Skip to main content
Jan 25
Love0

Something Wicked Comes to The Eccles

By Arts & Culture

The one musical to rule them all is once again making its rounds on a national tour, and will make a stop in Utah at the end of January. Wicked is coming to the Eccles Theatre, with a run from January 30 to March 3. OK, fine, technically the “winning” musical is The Lion King, according to Playbill. They might know what they’re talking about. But Wicked was my first Broadway love, so it’s the Queen Bee in my book.

If you aren’t familiar, which I doubt, Wicked takes you behind-the-scenes of Oz. So far behind that we get a look at things before Dorothy drops in. Green-skinned misfit Elphaba meets bubbly, super popular Galinda at boarding school, and their cat-fight rivalry turns into a fast friendship, until the rest of Oz labels one “good” and one “wicked.”

Jackie Burns and Kara Lindsay

Jackie Burns and Kara Lindsay return to the national tour as unlikely friends Elphaba and Glinda. Jackie Burns, fun fact, is Broadway’s longest-running Elphaba, and performed on the last national tour of the show along with Kara Lindsay. Kara Lindsay is likely best-known for pioneering the role of Katherine in Broadway’s original cast of Newsies. (I saw her in that, she was delightful!) The starring duo is joined with a packed cast of other Broadway alums, some from Wicked as well!

Everyone loves Elphaba, so it’s really no shock that tickets are already going fast. Luckily, the Eccles is jumping on the lottery train: You can enter to win two $25 orchestra seats to any day-of performance! 2 ½ hours before each performance, just head to the Black Box Theater office to get your name on the list. If you’re selected, you have to be there in person, with your ID and $25 cash. Opening night tickets start at $130– we say get yourself down there, because heaven knows what the scalpers will charge you!

Tickets are available at the Eccles Theatre box office, as well as online here. 

See all of our theater coverage here.

Jan 23
Love0

Step into Sundance with Style

By Sundance

Film festival veterans will confirm, Sundance comes into Utah (and Park City specifically) like a freight train, of sorts. As the already-bustling (or busting) mountain town fills to more-than capacity with industry folk and film lovers. OK you know all that. Here’s the real dilemma of Sundance: How to stay warm and comfortable AND stylish in clothing that can weather snowstorms and winter cold paired with hours of sitting in warm theaters? Plus, adjust for after the sun goes down? 

To help untangle this quandary, we went to local fashion pros who have mastered the art of Sundance style.

TIP #1 – LAYER “Bundle up when you’re out, and shed a layer when you are in theaters. A sweater coat that is super warm yet lightweight is a great go-to. A dolman sleeve gives the option of heavier layers.” — Kyong An Millar,  Owner, Koo de Ker
INSTA: @koodeker

sundance style

Vermont Car Coat / Koo de Ker

TIP #2 – BOOTS. NOT. HEELS. “There are some great videos out there of women in high heels trying to walk down Main Street, (like the one above) but I digress. We recommend a waterproof boot with a lug sole like Sam Edelman hikers, DAV equestrian styles or stylish and waterproof Timberlands or Sorels.” —Lori Harris, Owner, Mary Jane’s
INSTA: @maryjanesshoes

sundance style

Sorels / Nordstrom • Timberlands / Mary Jane’s Shoes

TIP #3 – ROCK THE TRENDS THAT WORK “Now is not the time for cocktail gowns and strappy heels. Even though it’s a star-studded event, it’s definitely laid back. Keep it simple with a blazer, cashmere turtleneck, dark denim and a great boot. Since we are jewelry obsessed, we think you should always polish off your look with some gold hoops and stacked chains.” Katie Waltman, Katie Waltman Boutique
INSTA: @katiewaltman

Sundance Style

Katie Waltman

TIP #4 – MUST HAVES All of our fashion experts agree: Wear or bring bling that makes sense. Stylish gloves, fur ascots and roomy bags will all serve you well, whether you are stargazing or tromping through snow and sleet to your next screening.

Sundance style

Hobo Eclipse/Mary Jane’s

 

Echo Gloves / Mary Jane’s

Fur ascots / Koo de Ker

See all of our Sundance coverage here.

Jan 23
Love0

10 Best Watering Holes at Sundance

By Arts & Culture, Eat & Drink

It’s always been something of a mystery as to how a tsunami of alcohol is unleashed annually at the Sundance Film Festival. We can only assume that Bob Redford’s legendary charm melts even the hearts of DABC commissioners.

In any case, Hollywood has learned that you can, indeed, get a drink in Utah—at least during Sundance.

Here’s a list of places, published in the Park Record that have gotten some sort of temporary booze licenses for the fest beginning Jan. 19:

  • Chef Dance, a battle of chefs at which you can rub elbows with B-list celebs
  • William Morris Endeavor Entertainment
  • Variety Media Lounge
  • Precious Entertainment
  • Stella Lounge, at which you might arrange a selfie with a Stella Artois girl.
  • stellaChase Sapphire, credit card sponsor
  • Acura, a luxury car sponsor
  • Tao, a nightclub infested with celebs that likely won’t let you in
  • Sundance Institute itself will offer alcohol at various locations to the right people.

Finally, of all things, the Utah Film Commission also received licenses to serve booze, which again proves Utah doesn’t let a little Word of Wisdom get in the way of economic development.

Jan 21
Love0

Hotel Bars – Tourists, Travelers and Townies

By Eat & Drink

“In the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s, people used to go to hotels for entertainment. There were dining clubs and dances with live bands in the ballroom,” says Jared Steele, General Manager of Salt Lake’s AC Hotel. Sometime around the ‘70s, that, like most everything else in American culture, changed.

For hotels, that was a move away from wooing locals into their space for entertainment and a move towards corporate events. But here in Salt Lake, there are two very different hotels turning that business model on its head.

University Marriott

Paint night at University Marriott

“I know we’re here at the Marriott and they have fancy tablecloths and whatnot, but we’re going to get so loud we’re going to make the people upstairs wonder what we’re doing down here,” said Jason Cozmo on a recent Saturday night at what, even he admitted, was an unexpected venue for his drag show.

Chef Jason Talcott has been remaking the image of the Marriott following a spring 2018 re-do by bringing locals into its Wakara Bar with live music, trivia nights, liquor education events and, yes, even drag queens (including a family-friendly drag brunch).

Nestled in Research Park, Talcott notes that his hotel bar is the only watering hole on the west bench of the city—and the closest for employees at the U and the surrounding areas. “We’re just trying to get people engaged,” he says, noting that Geeks Who Drink trivia has been a huge hit with the Research Park crowd. “So far,” he admits, “It’s working.”

Of course, guests at the hotel have to be on board, too. “They love it,” Talcott says. “They’re used to traveling and they get to their hotel and there’s nothing going on. They come here and they don’t even have to leave the hotel to get a craft cocktail and live music.”

480 Wakara Way, SLC, 385-722-9600,
marriott.com

AC Hotel

AC Hotel, Salt Lake City

A study in contrast, the AC Hotel shares a city block with some of the most popular bars in Salt Lake. But, general manager Jared Steele says there’s no competition. “We’re a different story than those places. People can come here and work all afternoon and then stay through the night and transition on the way with us.”

The AC hosts paint nights, education events and jazz jam nights with local musician David Halliday, “They come and set up and the band jams for a bit and other guys jump in. It’s been a lot of fun,” says Steele.

For the more professional-types, Steele says he’s working with a local tailor and photographers to create an event at which patrons will get fitted for suits or alterations and get headshots at the same time.

And for the religious majority here in Utah, Steele says they’re doing mock-tail classes and events. Says Steele, “We’re taking some of the culture out and saying ‘here are some fun things to do, if you drink, great, and if you don’t drink, you’ll still like it here.’”

“Revenue generation isn’t the goal,” he says. “We want people to know this is a place they can spend their evenings.”

225 W. 200 South, SLC, 385- 722-9600 achotels.marriott.com

See all our food and drink coverage here.

Jan 21
Love0

From Tin To Table – Canned Fish Grows Up

By Eat & Drink

Mention canned fish to Americans and they’re likely to remember Charlie, the tuna with no taste. But in Europe, canned—there it’s the very continental “tinned,” of course—has long been a delicacy and Americans are starting to catch on. Pun unintended. At super-uber hip Post Office Place, order the imported sardines and they’re presented still in the can. Er, tin (below). A big difference between American-canned and, say, Portuguese-tinned fish is that we cook the fish in the can; they cook the fish, then they can it. It makes a huge difference in flavor. Caputo’s has a good selection of imported tinned seafood.

See all of our food and drink coverage here.

Jan 21
Love0

Worth a Trip: Nice to Mesquite You.

By Adventures, Lifestyle, Travel

The first time we went to Mesquite, it was the siren call of cheap rooms (starting at $24) and prime rib ($7.99) we’d seen advertised up and down I-15 that lured us there. We settled into our sparsely decorated, but perfectly OK room, ate prime rib and ham steaks for every meal—except one splurge for the Friday seafood buffet—and played bingo as often as possible for three days.

We came back to Salt Lake and told our friends about the great time we’d had and no one quite believed us. “Why didn’t you just drive another hour to Vegas?” one asked. Another said, “Yeah, I’ve been to Mesquite… for booze and gas on my way to somewhere else.”

So we went back, in part to prove everyone wrong. And we learned there are many ways to experience Mesquite, from a fun and inexpensive casino getaway to—well, Mesquite Gaming’s tagline, “Like Vegas used to be,” doesn’t quite cover it. And, on the second visit we decided, once and for all, we’re Mesquite people.

The pool at Eureka Casino and Hotel

SLEEP

There are three casino-adjacent hotels in Mesquite—Virgin River, CasaBlanca and Eureka. Each has onsite rooms, only Virgin River is a motel, and feels like one—the cut-rate pricing means rooms do not offer many amenities, including toiletries. CasaBlanca rooms are dated, but well appointed. Out of the three, Eureka Casino’s rooms are the star here. It has the most-recently remodeled rooms and their properties include Rising Star, a non-gaming and family friendly hotel offering.

EAT

While Virgin River is the home to the $7.99 prime rib, each of the other casinos has both buffet and fine dining establishments—at prices much lower than one would find in Vegas… or Salt Lake.

Katherine’s Steakhouse located in CasaBlanca Casino has stone crabs flown in twice-a-week seasonally and dry-aged beef from Chicago. At the Eureka, Gregory’s Mesquite Grill’s bread and butter is also steak, but don’t miss their ahi tuna appetizer. The bottles of wine start as low as $10 each.

If you’ve seen one casino buffet you’ve seen them all. Usually. But, Eureka’s Sunday brunch, with complimentary (and copious) amounts of champagne takes it a step further. There’s all your standard breakfast fixings—eggs, french toast and bacon, but it also offers the stars of a casino dinner buffet—prime rib and crab legs with bottomless orange juice and cranberry juice mimosas—or, if you dare, straight up champers.

Wolf Creek Golf Course

PLAY

There are of course, the casinos. You’d know that by driving through the border town. Each of the town’s three casinos have table play and slots. Virgin River has Keno (you can play while you dine on discount prime rib, natch) and joins Eureka with a bingo room. If you play, sign up for a free players card, you’ll get comps pretty quickly at all three sites.

The casinos do book live entertainment. Not exactly the Rat Pack, you’re more likely to find Elvis impersonators, ‘80s cover bands and the like on any given night. Embrace it. It’s actually kind of fun.

And yes, there’s golf, spas and swimming pools, just like the billboards advertise. If you must, Wolf Creek’s course is such challenge it’s been featured in golfing video games, which has in turn made it a bucket list course for many golfers. CasaBlanca’s spa features access to a private pool and sauna with all services.

But if gaming and golfing and spas are all the leisure you’re doing in Mesquite, you’re doing it wrong.  Save the casinos for night. There’s far too much to explore during the day.

Adventure Time Tours and Rentals

Mesquite is the antithesis of Vegas’ overpopulation. Just outside the casino doors are acres upon acres of public lands within the Mojave Desert to be explored. The best way we found to do it was via a Polaris RZR, the newer, bigger and faster all-terrain vehicle. Adventure Time Tours & Rentals (adventuretimetours.com) will provide the vehicle, gear and guide—or you can go it alone with their GPS-locators and maps. Tours can last anywhere from two hours to the Virgin River overlook, to five days, including camping, with a destination of the Grand Canyon’s North Rim.

We opted for two hours, and led by a guide we zoomed through cacti and Joshua trees. As the RZR went through sand, over hills and bounced off giant rocks, we experienced the terrain in a way that would be nearly impossible on foot in such a harsh desert climate.

But you know who doesn’t care about the climate? Camels, that’s who. And a half hour or so south of Mesquite in Bunkerville there’s a whole bunch of them.

To hear owner Guy Seeklus tell it, it’s a perfectly natural thing to tend to dozens of camels, llamas and alpacas. That’s what he does at Camel Safari (camelsafari.com). He’ll tell you everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the desert mammal, the resident two-toed sloth or any of the other animals he’s got on his ranch.

A Bactrian at Camel Safari.

Camel Safari is so popular it has been featured on “The Bachelorette” and was the site of actor Seth Rogan’s bachelor party.

“I don’t know why more people don’t have camels,” he enthusiastically told me on my visit.

You can even ride the camels. In fact, it’s encouraged. Just try doing that in Vegas.

Yes, it’s legal.

It feels like it should be illegal, but it isn’t. An attendant scans your ID at the door, you grab a list of items available for sale and wait to be called back to the main sales floor, escorted by a sales rep. It’s not a high-end auction. It’s a recreational marijuana facility. And Mesquite has one.

Deep Roots is Mesquite’s only dispensary. And if the out-of-state license plates tell the story, also Utah’s favorite, despite a number of signs telling customers it is illegal to take its wares across state lines.

Indico. Sativa. Loose leaf. Pre-rolled. Gummies. Cookies. Vapes. This is why having a dedicated sales person is important. Navigating the types and styles of weed is overwhelming. This is not a regular drug deal. Tell your sales person you need to sleep, they have a strain for that. You need to focus? There’s one for that, too. Depression? They’ve got you covered. You just want to chill? Oh yeah. They’ve got that.

Your sales person writes down your order, you pay—this is a cash-only business, and it’s heavily taxed (21.25%, on top of retail pricing). The cashier gathers your order, puts it in a bag and you’re on your way. And even though it still feels illegal, it isn’t. It’s just another money-making (and tax-revenue building) Nevada business.

Subscribers can see more. Sign up and you’ll be included in our membership program and get access to exclusive deals, premium content and more. Get the magazine, get the deals, get the best of life in Utah! 

Jan 17
Love0

The War Between Us

By Salt Lake Magazine

There is trouble in our beloved Republic. Political division heads the list, along with hate crimes, road rage, verbal assaults, old friends who do not visit or not even talk to one another due to political differences, holidays that are bereft of family for the same reason. You can add mass shootings, spousal and clerical abuse. I could go on and on with this litany of societal maladies but everyone, I mean everyone, realizes that there is trouble in America.

Hot button issues like immigration, freedom of speech, health care and more divide us; the wider the gap, the more extreme (and dug in) people’s positions become. People raise constitutional issues, yet civics is no longer taught in schools. People do not understand how the government works, and most do not trust it.

I wonder what is going to bring our fractured America back to civility—not to the Ozzie and Harriet fantasy but to a time when we can at least listen to one another. I don’t have all the answers but I’m going to suggest a television series that every American should view,

especially our high school students. It’s Ken Burns PBS documentary, “The War”. This seven-part series, six-years in the making, chronicles the impact on four WWII families from Waterbury, CT, Mobile, AL, Sacramento, CA and Luverne, MN.

The tapestry of this horrible four years is woven together through the experiences of these families whose sons fought in this war where 417,000 American lives were lost. America came together then, mobilized and, to a person, made sacrifices to support our soldiers to defeat the Germans under Hitler in Europe and Africa and the Japanese throughout the vast Pacific. We were one country then, united, working toward a common objective. Although we do not need another great war to unite us as a nation, this series is a poignant reminder of how much we could do if we worked together.

Our automotive companies were shut down for four years to produce tanks and military vehicles. Airplanes were produced every 59 minutes. Ships were built in Mobile, brass factories in Waterbury produced bullets and shells. Women worked grueling industrial jobs while their children were tended to in homes and churches.

It wasn’t all one big happy family though—even then. On the darker side, Japanese families in California were interned in camps. Segregation remained at home and on the battlefield. One black man commented that he was fighting for freedom in the world for a country that didn’t recognize him.

For the most part, however, America stood together for our flag and our freedom. American factories were closed in order to produce planes, ships, weapons. There was rationing of sugar, rubber for tires, butter, gas, nylons, etc. Americans were issued ration stamps. To fight wars on two fronts created great hardship, enduring pain and sacrifice. However, the resilience, teamwork and discipline of this country’s citizens depicted in this series are remarkable. It is what we need today and we don’t realize it. We are a country under siege. The very freedoms our dads and moms fought for has been forgotten.

Subscribers can see more. Sign up and you’ll be included in our membership program and get access to exclusive deals, premium content and more. Get the magazine, get the deals, get the best of life in Utah!

Jan 17
Love0

Footloose Isn’t the Only Thing to Know About Lehi Roller Mills

By Utah Lore

The American West was built on blood, sweat and wheat. After the Homestead Act inspired the migration west, and after the consequences of early technology—drill sowing replacing broadcasting seeds, cradles taking the place of sickles, and the cradles in turn being replaced by reapers and binders—grist mills were established in lots of farming communities. In the 1870s, Turkey red wheat, a hard variety, was introduced, completing the West’s commitment to wheat. Huge grist mills largely replaced the small local mills. But Utah’s Lehi Roller Mills remains, one of the oldest continuously operating mills in the country.

From the outside, the mill shows its age. It looks like it belongs at a Heritage Park—the old red-roofed buildings look antique. Inside the shop, the shelves are packed with flours and mixes and you can imagine running into Laura Ingalls Wilder picking up some supplies for Ma. But behind the folksy facade and up the rickety wooden stairs, the workings of the mill look like they could be grinding wheat for the starship Enterprise—everything is shiny, automated, up-to-date and highly efficient.

The Robinson family have been millers for five generations, Lehi Roller Mills has been in business a century and despite changes in ownership, the family is still heavily-involved in the business and still buys wheat from Cedar Valley Farm, whose owners work to develop new strains of wheat and still have a check from Lehi Roller Mills dated a hundred years ago. So the past becomes the future. On your plate. 833 E. Main St., Lehi, 801-768-4401.

Subscribers can see more. Sign up and you’ll be included in our membership program and get access to exclusive deals, premium content and more. Get the magazine, get the deals, get the best of life in Utah! 

Jan 16
Love0

Swan Lake Glides Back into Salt Lake

By Arts & Culture

It is THE classic ballet. Just take it from Ballet West’s Artist Director Adam Sklute. “Swan Lake is truly one of the greatest ballets of all time. It was also the first grand scale classic I chose to produce myself, so it is very close to my heart. Working closely with Ballet West Principal Ballet Master Pamela Robinson-Harris and our late Ballet Master Mark Goldweber, my goal was to bring out the deep and intimate heart and soul of this supreme piece of theater while maintaining the grandeur and pageantry that are a hallmark of the 19th century story ballets.”

Swan Lake is the classic story of the battle between good and evil. Not only a fairy tale but a gothic thriller. Between the beauty of the dancer’s arms mimicking a swan’s grace to the extremely difficult leaps, turns and, of course, the famous 32 fouettes of Act 2. If you have ever seen Swan Lake, you know that the audience counts as the ballerina executes this feat. It is a nonstop evening full of  beauty and intrigue. “With more than 60 dancers, and a full 50-piece orchestra, this ballet is as opulent as it is beautiful and perfect for aficionados and newcomers alike,” Sklute says.

It is hard to go wrong with music by Tchaikovsky. Ballet West’s Orchestra under the direction of Jared Oaks does an outstanding job. The perfect background for the dance performance.

The performance will also mark the occasion of Ballet West’s Christopher Rudd’s retirement. After 21 years, Rudd will hang up his shoes at end of the season.

swan lake

Christopher Ruud

“Christopher Rudd has had an incredible legacy with Ballet West,” said Sklute. “His mother danced with the company, and his father, Tomm Ruud was one of the first dancers under Mr. Willam Christensen. Christopher’s career is remarkable. He’s been an incomparable partner to all his ballerinas, a great dancer on his own, a powerful actor, and one of my finest artists. I will miss him, and I know our patrons will miss him, but I am excited for the next chapter of his life.”

 

I agree with Sklute. Rudd has been a wonderful ambassador for Ballet West and was always so good.  He was the ideal partner for various dancers he danced with over the years. Confidentially, my friend that I have attended the ballet with for several years has always had a crush on him. Mark your calendars as Christopher takes on the role of Siegfried Friday February 22 and Saturday February 23rd at 7:30 pm.

In conjunction with Swan Lake Ballet West offers Warm Ups before each performance. These fun and informative discussions with members of the artistic staff are free of charge to ticket holders and begin promptly one-hour prior to each performance. Attendees will get insider information on the evening’s program including background on the ballet, information on the choreographer, and other interesting behind-the-scenes facts. At Warm Ups, members of the Ballet West artistic staff are available to answer any questions that audience members may have.

Opening night for Swan Lake is February 8 and runs until February 23 for 11 performances. Tickets start at $24 and are available at www.balletwest.org or by calling the Ballet West ticket offices (801) 869-6900.

See all of our dance coverage here.