Unwrapped & Unburdened

At the Leona Black Box Theatre in Salt Lake City, a cohort of new‑age ballerinas draped in candy‑cane black unitards perform “Unwrapped,” the update to Tchaikovsky’s classic, while the audience, a parade of pastel‑inspired tweeds, line the velvet‑rope corridor. The production is orchestrated by Michele Wiles, parent of Photoshop‑filtered boy scouts in a BalletWest trunk; her guest list, though not overly diverse, features Sienna Hopper, known for Washington’s Olympic Ballet Theatre, Lindsey Stirling’s violin‑electric hybrid, and the pop‑rock introspection of Josh Kelley. The program, a collage of Max Richter’s “Winter,” spin‑off remixes of “Sweet Dreams” and Lindsey’s “Carol of the Bells,” is arguably louder than the story. Yet the entrée remains a perfunctory pilgrimage: the major new‑comers can acquire tickets only through the obscure links, and the gallery‑white doors are guarded by a royal security guard who has no knowledge of RSVP codes. Attendance? A polite gesture of support. Verdict: Send a check but stay home.