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‘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.

‘BETWEEN THE LINES’ SURPRISES AT THE EMPRESS (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

As much as I love seeing the classics of musical theatre it’s also exciting when I get the chance to see something new and fresh. Such was the opportunity I had this week at The Empress Theatre with their new production of Between the Lines. I had never heard of this musical but evidently it had an off-Broadway run back in 2022. While it doesn’t reinvent the wheel I found it to be a charming coming of age story the whole family will enjoy.

While watching Between the Lines I couldn’t help but think of a few other shows that try to do a similar thing. In particular I thought about Freaky Friday which I have also seen at The Empress (among other places.) Both shows are about a mother and daughter and both interweave fantastical elements into a modern story. The problem with Freaky Friday is some of the ideas feel more awkward than effective, and I genuinely think Between the Lines gets the balance of tones right with more effective songs.

The story for this musical revolves around a teen named Delilah who is frustrated at school and dealing with her parents divorce at home. Her escape from these problems is to dive into a novel and in particular fairytale stories with princesses and heroes. Her latest discovery is a book from the library called Between the Lines. As she reads the characters literally come alive for her and one day she even ends up inside the story of the book.

With there being a real and fantastical setting there allows to be a lot of different types of songs with the actors getting to play a variety of roles. For example, Dusti Mulder plays the mean girl Allie McAndrews in real life but then plays Princess Seraphima in the fantasy world. Director Austin Kimbell and his team make these changes come off with ease and the writers of the musical do a great job balancing the various tones. I’m particularly amazed how quickly the actors changed costume and hair for the different roles.

Ashley Bates and Alex Parkin lead the strong cast at the Empress as Delilah and Prince Oliver respectively. Parkin is particularly endearing as our frustrated prince who wants to be free from the confines of his book. The highlight for him singing-wise is “Something to Hold On to” and a nice duet with Delilah “In My Perfect World.” I also really enjoyed a number the librarian Ms Winx (Katelyn Johnson) sings called “Mr Darcy and Me.”

As much as I enjoyed Between the Lines at The Empress I do think it is a long sit and the creators would be smart to give it a good edit. There were also some microphone problems the night I attended but nothing that hurt my overall experience. Some of the actors could work on enunciating better- something particularly important as these are all unfamiliar songs for the audience. At the end of the day I’d say it’s one of the more entertaining shows I’ve seen at The Empress and definitely worth your time. It is playing through March 15th and tickets can be purchased here.

Between the Lines has music and lyrics by Elyssa Samsel & Kate Anderson with a book by Timothy Allen McDonald & Jodi Picoult based on the novel by Jodi Picoult & Samantha van Leer

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.

‘HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD: TEEN EDITION’ DELIVERS THE MAGIC AT RIVERTON HIGH (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

Last fall I had the chance to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Teen Edition at a local high school and while I was impressed with the teens I did not like the play itself. After this experience I was hesitant to review the play again but when Riverton High School invited me I decided to give it another chance. While still not my favorite play I did like it more this time and was thoroughly impressed with this production.

What I always look out for in a high school production is how many students are involved and is the director getting the most out of those students. Director Clin Eaton and his team at RHS seem to be achieving this in spades as the ensemble is massive and as many students as possible are given lines and moments to act in the play. For example, one of my favorite sections of the play is a long stretch where a ton of the kids perform magic tricks for the audience. Not only did they all excel at their tricks but it makes me happy to see so many students getting their moment to shine.

In my previous review of Cursed Child I mentioned the heavy use of projections over traditional hand-made sets. While this is still the case at RHS I had less of an issue with it as the students were clearly involved in other aspects. I don’t mind projections, but I just don’t want it to be a replacement for the positive experience building sets and painting backgrounds is for teens and the opportunities for more teens to get involved. This production had almost no practical sets but the visual effects in flying, quick costume changes were enough creativity for me to be impressed in these areas.

As far as our cast they all are excellent with Cade Snarr and Carter Reid leading the cast as Scorpius Malfoy and Albus Potter respectively. Other standouts in the large cast are Taya Faragher as Delphi Diggory and Tyler Summer as Harry Potter. The dynamic between Harry and Albus is definitely something that teens and parents of teens will connect with and it is the best part of Jack Thorne’s unwieldly play (I can’t believe it is even longer on Broadway and in other formats!)

Like I said, the visual effects they use at RHS for this production are a ton of fun. In one scene not only are deatheaters flying all around the stage but they came into the audience and even landed on my shoulder. That is a ton of fun and is guaranteed to get young students excited about theatre, which is the whole point of high school theatre. While I saw Cursed Child on its closing night I’d definitely keep an eye out for RHS and what they are producing next because between this and Hadestown (which was maybe the best high school production I’ve seen) they are doing outstanding things at this high school’s drama department.

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.

‘WAIT UNTIL DARK’ DELIVERS THE THRILLS AT STAGE DOOR IN ST GEORGE (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

In the last few years I have tried to push myself when it comes to horror/thriller theatre. Recently I have seen such productions in the genre as Heathers: The Musical, Evil Dead: The Musical and Misery. All of these were outstanding experiences but the thriller I keep coming back to as my favorite is Wait Until Dark. This play written by Frederick Knott in 1966 may just be a perfect piece of theater. Perfectly paced, perfect characterization, perfect thrills (you get the idea.) So I was thrilled when I found out Stage Door Theater in St George (a company I’ve been wanting to check out for some time) was putting on Wait Until Dark while I was going to be in town for a quick trip. To my delight this is such a great production that anyone open for some thrilling entertainment will love.

The biggest aspect that makes this show work is the incredible cast. All are at the top of their game with Coy Andrew Shinn Jr standing out in a big and over-the-top take on the sinister Roat. Rebecca Wright is terrific as the blind lead protagonist Susan Hendrix and Aria Williams is very good as the young Gloria.

The strong cast is carefully directed by Trey Paterson with all the elements coming together to create peak suspense. He and scenic designer Joshua Scott have created a gritty-looking apartment with a window that allows for shadows of the people passing it to become an integral part of the story. We also get the set sufficiently dark when it needs to be and the bedroom doors are situated just right to allow for our big jump scare to give maximum impact.

Granted Wait Until Dark is almost always an easy win for me. I really do think it is a perfectly crafted play from Frederick Knott but if you are in the St George area I highly recommend this production from The Stage Door. It’s a real treat for the performances alone. Don’t miss it! It is playing through March 8th 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.

UTAH THEATRE LOG 2/7-2/13 (EMMA, LITTLE WOMEN, THE MUPPET SCRIPT ) (RACHEL’S THEATRE LOG 95)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hi theatre friends! I have 3 shows to update you with logs on. This weekend I have 4 shows I am doing full reviews on so that will be intense but it’s a happy problem to have so much to review! If you are new to my site the logs are shorter reactions to shows I have paid for myself where the reviews are comped tickets from the company with a requested detailed review. More and more companies are asking me for full reviews which must mean I’m doing something right but I still will have logs from time-to-time.

EMMA- SANDY ARTS GUILD, SANDY

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a big Jane Austen fan. In fact, right now on my youtube channel I am doing Jane Austen Month where I am reviewing more of the movies based on Jane Austen’s wonderful novels. That said, I went into seeing Emma at Sandy Arts Guild with moderate expectations because I thought it was the musical adaptation. Despite my love for composer Paul Gordon I’m not a big fan of that adaptation despite having seen it from several strong companies including Utah Shakespeare Festival. Fortunately when I sat down in Theatre on the Mount in Sandy I discovered this isn’t the musical adaptation but a brand new version written by writer and director Laura Bedore Lerwill. Adapting Austen is no easy task and Lerwill has done a masterful job with this script and basically every other element was incredible in this production. I LOVED it! I kind of wish I wasn’t so scheduled because I’d go see it again I enjoyed it so much.

I could go on for weeks about Lerwill’s adaptation but one of my favorite elements is using letters as a narrative device throughout. Whether it is Robert Martin (Aidan Hughes) writing to Harriet (Rachel Johnson) or Emma (EmmaLee MacKay) writing to her sister Isabelle. The whole cast is absolutely excellent with terrific chemistry between MacKay’s Emma and Jim Dixon’s Mr Knightley.

The other production elements are very impressive with period accurate costumes from Chad McBride, millinery (hats/hairpieces) by Karen Chatterton, and a smart set that is easily changed from Emma’s home at Hartfield, to the Bates house to the Weston’s homes with ease. The old-fashioned dancing is a lot of fun (especially in the iconic scene where Emma and Mr Knightley dance for the first time.)

Sandy Arts Guild has been consistently outstanding with their productions (their Mamma Mia was one of my favorites of 2024) and they continue that trend with Emma. I can’t recommend it more highly. Emma is only playing until 2/15 so not much time to see it but tickets can be purchased here.

LITTLE WOMEN- HALE CENTER THEATRE, SANDY

I have already written my full review of Hale Center Theatre’s current production of Little Women but I wanted to see the MWF cast so I purchased a ticket to see it again (I love Little Women in almost any format including this musical.) Given I’ve already reviewed it this log will be brief. The biggest difference between this viewing and the previous one is that I was in the first row this time where last I was near the back. Being close up it helped me notice more details in the performances and especially in the background projections behind the actors. I could read the text better and it added a layer to my enjoyment.

It was also fun for me to see Josh Egbert as Professor Bhaer. We’ve had Josh on my podcast, and he is very talented. They really play up the nerdy aspects of the men in this production which I really enjoy. Of course that makes sense for Profressor Bhaer being he is a professor but I like the more nerdy takes on Laurie (Joshua Hyrum Smith), John Brooke (Alex DeBirk) and even Mr Laurence (Daniel Hess.)

Another treat for me in this cast is Amanda Crabb as Marmee. She was a voice teacher of mine for many years, and I appreciate the warmth she brought to the role and she nailed “Days of Plenty” which is one of my favorite songs of the show.

Little Women is playing at Hale Center Theatre until April 23 and either cast is excellent. Tickets can be purchased here.

THE MUPPET SCRIPT- DYNASTY TYPEWRITER, LIVE STREAM, LOS ANGELES

Now I just want to close out this log with a quick livestream recommendation. I don’t know about you but I’m a huge Muppets fan. I love the mix of humor, heart, and music the franchise has always provided. In fact, every year on my channel I have Muppet May which I will continue this year. Well any Muppets fans will love an event called The Muppet Script put on by a company called Dynasty Typewriter in Los Angeles. This is a cool opportunity to have the script from The Muppet Movie read and performed by a variety of actors including Nina West, Marc Evan Jackson and Bobby Moynihan.

I absolutely love The Muppet Movie but I have never heard the screenplay and it is very interesting to hear the direction given by Jerry Juhl and Jack Burns for the scenes. Plus the proceeds of the event go to help the recent LA Wildfire victims particularly those most poverty stricken. Some of the singing isn’t the best but it’s all for a good cause and definitely worth a watch for any Muppet fan.

Tickets to watch the livestream can be purchased here and I definitely recommend 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.

‘IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE’ RADIO PLAY IS WONDERFUL AT PG PLAYERS (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

One of my favorite parts of embracing local theatre is discovering hidden gem theaters I never would have found otherwise. Nowhere is that more true than with the Pleasant Grove Players in Pleasant Grove. They are run out of the Pleasant Grove library and I’ve now seen many productions on the little stage and they’ve never missed. It is such a wonderful company. Speaking of wonderful they have a new unique offering for this holiday season with It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. Adapted from the beloved film it’s a fresh and highly entertaining way to ring in Christmas.

Most of us know the story of It’s a Wonderful Life but this production is very special because it has our cast playing actors as if they were doing an old school live radio recording complete with commercials and a large foley table with 2 foley actors (Johanne Perry and Dennis Purdie.) As much as I love It’s a Wonderful Life I was a little nervous going in this might be a little boring simply watching people read the script. I thought it might be akin to a staged reading but it is really more than that. It is a full performance with actors taking on multiple voices and characters and the foley is a character unto it self (I love foley so much!)

Directors Howard and Kathryn Little have nailed it once again and the cast is uniformly charming. L.D Weller is the standout playing Freddie Fillmore who is the narrator, God talking to Clarence, Uncle Billy and Mr Potter. My favorite sequence is when he had to play both Potter and Billy having a conversation and had to flip between both. With the movie being so iconic I also I appreciate Jared Cloud didn’t try and copy Jimmy Stewart in the lead role of Jake Laurents or George Bailey in the play.

I do think the adaptation by Joe Landry is a bit too long. Ideally this type of performance makes more sense at around 90 minutes with no intermission but it’s such a classic story I wouldn’t complain. I just don’t think we needed nearly every scene from the film minus the swimming pool dance for obvious reasons.

If you are looking for something unique and heartwarming to see this holiday season the PG Players production is well worth your time. It’s emotional and touching and brings all the holiday feels you could want. There are a few more chances to see It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play and you can purchase tickets 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.

TEENS GREAT. PLAY NOT SO MUCH… THOUGHTS ON HARRY POTTER AT EAST HIGH (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

It’s always an interesting experience when I’m asked to review high school or youth productions. How do you offer constructive critique when learning and making mistakes is literally part of the purpose of the experience? High school productions should be inclusive and exciting with as large ensembles that give kids the chance to try something new for the first time. In this sense Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: High School Edition at East High School was a resounding success. The chemistry amongst all the teens was obvious and they clearly stretched themselves in many ways including the many strong performances.

That said, I was not a big fan of this play. I know on Broadway it has a lot of awe and spectacle but I can’t imagine sitting through an even longer version of this story. I’m told the West End production was a two day event. Kill me now. But I am also not a die-hard Harry Potter fan. I have enjoyed some of the movies and books but really disliked the parody play Puffs and the Fantastic Beasts movies were painful to sit through. So if you are on board for all of that maybe you will find more joy in this journey than I did.

As far as the cast I love how big it is and the polyjuice transitions are very well done as are the costumes, Some standouts are Maxium LaPlante as the Sorting Hat and Oliver Oviedo as Professor Snape. Chaudron Brock Beesley and Wesley Magda have terrific chemistry as the 2 leads Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy respectively and I really enjoyed Liam Riedelbach-Armer as Draco Malfoy. They all did everything they could to elevate the story and create believable characters.

While I do think the direction by Kevin McClellan and Lucy Law was stong in getting the most from their young performers they could have been a little more creative with the production details. Most of the sets and atmosphere are created through video projections. While I know this is all the rage at all levels of theatre it denies the opportunity for the students to learn how to build sets and props and makes the experience feel more generic when it could be a chance to express their unique creative voices. I have very fond memories of painting set panels for my high school productions and while I’m sure they didn’t look as polished as a projection they were ours, homemade by us. Maybe that’s nostalgia talking but it just seems like a missed opportunity.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: High School Edition is a play by Jack Thorne, based on an original story by JK Rowling, Thorne and John Tiffany. It’s not for me but I’m sure big time Harry Potter fans will enjoy it more. It has finished its run at East High School but you can find out more about their drama department 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.

‘SECRETS OF SLEEPY HOLLOW’ AT THE HIVE IS A NEW TAKE ON A CLASSIC GHOST STORY (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

As a patron of the arts and critic I am always rooting for local original productions and hopeful they will be great experiences I can champion. However, I was a little nervous going into Secrets of Sleepy Hollow at The Hive Collaborative in Provo. I love the Disney animated classic based on Washington Irving’s short story from 1820 but I really disliked a musical version I saw last year at WVPAC. I wondered if the actual story just isn’t for me and it has to be Disneyfied for me to enjoy it or if it was just the musical? Well, I saw the version at The Hive and while it is not perfect I enjoyed it much more than the previous one.

This straight play called Secrets of Sleepy Hollow is adapted by Mahonri Stewart and directed by Jason Purdie in the small intimate space of The Hive. My favorite aspect of the production was the use of thin muslin panels when lit to create silhouettes to tell the ghostly sections. There are 3 panels so the storytelling could go across the stage in shadows and that was a lot of fun. I particularly enjoyed Act II more as the action started to build momentum and the plot became more focused and easier to follow.

The cast is very talented with Joel Ackerman bringing a charm to Ichabod and Darci Ramirez a quiet strength as Alice Hudson. My friend didn’t like the ‘silly girls’ of Guenevere and Gertrude Goosen played by Christina Craven and Alisha Laidlaw respectively, but I actually thought they were nice comic relief and were very convincing in their accents.

Perhaps because I am not as familiar with the Irving story as some, but I do think Stewart could work on making particularly Act 1 a little tighter with a clear story arc for Ichabod. I wasn’t really sure what his goals were as a character. There’s one moment where he talks about loving food, but we don’t get the building greed or superstitious nature of the animated short. I realize this is not the short but what that does well is it builds his character bit-by-bit until him getting spooked in our big finale makes complete sense. There’s honestly a lot happening plot-wise for a small cast. A part of me actually wondered if it would be better starting at the beginning of Act II and making it a one act?

Nevertheless, there is a lot to enjoy in Secrets of Sleepy Hollow. The production establishes a spooky atmosphere and mood, and I really did love the silhouette effects used throughout. If you are open to something a little more experimental than head over to The Hive for a ghostly good time at the theater! I actually think it could make a good date night because a lot of different relationships are portrayed. The play runs until Nov 2 and you can purchase tickets here.

Also I was on KSL’s Fan Effect program talking about Sleepy Hollow with my friend KellieAnn Halvorsen and Ackerman. You can listen to it 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.