THE ESSENTIAL A&E PICKS FOR FEB 23 - MAR 1 

• Sharah Meservy

Plan-B Theatre Company: Go Home Come Back
Dramatists have demonstrated a fascination with speculating on the nature of the afterlife. For playwright Darryl Stamp, however, when approaching his take on the subject in the world-premiere play Go Home Come Back, it was important not to worry too much about what had been done before. "I never thought about previous afterlife narratives in novels, television or in film, because I may not have attempted to write this play," Stamp said in an email interview. "My primary focus ... was to send a message about the fact that we rarely have an opportunity to share our love and say goodbye to those we love before they (or we) die."

Go Home Come Back's story begins with two men in a kind of celestial waiting room, before possibly being presented with an experimental opportunity to return to earth to complete unfinished business. It also includes a uniquely inclusive perspective on heaven, including announcements in languages other than English. "I considered [that] my believe in a loving God who would embrace everyone has relevance, so I decided to put a spin on the character of St. Peter by making that character a Latina, while fulfilling my goal of telling stories featuring multicultural characters," Stamp said.

Plan-B Theatre Company's production of Go Home Come Back runs at the Rose Wagner Center Studio Theatre (210 E. 300 South) Feb. 23 – March 5. KN95 or N95 masks will be required at all performances. At press time, remaining ticket availability was limited; visit planbtheatre.org or arttix.org for ticket information. (Scott Renshaw)

• Courtesy Photo

Melissa Villaseñor @ Wiseguys
Saturday Night Live has provided a national introduction to any number of comedians over the course of the past 45 years, so it's hardly surprising that Melissa Villaseñor gained fame for her quirky comedy and playful personality. The show's first ever Latina cast member, she played a regular role in the show's sketches until leaving at the end of last season for what she described as a need to maintain her mental health.

More recently, she's voiced characters for Toy Story 4, Wreck It Ralph 2, Cartoon Network's OK K.O.! and Fox's hit animated comedies American Dad and Family Guy. Aside from voice work, she's also appeared in various episodes of Comedy Central's Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens and two HBO original series, Crashing and Barry, the latter featuring fellow SNL alum Bill Hader. Villaseñor also starred in Netflix's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee and as the cat owner Karen in Netflix's Adam Sandler vehicle Hubie Halloween.

It's also worth noting that she's been named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 and Rolling Stone's 50 Funniest People Right Now. That's impressive, yet given her repertoire of impressions—among them, Bjork, Macauly Culkin, Sarah Silverman, Dolly Parton, Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, and Britney Spears—it's good to know she's being recognized as herself, which makes any opportunity to catch her performing well worth considering. Melissa Villaseñor performs at Wiseguys (194 S. 400 West) at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb 24 and Saturday, Feb 25. Tickets for the 21 and over event cost $25. Visit wiseguyscomedy.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

• MGM Studios

Utah Symphony: An American in Paris Film in Concert
In recent years, symphonies around the country have begun supplementing their programs of masterworks series and pops concerts with live-to-screen accompaniment of classic films. These programs have often focused on beloved pop-culture hits of the 20th century, offering a chance to hear familiar scores like John Williams' Star Wars and Harry Potter while watching the movies on the big screen. But there's a kind of "full-circle" experience when the movie in question is the 1951 Oscar-winner An American in Paris, which set the dancing of the legendary Gene Kelly to the 1928 orchestral composition of the same name by George Gershwin.

The story—written by Broadway legend Alan Jay Lerner—casts Kelly as Jerry Mulligan, an American war veteran trying to make it as a painter in Paris. While a lonely heiress attempts to become Jerry's benefactor, Jerry falls for another woman, Lise (Leslie Caron), unaware that she's also the woman loved by his pianist best friend, Henri (Oscar Levant). The various romantic adventures are set periodically to classic George and Ira Gershwin songs like "I Got Rhythm," "Love Is Here to Stay" and "'S Wonderful," but the film's best-known sequence involves a 17-minute long, dialogue-free ballet showcasing Kelly and Caron—involving more than 40 sets on the MGM Studios backlot—set to the instantly-recognizable title composition.

The Utah Symphony performs An American in Paris Film in Concert at Abravanel Hall (123 W. South Temple) on Feb. 24-25 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 - $70, available online. Visit usuo.org to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (SR)

• Courtesy Photo

Noori Screendance Festival
"Dance for the camera" certainly received a boost as a concept as a result of the COVID pandemic in 2020, when performing arts organizations were forced to pivot in order to present their work to audiences. The idea wasn't invented in 2020; there have long been unique attempts to capture the beauty of choreography on film and video. It's likely true, however, that the innovative thinking required in that unique time allowed more artists to experiment with it, and get even better at turning dance into something that could be recorded, preserved and shared with audiences beyond those seeing it in person.

The 2nd annual Noori Screendance Festival—produced in partnership with loveDANCEmore, and curated by Rae Luebbert and Taylor Mott—celebrates those creative efforts, allowing Utah-based choreographer/directors to create work in unconventional spaces, using the camera and lighting to add drama to the work of gifted dancers. The program of films includes Dance for Our Departed by Jorge Rojas; The Fall by Roxanne Grey (pictured); Trance by Meredith Wilde; One Person's Footsteps by Alec Lyons, Haleigh Larmer, Cheyenne Stirling and Colby Bryson; accidentals by Tori Meyer; Rehearsals on Falling by Taylor Mott, Rae Luebbert, Amber Mott and Angela Lee; YEL by Rima Pipoyan; and Handstitched by Virginia Broyles.

The Noori Screendance Festival takes place at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art auditorium (20 W. South Temple) on two nights, Feb. 24 – 25, at 7:30 p.m. The event is free with a suggested donation of $15; visit lovedancemore.org to register and for additional information. (SR)