reviews

UTAH THEATRE LOG 5/29/25-6/3/25 (TOOTSIE, HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, DREAMGIRLS) (RACHEL’S THEATRE LOG 141)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hi friends! I have a quick log to update with a few of the shows I have been seeing. It’s been a busy time for both theater and film so make sure you are following me on instagram and youtube to get all of the out of theater reactions and updates!

Just a reminder for those new to the site. These logs are quick thoughts of shows I am a patron at not a critic to do a full detailed review. I would love to review any and all of these shows. Just email me at rachelsreviews65@gmail.com. Thanks!

DREAMGIRLS- THE GRAND THEATRE, SALT LAKE

I have to admit if I am going to give a company a pass it is more than likely to be for when I feel they are pushing themselves as a company and when they are presenting me with new and exciting material. While the musical Dreamgirls could in no way be considered a new show it is not performed often in community theatre and so I admire The Grand Theatre for taking it on. Indeed I had never seen this musical previous to their performance and am grateful I had the chance to check it off my musical theatre bucket list. It is also impressive that they had a full live orchestra to back up their performers. One doesn’t expect such a production for under $40.

I do have to say now I have seen it I probably won’t be dying to see Dreamgirls again. The story is just so tired and formulaic that it’s hard to get super excited about it. It’s one of those shows that lives and dies by its lead casting and luckily at The Grand they have a terrific Effie in Quesley Soto. I wish Effie was written with more nuance and less like a soap opera character but she does what she can with the role. Darby Mest is also a standout as fellow Dreamette Lorrell. The rest of the cast is a little more mixed but they are all trying their hardest and there is a nice community spirit amongst the cast, which I appreciate.

Technically speaking Dreamgirls at The Grand is directed well by Latoya Cameron with the musical sequences having the cabaret feel needed for the numbers. However, the real standout is the incredible costumes by Shannon McCullock and her team. I wish I could have one of the sparkly dresses that Effie and the other girls are wearing!

Dreamgirls is playing at The Grand through June 14th and tickets can be purchased here.

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL- BYU, PROVO

It’s hard to not be charmed by the catchy tunes and energetic nature of High School Musical whether on stage or in the film DCOM. The songs are so much fun and the production at BYU is a great time for the whole family.

What stands out the most is the production elements. The set by Marguerite Morgan looks like something you could find at Disneyland. So bright, colorful and professional. It’s also super cool that they had large screens shaped like cell phones on the side of the stage and had pre-filmed footage commenting on the events (like a Wildcat news update) filmed at the actual East High (advantage of being in Utah I suppose.) The production is directed by Geoffrey Reynolds and he seemingly thought of everything to make this a great show. The only downside is it was very warm in that theatre and some of the singing was weaker than usual for a BYU show.

Still if you are looking for an introductory show for the whole family High School Musical at BYU would be a great pick. I had a great time with it. It plays through June 14th and tickets can be purchased here.

TOOTSIE- EGYPTIAN THEATRE, PARK CITY

Like I said I really appreciate it when companies take chances with new and unique shows here in Utah. This is what got me to go up to Park City to see Tootsie at The Egyptian last week. I had heard mixed reviews of the show when it was on Broadway but I wanted to decide for myself and took the chance to go up there and see it. To my surprise I quite enjoyed the show. I’d even say it’s a little underrated amongst recent Broadway offerings (I liked it better than something highly praised like Kimberly Akimbo so go figure.)

What makes Tootsie work is it’s not afraid to have a genuinely unlikable lead character in Michael Dorsay (Jeremy Gross) and it’s not just a copy and paste from the movie like Mrs Doubtfire. I was surprised how funny I found it and a lot of that goes to the very likable cast including Gross, Caleb Parry as his roommate Jeff and Morgan Parry as Julie. This production is directed by Kyle Esposito and he trusts his talented cast to do their jobs and keeps the staging and choreography simple. I do think this show would have made more sense and been better if it was set in the 80s like the movie. So many of the elements including modern gender roles and communication (social media) do not make sense for 2025. Set it in 1982 it’s immediately funnier and more insightful.

That said, I did enjoy it more than I was expecting. Unfortunately Tootsie has finished its run but you can find out more about The Egyptian here.

Dreamgirls has book and lyrics by Tom Eyen and music by Henry Krieger. High School Musical is based on the DCOM written by Peter Barsocchini with book by David Simpatico, music adapted by Bryan Louiselle and songs by a variety of writers. Tootsie has music and lyrics by David Yazbek with a book by Robert Horn.

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 5/22-5/28/25 (TUCK EVERLASTING, ELVIS, NOISES OFF, THE WEDDING SINGER) (RACHEL’S THEATRE LOG 139)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hi theatre friends! I hope you are doing well. I have some of my logs to update you on. For those new to my site the logs are shorter reviews of performances (mostly theatre) that I have seen as a patron not a critic. If a company is interested in a full review (as well as my social media posts) just let me know at rachelsreviews65@gmail.com.) If you would like to support what I’m doing and get some cool perks check out my patreon.

Meanwhile I have 4 shows to log for you today so let’s get started:

TUCK EVERLASTING- CENTERPOINT LEGACY, CENTERVILLE

Occasionally an incident from my life will impact how a work effects me. Such was the case at Tuck Everlasting at Centerpoint. On the drive up to the theater I witnessed a traffic accident, which is a sobering experience. And of course, a musical about life and death like Tuck Everlasting is going to hit home even more than it might otherwise do after such an experience.

If you didn’t know this musical tells the story of Winnie Foster (Penny Hodson) who one day running away from home meets the Tuck family who have been blessed (or cursed?) with eternal life. She is particularly taken with Jesse (Maxwell Sperry) and they form a strong bond with each other. The whole cast is fantastic at Centerpoint, and I was impressed with not only their various singing abilities but the amount of dance required including a beautiful Act 2 ballet called “The Story of Winnie Foster.” It is worth seeing this show for that ballet alone (and I’m normally not someone who is wowed by dance.)

The choreography by Aaron Ford is outstanding as is the direction by Danny Inkley and the stunning sets with a rotating stage and forest-painted fabric that stretches all the way up the ceiling by scenic designer Joshua Roberts. I do think Tuck Everlasting drags a bit, and I can see why it didn’t last long on Broadway (aside from the ballet does it need to be a musical?) However, this production at Centerpoint is worth your time- especially given their low price-points. It is playing until June 17th and tickets can be purchased here.

ELVIS CONCERT- TRAVIS ALLEN AT IDEAL PLAYHOUSE, HEBER

I don’t often review concerts on here as I am not a music critic, but I wanted to let you all know about what they are doing up at Ideal Playhouse in Heber. In addition to quarterly productions they have musical acts on a regular basis. They seem to specialize in cover bands of classic acts and other vintage performers. I was able to see Travis Allen there last week and it was a lot of fun. He is one of the top Elvis impersonators in the country, and he puts on a good show. I was very impressed with how long the set of songs is and how personal and entertaining he is. It was a little warm in the theater but other than that I had a great time. Definitely check out Ideal Playhouse for their upcoming shows.

NOISES OFF!- PARKER THEATRE, SALT LAKE CITY

I was a little nervous going into Noises Off! at Parker. Not because I didn’t think they would do a good job. I knew they would, but I had just seen it at Centerpoint and sometimes comedies don’t bear the same repetition as other genres. I shouldn’t have been worried because even though I loved what they did at Centerpoint this was equally entertaining at Parker if not more so. I have rarely laughed more than at this hilarious production.

It’s hard to know who to praise more for this success but director Jennifer Hohl has to be top of the list. There are so many moving targets to keep track of including little details like where a plate of sardines are left, or if a bag is hung or not hung on a hook. The whole setting is a play-within-a-play so they need both the set facing the audience and the back which is not to work. Not only that, but when they are behind the set we need to hear them and make it sound differently than those performing directly in front of us on the stage. The sound design is always top tier at Parker and that’s no exception for Noises Off! (sound designer Spencer Hohl.)

My favorite of the performers is Corinne Adair Myers as Brooke/Vicki. She nails every bit of comedic potential in that dumb blonde type character. But they are all really funny. It’s one of the best shows I’ve seen at Parker and that’s saying something. If you like The Play that Goes Wrong I bet you’ll like Noises Off! It is playing through June 28th and ticket can be purchased here.

THE WEDDING SINGER- DRAPER HISTORIC, DRAPER

I have actually already reviewed DHT’s production of The Wedding Singer. The full review can be found here. But I wanted to see the MWF “Poser” cast, so I went with my friend to the Memorial Day show and it was super fun. The big standout of this cast was the supporting performers. Tanner Larsen actually plays George in both casts, and he’s such a talented comedic performer. I also really enjoyed Spencer Bushman as Sammy and Ashlee Howell as Holly. I hope both of them will be considered for leads in future productions. They deserve it. Alyssa Edwards is also really funny as Grandma Rosie. I do feel the other cast is a little more unique and not trying to duplicate the performances in the movie, but this is still a charming show and would make for a great date night. The Wedding Singer is playing at DHT until May 31st and tickets can be purchased here.

Tuck Everlasting has music by Chris Miller and lyrics by Nathan Tysen and a book by Claudie Shear and Tim Federle based on the novel by Natalie Babbitt. Noises Off is a play by Michael Frayn. The Wedding Singer has music by Matthew Sklar and lyrics by Chad Beguelin with a book by Beguelin and Tim Herlihy based on the film with script by Herlihy.

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.

IT’S A GOOD SHOW AT THE EMPRESS WITH ‘YOU’RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN’ (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

It’s interesting how a show can evolve over time for me as a patron and critic. When I first saw You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown I wasn’t that excited by it and found it kind of dull and lifeless. Then I saw it recently with the Silver Haired edition at the Covey and it really opened my mind up to the power of the show (and just in doing a show in a completely different way.) Now I have seen it a third time at The Empress and I’m growing to really love this show! I can see why I first found it to be boring because it doesn’t have a strong narrative but I appreciate it now for the series of sweet vignettes it is. If you want to check out this unique musical this production at The Empress seemingly thinks of everything and is a wonderful night of theatre for the whole family.

The most outstanding aspect of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown at The Empress is them getting a 7 piece band for the show. That is extremely impressive for a community theatre production which only charges $20 a ticket. And the band led by conductor Amanda Robinson is good particularly saxophonist Spencer Leyva-Cardenas. It adds such a layer to the experience to have live music and I wish more local theaters would support local musicians like the Empress did.

Director Emma Hallett has also assembled a talented cast. Often at The Empress there are a couple performers who are learning, which is fine (it’s amateur community theater after all!), however that isn’t the case with this Charlie Brown cast. Of the 11 in the main cast all hold their own in both the singing and choreography. Sonny Payne is innocent and sweet as Charlie Brown but Gweny Adams as Lucy Van Pelt is the biggest standout. I loved her in the crabbiness survey scenes and singing “Little Known Facts” with such confidence and humor.

The choreography by Gracie George and the direction takes advantage of the unusual shape of The Empress’ stage going into the audience and even interacting with the band on occasion asking for the conductors opinions on things, which is a lot of fun. The props such as Snoopy’s doghouse and Lucy’s psychiatrist booth are also just what you want for these iconic characters.

Most importantly they keep the energy moving at The Empress. I imagine the live band helps with that because it can feed off of the energy and pacing of the performers where an audio track cannot. You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown would be a great way to introduce little kids to live theatre. It will charm and entertain them and give a few topics for conversation on the drive home (like how should we treat people, and what do we do to tell others we love them etc.) It is playing through May 31st and definitely worth your time. Tickets can be purchased here.

You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown has music and lyrics by Clark Gesner with a book by John Gordon and a revision by Andrew Lippa.

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.

OMG YOU GUYS! ‘LEGALLY BLONDE’ IS GREAT AT HERITAGE (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

One of the slightly unfair parts of theatre criticism is there are just some shows I like better than others. I still try and be as objective as possible when looking at any piece of theatre or film but I’m still human and have my preferences. One of my favorites is definitely Legally Blonde: The Musical. Over the years there have been so many movies turned into Broadway musicals and outside of Hairspray, Legally Blonde is the best. I absolutely adore it and the new production at Heritage Theatre in Perry does Elle and her story proud. Definitely take the time to see it if you are anywhere nearby.

If you didn’t know Legally Blonde tells the story of Elle Woods- the fashion merchandising student who ends up at Harvard Law School to try and win back her boyfriend after she is dumped by him. At Heritage I saw the Rufus cast (the casts are the same except for the 3 leads Elle, Emmett and Paulette) with Janelle Wiser playing Elle, Tyler O’Bagy as Emmett and Casie Littlefield as Paulette. All 3 are a ton of fun in their roles and Wiser and O’Bagy have a nice chemistry as our lead couple. Wiser brings the warmth and bubbly energy one needs for Elle and she makes her easy to root for.

This production is directed by Mike and Lindy Combe and they have done a great job getting the most out of each of their castmembers. It’s not perfect but a charming piece of community theater. I think what I like most about Legally Blonde as a musical is how positive and truly funny it is. It makes it completely rewatchable. If I can find the time to drive up to Perry (over an hour drive for me) I may even come back and see the other cast.

One of the most impressive aspects of Legally Blonde at Heritage is the hand-painted sets by Jess Tarbet. The last few times I’ve seen this show it has been primarily projection sets which is fine but I love hand-painted sets. Maybe it’s nostalgia talking but it just adds to the creativity of a production. They even have an RV background for the scene when they get Rufus from Dewey and that is only in the show for a few minutes. I thought they would at least do a projection for that scene but they didn’t.

The costumes are mostly great by Amber Beecher especially on the Greek chorus in their various color-coordinated looks. The only exception is Elle’s bunny outfit either didn’t fit Wiser right or the fabric is too slippery because it kept getting lower and lower to the point I was worried she might have a wardrobe malfunction. She didn’t but that’s something they could work on for the next show.

There are also times the sound-mix wasn’t quite right and the music overwhelmed the actors but again that’s something they can keep working on throughout the run of the show. Other than that Legally Blonde: the Musical at Heritage is a charming piece of community theatre. It does have some mature content (pg13ish) but if you are in the area I definitely recommend giving this pink underdog of a show a chance. It is playing through May 10th and tickets can be purchased here.

Legally Blonde: the Musical has music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin with a book by Heather Hach. Based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the MGM film (2001.)

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.

‘WICKED’ NATIONAL TOUR IS THE SPECTACLE ENTERTAINMENT THAT’S MADE IT SO POPULAR (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

Writing a review for the national tour of Wicked seems almost like an exercise in futility. With the musical’s incredible popularity has anyone not made up their mind whether to see or not see this show? Nevertheless, that is the task assigned to me, so I will do my best to fulfill it.

If you have been living under a rock Wicked is the incredibly popular musical first produced in 2003 on Broadway and still running to this day. Part 1 of the feature film debuted last year to huge success and now the national tour is going to be in Salt Lake for 6 weeks, which is pretty remarkable (Life of Pi in contrast was here for 4 days!)

In some ways I resent Wicked and its success because it started this horrible trend of both the ‘fresh take’ on a fairytale (which is usually remarkably unfresh see recent Snow White for example) but also the humanizing of classic villains which often leaves them bland and personality-less (I’m talking to you Maleficent.) It feels like we can’t even have villains any more. They are all surprise villains (thanks to Frozen) or really not so bad after all. Groan. While it can be valuable to find the humanity in evil it also can lead to a sameness in storytelling that can be frustrating and lead to a moral neutering of our heroes and their heroic journey (ie if Dorothy isn’t facing off a great evil than where’s her bravery in just walking through the forest to get a broomstick from a nice lady?)

Anyway, it’s no surprise that everyone would want to copy Wicked after its success but that doesn’t mean the original is not of value and very entertaining. Surprisingly I have actually only seen the stage musical of Wicked once before in 2006. My Elphaba was Ana Gasteyer believe it or not and my Galinda was Kate Reindeers. It was a blast and every bit the spectacle entertainment with the great songs I was hoping or.

I interviewed Company manager Steve Quinn prior to the Wicked national tour

The spectacle entertainment is really the reason to see the national tour of Wicked. It’s a grand big show with lots of bright lights and big colors- everything you could want from a production of this musical. This iteration is directed by Joe Mantello and its probably boldest move is casting Lauren Samuels and Austen Danielle Bohmer in our two leads as Elphaba and Galinda respectively. They are both very talented singers but with Samuels being the more petite of the 2 (by 4 inches) it defies casting stereotypes as usually Galinda is the smaller of the actors. I enjoyed this dynamic because it helped make Elphaba into more of an underdog in the scenes at Shiz and even in her interactions with Galinda (Kristin Chenoweth, who premiered the role of Galinda is only 4’11” to Idina Menzel’s Elpheba at 5’6”). Fortunately both Samuels and Bohmer are up the task of the singing with challenging songs like “Defying Gravity,” “For Good,” “Popular” and “The Wizard and I.”

The ensemble in the national tour of Wicked is also mostly solid although I felt underwhelmed by Blame Hammond’s Wizard. He could have leaned into the camp of the role a little more and supported his singing better (although he does have two of the weakest songs of the musical in “A Sentimental Man” and “Wonderful.”) Aymee Garcia, on the other hand, gave me everything I could want in a Madame Morrible. Dripping with disdain and disgust for all around her. She stole every scene she is in. I also enjoyed Xavier McKinnon’s swoony take on Fiyero and his confidence in songs like “Dancing Through Life.”

Like I said, the spectacle entertainment is everything fans could hope for with the national tour. I do think the first Act of Wicked is much stronger than the second but it’s still satisfying and certainly gives us enough catchy songs to make for an entertaining night of theatre. Certainly seeing a show like Wicked is a chance to get children excited about musical theatre and that’s why I most encourage families to go and see this show while it is at Eccles for 6 weeks. Particularly your girls will be talking about if for weeks and they just may be inspired to audition for their local community musicals. Popular shows like Wicked have that ability to speak to new musical fans like Les Miserables or The Little Mermaid did for me as a young person and that is important and valuable. So go see Wicked while you have the chance and take the whole family. It is playing May 25th and tickets can be purchased here.

Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman based on the novel by Gregory Maguire.

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.

‘A CHORUS LINE’ AT WVA IS ONE SHOW NOT TO BE MISSED DESPITE A CHALLENGING STAGE (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

It’s funny. I would never call A Chorus Line underrated as it is a classic of musical theatre, but I do feel like it isn’t mentioned as much as it should be in discussions of the greatest shows of all time. It’s certainly one of my favorites. I love how honest and authentic it feels. Written in 1975 based on interviews done of Broadway chorus members it feels like something that could be released new now and not feel outdated one bit. West Valley Arts is putting on this landmark show and while their theater-in-the-round does cause some challenges it is still well worth your time.

If you are unfamiliar with A Chorus Line it takes a group of dancers auditioning for a chorus role in a Broadway show and tells their individual stories (again based on real interviews.) There isn’t a traditional plot like we usually have in musicals but is more of a what we call in the film world ‘slice of life’ narrative. We as the audience are a fly on the wall watching these people audition and learning about their life.

It is this voyeuristic aspect of this show that make many of co-director/choreographers Izzy Arrieta and Ben Roeling’s choices so brilliant. I particularly loved having director in the show Zach (Joseph Spear) mostly a voice from above calling out orders to our dancers. In many ways Zach is us and speaks for the audience making when he does step on to the stage extra impactful.

Another effective directorial moment is the opening number “I Hope I Get It” we are introduced to each character with the actors holding up their headshots to Zach’s voice from above but again it made it feel like they were each auditioning for us and we were going to be the ones judging them worthy or not.

The casting for this production of A Chorus Line is across the board outstanding. I would challenge any non-equity theater across the nation to produce such an incredibly talented group of dancers, actors and singers. It’s hard to pick a favorite because they are all impressive but Angel Martinez as Paul (I honestly believe Paul’s Act 2 monologue to be one of the most stirring monologues in musical theatre history and he performs it with heart and soul), Heather White as the jaded Sheila, and Annie Jones as the tone-deaf but very funny Kristine are the standouts.

It being an audition environment the sets and costuming are simple so it’s the performances and the choreography by Arrieta and Roeling that give the production its flavor. I love how each performer has unique choreography while all still working together to make the iconic kicklines of the show. Again, we are put in the position of Zach and can see who he should and should not pick.

The problem with WVA is that the theater-in-the-round setup is a challenging space for A Chorus Line. I wish the directors had used the aisles and the platforms around the stage for some of the solos to stretch things out into the audience. It is a reality of this stage that some of the time the performers will be facing away from us as an audience. This is a major barrier for A Chorus Line because we can’t see what the dancers are doing. We can’t look into their faces and see their expressions. I wish I could lift this cast and choreography onto a traditional stage so I could see what was happening at all times. There are times when theater-in-the-round is an advantage making the audience surrounded by the experience but for A Chorus Line where there so often is a literal line of actors it’s problematic.

That said, I don’t think this downside is enough to throw off the many positives in A Chorus Line at WVA. It’s a stirring look into the lives of performers and just people with their hopes and dreams. Plus, there are some terrific tunes and dance sequences well performed. A Chorus Line is playing at WVA through May 3rd and tickets can be purchased here. Don’t be the one to miss out!

A Chorus Line features music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kieban and a book by James Kirkwood Jr and Nicholas Dante.

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 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.

‘STEEL MAGNOLIAS’ IS TRUE GIRL POWER AT MILLCREEK COMMUNITY (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

One of the best parts about community theatre is the element of surprise. When I go to see a Broadway show I expect the talent to be top-tier and the production to be incredible but with community theatre, especially a company I haven’t seen before, I never really know what I’m going to get. For example, on Saturday I was invited to see a small production of Steel Magnolias put on by Millcreek Community Theatre and it was a wonderful experience I won’t soon forget.

Believe it or not I actually had never seen Steel Magnolias. It is performed fairly regularly I just for whatever reason had never seen it. This production kind of reminded me of when I saw Enchanted April at Sugar Factory Playhouse last year. Both are women-centric plays with minimal sets that make them ideal for a community theatre to put on (both productions were also in city hall buildings!) Steel Magnolias is a play written by Robert Harling about the women in his town and how they rallied together after the death of his sister from diabetes. It of course was turned into the popular feature film with Dolly Parton and Julia Roberts in 1989.

With a play like this it really comes down to the casting and can the group of women create believable chemistry together on stage. Fortunately the cast at Millcreek achieve these criteria in spades. I can’t overstate how impressed I was with every performance and how easy it was to get emotionally invested in their friendships. Alexandrea Tara-Brett leads things off in the Parton-like role of Truvy in a performance Dolly would be proud of. Brittney Smith and Libby Mitchell make a believable mother/daughter combo playing Shelby and M’Lynn respectively and M’Lisa Bailey-Hansen is hilarious as crotchety Ousier. They are all also very good with their accents creating believable Southern characters.

This production of Steel Magnolias took place in an office room at Millcreek City Hall. The seats are just office chairs and the stage is an elevated platform where they create Truvy’s in-home beauty salon the women flock to for gossip and haircare. Nothing is fancy but I was impressed they got the sink to work for the hair shampooing. I’m not sure how they did that but it looked like M’Lynn got her hair wet in the sink.

As far as critique I might try to find a different gunshot sound effect. The one they used sounded like a light saber more than a gunshot. Other than that this was a wonderful afternoon of community theatre, and I’m so glad I got to take part in it.

This production of Steel Magnolias is directed by Traci Nelson and creative director Jim Nelson with stage manager Jax Jessup. All of these individuals have my attention. I will be curious what they do next because they accomplished so much with so little to work with here. The only sad part is (aside from what happens to poor Shelby) is the play only ran this weekend so only a handful of people got to experience it. (That’s always the sad part of live theatre. It’s so ephemeral unlike film that is archived for generations to watch.) Evidently next up for Millcreek is A Midsummer’s Night Dream which should be a ton of fun. Find out more on their facebook page.

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.

‘DOGFIGHT’ IS A GOOD LOOKIN START TO SENTINEL THEATRE (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

It’s always an exciting event when a new theatre company enters the Utah theatre scene and it is even more exciting when they do so with a bold ambitious choice that I’ve never seen before. Such is the case with the debut production of Dogfight from Sentinel Theatre at the Valentine Theater in American Fork. The mature content of this show won’t be for everyone but if up for the challenging material the audience will be richly rewarded. What a triumphant start to a new company, and I can’t wait to see what they do next (which is Bright Star so of course I’m thrilled about that!)

I first heard about Dogfight from a friend of mine on my podcast and especially it being the first music of now EGOT winners Benji Pasek and Justin Paul I was intrigued (book by Peter Duchan.) It tells the story of 3 soldiers in 1963 that are heading to the Vietnam War with a stop-over in San Francisco after basic training. The trio decides to enter a ‘dogfight’ competition where they all try to bring the ugliest girl they can find to a party to be judged. This pushes Eddie Birdlace into the company of a girl named Rose who may not appreciate the cruel joke the soldiers are playing.

If that plot feels too dark and cynical it may not be your cup of tea but we are dealing with foolish young people and the harsh realities of war so dark and cynical is not inappropriate. There are enough moments of humanity within the material to give hope and keep me engaged throughout.

The cast at Sentinel are all outstanding with Adam Moore as Birdlace and Sam Bennett and Nathan Bowser as Bernstein and Boland. They have a believable chemistry and they are all complex characters that do a mixture of good and bad things (like most humans even without the threat of war looming over us.) Moore is a very gifted singer but he also is endearing enough for us to not completely hate him for what he is doing to Rose (she also slaps him in the face which is more than deserved.)

Rose is played by Alison Gordon and she is wonderful at playing shy and awkward teenager. I like that she is insecure but never a complete pushover. River Robinson is also terrific as Marcy and I particularly enjoyed a duet she does with Rose called “Dogfight.” She is very funny in the role but also captures the deeper cynicism needed to teach the boys a lesson.

The whole team at Sentinel deserves praise for the thrilling production. Director Andrew Jefferies has left no detail unattended. I love how the actors are constantly moving with the entire large stage being used. Caleb Wallengren does mesmerizing work with the lighting and sound design creating everything from a simple diner, to a party, to a war with explosions and gunfire. The costumes by Kristin Christensen are period accurate from everything I know (I’m not a military expert but they appeared correct.) Liz Whittaker continues her incredible work across this valley as the intimacy coordinator (I found it very impressive thanks to Moore and Gordon that the intimacy scenes worked as well as they did when things are so cruel at the party.)

As far as critique my main feedback would be for the leads to try and enunciate a little bit better. I know it’s hard when doing accents but there were times when I had a hard time understanding the dialogue and was a little confused. I didn’t even realize what the dogfight actually was until the dance contest started. I think I missed something in the earlier dialogue that should have given me a clue.

Like I said, I know Dogfight will not be for everyone but I hope enough people take a chance on something bold and new to encourage Sentinel to keep going and producing more theatre. As theatre patrons it’s exactly the kind of ambitious work we should be promoting and supporting and I hope all my readers see it. It is playing through April 12th and tickets can be purchased here.

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