Ghost: The Musical at the Empress Theatre in Magna is a Spiritual Experience

By Tanner Tate

On Friday, I took a short trek to the Empress Theatre in Magna to see Ghost: The Musical. I have once before reviewed a show at the Empress, and it felt very familiar walking into the homey space. Several years ago, I had the opportunity to see another production of this musical, and though I’d forgotten many of the details before arriving at the Empress, there were several moments that stuck with me. I sat down for this production with an eagerness to relive the same moments that resonated with me years ago, as a younger lad.

Ghost: The Musical is based on the 1990 film starring Patrick Swayze, and has a book and lyrics written by Bruce Joel Rubin, who wrote the screenplay for the original movie. Musical and additional lyrics are written by Dave Stewart and Glenn Ballard, geniuses in their own right; Stewart having written and produced music for Bon Jovi, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Mick Jagger, and Ballard credited in a collaboration with Alan Silvestri, along with production and writing of music created by Van Halen, Aerosmith, Michael Jackson, and many others. The musical was premiered at the Manchester Opera House in 2011, and was subsequently moved to West End and Broadway, where it enjoyed moderate success, before also being taken on several national tours and becoming a favorite of regional theaters across the world.

Ghost: The Musical opens on Sam, (Brock Dalgleish), and his girlfriend Molly, (Camille Crawley), moving into a new apartment. Sam is a hotshot banker, with a modern touch, appearing in a white button-down, tie, and blazer, with worn slim jeans to pair. Molly is a sculptor, whose eyes shine like stars through the duration of the show. Their good friend, Carl, (Zac Freeman), a co-worker of Sam’s, arrives to assist them in their move. Sam and Molly are shown to be fiercely in love; the kind of love that people dream to find. The next day at work, in a bustling and stressful office space, Sam notices a discrepancy in the numbers of the bank, and Carl offers to look into it so that Sam can make it to a date with Molly that night. During the date, Molly confides in Sam that she wants to marry him, though she asks why he never tells her that he loves her. Sam states that he would rather say it through his actions, instead of his words. On their way home, Sam and Molly are confronted by a thug with a gun, named Willie, (Ben Tutor), and during a scuffle between Sam and the Willie, the gun goes off, killing Sam. For a moment, Sam is bewildered, chasing the thug off, before turning back to Molly, who is panicking over his dead body as it is carried away. Sam realizes what has happened, and finds himself stuck in between the living and the dead, roaming the world until his business is finished, uncovering the truth that his death was not some freak accident, but was part of a carefully orchestrated plan full of betrayal that he could never have expected. Desperate, he enlists the help of a psychic medium, Oda Mae, (Keslie Ta’afua), to help him exact justice, before what is left of his life crumbles to pieces.

Dalgleish’s Sam is an older, more rugged version of a character that many of us have grown accustomed to. Sam walked into the story looking like a rock star. Dalgleish sports facial hair, tattoos, slim jeans, and a halfway-unbuttoned shirt throughout the production, which fit his portrayal of a frustrated, scared, and increasingly angry Sam as the story progresses. Before his death, Sam is a bit cold, with light shining through the cracks, in the form of his love for Molly, small jokes with his friends, and even tossing a $100 bill as a tip at a restaurant, and it was a joy to watch those walls disintegrate as Sam goes to extraordinary lengths to protect Molly and find peace. Dalglish was honest in his acting choices and showed remarkable tenderness when acting alongside Crawley, while exhibiting fiery but controlled anger when interacting with Freeman and the other actors.

Crawley performs with as much authenticity as an audience member can ask for. At the opening of the show, she is excited and bubbly, but once Sam passes, her honest portrayal of profound grief is immensely moving. This is particularly touching when she sings “With You”, which brought a tear to my eye while I tried to write it down so I didn’t forget. Her interactions with all characters are natural and motivated, and her vocal performance is the strongest in the production. As stated before, one of Crawley’s most notable physical attributes are the lights in her eyes, which are impossible to miss as she searches for the answers Molly seeks despite her anguish. “[With Ghost,] I’ve learned how much being in the moment is necessary,” Crawley said to me after the show, “It’s so easy to get lost in this world and forget.”

As the traitorous best friend Carl, Freeman is convincing in his motives. During his scenes with Molly, there are several moments where it is easy to forget that he’s the bad guy. He looks the part, sleazy like a scoundrel, down to the greasy hair that falls over his eyes at several points. Freeman exhibits strong vocals in his arena as well, and presents the audience with a drastic shift in opinion for a single character during the show; something which is always entertaining!

Ta’afua has earned her place as Oda Mae, the crowd favorite of the show. She is younger than she may be played in other productions, but it serves her well as she connects to a younger demographic. Her vocals are crisp and enjoyable, and her acting is natural; but her true ability shines in her talent for comedy. Honest comedy is often more effective than slapstick comedy, and somehow, Ta’afua manages to incorporate both into a smashing performance full of hilarious and bold physicality, perfectly executed punch lines, and a general dominion of the stage, without upstaging anyone else.

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The main cast is joined by a group of versatile ensemble members who are constantly changing in and out of costumes, spending more time on stage than, perhaps, many of the leads! Notable among these are Tutor, who portrays Willie, with an authentic Latin American accent and excellent comedic delivery, Lisa Hansen and Jasmine Freeman, who play Oda Mae’s con-artist sisters, Jeff Spafford, who acts as the partially-insane and slam-poet Subway Ghost, and Cheryl Cripps, who raises the roof with a powerhouse voice as the Hospital Ghost who welcomes Sam to the afterlife. Also constituting the ensemble are Adam Loewer, Kaitlin Swenson, Alex Richardson, Andrea Del Mar Santiago,and Ivy Harris. Together, the ensemble creates some beautiful tableaus onstage with fun choreography by Ashley Loewer, and, though there were some falters in musical blend, the singing kept the plot centered around the beautiful score. After the show, I asked the ensemble members what their experience was with the show. While the usual joking answers abounded, highlighting the heavy amount of dancing in the show, “Sweat,” “Exhaustion,” “Water,” a central theme came from each actor, and can be summarized by Spafford: “This is my first show at the Empress, and I really loved it.”

If you have seen shows at Empress in the past, the technical crew will boasts some talented and familiar names. Directed by Candice Jorgensen¸ the actors consistently move about the stage in a way that is engaging and motivated. This is particularly noticed during the scenes when the ‘bad guys’ are taken to the ‘bad place’, and the movement from those leaves the audience with a sense of eeriness. These scenes are also emphasized by lighting, designed by Tanner Lindsay. Anthony Swanson managed the sound design, and I never found the music or microphones overbearing or underwhelming, thanks to his expertise. Jorgensen also doubled as the set designer for this production, and the set was simple yet useful. Ty Whiting is the costume designer for this production, and his costumes were contemporary and pleasing to the eye, while creating humorous touches for the more eccentric characters. As for the direction of music, Janzell Tutor has made sure the cast did not walk out onto the stage without knowing any of their music. There was rarely a missed beat or “bum note”, though some opening night nerves may have been made apparent through some shyness in volume.

Due to some of the darker content of the show, and the frequent use of language, I would leave the little ones at home for this one, but feel free to bring anyone 13-and-up at your discretion.

The Empress never fails to deliver a show full of heart, and Ghost: The Musical is no exception. The music is stirring, the acting is refreshing, and the story is deeply moving. The cast creates no shortage of moments that tug at your heartstrings and leave you slightly breathless. Bring a few tissues, just in case.

Empress Theatre in Magna presents Ghost: The Musical
Empress Theatre 9104 2700 S, Magna, UT 84044
October 5-6, 8, 12-13, 15, 18-20, Friday, Saturday, Monday 7:30 PM, Matinee October 13 2 PM.
Tickets $10-$12 https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=79913
Email: empress@empresstheatre.com
Box Office: 801-347-7373
https://www.facebook.com/TheEmpressTheatre/