musicals

Utah Theatre Log 11/25-12/14 (She Loves Me, Elf) (Rachel’s Theatre Log 227)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hello theatre lovers. I hope you are having a wonderful December and getting in those wonderful holiday themed shows. Most of what I have seen have been my full detailed reviews as a critic; however, I do have 2 shows I attended as a patron I’d love to catch you all up on. Make sure you are following my instagram for out of show reactions to every show and movie I see (plus other fun content.) I did recently see my 200th show for 2025, which I think is a cool accomplishment for a busy critic like myself. Thanks to all the companies who have let me view their work. It’s something I never take for granted.

She Loves Me- Lehi Arts Council, Lehi

I was thrilled when I found out Lehi Arts Council (one of my favorite arts councils) was putting on She Loves Me for the holidays which is one of my favorite shows. I was even more thrilled when I found out Josh Egbert is playing George because he’s a wonderful local actor. Fortunately the production did not disappoint and it’s one I highly recommend seeing in its final week coming up.

Camilla Curtis plays Amalia and they tell the classic Perfumerie story of 2 coworkers who hate each other in real life but are secretly falling in love over their pen pal letters. While their antics play out on stage we are treated to wonderful songs and a delightful cast including Madison Fitzgerald as Illona and Ed Eyestone as Mr Maraczek (the only time I’ve seen Maraczek with an accent, which is perfect because the musical is supposed to be set in Budapest.) I was particularly impressed with how the cast brought out the humor of the piece making me laugh with their comedic timing and chemistry together. It’s not even a show I think of as particularly funny, but they sold every humorous interaction. Curtis and Egbert have terrific chemistry and they make a couple we are rooting for throughout the story.

She Loves Me at Lehi Arts is directed by Brett Jamison and he makes use of every inch of the tiny space at the center making beds work for multiple scenes or having the store be easy to move around and manipulate into other scenes like the restaurant scene. I loved She Loves Me at BYU last month but this is wonderful as well and well worth your time. It is playing through December 20th and tickets can be purchased here.

Elf: The Musical- Draper Historic Theatre, Draper

Meanwhile over at Draper Historic they are putting on a different fun bubbly holiday musical- Elf. If you have seen the feature film starring Will Farrell than you will enjoy the musical adaptation. It sticks pretty close to the movie with of course songs added in. The songs I think are fairly uninspired but they get the job done I suppose. (If you want to see a fun take on the material check out the underrated stop-motion animated special based on the musical. It’s really nostalgic.)

Anyway, the production in Draper Historic is everything I could want in a community staging of Elf. Director Derrick Cain gets the most out of the tiny stage and large cast. I saw the Twinkle Jingley cast (although it was labeled incorrectly in the program) and while Nathan Krist Janson is a lot of bubbly energy as Buddy (it didn’t feel like an imitation of Farrell which I always appreciate,) the entire Hobbes family stood out the most with Eric Smith as Walter, Katrina Smith as Emily and Sebastian Long as Michael. I particularly liked Katrina Smith and Long in “There is a Santa Claus” in act 2.

They use a lot of projections at this theatre (also designed by Cain) but they do a good job of using them to add to the immersion not as a cheap substitute for practical sets. For example having a screen of Central Park with Santa’s sleigh along with snow coming down and other practical elements adds to the effectiveness of the closing scene or at least doesn’t detract as projections sometimes can do.

I also really enjoyed the costumes by Brooke Holahan and the choreography by Yunnie Kim. Like I said, it’s amazing how much and how many people they get on to the stage in so many scenes. Elf is playing through December 20th at Draper Historic but you’ll have to try standby because it is sold out. The tickets are very affordable and I highly recommend getting a season pass to this wonderful community theater. You can find more information here.

So there you have it 2 quality shows to see this holiday season! Enjoy!

 She Loves Me has music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick with a book by Joe Masteroff. It is based on the Parfumerie play by Miklos Laszlo and first premiered on Broadway in 1963. Elf: The Musical has music by Matthew Sklar and lyrics by Chad Beguelin with a book by Bob Martin and Thomas Meehan based on the 2003 feature film. It first premiered on Broadway in 2010 and had a successful revival in 2024

These logged shows I usually 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 7/20-8/8/25 (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 6/4/25-6/10/25 (Emma, The Sound of Music, Good Night and Good Luck) (RACHEL’S THEATRE LOG 144)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hi friends! It’s time to update you on some of the local theatre I’ve been watching. It’s a little different because I actually didn’t pay individually for any of the shows I’m talking about today but I was still in attendance as a patron not a critic so I think a shorter log is appropriate.

GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK- LIVE STREAM CNN, BROADWAY

I have not been able to make the New York trip I would have liked to in 2025 so I was thrilled when I heard the George Clooney led play Good Night, and Good Luck was going to be streaming live from the theater on Broadway. This is the first time in history a live Broadway performance has been simultaneously televised.

While I obviously haven’t seen the live performance I wonder if the pro-shot is is the ideal way to watch this play? The set appears to be quite sprawling as it recreates the CBS studios of Edward R Murrow and chronicles his confrontations with Senator Joseph McCarthy. I was also surprised with the little side plot between Shirley and Joe Wershba (Ilana Glazer and Carter Hudson.) It’s been a while since I have seen the movie and I forgot about their inclusion. Clark Gregg also plays the producer Don Hollenbeck and he and Clooney have nice chemistry. These additions help keep the play from feeling preachy and overbearing when especially towards the end it begins to feel heavy-handed. It seems like Clooney is playing a variation on himself but he does a good job with it. Overall I was entertained by this play and am grateful I got the chance to see it. More like this please! You can watch the movie version of Good Night and Good Luck here (ad)

EMMA- BLUFFDALE ARTS, BLUFFDALE

Everyone knows I’m a big Jane Austen person so I will jump at the chance to see any local production of her works- especially when said production is free! Every summer Bluffdale Arts puts on free plays for its community and I think that is a wonderful gift to offer those around you. I love it. This year they have Emma and then Charley’s Aunt coming next at the outdoor stage at Bluffdale City Hall and Park.

My favorite part of this production of Emma is how approachable it is. If you are someone who feels Jane Austen is stuffy and even boring (how dare you!) this staging might change your mind. None of the actors are taking themselves too seriously and they are quick to make a joke or give a wink to the audience. The standout in this regard is Kylee Summer as Miss Bates. Leah Allred is also very funny as the snobby Mrs Elton but the whole cast are charming and easy to find the humor in their scenes.

Elena Arana is a wonderful Emma and has terrific chemistry with Alex Grover’s Mr Knightley. The only real downside to this (did I mention it’s free) is that it is a long sit. The transitions between scenes are very slow and it was almost 3 hours by the time we finished. I love Austen so I was fine with it but it might try the patience of some guests and is something they could work on.

That said, director Melanie Gonzalez and her team have put together an enchanting theatrical gift for their community with Emma and it is playing through June 14th. More information can be found here. This adaptation is done by Michael Bloom.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC- DRAPER AMPITHEATER, DRAPER

Like Jane Austen, everyone also knows I’m a huge fan of The Sound of Music; although, I do think it is one of the rare musicals where the movie actually improves upon the stage version. Still, any time I get a chance to see it I’m a happy woman.

I recently had the chance to see The Sound of Music at the Draper Amphitheater and while it was not as good as I am used to seeing from them it was still a nice way to spend an evening in Draper.

This production is directed by Robin Edwards and contains everything you could want from The Sound of Music– cute kids, charming songs and a brave captain standing up to Nazis. Tyler Oliphant is fantastic as Captain von Trapp and Serena Mackerell has a nice chemistry with the kids as Maria. Speaking of the kids they are all very cute especially in songs like “So Long, Farewell.”

I suppose if there is any disappointment it’s only because the other productions I am used to seeing at Draper Ampitheater have felt more polished and less of a community theater vibe. I was especially impressed with their Hairspray a couple years ago. This The Sound of Music is more of an amateur production but that’s fine. It’s still a cute enjoyable piece of theatre. It is playing through June 14th and tickets can be purchased here.

Good Night and Good Luck is written by George Clooney and Grant Heslov based on their film of the same name. Emma is based on the novel by Jane Austen and adapted by Michael Bloom. The Sound of Music has music by Richard Rogers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II with a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse.

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 3/30-4/11 (JERSEY BOYS, RIDE THE CYCLONE) (RACHEL’S THEATRE LOG 120)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hi friends! I hope you are doing well and having a great time enjoying community theatre near you. I have 2 shows to do my quick logs for you tonight. These logs are my thoughts on shows I saw as a patron not as a formal critic. I would love to review as many local shows as possible so if you are interested contact me on social media or at rachelsreviews65@gmail.com and we can get that set up.

JERSEY BOYS- THE RUTH, PLEASANT GROVE

First up we have Jersey Boys at The Ruth. This is the iconic jukebox musical about Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons that set the standard for this type of biographical jukebox musical. I really enjoyed a production I saw at Pioneer Theatre last Fall but that was the full version whereas this is the edited version, which I didn’t like as much. Nevertheless, I actually do think it was a bold show for the Ruth to pick and I was alarmed at how many empty seats there were the night I was in attendance.

Despite lacking the edge to make it feel more authentic this is still an entertaining night of theatre. I particularly think the second act of Jersey Boys is effective. I love the sense of humor it has (jukebox musicals can be overly serious sometimes when showing us these people’s dramatic lives.) This production at The Ruth is directed by David Morgan and the 4 men have a nice chemistry together with nice harmonies for the many songs they are required to sing. It took me a bit to warm up to Kristian Huff as Frankie Valli and his version of the falsetto but it grew on me. Brock Dalgleish plays Tommy, David Matthew Smith is Bob and Bronson Dameron is Nick the night I was there. They are all excellent in their roles and in the harmonies together. I also really liked The Angels when they sang “My Boyfriend’s Back”

The set by Danny Rash moves easily between the different time periods. The lighting by Michael Gray is immersive and colorful and overall the whole thing went off without a hitch. Jersey Boys is playing until May 10th and tickets can be purchased here. If any of you have seen the authentic vs the cleaned up version let me know which one you prefer?

RIDE THE CYCLONE- WESTMINSTER UNIVERSITY, SALT LAKE

I had honestly never heard of the musical Ride the Cyclone before but I always like to try out new shows so when I saw it was playing at local Westminster University I decided to give it a shot. While in the end it wasn’t a show for me I always love supporting the students and their efforts.

The setup for this musical is fairly simple. A tragic accident in an amusement park has 7 teens to the afterlife and now they must decide which one of them deserves a chance back at earth. This reminded me of many other shows like Beetlejuice, Assassins, Our Town and even Cats. Each character gets their own segment and the actors are all talented and charismatic. The highlight is Jane Doe played by Chloe Mizantzidi who goes from belt to opera with ease in her “The Ballad of Jane Doe” number.

In a way my problem with Ride the Cyclone is a little unfair. The night I attended was sold out, which is great, but the boisterous crowd was ready to laugh at seemingly anything. Don’t get me wrong there are some chuckles but the show is also trying to say something about life and death and the laughter from the audience seemed to not appreciate those more thoughtful moments. As the night continued I became increasingly annoyed as it was clear those around me had come to cheer on their friends and not see a piece of theatre. I felt like I could barely appreciate the dialogue that was actually funny because I was distracted trying to figure out why people were laughing at a sad story being told. By the end, I was so annoyed that I was eager for it to be over and ready to head home.

This production of Ride the Cyclone is directed by Mark Fossen and has an incredible set design by Spencer Potter. The final performance is tomorrow 4/12 and tickets can be purchased here.

Jersey Boys features a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice featuring music by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Ride the Cyclone has music, lyrics and book by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell.

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 2/14-2/20 (XANADU, SHE LOVES ME, CINDERELLA) (RACHEL’S THEATRE LOG 100)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hi everyone! I can’t believe we are at my 100th theatre log! Where does the time go? Today I have 3 shows to give my quick reports on as most companies are asking for me to do full reviews these days. I am certainly being kept very busy watching theatre (happy problem to have seeing too many plays!)

XANADU- UNIVERSITY OF UTAH THEATRE PROGRAM, SALT LAKE

Last year I was a big fan of Starlight Express put on by the Liahona Academy. It was fresh and exciting and full of movement and fun. It is for this reason that when I saw the advertising for Xanadu at the U of U I made sure to squeeze it into my busy February schedule. I realize the plots are different but the roller skating featured in the marketing made think Xanadu would also be a fun and energetic musical. After seeing it there is fun to be had it’s just not very much with the roller skating so that was disappointing.

In fact, there is really only one character that wears roller skates for most of the show. It’s Kira played by Alexa Shaheen. She is very good and is very skilled at several accents including an Australian one. All the students are excellent in this and it was interesting to see another take on the Greek myths since I have seen Hadestown so much recently (I’m actually seeing it again tonight!)

That said I was underwhelmed by the story and found it quite plodding and dull. I have never seen the 1980 film so maybe that is part of it. If I had nostalgia for the movie maybe I would be more charmed by the experience. I never regret supporting student performers but Xanadu as a show just wasn’t for me. Xanadu is playing through 2/23 and tickets can be purchased here.

This production of Xanadu is directed by David Eggers. Music & lyrics by Jeff Lynne & John Ferrar with a book by Douglas Carter Beane based on the 1980 feature film.

CINDERELLA- THE RUTH THEATRE, PLEASANT GROVE

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a big fan of Cinderella. I just love the story of hope and magic so I was very excited when I heard Cinderella is going to be one of The Ruth’s premiere shows in their new theater. This is the “Topher” version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical and they did not disappoint. What an enchanting beautiful night of theatre.

I was able to attend the T/Th/Sat cast and I hope to be able to see the other cast before the run ends. Cinderella or Ella is played by Teaira Burge and she is absolutely luminous as our lead. She is warm and kind and everything you could want in a Cinderella. The whole cast is great with Dan Van Ormer as Prince Topher and Bonnie Wilson Whitlock as a deliciously evil stepmother Madame.

Even if you don’t like Cinderella as much as I do this show is worth seeing for the production details alone. Director Rodger Sorensen and his team have seemingly thought of everything. The puppetry throughout is charming, the choreography by Sayoko Knode is dynamic and fun and the costumes are next level outstanding. Costume designer Elizabeth Banks Wertz belongs on Broadway not in Pleasant Grove! I particularly loved a gold dress for the banquet and the wedding dress is unforgettable.

Fortunately there is lots of time to see Cinderella at The Ruth. It is playing until May 3rd and I highly recommend checking this one out. Tickets can be purchased here.

This version of Cinderella is based on the classic story with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Hammerstein and Douglas Carter Beane.

SHE LOVES ME- OPPA THEATRE, LAYTON

Like Cinderella I also love the musical She Loves Me and will go to whomever is putting it on. This includes driving up to Layton to see it at OPPA (On Pitch Performing Arts) this last Monday, and I’m glad I did. What a charming and well performed piece of romantic comedy theatre that I highly recommend.

This production stars Caitlin Olsen as Amalia Balash who secures a job in the opening scenes at a perfumery in Budapest (the original play Perfumerie is Hungarian so must versions are set in Budapest.) Unfortunately for Amalia she doesn’t get along with her boss Georg Nowak played by Cormac Romine but the catch is the 2 enemies are actually writing each other as part of a Lonely Hearts Club. I think someone would have to be pretty cynical to not be charmed by this premise. 2 people falling in love over their words is just an appealing concept and the musical is so well crafted with wonderful songs throughout.

The stage at OPPA is small but I was impressed with how director Mira Jorgensen and set designer Brandon Stauffer created the world of the store and used moveable blocks to create everything from a store counter to a bed depending on the scene. Olsen and Romine have excellent chemistry as our leads but the real standout in the cast is Amanda Murray as Ilona Ritter. She has a lovely singing voice and brought a lot of personality to role with her dynamic acting. The highlight of the night is the “Ice Cream” and “She Loves Me” songs when both of our leads realize they love the person they thought they hated. I also loved hearing Olsen sing “Dear Friend.” OPPA should feel very blessed they have a singer as talented as Olsen in their productions. She elevates everything she is a part of.

OPPA is what I refer to as a learning company so it doesn’t have the polish of something like The Ruth but that’s all part of the charm of a night of community theater. She Loves Me is playing through March 1st and tickets can be purchased here.

She Loves Me has music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and a book by Joe Masteroff.

So there you have it! What have you been watching and have you seen any of these shows? Happy theatre going!

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 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.

UTAH THEATRE LOG 9/30-10/7 (SOMETHING ROTTEN, ALICE BY HEART, JEKYLL AND HYDE) (RACHEL’S THEATRE LOG 59)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hey everyone! I hope you are having a great week. Its been a fun time for me because I started a new part-time job last week, which is always an exciting if overwhelming experience. Plus, at Hallmarkies Podcast we are gearing up for the start of Christmas season coming up on Oct 18th, so life is as crazy as you’d imagine it being. Fortunately I still have time to see a lot of great theatre. Some I will do full reviews for as a critic and others are just the short logs as a patron. Here’s what’s been happening on the stage:

SOMETHING ROTTEN- EMPRESS THEATRE, MAGNA

First up there’s a new production of Something Rotten over at the Empress Theatre in Magna. This is such a charming little community theatre that almost always knocks the productions out of the park and this is another great example of doing that. Something Rotten may be my favorite comedic musical and even though I’ve seen it many times I haven’t gotten sick of it like I have other shows in the genre. It’s just that funny.

What was interesting about this production directed by Kylee Larsen is how stripped down and simple it is. For example in “A Musical” the musical theatre easter eggs were stripped down to just the music and dance without the visual cues I usually see. In contrast, at the recent production at Music Theatre West they had the entire ensemble wearing different costumes from musicals for the scene. This takes the opposite approach and I found it quite refreshing. It helps also that Caden Terry gave my favorite performance of the night as Nostradamus. He has terrific comic timing and sold the song well.

The rest of the cast is up for the challenge of the piece and there were very few technical gaffes during the matinee that I attended. The only persistent problem is they could turn up the microphone on Shakespeare (Bradley Barker) who was a lot of fun in the role but at times the music was overpowering his vocals. This is probably the only production I’ve ever seen where someone is credited as “Egg Creator.” It’s Ashley Loewer and she did a great job making the costumes for “Make an Omelette.” They have both cracked egg outfits and omlettes and both are very funny. Like I said, it’s just a funny show, and I hope I never get tired of seeing it. Something Rotten is playing at The Empress until Oct 19th and tickets can be purchased here.

ALICE BY HEART- WEBER STATE ARTS, OGDEN

I love seeing college productions especially if they are doing something new and experimental. The energy of the students is just infectious and inspiring. This is why I jumped at the chance to review Alice by Heart for UTBA this month. What I didn’t know then was that this review would end up being my last review for the site as I am moving on to other opportunities. I’m proud of the work I have done for them and grateful for everything I learned along the way.

In a way Alice by Heart was the perfect show for this moment because it’s a show all about saying goodbye to the people and things we love. The creative team (music by Duncan Sheik, lyrics by Steven Sater and a book by Sater and Jessie Nelson) have moved Lewis Carroll’s iconic story to a 1941 bomb shelter and Wonderland is an escape from the horrors of war.

While there are definite problems with this material the creativity of the students was so much fun to watch. I particularly loved the giant Jabberwocky puppet they created. You can read my full review here. Alice by Heart runs until Oct 12th and tickets can be purchased here.

JEKYLL & HYDE- HOPEBOX THEATRE, KAYSVILLE

I honestly think Hopebox Theatre in Kaysville is one of the more underrated company’s in this area. They not only have a wonderful mission of helping support those fighting cancer but they have never missed for me in a production. Even if I don’t love the show I always leave thinking they did a fantastic job with it. Such is the case with their new production of Jekyll & Hyde.

I saw the Silver Cast on Monday 10/7 and they are all really strong. Dugan Brunker is particularly great at the Hyde part of the title character. He could almost be Batman with that low gravely voice. Chelsea Campbell is another standout as Lucy really nailing her signature song “Someone Like You.”

The set is very impressive for the small space. I love how director Sadie Day uses practical effects as opposed to the digital AI projections which are all the rage in community theaters these days. The backgrounds have a charcoal quality to them and the way the set folded out to Jekyll’s lab was brilliant. The costumes by Torrey Woolsey were also stunning with layers to each look, even minor characters.

There are also some really creative choices like when they do “A New Life (Reprise)” different couples dance as Lucy imagines the kind of love and life she could perhaps have some day. It’s also a pretty racy interpretation (for Utah at least.) “Bring on the Men” doesn’t shy away from the sultry elements but that’s true to the story so I really enjoyed it. It’s nice when conservative companies take a little bit of risk and honor the stories they are telling.

I will always recommend seeing a show at Hopebox and Jekyll and Hyde is no different. It’s a sexy, exciting, good time at the theatre playing until Oct 26th. 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.