AND THE BANNED PLAYED ON, ROSE WAGNER PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, Saturday, May 3, 8 p.m., $25
Plan-B Theatre Company’s And the Banned Played On, one of my favorite local theater events, returns after a lengthy hiatus with a who’s who of local politicians and assorted dignitaries slated to read from children’s books that have been banned in some American communities through the years. The celebration of the First Amendment is always a good time, bringing a genuinely celebratory vibe to the Jeanne Wagner Theatre inside the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. This year the event is hosted by “Radio From Hell” hosts Bill Allred and Kerry Jackson, and will include readings from the morning radio personalities, as well as Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, Utah legislators Joel Briscoe, Rebecca Chavez-Houck, Carol Spackman Moss and Jim Debakis, Salt Lake County DA Sim Gill and Mayor Ben McAdams, Salt Lake City Councilman Stan Penfold, Plan-B co-founder Cheryl Ann Cluff and local actor Anne Cullimore Decker. Those noteworthy folks will tackle passages from such controversial tomes (at least to some people) as Green Eggs & Ham, Where the Wild Things Are, Harriet the Spy and Bridge to Terabithia (my personal fave). One of the great things about the Banned shows is the explanation and history of the works’ respective bannings–hearing the rationale of some people to keep, say, James and the Giant Peach out of the hands and heads of impressionable youth should make for some great laughs. There’s also promise of a “surprise performance,” so I’d suggest getting some tickets however you can.
THE BLASTERS, BURT’S TIKI LOUNGE, Sunday, May 3, 9 p.m., $15
Roots-rock pioneers The Blasters have been at it in one form or another since the late ’70s, delivering a distinct blend of rockabilly, blues, punk and classic rock and roll through albums like the excellent American Music and Hard Line. Originally formed in California by brothers Phil and Dave Alvin, The Blasters blazed a memorable path through the early ’80s LA scene alongside like-minded bands like X and Los Lobos. Dave left in the ’80s and has had a memorable solo career, including many an unforgettable show in Utah. I can’t remember the last time the Phil-led Blasters came through town–I’d hazard a guess it might have been when the Zephyr Club was still open. Burt’s Tiki Lounge should make for a legendary evening for fans who have stuck with the band through the years. Utah County Swillers open the show.
ANVIL, BURT’S TIKI LOUNGE, Tuesday, April 29, 9 p.m., $15
If you’ve never seen Anvil! The Story of Anvil, you’re missing out on one of the great rock documentaries. But the reason I’ve been able to convince friends who don’t care at all about metal bands or rock docs to watch the flick is that the lifelong friendship of singer/guitarist Steve “Lips” Ludlow and drummer Robb Reiner makes for one hell of a story. When it comes to bands dedicated to the rock and roll life for all the right reasons, Anvil certainly seems to fit the bill, slogging it out for more than 40 years to date, since first forming in 1973. The music? Pretty straightforward hard rock, featuring lyrics with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer, whether talking about sex, rock or … more sex. Now 15 albums in, Anvil is still on the road, delivering the goods, including a stop in SLC on Tuesday. Hooga, Muckraker and Spork open the show.
You’ve probably heard the old adage about actors avoiding working with children or animals, lest they be overshadowed by cuteness or dragged down in their unpredictability. But what about puppets? And further, what about puppets of animals?
Sure, the human element of the Broadway in Salt Lake City production of War Horse is plenty impressive. There is some fine acting, gorgeous singing, and intricate stage choreography among a huge cast to move the action-packed story along. But there is no denying the fact that the amazing puppets, and the lead “horse” Joey, dominate the proceedings and absorb the audiences’s attention throughout.
That is not a bad thing. The Broadway hit, based on Michael Morpurgo’s 1982 novel and later adapted into a feature film by Steven Spielberg, is a riveting tale, with a winning story that is only enhanced by the visual feast on stage.
It’s a love story of sorts, between Joey and his human caretaker Albert, who raises him from a foal into a spirited steed who ends up on the front lines of World War I. Over the course of War Horse, the audience sees the beginning of their affair, the “breakup” at the hands of Albert’s father, and their ultimate reunion, and it all works. As someone who never read the book or saw the movie, I was hooked by the story quickly.
The amazing visuals on stage, though, are what makes War Horse a remarkable piece of live theater. The intricate puppets designed by Handspring Puppet Company and controlled by a small troupe of puppeteers on stage are the calling card of the show, for sure. The movements of the horses are incredibly lifelike and fluid, and the presence of the human puppeteers alongside them is never a distraction.
But the puppetry is just part of the excellent production’s visual appeal. The animated line drawings on a screen suspended above the stage add incredible detail to the proceedings below in setting the scenes and pushing the story forward. Smaller puppets of birds in the sky and geese on Albert’s farm add to the realism–which is all the more impressive given that the stage is relatively bare-bones in terms of props and sets. The horses and the humans carry this tale. And it’s a tale well worth seeing.
War Horse plays at Capitol Theatre through April 27. Visit the Broadway in Salt Lake City website for showtimes, tickets and more information. (Photo courtesy Broadway in Salt Lake City)
FASTER PUSSYCAT, THE ROYAL, Wednesday, April 23, 8 p.m., $12
Among the sleazy hair-metal bands of the ’80s, Faster Pussycat stood out for a few reasons. They had a prominent spot dedicated to their music and story in the classic rock-doc The Decline of Western Civilization: The Metal Years. They co-owned a Sunset Strip nightclub called The Cathouse with former MTV VJ Riki Rachtman. And, like so many other bands of their ilk, they enjoyed their greatest commercial success with a power ballad, “House of Pain.” They also happen to be one of my personal favorites of the glam-rock bands of the era, blazing a magnificent-if-brief path through the public eye over the course of three albums, a few high-profile tours (like opening for Motley Crue on the Dr. Feelgood tour here in Salt Lake City) and some memorable videos for songs like “Bathroom Wall.” Now they’re still touring on the fumes of that long-ago success, kicking out the old jams for the old fans. Red Light Saints open the show in SLC.
CHVRCHES, THE DEPOT, Tuesday, April 22, 8 p.m., $26
Scottish synth-pop trio Chvrches (pronounced “churches,” but that just doesn’t look as cool, right?) has made quite a quick reputation for itself since forming just three years ago. The vocals of Lauren Mayberry are the first thing that drew me in to the band’s sound, and she and bandmates Iain Cook and Martin Doherty combine to create an impressive batch of densely produced, hook-filled songs on the band’s debut, The Bones of What You Believe. Armed with an arsenal of synthesizers, samplers and more traditional rock instruments, the trio built a strong full-length after their March 2013 EP Recover landed them a spot on the BBC’s “Sound of 2013” list as one of the UK’s most promising bands. Now that we’ve had a few months to absorb the Chvrches debut, we can see the BBC was on to something. And now you can see them headline their own show Tuesday night in SLC. The Range opens the show.
Daniel Nailen 