"The 39 Steps" at Lakeshore Players Theatre

Things are pretty bleak right now, but at the end of an inspiring day in which tens of thousands of Minnesotans came together to stand up for truth and freedom, I spent the evening laughing at the madcap classic comedy The 39 Steps. It was a great time to, as director Sarah Nargang wrote in her director's note, "unclench what you can, and have a giggle for your health." A mystery spy thriller played in a comedic style with theatrical storytelling, The 39 Steps has been seen on a few local stages since its 2008 Broadway premiere and subsequent transfer to Off-Broadway, and now it's Lakeshore Players Theatre's turn to bring their own spin to the show. See it at Hanifl Performing Arts Center in White Bear Lake through February 7.

Reading of "John Proctor is the Villain" by Table/Read at Aster House

I attended the inaugural Table/Read event last August, #TCTheater artist Grant Sorenson's new series in which a group of talented local actors read a play. The fun part is - the play is not announced until literally seconds before the reading begins. Grant has chosen plays that we have not seen here in the Twin Cities before, so it's a great way to be exposed to new plays that may not be produced here, at least anytime soon. And it's so rare that I go to the theater not knowing anything about what I'm about to see, even the title, that it's a fun surprise. Table/Read happens monthly, but I'm so busy during the theater season that I typically need my Monday nights off, so I haven't been able to go back until this month, when things are still a little quiet as we come back from holiday break. I picked a good night to attend Table/Read; the play was the buzzy recent Tony-nominated play John Proctor is the Villain by Kimberly Belflower, soon to be adapted into a film. Visit Table/Read's website or follow them on social media for news of February's event. And don't miss Grant directing the first #TCTheater professional production of Oscar Wilde's Salomé in February.

"Something Rotten!" by Unlabeled Theatre Company at Gremlin Theatre

Nothing's as amazing as a musical! This line from the 2015 Tony nominated musical Something Rotten! says it all. Except that it's even more amazing when combined with Unlabeled Theatre Company's uniquely special model of pairing an actor with a disability or who is neurodivergent with a neurotypical actor (called a shadow partner), creating dual performances of each character. Something Rotten! is about the love of creation, and the partnership of creating together, something that Unlabeled exemplifies more than any other theater company I've seen. They allow people to be the best that they can be, without being defined by labels, and express the pure joy of performing. Specifically, muuuuusicals! I'd tell you to go see this joyful production before it closes next week, but it's entirely sold out. But follow them on social media for a chance to see their upcoming shows: Once Upon a Mattress this spring, and even more exciting - the US premiere of the British play Jellyfish this fall, featuring a character and actor with Down Syndrome.

"'Til Death Do Us Die" by The Mystery Cafe at the Sheraton Bloomington

It was just two years ago that I had my first experience with The Mystery Cafe, a really fun and unique immersive comedy/ improv/ murder mystery/ dinner show. And now I've had my last experience; they announced a few months ago that this would be their final season. But as playwright Philip Dawkins wrote, "just because something ends doesn't mean it wasn't successful." And for 38 seasons, The Mystery Cafe was successful in creating a fun and accessible fusion of theater, comedy, improv, music, mystery, audience participation, and dinner experience. I saw their last original show in November, Showdown at the Kara-OK-e Corral at Majestic Oaks Golf Club in Ham Lake, and last night I returned one last time to the show that started it all (for me) - the wedding-themed 'Til Death Do Us Die. There are three more performances of 'Til Death, and four more of Showdown, and then The Mystery Cafe is but a memory. To experience the unique mystery magic one last time, click here for tickets to one or both shows.

"Ride the Cyclone" at Lyric Arts

Everything is so awful right now, with ICE terrorizing our neighborhoods, schools, and business, that I don't know if I should keep doing this, or why it matters. But then I see something like Lyric Arts' production of the rarely done cult hit musical Ride the Cyclone, and am reminded that joy still matters, community still matters, gratitude for life still matters. This bizarro story of a group of teenagers killed in a freak roller coaster accident, and given one chance to return to life, ends on a note that brought tears to my eyes, as it reminds us to look around and appreciate what we have. Even if, especially if, everything is awful. I mostly feel helpless* and hopeless these days, and honestly it's hard to shut out the constant feeling of anxiety and worry even when sitting in the theater, but through all the noise, Ride the Cyclone reminded me that there's something bigger than this awful moment we're currently in. And it's also just super funny and wild and entertaining, and wholly unique and original, with a fantastically talented young cast (many of whom you may never have heard of). See it at Lyric Arts in Anoka through February 8.

"Plano" by Third Space Theater at Mixed Blood Theatre

Third Space Theater made an impressive debut at least year's Minnesota Fringe Festival with the original play Breach, a gripping tale at sea that was part psychological thriller and part family drama. It makes sense, then, that for their post-Fringe debut they chose playwright and screenwriter Will Arbery's surreal family drama Plano. This regional premiere plays at Mixed Blood Theatre through January 18, and it's an engrossing, fast-paced, fantastical, funny, devastating play. Co-directors Alex Church and Em Adam Rosenberg have assembled a fantastic cast, including several of the Breach crew, and did a great job with this tricky script. The play deals with themes of domestic violence, so Third Space has partnered with the local organization Tubman, that offers support to people experiencing this and other traumas. They're donating 10% of ticket sales to the organization, and have information in the lobby. The night I attended, after a horrifying week of ICE terrorizing our community, they also had helpful packets of info about dealing with ICE (with whistles). This new theater company is already proving to be one that not only does great, interesting, entertaining work, but also engages with the community and world around them. Their name, which derives from the theory of a third space, in addition to home and work, for people to gather in community, seems entirely appropriate.

"Wake the Improv" at The Others Workshop Collective

After another tragic week in Minnesota (2026 is not off to such a great start), it felt good to gather with a bunch of strangers and laugh together. The new monthly improv show Wake the Improv features different local improv troupes every month, and puts a new twist on each company's specific performance style. The audience suggestions take the form of dreams, and a Wizard (played this month by Ellie Walton) stops the scenes and assigns one of our dreams to the troupe, changing the trajectory of the scene. Since the closure of HUGE Theater a few years ago, improv performers are getting creative and performing all over town. It's great to see another such opportunity. Wake the Improv has two more scheduled performances - on lucky Friday the 13th, of February and March - details here.

Broadway tour of "Shucked" at the Orpheum Theatre

If you're looking for a straight-up comedy with corny jokes, bad puns, a great country-tinged score, and a ton of heart, head to the Orpheum Theatre on Hennepin Avenue for the National Tour of the 2023 multiple Tony-nominated musical Shucked. I missed seeing this on Broadway (starring #TCTheater actor Caroline Innerbichler in her Broadway debut), so I was excited to finally see the show on tour. I knew it would be fun, but I loved it even more than I thought I would. It's so goofy and tongue-in-cheek, with a fantastic touring cast, and is endlessly endearing. The story of a small isolated community that tears down their walls (of corn) to let in new ideas and new people, and see each other in a new light, is a much-needed and heart-warming one. Shucked continues through January 11 only; click here for the official ticket-buying site, as well as info about rush tickets for industry, students, and educators. 

2025 #TCTheater Favorites - It Was a Great Year (in theater anyway)

2025 was in many ways a terrible year, with increasing violence, wars, division, bullying, and the dismantling of our democracy. But in difficult times, I always look to the artists - to hold up a mirror to our society, to show us a way out of the dark times, to create empathy and conversation, or to distract us from the harsh reality of the world with some joyful entertainment. Our #TCTheater artists really stepped up to the task this year on all fronts. From The Mystery Cafe's* high school reunion themed comedy/ improv/ mystery immersive dinner show Alma Mater in early January, to my longtime favorite a capella group Tonic Solfa's annual (and final?) New Year's concert at the Paramount Center for the Arts in St. Cloud, I saw 256 live performances this year. That's slightly more than last year, and right up there with my pre-pan highs. In fact, I think this year, and this fall in particular, was the busiest season in #TCTheater since a global pandemic shuttered all live performance venues for some 16 months. It's good to be back, and a theater season that's so busy even I can't see everything is a great problem to have. Of the 256 shows, 242 were here in Minnesota, including 39 Minnesota Fringe Festival shows and 6 Twin Cities Horror Festival shows, as well as a half dozen or so non-theater concerts that I did not write about (because I decided I needed more live music in my life). I also saw shows in our neighbor state of Wisconsin, and of course in the greatest city of the world NYC, and even one concert of Mozart and Strauss in Vienna, where the famous composers (and original rock stars) lived and worked. Yes, it was a fantastic year of theater, music, dance, comedy, and more. The good work continues in 2026, and it can't help but make the real world better.

"Who's Holiday" at the Hive Collaborative

After a long #TCTheater holiday* season, Christmas is finally upon us! But we have one more entry in the most wonderful time of the year (in theater ticket sales if nothing else) - the wild party with unexpected poignancy that is Who's Holiday at The Hive Collaborative. The casting of #TCTheater favorite Kim Kivens as a grown-up Cindy Lou Who was either a brilliant choice by director Max Wojtanowicz, or the biggest no-brainer ever. She looks the part, she's hilarious, and she can sing (comedically). This one-hour show is just the perfect dessert at the end of a great year of theater. But you need to act quick, because it's a super short run with only three remaining performances this weekend.

"Somewhere" at the Guthrie Theater

West Side Story was one of the first musicals I fell in love with, and I thought I knew everything about it. But Matthew López's play Somewhere, which premiered in San Diego in 2011 and is currently receiving its regional premiere on the Guthrie's proscenium stage, helped me see it in a new light. He tells the story of a fictional Puerto Rican family (much like his own) living on the West Side of Manhattan in the late '50s when West Side Story was all the rage on Broadway. They're an artistic family with dreams of being in this show that they love so much, dreams that are deferred when they're evicted from their home - the entire West Side neighborhood known as San Juan Hill was about to be demolished to make way for Lincoln Center. The play is a love letter to New York City, to Broadway, to dreaming big. It's about family and the sacrifices we have to make to survive, while still trying to hold on to those dreams. It's another version of a West Side story that's perhaps more true to the community of people who called it home, and what happened after they were forced to find a new home. This moving dance-infused family drama continues through February 1.

Broadway tour of "The Wiz" at the Orpheum Theatre

The new revival of the 1975 Tony-winning best musical The Wiz is on tour and has landed in Minneapolis for one short week, and it's fabulous! This retelling of The Wizard of Oz through the lens of Black culture and Black experience features a wildly impressive cast with one power voice after another, an infectious upbeat score, a technicolor explosion of a production design, and an inspiring message about traversing a difficult world with friends by your side that help you find your own power, self-worth, identity, and home. A "Super Soul Musical" indeed! But don't take my word for it, Stephen Sondheim purportedly said, "it's the one show which makes you feel better when you come out of it than you did when you walked in," and that's absolutely true. I wanted to sing and dance down Hennepin Avenue like it was the yellow brick road. To witness all of that Black joy, and have it rain down on you and infuse your soul, is truly a balm in this dark world. The Wiz continues through December 21 only, and tickets should be purchased only from the official site here.