Laughter through tears in Midvale Arts’s STEEL MAGNOLIAS
MIDVALE — In Robert Harling‘s Steel Magnolias, a story about strong, colorful Southern women, one of the main themes, spoken by the character Shelby, “I’d rather have 30 minutes of…
Empress has a BIG evening of laughs and heart
MAGNA — “Being big and tall doesn’t make you a grown-up.” This lyric, from the title song of Big: The Musical, encapsulates the message of this stage adaptation of the…
RAPUNZEL! RAPUNZEL! is a fairly fair fairy tale
OREM — Presented as part of the Theatre for Young Audiences series at the SCERA Center for the Arts, Rapunzel! Rapunzel!, directed by Chase Ramsey, has more to accomplish than…
CLYBOURNE PARK sublimely discusses a half century of changes and tension
SALT LAKE CITY — It is a shame that Clybourne Park play doesn’t take place in Utah. The 3-hour flight to Chicago seems like it could be too large a…
Lots of bang, not much substance in CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG
WEST VALLEY CITY — It is easy to sum up my impression of the Hale Centre Theatre production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: it’s all about the car. The actors,…
Can’t help but applaud HOW TO MAKE A ROPE SWING
SALT LAKE CITY — I find it a shame to applaud design if a production is lacking in the script/acting/direction. Thankfully, Salt Lake Acting Company delivers in all categories. I…
Centerpoint’s BLITHE SPIRIT could use a little more life
CENTERVILLE — Over the past year and a half, I have had the pleasure of reviewing several community productions that have frankly taken my breath away. The talent in Utah…
DOCTOR U provides the right prescription for laughs
SALT LAKE CITY – I tend to have mixed feelings about the Off Broadway Theater (OBT). They produce melodrama-type productions spoofing pop culture, much in the vein of another popular…
Covey Center’s CHARLIE BROWN carried by stellar performances
PROVO — There is a unique challenge to theatre for young audiences: How to create something that is entertaining for children, but also is fun for adults and high quality?…
THE FANTASTICKS has all the fixings of a good production
DRAPER — This was my first time seeing The Fantasticks, and it only took me a few minutes to understand why it’s such a staple of community theater. Tom Jones’s…