August: Osage County

In a collaboration between Utah Repertory Theater Company and Silver Summit Theatre Company, Tracy Letts' monumental and Pulitzer Prize-winning work August: Osage County makes it's Utah debut in the new Sugar Space arts center, located in downtown Salt Lake City. As many will remember, the play was turned into an film with Academy Award-nominated performances by Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts.

August: Osage County is a remarkable work. It highlights the contemporary American family dealing with tragedy, as they all do in different ways. As the narrative unfolds, inner demons inside the family begin to surface, revealing the darkness the members of the family experience. In this dark comedy, the protagonist, Violet, experiences the harsh realities of narcotic addiction and the pain she is causing to her alcoholic husband, and her daughters who are all dealing with serious problems of their own. With a powerful female perspective, the play addresses issues of mothers and daughters, women and their husbands, and cultural differences. As the daughters passionately avoid intimacy, they fear being alone, tapping into a dissociation complex that plagues contemporary American life while using aggression and criticism as a means to cope and reconnect, and as a defense mechanism. Letts taps into some very difficult and real problems in American life.

The collaboration between these two theater companies is something to be seen indeed. Heading up the cast is Teresa Sanderson as Violet. Having recently portrayed Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf with Pinnacle Acting Company, Sanderson eases into this role with fresh perspective that could have easily been just another rendition of Martha. She adds both comedy and pity to this complex and impressive character. The entire cast is strong and I wish I could mention each by name. The three daughters: Ivy, Barbara, and Karen (played by
Michele Rideout, April Fossen, and Melanie Nelson, respectively) are incredibly impressive. All with distinct personalities, they all take their time to shine. With Rideout's tragically beautiful vulnerability, she has a presence that can break your heart. Nelson's character taps into the utter denial of disappointment. She has such depth in her performance that could easily be portrayed two-dimensionally. April Fossen as Barbara really pulls out all the stops. Fossen uses a full range of emotions as her tortured character is revealed layer by layer.

All the performances in August: Osage County are remarkably strong, from the mentioned major characters to the comparatively minor roles. Tamara Howell as the housekeeper, Johnna Monevata, gave a performance that was both complex and beautiful. She had an aura of mystery, perfect for the role, yet a elegance as she took the abuse from Violet with class and sophistication.

Director Mark Fossen must be commended for one of the best performances of a play I've seen in Utah this year. Impeccably casted, and well-directed in what could potentially be a very awkward venue, the show is absolutely wonderful. The only downfall of this production is positively terrible set. With bizarre black walls inside the house, unnecessary additions like poorly designed windows and a bizarre floor pattern meant to look like hardwood floors, the only redeeming factor is maintaining the original multi-story design. This being the only flaw, it is sometimes difficult to ignore the terrible set, but the remarkable acting happening on stage is definitely enough to forgive these shortcomings. I hope to see more collaborations like this bringing together the strongest and most talented artists in Utah to present another monumental work. August: Osage County runs through Sunday, August 31st.

Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - Tuacahn Center for the Arts

Set among the striking red rock natural amphitheater, Tuacahn Center for the Arts is well-known throughout the states and further for some spectacular productions. With this spectacular backdrop and considering the local patronage, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" is an obvious choice to bring to their stage.

"Joseph" first hit the Broadway stage in 1982 and has since been incredibly popular throughout the country and world, reaching its height of popularity in the '90's when Donny Osmond took the lead role, eventually leading to a motion picture release in 1999, where the cast included Osmond, Maria Friedman, Richard Attenborough, and Joan Collins.

The show is an excellent example of accessible musical theater. Taking its premise from the familiar bible story, and without denying the religious roots, it doesn't fully commit to religion either, making it delightful for anyone to watch. It is geared toward children, with the addition of a narrator to move the story along and provide a fun link between the story and the live audience. Fancifully, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice, explore many different styles of music and keep the pace regular and quick. Succinctly said, this is a difficult show to not enjoy.

Lisa Hopkins Seegmiller

Leading the cast at Tuacahn was Tony award-winner Lisa Hopkins Seegmiller. With her Julliard-trained operatic background, Seegmiller is an incredible singer and easily sang through the score with ample style and ad lib of a seasoned professional. Despite this incredible talent, Seegmiller's portrayal of the narrator was lacking, in that it seemed to be the "Seegmiller show." She was so focused on stealing attention, she lacked personality and empathy, interacting little with the audience or the other characters, making her character inhuman and one-dimensional. Again though, her vocal skills are extremely outstanding and she could easily fill that canyon with her sound! James Royce Edwards as Joseph had a lyric and cool voice, though struggled to compete with the rest of the production in memorability, despite his ridiculous wig. Todd Dubail as the Pharaoh was easily the most likable and entertaining in the cast. Dubail and Seegmiller had delightful chemistry in the brief time they were on stage together, a dynamic that would have added so much if experienced between more characters and the narrator.

Criticism must be handed to director Derryl Yeager. Even at a preview night, the whole production felt too controlled and, yes, directed. When the children were on stage, their movements were all carefully choreographed, removing the idea of an extemporaneous experience of telling the story to children. This over-direction of the children and the rest of the cast gave it a very artificial feel.  The commitment to the various styles was understandable, but seemed to over-explain the jokes and therefore dilute them. The uniformity of the costumes (designed by Janet Swenson) also removed the individuality of the characters (and children) as they committed to the different styles of music, again, diluting the charm by overemphasis. Some costumes were simply bizarre such as loin-clothes cladding the prisoners and Egyptians looked like they belonged better at a "toga night" at a gay night club rather than on stage for a family-friendly show. With some serious costume "misses," there were some slam-dunks: the narrators suit for the second half was stylish and stunning, and perfect for her personality and character.

The set consisted of primarily a commanding pyramid at center stage in which images were projected. These projections were more effective when it was only a simple color change, and the animations were difficult to see with the other lighting on stage, and forgettable even when they were visible begging the question "with all this beautiful desert landscape, why hide it for a show that takes place in the desert?"

Unfortunately, Tuacahn has a reputation of excellence, but in reality, the productions come across as kind of amateurish. They seem to be more interested in "what can we do?" when they should think "what SHOULD we do?" with their productions. With a very talented cast, the directing is bizarre and inconsistent and sometimes disrespectful whether the character of Jacob is portraying some kind of offensive Jewish stereotype (not in the source material), or they are giving the clowning-about and silly augmentations to the source material to the only brother who is African-American like a minstrel show. At one point, the brothers create a trash-band for no reason at all (not even on stage . . . off to the side of the stage) that could have been interesting, if the audience wasn't asking "why?" They pack the show with odd cultural references that are not a part of the source material (one of which, donning the gangster Ishmaelites in "Duck Dynasty" gear, was actually quite clever). The final song of the first act, "Go, Go, Go Joseph!" is an adorable 1960s number, and the costumes and choreography at Tuacahn were positively delightful. However, the director felt a need to add a bunch of completely irrelevant references to "Laugh In," more than doubling the number in length with pointless vignettes that had absolutely nothing to do with the plot and were too obscure for most of the audience to appreciate even in its "randomness." Most ashamedly, was a pause in between scenes where a girl (who looked completely dead inside) walked a camel across the stage while over a loudspeaker someone quoted a Geico commercial about today being "hump" day, on a FRIDAY, nonetheless. These bizarre additions to the material were nothing short of insulting causing this reviewer to walk actually angry at the experience rather than just slightly disappointed.


This show works best when it's geared toward children, when the narrator talks to the kids and tells the story as it comes alive before their eyes. It does not work at all in the way Tuacahn presented it, in where there is a complete disconnect from the audience and turned into a "look at me, look at me, look at me!" show.

Wicked - Broadway Across America

Wicked has quickly become one of America's most popular shows to hit the musical theater stage, and it finds huge popularity in Utah. So I decided to take advantage of its extended stay at the Capitol Theater in Salt Lake City and see what all the fuss is about regarding this immensely popular addition to the Broadway stage.

First, the production itself. Broadway Across America is fairly consistently good and this production of Wicked surely surpasses even some of their greatest productions in Utah (a recent review of Broadway Across America's production of War Horse can be found here). Wicked boasts a lavish and creative set design by Eugene Lee (consisting of a clock theme that isn't clearly explained in the show) and very dynamic lighting by Kenneth Posner. 

The cast was nothing short of stellar. All performances were quite strong, but the roles of Elphaba and Glinda, played by Emma Hunton and Gina Beck respectively were of particular note. Beck gave depth and meaning to a role that can easily fall into the trap of "ditzy" and one-dimensional. Though her singing was a bit labored at times, her sound conveyed the role hearkening to the sing-song style of famous 1939 film version of her character. Really stealing the show was Emma Hunton however. From her subtle entrance onto the stage (as subtle as a full applause on the appearance of the beloved character could be) she commanded the room displaying her incredible vocal range and color. In a scene with only these two characters, Glinda sings to Elphaba about the keys to being a "Popular" girl at school. Beck and Hunton's chemistry was vibrant as their singing and acting skills were showcased. They were hilarious and charming, without resorting to "schtick" or other cheap tricks; they were convincingly sincere. 

Without a doubt, the greatest moment of the entire show was Hunton's performance of "Defying Gravity" at the end of the second act. This song is by far the best of the entire show and Hunton's rendition was nothing short of spectacular. Everything in the first act (and I'll even say the second act as well) leads to this moment. All the elements of this show come together in a dazzling song that exceeds the sum of its parts: lighting, song-writing, story, effects, and especially performance. Hunton really pulled out all the stops and few actors could have such an effect on their audience like she did. Not enough can be said about this remarkable performance.

Disclaimer: if you are a huge fan of this show, and have a difficult time with someone discussing criticisms of it, I suggest you stop reading about now.

First I must say, that with immensely popular shows like Wicked, Frozen, and The Hunger Games, I think it's safe to say that audiences have no problem with female protagonists and even love them! These all have strong female representation, stories about women, for all. They are extremely interesting characters with interesting stories and I hope to see more and more of them. Even with its failings, the greatest things about Wicked are the characters of Elphaba and Glinda and their relationship. Almost nothing else matters as these two personalities carry the show alone. 

As I watched this show, my first reaction was "Is this a story that needs to be told?" I couldn't help but compare it to the the Star Wars prequels, about how Darth Vader became so evil. Do we really even care? The Wicked Witch of the West is pure evil, and that's why we love her. Giving her a back-story seemed to dilute the original character we've grown to love and was completely unnecessary. I realize that this is not supposed to be directly related to the film version, or even the Frank L. Baum stories, but the reality is that it is related! Wicked is inspired by the originals and they can't help but to constantly reference them, sometimes bizarrely specifically, which ended up being little more than a gimmick.

Ever since American musical theater existed, it has taken on themes of racism, and Wicked continues this tradition. Whether it's Elphaba's green skin, or a bizarre subplot involving the devolution of animals, it tackles this difficult subject in the most vapid ways. A more difficult discussion about Elphaba's "daddy-issues" (not to make light of it, just speaking colloquially) would have made a more interesting plot device for her decent into evil and her rise to power. Both of which are hardly addressed as the plot is overly concerned with making her a sympathetic character. A well-written character can be both evil and sympathetic. Even Darth Vadar was completely evil, but by his death, we were emotionally attached: same could go for Elphaba, she could descend into power and evil, with a quick glimmer of the woman she used to be, and remain very interesting and very sympathetic, and even very relatable. 

Gina Beck and Emma Hunton

One huge problem with the show is it's irregular pacing and tone. It seems like the characters are always singing about nothing (more on the music later), or talking about something that has already happened. Very little action seems to happen on stage in front of the audiences eyes. This leads to scenes where too much is happening too quickly or to scenes that are so stagnant that one could take a quick nap and not miss a moment of story. The show also couldn't seem to make up it's mind on tone. While the first half is definitely not as dark as the second, composer Stephen Schwartz can't help but throw in an oddly placed soft-shoe number in it's darkest moments. I understand trying to not let the mood get too dark, but this delicate balancing act is drastically mishandled as the mood is juggled so furiously that the audience is completely disoriented. 

Finally, the music must be addressed. Entering the theater knowing three of the songs from the show ("Popular," "For Good," and "Defying Gravity") I was looking forward to the music, as I think these are all really good songs. I now know why I haven't heard any other song from this show before. The songs are all forgettable at best, and sometimes downright terrible at worst ("Dancing Through Life"). Schwartz could use a lesson from Oscar Hammerstein in allowing the music to be a vehicle for the action, because as soon as a song starts, the plot sits and stays. Nothing happens and with such uninspired songs, something more has to occur or else we are just waiting for the song to end so we can get back to the show. Schwartz does not have a knack for writing lyrics either, even in the better songs. Unfortunately with such interesting and complex characters, the music does not mirror this, resorting to popular music and theater tropes rather than new and exciting depth.

In the end, I do not regret seeing this show, however I firmly believe it does not deserve the accolades most audiences give it. If I knew nothing about this show and just saw it I would have said "That is a very promising first draft! Trim the fat and do some revisions and I think there is a future hit on your hands!" to the producer. Wicked is a bit of a sloppy mess and if it weren't for some fine performances and exquisite set and lighting design, I fear it would fall flat.

I leave you with this which I always keep in mind: Just because it's popular, doesn't mean it's good. Just because it's popular, doesn't mean it's bad either. This is my mantra. 

University of Santo Tomas Singers - Judge Memorial High School

On Sunday July 13, all the way from the Philippines, the University of Santo Tomas Singers (UST) gave one of the most thrilling choral concerts Salt Lake has seen all year.

University of Santo Tomas Singers, Prof. Fidel Calalang Dir.

Conducted and founded by maestro Fidel Calalang Jr., the UST singers are one of the most prestigious choral ensembles in all of Asia and the world. Having received international acclaim, winning numerous prizes in international competitions, they are also the only choir in the world to have won the Choir of the World Grand Prize Luciano Pavarotti Trophy two times. They brought this level of artistry and excellence to Judge Memorial High School in Salt Lake City and did not disappoint.

The previous night, the UST Singers joined the Salt Lake Choral Artists Summer Choral Institute in a weekend of singing concluding with a concert, in which they occupied the second half. On Sunday, the stage was set for only them. Entering the venue in their beautiful costumes the evening got off to an exciting start as the singers sheer energy and volume is not something heard very often in Utah. With only about 30-40 singers, the UST singers can sing loud! But what really makes them remarkable, is that they can sing both loudly and beautifully at the same time. (Note all links to songs are YouTube links to the actual performance of this concert.)

The entire concert was excellently executed, with some stand-out pieces. Lithuanian composer Vytautas Miskinis' "Regina Coeli" was given heart and purpose, pointing out the group's excellence in nuance and restraint as well as diversity, while other pieces like  "Mongolian Boots" by Se Enkhbayar showed off some of their well-honed specialization in the choral art. Difficult in execution, the singers present the music with ease. Each section in the choir is powerful and strong, particularly their stable and powerful bass section. "Veniki" by Feodicy Rubstov showed the group's diversity in style and dedication to authenticity.  Calalang is truly a master in front of these young people, as they look both extremely focused and extremely confident as they perform.

A major highlight of the evening was a performance of "Kruhay" by Benny Castillon. For the piece, the women donned bells onto their fingers and executing some elegant hand movements, while by contrast the men's choreography included very masculine and powerful stance and percussive arm gestures. The piece was technically difficult and quite dazzling in performance. As the drama of the work unfolded, the choir moved into new positions that highlighted the color contrasts in their outfits and provided an effective visual for the highly-dynamic work that would stretch any lesser choir's capabilities. Also showing off the choir's massive range and technical skills was "Banwar Iti Cordillera" by Normita Rio Pablico, highlighting the confidence and power of their singers, particularly their soprano section and the hauntingly exquisite voice of soloist Kristel Deocampo.

Toward the end of the program the men stepped off-stage leaving the women behind and Calalang at the piano to perform "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" from Stephen Sondheim's 1970 broadway hit Company. With inspired and delightful choreography, the women of the choir displayed charming showmanship that left the audience grinning. The choir has mastered the art of presenting both artistic and challenging work (to both the singers and the audience) as well as more accessible audience-pleasers. Along with the Sondheim piece and some very charming traditional Tagalog pieces, they sang a lovely rendition of "Go the Distance" from the Disney film Hercules featuring soloist Karl Nicholas Lauron who was as genuine as can be with a stunningly beautiful voice.

Prof. Fidel Calalang Jr.

The UST Singers are a superb ensemble. Not completely free from technical errors, on occasion their tendency to over-sing creates tuning and balance issues. However at first glimmer of anything like this happened, they are quick to repair it almost before one even notices something is amiss. This is surely to credit their very talented director Fidel Calalang Jr. He is a gifted musician with absolutely complete knowledge of musical form and interpretation. When he isn't conducting the ensemble, he is dazzling us on the piano. Calalang is also and extremely talented composer/arranger and any choral conductor, performer, or fan not familiar with his work would be very wise familiarize themselves with him as his contribution to the world of choral arts is immeasurable.

Concluding the concert, the UST Singers sang a stirring rendition of "America the Beautiful." Never being a big fan of patriotic music, even I couldn't help but to be touched as this world-renowned choral ensemble from the Philippines took the time to learn a song special to the people they were performing for. Already a beautiful arrangement, they sang with such sincerity and gratitude, proving a perfect ending to a memorable night music.

A Summer Celebration of Song - The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Santino Fontana

Every year around the 24th of July, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir presents a Pioneer Day-themed concert at the LDS Conference Center in Salt Lake City, UT. Similar to the annual Christmas extravaganza, but toned down in presentation, they invite a major artist to join them as they present a concert that is free to the community in their massive 21,000-seat auditorium: A Summer Celebration of Song.

Though the concert took place near Pioneer Day, there was much to be desired addressing the holiday. Pioneers are an important part of history for Utahns, but only two pieces at the beginning of the concert addressed the holiday including a formulaic arrangement of "They, the Builders of the Nation" (complete with a trademark-oddly bombastic ending) by Mack Wilberg, and a bland and banal performance of "Faith in Every Footstep."

Fontana and the Orchestra at Temple Square

This year, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (MoTab) invited rising star Santino Fontana. An award-winning broadway actor, most will likely know Fontana from his recent role as Prince Hans in Walt Disney's Academy Award winning film, Frozen. Fontana seemed genuinely excited to be performing with the world-renowned ensemble in front of such a large audience. Ditching the Pioneer theme, and adopting a Broadway-film-theme, they began with some songs from West Side Story. Fontana has a cool, lyric voice that has a certain innocence about it, yet when he reaches his higher register, it pierces through with a bite that is exciting and resonant.

Fontana performed some pieces from Cinderella, a work he is quite familiar with, and then "She Likes Basketball" from Burt Bacharach's Promises, Promises. An odd choice for sure, but the song with Fontana backed-up by the MoTab was fantastic and one of the highlights of the evening. Hal David's quirky text and Bacharach's trademark sound was an excellent addition to the program and even the MoTab sounded good as they played "Carpenter's back-up singers" to the charming Fontana. Another highlight of the evening was a stirring rendition of "Never Never Land" from Peter Pan. Meredith Wilson's charming song about the fantasy island of Peter Pan was given a marvelous arrangement and performance by the choir, the Orchestra at Temple Square and Fontana alike. It had emotion and passion that was almost absent from the rest of the program.

Richard Elliot and the Orchestra at Temple Square performed the "Hot Pipes" movement from Victor Davies' Jazz Concerto for Organ and Orchestra. Always an audience favorite, the piece is trite and corny, and besides Elliot's impeccable pedal work, they performance was sloppy and inconsistent. The audience was never-the-less extremely pleased.

Fontana snaps a "selfie" with the choir

The concert concluded with a "Happy" medley that seemed to be enjoyed by all. At almost exactly one hour in duration, the concert, despite Santino's efforts, was lacking in energy and polish. Perhaps the musicians are given too much too often to perfect anything, but regardless, while Santino gave it everything he had (including his charm and personality-even taking a "selfie" onstage with the choir and orchestra) the choir still sounded anemic and amateur. Despite the 360 voices on stage, their volume barely reached the "loud" stage, and when it did, there were extreme balance issues. Their words are almost incomprehensible. Arguably, this is one of the largest and most difficult places in the state to perform music by its sheer size, but this reviewer was on the front row of the entire massive building and still felt these problems were prevalent. This is where what I call "the jumbo-tron effect" comes into play. Even in the front row, I found the concert so boring at times, I preferred to watch the sweeping camera angles on the jumbo-trons, rather than the actual performers themselves. It is time they lived up to their reputation that being such a big choir has garnered them, rather that just allowing mediocre to be acceptable.

Music From Around the World - SLCA Summer Choral Institute

One of the great things about the Salt Lake Choral Artists' mission is their reach out to the community. Every summer the organization presents four concerts in which they invite all members of the community to come and sing, regardless of experience or expertise. Anyone can join the weekend-long sessions (no audition required whatsoever) and all have the opportunity to work with world-renowned conductor Dr. Brady Allred. Over the course of only a few days and a few rehearsals, the group works together to create a concert that ends up rivaling the quality of many local auditioned groups.

Allred working with members of the SCI choir and the UST Singers.

On Saturday, July 12, Allred and his Summer Choral Institute (SCI) presented "Music from Around the World," a concert featuring music from Australia, Russia, Cameroon, Argentina, USA, Canada and more at the First Baptist Church in Salt Lake City. One could feel the energy in the air as the amateurs (and I use that word in its purest sense: as 'a lover of') gathered to create music together. Opening with an exciting piece from Cameroon the choir set the mood off excellently. The highlight of the first half of the concert was an exciting rendition of "Shchedryk," a Ukrainian folksong more well-known as "Carol of the Bells." Sung in Russian, this interpretation was charming and exciting. The choir sang it twice, once at a medium tempo, and once much faster. Though tripping over the consonants a bit, it was worth it for both the excitement of the piece and the pure joy of seeing these people sing together.

Joining the SCI choir were special guests the University of Santo Tomas Singers from the Philippines. They sang the first half of the concert as a part of the SCI choir, and finished the second half of the concert by themselves. The UST choir is truly a remarkable group with extensive credentials and competition wins under their belt. I will refrain from giving a complete review of their half of the concert here because they performed an entire concert the next evening which I will review in complete. Let it be said however that this is a phenomenal group and it was a huge privilege to have there here in Salt Lake City.

There is one more opportunity to see or participate in the Salt Lake Choral Artists Summer Choral Institute and I hope you take the opportunity to see this organization at work! The SLCA also holds a Children's Choir Camp and a High School Retreat, the latter of which hundreds of students attend from various high schools and I have first-hand knowledge of what a valuable experience each student walks away with.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? - Pinnacle Acting Company

From June 18-24, Pinnacle Acting Company of Salt Lake City presented Edward Albee's classic play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf at Westminster College. Using the main characters of George and Martha (Washington?), Albee explores the concepts of the American marriage, social expectations, and reality versus illusion. The play delves into the complex and sometimes disturbing relationship of these two characters as they suck others into their tempestuous and volatile lives.

A very talented ensemble leads this production. Mike Brown as Nick, the young and handsome newly appointed adjunct professor, is convincing as he slowly gets trapped in George and Martha's nonsense. His wife, Honey (played by Amanda Hayter) begins to experience the worst of what the couple is capable of, and how it could potentially destroy her life and marriage. Hayter is beautiful and looks the part perfectly, almost too well to be taken seriously, but quickly proves to be an excellent actress. She has sincerity and determination for Honey to not only be a bimbo-silly character, but with depth and humanity. Brown and Hayter had excellent chemistry providing a realistic livelihood to the play.

The show's main characters, George and Martha, played by Jared Larkin and Teresa Sanderson respectively, were the true highlights of the production. Larkin delivered Albee's witty dialogue with directness and confidence, taking on an interesting take of the classic character. Truly stealing the show however was Teresa Sanderson as Martha. Sanderson is a true professional dwarfing all the other actors in skill and talent. An Ogden native, and fresh from playing a former LDS mother turned transgender man in Matthew Ivan Bennett's Eric(a), Sanderson took on this legendary role. With complexity and charm, she made us feel envy, pity, and anger toward this vicious and sometimes crazed woman. While Martha is often seen as theater's greatest female villain, Sanderson delivered the part so impeccably, bringing out her vulnerability and well as her anger. She truly gave Salt Lake's most impressive performance in a play thus far, one that is rarely seen on stage in Salt Lake, let alone New York City.

All the elements came together for this production, the actors worked seamlessly together. Director Larry West is to be commended for this production, set in the round, making the audience feel as if they are right in the room as the plot unfurls. Professional by all means, Pinnacle Acting Company really hit a home-run with this production of a classic play. Be sure to catch Teresa Sanderson as Violet Weston is Tracey Lett's play August: Osage County performed by the Utah Repertory Theater Company this coming August!

The Last Five Years - Salt Lake Shakespeare

The University of Utah's resident summer theater organization, Salt Lake Shakespeare, opened their summer season this year with Jason Robert Brown's musical The Last Five Years.

The Last Five Years, with a story, music and lyrics by Brown, tells the story of a couple's doomed relationship. The story is told non-linearly, with Jessie's story told from the beginning to end, while Cathy's story told from end to the beginning, meeting in the middle for one song. While this non-traditional storytelling is creative and exciting, in practice, it becomes burdensome. As one of the earlier works in Brown's output, it lacks refinement and sophistication that is desperately needed in such an abstract form. The obsession of making the story lines clear forces the relationships and characters portrayed to be shallow and uninteresting, and worse, their relationship becomes a tired story line we've heard a million times, that needs more depth and humanity. Brown's music is all-around nice and works, however doesn't tend to mirror the drama well. The music is overly simple and "broadway-like" for a show that defies many musical norms, that subtly suggests to the audience that while the characters attempt to explore some deep issues, the music reminds them that this is essentially a simple story with simple characters told in a complex manner.

With a cast of only two people, it's a lot of weight for these two actors to carry. Not only that, it's almost as each actor is in a constant state of monologue, as they rarely interact with each other. This becomes a challenge for them to "experience" their story as it happens, not just to relate what happened in the narrative. Arguably, the more complex plot is given to Cathy (played by Tia Galanis). Her story is told from the end to the beginning. Because of this non-traditional story-telling, it could prove challenging to the actor, but Galanis was completely up to the task. With her powerhouse vocals and sincere acting, she commanded the role with complexity and ingenuity. She is a true professional, stealing the show in every sense of the phrase, adding nuance and expression to her singing: trademarks of an even more seasoned professional. Enough praise cannot be given of this remarkable performance. Not as much could be said about Taylor Smith playing Jamie, a struggling new novelist. Jamie can be easily interpreted as the scoundrel of the show, and Smith did nothing to give the character any extra depth or sympathy. His vocals were weak and bland by comparison to the only other actor on stage, and his acting was weaker. This is a very tough show to present, but unfortunately of the two, Smith did not live up to the task.

The set, designed by Kevin Dudley, was remarkable. Made up of sliding translucent panels, the simplicity in the idea was its brilliance. With some of the most subtle transitions to the set, one could tell easily the scene was in a new setting, though the costumes and props remained the same. Alex Marshall, music director, is also to be commended for the exquisitely seamless interpretation of the score.

All being said, one must acknowledge the creative attempt of the composer. This show is still refreshing in its conception alone, regardless how seamless the final product came out. This was a subtle, yet ambition project by Salt Lake Shakespeare and what occurred was an extremely successful interpretation of a good piece of theater. Be sure to check out their production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, playing now at the Babcock Theater on the University of Utah's campus.

Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances - Utah Symphony

In their final concert of the season, the Utah Symphony presented a dazzling concert featuring the works of Sergei Rachmaninoff, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Carl Nielsen.

The program began by finishing off the Symphony's cycle of Carl Nielsen's six symphonies. Nielsen isn't a well-known composer to the ordinary non-musician patron of the symphony, but a welcome addition. Many of his symphonies found their Abravanel premier this season to enthusiastic audiences and proved welcome and thoroughly enjoyed. Maestro Thierry Fischer excellently combines education and entertainment in his mission for the symphony and we are grateful for it. The Sixth Symphony, "Siphonia semplice," is a more subtle and subdued than some of his other symphonies, yet represents some of Nielsen's most mature writing. With a wide range of emotional content, autobiographical elements, and intellect, the symphony treated the piece with the dignity it deserved giving a stirring rendition and giving the Carl Nielsen symphony cycle a well-deserved send-off.

Cellist, Matthew Zalkind, performed Tchaikovsky's Roccoco Variations. Zalkind has the dexterity and interpretive skills of a much more mature player. He absolutely stunned the audience with his virtuosic playing of the popular piece proving he has an incredibly bright future ahead of him.

Finishing the concert, and the season, the Utah Symphony concluded with the ever popular Symphonic Dances by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Always thrilling, the symphony pulled out all their stops with the exciting and energetic performance. This piece is a summation of Rachmaninoff's magnificent composition output, showing off his array of style and quoting some of his other works. With Maestro Fischer at the helm of the symphony, this piece showed off their capabilities, as well as confirming this piece among the great works of orchestral literature.

The symphony will be very busy this summer: be sure to check out the various local performances by the Utah Symphony, their tour across Utah, as well as in Deer Valley, as we all prepare for their exciting season next year!

The Abduction from the Seraglio - Utah Opera

The Abduction from the Seraglio is one of Wolfgang Amadé Mozart's less-frequently performed operas. Full of western interpretation of Turkish style and culture, it is an interesting work of art as well as provides a historical perspective. What begins as a simple "damsel in distress" story in the hands of Mozart, it is developed into a more complex and sympathetic character study.

Andrew Stenson and Celena Shafer

In Utah Opera's final production of the season, The Abduction from the Seraglio is interesting particularly in the treatment of women. Though the archetypical hero-heroine story, Mozart's treatement of the women is far more complex. His development of Blonde and Konstanze surpasses that of their male counterparts, to where for the time, they are quite self-realized and independent. Even at the most dehumanizing moment of the show, when the men question if their women have been "faithful" even though they are enslaved (the men not concered for the psychological well-being of the women, or the possible reality of their rape), the women show strength in refusing to answer their selfish questioning and even threaten to leave their men if they do not apologize. Celena Shafer commands the role of Konstanze. The role is one of Mozart's most vocally demanding requiring immense flexibility and range. Her vocals are simply stunning in the difficult role.

Andrew Stenson as Belmonte and Tyson Miller as Pedrillo were a good team. They had a beautiful and complimentary color in their voices and sang with ease. Resident artist at the Utah Symphony, Amy Owens, is positively infectious as Blonde, easily stealing the show. Her comedic timing, dazzling vocals, and darling personality are the work of a true professional and exactly what the opera deserves.

Amy Owens

Abduction is a singspiel, meaning that there is spoken dialogue, general absence of recitative, and arias. With dialogue in English, it exposed weakness in many of the singer's acting experience with exception of Amy Owens and Gustav Andreassen who continued to impress. Andreassen as the disgusting Osmin was positively hilarious and convincing as well and impressive. Osmin is one of Mozart's lowest-reaching roles, and one of opera's. He had power and personality, even down to the low D's. Particularly Owens and Andreassen, but the cast as a whole, delivered the Gottlieb Stephanie-libretto with charm and ease, highlighting the comically colloquial text compared to Mozart-La Ponte collaborations.

The singspiel requires more acting than many operas typically ask for. Many of the actors struggled with convincing acting in Abduction. Some chose to really over-act, which had it charm creating a silly atmosphere, but unfortunately the style wasn't consistent or universal, proving the over-acting to be awkward and distracting.

With such excellent vocals, the set was a bit ordinary for Utah Opera's normally phenomenal sets. The costuming was fun, each character getting a color scheme and inspired by 1700s fashions. The big exceptions was Pasha Selim's costume, which was a disaster. Ugly in color and bizarre in design, it didn't match the color scheme idea, or any other coherent idea at all. It is unfortunate that the weakest costume was given to the weakest member of the cast (played by Utah Opera Artistic Director Christopher McBeth).

In the end, Pasha Selim has the opportunity to take revenge on his enemy, Belmonte's father, yet chooses forgiveness and charity instead. This powerful moment comes unexpectedly and is richly rewarding as Mozart gives dimension to even his despicable enemies.

Though the production suffered especially in acting, The Abduction from the Seraglio is a great work that is difficult to do wrong with such talented vocalists as Utah Opera had on the Capitol Theater stage. Utah Opera consistently puts on a fine production and we are looking forward to their exciting 2014-15 season as this one draws to a close.

Sweet Charity - Pioneer Theater Company

What happens when you take three of the greatest geniuses of American theater and have them write create a new show? Sweet Charity is what happens and it is currently running in a brilliant production by the Pioneer Theater Company (click here to see a preview video of the show).

With music by the legendary Cy Coleman (19-time Tony Award Nominee), a book by prolific genius playwright Neil Simon (winner of more Tony's than any other playwright in history), and directed by and choreography by the brilliant and celebrated Bob Fosse, Sweet Charity is a staple in the American musical theater cannon.

Nancy Lemenager as Charity

Charity Hope Valentine, played by Nancy Lemenager, works as a call girl in late 1960s New York City. Charity has been through it all, a depressing job, being thrown in a lake by her fiancee, and robbed by the same; but she maintains an infectious air of optimism and naiveté about her. In a role that can easily fall into the "dumb bimbo" trope, Lemenager navigates the role carefully and brilliantly. She is so genuine and delightfully sincere as Charity faces fortune and misfortune alike. She absolutely steals the show leaving the audience heartbroken for her as much as laughing at her silly circumstances she finds herself in. Lemenager is as darling of a dancer as an actor and a true delight to see her on the stage. Truly this is a role she was meant to play!

The entire cast was excellent, from Sean McDermott as the lusty Itallian Vittorio to Gerry McIntyre as Big Daddy Brubeck. The line-up of fellow call girls with Charity were a highlight. Each had great personality and their droll and unamused interpretation of the classic song "Big Spender" was as hilarious as it was actually poignant. Particularly of note were the vocal chords of Natalie Hill as Helene. Her singing was the standout vocals of the show.

A clever set design by George Maxwell hearkened to 60s nostalgia like Laugh In, always full of surprises. With a clever use of color and shapes he created a fun atmosphere perfectly suited for the tone and setting of the show. Equally fantastic were the costumes designed by Patrick Holt. Whether it was the "hippy" style, beatniks, or "preppy" the costumes were both fun and authentic.

Inspired by the peculiarly fascinating moves of Bob Fosse, Director-Choreographer Karen Azenberg's choreography was the star of the show. A scene in the "Pompeii Club" particularly highlighted the whole cast and this wonderful choreography. Clad in a 60s-chic beatnik style and referencing the work of infamous model Lesley "Twiggy" Lawson, the dancing was absolutely delightful, unique and as entertaining as can possibly be!

With an impeccable performance and cast, Sweet Charity is a tight piece of theater thanks to it's witty dialogue and excellent construction by Neil Simon. Not only is it a blast to see, but it's an excellent piece of theater.

This past season, Pioneer Theater Company brought us a large variety of consistently fine shows from Elf: The Musical, to A Few Good Men and Much Ado About Nothing, but Sweet Charity takes the prize as their best production of the season! They have channelled wonderful talent far and wide to put together a delightful show of the quality of any broadway production you might see. Do not miss the opportunity to see this excellent production of a show that is the result of a collaboration of some of the greatest minds in musical theater history! The show runs through May 24th, and don't forget to check out Pioneer Theater's exciting 2014-2015 season!

Where Music Takes Us - Utah Chamber Artists

May 5, 2014, in preparation for the upcoming European tour, the Utah Chamber Artists presented their concert: "Where Music Takes Us" at Libby Gardner Concert Hall at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah.


Utah Chamber Artists is one of Utah's most consistent choral ensembles and this concert was no different. With a primarily a cappella repertoire, the choir presented the works they have prepared for an upcoming trip they are taking to Austria, Germany, and the Czech Republic.

Opening the concert, the choir performed three of four movements of Wolfram Buchenberg's Vier geistliche Gesänge. For those unfamiliar with Buchenberg, his music is creative and unique, yet conservatively rooted. The Chamber Artists, conducted by Barlow Bradford, seemed very comfortable with his music. Particularly the first two movements provided some exciting compositional techniques that were well-interpreted by the choir.

Barlow Bradford

A few a cappella movements from Morten Lauridsen's Les Chansons des Roses, were on the program. These are always lovely pieces, though one can't help but remember that the entire cycle was programmed by the group this time last year. The movement "En une seule fleur" was particularly tight and polished.

Most anticipated was a new work by Lithuanian composer Vytautas Miškinis. Written for the UCA, "Gloria" was exciting and enthralling. Miškinis is well-known for his contemporary sacred settings that are pleasing to the ear and are as ambient as they are evocative. Before the premier, the choir sang his "Pater Noster," a daring composition for Miškinis, and the choir sounded wonderful. This piece explores many techniques to paint a tonal picture of a unique perspective on this oft-used text which the choir had a firm footing on. Truly one of the highlights of the concert.

In the second half of the program the choir sang several wonderful works like Carlo Gesualdo's "Illumina Faciem Tuam," Howard Hanson's "Prayer for the Middle Ages," and Eriks Esenvalds "Evening." Though each piece was performed well, the programming of the concert must be addressed. Each piece seemed to be cut from the same cloth in performance and intrinsic style. There was very little variety in the program. Though the entire program was only about one hour total of music, and all very excellent music, it was tedious and boring at times to hear such similar music. UCA and Barlow Bradford really create a beautiful sound, yet the lack of any clear diction in any of the pieces make problems in cohesion, especially in the slower pieces. 

One of the most stand-out pieces of the night was Eric Barnum's "Requiescat." A powerful and courageous piece, the choir gave a impeccable interpretation leaving the audience stunned at such an audacious and poignant performance. 

Moses Hogan

The concert concluded with an arrangement of Bradford's and Moses Hogan's seminal arrangement of "The Battle of Jericho." It was a breath of fresh air to hear variety finally! As a student of African American traditions, I feel something must be said of this performance of Hogan's work. While the choir was impressive in their use of dynamic, some diction choices I call into question. Most noticeable was the choice to pronounce "battle" as "baddle." Hogan himself wanted to strongly annunciate the "t" and the "sh" in "Joshua" to allow the text to provide the scene of the battle of opposing forces. Not only is this the composer's wish, but stylistically more accurate. I think it's absolutely within a conductor's right to interpret the music in the best way he or she sees fit, but this choice to dilute the consonants made the rhythm sluggish and stylistically incorrect. The text should be used to keep the rhythm accurate and exciting. Though it had moments really showing off the exceedingly strong bass section, the uninformed interpretation fell flat to this reviewer*.

I was disappointed that Frank Martin's Mass was not on the program, as they have been advertising it will be since the beginning of their season last year. The piece is still a part of the program on Kingsbury's website (where one purchases tickets) as well as several other calendars. The organization should take more care to inform their audience of such a drastic program change (on their site or mass email for example), as some patrons, myself included, were quite disappointed about the piece being omitted without proper warning. It is not very professional practice to do so with a major work.

Truly Utah Chamber Artists is one of the greatest choral ensembles in the state. They are consistent and have an impeccably in-tune sound. That being said, sometimes their performances are uniformed to the greater context of the piece; what I mean by this is the interpretation lacks inner phrasing as much as it lacks greater phrasing in the larger scope. Each moment of the music is absolutely beautiful, but as a whole, it can be bland and forgettable. I can't help but remember the recent performance of Brahms' Requiem, that was an excellent performance, meaning all the notes and rhythms were impeccably accurate, but all around it seemed platitudinous. With all these masterworks under these talented and dedicated hands, I hope to see more and more risks being taken in interpretation and performance rather than the same conservative and conventional performances. 

*Though it must be noted that in a subsequent performance of hearing UCA perform this piece in a rehearsal in Thompson Chamber Hall still had some diction issues, the choir was singing so unbridled and freely that this reviewer couldn't help but shout! Absolutely stunning and they ought to be commended! One of the most enthralling renditions I have ever heard of the piece.

War Horse - Broadway Across America

Not everyone knows that the popular 2011 Steven Spielberg Academy Award-nominated film War Horse was adapted from English author Michael Morpurgo children's book that was also adapted into an award-winning play in 2007. On April 23-27th, this remarkable play was on the Capitol Theater's stage.

War Horse tells the remarkable story of "Joey," a horse purchased by the army during World War I and his journey through the war to make it safely home. The great success of the play comes from the incredible horse puppets designed by the Handspring Puppet Company of South Africa. The designs for the puppets are minimal, leaving the operators completely exposed. The operators are easily ignored as they bring to life the life-sized puppets that have as much personality, if not sometimes more, than the human actors on the stage. If only for the puppetry, this show is worth seeing.

The set design by Rae Smith couldn't be more minimal. With what looked like a large scrap of paper across the length of the top of the stage, beautiful images were projected that artistically conveyed the scene while the lower half of the stage was left to a few set pieces at best, usually propped by actors. This constant presence of actors holding a few small set pieces is not a distraction whatsoever, proving the true genius of the design.

Throughout the show, which takes place in Europe, the actors spoke in accent. This unfortunately proved difficult to understand what they were saying. Whether or not it was the sound system or the thick accents, the difficulty in understanding them resulted in a lack of personal connection to the human characters. At times I felt more attached to the perfectly adorable goose (a puppet pushed around like a toy) than the humans.

One of the most charming things about War Horse, is it's lack of special effects. In a show that could have easily turned to pyrotechnics and flashy effects to show the drama in the war, it uses dynamic lighting (by Paule Constable) and sound and music to make a transformative experience that passionately draws the audience in. It is surprising how intense and dramatic some of the scenes of war are conveyed when only these puppets are on stage with impressive lighting. It had me on the edge of my seat!

The greatest drawback of War Horse is it's lack of delving deeper into some interesting points. For example, it is only briefly touched on that throughout the show, the audience feels a deeper connection to the animals than to the people. We shout in terror and weep in pain as the horse is caught in a barbed-wire fence, and are truly heart-broken when one horse is "put down" after an injury. While humans are dying more frequently, we attach ourselves more to the animals: a point that deserves some deep discussion. Secondly, "Joey," the main character in War Horse, is at different times a tool of war for different sides. This usage of him as a tool with no particular allegiance to anyone also deserves discussion. Being that the source material is a children's book, it is easy to understand why the show doesn't get much deeper.

All-around, War Horse is a fabulous theater experience everyone should have. The cast is strong, but most impressive is the all-around visceral experience. Each scene is seamlessly weaved into the next through beautiful lighting, powerful songs and music that serve as framing devices, and a epic story with stunning puppetry. A wonderful show for all ages that is a theater experience that should not be missed.

St. John Passion - Salt Lake Choral Artists

The St. John Passion is one of Johann Sebastian Bach's more interesting works. It is a dramatic representation of the capture, suffering, and crucifixion of Jesus Christ based on the book of John from the New Testament. This massive two-hour work displays some of Bach's most daring writing including the use of remote keys and chromatic melodic writing that is seamlessly intertwined with the sacred text. The work calls for choir, chamber orchestra (in which Bach scored for some unusual instruments that had fallen out of use even his time), a quartet of soloists singing arias, and three male soloists who play the actual roles of Jesus, Pontius Pilate, and an Evangelist.

Brady Allred

Perfectly timed for Easter, Salt Lake Choral Artists, conducted by Brady Allred and accompanied by the SLCA chamber orchestra (Alexander Woods, concertmaster), presented this masterpiece at the Waterford School's concert hall in Sandy. SLCA is a consistently fine group in Salt Lake City and this concert was no exception. Performed in English (a new translation by Neil Jenkins), from the first downbeat of "Hail! Lord and Master" the room was filled with sound and energy, the music foreshadowing the events to come. The choir was strong and confident.

Almost immediately, the Evangelist begins to narrate the story. Sung by tenor Chris Lecluyse, the part is vocally and emotionally demanding. The Evangelist sings through the entire work describing the events as they unfold. Lecluyse wowed the audience with his clear lyric tone and incredible stamina. His free and flexible voice was perfect for the narration as he displayed his interpretation of the drama presented.

Chis Lecluyse

Each of the soloists were excellent. Baritone, Christopher Holmes as Jesus gave a stately and noble performance exceptionally appropriate for the part while Rex Kocherhans as Pontius Pilate expressed great the depth of his roll and exquisite tone. Singing the arias (Bach uses the arias to express thoughts that aren't moving the action along, while the other soloists actually play parts that move the drama along), were soprano Carol Ann Allred, mezzo-soprano Anna Mooy, tenor Tyler Nelson, and baritone Darrell Babidge. Channeling a beautiful baroque lyric style, Carol Ann Allred sang with beauty and precision, most notably in the aria "O heart, melt in weeping." Amidst this difficult aria, Allred sang effortlessly and honestly, mourning the death of Jesus, she captured such sincerity for the text and music it was absolutely heartbreaking.

A challenge of the work is in the instrumentation of the first alto aria "From the bondage of iniquity." In a low range for mezzo-soprano Anne Mooy there were some balance issues as she was accompanied by the winds in their more powerful ranges. Her aria "It is fulfilled," with better instrumentation was stunning. Mooy sang this powerful text with such evocative dignity that expressed the tragedy and majesty of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This marvelously stately and noble aria was given humanity and courage by Mooy's wonderful performance.

Tyler Nelson

Tenor Tyler Nelson truly shined in his arias. Previously having sung with SLCA for their performance of the Mozart Requiem a few weeks ago, Nelson sang magnificently throughout. Most notable was his performance of the aria "Behold Him." Nelson really sparkled through the melismatic passages and long-held notes. His performance was effortless and polished. Baritone, Darrell Babidge interpreted some of the most interesting arias that were often accompanied by the choir. The part requires an extensive range and quick melismatic passages that he sang as fluently and naturally as can be.

Brady Allred presented another incredibly nuanced and polished masterwork. In the first half of the concert the orchestra experienced some tuning problems that were repaired before the significantly longer second half. Other than that, the performance was exquisite. The choir showed remarkable dedication and passion for the work as they took on multiple personas the music called for. The work is peppered with chorales, originally meant for the congregation to join for the Good Friday service, SLCA sang these small chorales like true works of art with very emotional interpretation, particularly the final choral "O Jesus, when I come to die" really showed off their skill, and more importantly, their sincerity. The chamber orchestra played with historically-informed nuance, with stand-out performances by members of each section. Throughout, the choir sang with an informed wide range of dynamics and impeccably fine distinction of articulation.

One of the most magnificent moments of the St. John Passion is the chorus "Crucify Him!" Bach puts the women and men sections in duets with each other and the moment is intense and SLCA conveyed it extremely vehemently and fervently making it one of the most stand-out moments of the evening.

This was another wonderful performance from Brady Allred and the Salt Lake Choral Artists. Remarkably, this is the third masterwork SLCA has performed in the past month (previously performing Mozart's and Brahms' Requiems)! What is most impressive is each performance has been absolutely exquisite. Emotionally informed and impassionately performed, the musicians on stage presented Bach's St. John Passion as an unforgettable night with one of the greatest pieces of music ever written. There is one more chance to see this concert Saturday April 19th at the Waterford Concert Hall in Sandy at 7:30 p.m. I can think of no better or more appropriate activity to prepare for Easter, and even for the non-religious, this is truly a magnificent experience of marvelous music.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - Midvale Main Street Theater

Lately, musical comedies like The Book of Mormon and Spamalot have found extreme popularity among audiences. Most of these popular shows are best categorized as farces and have laugh-a-minute jokes, yet tend to lack depth in their characters and stories. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is not one of these.

The musical is a bit unconventional. It is in the format of an actual elementary school spelling bee. The characters regularly break the fourth wall and address the audience, whether they be love interests, family members, or actual contestants who they pull up on stage to spell. With a certain amount of improvisation, it is a riot (pandemonium?) and one never knows exactly what to expect next. Whether is absurd words with even more absurd definitions, or the unique and silly characters, it's guaranteed to give a laugh; but what separates this show from the aforementioned farces is that is has sincerity that may even touch your heart a little as you are laughing.

A new theater to my radar, the Midvale Main Street Theater gave an excellent performance of this great show. With a daring line up for normally conservative Utah (Spring Awakening, The Rocky Horror Show), Spelling Bee (music and lyrics by William Finn) drew a large crowd and pleased them all. Michelle Dodge and Jourdan Kelly Dixon played the "adult" proctors of the competition. The roles call for a significant amount of improvisation and Dodge's self-involved and proper former winner juxtaposed with Dixon's portrayal of an educator recently returning after an enigmatic absence who seems to be on some kind of mood-stabalizing drug, the two were a riot with playfully entertaining awkward chemistry.

The entire cast of spellers were adorable at playing half their ages. Mary K Nelson as Marcy Park gave a wonderful performance as a young girl with too many expectations placed on her. Watching her transformation to learn about what is important in life was very rewarding. Garrett Grigg, as the former winner now facing the challenges of puberty gave a sincere performance and showed off some impressive singing skills when he took on the persona of another contestant's father in one of the shows most poignant moments: when Olive (McKenzie Heaton) laments about her parents being absent from the bee and other moments in her life. Heaton's heartfelt portrayal of one of the show's most pitiable characters was passionate and genuine. The trio between her and her parents (played by Grigg and Dodge) "The I Love You Song" was the show's most evocative moment and all three sang beautifully.

Everyone in the cast did an excellent job from the quirky Mitch, (Aaron Ford) the progressive and self-assured Logainne (Erica Renee Smith) to the winner possessing a "magic foot" he used to spell, William Barfée--pronounced bar-FAY (Michael Howell). In an interesting casting decision by the Midvale Theater, they cast a Carolyn Arambula Crow as Trish, the "comforter" who would console the losers, and sometimes give them some life advice. Normally played by a man, Crow was fabulous in the role as a quintessential latina. Her performance was laugh-out-loud funny, yet fully dimensional and realized. Her dedication was apparent in both her singing and her acting leaving the audience dying to see what her next line would be whether she was consoling the actors, or the audience members pulled on stage who inevitably lost.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee plays at the Midvale Main Street Theater through April 19th. This is a well-done performance of a fun and sometimes very touching piece of theater.

Mozart, Bernstein & Nielsen - Utah Symphony

After more than a month of absence, this week maestro Theirry Fischer, Artistic Director of the Utah Symphony, made a triumphant return to the podium. Though Mark Wigglesworth and Jerry Steichen did wonderful work with the symphony, it is extremely a welcome sight to see Fischer back!

Opening the concert was one of classical music's greatest hits and most well-known pieces: "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" (Serenade No. 13 for strings in G major, K 525) by Wolfgang Amadé Mozart. The reduced string section presented the famous work and with Fischer at the helm did a historically informed piece that remained true to its authenticity yet provided a remarkably fresh interpretation that was as exciting as it was familiar.

Kathryn Eberle, associate concertmaster of the Utah Symphony, gave a excellent performance of Leonard Bernstein's Serenade (after Plato's "Symposium"). The work is characteristic of Bernstein, full of wit and charm. Bernstein's symphonic work has an unbridled quality about it, free of convention and the working of a unrestrained creative genius. Maestro Fischer and the young Eberle were an excellent team from the exquisitely passion-filled lyricism of the first movement to the showy, theater-like final movement. Eberle showed an incredible range of capabilities and handled the piece like a true master.

Thierry Fischer

After an extremely audience-pleasing performance of the Overture from Candide, the symphony presented Danish composer Carl Nielsen's Symphony No. 5. Often associate with war, the symphony is one of Nielsen's most powerful works. It challenges the concepts of classical form and is unpredictable modern writing, consisting of only two movements. Principle clarinetist, Tad Calcara, dazzled as usual as he played the lyrical and evocative lines. Also of note was Keith Carrick on snare drum. Through the first movement the snare pierces through the texture and Carrick improvised so powerfully that it gave new emotion to the oft-oversimplified instrument, at a tempo independent of the rest of the orchestra (as if trying to throw the rest of the orchestra off). The impending doom and excitement alluded to by the snare came helm as the orchestra swept the audience away in such a grand statement of the theme. Nielsen is truly a wonderful composer and this work is one of his greatest. The symphony was in absolute top form playing this powerful symphony so exquisitely throughout and it was a remarkably expressive and memorable performance.