HOW TO SUCCEED tries and falters at UVU
OREM — One of the oldest surviving dramatic forms in the Western theatrical tradition is satire. Aristophanes wrote plays that heaped scorn and derision on powerful figures of his day,…
Stock up for fun at LAUGHING STOCK
SALT LAKE CITY — Laughing Stock, written and directed by Charles Morey, is a love letter to regional stock theater companies. Inspired by his own history with just such a…
CRADLE WILL ROCK resonates today
OGDEN — “They won’t buy our milk white bodies so we kinda sell out in some other way,” says the pharmacist to the prostitute in a courthouse where several influential…
ANNE OF GREEN GABLES is short, intimate, sweet
PROVO — The Covey Center for the Arts production of Anne of Green Gables was my first exposure to the story, having never read the book or seen the movie.…
Scream for joy at SCERA’s BYE BYE BIRDIE
OREM — Bye Bye Birdie was one of the first pieces of musical theatre that I was ever introduced to. My mother was in a production of Bye, Bye, Birdie…
THE GONDOLIERS leaves a slight sinking feeling
PROVO — Gilbert and Sullivan are best known for their string of operettas written for producer Richard D’Oyly Carte. Thirteen works remain (the score of one having been lost in…
Midvale’s NEXT TO NORMAL has some growing up to do
MIDVALE — Back in 2009, I was rooting for the brand new rock musical Next to Normal to win the Tony award for Best Musical. Unfortunately, that same year the…
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST tells a magical tale
SALT LAKE CITY — Every so often, Broadway sees a show that is not only a smash hit, but influences many musical productions for years afterwards. Famous musicals like Oklahoma!,…
RUMORS are that Westminster presents a great show
SALT LAKE CITY — Westminster College’s production of Rumors starts off with a bang—literally. A gunshot in the dark launches the audience into the world of Charlie and Myra Brock’s…
Meet Johnny Cash at RING OF FIRE
PARK CITY — When you attend the Egyptian Theatre, you can expect a show as unique as the theater itself. Nestled on Main Street in Park City, the theater’s surroundings…