THE ESSENTIAL A&E PICKS FOR DEC. 5 - 11 

• Todd Collins Photography

Salt Lake Acting Company: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical!
For more than 20 years, writer/illustrator Mo Willems has been creating a series of lively picture books about the adventures of a strong-willed pigeon whose personality might seem familiar to anyone who has ever had or cared for a pre-schooler. As such, it made perfect source material for composer Deborah Wicks LaPuma, who has created many wonderful works for young audiences, including Willems' own Elephant & Piggie's 'We Are in a Play' (previously produced by Salt Lake Acting Company).

The Caldecott Honor-winning Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! finds our bird protagonist desperately wanting a chance to take a spin behind the wheel, with only the readers of the book serving as the voice of reason. That kind of audience participation works perfectly for a stage presentation, as SLAC's annual appropriate-for-all-ages holiday show shows in its regional premiere of the 2021 show. Combining lively songs with live actors, puppets and plenty of feathers, the story of Pigeon comes to life in a way that will be a delight for kids of all ages, and the kid inside the grown-ups who come with them.

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical! runs Dec. 6 – 30 at Salt Lake Acting Company (168 W. 500 North), with performances Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays at noon and 3 p.m., with select mid-week dates. Each performance runs a kid-friendly 60 minutes, and includes a cast-member "talkback" at the end. Tickets are $17 - $27; visit saltlakeactingcompany.org to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (Scott Renshaw)

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Maria Bamford
The late, great Richard Pryor aside, Maria Bamford may be the most honest and unflinching comedian to ever share stand-up. Diagnosed with depression and bipolar disease, she was hospitalized three times over the course of 18 months after a series of nervous breakdowns. She speaks freely on such subjects as anxiety, suicidal ideation and a dysfunctional family, taking an unflinching approach that's often dark and self-deprecating but always affecting.

Aside from her semi-autobiographical Netflix comedy series Lady Dynamite and three hour-long critically-acclaimed stand-up specials—"Weakness is the Brand," "Old Baby" and "Maria Bamford, the special, special, special!"—she's also been cited as the first female comic to score two half-hour Comedy Central specials. She created and starred in the popular web series The Maria Bamford Show, in which she played all the roles. Bamford accumulated additional success through voiceover work, the part she played on the series Arrested Development, multiple comedy albums, and a best-selling book, tellingly titled Sure, I'll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and the Quest to Belong Anywhere. The 2014 winner of the American Comedy Award for Best Club Comic, she was once acclaimed by the New York Times for having humor that "relies not so much on punch lines as it does on the impeccably timed swerves of her tone, the interplay between Bamford's persona and those of all the people who don't get her."

Maria Bamford performs two 21+ shows at Wiseguys Gateway (190 S. 400 West) on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. and 8:30 pm. Tickets are $35 at wiseguyscomedy.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

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Utah Authors Day
Do you know a writer? You might not even be aware that you do, considering the way this work generally takes place in such a solitary way, but our state is filled with talented writers working in every possible genre, and often joining forces for support and feedback with other fellow creators in the League of Utah Writers. For the fourth year, LUW—in conjunction with an official gubernatorial proclamation—takes to many of the state's bookstores and libraries for a day celebrating their work. And you can meet many of them on Utah Authors Day.

More than 70 local authors are currently scheduled to participate in 17 statewide events on the first Saturday in December, spanning six counties. In Salt Lake County, you can find events at Under the Umbrella (511 W. 200 South, Ste. 120), Eborn Books (The Shops at South Towne, 10450 S. State St., Sandy), The King's English Bookshop (1511 S. 1500 East), The Book Box (58 E. 12300 South, Ste. C, Draper) and The Printed Garden (9445 S. Union Square, Ste. A, Sandy). Additional events are currently scheduled for Davis County, Utah County, Washington County, Wasatch County and Weber County. Whether you want something for yourself, or as a Christmas gift for the reader on your list, there's bound to be something for everyone (plus a chance to get an autographed copy).

Utah Authors Day events take place Saturday, Dec. 7 throughout Utah. Visit leagueofutahwriters.com/utahauthorsday for a full schedule of events, or follow the social media of individual venues for additional information about writers who will be visiting each location. (SR)