film. I try my best to be as fair as possible but there are times when my humanity makes it hard. I might be sick or having a bad day making my absorption of a story more challenging. If such a thing happens I try to let my readers know so my biases are acknowledged and up front. Last Saturday was such an experience,

I went to the new play by Pygmalion called Witch, and I was tired. The black box at Rose Wagner was also very warm (they kindly gave water bottles to the audience to help us from getting dehydrated.) Plus there was a massive traffic jam causing me to be 20 minutes late for the play. Basically what I’m trying to say it is it was all not ideal or conducive to the type of analysis I normally provide in a review.

This play is written by playwright Jen Silverman who also penned The Roommate which I was not a big fan of (review here) That play felt phony and I didn’t buy the characters choices. Witch, on the other hand, I enjoyed more because it had more of a sense of whimsy to it, almost like a fable. It reminded me a little bit of The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, which is a book I very much enjoy.

The story revolves around a devil that has come to a small town and promises to trade the citizen’s darkest wishes for their souls. It reminded me of Something Wicked This Way Comes which I think is massively underrated book and film. Both stories focus on individuals who let their secret wishes out to a demon-type to unexpected results. Witch is more of a comedy but that sense of desperation can be found in the characters of both stories.

McKell Rae plays the devil Scratch with the right level of mischievousness and energy, getting a lot of laughs from the audience. But my favorite characters are Cuddy played by Amona Faatau and Frank played by Pedro Flores who are friends but are they more than friends? Their tit-for-tat with each other can be very amusing.

The production is directed by Morag Shepherd and and she does a good job, along with her team, of creating the feeling of a Rembrandt painting. The sound design also done by Shepherd also helps the experience feel immersive and gives a sense of urgency to the more comedic scenes. It may be light and silly but it is actually very heavy and important stuff we are dealing with after all.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find the pacing of Witch to be a little bit of a struggle but like I said, I was tired so that’s part of it. I wish the story was more focused. Each scene felt like a skit more than a cohesive narrative but they are amusing skits so I didn’t mind it. However, I did prefer over Silverman’s last play that I saw, and if you are in the mood for a small intimate play that amuses and contemplates the greater questions of life than I’d recommend it. Witch is playing at Pygmalion through October 17th and tickets can be purchased here.

Witch is a play by Jen Silverman based on the English Jacobean play The Witch of Edmonton by John Ford, Thomas Dekker and William Rowley. It first premiered in 2018

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. Right now I am crisis with my channel being removed so I could really use your support. 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 impossible to not love Hopebox’s Cinderella (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

People that are new to my content might not know that I love the story of Cinderella. In fact, when I first started my youtube channel one of the first things I did was review every iteration of Cinderella on film including the Disney Channel version with Brandy and Whitney Houston from 1997. Here’s a playlist with all of my Cinderella content over the years:

That Brandy Cinderella is based on the Rodgers & Hammerstein Cinderella and it was originally written for TV with Julie Andrews in 1957 and then with Lesley Ann Warren in 1965. It had a new book in the 2013 Broadway revival (sometimes called the Topher version,) and I adore any chance I have to see it on the stage. The latest staging of Cinderella is at Hopebox and big surprise: I loved it!

If you are new to Hopebox they have a wonderful mission where each production has a Wall of Hope Recipient who is fighting cancer and the company fundraises for this recipient throughout the production. If you ever get a chance to see closing night at Hopebox it is a wonderful experience where the recipient if possible is there and they have a ceremony of sorts. It’s a lovely community moment.

One of the challenges at Hopebox is their stage is so small- almost feeling like a black box at times. This can make shows like Cinderella difficult that have elements of magic or whimsy to pull off. Director Marinda Maxfield and set designer Ashley Collins-Dowse have overcome these challenges with a hand-painted set that helps the audience feel like they are stepping into an animated film. It looked like they might have been inspired by the great Mary Blair who helped animated the Disney classic Cinderella from 1950. They were kind enough to let me take a picture in front of the carriage and I wasn’t the only one who wanted to do this! It’s adorable and the only shame is that it isn’t on stage for very long given how cute it is. Ashley actually told me that she was tired of seeing AI in community theater sets and wanted to do something real (Hopebox is usually pretty good about avoiding AI) and she really delivered. I love the panels that could be easily moved back and forth to create the different settings- all hand painted in the cartoony style. What a wonderful, magical set! The costumes by Shelbi Rynor were also whimsical and bundled up in a way that made the quick transitions from work clothes to ballgowns in a small space possible.

Of course the cast in Cinderella has to have chemistry and deliver the fairytale with charm and grace and that’s what they do here. Jennica Johnson is everything you could want in a Cinderella- warm, kind, comforting. John Derington is her Prince Topher, and he needs to be! Emma Rosenlund is a hoot as Gabrielle, the nerdy stepsister in love with activist Jean-Michel played by David Loveland. Alexa Thomas probably gets my favorite song of the musical with “Stepsister’s Lament” as stepsister Charlotte and she’s a lot of fun in her exasperated villainy. Hillary McChesney is our evil stepmother and she camps it up having a good time with the role (I also loved her hair and she was the Wig Team for the show!)

The only part of the production at Hopebox that surprised me is the ensemble seemed small for this kind of fairytale musical. Maybe part of it is I just saw Anything Goes there and adored it and that cast was massive with dancers filling up the stage but this often the ensemble consisted of 3 or 4 actors. I’m not sure if they just didn’t have enough interest in Cinderella or what happened but it was surprising. I also thought it was a little strange that they didn’t have the mantle set for “In My Own Little Corner.” That makes the most sense to me rather than the overall kingdom set but that’s just me.

Cinderella is obviously a great show to take the family to. Kids will love it, and it would make for a fun date night as well. The wonderful mission of Hopebox makes for a production worth supporting. I loved it! It is playing through October 30th and tickets can be purchased here.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella was first written for television in 1957 starring Julie Andrews. The 1997 version starring Brandy had these same songs. In 2013 it came to Broadway with a new book by Douglas Carter Beane based on the French version of the fairytale Cendrillon. It starred Laura Osnes and Santino Fontana and was nominated for 9 Tony Awards.

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. Right now I am crisis with my channel being removed so I could really use your support. 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.

Cursed Child national tour delivers magical spectacle over story (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

Back in 2016 I read the printed play for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and I was underwhelmed. The story with Albus and Scorpius was weak and the plot point of Voldemort having a daughter makes no sense. Here is my review from that read (at the time I was reviewing all the movies on my channel)

With such weak source material I was honestly surprised when the Broadway production came out to rave reviews concluding with it winning 6 Tony awards including Best Play (in 2018.) Then the high school edition became available and while I loved the teens I was again not the biggest fan of the play itself (particularly the run time.)

The whole time this was all happening friends and family kept telling me ‘the Broadway spectacle is unbelievable’ and insisting I would like it when I saw the professional production.

Well, now I have seen the national tour and…

They are mostly right. The spectacle really is amazing to watch.

The production of this national tour is directed by John Tiffany and the way the set combines physical set pieces like staircases and frames with projection videos is seamless and magical. I’ve heard the Broadway stage is even more immersive but they bring out the best of the Eccles for this national tour experience (set design by Christine Jones and video by Finn Ross and Ash J Woodward.) But what really impressed even more than the big spectacle was the smaller visual effects. When fire would come out of a wand or people would transform into another person it almost feels like actual magic is happening before your eyes (illusions by Jamie Harrison.) I don’t know how they pull off certain effects like shooting fire across the stage multiple times!

Fortunately these visual effects are constant enough that it allows us to forget about the bland and uninteresting story they picked for some unknown reason for Harry’s son Albus to go through in this sequel. The fact this tale is 6 hours in London makes me want to die. I will definitely never be reviewing that version. I can promise you that much.

As weak as I think the story is I do actually think the teen versions are a little more poignant in selling the emotions of the father/son dynamic between Harry and Albus. Being actual teenagers I feel their pain a little more acutely than I did with the national tour. I also felt the actors playing Albus (Adam Grant Morrison) and Scorpius (David Fine) are a little shouty in delivering their lines. While this makes sense for the action sequences it was harder to be invested in the performances in what should be softer more tender moments. I wanted to say stop shouting and just talk. The rest of the cast is entertaining and up for the physical demands of the long show but my favorite is probably Ryan Hallahan as Draco Malfoy and Katherine Leask as Professor McGonagall.

I did attend the play with a friend who is a die-hard Harry Potter fan, and she liked it but agreed about the weaknesses of the story. Like I said, it is more a play to be enjoyed for the spectacle of it and the immersive experience rather than for the story or profundity of the message. I suppose your mileage may vary depending on how much you enjoy theatrical spectacle. I had a fun time but I think it’s a one-and-done experience for me and unless teens ask me to see their new productions I will probably check Cursed Child off of my theater bucket list and be done with it. Let me know if you see it what you think. It is playing at the Eccles through October 11th and tickets can be purchased here.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is written by Jack Thorne with a story by J.K. Rowling, Thorne and John Tiffany based on the Harry Potter novels by Rowling. It first premiered in 2016 in London with a Broadway production in 2018. That production was a two-parter over 6 hours in length which is still running in London. The current Broadway production is just under 2 hours like the national tour production I saw.

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. Right now I am crisis with my channel being removed so I could really use your support. 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.

‘Pride and Prejudice’ manages to feel fresh and new at The Ruth (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

One might call it a universal truth that I will always be excited about a production of Pride and Prejudice. I absolutely love the novel by Jane Austen and the stage adaptation by Melissa Leilani Larson is perfect (I also love all of the film adaptations. Yes all) That said, I did feel a little bit cynical when I saw The Ruth was putting it on again after just doing it in 2023. It felt a little bit like a cash grab when they could do something new and fresh (even from Austen); however, my cynicism was ill-founded and unwarranted. The good folks at The Ruth have not only put on a great production of Pride and Prejudice but they’ve found a way to make it feel fresh and new.

Believe it or not I have actually seen this production twice now because my friend Jacks was in town for our epic 5 shows in 2 days theater trip. I did not, however, see both casts. The only difference in my Saturday and Thursday casts is we saw the understudy for Darcy played by Dustin Parmley. I hope to be able to see the MWF cast eventually but 2 times in one week is certainly plenty even for this Jane Austen fangirl.

One of my favorite parts of The Ruth is their commitment to diversity and inclusion. Not only are they doing shows like Once on this Island and Ragtime but they are thinking outside the box for shows like Pride and Prejudice. For example, in the role of Mrs. Bennet, a character who is usually loud and overbearing, they cast a deaf actress Anne Post Fife. Director Kymberly Mellen has integrated sign language and characters sharing the lines of Mrs. Bennett; thereby, giving her a voice she might otherwise have. You also get to see the expression of the characters as they are reciting the lines of their mother.

My favorite part of this adaptation of Pride and Prejudice is how it gives voice to some of the scenes and characters that Austen leaves ambiguous. This is mostly done through letter writing but I love seeing, for example, what Darcy writes his sister while Caroline Bingley and Lizzie are taking a turn about the room. Another great scene I love is when Jane and Bingley are both writing letters to each other and then throwing them out because they are so miserable for each other.

Of course, we all know the key to a successful Jane Austen adaptation is the 2 leads and their chemistry. Like I said, one night I had the Darcy understudy, and he is excellent but the main single-cast actor for Darcy is James Carter who I had previously seen in the role at Centerpoint Legacy last year. He captures beautifully the shy yet brooding charm which has become the most popular way to portray Darcy of late. He also has great chemistry with Lauren Pope who is our Lizzie. She is an actress that captures the emotion of scenes in an authentic genuine way. When she gets the news of Lydia, for example, it feels like she is truly weeping.

The rest of the cast is strong with Sydney Claire Olson standing out as a single cast Lydia and Parley Lambert as Wickham. Kim Abunuwara also practically steals the show as Lady Catherine de Bourgh. I particularly like she decides to sing terribly with Lizzie at the piano. It makes sense a woman like herself would think she’s a great singer even though she clearly is not.

I do think the play felt a little longer for some reason than other times I’ve seen this adaptation. It is nearly 3 hours at The Ruth which is a long sit even for this huge Austen reader. Also, while I applaud the integration of a hearing impaired actor as Mrs. Bennet it did lead to some confusion. I was never entirely sure if this is an accommodation for the actor to participate or is the character meant to be deaf.

The reason it is unclear is there are long stretches such as her long conversation with Mr Collins where he doesn’t sign and then other times when she is dubbed by the other actors. Also Darcy still overhears Mrs. Bennet talking and gossiping which would be harder to do with the signing. I believe the Mrs. Bennet character is the same as in the story portrayed by a deaf actor, not that the character is deaf but if any of the readers have seen it I’d love your read on the character. Also I may be unclear on this but doesn’t it seem odd to not have an ASL interpreter at all of the shows when you have deaf castmembers? I would think the likelihood of deaf family and friends would be much higher for something like this so a signer might have been nice.

Regardless I appreciate The Ruth trying something new and fresh for this story. Austen fans will adore it like I did. The costumes are outstanding by Brenda Van Der Wiel with hair and makeup by Shannon Hutchins. Pride and Prejudice is playing through November 7th but it’s selling out so don’t miss your chance to see it buy purchasing tickets here. It’s a romantic, heartfelt, and classic night of community theater for sure!

Pride and Prejudice is adapted by Melissa Leilani Larson based on the classic novel by Jane Austen. This was commissioned by Brigham Young University in 2013 and first produced in 2014.

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 elementary to enjoy Moriarty at Hale (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

Growing up my Dad was a big fan of Sherlock Holmes as a character and particularly the BBC Granada series starring Jeremy Brett (if you haven’t seen it it’s fantastic and available to watch on amazon prime) I also am a big fan of The Great Mouse Detective from Disney and the first season of Sherlock as well as other iterations of the character. For these reasons I’ve been highly looking forward to Hale Center Theatre’s latest production of Moriarty (yes I’m aware the official title is Ken Ludwig’s Moriarty but I’m not writing that every time. Sorry Mr Ludwig.) Fortunately for this Holmes-head it did not disappoint.

The biggest standout to this production is the incredible set (set designer Jenn Taylor & Madeline Ashton) that transforms before our eyes with ease. The main set has exaggerated panels that can be folded in and flipped over to use both sides to create different rooms. They even at one point turn the stage into the Reichenbach Falls which are iconic in the Holmes stories. The set almost has a literary quality as if when they flip the panels over it is turning a page in the classic novels (I especially loved a boat that flips around to become a carriage. Ingenious!) This is mainly an adaptation of A Scandal in Bohemia mixed with The Final Problem and a few others added for fun. With this combination the play combines a lot of action and memorable characters like Irene Adler and the villainous Professor Moriarty (as the title of the play implies.)

Director Ryan Simmons has gathered a terrific cast that are just over the top enough to be fun without leaning too far into the camp. It never feels silly or like a comedy but it has a playful energy to it. Adam Packard is endearing as Sherlock and he banters well with Morgan Gunter as his sidekick Dr Watson. Packard also has delightful chemistry with Amber Dodge’s Adler. The Concord Theatricals page for this show says it has 5 actors playing 40 roles but here at Hale they have 7. The ensemble includes Bryan Dayley, Claire Kenny, Danny Kenny, and Bryson Smellie. Dayley is particularly impressive with his elaborate costume changes playing 6 roles including Mycroft Holmes, Inspector Lestrade, and Professor Moriarty all with different accents and personas. I saw him playing the D’Ysquith family in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder years ago. He’s incredible at playing different roles in the same show.

Even though the program says it is 2 hours I was in my car recording my reaction by 8:30 so it is under 90 minutes. While sometimes I feel cheated by a show with a brief runtime I didn’t mind it here. Where something like Six feels like I’m only getting half a show here it is full experience and nothing feels truncated or not fleshed out enough. Ken Ludwig knows how to put together a crowd-pleasing show and that’s what he does here. I think this is a lot better than his other take on Sherlock Holmes called The Game’s Afoot which is too meta for its own good (I felt cheated out of a Sherlock story with that one.)

The rest of the technical team behind Moriarty at Hale are first rate with costumes that can handle quick changes by Joy Zhu, lighting by Marianne Ohran, and sound by Kristin Tenney to name a few (by the way I love how many women are working on this production at Hale.) Because there is a little bit of romance along with the mystery and adventure Moriarty is also a play that should appeal to both men and women equally making it a great choice for date night.

Because I love musicals so much it might be a surprise to hear that of the 3 shows currently at Hale Ken Ludwig’s Moriarty is my favorite (My reviews for Our Town and Joseph.) It’s a super fun night at the theater that you and your family will love. While it is playing through November 14th I’d get your tickets now as it is sure to sell out. Tickets can be purchased here.

Ken Ludwig’s Moriarty is written by of course Ken Ludwig based on the classic detective short stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It first premiered at the Cleveland Playhouse in 2023.

I need your help!  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.

‘John Henry vs the Robot’ is as original as it sounds at Great Hall Theatrics (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

While I am not the most experimental of theatergoers I do enjoy seeing new original productions especially ones from local talent that I can hopefully nurture and support. Such is the opportunity at Great Hall Theatrics with their new original musical John Henry vs The Robot. While this production is not perfect it won me over with its creativity and heart.

The idea behind this comedy is quite clever. In practically a one-man show by Stephen Gashler (he is responsible for book, music, lyrics, producing, directing, and much more) he takes the classic folk hero John Henry and transports him to modern times where he confronts a Mach 21 robot a family has recently adopted. This is a smart take on the folktale because John Henry’s entire story is a tragic confrontation with steam powered machinery. He also creates an appealing counter-balance to the seemingly perfect robot character.

I know people think something has to be a musical to succeed, but I do think this story might have worked better as a straight play. The music didn’t add much to the overall message and without it we could have used the time to dive more into the themes and potentially problematic elements of an 1840s John Henry confronting a modern 2026. In this production John Henry is played by Dorsey Williams and he completely looks the part of the mythical figure. I also appreciate how physical a performance he gives. Several times he is thrown to the stage, which makes him seem all the more commanding when he rises back up to confront the robot.

Tiffany Davis plays Polly, the single Mom who takes John Henry in when her son Bobby finds him by the train tracks. Christopher Doubleday gives my favorite performance as the robot Mach 21. He is funny and gets that synthetic robot voice just right (also does a good Sean Connery imitation!) I also appreciate they kept the robot pretty likable. There really isn’t a villain in this piece.

A good comparison as far as the plot of this show would be the Thor movies over at Marvel. Basically there you have a character of mythological strength confronting modern culture and falling in love. They even both have hammers. Davis has the best singing voice of the cast and gets the best song of the night with “Multidimensional Mom” and “Against the Currents of Time.” Some of the other singing was not the strongest, but I’m inclined to be forgiving for a piece with so much originality.

The set is effective with 2 stories and a painted forest background that allows them to go from the different timelines without any scene changes. Most of the costumes fit the roles quite well except for a suitcoat they give John for his date with Polly that was so oversized I’m thinking it was intentional although the purpose behind that choice was lost on me. It was also quite warm in the Angelus Theatre making the experience more taxing than it might have otherwise been. The spotlight also seemed to wander across the stage and was a little messy.

I also think it is a bit of a mistake to have John Henry confront modern times and not address the race issue at all. I get this is a family comedy but a man like him would have all kinds of emotions and feelings especially when it comes to courting a white woman like Polly. I am sure it’s challenging writing about these themes but it feels disingenuous to not mention them at all.

That said, there is a lot of good here in this quirky little musical at Great Hall Theatrics. I can guarantee you this- you won’t see anything quite like it in Utah this year and there’s something to be said for that. John Henry vs the Robot playing through August 29th and tickets can be purchased here.

John Henry vs the Robot is created by Stephen Gashler and it is based on the classic folktale of John Henry which originated in the 1840s. He was known as the “steel-driving man” who confronts a steel drill and is driven to exhaustion. The actual man the legend was based on was born in 1848, and he did not actually die of exhaustion like the myth would have us believe. For more information on John Henry click here.

I need your help!  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.

A classic story told well with Creekside’s Persuasion (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a huge Jane Austen fan, and I jump for any chance I get to see one of her novels on the screen or stage. Persuasion has always been a difficult one to adapt because the heroine is more introspective and most of the romantic action happens off-page with it being a classic case of second chance romance. This is why I love many of the choices made by playwright Melissa Leilani Larson in her adaptation of Persuasion, and I enjoyed getting the chance to see it at Creekside Theatre Festival this year.

The smartest choice Larson makes in her script for Persuasion is she has 2 sets of actors cast as the leads Captain Wentworth and Anne- both a young and older version of the couple. This helps the audience become attached to the pair and their relationship in a way the novel is able to do through backstory and exposition but needs a visual manifestation for a play to be effective. I liked both sets of actors at Creekside with Eden Bostrom and Anne Madsen as our Annes and Christian Wawro and Ian Hadfield as our Wentworths.

The cast overall is large and strong in this Persuasion even if they had to overcome some occasional opening night jitters. I particularly enjoyed Isabelle Purdie as sister Mary who is one of Austen’s most obliviously self-absorbed characters. Purdie has good comic timing and captures the exasperating cluelessness of her character very well.

Director Jon Liddiard has made the decision to bring the audience forward at the Liahona by setting up office chairs on the stage to watch the show from. I didn’t mind this approach although it would be nice to get some kind of notice of this type of seat so I could bring some support for my back. Also I’m not sure if it is the stage lights but it does get quite warm on the stage which can make the play feel longer than it actually is.

Maybe I missed something but I also don’t understand what the point of the hanging chairs is for the story? I suppose it is because Anne has been waiting for Wentworth all these years but it just struck me as strange. In addition, there are times when Liddiard could have staged things differently for a better view of the action on stage particularly with the letter writing. If these actors had been in the back of the stage instead of in a front corner with their backs to us everyone would have seen them better.

Costumes are of course an important part of any period piece and I really enjoyed what designer Jen Christensen came up with for this production. The dress for Hillary Straga’s Lady Russell is especially pretty, and I like that both Annes and Wentworths have similar clothing in color and style to add to the feeling of them being the same characters.

For those that are less devoted to Austen and period pieces the pacing may be challenging. They are also attempting to do the play without microphones which mostly worked fine but there were moments particularly when the loud rotating stage was moving that were difficult to understand and hear. Still, for those of us that love this story it’s a wonderful adaptation put on by a talented group of actors. Persuasion at Creekside is playing through June 29th at the main Liahona stage. Tickets can be purchased here. Usually Austen adaptations do so well in Utah so we clearly need to get the word out on this one! (I would also not recommend getting seats on the South side because there are windows frequently present on that side that would obstruct the view a lot.)

Persuasion is based on the novel by Jane Austen, which was the final of her 6 books to be published. This adaptation is by Melissa Leilani Larson

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.

Outstanding acting is reason to see New World’s The Seagull (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

One of my favorite parts of being a theatre patron is the variety of experiences I get to have. I love a big grand musical like I saw on Thursday with Hale Center Theatre’s My Fair Lady, but I also love the experience I had Saturday night at a small black box production of The Seagull put on by New World Shakespeare Company. While a long Anton Checkhov play won’t be for everyone I’d recommend seeking out this production for the insanely high quality acting alone but also for the immersive and memorable experience you will be treated to.

This is my second time seeing The Seagull and I was struck like the last time with the humor it has. One expects a Russian treatise like this to be dark and solemn and it has those moments but it also has quite a bit of humor. This makes the characters feel more real and human.

If you are new to the material, The Seagull follows a group of artists who seemingly have nothing in common but the desire to create things. Irina (Amber Heinrich) is given number one listing on the call sheet but it is a true ensemble piece. She is an actor who prioritizes her career over relationships including her son Konstantin (Jackson Eastmond) who she gives patronizing affection to. Konstantin is in love with a young actress named Nina (Kate Potter) who then is in love with writer Boris (Zach Reynolds.) And that’s only the start. There are a lot of characters in this play and they are all superbly acted at New World. Since they did the adaptation I do wonder why they didn’t trim it down a little bit as every character didn’t feel necessary but they are very well performed.

The production elements are simple in the black box space with a few props and a backdrop for each of the 4 acts (set design by Blayne Wiley.) Director Shea Potter smartly doesn’t complicate things but let’s his strong cast shine.

As far as downsides to The Seagull it is a long sit at 3 hours. Sitting on those office chairs for that long is pretty brutal so I would recommend bringing a cushion if you can remember. Either way you have to be ready for a long, slow moving drama. The characters aren’t super likable and it can be on the depressing side.

Fortunately you have almost a month to see this play so there’s no excuse to miss it. It is playing until June 27th and worthy of your time for the acting alone. Tickets to New World Shakespeare can be purchased here.

The Seagull is a play written by Anton Chekhov. This adaptation was done by Elise C Hansen. It was first performed in 1896 in Russia.

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