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‘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.

UTAH THEATRE LOG 10/12-10/14 (JEKYLL & HYDE, LITTLE WOMEN) (RACHEL’S THEATRE LOG 63)

| Rachel's Reviews

There must be something in the Utah air right now that everyone is feeling Jekyll & Hyde and Little Women! I’ve reviewed them both recently, and now I am logging them again. Luckily they are both shows I enjoy, so I don’t mind seeing lots of different takes on the material. So let’s talk about these fun shows:

JEKYLL & HYDE- WEST VALLEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, WEST VALLEY

Jekyll & Hyde is an interesting show because while I think it could be better as far as its book and pacing its overall entertaining in mood, atmosphere and some banger songs. My favorite version I ever saw was at Draper Historic where Tanner Tate blew me away as Jekyll/Hyde but this production at WVPAC was equally strong. I left with little to no notes. What impressed me the most is how original the interpretation is. It did not feel like a show I had just seen a very good version of on Monday when I saw this the same week Saturday. Director Shelby Ferrin deserves massive praise for seemingly thinking of everything when it comes to this production. It is dazzling.

Rhett Richins is remarkable as our lead Jekyll/Hyde. It is an incredible accomplishment to see him switch between the 2 characters in every way, voice, timbre of singing, posture, everything. He is as accomplished an actor as any equity actor I’ve recently seen. Jessica Knowles Andrus is also remarkable as Lucy with a beautiful belt for songs like “Someone Like You.”

I loved the scenic design by Morgan Golightly (what a perfect name for musical theatre!) They don’t miss a beat even making sure the chemical reactions actually happen in Jekyll’s lab and the large set for the Red Rat created visual interest for the dancers in “Bring on the Men.”

The most impressive aspect of this Jekyll & Hyde at WVPAC, however, is the creative choices. Most notably to have the demons haunting Jekyll portrayed by actual dancers who surround our actors and come out into the audience giving everything such atmosphere and tone. I have never seen that done before with this show and it is brilliant.

I read another review saying the actors weren’t syncing well with the backtrack. They must have worked on that because it wasn’t noticeable at my performance. The fact one can see a show of this quality for under $30 is incredible. They should be selling out. It is playing at WVPAC through Nov 2nd and you can purchase tickets here.

Jekyll & Hyde is based on the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson with book and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and music by Frank Wildhorn.

LITTLE WOMEN- SANDY ARTS GUILD, SANDY

Moving up as far as setting to the 1860’s we have another adaptation of a classic novel in Little Women at Sandy Arts Guild. Being the oldest of 4 girls and it being the first big novel I ever read Little Women will always have a special place in my heart, and I am pretty easy to please when it comes to adaptations (we don’t talk about the 2018 modern film adaptation…) Fortunately this musical version is lovely, and I will jump at any chance I get to see it.

Of course everyone knows the story about the 4 March sisters during the Civil War trying to make the best of a bad situation. This production in Sandy is directed by Lisa Noyes and she manages to get the best out of her performers and they feel like a family unit- particularly the 4 sisters which is key to making Little Women work. The 2 story set by Cassie Smith and Megan Sternod is very impressive with little details like period accurate wallpaper and a very convincing fireplace we need for the infamous book burning scene.

The costumes by Karen Chatterton are interesting. She definitely embraces the hoop skirts of the era. One doesn’t always see that as the March sisters are usually portrayed as more grounded and earthy than we think of as the hoop skirts of the era. She also mixed patters and fabrics together in a surprising way. In one scene Laurie has a giant bowtie which is something I’ve never seen done quite that way before. I’m sure it must be period accurate but it was unique enough to be intriguing. The wigs are also excellent particularly with Jo’s long to short transformations. It truly looks like she cut the same hair from scene to scene.

My favorite performance of the night is Anne Jensen as Amy. Often times people forget Amy is the youngest of the family, not Beth, but Jensen captures this immaturity well making her a sweet and endearing character. She also manages to keep that young energy as adult Amy but is a believable love interest for Laurie (Rhett Butler.) Derrik Legler is also terrific as Professor Bhaer and extremely convincing with his accent.

My two favorite songs from this show are “Some Things Are Meant to Be” and “Days of Plenty” and both are beautifully performed by Emma Roberts as Beth and Tamari Dunbar as Marmee respectively. I do think the operatic tragedy portions of this adaptation drag and are too long but that’s nothing this production could control.

If you are looking for a great way to introduce your family to musical theatre and classic literature Little Women at Sandy Arts Guild is a great choice. It is playing through Oct 19th and you can purchase tickets here.

Little Women is based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott with music by Jason Howland, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein and a book by Allan Knee.

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 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.

‘THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME’ IS A MIRACLE OF A SHOW AT TCT (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

Anyone who knows me knows I am very hit and miss when it comes to the Disney Broadway adaptations of their animated classics. Some I love like Beauty and the Beast and others really fall flat like Mary Poppins. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is an interesting adaptation because I’m actually not the biggest fan of the movie. It’s the rare Disney adaptation where I think the Broadway musical significantly improves on the animated film (can see my whole Disney Broadway ranking here.) We get more character motivations and the tone is more consistent. I’ve now seen this musical many times including a great production in Murray this summer (that had a live orchestra and choir!) but the current staging by Timpanogos Community Theatre may be my favorite take on the material I’ve ever seen.

This production is directed by Andrew Jeffries and he with his team seemingly thought of everything. The set by Calleb Wallengren is brilliant with 2 stories and a set of moving staircases that allow the cathedral setting to be covered and the ambiance to be quickly changed from the belltower to the tavern, to the Court of Miracles. It was seamless and so effective. It also allowed the action to be continually moving, giving room for the dance and fight choreography (Stephanie Cole) to be inventive and exciting. The lighting by Wallengren was also very impressive especially in the “Hellfire” sequence where they practically recreated the scene from the animated film. Esmeralda is dancing with the red and blue backgrounds and the choir surrounds Frollo as he sings his evil anthem.

Speaking of the choir the ensemble work throughout is outstanding with any supporting player having the voice for a lead when given the chance to sing. They could keep the choir in service and I’d attend their concerts. The harmonies were beautiful for songs like “God Help the Outcasts” and “The Bells of Notre Dame.”

Our lead cast is also very strong with Adam Moore putting his whole body and soul into the role of Quasimodo. His performance of “Out There” would inspire even the most cold-hearted in the audience. I also absolutely loved the “Made of Stone” number towards the end. Other acting highlights are Aaron Williams as Clopin particularly in “Topsy Turvy” but throughout and Teresa Jack as Esmeralda. I especially liked her in Act II as things get more desperate, and she is riveting as Frollo tries to have her burned, and she spits in his face.

The only choice I found puzzling in this production of Hunchback is they have Moore put on the prosthetic for the hunch at the beginning of the show in front of all of us and then show him in an afterlife sequence having it removed and him standing straight. I would love to talk to the creators about what their intent is with this choice because it seemed to imply Quasimodo needed to be changed when isn’t the true victory in his saving Esmeralda with his challenges? I found it an odd choice and it seemed to go back on some of the themes and lessons so carefully built up over the course of the nearly 3 hours we spent together. It’s not a dealbreaker by any means and I’m confident the intended message was different but let’s just say I found it to be distracting and unnecessary.

Other than that I thoroughly enjoyed TCT’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame. It was the finale of a long week of 7 shows and yet I was transfixed from beginning to end. It is playing through October 19 and tickets are $20 and under. A bargain! You can purchase tickets here. You’d be a fool to miss it!

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.

‘THE WOMAN IN BLACK’ AT THE COVEY USES THE BLACK BOX FOR PRIME SCARES (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

It’s always nice when a company knows their venue and selects material that suit the space well. Such has been the case with the last several selections for the Covey Center for the Arts in their Brinton Black Box Theater. They recently did Wait Until Dark which was ideal for that small confined space and the same can be said for their latest production: The Woman in Black. This was my first time seeing this play and Covey was kind enough to provide me with a ticket and for 2 of my friends who were in town for the Fanx convention. This was above and beyond on their part, and I am sincerely grateful.

This review will probably be on the brief side because I don’t want to spoil any of the surprises for you.

As I said, this was my first time seeing this play although I am going to see it later in October at the Parker and evidently it has been playing on the West End in London for some time. The Woman in Black is a play by Stephen Mallatratt based on the novel by Susan Hill and it tells the story of a young man who travels to help settle the estate of a reclusive widow, Mrs Drablow. What he doesn’t realize is that the home is haunted by the Woman in Black of the title, and she does not plan on going away without a fight.

While the events of the play can be quite thrilling for some reason Mallatratt decides to set them in the construct of a play-within-a-play. This was confusing and rather tedious a set up that I just didn’t enjoy. However, once the actual characters and story starts everything perks up quite a bit. Act II especially is one thrill after another and I left feeling very satisfied with an exciting theatrical experience.

I’m actually surprised The Woman in Black isn’t done more because it has a cast of only 2 people making it very approachable for a community theater to put on. At Covey they have wisely cast Samuel Wright as the Actor and Mathew DelaFuente as Arthur Kipps. DelaFuente is one of the finest actors we have working in Utah today and he carries this production on his back and does so well. Especially as things became more tense and scary he commits fully to the moment which was impressive with so much being left to the imagination (even the dog is imaginary.)

Director Morgan Gunter uses DelaFuente and the simple sheer black curtains of a theater to create atmosphere and tone. Spencer Powell’s lighting, and the Robert Seely/Mark Pitt sound design are also critical in making the scares pop when they need to (and pop they do!)

In the end, The Covey’s The Woman in Black does take a bit to get going but if the audience can have some patience they will be rewarded with a fun night of scares and surprises. It might be too scary for young ones but anyone teenager age should be fine and they’ll have a great time. It is playing until Oct 21st 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.