The hero’s journey has been explored in many famous operas: Prince Tamino in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Richard Wagner’s Siegfried and Parsifal and Leonard Bernstein’s Candide, just to name a few. Composer Héctor Armienta adds Zorro to that genre in the operatic canon, which is about to receive its Utah premiere in a production by … Read more
UtahPresents’ 10th anniversary season provided a continuous stream of blockbuster moments, combined with just as consistently sold-out houses for its shows. The 11th season promises to be just as impactful, with family shows as well as series highlighting internationally acclaimed dance companies, and contemporary and jazz musicians, along with the equally outstanding Stage Door Series, … Read more
Of the 12 operas that Charles Gounod wrote, two have survived the test of time: Faust, which is superb and Roméo et Juliette, which is the only one in this form based on this Shakespeare play that earned street credit in the theater. Premiered in 1867, Roméo et Juliette stands primarily on the music that … Read more
EDITOR’S NOTE: In addition to the curtain raiser for the 12th edition of the Great Salt Lake Fringe festival, please see this link for more details about other shows on this year’s slate. After its most impressive showing to date in 2025, the Great Salt Lake Fringe (GSLF) returns for its 12th edition with what … Read more
EDITOR’S NOTE: In addition to this summary of the slate for the 12th edition of the Great Salt Lake Fringe festival, please see this link for the curtain raiser. The following is a summary of shows on the 12th edition slate of the Great Salt Lake Fringe: Having presented some of the most memorable performances … Read more
TWOFOLD: REPERTORY DANCE THEATRE LINK SERIES In an internationally recognized hub of modern and contemporary dance such as Salt Lake City, nearly every week brings a show that reflects just how high the bar of excellence is pitched when it comes to movement. As part of Repertory Dance Theatre’s Link Series offerings, always worth checking … Read more
The world premiere of a chamber opera by Utah composer Steve Roens and the Utah premiere of a unique compositional blend of Klezmer and Argentinian tango musical sensibilities will open the summer Intermezzo Chamber Music Series, which begins June 30. Roens’ Look Both Ways, a chamber opera in eight scenes, with libretto by Utah writer … Read more
For the impetus of his 1999 book, For the Love of It: Amateuring and Its Rivals, Wayne Booth, a prominent American literary critic, recalled how in his sixties he stumbled over the hurdles of trying to master the thumb position down toward the cello’s bridge. An amateur musician, Booth already had been playing for more … Read more
One of numerous striking boundary-busting scenes in the riveting Ballet West production of Val Caniparoli’s Jekyll & Hyde occurs just past midpoint in the second act. Hyde (David Huffmire) commandeers the attention when he arrives at Deacon Brodie’s Tavern, the after-hours refuge for the sophisticated Victorian gentlemen to indulge their libertine pleasures whatever they might … Read more
November was an outstanding month for performing arts in Salt Lake City, including programs by the Repertory Dance Theatre, Opera Contempo and the Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation. REPERTORY DANCE THEATRE: VENTURE Repertory Dance Theatre’s (RDT) most recent production, Venture, demonstrated how the company’s eight dancers are sizzling in excellence during the company’s 58th season. … Read more