Top Arts Experiences of 2014

Top Arts Experiences of 2014

I’m always enthralled and inspired at this time every year by the “Best Of” lists which appear from mid-December through the holidays. Critics, writers, and journalists take the opportunity to reflect back upon the year gone by—its many beloved or long-since-forgotten experiences behind them. This seems to be a good way to fill up the library and wipe the slate clean so as to be ready to embrace a new year full of new experiences.

I, too, have decided to write a “Best Of” list. I am no famous person, no highly regarded journalist, no esteemed writer, but I like this idea of reflecting upon some of the experiences I’ve had over the course of this year. And since I live and breathe the arts in my daily routine, I’ve decided to make it a broad list, a list encompassing anything “artsy” that made an impact on me this year. There were certainly many more than the ten listed here, but these were some of the most memorable.

1. BIGMOUTH (Jan. 11—Public Theatre, New York City)

This solo play from Belgium’s SKaGen Theatre Company created a mashup of many of the great speeches in history, juxtaposing them in a fascinating way and adding many layers of new meaning to the powerful words as they were spoken out of context. I saw this play at Under The Radar, a festival of contemporary, international theatre; my experience at the festival a year earlier partly inspired and motivated me to start a festival of my own in Provo, Utah, (shameless plug alert!) the second edition of which takes place, Feb. 5-7, 2015.

2.  OFF THE MAP (Jan. 21-23—Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah)

I started this small international arts festival at BYU in order to create an opportunity for people in Utah County to experience dynamic, exciting, international, contemporary theatre. I was thrilled with the result from the festival’s debut in January, which included performances of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer from Australia’s The Last Great Hunt; a 30 minute solo version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet performed entirely in Farsi from Iran’s Leev Theater Group; and Translunar Paradise, a beautifully moving wordless play about love, loss, and grief from the U.K.’s Theatre Ad Infinitum. These performances showcased puppetry, media, mime, movement, and devised theatre—all things you don’t get to see much of in Utah County on a regular basis, and certainly not from professional, international ensembles.

3. A RAISIN IN THE SUN (April 12—Barrymore Theatre, New York City)

I have long loved this play but, strangely enough, had never had the opportunity in my life to see it performed live on stage (I’ve read it several times and seen various filmed versions). It’s a powerful 20^th century essay on the state of the deflated American Dream. It’s also timelier than ever. Headlined by Denzel Washington and Sophie Okonedo, the show did not disappoint, and this production, in particular, highlighted the humor in the script that I had not fully recognized before.

4. TRUE TALL TALE (May 27—ASSITEJ World Congress, Warsaw, Poland)

Copenhagen-based Teatret Gruppe 38 makes use of very bold theatrical conventions to tell stories for children. This is the second production I have seen from this exciting company. This production recounted a Danish folk tale narrated by a solo actor stationed in the middle of the stage while all of the audience members rested in hammocks in a circle surrounding her. It was a truly magical and unique experience.

5. AN EVENING WITH SUTTON FOSTER (Sept. 5-6—Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah)

In my work and in my life I always shoot for the stars. Sometimes it takes a while for things to align properly, so when I was finally able to bring Broadway star Sutton Foster to BYU (after patiently waiting and working for three+ years to do so) it was a particularly satisfying experience for me. I was thrilled with both her performances and her person. She is as genuine and lovely as they come. Her warmth, skill, and range shone brightly in her concerts at BYU, and the equally lovely and talented Megan McGinnis and Michael Rafter proved the perfect additions to a perfect weekend of performances and interactions.

6. BYU BALLET SHOWCASE (Nov. 7—Brigham Young University)

My experience with, and knowledge of, ballet (especially contemporary ballet) was virtually non-existent before I began working as the presenter and a producer of performing arts at BYU seven years ago. During that time I have enjoyed watching the ballet program in our Dance Department grow and mature as they’ve taken risks in their programmatic work. The result was this captivating and surprisingly polished and professional performance of contemporary work. It was a very exciting night of dance to behold in Provo!

7. OUR TOWN (Nov. 21—Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah)

Like A Raisin in the Sun, I had never yet had the opportunity to see a live performance of this classic American play until we produced it at BYU this fall. Directed by Stephanie Breinholt with a delicate yet clear hand, the performances, design, and filmed moments collided to create one very special, magical experience.

8. THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS (Dec. 10—Garrick Theatre, London)

This underrated musical is a powerful examination of race and justice in America. Told through the use of 19^th century minstrelsy as its theatrical device, the show forces us to examine our relationship with topics not the norm for musical theatre, which is exactly why I loved it. Director Susan Stroman’s creativity continues to impress at every level, in a career full of extraordinary accomplishments. I found it especially interesting in her program note when she mentioned that the creators of the show, Kander and Ebb, used various  specific theatrical conventions to tell some of their stories, including cabaret in Cabaret, vaudeville in Chicago, and now minstrelsy in this show.

9. MESSIAH (Dec. 10—Cadogan Hall, London)

I’m working on a collaboration with the London-based choir Tenebrae, so I traveled to the U.K. to catch their performance of Handel’s masterpiece recently. Joined on the program by the London Chamber Orchestra, the result was a beautiful and exciting rendition of this choral masterwork, the first time I had ever seen Messiah performed in its entirety by a professional ensemble.

10. ONCE (Dec. 11—Phoenix Theatre, London)

I don’t know why it took me so long to finally see this show, but I’m so happy to have caught a performance while in London a few weeks ago. The creative staging, haunting and beautiful music, and stellar performances made it clear to me why this love story has been such a hit in London and the United States.

Some of the other cool experiences I had this year include John Lithgow's visit to BYU in February for a performance of his one-man show, Stories by Heart. He also took part in a Q&A with our students while he was on campus, which everyone really enjoyed. I also got to spend a lot of time with two-time Tony Award winning composer Frank Wildhorn, which has led to a very exciting next step in my life and career.