Typically I am not a style over substance girl when it comes to live theatre (or film for that matter.) If the story doesn’t impress me usually it doesn’t matter how visually impressive a production is. I say usually because there is an exception to every rule. Such is the case with the national tour of Life of Pi playing at Eccles until April 6th. The story is fine and has its thoughtful moments but the visuals including the puppetry are unforgettable.
At its core Life of Pi is a simple survival story. An Indian young man named Pi gets shipwrecked as his family is fleeing India with their zoo animals. Eventually he ends up (in one variation at least) on a boat with a bengal tiger named Richard Parker. This is based on the book by Yann Martel and was adapted to the stage by Lolita Chakrabarti. Readers may also be familiar with the Oscar winning film by director Ang Lee released in 2012. Chakrabarti tries to bring a lot of spirituality and existentialism into the script but a lot of that felt cloying and clunky where it was trying to be sincere.
The aspects of the script that worked better for me were the alternate realities and when things become practically a horror show with events getting very dark for poor Pi. These sections felt more fresh than the bland new age spirituality of the supposedly profound moments.
Anything lacking in the script is more than made up for in the mesmerizing visuals. It’s hard to throw something at me I’ve never seen (especially in a play!) but these animal puppets are jaw dropping. The puppeteers are unbelievable. They create the feeling of a real animal everything from the movements of the muscles to the sound of the animals breathing. They even have a giraffe for a small scene at the beginning that took my breath away.
Taha Mandviwala is also outstanding as Pi. He understands the physicality of the role and is up for the emotional range required to go through a 227 day marooned at sea struggle. The other elements brought together by director Max Webster are outstanding and one can hardly help but get caught up in the drama of what is happening. I loved the lighting by Tim Deiling and Tim Lutkin and the way projections were carefully used to further the story and make nature a real character in the piece beyond just the animals. There are some strobe lights used to create lightning and other effects that might be hard for some people but they totally helped me get engrossed in what was happening with poor Pi on this boat!
I almost didn’t need the callouts to God and religion with this story. Sheer survival and the test of the human spirit is enough to think about and ponder. How far would you go if tested and desperate? What kind of person do you want to be and what is the difference between human and animal natures. That’s enough without bringing in 3 faiths for Pi to juggle.
In the end, however, squabbles with the script didn’t keep me from having a great time at Life of Pi and giving it a strong recommendation. It’s a stunning work of theatrical art that one has to see to believe. It is playing through April 6th 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. Please take a look here.
It’s no big surprise to my readers that I am a huge fan of the musical Bright Star. I think after 2 recent viewings at Draper Historic Theatre I have seen it 15 times. That said, just because I love a piece doesn’t mean I’ll give a company a complete pass when I go to review a production. In fact, when I heard Draper Historic Theatre was putting the show on I was especially excited because they selected Mindi Eckroth to direct and I had previously seen her production at the Empress where just about everything that could go wrong went wrong. I was happy she could get some redemption and she did.
There are a lot of reasons I love Bright Star (with music by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, lyrics by Brickell and book by Martin) but mostly it is completely entertaining while still having huge heart and soul. I absolutely love the music and it’s the all-around emotional experience- it will make you cry, laugh, smile, and want to sing along. It’s a perfectly calibrated musical when it comes to the emotions it drags out of the audience.
I saw both casts at DHT and while I enjoyed both the MThS cast has the slight edge. Alexa Thompson as Alice and Isaac Carrillo as Jimmy have terrific chemistry and Josiah Johnson has a youthful look about him that fits the character of Billy very well.
As good as the actors are it’s the transformation of the DHT stage that surprised me bringing down the 2 side columns of the stage creating a good 2 feet on each side that could be filled with a 2-story platform for the bluegrass band, which was another highlight (Marie Buhler band conductor.)
The choreography by Sam Stowell is another standout with ensemble members frequently pulling off lifts and other elaborate skills I couldn’t hope to achieve. Plus, to have so many actors dancing on such a small stage is an accomplishment.
If by some miracle you haven’t seen Bright Star yet I highly recommend heading out to Draper Historic Theatre to check out this wonderful musical well told by a fantastic community theatre group. I brought my friend Stanford who’d never seen it before and he loved it (how could you not?) It’s one of the great American musicals and a wonderful version of it to watch and enjoy. It never gets old! Bright Star is playing through April 19th 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. Please take a look here. For the record I paid for one of these tickets and received one as a comp.
As someone who struggles with titles to draw people to my reviews and other content I recognize the temptation of a catchy title. However, one has to be careful not to set audiences up for something one can’t deliver on. Such is the problem facing playwright Samuel D Hunter and his bombastically titled play A Case for the Existence of God that just opened in the Meldrum theatre from Pioneer Theatre Company. That’s not to say this play is bad, it’s actually quite good but the title is frustrating.
A better title for this play would be ‘Toxic Masculinity’ or ‘Two Dudes in America’ or even ‘Mortgage Lending.’ I am sure Hunter has all kinds of reasons why he brings God into the title but it sets up audience for a religious themed show- something that is on the constant minds of Utah residents and then doesn’t deliver hardly at all. I suppose this subversion could be effective in surprising audiences but I just found it frustrating because I was disappointed for no reason.
Anyway, what we do get is a nice friendship story that is quite effective (hence my frustration.) The play is about 2 men Ryan played by Lee Osorio and Keith played by Jon Hudson Odom. Ryan is an alpha redneck male looking to buy a plot of land and Keith is a gay single foster dad who is a mortgage broker trying to help Ryan. We then see their relationship evolve as the lending process proves to be quite lengthy.
Osorio and Odom are excellent in their roles commanding the stage and having a believable chemistry together. The dialogue by Hunter feels authentic and genuine and I was engaged by their discussion. I am glad Hunter kept things as a friendship story as particularly with men I don’t think that relationship is explored enough especially 2 men supporting their roles as fathers.
The production itself is simple and it may have been more at home in a black box (I’m not sure why the Meldrum has only been used for 2-person small productions so far. It’s a great space. Let’s see it used to its potential! Also the chairs in the Meldrum are so comfortable.) Director Timothy Douglas keeps things simple and lets the 2 men do their jobs. The set is an office cubicle which for this remote worker can be nightmare fuel but it is highly relatable and a good choice. There are a few surprises with projections and lighting I won’t spoil towards the end but this is all about our two men (not God) and their friendship. Sometimes simple is best and that’s the case with this play.
In the end in spite of its convoluted title A Case for the Existence of God is a play any theatre lover will enjoy. The acting is excellent and it will make you want to call the Ryans and Keiths in your life to check in and make sure they are doing alright. We all need to take better care of our friends and this is a call to do so. I’d say definitely worth a ticket. A Case for the Existence of God plays 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. Please take a look here.
It’s always fun when I get to check off a few shows off of my bucket list, which is what I was able to do recently with 2 recent local shows. Plus, I was able to see a superb version of a classic so it’s been a fun March in Utah theatre.
MAN OF LA MANCHA- KENSINGTON THEATRE, SOUTH JORDAN
First up, we have Man of La Mancha at Kensington Theatre. I was really looking forward to this as it is a classic show I’d never seen and the team at Kensington did not disappoint.
Director Toni Butler has become a friend of mine and she always does a wonderful job at getting the best out of her community theatre cast and crew. I honestly think the team at Kensington is very underrated in the area. What’s especially impressive for their mainstage shows (not the black box like recent Shrek) is they have a full orchestra that’s actually in a pit in the ground of the stage. Obviously I’ve seen many orchestra pits in my day but never one that is actually in a pit. I always get a kick out of that and it’s just super impressive for a small company like Kensington to have live music for all their shows (orchestra director Michelle Willis)
The music is the big star of Man of La Mancha with many classic songs like “The Impossible Dream” “Dulcinea” and “I’m Only Thinking of Him.” The set at Kensington by art director Logan Bingham is stunning with 1600’s Spain created with adobe-looking buildings with multiple levels for actors to sit on. Gil Murdock is charismatic as Don Quixote/ Miguel de Cervantes and Karllen Johnson is a feisty Aldonza/Dulcinea.
My main critique of this production (aside from it being a little slow moving) is I wish they had worked in more choreography into the piece. There are a lot of scenes where the large ensemble is sitting where some movement might have livened things up a little. Unfortunately Man of La Mancha has finished its run but the teens are doing Little Shop of Horrors which you can find more information about here.
Man of La Mancha has music by Mitch Leigh, lyrics by Joe Darion and a book by Dale Wasserman
THE PAJAMA GAME- TERRACE PLAZA PLAYHOUSE, OGDEN
Next up we have a comedy I had never seen before. It’s The Pajama Game put on by Terrace Plaza Playhouse in Ogden. While there are outdated relationship aspects of this musical it does have some memorable tunes and a story about labor that many people will be able to connect with.
Terrace Plaza is an amateur community theatre so there are plenty of imperfections, but I commend them for picking such a unique choice. They are a company usually known for their family-friendly offerings but this piece has more of an edge to it along with some very catchy tunes. Director Melissa Trenery gets all she can out of her cast and Blaine Hickman was my favorite playing Sid. Jamila Lowe and Jim Tatton also did excellent work with the 50s inspired costumes. The Pajama Game is playing through April 5th and tickets can be purchased here.
The Pajama Game features music and lyrics by Richard Alder and Jerry Ross with a book by George Abbott and Richard Bissell
THE SOUND OF MUSIC- CENTERPOINT LEGACY, CENTERVILLE
Watching The Sound of Music at Centerpoint Legacy Theatre made me wish the company was more open to having critics at their shows so I could write a full detailed review and not just this log. I know it’s a risk for them, but I really do have so much I could say in a longer review. This production was remarkable and I highly recommend it to anyone in the area.
The cast is all excellent in this production with Emily Henwood and Clay Rockwood sporting incredible chemistry as Maria and the Captain. The true star, however, is the set design by Truxton Moulton. I love the choice to have a continual background of the mountains where it would have been much easier to have a projection screen. The characters are constantly surrounded by mountains which makes sense metaphorically and especially triumphant when they literally climb the mountain of the set at the end (brilliant.)
Director Kristin Pettingill Callor also makes the bold choice to show German 1940s film reels throughout including a speech by Adolph Hitler before the big concert sequence. What a ballsy choice for a company to make for a show usually seen as squeaky clean children’s fare. It is an astonishing moment and brings home the gravity of the concert I have never seen before (even the movie isn’t so tense.) Centerpoint once again proves itself to be an incredible company and I highly recommend seeing The Sound of Music while you have the chance. I guarantee this will be on my best of the year list for 2025. It is playing through April 24 and tickets can be purchased here.
The Sound of Music features music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II with a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse.
THE STING- PARKER THEATRE, SALT LAKE
Going into The Sting at Parker Theatre I wasn’t sure what I was going to get. There is a musical by Bob Martin of Drowsy Chaperone fame but this a play (an original adaptation I believe but no adapter is credited in the playbill just the writer of the Oscar winning film David S Ward.) While crime stories aren’t my favorite this is a slick and very well made production at Parker one any fan of the genre will love.
The story of this production did feel a little scattered and all over the place director Joanne Parker keeps the energy from sagging with thrilling fight sequences and loud gunshots that are very exciting. The cast is across the board on a professional level with Spencer Hohl owning every scene he is in as Johnny Hooker (the Robert Redford role in the film.) It says something to the depth of talent in Utah that the Parker was able to get so many talented men for the show. Not a weak link in the bunch.
Hohl does the sound design at Parker and it is always a highlight. I hope for a rain scene in every show I see there because it is so immersive and it is here. The costumes by Rebecca Fenton are also outstanding. No detail in the 1930s aesthetic has been left out from the period accurate hats to the shoes (a small thing but I loved how Hooker put his hat on his foot whenever he was sitting down. It’s that attention to detail I so admire at Parker.)
Like I said this kind of story isn’t really my thing but it’s so well done I heartily recommend checking out The Sting at Parker Theatre. I saw it opening night so there’s still tons of time to see it through May 3rd. Tickets can be purchased here.
So there you have it. Logs for 4 recent shows here in Utah. If you get a chance to see any of them let me know what you think. Enjoy!
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.
There are some musicals that are entertaining and there are others that are enriching. What I mean by that is some are a fun escape from your problems but others are a grueling look into those problems. Next to Normal is definitely the latter. It’s deep dive into mental illness and the effects it has on a family are brutal but not without value. Suffice it to say it’s not a musical I can watch every day but I’m glad when I get the chance to see it (I’ve seen it 3 times in recent years.) The most recent production I saw was at Hart Theatre Company at the Regent Street Black Box and it was an outstanding show. Unfortunately I saw it closing night but it cemented Hart as one of the top 3 theatre companies working in Utah today and an amazing bang for your buck.
If you haven’t seen it Next to Normal tells the story of Diana, a woman with severe bipolar disorder and how that illness impacts her husband Dan and daughter Natalie. At Hart Diana is played with great passion and skill by Natalia Noble. Sam Torres is Natalie but the performance I most appreciated is Benjamin Henderson as Dan. Some other interpretations I’ve seen have been rather one-note on Dan. Painting him as some kind of patriarchal beast but I felt director Chase Ramsey and Henderson’s performance brought as much humanity to Dan as they could. After all, he is trying to keep his vows and love a rather unlovable person. He is dishonest with her and completely out of his depths in dealing with her condition but it is a character I feel a lot of sympathy for in spite of his flaws (would most of us do much better? That’s the power in the play to make you ask these questions.)
Being in a small black box it’s remarkable how much Hart was able to do in the space including having a full live band (conductor/piano Nicholas Maughan). They also have the 2-story set with rope lighting that is traditional with Next to Normal. My favorite visual moment of the show was “Wish I Were Here” to open act 2. The lighting and dance (lighting design Michael Gray) used to portray both shock therapy and drug addiction was arresting to say the least and very well executed by Torres and Noble.
Joseph Paul Branca plays the son Gabe and he has a terrific singing voice for some of the best songs like “I’m Alive” and “I’ve Been” (which Henderson was also mesmerizing in.) I don’t think there is any relation but Branca and Noble actually looked a lot like which helped make things feel all the more real. The interesting thing about Noble’s performance is I started to resent her as the story goes on. Resent her for what she’s doing to her family and marriage and I haven’t really felt that when seeing Next to Normal before. I think this is intentional and something that made me think about how we judge people who are suffering. Can we only feel compassion for likable people? When she makes her choice at the end of the piece you feel relieved for Natalie and Dan (and even Diana) and I don’t know that I’ve had quite that response to the end of this show before. It left me pondering long after I left the theater.
The other question that’s interesting in Next to Normal is if our pain is debilitating is it better we forget it? There’s no easy answers to such questions but I appreciated Hart Company for helping me ask them with their arresting production. It’s too bad this run has completed but as I said earlier keep Hart on your radar as next up is another compelling show about marriage- The Last Five Years. More information can be found here.
Next to Normal premiered on broadway in 2009 and has music by Tom Kitt, book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey,
If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks. Please take a look here.
Hi theatre friends! I am about to set off to Austin Texas this week for SXSW film festival but before I do so I want to give my quick thoughts on 3 live productions I was able to see as a patron. Please let me know what you have been watching:
PERSUASION- PARKER THEATRE, SALT LAKE CITY
I feel very fortunate to be able to enjoy The Parker Theatre and their special brand of period-themed productions they offer my community. I have enjoyed almost everything they have put on including their annual Jane Austen entry (they’ve done Emma,Pride and Prejudiceand now Persuasion.) This Persuasion is probably my least favorite of their Austen adaptations but I still enjoyed it.
What impressed me the most about this adaptation by Kaitlyn & Jennifer Hohl (Jennifer is the director) is how much humor they were able to get out of this story. Aside from Mary, it’s not an Austen novel I associate with a lot of humor but I think that was entertaining and kept enough in the spirit of the novel to not be a problem (I know other audience members that found it more jarring which I can understand.) Speaking of Mary she is the highlight of the cast with a hilarious performance from McKelle Shaw.
Madeline Thatcher and Daniel Frederickson have nice chemistry as Anne and Wentworth but one of the challenges of Persuasion is the two lovers aren’t together very much in the story. The version I saw of this at Snow College gets around this problem by having 2 couples cast as a young and old Anne and Wentworth but as this is already a mammoth cast I know that isn’t always possible. Still does present a challenge the adaptation wasn’t fully able to overcome.
There was also a problem the night I attended of a very overheated theatre that made the nearly 3 hour production tough to sit through. I’m not sure what happened but I felt bad for the actors sweating and everyone was getting very antsy. The things we do for theatre! This production of Persuasion finishes it’s run tomorrow 3/8 but I highly recommend getting tickets to the Parker. It is a gem of Utah theatre and even their weaker entries are worth seeing. Their next production is The Sting and you can find more information here. (I say mixed bag just because of the heat and it is my least favorite of the Austen plays they’ve done.)
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR- THE GRAND THEATRE, SALT LAKE CITY
Over the last few years I’ve had the chance to see a number of religious themed musicals including Godspell, Children of Eden and more. One I had never seen, however, is Jesus Christ Superstar but I had the opportunity to see it at The Grand Theatre at SLCC this week, and I found it to be a very intriguing experience.
Obviously this rock opera version of the Christ story is not going to fit into what we see in most traditional church services but hopefully a different setting will help viewers to see the story in a new way. It certainly did so for me. I was very impressed with the live band The Grand had and how director Anne Stewart Mark used the large stage to its fully capacity- even creating layers of choreography with multi-tiered scaffolding for the performers (Jessica Pace choreographer.)
The musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) and Tim Rice (lyrics) clips along at a brisk pace which was a pleasant surprise and helps the proceedings from feeling heavy-handed. Michael Scott Johnson is outstanding as Jesus with a beautiful tenor voice and the ensemble is very strong. Some of the other leads I didn’t think were as strong vocally but not enough to derail the production.
Act II with “Gethsemane” and “Trial By Pilate/Thirty-Nine Lashes” pull no punches and were quite brutal to get through (appropriately so.) It’s no accident they have a Blood Consultant listed in the program (Arika Shockmel) because each lashing and punch felt very real. It might be too much for some viewers but I found it to be quite moving and left me thinking for days after the experience. Jesus Christ Superstar is playing at The Grand until March 22nd and I think it is definitely worth your time. Tickets can be purchased here.
GUYS AND DOLLS- IDEAL PLAYHOUSE, HEBER
I will only say a few words about Guys and Dolls at Ideal Playhouse in Heber because I have already done a full review here. The first time I saw it was at a preview night, which they were kind enough to let me view (I had planned on seeing it opening night but a family commitment came up, and they were kind enough to let me sit in the dress rehearsal.) However, since I didn’t get to see it in a finished form I wanted to see it again, and I had the chance tonight.
This production is what I love to see from community theatre. It’s energetic with mostly young performers doing their best with lively choreography and charismatic leads. I saw Brittany Smith again as Adelaide and she’s fantastic with Eddie Ryan as a young but charming Sky Masterson. I also really enjoyed all the gangsters again with Nathaniel Gay doing a wonderful “Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat”
Guys and Dolls is such a fun show and the full-theatre projections add a special touch to the production at Ideal. This is a new company and I just love what they are doing there. The musical is playing through March 15th and tickets can be purchased 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 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.
Anyone who has followed my content for any amount of time knows how much I love and adore the musical Les Miserables. I realize it is beloved by many and I am by no means unique in this love but there it is. Les Miserables was the first musical I ever loved and it’s just one of those shows that even a bad rendition is still Les Miserables (I’m talking to you Hollywood movie…) Anyway, I certainly wouldn’t say the current national tour playing at Eccles through March 15th is bad. It has many positive attributes. I do, however, find many of its choices to be misguided and I’ve seen local productions that are significantly better.
The biggest standout of this production of Les Miserables is in the projections by Finn Ross and Fifty-Nine Productions. I know some roll their eyes when they hear projections but this is a case of it being used to enhance the storytelling not detract. The most effective example is when Jean Valjean is saving Marius through the sewer and it really helps transform us to that setting. I also enjoyed most of the performers with Christian Mark Gibbs as Enjolras and Victoria Huston-Elem as Madame Thénardier being the best of the cast.
Because I found Enjolras to be so strong the highlight of the night was “Do You Hear the People Sing?” which is every bit the rousing anthem one wants it to be as is “One Day More” which send us into the intermission inspired and excited. Everything one loves about Les Miserables is here and that will always provide great enjoyment for the viewer.
Now I admit some of my critiques of the night are on the nitpicky side but when you’ve seen a show as many times as I’ve seen Les Miserables that’s to be expected. At the end of the day it’s still Les Miserables, and I still love it flaws and all.
Unfortunately director Laurence Connor and James Powell make some strange choices. The biggest amongst these being having no tables and chairs in “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables.” It would be one thing if it was an experimental production with lots of abstract imagery but it’s not so for the emotional heart of the musical to all the sudden become minimalist is bizarre and distracting.
Other odd choices is having Javert (played by a very good Nick Rehberger) have long flowing hair which looked like out of a 80’s hair band. Also Cosette’s dresses were all too short making it feel like it was the understudy stepping in last minute and not Delaney Guyer in the role. Speaking of Guyer I found her baby-voiced performance for Cosette to be strange and off-putting.
Nick Cartell is good as Jean Valjean particularly in Act II but early on he seemed too young to have been a prisoner for 19 years. He’s too clean shaven and fresh faced to be our weary and bitter parolee. His wig in act II was also a little sloppy and could be better. Another weird performance choice is Matt Crowle as Thénardier. He sounds like he’s Thénardier by way of New Jersey. There were times when it seemed like he was doing a Nathan Lane impression which is very odd for a French innkeeper.
Some of the lighting was also strangely done like in the battle at the barricade that felt more like a rock concert than Les Miserables (although I did like that the gun powder pyrotechnics produced actual smells of real flames.) That is an immersive touch. I also think if you are going to have projections why not have rain projected in “A Little Fall of Rain?” That seems like a missed opportunity!
In the end, Les Miserables is a musical masterpiece and there is much to enjoy in this national tour. If you head over to Eccles you’ll probably have a good time. It’s just got some flaws that kept me from gushing over it. It’s playing through March 15th and tickets can be purchased here.
Les Miserables contains music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herubet Kretzmer with original text by Alain Boubil and Jean-Marc Natel based on the Victor Hugo novel.
If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks. Please take a look here.
The second show that I saw on my quick St George trip was Anything Goes at St George Musical Theatre. They were kind enough to let me review the show on closing night and to bring both my aunt and uncle to the show. I wish I could have gotten down there sooner because what a fun piece of community theatre. I will definitely be back and see more of their quality performances.
The truth is I don’t know why more community theaters don’t do Anything Goes. This screwball comedy with music and lyrics by Cole Porter is funny and romantic with lots of ensemble numbers, spaces for choreography and enough leads to give lots of actors experience they might not otherwise get.
The cast at SGMT is led by Brennan Walters as Moonface Martin. He is a real scene stealer and it is obvious the whole cast is feeding off of his energy. I saw the Porter cast so Shellie Thomas was my Reno, Pierce Robison was Billy and Averi Jackson is Hope. They were all excellent but the real standout was Paige Kennedy as Erma with “Buddie, Beware” being one of the best numbers of the evening.
Nobody sees to Anything Goes for the plot. It’s all about the singing and dancing. At SGMT director Cristin Mortenson Tillinghast and choreographer Nicole Hadley get all they can out of the small space they have to work with. The 2 best numbers of the night are “Anything Goes” and “Blow, Gabriel Blow” where the audience is surrounded by singing and dancing and one can’t help but smile.
Especially for a small community theater the costumes by Staci Martin are a real standout. Whether it is the red dresses for “Blow, Gabriel Blow” or the white sailor inspired looks throughout the amount of time and care that went into each look including headpieces and period appropriate shoes did not go unnoticed. It adds to the immersion when such an attention to detail is paid in a musical like Anything Goes.
One of my favorite parts of Anything Goes at SGMT was the terrific comic timing of the whole cast. I especially loved David Leishman’s broad over-the-top take on Evelyn Oakley and “The Gypsy in Me” was a highlight even if the lyrics are a bit outdated. Other standout numbers include “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “It’s De-Lovely” and “You’re the Top.”
Like I said, I saw Anything Goes on closing night so there isn’t any more opportunities to see it but they have Man of La Mancha coming up so if you’re in the St George area definitely get yourself a ticket to SGMT. As with any piece of community theatre there were flaws with this production of Anything Goes but what they get right they really get right making for a delightful night of entertainment. I really enjoyed myself and can hopefully get down to St George to see more from them again soon. Tickets and more information can be found here.
If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks. Please take a look here.
In the last few years I have tried to push myself when it comes to horror/thriller theatre. Recently I have seen such productions in the genre as Heathers: The Musical, Evil Dead: The Musicaland Misery. All of these were outstanding experiences but the thriller I keep coming back to as my favorite is Wait Until Dark. This play written by Frederick Knott in 1966 may just be a perfect piece of theater. Perfectly paced, perfect characterization, perfect thrills (you get the idea.) So I was thrilled when I found out Stage Door Theater in St George (a company I’ve been wanting to check out for some time) was putting on Wait Until Dark while I was going to be in town for a quick trip. To my delight this is such a great production that anyone open for some thrilling entertainment will love.
The biggest aspect that makes this show work is the incredible cast. All are at the top of their game with Coy Andrew Shinn Jr standing out in a big and over-the-top take on the sinister Roat. Rebecca Wright is terrific as the blind lead protagonist Susan Hendrix and Aria Williams is very good as the young Gloria.
The strong cast is carefully directed by Trey Paterson with all the elements coming together to create peak suspense. He and scenic designer Joshua Scott have created a gritty-looking apartment with a window that allows for shadows of the people passing it to become an integral part of the story. We also get the set sufficiently dark when it needs to be and the bedroom doors are situated just right to allow for our big jump scare to give maximum impact.
Granted Wait Until Dark is almost always an easy win for me. I really do think it is a perfectly crafted play from Frederick Knott but if you are in the St George area I highly recommend this production from The Stage Door. It’s a real treat for the performances alone. Don’t miss it! It is playing through March 8th 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. Please take a look here.
Rachel Reviews Theatre 