Weekend in Fillmore

For the past several years Marilyn and I have spent opening weekend at the KOA in Fillmore.  Opening weekend was actually last week but Marilyn was busy and I, as you know, had lots of Spirit Week nonsense going on so we postponed our trip one week.  We have both been anticipating it for so long.  It was incredibly relaxing and, boy, was it needed.  We both drove down on Friday afternoon (Fillmore is about 150 miles south of Salt Lake) and settled in to our cabin.  We spent every day sitting on the porch reading, which I absolutely loved because I haven't had much time for reading lately.  We spent every evening sitting by the fire, which is my very favorite part of camping.  We stayed up late every night talking until the wee hours and Marilyn may or may not have thought there was a wild animal lurking underneath our cabin ready to attack us as we slept (we found out later that it was a tiny jackrabbit)!  One night we drove into Fillmore to have dinner at our favorite hole in the wall cafe called the Garden of Eat'n.  For some reason we both think that name is hilarious and we always eat there.  The waitress recognized us from last year and told us how cool it was that we could have a girls weekend every year.  I loved every minute of this trip and I'm so glad that Marilyn and I are able to do this every year.  I hope that this is the first of many camping trips this year.

Spirit Week 2017

Last year, my officers took Spirit Week to a whole new level so, of course, the current officers were determined to outdo it this year!  Each class chose a different video game (the seniors were Mario, the juniors were Pokemon, the sophomores were Pac Man, and the freshmen were Sonic) as their theme and each class was assigned a hall to decorate around their theme.  The officers started making the decorations over a month ago and we have had many long nights at school (and even a Saturday).  I can't believe how elaborate their decorations were this year because it looked like you were in the middle of the game as you walked down each hall.  I definitely have some very talented artists in my group!  The reaction from the faculty and student body was very enthusiastic!  I especially loved the giant ghosts from Pac Man that we made with balloons and fabric and hung through the hall.  Our assembly was yesterday and it was one of our best!  The SBOs and each of the class officers had different games and the classes competed against each other.  I loved the freshmen game which was a giant version of Tic Tac Toe using hula hoops as the game board.  It was so fun to watch all of the contestants running back and forth.  The SBOs rented these giant plastic Zorbs and each player raced across the gym inside of one.  It was a riot!  We ended the assembly with our traditional Tug-O-War (there is bad blood between the juniors and sophomores after last year) and this year the Seniors won.  I loved it because the teams have been talking about it all week!  I have been putting in really long hours and I have been so stressed out so I am glad that it was a success but, more than that, I am glad that it is over!

Beauty and the Beast

Late last night I went to an early screening of Beauty and the Beast, the live action version of the 1991 Disney animated classic, and I loved so much about it (and didn't like a few things).  Emma Watson plays Belle, a smart and independent girl stuck in a provincial town, and Dan Stevens plays the Beast, a prince who has been cursed by an enchantress because there is no love in his heart.  This adaptation follows the familiar story of Belle being taken prisoner in the Beast's castle as a substitute for her father (Kevin Kline), who unknowingly wanders in, and then learning to look past the Beast's gruff exterior with the help of some enchanted objects in the castle:  Ian McKellen as the uptight Cogsworth, Ewan McGregor as the rakish Lumiere, and Emma Thompson as the motherly Mrs. Potts.  Meanwhile, the local war hero Gaston (Luke Evans), with the help his buffoonish sidekick LeFou (Josh Gad), pursues Belle and then sets his sights on killing the Beast.  I loved the big production numbers, especially "Belle," "Gaston," "Be Our Guest," and "Beauty and the Beast," and I actually thought they were pretty magical because the production design is simply gorgeous.  This movie is just visually stunning!  I liked all of the performances (I even thought that Emma Watson sounded fine in her songs) but my favorites are Evans as Gaston and Gad as LeFou because they are absolutely hilarious and Stevens as the Beast because his voice is unexpectedly amazing in the song "Evermore."  I really enjoyed watching this movie, particularly with the rowdy crowd who cheered during several scenes, and I laughed out loud many times.  However, there were a few weak spots for me.  I didn't really like the CGI of the enchanted objects because they didn't seem to be "real."  I was hoping that the objects would actually resemble the actors portraying them (I remember being so excited when I heard that Ewan McGregor was going to play Lumiere) so that was a little bit disappointing.  I thought that Belle's iconic yellow ball gown was extremely underwhelming, especially in comparison to all of the other costumes.  I also didn't especially like most of the new songs (I had the same problem with the new song in Les Miserables) but that might be because I am so used to the original movie and the Broadway musical so I might grow to like them more (I did, however, like the aforementioned "Evermore").  Finally, I thought Belle's backstory where she and the Beast visit Paris was weird and unnecessary; in fact, I wasn't really sure what was even going on and my mind started to wander (this movie is quite long).  However, for me, the positives outweighed the negatives and I really enjoyed it.  I predict that I will be seeing it again soon (especially since Spring break is coming up).

Note:  About that "explicitly gay" scene?  If you blink, you will miss it.

Before I Fall

I saw Before I Fall at Sundance this year and it received a bit of a lukewarm reception at my screening and, recently, a few of my friends have panned it.  I decided to see this film again last night because I have very strong opinions about it and, for some reason, I feel the need to defend it.  Based on the best-selling novel by Lauren Oliver, Sam Kingston (Zoey Deutch) is a popular high school student who is forced to live the same day over and over again until she realizes what is most important in her life beyond her superficial happiness.  She has a trio of best friends, Lindsay (Halston Sage), Ally (Cynthy Wu), and Elody (Medalion Rahimi), who all behave badly, particularly to a classmate whom they bully mercilessly.  All Sam cares about is receiving the most roses during the school's annual "Cupid Day" (I always say that you haven't really lived unless you have spent Valentine's Day in a high school) and losing her virginity to the most popular boy in school.  Each time she relives the day she attempts to change her behavior in the hopes of changing her fate and I really enjoyed her journey as a character.  Every iteration of the day seams fresh and unique based on the choices she makes.  Obviously, I view this film through a much different filter than most people I know because I have worked with this age group for many years as a high school teacher.  The situations ring true and the dialogue is incredibly authentic (however much we might wish for the light and effervescent teen comedies we are used to).  Just yesterday I had to deal with a horrible case of bullying within the group of student leaders I work with.  Lindsay, the ringleader of the group of friends, is especially brutal in her treatment of Juliet (Elena Kampouris) but the film does a good job, in my opinion, of showing her motivation.  The two girls were once friends but Lindsay lashes out at her to cover up her own insecurities.  It has been my experience that the student who exhibits the worst behavior in class is often the one who most needs my attention and understanding.  I really liked the fact that Sam is able to find redemption after all of her bad behavior (I don't think the film glorifies this behavior at all) because I like to think that no teenager is beyond hope, no matter how unlikable they may appear to be.  She is a very different girl at the end of the movie from the one we meet at the beginning.  Just my two cents.

Note:  I really think that this film will appeal more to the demographic for which it was intended.  This second screening was filled with teenage girls and they seemed to really enjoy it.

Utah Opera's Lucia di Lammermoor

Last night I went to see Utah Opera's production of Lucia di Lammermoor.  The libretto is based on The Bride of Lammermoor by Sir Walter Scott and the incredible music is composed by Gaetano Donizetti.  I loved it!  In fact, I loved it so much that I wondered why I had never seen it before!  In seventeenth century Scotland, Enrico (James Westman) is in financial ruin and the only way to save his honor is to have is sister Lucia (Abigail Rethwisch) marry Arturo (Tyson Miller).  However, Lucia is in love with Edgardo (Mackenzie Whitney), a man who is her brother's mortal enemy.  During a secret rendezvous, Edgardo tells Lucia that he must leave for France but they make solemn vows to each other and he gives her a ring.  They end this touching scene with Edgardo promising to write.  Enrico discovers this relationship and intercepts all of Edgardo's letters.  In his desperation he begs to Lucia to marry Arturo for the good of the family and she finally consents, thinking that Edgardo has forsaken her.  As she signs the marriage contract, Edgardo returns and, in a rage, violently removes the ring from Lucia's finger.  As guests celebrate at the wedding, it is discovered that Lucia has killed Arturo and has descended into madness.  As she lays dying, Enrico is filled with remorse and pity.  When Edgardo learns of Lucia's death, he stabs himself in order to be reunited with her in Heaven.  What could be better than murder, betrayal, insanity, and death?  I really loved every single number, especially Lucia's aria before meeting Edgardo (there is a ghost!), the beautiful duet between Lucia and Edgardo where they declare their vows to each other, and Edgardo's emotional final aria.  However, nothing compares to the famous "mad scene" where Lucia, wearing a white nightgown covered in Arturo's blood, sings of her love for Edgardo while her horrified wedding guests look on.  This aria is in the Bel Canto style and is filled with a dazzling vocal display.  Rethwisch's performance is absolutely visceral and her collapse at the end of it was met with thunderous applause!   I could hardly breathe!  The entire cast is amazing and, in addition to Rethwisch, I was also particularly impressed with Derrick Parker (who recently performed Mozart's Requiem with the Utah Symphony) as a cleric who tries to defend Lucia.  The production is visually stunning with a set that includes a Gothic castle, a haunted fountain, and a snow-filled graveyard as well as beautiful period costumes.  I loved everything about this opera and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) to a remaining performance.

Note:  Lucia di Lammermoor would be perfect for those who have never been to an opera before.  It is easy to follow and my attention never wavered once during the three-hour run time.