The newly reimagined production of Peter Pan brought magic to the stage at Eccles Theater. The thrilling musical has been captivating audiences of all ages for nearly 70 years. Now with new changes, the production continues to keep its audience hooked. Opening night brought in a crowd full of kids, many attending the theater for the first time. With its beautiful starry sky, Eccles Theater was the perfect setting for Peter Pan.
So, I’m sitting down, drinking a protein shake, and watching the morning news. I’m trying to convince myself that I need to start working, so I negotiate with myself that I’ll watch TV for 15 more minutes and then I HAVE to get to it. Within that 15 minutes, I watched the local morning news, and I saw, Equality Utah Executive Director, Troy Williams talking about the upcoming Allies Gala. He then mentions that the featured artist at the gala will be Andy Bell, the lead singer of the synth-pop duo, Erasure. My jaw dropped. Erasure is my favorite band. Learning that one half of my favorite band would be performing right here in Salt Lake City? I knew I had to be there.
This last week, alternative indie band The The, led by the ever-enigmatic Matt Johnson, made their way to Salt Lake City Utah, playing their “Ensouled” world tour at the Eccles Theater. The much-anticipated return of The The to the music scene was prefaced with “Ensoulment”, a new album released by the band earlier this year. The Utah-based audience that had crowded into the theater was treated to a near-perfect night of music across a vast musical landscape that included everything from new wave, alt-rock, post-punk and so much more. For many it had been 20-plus years since they had seen the band live, truly marking the performance as one to bring back old memories whilst cementing new ones!
It has been 30 years since the release of the classic movie “Mrs. Doubtfire.” Like most people who were raised in the 90s, I grew up watching the film. It was undoubtedly Robin Williams’ performance as the eccentric Scottish nanny that made the movie such a hit. I had been looking forward to seeing the production, but I admit, I had somewhat low expectations. Robin Williams was one of a kind, and I wondered how anyone else could fill the role. I was also curious about how the addition of musical numbers would affect the storyline. On Tuesday, September 10th, I had the opportunity to see for myself.
Girl From The North Country • June 11, 2024 • Eccles Theater
Reviewed by Kevin Rolfe
Photos provided by:
Photo Courtesy of Melissa Cohen (BOND Theatrical)
With the Tony Awards being broadcast this Sunday night, it felt fitting to find myself inside Eccles Theater watching a musical. A Tony Award-winning (Best Orchestrations) musical at that. The audience seemed in great spirits, ready to enjoy another great evening in downtown Salt Lake City with another show in the Broadway At The Eccles series.
Girl From The North Country is a musical featuring the music and lyrics of the great Bob Dylan with the book by Conor McPherson. It is set in Duluth, Minnesota in 1934 in the shadow of The Great Depression. The show takes place inside a guesthouse, or hotel of sorts. The cast consists of various people staying at the home. As the show goes along we are made aware of the different trials, tribulations, and struggles that each character faces or has experienced.
MJ The Musical • February 27, 2024 • Eccles Theater
Reviewed by Kevin Rolfe
Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy
When I first heard they were doing a Broadway musical of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, I thought, this will have great music and dancing, and it’ll surely bring in tourists. But I wondered how good it would be. This seems like a show that a production could easily get wrong. I was thinking if I ever saw it, I’d be seeing a watered-down, cash grab of a jukebox musical. But when MJ was announced as part of the Broadway at the Eccles 2023/24 season, I started to hear good things about the production coming from New York. I was hearing that it was actually a good show. I was excited to find out for myself.
On Saturday, February 24th, 2024 Grace Potter and her band blessed our eyes and ears with an incredible and fun performance at the Eccles Theater in downtown Salt Lake City. This was not a venue I was very familiar with. The only other time I had been at this venue was to work as contract security for The Fiddler On The Roof in 2017. But this venue was the perfect setting for the energy and electricity Grace and her band exuded.
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.”
The Beatles are considered one of the greatest bands of all time, and their music has resonated through generations. As a tribute to this iconic group, Rain performed their greatest hits at the Eccles Theater on July 26, 2023. It was an unforgettable event, as fans of The Beatles joined together to celebrate their timeless legacy. Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to experience a live performance of some of the most beloved songs ever written! Rain will also be performing at Eccles Theater tonight (July 27th). Go to the link below for tickets.
Nick Cartell as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables 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. ***
