Arts & Culture

Believe it or not, PTC’s Grease cast may have been an even better fit than the John Travolta and friends most theater patrons will be expecting. Emma Hearn was everything you could hope for in Miss Sandra Dee: beautiful, clear vocals that were just as pure as she is. Pascal Pastrana was much less ladies man and much more unrefined teenage boy, with the semi-timid vocals and floundering flirting to prove it. Michael Schimmele’s Roger made for the ideal comic relief, but he sure didn’t skip on the vocal acrobatics—every line he sang got at least one enthusiastic “woot” from the crowd. The dynamic between his bad boy and Kate Cassidy Ryan as Pink Lady Jan was too heart-melting for words, and a great cushion for the high drama of Danny and Sandy’s roller coaster love story.

My personal favorite, though? Alex Kidder, who was the whole Rizzo package. Too cool to stand any way but a slouch, too sarcastic to avoid any comedic moment and definitely too good to cry in front of Sandy. The attitude came through even when she was on the skirts of the scene—that’s what I call great acting.

PTC’s Grease was the perfect capsule of high school drama, viewed through that comedic lens that only awkward, too-involved teenagers can provide. The titillated giggles and flirty taunts had the audience in stitches all night. Pair the made-for-this cast and their comedic timing with a killer set (well, other than the strange film strips that served as transitions. I found those a bit distracting) and you have yourself a winning show, the perfect note to end the 2018–2019 season.

And more than that, PTC’s board used this opening night as an opportunity to introduce the theater’s new managing director, Christopher Massimine, who will be taking over in July. Hailing from New York’s National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, the Tony nominee shared can’t wait to get started in continuing Pioneer Theater’s legacy of linking education and communication through theater.

Don’t miss this perfect blend of the classic musical (you’ll see some familiar choreography) and a new, unexpected moves that bring you right back to those fateful high school days. Grease is even more of a coming of age story at PTC that you are ready for. Grease runs through May 25 at the Pioneer Memorial Theater. Tickets and info here. 

See all of our theater coverage here.

Summer is here. We hope. It’s time to get your summer calendar locked down, with summer concerts and events. Choose from this list of 11 of the coolest events for fun in the sun (or inside a concert venue or whatever). We’ve got Men at Work (or man at work),  giant game of whodunnit in downtown SLC and more. (But not Bonanza campout which was canceled by Utah’s fun police.)

Colin Hay

May 15 – Collin Hay (of Men At Work) Who can it be now? Well it’s Collin Hay (of Men At Work). The front man of what might have been Australia’s biggest band (sorry Midnight Oil, you didn’t write “Down Under”) will rock The Commonwealth Room. Hay’s acoustic and mournful versions of the Men at Work song-list are honestly often better than the originals. And if you haven’t heard of Men at Work, shame. Get thee to Spotify and then to the show.
The Commonwealth Room, 195 West Commonwealth Ave. SLC, thecommonwealthroom.ticketfly.com

Living Traditions Festival

May 17-19 – Living Traditions Festival The Salt Lake City Arts Council will be having their annual Living Traditions festival—a free three-day cultural celebration that presents traditional music, dance, food and crafts of cultural communities that have made Salt Lake City their own. It’s also basically the official kick-off of festival season in SLC. So. There’s that.
Liberty Square, 200 E. 400 South, SLC, livingtraditionsfestival.com

May 28-June 4 – School of Rock The Musical Dewey Finn, a wannabe rock-star posing as a substitute teacher, inspires his class of straight-A students to become a mind-blowing rock band. This Broadway musical based on the film will be premiering at the Eccles Theatre. Eccles Theatre, 111 E. Broadway, SLC, broadway-at-the-eccles.com

Utah Scottish Festival & Highland Games

June 7-9 – Utah Scottish Festival & Highland Games The Utah Scottish Festival & Highland Games bring a mix of history, culinary and musical culture of Scotland. The festival will also feature a pipe band (of course), a drum major competition, strong man competition and champion dancers. What you choose to wear under your kilt is up to you. Utah State Fair Park, 155 N. 1000 West, SLC, utahscots.org

Rob Thomas

June 11 – Rob Thomas at Red Butte Remember the ’90s? Yeah. We’re old, so we do. Anyway, Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty will bring us back to our college days with important power ballads of the era like “3AM” and “Push.” He was awarded the Hal David Starlight Award which recognizes young songwriters that have already had an amazing influence on the industry. So that’s pretty cool. Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre, 2155 Red Butte Canyon, SLC, redbuttegarden.ticketfly.com

Brad Paisley

June 13 – Brad Paisley The man, the myth, the Brad will be out here in Utah with his arsenal of country hits like “Whiskey Lullaby” and “Remind Me” over at USANA Amphitheatre. Paisley has sold over 11 million albums and has won three Grammy awards. He also managed to write some songs for the popular movie, Cars. Get ready for some boot-scootin’ in Kearns. USANA Amphitheatre, 5150 Upper Ridge Rd., Kearns, livenation.com

June 14-15 – Utah Blues Festival The 5th Annual Utah Blues Festival returns to downtown SLC to the delight of blues music fans from all over the west. The UBF is Utah’s only festival that focuses on the musical/cultural art of blues music, which sounds a little lofty if you ask us. We just dig the blues, man. Gallivan Center, 239 Main St., SLC, utahbluesfest.org

June 14 – Daddy Daughter Dance Calling all dads. DF Dance Studio is putting on a Daddy-Daughter dance. Kids grow up fast and sometimes parents don’t get to spend as much time with their kids as they would like. Feeling the guilt yet? Get out on the dance floor with your little girl before some gross boy steals her away from you FOREVER. DF Dance Studio, 2978 State St., SLC, dfdancestudio.com

June 16 – Sunday Morning Bartoons Quarters Arcade, the Temple to Immature Nostalgia for 40-Somethings, naturally offers something called Sunday Morning Bartoons. Which is pretty much what you figure it is. Cartoons, in a bar with all you can eat Captain Crunch for $3. Don’t bother getting out of those sweat pants. Just head to Quarters and let sugared cereal and booze help you forget that you are a married man with a mortgage and stuff. Quarters Arcade Bar, 5 E 400 S, SLC, quartersslc.com

June 29 – Sneaky Finders: The SLC Detective Game The game is afoot! CluedUpp is bringing its popular British detective game (that’s basically a giant, outdoor version of Clue) to Salt Lake City. The SLC version will be called “Sneaky Finders” and is set in the fictitious town of Millingham. Your team of detectives will track down virtual witnesses and eliminate suspects to crack the case. Downtown SLC, cluedupp.com

June 30 – Michael Franti and Spearhead The annual Deer Valley Concert Series has become a summer mainstay and this year’s series will feature another mainstay, Michael Franti and Spearhead. Michael Franti’s most recent album, Stay Human Vol. II is a great reminder that there is still good in the world and that it is worth fighting for. Believe it. Deer Valley Resort, 2250 Deer Valley Dr., Park City, deervalley.com

See all of our A&E coverage here.

The month of May means nostalgia for Pioneer Theater Company, as the classic 50’s hit Grease will be rocking across their stage until May 25 to close out their 2018-2019 season.

PTC regular and artistic director Karen Azenberg returns with her fourth show this season, and is bringing fresh choreography to revamp this old fan favorite.

“We can make fun of the nostalgia that shows like Grease evoke, or we can smile and remember the kinder, gentler, more innocent time that was the 1950’s in America,” says Azenberg, who is both the director and choreographer of this run, alongside her associate director Lenny Daniel.

Azenberg plans to fully embrace the days of saddle shoes and slicked back hair, taking a cast of PTC-familiar faces back in time, for your entertainment.

The cast does have some newcomers, however: Pascal Pastrana and Emma Hearn, the stars of the show as Danny and Sandy, are both making their Pioneer debut.

So start your Summer Nights off right with a great musical for the season. The show runs May 10 – May 25, with both evening and Saturday matinee performances.

Don’t forget to swing back over to read our review before you go, So we can tell you about it, stud.

• WHO:Pioneer Theatre Company
• WHAT: Grease 
• WHEN: May 10 – May 25, 2019
• TIMES:
• Mondays – Thursdays, 7:00 p.m.
• Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday matinees, 2:00 p.m.
• WHERE: Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre 300 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City
• PRICES:
• $44 – $66 in advance, and $5 more when purchased on the day of the show
• Kids in grades K-12 are half-price on Mondays and Tuesdays
• MORE INFO:
• Box Office: 801-581-6961
• Open 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Mon. – Fri.
• www.pioneertheatre.org

Cinco de Mayo or the Kentucky Derby, either or, or both this weekend you better get out there and celebrate. There are plenty of tequila and julep-laden festivities going on this weekend, and while we don’t usually include the forecast—it’s gonna be muy bonito outside.

Telemundo Utah Cinco de Mayo Festival 2019

Distinctively Mexican, with beans and fresh corn tortillas, it’s the biggest and best day for those who love mariachi. The Cinco de Mayo festival is going on at the Gallivan Center. 4 de Mayo, 2019, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Gallivan Center, 239 S. Main St., SLC.

Not So Cinco de Mayo Show

Sunday, which is on the actual Cinco and not the Quatro, is another great venue, featuring the team from Hot Mess Creative, a Brooklyn-born pop songwriter and artist, a local comedian and an RnB artist. Don’t worry, tequila will be there too. May 5, The State Room,  638 S. State Street, SLC, Starts at 8 p.m.

Cinco de Mayo at Hearth and Hill

Enjoy flavors of Cinco de Mayo with traditional Mexican dishes, made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Hearth and Hill’s special event menu include Pazole Braised Pork and Sergio’s Chile Relleno and top them off with flan or a slice of tres leches. Sunday, May 5,  3  p.m., 1153 Center Dr., Kimball Junction.

Kentucky Derby Gala at Fort Douglas O Club

Got a big hat and bow and no place to go? This year join the Junior League of Salt Lake City for mint juleps at the 3rd Annual Kentucky Derby Event. Guests can enjoy live broadcasting of the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby along with a raffle, silent auction and lots of gentlemen and gentlelady fun. Saturday, May 4 from 2 – 6 p.m., Fort Douglas Officer’s Club, University of Utah, SLC.

Derby Day at High West Distillery

Derby Day at High West. Photo by Trevor Hooper, Courtesy High West

To keep up with all of SLC’s hot mess of Eat & Drink activities go here.

On discovering our destination, Lyft driver Andres broke into song on our way to Disney’s Aladdin – The Musical, “I can show you the world…” We joined in, stumbling and laughing through the lyrics with him. Last Friday evening, April 26, 2019, the Eccles Theatre was bustling with many happy folks and families, children carrying into the theatre prop-up cushions for their seats, while others took selfies in front of an Aladdin event sign. Before entering, we broke down to purchase a small and pricey bag of gummy bears—they were delicious. Inside the theatre, the curtain itself was mind-blowing. It resembled a great Persian rug, gleaming with richly colored stripes of red, gold and green.

Aladdin – The Musical is running now until May 12, 2019. Be sure to reserve your tickets for upcoming Broadway hits at the Eccles: School of Rock, RENT and the Book of Mormon coming soon.

Disney Theatrical Productions under the direction of Thomas Schumacher presents Aladdin, the US tour, music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, book and additional lyrics by Chad Beguelin, photographed: Clinton Greenspan (Aladdin), Lissa deGuzman (Jasmine), Zach Bencal (Babkak), Jef Feder (Kassim), Philippe Arroyo (Omar), Jonathan Weir (Jafar), Jay Paranada (Iago) directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw

You all know the story so we won’t go into that, Genie, of course, is the narrator and in a booming voice leads “Arabian Nights” which opens up the stage to the city of mystery and enchantment—Agrabah. The musical version sticks to the plot of the animated one, although Aladdin’s sidekick monkey “Abu” was replaced by three male characters, his best friends and fellow-street rats, who second only to the genie stole the show. We appreciated the fact that they replaced the animated animal characters with humans because it would have been less (and still was a stretch) believable than if they had added, say a stuffed tiger, or someone in a monkey suit.

We also appreciated that many men were shirtless, ripped and dancing around with swords—and that the genie wasn’t. While six of the songs were from the original animated movie, several original scores were added. Aladdin’s solo, “Proud of Your Boy” was about proving to his dead mother that she could be, um proud, and was a bit, odd. Maybe it’s just me but I feel like Aladdin should be proving things to himself! But I’m a mom.

The dramatic set changes, magic carpet night backdrop sky and costume changes were flawless. Big highlights: the cave of wonders disco scene and the “High Adventure” sketch with Aladdin’s three amigos making an attempt to rescue him.

For more upcoming theatre events and reviews, you don’t need a ticket, just go here.

Eleven years and 21 movies later and it’s all come down to this: the Avengers try to recover from (and possibly correct) the “Decimation” — the snap heard ’round the universe — in 2018’s “Infinity War.”

No spoilers here, but hit the bathroom before you see Avengers: Endgame because you won’t want to miss a moment of its three-hour runtime.

But thankfully it doesn’t feel like three hours since Endgame delivers the goods on multiple levels: the highs and the lows; the fan service and easter eggs; the action sequences and moments of reflection; cameos and callbacks; surprises and hints at what’s to come. The bad guys get their comeuppances and the good guys get their just rewards.

It seems to have been written by and for lovers of sci-fi, comics, these characters and MCU movies specifically in order to give its audience exactly what they wanted. It’s also almost as much a love story as it is an action-packed adventure, and the plot may be a bit dense for younger viewers. There’s also more PG-13 violence than usual (courtesy of Thor/Chris Hemsworth who is in no mood to play) and language from perennially stalwart Captain America/Chris Evans (language, Cap!).

But then again, this isn’t your lighthearted Ant-Man romp; Endgame starts with a gut-punch hot on the heels of “Infinity War” and barely lets up from there. It’s an aptly named culmination of the MCU’s first three phases and a dang near perfect capper to all that has come before.

It seems that the creative team comprised of directors Anthony and Joe Russo and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely created a wish list of everything they ever wanted to see from these movies, threw it all against a wall, and then created a script that might make it all stick.

Some heroes are brought back from the Decimation while others are revived in a way that doesn’t cheat their initial loss. Some are sacrificed in a satisfying way while others are poised to become so much more in Marvel’s Phase Four and beyond.

Less powerful Avengers shine in larger, important roles while highly powered heroes don’t save the day on their own. The usual quip machine that sometimes undercuts the drama is put in a lower gear, but it still rears its head from time to time. Heroes who were decimated obviously get limited screen time but make the most of what they eventually get. Elements also exist that will delight long-time comic book readers while still being welcome to those who are strictly fans of the movies. And certainly the mechanics of the time travel plot are wibbly-wobbly timey-whimey, but I haven’t found a time travel movie that isn’t on shaky theoretical ground to some extent. At least the writers try to address some of the concerns brought up by such a complex plan while using the trappings of time travel to close some loops while opening others up to the possibility of a Phase 4 appearance (or a series on Disney+).

I will confirm that outside of an appropriate sound effect there is no end credits scene after a major victory lap for the main characters kicks off a rather extensive credit roll. I guess Marvel thought that after three hours of “Endgame” fans would probably want to go home, but they thought wrong as many (of us) who stayed were upset that there wasn’t something more. Even at three hours, Avengers: Endgame was something I didn’t want to actually see end.

—

• Avengers: Endgame (2019)
• Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and some language
• Running time 3 hours, 1 minute
• Directed by: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
• Writing Credits: Christopher Markus (written by) & Stephen McFeely (written by), Stan Lee (based on the Marvel comics by) and Jack Kirby (based on the Marvel comics by), Jim Starlin (comic book)

See all of our film coverage here.

On May 9-11, 2019 Ballet West presents its third annual Choreographic Festival at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. They welcome the Scottish Ballet who is celebrating their 50^th anniversary this year. Christopher Hampson is the CEO and Artistic Director for the Scottish Ballet and they will be presenting as an Artist in Residence, Sophie Laplane’s new work Sibilo.

“I am excited that Chris chose this unique and dynamic work from Sophie Laplane,” said Artistic Director Adam Sklute. “Sibilo’s quirky humor and interesting groupings make the work perfect for the Choreographic Festival as it explores movement, sound, and theatrics through the prism of ballet.”

Laplane’s inventive piece for eight dancers features whistling (sibilo means whistle in Latin) with additional music from Glasgow’s Alex Menzies that modulates from electronica to mid-century pop music. The result is hilarious, moving, and eccentric.

“I am delighted to present Sibilo at the Ballet West Choreographic Festival, and to see Scottish Ballet perform the work in a celebratory year for the company,” said Laplane. “As a choreographer, it is exciting to see my work being presented on an international stage, and for Sibilo to get its American premiere in a festival that programs and celebrates new choreography.”

Also on the program is a world premiere from celebrated choreographer and BalletMet Artistic Director Edwaard Liang, along with premieres by Ballet West artists Emily Adams, Katlyn Addison and Trevor Naumann.

This year, the festival will also offer ancillary events, adding educational and entertaining experiences. On Wednesday, May 8 at 7pm at the Rose, Ballet West will screen Danseur, a recently released independent film from Scott Gormley that explores gender inequality in ballet, and shines a light on bullying, homophobia, and other barriers for young men in the industry. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students. Afterward, dance teacher and journalist Kate Mattingly will lead a panel discussion with Adam Sklute and Ballet West dancers.

Ticket holders are also encouraged to attend warm-ups in the Rose Room. These free educational lectures, one hour before evening performances will be hosted by Artistic Directors, choreographers, and dancers. Finally, local artists will makeover the balcony of the Rose Wagner with an exhibit, “Art of Ballet” displaying the oil, photography, and contemporary works showing the athleticism and beauty of the art form.

“Every year I look forward to this Festival. The terrific camaraderie that is built between all the companies is so inspiring. It is about taking chances. It is about seeing what other companies are doing. And it’s about learning from one another,” said Sklute. “This year’s program will certainly take those same risks and I’m thrilled that we are welcoming our first International Company. I know our audiences will be fulfilled by the exploration.”

Tickets are available now and start at $50.00. You can either call 801-869-6900 or order online at www.balletwest.org. This is a great way to celebrate Mother’s Day weekend and take your Mom to see some amazing dance.

See all our dance coverage here.

Another FanX in the books, and this year’s spring event left many fans, including myself, very satisfied. The event was supposed to be the “smaller” of the two Fan-X events but it definitely didn’t feel that way.

Walking up to the event, I could see the same level of dedication that I witnessed at last fall’s event. Nerds from everywhere gathered together with some impressive costumes. As I walked through the doors,  I could hear the lyrics to Backstreet Boys’, “I Want It That Way.” It turns out that someone had the idea of having an impromptu karaoke sesh with most of the songs being a throwback to the Backstreet Boys. I mean what’s not to like?

The theme of this year’s event seemed to revolve around the fans again. Go figure. The setup was pretty much the same as last year, with the exception of the Evermore booth not being there. I was able to make my over to the PlayStation booth which had a pretty decent line to get in there. The booth was one of the new installments for last year’s event and was pretty successful. This year was no different. A couple of new games were available to play like Days Gone, a zombie thriller, and Mortal Kombat 11, the popular fighting game that’s been around since 1992. They were also handing out some coupons for discounts on items in the PlayStation Store. Free merch is always a bonus when coming out to a gathering like this.

This year had no shortage of stars bringing out names like, Asher Angel (Shazam), John Cleese (Monty Python), Mike Colter (Luke Cage), Tom Felton (Harry Potter series), Seth Gilliam (The Walking Dead), Clark Gregg (The Avengers) and many more. One of the amazing features about this convention is bringing out stars like this to do meet and greets, pictures, autographs etc. The fans are the focus. I happened to run by one of my heroes, Brian Baumgartner (Kevin from The Office) and it made my weekend.

Overall, FanX has done it again. They managed to put together an incredible event that made the fans the focus. There were questions and maybe there still are about the rebranding of the event and how it would affect future conventions. After attending the last two events, I think they’ve done something amazing in managing to bring out an insane amount of fans and making it all about them. Thank-you FanX! Until next time.

See all of our Fan X coverage here.