Theatre Reviews by Patrons and Professionals
SALT LAKE CITY — I am predisposed to like Shakespearean comedies, live acoustic music, and imposing architecture. Last night, the Grassroots Shakespeare Company pulled off a trifecta with their production of The Merry Wives of Windsor at the Salt Lake Masonic Temple. The Masonic Temple pulls together elements of Egyptian, Italian Renaissance, Colonial American, and [...]
During 2011, UTBA reviewed over 200 productions from Logan to Cedar City. Moreover, there were likely hundreds of other productions that didn’t receive a UTBA review for a variety of reasons. Instead of trying to systematically evaluate all these productions, we invited our reviewers to reminisce about the year in Utah theatre and tell us [...]
OREM — Each year, the Hale Center Theater produces the community favorite A Christmas Carol. The show is based on the Dickens novel of the same name, but the Hale production has added a few musical numbers written by Cody Hale. The story is no doubt a familiar one: the bitter miser Ebenezer Scrooge has no [...]
LOGAN — We had never heard of Pickleville Playhouse until we were given the opportunity to do our first review for UTBA. It was extremely exciting to be seeing a show and stressful to know we had to review it. 12.25 A Merry Musical Comedy is about a widower with two children who wants to [...]
PARK CITY — Historically, Jesus of Nazareth is a polarizing figure. Some see him as a deity; others, as an effective teacher; still others, as a fraud. Whether you believe in Jesus’s divinity or not, he makes for a fascinating character study. Jesus Christ Superstar, with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd [...]
SALT LAKE CITY — The Off-Broadway Theater is a delightful space. When walking down Main Street of Salt Lake City you just almost miss it, as it’s tucked in among the nearby markets and restaurants. But upon entering the doors of the auditorium, past the box office and concessions, one is taken back to a [...]
SALT LAKE CITY — The Christmas season is a busy season for theater in Utah. It seems that nearly every theater along the Wasatch Front has some form of holiday entertainment going on during the month. You’ve got at least half a dozen variations of Charles Dicken’s beloved A Christmas Carol playing, and several other [...]
MIDVALE — Would you like to be serenaded with Christmas songs? What if a crack emcee was also entertaining your table with witty banter? And there was a steaming pile of barbequed meats on your plate? Then get yourself down to Salty Dinner Theater, the latest troupe in Utah to simultaneously feed your eyes and [...]
SALT LAKE CITY— Salt Lake Acting Company (SLAC) has been transformed by a magic that only young ones seem to possess. As a season ticket holder, I’ve loved SLAC’s productions for years. However, I found myself giddy with a new kind of excitement as I waited for How I Became a Pirate to begin. It [...]
DRAPER–Li’l Abner is a musical, around since 1956, that utilizes the characters and setting of Al Capp’s popular comic strip. The show takes place in a small, lazy town somewhere in the South. To any outsider, it might appear to be an unnecessary place. But when the federal government tries to relocate the Dogpatchers, consequentially [...]