theatre

Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival 2026 (6 Plays) (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

Honestly I’m not the best person to go to when looking for reviews of something like a Fringe festival. I admire the concept and effort that goes into these small plays, but I’m also not that experimental or artistic of a person so the edgy side of the event can be beyond me. However, I do try and support what looks appealing to me and this year I saw 6 shows all of which I enjoyed quite a bit. I guess I chose well!

By design the shows at Fringe are all supposed to be under an hour so these are just a few quick thoughts on everything I saw rather than the detailed reviews I might give longer 2 act shows. I can elaborate more if readers want. Just let me know in the comments (also these are in the order I saw them not ranked in any other way.)

The Variants- Curious Modern Plays production in association with Meanwhile Park

First up I saw the dark family comedy The Variants. This is perhaps the most polished production I saw at the festival and one that I can see being developed into a full play and even a streaming series with the right approach (it’s all about zoom calls so would be easy to adapt into a youtube show or something like that.) Local playwright Randall Huskinson takes us back to the pandemic and 2021 when the vaccine was just being rolled out in all its controversy. A family of 3 siblings and their mother meet via zoom to talk about their varying views on the issues of the day and whether they should gather together for the Mother’s 70th birthday party.

I admit I am a highly conflict averse person so these kind of comedies that revolve around families fighting aren’t my favorite. It’s a bit stressful for me to see people fighting with those they love. That said The Variants does feel authentic in its characters and writing. Almost anyone who sees it will relate to all the characters and the situations. Of course, it is political but I appreciate that all of the characters and perspectives are treated with dignity amongst the laughs.

The cast is also great with Annette Wright leading things off as the Mother. She is a tremendous actor who I most recently saw in The Roommate at SLAC. The siblings are played by Kirt Bateman, Allen Smith and Eva Terranova. Any Utahn will be able to relate to the perspectives of all 3 siblings and the 3 actors have a believable chemistry together in their squabbles with each other.

I know some people struggle with COVID related content but it was such an insane time and surely there has to be a point where we process that experience through art? I certainly think so and am glad we are getting entertaining efforts like we have in The Variants.

The Replacements- Salt Lake Monster Theatre Co

Next up we have The Replacements which is a little sci-fi story that felt right out of a more intimate episode of Doctor Who. It features 2 actors who are working in a futuristic society one is more of traditionalist played by Dustin Hardebeck and the other breaks the rules played by Jaxton Romeo Brenner. The 2 are assigned to a machine where they have to push red buttons when an overseer tells them to do so. The purpose of the machine or the buttons is unclear to either worker but the older worker doesn’t question just keeps doing it in hopes of a reward. The newer employee struggles with such obedience and questions what is happening around him leading to surprising results.

I’m honestly not sure what the final takeaway is supposed to be from The Replacements but isn’t good sci-fi supposed to be about asking questions verses necessarily having the answers? It’s clearly talking about conformity vs obedience but I’m not sure which side wins in the end or what we are supposed to take for our lives from watching it but that’s ok. The performances by Hardebeck and Brenner are terrific and the script by AB Harrison (who also directs) doesn’t forget to include lighter moments to break up the tension. The set is simple but does the job for the story and anyone who enjoys sci-fi stories like Doctor Who will have a good time with this play.

The Emperor’s New Everything- Salt Lake Children’s Theatre

Sometimes it is easy to forget the effort which goes into entertaining small children. We see all the pre-k programs on television and it can seem easy but it is certainly difficult to do it and do it well. It might seem odd for a childless adult to go to a performance like The Emperor’s New Everything but as I’m not often drawn to the edgier side of Fringe I like to pop in and see what the family content-makers are up to. Last year the folks at Salt Lake Children’s Theatre took on Alice in Wonderland and this year we have The Emperor’s New Clothes with The Emperor’s New Everything. In this fun piece of interactive storytelling kids get introduced to live theatre and are involved in every step of the performance.

To begin with the audience are all given different color flags which are then used to call out audience participation at different points. One color flag has to do a dance, another wear a silly hat, etc. I really appreciate that playwright Mindy Curtis explained to the kids what a play is to start out the hour and told them there would be time to be loud and times to listen. This is so helpful to begin to teach kids what attending theater is. The cast is also a lot of fun with Zac Curtis playing the dopey emperor, Jake Andersen as the craft servant Fraudrick and Jim Martin as the sarcastic Lords. They are all personable with the kids and up for whatever wildcards they are thrown (very funny when one kid asked them to a split leap.)

Salt Lake Children’s Theatre is run by Zac and Mindy and they do events all over the valley in schools and museums. If you get a chance to see their productions like The Emperor’s New Everything with the kiddos I highly recommend it.

Helen- Written and directed by Annabelle Willes

With Christopher Nolan’s epic movie The Odyssey and the Hadestown proshot in cinemas it is only natural that I would end up seeing more Greek mythology with Helen. This play was done in the black box space at Mad King and it tells the sprawling story of Helen of Troy. I am sure Willes had to condense things a lot to fit the timeframe and they still went over at least 15 minutes (one person said it was 90 minutes but I didn’t check my time so not sure.)

The cast is large and very strong with Jaclyn Nelson and Truman Christensen having terrific chemistry as Helen and Menelaus. Brendan Bowman is good as Paris and Isa Wade as Aphrodite. I also appreciate the dress they had for Nelson which had a Greco-Roman statuesque feel to it.

I enjoyed watching Helen but it felt rushed and became difficult to keep track of all the characters and everything that was happening. I’d be interested to see the full 2 act version because I bet it is a lot clearer and more satisfying. I’m also not a Greek scholar despite how much of it I’ve been getting lately. Those more familiar with the Helen of Troy story may find it easier to keep track of. Still, it’s a tremendous effort and I’m glad I saw it.

King John- by Matthew Windham director Damjan Dimovski

I’m not sure why but I almost always love the dynamic of a one-person show. It can be a bit gimmicky but I’m always kept fascinated how the person is going to pull off the next element of the story and make it all work. Such was the case with the one-man adaptation of King John at the festival .

This is an adaptation of the Shakespeare play which is normally 2.5 hours but Windham does a good job paring it down to the hour length. He plays all the characters effectively using chess pieces, hats and other items like a teddy bear to signify a change in characters. Indeed, a production like this rises and falls with the quality of the actor and Windham had m transfixed the entire time. He is an incredible actor!

Similarly to Helen I am sure the more knowledgeable the audience is on King John the more they will pick up. I’ve never seen or read it so it is a little hard to keep up with what is happening in the story. Still I loved Windham’s performance, and I got enough of it to get an idea of the plot. King John is honestly probably my favorite play of the festival.

Dramapocalypse- Owen Briggs directing.

My final play was probably my favorite comedy of the festival. It is called Dramapocalypse and dives into the dark side of drama geeks. The play is directed by Owen Briggs who also plays PJ (written by Arthur Thomas.) PJ is a diabetic teenager who along with 6 classmates are locked in a school basement with no way to get out for hours. While there someone breaks the curse of the Scottish play and the ghost of William Shakespeare comes alive to enact revenge on the students. This was pretty funny as I had just come from watching King John but also Eleanor Jonsson plays Shakespeare well as the “patron Saint of bisexuals.”

The biggest strength of this play is the pitch-perfect casting across the board. Everyone completely fit their roles. I particularly loved Joey McDonough as the dopey if problematic football player-turned actor Ben. Cris Criddle also gets a ton of laughs as the sassy hot-tempered Karina. It may be because it’s a high school production at Mad King but this reminded me a lot of We Are Tigers and She Kills Monsters which I also saw at that black box space. Some of the humor can feel a little belabored and repetitive but I sincerely hope they keep working on this because it has a lot of potential.

So there you have it. That’s my thoughts on this year’s GSL Fringe. What about you? Did you get to see any of these and what did I miss that you enjoyed? I’d love to hear in the comments. Thanks to all who set up and volunteered for GSL Fringe and for including me.

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.

Hale puts on a theatre classic with ‘Our Town’ (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

Previous to this week I have only seen the play Our Town one other time. As a young girl my best friend was cast over me as Young Emily, and I was bitterly disappointed. I’m not sure that resentment is the reason I never saw it again but it does feel like the kind of experience Thornton Wilder is trying to portray in his classic play. Fortunately I had the chance to see it in the new production at Hale Center Theatre and it is definitely worthy of your time.

Like I said, Our Town is a classic play written by Wilder in 1938 looking back at the passing of time since 1901. You can imagine that a nostalgic piece from 1938 feels extra nostalgic now all these years later. In fact, the first 2 acts were not engaging me the way I had hoped and it all felt a little cloying and tedious. Then the 3rd act comes up and it makes it all work and packs the emotional wallop I needed to go home satisfied. The play is focusing on the small moments of life (childhood, marriage, and death) but Act 3 is where I connected with the characters and piece and it makes the earlier acts feel more profound and powerful.

Certainly the cast director Dave Tinney has put together can’t be topped. The conceit is this is a play-within-a-play and Michael Hohl acts as our stage manager or narrator. He is warm and endearing and perfect for this role (he reminds me a lot of Richard Thomas who was in the recent revival on Broadway.) We then have Becca Ashton as Emily and Timothy Qusenberry as George, and they have terrific chemistry (especially Qusenberry) and really sell those Act 3 moments. Other stars are the great Jane Luke, Ben Parkes, Sanford Porter, Cecily Ellis-Bills and more. It’s a large cast and they feel like a cohesive group of small town residents. I was particularly moved by Jared Stewart as the troubled Simon Stimson.

Despite having 3 acts this Our Town is just over 2 hours so you get to that Act 3 pretty quickly. The set is simple with projections by Madeline Ashton and sound design by Griffin McMullin. The costumes are period accurate by Kim Wright. I guess it is tradition of this play to have no props, which is the case here. I read that Wilder wanted this because it would make the audience focus on the emotions rather than the items; however, I actually found it to be the reverse. I felt like the act of someone pretending to hold a cup or eat a fake ice cream soda to be more distracting than if they were just doing those things. I’m not sure if that makes sense but suffice it to say that’s not my favorite aspect of this play. I’ve been told some productions don’t even have chairs, which they at least have here.

It is also quite slow those first 2 acts, and I left wondering if it would be better as a one act with just Act 3. However, perhaps then it wouldn’t have the emotional resonance without the build up of the other 2 acts? I’m not sure but just know that you are signing yourself up for a slower, softer paced experience with Our Town, and be ready for the emotion in Act 3. If you can go in with that perspective you’ll have a good experience with this play. It’s certainly executed extremely well by the folks at Hale and it’s always good to cross those classics off of your theatre bucket list. Fortunately you have a long time to see Hale’s Our Town with it running through October 19th but it is on the smaller Beehive Stage so tickets will sell quickly. More information can be found here.

Our Town is a 3-act play written by Thornton Wilder in 1938. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for it and it premiered on Broadway that same year. It has been revived many times including a recent production in 2024 starring Jim Parsons as the stage manager and Richard Thomas as Mr Webb.

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.

Take the Family to Terrace Plaza’s ‘Freaky Friday’ (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

I know many theatre lovers grumble and complain about the various Disney family based musicals, and I understand the concerns. However, the Disney musicals are not all the same and one of the biggest outliers in their catalog is the musical adaptation of Freaky Friday. Not every choice the musical makes works, but it at least makes bold choices and has something to say to families. It is definitely worth seeing and right now Northern Utah audiences have the chance to see a wonderful production of Freaky Friday at Beverly’s Terrace Plaza Playhouse up near Ogden. It’s about an hour drive for me to get up there but well worth it for this wonderful night of community theatre.

There are some shows that live and die on its lead performances and Freaky Friday is totally one of those shows. The production is double casted but the night I attended had Isabelle Page as daughter Ellie and Lindy Combe as the mother Katherine. They not only both have a challenging group of songs but have the acting task of believably playing they are inhabited by another character- mom inside daughter, daughter inside mom. Fortunately both Combe and Page are up for the challenge and excel at the physical comedy and reacting the way the other would react when they are touched or spoken to in a particular way. It leads to a lot of laughs and effective scenes. It’s also impressive that Page can climb the rope in “Watch Your Back.” It’s really hard to do literal exercise while singing, but she and the whole cast do an excellent job during that sequence (it’s a PE testing day at Ellie’s school.) I also really enjoyed the supporting cast including the nerdy take on Adam by Trey Montgomery Cornell. He is very endearing particularly in the “Women and Sandwiches” number.

The other standout element of this production at Terrace Plaza is the lighting and use of projections. I mentioned this in my log about their recent Urinetown which used the projections so well to add setting and context to the story. While some of these in both musicals are definitely made with AI they aren’t lazy substitutes for hand-crafted sets but a way to enhance the story, which I love to see (projection design by Tyler Cahoon). For example, in Freaky Friday they use the projection to create the magic of the hourglass adding a layer to the storytelling that’s a lot of fun. I also really enjoyed the lighting that surrounds the stage and the way the lights were used in the hourglass to once again create the magic (lighting design Danielle Loveland and Emily Crow.)

While it’s always good to go to musical theatre to be entertained (and this show is entertaining) what director Whitney Cahoon and her team have put together could be even more powerful than just entertainment. This is a show that tackles a lot (arguably too much at times) and it would make a great family night activity and lesson where one could see it with children and talk about themes of loss, grief, forgiveness, and just the humanity of our family members. We think we understand what they are going through but do we really? Probably not and maybe walking around in their shoes metaphorically speaking would do all our families a whole lot of good.

As far as room for improvement at Terrace Plaza some of the choreography feels a little uninspired particularly in the “Biology” sequence, which in fairness, is my least favorite song of the show. Also they have the entire stage decorated including 2 platforms above the chairs but barely use most of the space, which feels like a bit of a missed opportunity.

Terrace Plaza is a company I often classify as a ‘learning company’ meaning it’s a place for people to go and try out theatre- where you don’t need to have an MFA to participate. I love that these companies exist but it can be a bit of a rough time for the audience as people are learning and growing as performers. However, with Freaky Friday and Urinetown I really didn’t have to make those learning company excuses. They have really stepped up their game, and I’m definitely more motivated to make the one hour drive than I might have been previously. I think you will also find it is well worth your time to see Freaky Friday. It is playing through August 1st and then they have another Disney musical Hunchback of Notre Dame coming next. More information can be found here.

Freaky Friday has music by Tom Kitt and lyrics by Brian Yorkey with a book by Bridget Carpenter. It is based on the book by Mary Rodgers and the feature films by Disney (1976 and 2003 being the most popular but I love the underrated 1995 version) There is actually a DCOM of this musical that was made in 2018 starring Heidi Blickenstaff and Cozi Zuehlsdorff. It’s not a perfect adaptation, but I enjoyed it. The musical was written in 2016 where it was first performed in Virginia.

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.

Merry Wives stays merry through the rain at Creekside (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

One of the best parts of watching and reviewing community theatre is how unpredictable it can be. One never knows when sitting down to a performance if we will get the one night where a voice cracks or an actor forgets all their lines and improvs- you get the idea. It could also be a night of triumph for the entire company. We just don’t know. Of course, sometimes the elements of a performance end up outside of the cast and crews control and the team has to then adapt to the unexpected. Such was my experience yesterday at Creekside and the weather for The Merry Wives of Windsor.

I honestly was nervous going to the play that night because it had been a rainy day. If I was just a patron and not doing a review I probably wouldn’t have come (reason for the small attendance I’m sure) but I like to uphold my commitments whenever possible and so rainclouds and all I headed to Cedar Hills to watch the show.

To be clear Creekside has 3 venues this year both inside and outside but Merry Wives is held in the outdoor venue at Heritage Park. It is literally creek-side where on the left of the stage is a loud running creek. The previous year we had a wind storm that was incredibly memorable (see review here) so I might just be bad luck for this company but we will always keep trying!

The night started tame enough but about 20 minutes in the rain began and I was fortunate to have a chair with a sun covering for the beach. They were also very good about distributing umbrellas to anyone who needed it, which I appreciate. There wasn’t any lightning so no danger to the actors so we pushed on forward. Between the creek and the wind it sometimes was hard to hear the actors but fortunately it is not a complex play so I followed along just fine.

If you are unfamiliar with Merry Wives it is quite possibly Shakespeare’s silliest play focusing on Sir John Falstaff and his attempts to seduce 2 rich married women (hence the wives.) These women, Mistress Ford and Page, are rightfully offended by his advances and seek revenge on him in very funny ways. Because of some outdated elements it isn’t a play performed a lot, and I’ve actually only seen it one other time years ago (although they just announced it for Utah Shakespeare Festival for 2027 so that will be fun.) I wish I could have had a distraction-free viewing without the rain but I still enjoyed the opportunity to see this silly play.

The production at Creekside is directed by Jan Hunsaker and I appreciate her using the unique space as much as possible. Several times actors come out into the crowd- at one point an actress handed out chocolates to us and during the scene with the faeries the actors are on the grass dancing outside of the actual stage. I also appreciate when Falstaff gets dumped into the Thames the actor actually goes down into the dry creek-bed and pulls himself back onto the stage. They also do a good job with all of the laundry props that are given to Falstaff to make him look ridiculous. The costumes by Jen Christensen are also a lot of fun although a little confusing as to what era they belonged in. Some seemed to be Edwardian, others Renaissance, others Victorian but I did like the colors and fabrics used.

While the weather did make it harder to absorb some performances I was still impressed with the quality of the cast. Liam Owens is appropriately stupid and foppish as Falstaff and Hillary Straga and Jana Wilhite have a nice chemistry together as Mistress Ford and Page. I particularly appreciate towards the end when Falstaff is dressed as a stag and made to look the fool. It’s very funny.

I also appreciate they shortened the intermission with the rain so we were able to get finished the production in around 2 hours. This is considerate of the audience sitting out in the rain. I wish I had time to see The Merry Wives of Windsor again at Creekside but I do not. Fortunately you still have time to see it. It is playing through July 1st and tickets can be purchased here.

The Merry Wives of Windsor is Shakespeare’s 23rd play having been written between 1600-1601. It is sandwiched in between Hamlet and Troilus and Cressida so it must have been a breath of fresh air in between 2 tragedies and especially a nice break after the intensity of Hamlet. Evidently Queen Elizabeth 1 asked Shakespeare to write a play about Falstaff after seeing him depicted in Henry IV Part 1

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 Can’t Say No to ‘Oklahoma’ at The Forge (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

Obviously there is nothing I love more than an afternoon of community theatre. Sometimes I think I love it even more than the more polished professional variety. Of course I am here in St George to see the incredible productions at Tuacahn but I’m so glad I made time to see 2 smaller shows at Stage Door and at a new to me company in Cedar City called The Forge. I was able to see a Saturday matinee of their Oklahoma and it was a remarkable experience.

First, I want to thank UTBA for making me aware of this company in their review of High School Musical (see here.) In the review they mentioned that this company The Forge was putting on 3 musicals in 3 weeks and I just had to be a part of this! Fortunately my trip fell over week 2 of Oklahoma but Cedar City residents have the chance to see High School Musical, Oklahoma, and 1776 from the same repertory company in the same space. What a bold frankly insane project to take on but now that I’ve seen Oklahoma I only wish I lived here so I could see all 3. Incredible!

Director and producer Ellen Wheeler deserves much of the credit and she has gathered a great group of individuals to help her pull off this vision. You would think given the stark differences of all 3 shows that the sets would be minimalist black box type of environments but that isn’t the case. The set for Oklahoma by Ky Habel is arguably the most impressive part with a shack that transforms from Aunt Eller’s house, to the Jud’s smokehouse, to town center for the box social. I think they could have used the screen behind the actors more (like some stock footage of corn for “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” would be cool) but this is not a rushed together piece of theatre despite the condensed timeline.

The choreography by the leads Remington Comp and Brielle Bowden is also impressive. I particularly enjoyed the creative use of cowboy hats in “Many a New Day.” They also don’t skimp out on any part of the “Dream Ballet” which is probably the most challenging part of this classic musical.

As I said I attended the Saturday matinee of Oklahoma and there was an unexpected joy in the performance I’m so glad I was in attendance for. Amazingly both of the options for Ali Hakim were unable to perform so Austin Fronk who normally plays Slim stepped in as a last minute replacement. I can’t overstate how impressive his performance was. He made the book part of his movement and expression. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. I can tell you if I was casting for a project in Utah I would absolutely hire him. Not only was it a clutch performance but it was good and very memorable.

I give a lot of credit to Cheyenne Grace playing Ado Annie not only for her wonderful comedic timing but for working with Fronk seamlessly and not being distracted by the book in his hand. She made it feel natural and that’s not easy to do especially with hours notice.

All 3 plays at The Forge take place in a movie theatre in Cedar City, and I still can’t believe they transitioned from something as different as High School Musical in one week. There are some typical flaws in community theater. The microphones are not always perfect, some of the singing isn’t the best but it certainly captures the scrappy message of Oklahoma and a great show for a company starting out a brand new venture in a brand new place (could almost sing ‘Cedar City where the wind comes sweepin’ down the red rock!’) It’s also a great choice to celebrate America 250 with both the light and darker elements of the American frontier spirit (great choice to be ending with 1776 right over July 4th weekend!)

If you are in Southern Utah you still have 2 chances to see Oklahoma tomorrow with both a matinee and evening performance on Monday. Then 1776 is the next 2 weekends. I highly recommend supporting this bold project and all it has to offer. Tickets can be purchased here.

Oklahoma has music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics and book by Oscar Hammerstein II. It was based on Green Grow the Lilacs by Lynn Riggs and first premiered on Broadway in 1943 with a most recent Tony Award winning revival in 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. Please take a look here.

‘Come From Away’ lands with real heart at Stage Door (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

I always like to allow for a diversity of opinion on any musical or play. I know I certainly have my share of unpopular opinions about a variety of shows as does any theatre fan or critic. That said, I must admit I would have a hard time understanding someone who doesn’t like or appreciate the musical Come From Away. It’s such a well crafted piece chronicling the best of humanity during one of our hardest times. I know I certainly love it and was delighted to get the chance to see it at the opening night of the new production at The Stage Door Theatre while on my St George trip.

This is also the first time I have been able to see Come From Away on the regional level. While I do not want this review to be a cataloging of what MTI approved let me share a few quick thoughts on the adaptation as a whole. There are 2 big changes from the Broadway version. First, they have approved a larger cast option. In this case, it is 18 actors but can be as many as 20 named roles where on Broadway it has 12 actors in the cast. In general, I’m a big fan of this change as the more people participating in community theatre the better. Also, it adds to the feeling of the chaos the folks in Gander might have felt with a more crowded stage.

The other big adaptation is they have allowed all the parts to be played by non-Black actors. This mostly impacts Bob, Kevin J and Hannah and the ‘others’ roles they play. At Stage Door they did have a person of color as Bob (Maika Naivalu) but there is an adaptation for every role companies can do on the MTI website that has been approved by the Come From Away writers. While I understand this “allow(s) for greater casting flexibility” it does also take away a layer of meaning from the conflict the characters are experiencing; thereby, robbing it of some of its power. It’s also a show based on real Gander residents and passengers so swapping out race feels a little weird but that is what they have approved so let’s move on to talking about the actual production.

My favorite part of what director Kelly Thomas has accomplished at Stage Door is the wonderful cast of actors and the chemistry they all have together on stage. This is vital to the story working because each actor plays so many parts that a natural repertoire needs to exist between the talent. With such a warm environment any flubs or imperfections by the cast actually adds to the sense of community in the story instead of detracting. I also like that they had these roles differentiated with hats and jackets that makes it easy to keep track of which character is talking when.

If you are new to Come From Away it tells the story of when on September 11th, 2001 a group of 38 commercial flights were redirected to emergency land in Gander, Newfoundland in Canada. The residents were then asked to feed, house and help 7000 passengers get through this experience until the airplanes could be approved for flight again. As is so often the case, it is in the times of crisis that the best of humanity comes out in the people of Gander and the passengers which makes this such a wonderful musical to watch.

All the actors are lovely in their roles at Stage Door but my favorites are Dean Jones as the mayor Claude (he probably had the best accent of the group), Makayla Klumpp as Beulah, and Diane and Nick/Doug played by couple in real life Rachael and Richard Rose. I always love their relationship in the story because it shows how something beautiful can come out of a dark time and having a real life couple only adds to their chemistry together. Mattea Denney is a younger-looking Bonnie than I have typically seen, but I really enjoy the bubbly energy she brings to the character. She’s not just the pestering animal lady here but sweet and concerned mother worried about all the life on the planes.

The set by Joshua Scott is also great with a backdrop that captures the warm feeling of what the Gander airport might have looked like in 2001 without feeling too commercial or corporate. I also really like how the large cast was used to make normally solo songs more of a group experience. This is particularly true with “Me and the Sky” where Mikalene Ipson’s Beverley is joined by the other women in the cast all wearing the American Airlines scarves (costumes designed by Tonya Christensen and Tawny Betts.)

There are times when the live music is missed particularly with the rapidity of the quippy banter and songs, but I realize that is not a possibility for a small community production. They just need to keep working on being in sync with the backtrack recording and not talking or singing over each other. I would also be careful, particularly with Ali, that accents and other characteristics don’t verge into caricature, which for the most part they don’t but it’s something to keep working on.

While Come From Away does have some mature language I’d still recommend it at Stage Door as a family experience. It’s a story with big heart and great songs all put on with skill and acumen by the talented cast and crew. Even though it is set in Canada I actually think it would be a great show to celebrate the US 250th birthday. After all, it even has a speech from the US President at the time and a moment of silence for the 9/11 victims. Tickets are affordable and available here. It is playing through July 11th.

Come From Away has music, lyrics and book by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. It first premiered on Broadway in 2017 and it lasted 1669 performances and 25 previews.

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

A classic story told well with Creekside’s Persuasion (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a huge Jane Austen fan, and I jump for any chance I get to see one of her novels on the screen or stage. Persuasion has always been a difficult one to adapt because the heroine is more introspective and most of the romantic action happens off-page with it being a classic case of second chance romance. This is why I love many of the choices made by playwright Melissa Leilani Larson in her adaptation of Persuasion, and I enjoyed getting the chance to see it at Creekside Theatre Festival this year.

The smartest choice Larson makes in her script for Persuasion is she has 2 sets of actors cast as the leads Captain Wentworth and Anne- both a young and older version of the couple. This helps the audience become attached to the pair and their relationship in a way the novel is able to do through backstory and exposition but needs a visual manifestation for a play to be effective. I liked both sets of actors at Creekside with Eden Bostrom and Anne Madsen as our Annes and Christian Wawro and Ian Hadfield as our Wentworths.

The cast overall is large and strong in this Persuasion even if they had to overcome some occasional opening night jitters. I particularly enjoyed Isabelle Purdie as sister Mary who is one of Austen’s most obliviously self-absorbed characters. Purdie has good comic timing and captures the exasperating cluelessness of her character very well.

Director Jon Liddiard has made the decision to bring the audience forward at the Liahona by setting up office chairs on the stage to watch the show from. I didn’t mind this approach although it would be nice to get some kind of notice of this type of seat so I could bring some support for my back. Also I’m not sure if it is the stage lights but it does get quite warm on the stage which can make the play feel longer than it actually is.

Maybe I missed something but I also don’t understand what the point of the hanging chairs is for the story? I suppose it is because Anne has been waiting for Wentworth all these years but it just struck me as strange. In addition, there are times when Liddiard could have staged things differently for a better view of the action on stage particularly with the letter writing. If these actors had been in the back of the stage instead of in a front corner with their backs to us everyone would have seen them better.

Costumes are of course an important part of any period piece and I really enjoyed what designer Jen Christensen came up with for this production. The dress for Hillary Straga’s Lady Russell is especially pretty, and I like that both Annes and Wentworths have similar clothing in color and style to add to the feeling of them being the same characters.

For those that are less devoted to Austen and period pieces the pacing may be challenging. They are also attempting to do the play without microphones which mostly worked fine but there were moments particularly when the loud rotating stage was moving that were difficult to understand and hear. Still, for those of us that love this story it’s a wonderful adaptation put on by a talented group of actors. Persuasion at Creekside is playing through June 29th at the main Liahona stage. Tickets can be purchased here. Usually Austen adaptations do so well in Utah so we clearly need to get the word out on this one! (I would also not recommend getting seats on the South side because there are windows frequently present on that side that would obstruct the view a lot.)

Persuasion is based on the novel by Jane Austen, which was the final of her 6 books to be published. This adaptation is by Melissa Leilani Larson

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Outstanding acting is reason to see New World’s The Seagull (Review)

| Rachel's Reviews

One of my favorite parts of being a theatre patron is the variety of experiences I get to have. I love a big grand musical like I saw on Thursday with Hale Center Theatre’s My Fair Lady, but I also love the experience I had Saturday night at a small black box production of The Seagull put on by New World Shakespeare Company. While a long Anton Checkhov play won’t be for everyone I’d recommend seeking out this production for the insanely high quality acting alone but also for the immersive and memorable experience you will be treated to.

This is my second time seeing The Seagull and I was struck like the last time with the humor it has. One expects a Russian treatise like this to be dark and solemn and it has those moments but it also has quite a bit of humor. This makes the characters feel more real and human.

If you are new to the material, The Seagull follows a group of artists who seemingly have nothing in common but the desire to create things. Irina (Amber Heinrich) is given number one listing on the call sheet but it is a true ensemble piece. She is an actor who prioritizes her career over relationships including her son Konstantin (Jackson Eastmond) who she gives patronizing affection to. Konstantin is in love with a young actress named Nina (Kate Potter) who then is in love with writer Boris (Zach Reynolds.) And that’s only the start. There are a lot of characters in this play and they are all superbly acted at New World. Since they did the adaptation I do wonder why they didn’t trim it down a little bit as every character didn’t feel necessary but they are very well performed.

The production elements are simple in the black box space with a few props and a backdrop for each of the 4 acts (set design by Blayne Wiley.) Director Shea Potter smartly doesn’t complicate things but let’s his strong cast shine.

As far as downsides to The Seagull it is a long sit at 3 hours. Sitting on those office chairs for that long is pretty brutal so I would recommend bringing a cushion if you can remember. Either way you have to be ready for a long, slow moving drama. The characters aren’t super likable and it can be on the depressing side.

Fortunately you have almost a month to see this play so there’s no excuse to miss it. It is playing until June 27th and worthy of your time for the acting alone. Tickets to New World Shakespeare can be purchased here.

The Seagull is a play written by Anton Chekhov. This adaptation was done by Elise C Hansen. It was first performed in 1896 in Russia.

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Utah Theatre Log 5/7-5/17 (Barefoot in the Park, Spitfire Grill, Pride and Prejudice, Ordinary Days, Much Ado About Nothing, Tuck Everlasting) (Rachel’s Theatre Log 278)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hi theatre friends! I hope you are doing well. Those new to my site may not realize the purpose behind these occasional theatre logs. Well, not every show I see is something I am viewing as part of my work as a critic. Some productions I am supporting as a patron for a variety of reasons. Nevertheless, I still like to leave a few paragraphs here on what I saw and how I felt about it but it is nowhere near the detail in my full reviews. This week I had a particularly large amount of patron shows because I was hesitant to commit to a review with unsure travel plans of a friend (that didn’t end up materializing.) In some ways it’s nice to do these logs because I can relax and enjoy. Plus I don’t have to worry about seeing something at the end of the run. In fact, all 6 of the shows I’m talking about in this post have finished their runs. Congrats to all involved. I do always give my out of theater reactions to film and theatre on my instagram unless I’m embargoed so make sure you are following me there.

Also I would be willing to do full reviews of all of these if the companies are interested. Just email me at rachelsreviews65@gmail.com

Barefoot in the Park- Parker Theatre, Salt Lake

I love when my favorite companies stretch themselves and surprise me with unexpected concerts and theatricals. Such was the case with Parker Theatre and their new Directors Studio which they put on in their black box space next door to the main theater and had running for just 2 weekends. Their first production in this new series was the wonderful Barefoot in the Park and I’m so glad I got a chance to see it.

Not only is this play hilarious and easy to relate with (who hasn’t had that rough first apartment whether married or single?) but it also gives lots of great moments for actors to shine. I particularly love the part of Corie’s Mother played here with great humor by April Fossen. They get a ton of mileage off of the many stairs up to this awful apartment but it never fails to make me laugh especially with the mother character. This production was really fun because real like couple Kennedy and Dallin Bradford played the main couple Corie and Paul. They have terrific chemistry together and it’s easy to see why they each get frustrated with each other.

I also appreciate the work director Shawnda Moss and scenic designer Bradley Moss put into Corie and Paul’s apartment even putting in a skyline area in the back for the scenes on the roof. For a side bonus project it was nice to see. I loved Barefoot in the Park and look forward to their next director’s studio shows of The Frog Prince and The Rats. Tickets can be purchased here.

The Spitfire Grill- Ideal Playhouse, Heber

I already did a full review of The Spitfire Grill at Ideal Playhouse in Heber, but I did see it a second time so I wanted to make note of it. What a beautiful show and production. All the singing was top rate and the story is touching with haunting songs. I just wish I had more reach and could have filled up that theater. Even so, I’m grateful to them for putting it on and so glad I got to see it twice. I hope maybe a few more companies will be inspired to do this very underrated show. Look out for great performances at Ideal. They have lots of concerts and other fun activities going on this summer. Can find out more information here

Pride and Prejudice- Bluffdale Arts, Bluffdale

I love any chance I get to see Pride and Prejudice on film or theatre. This includes the recent production from Bluffdale Arts which not only took place at City Hall (I love theater in non-traditional locations) but it was a new to me adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic story.

This version is by Kate Hamill and it definitely leans into the silly of the story. I’m not sure what is part of the adaptation and what is from director Kelsha Peterson but we had multiple cross dressing characters with antics and other slapstick comedy. This was particularly funny with Brady Fox playing Mr Bingley and Mary Bennet. This take on the classic novel will be too much for some people but I really enjoyed it. Having the same actor play both Mr Collins and Wickham was also brilliant.

Katherine Stople played Lizzy and Nathaniel Noyes as Darcy and they had a fun dynamic together. I was also impressed with Melinda Fox as both Lydia and Miss Bingley. Such different characters to portray! I even got a rose to end off the night. Next up at Bluffdale Arts is The Nerd in June (and I think that’s their free shows in the park so keep an eye out for that annual event)

Much Ado About Nothing- West Valley Arts Academy, West Valley

-Like I said, I love when companies provide an unexpected bonus production, staged reading or concert for us to enjoy. Such was the case with West Valley Arts and their staging of Much Ado About Nothing. This is my favorite Shakespeare play and it was so much fun to see it put on by WVA’s Theatre 360 which is their adult theatre students. They all did a great job and it was a riot to watch.

They didn’t have a director listed on the program but whoever it was did a good job keeping the action moving up and down the aisles and throughout the entire stage (which isn’t always the case at WVA.) Particularly in the famous gulling scenes the sets and props move with Beatrice and Benedict amplifying the humor in the scene as their hiding places become more ridiculous.

Beatrice was played with a lot of snark by Madison Archibald and Chad Henwood has a self-deprecating nature for Benedict. Siri Reilly and Koda Smith were also very cute as Hero and Claudio respectively. There were times one could tell we were watching students but that’s all part of the charm of such a night. Next up for WVA is their production of Xanadu. More information is here.

Tuck Everlasting- Lehi Arts Council, Lehi

Over the years I have seen the musical for Tuck Everlasting a few times and never fallen in love with it. While it has nice moments, particularly the ballet in Act 2, I always found it a bit on the dry side. Fortunately a version I saw at Lehi Arts might have finally opened up this show to me and made me a convert to the beautiful storytelling. It was a wonderful experience.

Directed by Kurt Elison used his talented group of performers to tell the story of Winnie and the Tuck family with humanity and heart along with some beautiful set design by Garrett Roblyer. In the small space at Lehi Arts they really surrounded the audience with the Tuck’s forest and carnival. They even had cotton candy to purchase during intermission (I’m such a sucker for a themed concession at a show!)

I didn’t know if they could pull off the ballet in that small space but it somehow worked with a wonderful group of featured dancers. Adaline Strong is dynamic and warm as Winnie with a terrific singing voice and Allison Books is maternal and yet very sad as Mae Tuck. I still think the show is overlong (did we really need to give the yellow suited man his own song for example?) But this time I was quite taken with the show and would see Tuck Everlasting again if given the chance.. They have Frozen coming up next at Lehi Arts and more information can be found here.

Recently a bunch of friends in my comments sections have been telling me to see the musical Ordinary Days. They said they thought I would like it so I was very excited when I heard that Kismet Productions was putting it on and I’d have a chance to see it. Fortunately I was able to fit it in closing night in the Mad King black box space and my friends are right. I did really enjoy Ordinary Days.

This is a one act musical that tells the story of 4 adults interacting on a seemingly ordinary day in New York City. It was directed by Karen-Christina Jones and she gets the best out of her 4 actors. I was especially impressed with Marina Altschiller-Gannon who plays Claire with a beautiful tamber to her voice. I also enjoyed Sarah Greenwell as Deb who is perhaps the most unlikable character of the piece as she gets more frustrated by the idealistic Warren and his love of the Met museum in New York.

While none of the songs stuck out as super memorable I liked the heart behind the show and the humanity in all the performances. One can’t help but think about the little moments of your own life as you watch this touching little musical. The piano player Emma Swanson is phenomenally talented! It’s a workout getting through this score. I’m not sure what Kismet has coming up next but more information can be found here.

So there you have it. The 6 shows I saw as a patron. Did you get to see any of these shows? Let me know what you thought in the comments. Thanks to all who performed for me!

Barefoot in the Park is a play by Neil Simon and was first performed on Broadway in 1963. The Spitfire Grill has music by James Valcq and lyrics by Fred Alley who also both wrote the book. It is based on the 1996 film of the same name. It had an Off-Broadway run in 2001. Pride and Prejudice as adapted by Kate Hamill is based on the novel by Jane Austen and was first performed in 2017 in upstate New York. Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy written by William Shakespeare around 1598. It was his 12th play after Richard II. Tuck Everlasting has music by Chris Miller and lyrics by Nathan Tysen with a book by Claudia Shear and Tim Federle. It is based on the novel by Natalie Babbitt and was first performed on Broadway in 2016. Ordinary Days has music and lyrics by Adam Gwon and it was performed Off Broadway in 2009.

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.