UFO

My mom came up in Aug JUST for me!!!! She flew in Wed night and then Thursday we headed up to Logan for the Utah festival operas! We've done this before (a few years ago) and believe me, it is not for the faint of heart. On the first day you hit a matinee and then you have a few hours after that before you have to be back for an evening performance. Then you crash at a hotel and do it all over again the next day. -another matinee and evening performance. It's super awesome if you like musicals and operas (which we do) but I think that Ryan would rather be whipped than try to sit through four performances in a row.

This year the performances were as follows

The sound of music -which I thought would be my favorite and turned out to be my LEAST favorite

Guys and Dolls -which I didn't realize "luck be a lady" and "I love you a bushel and a peck" were both from (all of the old people in the audience did though ...and believe me, there were a LOT of white heads bobbing to bushel and a peck)

La Triaviata which I'd never seen performed before and totally fell in love with but had to laugh because it was the stereotypical opera with a fat lady dying at the end

and the barber of seville which I have seen before, but I've never seen it done this well. It was hilarious. I think even Ryan would have enjoyed it. I have to say though, I feel like an idiot because during the overture my mom leaned over and asked who wrote it and I said Mozart. DUH Rossini wrote it. a few days later I realized what I had said and have been meaning to call her and set the record straight, but forget to mention it. I hope you're reading this mom.

So here's the thing about the sound of music. (and guys and dolls too) The lead female roll they gave to (big surprise) Vanessa Ballam -Michael Ballam's daughter. (he runs the whole thing) I wouldn't really care except that she sucks. She sucks SO bad. It was really quite ridiculous and I don't even know what to say about it other than just thinking about it right now is making me pissed all over again. There are so many talented girls out there that it kind of breaks my heart that they would give BOTH leads to her when she's so bad (both at singing AND acting) that it ruined the show. I'm seriously considering writing a letter of protest to UFO cuz really, I can't sit through another performance with her in it and I REALLY hope that my mom and I can do this again.

Other than the Vanessa business, it was so much fun. I love my mom and I'm so glad we share this love of the fine arts. It was such a blast bunking with her and walking to our shows and having dinner together. OH, and kind of cool, the prophet showed up for sound of music too! (that kind of thing happens in Utah) I wonder if he was as offended by Vanessa Ballam as I was. Even if he was, he probably wouldn't say anything mean like I do. He definitely wouldn't blog about how much he hated her. I really hate her.

Thanks for an AWESOME time mom !!!!!!