The performing stages at this year’s Utah Arts Festival features an impressive range of styles, aesthetics, approaches and genres from local musicians. Among the artists representing hip hop this year are Zac Ivie and Dumb Luck. Zac Ivie and Ocelot (Aug. 27, 10:15 p.m., Park Stage) Just days before the pandemic erased every performing artst’s … Read more
For the new exhibition in the City Library which coincides with the Utah Arts Festival, a quote from Clare Hunter’s 2019 book Threads of Life is fitting for what it conveys. “Fabric and thread can convey.a prayer, trace out a map, proclaim a manifesto send out a warning, bestow a blessing, celebrate a culture and … Read more
This year’s Utah Arts Festival brings three world premieres in its jazz commission program, representing the 2020 and 2021 winners: Steve Erickson and Tyler Chen, respectively. Their pieces will premiere Aug, 27 at 6:30 p.m. on the Festival Stage with the Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra. Tyler Chen: Acclimation and Blues for Courtney In middle … Read more
This year’s Artist Marketplace at the Utah Arts Festival may be smaller but the 95 artists selected for the three-day event reflect the same rigorous process that has produced significant depth in the creative spectrum represented in the visual artists. With an expert jury, led by coordinators Matt Jacobson and his assistant Sarah Baker Taylor, … Read more
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Utah Review begins its preview coverage today of the 45th Utah Arts Festival, which will be held Aug. 27-29 (noon to 11 p.m. on Aug. 27 and 28 and noon to 9 p.m. on Aug. 29) on the Library Square in downtown Salt Lake City. As this is the state’s largest multidisciplinary … Read more
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Utah Review will present reviews of nine Great Salt Lake Fringe shows in a two-part series on Aug. 2-3. In a recent Facebook post, Utah playwright Morag Shepherd, who has participated several times in the Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival, wrote, “For those who do not have the luxury or privilege to … Read more
In a recent South China Morning Post article focusing on the Olympics’ less-than-enthusiastic appeal for younger audiences, Jack Lau cited statistics from the Ad Age trade publication indicating that the median age of American viewers for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro was 52.4 years. To cite Lau, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) sees … Read more
A year and a half ago, before the pandemic halted all live performances, jurors for the Gina Bachauer International Junior and Young Artists Piano Competitions had listened to 113 pianists, ranging in age from 11 to 18, perform half-hour programs in one of five cities, including Salt Lake City as well as Hamburg, Moscow, New … Read more
There has been a recent spate of articles about the dynamics of live performances as musicians, actors and dancers return to the stage after more than 14 months of pandemic restrictions. While some have focused on anxieties, fears and awkward feelings for both performers and audiences, others have taken on a different tone. In an … Read more
In the final show — a quartet of short plays — to close out its 30th anniversary season which has featured audio productions, Plan-B Theatre highlights two strengths that emphasize the small company’s leadership in producing original work with incisive timeliness and relevance. From playwrights in Plan-B’s Theatre Artists of Color Writing Workshop come four … Read more