By Amanda Berg Whittle
Musicals about musicals are always fun, especially for “show people,” and Curtains at the Grand Theatre in Salt Lake is no different, but it brings more than just that to the table: it is also a murder mystery and comedy which takes place in Boston, 1959: the golden age of theater; however, one theater is not lucky enough to experience the golden age. It faces its fair share of problems, the most disturbing of which how poor their most recent musical is despite their desire to take it to Broadway… oh, and the murder of their leading lady on opening night. Because the murder is at the theater, everyone is a suspect so Lieutenant Frank Cioffe (Daniel Beecher) is called in to investigate, and the comedy begins.
Frank is both a detective and a theater nerd, so to the dismay of cast members, director Christopher (Jim Dale), producer Carmen (Camille Van Wagoner), and divorced composer/lyricist duo Aaron and Georgia (Marshall Madsen and Britty Marie Nelson), he takes it upon himself to turn their flop into a hit despite his lack of knowledge or expertise. Beecher is perfect for this part. He is charming, passionate, awkward, and simply adorable, especially when paired up with up-and-coming actress and love interest, Niki Harris (Michelle Lynn Thompson), who is equally as sweet and awkward. Their song “A Tough Act to Follow” is one of my favorites, due to the fantastic lighting design (Drew Bielinski), partly the interesting chords (composed by John Kander), and the sweetness and innocence of the lyrics (by Fred Ebb). It just makes you feel so warm and fuzzy inside.
One song that does not make you feel warm and fuzzy but is equally as well done is “It’s a Business,” sung by Carmen. Van Wagoner is fantastic at this part—extra crass with extra sass, she is the epitome of the New York producer, and her piece expresses this perfectly. I was assuming I found her especially entertaining having worked with stereotypical New York producers just like her, but my Utahn husband found her hilarious as well. She steals the show with the size of her personality. Two characters with less ludicrous personalities but equal talent include Aaron and Georgia. A recently divorced couple, they are forced to work together as composer and lyricist. Both Madsen and Nelson have gorgeous voices and their pieces have large amounts of raw emotion surrounding their dying romance. Maden’s “I Miss the Music” is quite the tearjerker, and the reprise, “Thinking of Missing the Music” is the same.
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One thing I always love about the Grand is the choreography (Christine Moore and Lexie Lilly). I love shows with prevalent ensemble parts, and with this always comes great choreography. Two especially talented dancers are Bambi (Corrine Adair) and Bobby (Wyatt Hendricks), who perform a fantastic and provocative pa de deux (for two!) in “Kansasland.”I likewise love the costumes and wigs (Shannon McCullock, Dianne McCullock, and Lindsea Garside) because they are quite fitting for the time period and I’ve always loved the 1950s starlet look. A great ensemble is necessary for this show to be successful, and even though the show is about a flop, director David Hanson and Musical Director Michael Leavitt create a hit with this wonderful cast and crew. Curtains is rated PG13 because of some mild language and non-overt innuendos, but for reference: I saw it at age 11 on Broadway and it was perfectly fine. Make your way “Thataway” to the Grand Theatre in Salt Lake City and enjoy a night of musical murder comedy like no other.
The Grand Theatre presents Curtains by Rupert Holmes, music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb, and original book and concept by Peter Stone.
Grand Theatre, Salt Lake Community College, 1575 South State, Salt Lake City, UT 84115
October 3-26, 2019 7:30 PM, Wed-Sat, 2:00 Saturday matinee
Tickets: $9-23
Contact: 801-957-3322
The Grand Theatre Facebook Page
Curtains Facebook Event
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