Hi everyone! I just posted my life update for June but I also have lots of theater to update you all on for the month. 4 of the shows I saw I reviewed for Utah Theater Bloggers Association so I will just be posting links but I ended up with 10 shows total in June, which is pretty amazing if you ask me! Here's what I saw
A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder- Midvale Performing Arts Center
I had never seen this show before but the folks at Midvale Performing Arts did a great job. The songs aren't the most memorable but the physical comedy really lands and especially the actor portraying all the D'Ysquith family members was fantastic. The two female love interests to Monty's heart were also great and they were very creative with how they used film clips and projections to make the small stage work. It was delightful.
7 out of 10
West Side Story- Hopebox Theatre, Syracuse
This was not at the regular Hopebox Theatre but at an outdoor venue in Syracuse, UT. Everything about this production was impressive. The cast was large and all racially accurate in the roles, which I appreciated. The dancing, singing, costumes was all outstanding. I appreciate some of the unique choices they made like having the Somewhere sequence be a ballet sung by Doc and his deceased wife, along with other characters like Maria and Tony. It was a special experience to be there opening night.
9 out of 10
Grease- Ziegfeld Theatre, Ogden
I covered both this stage version and the 1978 classic film over on my channel:
Ziegfeld Theater always does an amazing job and they did that here. It was interesting because the girl who was playing Patty had to leave at intermission and an understudy came on. I've never had that happen mid-show before but the understudy did a great job! Flawless. Grease obviously has its flaws but the music alone makes it worth a watch. I really liked how this production had a video introduction to all the characters with the BeeGee's ''Grease is the Word'' song. That was very clever.
7 out of 10
The Hunchback of Notre Dame- Kensington Theatre (South Jordan)
I've seen Hunchback now 3 times since I started this theater goal last year. It's funny because I don't like the Disney movie it is based on much but they improved it a lot in the Broadway adaptation and this production by Kensington Theatre was outstanding. It impressed me in every facet. The sets and costumes were top notch. The acting and singing superb and they had a full live orchestra!! You never see that in local theater, so that really stood out. I even bought the DVD filming of it because I enjoyed it so much.
10 out of 10
The Normal Heart- An Other Theater Company, Orem
The Normal Heart by Larry Kramer is a rare play for me but I was honored to review it for UTBA. You can read my review here. I'm so happy that they sold out some of the closing performances. They deserve it!
Mary Poppins- Beverly's Terrace Plaza Playhouse, Ogden
The latest adaptation of Mary Poppins for Disney Broadway isn't my favorite but the focus at Terrace Plaza did a great job and you of course have the classic songs from the film to enjoy. You can read my review for UTBA here.
The Drowsy Chaperone- Hale Center Theatre Orem
I've seen The Drowsy Chaperone many times now but I still get a kick out of it any time I get to see it. You can read my review for UTBA here.
Singin in the Rain- Hale Centre Theatre, Sandy
Hale Theatre in Sandy is basically a Broadway level company (with the accompanying high prices!) so my standards are very high for them and usually they don't disappoint. Such is the case with their latest production of Singin in the Rain. Every part of this show was outstanding. The acting, dancing, rain effects, story, visual effects all worked great. It was worth every penny of the $59 I spent. In fact, I liked it so much I bought a second ticket to see the alternate cast.
10 out of 10
Tuck Everlasting- Creekside Theater Festival, Cedar Hills
Creekside is a new venue for me but what they are doing with their 4-show theater fest is quite outstanding! I wish I could have gone to all 4 shows but I needed to rest with my cold. I did get to see Tuck Everlasting and you can read my review for UTBA here.
The Fantasticks- CenterPoint Legacy Theatre, Centerville
I was really glad when I saw CenterPoint was performing The Fantasticks at their smaller Leishman Theater. This is a show that ran on Broadway for over 40 years so I was very curious to finally check it off of my Broadway bucket list. After seeing it I am definitely surprised it was such a hit. It's a lot more experimental than I expected. They all did a great job but the story is kind of all over the place. Still you can't beat "Try to Remember" as one of the all time classic show tunes so it was worth attending just for that. All the actors were terrific in their roles and it was a challenging interesting piece I'm glad I saw.
6 out of 10
No comments:
Post a Comment