review

The Woman in Black at Parker has become my terrifying October tradition (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

When a company brings back a show after just a year that’s a sign it was well received. If they bring it back for a third year in a row that means it has become a beloved tradition. Such is the case with The Woman in Black at the Parker Theatre. This is the third year they’ve put on this ghostly play and I loved it just as much this go-around as I did the first time I saw it. What a truly terrifying night at the theater!

The Woman in Black is a two-hander play with Ben Lowell returning as Arthur Kipps and Michael Hohl playing the Actor for the third year in a row. You can tell these actors have a complete mastery of these parts and especially in Act 2 Lowell taps into a mania with the character that adds to the tension we are all feeling. Hohl is more of a steadying influence but we need it to make the jump scares as effective as possible.

But truly the star of this play is the incredible sound and lighting. The sets are simple with items like a basket becoming multiple items as well as chairs and beds. It relies on the words of the actors and the sound to create the setting and sell the marshes and terrifying hallways of the manor. Parker is second to none with the way they use sound and this is a master-class in that artform (sound design Michael Hohl and Spencer Hohl.) The lighting is by James B Parker and he is very smart in knowing what to light and more importantly what not to light. I also appreciate they bring the surprises and spooks out into the audience (that’s all I will say because don’t want to spoil the surprise.) Suffice it to say I had a big smile on my face the entire evening.

My only complaint with The Woman in Black is I don’t love the play-within-a-play framework. It takes too much time to get to the spooks and meat of the story and I always feel like it could be eliminated and we would still be able to understand different actors are playing different roles throughout. Lots of shows do that such as The 39 Steps and we get it without an explanation setting things up. But then again this play ran for 20 years in London so who am I to argue with success.

Obviously you have to be up for a scary night of theater to enjoy this play. but I certainly am and did. It is only playing until November 7th, however, so make sure you get your ticket while you have the chance! You never know if we will see this suspenseful tale for a 4th year so don’t miss it. Tickets can be purchased here.

The Woman in Black is a play adapted by Stephen Mallatratt from Susan Hill’s novel of the same name. It opened in London in 1989 where it ran until 2023 with 13,232 performances. The only play that has lasted longer is another mystery The Mousetrap.

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.

No More Goodbyes is the powerful message of Plan-B’s ‘Facing East’ revival (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

One of the great things about running my own site is I can be as personal and introspective as I want to be. For better or worse, I am all things to the site- writer, critic, editor and more. Even so, there are times when a work on the stage almost feels too personal for me to review. People are after all expecting some semblance of professional analysis rather than a personal diary entry. All I can do is try my best to share my reaction and hope I give some guidance of whether the experience is worth recommending. It’s a tricky balance I’m still trying to perfect and I felt it trying to write my review for Facing East at Plan-B Theatre Co.

There’s also an interesting sense of introspection that comes with Facing East for Salt Lake and its most popular religion, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of which I am a member. When the play was written both the state and religion were in a different place and yet not that different. I’d like to think we have grown as human beings but there’s still a long way to go. This introspection is part of what made the experience of watching the play so powerful.

The production at Plan-B is directed by Jerry Rapier and it is in the Studio Theatre black box space at the Rose Wagner. In a way the intimacy is important to the success of the work but I do wish the venue was larger so more could experience it (it is sold out for the run.) When you enter there is a stage with background photo printed on the fabric of a cemetery and a newly dug grave and flowers from a funeral service (scenic designer Janice Chan.) A couple has just finished the burial of their gay son Andrew who committed suicide. While they are both devastated their immediate takeaways from the experience are quite different, which is what the play explores.

The couple in question are Alex played by Jay Perry and Ruth played by Christy Summerhays. Alex is a pillar of the Mormon community even getting recognized by broader Christian organizations for his “One Minute Dad” segments on local radio (this would definitely be a tiktok if it was written now.) Ruth is sad about the death of her son but Alex feels an added layer of grief at what he feels like was a dishonest funeral service. Pretending like Andrew was not gay and that the teachings of the church didn’t lead to this death is so upsetting Alex wants to hold a new funeral with Ruth on the cemetery grounds. They are eventually joined by Andrew’s partner Marcus played by Kaplan Keener. He did not grow up in the church and in fact met Andrew on his mission. They had a connection but Ruth see’s him as a temptress who ruined their son, which is crazy, but not doctrinally unrealistic for strict followers to believe.

In many ways there is a sense of optimism within the play despite the sad events being portrayed. Playwright Carol Lynn Pearson talks about the strength of the pioneers and how we can make a difference one step at a time. I’m sure 20 years later we haven’t made those steps as big as we should but there have been a lot of people like Alex who are done throwing stones and fully embraced loving the gay men and women in their lives without any caveats or explanations. I know in my own journey I had to accept that this was a doctrine I just didn’t believe and then I had to decide whether remaining engaged in the faith was helpful. While I am not as zealous or active as I once was I do think remaining present and an active voice for those closeted and depressed is worthwhile (which is what Pearson also did.) Indeed, she wrote a book called No More Goodbyes and this is the most important goal of all- that all men and women are loved for who they are.

Some will make it seem like any deviation in personal beliefs is a betrayal of faith- even apostate but that is a lie. The whole basis of the Mormon doctrine is a young man questioning what he had been taught and finding truth. Even Jesus Himself was known for confronting the Sadducees and Pharisees of his day, upending the money changers at the temple. When I told my leaders I didn’t believe that homosexuality is a sin I thought it was going to be this big moment and to my surprise the leader looked at me and said “Ok.” We may not have any say over the choices of a giant organization and the progress may be frustratingly slow but we can change our own behavior and make sure those in our lives know of our disagreement and know they are loved unconditionally. Their queerness is not an addiction to be conquered or a flaw to be converted from. This is the powerful realization that Alex has by the end of the play and his new resolve is profound. It’s just tragic it had to come after the death of his son. Let’s not let that happen any more.

The 3 actors at Plan-B are fantastic with each of them not only playing the characters of Alex, Ruth and Marcus but they all play Andrew at various ages in flashback sequences. This could be gimmicky but the acting makes it work. I was particularly impressed with the way Perry paused letting us as audience feel his despair. He is not afraid to have a long moment where nothing is said. I also do appreciate the play is only 70 minutes with no intermission. This helps us absorb the message and story where a longer play might be too much and feel overbearing.

Unfortunately this production of Facing East at Plan B is completely sold out. This is such a shame more people won’t be able to watch this moving and important story. I wish they could film it so it could be shared. I’m certainly glad I had the chance to see it. There is a waitlist which is worth joining. More information can be found here.

Facing East was written by Carol Lynn Pearson and was first performed in 2006 by Plan-B and then it transferred Off-Broadway in 2007. Jay Perry actually played Marcus in the original touring production which was also directed by Jerry Rapier.

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.

Utah Theatre Log 8/13-9/29 (West Side Story, Noises Off and More) (Rachel’s Theatre Log 344)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hi theatre friends! I hope you are doing well. Sorry this log is late. I’ve just been so busy with my trip to Toronto and everything else plus I’ve been writing full reviews for most of what I see so it’s been delayed. Anyway, here are a few quick thoughts on what I didn’t get to review. This log will be even more brief than my usual logs because I have long since lost the digital playbills of these shows and a bunch of them were rewatches so I have full reviews for you to read at your leisure.

First up I want to talk about West Side Story at Draper Historic. This was an ambitious show for this company to try and mount and for the most part I feel they succeeded. The most interesting choice was having a bilingual and multi-racial cast with Yunnie Kim playing Anita and other cast members appearing to be Filipino or Asian backgrounds. This is not blind casting as they do add in dialogue with Asian slurs along with the anti-latino rhetoric thrown at the Sharks. I’m not sure it all 100% works particularly for Anita who is singing about Puerto Rico and her island home but I appreciate the swing and trying something new. Also, the dance was outstanding with them filling up the stage with movement. Gabriella Zuniga was also strong as Maria with Cade Marshall as Tony. This production has finished but they have Little Shop of Horrors coming up next, which should be a nice change of pace from the intensity of West Side Story. Tickets can be purchased here.

The next grouping is all shows I have reviewed or logged previously on this site. I saw them again as part of playing host to my friend Jacklyn Collier who is also my co-host for the Onstage Blog Theatre Podcast (see above for the episode.) Because her time was so limited we saw 5 shows in 2 days which was pretty epic. In addition to seeing the shows the talent for almost all of them greeted us and we even got to participate with the cast preshow meeting at Hopebox and get a behind the scenes tour of Hale Center Theatre. It was a wonderful weekend I will never forget. So here’s what happened:

First up we saw Joseph... at Hale Center Theatre. This was the same cast as I saw for my review (I’m going to see it again with my sisters and see the other cast.) While I have my critiques of the direction it’s still a ton of fun and delivers on the spectacle you want from Hale. Jacks was blown away by it which was fun to see her response. Joseph plays until October 24th and tickets can be purchased here.

Next, we saw Anything Goes at Hopebox. Like I said, this was neat because they invited us into their cast meeting and I got to see the other cast with Lindsey Stephens as Reno and Savannah Ruiz as Hope. Daylen Bills played Billy in both casts and was delightful. The whole cast was great and I’m so glad I got to see it a second time. The most impressive aspect was the amount of dancing packed into that small space. If this was in Draper I probably would have seen it even more. That’s how much I enjoyed it. Hopebox has Cinderella next and I will be seeing that this weekend. Tickets can be purchased here.

The next morning we saw Pride and Prejudice at The Ruth. This was the same cast as I reviewed except for we had the understudy for Darcy played by Dustin Farmley. He was great and managed to have chemistry with Lauren Pope which can be challenging sometimes with understudies. I did get to see Elena Belen Shill as Lizzy and she is also commanding in the role. I know they say it is only 2 hours and 20 minutes which would have worked perfect for our 3 show day but we didn’t get out until almost 3 hours making us late for the next show but it all worked out so that was fine. The addition of Anne Post Fife as a deaf Mrs Bennet adds a fresh new approach to the material that I really enjoyed especially since they just did this show in 2023. Pride and Prejudice plays at The Ruth until November 7th and tickets can be purchased here.

Next we had Cyrano at Parker. We were actually at their last day of performances and because it has 5 acts we arrived at the interlude after Act 1, which was perfect timing. Roger Dunbar is an incredible actor and I loved seeing him as Cyrano again and Russ Maxfield was perfectly cast as the sweet but oafish Christian. I felt proud to show Jacklyn this production as I think it holds up with anything she might see Off-Broadway in New York as far as the acting, fight choreography, production design and overall experience. The Parker has To Kill a Mockingbird next but I won’t be seeing that until October 17th (I’d love to review their shows but no luck so far on that front.) Tickets can be purchased here.

Finally, we saw Curtains at Heritage but I was reviewing that show so there is the full review here. Like I said, it was a weekend I will never forget and I know Jacks feels the same way. Thanks to all who made it so special.

The last show I will quickly log is Noises Off at Scera. I love this play and jump at any chance I have to see it. This production proved to be an interesting experience because the audience felt low energy and were not responding to the slapstick humor. While not perfect the actors were doing a good job with the broad comedy but it was just not landing well with the audience. I was surprised how much this was impacting my enjoyment considering how much I love this play. Fortunately for Act 2 they started to loosen up a bit and by the chaos of Act 3 it was more of a lively audience. My favorite part of Noises Off is almost always Garry played here with a funny fatigued expression by Carson Davies and the ditsy Brooke played by Chloe Barrus. The set is also very impressive with 2 stories and the double sides that is flipped around for the different acts. This is playing through October 10th and I’d recommend it but hopefully you’ll have a more energetic audience than I did. Tickets can be purchased here.

I also got to attend the opening season event put on by Pioneer Theatre Company. I was honored to be included at that party. Make sure to support their new season here.

West Side Story has music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim with a book by Sarthur Laurents based on Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat has music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics and book by Tim Rice based on the Biblical story. Anything Goes has music and lyrics by Cole Porter. Pride and Prejudice is based on the novel by Jane Austen with the adaptation penned by Melissa Leilani Larson. Cyrano de Bergerac is a play written by Edmond Rostand in 1897. Noises Off is a play by Michael Frayn written in 1982.

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.

My full disclosure is I loved ‘The Addams Family’ at The Ruth (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

One of the problems I sometimes face as a theatre critic and pundit is my loud and vocal opinions are out widely known and circulated making it difficult for me to approach a show in a new way or have a change of heart about a particular material. I like to think I have an open mind for any show but there are times when I feel like I am fighting back against past me and my big mouth. Such an example of this experience happened on Friday when I got a chance to see the new production of The Addams Family at The Ruth (in this sense theatre criticism is very different from film because I am unlikely to see films I’m lukewarm on multiple times where that is not the case with theater.) It might sound like hyperbole, but I truly believe this team has crafted the best version of this musical possible (and I’ve seen it many times) but it is one of the best musicals I’ve seen this year in Utah.

The first aspect we have to discuss is the stage design at The Ruth. Director Jennifer Hill-Barlow and scenic designer Kacey Udy have expanded the stage beyond where it normally extends to with seats with tables surrounding it. The actors then interacted with these patrons and moved up and down the rows frequently making the entire experience feel immersive (I know that’s become an over-used buzz word but it’s true in this situation.) Sometimes this stage can feel a little bit like a giant black box but it didn’t with this design. It felt more like a theatre-in-the-round just with a smaller circle.

I also love how choreographer Sayoko Knode Peterson keeps the actors continuously moving throughout each song. The Ruth has become my go-to theatre company when it comes to innovative choreography and The Addams Family is no exception. They even bring movement into the “Full Disclosure” sequence which is a song that I loathe but them not sitting at a table reciting the dialogue made it as tolerable as that slog of a song can be. I also love how the ensemble adds movement to almost every scene in the form of the ancestors who dance in and around what is happening with the characters.

They have seemingly thought of every detail like they even give out little finger lights for “The Moon and Me” so when Fester sings about the Moon we are literally glowing as an audience along with him. Speaking of Fester there’s a reason why they have single casted the role with Joseph Paul Branca. He stole the show and is absolutely hilarious in the role. My pen wasn’t working so I wasn’t able to write down some of his wise cracks but he had us laughing throughout at some pretty-saucy-for-Utah jokes he told along the way. In fact, the entire cast seemed open to ad-lib and sarcastic asides that again make us all feel more invested than the book for this show normally allows.

Another single casted role is Benjamin J Henderson as Gomez and he has fun chemistry with Brittany Sanders as Morticia. He also gets my favorite song from the show “Happy Sad” and sings it with the sincerity the song requires. The cast can also be seen in video that is integrated seamlessly into the show that makes for a very memorable experience.

Now there are aspects of this show that still aren’t my favorite like the Beinekes get way too much time devoted to them but they did all they could to make even them entertaining at The Ruth. My only major critique was why they didn’t make Wednesday’s dress more yellow (it looked off white to my eyes) but that’s a nitpick.

If you are at all considering attending The Addams Family at The Ruth I highly recommend it. Like I said, it is the best version of this musical I have ever seen, and I left feeling way more entertained than I expected to be. The use of choreography and direction is particularly exceptional. It’s a night fit for even an Addams family member! This musical is playing through October 31st and tickets can be purchased here.

The Addams Family has music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa with a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice base don the comic strip by Charles Addams. It first opened on Broadway in 2010

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. Right now I am crisis with my channel being removed so I could really use your support. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.

Centerpoint brings a shattered honesty to Dear Evan Hansen (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

If someone was going to ask me for the definition of a mixed bag show I might respond with the coming of age musical Dear Evan Hansen. The songs are so catchy and it means well that I enjoy watching it but let’s just say the plot is strange. Anyway, I really appreciate when a company can take a mixed bag show like this and elevate it to something more than the sum of its parts and that’s what Centerpoint Legacy has done with their Dear Evan Hansen. It is one of the best staging of this musical I’ve seen and that includes the Broadway touring company.

One of my favorite parts of Centerpoint Legacy is how they repeatedly use projections to help add to the storytelling not replace it. There is no better example of this than in Dear Evan Hansen. This is a show that has a tradition of a social media presence on stage (sometimes behind, surrounding them on pillars, I’ve seen many different ways.) Here director Bre Welch incorporates that social media but makes the projections appear to be on triangles- as if it is on shattered glass. This is a brilliant way of adding context to the cracked world of the story and these inspirational moments are based on lies and half-truths. It helps us as an audience to deal with the problematic nature of the story in a way I’ve never seen before, which is a again a brilliant choice (projection/video design Alex Young is so talented!) I also love the lighting work by Jordan Fowler with bright colors framing the shattered glass or the stage to help add dramatic impact to what is happening on stage. It adds so much to the story, which again isn’t the strongest by itself.

This cast is wonderful with Josh Call playing Evan and Anna Kocherhans as Zoe. I appreciate both of them felt like teenagers. Sometimes when seeing this show it feels like we are watching 30 year-olds pretend to be teenagers but these two felt like believable teens. I also really liked Ryan Munsey’s take on Connor. He’s usually played as a big athletic bully type but Munsey has more of an emo rebellious read on the character which is interesting. This version of Connor feels more similar to Evan which is good because we need it to believable that people would think they could have been great friends.

Some of my favorite moments of this production are songs like “You Will Be Found,” “Words Fail” and “Requiem” which on the surface are inspirational ballads but because of the shattered glass dynamic it adds a layer to the soaring melodies. “Waiving Through a Window” is a terrific start of the show but again because I was so immersed in the production design it quickly was eclipsed by the other numbers, which is saying something because I love that song.

My only real critique is these songs are deceptively difficult and the young performers should work on supporting their notes as much as possible. There are times when I felt they could have pushed through the ending of sentences a little more and thereby really driving home the hopeful message. Otherwise I loved this production of Dear Evan Hansen. It truly elevates the material in special ways and especially if you have teens it is a cracking night of theatre. It is playing at Centerpoint through October 15th and tickets can be purchased here.

Dear Evan Hansen has music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul with a book by Steven Levenson. It first premiered on Broadway in 2016 and it won 6 Tony Awards including Best Musical.

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. Right now I am crisis with my channel being removed so I could really use your support. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.

The Devil has never been as fun as in ‘Possessive: The Musical’ (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

I’ve said it before but I’m not the most experimental of theatre critics. While I can appreciate seeing something in different phases I don’t know if I’m the best person to capture the vision of what a project is going for. That’s why I am often hesitant to critique a new work like the new musical Possessive: The Musical. In the case of this musical, however, they invited me, my friend Dylan had seen and loved it and it did well over at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. So I drove up to Heber to see Possessive: The Musical performed at Timpanogos Valley Theatre, and I’m so glad I did. What a fresh, exciting, unhinged evening at the theatre!

The story behind this musical is quite diabolical. A family in the early 2000s led by parents Carl and Hannah (David Thorpe, Kaushay Ford) are stressed-out dealing with an unruly child named Darian. Then one day Darian starts behaving better but also in very strange ways. It turns out he has been possessed by a devil which of course is very concerning but the parents are tempted to keep their child behaving well for as long as possible. This is made even more complicated when their relationship also improves with their rebellious daughter Lisa (Yasamin Marashi) and she becomes friendly with the demon’s minion (Connor Thompson.) It’s all as ridiculous and off-the-wall as that premise sounds and even more so!

It’s hard to not compare Possessive to Beetlejuice. They even make a joke about that comparison themselves but I have to be honest I found Beetlejuice to be much more annoying than what we get in Possessive, so I prefer this. Beetlejuice I feel like the characters are constantly shouting at me where this has a variety of expressions along with the big over-the-top laughs. Jessica Wall, who plays Darian, deserves much of the credit. She lip-syncs her demon dialogue who is standing behind her as played by Derek Wayman. The two of them work seamlessly together and seeing Wayman’s big booming voice coming out of Wall’s petite frame is hilarious.

Everything the night I saw the production was directed by David Thorpe with sound design by Emily Wayman, and like I said it’s the coordination between the different elements to make Darian become a demon that worked so well. Plus, other characters switch places or are inhabited by other characters. It brings the biggest laughs of the night. Plus, the dialogue is very funny with a lot of nods to the early 2000s and things like dial up modems and bands like Blink 182.

I also really enjoyed how the scenic design they used making the background look like a giant book and each scene change looks like the moving of a page in said book. This is a smart way to make transitions fast and add a bit of whimsy into the low budget production.

Even though I liked the songs better than Beetlejuice I do wonder if it actually needs to be a musical? The songs are fine but it’s really the dialogue and the effect with Darian/demon that makes the show work. I think I’d like it just as well as a straight play, but I understand those aren’t as marketable especially for comedies. I do think it would be fun for Darian/demon to get a real showstopper introducing themselves in the vein of “Sweet Transvestite” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The parents have most the memorable songs in this current version of the show.

If they were going to ask me for advice going forward I’d suggest adding some interactivity to the show. It has a cult-following feel to it and something like the splash zone in Evil Dead: The Musical might really work. Especially towards the end when you have blood and windex and other that could potentially be brought into the audience.

Obviously the most important aspect of any comedy is did it make me laugh and with Possessive: The Musical it definitely did. It has loads of potential and I can’t wait to see how it evolves and grows over the years. If you do get a chance to see it it’s a great ghoulish good time.

Possessive: The Musical has book, music and lyrics by Spencer Ford with orchestrations by Alec Lowe. It was first performed in 2023 at a Hart Theatre Company production and there is a cast album available to listen to from 2023 on Spotify.

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.

What fun fools these mortals be at ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at The Empress (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

I’ve said it before but I wish more community theaters would consider putting on plays rather than musicals. They are such a great way to train up new talent, build confidence and there’s less room for error when it comes to audiences. While companies can do plays from any era it is also entertaining to see different interpretations on plays within the public domain- Shakespeare being the most popular playwright even to this day. A great example of an entertaining take on Shakespeare is currently showing at The Empress with their Appalachian themed A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I was lucky enough to attend on their Dolly Parton tribute night but any night is worthy of your time and patronage.

Also thanks to the good folks at the Empress for printing me a program. It really helps me a lot to enjoy the experience more

There’s a reason why Midsummer is Shakespeare’s most produced play (It actually was the most produced straight play period by high schools in 2025-2026!) because its play-within-a-play structure allows for a lot of creativity and adaptation. A company can really make it their own which is harder to do with some of Shakespeare’s other works. Like I said, at The Empress they have an Appalachian theme but they are also working in dance any way they can. Director Dallyn Steenerson and choreographer Stormy Hintz even start out the evening with an extended dance of the fairies setting the tone for what we will experience.

We then alternate between the Mechanicals and their ridiculous theatrical antics and the 4 Athenian lovers who are played tricks on. If anything Puck and his fairy teams are a bit more understated than I’ve sometimes seen (I always feel sad when I see Puck because of stupid Dead Poets Society which is stupid but true.) The lighting design by Chris Peck adds a lot to the story with starlight covering the stage on multiple occasions. It creates the magic you need for these wonderous events.

I’ve always felt the events with the Mechanicals is where Midsummer loses me. It’s like Shakespeare only had enough story for a one act so he puffed it out with all of the meaningless antics of this acting troupe. However, Biz Sharp as the leader Bottom is very funny and brings a lot of energy to the part. She makes those scenes enchanting and fun to watch.

That said, my favorite cast of the night was the youthful energy of the 4 Athenians- Kami McDonough as Hermia, Tanner Larsen as Lysander (who is such an underrated local talent,) Jezory Munoz as Helena and Braxton Moore as Demetrius. They all conquered the Shakespearean dialogue very well and have great chemistry as a cast.

I do wish Steenerson had involved the Appalachian theme more. I think some accents might have been nice and in the final 2 acts of the Mechanicals performance we could have had more of a folksy feel. Particularly for Dolly night it might have been nice to play one of her song choruses during that section. I also am not sure why they had me seated where they did because I really couldn’t see much of what was going on on the top of the platform because of the angle I was at and the large ladder blocking my view. I am, however, happy they had a sold out show so can’t complain much. I do also wish they could have made the greenery over the entire back wall just to make it more immersive but I understand that is probably a budgetary item.

Sitll, I enjoyed my night in the fairy forest with A Midsummer Night’s Dream at The Empress. I hope they have a good response and are encouraged to keep doing more plays like this. It is playing through Sept 12th and tickets can be purchased here. (Also don’t be afraid of it being in Magna. It’s just a hop up from the SLC airport. Not far)

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the 12th play written by William Shakespeare. He wrote it sometime around 1595 in between Richard II and King John. The events of the play revolve around Greek mythology and the marriage between Theseus and Hippolyta. It is still incredibly popular to this day. It along with The Tempest are Shakespeare’s most fantastical stories.

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.

I might make a habit of seeing ‘Nunsense’ at Springville Playhouse (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

As much as I love seeing my favorite shows on repeat I also love checking shows off of my blind spot list that I’ve long wanted to see but never had the chance. Such was my opportunity this weekend with Springville Playhouse’s wonderful new production of Nunsense. Oddly enough I’ve seen the sequel to Nunsense entitled Nuncrackers but never the original musical. Now I’m so glad I have as this is a very funny little musical well performed by Springville Playhouse.

The concept for the musical actually sounds quite grim. The nuns lost 52 of their numbers in a horrible accidental poisoning mistake. Now the Reverend Mother Mary Regina played by Robinne Booth is leading the remaining women to put on a talent show to fundraise for the burial of the remaining 4 women. Again this sounds quite morbid but the musical is in reality very funny. I guess you might call it a dark comedy but it’s mostly just a funny good time.

The production is directed by Michael Roberts and Julia Allen and they have created a very intimate space with only a couple of rows on each side of the stage (it’s basically a black box space.) The nun’s school is putting on Grease so the main backdrop looks like a high school production of Grease. It’s delightfully random. I also appreciate the performers are close enough to the audience that no microphones are needed. There were a few times the music drowned them out a little bit without microphones, but I loved the intimate feel the production has. I also enjoyed how the actors would peak out over the top of the set as if they were watching the performance right along with us. It feels authentic, which I appreciate.

My favorite of all the characters is Mary Amnesia played by Amber Roberts. She is a nun who, as the name would suggest, has forgotten who she is or what her real name is. Roberts has terrific comedic timing for the character and plays the dumb blonde in some very funny scenes. I really loved her songs “So You Want to be a Nun?” and ” I Could’ve Gone to Nashville.” I also really enjoyed Andrea Wardle as Sister Mary Robert Anne. She is given the most banter with Boothe, and they pull it off very effectively.

All that said a show like Nunsense is all about the laughs and fortunately the show is funny. It is honestly funnier than I expected- never feeling like it is putting down the characters or their religion which I appreciate. It makes for an endearing and sweet performance that I’m so glad I got to take part in. There are some adult jokes but nothing too bad. I think you could bring kids to this and they’d have a good laugh. Nunsense is playing at Springville Playhouse until Sept 5th and tickets can be purchased here.

Nunsense has music, lyrics and book by Dan Goggin. It premiered Off-Broadway in 1985 and it has spawned 6 sequels including 3 spinoffs.

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.

‘John Henry vs the Robot’ is as original as it sounds at Great Hall Theatrics (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

While I am not the most experimental of theatergoers I do enjoy seeing new original productions especially ones from local talent that I can hopefully nurture and support. Such is the opportunity at Great Hall Theatrics with their new original musical John Henry vs The Robot. While this production is not perfect it won me over with its creativity and heart.

The idea behind this comedy is quite clever. In practically a one-man show by Stephen Gashler (he is responsible for book, music, lyrics, producing, directing, and much more) he takes the classic folk hero John Henry and transports him to modern times where he confronts a Mach 21 robot a family has recently adopted. This is a smart take on the folktale because John Henry’s entire story is a tragic confrontation with steam powered machinery. He also creates an appealing counter-balance to the seemingly perfect robot character.

I know people think something has to be a musical to succeed, but I do think this story might have worked better as a straight play. The music didn’t add much to the overall message and without it we could have used the time to dive more into the themes and potentially problematic elements of an 1840s John Henry confronting a modern 2026. In this production John Henry is played by Dorsey Williams and he completely looks the part of the mythical figure. I also appreciate how physical a performance he gives. Several times he is thrown to the stage, which makes him seem all the more commanding when he rises back up to confront the robot.

Tiffany Davis plays Polly, the single Mom who takes John Henry in when her son Bobby finds him by the train tracks. Christopher Doubleday gives my favorite performance as the robot Mach 21. He is funny and gets that synthetic robot voice just right (also does a good Sean Connery imitation!) I also appreciate they kept the robot pretty likable. There really isn’t a villain in this piece.

A good comparison as far as the plot of this show would be the Thor movies over at Marvel. Basically there you have a character of mythological strength confronting modern culture and falling in love. They even both have hammers. Davis has the best singing voice of the cast and gets the best song of the night with “Multidimensional Mom” and “Against the Currents of Time.” Some of the other singing was not the strongest, but I’m inclined to be forgiving for a piece with so much originality.

The set is effective with 2 stories and a painted forest background that allows them to go from the different timelines without any scene changes. Most of the costumes fit the roles quite well except for a suitcoat they give John for his date with Polly that was so oversized I’m thinking it was intentional although the purpose behind that choice was lost on me. It was also quite warm in the Angelus Theatre making the experience more taxing than it might have otherwise been. The spotlight also seemed to wander across the stage and was a little messy.

I also think it is a bit of a mistake to have John Henry confront modern times and not address the race issue at all. I get this is a family comedy but a man like him would have all kinds of emotions and feelings especially when it comes to courting a white woman like Polly. I am sure it’s challenging writing about these themes but it feels disingenuous to not mention them at all.

That said, there is a lot of good here in this quirky little musical at Great Hall Theatrics. I can guarantee you this- you won’t see anything quite like it in Utah this year and there’s something to be said for that. John Henry vs the Robot playing through August 29th and tickets can be purchased here.

John Henry vs the Robot is created by Stephen Gashler and it is based on the classic folktale of John Henry which originated in the 1840s. He was known as the “steel-driving man” who confronts a steel drill and is driven to exhaustion. The actual man the legend was based on was born in 1848, and he did not actually die of exhaustion like the myth would have us believe. For more information on John Henry click here.

I need your help!  If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look  here.