Theatre Reviews by Patrons and Professionals
MAGNA — There are a few plays that are must-sees in my book. Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit ranks fairly high in this list. It is one of his wittiest farces and has been a favorite of mine for years. The Empress Theatre’s current production does justice to this comedic masterpiece. Noel Coward wrote Blithe Spirit in [...]
SALT LAKE CITY — Dale Wasserman (book), Mitch Leigh (music), and Joe Darion (lyrics) were not the first by a writing team to bring the tale of Don Quixote to the stage. Previous attempts never quite landed right and it wasn’t until this team opted to frame the story within the life of author Miguel Cervantes that [...]
SOUTH SALT LAKE CITY — Watching The Children’s Theatre’s Cinderella and the Glass Slipper wasn’t all that new or life-changing, but in this case, that wasn’t the point. This wasn’t a show geared toward adults—we who always feel the need to analyze and pick-apart minute details. It was a show (as the theater’s name so [...]
SALT LAKE CITY — Based on a failed movie with a great soundtrack, the stage production of Xanadu offers a simple plot with plenty of humor and production numbers around every corner. Following the story of depressed artist Sonny Malone and the Muse assigned to inspire him, Xanadu is a fast-paced journey through rollerskates, Greek [...]
DRAPER — By far the most popular playwright in Utah—and likely many other parts of the world—is William Shakespeare. A quick perusal of the UTBA archives shows that this is the 29th Shakespeare play this organization has reviewed (not counting adaptations). Clearly Shakespeare’s work clearly entertains Utahans, despite the geographic and temporal distance between the playwright [...]
MIDVALE — Harold Pinter is considered one of the most influential playwrights of modern British Theater; Betrayal is one of his best known plays. Written in 1978, Pinter himself adapted it to the screen in 1983. As presented at Pinnacle Acting Company, it is a very interesting view into the history of an affair. Betrayal is [...]
SALT LAKE CITY — There is something to be said for an excellent playwright. His words entertain, captivate, and get us to tune in to our emotions. Add to that a group of talented, skilled actors, and what you get is a lovely evening at the theater. Neil Simon‘s play Chapter Two tells the story of [...]
SPRINGVILLE — The Little Brown Theater’s latest play is On Golden Pond, directed by the theater’s owner Bill Brown and co-directed by Cara Baker. Brown also plays the lead, Norman Thayer, Jr. The first thing you notice as you walk into the Little Brown is that it is a black box with three-sided seating. I [...]
WEST VALLEY CITY — Hale Centre Theatre is celebrating a wedding as it gets ready for its production of Father of the Bride, and, for a first time visitor of this beautiful theater, I couldn’t think of a better location to have it. The theater is a beautiful building, complete with a spacious lobby and impressive performance [...]
SOUTH SALT LAKE — After extensive renovations, the Children’s Theatre opened doors last week to their new theater in South Salt Lake. Anyone who remembers the old Avalon will value the incredible transformation to the building. Fiddler on the Roof is the debut show for their Youthstage lineup, which is performed solely by youth. The cast [...]