theatre

‘BETWEEN THE LINES’ SURPRISES AT THE EMPRESS (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

As much as I love seeing the classics of musical theatre it’s also exciting when I get the chance to see something new and fresh. Such was the opportunity I had this week at The Empress Theatre with their new production of Between the Lines. I had never heard of this musical but evidently it had an off-Broadway run back in 2022. While it doesn’t reinvent the wheel I found it to be a charming coming of age story the whole family will enjoy.

While watching Between the Lines I couldn’t help but think of a few other shows that try to do a similar thing. In particular I thought about Freaky Friday which I have also seen at The Empress (among other places.) Both shows are about a mother and daughter and both interweave fantastical elements into a modern story. The problem with Freaky Friday is some of the ideas feel more awkward than effective, and I genuinely think Between the Lines gets the balance of tones right with more effective songs.

The story for this musical revolves around a teen named Delilah who is frustrated at school and dealing with her parents divorce at home. Her escape from these problems is to dive into a novel and in particular fairytale stories with princesses and heroes. Her latest discovery is a book from the library called Between the Lines. As she reads the characters literally come alive for her and one day she even ends up inside the story of the book.

With there being a real and fantastical setting there allows to be a lot of different types of songs with the actors getting to play a variety of roles. For example, Dusti Mulder plays the mean girl Allie McAndrews in real life but then plays Princess Seraphima in the fantasy world. Director Austin Kimbell and his team make these changes come off with ease and the writers of the musical do a great job balancing the various tones. I’m particularly amazed how quickly the actors changed costume and hair for the different roles.

Ashley Bates and Alex Parkin lead the strong cast at the Empress as Delilah and Prince Oliver respectively. Parkin is particularly endearing as our frustrated prince who wants to be free from the confines of his book. The highlight for him singing-wise is “Something to Hold On to” and a nice duet with Delilah “In My Perfect World.” I also really enjoyed a number the librarian Ms Winx (Katelyn Johnson) sings called “Mr Darcy and Me.”

As much as I enjoyed Between the Lines at The Empress I do think it is a long sit and the creators would be smart to give it a good edit. There were also some microphone problems the night I attended but nothing that hurt my overall experience. Some of the actors could work on enunciating better- something particularly important as these are all unfamiliar songs for the audience. At the end of the day I’d say it’s one of the more entertaining shows I’ve seen at The Empress and definitely worth your time. It is playing through March 15th and tickets can be purchased here.

Between the Lines has music and lyrics by Elyssa Samsel & Kate Anderson with a book by Timothy Allen McDonald & Jodi Picoult based on the novel by Jodi Picoult & Samantha van Leer

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.

‘ANYTHING GOES’ AT SGMT IS DELIGHTFUL (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

The second show that I saw on my quick St George trip was Anything Goes at St George Musical Theatre. They were kind enough to let me review the show on closing night and to bring both my aunt and uncle to the show. I wish I could have gotten down there sooner because what a fun piece of community theatre. I will definitely be back and see more of their quality performances.

The truth is I don’t know why more community theaters don’t do Anything Goes. This screwball comedy with music and lyrics by Cole Porter is funny and romantic with lots of ensemble numbers, spaces for choreography and enough leads to give lots of actors experience they might not otherwise get.

The cast at SGMT is led by Brennan Walters as Moonface Martin. He is a real scene stealer and it is obvious the whole cast is feeding off of his energy. I saw the Porter cast so Shellie Thomas was my Reno, Pierce Robison was Billy and Averi Jackson is Hope. They were all excellent but the real standout was Paige Kennedy as Erma with “Buddie, Beware” being one of the best numbers of the evening.

Nobody sees to Anything Goes for the plot. It’s all about the singing and dancing. At SGMT director Cristin Mortenson Tillinghast and choreographer Nicole Hadley get all they can out of the small space they have to work with. The 2 best numbers of the night are “Anything Goes” and “Blow, Gabriel Blow” where the audience is surrounded by singing and dancing and one can’t help but smile.

Especially for a small community theater the costumes by Staci Martin are a real standout. Whether it is the red dresses for “Blow, Gabriel Blow” or the white sailor inspired looks throughout the amount of time and care that went into each look including headpieces and period appropriate shoes did not go unnoticed. It adds to the immersion when such an attention to detail is paid in a musical like Anything Goes.

One of my favorite parts of Anything Goes at SGMT was the terrific comic timing of the whole cast. I especially loved David Leishman’s broad over-the-top take on Evelyn Oakley and “The Gypsy in Me” was a highlight even if the lyrics are a bit outdated. Other standout numbers include “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “It’s De-Lovely” and “You’re the Top.”

Like I said, I saw Anything Goes on closing night so there isn’t any more opportunities to see it but they have Man of La Mancha coming up so if you’re in the St George area definitely get yourself a ticket to SGMT. As with any piece of community theatre there were flaws with this production of Anything Goes but what they get right they really get right making for a delightful night of entertainment. I really enjoyed myself and can hopefully get down to St George to see more from them again soon. Tickets and more information can be found here.

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks. Please take a look here.

‘WAIT UNTIL DARK’ DELIVERS THE THRILLS AT STAGE DOOR IN ST GEORGE (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

In the last few years I have tried to push myself when it comes to horror/thriller theatre. Recently I have seen such productions in the genre as Heathers: The Musical, Evil Dead: The Musical and Misery. All of these were outstanding experiences but the thriller I keep coming back to as my favorite is Wait Until Dark. This play written by Frederick Knott in 1966 may just be a perfect piece of theater. Perfectly paced, perfect characterization, perfect thrills (you get the idea.) So I was thrilled when I found out Stage Door Theater in St George (a company I’ve been wanting to check out for some time) was putting on Wait Until Dark while I was going to be in town for a quick trip. To my delight this is such a great production that anyone open for some thrilling entertainment will love.

The biggest aspect that makes this show work is the incredible cast. All are at the top of their game with Coy Andrew Shinn Jr standing out in a big and over-the-top take on the sinister Roat. Rebecca Wright is terrific as the blind lead protagonist Susan Hendrix and Aria Williams is very good as the young Gloria.

The strong cast is carefully directed by Trey Paterson with all the elements coming together to create peak suspense. He and scenic designer Joshua Scott have created a gritty-looking apartment with a window that allows for shadows of the people passing it to become an integral part of the story. We also get the set sufficiently dark when it needs to be and the bedroom doors are situated just right to allow for our big jump scare to give maximum impact.

Granted Wait Until Dark is almost always an easy win for me. I really do think it is a perfectly crafted play from Frederick Knott but if you are in the St George area I highly recommend this production from The Stage Door. It’s a real treat for the performances alone. Don’t miss it! It is playing through March 8th and tickets can be purchased here.

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks. Please take a look here.

‘TALE OF TWO CITIES: LIVE IN CONCERT’ IS SPECTACULAR IN OGDEN (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

There are times when I think the non-Utah readers of my site think I am being hyperbolic with the quality of the productions in my state but I just wish they could all experience how good so many of them are and they’d see the truth in my praise. Such an example of an outstanding production is A Tale of Two Cities: Live in Concert that is currently running at the Egyptian Theater in Ogden by Ogden Musical Theatre. This is the second production I have seen from them with Aida being good but not great but this one truly blew me away.

Unlike Aida this is a musical I have never seen before and am largely unfamiliar with. I’d actually heard disparaging things about it and that it’s a ‘copy of Les Miserables‘ but I’d just never had the chance to see it. When I found out this was a concert experience I was concerned I’d struggle to follow along but I have read the book by Charles Dickens and they still acted out most of the scenes just didn’t have sets and costumes like a traditional play (all the actors are in black.) They do have projections in the background to set tone which I liked when it was real paintings better than when it was AI drawings but it was effective.

This production is directed by Maddie Tarbox and the large orchestra is directed by Michael Palumbo, and it’s an amazing experience to be a part of. The orchestra is outstanding and the cast is as good as anything you’d see in New York. The whole night I kept thinking this entire production could be done at Lincoln Center and I wouldn’t find it out of place one bit. You’d never expect to find something on that level in Ogden.

Kyle Olsen leads the cast as Sydney Carton with Jessica Knowles Andrus being the other standout as Madame Defarge but honestly they are all great. Not only do they have professional quality voices but they sold the scenes for someone like myself that is unfamiliar with the work.

While this is my first time seeing this show I didn’t feel like it is Les Miserables-light. I can see some similarities in their revolutionary stories but it’s much more of a romantic love triangle than Les Miserables which really only has that for the secondary characters Marius/Cossette/Eponine. If anything Jill Santoriello in her book, music and lyrics have improved on some characters from the novel like Lucie is less of a damsel in distress and has more of a narrative arc through the musical.

The musical does feel a little bloated but all the performances are so captivating and the music so outstanding that I was entertained throughout. A Tale of Two Cities: Live in Concert is playing in Ogden through March 1st and I can’t recommend it more highly. 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.

‘HADESTOWN: TEEN EDITION’ IS WAY UP FOR THE TEENS AT SKYRIDGE (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

I don’t know if I have seen anything quite like the phenomenon that has become the Hadestown: Teen Edition. At least here in Utah it is being performed everywhere. This is my 3rd review in just a few months and there are multiple productions I have not seen. The interesting thing is when I saw Hadestown on Broadway I was in the liked it but didn’t love it camp. I never expected I would become a mini-expert on the teen edition! That said, I am here for it because this show gives so much opportunity for the students to grow and provides ample space for lots of teens to become involved whether it is the large ensemble scenes or the technical and music elements that are a part of the show. Yesterday I had the chance to see the production at Skyridge High School and it was another outstanding trip to the underworld.

Of the 3 teen productions I’ve seen this one at Skyridge is the most simple with minimal props and simple sets but I was fine with that. Director John Brown has clearly worked hard with his team to involve as many students as possible with nearly 50 members of the two-part ensemble alone. The set is also simple but it looked homemade by the students and that’s what I like to see. The electric aspect of Hadestown was featured in stadium lights behind the actors and some of the Workers wearing miner headlights. The ‘tech theatre class’ is credited in the set design and construction and that is awesome and they should all be commended for their hard work. I also really appreciate the live band and the sound work microphoning almost everyone in the ensemble is no small task.

The cast of teens is excellent with AnnaBelle Taylor and Alexander Hsiao standing out as Persephone and Hades respectively. Taylor brings a hopeful spirit to Persephone one doesn’t always see and Hsiao nails all those low notes and the wicked charm needed for Hades. Claire Allen and Daxter Jones are also outstanding as Eurydice and Orpheus respectively. All the Chants and Epic numbers are so well sung and the choreography by Kirsten Richards keeps the action moving, even through some of the slower sections.

I’m not sure what else anyone could ask for from these teens. They did an incredible job and I highly recommend seeing Hadestown: Teen Edition at Skyridge while you have the chance. It is playing through 2/25 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.

UTAH THEATRE LOG 2/14-2/20 (XANADU, SHE LOVES ME, CINDERELLA) (RACHEL’S THEATRE LOG 100)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hi everyone! I can’t believe we are at my 100th theatre log! Where does the time go? Today I have 3 shows to give my quick reports on as most companies are asking for me to do full reviews these days. I am certainly being kept very busy watching theatre (happy problem to have seeing too many plays!)

XANADU- UNIVERSITY OF UTAH THEATRE PROGRAM, SALT LAKE

Last year I was a big fan of Starlight Express put on by the Liahona Academy. It was fresh and exciting and full of movement and fun. It is for this reason that when I saw the advertising for Xanadu at the U of U I made sure to squeeze it into my busy February schedule. I realize the plots are different but the roller skating featured in the marketing made think Xanadu would also be a fun and energetic musical. After seeing it there is fun to be had it’s just not very much with the roller skating so that was disappointing.

In fact, there is really only one character that wears roller skates for most of the show. It’s Kira played by Alexa Shaheen. She is very good and is very skilled at several accents including an Australian one. All the students are excellent in this and it was interesting to see another take on the Greek myths since I have seen Hadestown so much recently (I’m actually seeing it again tonight!)

That said I was underwhelmed by the story and found it quite plodding and dull. I have never seen the 1980 film so maybe that is part of it. If I had nostalgia for the movie maybe I would be more charmed by the experience. I never regret supporting student performers but Xanadu as a show just wasn’t for me. Xanadu is playing through 2/23 and tickets can be purchased here.

This production of Xanadu is directed by David Eggers. Music & lyrics by Jeff Lynne & John Ferrar with a book by Douglas Carter Beane based on the 1980 feature film.

CINDERELLA- THE RUTH THEATRE, PLEASANT GROVE

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a big fan of Cinderella. I just love the story of hope and magic so I was very excited when I heard Cinderella is going to be one of The Ruth’s premiere shows in their new theater. This is the “Topher” version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical and they did not disappoint. What an enchanting beautiful night of theatre.

I was able to attend the T/Th/Sat cast and I hope to be able to see the other cast before the run ends. Cinderella or Ella is played by Teaira Burge and she is absolutely luminous as our lead. She is warm and kind and everything you could want in a Cinderella. The whole cast is great with Dan Van Ormer as Prince Topher and Bonnie Wilson Whitlock as a deliciously evil stepmother Madame.

Even if you don’t like Cinderella as much as I do this show is worth seeing for the production details alone. Director Rodger Sorensen and his team have seemingly thought of everything. The puppetry throughout is charming, the choreography by Sayoko Knode is dynamic and fun and the costumes are next level outstanding. Costume designer Elizabeth Banks Wertz belongs on Broadway not in Pleasant Grove! I particularly loved a gold dress for the banquet and the wedding dress is unforgettable.

Fortunately there is lots of time to see Cinderella at The Ruth. It is playing until May 3rd and I highly recommend checking this one out. Tickets can be purchased here.

This version of Cinderella is based on the classic story with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Hammerstein and Douglas Carter Beane.

SHE LOVES ME- OPPA THEATRE, LAYTON

Like Cinderella I also love the musical She Loves Me and will go to whomever is putting it on. This includes driving up to Layton to see it at OPPA (On Pitch Performing Arts) this last Monday, and I’m glad I did. What a charming and well performed piece of romantic comedy theatre that I highly recommend.

This production stars Caitlin Olsen as Amalia Balash who secures a job in the opening scenes at a perfumery in Budapest (the original play Perfumerie is Hungarian so must versions are set in Budapest.) Unfortunately for Amalia she doesn’t get along with her boss Georg Nowak played by Cormac Romine but the catch is the 2 enemies are actually writing each other as part of a Lonely Hearts Club. I think someone would have to be pretty cynical to not be charmed by this premise. 2 people falling in love over their words is just an appealing concept and the musical is so well crafted with wonderful songs throughout.

The stage at OPPA is small but I was impressed with how director Mira Jorgensen and set designer Brandon Stauffer created the world of the store and used moveable blocks to create everything from a store counter to a bed depending on the scene. Olsen and Romine have excellent chemistry as our leads but the real standout in the cast is Amanda Murray as Ilona Ritter. She has a lovely singing voice and brought a lot of personality to role with her dynamic acting. The highlight of the night is the “Ice Cream” and “She Loves Me” songs when both of our leads realize they love the person they thought they hated. I also loved hearing Olsen sing “Dear Friend.” OPPA should feel very blessed they have a singer as talented as Olsen in their productions. She elevates everything she is a part of.

OPPA is what I refer to as a learning company so it doesn’t have the polish of something like The Ruth but that’s all part of the charm of a night of community theater. She Loves Me is playing through March 1st and tickets can be purchased here.

She Loves Me has music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and a book by Joe Masteroff.

So there you have it! What have you been watching and have you seen any of these shows? Happy theatre going!

These logged shows I pay for out of pocket and I’d love to do that as much as possible. If you have a show you’d like me to take a look at and write a full review let me know. I also have my patreon which is a great way to support what I do and get some really fun perks. Find out more here.

UTAH THEATRE LOG 2/7-2/13 (EMMA, LITTLE WOMEN, THE MUPPET SCRIPT ) (RACHEL’S THEATRE LOG 95)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hi theatre friends! I have 3 shows to update you with logs on. This weekend I have 4 shows I am doing full reviews on so that will be intense but it’s a happy problem to have so much to review! If you are new to my site the logs are shorter reactions to shows I have paid for myself where the reviews are comped tickets from the company with a requested detailed review. More and more companies are asking me for full reviews which must mean I’m doing something right but I still will have logs from time-to-time.

EMMA- SANDY ARTS GUILD, SANDY

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a big Jane Austen fan. In fact, right now on my youtube channel I am doing Jane Austen Month where I am reviewing more of the movies based on Jane Austen’s wonderful novels. That said, I went into seeing Emma at Sandy Arts Guild with moderate expectations because I thought it was the musical adaptation. Despite my love for composer Paul Gordon I’m not a big fan of that adaptation despite having seen it from several strong companies including Utah Shakespeare Festival. Fortunately when I sat down in Theatre on the Mount in Sandy I discovered this isn’t the musical adaptation but a brand new version written by writer and director Laura Bedore Lerwill. Adapting Austen is no easy task and Lerwill has done a masterful job with this script and basically every other element was incredible in this production. I LOVED it! I kind of wish I wasn’t so scheduled because I’d go see it again I enjoyed it so much.

I could go on for weeks about Lerwill’s adaptation but one of my favorite elements is using letters as a narrative device throughout. Whether it is Robert Martin (Aidan Hughes) writing to Harriet (Rachel Johnson) or Emma (EmmaLee MacKay) writing to her sister Isabelle. The whole cast is absolutely excellent with terrific chemistry between MacKay’s Emma and Jim Dixon’s Mr Knightley.

The other production elements are very impressive with period accurate costumes from Chad McBride, millinery (hats/hairpieces) by Karen Chatterton, and a smart set that is easily changed from Emma’s home at Hartfield, to the Bates house to the Weston’s homes with ease. The old-fashioned dancing is a lot of fun (especially in the iconic scene where Emma and Mr Knightley dance for the first time.)

Sandy Arts Guild has been consistently outstanding with their productions (their Mamma Mia was one of my favorites of 2024) and they continue that trend with Emma. I can’t recommend it more highly. Emma is only playing until 2/15 so not much time to see it but tickets can be purchased here.

LITTLE WOMEN- HALE CENTER THEATRE, SANDY

I have already written my full review of Hale Center Theatre’s current production of Little Women but I wanted to see the MWF cast so I purchased a ticket to see it again (I love Little Women in almost any format including this musical.) Given I’ve already reviewed it this log will be brief. The biggest difference between this viewing and the previous one is that I was in the first row this time where last I was near the back. Being close up it helped me notice more details in the performances and especially in the background projections behind the actors. I could read the text better and it added a layer to my enjoyment.

It was also fun for me to see Josh Egbert as Professor Bhaer. We’ve had Josh on my podcast, and he is very talented. They really play up the nerdy aspects of the men in this production which I really enjoy. Of course that makes sense for Profressor Bhaer being he is a professor but I like the more nerdy takes on Laurie (Joshua Hyrum Smith), John Brooke (Alex DeBirk) and even Mr Laurence (Daniel Hess.)

Another treat for me in this cast is Amanda Crabb as Marmee. She was a voice teacher of mine for many years, and I appreciate the warmth she brought to the role and she nailed “Days of Plenty” which is one of my favorite songs of the show.

Little Women is playing at Hale Center Theatre until April 23 and either cast is excellent. Tickets can be purchased here.

THE MUPPET SCRIPT- DYNASTY TYPEWRITER, LIVE STREAM, LOS ANGELES

Now I just want to close out this log with a quick livestream recommendation. I don’t know about you but I’m a huge Muppets fan. I love the mix of humor, heart, and music the franchise has always provided. In fact, every year on my channel I have Muppet May which I will continue this year. Well any Muppets fans will love an event called The Muppet Script put on by a company called Dynasty Typewriter in Los Angeles. This is a cool opportunity to have the script from The Muppet Movie read and performed by a variety of actors including Nina West, Marc Evan Jackson and Bobby Moynihan.

I absolutely love The Muppet Movie but I have never heard the screenplay and it is very interesting to hear the direction given by Jerry Juhl and Jack Burns for the scenes. Plus the proceeds of the event go to help the recent LA Wildfire victims particularly those most poverty stricken. Some of the singing isn’t the best but it’s all for a good cause and definitely worth a watch for any Muppet fan.

Tickets to watch the livestream can be purchased here and I definitely recommend it!

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.

DON’T NEED LUCK TO HAVE A GREAT TIME AT IDEAL’S ‘GUYS AND DOLLS’

| Rachel's Reviews

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.

UTAH THEATRE LOG 2/1-2/6 (SHREK, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST JR) (RACHEL’S THEATRE LOG 93)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hi theatre lovers! I have 2 quick updates for you. While super busy with the Sundance Film Festival this last weekend I was able to see 2 local shows I’d like to share my thoughts on.

SHREK: THE MUSICAL- KENSINGTON THEATRE, SOUTH JORDAN

One of the big surprises for me as a musical theatre fan and critic was the first time I saw Shrek: The Musical. I am honestly pretty lukewarm on the movie so I did not expect to like the musical interpretation but I saw it back in 2021 for the first time and really enjoyed it. I recently saw it at Kensington Theatre in their black box stage and had a good time with it once again.

This production of Shrek is part of Kensington’s ABC program (Adult Boot Camp) so it is what I like to refer to as a learning company. Being in the black box this was also more stripped down than some of the other ABC productions I’ve seen (they had an Into the Woods that was one of the best versions of that show I’ve seen.) Director Toni Butler is very good at bringing the best out of her cast and helping instill a community spirit that is palpable and makes watching her shows even with flaws a real treat.

Dallin Remund is up to the task of playing Shrek including a consistent accent throughout. He also has nice chemistry with Lydia Butler playing Fiona. Jack Sheehan is a ton of fun as Lord Farquaad never failing to get the most out of his puppet legs which delivers a lot of laughs.

I honestly don’t know how I feel about the casting of a non-POC actor as Donkey. Obviously donkeys do not have a race but I feel the role is so clearly written for a Black actor in mind that it is a bit of a moral grey area. This was also the first time I saw different casting for this role so that might be part of it as well. What do you think?

That said, I still enjoyed this production of Shrek: The Musical and would recommend Kensington to anyone looking for a fun night of local theatre. Next up they have Man of La Mancha which I have never seen so that’s exciting. Tickets can be purchased here.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST JR- DRAPER HISTORIC THEATRE, DRAPER

It might sound crazy but sometimes I think I prefer the teen editions of popular musicals even more than the grown-up original versions. I like them because they cut away the more bloated elements of a show and leave us with the best the material has to offer. I recently saw Beauty and the Beast Jr at Draper Historic and it was a lot of fun for both teens performing and audience watching.

I saw the Enchanted cast in this double cast show and the teens are all wonderful and putting their best into the experience. When I see a youth production the most important element is the energy and sense of community spirit I sense from the performers. I know it’s not going to be perfect but that’s all part of the fun of it. Director Katie Davis has tapped into that youthful energy here and seems to have brought the best out of her young cast. I particularly enjoyed Tori Piacitelli as Belle and Rowan Morley as Gaston (Gaston is almost always my favorite in this show LOL.)

The ensemble choreography by Makayla Porter is a highlight with them packing as many kids as possible on to the stage and even pulling off a kickline for “Be Our Guest.”

Perhaps it is nostalgia talking but I do think it is a little bit of a shame to rely so much on projections in a production for youth. I have very fond memories building and painting sets in my high school shows and it’s a nice way for young actors with smaller roles to feel valued and included in the production. Nevertheless, it was interesting to see a more stripped down version of Beauty and the Beast with simple costumes and sets especially after I saw the complete opposite massive spectacle over at Hale last Fall. It just shows what a great show it is if it can be entertaining big or small.

Beauty and the Beast Jr is playing at Draper Historic until Feb 22nd and definitely worth your time. They even have audience participation in the transformation with light-up roses that was a fun touch. Draper Historic is a great deal and they have Bright Star coming up so I recommend getting season tickets. More information is available here.

Shrek: The Musical has music by Jeanine Tesori, lyrics and book by David Lindsay-Abaire. Beauty and the Beast Jr has music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice with book by Linda Woolverton.

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.