theater

Feed the plant at PTC’s fun Little Shop of Horrors (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

During the spooky season of Fall companies are looking for a darker/horror themed show to do that Utah conservative audiences will tolerate. The Addams Family is a favorite (which can still be seen in all its grandeur at The Ruth) but others like Wait Until Dark and Woman in Black are done frequently. Another local favorite is the campy 80s classic Little Shop of Horrors. It is currently playing at 4 different companies in Northern Utah alone. The latest is at Pioneer Theatre Company and while I think it loses some of its charm on a big professional stage it’s an entertaining production audiences will enjoy.

If you are unfamiliar with Little Shop it tells the story of nerdy botanist Seymour who works in Skid Row Florist Shop and one day finds an unusual venus flytrap type plant he names Audrey II after Audrey the floral assistant who works at the shop who Seymour is in love with. The other main characters are Mr Mushnik who owns the shop, the Urchins who are our Greek chorus for the show and Audrey’s boyfriend dentist, the abusive egotistical, Orin.

Of course the biggest character of the show is Audrey II which starts out small and then becomes bigger with each feeding. The only problem for Seymour is those feedings have to be fresh human blood, which becomes increasingly harder to come by as Audrey II grows (and becomes increasingly larger puppets) and becomes more famous with each passing day.

Little Shop at PTC is directed and choreographed by Gerry McIntyre and he keeps things simple and doesn’t let anything get in the way of the story and characters. The scenic design (designer Bryce Cutler) is kept to the florist shop and anything like the dentist office is staged in front without its own set. The shop is very impressive with the front panel being outside the shop and then it can be lifted up to reveal the inside of the shop. This certainly makes transitions fast and seamless. I will say that some of the signs on the outside of the shop had the look of generative AI graphics. It’s so hard to tell these days but I would prefer a more hand-painted aesthetic especially for a show like Little Shop which thrives on its underground off-Broadway gritty roots.

The standout at in this production is the cast which is uniformly excellent. Andrew Faria is convincing nerd as Seymour and he is up for the challenging vocals and choreography in songs like “You Never Know.” Nicholas Ward gives a deep and surprisingly charming take on Audrey II’s voice (puppeteer Joe Gallina) that you can almost feel him winking out to the audience with his performance. Alanna Saunders has the most difficult role of the piece with Audrey and she brings all the vocal prowess you could ask for to songs like “Somewhere That’s Green” and “Suddenly Seymour.” I also admire how she grows in her performance of the character. The first time we meet her she shoves off having a black eye and says that being from Skid Row that’s all she can expect but by the end she’s strong and makes her own decisions for her life. Not all actors playing this role can bring that kind of journey to the character.

Other standouts at PTC’s Little Shop of Horrors are the impressive costumes by Tina McCartney and the hair and makeup by Kate Casalino- particularly on the Urchins, with that high 1960s look to them perfectly executed. My only real complaint about this production is I do think Little Shop is more at home in smaller more intimate venues and when one can see it for a third of the price at a venue like Murray Arts ($20 there vs $62 at PTC) it becomes harder to recommend. It’s not bad. In fact, it’s very entertaining but is it 3 times as good? Probably not but if you do see it you’ll have a bloody good time and that’s what’s most important. Little Shop of Horrors is playing until Nov 7th at PTC and tickets can be purchased here.

Little Shop of Horrors has music by Alan Menken with lyrics and a book by Howard Ashman based on the 1960 film of the same name directed by Roger Corman. It first opened Off-Broadway in 1982 and has a current revival there since 2019.

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.

Sun shines on Terrace Plaza’s Bright Star (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

Anyone who has followed my writing for any amount of time knows how much I love the musical Bright Star. It is quite possibly my favorite musical, and I have seen it over 20 times at this point. So I was naturally very excited when I heard Terrace Plaza was going to be putting it on and even more excited when I heard the amazing cast they have assembled. Last night I had the chance to see the Zebulon cast and unsurprisingly I loved it!

The biggest challenge within Bright Star is finding talent that can sell Alice Murphy and Jimmy Ray as both young and mature versions of the characters. Often I leave feeling one side works better than the other but Teaira Burge and Porter Beesley are believable in both versions of the characters and have terrific chemistry together. I also really liked Bryson Wanner and Riley Plott as Billy and Margo. They are very flirty together from the beginning which helps make their friends-to-lovers dynamic all the more effective.

Given I have seen this show so many times it was interesting because I happened to be seated next to two women who were completely unfamiliar with the material. Watching their shocked expressions particularly at the close of Act 1 was a lot of fun and reminded me of why I love this show so much to begin with. This production is directed by Bryant Larsen and he puts his large ensemble to work with dynamic and energetic choreography throughout (choreographer Kaylee Wheeler.) I also really appreciate the period accurate costumes (Jacci Olsen Florence) and hair (Jamila Lowe.)

The most effective sequence of the show is that Act 1 finale with “A Man’s Gotta Do (Reprise)” Lighting designer Laura Crossett uses red and white lightning bolts to create the feel of a speeding train and like I said the shock of the women sitting next to me added to the immersive feeling of the scene. David Storm brings an extra level of manipulative villainy to the role of Mayor Josiah Dobbs and he owns the pre-meditated coldness of that song.

I do prefer when Bright Star can have some live music. It doesn’t have to be a full band. Some community theater productions I’ve seen have had a trio performing and that would have added a layer to the experience at Terrace Plaza. I also wish they hadn’t felt the need to use the AI projections. I understand when dealing with a fantasy setting like Urinetown but when royalty free stock images in a real-life setting could be used that would be my personal preference. In fact, I didn’t really see the need for the projections at all? The wood frame that surrounds the back of the stage is beautiful, and like I said with the close of Act 1, I was fully immersed and on that train just with lighting, sound and choreography.

One of the more challenging numbers of this show is “Another Round.” I understand why the makers felt a need to break the heaviness at that moment but it can come across as jarring in the wrong hands. I like the way Larsen stages the song here with tables in the Shiny Penny and then we have dancers on top of the tables. It helps make the sequence more memorable and unique to this production. Also Kirsi Jarvis is believable as little tipsy Lucy which isn’t always the case with Utah performers (we sometimes don’t do drunk that well in the Beehive state.) Jarvis particularly delivers the lines about her dreaming of becoming a censor with nice comedic timing.

At the end of the day Bright Star comes down to the journey of Alice Murphy and Burge delivers that full life of the character. When she sings “At Last” at the end we feel the relief because we have been on this journey with her from beginning to end, young to old. This is the experience one gets with Terrace Plaza’s beautiful production of Bright Star and it is playing through November 14th. Tickets can be purchased here.

Bright Star has music and lyrics by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell with lyrics by Brickell and book by Martin. It premiered on Broadway in 2016 and was nominated for 5 Tony awards (it would have won some if it wasn’t up against Hamilton I’m convinced of that.)

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.

Weaknesses of Witch were on my part not Pygmalion (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

One aspect I struggle with as a critic is when my own weaknesses and biases as a human unfairly influence my feeling about a theatrical production or film. I try my best to be as fair as possible but there are times when my humanity makes it hard. I might be sick or having a bad day making my absorption of a story more challenging. If such a thing happens I try to let my readers know so my biases are acknowledged and up front. Last Saturday was such an experience,

I went to the new play by Pygmalion called Witch, and I was tired. The black box at Rose Wagner was also very warm (they kindly gave water bottles to the audience to help us from getting dehydrated.) Plus there was a massive traffic jam causing me to be 20 minutes late for the play. Basically what I’m trying to say it is it was all not ideal or conducive to the type of analysis I normally provide in a review.

This play is written by playwright Jen Silverman who also penned The Roommate which I was not a big fan of (review here) That play felt phony and I didn’t buy the characters choices. Witch, on the other hand, I enjoyed more because it had more of a sense of whimsy to it, almost like a fable. It reminded me a little bit of The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, which is a book I very much enjoy.

The story revolves around a devil that has come to a small town and promises to trade the citizen’s darkest wishes for their souls. It reminded me of Something Wicked This Way Comes which I think is massively underrated book and film. Both stories focus on individuals who let their secret wishes out to a demon-type to unexpected results. Witch is more of a comedy but that sense of desperation can be found in the characters of both stories.

McKell Rae plays the devil Scratch with the right level of mischievousness and energy, getting a lot of laughs from the audience. But my favorite characters are Cuddy played by Amona Faatau and Frank played by Pedro Flores who are friends but are they more than friends? Their tit-for-tat with each other can be very amusing.

The production is directed by Morag Shepherd and and she does a good job, along with her team, of creating the feeling of a Rembrandt painting. The sound design also done by Shepherd also helps the experience feel immersive and gives a sense of urgency to the more comedic scenes. It may be light and silly but it is actually very heavy and important stuff we are dealing with after all.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find the pacing of Witch to be a little bit of a struggle but like I said, I was tired so that’s part of it. I wish the story was more focused. Each scene felt like a skit more than a cohesive narrative but they are amusing skits so I didn’t mind it. However, I did prefer over Silverman’s last play that I saw, and if you are in the mood for a small intimate play that amuses and contemplates the greater questions of life than I’d recommend it. Witch is playing at Pygmalion through October 17th and tickets can be purchased here.

Witch is a play by Jen Silverman based on the English Jacobean play The Witch of Edmonton by John Ford, Thomas Dekker and William Rowley. It first premiered in 2018

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

It’s impossible to not love Hopebox’s Cinderella (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

People that are new to my content might not know that I love the story of Cinderella. In fact, when I first started my youtube channel one of the first things I did was review every iteration of Cinderella on film including the Disney Channel version with Brandy and Whitney Houston from 1997. Here’s a playlist with all of my Cinderella content over the years:

That Brandy Cinderella is based on the Rodgers & Hammerstein Cinderella and it was originally written for TV with Julie Andrews in 1957 and then with Lesley Ann Warren in 1965. It had a new book in the 2013 Broadway revival (sometimes called the Topher version,) and I adore any chance I have to see it on the stage. The latest staging of Cinderella is at Hopebox and big surprise: I loved it!

If you are new to Hopebox they have a wonderful mission where each production has a Wall of Hope Recipient who is fighting cancer and the company fundraises for this recipient throughout the production. If you ever get a chance to see closing night at Hopebox it is a wonderful experience where the recipient if possible is there and they have a ceremony of sorts. It’s a lovely community moment.

One of the challenges at Hopebox is their stage is so small- almost feeling like a black box at times. This can make shows like Cinderella difficult that have elements of magic or whimsy to pull off. Director Marinda Maxfield and set designer Ashley Collins-Dowse have overcome these challenges with a hand-painted set that helps the audience feel like they are stepping into an animated film. It looked like they might have been inspired by the great Mary Blair who helped animated the Disney classic Cinderella from 1950. They were kind enough to let me take a picture in front of the carriage and I wasn’t the only one who wanted to do this! It’s adorable and the only shame is that it isn’t on stage for very long given how cute it is. Ashley actually told me that she was tired of seeing AI in community theater sets and wanted to do something real (Hopebox is usually pretty good about avoiding AI) and she really delivered. I love the panels that could be easily moved back and forth to create the different settings- all hand painted in the cartoony style. What a wonderful, magical set! The costumes by Shelbi Rynor were also whimsical and bundled up in a way that made the quick transitions from work clothes to ballgowns in a small space possible.

Of course the cast in Cinderella has to have chemistry and deliver the fairytale with charm and grace and that’s what they do here. Jennica Johnson is everything you could want in a Cinderella- warm, kind, comforting. John Derington is her Prince Topher, and he needs to be! Emma Rosenlund is a hoot as Gabrielle, the nerdy stepsister in love with activist Jean-Michel played by David Loveland. Alexa Thomas probably gets my favorite song of the musical with “Stepsister’s Lament” as stepsister Charlotte and she’s a lot of fun in her exasperated villainy. Hillary McChesney is our evil stepmother and she camps it up having a good time with the role (I also loved her hair and she was the Wig Team for the show!)

The only part of the production at Hopebox that surprised me is the ensemble seemed small for this kind of fairytale musical. Maybe part of it is I just saw Anything Goes there and adored it and that cast was massive with dancers filling up the stage but this often the ensemble consisted of 3 or 4 actors. I’m not sure if they just didn’t have enough interest in Cinderella or what happened but it was surprising. I also thought it was a little strange that they didn’t have the mantle set for “In My Own Little Corner.” That makes the most sense to me rather than the overall kingdom set but that’s just me.

Cinderella is obviously a great show to take the family to. Kids will love it, and it would make for a fun date night as well. The wonderful mission of Hopebox makes for a production worth supporting. I loved it! It is playing through October 30th and tickets can be purchased here.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella was first written for television in 1957 starring Julie Andrews. The 1997 version starring Brandy had these same songs. In 2013 it came to Broadway with a new book by Douglas Carter Beane based on the French version of the fairytale Cendrillon. It starred Laura Osnes and Santino Fontana and was nominated for 9 Tony Awards.

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

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

| Rachel's Reviews

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cursed Child national tour delivers magical spectacle over story (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

Back in 2016 I read the printed play for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and I was underwhelmed. The story with Albus and Scorpius was weak and the plot point of Voldemort having a daughter makes no sense. Here is my review from that read (at the time I was reviewing all the movies on my channel)

With such weak source material I was honestly surprised when the Broadway production came out to rave reviews concluding with it winning 6 Tony awards including Best Play (in 2018.) Then the high school edition became available and while I loved the teens I was again not the biggest fan of the play itself (particularly the run time.)

The whole time this was all happening friends and family kept telling me ‘the Broadway spectacle is unbelievable’ and insisting I would like it when I saw the professional production.

Well, now I have seen the national tour and…

They are mostly right. The spectacle really is amazing to watch.

The production of this national tour is directed by John Tiffany and the way the set combines physical set pieces like staircases and frames with projection videos is seamless and magical. I’ve heard the Broadway stage is even more immersive but they bring out the best of the Eccles for this national tour experience (set design by Christine Jones and video by Finn Ross and Ash J Woodward.) But what really impressed even more than the big spectacle was the smaller visual effects. When fire would come out of a wand or people would transform into another person it almost feels like actual magic is happening before your eyes (illusions by Jamie Harrison.) I don’t know how they pull off certain effects like shooting fire across the stage multiple times!

Fortunately these visual effects are constant enough that it allows us to forget about the bland and uninteresting story they picked for some unknown reason for Harry’s son Albus to go through in this sequel. The fact this tale is 6 hours in London makes me want to die. I will definitely never be reviewing that version. I can promise you that much.

As weak as I think the story is I do actually think the teen versions are a little more poignant in selling the emotions of the father/son dynamic between Harry and Albus. Being actual teenagers I feel their pain a little more acutely than I did with the national tour. I also felt the actors playing Albus (Adam Grant Morrison) and Scorpius (David Fine) are a little shouty in delivering their lines. While this makes sense for the action sequences it was harder to be invested in the performances in what should be softer more tender moments. I wanted to say stop shouting and just talk. The rest of the cast is entertaining and up for the physical demands of the long show but my favorite is probably Ryan Hallahan as Draco Malfoy and Katherine Leask as Professor McGonagall.

I did attend the play with a friend who is a die-hard Harry Potter fan, and she liked it but agreed about the weaknesses of the story. Like I said, it is more a play to be enjoyed for the spectacle of it and the immersive experience rather than for the story or profundity of the message. I suppose your mileage may vary depending on how much you enjoy theatrical spectacle. I had a fun time but I think it’s a one-and-done experience for me and unless teens ask me to see their new productions I will probably check Cursed Child off of my theater bucket list and be done with it. Let me know if you see it what you think. It is playing at the Eccles through October 11th and tickets can be purchased here.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is written by Jack Thorne with a story by J.K. Rowling, Thorne and John Tiffany based on the Harry Potter novels by Rowling. It first premiered in 2016 in London with a Broadway production in 2018. That production was a two-parter over 6 hours in length which is still running in London. The current Broadway production is just under 2 hours like the national tour production I saw.

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

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

| Rachel's Reviews

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

| Rachel's Reviews

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enter the club, witness a legend at Lady Day… at The Grand (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

I would never consider myself a jazz aficionado but I am familiar with the work of legendary singer Billie Holiday. She lived from 1915 to 1959 when she passed away at the age of 44. The musical Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill takes us into one of the singer’s last performances and the good folks at The Grand have fashioned this musical into a truly immersive night of theatre.

First of all, director Toni Byrd has taken the back of the stage at The Grand and made a small black box environment I’ve only seen one other time at The Grand when I saw Assassins there years ago. As the name would suggest usually The Grand is a large booming space so it was a refreshing surprise to have such an intimate environment, and I hope they do this type of space more often. With this production they try and make the Emerson Bar and Grill club Holiday is performing on down to the marque outside the entrance. There are also tables where some got drinks adding to the club atmosphere. Scenic designer is Keven Myhre.

Even though the material can be quite sad, as Holiday is inebriated and sharing some tragic experiences, I actually think Lady Day would make for a good date night show. It’s short and the songs are mostly sultry and romantic. Could easily see the musical and then go to a nice dinner after. It’d be fantastic!

Of course, the atmosphere can only get you so far. The performance has to work for a small basically one-singer show to be successful and fortunately The Grand has scored with one of the best performances in Utah of the year by Noelani Brown as Holiday. Myles Anthony Mann plays her accompanist Jimmy Powers and he is great on the piano but it is Brown that shines in this challenging role. At first I felt she was a little bit too stuck to the microphone. I still think someone like her would have played the crowd a little more. However, she’s also clearly intoxicated and knowing that she died not far after it starts to make sense. We certainly see her spiral as the musical commences (it’s easy to see why Audra McDonald won her 6th Tony Award for this role. I’m sure that was incredible to see but Brown holds her own at The Grand.)

There is no intermission to Lady Day which helps us stay in the moment as Holiday unravels throughout the night while still singing some of her classics. The highlights are “Strange Fruit,” “What a Little Moonlight Can Do” and “God Bless the Child.” It’s too bad we couldn’t have a had a little jazz trio along with the pianist but maybe that would have taken away from the intimate feeling they are going for.

Still Brown gives such an emotionally true portrayal of a jazz legend at the end of her ropes that it quicky becomes one of the highlights of the Utah theatre year. I also really appreciate that The Grand is always pushing audiences with a variety of shows, many including this one that I have never seen live before. It is playing at until Sept 26th and tickets can be purchased here.

Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill is written by Lanie Robertson. It is based on the experience of creators watching Billie Holiday performing at Emerson’s Ball and Grill in Philadelphia. It first premiered in Atlanta in 1986 and Off-Broadway also in 1986. It premiered on Broadway in 2014 winning Audra McDonald her 6th Tony Award. Even though it has lots of songs it was actually considered a play with music and so she won the Tony for Best Actress in a Play.

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