THE ESSENTIAL A&E PICKS FOR JAN 9 - 15 

• Becca Webb

RDT: Emerge
It's an almost embarrassingly-simple concept, so it's kind of crazy that it feels so unique when Repertory Dance Theatre—as it has for a decade now—pulls it off. The winter Emerge concert celebrates the fact that there is always undiscovered talent bubbling up beneath the surface in Utah, whether it's in local dance studios, in university programs or among dancers who might be a little older. And with a spark of inspiration and opportunity from RDT choreographers, audiences can see them all in one great showcase.

The 2025 Emerge program offers several new works designed for that purpose. Among them are four new works by RDT's Associate Executive/Artistic Director Nicholas Cendese, including one featuring participants in RDT's Prime Movement for dancers over the age of 40, a collaboration with Weber State University dance students, a piece for young students from Tanner Dance, and a duet featuring students from South Valley Creative Dance studio. Additional offerings include two new dance films by RDT dancer Lindsey Faber; a choreographic collaboration between RDT dancers Trung "Daniel" Do and Megan O'Brien highlighting dance instructors from across the valley; a piece featuring Davis High School dancers; and additional work highlighting community dancers.

RDT's 10th annual Emerge program comes to the Rose Wagner Center Leona Wagner Black Box (138 W. 300 South) for three performances, Friday, Jan. 10 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, Jan. 11 at 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 general admission; visit saltlakecountyarts.org to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (Scott Renshaw)

• Tim Fuller

PTC: Dial M for Murder
Dial M for Murder began as a 1952 play by Frederick Knott, before becoming a beloved mystery film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Yet it's also proven successful in a new stage adaptation by veteran playwright Jeffrey Hatcher. His established relationship with Arizona Theatre Company led to a presentation of Dial M for Murder in fall 2024, a co-production with Pioneer Theatre Company that now results in the entire Arizona cast visiting us here in Utah—a show that Chuck Graham of TucsonStage called "an intricate clockwork plot paced so skillfully, with an impressive froth of unexpected twists and turns, as each of the actors carefully times every clue, every word, to keep the tension rising."

Some of the story may already be familiar, including the premise of a man named Tony who believes his socialite wife, Margot, is having an affair, and subsequently plans to have her murdered. Hatcher's new version offers a twist by having Margot's lover be a woman. Keeping the play set in the 1950s adds the tension of a closeted lesbian fearing blackmail for reasons beyond marital infidelity. But as to the rest of the play's developments, those are best left discovered by anyone new to the material.

Pioneer Theatre Company's Dial M for Murder at the Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre (300 S. 1400 East) runs Jan. 10 – 25, with performances 7 p.m. Monday – Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $44 - $62; visit pioneertheatre.org for tickets and additional event information. (SR)

• Wiki commons

Patrick Warburton @ Wiseguys Gateway
David Puddy—the laconic sometimes-boyfriend of Julia Louis-Dreyfus's Elaine on Seinfeld—became one of the most popular recurring characters in the show's run. But it easily might not have turned out that way. Puddy was not originally intended to appear beyond the single original episode in which he debuted (1995's "The Fusilli Jerry"), but Warburton's audition and his trademark deadpan delivery so won over the show's creative team that Puddy went on to appear in several more episodes.

Over the subsequent 30 years, it became easy to see what made Puddy (and Warburton) so appealing to the Seinfeld team. In live-action, he played the title role in the TV adaptation of the cult comic book The Tick, followed by the successful CBS sitcom Rules of Engagement. But his work as a voice actor has made him most beloved to generations of fans, as his gravelly tones have been heard over the years as the dopey henchman Kronk in Disney's The Emperor's New Groove, as Joe Swanson in The Family Guy, and in appearances ranging from Teen Titans Go! to The Venture Bros. And that's leaving aside his iconic Disneyland roles as the "flight attendant" Patrick delivering the safety spiel before the Soarin' attraction and the computer-modulated voice of the security-check robot in Star Tours.

Fans of Patrick Warburton can see a different side of him when he brings his stand-up performance to Wiseguys Gateway (190 S. 400 West) for showtimes on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. & 9 p.m and on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. The Jan. 15 tickets are sold out at press time, but resale tickets may be available. Visit wiseguyscomedy.com for additional event information. (SR)