THE ESSENTIAL A&E PICKS FOR MAY 9 - 15 

Utah Opera: Massenet's Thaïs
Opera enthusiasts may never tire of experiencing the canon favorites by the likes of Puccini, Verdi and Mozart, and Utah Opera has certainly satisfied those folks over the years. Yet there's also something special about the chance to encounter a work for the first time—and that's what Utah Opera is offering with their season-closing production of Jules Massenet's 1894 creation Thaïs.

Set in Roman-occupied Egypt, it tells the tale of a Cenobite monk named Athanaël (baritone Troy Cook) who encounters the pagan courtesan Thaïs (soprano Nicole Heaton), and attempts to convert her to Christianity. However, his desires may not be entirely spiritual in nature, leading to a story of where true purity of heart comes from. As part of this production, artists from Repertory Dance Theatre join the artists of Utah Opera and the accompaniment of the Utah Symphony.

"Massenet's Thaïs is a piece the Utah Opera has never performed before and bringing it to life here on our stage has been an endeavor of almost eight years," says Christopher McBeth, Utah Opera Artistic Director in a press release. "Part of the reason is that you need a cast that can pull it off. In fact, the title role has been reserved, really, for the most remarkable artists of our generation—and Nicole easily makes that rank."  

Utah Opera's production of Massenet's Thaïs concludes its run this week with performances May 8 at 7 p.m., May 10 at 7:30 p.m. and May 12 at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $21; visit utahopera.org for tickets and additional information. (Scott Renshaw)

• Evan Zimmerman slash MurphyMade

Broadway at the Eccles: Annie
Part of the genius of musical theater is someone looking at a source material that might not obviously lend itself to the genre and think, "I bet I could set that to songs." When, in 1972, lyricist Martin Charnin approached writer Thomas Meehan—then a New Yorker contributor with no theater credits—about writing a story for a musical based on the Little Orphan Annie comic strip, Meehan initially balked. Where could you find a narrative in the episodic adventures of plucky little girl and her wealthy benefactor? But eventually, he saw potential in a kind of Dickensian tale set in Depression-era New York City.

The rest, as the saying goes, is history: Nearly 50 years after its Broadway premiere, Annie has become a musical theater stalwart, winning multiple Tony Awards and inspiring two feature film adaptation. Audiences can't get enough of Annie's journey from her life in an orphanage with the mean Miss Hannigan, to the search for her birth parents, and the relationship between Annie and Daddy Warbucks. And along the way, they get the terrific lineup of songs by Charnin and composer Charles Strouse, including "It's the Hard Knock Life," "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile" and the show-stopper "Tomorrow."

Broadway at the Eccles' presentation of Annie comes to the Eccles Theater (131 S. Main St.) for five performances only, May 10 at 8 p.m., May 11 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m., and May 12 at 1 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $59 - $149; visit arttix.org for tickets and additional event information. (SR)

• BW Productions

Pioneer Theatre Company: Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Not every classic work of literature lends itself to a musical theater adaptation; for every Les Misérables, there are a dozen examples of misses that have been forgotten. But Pioneer Theatre Company artistic director Karen Azenberg knew there was something special about Dave Malloy's Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812—an adaptation of a section from Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace—when she saw it on Broadway nearly a decade ago. In part, it was the unique approach to the electro-pop-heavy music. "What's fun about it has these little homages here, there and everywhere to millions of musical styles, but is decidedly a more contemporary-sounding score," Azenberg says. "And then it feels a little fresher, and you can look at it with a different eye."

Additionally, the production makes fresh use of the theater space, removing a row of seats and extending part of the stage out into the middle of the audience. "I hate the word 'immersive,' because I think that's something else," Azenberg says, "but ... the idea of using our space a little bit differently was really intriguing to me. ... I love the opportunity to change it up, so that coming to the theater isn't, 'ho-hum, another same thing.'"

Pioneer Theatre Company's production of Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 comes to the Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre (300 S. 1400 East) May 10 – 25, with performances Monday – Saturday. During the run of the show, the theater lobby will feature a pop-up experience called Pierre's Parlor, featuring specialty bites and themed "mocktails." Tickets are $55 - $79; visit pioneertheatre.org to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (SR)