T/Th/S Cast (L-R): Natalie Peterson as Marian Paroo, Patti G. Williams as Eulalie Shinn, Jansen Davis as Harold Hill

CENTERVILLE — The Music Man put West Side Story to shame in the 1958 Tony Awards. Maybe West Side was ahead of its time, and too jaded for pre-Vietnam America . But The Music Man had two things that West Side didn’t: a plot made from whole cloth, and an actor giving the performance of a lifetime. Robert Preston bagged a Tony for Best Actor, and later reprised his role in the familiar 1962 film adaptation. Continue Reading

Playing through July 17, 2010

CENTERVILLE — Seeing a musical written about a historical character like Annie Oakley is a pleasure in itself.  Along with Carrie Nation, she’s one of my favorite women in American history.  And this here wingding of a tale is full of Wild Western hootenanny like shootin’ matches, dancing, and Indians saying and doing things that would have a modern-day playwright sued into the Middle Ages by the ACLU. Continue Reading

Touring through July 5th, 2010.

KAYSVILLE — Romeo and Juliet by the Grassroots Shakespeare Company isn’t just a “play” or a “show”; it’s an experience. It felt like a concert: the energy, the flexibility, and the interaction with the audience.  The stage was outlined on the grass with a small rope, the curtain was hung between two ladders. I didn’t get to hide in the dark like a good little reviewer; I was inches from the actors, so I know that my face was broadcasting my review as I smiled for an hour and a half, and practically bruised my cheek muscles. Continue Reading

Playing through June 5, 2010

CENTERVILLE – As a single 20-something male, the idea of going to see “Steel Magnolias” did not thrill me. But part of being a part of the UTBA means going to shows you probably wouldn’t attend otherwise. This latest production by Rodgers Memorial Theatre certainly changed my mind about the show. This is by far the strongest production I’ve seen at Rodgers and I’m very excited to see more.

The story is probably familiar to most. The 90-minute show is comprised of just four scenes spanning three and a half years. All take place in the local beauty salon run by Truvy (Missy Riffle/Angela C. Brown) and her new employee Annelle (Melissa Robinson Hurst/Adren Swenson). The rest of the cast includes Shelby (Ashley Gardner Carlson/Jillian Tirado) with her mother M’Lynn (Robin M. Edwards/Jane Merrell Huefner) and two more neighbors: Clairee (Chris Brown/Linda Jean Stephenson) and ouiser (Meredith Gibson/Rebecca Hess).

I attended the Saturday evening performance and was incredibly pleased by the performance. This marvelous group of women has formed one of the strongest ensembles I have seen in Davis County. Each was wonderfully convincing in her own right and bring together a simple and powerful story of the beauty, pain and laughter experienced in Chinquapin, Louisiana. The story is immediately approachable and applicable to any household. Director Leslie Giles-Smith has done beautiful work bringing this story to the Centerville stage.

Special compliments go to the costume designer Sandy Hunsaker. The costuming for the production was subtle, strong and perfectly captured the spirit of these women and their community. Set designer Scott VanDyke and scenic artist Tammy Coleman created a clear design that transported me to 1980s Louisiana.

This is really great work by Rodgers.  It’s so refreshing to not only see a non-musical performance in the space, to not be deafened by overzealous sound reinforcement, but also to see quality acting and direction on the community stage.

Steel Magnolias plays through June 5 at Rodgers Memorial Theater on Pages Lane in Centerville.  Tickets are $11-17 and can be purchased at the box office or by calling 801-298-1302.  More information can be found at RodgersMemorial.com.

We’re looking for reviewers right now in Salt Lake, Davis and Weber counties.  Yes, we’re openly recruiting people to enlist in the UTBA “army” of play reviewers.  In other words, “UTBA wants YOU!” Continue Reading

CENTERVILLE — Having never seen a production of HMS Pinafore before, I wasn’t sure what to expect.  However, quickly into this two act comic opera I found I was in for a treat.  Rodgers Memorial Theatre (director Anthony Buck and co-producers Scott VanDyke and Robert Gibson) put on a fun and witty show to share the humorous love story aboard the HMS Pinafore.

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Who are we? How can I become a reviewer? Awards?…There are a lot of questions starting to make their way through the digital grapevine and here is our attempt to answer a few of them. Continue Reading

CENTERVILLE — Rodgers Memorial Theatre brings a little piece of Broadway to Davis County in their latest production of Kiss Me, Kate. While director Jeremy Flygare shows clear comedic instinct, the finished product boasts more of an enjoyable musical revue than the tight production it could have been.  Definitely still a worthwhile evening at the theatre; you will be humming a few notes well after the curtains are drawn and the lights are out. Continue Reading

I’ve been hard at work this past few days contacting productions across Utah in order to send our reviewers. The response has been overwhelmingly positive and I think that’s because there’s a need in Utah for a resource of consistent theatrical press coverage. Granted, the large companies will get reviewed by the papers. That’s a given. But what about the newest community show that hasn’t yet established their audience? What about those theater companies that haven’t yet built up the capital for serious advertising or haven’t yet gone the non-profit route? Continue Reading