Utah Opera's Madame Butterfly

I fell in love with opera when I was a teenager so, after I graduated from college and started making decent money, I decided to get season tickets to Utah Opera.  I had them for years.  During that time I refined my taste a bit.  I don't particularly care for operas sung in English;  I prefer Italian or German (and occasionally French).  I'm not a big fan of modern libretti (Cold Sassy Tree just about did me in); I like the classics.  Finally, while there are a few exceptions (The Marriage of Figaro), I would rather see a tragic opera over a comedic one.  Now I pick and choose which ones I want to see and Puccini's Madame Butterfly ticks all of the boxes for me.  I had the opportunity to see Utah Opera's production last night and it was simply amazing, giving me chills and moving me to tears.  Yunah Lee gave a passionate performance as Cio-Cio-San (Butterfly), a woman who gives up everything to be with an American naval officer stationed in Japan.  The love duet she sings with Pinkerton (Eric Fennell) after their wedding was so beautiful I was almost overcome.  The aria she sang while waiting for Pinkerton to return to her ("One beautiful day") was so affecting that it gave me chills (and the audience burst into spontaneous applause).  The final scene with Pinkerton was so powerful I know I won't soon forget it.  I literally had tears in my eyes!  Fennell was excellent as Pinkerton, a character I wanted to hate for his cavalier attitude towards his marriage to Butterfly.  However, he redeemed himself a bit in the final scene.  Another powerful performance was that of Gregory Pearson (a Utah Opera favorite) as the bonze, Butterfly's uncle.  The scene where he renounces Butterfly also gave me chills.  The set was a beautiful traditional house with moving shoji screens on a hill overlooking the ocean.  The costumes, especially all of the kimonos, were incredibly opulent.  I did find the end of Act 2 Scene 1 to be a bit tedious because nothing happened on stage for quite a while as Butterfly waited all night for Pinkerton (that is rather the point) but it was worth sitting through to get to the stunning conclusion!  It was a magical evening of music and I highly recommend getting a ticket to this outstanding production.  Remaining performances are Oct. 15, 17, and 19.  Go here for tickets.

Heber Valley Railroad Pumpkin Patch

Last night Marilyn and I took Sean and Tashena on a train ride to a pumpkin patch and we had so much fun!

The Heber Valley Railroad was established in 1899 and operated freight and passenger service between the cities of Heber and Provo as part of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad.  Now the railroad operates themed excursions (we've done quite a few of them).   Right now they are offering the Pumpkin Festival which includes a 45 minute train ride with entertainment and pumpkin cookies, a haunted train car, and a visit to a pumpkin patch.  Go here for more information and tickets.

I thought the train ride was very relaxing and the kids loved it (even Tashena).  The scenery was absolutely gorgeous with all of the fall foliage.

When the train returned to the depot we all picked a pumpkin.  After the train ride we had dinner at Chick's, which is a hole in the wall cafe in Heber.  My brother-in-law introduced us to Chick's when we were camping at Palisades State Park a few years ago and we are now big fans.  We got laughing so hard that it was a little bit embarrassing!  Such a fun night!  I am really glad that I get to spend so much time with Sean and Tashena!

Note:  Go here for more fall activities for the kids.

Thriller 2014

I really love Halloween and one of my favorite Halloween traditions is to see Odyssey Dance Theatre's production of Thriller.  I've been going for years and it just wouldn't be Halloween without it!  Last night was opening night at Kingsbury Hall in SLC (the show is also touring all over Utah this month) and I was happy to see all of my old favorites, as well as a few new surprises.  The dance extravaganza features the undead cavorting in a graveyard, break-dancing mummies,  a pas de deux gone horribly wrong between Frankenstein and his bride, tap dancing skeletons, a trio of Jasons jamming with assorted weaponry, scarecrows who are not what they seem, condemned witches who come back from the dead for revenge (my favorite number), frolicking Chucky dolls, acrobatic vampires, and gunned down Irish dancers.  All of the dancers in the company are amazing and this show is definitely a crowd-pleaser, especially "Jason Jam."  I had a great time, as always, and I highly recommend seeing Thriller for a fun night out.  It runs until Nov. 1 at Kingsbury Hall.  Go here for tickets and information about the various touring locations and dates.

Note:  If you should happen to see any of the undead wandering about, do not make eye contact with them!  Trust me on this!

Gone Girl

Yesterday afternoon I went to see the movie Gone Girl.  My book club read the novel about the disintegration of a marriage a few years ago and I remember having shifting allegiances for the two main characters.  I ultimately came to the conclusion that both of them are completely unsympathetic and that they deserve each other.  In my opinion the movie is a great adaptation of the best-selling novel because I had the same conflicting loyalties.  Ben Affleck is really hit or miss with me but as Nick Dunne, a man suspected in his wife's disappearance, he is absolutely brilliant.  At first Nick is sympathetic because he is so clearly unhappy in his marriage but, as details emerge about his infidelity and his mistreatment of his wife, he later becomes "the most hated man in America."  This is a role tailor-made for Affleck because I think he is equal parts charming and irritating.  I am not very familiar with Rosamund Pike but she is simply amazing as Amy Elliott-Dunne, a wealthy young woman who mysteriously disappears on her fifth wedding anniversary.  Her character is also incredibly sympathetic as an abused wife but then it is revealed that she is a manipulative psychopath with a flair for vengeance.  Pike plays the role to icy perfection with an ethereal detachment.  The supporting actors are also excellent, especially (and surprisingly) Tyler Perry as Nick's slick defense lawyer.  I am a big fan of director David Fincher.  He is a genius at telling dark and disturbing stories (I loved The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) and I love his use of an almost monochromatic palette to create a mood.  Fincher, once again, collaborates with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for the soundtrack and the pulsing electronic noises are highly effective at heightening the tension.  My only complaint with the movie is that it seems to lose steam during the last 20 minutes.  I would definitely recommend this film with the proviso that it is very disturbing (graphic sex and violence) to watch.

2014-2015 Student Body Officers

I love working with the Student Body Officers at Hunter High School.  It is a lot of work and it can sometimes be stressful (we are in the middle of Homecoming right now) but it is so much fun!  A couple of weeks ago I had my friend Lesa take some photos of the SBOs and I think they turned out great!

2013-2014 Student Body Officers