Back from the dead: Odyssey's 'Thriller' returns to the stage after hiatus

Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes

SALT LAKE CITY — Odyssey Dance Theatre's popular Halloween-themed dance show "Thriller" is rising from the grave two years after the company decided to close.

Odyssey founder and artistic director Derryl Yeager and his wife, Cheryl, the costume production director, announced in July 2022 that they were retiring and closing the company after 28 years because they were headed on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"It was my dream that (Odyssey) would become what it has become ... it's been a great ride. It's been a wonderful Odyssey," Derryl Yeager said in 2022. He explained that the company was left open-ended because he and his wife weren't sure if they would return to it.

The Yeagers served at the Martin's Cove historic site in Wyoming, where they helped with pioneer treks, worked at the visitor center and did many hours of manual labor chinking log cabins and building fences.

"It was pretty massive the amount of work we did ... so while I'm sitting there chinking a log cabin, I'm thinking 'You know, I'm really better at this dance stuff. Maybe I should think about that,'" Yeager joked.

So when the Yeagers returned, they decided to resurrect the company.

"We felt like we weren't done yet. We heard from a lot of people that they felt like we left a big hole in the dance community there," he said. "We felt the company was our mission, too. So we decided to bring it back."

Odyssey is coming back bigger and better, he said. The company has created a new legacy board that will be able to take over and keep the company going after Derryl and Cheryl Yeager eventually leave.

The Odyssey dancers are now in the thick of rehearsals, getting ready for "Thriller" shows to start on Sept. 20. The company is almost entirely new dancers, as many of the artists moved on with their lives after the company announced its closure.

Dancers jump onto a box and strike a pose in the dance "Jason Jam" during dress rehearsal for Odyssey Dance Theatre's "Thriller" on Sept. 22, 2022. (Photo: Lily Farrar and Lea Kosterlitz, Odyssey Dance Theater)

"About 90% of the company is brand new, which has been fun," he said. "We found a really, really great group that is working really hard, and we are very excited to get them onstage here real soon."

Along with staples such as "Dem Bones," "Jason Jam," "The Curse of the Mummy" and other fan favorites that have been performed every season since the show started in 1994, "Thriller" will feature several new routines this year including one choreographed by Yeager called "COVID Cotillion."

"I don't know what it is about Utah, but they just love their Halloween," he said.

He added that most of the show is humorous, even though it does have some "scarier" themes and elements.

"There's a lot of funny stuff in the show. Most people aren't used to going to a dance show and actually laughing and having fun. I think that's one of the things that people really like about the show," he said.

Odyssey Dance Theatre is comprised mainly of Utah dancers, but the company also held auditions in New York and Los Angeles. Yeager said Odyssey provides Utah artists the opportunity to have professional experience without having to move out of state.

"They are that talented and could work (in Los Angeles and New York), but they don't want to go there. I understand that, I've done that and know how awful it can be in those locations. So for me, I'm just excited to provide a great opportunity for these dancers to have a professional career," he said.

Odyssey alumni have gone on to perform in Broadway shows, compete on "So You Think You Can Dance," and one is even a dancer in Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour. Yeager said he is so proud of all his dancers and it's exciting to see them out doing amazing things.

In the past, "Thriller" has been performed in several cities with a multiple-week run at Kingsbury Hall in Salt Lake City. This year, however, the majority of the shows will be held at the Grand Theatre located on the Salt Lake Community College campus.

The Grand Theatre is allowing the company to do their Christmas and spring shows there as well, resulting in Odyssey Dance Theatre offering season tickets for the first time in years. Yeager is glad this new venue has ample parking available for patrons, but the theater's capacity is less than Kingsbury Hall by about 800 seats.

"We're kind of missing 800 seats in terms of our normal "Thriller" run, so we suggest people get their tickets fast because this will sell out, definitely," he said.

"Thriller" will be performed in five cities this year: