Perhaps it’s the balmy temperatures or the lack of snow in Salt Lake City, but I’ll readily admit to being in a bit of a Scrooge-y mood at the thought of watching a holiday musical when outside the theater, it’s not even close to looking a lot like Christmas.
Pioneer Theatre Company’s new production of A Christmas Carol: The Musical does all that an audience can hope for in generating some genuine holiday cheer. Its combination of nostalgia delivered by Charles Dickens’ familiar story and flashy song-and-dance numbers required of audience-pleasing Broadway musicals makes for a fast-moving production, one pleasing to both Christmas Carol traditionalists and theater lovers who might prefer something a bit more offbeat.
A consistently excellent cast of actors, singers and dancers, along with creative visuals courtesy of Artistic Director Karen Azenberg, turned my own skepticism about seeing yet another adaptation of an old warhorse like A Christmas Carol into genuine interest in the activities on stage. Jamie Jackson as Ebenezer Scrooge was a strong focal point throughout, but secondary roles managed to make their mark in the show as well; I particularly enjoyed Robert Anthony Jones as Fezziwig, and Justin Ivie as the Ghost of Jacob Marley.
After the spartan staging of Pioneer’s last show, Of Mice and Men, Azenberg made great use of all the benefits of doing a show at the Pioneer. The moving stage made for seamless transitions between scenes and time frame as Scrooge moves from office to home, and from the past to the future. Creative lighting helped the first appearance of Jacob Marley’s ghost, on Scrooge’s front door, come through as a truly scary haunting, and having the ghosts appear as zombies seemingly inspired by Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video was a good choice. The Victorian era was well represented in the wardrobe and props, and the sets sometimes had a woozy, off-kilter look that reminded me of some of Tim Burton’s visual style.
Some of the overly sentimental aspects of Dickens’ story were detriments to this version of his tale as well, slowing the show’s momentum here and there, but the massive, sweeping production numbers were better than I expected, particularly “Nothing To Do With Me,” which included a huge array of characters and changing sets during its duration, and the joyous “Mr. Fezziwig’s Annual Christmas Ball.”
For a holiday theater retreat for the whole family, A Christmas Carol: The Musical is a fine choice. If you’re a regular Pioneer-goer, I’d say it lands somewhere between recent productions of White Christmas (which I enjoyed immensely) and the musical version of cult holiday flick A Christmas Story (which I found utterly disposable).
A Christmas Carol: The Musical runs at Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre through December 15. Visit the theater’s Website for showtimes, tickets and more info.
(Photos by Alexander Weisman, courtesy of Pioneer Theatre Company)
THE KILLERS, UCCU CENTER, Orem, Friday, Nov. 30, 8 p.m., $28-$53
When the Killers first arrived on the scene, I wrote them off as little more than a glitzy flash in the pan out of Vegas, a band obsessed with the hooks and sounds of ’80s bands. The band followed up their hit debut, though, with albums like Sam’s Town and the new Battle Born which indicate an appreciation for bombastic, heartfelt arena-rock ala Springsteen or U2. The approach works well for lead singer Brandon Flowers and his cohorts, particularly live, where the band’s anthems come across better than they do on record. Once I saw the Killers in concert, I came to understand why they got so popular in the first place. With pop-rocking Tegan & Sara also on the bill, a trip to Orem on a Friday night doesn’t sound quite as ridiculous as it normally would.
KRCL POLAR JUBILEE, SALT LAKE HARDWARE BUILDING, Friday, Nov. 30, 7 p.m., $30 advance/$35 at the door
This is the third year that community radio station KRCL has thrown a holiday fundraiser, and the theme of this year’s Polar Jubilee is “Surfin’ Safari.” What does that mean for you, the KRCL-loving Utahn who loves a good party? Well, a heavy dose of surf music for one thing, courtesy of bands the Bartenders, Mokie, and The Atomics. It also means the return of the Hanukkah Harmonica Army led by the station’s Bad Brad Wheeler, as well as cocktails, a photo booth, auction and grub while you hang with what is always a fun crowd. You can sport some surf or safari-themed attire, but you might want to check the Friday night predicted temps before you break out the grass skirt and coconut bra.
One of the better things I can say about social media is that it’s given me the ability to wait out a new Long Winters album via main man John Roderick’s presence on Twitter, on podcasts and as a writer in various outlets.
As many of the unfamiliar on hand Tuesday at The State Room found out when Roderick opened for (and played with) Jonathan Coulton, he’s a witty charmer. That’s true when he communicates via 140-word post (seriously, check out @JohnRoderick if you’re on Twitter), but even more so when he pens a song.
Roderick’s brief set Tuesday was full of Long Winters favorites like “Scared Straight” and “Cinnamon,” and his between-song banter showcased one of the more acute and comic minds in music. When not flattering the crowd by noting his affinity for mountain towns as a native Alaskan, or talking of family reunions in Malad, Idaho, Roderick talked about how Portland only has one $50 bill in circulation, moving from coffee shop purchase to tattoo artist to dreamcatcher salesman and back to the coffee shop.
The story was Roderick’s way of introducing the one new song in his set, “Not Moving to Portland,” which was a touching narrative as well as a funny skewering of the capital of hipsterdom in 2012. The phenomenon of Portland, Roderick noted, isn’t much different from what was happening in Seattle 20 years, “except instead of putting a bird on it, people were putting a syringe in it.”
“Pushover” was excellent, as was “Ultimatum,” an audience request (full disclosure: the request was mine) and an emotionally striking song that has been one of my Long Winters favorites for a while now, thanks to lines like “My arms miss you, my hands miss you. The stars sing, I’ve got their song in my head. I don’t want my words twisted, I don’t want you to listen too closely.” The ballad worked, and the audience fell into silence to watch Roderick’s passionate performance. Even the singer recognized the moment, saying at song’s end, “Thank you. I feel like we just went somewhere together.”
Roderick closed with “The Commander Thinks Aloud,” a live staple and another great song. Here’s hoping a new Long Winters record comes along soon, and brings Roderick back to town sooner rather than later.
UTAH AIDS FOUNDATION RED PARTY, HOTEL MONACO, Thursday, Nov. 29, 5:15-8 p.m., $35 suggested donation
For eight years, the Utah AIDS Foundation and Hotel Monaco have joined forces to throw one of the most fun fundraisers Salt Lake City has to offer, for a still-important cause. The AIDS epidemic has been going on for more than 30 years now, and despite progress made on treatment and prevention, there are still 56,000 new cases a year in the United States. The money raised helps the Utah AIDS Foundation treat local AIDS patients and improve their quality of life. It’s also a great party, featuring cabaret performances, excellent food from Bambara chef Nathan Powers, and a whole lot of beautiful people adorned in red, mixing and mingling on a school night. An auction with some primo prizes helps raise even more money than the suggested donation at the door. You’ll want to RSVP in advance to make sure you can join the fun, by calling Chet at the Utah AIDS Foundation at 801-487-2323, or email Chet@UtahAIDS.org.
RICK ESTRIN & THE NIGHTCATS, SUN AND MOON CAFE, Monday, Nov. 26 and Tuesday, Nov. 27, 7 p.m., $25
For more than 3o years, singer/harmonica man and songwriter Rick Estrin was the frontman for Little Charlie & the Nightcats, a San Francisco-based blues crew whose sound was defined by the combination of Estrin’s rapid-fire harp and comically dashing persona and Charlie Baty’s guitar. When Baty retired, Estrin kept the rock-solid rhythm section in place and found a new guitar man in Kid Anderson. The quartet just released their sophomore album, One Wrong Turn, and it’s a winner beginning to end, delving into a variety of American rock and blues styles on strong original songs and well-chosen covers. Combine a veteran band like this with the kicked-back atmosphere of the Sun and Moon Cafe, and throw in some of the tasty grub from the cafe’s kitchen, and you have some serious early week options on your hands.
Daniel Nailen 