Dancing with the Sun

Sundance Resort, y'all. I just... I can't even... IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL.

And then there's the outdoor theatre.

It's even more spectacular in person, y'all.

Last night, my oldest son took me as his plus one to Sundance's Mamma Mia. He works there, up in the mountains, in what has to be one of the most magnificent spots on the planet. 

Look at that handsome young man! Also, my son's pretty cute, too.

First, I just have to say that it's a special kind of feeling when your son calls you up and asks you to go see theatre with him. This was enough to make me leak moisture from my eyes all over my lap blanket. Yes, I have a lap blanket. Shut up.

This is also kind of a big deal. Well, you know. For the little people. It's the final dress rehearsal for the show, and Sundance employees (as well as cast and crew of the show) get to invite someone along. There's a big dinner before the show, and guess what? I was able to eat stuff!

Burgers and sausage and chicken, oh my!

The chefs up at Sundance know what they're doing, so even if it's burgers and sausages and chicken, it's all really good. All I had to do was ditch the buns and avoid the ice cream desserts.

Dammit.

I experimented a bit. There was a corn and bean salad-type thing. Didn't go over well with my tastebuds. I also tried pickle spears and sauerkraut. Jury's still out on those. My mouth was still raw from an overindulgence in Ice Breaker Sours from earlier that afternoon when my wife and I went to go see a movie.

Side note. The movie was Stuber, which I would give a solid 7.5 out of 10. It's hysterically funny, and both the lead actors are quite good. Kumail Nanjani is one of the funniest, most nuanced actors out there, and Dave Bautista doesn't get enough credit, IMHO. Kind of like The Rock. Way better than most people think. It also has Betty Gilpin in a supporting role, and I have been low-key obsessed with her since I read this gorgeously written and insanely vulnerable essay about her work on GLOW and then watched the show. Yowza. It's really good. She's really good.

Anyhoo.

Mouth. Sore. Pickled juices not so bueno. But it didn't seem to set off any other mouth alarms, so I'm calling it a tentative win.

'Nother side note. Sundance Resort is not the same as Sundance Film Festival. Yes, put on by the same people, but Sundance Resort is up Provo Canyon on the slopes of Mount Timpanogos, where the Sundance Film Festival is up in Park City. Just to make it more confusing, the resort hosts the Sundance Institute for up-and-coming directors every year.

Back to the theatre. This show was insanely good, y'all. I've seen Broadway shows that weren't as well produced and performed.

The show stars Dianna Graham as Donna and Rilyn Gardner as Sophie. They were both phenomenal. I mean, the show's book is... shall we say... somewhat lacking in dimension? It's a musical based around songs by ABBA, so it's probably not going to win any Pulitzers. You know? But it's a fun romp with music that makes me giddy with nostalgia.

Back to the two leads. They made me cry, y'all. Real tears.

The other two actors that make up the trio of women, Rosie and Tanya (played by Jocelyn Hansen and Kerilyn Johnson, respectively) were outrageously funny.

The ensemble was incredible--individual characters that tracked throughout the show. Great dancing. Fun and funny moments abounded.

And the voices. Ah, the voices.

So, here's the thing. Dianna and I went to undergrad together. So did Kerilyn and I. They were amazingly talented then. They are so much better now.

Every aspect of the show--direction (Matthew Herrick), music (Amanda Crabb), choreography (Becky Wright Phillips), set design (Josh Steadman), costume design (Dennis Wright), lighting (Joseph R. Walls), sound (Matt Tibbs) and hair and makeup (Heather Jones)--were flawless. Sheer poetry writ large on the side of the mountaintop.

I laughed so hard I almost passed out. Or peed my pants. Maybe both. I've already mentioned that I cried. It was better than Cats. I'll see it again and again.

Seriously, though. I'm going back and taking my wife.

The night was magical in every way for me. I saw so many people I know and love, both in the cast/crew and in the audience.

Another part of Sundance. Isn't it amazing?

I saw so many former students and classmates. I talked endlessly (and probably a bit insanely--I get super excited when I see people I care about) to them. Most of them made me cry at some point (this seems to be a running theme). Here's just one of those beautiful people.

She just happens to be the child of two other talented people I went to undergrad with.
Her dad designed the (stunning) costumes for the show!

I can't fully express how much joy I took. I was in the mountains, watching incredible theatre, surrounded by people I love, invited by my oldest son.

I'm not able to completely take it in. Part of me thinks that maybe it was just a lovely dream. I mean, I have photos. But still.

Sundance. It's where dreams happen, y'all.
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Up next: a treatise on sugar.

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