musical-theatre

Utah Theatre Log 7/20-8/8/25 (Daddy Long Legs, Footloose Jr, Freaky Friday, Catch Me if You Can) (Rachel’s Theatre Log 172)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hi theatre friends! I hope you are all doing well. I am currently in Cedar City attending the Utah Shakespeare Festival. I will certainly have more logs of that experience (it’s amazing) but I wanted to share a few quick thoughts on a couple other productions I’ve seen lately as a patron not a critic.

Footloose Jr- Timpanogos Youth Theatre, American Fork

A couple of weeks ago I went and saw Footloose Jr at Timpanogos Youth Theatre. My cousin’s daughter was in it and it was fun to support her. I also found it interesting as I had just seen the full version twice in July to see what they would do with the Jr version. I’d say it does a pretty good job of focusing it and making it teen appropriate (mostly toning down the romance.) It is a great show for teens to do because it is about teenage characters and one that they will likely connect with in their own struggles with their parents and deciding what they want to be in life.

I don’t have my program for this production so I can’t give my normal shoutouts. I will try and add those when I get home. Terrific job by the teens and I hope they enjoyed the experience. To find out more about Timpanogos Youth Theatre click here.

Catch Me if You Can- Centerpoint Legacy Theatre, Centerville

Next I was able to see the MWF cast of Catch Me if You Can at Centerpoint Legacy. This was a comped ticket which is very kind of them. I said most of the details about the production in my first log (see here) so I won’t repeat all that again but this is such a fun show. I love the incredible set design and the bubbly choreography. The costumes are first rate and it’s just a really entertaining musical.

As far as this cast it’s interesting because I think they felt a little less perfect for the roles than the other cast particularly Carl and Frank (maybe I was just biased to the one I saw first) but I do think this cast is slightly better singers than the TThS cast but they are both great. Emily Richman especially crushed it as Brenda. I love this production and highly recommend checking it out and it is running through August 19th. Tickets can be purchased here.

Freaky Friday- Bluffdale Arts, Bluffdale

It was too perfect a combination to see the musical Freaky Friday the day before the new movie Freakier Friday was released. While I don’t think this musical is perfect it really tries to say something and is an ambitious show for teens, which I appreciate. I recently got to see a production by Bluffdale Arts and it was a lot of fun.

Of course, this musical tells the story of a mother and daughter who switch places as one does in Freaky Friday stories. At Bluffdale we had Mindy Eckroth as the Mom Katherine and Grace Woodhouse as the daughter Ellie. They are excellent together and are believable as a pair. The rest of the cast is huge with a large ensemble that were all able to execute any choreography given them.

The sets are simple but do the job as are all the other aspects. My only hesitancy about this play is a couple of the swings it takes don’t land for me. In particular “Parents Lie” and “Biology.” I get what the writers were trying to do with those songs but the former feels to mean for Ellie to do that to her little brother and the latter is very odd for a grown woman to be singing about young men.

Still, they did a good job at Bluffdale with the tricky material and I enjoyed getting a chance to see it before the new movie. (I will add more of the credits when I get home.) Freaky Friday has finished its run but you can find out more about Bluffdale Arts here.

Daddy Long Legs- Centerpoint Legacy, Centerville

If you’ve followed my content for any amount of time you know I’m a huge fan of the musical Daddy Long Legs. I like it so much I even interviewed the composer Paul Gordon:

Daddy Long Legs is a simple show with only 2 people and no scene changes. Fortunately Sydney McAlister and Ben Lowell are both excellent as Jerusha and Jervis and they have terrific chemistry together. I am very curious to see the TThS cast as well as they look like they bring their own charm to the roles.

This production is directed by Liz Christensen and she makes some interesting choices within the parameters of this very simple show. One little thing I noticed is she had Jervis’s back to the audience for most of the first act. In fact, his desk chair was facing back and then at intermission they moved it to the other side of the desk so he was facing forward. This helps us to really feel the growth of the character.

I also appreciated McAlister’s feisty performance. One critique I’ve heard of the musical is that Jervis is too controlling but I felt in this production Jerusha was quick with a response or defense of herself and her independence. It is interesting that they didn’t have Jervis pinning the letters to his office as I have usually seen. Maybe they felt that was too obsessive compulsive but it does make the big reveal at the end a little more subdued in tone.

The only thing I thought was a miss was the strange backgrounds they had on screens which looked like oil painting in greens and purples. Jerusha isn’t a painter but a writer so pages from a book or other literary inspiration would have made more sense. But I loved this production and can’t wait to see it again. Highly recommend. It runs through Dec 2nd and tickets can be purchased here.

Footloose has music by Tom Snow, lyrics by Dean Pitchford with book by Pitchford and Walter Bobbie based on the film Footloose. Catch Me if You Can has music by Marc Shaiman with lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Whitman with a book by Terrence McNally based on the books by Jeff Nathanson and Frank Abagnale Jr and Stan Redding and the film. Freaky Friday: The Musical has music by Tom Kitt and lyrics by Bryan Yorkey and a book by Bridget Carpenter based on the books by Mary Rodgers, Stu Krieger, Heather Hach and Leslie Dixon. Daddy Long Legs has music and lyrics by Paul Gordon with a book by John Caird based on the novel by Jean Webster.

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.

Utah Theatre Log 7/1/25-7/20/25 (Mean Girls Jr, Catch Me if You Can) (Rachel’s Theatre Log 166)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hi friends! I hope you are doing well and enjoying local theatre wherever you might be. July has certainly proven to be a busy month for me as both a film and theatre critic. No rest for the weary here (I figure if my main problem is seeing too many movies and plays I’m doing things right in life 🙂 ). Anyway we’ve had some really fun episodes of OnStage Blog Podcast including Ranking the 11 Most Produced High School Musicals. We had my friend Tanner Tate on who is the music director for Mean Girls Jr that I am going to talk about in this very post!

If you are new to my site I have 2 forms of reactions to theatre. One is a traditional detailed review that I provide for companies that request it of me. These are comped tickets and I usually try and post them within a couple of days of my seeing the show. Then there are what I call logs like this post where I am attending as a patron and they are just a few quick thoughts of the production but not the detailed review I would give as an actual theatre critic. I’m very gratified that more companies are requesting me to do full reviews, which is a complete honor and privilege. So much that I may have to come up with a different system for the patron logs but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. Either way make sure you are following me on instagram because I post my out of theater reactions to both movies and theatre I see there.

Mean Girls Jr – Draper Historic Theatre, Draper

It was kind of perfect the week I had a podcast on teen musicals I would see a wonderful teen musical. I always especially like teen productions where they get to play teenage characters. It just adds to the authenticity and it seems like the teens have more fun with it. This was my first time seeing Mean Girls Jr but these teens did an incredible job with it (my thoughts on the national tour of Mean Girls here.) In fact I am just amazed that they have enough teens to double cast over 30 roles and for them all to be so outstanding! Sometimes I think there’s something in the water here in Utah because the high school theatre is so excellent.

I was able to attend the Grool cast and was particularly impressed with Lily Henstrom as Cady Heron in our lead. She has the appropriate awkwardness mixed with sarcasm that works for the role. I also really liked Elle Stotts and Paige Hillstead as Karen Smith and Gretchen Wieners respectively. Stotts in particular has a wonderful comedic timing as the ditzy Karen that repeatedly made me laugh.

This production is directed by Laura Lewis and the real feat is how her and choreographer Ariel Grace Tegan involves so many youth on that small DHT stage. They use a lot of projections at DHT but they do a good job with them and it doesn’t feel like a substitution for creativity from the teens. All the other technical aspects are well done and the afternoon matinee I went to went off without any major problems. Mean Girls Jr is playing through July 26th but many showings are sold out. Get your tickets while you still can here.

Catch Me if You Can- Centerpoint Legacy Theatre, Centerville

Next up we have one of my favorite companies Centerpoint Legacy with their production of the underrated Catch Me if You Can. I love this show and to be honest I’m not even that big a fan of the feature film. It’s mid-tier Spielberg if you ask me. This musical takes all the good of the movie and adds to it with catchy tunes, great spaces for choreography and a wonderful friendship story that warms the heart. It’s fantastic and they do an excellent job with it at Centerpoint.

I saw the TThS cast and they are all top-tier community theater performers. Derek Marsden and Colton Ward command the stage as Frank Abagnale Jr and Carl Hanratty respectively with the rest of the cast living up to their example. I especially loved all of the group choreography musical numbers like “Doctor’s Orders” and “Jet Set” (choreography by Jessica Merrill.) I also loved the 1960s style to the set and the combination of video projections from the time and real handmade sets (scenic and projection designer Joshua Roberts.) The costumes for the very large cast are outstanding as is always the case at Centerpoint from costume designer Tammis Robbins Boam. I defy anyone to find better costumes at any community theatre in the country. Catch Me if You Can is directed by Jim Christian and it simply makes for a great night of theatre and nobody can beat Centerpoint’s low ticket prices. It’s a no-brainer. It plays through August 19th and tickets can be purchased here.

Mean Girls Jr has music by Jeff Richmond and lyrics by Nell Benjamin with a book by Tina Fey based on the film script by Fey and the book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman. Catch Me if You Can has music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman with a book by Terrence McNally based on the books Catch Me If You Can by Jeff Nathanson and Catch Me If You Can by Frank Abagnale Jr. and Stan Redding

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.

‘ANYTHING GOES’ AT SGMT IS DELIGHTFUL (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

The second show that I saw on my quick St George trip was Anything Goes at St George Musical Theatre. They were kind enough to let me review the show on closing night and to bring both my aunt and uncle to the show. I wish I could have gotten down there sooner because what a fun piece of community theatre. I will definitely be back and see more of their quality performances.

The truth is I don’t know why more community theaters don’t do Anything Goes. This screwball comedy with music and lyrics by Cole Porter is funny and romantic with lots of ensemble numbers, spaces for choreography and enough leads to give lots of actors experience they might not otherwise get.

The cast at SGMT is led by Brennan Walters as Moonface Martin. He is a real scene stealer and it is obvious the whole cast is feeding off of his energy. I saw the Porter cast so Shellie Thomas was my Reno, Pierce Robison was Billy and Averi Jackson is Hope. They were all excellent but the real standout was Paige Kennedy as Erma with “Buddie, Beware” being one of the best numbers of the evening.

Nobody sees to Anything Goes for the plot. It’s all about the singing and dancing. At SGMT director Cristin Mortenson Tillinghast and choreographer Nicole Hadley get all they can out of the small space they have to work with. The 2 best numbers of the night are “Anything Goes” and “Blow, Gabriel Blow” where the audience is surrounded by singing and dancing and one can’t help but smile.

Especially for a small community theater the costumes by Staci Martin are a real standout. Whether it is the red dresses for “Blow, Gabriel Blow” or the white sailor inspired looks throughout the amount of time and care that went into each look including headpieces and period appropriate shoes did not go unnoticed. It adds to the immersion when such an attention to detail is paid in a musical like Anything Goes.

One of my favorite parts of Anything Goes at SGMT was the terrific comic timing of the whole cast. I especially loved David Leishman’s broad over-the-top take on Evelyn Oakley and “The Gypsy in Me” was a highlight even if the lyrics are a bit outdated. Other standout numbers include “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “It’s De-Lovely” and “You’re the Top.”

Like I said, I saw Anything Goes on closing night so there isn’t any more opportunities to see it but they have Man of La Mancha coming up so if you’re in the St George area definitely get yourself a ticket to SGMT. As with any piece of community theatre there were flaws with this production of Anything Goes but what they get right they really get right making for a delightful night of entertainment. I really enjoyed myself and can hopefully get down to St George to see more from them again soon. Tickets and more information can be found 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.

BEST OF UTAH THEATRE 2024 (JUNE-DEC)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hi friends! The time has come for me to give my best of theatre awards for 2024. I did a midway post in June and some of those are still in my favorites. Natasha Pierre and the Great Comet at Pioneer Theatre Company, Spring Awakening at Hart, Pride and Prejudice at Parker all stand out as some of the best of the year.

In the second half of the year I saw over 100 shows and that includes an NYC trip. I obviously didn’t see everything but of those 104 here are some of my favorites.

Best Professional Musical-

While I loved Death Becomes Her on Broadway my favorite professional musical I saw here in Utah is the national tour of Peter Pan. I don’t even consider myself much of a Peter Pan fan but this production is full of magic and charm. I absolutely loved the flying scenes and the Captain Hook is very funny. I was very skeptical when I saw it on the Eccles program this year but it ended up surprising me.

I also really loved the Jersey Boys at Pioneer Theatre Company.

Best Professional Play

The best professional play I saw all year has to be Much Ado About Nothing at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. I loved it so much I saw it twice in one trip. Everything about this production was incredible but particular Walter Kmiec as Benedick will forever be my Benedick. He is such a talented actor but the production was also very well directed making already funny scenes even funnier. For example, in the famous gulling scene where Benedick listens to the women talking about Beatrice he gets a pail stuck to his foot which he then can’t get off making the whole scene hilarious. This is one of those productions I wish was a permanent residency so I could see it again and again.

Best Community Theatre Play

I saw many great community theatre plays but the best has to be the incredible intimate experience I had watching Misery put on by Immigrant’s Daughter Theatre and Lil Poppet Productions. It truly was a life changing experience. The entire play was done for a small crowd in the ceramics room at Westminster University meaning our characters were up close and personal. In the wrong hands this could be cringe but Tyson Baker and Stephanie Stroud were brilliant in the main roles of Paul and Annie and I don’t know when I’ve been more engrossed in a story as that experience.

Other wonderful plays I saw A Christmas Carol at Parker Theatre, Arsenic and Old Lace at Hale Orem, The Seagull at Sting and Honey, The Woman in Black at Covey, Harvey at PG Players, and Persuasion at Snow College.

Best Semi-Professional Musical

During October I ended up seeing Jekyll & Hyde twice in one week and they were both terrific productions but what they did at WVPAC was next-level outstanding. Rhett Richins was transformative as the title character and Jessica Knowles Andrus has an incredible voice as Lucy. But it was the direction by Shelby Ferrin that stood out the most with creative choices like having evil be personified with dancers surrounding Jekyll and literally overtaking him in various scenes. I don’t think I will ever see a better version of this musical.

Other semi-professional productions I loved are The Addams Family and Beauty and the Beast at Hale Center Theatre Sandy, Kiss Me Kate at Centerpoint (the best choreography I saw all year), Something Rotten at Music Theatre West, and School of Rock at Centerpoint.

Best Community Theatre Musical

It’s almost impossible to narrow down my favorite musical. I saw so many incredible ones but Mamma Mia at Sandy Arts Guild was remarkable. I honestly am sometimes bored with Mamma Mia but this was so well done if I had been able to find a ticket I would have seen it a second time. Every aspect of this was well done from the performances, to the choreography, to the 2 story immaculately made set.

Other incredible productions I want to shout out is Hunchback of Notre Dame at Timpanogos Community Theatre, Heathers: the Musical at Mad King Productions, Oliver! at Hopebox, and Bandstand at the new DoGood Theatre Company and Evil Dead: The Musical at Sanctuary were all amazing.

Best High School Performance

I didn’t see many high school performances but I can’t end this post without giving a shoutout to the unforgettable production of Hadestown Teen Edition at Riverton High School drama. Every aspect of this was incredible from the singing to the choreography to the lighting and live band. I know many other high schools are doing this edition but the bar has been set high by Riverton. Ethan Hull as Hades has a voice I am sure we will be hearing more from in coming years. What a talent!

There were so many wonderful productions I saw this year. I am thankful to everyone who has supported my career and allowed me to review their shows especially as I am stepping out on my own away from UTBA. It’s an honor and a privilege and something I don’t take lightly. I am so fortunate to be here in the greatest state for community theatre in the country, Utah. Thank you for letting me be a part of 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.

UTAH THEATRE LOG 11/15-11/17 (CATS, HEATHERS) (RACHEL’S THEATRE LOG 73)

| Rachel's Reviews

Another weekend has come and gone with great musical theatre and this was a particularly special one for me because I got to check 2 popular musicals off of my bucket list. I always love when I get a chance to see something new to me and these 2 shows were no exception. Here are my quick thoughts:

CATS- KENSINGTON THEATRE, SOUTH JORDAN

When I was in high school I had the chance to see Cats or Les Miserables and I think we all know which one I chose. Still ever since then I’ve been curious about Cats but never had the chance to see it until the ABC group at Kensington put it on. It’s the kind of show that is best to think of as more of a concert and dance experience than a complex story. Creator Andrew Lloyd Webber loves this energy in a show- introduction musicals where instead of more plot we just meet a bunch of fun characters all going to the jellicle ball and see the choice of the eternal cat.

I’ve long said that Kensington is one of the most underrated theaters in Utah. They repeatedly make bold choices and execute them well and Cats is no exception. The set by art director Logan Bingham is so inventive with everything to scale for the cats and a large ledge with a climbing wall and a pit for the actors to fall into off of the wall. They also have a large professional sounding orchestra in the back of the theater.

Director Toni Butler has done a terrific job working with the cast to bring out the best in their performances making sure they are always cats even when the action isn’t focused on them. My favorite performance is probably Jack Sheehan as Skimbleshanks and his song “Skimbleshanks: the Railway Cat.” The tap dancing in that number is excellent and Sheehan gives the role a showmanship and confidence that is very entertaining. Brodie Ririe as Bustopher Jones is another favorite.

My only disappointment in a very strong production is the way “Memory” was staged felt a little like an afterthought. I wanted Grizabella to come to the top of the stage and really belt the heck out of that song but they went the understated route which made it oddly forgettable. Maybe I expected too much but it felt like a missed opportunity.

Cats is playing tomorrow night 11/18 at Kensington Theatre and I’d definitely recommend checking it out. You can purchase tickets here.

HEATHERS: THE MUSICAL- MAD KING PRODUCTIONS, SALT LAKE

Heathers: The Musical is one of those shows I’ve heard about but never had the chance to see beyond the proshot released in 2022. With it being a mature show it’s not the kind of thing often done in Utah so when I saw Mad King Productions at the Alliance Theatre was putting it on I jumped at the chance to see it. I was actually feeling really tired yesterday but it was my last opportunity so I went anyway and I’m so glad I did. What a wonderful night of musical theatre!

First of all director Carleigh-Jo Naylor did such an incredible job combing all the various elements of the show into the small black box space. This includes large choreography moments, sound effects, simulated violence and more. I was so impressed with how physically invested the performers were at times throwing themselves on the ground with fight choreography and staging that combined the right amounts of camp and realism. One of my favorite sequences is during “Fight for Me” and everything goes into slow motion with some of the actors holding their position for many minutes. It was very impressive!

The cast of Heathers was excellent. Far better than anything you’d ever expect at a little black box like that. The standout was Cooper Garrett as JD. He starts as brooding but charming but his mania grows over time until he is quite terrifying. Sydney Olson brings the right mixture of naivety and strength to Veronica and Annabelle McKinnon is a dominating mean girl as Heather. I particularly liked watching her when she’s a ghost and has more personality in act 2.

If you’ve seen the movie you know how dark the Heathers story is. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart but there is enough humor to make the experience enjoyable. If you ever get a chance to see it I recommend it. Unfortunately the production at Mad King and Alliance is done but I have them on my radar and will see more from them in the future. You can find out more about their upcoming productions here.

Heathers: The Musical features book music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy.

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.

UTAH THEATRE LOG 11/10-11/14 (HOPE FOR THE FLOWERS) (RACHEL’S THEATRE LOG 71)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hi friends. I hope you are doing well. I have just a quick update for you today. On Sunday I was able to see a new original musical Hope for Flowers at the Hart Theatre Company and it was a sweet and memorable production. I always love seeing new material and being a part of the workshopping experience. Sometimes shows can be more a work in progress than others but with Hope for Flowers there’s a lot of potential to have something special that really works.

Hart Theatre Co is in the Lightree Studios black box space and they have continually impressed me with the way they are able to manipulate and expand the small area and this is definitely the case here. They manage to have 2 levels of action happening and a 14 piece orchestra! I honestly could have just listened to the orchestra and been highly entertained. Talk about truly going above and beyond for a production to have so much live music.

I also enjoyed the overall aesthetic director Ben Henderson created with fluorescent colored sets and costumes (producer and costume designer Emily Wells.) The overall vibes reminded me of Seussical which is appropriate given it is also based on a children’s book (by Trina Paulus, music lyrics and script by Cathy Neff, stage adaptation by Henderson and Chase Ramsey.) It tells the story of a caterpillar who is trying to find his life’s meaning beyond his pre-destined role as a butterfly. Sunday night featured Geoff Beckstrand as Stripe, our questioning caterpillar, and Sam Torres as his love interest Yellow. They are both very talented singers and dancers with Torres doing very impressive work on the aerial silks.

While the story is cute I’d say the overall experience is more the appeal of Hope for Flowers. The dancing (and like I said aerial acrobatics) are exciting and dynamic and the orchestra is very impressive. If they wanted some advice on the overall show I would say to add a few more high tempo songs like “Sour Grapes” sung by Lisa Nicole Thurman (my favorite number.) A lot of the other songs meshed together as bland ballads and a show needs a mixture especially if it is trying to appeal to kids.

But I definitely think Hope for Flowers at Hart Theatre Co is worth seeing and would be a great way to introduce kids to live music, dance and sweet storytelling. It’s playing until Nov 24th and you can purchase tickets here.

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.

UTAH THEATRE LOG 10/15-11/9 (EVIL DEAD, THE WOMAN IN BLACK, THE ADDAMS FAMILY) (RACHEL’S THEATRE LOG 70)

| Rachel's Reviews

It’s kind of crazy and exciting that my last theatre log was almost a month ago ending on 10/14. This is not because I’m seeing less theatre but because more companies are asking me to review their shows and do full detailed reviews. I technically have written 6 reviews in between my last log, which is what I want to see happening! If you are part of a company that would like longer reviews than these logs (which I pay for out of pocket) just let me know and I’d love to watch and review your show.

Anyway, this log is a special one because the 3 shows I’m reporting on were part of my friend Jacklyn Collier’s visit to Utah. She is my co-host for City Girls Pod on Hallmarkies Podcast and also for the OnStage Blog Theatre Podcast and my best friend. I just wish she lived closer but it was super fun to introduce her to Utah and the Utah theatre scene. Even though she was only here for 2 weekdays we still managed to squeeze in 3 shows and it was super fun (she was here on Halloween week so all 3 were horror-themed.)

EVIL DEAD: THE MUSICAL- SANCTUARY THEATRE COMPANY, WEST JORDAN

I am by no means an expert on the Evil Dead movie franchise. I think I’ve seen the original film once in college and never watched any of the other entries. Nevertheless, when I heard Evil Dead: The Musical was coming to Salt Lake and the Sanctuary Theatre I was very excited to see it. In a world where I see the same shows on repeat (which I’m fine with) this was something fresh and new (to me at least) and the fact I would get to see it with my best friend was extra exhilarating.

Even with this enthusiasm I was a little anxious because Sanctuary is what I refer to as a ‘learning company’ meaning many of their cast are trying out acting for the first time and it can be amateur to the extreme there. I try to be forgiving because there are so few places in Utah for people to experiment and try theatre for the first time but it can be a rough sit.

Fortunately I did not need to worry and this production of Evil Dead: The Musical was by far the best thing I’ve ever seen at Sanctuary and a blast from beginning to end. Directors Connie Beaty and Joshua Garretson brought out the best in their cast and used the incredibly small black box space to its full potential and integrated all kinds of effects and video clips into the production. We were not in the ‘splash zone’ but at only one row behind it we still got some stray ‘blood’ which was really fun.

Hunter Williams was stoic and commanding as Ash but my favorite performance of the night was Ariel Tegan as Annie. She has a terrific comic timing and sold all her songs like “All the Men in My Life…” I also really enjoyed Gwen Anderson as Cheryl who was also very funny.

Sanctuary has already announced Evil Dead: The Musical will be back in 2026 and I know I will be first in line for a ticket. We have a whole episode of the podcast coming on it which I will share when it posts. If you have a chance to see it in your area it’s a truly great time that I highly recommend. The run this year has finished but you can find out more at Sanctuary here.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY- HALE CENTER THEATRE, SANDY

Because we had such limited time the only company that produces an afternoon show on Friday is Hale Center Theatre and as Beauty and the Beast isn’t running yet we went to see The Addams Family which I already did a full review of here. I was hopeful we might get the other cast given I saw the T/Th cast previously but it was a combination of casts given it was the 4pm time. I’m actually not even sure who we saw as the program was a little unclear but it was fun to see Dallin Bradford again as Uncle Festor. He brings the sweetness and energy the role requires.

I don’t have much additional to say. The Addams Family has its flaws as a show (I hate “Full Disclosure” song and sequence to end Act 1) but in the end it’s about a family and has a nice heart to it. My favorite song is “Happy/Sad” sung by Gomez and Josh Richardson sang that it beautifully here. I do wish Hale would give a discount for the Jewel Box seats that are off to the sides because you really do miss a large portion of the performance, but we still had a good time. I honestly think this is the best show Hale has done this year. It was fun to introduce Jacks to Hale especially after seeing such a small production at Sanctuary (we really saw the full spectrum of the Utah scene.) The Addams Family plays until Nov 16th and you can purchase tickets here.

THE WOMAN IN BLACK- PARKER THEATRE, SALT LAKE

After seeing The Woman in Black at The Covey in September I was really looking forward to seeing what Parker Theatre would do with the same material and was excited to show this incredible company and theater to Jacks. (It was really funny because the Covey performers all happened to be there that night as well as my friend Heidi and Steve, so I think Jacks thought I knew everyone there LOL.)

To my delight Parker did not let me down with this production and Jacks is a really fun person to watch a thriller with. She gets really into it and vocally shrieks at the surprises, which made everything more fun. It also helped this time I knew what was coming with the structure of the play (it’s a play within a play) so that wasn’t as jarring as at the first time. Director Brinton Wilkins did an incredible job creating atmosphere and pulling off the big scares and surprises. The lighting is always incredible at Parker and lighting designer James Parker kept up that tradition creating spooky environments and the right amount of darkness to pull off the surprise. The sound design by Spencer Hohl was also very effective.

But the true praise goes to the 2 actors Michael Hohl and Lucas Charon. Particularly Charon gave an unforgettable performance because so much of what he must do as Kipps is imaginary. He has to make us believe he’s driving a trap or chasing after a dog and he did so with seeming ease. It was as an equity-worthy performance that I only wish more people could have seen. If you haven’t gotten season tickets to Parker I can’t recommend it more highly. They truly think of every detail down to the themed concessions to go along with every show. It was such a fun night. I highly recommend their A Christmas Carol which starts November 23rd and you can purchase tickets here.

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.

UTAH THEATRE LOG 9/17-9/22 (SWEENEY TODD, BRIGHT STAR, THE SEAGULL) (RACHEL’S THEATRE LOG 55)

| Rachel's Reviews

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