- Courtesy photo
Iliza Shlesinger
A lot of work goes into a comedian readying a new full set of material for a live taping—and veteran comedian Iliza Shlesinger made sure audiences understood that work when she participated in the 2019 documentary Over & Over, which chronicled the preparations for her Netflix special Elder Millennial. "You can only figure out your process through trial and error, repetition," she says. "I only do my writing on stage. So for me, getting up every night, doing a couple shows a night, that's where I do my writing. That's where you get your batting practice in. ... I just talk them out. That's why these smaller shows are important, to do that work."
So when Shlesinger takes the stage in Salt Lake City to record her next special—planned for a 2025 release on Amazon Prime Video—you can be sure that months of writing, re-writing, club gigs and fine-tuning went into the effort. But then again, Shlesinger has been working her career consistently ever since (and don't emphasize this credit, because she gets tired of talking about it) winning Last Comic Standing in 2008. That's how true professionals do it.
Grab tickets now to be part of the audience for another hour of the fine art of well-built comedy. Iliza Shlesinger brings the "Get Ready" tour to the Eccles Theater (131 S. Main St.) on Saturday, Nov. 2 for two performances, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tickets $39.50 - $99.50; visit arttix.org to purchase tickets or for additional event information. (Scott Renshaw)
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An October Evening 2024
It might seem odd to have an event called An October Evening taking place on an evening in November—but that might be the least bizarre thing that comes out of this now-traditional multimedia evening dedicated to the spooky, macabre and otherwise perfectly-appropriate for the Halloween season. Now in its 18th annual incarnation, the 2024 version of An October Evening takes its thematic inspiration from Rod Serling's creepy television classic The Twilight Zone, a series that was built around giving audiences a dose of the unexpected.
Traditionally, An October Evening—whose creators include long-time Salt Lake Film Society operations manager Stephen Simmons—has been a showcase for a wide range of creative endeavors, including live music, fashion, film, visual art, dance and more. Scheduled performers include dancers Lea Kosterlitz and Jace Chadwick, whose work is promised to be, according to the event website, "a world of shadow and illusion, where light becomes the storyteller, and darkness, the stage ... a journey where silhouettes come to life." Whether it's visions of monstrous creatures or uncanny artistic creations, you'll find yourself in a world that will "peel back the layers of normalcy." And it doesn't particularly matter if it's taking place in November rather than October.
An October Evening 2024 comes to the Salt Lake Masonic Temple (650 E. South Temple) on Saturday, Nov. 2, with doors at 6 p.m. and the event starting at 7 p.m. General admission tickets are $30 via Eventbrite; visit facebook.com/anoctoberevening for link to tickets and additional event information. (SR)
- Matthew Murphy
Broadway at the Eccles: Peter Pan
Applause gives life to live theatrical performances—but that idea has rarely been used to such kinda-literal effect as it has been in Peter Pan since the beloved J. M. Barrie story about the boy who didn't want to grow up first came to a musical theater adaptation in 1954. That's because audience members have been invited, when the fairy Tinker Bell lies near death, to save her life by clapping their hands. It's been a wonderful experience for children and their grown-up caretakers for 70 years now—and as the show celebrates that anniversary, a newly-reimagined version hits the touring circuit.
Emmy Award-winning director Lonny Price has taken on the task of sprucing up Peter Pan for another generation of theater-goers, adding to the beloved songs by Jule Styne, Adolph Green and Betty Comden—including "I Won't Grow Up," "I've Gotta Crow" and "I'm Flying"—with new book material by playwright Larissa FastHorse, new choreography and new flying sequences. "Peter Pan is one of the great treasures of American Musical Theatre," Price says. "The show nurtures and inspires the imagination of its audience and reminds us to keep alive the child within us all. ... "If you loved this musical before, you will still see the show that enchanted you, while discovering a Peter Pan that everyone can enjoy, without harm, for many years to come."
Broadway at the Eccles' presentation of Peter Pan visits the Eccles Theater (131 S. Main St.) Nov. 5 – 10 for eight performances. Tickets are $64 - $169; visit arttix.org to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (SR)