The Ziegfeld Theater — Attraction in South Ogden

I had the pleasure of attending the opening of The Ziegfeld Theater’s production of Les Misérables. Before I begin I want to make the following disclaimer: yes I am biased by the fact that I have family and friends in the cast, but I assure you I consciously sat aside any and all bias as I began writing this critique. I want to make this known upfront and I am also going to try and temper my remarks due to the fact that if I just blurt out the euphoria I felt at show’s end last night no one reading this would believe a word of it.

Simply put – best musical theater production I have seen since moving to Utah. Yes I know I must sound like the boy who cried wolf to you right about now. I’ve said Dark Horse Theater Company’s Reefer Madness had the best collection of vocalists, although I could easily have swapped-out Silver Summit Theatre Company’s production of Company for that top spot. Which was funnier, Westminster Collage’s Urinetown or Wasatch Theatre Company’s Avenue Q? You’ve heard me say it was a toss-up a hundred times. And yes I recently gushed that The Ziegfeld Theater’s production of The Drowsy Chaperone had the most heart and soul of any show I’ve seen in years.

But this…this was something special.

What impressed me; strike that, what awed me was the depth of vocal talent Rick Rae has assembled in this cast. With headliners such as J. Michael Bailey and Miles David Romney, you know what to expect; neither failed to deliver and each had me tearing-up more than once. Rick Rae could have banked on the name reputation of these two extraordinary actor/vocalists to carry a “good show” and stopped there, but he didn’t. Instead he satisfied and dismissed my greatest theatrical pet-peeve, i.e. “inconsistency and fall-off” from cast leads through ensemble, and the result was nothing short of spectacular.

I am going to list a few standouts below. I could name every single cast member, but again, if I did no one reading this would believe and/or take me seriously. Just trust me: go see this remarkable production of one of the best musicals ever written; and yes, you can agree with and thank me later.

J. MIchael Bailey as Jean Valjean – moved me to my core, unparalleled. Miles David Romney as Javert – stepped-up to J. MIchael Bailey’s high bar. Rachel Shull as Fantine – she’s Rachel Shull…enough said. Alina Garell as Madame Thénardier – perfect comic timing plus great vocals = brilliant. Layne WIllden as Messier Thénardier – same as above. Aaron Gordon as Marius – fantastic vocals and spot-on acting choices. Jeremy Egan as Enjolras – why have I never seen him before? Amazing. Dee Tua'one as Courfeyrac – seen 4 times but 1st vocal solo I’ve heard…1, 2, and 3 were missed opportunities. David Boice as Grantaire, et al. – where’s he from and why is this the first time I’ve seen him (see Egan above). Natalia Noble in Ensemble – I can never say enough about this supremely talented and lovely lady.

I’m short on time so just to re-cap… best musical theater production I have seen since...

I cannot even put this theater into words. It is just amazing. The main stage shows are awesome. The theater is run by Morgan and Caleb and they do a really good job. If you want to start theater, go to the Zig. Heidi is also a great helper too. They also have a kids program, if your children want a chance to follow their dreams of becoming a Broadway star, or a voice actor. Kristin runs it and no one is as good as a director as her for the kid program. The zig also has amazing choreographers. In the past few weeks, the Ziegfeld theater started Mamma Mia. It was phenomenal. The actors are really going places. This theater compares well with Hale even though it’s a small community theater. Of course it’s not as big as Hale but in my opinion Ziegfeld’s actors are 10x better. If you live far from the zig, but your thinking about coming to see shows at the zig, please do it. I saw another comment on here saying the theater is very inappropriate and not family friendly, but that person is completely wrong. Ziegfeld has adult shows if you wanna do a date night, and the zig has family friendly shows. In the next few years, if zig gets the chance to upgrade their theater, this will be one of the best theaters in Utah. The Ziegfeld is...

This is a great community theater that needs your love! The popcorn was fresh, drinks ice cold, the staff was kind, the seats really comfy and productions we've watched were well done. I called to ask a few questions the day of watching their most recent show. I was told about an opening night Gala. So we hired our sitter (because understandably they don't allow children 3yrs and under (a policy I completely agree with)) early and once we arrived we found out they don't hold them on opening night anymore. So beware! Nearby are a handful of places to eat so we did that. Ziegfeld has a rundown old movie theater feel, the bathrooms, walls and floors need some love, but it's clear they're doing their best with what they have. Even with that feel, I completely support and love all the heart and soul they're giving to each performance. There were moments of awe in the production value. It was an incredibly fun and reasonably priced way to spend the evening as a family! Note, that not all shows are family friendly but they do a good job of explaining that if you ask. We purchased day of show tickets both times we've been to this theater and there were still plenty of empty seats. So keep filling them y'all. It...