Ballet West’s The Rite of Spring

“We act as a conduit for the observers’ unexpressed desires, the silent appreciation they may contain for anything; a lover, a river, a building even.” ― Author Guy Mankowski on the ballet dancer Ballet West’s spring 2014 program includes three pieces: Jirí Kylián’s “Forgotten Land,” set to Benjamin Britten’s Sinfonia da Requiem; George Balanchine’s “Divertimento … Read more

Leo Libations: Eat and drink the science!

 The Leonardo, Salt Lake City’s newest museum, has become a popular destination to nourish minds and palates alike.  Leo Libations is a series of classes taught by James Santangelo of The Wine Academy of Utah and fed by the Leonardo’s chef de cuisine, Zanetta Jones. Classes cover different topics; the one my husband and I … Read more

‘Wild Rides and Wildflowers’ is worthy new entry in literary canon of Utah Enlightenment

Wild Rides and Wildflowers

By just mentioning death camas (a plant known very well especially by Western sheep ranchers) in their new book ‘Wild Rides and Wildflowers,’ two Utah Valley University scholars lead readers to several epiphanies, as they recount four years of press columns they wrote about riding the Great Western Trail on Mount Timpanogos. The plant becomes … Read more

Blue Man Group splashes into Salt Lake through April 6

Describe Blue Man Group. Ready Go. Impossible. Improbable. The theatrically indescribable Blue Man Group hit Salt Lake City with a splash on opening night Tuesday. The group will perform at Kingsbury Hall on the University of Utah campus through April 6. Tickets are still available in limited quantities to all remaining shows. Defying categorization, Blue … Read more

As close to perfection as possible: Plan-B Theatre’s ‘3’ makes riveting case against perfection

Plan-B Theatre

In each of the short plays that comprise Eric Samuelsen’s latest work ‘3,’ Platonic notions of order and perfection are treated with stunningly effective realism. Plan-B Theatre’s latest premiere brings audiences close to the Mormon soldiers of ambition – women who crave validation, status and institutional acceptance and who desire getting something tangible or identifiable … Read more

Plan-B Theatre’s ‘3’ addresses the ‘casualties of perfectionism’ among Mormon women

3 by plan theatre featured image

Although he calls it an “odd quirk” in his writing process, listening to certain kinds of music has been quite helpful for Eric Samuelsen in shaping the rhythmic and thematic flows of his plays. For example, in a play-in-progress about 11th century papal politics, he finds listening to rock ‘n’ roll from the late 1950s … Read more

The Women of Lockerbie play is gut-wrenchingly good

Pygmalion Theatre Company closes out it’s production of “The Women of Lockerbie” by Deborah Brevoort at Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center this evening (March 22). The play is based on the real-life events following the crash of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland that killed 270 people. Set seven years after the plane crashed … Read more

Utah Opera Presents Turandot

Utah Opera Turandot rehearsal

Love, passion and death are guarantees in opera and Turandot is no exception.  It’s the tale of a cold-hearted princess who requires suitors to answer a series of riddles in order to win her hand in marriage–but a wrong answer results in death.  The opera is extravagant on several levels, with a massive cast, an … Read more

Ultimate Chocolate Festival

ultimate chocolate festival logo

Chocolate lovers – and who isn’t? – are invited to attend the Ultimate Chocolate Festival the weekend of March 22-23 at the Natural History Museum of Utah at the Rio Tinto Center. The not-to-be missed event will feature local chocolate-makers, cafes, specialty items, and the museum’s popular feature exhibit Chocolate: The Exhibition, from The Field … Read more