It's a "Wicked" kind of weekend with the new musical movie premiering Friday. Entertainment reporter Margaret Darby got an exclusive interview with the director. Here are some notable quotes from Jon M. Chu in her story.
"We get to take the audience closer than ever before, not even just in the third row. We get to take you two inches from their faces. And I think in a movie like this which has so much nuance about relationships and good versus evil ... that makes a huge difference."
"The reason I fell in love with it is because I do have history with Wizard of Oz. It was a fairy tale that my parents, coming from China, coming here with five kids, instilled in us that America was this great place and and that we could dream as big as we wanted to, so I wanted to retain that."
"I’m really proud of us also trying to dig through, to scratch at these truths within this fairy tale, that hopefully generations will get to see."
Here are three other "Wicked" stories to check out:
Newly opened Folklore Bookshop encourages community in a small town
More than a decade ago, picturesque Midway, nestled in the Heber Valley, played home to a used bookstore, ReBook, which has since closed down. At another time, there was a Latter-day Saint bookstore nearby, also long closed.
But three local women — Alison Russell, Audrey Lind and Lindsey Leavitt Brown — sought to fill this bookstore-sized hole. After years of planning and organizing, they opened Folklore Bookshop just off of Midway’s Main Street.
📚 The history behind the bookshop:
The heart of the trio’s partnership is simple — friendship. Brown and Russell were already in each other’s orbits when the former met Lind at their kids’ basketball game. Brown, an author and book lover, spotted Lind reading a book (waiting for the game to start, she made sure to add), and their friendship was almost instantaneous. Soon, the idea of opening up a bookshop in the community came to fruition.
The road to opening day was long — initially their grand opening was slated for 2023 — and hit a few roadblocks, but they’re adamant on one thing: going into their store should feel like coming home.
BYU made history this weekend by sweeping the NCAA cross-country championship. In doing so, it became only the fifth team EVER to win both the men's and women's NCAA cross-country championships in the same year.
🏃 Here are three more stories about BYU's historic team:
Packed with behind-the-scenes insights from players like Robbie Bosco and Kelly Smith, game-by-game highlights, and more, this collector's edition is your all-access pass to one of college football's most legendary seasons. Get your copy today and celebrate the triumphs of the 1984 BYU Cougars!
Health
How to fall asleep in 10, 60, or 120 seconds (Healthline)
New treatments offer hope for older patients with a deadly cancer diagnosis (CBS News)
Faith
Pioneer spirit lives on in Casper, Wyoming, as new house of the Lord is set to be dedicated (Church News)
Enrollment growth at Latter-day Saint universities rebuts narrative about young adults losing faith (Deseret News)
Struggling to receive revelation? This fascinating perspective will help (LDS Living)
Politics
HUD, Treasury, Labor picks announced: Here’s what Trump’s Cabinet looks like so far (Deseret News)
Blake Moore's bipartisan legislation on federal waterways advances in Congress (Cache Valley Daily)
Trump's deportation vow alarms Texas construction industry (NPR)
China's giant sinkholes are a tourist hit — but ancient forests inside are at risk (BBC)
Israel announces that West Bank settlers no longer face detention without trial (NBC News)
Entertainment
BYU student competes and wins on Food Network’s 'Christmas Cookie Challenge' (The Daily Universe)
'The Pirate Lord:' an original musical about love found at sea (SUU News)
🗓️ Events Calendar
We put together a calendar list of events and activities going on around the state of Utah during the next month. Check it out and let us know if we are missing anything!
Here are some highlights for events in Utah today:
Crazy Daisy Holiday Show | Mountain Expo Center, Sandy
Utah Hockey at Maple Leafs | 5 p.m.
U of U women’s basketball vs. Montana State at home | 7 p.m.
U of U women’s volleyball vs. Cincinnati at home | noon
Weber State women’s basketball at Boise State | 2 p.m.
Utah Tech men’s basketball vs. CSUN | 2 p.m.
Please reach out to me at sgambles@deseretnews.com if you have any thoughts, feedback or ideas you would like to share!
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