'Annie' At Tuacahn: It's Well Worth the Trip From Las Vegas

Still feeling the glow of the sheer theatricality and wonder of Chazz Palminteri's A Bronx Tale, it was with a vague, amorphous dread that I took the 150-or-so mile drive from Las Vegas to Tuacahn (www.tuacahn.com) in St. George, UT, to see a production of Annie. And, now, I am basking in "the glow of the sheer theatricality and wonder" of that production.

I first happened upon Tuacahn as the result of a magazine assignement. In that article, I wrote, "The Tuacahn Ampitheatre sits in the shockingly vivid red sandstone of a box canyon just outside St. George Utah, a testament to a vision realized and a deep commitment to the notion that the arts are vital. The name “Tuacahn” is from the Mayan for 'Canyon of the Gods.' The amphitheater is nestled among the 1,500-foot tall sandstone cliffs where abundant natural wonders have been enhanced by human imagination. Now, if you think that last statement sounds too hubristic, it’s worth a moment to journey back in time.

"Snow Canyon State Park sits on Utah Highway 18 between the Town of Ivins and the City of St. George. It was discovered in the 1850s by cowboys searching for lost cattle and, with the arrival of the first Mormon settlers, herds have grazed the land since then. Upon first seeing the canyon, St. George native Orval Hafen later wrote, “There before me lay a scene of indescribable beauty: wild, primitive, unspoiled, largely unknown, waiting to be enjoyed, waiting to inspire folks.” Inspired himself, Hafen and his wife Ruth built a cabin beneath cliffs at the base of Padre Canyon.

"He was not alone. Scenes in The Conqueror with John Wayne and Susan Hayward Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, JeremiahJohnson and The Electric Horseman were filmed in the area.

"Now, fast forward to 1993 when Doug Stewart, playwright and Hafen’s friend, came upon the same spot in his search for an outdoor ampitheater in which to produce his play Utah!, which tells the story of Jacob Hamblin, sent by Brigham Young to supervise early Mormon settlements in southern Utah. To get his play produced, Stewart formed a not-for-profit corporation to raise construction funds.

"Ultimately, a 1,920-seat outdoor theater was built on Hafen’s land along with a 300-seat indoor theater, scene shop, studios, classrooms and a gift shop. Much of the funding came through the efforts of Hyram W. Smith, vice-chair of the board of FranklinCovey — famed for the Franklin Day Planner — and CEO of Tuacahn Amphitheatre and Center for the Arts.

"So, Stewart had his stage and in 1995 Utah! premiered to general wonderment. For, in building the $23 million project, ample provisio was made for the effects written into the play. Thus, the stage was, in addition to people, alive with horses, a 60,000-gallon flood and lots of pyrotechnics.

"Utah! played as originally written for three years and then for one season with a new script. By 1999 Tuacahn went in a new direction, presenting what they call “Broadway in the Desert.” The first offerings were Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers."

This year, Tuacahn's season included Footloose, Elton John's and Tim Rice's Aida and Annie. The cast is a mixture of, naturally, young and old, as well as Equity and non-Equity talent. The production values — exemplified by Doug Ellis' scenic design — are superb. It is a huge stage and they used the size to great advantage. The sets for NYC are breathtaking, for example. But,  of course, beatiful natural scenery and sets are not as important as the cast. In this case, Tuacahn's casting people hit a home run.

Annie is played by 13 year-old Ellie Smith. Resisting the temptation to be cloyingly sweet, her Annie is smart, sensitive and has a hell of a voice. She was recovering from a viral infection the night we were there and, still, she outsang just about everyone else on the stage. She's a doll and we should be seeing more of her in the coming years.

Ronald L. Brown is a gift to local audiences. He's been in more productions than can be listed here at such standouts at the Goodspeed, Paper Mill and on Broadway. His Daddy Warbucks is soft as marshmallow inside and a real good guy underneath that businessman's bluster. His voice is also wonderful.

SuEllen Estey is a hilariously horrid Miss Hannigan and Jennifer Stone is a lovely Grace Farrell. In the role of Rooster, Aussie actor Josh Adamson was, for some reason, allowed to sound Australian while he was Rooster but sounded like a  real American rube when he was Mr Mudge. Since he did the latter so well, it's puzzling whey he didn't play Rooster as American, especially as the character's sister is Miss Hannigan. He was good but should have (could have) been better. That accent was distracting.

The orphans were, as required, totally adorable. They could sing, clown and generally endear themselves to the auddience without being too cutesy. They were lots of fun to watch. David Kirk Grant brings to the dual roles of Harold Ickes and Louis Brandeis an uncanny resemblance to Richard Nixon — especially when he's singing and dancing. Bart Williams' FDR is a delight — just as one would imagine he was in real life.

Annie is well worth the trip and, since the season ends next week, be sure to check out next year's offerings which begin June 4: Cats, Crazy For You and Disney's Tarzan (Tuacahn is the first regional theater licensed by Disney Theatricals to present that show). Tuacahn is beautiful to look at and wonderful to experience. If you are in the neighborhood add it to your "to-do" list for sure.

(Photo © Lindsay Hebberd/www.culturalportraits.com)

 

 

 

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