Salt Lake Acting Company’s Saturday’s Voyeur might be considered the “airing of the grievances” by the Gentile (non-member) citizens of the Beehive State. Set in the church office building (COB) in downtown SLC, this year’s installment of Saturday’s Voyeur, running through August 31, tackles issues familiar to those in the city of salt. LGBT rights … Read more
Broadway blockbuster “Wicked” returns to Salt Lake City for an extended third run through August 24 at Capitol Theatre. The musical is the adaptation of Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel “Wicked—The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” which takes the well-known and well-loved story of “The Wizard of Oz” and turns it … Read more
Harper and Midwest Kind, June 29, 2 p.m., Art Yard stage; 4:30 p.m., City-County Building Stage, and 9 p.m. Park Stage For someone born in the United Kingdom and who spent his formative years in Perth Australia and whose early musical experience included playing trumpet and euphonium in brass bands, Peter D. Harper has become one … Read more
Josiel Perez and The AC Jazz Project, June 28, 9:45 p.m., Park Stage There is a phenomenally talented generation of Cuban musicians, including some who have not yet reached the age of 30, who are demonstrating to the world the truest, most dynamic elements of Cuban music that are far, far away from the nostalgic … Read more
Mountain Heart, June 28, 9:50 p.m., Festival Stage Capping an unprecedented day of Utah Arts Festival activities and performances showcasing the Intermountain Acoustic Music Association and top national performers in folk, bluegrass, and various acoustic musical styles will be two examples of the industry’s best: John McCutcheon (already featured here) and Mountain Heart – a … Read more
Friday’s headliners at the Utah Arts Festival carry impressive credentials across the board. Among the top performers scheduled are Angelique Kidjo, Blair Crimmins and The Hookers, and the Chris Robinson Brotherhood. Angelique Kidjo, 9:45 p.m., Festival Stage “Having a Fon dad and a Yoruba mom put me in a special place. It gave me access … Read more
The stories of Ana Popovic and Cee Cee James are persuasive cases about music’s transcendental capacity as a universal language of communication. With careers gaining significant momentum recently, both women, who explore in their own ways the larger realm of blues and rock music, are bringing their super-kinetic performing styles to the opening night headliners’ stages … Read more
Japanese taiko drums, a collection of frying pans, mixing bowls and blenders, and a small Scottish island called Jura might appear to be a curious, even odd list. However these have become inspirational elements for this year’s world premiere commissions in chamber music, jazz, and dance at the Utah Arts Festival. The trio of artists … Read more
When the gates open on June 26 to Utah’s largest arts and cultural gathering in its central downtown location, festival visitors will see as many new faces as familiar ones in every single venue and event. There are familiar and new faces everywhere. For example, the artist marketplace will have 163 artists including 56 from … Read more
Music sometimes builds the most emotionally appropriate bridges, as we contemplate the fragile nature of our humanity. In the 1990s, Vedran Smailović, a cellist from Bosnia and Herzegovina who now lives in northern Ireland, played music among the ruins during the siege of Sarajevo in the Balkan War. His musical gesture inspired a solo work … Read more