Stories such as Aladdin are timeless and great for all ages but the best opportunities to judge how interpretations of these classic tales in the performing arts resonate with young audiences is to ask them to take the reviewer’s seat. Recently, The Utah Review, with the assistance of Christal Jackson, an English teacher and ELL … Read more
Collectively, the words ‘fear’ and ‘afraid’ or some variant appear at least 30 times in the script for Janine Sobeck Knighton’s new play The Beatrix Potter Defense Society, in a gorgeous jewel box of a production by Plan-B Theatre. Set in 1882 on the grounds of England’s Wray Castle, Ambleside (Cumbria), in the Lake District, … Read more
EDITOR’S NOTE: Numerous local art events are associated this week with the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA)’s 59th conference which is being held in Salt Lake City. For a feature about the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA) and NCECA’s three cornerstone exhibitions, see this feature link. No better opportunity for … Read more
EDITOR’S NOTE: Numeorus local art events are associated this week with the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA)’s 59th conference which is being held in Salt Lake City. The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA) is home to NCECA’s three cornerstone exhibitions. Also, Material Gallery is hosting an exhibition Form (in)Formation: see … Read more
For this weekend’s Ballet West revival of Aladdin as part of the company’s Family Classics Series, audiences will have an excellent opportunity to see some of the rising stars of ballet’s newest generation. For example, in 2018, when Aladdin was last presented, it featured many current Ballet West artists in early roles, including Principal Artist … Read more
In her posthumously published The Sense of Wonder, Rachel Carson, the marine biologist whose writings on environmentalism and conservation are as relevant as ever, wrote, “If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the … Read more
Among the nation’s largest and longest-running student art shows of its kind, the 53rd edition of the Utah All-State High School Art Show is once again a splendid manifestation of the visual arts talent in the Beehive State’s art education programs. As in many other programs for young creators, producers and artists, this show exemplifies … Read more
NOVA Chamber Music Series has been excellent in featuring a good representation of contemporary composers in recent seasons but the recent Jessie Montgomery Plays Jessie Montgomery concert was a wonderful prototype for future periodic programming where the works of a single contemporary figure are showcased. The concert at the Libby Gardner Hall at the University … Read more
NOVA Chamber Music Series has scored a major coup in securing Grammy-Award-winning composer Jessie Montgomery, not only for her music but also her performance as a violinist on the March 9 concert (3 p.m.) in Libby Gardner Hall. In 2024.she won the Grammy for best contemporary classical composition, with Rounds, a 15-minute work for piano … Read more
In well-established nonprofit institutions, the ideal leading administrative figure is a visionary leader who by encompassing every dimension of that organization creates the right conditions for fundraising success that ensures the institution’s long-term viability. In 2018, when Spy Hop Productions was poised to announce the largest capital fundraising campaign in its history to build its … Read more