By Christina Carrick
There’s no chance you’ll find yourself nodding off during Salty Dinner Theater’s exciting and hilarious version of Sleeping Beauty, playing in several venues for the love month of February. Playwrights and co-directors Monique Derr and Beth Bruner take a classic tale and give it a really fresh, fun spin. While staying true to the story we all know and love, they flawlessly infuse modern music and comedic social observations into their script. Families of all ages were packed into the sold-out opening night show that had audience members on their feet. The cast makes it a point to mingle with the audience prior to the show’s starting and continues to interact throughout the night. This makes the audience feel part of the performance without it being awkward or feeling on the spot.
Jamie Haderlie, who plays the evil fairy Pernicious, opens the evening with an electric performance of “I Need a Hero”. Her vocal talent is unbelievable and is matched by her knack for comedic timing and great acting. She is the villain you can’t possibly hate because you’re so excited every time she enters the stage. Much of the story’s fresh feel comes from the fact that the sleeping beauty isn’t really the main character, but instead the tale focuses around two fairy sisters, and especially the snubbed Pernicious.
Alli Huefner plays Pixie, the good fairy sister. She and “House Elf”, played by Tynan Portillo, exchange great banter and are a believable pair of friends and heroes. Huefner and Portillo are expert story tellers and perform their narrative portions captivatingly, and completely in character. Huefner is charming and vivacious and brings a lot of light and energy to the performance. Portillo likewise charms the audience, but more with his self-deprecation and dry wit.
Amber Lee Roberts takes on the role of Cecilia, the Sleeping Beauty. She is graceful and elegant, but also plays the character as a little light-headed, in the funniest possible way. Her comments on her millennial behavior are some of the best lines of the night. She is a triple threat as she sings beautifully, dances gracefully, and is completely believable in her role of a love-struck princess. The chemistry between Roberts and Meish Roundy, who plays Prince Ferdinand, is palpable and endearing. Roundy and Roberts steal the show during their dream sequence interludes and answer the troubling issue of consent when dealing with a sleeping princess.
Jason Jones boldly takes on two characters, both of them kings, and distinguishes them through different accents and wardrobe. Jones has some of the funniest moments of the show as he interacts with Haderlie and Roundy. He is first to greet audience members as they arrive and graciously interacts with each one, completely in character, and really sets the tone for the whole evening. He is likewise a talented singer and brings a lot of humor to the stage.
Salty Dinner Theater performs at restaurants throughout Utah, but will return to Los Hermanos in Provo on February 23. Though dinner is not included in the price of the tickets, meals at Los Hermanos are both affordable and delicious. It is a terrific venue for this type of show. Their sound system leant itself very well to the music and the wait staff did a wonderful job weaving in and out of the production and taking care of each guest. Brad Giles on sound does an excellent job adjusting the volume to the space and keeping the music and sound effects an integral part of the show. Additionally, Kami Henderson and Mindy Eckroth act as show managers, making sure the show goes off without a hitch and also aiding in cast/audience participation.
Sleeping Beauty is advertised as a family show. The one caveat I would give is that there are fairly harmless lines of innuendo peppered throughout the show (e.g. mentions of hanging a sock on the door, etc.) I had my eight-year-old daughter and nine-year-old niece with me and these moments went right over their heads, but it’s worth noting for families who are highly sensitive to that type of humor. Additionally, children who are sensitive to loud music might struggle with the volume of the musical numbers.
This was my first experience with Salty Dinner Theater and I am sold on their business model. They are a troupe of highly talented actors and singers with brilliantly funny playwrights. They are performing Sleeping Beauty at restaurants throughout Utah during the month of February and shows are selling out quickly. Visit their Facebook page and Groupon for ticket deals. I highly encourage anyone who enjoys comedic musical theater to check out their calendar and attend a show near them.
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Salty Dinner Theater Presents Sleeping Beauty by Monique Derr and Beth Bruner
Seven Restaurants throughout Utah—see their website for dates, venues, and times
February 9-28, 2019
Tickets: $10-$16 (Dinner sold separately)
Salty Dinner Theater Facebook Page
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