Big Fish at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts

I have seen the musical Big Fish many times (it is very popular in Utah) but my favorite production just might be the one I saw last night at the SCERA Center for Performing Arts because it is so heartwarming! Now that Will Bloom (Bryson Smellie) is about to become a father he laments the fact that he doesn't know his own father Edward (Mark Gordon) because of all the outlandish stories he has always told him about his life. These include having his fortune told by a witch (Adrienne Hansen) in a swamp, learning how to swim from a mermaid (Shelby Horton), going on the road with a giant named Karl (Rob Crockett), joining a circus owned by a werewolf named Amos (Samuel Benson), wooing his future wife Sandra (Christie Gardiner) with daffodils, and thwarting an assassination of a general (Drew Christensen) during the war. When Will learns that Edward is dying of cancer he returns home to attempt a reconciliation with him and, after a Wild West confrontation between the two of them, he discovers that the truth about his father is more extraordinary than the stories. Gordon is the best Edward that I have ever seen because he portrays his zest for life with an exuberance that is palpable but he is also incredibly affecting in his scenes with Smellie as a father who desperately wants his son to be proud of him and in his scenes as a dying old man hoping that he is leaving a lasting legacy behind. He made me laugh and cry and think about all of the stories my own dad used to tell. Smellie is also outstanding because he plays Will's journey from exasperation with his father to understanding him with so much emotion, especially in the scene with Jenny Hill (Anya Young Wilson) and in the song "What's Next." Gardiner has a beautiful voice and her renditions of "Two Men In My Life" and "I Don't Need a Roof" were also highlights for me. I really love the songs that bring Edward's imaginative stories to life and the costumes and choreography in this production are so fun and whimsical, particularly in "I Know What You Want" with the witch, "Favorite Son" with the townspeople of Ashton, "Closer to Her" with the circus (I laughed out loud at the elephant and the firing of the cannon is so fun), and "Red, White, and True" with the USO (the tap dancing by the ensemble is impressive). The set is very simple with various pieces used to create vignettes (Will's bedroom, Edward's bedroom, hospital rooms, the front porch, etc.) brought on and off the stage by the ensemble but the backdrop used for "Daffodils" is a show-stopper (literally). The use of projections is very effective, especially the different images introducing all of the characters in "Be The Hero" and recapping them in "What's Next." This production reignited my love for this show (which was starting to wane after seeing it so many times) and I would definitely recommend getting a ticket (go here). It runs at the SCERA Center for the Performing Arts on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through May 4.

Shakespeare in Love at West Valley Arts

Last night I went to see the stage adaptation of the movie Shakespeare in Love at the West Valley Performing Arts Center and I absolutely loved it! William Shakespeare (Josh Egbert) has writer's block and the deadline for his new play, which he has promised to both Philip Henslow (Stephen Kerr) and Richard Burbage (Joseph Spear), is fast approaching. He desperately needs inspiration and he finds it when a wealthy merchant's daughter named Viola de Lesseps (Jillian Joy) disguises herself as Thomas Kent in order to fulfill her dream of performing on the stage, which is illegal for women in Elizabethan England, and wins the role of Romeo in his unfinished play. When Will discovers that his talented leading man is really the woman he wooed on a balcony with the help of fellow playwright Kit Marlowe (Colton Ward) and when Viola discovers that Will is really her favorite playwright, they begin a passionate affair which is complicated by the marriage her father has arranged with Lord Wessex (Tyler Roberts). Art imitates life as their doomed love inspires Romeo and Juliet. I think this story is incredibly witty and clever (even if it takes liberties with historical accuracy) and I loved all of the references to Romeo and Juliet and other Shakespeare plays as well as the antics surrounding multiple mistaken identities and the backstage shenanigans at competing theatre companies. Egbert and Joy are outstanding as the leads and have tremendous chemistry with each other. Their performance of the final scene in Romeo and Juliet is absolutely heartbreaking and I had a tear in my eye (especially since it has a double meaning because of their imminent separation). I also really enjoyed the hilarious ensemble cast who portray the actors in Shakespeare's theatre company, especially Eliyah Ghaeini as the over-the-top actor Ned Alleyn who plays Mercutio, Angel Martinez as the actor Nol who plays Benvolio and takes every opportunity to display his prowess for fight choreography, and Sofia Paredes-Kenrick as the actor John Webster who is jealous when Thomas Kent is cast as Romeo. Speaking of choreography, this production features an intricate dance sequence at Viola's ball that is very well done as well as some fast-paced and highly entertaining stage combat. The use of original music, performed by various cast members, adds a lot to the Elizabethan setting as do the elaborate period costumes, particularly Queen Elizabeth's (Sonia Inoa-Rosado Maughan) gown. Finally, I was really impressed with the set, which is comprised of an elevated wooden platform made to look like a theatre, and the lighting design, consisting of a large rose projected on the stage and the outline of Shakespeare's writing projected during key moments. I really loved every aspect of this production and I highly recommend it (go here for tickets). It runs Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through May 4.

La Chimera

After seeing all of the rave reviews for La Chimera I was really excited to see it at the Broadway last night.  It is incredibly thought provoking and, the more I think about it, the more I like it.  Arthur (Josh O'Connor) is a British archaeologist who has just been released from a stint in prison for grave robbing and is returning to a small town in Tuscany.  He visits Flora (Isabella Rossellini), the mother of a former girlfriend named Beniamina (Yile Yara Vianello) who has disappeared from his life but still haunts his dreams, and he befriends Flora's no nonsense music student and housekeeper Italia (Carol Duarte).  However, he soon finds himself back with an eccentric group of tomb raiders using his gift of divining, during which he goes into a fugue state, to locate ancient Etruscan antiquities to sell on the black market through an enigmatic broker named Spartaco (Alba Rohrwacher).  When he finds an untouched tomb full of treasure he must decide of he wants to live in the past or the present.  The story meanders very slowly and there are many shifts in tone (Arthur is a morose and melancholy character while his crew is wild and boisterous, there are images of a sun-dappled Tuscany juxtaposed with dark and gloomy underground tombs, and scenes depicting stark reality are interspersed with magical realism) and changes in format which are sometimes quite disorienting (by design).  Everything suddenly comes together in the end (and upon further reflection) but there were many times when I wondered what was going on and this kept me surprisingly engaged.  The haunting and beautiful final scene is worth all of the effort it takes to untangle the narrative (the allusions to Ariadne and Theseus are brilliant).  O'Connor's moody and otherworldly performance is perfect because Arthur is odds with everyone and everything around him (at one point I wondered if it was all just a dream) and I loved Rossellini's turn as an imperious aristocrat living in a crumbling mansion.  This movie defies description and categorization but I know I will be thinking about it for a long time to come!

Civil War

I have heard lots of different takes about the movie Civil War so I was very excited to have a chance to see it at the Broadway last night so that I could make up my own mind.  It is intense and often difficult to watch but I found it to be incredibly thought provoking with a message about war that really resonated with me.  In a dystopian future, the U.S. has descended into a civil war with Loyalist States led by a dictatorial third-term president (Nick Offerman) fighting against various factions, including the Western Forces (Texas and California), the Florida Alliance, and the New People's Army.  Two journalists, Lee (Kirsten Dunst) and Joel (Wagner Moura), covering the conflict in New York decide to head to Washington, D.C. to try and interview the heavily guarded president before the Western Forces make a final push to capture the capitol.  Their colleague Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson) asks to join them as far as the front lines in Charlottesville, Virginia and, despite the fact that he is old and infirm, they allow him to come.  Joel also allows Jessie (Cailee Spaeny), a young and aspiring photographer who idolizes Lee, to join them despite Lee's objections.  They document the ongoing conflict as they make the increasingly dangerous journey through civilian populations, who are doing whatever they need to in order to survive, which culminates in a dramatic assault on the White House.  This movie uses the lens of journalistic objectivity to focus more on what is happening rather than why it is happening.  It portrays urban warfare very realistically and it is incredibly shocking and violent with a discomfiting sound design that adds to the tension.  The fact that it does not espouse an ideological viewpoint (which has been problematic for many) and that it is difficult to watch (which has also been problematic for others) is actually the point because the message, in my opinion, is that war (and the subsequent collapse of societal norms) is catastrophic no matter the cause.  What I found most riveting is the juxtaposition between Lee, the hardened veteran of many foreign conflicts, and Jessie, the inexperienced newcomer who reacts emotionally to everything she sees, because they slowly trade personas as the narrative progresses.  The performances, especially by Dunst and Spaeny as well as a menacing cameo by Jesse Plemons that made me jump twice, are also very compelling.  I would rate this as one of my favorites this year but the choice to have characters of color on the receiving end of most of the violence made me extremely uncomfortable.  Nonetheless, I would definitely recommend it.

Direct from Sweden: The Music of ABBA

Last night the Utah Symphony was joined by Direct from Sweden: The Music of ABBA, an incredible ABBA tribute group, and to say that I had fun at this concert would be an understatement!  I don't think I have ever seen such a boisterous crowd at Abravanel Hall because people were enthusiastically singing and dancing to every song!  This group looks and sounds just like ABBA with costumes (I loved the cat mini dresses with white go-go boots), choreography, and vocal performances that are incredibly authentic.  They introduced themselves at Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny, and Anni-Frid and they stayed in character all night with lots of amusing interactions with the crowd (especially a group from Sweden).  The first set included "Mamma Mia," "Super Trouper," "Knowing Me, Knowing You" (my favorite ABBA song), "When All Is Said and Done," "Ring Ring" (which was sung in Swedish), "S.O.S.," "Fernando" (which sounded amazing with the orchestra), "The Name of the Game," "Money, Money, Money," and "Waterloo" (with video footage from when ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974).  After the intermission, they performed "Voulez-Vous" and then passionate renditions of "I Have a Dream" and "The Winner Takes It All."  They continued with "Chiquitita," "Take a Chance On Me," "Does Your Mother Know," and then ended this set with a rocking version of "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)."  For the encore, they performed "Thank You for the Music" and ended the evening with "Dancing Queen" complete with a disco ball.  I love the music of ABBA and I have so many memories of listening to it when I was a child (it was part of my family's road trip playlist) so this whole concert was incredibly nostalgic for me (it always amazes me when I can immediately remember lyrics from song I haven't heard in a long time) and I loved every minute.  I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) for tonight's concert but act quickly because it was almost sold out last night!