Best of Utah Theater in 2014: Salt Lake City BWW Reviewer's Favorite Shows

Tyler Hinton's Picks:

1. PETER AND THE STARCATCHER at Pioneer Theatre Company, www.pioneertheatre.org

This production of the Tony-winning Broadway play took audiences on a touching, magical journey filled with rich drama, witty humor, and all the wonder of live stagecraft. Despite the highly theatrical concept of the piece, every actor played his or her role in a grounded, realistic manner that evoked real emotion and was tightly woven into the fiber of the story's sprawling tapestry. It was hands-down one of the best pieces of theatre to be produced in Utah last year.

2. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN at Hale Centre Theatre in West Valley City, www.halecentretheatre.org

Both ebullient and poignant, this rendition of the recent Broadway musical was a slick, joyful production with heart. It boasted a simple, clear concept that elucidated the underlying emotions of the characters, all while having a whole lot of fun. When its glossy veneer opened up to reveal the substance beneath, it was truly show-stopping.

3. WAR HORSE at the Capitol Theatre, www.broadwayinutah.com

This national tour of another Tony-winning Broadway play was at once epic and intimate. It was deeply theatrical in its simple, cerebral staging, but it was also spectacular in its groundbreaking puppeteering and its effective, restrained use of projections and lighting effects. It was the perfect marriage between universally accessible entertainment and intellectual, artistic expression.

4. SWEET CHARITY at Pioneer Theatre Company, www.pioneertheatre.org

This production of the classic musical was a zany, zingy concoction filled with life and all that comes with it. The direction and execution of the dialogue scenes was crisp and gratifying, the performances were superb, the design transported the audience to a delightfully vibrant cartoon-like atmosphere, and the 1960s-infused choreography was quite simply a joy to behold.

Honorable Mentions:

BRING IT ON at the Capitol Theatre, www.broadwayinutah.com (an infectiously joyful, highly entertaining national tour)

MEMPHIS at the Capitol Theatre, www.broadwayinutah.com (a smoldering, soul-stirring national tour)

Photo Credit: L-R Justine Salata (Molly) and Liam Forde (Boy) in PETER AND THE STARCATCHER. Photo by Alexander Weisman.

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