film

City Hall is turned into a theater with MCT’s ’12 Angry Jurors’ (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

Anyone who knows me and knows my theatre tastes knows I am a sucker for anything that feels unexpected and immersive. For example, I love when a company takes a space not intended for theatre and turns it into a performance space. I also love being surrounded by movement and action. Such is the cool experience being offered this weekend by Millcreek Community Theatre and their new production of 12 Angry Jurors. You wouldn’t believe it but the play is being put on at Millcreek City Hall in an office room set up as a mini-theater with lighting and seats on all 4 sides (this is a change from previous shows seen in this space, which I enjoyed very much. The only downside is it might not work for someone sensitive to bright lights but I got used to it and enjoyed the immersion. Anyway, you’d never guess walking into city hall office space you’d be treated to such a wonderful play but that’s what you get .

To begin with it’s very smart of MCT to pick 12 Angry Jurors for this type of experience. It not only is a straight play but it all takes place in one room so there’s no need to worry about set changes or other challenges different shows might bring up (their last show was Annie and it was fun but not as successful as this play.) I know a lot of companies are scared to put on straight plays but if they are well crafted like 12 Angry Jurors I really think they make a lot of sense.

Most will know the story of this play from the feature film with Henry Fonda. Indeed, 12 Angry Men is one of the finest closed-door films ever made. Sidney Lumet does such a brilliant job with that film creating atmosphere and tone and the legendary character actors are allowed to dive into their meaty roles with Lee J Cobb and Ed Begley as the racists jurors 3 and 10 respectively. In this adaptation they have made it 12 Angry Jurors and they have 6 females and 6 males making up our jury with Michael Hansen and Shauna Brand as 3 and 10 (these are the 2 most bombastic and controversial of the jurors so they stand out the most.) They are both excellent in their roles as is the entire cast. One would never expect to get such high caliber performances walking up to an office space at city hall! Unbelievable!

Despite the gender swaps director Jax Jessop has kept the events of the play in the 1950s and all of the actors have period appropriate costumes (costume design Eleanor Boam) and most of them are even smoking, which is a detail I don’t expect to see in local community theater. It honestly was about as close to Mad Men meets Utah as one could achieve in this space. I also like the added detail of having an actor, Connor Kraus, playing the accused watching what is happening as men and women debate his life. Again, it helped add to the immersive experience of the night.

Kiana Dipko is good with the less showy role as Juror 8 (the Henry Fonda role if you’ve seen the movie.) It’s important that you don’t overthink the legalese going on here because there are a barrage of behaviors that would call for a mistrial in real life. For example, a juror is absolutely not allowed to bring in a piece of evidence like 8 does with the knife. That all has to go through discovery and examination by the lawyers. You also aren’t allowed to threaten to kill fellow jurors or stage elaborate recreations of the trial in the juror box. None of this matters as a true depiction of a juror room would likely be extremely boring. I’m just saying you have to give yourself over to the piece and if you do it’s a very rewarding experience.

My only critiques of the show are with a couple moments that felt a little workman-like when I would have liked to see more build-up and emotion. Like when 8 shows the knife it’s supposed to be a big reveal and it felt a little bit like an afterthought. Also the jurors weren’t always sitting in their order which only matters for someone like myself taking notes but was a little confusing.

Still I highly recommend checking out 12 Angry Jurors at Millcreek Community Theatre. Unfortunately today is the last day to see it but if you can get out there you won’t be disappointed. Next up they have Romeo & Juliet in their show at Canyon Rim Park. For tickets to tonight’s show look here.

12 Angry Jurors is based off of the 1957 film by Reginald Rose which he adapted from the 1954 teleplay of the same name. the play premiered on the West End in 1964 but didn’t show on Broadway until 2004 where it ran for 328 performances

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.

‘THE PRINCE OF EGYPT’ DELIVERS A MIXED EXPERIENCE AT HCT (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

Sometimes being a theatre critic can be tricky. There are so many aspects that go into a successful production that it can be tough to know what to value more than others and how much my personal taste to factor into an overall recommendation. This is why I am starting a new grading icon. Since I don’t have the rotten/fresh requirements my movie reviews must fit into I am now going to have a ‘mixed bag’ rating for a production I feel mixed on. Simple as that. Let me know what you think of this new rating!

I mention this new rating because it is exactly how I felt about Hale Center Theatre’s new production of The Prince of Egypt. This is an adaptation of the popular animated film (a movie I adore) and this is only the 7th worldwide production of this musical just after a 2020 staging in the West End that was filmed for a pro-shot released in 2023. I saw the pro-shot and felt it was a mixed bag but was excited to see it in person at Hale. In the end I left feeling once again mixed about the whole experience.

Let’s start out with the good. Pretty much everything that is within Hale’s control they excelled at. The singing and choreography is Broadway level quality as is expected at Hale with Zack Wilson and Ren Cottam having terrific chemistry as Moses and Ramses respectively. The spectacle by director Dave Tinney is also very impressive with “The Plagues” being the highlight of the night. They use a giant metallic fabric with surrealist projections on it to symbolize the darkness and chaos. It is a breathtaking effect. I was also impressed with how grounded the production was with the stage staying put almost the entire night with only a few small movements. I loved the spectacle of Beauty and the Beast, but I know the stage mechanizations hurt the sight lines for many patrons. This is a welcome change of pace for anyone who has those concerns.

All that said, this is a terrible adaptation of this movie. I left thinking what on earth was music and lyricist Stephen Schwartz thinking? I understand that an animated film needs to be puffed out in order to fit the length of a Broadway musical but this show only has 5 songs from the original film and all the new songs are weak and the changes they make to the characters is honestly baffling. What shocked me most is how much Schwartz and team have secularized the piece. I understand the animated film focuses on Ramses and Moses as brothers but not at the expense of a religious transformation by Moses and a clear weakness on the part of Ramses to recognize the power of the Hebrew God.

In this version the burning bush sequence is treated as an after-thought and the Egyptian Gods are mentioned more than the Hebrew. It feels like Moses is the villain of Act II not Ramses the enslaver and dictator who lets his pride get in the way. Believe it or not they give the 2 brothers a happy ending embracing in the middle of the Red Sea. It’s completely ridiculous and underwhelming (I could go on and on with loads of nitpicky changes I didn’t like but I’ll spare you!)

I will definitely be curious what others think of this one. Perhaps I am too attached to the animated film. I don’t know. Like I said, the Hale aspects are outstanding. It looks great. All the talent is impressive, so I can’t say don’t see it. It’s worth seeing for all they accomplished. I just wish it was a better adaptation. If it ever makes it to Broadway I hope they make significant changes.

This mixed experience makes it the perfect time to use my new rating! Let me know what you think if you get to see The Prince of Egypt at Hale Center Theatre. It is playing through April 12 and selling out fast. 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.

‘SOUVENIR’ HITS THE RIGHT NOTE AT PTC (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

As I stepped away from the Meldrum Theatre on Saturday, after having seen Pioneer Theatre Company’s production of Souvenir, I found myself wondering about the universality of the piece. What would happen if Florence Foster Jenkins lived today? Would she be the subject of derision and bullied away from singing or would she be an even bigger figure? Who knows? Would Florence and her terrible singing be a tiktok phenomenon in 2024? Maybe she was the Rebecca Black or William Hung of the 1930s? It’s interesting because we like to think we have progressed so much over the years but maybe we laughed at bad singing then and we laugh at it now?

Regardless, I like a play that makes me think without being heavy-handed or dogmatic and the Souvenir does just that. It’s also a welcome relief from the holiday fare (which I know I’m the queen of Christmas but it’s nice for some variety as well!) In the production Linda Mugleston plays Florence Foster Jenkins masterfully with a moral ambiguity that keeps us constantly guessing as an audience. How self-aware is she? We don’t know and I like that. The play’s author Stephen Temperley gives Florence one moment of shame or embarrassment but for the most part she doesn’t seem to hear the problems (or perceived problems) in her voice. Indeed, this does seem accurate to the actual historical figure who really did perform at Carnegie Hall despite audiences uproariously laughing harder at her than they did at actual clowns. One critic after this concert said “Florence indulged last night in one of the weirdest mass jokes New York has ever seen.” That’s what made me wonder. Is not most of tiktok a weird mass joke?

If one isn’t fascinated by modern comparisons there should still be plenty to entertain in Souvenir. Temperley’s script is consistently witty and both Mugleston and Bob Walton, who plays her pianist Cosme McMoon, are very funny together and have a wonderful friendship chemistry. It’s nice director Wes Grantom gives us a version of Mugleston singing correctly at the end so we see what a performance it was for her to sing all those bad notes all that time. I bet singing badly is even more difficult as a performer than singing accurately when you have the correct ability.

The costumes by KL Alberts are also excellent especially when they are quickly switched out for the concerts. For the big Carnegie Hall sequence she goes from being a bar wench to an angel, to the Queen of the Night. All the other aspects of the production were simple but excellent allowing us to focus on the actors, their immersive performances, and the message of the play.

If I was going to nitpick I don’t think they really needed to have prerecorded audience sounds at various scenes. It felt a little like an unnecessary laugh track in a sitcom. We are the audience and provided plenty of laughter and other responses to what was happening on stage.

If one is comparing this production to the film from 2016 with Meryl Streep the big difference is the film includes her common law husband St Clair Bayfield played by Hugh Grant. Because of the transactional aspect of their relationship it gives the movie a more melancholy tone than the play but Florence’s character is essentially the same as I think that was her real-life persona. I enjoyed the film (gave it an A back in 2016) but had more fun with this play.

Still, if looking to have a delightful night of theatre than head over PTC for their production of Souvenir. It’s not only a terrific comedy about a real-life person but it might make one think a bit like it did for me. If it does I’d love to hear other’s thoughts in the comments. It’s after all what Florence would have wanted!

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.