ICE CASTLES IN MIDWAY TO OPEN SATURDAY
Midway, Utah January 2, 2019 - A popular winter attraction in Midway will open Saturday. Ice Castles will return for its ninth season this Saturday, January 5, 2019. Tickets are now on available online at www.icecastles.com/midway.
The Utah-based company, Ice Castles, LLC, is currently building in six cities across North America. The attraction features ice-carved tunnels, fountains, slides, frozen thrones, and cascading towers of ice embedded with color-changing LED lights that twinkle to music at night.
“The first Ice Castles location we ever built was here in Midway,” said CEO Ryan Davis. “Utah has been so supportive of Ice Castles, and we are proud to bring this winter tradition back to our home state for another season.”
Artisans have spent the last five weeks growing, harvesting, and hand-placing icicles to create the life-size winter playground which brings tens of thousands of people to Midway each season. The frozen creation at Homestead Resort is made up of 25 million pounds of ice and is roughly an acre in size.
The company has other locations in Stillwater, Minnesota; North Woodstock, New Hampshire; Lake Geneva, Wisconsin; Dillon, Colorado; and Edmonton, Alberta.
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About Ice Castles: Ice Castles was founded by Brent Christensen, a Utah father of six who was looking for ways for his family to enjoy the outdoors together, even in winter. He created an ice cave in the front yard of their home, which ultimately brought out more than just his own children. Ice Castles is now an internationally renowned experience with six locations in cities across the United States and Canada and growing.
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Hale Centre Theatre’s regional premiere of
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder brings wit, charm and murderous laughter to the Sorenson Legacy Jewel Box Stage
Tickets to the Tony-award winning musical comedy are on sale now!
SALT LAKE CITY, January 2, 2018 – Start the new year off with the laughter and quick-witted cleverness of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, a regional premiere on Hale Centre Theatre’s Sorenson Legacy Jewel Box Stage playing January 11 – March 16, 2019 at the Mountain America Performing Arts Centre in Sandy. The most nominated show of the 2014 theatre season makes its dashing debut in the West with all the bells and whistles used on Broadway, along with a few surprises. Tickets for the uproarious musical comedy are on sale now and selling out quickly.
Monty Navarro is a penniless clerk recently informed of his potential inheritance after the passing of his mother. It turns out he is ninth in line for the earldom of Highhurst, currently being run by the wealthy D’Ysquith family. Monty stakes his claim as a relative to the elite family but is quickly dismissed. Suddenly, the eight D’Ysquiths in line before Monty begin falling dead due to natural and highly unnatural causes. In the meantime, Monty is caught in a love triangle with the social-climber Sibella and his distant cousin Phoebe. Storylines cross and hilarious confusion ensues as Monty’s plans for his new life begin to unravel.
“We have our new LED screen backdrop ready to roll through the 38 scene changes required for A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder,” said Sally Dietlein, HCT vice president and executive producer. “This show was so well done on Broadway that we had to honor the magnificent special effects, but there is still plenty of room for us to put in our signature Hale touch. It is one of the funniest shows to hit the stage in years and audiences will find it to be irresistible!”
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder is based on the 1907 novel, Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal by Roy Horniman and was adapted to film as the 1949 British comedy, Kind Hearts and Coronets. In 2013, the musical comedy debuted on Broadway with book and lyrics by Robert L. Freedman, and music and lyrics by Steven Lutvak. Its run lasted more than two years and ended with four Tonys at the 68th annual Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
“The intricacy and gamesmanship of this piece requires strict adherence to most of the original conventions, but the technical wizardry of the Jewel Box Stage lets us employ amazing visuals and staging opportunities,” said director and choreographer, Jim Christian. “The fast-paced changes of characters and locations are beautifully expedited by clever costuming, strategic designs and the new state-of-the-art LED screen. It’s a feast for the eyes, ears, brain and funny bone.”
Hale Centre Theatre’s A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder is cast with talented Utah actors: Jacob Squire and James Bounous as Montague “Monty” Navarro; Dallyn Vail Bayles and Robert Moffat as D’Ysquith Family; Erin Royall Carlson and Brittany Sanders as Sibella Hallward; Lisa Zimmerman and Cecily Ellis-Bills as Phoebe D’Ysquith and Bonnie Whitlock and Lori Rees as Miss Shingle.
Sally Dietlein, vice president and executive producer, will produce the musical with esteemed director and choreographer, Jim Christian. Gary Sorenson is overseeing music. Inventive sets are designed by Jason Baldwin and embellished with projection designs by Ian J. Johnston along with video and content by Bobby Gibson. Michelle Jensen oversees props while intriguing costumes are in the capable hands of Kelsey Nichols, assisted by Katie Eborn. Trisha Ison is overseeing hair as well as make-up design. Lighting is by Michael Gray with sound by Skyler Morgan. Michael Hadley is serving as rehearsal stage manager for the show.
The Hale will present more than 75 consecutive performances of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder for the 2019 Mountain America Season of Entertainment. Performance times are 7:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and matinees are Saturdays at 12:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. No children under the age of five are permitted in the theater. Ticket prices start at $36-44 for adults and $18-22 for youth ages five through 17.
For ticket information call 801-984-9000, go to www.hct.org, or visit the box office at 9900 S. Monroe Street in Sandy City. Season tickets are now on sale for The Hale’s exciting 2019 season of entertainment which includes Matilda, Phantom, An American in Paris and more favorites. For updates, contests and information on the current theater season, follow Hale Centre Theatre on Facebook.
In conjunction with the production, HCT is honoring the International Rescue Committee with free tickets to A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder for its staff and clients, as part of the theater’s HCT Applauds program. The International Rescue Committee helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover and reclaim control of their future.
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About Hale Centre Theatre
Hale Centre Theatre, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, is dedicated to providing “innovative, professional family theater and theater education that involves and elevates our community.” The 34-year old organization recently moved to the spacious new Mountain America Performing Arts Centre, at 9900 Monroe Street in Sandy, Utah. HCT employs a full-time staff of 62 with benefits, and a part-time staff of 150. The theater pays more than 400 actors each year for their performances, all who live and work in Utah. Since 2005, the theater has won the notable AACT Award, Pioneers of Progress award, and 28 Best-of-State awards in Theater Group/Director, Arts in Education and Professional Theater. HCT gives back to the community by donating theater tickets and providing free student matinees and tours for hundreds of school children and non-profit organizations throughout the year. For more information about the 2018 and 2019 theater season, visit hct.org
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• TV binge-watching
Binge-watching of television series has been fueled by streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon where episodes run one into the other. In addition, all the episodes in one series are sometimes released together, which feeds the bingeing phenomenon. A professor at the University of Pennsylvania who studies TV says the pace at which people watch something can sometimes matter as much as the content. “It is something we are almost made to like, to fit into this personalization and participatory model where it’s the thing to do so as to be cutting-edge,” Rahul Mukherjee said.
• End-of-life care
Everyone wants a dignified death, yet few actually experience one. Research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing shows that more than half of 13,000 nurses rate their hospital’s end-of-life care unfavorably. And that same study reveals that though most older adults prefer to remain at home, they often spend their final days in hospitals, where they’re likely to undergo medical care that neither improves survival nor quality of life.
• Hope for Blindness
A recent study found promising results for patients who have a form of congenital blindness that is currently not treatable. The clinical trial, led by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania’s Scheie Eye Institute, used a treatment that targets a specific mutation found in patients with Leber congenital amaurosis. The treatment improved the sharpness of vision in half of the patients and represents a breakthrough in treatment strategy for this and potentially other untreatable forms of blindness.
• Negotiation strategy
Negotiating can be tough: For example, you go in with a dollar figure that makes you comfortable and before you know it, you’ve accepted a job for a lower amount or spent thousands more on a vehicle than you’d intended. University of Pennsylvania behavioral scientist Nazli Bhatia may now understand why. Her research found that a tactic called “phantom anchoring,” in which one party proposes but then retracts a less appealing offer, gives the seller an economic advantage but worsens the relationship between negotiating parties.
The Six Questions Young Leaders
Need to Ask Themselves
Young leaders typically go too far or not far enough. They are born to take chances but when the time comes, many retreat to what they have been told by elders or those with more experience.
There is something to be said for brash youth, its penchant for breaking the rules and coming at problems from an entirely different mindset. But sometimes those rules are there for a reason, and going completely against what has been done before leads to a road to nowhere.
Before young leaders head out to conquer the world, Phuong Uyen Tran, author of Competing with Giants(https://www.thp.com.vn/en/) and deputy CEO of THP Beverage Group, Vietnam’s leading beverage company, says they should dig deeper into their beliefs, actions and goals in order to chart a successful path.
“Young leaders bring passion but sometimes it doesn’t make up for a lack of wisdom,” Tran says. “Before they set sail, there are a few questions they need to ask themselves to increase their chances for success.”
Tran says the six questions are:
What are your core beliefs? To be successful, a young leader needs to be grounded in some fundamental beliefs. Understanding and writing down core beliefs will guide you through stormy times.
What is the mission statement of your product or service? - The mission statement reflects every facet of the business: the range and nature of the products offered, pricing, quality, service, marketplace position, growth potential, use of technology, and your relationships with customers, employees, suppliers, competitors, and the community.
Have you done your homework? - As a young leader, it is imperative that you do plenty of research. Older leaders can sometimes go by their gut feelings, but young leaders don’t have that luxury. You need to be over-prepared before moving forward.
Do you really believe in you product or service? Great leaders truly believe that whatever their product or service is, that it is the best option among all the competition. If you don’t believe in your product, it is hard to lead your troops into battle.
Are you ready to set sail or are you moored to the dock? - Sometimes you have to take chances. Are you ready to take risks and not be tied to what has always been done in the past?
How will you handle success or failure? One of two things usually happens - you will succeed or you will fail. How will you handle success - are you ready to pull all the levers you need to get to the next level? If you fail, how will you handle it? Will you go into a depression and blame others, or will you learn from your mistakes?
Tran says young leaders can overcome many obstacles by taking some extra time to ask themselves those questions.
About Phuong Uyen Tran
Phuong Uyen Tran, author of Competing with Giants (https://www.thp.com.vn/en/), is deputy CEO of the THP Beverage Group, a leading beverage company in Vietnam that was founded by her father. She is responsible for the company’s marketing, public relations, and CSR programs nationally and across Vietnam’s 63 provinces. She also leads THP’s international marketing programs across 16 countries where THP’s products are distributed including Canada and China.