Attending Ballet West's production of The Nutcracker has become one of my most-loved holiday traditions, so I was happy to attend the matinee last Friday afternoon. I enjoyed seeing some of my favorite Ballet West dancers in leading roles as well some new faces in others. This particular performance can best be described as expressive... Continue Reading →
Ballet West began its 2025-2026 season with Michael Smuin's Romeo and Juliet set to music by Sergei Prokofiev. I was fortunate to see this ballet with my friend Mony a few years ago, and I absolutely loved it, so I was excited to have an opportunity to see it again. I purchased a ticket for... Continue Reading →
Utah Opera's 2025-2026 season announcement immediately piqued my curiosity since the company would be opening with composer Paul Moravec and librettist Mark Campell's adaptation of Stephen King's The Shining. I admit to not having been an avid Stephen King fan over the course of my life, but I was nevertheless very intrigued to see how... Continue Reading →
Utah Opera's production of Madame Butterfly opened Saturday night at Capitol Theatre. I was excited and intrigued to attend because I hadn't seen this classic opera before. Madame Butterfly is a problematic opera for companies to stage because its premise relies on racist, sexist stereotypes and practices that reduce Japanese women and culture to "exotic"... Continue Reading →
Utah Opera's production of Pagliacci opened Saturday night at Capitol Theatre, and I was pleased to attend. I first saw Pagliacci in 2018 when I was a relatively new opera-goer and initially familiarizing myself with the genre's classics, so I looked forward to this opportunity to see it again and reacquaint myself with the music... Continue Reading →
For two years running, January 20th has found me at Capitol Theatre enjoying a Utah Opera production. Last year, I was there to see Portman and Wright's The Little Prince. This year, I went to see Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel. I found the production to be a delightful adaptation of the fairytale --- featuring a... Continue Reading →
I had an absolutely magical experience attending Ballet West's 2023 production of The Nutcracker, so I eagerly anticipated attending again this year. My friend Mony and I coordinated our plans so that we were able to attend Saturday afternoon's matinée performance together. Still magical, this year's production also embodies intensity, energy, and expressiveness --- from... Continue Reading →
Words are not required to tell a compelling story. A perfect fusion of music and movement is capable of conveying a convincing narrative. Such is the case with Ballet West's 2024-2025 season opener, Jekyll and Hyde, a new work by choreographer Val Caniparoli that enjoyed its first run at Capitol Theatre, having first premiered in... Continue Reading →
Utah Opera opens its 2024-2025 with Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's Sweeney Todd. This is one of two works in the company's season line-up that I was excited to see because I hadn't seen it before. It is a work that challenges the distinction between musical and opera, having elements of both genres, so both... Continue Reading →
Ballet West delivered an outstanding performance of Swan Lake on its opening night, Friday, February 9, 2024. Swan Lake is an inherently beautiful ballet as it depicts a classic fairy-tale set to Tchaikovsky's music, and Ballet West's dancers, orchestra, costume designers, and set designers created a particularly magical rendition that enchanted me from beginning to... Continue Reading →
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