Miss Linda Productions presents "The Sound of Music" June 29

If you left the beautiful Great Falls High auditorium this weekend after seeing "The Sound of Music" thinking that this was one of many musicals produced by a veteran theater company, you wouldn't be the only one.

The fact that it's Miss Linda Productions first big show, is extremely surprising. 

It's surprising only because almost every aspect of the show was meticulously delivered -- be it the singing, the orchestral music, the costumes, the staging, the lighting and the acting. 

That just doesn't happen in your first show. Not often, at least. And granted, all of the pieces in place have tons of theater experience, so it's not like this was anyone's first rodeo, but as a collective, it was, and that's impressive, 

Which, isn't to say that everything was perfect. There were a few issues which I'll get into later, but let's get into the things I enjoyed.

Much kudos goes to Joel Corda and Linda Fuller, the show's director and producer, for handling such a large cast and getting the most out of everyone.

Lindsay Jolliff, especially, brought plenty of positive energy, vocal talent, attractiveness and charm to Maria Rainer. 

If you had never seen the Julie Andrews version, you'd be hard pressed to find someone who's done it as well as Jolliff. And, even if you have seen the movie version many times, she still stood out and made the role her own.

Some of my favorite moments were her interaction with the Von Trapp kids in "Do-Re-Mi," along with both the reprise and the main portion of "My Favorite Things" with Mother Abbess.

Kudos, too, must go to all of the children -- Rebekah Hegg, Andrew Cantley, Kathryn Rarden, Devin Green, Kaitlyn Fellows, Mari Anderson and Adrianne Purpura. They played well off of both Jolliff and Jason Hodne, who played Captain Georg von Trapp and also delivered with their chances to shine on their own. 

As for Hodne, it was a little bittersweet seeing him perform, only because he's such a talented singer and actor who is leaving Great Falls for a while to pursue his future in Florida. I wish him the best of luck and know that if you missed seeing him in either this show or "South Pacific" at UGF, you missed a performer with a natural gift for theater. 

It also helped all of the performers having a good orchestra, conducted by Steve Olson, there as well. Considering how much music they had to play and how often they were performing, they all pulled it off wonderfully, especially knowing that each of the performers were high school students. 

Indeed, there were a few songs where the pitch would be a little off, particularly during the song "An Ordinary Couple," but again, all things considered, they did a solid job. 

I also enjoyed how the show started with the nuns singing behind the audience and making their way onto the stage. As they sang I felt as if I were in a real cathedral during the gospel songs in Latin and English. Credit must go to Sarah Raines, Rachel Hegg, Mary Rapkoch Dupuis and Jennifer Cantley for their wonderful vocal contributions. 

They looked like nuns, with authentic costumes, too. In fact, all of the costumes were bright and fit the characters styles. Nadine Corda deserves a lot of credit for making the actors all look great as well as period appropriate. 

But, for as much as I enjoyed the show, and I did, there were a few things that could have been tightened up. 

Firstly, a little background. 

I attended a dress rehearsal on Tuesday evening. During the rehearsal, one of the biggest concerns I had was that it was very difficult to hear the singers over the orchestra in front of the stage. Miss Linda assured me that this problem would be fixed, and for the most part it was. 

However, there were a few singers' voices who still got lost behind the orchestra. 

The area mics hanging above the stage did alleviate a lot of the hearing problems  I had on Tuesday, however, there were still times where I wished I could have heard all of the singers better. The children, particularly, got lost now and then, most likely because they were so far from the mics due their height, whereas Hodne, who is very tall, had no problem. 

However for her part, Jolliff did a good job projecting, even if there were a few moments where I missed hearing a few lines from her. Same for Darryl Stevens, who played Max Detweiler. 

Another small issue with the microphones came when the orchestra wasn't playing, and there would be some subtle yet noticeable feedback, particularly when the taller actors would stand right below the center and stage left mics. 

Then, in the scene where we first meet Elsa Schraeder and Max Detweiler, there was a loud crack, from what sounded like a firecracker. I wasn't sure if it was part of the show or not, but it did take me out of the moment for a few seconds mostly because I didn't see it coming. 

Finally, and this is a somewhat minor complaint, but for the scenes in the covenant, having a cross or two somewhere on stage would not have gone amiss. They may have added an extra element that helped the viewers put themselves into the room. 

Nevertheless, the show I saw received a much-deserving standing applause. I was impressed by the number of people attending a Sunday afternoon showing, as I've been to other shows in Great Falls on Sunday where hardly anyone was in the audience. So, it looks as if the show was well received by the community, which is great news for the Great Falls theater scene. 

Miss Linda has stepped into the theater game with a bang, and she's proven to be a major player, because, as I said above, there was some mystery surrounding this show. Would the cast and crew get along together? Would the orchestra and singers mesh well? Would the Great Falls High auditorium be too big of venue? 

These were all questions I wondered about before the show opened, and each of them were addressed almost beyond expectation. 

If you missed this show, I encourage you to go see whatever Miss Linda Productions has up their sleeves next. I for one can't wait to find out. 

"Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Vanishing Author" at MAT-Great Falls

With "Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Vanishing Author," MAT-Great Falls wrapped up one of its more well-attended shows in recent memory, rivaled by perhaps only "Reasons to Be Pretty."  

The show, starring Keern Haslem, Dyllan Storm and Desiree Boothe, was directed by Nora Block.
Seeing as the show's run is over, this review will be a bit of a postmortem examination of the strengths and weaknesses of the performance I saw.

Firstly, credit goes out to the actors for not only portraying one character, but two or three complex yet subtly similar personalities.
That's not an easy task, and each actor did a stand-up job at letting the viewers into what made these characters tick.

The set, too, had plenty of old-world charm complete with old books, furniture, tea trays, pictures, desks and lamps. It helped the viewer get lost in the story without having anything that made you think, 'Well, that doesn't seem like it belongs there."

I also appreciated how the story was woven with simple tasks that Sherlock would handle a certain way, and then cut to the next scene when Arthur Conan Doyle would handle it an entirely different way. It seemed like each character had at least one of those moments when it was apparent that the story was trying to get you to notice these subtle differences in approaches.
If you missed the show and aren't familiar with the plot, it involves Arthur Conan Doyle purchasing a new place to focus on his writing. At the same time, he's trying to escape the clutches of his creation, Sherlock Holmes, which is both literal and figurative. Once Sherlock catches wind of his possible demise, he seeks out Doyle, his mother and his friend Dr. George Budd.

It was a bit convoluted at times, and part of me wondered if Sherlock was supposed to be a real person or simply one of Doyle's split personalities, or both.
I felt that the fact that Haslem would occasionally switch accents of both characters in the same scene, added to that confusion. Perhaps it was intentional, but I was left wondering if there were parts of the story that was supposed to be Doyle acting as Holmes and vice versa as opposed to just Holmes or just Doyle.

As for the delivery of the accents, the actors did a decent job pulling it off.
While there were times it seemed as if they were being a bit over-the-top with the rolling of their R's, or other similar voice techniques, by and large it was convincing enough without taking away from the immersion.
Part of me wondered if both of Boothe's characters were supposed to have accents, and there was a slight bit of dipping in and out of the accents by all three of the actors, but again, I did not find that it was a distraction.

One thing that I felt did take away a bit from the show was the actors missing their cues on several occasions. While it's nice to have it feel conversational and loose, at times Doyle would speak and Budd would speak over him at the same time. It made for a little confusion as I was left trying to pick up what the character who spoke too soon was trying to say and what the previous statement was, both at the same time.

Mostly, though, the play put some interesting questions in my head such as -- "What happens when an author gets completely lost in his or her character? Is it possible to lose your own personality in favor of your character's? Or "How does this amalgam of author/character affect an author's relationship with those around him/her?"

The end got a bit too confusing, but the attempt at asking these questions and seeing where they go, was an intriguing internal conflict.

The actors all came into the show well prepared and it showed. The staging was clear, the lighting differentiating between the scenes with Sherlock, Watson and Mrs. Hudson vs. Doyle, Budd and Mrs. Doyle.
MAT needed to end the season on a strong note, and I feel they hit enough high notes with this show to consider it a success.

University of Great Falls' "South Pacific" part 2

Last night I saw the second cast of "South Pacific" featuring Taryn Judah as Nellie Forbush, Ryan Hurley as Emile Debecque, Ken Taylor as Luther Billis, Zachary Sean Dennis as Joe Cable, Kellsi Heller as Bloody Mary and Roy Goodell as Captain Brackett. 

If you haven't seen the show yet, know that no matter which cast you see, it's just as entertaining and fun. 

The stage direction, costumes, makeup, singing and comedic timing all gave the show a certain authenticity that made it a pleasure to watch.  

Taryn brings a little more southern charm to Nellie, whereas Kristi has a less-noticeable accent with her Nellie. Both actresses bring something unique to the role and both were wonderful. 

The dynamic between Judah and Hurley was noticeably different, as well, likely because the two are closer in age than Kristi and Darryl. 

There were parts where that similarity worked, their first kiss in the second act, for instance, and then parts where it didn't feel as natural, particularly where the script intentionally points out their significant age difference in the first act. 

Dennis' take of Joe Cable was a contrast from Hodne's as well. 

Dennis's Cable is a touch softer and more vulnerable after falling for Liat, while Hodne brings a more no-nonsense Cable that still is vulnerable but feels more driven by his orders. It's a very subtle difference that you might only notice when you look for things happening between the words. 

 

The cool thing about the character is that he goes from one to the other from one scene to the next and both actors handled it well. 

Taylor's take at Luther Billis was a bit different from Twedt's in that it he brought more of that sly, almost used car salesman approach to Billis. It seemed like I was seeing more of the character and less of the actor, whereas with Twedt it was more of the actor and less of the character. 

Taylor's lead part in the song "There Is Nothing Like a Dame," seemed a tad stronger, whereas I felt Twedt's shining moment was in "Honey Bun."

All singers deserve praise for their deliveries. There were only a few missed notes and slip-ups, which is bound to happen in any live show. The mistakes were few and far between, but there were a few that stood out.

Keep in mind these are minor complaints that don't take away from the extraordinary effort that everyone gave. 

When Taryn started into "I'm Going to Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair," she seemed just a tad behind the beat. She found it quickly, though and finished the song with ease.  

What's interesting is that Kristi also slipped up at that same point, only in a different way. It makes you wonder if that's something with the music that is difficult or just a coincidence. 

It also felt that during "I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy," as if Taryn was forcing the delivery, in particular during the lines "Im as Corny as Kansas as August." Subconsciously I tensed up a little while listening to that line. 

Similarly, during "This Was Nearly Mine," Hurley would subtly shift his weight back and forth between his feet, which could be seen as nervousness. 

His vocal performance was excellent and I never felt as if the song was too big for him, but in terms of stage presence, there were a few small moments where it seemed as if it was. 

All and all, I enjoyed the show, even though I've already seen it twice before. I think that speaks to the level of quality in that there wasn't a moment where I felt bored. I laughed at the jokes and applauded just as enthusiastically as I did the first time I saw the show. 

It's for those reasons I recommend you see both casts and decide for yourself which characters you liked the best. 

There are two shows left on Saturday, one at 2 and another at 7:30. If you missed my first review, check it out here: 

http://thegbgf.blogspot.com/2014/04/south-pacific-at-university-of-great.html

"South Pacific" at the University of Great Falls

The University of Great Falls' production of "South Pacific" is a bright, energetic, catchy and fun musical in which its strengths outshine the few problems I noticed.

The cast I saw featured Kristi Hale and Darryl Stevens as Nellie Forbush and Emile De Becque, Matt Twedt as Luther Billis, Jason Hodne as Joe Cable, Ali Semenza as Bloody Mary, Brian Logsdon as Commander William Harbison and Ed Moran as Captain Brackett.

"South Pacific" is a classic, well-known musical, so it's crucial that the songs are done well, and for the most part the UGF cast delivers. The girls were just as strong as the guys and there are small details that all give the show life. The short USO performances before the main show is fun, too with my personal favorite act the tap dancing from Jessica Burton and Lindsay Jolliff.

Sarah Raines, the show's director, did a fine job of casting and directing the actors to make their roles believable, lighthearted and interesting to watch. Her musical expertise paired with assistant director Dana Kirkmeyer's stage experience I felt made for a great combo behind the scenes.

The UGF cast performs "Honey Bun." Photo courtesy of Darron Raines

Some of the standout performances for me were Stevens' singing in "Some Enchanted Evening," "This Nearly Was Mine," and "Twin Soliloquies." His powerful, full voice commands attention whenever he opens his mouth. 

Stevens has significant stage experience and it shows in his confidence, stage presence and vocal range. Throughout most of the show I saw him not as an actor playing a Frenchman, but as an actual Frenchman on a small island who's trying to escape his past. Having his two children perform in all French was a nice touch that only made it more real. 

The same can be said for Hale's interpretation of Nellie. While she did have a slight flub on the opening of "I'm Gonna Wash that Man Right Out of My Hair," she made a quick recovery and delivered a gleeful performance with the help of the ensemble. She made Nellie seem naive, loving and gentle. 

The best song, hands down, however, is "Honey Bun," and the ridiculousness from Mr. Twedt. While some people in the audience seemed a bit unsettled, his was a rousing performance in drag that was very memorable, funny and strong. The fact that Twedt sold it with no hesitation put it over the top. 

Moran's performance of Captain Brackett, too, was top-notch. 

You believe he's an actual Navy captain that anyone who served could probably identify with. He was angry when he needed to be, silly when it was called for and even funny in a few scenes, too. 

Finally the set pieces were likely the best I've seen at UGF since Michael Gilboe took over the program. 

The turnstile that quickly switched the scene from a living room to an outdoor jungle, Bloody Mary's hut and Nellie's shower during "I'm Gonna Wash that Man Right Out of My Hair," all helped the audience get immersed into the story. I was impressed that the shower had running water coming from it, a little detail that viewers would notice were missing if not included. 

As much as I enjoyed most of the show, there were a few things that I felt were a bit problematic. 

The recorded music seemed a bit too loud at times. 

It's a delicate balance but I think it could've been a touch quieter to give the actors' voices more prominence. 

The sailors perform "There Is Nothing Like a Dame" Photo courtesy
of Darron Raines

Also, it took me nearly half of the show to get used to the fact that there was one speaker on the left-hand side but not one on the right, which created a bit of an uneven listening experience, almost like if you put on a pair of headphones and one side was silent. A small caveat, but noticeable nonetheless.

I also had one small issue with the lighting. During the scene with the island girls standing on the steps in front of the stage, a lone light shone on the girl at the top, while the rest of the girls could barely be seen. 

The biggest concern I saw, though, was during Bloody Mary's portion of "Bali Ha'i." 

Semenza's vocal performance was good and her ability to portray herself as a middle-aged Asian woman was solid, as well. She was at her strongest when she was playing foil to the sailors and officers. During her song, though, it needed a lot more movement from her and the other characters on stage. 

Everyone was flat footed, which is fine, up to a point, but I could see a slight touch of boredom in the faces of some of the sailors. 

I was hoping someone would do some sort of movement on stage. This was alleviated, somewhat, when Luther Billis takes over and he starts to move on stage, but I wanted to see more of it before that. 

Semenza had great movement and character traits going for her before the song, I would have loved to have seen that carry over to her song, also. 

Another smallish problem is one I can appreciate as a difficult to approach. 

I felt like the intimate scenes with Emile and Nellie weren't quite as passionate as they could have been. The kissing, the touching, the embracing, all felt a little awkward. 

The island girls and Bloody Mary perform in "South Pacific"
Photo courtesy of Darron Raines

I say this is a difficult problem to address because of the sensitive nature of acting as if you love someone. It wasn't a showstopper, but I did find that I was left wanting more of a realish connection between the two. 

Stevens' and Hale's singing and individual acting performances, though, were wonderful. The leads are some of the best I've seen at UGF.  

I unfortunately did not see the other cast due to an illness, so I can't speak to the performances of those actors. 

All and all "South Pacific" is a stellar show with lots to enjoy if you're familiar with the show or not. The songs are catchy, the singing is professional and the costumes, props, set designs and direction were great. 

I recommend everyone see this show, which runs again on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday evenings of this week. 

For more information on the show, check out my article from last week's Hot Ticket: 

The Cascade Quartet's "Schubert and Friends" concert, April 6

The Cascade Quartet yesterday performed the grueling, yet satisfying piece, Schubert's "String Quintet in C Major," along with Lucie Vellère's "String Quartet No. 3 and "ECHOES" by visiting composer Chen Zhangyi.

The Cascade Quartet and Fern Glass Boyd

Guest cellist Fern Glass Boyd joined the quartet for the Schubert piece, as well.
Everyone should see the show, there's one more on Tuesday at the Russell Museum, just for the chance to hear the Schubert piece, which, is as close to perfection as a string quartet can get in terms of source material. The sweeping highs, the quiet lows, the richness that Boyd brings to the piece is a magical journey of classical sounds you really have to hear for yourself.

Nothing I say about the piece likely will change anybody's opinion -- it's a legitimate masterpiece placed in the hands of professional musicians. But, if you have not heard it, consider checking it out, even if you're not a purveyor of fine culture.

The final movement, to me, is quite unlike any other I've ever heard. As they wrapped it all up, I envisioned what it must have been like to first hear it played in front of thousands of people in the late 1800s, and the adoration that likely followed.

While there probably weren't that many people at Sunday's show, the standing ovation the audience gave was much deserved.

Before the quartet dived into the Schubert, they played an avant-gardeish piece from Zhangyi, a Singapore native living in Baltimore.

Zhangyi spoke about the piece beforehand, and he suggested folks think of actual echoes as they listened to the sounds.

I found myself a little unsure of it at first, but once I accepted that it's not supposed to sound like Beethoven or Bach or, well, Schubert, I started to see more of its brilliance.

The piece likely won't appeal as much to fans of "conventional" classical music. There's a real purposeful unsettling feeling throughout, punctuated by the picks and plucks each of the performers played.

As I was listening to it, I felt it swell like a wave of sound masked as water expanding and retracting onto the shoreline. There were several moments where I would close my eyes and I'd feel like I could see what the echoes might look like as they were being played.

If I had any complaints about the show, it's that for people sitting in the back rows, you couldn't quite see the performers entirely because they are at ground level inside the chapel. Having them on an elevated platform might help alleviate that. You could hear them wonderfully, however, as the acoustics in the room are quite good.

The performers all were dressed in professional dresses and suits (Well, Thad, was, at least seeing as he was the only male performer,) so it's a bit of a shame I wasn't able to see them better from the back.

They play at a different venue on Tuesday, the C.M. Russell Museum, however, so it's likely easier to see them there.

It also would have been nice to see them play an encore after the roaring applause died down. Having just played the mammoth 55-minute Schubert piece, however, I think the audience can understand how they might have been a tad bit exhausted.

All and all I enjoyed the performance and felt honored to have heard it played by such a talented group of musicians.

You still have another chance to check out the show -- they play again Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Russell Museum.

Reasons to be Pretty at Montana Actors Theatre-Great Falls

The MAT production of Neil DeBute's "Reasons to be Pretty" is a stark contrast from the past few shows the theater has produced.

The script is considered by many to be a dark comedy. It seemed that MAT made it more of a drama, although I didn't consider that it was taking liberties with the story that was not befitting of its tone.

Emily Townsend and Levon Allen in a scene from
"Reasons to be Pretty"

It works fine and there were some fine performances to be seen as it's presented.

The cast I saw featuring Jeff Scolley, Levon Allen, Mary Willmore and Emily Townsend does a good job, mostly, at sucking the viewer into the characters' world.

There were some points where I felt the actors could have taken a different approach, but I'll get into what I enjoyed first.

The scenes between Jeff and Levon (Greg and Kent) I felt were the strongest of the play.

This is the first play the two have worked together, but you wouldn't know that if you weren't told that beforehand. They read each other's cues well, they work at playing off each other's emotions, and they project their voices well so you know what's being said. The same can be said for the two females, as well. There was never a time where I felt I couldn't hear or understand what was being said or why it was being delivered at that time.
The actors did a great job in delivering the story from the point of view of real people.

The music used between scenes was appropriate and catchy, and the lighting and set changes were done well. Perhaps trying to do set changes in front of the audience would've made it more dynamic, but that's a style choice more than anything.

As for the story, if you're not familiar, it focuses on a man who lets his tongue slip around his friends and calls his girlfriend's face "regular."

Once word gets back to her, she erupts and says that she could never be with a man who doesn't find her beautiful, and his attempt to put the genie back into the bottle. It also poses ethical questions about how what one says in private, a la Kent to Greg about his wife and his mistress, can be just as harmful as what one says when he thinks it's in confidence, as is the case when Emily hears what Greg says in regards to her appearances.

It's a look at how words and appearances, while oftentimes shallow, can leave deep scars on a person depending on the circumstance.

The actors do a good job at conveying the message and it makes one think about how it has an impact on your own life.

The fight scene between Jeff and Levon in particular stands out as reason to go see the show. It's staged well, it's believable, and it's a confrontation that sticks with you after you leave the theater.

The issues I had with the play involve the decision to make the script less funny than it maybe could have been, and the decision to over-humanize the characters rather than make them more story characters.

I think it's always a balancing act in how much humanity you give your characters and how much "dramatic technique" you give them to make them work in conjunction with the plot.

These characters also could have used more staging. There were scenes where the cast would stand and deliver lines without moving much at all. If you're following along with the dialogue, it wasn't much of a problem, but if you're trying to also watch the characters' movements, the way their non-verbal communication can say more about what they're feeling and thinking rather than the words they're using.

It's very subtle and not always necessary, but it can make a difference between a good production and a great one.

Another problem area I saw was during the scene with Carly and Greg, where Carly feels Greg knows more about Kent's whereabouts than he's leading on. Kent, at this point in the story, has been having an affair with a coworker and confided in Greg about it. Greg, put in an awkward spot, must either tell Carly the truth or keep his promise to his friend.

The scene seemed too casual. Carly, instead of coming across as desperate for information, seems rather nonchalant.

It took me out of the story for a few brief moments because I thought, "well, I'm not sure I'd act that way in that given circumstance." I felt Mary could've used a bit more anxiety, more accusation, more pain in her delivery. It's still a good scene, she sticks to her method of delivery throughout (which is better than switching back and forth between casual and intense) but I felt it needed a different approach. .

Some people have said that the story has too much cursing or that they felt that Emily wasn't right for the role of Steph.

I disagree with those critiques.

Just because an actor might not fit the character the way you picture him or her in your head, doesn't mean it's a bad performance, and the swearing, while noticeable, wasn't anything I felt was outright offensive. Adults swear from time to time in the heat of the moment. It happens.

All and all, "Reasons to be Pretty" is a step in the right direction for MAT and they should feel pleased to know that community theater still has a place in Great Falls. If you haven't seen it, there are still several opportunities to do so this weekend.

It's an entertaining performance and one where the issues I had with it were all subjective and not anything that caused the story to come to a crashing halt.

Every Christmas Story Ever Told, Dec. 21 at MAT-Great Falls

Last night I saw the MAT-Great Falls production of "Every Christmas Story Ever Told," and overall wasn't that impressed.
I will add a few qualifiers before getting to that, though. The story has some potential. There were a few moments that made me laugh and I wouldn't say it was completely worthless. It wasn't.

I also should add that I left at intermission. Out of respect to Dana, Josh and Aisha, I offer my sincerest apologies for leaving early. I experienced a circumstance beyond my control that made me unable to return.

But, I will, however, offer my thoughts on what I saw.

The good
I enjoyed watching Aisha's enthusiasm for her role. Connie, too, had lots of enthusiasm and almost childlike wonder. This was her first experience acting, and it showed, but she was indeed full of energy and life. I also liked the light show as the first half was ending and seeing the three actors, the previously mentioned Aisha and Connie along with Josh Wendt, dancing silly-like on stage to the music while the Christmas lights flickered in sequence.
Finally, the scenes where they asked someone from the audience to get up and help with the scene worked wonderfully. The person asked to get on stage often added something quantitative to the show that garnered some of the biggest laughs.

The bad
Firstly, I understand why Josh had a script in his hand as they had an actress drop out at the last minute forcing him to fill-in. I understand that.
However, when I saw the show it was Josh's third weekend performing it. Granted he did not glance at the script much at all, probably the least he had of all the weeks, but the fact remains he was up there with a script.
It might not be fair to compare local actors, but I think this comparison has merit.
When Krystine Wendt, Josh's niece, was asked to step in at the last minute in I Hate Hamlet, and in Steel Magnolias, she did so without a script.
Maybe that shows how well Krystine is at memorizing her lines more than anything against Josh, but well, there's just no way this aspect of the show can be construed as anything but a distraction, however small or big depending on your preference.
Like I said, I didn't notice Josh looking at the script hardly at all, but he did still have it and did still look at it so it's always going to be something I'll mention.

Secondly,
I think what made the end of the first act work for me, like I said earlier, was the decorations. The rest of the time the set was plain black. Perhaps some garland or some colored lights, even a Christmas tree, might have added to the atmosphere. I kept wishing there was any kind of small Christmas decoration during the entire show.
I also had a hard time following the plot during several of the skits. The Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer skit was all sorts of confusing because for some reason they made the reindeer have a green nose and made him not a reindeer. There were several other instances where the plot seemed to be so convoluted I wasn't sure quite exactly what was going on.

Thirdly,
The lighting at times didn't quite spotlight all of the actors on stage. The opening scene, in particular, was troublesome as you could see Josh and Aisha fine but Connie appeared to be standing in the dark for a good majority of the scene. It would have been nice to be able to have lighting on each person. It wasn't noticeable for the whole show, but I did notice it now and then.

Lastly,
There were times where it seemed like someone would just be talking without any reason to be talking. Between a few scenes, Josh had a voice-over where he listed off names of Christmas characters and songs and a whole slew of other things that I wasn't sure why they were being mentioned.

 If it was funny, that would be one thing, but I'm afraid to me it just seemed like someone listing off things.

Since the show's run is over, I'm writing this more as a recommendation about some of the things I noticed for next time.
Theater is hard. Producing a good show is even harder.
This one might not have worked as well as it could have, but, everyone involved still put in the time and effort to make it happen and give the community an artistic endeavor to attend.

Despite my thoughts and the thoughts of some others involved in the theater community here, there were still people who were laughing and having a good time at the show. That's really what it's all about.

I'll be watching for the next show sometime later this spring. My hopes are that some changes will be made and the people who care about getting better will improve and the theater will experience another insurgence. Great Falls will be a much better place for it.