THE ESSENTIAL A&E PICKS FOR MAR 28 - APR 3 

• BW Productions

Pioneer Theatre Company: The Lehman Trilogy
Sometimes, a business's name feels like something separated from the real world, a signifier that just becomes part of the cultural atmosphere. When the investment firm Lehman Brothers collapsed as part of the 2008 financial crisis, it's understandable that few people were considering the legacy of the actual Lehman Brothers who founded the company, and what that narrative says about the history of capitalism in America from the Gilded Age to the present.

Ben Power adapted Italian writer Stefano Massini's The Lehman Trilogy, a three-act (and three-actor) play that tracks the origins of the company with the arrival of Bavarian immigrant Henry Lehman in the United States in 1844, opening his first store in Alabama. He was eventually joined in the country by brothers Mayer and Emanuel, eventually creating the financial powerhouse that seemed like one of those "too big to fail" entities—until it did. Cast members Jeff Talbott, Seth Andrew Bridges and William Connell portray the original Lehmann brothers, as well as their direct descendants and every other character in the play, as it tracks the evolution of Lehman Brothers across the decades.

In addition to being the debut of The Lehman Trilogy in Utah, Pioneer Theatre Company's production marks the debut of the new 380-seat Meldrum Theatre at Einar Nielsen Fieldhouse. The venue allows for more intimate staging of shows for which that's the appropriate creative choice—but it also means tickets are more limited. The production runs March 29 – April 13, with tickets beginning at $42. Visit pioneertheatre.org for tickets and additional event information (SR)

• Courtesy photo

Jurassic Quest
In the nearly 30-plus years since Jurassic Park became a cinematic blockbuster, dinosaurs have only continued to grow more compelling in the public imagination. They seem like things from another world, even though they were once part of ours. And thanks to an exciting touring attraction, it can feel like that again.

Jurassic Quest is a large-scale event that feels like a touring dinosaur-themed amusement park, with walk-through exhibits showcasing the Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic eras. But the real stars of the interactive event are more than 100 life-size recreations of those eras' giant historical occupants, all of them painstakingly designed and brought to moving, sound-making life. Guests get a chance to dig up fossils, experience a dinosaur play area, participate in science and art activities, get their faces painted, take rides on their favorite life-size dinosaurs and even have close-up encounters with puppeteered baby dinosaurs; a "Triceratots" soft-play area is available for the youngest dino-lovers. There really isn't anything like it in terms of the chance for youngsters—and perhaps also their young-at-heart caretakers—to get up close and personal with the mammoth beasts that ruled the earth 60 million years ago.

Jurassic Quest brings the prehistoric world to the Mountain America Expo Center (9575 S. State, Sandy) March 29 (noon – 8 p.m.), 30 (9 a.m. – 8 p.m.) and 31 (9 a.m. – 7 p.m.). Tickets are $19 - $36, including general admission; and kids' all-you-can-ride options; while door purchases are available, advance purchase is recommended. Visit jurassicquest.com for tickets and additional event information. (SR)

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Pretty Woman: The Musical
Movies become iconic for a wide variety of reasons. Some achieve fame for the way they became part of the cultural conversation; others resonate through the years by virtue of introducing technological innovations. And then there are those that are well-known because they became the launching pad for one of its actors—movies that served notice Hollywood had added a star to its firmament. Such was the case with Pretty Woman, the 1990 romantic comedy that catapulted then-23-year-old Julia Roberts to A-list status—despite the fact that she only got the role after other actors including Molly Ringwald and Meg Ryan turned it down first.

Such a star-driven success would seem like a challenge to adapt into a stage musical, but original screenwriter J. F. Lawton and director Garry Marshall took up the challenge when they began working on the book in 2014, with work continuing after Marshall's passing in 2016. For the music, they turned to hitmakers of the movie's original era: singer Bryan Adams and his longtime songwriting partner Jim Vallance ("Summer of '69," "Heaven"). They wisely stuck to the now-beloved story of a Hollywood streetwalker named Vivian who gets an unexpected look at another life when she's "rented" for a week as personal escort for wealthy businessman Edward.

Broadway at the Eccles' touring presentation of Pretty Woman visits the Eccles Theatre (131 S. Main St.) April 2 – 7 for eight performances only, including matinee performances on April 6 and April 7. Tickets are $52.50 - $149; visit arttix.org to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (SR)