Joan Elder
About 15 years ago, I met Bunny Emont at a senior program at San Diego State University. Since Bunny lived in Sun Lakes (the Robson community in Chandler, Ariz.), our friendship grew easily. When Bunny told me about her wonderful summer trips to the Summer Citizen Program in Logan, Utah, I knew that was something I wanted to experience. So, starting in July of 2010, Esta Goldstein and I drove to Logan (about 900 miles). We saw several wonderful shows and operas presented by the Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theater (UFOMT). Esta and I continued making that journey every July through 2021. (There was no program in 2020 due to COVID-19, and it was much reduced in 2021 for the same reason.) Most of those years, I taught classes at Utah State University. The most popular was First Ladies of the U.S. (all from Martha Washington through Michelle Obama and then Melania Trump). But I also taught other classes called Almost President (those who ran but did not win), The White House and Beyond (the history of the building and what many presidents did after they served as president), and Entertainment of the 1950s (for which I even wore a poodle skirt!).
When Esta decided she was no longer able to go to Logan, Brenda McBride took her place. The first year (2022) Brenda just watched and enjoyed the shows and operas, etc. But starting in 2023, Brenda taught a class about the genres of literature.
This summer, Brenda and I were so fortunate to spend the entire month of July in a cute rental house in a great location. We thoroughly enjoyed the shows Cats, Guys and Dolls, Anything Goes, Little Shop of Horrors, and even the opera Gianni Schicchi and Buoso’s Ghost. We visited many of our favorite restaurants and enjoyed a picnic with friends adjacent to the bubbling Logan River. And every day there were free concerts in a church, since the magnificent Tabernacle is still being remodeled.
Once again this summer, we attended and enjoyed many Academy classes given by the UFOMT. We heard lectures from directors, dance choreographers, performers, and more. One class even allowed us to sit in the percussion section of the magnificent Eccles Theater and even play some of the instruments there.
The Summer Citizen Program is attended by people from California, Texas, Florida, but mostly Arizona—some from Tucson (and SaddleBrooke), but mostly Phoenix residents. Those who attend for all three months occupy student apartment dorms. Since I only go for the month of July, that is not an option for me. But I do highly recommend this wonderful “small town” getaway and the great Summer Citizen Program.