I don’t think there is anything better than seeing a classic American musical and it is even better when you get to see said musical from a new company full of energy and life. Recently I had such an opportunity with the chance to see a preview performance of the new production of Guys and Dolls at The Ideal Playhouse. This is the company’s third production, and I can honestly say they keep improving with each musical they put on and Guys and Dolls is the best I’ve seen from them. It’s definitely worth the effort to head up to Heber and see what they are doing there.
My favorite aspect of this production of Guys and Dolls is the casting. I particularly liked the ensemble including a great group of male actors playing our gamblers. Nathaniel Gay is an especial standout as Nicely-Nicely singing my favorite song of the show “Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat.”
I also really enjoyed Brittany Smith (double cast with Brittany Boice) as Adelaide and Eddie Ryan is a young but charming Sky Masterson. Their songs “Adelaide’s Lament” and “Luck be a Lady” (respectively) are highlights of the show. Rebekah Helm also brings a lot of humor to Sarah Brown. I particularly enjoyed her tipsy scenes in the Havana section. Not all Utah actors can play drunk well and she does a great job!
This production of Guys and Dolls is directed by Steve Anderson and he has worked with his team to expand the small stage with projections across the back and side walls to make things feel as immersive as possible. I think when they do The Little Mermaid they could do even more of that but it’s fun when it does happen. I particularly enjoyed when Sky and Sarah go to Havana, and we as an audience are surrounded by Cuban imagery. There is also a scene where the actor appears in the projection walking in the background which is a very clever fun touch. I think they could lean into that immersivity even more as it is something their theater offers that nobody else does.
It is perhaps helped that Guys and Dolls is just such a likable show. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a production of it I didn’t like. I even like the movie. I did a video on it last year comparing my thoughts with an unfavorable review by Stephen Sondheim that is a pretty fun video:
Guys and Dolls has those romantic comedy roots and the songs are so catchy that it’s an easy crowd pleaser (music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows.) If you haven’t seen it lately and are looking for a fun night out check out the production in Heber. It is playing weekends until March 15th so get your tickets now. You can purchase tickets 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.
I was very curious to see that the national tour of Funny Girl was coming to Eccles this month because I saw this revival on Broadway when it was in previews back in 2022. I know Beanie Feldstein’s take on Fanny Brice was widely criticized and she only lasted a few months but I appreciate she brought something new to the role and it didn’t feel like a Barbra copycat.
Back in 2022
I think part of the reason it took Funny Girl so long to get a revival on Broadway is it is so defined by Barbra Streisand’s performance. She is Fanny Brice to most Broadway fans. She even won an Oscar for her role in the Funny Girl film in 1969.
After seeing Barbra (in film) and Beanie’s take on the role I was excited to see what the national tour could bring to it. Now that I’ve seen it I’m decidedly middle-of-the-road on it. It’s fine and worth seeing to check off a musical theatre bucket list but that’s about it. I probably won’t be itching to ever see it again. Twice is enough.
This touring production has Hannah Shankman playing Fanny and she is good especially on those long notes and delivers “Don’t Rain on My Parade” with gusto which is the most important song to nail. For “People” she is mostly an excellent singer but struggled a bit with the low notes. Her and Stephen Mark Lukas (he is very swoony) playing Nick Arnstein have terrific chemistry together and I bought them as a couple more than I did Beanie and her co-lead on Broadway.
The production also looks great with big marque lights of the Ziegfeld surrounding the stage and some scenes where we looked at the back of Fanny as she performed on stage. This helps immerse us in the story and feel a part of Fanny’s journey as a performer. There is some energetic choreography by Ayodele Casel and Ellenore Scott throughout especially from Izaiah Montague Harris who plays Eddie Ryan (although the script doesn’t really give his character anything to do. What is his point in the narrative?)
Speaking of the script that’s where Funny Girl has problems. Despite the updated book by Harvey Fierstein the story of Fanny and Nick’s love just isn’t that compelling. Particularly in the 2nd act things drag and it’s hard to care about what is happening on stage. I think one could easily cut 20 minutes from this show and it wouldn’t miss a beat (probably be better for it.) There’s only so many times Nick gambling and Fanny bailing him out can be compelling.
The other disappointment in this production is how small the ensemble scenes are. Fanny is a Ziegfeld performer so to only have a handful of dancers on the big Eccles stage for songs like “Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat” feels underwhelming. If the story isn’t going to entertain one hopes the spectacle will and it’s not the case here.
Still, I’d recommend seeing Funny Girl at least once for the iconic songs and the place it holds within musical theatre history. It’s far from perfect but worth checking out nonetheless. Funny Girl plays through Oct 13th and you can purchase tickets here.
It’s always nice when a company knows their venue and selects material that suit the space well. Such has been the case with the last several selections for the Covey Center for the Arts in their Brinton Black Box Theater. They recently did Wait Until Dark which was ideal for that small confined space and the same can be said for their latest production: The Woman in Black. This was my first time seeing this play and Covey was kind enough to provide me with a ticket and for 2 of my friends who were in town for the Fanx convention. This was above and beyond on their part, and I am sincerely grateful.
This review will probably be on the brief side because I don’t want to spoil any of the surprises for you.
As I said, this was my first time seeing this play although I am going to see it later in October at the Parker and evidently it has been playing on the West End in London for some time. The Woman in Black is a play by Stephen Mallatratt based on the novel by Susan Hill and it tells the story of a young man who travels to help settle the estate of a reclusive widow, Mrs Drablow. What he doesn’t realize is that the home is haunted by the Woman in Black of the title, and she does not plan on going away without a fight.
While the events of the play can be quite thrilling for some reason Mallatratt decides to set them in the construct of a play-within-a-play. This was confusing and rather tedious a set up that I just didn’t enjoy. However, once the actual characters and story starts everything perks up quite a bit. Act II especially is one thrill after another and I left feeling very satisfied with an exciting theatrical experience.
I’m actually surprised The Woman in Black isn’t done more because it has a cast of only 2 people making it very approachable for a community theater to put on. At Covey they have wisely cast Samuel Wright as the Actor and Mathew DelaFuente as Arthur Kipps. DelaFuente is one of the finest actors we have working in Utah today and he carries this production on his back and does so well. Especially as things became more tense and scary he commits fully to the moment which was impressive with so much being left to the imagination (even the dog is imaginary.)
Director Morgan Gunter uses DelaFuente and the simple sheer black curtains of a theater to create atmosphere and tone. Spencer Powell’s lighting, and the Robert Seely/Mark Pitt sound design are also critical in making the scares pop when they need to (and pop they do!)
In the end, The Covey’s The Woman in Black does take a bit to get going but if the audience can have some patience they will be rewarded with a fun night of scares and surprises. It might be too scary for young ones but anyone teenager age should be fine and they’ll have a great time. It is playing until Oct 21st 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.
Hi friends! I hope you have all been doing well. I have been very busy lately and admittedly took longer to get this post out than I should. My apologies but I have been reviewing for UTBA and keeping up on my social media with my out of theater reactions and more. Make sure you are following me on instagram for all of my life updates. I’ve also been having a blast with OnStage Blog bringing on my friend Jacks to do the episodes with! It’s a dream come true and our most recent episode was a ton of fun ranking community theater seasons.
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF- HIGH VALLEY ARTS, MIDWAY
Midway is a good hour drive for me so going up there to see a show is a challenge but the folks at High Valley Arts almost always make it worth my while. During the summer they have an outdoor theater that I love and the community spirit is wonderful. This year they put on Fiddler on the Roof and it was an outstanding production I feel privileged to have enjoyed.
Everyone involved at HVA should be proud because all aspects were wonderful from the costumes (Kristen Hughes) to the live fiddler (Daniel Clegg) to the dancing (Choreographer Christie Moulton) and sets. I love how the Tevye’s house set unfolded to make the small space work. Todd Beagley played Tevye with warmth and big heart. The cast felt like a family and the chemistry between all of them was evident. The highlight of the night was the staging of Tevye’s dream with all the spirits covered in a sheer fabric so they looked very ghostly. They also had very few microphone issues which can be a challenge in an outdoor theater. Director David Thorpe put on a very special night of theater I won’t soon forget.
Unfortunately this run has finished this weekend but they have many fun shows in the future and you can find out more here.
disaster- taylorsville arts council, TAYLORSVILLE
As much as I love seeing classics like Fiddler it’s also fun when I get to see a new to me play or musical. Such was the case with Taylorsville Arts Council’s production of Disaster! I must admit I’m not the biggest fan of parody so I went into this with a little trepidation but ended up having a fun time with it. This show is kind of like the movie Airplane! meets The Poseidon Adventure with a disco hit soundtrack. It’s a jukebox musical stacked full of songs from everybody from Carly Simon to Donna Summer and more.
At Taylorsville I was not feeling the show much in the first act. The jokes weren’t landing and the singing wasn’t the best. However, the main disaster happens at the end of Act 1 and things got a lot better in Act 2. The jokes are funnier and it becomes more than just a karaoke night. Rachel Bates was definitely the highlight of the cast as the diva singer Jackie but Rylee Smedshammer was also very funny as the gambling addict nun Sister Mary Downy. The most impressive part of the night was the way the costumes and sets evolved as the crisis got worse. I don’t have my program but the team did a wonderful job with those elements. I don’t think I’d ever see Disaster! again, but I’m glad I got a chance to check it off my list and it’s always good to try something new.
THE DROWSY CHAPERONE- SUGAR FACTOR PLAYHOUSE, MIDVALE
I first saw The Drowsy Chaperone back on Broadway in 2006 when it was in previews. I loved it’s dry wit and clever satire of musical theater then and I still love it not but it has been interesting to watch the show evolve over the years. The latest iteration was at Sugar Factory Playhouse. The Man in Chair was younger than I usually see for this musical but Devin Spann brought the necessary sarcasm to the role. I also enjoyed Monte Garcia as Aldolpho and Maria Becerra as Janet Van De Graaff.
The biggest surprise for the production was the change of “Bride’s Lament” from monkey to a bunny theme. I think such changes are bizarre when people cry ‘racism’ when that’s the whole point. They are critiquing and mocking the racist themes and stereotypes of the past. What exactly are they critiquing with bunny? Especially a white bunny. That makes no sense. I realize the company doesn’t have any choice in the matter when such changes are made but I do find it very silly that they purposefully make their comedies weaker in order to not offend an extremely small number of audience members. What’s next are we going to get rid of “Springtime for Hitler” from The Producers? It’s not embracing it. It’s mocking it. That’s the whole point. Anyway, it is what it is. You can read my whole review at utba here. You can find out more about Sugar Factory Playhouse here.
MATILDA- DRAPER HISTORIC THEATRE, DRAPER
Most people know I’m not the biggest Matilda: the Musical fan. I don’t hate it and it has some bops but I do think the book is very flawed. My main problem with it is the escapologist plot is totally unnecessary and takes up so much time in the overlong script. Everything we learn about Miss Honey and her trauma in those scenes we learn in the “My House” section and it just makes the whole show a bit of a slog. That said it’s super fun for kids and I get why they love doing it and being in it. I’m actually going to see both casts at Draper Historic but the first up was the Revolting cast and it was a lot of fun.
Lilian Anderson is a diminutive but spunky little Matilda and she brought a lot of personality to the role. I also thought Neena Roberts Warburton was wonderfully modest and shy as Miss Honey with a beautiful singing voice. The highlight of the night, however, was Trevor Casperson as Trunchbull. He’s not as big and looming as Trunchbull can be but he is very funny and “The Smell of Rebellion” was the best number with him and the kids bouncing off each other very well. Some of the other technical elements felt a little off the night I was there but still more than enough fun to recommend it especially if you enjoy Matilda. I’ll have my review for the Miracle cast next time. Matilda is still playing at Draper Historic through 7/27 and you can purchase tickets here.
THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME- MURRAY ARTS COUNCIL, MURRAY
It’s interesting because by accident I ended up having a Disney week last week at the theater. I can be hit and miss with these Disney adaptations but all 3 I attended were outstanding and the first out of the gate was The Hunchback of Notre Dame at Murray Arts at the Murray Amphitheater. I’ve said it many times that this is one of the rare screen to stage adaptations that actually improves upon the movie sanding off much of the film’s flaws and adding much needed context and backstory. This production in Murray is particularly impressive because they have a full orchestra and a 30 person choir accompanying all the performances! When do you get to see that in community theater? Not often! You can read the rest of my thoughts at UTBA here. Hunchback is playing through 7/27 and you can purchase tickets here.
NEWSIES- SYRACUSE ARTS COUNCIL, SYRACUSE
Next in my Disney week was Newsies at Syracuse Arts Council. I have a lot of nostalgia tied up in this show as the film was a favorite of mine as a pre-teen. Fortunately they did a fantastic job at Syracuse and I was so relieved for them that the technical issues they had opening night were mostly gone. Everything went off without a many problems which is what you like to see. I also really appreciate the choreography by Kayley and Kelsey Turner and especially that they included the “Seize the Day” newspaper dance section which is so iconic to this show.
I also really enjoyed the set and how it was maneuvered around to create different staircases and settings. The costumes all felt on period down to the newsboy hats and messenger bags and winning performances by the entire cast. Newsies at Syracuse has finished its run but you can find out about future productions here.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST- COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS ARTS COUNCIL, COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS
Beauty and the Beast is of course another show I have a lot of nostalgia for. Both because I love the film but also because I saw the Broadway show with my Grandma and cousin Lisa on our special trip in 2000. It is definitely one of the best screen to stage adaptations by Disney and I was thrilled when I heard Cottonwood Heights was putting it on (they did a terrific job with the marketing for this show making it look very appealing.) Fortunately this is a case with my expectations being completely met if not more so. What an incredible night of theatre!
You really can’t believe when you enter Butler Middle School you are going to get this quality of a production. Everything from the costumes (Belle’s yellow dress was better than her dress in the live action film!) to the singing talent of all the leads was outstanding. Summer Sloan Alvey played Belle and she was warm and empathetic and everything you want in Belle. James Carter was hilarious as Lumiere and Jix-Xiang Yu exceptional as Mrs Potts (she might be the finest singer in Utah today. Phenomenal.) But everyone was excellent.
One of the most creative touches director Brighton Sloan used is to have a dancer portray the rose throughout the show. This was elegant and something I’ve never seen before. I know some people disliked the AI projects but most of them worked for me and added a layer immersion into the story.
There were some microphone issues particularly in the “Belle”, “Gaston” and “The Mob Song” numbers (group numbers are really hard to balance sound on because there are a lot of microphones happening at the same time.) Anyway, it certainly wasn’t enough of a problem to put a damper on such a terrific performance!
THE EFFECT OF GAMMA RAYS ON MAN-IN-THE-MOON MARIGOLDS- HART THEATRE COMPANY/IMMIGRANT’S DAUGHTER THEATRE, SALT LAKE
I knew from the title the new show at Hart Theatre Company was going to be unique. The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Miracles is a play written by Paul Zindel in 1971 that he won the Pulitzer Prize for back in the day. It was definitely outside my comfort zone but I like to do that from time to time to stretch as a film and theatre critic. This play tells the story of 2 sisters who are trying to grow up despite their horrible mother. Ariana Farber plays the Mom and she brought enough humanity to the role but she really is a horrible human being. Especially what she does at the ending is unforgivable.
The 2 girls Heidi Farber and Jami Greenburg playing Tillie and Ruth respectively are fantastic and are up for the challenging, emotional moments (especially Greenburg in that ending scene.) All that said, I don’t think this play is for me and it’s not just because it is sad. It’s because I didn’t really see what the point of it was. What are we supposed to learn from these girls and their abusive mother? Are you just supposed to witness it happen as a cautionary tale? I’m not sure but it left me cold despite the very strong performances. Gamma Rays has finished its run but you can find out more about Hart Theatre Company here.
So there you have it. Everything I’ve been watching on the stage lately. What have you been seeing? Are these shows favorites of yours? Would love to hear. Happy theatre-going!
Aside from the shows I reviewed for UTBA I paid for all of these logged shows out of pocket. I’d love to cover as many local shows as possible but I need your help to do so. If you’d like me to review more theatre and appreciate what I do please check out the patreon here
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