Cinderella and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Last night, my wife and I enjoyed dinner with friends and then went with them to a performance of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella at the Hale Centre Theatre in Sandy.

I have to say that no particular song in the musical struck me as very memorable.  (Since it’s a Rodgers and Hammerstein creation, I was surprised.)  That said, the production was thoroughly enjoyable.  It was, for one thing, visually stunning.  The on-stage dress changes for the fairy godmother and, even more so, for Cinderella herself (who had two of them), were spectacular.  How on earth did they do it?  Shae Robins was absolutely perfect in the title role.  (She alternates in the part with Amy Keeler, who performs on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and whom, obviously, we didn’t see.)  The audience was unusually well-stocked with little girls, and I expect that those little girls really, really liked it.  If you want romance, this play delivers it in large quantities.  (I myself am an incurable romantic.)

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I need to continue my reporting from the Utah Shakespeare Festival.

I’ve said that, in our view, Hamlet was the very satisfying high point of the season while Macbeth was the disappointment.  I’ve already briefly written about the one-man depression- and suicide-themed comedy Every Brilliant Thing, which I really liked.  (See here.)  I don’t believe that I’ve written about The Book of Will, yet.  It’s a modern script about the production of the famous First Folio of Shakespeare’s plays, an effort that began three years after his death in 1616 and without which most of them might have been lost.  We enjoyed it.  It’s funny and touching and even informative.

We also saw Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  Again.  I thought it a good production, but I’ve seen better.  This one made me realize even more how very good the performance was that we saw at Rosecrest Pavilion in Herriman’s Butterfield Park.  That Joseph was produced under the auspices of the Herriman Arts Council, and it was a fine example of community theater at its best.  The daughter of a couple of friends of ours was the choreographer of the production, and she plainly did her job very well.  The dancing was energetic, well-executed, and witty.

On Saturday evening, we saw a performance of Twelfth Night there in Cedar City.  It was enjoyable, but, once again, I’ve seen better — including at the Utah Shakespeare Festival.