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Utah Theatre Log 11/25-12/14 (She Loves Me, Elf) (Rachel’s Theatre Log 227)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hello theatre lovers. I hope you are having a wonderful December and getting in those wonderful holiday themed shows. Most of what I have seen have been my full detailed reviews as a critic; however, I do have 2 shows I attended as a patron I’d love to catch you all up on. Make sure you are following my instagram for out of show reactions to every show and movie I see (plus other fun content.) I did recently see my 200th show for 2025, which I think is a cool accomplishment for a busy critic like myself. Thanks to all the companies who have let me view their work. It’s something I never take for granted.

She Loves Me- Lehi Arts Council, Lehi

I was thrilled when I found out Lehi Arts Council (one of my favorite arts councils) was putting on She Loves Me for the holidays which is one of my favorite shows. I was even more thrilled when I found out Josh Egbert is playing George because he’s a wonderful local actor. Fortunately the production did not disappoint and it’s one I highly recommend seeing in its final week coming up.

Camilla Curtis plays Amalia and they tell the classic Perfumerie story of 2 coworkers who hate each other in real life but are secretly falling in love over their pen pal letters. While their antics play out on stage we are treated to wonderful songs and a delightful cast including Madison Fitzgerald as Illona and Ed Eyestone as Mr Maraczek (the only time I’ve seen Maraczek with an accent, which is perfect because the musical is supposed to be set in Budapest.) I was particularly impressed with how the cast brought out the humor of the piece making me laugh with their comedic timing and chemistry together. It’s not even a show I think of as particularly funny, but they sold every humorous interaction. Curtis and Egbert have terrific chemistry and they make a couple we are rooting for throughout the story.

She Loves Me at Lehi Arts is directed by Brett Jamison and he makes use of every inch of the tiny space at the center making beds work for multiple scenes or having the store be easy to move around and manipulate into other scenes like the restaurant scene. I loved She Loves Me at BYU last month but this is wonderful as well and well worth your time. It is playing through December 20th and tickets can be purchased here.

Elf: The Musical- Draper Historic Theatre, Draper

Meanwhile over at Draper Historic they are putting on a different fun bubbly holiday musical- Elf. If you have seen the feature film starring Will Farrell than you will enjoy the musical adaptation. It sticks pretty close to the movie with of course songs added in. The songs I think are fairly uninspired but they get the job done I suppose. (If you want to see a fun take on the material check out the underrated stop-motion animated special based on the musical. It’s really nostalgic.)

Anyway, the production in Draper Historic is everything I could want in a community staging of Elf. Director Derrick Cain gets the most out of the tiny stage and large cast. I saw the Twinkle Jingley cast (although it was labeled incorrectly in the program) and while Nathan Krist Janson is a lot of bubbly energy as Buddy (it didn’t feel like an imitation of Farrell which I always appreciate,) the entire Hobbes family stood out the most with Eric Smith as Walter, Katrina Smith as Emily and Sebastian Long as Michael. I particularly liked Katrina Smith and Long in “There is a Santa Claus” in act 2.

They use a lot of projections at this theatre (also designed by Cain) but they do a good job of using them to add to the immersion not as a cheap substitute for practical sets. For example having a screen of Central Park with Santa’s sleigh along with snow coming down and other practical elements adds to the effectiveness of the closing scene or at least doesn’t detract as projections sometimes can do.

I also really enjoyed the costumes by Brooke Holahan and the choreography by Yunnie Kim. Like I said, it’s amazing how much and how many people they get on to the stage in so many scenes. Elf is playing through December 20th at Draper Historic but you’ll have to try standby because it is sold out. The tickets are very affordable and I highly recommend getting a season pass to this wonderful community theater. You can find more information here.

So there you have it 2 quality shows to see this holiday season! Enjoy!

 She Loves Me has music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick with a book by Joe Masteroff. It is based on the Parfumerie play by Miklos Laszlo and first premiered on Broadway in 1963. Elf: The Musical has music by Matthew Sklar and lyrics by Chad Beguelin with a book by Bob Martin and Thomas Meehan based on the 2003 feature film. It first premiered on Broadway in 2010 and had a successful revival in 2024

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

Utah Shakespeare Festival 2025 Recap and Log

| Rachel's Reviews

Hi friends! This month I had the opportunity to attend The Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City. I was attending as a patron not as a critic so I am not reviewing what I saw there but I did cover them on my podcast.

I attended the festival with my friend Jacks and went with the Utah Theatre Lovers group which is a wonderful organization I highly recommend following on facebook and attending their events. We covered the whole experience on the OnStage Blog podcast episode you can see above (and on all the podcast platforms here)

Here’s a few quick thoughts about each of the shows I saw:

The Importance of Being Earnest

First up we had The Importance of Being Earnest written by Oscar Wilde and directed by Rodney Lizcano. The strength of this production is Sarah Shippobotham as Lady Bracknell (I really loved her in Steel Magnolias as well.) The costumes by Bill Black are also outstanding. That said this isn’t my favorite play. I’ve seen it a few times and I just don’t find it that funny and when I’m not laughing at a comedy I find it tedious. This was particularly true for this showing as I was tired after a long drive and struggled to pay attention. (Really the first day was hard for me but that’s on me not the performers.)

Macbeth

Next we had Macbeth and even though I was over-heated and not feeling well this was a really fun take on the classic Scottish drama! What particularly stood out is them including Hecate, the Greek goddess of magic and witchcraft which is usually cut out of the show. Not only is she included but it’s quite the spectacle with a giant bird apparatus that takes up most of the stage. This was so impressive that at times Macbeth and Lady Macbeth felt like a bit of an afterthought but it is still definitely fresh and innovative. Director John DiAntonio.

Steel Magnolias

The following morning I was better rested and we started the day with Steel Magnolias. I love this play and I saw a wonderful version of it earlier this year see review here. This is also an outstanding production and my favorite play I saw at the festival. The play is written by Robert Harling and directed by Melissa Maxwell and it lives and breathes on the chemistry of the women and them being able to play believable friends, which this cast does in spades. I particularly loved Olivia D. Dawson as M’Lynn and her final speech is devastating. If you have a chance to see Steel Magnolias take it. It’s such a good play.

Antony & Cleopatra

Our second Shakespearean play is the rarely performed Antony & Cleopatra. This is directed by Carolyn Howarth and I like that she leaned into the campy elements of the story. This is not a girl power take on Cleopatra, which some in our group were annoyed by but I didn’t mind it. there are times where the narrative can get a little confusing- probably because they had to cut a lot of the play to make it manageable but it still was sold with enough panache to have a good time with. Kathryn Tkel and Geoffrey Kent make for a convincing Harlequin-esque version of our leading couple. It’s campy fun.

Ken Ludwig’s Dear Jack, Dear Louise

Our final day of the festival started with a black box play called Dear Jack, Dear Louise which is a fictionalized account of how writer Ken Ludwig’s parents met writing letters in World War II. The lead couple are played by couple-in-real-life John DiAntonio and Caitlin Wise which I think helps them to be able to have chemistry despite never meeting until the end of the show. Everything is very cleverly staged by director Michael Perlman so that the 2 never make eye contact despite sharing a small stage together but they still manage to interact together. The only thing I wish I had was a few lines about how they were matched as pen pals to get begin with but this type of romantic play is totally up my alley and I loved it.

As You Like It

The final show of our trip (we didn’t see A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder which I wasn’t too sad about because I’ve seen that show many times and I think it is just ok) was As You Like It. It’s a Shakespeare I think I had seen once before but am not overly familiar with like I am Macbeth or Twelfth Night. Overall I enjoyed it but it is not as funny as I thought it was going to be. In a lot of ways it reminded me of A Midsummer’s Night Dream. Both are about love and magic that happens in a forest and both have about the same level of humor. The only bummer for me about this production is the big wrestling match that everyone was excited about I couldn’t see well because of where the actors are placed. They basically blocked my view of the big spectacle moment of the show! Director Beth Lopes needs to consider the sightlines of the audience especially because those actors could have easily been further back on the stage. Still, the ensemble is very strong led by Kayland Jordan as Rosalind. The Orlando played by Gabriel W Elmore is exactly what you want for a leading man role like Orlando.

So that’s the festival. If you got to attend this year let me know what you got to see and what you enjoyed. They have an incredible line-up planned for next year so hopefully I will be able to get back down there. It’s always a highlight of my theatrical year.

The whole festival gets a Go See It!

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

CHAC’s The Lightning Thief is as Electrifying a Production as Possible (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

This last weekend I had the chance to see a new production of The Lightning Thief by the incredible Cottonwood Heights Arts Council and even though I find the material they had to work with weak they put on a very strong piece of community theatre.

Of course, The Lightning Thief is a musical based on the books by Rick Riordan and it tells the story of Percy Jackson the teen kid who much like Harry Potter finds out he is special and even goes to a special school (or camp) that helps instruct the half-blood children of the Greek Gods.

The biggest problem with this show is the book of the musical is very weak. The narrative is choppy without a clear focus and characters are introduced and then forgotten about and then brought back out of nowhere. The scenes have little cohesive flow to them and aside from Percy the character development is confusing and poor.

All that said, the team at CHAC did everything they could to make this flawed show engaging and artistically interesting. It was a big step up from the last production of this show I saw in basically every aspect- from the acting, to the directing, to the singing. If you are a fan of this musical (which I know especially young people and fans of the books are out there) then you will love this production.

What impressed me the most is the control of the story director Lauri Baird is able to bring to an ungainly script. I love how she makes every scene visually interesting with elements like puppetry, action and dance (members of the Aerobatics Circus Center perform.) This helps so much because even if I’m a bit lost on what is happening with poor Percy I can still be entertained with what is occurring on stage.

I also found Garrett Stephenson to be a strong lead as Percy with Kat Tietjen and Austinn Le relishing the chance to take on many over-the-top roles. They also have a live orchestra at CHAC (director Robert Bedont) so one really could not ask for more from a piece of community theatre. The choreography by Karllen Johnson is visually interesting and helped me understand the mythical characters that had previously been confusing.

Much like Footloose which I just reviewed at Hale Center Theatre, The Lightning Thief provides a lot of points of conversation for parents to talk with their teens. Plus like I said, this production is a way to introduce them to so many aspects of musical theatre including dance, instrumental music, puppetry and more. All this for under $15? It’s a no-brainer! It is playing through July 19th and tickets can be purchased here.

The Lightning Thief has music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki with a book by Joe Tracz based on the The Lightning Thief novel by Rick Riordan.

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.

UTAH THEATRE LOG 6/4/25-6/10/25 (Emma, The Sound of Music, Good Night and Good Luck) (RACHEL’S THEATRE LOG 144)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hi friends! It’s time to update you on some of the local theatre I’ve been watching. It’s a little different because I actually didn’t pay individually for any of the shows I’m talking about today but I was still in attendance as a patron not a critic so I think a shorter log is appropriate.

GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK- LIVE STREAM CNN, BROADWAY

I have not been able to make the New York trip I would have liked to in 2025 so I was thrilled when I heard the George Clooney led play Good Night, and Good Luck was going to be streaming live from the theater on Broadway. This is the first time in history a live Broadway performance has been simultaneously televised.

While I obviously haven’t seen the live performance I wonder if the pro-shot is is the ideal way to watch this play? The set appears to be quite sprawling as it recreates the CBS studios of Edward R Murrow and chronicles his confrontations with Senator Joseph McCarthy. I was also surprised with the little side plot between Shirley and Joe Wershba (Ilana Glazer and Carter Hudson.) It’s been a while since I have seen the movie and I forgot about their inclusion. Clark Gregg also plays the producer Don Hollenbeck and he and Clooney have nice chemistry. These additions help keep the play from feeling preachy and overbearing when especially towards the end it begins to feel heavy-handed. It seems like Clooney is playing a variation on himself but he does a good job with it. Overall I was entertained by this play and am grateful I got the chance to see it. More like this please! You can watch the movie version of Good Night and Good Luck here (ad)

EMMA- BLUFFDALE ARTS, BLUFFDALE

Everyone knows I’m a big Jane Austen person so I will jump at the chance to see any local production of her works- especially when said production is free! Every summer Bluffdale Arts puts on free plays for its community and I think that is a wonderful gift to offer those around you. I love it. This year they have Emma and then Charley’s Aunt coming next at the outdoor stage at Bluffdale City Hall and Park.

My favorite part of this production of Emma is how approachable it is. If you are someone who feels Jane Austen is stuffy and even boring (how dare you!) this staging might change your mind. None of the actors are taking themselves too seriously and they are quick to make a joke or give a wink to the audience. The standout in this regard is Kylee Summer as Miss Bates. Leah Allred is also very funny as the snobby Mrs Elton but the whole cast are charming and easy to find the humor in their scenes.

Elena Arana is a wonderful Emma and has terrific chemistry with Alex Grover’s Mr Knightley. The only real downside to this (did I mention it’s free) is that it is a long sit. The transitions between scenes are very slow and it was almost 3 hours by the time we finished. I love Austen so I was fine with it but it might try the patience of some guests and is something they could work on.

That said, director Melanie Gonzalez and her team have put together an enchanting theatrical gift for their community with Emma and it is playing through June 14th. More information can be found here. This adaptation is done by Michael Bloom.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC- DRAPER AMPITHEATER, DRAPER

Like Jane Austen, everyone also knows I’m a huge fan of The Sound of Music; although, I do think it is one of the rare musicals where the movie actually improves upon the stage version. Still, any time I get a chance to see it I’m a happy woman.

I recently had the chance to see The Sound of Music at the Draper Amphitheater and while it was not as good as I am used to seeing from them it was still a nice way to spend an evening in Draper.

This production is directed by Robin Edwards and contains everything you could want from The Sound of Music– cute kids, charming songs and a brave captain standing up to Nazis. Tyler Oliphant is fantastic as Captain von Trapp and Serena Mackerell has a nice chemistry with the kids as Maria. Speaking of the kids they are all very cute especially in songs like “So Long, Farewell.”

I suppose if there is any disappointment it’s only because the other productions I am used to seeing at Draper Ampitheater have felt more polished and less of a community theater vibe. I was especially impressed with their Hairspray a couple years ago. This The Sound of Music is more of an amateur production but that’s fine. It’s still a cute enjoyable piece of theatre. It is playing through June 14th and tickets can be purchased here.

Good Night and Good Luck is written by George Clooney and Grant Heslov based on their film of the same name. Emma is based on the novel by Jane Austen and adapted by Michael Bloom. The Sound of Music has music by Richard Rogers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II with a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse.

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

‘Alice By Heart’ is a Weird Mixture of War and Wonderland at West Valley Arts (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

As a patron of the arts even more than a critic I want companies to take risks and try bold and ambitious new productions. That said it doesn’t always mean those risks pay off, and I end up loving the finished product. This is now the second time I have seen the musical Alice by Heart. The first time was at Weber State University last Fall and now West Valley Arts has taken it on and it’s a decidedly mixed bag.

Not to over-compare productions but one thing that made the Weber State piece better is they created the atmosphere and feel of a wartime bunker more effectively. I keep feeling like WVA isn’t picking shows that use the theater-in-the-round set up they have to its advantages. Shows like this, A Chorus Line and A Play That Goes Wrong do not benefit from the immersive nature this stage has to offer. In fact, those shows in particular are actively hurt by this stage.

For Alice by Heart director Brooklyn Pulver Kohler doesn’t use the platforms in the audience at all failing to give much of an atmosphere or tone to a source material that desperately needs it for the mixture of war and nonsense to work. It leaves the audience alone to guess and try to figure out what is happening to the characters or even where the scenes are taking place (and we only have an electronic program so no help there.)

I feel like I am coming across too harshly on this review because there are things to like in this production. The talent is all there, and I appreciate the choreography by Emily Henwood and the creative costumes particularly for the Queen of Hearts (Rachel Mardis) by Tabitha Sublette although I would still say the Weber State team did a better job combining WW2 and Wonderland aesthetics even in the costumes.

The songs are largely forgettable and while Ivy Dunbar Jones has a good belt her performance as Alice feels one-note and shouty without any softness or sense of calibration to what she is facing. It’s all loud, loud, loud and that can be exhausting. The best number of the show is “Isn’t it a Trial” which makes the most of the various pieces all working together as Alice is on trial with the Queen of Hearts.

Still, if you are looking for something different that takes some risks than I’d recommend supporting Alice by Heart. I wish I loved it, but I appreciate the swing and hope they keep on experimenting at WVA. It is playing through June 28th and tickets can be purchased here.

Alice by Heart contains music by Duncan Sheik, lyrics by Steven Sater and a book by Sater and Jesse Nelson.

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.

‘DOGFIGHT’ IS A GOOD LOOKIN START TO SENTINEL THEATRE (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

It’s always an exciting event when a new theatre company enters the Utah theatre scene and it is even more exciting when they do so with a bold ambitious choice that I’ve never seen before. Such is the case with the debut production of Dogfight from Sentinel Theatre at the Valentine Theater in American Fork. The mature content of this show won’t be for everyone but if up for the challenging material the audience will be richly rewarded. What a triumphant start to a new company, and I can’t wait to see what they do next (which is Bright Star so of course I’m thrilled about that!)

I first heard about Dogfight from a friend of mine on my podcast and especially it being the first music of now EGOT winners Benji Pasek and Justin Paul I was intrigued (book by Peter Duchan.) It tells the story of 3 soldiers in 1963 that are heading to the Vietnam War with a stop-over in San Francisco after basic training. The trio decides to enter a ‘dogfight’ competition where they all try to bring the ugliest girl they can find to a party to be judged. This pushes Eddie Birdlace into the company of a girl named Rose who may not appreciate the cruel joke the soldiers are playing.

If that plot feels too dark and cynical it may not be your cup of tea but we are dealing with foolish young people and the harsh realities of war so dark and cynical is not inappropriate. There are enough moments of humanity within the material to give hope and keep me engaged throughout.

The cast at Sentinel are all outstanding with Adam Moore as Birdlace and Sam Bennett and Nathan Bowser as Bernstein and Boland. They have a believable chemistry and they are all complex characters that do a mixture of good and bad things (like most humans even without the threat of war looming over us.) Moore is a very gifted singer but he also is endearing enough for us to not completely hate him for what he is doing to Rose (she also slaps him in the face which is more than deserved.)

Rose is played by Alison Gordon and she is wonderful at playing shy and awkward teenager. I like that she is insecure but never a complete pushover. River Robinson is also terrific as Marcy and I particularly enjoyed a duet she does with Rose called “Dogfight.” She is very funny in the role but also captures the deeper cynicism needed to teach the boys a lesson.

The whole team at Sentinel deserves praise for the thrilling production. Director Andrew Jefferies has left no detail unattended. I love how the actors are constantly moving with the entire large stage being used. Caleb Wallengren does mesmerizing work with the lighting and sound design creating everything from a simple diner, to a party, to a war with explosions and gunfire. The costumes by Kristin Christensen are period accurate from everything I know (I’m not a military expert but they appeared correct.) Liz Whittaker continues her incredible work across this valley as the intimacy coordinator (I found it very impressive thanks to Moore and Gordon that the intimacy scenes worked as well as they did when things are so cruel at the party.)

As far as critique my main feedback would be for the leads to try and enunciate a little bit better. I know it’s hard when doing accents but there were times when I had a hard time understanding the dialogue and was a little confused. I didn’t even realize what the dogfight actually was until the dance contest started. I think I missed something in the earlier dialogue that should have given me a clue.

Like I said, I know Dogfight will not be for everyone but I hope enough people take a chance on something bold and new to encourage Sentinel to keep going and producing more theatre. As theatre patrons it’s exactly the kind of ambitious work we should be promoting and supporting and I hope all my readers see it. It is playing through April 12th and tickets can be purchased here.

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

‘LIFE OF PI’ INCREDIBLE PUPPETRY AND VISUALS MAKE IT A HIGHLIGHT OF THE ECCLES SEASON (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

Typically I am not a style over substance girl when it comes to live theatre (or film for that matter.) If the story doesn’t impress me usually it doesn’t matter how visually impressive a production is. I say usually because there is an exception to every rule. Such is the case with the national tour of Life of Pi playing at Eccles until April 6th. The story is fine and has its thoughtful moments but the visuals including the puppetry are unforgettable.

At its core Life of Pi is a simple survival story. An Indian young man named Pi gets shipwrecked as his family is fleeing India with their zoo animals. Eventually he ends up (in one variation at least) on a boat with a bengal tiger named Richard Parker. This is based on the book by Yann Martel and was adapted to the stage by Lolita Chakrabarti. Readers may also be familiar with the Oscar winning film by director Ang Lee released in 2012. Chakrabarti tries to bring a lot of spirituality and existentialism into the script but a lot of that felt cloying and clunky where it was trying to be sincere.

The aspects of the script that worked better for me were the alternate realities and when things become practically a horror show with events getting very dark for poor Pi. These sections felt more fresh than the bland new age spirituality of the supposedly profound moments.

Anything lacking in the script is more than made up for in the mesmerizing visuals. It’s hard to throw something at me I’ve never seen (especially in a play!) but these animal puppets are jaw dropping. The puppeteers are unbelievable. They create the feeling of a real animal everything from the movements of the muscles to the sound of the animals breathing. They even have a giraffe for a small scene at the beginning that took my breath away.

Taha Mandviwala is also outstanding as Pi. He understands the physicality of the role and is up for the emotional range required to go through a 227 day marooned at sea struggle. The other elements brought together by director Max Webster are outstanding and one can hardly help but get caught up in the drama of what is happening. I loved the lighting by Tim Deiling and Tim Lutkin and the way projections were carefully used to further the story and make nature a real character in the piece beyond just the animals. There are some strobe lights used to create lightning and other effects that might be hard for some people but they totally helped me get engrossed in what was happening with poor Pi on this boat!

I almost didn’t need the callouts to God and religion with this story. Sheer survival and the test of the human spirit is enough to think about and ponder. How far would you go if tested and desperate? What kind of person do you want to be and what is the difference between human and animal natures. That’s enough without bringing in 3 faiths for Pi to juggle.

In the end, however, squabbles with the script didn’t keep me from having a great time at Life of Pi and giving it a strong recommendation. It’s a stunning work of theatrical art that one has to see to believe. It is playing through April 6th and tickets can be purchased here.

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks. Please take a look here.

‘NEXT TO NORMAL’ IS ANYTHING BUT NORMAL AT HART (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

There are some musicals that are entertaining and there are others that are enriching. What I mean by that is some are a fun escape from your problems but others are a grueling look into those problems. Next to Normal is definitely the latter. It’s deep dive into mental illness and the effects it has on a family are brutal but not without value. Suffice it to say it’s not a musical I can watch every day but I’m glad when I get the chance to see it (I’ve seen it 3 times in recent years.) The most recent production I saw was at Hart Theatre Company at the Regent Street Black Box and it was an outstanding show. Unfortunately I saw it closing night but it cemented Hart as one of the top 3 theatre companies working in Utah today and an amazing bang for your buck.

If you haven’t seen it Next to Normal tells the story of Diana, a woman with severe bipolar disorder and how that illness impacts her husband Dan and daughter Natalie. At Hart Diana is played with great passion and skill by Natalia Noble. Sam Torres is Natalie but the performance I most appreciated is Benjamin Henderson as Dan. Some other interpretations I’ve seen have been rather one-note on Dan. Painting him as some kind of patriarchal beast but I felt director Chase Ramsey and Henderson’s performance brought as much humanity to Dan as they could. After all, he is trying to keep his vows and love a rather unlovable person. He is dishonest with her and completely out of his depths in dealing with her condition but it is a character I feel a lot of sympathy for in spite of his flaws (would most of us do much better? That’s the power in the play to make you ask these questions.)

Being in a small black box it’s remarkable how much Hart was able to do in the space including having a full live band (conductor/piano Nicholas Maughan). They also have the 2-story set with rope lighting that is traditional with Next to Normal. My favorite visual moment of the show was “Wish I Were Here” to open act 2. The lighting and dance (lighting design Michael Gray) used to portray both shock therapy and drug addiction was arresting to say the least and very well executed by Torres and Noble.

Joseph Paul Branca plays the son Gabe and he has a terrific singing voice for some of the best songs like “I’m Alive” and “I’ve Been” (which Henderson was also mesmerizing in.) I don’t think there is any relation but Branca and Noble actually looked a lot like which helped make things feel all the more real. The interesting thing about Noble’s performance is I started to resent her as the story goes on. Resent her for what she’s doing to her family and marriage and I haven’t really felt that when seeing Next to Normal before. I think this is intentional and something that made me think about how we judge people who are suffering. Can we only feel compassion for likable people? When she makes her choice at the end of the piece you feel relieved for Natalie and Dan (and even Diana) and I don’t know that I’ve had quite that response to the end of this show before. It left me pondering long after I left the theater.

The other question that’s interesting in Next to Normal is if our pain is debilitating is it better we forget it? There’s no easy answers to such questions but I appreciated Hart Company for helping me ask them with their arresting production. It’s too bad this run has completed but as I said earlier keep Hart on your radar as next up is another compelling show about marriage- The Last Five Years. More information can be found here.

Next to Normal premiered on broadway in 2009 and has music by Tom Kitt, book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey,

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. Please take a look here.

TEENS SHINE IN AMERICAN HERITAGE’S AMBITIOUS ‘PRIDE AND PREJUDICE’ (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

Everyone who knows me knows how much I love the works of Jane Austen including most of the stage adaptations (not the biggest fan of the musicals but I’m a sucker for most everything else.) I particularly love the two Jane Austen adaptations for stage by playwright Melissa Leialani Larson and will see whomever is putting it on. It is for these reasons I jumped at the chance to see teens at the American Heritage School: Salt Lake Campus take on her adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. This is an extremely ambitious production for a high school to take on and they did a fantastic job executing it.

There are a lot of very impressive aspects of what American Heritage is doing with this play. First of all it is long and full of old-English language that might be challenging for teens. Most of the time teens do shorten versions of musicals and plays like Hadestown and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child both with teen editions. With this version of Pride and Prejudice, however, the teens do the full story which is no easy a task.

The stage that director Micole Mayfield is working with is small but set designers Kami and Justin Burnett have made the space work with platforms with frames for the actors to perform monologues behind or comment on the action that is happening. The transitions between scenes could be a little smoother but that’s all part of the learning experience for the teens.

As I said it is very impressive how confident the teens are with the large amounts of dialogue they had to learn. I enjoyed the entire cast but the standouts are probably Rylee Rubschlager as Mrs Bennet and Cannon Rockwood as William Collins. They are both very funny in their roles. This version of Pride and Prejudice has Darcy as more awkward than outright rude and Will Smith captures that energy well with Mary Anderson complimenting him nicely as Elizabeth (Lizzy) Bennet.

Here is an interview with playwright Melissa Leilani Larson

If they are looking for an area to improve I would say the costumes are a little all over the place. Some feel regency like with Mrs Bennet’s dress, then others seem almost Puritan with Lady Catherine’s dress, and finally others like Lizzy’s dress seem like prom dresses. I do appreciate they worked to make the hair accurate with long curls and up-dos but with such simple sets the costumes are pretty essential to setting the time and place, so that could be better. I also worry about picking a show without ensemble scenes. I know this is a smaller school but hopefully everyone who wanted to participate got the chance (I believe in no cuts high school theatre wherever possible.)

That said this production of Pride and Prejudice is free and would make for a great family activity. You not only would be supporting these wonderful teens but introducing the family to theatre and Jane Austen for no cost! It is definitely worthy of your time but act quickly as the last show is March 22nd. Tickets can reserved here.

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks. Please take a look here.