Saturday, September 20, 2014

Bronfman Plays Brahms

Every time I attend a Utah Symphony performance I learn something new about classical music!  There is so much I don't know!  Last night I heard an amazing piece by a composer I had never heard of before and I absolutely loved it.  The piece is called Transfigured Night and the composer is Arnold Schoenburg.  It is based on a poem of the same name by Richard Dehmel in which a couple walk through a forest on a moonlit night.  The woman confesses to her lover that she bears another man's child and the man ultimately forgives her at the end of the poem.  The music reflects all of the emotions the couple experience beginning slowly, softly, and mournfully then building to a frenzy as the man ponders what the woman has done.  The ending is absolutely beautiful signifying the man's acceptance and love of the woman.  Sometimes music can have a profound effect on me and this piece certainly evoked many emotions as I listened to it!  I must add it to my growing list of favorites!  After the intermission, world renowned pianist Yefim Bronfman joined the orchestra to play Piano Concerto No. 2 by Johannes Brahms.  It was quite spectacular and I literally could not look away from his fingers deftly moving up and down the keyboard.  I found this piece to be very emotional and I loved the motif played by the woodwinds in the first movement and the theme played by the solo cello in the third movement.  Bronfman received a rousing standing ovation after which he favored the audience with a delightful encore.  It was a lovely concert which will be performed again tonight.  Go here for tickets and information.

Friday, September 19, 2014

The Maze Runner

Last night (this morning?) I went to the first screening of The Maze Runner in IMAX!   The movie is based on yet another adolescent series that many of my students are currently reading but I have been a fan of the novels by James Dashner for quite a while.  I really loved this adaptation.  In fact, maybe for the first time ever, I liked the film more than the book!  It definitely exceeded my expectations!  In a dystopian future, a sixteen year old boy named Thomas wakes up in a metal elevator with no memory of who he is or where he came from.  He is met by a group of boys who have been trapped inside an elaborate maze for several years.  He soon takes over the group and convinces them that they should risk the dangers of the maze to escape.   The glade inside the maze and the maze itself are very much how I pictured them when reading the book.  The movie is very dark and the sequences inside the maze are intense and often quite scary.  I would definitely not take children to see this movie.  At one point the maze moves vertically, almost trapping the boys, and I was literally holding my breath.  The Grievers (who guard the maze) are pretty terrifying and the atmospheric music during the maze sequences only heightens the suspense.  I was unfamiliar with much of the cast but the acting is excellent (not always the case in adaptations of adolescent literature) and I was very impressed with Dylan O'Brien (Thomas).  I was also impressed with the pacing of the movie because I was always completely engaged with what was happening on screen and I was left wanting more (the sequel is already in pre-production).  I thoroughly enjoyed watching this movie (when I wasn't holding my breath and sitting on the edge of my seat), especially with the rowdy opening night crowd!  I highly recommend it, just not for children!

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at PTC

Last night I attended Pioneer Theatre Company's production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and I loved it.  It is a musical about six painfully awkward misfits who come together for a middle school spelling bee and hilarity ensues!  Chip Tolentino (Jacob Hoffman) is the girl crazy winner of last year's bee who is disqualified in an early round because of an "unfortunate distraction."  William Barfee (Kendal Sparks) is a highly-strung asthmatic who had to pull out of last year's bee in the final round for medical reasons.  Leaf Coneybear (Austin Archer) is a free-spirited home-schooled student who is participating because the winner and first runner-up of his local bee had to drop out to attend a bat mitzvah.  Marcy Park (Shannon Tyo) is an over-achieving Catholic school student who skipped two grades and speaks six languages but just wants to have fun.  Olive Ostrovsky (Emily Walton) can't pay her entrance fee because her mother is living in an ashram in India and her father has not yet claimed the seat she has been saving for him.  Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre (Elise Groves) desperately wants to please her two fathers who have been coaching her for this moment for years.  Mary Fanning Driggs plays Rona Lisa Peretti, the moderator and former winner of the bee, while Jeff Talbot is hilarious as Douglas Panch, the vice principal who has had to step in as the announcer at the last minute after being banned from the bee for the past five years.  Talbot is responsible for many of the funniest moments when he reads the definitions and uses the words in sentences!  Rounding out the cast is Erick Pinnick as Mitch Mahoney, an ex-con completing his community service requirements by giving the eliminated spellers a juice box.  Additional spellers are added from the audience each night which adds a bit of spontaneity to the show.  Last night there was a young girl who had to be given quite a few words before she was eliminated (I think she stole the show).  All of the performances are fabulous and I loved all of the songs, especially "I'm Not That Smart" by Leaf, "I Speak Six Languages" by Marcy, and "Magic Foot" (which had some great choreography) by William.  I also loved it when Chip came out into the audience selling candy for a fundraiser during the "snack break" (intermission).  I was literally laughing out loud through much of the show.  It is a delightful homage to teenage angst and  I highly recommend it!

Note:  I enjoyed last season at PTC so much that I decided to get a seven-play season ticket this year and I am really looking forward to some of the upcoming productions!

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Jordanelle Then & Now

When I mentioned that my family likes to camp at Jordanelle in the fall, I wasn't kidding!  I found some pictures of Tashena from September of 2009 in many of the same poses as Sean from our most recent trip!
I sure have had a lot of fun with these kiddos over the years (even if one of them did lose a shoe in the mud).

Monday, September 15, 2014

Jordanelle Camping Trip

Last weekend my family went camping at Jordanelle State Park.  It is one of our favorite places to camp, especially in the fall.
Sean and I went down to the water and ended up getting really dirty!  It was a lot of fun, though.  Sometimes the best adventures are messy!
Saturday night we made dinner in the Dutch oven and sat around the fire.  It was absolutely wonderful!
 Of course we made s'mores!
Sunday morning Marilyn made breakfast in the Dutch oven and then we started packing up to come home.
By the time I got home I was tired, sore, dirty, sunburned, and everything I owned smelled like smoke!  In other words, it was a great trip!
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...