Slamdance 2019: Utah premiere of Dons of Disco, first-class documentary about previously little-known lip synching scandal in pop music

Some of the music industry’s most intriguing controversies have revolved around the lip-synched performances of singers. In 1991, Whitney Houston lip-synched the actual performance of the national anthem at Super Bowl XXV but the prerecorded version that millions heard that day became a top 10 Billboard single. The group Muse was instructed to lip sync … Read more

Sundance 2019: The Biggest Little Farm full of charm but even bigger important ideas about nature, environment

There is no question that the documentary The Biggest Little Farm, directed by John Chester, which chronicles how he and Molly, his wife, rejuvenated 200 acres of lands in the foothills of Ventura County into a vibrant agricultural ecosystem is an outstanding story that captures every imaginable emotion and quickly wins over the hearts of … Read more

Sundance 2019: Shooting The Mafia brilliantly sets larger context on the life’s work of courageous photojournalist Letizia Battaglia

Sicily is the ancient cradle of toxic masculinity and unconditional violence. The Mafia—the Cosa Nostra – signifies power in its utmost pathological form. For many Americans, The Godfather film trilogy has codified a particular frame of reference when it comes to discussing the Mafia. In an interview before his death in 1999, Mario Puzo admitted … Read more

RDT’s Emerge highlights company’s extraordinary status as major Utah arts institution

In its third annual edition, the Repertory Dance Theatre’s (RDT) Emerge concert revealed so much character and soul of the company’s dancers in the works they created for this concert that underscores why, indeed, this is an extraordinary period in RDT’s life as a performing arts institution. Every new piece offered a significant theme, personal … Read more

Audacious, experimental, unflinching: Top Ten Moments of the Utah Enlightenment for 2018

More apparent every year, the Utah Enlightenment is audacious, experimental and unflinching in its artistic entrepreneurship. In 2018, the pool for considering the most definitive moments of the Utah Enlightenment was as expansive and diverse as ever. The Utah Review presents the top ten moments for 2018, precisely because of promise and strength among its … Read more

Revel in the Magic of Ballet West’s The Nutcracker

Katie Critchlow & Alexander MacFarlan in THE NUTCRACKER - Photo by Beau Pearson

On the heels of Ballet West’s critically acclaimed opening of “The Nutcracker” at The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. in early December, the company has returned to Salt Lake City to share the magic of Willam Christensen’s holiday favorite with Utah audiences. Holding the distinction of being the first and longest-running full-length production of “The … Read more

Riot Act Theatre’s Anatomy of Arithmetic unrepressed first-class production

Unlikely couples are a staple of great literature. Take Benedick and Beatrice in Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing, who constantly battle each other and then, of course, Beatrice commands Benedick to kill his friend to demonstrate his passion to her. In the genteel Victorian era, we have Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, who appear in … Read more

Live blog and review: Troll presented by Plan-B Theatre, KUER-FM’s RadioWest

Listen live at KUER-FM’s RadioWest, and click on the ‘listen live’ icon in the upper right hand corner. The show will be rebroadcast today (Dec. 13) at 7 p.m. and will be available in the RadioWest archives. For a preview of Radio Hour Episode 13: Troll, written by Matthew Ivan Bennett and produced by Plan-B … Read more

Two examples of artistic entrepreneurship: Will The Sheep Come to Be Cleaned, The Wreath

Two recent premieres of works by young Utah artists demonstrate their skills in developing as creative entrepreneurs in the community. Reviews of both are presented. Will The Sheep Come to Be Cleaned – Dat Nguyen In his most recent work Will The Sheep Come to Be Cleaned, Choreographer Dat Nguyen riffs off a metaphor that … Read more

Utah Film Center to present Hale County This Morning, This Evening, with director RaMell Ross attending Dec. 12

Among the most prominent recurring elements in Toni Morrison’s novels are the roots of the small town black community in the South, even when the stories and characters are living and working in the North. Take, for example, Jazz (1992), a story set in Harlem where both main characters left the South because of the … Read more