Total Hip Replacement at 36

I am trapped in a body that does not work.

Me.  A gymnast.  A dancer.  An Actress.  A gymnastics coach.  A choreographer.  An athlete.  A wedding planner.  A weight trainer.  A 10,000 steps 6 days a week mover (curse you, my beloved Fitbit).

Lest you are confused, rest assured I have spent the past six weeks trying to wrap my head around the words, "We have two options.  One - do nothing.  Two - you need a total hip replacement."

As my mind spun out of control, the doctor went on to explain to me that something to do with Hip Dysplasia is measured on a scale from 1-4, 4 being the worst.  I'm a 4.  Osteoarthritis is measured on a scale from 1-3, 3 being the worst.  I'm a 3.  There is an angle they measure to recommend hip replacements at anything less than a 20.  I'm a 14.  Obviously, I lost grasp of details here.

Other words swirling as they entered my brain were:
bone-on-bone, bone spurs, no ligaments, calcified ligaments, zero range of motion

Time to back-track.

Most of you are probably confused, either never having heard me complain or perhaps remembering a time or two I mentioned my hip was sore.  I didn't want anyone knowing I was in pain because then I might not get cast as a dancer in a show or asked to coach gymnastics, or I'd be lectured on why I wasn't going to the doctor.  I was afraid.  I was afraid of knowing what was wrong.  I was afraid of being stupid because I had no idea where to start with the doctors.  I was afraid of medical bills.  I was afraid of being told there was nothing they could do.  I was afraid, most of all, that I was crazy and making up some phantom pain. 

But I am not crazy.

This all started 4 years ago when my hip started popping just prior to getting married.  The feeling was a discomfortable pop out of place - like a searing knuckle popping almost.

In January of '14, I had my first of many, as I call them, "flare ups."  The pain in my groin/inner hip area was as if I was being stabbed.  I could not walk without a severe limp and my poor husband found me collapsed on the stairs in tears, paralyzed with fear.  But the pain subsided after a few days.

Every few weeks, I'd have a day or two of pain.  Especially if I had a heavy dance day.  I remember auditioning for "Footloose" and hardly being able to walk that night.  But I kept moving and dancing, hoping I'd just tweaked some muscle or aggravated something in my aging body, accepting my new normal.  My husband became accustomed to hearing, "I'm having a flare up today, don't walk so fast." But that never stopped me.  I kept trucking right along.

Along the way, I tried massage therapy, chiropractic care, sports chiropractic therapy, stretching, stretching, more stretching, and I even became a gymnastics coach in part because I knew it would keep me active and stretching every day.   All the while I continued to work out 6 days a week with weights and cardio.  I tried anything I could do to loosen up what I thought was a "locked hip," but nothing helped.  Even cold/heat therapy, electric stimulation, a daily regime of mobility exercises, and ultrasound stimulation.  I am often told, "Just hearing about all you do is wearing me out." 

Why did I keep pushing through this pain?

Let me tell you a story that helps you understand what happens inside of me when I do gymnastics or dance.  Last May, I auditioned for "Beauty and the Beast" at Hale Centre Theatre.  I left the theater feeling as if I were flying through clouds of freedom.  My body moved!  I moved!  I cartwheeled and high-kicked and tap-danced and split and jumped and leaped and every beat of my heart exhilarated the core of my soul.  I posted from the parking lot, "And then I danced.  And suddenly all was right in the world."

You see, when I dance or tumble, my soul is free.  My heart is free.  Anything is possible.  Happiness is limitless.  My brain tingles.  I love feeling the strength of my body and of what it is capable, tying together what is inside my heart with physical expression.  My body is literally flying when I do a back tuck or an aerial...literally I am a bird soaring.  There is nothing in this world that can free my mind, body, and soul this way.  I can fly.

Back to "Beauty and the Beast."  I sought some massage therapy before my final audition (callback) and my leg was manipulated in all sorts of positions.  Thinking it was simply a muscle problem, imagine my chagrin when this caused the worst flareup yet.  At our first rehearsal a month later (I made it!), I walked as normally as I could, not wanting my new cast mates to know that not only was I 10 years older than all of the other dancers, my body wasn't working.  A few weeks later, I did something coaching gymnastics that rendered me practically immobile.  My hip would pop painfully without warning with almost any movement.  I'm talking paralyzing, breath-stealing pain.  I remember a friend grabbing my leg at rehearsal to fix my positioning on the floor, my hip popping, and then the room flashing bright colors and spinning around me because of the blinding, searing pain.

Yet I danced.  I danced for 4 months day in and day out.  I loved every moment as much as my comprehension of love allows.  No experience in my life has left me more fulfilled.

But the day after the show closed, I could not even lift my right leg.  I had to pick it up with my hands to get it in the car.

And you know what this dummy did?  Thought, "Huh, I must just be fatigued from the show.  It will get better."  That's right...I still didn't go to the doctor. I continued working out, dancing, choreographing, coaching gymnastics....all of it.

This summer, I was part of another production where my dancing was minimal, but I found myself frustrated.  How could this little amount of dancing cause me pain?  Then I wore my heels for the show.  Have mercy.  My hip wanted nothing to do with those heels.

I traveled to Disney World just before we opened, and my friend there, at the end of a 3-park day, said, "Are you okay?  Do you have blisters?  You are hobbling..."  I said, "No blisters, just this stupid hip thing I have where it hurts at the end of the day.  No big deal."  That's when I knew this was not something I could hide much longer.

One particularly emotional week when my husband was out of town, I had collapsed in pain too many times.  In between tears, I picked up my phone and googled something that lead me to the Orthopedic Specialty Group at TOSH.  I pretended I wasn't crying as I told the poor woman on the phone my sob story, not even knowing if she was someone who knew anything at all.  She was an angel and referred me to the right doctor based on our best guesses.

The next available appointment was 2 months out.  For. The. Love.

Which brings us back to some of the strangest words I've ever had to comprehend.  "You need a total hip replacement."

Aren't I too young for this?  Isn't there another option?  How could I have prevented this?

Nothing I did caused this and nothing I did could have prevented this.  Apparently, this condition is quite common for females in their 30s.  Hip dysplasia is genetic.

Do you know what was actually happening this whole time I was in pain?  Because of the dysplasia, I developed severe osteoarthritis.  My bones began slicing into my ligaments until they were destroyed, then began grinding into each other.   My body began building new bone to protect itself - calcifying the surrounding tissues and even forming bone spurs. The doctor cannot even temporarily prescribe pain medication because none will help my particular situation.

I walked out of the doctor's office into the perfect sunshine of a September morning.  The wind dried the tears off my face.  My life, as I know it, will change forever.  But there is an answer.  Relief is in site.  I am not crazy. 

This entire time I have been running about willy nilly with my bones grinding together.  Who does that?!

This is where I ask for your help, your patience, and your forgiveness.

I now know what my body has been going through.  I now know why my mental health has been slowly, yet steadily declining.

Chronic Pain.

I have been suffering with chronic pain for 4 years.  Please Google "long term effects of chronic pain" for more information.  What I can quickly tell you is that it deteriorates your mental state.  Sufferers are prone to emotional variances, depression, outbursts, extreme fatigue, lack of comprehension, and the list goes on.

I have had some friends say I don't seem as happy as I used to be, that I'm not myself.  Others have simply distanced themselves from me silently.  Several have asked about my "swollen" body.  Friends, I need you....there is a light at the end of the tunnel!  I will be back to "normal" in about 4-6 months!  Please hang in there with me.  Please.

Right now, I am exhausted beyond comprehension all but a few hours a day.  Choosing what to do with my very limited energy supplies each day is almost impossible and has left me disappointing others and myself almost constantly.  The surgeon said the most important thing I can do is to keep moving every day, so most of my energy is prioritized into workouts.  Frustrating workouts because my body is putting all of its focus on healing a hip that can't be healed and none into metabolizing.  This has left me humiliated and ashamed, as my whole lifestyle revolves around health and fitness.  I should not be because none of this is my fault, but I can't exactly stop every person on the street and say, "I'm just so swollen because (fill in the entire story I just told you)." 

My surgery is scheduled in January.  I'm scared.  Out. Of. My. Mind.

I recently watched the beautiful musical theater stage show, "American in Paris," at the Eccles Theatre.  As we walked back to the car, I started crying as I told my husband, "The dancers are all so free.  They all leap and spin and dance and their bodies are free.  I'm scared to death I will never feel that again in my life.  I need to feel that way, Rob.  I need to dance.  What if I never get to feel that way again?"

In one of his wisest marital moments to date, he responded, "You can't move like that now.  This surgery will fix you.  Maybe you won't be able to do everything you did before, but you certainly can't now.  Let's get you out of pain."

I am having a total hip replacement.  I am hoping for a new lease on life.  I am hoping to be able to feel free again in this body that currently has me trapped.

Until then, I'll cry every time I watch "Dancing with the Stars," or coach my gymnasts and watch them fly, or see my friends perform, or imagine what life will be like when I can once again take a step without pain.  

Yep, this is me playing "Grandma" in "Addams Family "just two weeks ago...still refusing to accept my condition

Marvelous Wonderettes: Sandy City Arts

For the next two weekends you have the opportunity to come watch the absolutely delightful four-woman show from the eras of 1958 and 1968, The Marvelous Wonderettes.

I'm on stage the entire time. Needless to say, it's the hardest I've ever worked on a show in my life. If ever there were a show of mine you should see, it's this one - funny, intimate, colorful, and...just...you should come!  I grew up listening to all of these songs and I about bust with excitement that I get to perform them for all of you with the absolute nicest ladies and production team around!

Marvelous Wonderettes:

• October 10, 11, 13, 17, 18 @ 7:30 pm at Sandy City Hall Chamber Theater
• Run time (including intermission): 2 hrs. 
• Purchase tickets: 
• Phone-801-568-ARTS (2787); M-F, 9 am – 4pm – by doing this you willavoid on-line convenience and handling fees. Leave a callback number if your call is not answered. They are good about returning calls.
• Sandy City Hall, #310 – M-F, 9am – 4pm
• Purchase at the door
• www.sandyarts.com – Convenience fees are charged for on line, so calling or buying at the door will be cheaper. 
• Adult -$12, Seniors-$10, Students w/ID-$8

Additional Details: http://www.sandyarts.com/sandy-arts-guild/side-menu/musicalsplays.html

Reviewing Shows vs Previewing Shows

More than reviewing shows in Utah, I love to preview them.  

Sometimes an outside set of eyes sees something that a person heavily involved in the show doesn't see after two months of daily rehearsals.

I've been asked to review several shows and I have a blast thinking that someone out there may value my opinion. 

However, I've also been asked to see a couple of shows a week or two before they open.  Why?  To share my feedback on what is or isn't working.  I love this so much more than reviewing.

Previewing a show is certainly more entertaining in it's own right, but not for value of the show.  I like to see how hard people are working and the human side of the actors.  Most of all, I like knowing that what I have to share with them can actually make a difference in the quality of the show.  We all love reviews when they are good.  What about when they are bad?  The worst feeling for me is when I have something negative to say about a show and I know it could have been fixed prior to the show opening.  How can you give constructive criticism when all of the construction is already finished?

I'm not an expert, let me be clear on that.  I think my lack of "being an expert" is just what makes my observations poignant.  How many people seeing community theater in Utah are experts?  How many people are folks who know a thing or two about theater and simply enjoy the show?  I have quite a lengthy list of experiences both on and off the stage for over 20 years and I have seen over 100 Broadway productions in New York City - this doesn't make me an expert, but it sure does give me an eye for a good performance. 

I love reviewing shows, however, if anyone out there ever wants another pair of eyes at any point in the rehearsal process, I'd love to come and give my two cents.  I love making a difference.

Photo courtesy of: http://www.centuryvillagecondoforsale.com/theater-and-entertainment/

 

My Diagnosis

Over the past two years, many of you have asked me, "Why aren't you doing shows anymore?"

Many of you have come to your own conclusions.  I have told many of you that I felt a sense of closure and I wanted to concentrate more on my personal relationships.  While both of these things are true, there is a third item that I hadn't mentioned except to a few of you in personal, one-on-one conversations.

I have been in pain for almost two years.  My throat, when I sang, would feel as if I had razor blades slicing up and down my vocal chord area.  No home remedy I tried eased the pain...nothing worked except for not using my singing voice.  Because the most severe pain directly coincided with a show I was doing where I'd speak like a boy one moment, then belt out D's the next, I was petrified I had nodes.

You've all seen Pitch Perfect (and if you haven't, you need to).   While they make light of "living with nodes," the truth is they are no laughing matter.  Most singers lose their chutzpah after being treated.  Some are even told they will never sing again.

Can you imagine being told you will never again do the thing you have loved to do most your entire life?  Can you imagine losing the one thing that has always made you feel safe?  Can you imagine losing the one way you feel you can truly express your deepest emotions?

Even though I'm merely an amateur community-theater show-tune lover, the thought broke my heart.  The thought lead me to many nights secretly shedding tears, pretending to others like my plight was no big deal.  Excuse after excuse spewed forth from my mouth instead of music.  Seeing the doctor meant I might hear words that would drop my glass heart from a skyscraper and shatter all of my dreams.  For two years, I have repeated these words in my nightmares, "You will never sing again.  You will never sing again.  You will never sing again."

Recently, I was asked to be a part of Nunsense - A Musical.  I defied my fears, yet with each rehearsal the pain once again sliced me with razor edges.  I'd often feel, "My voice is too tired to talk," accompanied with the thought, "You are an idiot - you could be causing more damage." 

As happens in life, whether emotional, spiritual, or physical, sometimes the pain becomes too much to stand another day without seeking a solution.

I made an appointment with a doctor I felt drawn to for some inexplicable reason.  Immediately, my fear became excitement...excitement that I would  finally know what had been inflicting me for so long.

After making the appointment, I found old e-mails from musically-gifted friends who had had nodes, referring me to this doctor.  At the appointment, I ran into an old friend who, unbeknownst to me, is a doctor at that facility.  All of these things continued to make me feel at ease.

Have you ever had your throat scoped?  Incredibly cool and incredibly uncomfortable. True to my tough-girl form, I only gagged once! 

The doctor quickly calmed my fears, "Well, you aren't Adele!"  No nodes!

But what the heck was wrong with me then?

"See that redness, swelling, and generally raw-looking skin around your chords?  You have Laryngopharyngeal Reflux." 

Folks, I've never had heartburn a day in my life.  I was baffled.  Doc let me know he refers to my condition as "singer's reflux", or "silent reflux," because he finds it most often in singers and we don't have any other symptoms aside from throat pain and hoarseness.   The only treatment is to follow a rather stringent list of dietary rules, sleeping-position rules, and to take medication every morning and every night.  These treatments may not be things I have to do forever, but at least for the next few months.

The best news I could have ever imagined hearing from the doctor (who was so sweet and almost as excited as I was)?

"Yes!  You are free to sing!  Within three weeks, you should be pain-free!" 

I'm not comfortable with the idea of having a "disease."  I'm the healthy girl, right?  The one who always marks the box, "Not taking any medications."  The one who goes to the gym every day.  The one who carries bananas and fiber-protein bars in her purse as snacks.  The one who only gets legitly sick maybe once every two years.  Now I have to put two real pills in my vitamin containers?   Not my idea of fun.

But you know what is my idea of fun?  Singing at the top of my lungs, unreserved, unabashed, and FREE!

LDS Church Zinger Ad in Book of Mormon Musical Playbill

Did you know the LDS church recently purchased an ad in the Playbill for the L.A. run of The Book of Mormon Musical?

You can read all about it in this article.  

One of the ads features a woman smiling with the subtext, "The book is always better."

Zing!

I'm proud of the LDS church and their marketing/PR teams - this ad is hilarious to me.  Need we take ourselves so seriously?  Nope.

Previously, the only comment released on behalf of the church regarding the musical was in 2011: "The production may attempt to entertain audiences for an evening, but the Book of Mormon as a volume of scripture will change people's lives forever by bringing them closer to Christ."

The Marvelous Wonderettes: So Nice I Saw Them Twice

Remember how I wrote a very Pollyanna-esque report on The Marvelous Wonderettes?

I was a little apprehensive that perhaps what I wrote was too generous and glowing.  So I returned to the show.  Was it really everything I thought?  After all, I was distracted by more than a dozen of my friends in attendance, all of my friends involved in the show, documenting for a friend, the fact that it was preview night, and the company of my mother.

I am proud to say that the show was so wonderful I am blogging about it again.  Because it is that enjoyable and because the four-member cast only have so many friends and family - they deserve audiences larger than 30 people.  Go see the show!  Details here.

I have never cried watching a movie, so I'm definitely not that crying over-emotional type of girl.  Yet, Kristen Fox began to sing her solo of Secret Love and about thirty seconds in my arms welled with goose flesh and my eyes began to tear up.  To me, this may be the most tender moment of the show - the only moment where one of the characters looks entirely insecure and stands there baring her soul without any humor or choreography - just raw emotion.  I did not even notice this number the first time I saw the show, which is why I know was distracted.   I cannot imagine this song being sung more perfectly.  Ever.  By Anyone.  This song came from her soul and from the depths of perfection vocally.  Wow.  Then she knocked my socks off with the ending of You Don't Own Me in a way that was definitely not executed in my first viewing.

What about the rest of the girls?  They have found their balance in the group numbers and in their belting solos that was not there my first time.  I have never really experienced seeing a show once and then seeing it again only a week later and having it be exponentially improved...but it was.  Wow.  The little moments were more noticeable in the mannerisms of each character - Cindy Lou's facial expressions of jealousy and brattiness, Betty Jean's awkwardness in every movement, Missy's shyness, Suzy's all-American sweetheartness and gum-chewing.

A special surprise for me was when I was innocently sitting in the back near producer Stephanie Johnson, and she motions for me frantically.   The next thing I know she points to the script, saying, "This is your line!" as a microphone enters my grasp.  Thank heavens it was the easy closing line, "Ladies and Gentlemen!  The Marvelous Wonderettes!"

For a Marvelous time tonight and Saturday, call on the Wonderettes.

Rated R

If you've been friends with me for any period of time, you've probably heard me utter the words, "I don't watch R-rated movies."  I own over 550 movies and not a single one of them is of that rating.

You see, it is easier to simply give that blanket statement than to say, "If I feel it is a historically important film - aka Schindler's List - then I will watch it.  Or if someone knows me well and can fast forward anything I'm sensitive about then I'm okay.  Or if there is no nudity and only two F-bombs.  Or, or, or."  I hate when people don't know me well and try to convince me to watch something I'm nervous about because, "Well you watched that R-rated film, why not this one?" 

I'm a sensitive soul.  Regardless of if I were LDS or not, I would not watch a lot of the more crude films.  I do not care to see other people's sexy time or explicit guts or drug use or hear the F-bomb fifty times.  I have a very vivid imagination - I get the point.  I have a ClearPlay to edit when in doubt.  Basically, what I'm saying is that I have seen less than two dozen R-rated films in my life because it is just easier, given all the contributing factors to that decision.

Here's where I confuse the snot out of myself.  The filter I have with movies is not the same filter I have with stage productions.  My favorite musical is Jersey Boys.  I haven't counted in any of my three viewings thus far, but I'm pretty sure they drop the F-bomb at least 40 times in that show.  Once and Next to Normal  are both productions with some heavy swearing and mature content, yet both are shows I would highly recommend.  Honestly?  These productions enrich me instead of offend me.  Greatly enrich me...touching some place deep inside of me I rarely know exists except when I am enraptured in these shows.

Back to the movies. 

Two nights ago I had my first experience with Waiting for Guffman.  It is rated-R.  And I love this movie - I laughed my face off (I'd say laughed my butt off, but it is still quite prominently there...as is my face, but you get the point).  If you have ever been in any community theater production, this movie should be on your must-see list.

But what about the rating?  I am disillusioned.  Was this movie offensive or crass?  Not at all, in my opinion.  In fact, I would venture to say that at least half of the PG-13 movies I have recently seen were much, much, much more assaulting to sensitivities. 

So where is the line?  R-rated films are of the devil, right?  I'm afraid to say that is far from true.  A good standard, yes, but not all-encompassing.

What are your opinions and viewing habits on pirate movies?  Pirate movies?  Yes.  Rated Arrrrrrggggghhhh.

Damn Yankees: Utah Cultural Celebration Center

Damn Yankees - if you love dance, you must go see this production at Utah Cultural Celebration Center in West Valley City.  By far some of the best community theater choreography I have ever seen is on this stage.  Leah Hasset as Lola will have all of the young girls wanting to learn to dance and all of us older girls wanting to go back to dance.  She gives Gwen Verdon, original Broadway star, a run (or dance?) for her money. 

Now that I have that out of the way, let me tell you about the Utah Cultural Celebration Center.  This is probably the best venue you have never been to.  I did not know it existed, neither did my friend whose condo you can literally see from the amphitheater.  The backdrop is the Wasatch mountain range, the ceiling is the setting sun transforming into the twinkling of the stars, all while being surrounded with a pristinely new arts facility.  In fact, I'd recommend arriving a few minutes early to explore all this venue has to offer.  Keep your eyes open for free events throughout the summer.  The volunteer ushers, box office workers, and cast were the tops in politeness and customer service - including passing out candy to audience members as we departed.

So what is Damn Yankees about?  The storyline of Damn Yankees does no favors to the remarkable cast and talent on any stage and will most assuredly be the weakest point of most productions.  If you want a full assessment (aka the cold, hard truth) from a former cast member, read here.  This is your typical "sell your soul to the devil so your baseball team can win" story.  Basically, Joe Boyd (Brandon Rufener) ignores his wife, Meg (Brittany Carroll), six months out of every year for the love of the baseball game.  He offhandedly remarks that he would do anything for his beloved Senators to win the pennant.  Cue the entrance of the devil (Johnny Hebda) willing to barter Joe's soul for a chance to help the Senators win.  Joe agrees, plays for the team as young Joe Hardy (Austin Smith) whilst battling off skeptical reporter Gloria Thorpe (Megan Winegar) and the advances of the devil's temptress Lola (Leah Hassett!).  Meanwhile, Meg is at home, entertained with her crazy friends Sister (Jessica McCowin) and Doris (Carla Kirk).  Will the devil win Joe's soul?  Or will Joe's true love for Meg conquer all?

Meg Boyd is the one casting decision that confused me, but not for lack of talent.  She looked a good ten - fifteen years younger than her romantic counterpart and I sensed a much greater chemistry between her and young Joe Hardy than with her husband.  I heard several similar comments amongst audience members.  In spite of this, Brittany Carroll does a fine job - her voice is very reminiscent of the sweet, classic sounds of the 1940s, she played her character with utmost tenderness, and she oozed class and compassion.

Both Joe Boyd (old Joe) and Joe Hardy (young joe) have crystal clear voices.  The transformation scene made me giggle because young Joe emerged in old Joe's huge shirt, but his pants were skin-tight - I'd have expected the pants to be loose as well.

Now that Applegate (the devil) has made Joe into a prodigy of a ballplayer, enter the Washington Senators and their see-through pants.  More giggles.  The sad thing is that their pants were much less see-through (you see their striped shirts tucked in through their pants -nothing even near vulgar, just funny) than in the production I was a part of.  You stop noticing after about the first couple minutes, especially when distracted with their goofball antics and pleasing harmonizing of the quartet on "Heart."

Even with the crazy plot, Damn Yankees has a special place in my heart because I was privileged enough to perform the role of reporter Gloria Thorpe for six weeks a few years ago.  I was pleasantly surprised with the performance of Megan Winegar.  She gave Gloria a flair of Dottie Henson (bold, yet ladylike), Gina Davis' character in A League of Their Own, especially when she grabbed a baseball mitt to join in the rousing celebration with the boys in "Shoeless Joe."  Ever want to see ball players frolic and dance?  Here's your chance - and it is amusingly delightful, truth be told.  Back to Winegar - she has everything she needs - vocal chops, dance skills, and unwavering conviction...nothing about her character makes you question her credibility in any way.

I forgot to mention the comic relief characters of Sister and Doris - Jessica McCowin and Carla Kirk.  Sister is off-the-wall bonkers, unrelentingly flirtatious, and an absolute treasure to the show.  She'll make you laugh for sure.  Doris is her straight-man and adorable in her own right.

Now to my favorite, whom I've already mentioned - Leah Hasset as Lola.  Folks, you won't find a treasure like her on many community theater stages.  If your little girls love dancing, please take them to watch her and show them what they can become.  Lola is mainly a dancing role, in my opinion, although she has several songs, which Hasset is more than vocally adequate performing - not even running out of breath as she twists, spins, and contorts her body into positions only yoga-enthusiasts know.  Her facial expressions will amuse you, along with her acting, first as a temptress in employ of the devil, then as a lonely young woman rooting for Joe and his love for Meg - very tender.  Hasset alone is worth your $5 to go see - I promise.  Based on my research, she only graduated from high school last year - definitely keep your eyes on this one.

With all this mention of the devil Applegate, I have yet to address Johnny Hebda's performance.  He's got the young, attractive, charismatic appeal that you would want from a schmoozing salesman.  I have a hard time seeing past the inherent flaws written into the script for this character - he seems too weak to be the Lord of Darkness, but Hebda performs the role with pinache.  I wanted a little more gusto, or umph as some people call it, on the big notes at the end of, "Those Were the Good Ole Days," but that is just a personal preference - Hebda has a technically correct and crisp voice to carry off his number with ease.

As I mentioned before, if you love dancing, you need to see this show.  Choreographer Michael Hernandez has won me completely.  I think I'm in love.  Okay, not really, but you get the point.  He's on tour with Disney right now, rumor has it, if that tells you anything.  Every cast member could dance their tails off - some quite unexpectedly.  During, "Whose Got the Pain," featured dancer Corbin Schmidt - wow - you will not see a man move this way on any other community stage and I was entirely shocked.  Other ensemble members are dressed in rather unfitted dresses, giving you the impression they perhaps wouldn't be dancers, and then - bam - high kicks, splits, pirouettes,  leaps, you name it. 

Each director tries to add their own flair to the show - adding "finishing touches" here and there, cutting music to be longer or shorter, making duets chorale numbers, etc.  Director Julie Waite began this production with the singing of the National Anthem - very beautifully done.  During the benefit show portion just prior to intermission, the cast members came out to the audience to watch, as they naturally would for a benefit.  I typically hate audience mingling, but this was done just right and added to the atmosphere. 

So, the all-important question:  Should you see the show?  If you are a lover of dance, yes, Yes, YES!  If you are someone who is easily distracted by a weak, slow storyline, then this may not be for you, again, not through any fault of the performers.  I assure you, every character on stage is strong and skilled in the triple-threat arena of music dance theater.  This is well worth your $5 for an entertaining, unique experience under the stars with West Valley Utah Cultural Celebration Center and the cast of Damn Yankees.

The show runs at 8pm and closes on Saturday night June 30th at 1355 West 3100 South, West Valley City, UT 84119.  Admission cost is $5.  Only three chances left - don't strike out on this one!  Grab your baseball mitt and go have a ball!

Video of "Whose Got the Pain?" here.

What the Dickens?

Karen and Daniel and I decided to venture to The Dickens Festival at the Utah State Fairgrounds to support our friend Amber who was playing the Ghost of Christmas Past in their production of A Christmas Carol.  I had several other friends - Megan Tholen, Chris Kennedy, etc. - who were part of this event, so that triply worked out for me. 

The festival is fun, although it really isn't as "Old English" as you'd expect.  I felt bamboozled the first time I went.  Labeling a vendor's booth "Ye Olde Purse Shoppe" does not make it more authentically old English.  Daniel was happy just to have his turkey leg, Karen was happy to be supporting her friends, and I was happy just for the thrill of it all.  

The thing that really got to me about our little trip was the Ghost of Christmas Future.  I don't know what it was about this thing, but it gave me the goose flesh.  I snapped a picture of it going down stairs.  My best guess is that it is a man on stilts, wearing a skeleton mask and long skeletal fingers.  The photo below is at a funny angle, but creepy ghost man is truly feet taller than the woman next to him.  The bewildered looks on the faces of the people coming up those stairs?  Yeah, genuine.  And I would have been turning around and running the other direction.  Seriously creeped be right out.

What the Dickens?!

So super creepy

Brings a whole new meaning to "Looking at a woman like a piece of meat."  Don't mess with Daniel and his Turkey Legs.

Parade - Spotlight Theater Company at Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center

Spotlight Theater Company is currently presenting the Utah premiere of Parade: The Broadway Musical in the Leona Wagner Black Box Theater at Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center in downtown Salt Lake City.

Many of you are probably not too familiar with the plot of this 1998 Jason Robert Brown piece.  The show begins with a young soldier and his girlfriend enjoying a picnic before he heads off to fight the civil war.  We re-enter the show 50 years later on the day of the Confederate Memorial Day Parade in 1913.  Little 13-year old Mary Phagan talks with her friends about attending a movie show later that evening after she picks up her pay from the pencil factory.  Unfortunately, that was the last her friends saw of her until her body was discovered in the basement of the factory.  Leo Frank, the Jewish, Brooklyn-native superintendent of the factory, was the last to see Mary alive.  Georgia's solicitor general, Hugh Dorsey, rallied dozens of testimonies to "prove" Frank the murderer and Frank was sentenced to death.  Upon being approached by Frank's wife Lucille, Governor of Georgia Frank Slaton, reopened the case because the evidence and testimonies did not stack up.  Leo's death sentence was altered to life in prison as the case was reviewed, he was moved to another prison, and in all likelihood he would have been pardoned.  On August 17, 1915, a mob of 25 men raided his prison cell and hung him from a tree in Mary Phagan's home town.  Some believe that this group of Hugh Dorsey supporters, known as the Knights of Mary Phagan, eventually gave rise to the re-birth of the KKK.

Jason Robert Brown is some tough composition - entrances in the middle of musical vamps, intricate harmonies, tempo craziness, you theater people out there know what I'm talking about.  Of course there were  harmonic blunders and hesitancies on some choral entrances and tempos.  Impressively, the soloists all found their entrances without a hitch...either that or the orchestra was as fantastic as I know they were and were so flawlessly following the actors that I didn't notice anything too off.  Well played, orchestra!

I must begin with a few items I would like to rave about.

Summer Sloan as Mary Phagan lit up the stage every time she appeared.  I adored this breath-of-fresh-air actress and was sorely disappointed her character was killed after only one number for her.  She does reappear several times throughout the show in some very cleverly blocked scenes and continues to win the audience over with her vibrance and life.

Scott Cluff shared with the audience the pain and emotional turmoil of Leo Frank.  At the beginning of the show, you find yourself watching the every-man we all know - married, getting ready to start a family, working for the man, and seemingly struggling with something internally.  After Mary's death, we see him close off emotionally to his adoring wife, act suspicious, and, well, you really just don't care for him much.  We are not shown the events of the day of the murder, yet are lead to believe he did not commit the crime.  But something in the way Cluff portrays Leo leaves this nagging thought in the back of your mind, "Did he do it?"  He does an amazing job in the first act with setting up his character to be suspect and unendearing to give the audience the inquisitiveness we need to become invested in the show.  In the second act, Leo warms up to his wife, becomes human, makes us root for him to be found innocent.  What a great character arc, Scott Cluff, thank you!  And shall I mention his voice?  He sings with the crystal clarity of an angel.  After his first number, I leaned over to my friend and whispered, "He's GOOoooood."  I believe his character's final lines embody Leo Frank and left my heart touched as he shared his belief that God had a hand and a reason in everything and that he has not gone through the past two years to stand and confess a lie at his death - he is innocent.

I cannot write this without mentioning the ability of Adrien Swenson to rip your heart out as Lucille Frank.  She is devoted, loving, and dedicated even when Leo talks to her as no wife should be.  We first see her as a Southern Belle, with an ideal life and a husband to support her.  Throughout the evening, we see Adrien turn Lucille into a strong woman who can run not only her life, but also come to the aid of her husband - ultimately earning him the change of his sentencing.  Through Lucille, you are able to better see the changes in Leo.  If these two had not had the precise chemistry and nuance they had, the show would not have worked.  Adrien's voice is also quite reminiscent of Marin Mazzie's in Ragtime - gorgeous, emotional, raw when necessary, refined when necessary, just absolutely necessary to the show.  Bravo!

Hats off also, to the abundance of performers filling the evening in roles big and small.  Jen Chapman as the girl who can do anything she wants, Iola Stover, is gorgeous on stage as she portrays the youth, brattiness, and vulnerability of a child caught up in a murder trial.  She leads her fellow Factory Girls (Sasha Sloan as Essie, Laurie Carlson as Monteen) in what I see as a 1913 version of "Mean Girls."  Brent Sloan as Hugh Dorsey fits the bill with his classic look of the middle-aged, attractive southern lawyer...who turns out to be a snake.  Jacob Shamy's Tom Watson is the most stubbornly convicted persecutor of Leo, swaying the mobs with his constant reinforcement of needing to take a stand - "Where will you stand when the flood comes?"  The only comic relief I found, and much enjoyed, in this show was the five or six lines shared by Sally Slaton, played by Heidi Smith opposite Nolan Mitchell's beautiful change-of-heart performance as Governor Slaton.  The list goes on, the individual characters all performed with passion - Jann LeVitre as Mrs. Phagan, James Naylor as Frankie Epps, Rose Bench as Minnie Mcknight, Rocky Revels and Judge Roan, Jeff Robinson as Luther Rosser, Conor Thompson as Peavy, and the rest of the ensemble.

I did find a few things rather distracting and unfortunate.  The orchestra is placed downstage, (the forward portion of the stage) stage left (the left side of the stage from an actor's point of view standing on the stage), which is great placement so as to not be distracting aesthetically.  Aurally, however, the performers were drowned out, although this did seem to balance out in the second act.  There was also a set-piece used throughout the show, a platform with three sets of stairs, that liked to sing (squeak loudly) along with the performers, and during all of the blackouts, in an almost comical way.  At one point, a larger cast member walked across the platform and it split in two.  Boy did that about give me a heart attack.  One other performer tripped and fell up when the stairs reared on him like a horse.  In our audience, we also had these annoying patrons in the back corner who were giggling at the most unfortunate times and making noises the entire first act.  Needless to say, they were reported to the usher's at intermission and it stopped.  Back to the on-stage antics, there were a couple of performers who were singing out of their range (example - baritone singing tenor) rather well, but then they attempted to hold out some big notes for big times.  They shouldn't have.  Lastly, and rather nit-picky of me, when Mary Phagan's body is placed on the stage for Leo Frank to identify, the body is placed so far downstage that I would guess at least half the audience could not see her.  I know I couldn't and I was in the middle of the fifth row.  The show is heavy, the content is extremely difficult.  The execution was far from perfect, however the audience leaves feeling all of what Parade intends to convey...I consider this a success.  My heart has been touched.

If you can't tell from the plot summary, the evening Parade provides is not one of laughs and light-heartedness.  Be prepared for a heavy evening that may leave you enraged.  I cannot believe we people used to be so biggoted, so stupid, so asinine, so willing to be led by the Pied Piper.  As an audience member, you will be left wondering when to clap because, most often, a performer will have delivered a beautiful ballad or rousing tune but the content leaves you feeling anything and everything except the desire to clap.

Yet clap they did.  The cast of Parade earned themselves a standing ovation from over half of the audience.

I left the theater more grateful for my life, for my faith, for my loved ones.  If you would like to see Parade, you can still catch them Friday October 7 through Saturday October 15 at 7:30pm (Saturday October 15 Matinee @ 2) in the Leona Wagner Black Box Theater.  Buy tickets here.

Sandy Arts Guild's Hairspray

My readers have probably long figured out that I don't like to write about a show unless I would recommend the show, with a figurative scoring in my head of more than 6/10.  Either that, or all of you think that I just love every show I see.  For the record, I don't.  I do try to focus more on the positive to develop the sense of community for which community theater stands.

For the few of you out there who have missed the productions of Hairspray at Hale Orem, Scera, Midvale Main Street, Centerpoint Legacy, Riverton, Spanish Fork and most other theaters in the Salt Lake/Provo areas, you are in luck! The latest (and hopefully last for awhile) to run the show actually has a pretty great production to end the Hairspray streak with a bang (pun intended). 

What gets tricky, after seeing so many casts (including the original Broadway cast...twice), is not playing the "All-star cast" game.  My friend and I sat there saying, "Ooo, we'd pick this person for this part and this part and this choreographer and this director and this scenery and this stage and and and." After we convinced ourselves to sit back and simply enjoy the production, the night was a lot more smooth.

Upon entering Sandy City Amphitheater (Utah), your ears are filled with tunes of the early 1960s.  No music can make me happier, I tell you what.  I didn't even notice I was singing along as I spread my blanket on the hillside until my evening's company began laughing at me.  A huge projection screen on the stage displayed scenes of the same era.  What an amazing touch to grab your attention and pull you into the show from the moment you arrive.

The cast had some big talent, not just in Carissa Klitgaard's Tracy Turnblad.  Summer O'Very as Penny Pingleton was probably the biggest shock to me.  She played the part as more of a quiet nerdy type than what I typically see, which made her busting out of her shell at the end all the more emphatic.  She out sang the whole lot of 'em on "Without Love."  Big time.  Girl rocks it.  I also cannot get enough of Lisa Grow as Velma Von Tussle.  I saw her in a recent production of Gypsy, which I didn't have time to write about but would have recommended, and may just now be a super fan.  She has acting chops, vocal prowess, especially the big belt note at the end of "Miss Baltimore Crabs," and a rockin' body.  She is Velma Von Tussle.

I also have to give a huge shout out to Chantryce Diehl.  I've seen her in several productions as an ensemble member and she served as Council Member Brenda in this production.  Holy cow!  If every ensemble member could kick it into gear and perform up to the level of Chantryce, the quality of our community theater would be multiplied ten times.  You can not keep your eyes off of this girl during dance numbers.  If you see the show, watch for the girl in the red, not that I even need to point her out.  Chantryce, hats off, Lady!

All in all, I was looking for a little more animated bratiness from Amber and a little more I-can't-control-myself energy from Tracy.  I also judge all men unfairly who try to conquer the part of Edna Turnblad because I can't look past the perfection of a performance from Russ McBride as Edna Turnblad from Midvale Main Street's production last February.

Another huge asset of this production was the costume/makeup/hair combination.  I saw not a single costume ill-fitted, no slipping wigs, great facial features from the makeup, etc.  Everyone looked absolutely stunning and as if the costumes were all handmade and tailored for each cast member. 

The sets appear to have been borrowed from Centerpoint Legacy's production (if it wasn't, it sure looks familiar) and serve the stage perfectly.  Good decision.  I loved the projection of some actual live video of the council members during the Corny Collins show.  This keeps reminding me I need to perform with theaters with more of a budget. 

Summer weather doesn't get much more amazing than the remainder of this week, so might I suggest a literal breath of fresh air and supporting this talented bunch of performers? 

You can catch Hairspray at the Sandy City Amphitheater at 8pm through August 27.  You can buy tickets at the gate for less of a fee or here.

Sleepy Hollow: Audition Dream and Nightmare

I was planning on saving this post until I knew the results of the auditions, however, one slip of the finger and I accidentally published and Google Reader left the fragment posted (grr).  I was immediately contacted by several of you for the remaining details.  So, for all of you inquiring minds - here you go.

When friends of mine go on and on about how they botched an audition, I think to myself, "You are ridiculously talented, there is no way you could botch an audition so badly that they can't see through the mistake and into your talent."  I could not wrap my brain around this concept.

Well, I am here to tell you that I now get it.  Don't worry - there is a positive side to all of this!  Remember how I like to take the good and run with it and how a good story is always worth it? 

Sleepy Hollow is not just any show.  Sleepy Hollow is written by Jim Christian, theater director at Weber State University and winner of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival award.  Guess who was conducting auditions and is directing the show?  Jim Christian.

Centerpoint Legacy Theater is not a venue in which you are used to seeing me perform.  The building is brand spanking new, 516 seats, and about as high-class as "community" theater can get.  Their most recent show, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, has sold out most performances - even at $18 a ticket, a rare occurrence considering Utah cheapskates. I was actually called back for Seven Brides but accepted the lead in All Shook Up and therefore regretfully declined the callback invitation.  Here are some actual photos of the place:

For my initial audition on Saturday August 13, I sang "Once Upon a Dream" from Jekyll and Hyde.  Hey, they requested Wildhorn, so I delivered a song with which I would normally never audition.  Needless to say, I was thrilled (!!!) to receive the e-mail with the great news that they were considering me for three roles (ranging in age 14 years), including the leading lady, Katrina Van Tassel.  I do happen look like Katrina from Tim Burton's crazy version of Sleepy Hollow, don't you think?

I expected the first night of callbacks to be crazy.  Even in the most whittled-down of callbacks I've attended, there are at least a dozen young ladies fighting for the role.  Imagine my surprise and joy when I found myself in the company of five other amazingly talented stars.  How did I get into this exclusive group?  I quickly discovered that I was clearly the only one not classically trained.  Which is super awesome (or not) for a song in consistently high soprano.  In spite of this, high soprano notes have won me several roles.  Typically, the auditors and other singers are in awe of my soaring melodies.

I felt confident in the song.  I got up to sing.   I'd say I sang, except that nothing came out for the first 8 notes.  By nothing, I mean that the notes came out in barely a whisper.  What the?  This has never ever ever happened to me before!  I continued to sing, but instead of trying to fake classical training I have never had, I just belted as much as I could and then flipped to head voice.  But once you start off on the wrong foot, your nerves tend to get the better of you.  I had to hold the music with both hands because I was shaking so badly.  I guess the good news is that I really stood out:-)  Ha.  I have honestly, before now, never felt embarrassed at an audition. I've never even felt as if I messed up.  Heck, I usually 1,000% rock my auditions.  I usually can confidently say I'm one of the best and know a role is coming my way.  But I blew it.  And I knew it. 

I felt I redeemed myself with the acting portion.  I'll even go so far as to say I felt the tops about my acting, giving myself the chills a little bit.  I'll go even further and say that might have been the best cold read I've ever had.  But in a musical, no amount of acting will make up for terrible (or non-existent) singing.

I had a dream (nightmare?) Wednesday night that the director asked me to not even come back for the next night of auditions to which I had already been invited.

All day Thursday, all I could think about was redeeming myself - going back in that room and knocking their socks off!  I walked into that room already feeling confident, at home and amongst friends, as the ladies from the previous night were all there again. We also found ourselves in the company of about 6-8 additional women and about a dozen men.

We first learned a 4-part harmony song and I took the soprano, a little fearful considering my experiences of the previous night.  All the other groups were pretty balanced, but I was quite good at outsinging the other three in mine.  For the record, and for all of you non-singers, singing louder than everyone else when you are supposed to be blending is not the best thing to be doing.  They were all even following my tempo, which is a weird feeling when you realize you are leading.  How is it that one night nothing comes out and the next I'm explosively too loud?  Alas, I felt pretty good about it. 

Next, we learned a six-part harmony.  My heart began to palpitate a little as the music is gorgeous, yet intricately difficult.  Ooo...I'm so excited thinking back on this music!  I can't wait until there is a CD someday for me to listen to.  Really, folks, this is the perfect Halloween musical!  Okay, back to six-part harmony.  I learned all three women's parts to figure out which one to sing.  Our lovely music director, Julie, told us to pick the part of the character we were called back for.  I had been called back for all three, so I picked the one that suited my range the most after learning all of them and getting myself confuzzled.  All in all, when my turn with my group came, I felt pretty okay about it all and rather impressed myself.

The third task of the evening was to learn a solo part in a song that is the telling of ghost stories.  Oh how I loved this part!  Every note fell right into my sweet belting range and they even told us to sing in a brassier tone.  Be still my heart!  This was my chance for redemption!  I was clearly the only lady there who preferred belting over the classical style.  I picked up on the song very quickly and felt I even had character behind it.  I jumped at the opportunity to perform second, not wanting anyone to use the ideas I had for the song.  I was into it, telling this ghost story as if a child around a campfire and the room was enraptured silent with suspense.  Then, I turned the page only to realize I'd turned to the wrong page.  For the love!  I hummed a line while the pianist vamped and then I just jumped back in where I thought she was.  Unfortunately, my gripping story-telling then turned back into methodical singing of notes because I didn't want to get so wrapped up in acting that I made another mistake.  I was given the perfect chance to prove what I've got, to show them they need to cast me and I turned a page wrong - something that is no indication of performing talent at all.  Really, you just have to laugh about it.  By the end, of the dozen or so people, I bet at least half of us made some similar error and we all learned to have a good laugh at our own expenses.  Life happens.

What I really love about working with Jim and Julie is that you can tell they can see past those mistakes.  They heard you hit the note 5 times, just because you didn't hit it once doesn't ruin your chances. 

The conclusion of the evening for me, and the other younger looking ladies, was the acting.  Jim picked a scene where there are eight characters interacting and had us read together, regardless of whether or not the part we were reading was a part we were auditioning for.  That saved a lot of time, as we only had to run the scene three times.  I loved this portion of the audition.  Really, he just needed to see if people can act and become another character.  My favorite was a woman who had to be late 40s or early 50s reading for the part of a 15-year old.  I also got to read as the 15-year old, perhaps because I jumped up and exuberantly offered myself up for that part, but I can do 15 and boy did I ever.  I felt like my character was Jim Carrey amongst a group of Shakespearean actors.  There is no question left if I can act in an animated way, I'll tell you that. 

When all is said and done, I have come to the conclusion there is really only one part I may still be being considered for - a 19-year old bubbly flirt who sings in a brassy belt the whole show - umm...hello I am perfect for this.  But there were four other adorable women who would be brilliant in the part, and only two of them are going to get cast.  And that's if there is no one being considered that wasn't able to make the callback.

If this were based on acting alone, I'd have a part nailed.  But my singing.  Oh my singing.  This is very ironic to me considering that my singing is usually my strongest suit.  I have no idea what happened.

I hope to be involved in the production in some way.  I honestly have no idea what my odds are and writing about an audition before I know about the results is a never-before-been-done thing for me to do.  Supposing the director googles me for some reason and finds this?  I don't want to shoot myself in the foot!

The thing is, I am so very proud to have been part of this callback process.  Every single person at that callback had talent oozing from every pore.  I'd accept any role to be a part of this show.  Even a horse - apparently the Headless horseman's horse does flips (according to the youtube video) - I can do that!  Pick me, pick me!

After spending 5-6 hours with the pro team, I would be forever grateful to be part of this production with them.  I am already, in-the-now grateful for them dedicating that much time to me.  I, honestly, am not expecting to not be cast, but I am not expecting to be cast.  If I don't get to be a part of this show in some capacity, I know there are other plans in store for me.  If I do, I am going to have the time of my life with this one.  The music is so hopeful and suspenseful and touching and I am definitely going to see this show no matter what happens.  Have I mentioned how everyone there blew me away with their talent?  Oh I have?  Well, again, they blew me away and I am beyond honored to have been a part of such an unbelievably amazing audition group.  Best wishes to everyone!

To top it all off, I had a dream last night that they narrowed the part I am in the running for down to six girls and the musical director suggested they eliminate another girl and myself, while the director disagreed and wanted different people eliminated.  Oy.  I'll sleep better now that auditions are over.

In short, this is the best and the worst audition I have ever had.  I know I will end up where I am supposed to be (but I've still got my fingers crossed!).

On to the next adventure!

Into The Woods with Taylorsville Arts

The show is over.  Do I still write?

Sure, why not!

I had a unique opportunity with this show.  My darling, Megan Smyth, played the enchanting Cinderella and asked me if I would come take some short video clips for her to check out her performance.   On top of this, most of my team from Nunsense was involved in the show.  Wendy Dahl-Smedshammer (Sister Hubert) directed, Michelle Johnson (Choreographer) choreographed, Leah Jacobs (Sister Robert Anne) did hair and make-up, and Sandra Houlihan (Reverend Mother) played the stepmother.   Needless to say, I felt right at home and a bit nostalgic. 

This particular production had four weeks from casting call to opening night.  What's this you say?  Four weeks for a three-hour Sondheim show?  Who was released from the insane asylum?  Yeah, I know.  I couldn't believe it either.

If you are unfamiliar with the story of "Into the Woods," just imagine every fairy-tale character you know coming together for a first act of "Happily Ever After" and a second half of the opposite.. yet not.  The baker and his wife cannot have children and must go into the woods to fetch some magical items for a witch who will in return grant them a child.  They encounter several princes and princesses along the way and so the journey of the show begins.

I have not traditionally been a fan of Sondheim or of this show.  I love the characters in the show, so I've always wanted to be Little Red (although I've been informed I am more of a Cinderella).  I may or may not have thought the show was over at intermission the very first time I saw it.  So long.  I have avoided the show ever since.

I arrived at the Amphitheater for my first viewing of a dress rehearsal two nights before open.  No lights.  No microphones.  Oy.  Half the cast looked confused (working with a live orchestra is amazing, yet challenging), the other half looked like they were trying to reign them in.  I witnessed stops, starts, flubbed lines, overly energetic lines, cows running into brick walls, profanities, set pieces being "constructed" with plastic zip ties, you name it.  This, however, is what dress rehearsals are for.  My fellow actors and I always say we are "getting it all out of our system."

I went again the next night for their final dress rehearsal.  Can I say how exponentially better the show was in one day?  Half the cast had sound and half of the time there were lights.  But really, why am I wasting time writing about the dress rehearsals?   

I saw the actual show on Saturday August 6th and I loved it.  One character in particular was probably entertaining for the wrong reasons, but we laughed our heads off nonetheless.  Again, I don't have my program with me, so I don't really recall the names of the cast members.  I'll share with you those who stood out in my mind.

Cinderella.  Megan may think I'm saying this just because I am one of her besties and love her so, but I'm not!  She glows, glitters, twinkles on stage - lighting up everything around her.  I've been in a show with her, but I couldn't get a feel for her presence while I shared the stage with her when I was being a totally self-absorbed character.  She has a lovely, sweet soprano voice that floated around just the way you would imagine Cinderella's.  Her character may not have had the best lines, but she had the best glow.  Her character falls a lot on stage and the first time I witnessed this, I honestly thought she had tripped and wanted to go save her.  Towards the end of the show, she is a comfort and guide to Little Red, singing, "No one is Alone," and she simply exuded the love of a mother.

Little Red.  Andrea Fife is a friend of a friend, so I've seen her in a couple of shows before (Oklahoma, Joseph....) as a more ensemble member.  I'm here to say, she is better than ensemble.  I've dreamed for 14 years of playing this part, so I was initially going nuts as I'd watch her character do certain things and I thought, "But I would have done it this way!  More animation!"  But you know what?  She nailed it.  Her interpretation of Little Red as a matter-of-fact, who-cares, this-is-what-I-want, semi-brat was spot-on.  My theater degree friend called her brilliant.  He does not lightly throw out praise like this.  At least he's never given me any praise at all, so...yeah.  She had a pitch-perfect voice, rhythm, and the brattiest skip.

Cinderella's Prince.  He was tall and lanky, yet somehow his smile outshone his height and his Disney-esque sappy, cornball prince does charm me.  Charisma, that's the word.  He draws you to him.  And makes you laugh.

Lastly for the stand-out's, Jamie Taylor as the Witch.  She has remarkable singing ability, yet her voice had enough grit to it to pull off being wicked.  Her character has odd lines and mannerisms and Jamie did not hold back with anything she portrayed.  And talk about projection - she's got it.  Wow.

Lighting and sound?  I learned that shows are a lot better with them than without them.  Outside theater is rough and pulling it off at all is a challenge.  Pulling it off well?  A feat, good thing this cast knows how to conquer giant feet (Ha - get it?  You do if you saw the show).  Again, I will say I love a live orchestra.  I know this adds countless hours of work and stress for the city and the cast, yet it is entirely beneficial to the show and makes the quality that much better.

The set was minimal, yet endearing.  We all agreed that less is more in this outdoor amphitheater with greenery abounding everywhere around the stage, especially above.

My favorite parts?  "You are Not Alone" and the closing number.  All of these characters, most who can be construed as selfish, come together in the end.  Dead or alive.  Hey, I never said it was an entirely happy ending.  Some of the lyrics that touch the audience: "People make mistakes. People make mistakes.  Fathers, Mothers, People make mistakes, Holding their own, Thinking they're alone....  Maybe we forgot:  They are not alone. No one is alone."  Of course, the last lyrics of the night are "Happily Ever After."

If you didn't see it, I'm sorry you missed it.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Goes to Hale

Once upon a time I had a deep love for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.   If you don't know the plot, go read the Bible.  My mother even took me out of school one day to surprise me with seeing the touring production.  I have performed many of these songs and know each one by heart.  Something happened, what I am not sure.  Maybe it's like how your favorite foods change, or your taste in clothing, but I grew to detest this show.

Until I saw it last week at Hale Centre Theatre in West Valley City, Utah (HCT).

Children are plucked from the audience to listen to the narrator sing her first song.  The thing I loved about her (T, TH, S cast - I can't find my program or the cast list online to name names), more than any other narrator I've seen, is that she is quite engaging in the story and with the audience.  She is, in essence narrating the story for us.  Most narrators I've seen stand there and look pretty whilst singing - most of the time you don't even know where on stage they are.  I cannot rave about this performer enough.  I loved everything about her - her look, her angelic singing, her presence.  She was the caretaker over all of these performers and held the show in the palm of her hand. I'd have seen it just for her!

Our Joseph, well,  his vocal skills are flawless and I actually preferred his high tenor, which is a rarity.

The rest of the performers come on stage and at first I squinted a little at the velveeta, but they were so relentless in their enthusiasm, they had me entirely won over by the end of "One More Angel in Heaven."  I am now convinced that perhaps being in the ensemble of this show would be better than having the leading role in another.  Don't hold me to that though - I still want parts!  I've never auditioned for a Hale show - perhaps I should start doing that...I would love to be a part of a production like this.

Because I have seen over eighty professional productions in NYC, I'm not as prone to clapping when an elaborate set piece comes out.  Seems I forget how much work goes into those and that we should clap for the pro team as well as the performers.  Naturally as the stage went spinning and twirling and an electronic goat made his debut, the audience exploded.  Likewise, there is a life-size camel that set the entire place abuzz.  Kudos.

All the excuses I usually make for community theater (sound crackling, weird costumes, bad lighting, etc.)?  I have to make none of those for Joseph.  Many have argued that this venue isn't exactly "community" theater.  Regardless.  Everything went off flawlessly.  Time for my shout-out to the comrades I have in the show - Jonathan Tate, Janine Crockett, and Galen Chatterton (unfortunately I didn't get to see Janine or Galen in the cast I saw)!

Lastly, I want to share with you my favorite part of the show.  I have never felt touched in this portion of the show, which is perhaps why it struck my heart.  Towards the end, Joseph is reunited with his father.  Typically you see the father with a grin on his face welcome Joseph into his wide-spread arms.  You never get the impression that the father has been apart from his most beloved son, whom he thought was dead, for many long years.  I cannot describe to you the emotion on the Hale stage when Jacob realized he was standing before his son and began sobbing as he collapsed into Joseph's arms.  Oh goodness, I'm getting teary-eyed again.

You can still catch the show until September 24.  Go, Go, Go here for more information.

Idina Menzel

Idina Menzel.

Need I say more?

When Broadway stars perform concerts, you always know they are going to be phenomenal because they were born to perform live.  Idina began her Park City - Deer Valley concert with, "Life of the Party" from "Wild Party" and I immediately forgot any inconvenience I'd been through to get to my blanketed spot on the hillside overlooking the valley and mountains surrounding me.

For all of the superfans, she performed her hits from Glee and Wicked.  She cracked me up when she explained she couldn't understand the significance of "Poker Face" in her Glee plot line of reuniting with her daughter - "Poker, chickens, random baked goods, a Tony-award winning actress who can't make sense of it, but okay." What I loved most, however, were the stories she shared with us about her family.  She shared how her husband (Taye Diggs. Roar.) and she sing to their little boy every night with their own songs.  Then she shared with us her song, backed up with the entire symphony.  Oh that every baby could hear the song of his mother's heart backed up with professional musicians.

Music has a way of touching your soul that no other means can.  For her encore, she sang, "Tomorrow," from the musical "Annie."  I know what you are thinking.  What? Yeah.  The most beautiful version of the song I have ever heard.  Most of the audience had tears streaming down their faces and I don't think I'd be too far off in saying they took away with them a new vigor for life.  I saw dreams coming true in the eyes of those around me.

Thank you, Idina. 

Murray Arts in the Park: The Scarlet Pimpernel

I have a first for you today, readers.  Input from a special guest....*drum roll*...my sissy, Britney!

She is in town from Ohio and I may or may not have forced her to come to one of my favorite theater venues, the amphitheater at Murray Park, with me to see, "The Scarlet Pimpernel."  I had three friends whom I had promised I would attend and the only time I could go is if she came with me, so what had to be done had to be done.

First, my quick take on the show, then her thoughts.  The plot is basically this:
Our hero charades as a frou-frou socialite and has all of his band of men, the bounders, follow suit.  He is married to a former spy who has changed her ways and does not know of his heroic endeavors.  The villain tries to stop the revolt of the league of the Pimpernel against those enforcing the laws with the guillotine.  More or less. 

Last year, my favorite community production was Hale Orem's version of Pimpernel, so I was a bit skeptical going into this one.  Ends up, without reason.  But most of you know my concern when I say that, in Utah community theater, a lot of men end up being begged to do a show, whether talented or not-so-much.  And there are a lot of men in this show.

I've always found the first twenty or so minutes of the show to be kind of...blah.  When the entire cast came out on stage to sing, "Madame Guillotine," I found the blah quite gone and leaned over to my sister and said, "Wow.  That was intense." 

"Into the Fire" continued to wow me - all the men were mic'd and some empty part of my soul is filled every time my ears are filled with the refrains of melodic men.  I didn't see a weak link among them.

As Marguerite St. Just, Rebekah Law steals your heart with her beauty and rich mezzo-soprano sound.  She suffered a little in the higher registers and I couldn't help but get the impression she may be recovering from some sort of illness, as her speaking voice became a little scratchy.  During the emotional moments, she left nothing wanting.

Most of the time, in community theater shows, you see a few ensemble members who look like they just don't care.  I was thoroughly impressed with this one, not seeing a single party-pooper.  The one thing that did make me giggle a little is that many of the ladies were wearing hair pins and pieces that were very much not time appropriate for the show.  C'est la vie.  I did also giggle a little when all of the bounders (Percy's men) were saving people from the guillotine and all of those people were women.  Maybe women really are the evil ones:-)

Percy, as performed by Cameron Boyle, found the fine balance in the intricacies between fop and fearless hero.  I won't say much on him because he was my sis's favorite part.

Our villain, Chauvelin, aka Jacob Shamy, well, let's just say he would definitely frighten the young children.  I don't know if I can fairly comment because he is actually a comrade of mine, but, even as his friend, he definitely exceeded my expectations.  The funny man, in my opinion, cannot succeed as well without his straight man, at which this villain excelled.  And his booming singing voice soared through the rafters, filling the amphitheater and onto the night sky.

The set was simple, but I can say I was impressed with the boat that folded up in the area under the orchestra that could be pulled out and actually looked a real boat within seconds.  Especially when that boat filled with men dressing up in disguises, some as wenches.

The sound?  Well, there were the normal cracklings, but I found that the cuts and static happened far less than in most other shows I've seen in the community.  I actually saw a show just last week that the sound difficulties were making my blood boil and detracted from the show 1,000%, so this was a nice step up.  And can I just say how much I LOOOOVE a live Orchestra - thank you, Murray, I love this touch!

The guillotine use also impressed me - nothing like heads rolling to impress an audience...that sounds awkward.

All in all, I enjoyed some aspects of this show more than last year's, some less, but I was not disappointed at all.  If you like "Pimpernel," then you should definitely go see this production.  The venue is so beautiful and charming, the cast are all strong and delightful.  I could not wait to run up to my friends and give them huge hugs after their bows.  Nancy, Ann, Shamy - shout out's to you!  THANK YOU for the splendid night of theater.

And now for Sissy...

"The amphitheater is amazing! Beautiful - I loved it. I wouldn't have guessed!  It looks like a venue where you would have a professional concert.
I liked Percy, he was funny.  He made the show for me and was very entertaining - him and his frou-frou.  If it wasn't for Percy I don't think the show would have been as entertaining.  I liked the Butterfly bounder the best because he just had more charisma and he wasn't making up the frou-frou answers, he really was doing all these more 'girly' activities.  I don't have a favorite part because any time Percy pretended he was gay was my favorite...well...not necessarily gay, but dim-witted.  My favorite line was at the end of the show, something like, 'This dim-wit is hard to kill.'
I think they did an amazing job at chopping the people's heads off - it really looked real.  Great job.  I was sitting there trying to figure out how the crap they did it, I really thought it was the guy's head in there.  I was all, 'What?!'
Until they decided to form the Scarlet Pimpernel, the show was pretty boring and I thought, 'What did Larissa get me into?'
I thought the main girl was gorgeous and beautiful but her and her story line just didn't do it for me.
I did not understand what the whole carousel horse was about, I thought there was a carnival or something.  Why would you spend all this money on a fancy carnival horse to just use it for two seconds?  (I have since explained this to her, but if you have to explain it...)
Chauvelin was really creepy, he did a great job at being a villain and definitely made me not like him.  He pulled the creeper look off very well - if you don't look creepy and are mean, it just isn't as fun.
I loved the song, 'The Creation of Man.'
I really enjoyed Percy and Chauvelin's interactions together - they played off each other really well.  Especially when Percy kept calling him 'Shuvlin.'  Oh my gosh, you know what part I really loved?  When Percy was trying to spell Chauvelin's name and Chauvelin kept getting so mad and Percy just kept right on at it.  If this were a movie, I would have pressed rewind to watch it over and over again.
There was one older gentleman in the group, whose dress looked like Easter or a clown or something, who always confused me because he just looked lost and I couldn't figure out if that was his character or not.  All the men looked like Easter eggs.
One of the men stumbled on his lines a bit when he was in the bushes with Chauvelin, but he covered so well that I actually enjoyed this because it shows these actors are real people and demonstrates some of the charm of live theater.
No offense to my sister, but it was a lot better than the last show I saw her in  (Gee, thanks, Brit).  I've not seen a lot of community theater, so I didn't know how to judge this fairly.  My sister and I go to New York every year to see professional Broadway shows.  I actually wouldn't have minded seeing it again, so I'd give it probably give it a 7 on a scale of 1-10, but you have to cut out the first twenty minutes.  Saying I'd sit through it again says a lot...especially when you factor in that I was FORCED to be there and not happy about it."

And that's about it, folks.  You can still catch the show at 8pm at the Amphitheater in Murray Park until Thursday night, June 30th.