THE ESSENTIAL A&E PICKS FOR MAY 1 - MAY 7 

• BW Productions
• Waitress

Pioneer Theatre Company: Waitress
It would be easy to focus on the tragedy that was part of Waitress's origins—but that wouldn't be doing the story justice. Writer/director Adrienne Shelly was murdered before the film's premiere in 2007, and never got a chance to see it become a beloved indie-film hit, or see it become the source for a Broadway musical in 2016. Yet it stands on its own as a delightful tale of a woman discovering that she has the ability to escape the life to which she seems destined and create her own happiness.

The narrative follows Jenna, a diner waitress and baker in the South who feels trapped in her marriage to an abusive husband, and then feels even more stuck when she discovers that she's pregnant. But her boss believes she has the potential to win a big local pie-baking contest, with a $20,000 prize that would allow her to leave and start a new life. Things get even more complicated when Jenna falls for the town's newly-arrived obstetrician, who is also married, and Jenna has to make even harder decisions about what she wants. With wonderful original songs by pop artist Sara Bareilles—like the beautiful first-act ballad "A Soft Place to Land"—it's a Cinderella story that's both funny and inspiring.

Pioneer Theatre Company presents the Utah premiere production of Waitress at the Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre (300 S. 1400 East) May 2 – 17, with performances Monday – Thursday @ 7 p.m., Friday – Saturday @ 7:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday matinee. Tickets are $57 - $88; visit pioneertheatre.org to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (Scott Renshaw)

• Utah Opera
• Madame Butterfly

Utah Opera: Madame Butterfly
Giacomo Puccini's 1904 opera Madama Butterfly has become quite a problematic text in the 21st century, with its central plot—about an American sailor's exoticized affair, and subsequent abandonment, of an Asian teenage girl who pines for him even unto her death—increasingly difficult to stomach. Yet director Matthew Ozawa saw the potential for a new vision of Madame Butterfly more in keeping with contemporary sensibilities, and a new production co-developed by Utah Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Cincinnati Opera and Detroit Opera turns the story into one where the sailor character, Pinkerton, experiences it as a virtual-reality fantasy.

According to Ozawa, in an interview with onStage Pittsburgh, development for this concept began during the 2020 COVID pandemic, with virtual reality still a somewhat nascent technology. The idea allowed him to emphasize the idea of Pinkerton viewing Butterfly as a possession he could manipulate in any way he chose, as well as incorporating design elements to highlight certain moments of the material. "Because our setting is a video game, we introduced what we call 'the glitch,'" Ozawa says. "Whenever Pinkerton says something particularly offensive or problematic, the game glitches. ... The yellow lighting, in particular, is a reference to yellowface—a theatrical tradition where white actors wore yellow makeup to portray Asian characters. In these moments, we put everyone in yellow light, making the audience confront this legacy of misrepresentation."

Utah Opera's Madame Butterfly comes to the Capitol Theatre (50 W. 200 South) May 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11; showtimes vary. Tickets are $25 - $110; visit saltlakecountyarts.org to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (SR)

• Courtesy photo
• Pixar Putt @ Mountain View Village

Pixar Putt @ Mountain View Village
It's hard to believe it's already been 30 years since Toy Story first came to theaters as the first-ever full-length computer-animated feature, launching a whole new era in family filmmaking. Over the subsequent three decades, the Pixar brand has become a reliable marker of quality, creating beloved franchises and characters that have brought in billions in box-office receipts, theme-park attendance and merchandise sales. So it's no surprise, really, to find Pixar leaning into other family-friendly entertainment, including the touring Pixar Putt attraction that comes to Utah this summer.

This charming pop-up miniature golf opportunity features an 18-hole course themed to some of the favorite films of the Pixar catalog. You can tap your ball through the arms of The Incredibles' threatening Omnidroid, take a tour around the world of Cars, putt through the tailpipe of the van from Onward or find a backdrop of Memory Orbs from Inside Out. Finding Nemo, Coco, Monsters Inc., WALL-E and, of course, Toy Story are also featured among the themed holes. Whether it's a day for the whole family or a unique date night, you can try not send your golf score to infinity and beyond.

Pixar Putt swings into Mountain View Village in Riverton (13303 S. Teal Ridge Way) for a limited engagement May 2 through Labor Day weekend (Monday, Sept. 1), open 3 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. weekends through June 8, and 10 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. daily June 9 – Sept. 1. Tickets start at $25; visit pixarputt.com for reservation times and to purchase tickets. (SR)