movies

‘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.

‘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.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST AT HALE IS A TALE AS OLD AS TIME WITH BIG SPECTACLE (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

So much of what makes for a successful piece of community theatre is matching the right show with the right venue. And while I would never want to pigeonhole a company into only doing one type of show it is true that some material is just a good fit for certain venues. Such is the case with Disney shows and Hale Center Theatre in Sandy. Indeed, when one finds their seat at the Young Living Centre Stage it feels like we have left Utah and are temporarily in Disneyland. Nowhere was this more true than in their current stunning production of Disney’s masterpiece Beauty and the Beast. Playing now through January 25th this majestic show will delight young and all and may be the best show Hale’s done since Singin in the Rain.

Beauty and the Beast is of course based on the animated film with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice with a book by Linda Woolverton. It tells the story of our headstrong Belle who ends up as the prisoner of a cursed Beast in an enchanted castle. Can these seeming opposites find love? We all know the answer to that!

I saw the MWF cast for this production and Jessica Hudson leads the group of talented actors as Belle with Kyle Olsen as Beast. My favorite performances, however, are from Russell Maxfield as Gaston and Scott Hendrickson as Lumiere. They are both very funny and expressive in their roles.

The costumes by Jenn Taylor are unforgettable and what impressed me the most is they had actual fire coming from Lumiere’s candle! In all the times I’ve seen Beauty and the Beast on stage I have never seen that effect. They also have actual fire for the mob which helps the scene feel all the more immersive than it might otherwise be.

Director Ryan Simmons makes big time spectacle to dazzle audiences with characters like the plates and cups coming from the sky for “Be Our Guest” and an awe inspiring finale where Beast and Gaston fight it out on the roof of the castle for all of us to see. As I said, a production at Disneyland would not be better or more immersive than what Hale has achieved and that’s saying something.

While I really enjoyed the production there are a few things they could work on. The main problem is one of the platforms the action takes place on has a large railing around it, which makes it almost impossible to see what is happening with the actors. For example, the scene where Maurice first comes to the castle I couldn’t see a single thing that was happening. Fortunately they didn’t use that platform much but I wish they would remove the railing because it served no narrative purpose.

They also had some problems with the sound mix. While I know there are times when the vocals are supposed to be a bit echoey like when Belle first enters the castle but there are other times when it is unintentionally off and it sounds like the characters are speaking from inside a cave.

Nevertheless, if you want a big spectacle Disney production and you don’t want to go to Disneyland make your way over to Hale Center Theatre and enjoy Beauty and the Beast. It’s a special opportunity to be immersed in a classic story well told. You will be glad to be their guest! Find out more information and 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.

‘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.