The Principle Wife

The Principle Wife• July 22, 2023• Cover Center for the Arts

Reviewed by Kevin Rolfe

*This review contains spoilers.  If you’re planning on seeing The Principle Wife come back and read this after you’ve seen it.  Otherwise, you may proceed.*

Photo Credit: Matt Ball

I saw the billboards, I’ve seen the social media ads, and I thought, ‘Is this a musical about polygamy?’  Then I received an email with an invitation to review the production of The Principle Wife.  So I read up on it and sure enough, it is.  I’m sure many of you might be thinking, why would anyone write a musical about polygamy, why would Kevin go review a musical about polygamy, and do we need a musical about polygamy, are people wanting this?  I’ll do my best to answer those questions. 

Continue reading “The Principle Wife”

Hairspray

Hairspray the Musical• April 11, 2023• Eccles Theater

Reviewed by Kevin Rolfe

Photographs by Jeremy Daniel

Photo Credit: Jeremy Daniel

The 2022/2023 season of Broadway at The Eccles has been one for the books! Shows like Moulin Rouge, Ain’t Too Proud, and Dear Evan Hansen has thrilled audiences.  Eccles Theater has been packed to the rafters with satisfied patrons. The shows of this season have been excellent, but I must admit, when this season was announced, I was thrilled to see Hairspray on the list.  I didn’t know there was a tour up until that point.  Outside of the occasional regional or community theater productions, my Hairspray musical experience had ended.  I really love this musical so I’m sure you can imagine how delighted I was to see it on the season schedule, and how much more ecstatic I was to be sitting in my seat Tuesday night waiting for the show to begin.  

Continue reading “Hairspray”

Broadway at the Eccles Announces New Dates for the Upcoming Broadway Season

Zions Bank Broadway at the Eccles 

is Excited To Announce 

New Dates for the Upcoming Broadway Season

Salt Lake City, UT – We are pleased to announce the dates for the 2021/2022 Broadway at the Eccles season, bringing back extraordinary entertainment to Salt Lake City. For this season, we have been able to reschedule five of the six season package shows originally announced. We are also thrilled to reveal the 8 time Tony® and Grammy® Award winning production of Hadestown will be added to the package to ensure our subscribers have six amazing shows this season. 

Continue reading “Broadway at the Eccles Announces New Dates for the Upcoming Broadway Season”

Dear Evan Hansen March 4, 2020 Eccles Theater

By: Kevin Rolfe

Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy

Every once in a while we’ll get a musical that has been written in the present tense, with modern themes and modern lessons.  Sure you’ll have a show like Hamilton which has many modern elements and musical stylings, but the story takes place over 200 years ago. I’m talking about shows like Hair, which in which the story took place in the ’70s and debuted on Broadway in the ’70s.  Another show like this that comes to mind is Rent from the ‘90s. The show takes place in the ‘90s, it’s themes are from current events of the day and the show debuted on Broadway in the ‘90s. You get the idea. Now we have Dear Evan Hansen. A story for our time.

Continue reading “Dear Evan Hansen March 4, 2020 Eccles Theater”

Miss Saigon October 15, 2019, Eccles Theater

By: Kevin Rolfe

Miss Saigon US Tour Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy

*This review contains mild spoilers.  The main reveals in the show won’t be divulged but if you want to go into the production without knowing anything, please read this review once you’ve seen Miss Saigon.*  

The New National Tour of Cameron Mackintosh’s revival of Boublil and Schönberg’s (Les Misérables) musical, Miss Saigon made its Utah premiere last night (Oct. 15) at the beautiful Eccles Theater in downtown Salt Lake City.  When the Eccles Theater was being discussed and then constructed one of the reasons for building the theater was to be able to house some of the larger scale musicals that the newly renovated Capitol Theater is unable to fit on its 106 year old stage.   Miss Saigon is definitely a large scale musical, both with a 42 person cast and a set design that takes every bit of the stage. 

Continue reading “Miss Saigon October 15, 2019, Eccles Theater”