Last week in Utah theaters

There’s some very worthwhile live theater in Utah.

Last week, my wife and I enjoyed a healthy portion of it, but I’ve neglected to report on what we saw — and I know that millions out there must be panting with irresistible curiosity about this matter.

Herewith, then, a brief summary:

On Monday night, my wife went with a friend for a performance, at Orem’s Hale Center Theater, of James Lapine’s and Stephen Sondheim’s very popular Into the Woods.  Since I’ve seen Into the Woods several times recently, and have never much cared for it — I don’t care for the music and I dislike its cynical theme — I nobly and generously donated my ticket for their evening.

The next night, though, all three of us attended a performance of The Little Mermaid at West Valley City’s Hale Centre Theatre.  In this genre, I prefer Beauty and the Beast.  (Alan Menken and Howard Ashman did the songs for both, but I like the latter more.)  It was entertaining and well done.  They really use their stage well.

The Hale theaters are genuine Utah treasures.  May they continue to prosper.

Another state treasure is Michael Ballam’s Utah Festival Opera, in Logan.

We went up to Logan on Friday, and, going through Saturday evening, took in four different performances.  All of them — including, on the first day, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Michael Ballam himself in the title role of The Man of La Mancha — were good.

We saw two more pieces on Saturday:

I’ve always disliked Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel, despite its wonderful music, for the sheer life-crippling stupidity of Julie Jordan’s love for the thug and lowlife Billy Bigelow and for the play’s seemingly blasé (and very dated) attitude toward violent spouse abuse.  I’ve seen a few too many such cases in real life to find them even slightly romantic.  But the music is beautiful, and the cast was very, very good.

Finally, we saw Puccini’s La bohème, which was my favorite of the two days.  Glorious music and an affecting story.  I still have Puccini tunes going through my head, and not merely from La bohème.

Marrying a theater major was one of my best decisions.

Posted from Victoria, British Columbia