Broadway Archives - Utah Concert Review

February 21, 2024February 22, 2024

Broadway at The Eccles announces 2024/2025 Broadway Series

Announcing our biggest season ever,
the new 24/25 Broadway Series features
the show with all the #1 hits & Juliet,
the Tony Award-winning Best Musical Kimberly Akimbo,
the return of Salt Lake City’s most “popular” musical WICKED, and more!

Salt Lake City, UT – We are pleased to announce the 24/25 Zions Bank Broadway at the Eccles season, bringing five premiere engagements to Salt Lake City, and the return of crowd-pleasing Add-Ons.

January 12, 2024January 12, 2024

Six

Six The Musical • January 9, 2024 • Eccles Theater

Reviewed by Kevin Rolfe

Photos by Joan Marcus

The North American Tour Boleyn Company of SIX. Photo by Joan Marcus

We all have our favorite musicals, don’t we? Shows that we’ll see every time we go to Broadway, or whenever the touring production stops through town. We know all the words, we know everyone who has played our favorite character, and we know every bit of choreography. There’s nothing like having a favorite show. But once upon a time, that musical was brand new and we saw it for the first time. Think back on not knowing all the words, and as soon as you could you wanted to learn them. Or wanting to learn everything about the actors or the production. Well, departed the Eccles Theater after watching the premier performance of the musical Six, my thought was, “Someone is leaving here tonight with a new favorite musical.”

June 22, 2023

Les Misérables

Les Misérables• June 20, 2023• Eccles Theater

Reviewed by Kevin Rolfe

Nick Cartell as Jean Valjean in *Les Misérable*s
Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade

Les Misérables, “The World’s Most Popular Musical” made its return to Utah at the Eccles Theater in downtown Salt Lake City. This show was originally announced as part of the Broadway at the Eccles 20/21 season. But as we all know, tours were stopped and theaters were closed during that period due to the global pandemic. So when the 22/23 season was announced, and Les Misérables was part of it, patrons lined up (figuratively, I know we don’t actually line up to buy tickets in person anymore) to buy tickets to this beloved musical. I must admit, I’ve been anticipating this show since it was announced and could not have been more thrilled to be inside the Eccles Theater on June 20 for opening night.

***This review contains mild to moderate spoilers. If you can wait “One Day More”, go to the show then come back and read the review. Otherwise, you have been warned. ***

May 31, 2023

Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

Tina: The Tina Turner Musical• May 30, 2023• Eccles Theater

Reviewed by Kevin Rolfe

Naomi Rodgers as ‘Tina Turner in the North American touring production of TINA THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL Photo by Matthew Murphy

It’s hard to believe that within a week of the great Tina Turner’s passing, I was sitting inside the beautiful Eccles Theater in downtown Salt Lake City, watching Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. As I walked into the theater I could overhear several conversations talking about the legend’s passing. Many patrons lined up to sign a memorial that was set out for Tina Turner. Some stated that they were looking forward to the show because they didn’t know much about her life. Others claimed to be the biggest Tina Turner fans ever and were excited to see the musical. Either way, there was a different buzz in the theater lobby. I wouldn’t quite call it a sadness but more like a reverence for the situation. The timing of the opportunity to see this show just after Tina’s passing did not seem lost on anyone.

April 13, 2023

Hairspray

Hairspray the Musical• April 11, 2023• Eccles Theater

Reviewed by Kevin Rolfe

Photographs by 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.

March 15, 2023

Broadway at the Eccles 2023-2024 Season Announced!

Zions Bank Broadway at the Eccles is Excited to Announce

the upcoming 2023-2024 Broadway Season featuring

SIX, MJ, HAMILTON and more!

Salt Lake City, UT – We are pleased to announce the 2023-2024 Broadway at the Eccles season, bringing the best of Broadway to Salt Lake City. The season begins with one week of the timeless classic MY FAIR LADY, nominated for 10 Tony Awards® including Best Musical Revival, followed by the smash hit musical based on the songs of ABBA, MAMMA MIA!, and don’t lose your head, but Broadway’s hottest new ticket, winner of 23 awards in 21/22, SIX, will be in Salt Lake for two weeks. The season continues with the premiere of the most Tony Award®-winning new show of the season MJ, the hit musical sensation that explores the creative mind and collaborative spirit of the legendary artist, Michael Jackson and one of Hollywood’s most beloved romantic stories of all time, PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL. Our fourth premiere coming to the Eccles will be GIRL FROM NORTH COUNTRY, featuring the legendary songs of Bob Dylan set in a guesthouse filled with music, life and hope. And as previously announced, the return of HAMILTON for 5 weeks in the summer of 2024.

March 2, 2023

Dear Evan Hansen

Dear Evan Hanson• February 28, 2023• Eccles Theater

Reviewed by Alisha Gregson

Anthony Norman (Evan Hansen) in the 2022-2023 North American Tour of DEAR EVAN HANSEN, Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade

In March 2020, Dear Evan Hansen came to Eccles Theater. Unfortunately, after only a brief run of performances, the production had to cancel its tour early due to the Covid-19 shutdown. Now, 3 years later, the Tony Award-winning musical has returned to Eccles. Thousands of Utahns who previously missed out will finally get their opportunity to see the show. We were fortunate to see the production on March 4, 2020. We hoped that shows would only be pushed back a week or so. Clearly, that wasn’t to be.

February 23, 2023

Patti LuPone

Patti LuPone• “Don’t Monkey With Broadway” Tour• February 4, 2023• The Noorda Center

Reviewed by Kevin Rolfe

“It won’t be easy. You’ll think it’s strange when I try to explain how I feel…” about Patti LuPone at The Noorda Center of the Performing Arts on the campus of Utah Valley University. What a moment in this venue’s history. To have a legend of the Great White Way grace this young stage is a massive get for The Noorda. But as I’ve mentioned before, this venue was up to the level of the great Broadway Legend and her performance and her still after all these years, powerful voice. The meeting of Lupone’s voice and the acoustics of The Noorda filled the air of the room was a beautiful union.

February 1, 2023

Jessica Vosk

Broadway Star Jessica Vosk• January 25, 2022• Noorda Center

Reviewed by Kevin Rolfe

Photographed by Emily Muñoz

Jessica Vosk is a singer and actress best known for starring in the role of Elphaba, the lead in Wicked both on Broadway and on the show’s national tour. She has also performed on Broadway in The Bridges of Madison County, Finding Neverland, and the 2015 revival of Fiddler on the Roof. Vosk has also performed concerts in some of the most famous venues across the country including New York City’s famous Lincoln Center and sold out the iconic Carnegie Hall. So having Jessica Vosk here in Utah at the Noorda Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of Utah Valley University was a real honor.

January 12, 2023

Ain’t Too Proud

Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations • January 10, 2023• Eccles Theater

Reviewed by Kevin Rolfe

The Eccles Theater and Broadway at the Eccles started 2023 with a bang. Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations was a perfect way to start the new year. The jukebox musical tells the story of one of the most iconic and influential groups in music history. The Motown legends had so many peaks and valleys throughout their career that it would be impossible to pack all of the history into a Broadway show. But the production sure tried. In the late 90s NBC produced an four hour miniseries of the group and even with all the detail they provided, I still had more questions. Each membrer of the classic lineup has a story that could be its own movie or musical.