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WSU's award-winning 'Xanadu'
Weber State University's production of the musical "Xanadu," based on the 1980 film by Robert Greenwald, received three awards of recognition at this year's Region VIII portion of The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Director Jim Christian was named Distinguished Director of a Musical and claimed the Distinguished Choreography award, and the show was also recognized for Distinguished Production of a Musical. "Xanadu" follows the story of Sonny's aspirations to open a roller disco with the help of a Greek Muse in the disguise of Kira, an Australian skater. The Region VIII portion of The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival was held in Ogden.
'Unveiled'
Chicago-based actress and playwright Rohina Malik performs her one-woman play about five Muslim women confronting a post-9/11 world. "Unveiled" premiered 2009 at Chicago's 16th Street Theater, and her performance at Brigham Young University marks a unique opportunity to see a recent acclaimed drama work, performed by its author.
When • 5 p.m. Monday
Where • Nelke Theatre, Harris Fine Arts Center, Brigham Young University, Provo.
Tickets • Free, but ticket required. Call 801-422-4322 or visit byuarts.com/tickets for more information.
Honoring female composers, playwrights
Music, theater and art students will celebrate women composers and playwrights in a performance hosted by Utah State University's Center for Women and Gender. Theater students will present monologues from 20th- and 21st-century works by female playwrights, interspersed with contemporary compositions by Lori Laitman.
When • 7:30 p.m. Tuesday
Where • Utah State University Performance Hall, 1090 E. 675 North, Logan
Tickets • $5-$10. Call 435-797-8022 or visit arts.usu.edu for more information.
'The Comedy of Errors'
Shakespeare's time-tested farce of mishaps and mistaken identities involving two sets of twins separated at birth gets a transplant to a swinging, 1960s English pub with choreography inspired by Bob Fosse in BYU's spirited production. Directed by Andrea Gunoe.
When • 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 28 and Thursday, March 29,
Where • Margetts Theatre, Harris Fine Arts Center, BYU, Provo.
Tickets • $3-$6. No children under age 6 admitted. Call 801-422-4322 or visit byuarts.com/tickets for more information.
'There's a Monster in My Closet'
Nightmares become the stuff of theater magic and surprise in Utah Youth Theatre's production of Angela D. Stewart and Bill Fancoeur's musical about one girl's closet, the monster inside, and the slumber party that ensues. "There's a Monster in My Closet" features more than 30 actors, ages 8-20, from Utah Youth Theatre's deep bench of theater talent, gathered from five different school districts.
When • 7 p.m. Thursday, March 29 and Friday, March 30 ; 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, March 31
Where • Kingsbury Hall, 1395 E. Presidents Circle, University of Utah, Salt Lake City.
Tickets • $5-$10. Call 801-581-7100 or visit http://www.kingtix.com.
Frank Loesser's other musical
It ain't no "Guys and Dolls" (what, after all, is?) but Frank Loesser's other musical, "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" is arguably more relevant to our current time, when nepotism and behind-the-scenes machinations both subtle and not-so-subtle are sometimes the only lifeline to sustaining a job, much less a career. The adventures of J. Pierrepont Finch up the company ladder, thanks to a book identically titled to the play, still ring true. The songs and song titles — "Coffee Break," "The Company Way," and "Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm" — are fantastic. The satire still smarts. And let's not forget the dizzying, Pulitzer Prize-winning script by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert. The musical debuted on Broadway in 1961 and was adapted into a film in 1967, and the story earned new popularity thanks to two recent Broadway revivals, including the 1995 version starring Matthew Broderick. Even the Shepherd Mead book upon which its based has undergone a revamp, authored last year by Stanley Bing. Because of its sometimes racy over- and undertones, this musical isn't a regular feature on the Utah stage. So if you've never met Finch, Rosemary Pilkington and Smitty, Bud Frump, J.B. Biggley and Hedy LaRue, now's your chance, thanks to Utah Valley University's production, opening Thursday, March 29. Directed by artist-in-residence David Tinney with a cast of UVU's best student talent, it's a great way to introduce yourself to Loesser's other masterwork of musical theater.
When • 7:30 p.m. March 29-April 21
Where • Noorda Regional Theatre Center, Utah Valley University, 800 W. University Parkway, Orem.
Tickets • $9-$14. Call 801-863-PLAY or visit http://www.uvu.edu/theatre for more information.
'The Adventures of Sheer-Luck Homes & Snotson'
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's hallowed literary creations get a spoof-off and comic send-up in another of Off Broadway Theatre's sideways looks on famous cultural figures. "Sheer-luck Homes" gets the best of his nemesis Gory-hearty, who "literally scares his victims to death," with some help from assistant "Snotson." It's directed Cody K. Carlson, who wrote the script.
When • 7:30 p.m. March 30-April 28; Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays,
Where • Off Broadway Theatre, 272 S. Main St., Salt Lake City
Tickets • $8-$16, with all Monday shows $8. Call 801-355-4628 or visit http://www.TheOBT.Org for more information.
'The Wild Party'
Musical plays adapted from poems, much less banned poems, are hen's tooth rare. Musical plays about parties? Not so much. Andrew Lippa's "The Wild Party" fuses those two occurrences from opposite ends of the spectrum, taking a narrative poem by Joseph Moncure March as its inspiration, adding a healthy dose of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" for good measure. Lippa's play wowed some and vexed others in its 2000 debut Off-Broadway, then went on to the 2004 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The basic premise, set during the Roaring Twenties, is simple. Vaudeville actors, and lovers, Queenie and Burrs invite Manhattan's cutting edge to their apartment for drinks and all-night revelry. Both aim to make each other jealous. Queenie succeeds first, wooing a man named Black. She ends up falling in love. Burrs' jealously becomes a rage, and the end is not pretty. It's Lippa's music and songs weaved throughout the proceedings—ranging from jazz to gospel to, of course, vaudeville—that make this a one-of-a-kind theater event. Don't let it pass you by, March 29-April 8 at Studio 115.
When • 7:30 p.m. March 29 and March 30; 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. March 31; 7:30 p.m. April 1, April 4, April 5 and April 6; 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. April 7; 7:30 p.m. April 8
Where • Studio 115 Theatre, 240 S. 1500 East, first floor of the Performing Arts Building, University of Utah, Salt Lake City
Tickets • $5-$15. Call 801-581-7100 or visit http://www.kingsburyhall.utah.edu performances for more information.
'Princess Bridesmaid' at Desert Star
No family home is complete without Rob Reiner's original 1987 romantic comedy "The Princess Bride." So it was only a matter of time, plus the helpful title hint of last year's far crasser film "Bridesmaids," that the Desert Star Playhouse team would sink their reworking talents and teeth into making Reiner's film more fun for the stage. "The Princess Bridesmaid" sees Prince Christopher The Robin (conveniently abbreviated to LDS specs as "CTR") smitten with the princess Snapdragon. Then, realizing Snapdragon's hard-hearted, he turns his sights on her bridesmaid Lady Edelweiss to be smitten all over again. But with a wedding date set between Prince "CTR" and Snapdragon, Lady Edelweiss kidnapped, the countdown is on to see whether or not Prince "CTR" marries the right woman. "Every time we make a 'Princess Bride' reference in one of our shows, the audience erupts with laughter," Desert Star Artistic Director Scott Holman states in press materials. "So it was a no-brainer to give the Desert Star treatment to this beloved family classic." The features the playhouse's traditional musical olio, plus full menu of burgers, wraps, pizza and desserts.
When • March 29-June 9. 7 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays ; 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, with Saturday matinees 11:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Where • Desert Star Playhouse, 4861 S. State St., Murray
Tickets • $9.95-$17.95. Call 801-266-2600 or visit http://www.DesertStarPlayhouse.com for more information.
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