Hi theatre friends! I hope you are doing well. I have had an eventful week with lots to report on and some changes to my process. First thing is I have decided to retire from UTBA. I am grateful for everything I’ve learned there and the opportunities I’ve received but it was time for a change. I should have one more review for them in October and then it’s moving on to new outlets including my own writing and podcasting.

On the same breath some new opportunities for this site are emerging including covering the Broadway Across America series! This is the first time I have been individually approved to cover the national Broadway tours and I’m thrilled. In addition, I am reviewing all the Hale Sandy shows and hopefully more as I continue to grow this site and find more venues interested in my unique brand of theatre criticism. If you know anyone looking to have their shows critiqued and publicized let me know!

With all of that I have 3 shows to report on in this post as well as a review for a new outlet to share. It’s an exciting time to be Rachel’s Reviews!

SWEENEY TODD- DRAPER HISTORIC THEATRE, DRAPER

Everyone who follows my writing knows I am a bit hit and miss when it comes to Sondheim. I don’t always love his work as much as others but I certainly respect him and all he was able to create over his career. One of his most iconic musicals is Sweeney Todd and I had a terrific time seeing it at Draper Historic Theatre last week.

I attended the show on Tuesday so I saw the Razor Blade cast directed by Melissa Van Dam with choreography from Mike Romney. It’s always amazing how much they are able to do with such a small space at DHT and such was the case for Sweeney Todd. This becomes particularly challenging with the setup for the chair and having it all feel believable but they used the space well and especially the bakehouse and furnace were very well realized.

The cast is also very talented with Jonathan Saul giving a sense of unease and mania to his Sweeney and Matthew Davids chilling as Judge Turpin. He was honestly one of the creepiest performances I’ve seen in years particularly in the scenes with Joanna.

One thing I realized in watching Sweeney Todd this time is how slow the first act is. Not much happens for that first hour. She doesn’t even start baking the pies until we are almost at the intermission. It’s one of those shows where act 2 is way stronger and more memorable than 1.

My only real complaint with this production at DHT is not every performance resonated with me. The projections were also not as effective as I’ve seen at DHT in other shows. Felt a little too modern for the story we are experiencing. Still, the show is a perfect way to ring in the spooky season, and I do recommend it.

Sweeney Todd is playing at Draper Historic Theatre until Sept 28th and tickets can be purchased here.

BRIGHT STAR, SCERA CENTER FOR THE ARTS, OREM

Everyone knows how much I love the musical Bright Star. In fact, I love it so much I felt it was worth it to drive down to Orem to see at Scera, even though they are a venue that I have my issues with. I just had to get my Bright Star fix!

This production is directed by Chase Ramsey and stars Kelsey Mariner Thomspon as Alice Murphy and Christian Wawro as Jimmy Ray. While both are more convincing in the older versions of the characters they still have a lovely chemistry and sold the more emotional moments effectively. My favorite interpretation by this production, however, came at the end when Alice Murphy and Jimmy’s father shake hands in a moving demonstration of forgiveness.

The only major critique I’d give is the set has a lot of doors and windows on it where they showcase various projections. The characters don’t use the doors much and I really don’t see what the connection is to the material. It was distracting to have such large visual elements of the set for seemingly no purpose.

Still Bright Star is a beautiful show expertly crafted and certainly one of my favorites. I don’t think I will ever get tired of it whether at the Scera or anywhere else. Bright Star plays through Oct 5th and you can purchase tickets here.

HARVEY- PG PLAYERs, PLEASANT GROVE

Now that I am retiring from UTBA it gives me the chance to look at other outlets I could contribute to and learn from the unique style each has (in addition to my own reviews and logs of course.) First up is my review of Harvey at PG Players for the Rhetorical Review. This is a site run by my friend Keolanani. I love how she gives all the information about the production but also includes a lesson or moral we can take away from the experience. This is a refreshing and fun way to look at a show and Harvey is a great one to start with as it offers so many life lessons.

The production at PG Players is outstanding as expected (they’ve never missed in the tiny library theater!) It is also special because the show is actor Dennis Purdie’s (who plays Elwood) 50th show for the company! Unbelievable. You can read my full review here. Harvey is playing until Oct 14th and tickets can be purchased here.

THE SEAGULL- STING AND HONEY COMPANY, SALT LAKE

I always appreciate when a company gives me a chance to check off one of my bucket list shows that I haven’t seen yet. It’s also nice when I get to see a new to me company like I did with Sting and Honey’s new production of Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull. It was a lot more engaging than I expected.

I’m not sure why but I was prepared for a stiff but proficient experience when I stepped into the Regent Street Black Box at The Eccles Theatre in Salt Lake. I thought it was going to be effective but boring but it actually proved to not be the case and even had more of a sense of humor than I anticipated. It’s not a laugh riot or anything like that but it also doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Javen Tanner directs this production of The Seagull and he smartly keeps things simple so that we can focus on the actors and all the drama they are experiencing. All the acting is excellent and it seems unbelievable such a small black box could boast such talent. I particularly enjoyed Trayven Call as Konstantin Treplieff and Ryann Bailey as his beloved Nina.

This adaptation of the Chekhov play is translated by Tom Stoppard and it focuses on the expectations we have for our loved ones and how those can uplift us but also cripple us if we are not careful. Don’t be afraid of understanding the production. This is a chance worth taking for a memorable night of theatre!

The Seagull plays through Sept 28th and you can find out more at the Sting and Honey website here.

Aside from the Harvey review I paid for these logged shows out of pocket. I’d love to cover as many local shows as possible but I need your help to do so. If you’d like me to review more theatre and appreciate what I do please check out the patreon here