Plan-B Theatre’s ‘Marry Christmas’ delivers unexpected gift of emotional energy

In a year of many high marks for Plan-B Theatre, the month of December, normally a quiet period for this performing arts company, has become especially memorable. Julie Jensen’s smashing ‘Christmas with Misfits’ played a sold-out run drawing much well-deserved acclaim. Likewise, tickets also sold out for Elaine Jarvik’s ‘Marry Christmas,’ an ensemble piece celebrating … Read more

Utah Symphony’s Vivace Group Makes Classical Music Fun

The Utah Symphony takes a bow at Abravanel Hall.

The problem with the symphony is it has a reputation for being a boring, stuffy event designed for the elderly. Luckily, there is an answer to that problem.  And the answer is Vivace. Utah Symphony’s Vivace is an everyone-is-invited group of classical music enthusiasts (including both genre experts and novices) that attend the symphony together … Read more

Utah Film Center offers a different world of Christmas music in charming ‘Jingle Bell Rocks!’

Fans of Pink Floyd’s 1982 film highlighting one of its best album releases ‘The Wall’ might remember that a recording of Vera Lynn (see below) on the 1937 Christmas song ‘The Little Boy That Santa Forgot’ is featured in the opening sequence. The song is not exactly one that comes to mind during the holiday, … Read more

Merco Local: Small Business Saturday Shopping Tour

silo stream

Shopping local took on a whole new meaning on Merco Local’s Party Bus. The tour started with breakfast at Eggs in the  City, a Sugarhouse favorite offering breakfast and lunch. After a delicious breakfast of pancakes, eggs and potatoes with many cups of coffee, our tour group was loaded onto the limo. Club music was playing … Read more

Plan-B Theatre’s ‘Christmas with Misfits’ more than an apt flipside for the holidays

baby jesus collection plan b theatre misifts chirtsmas featured image

Plan-B Theatre’s productions normally are masterpieces of minimalism in staging and subtle lighting but for its latest premiere of Julie Jensen’s ‘Christmas with Misfits,’ director Cheryl Ann Cluff wisely decided to celebrate the occasion of the play’s theme with an overflowing bounty of holiday décor props. In the opening, when actor Jeanette Puhich bursts forth … Read more

Thanksgiving Road Trip

Living 2,000 miles from family can be tough around the holidays: who will you argue with over proper cooking temperature of a turkey or enjoy awkward drama with? The silver lining however, is a four-day weekend road trip to southern Utah that would still include all the trimmings. Over 30 of them to be exact. … Read more

Utah Holiday Gift Guide 2014

Titus models a small sampling of the seasonal treats and gifts available at Ma and Paws Bakery

Unless you’ve decided to forgo the modern commercialization of Christmas and burned your credit cards in effigy — chances are you’re feeling the pressure of the gift buying season. Let me add a little more — you’ve got barely two weeks left to select and shop for that perfect present. If your flailing for inspiration you might … Read more

A celebration with many meanings: Plan-B Theatre to premiere ‘Marry Christmas’

NOTE:This is the second part of a preview featuring a pair of Plan-B Theatre holiday productions. In 2013, during U.S. Supreme Court oral arguments for the landmark Windsor case on same-sex marriage, Chief Justice John Roberts remarked that activists had really found their political momentum. Writing the day after the hearing, The Atlantic’s Conor Friedersdorf … Read more

10 reasons to get psyched about FanX 2015

fanx salt lake comic con logo

Suffering from withdrawals from my first Comic Con, I’ve waited with bated breath for the next nerdy event, FanXperience, the “ultimate fan experience” for those consumed by their love of entertainment including everything from movies to comic books. The inaugural FanX™ in April 2014 had more than 100,000 attendees making it the third largest comic con … Read more

Plan-B Theatre’s ‘Christmas with Misfits’ dismantles artificially sweet truths about the holiday

Note: This is a two-part series about Plan-B Theatre’s unconventional approach to holiday entertainment in two world premiere productions. In the critically acclaimed box office success of the 2003 movie ‘Bad Santa,’ there were 300 profanities uttered, Santa is a small-time criminal and alcoholic, and the kid, as the late film critic Roger Ebert recalled, … Read more