Cherry and Spoon

"Buzzer" at Pillsbury House Theatre

2012-03-10T07:52:00.001-06:00

Pillsbury House Theatre's production of the new play Buzzer (by playwright Tracey Scott Wilson) is a very modern play about race, class, gender, relationships, and gentrification of neighborhoods. Three characters, an interracial couple and their recovering addict friend, struggle to find their way in this seemingly "post-racial" world.

Jackson is a successful lawyer who grew up poor in a neighborhood filled with drugs and violence, and was able to get himself out and make a better life for himself. He rents (to own) a newly remodeled apartment in his old neighborhood, which is transitioning from a "bad neighborhood" to one with coffee shops and lofts and restaurants. He and his girlfriend Suzy, a teacher in the inner-city schools, move in with them. Jackson convinces Suzy to let his down-on-his-luck best friend Don move in, despite her reluctance. Don is from a privileged background, and despite constantly getting himself into trouble, has been able to get out of it thanks to his rich and powerful father. Jackson was given nothing and worked hard to achieve the life he wanted, while Don squandered every opportunity he had. But somehow the two men remained friends. Their friendship is tested when Suzy tells Don that she's being harassed on the street, and they grow closer. Each member of the trio has their own plan to end the harassment. Suzy thinks that if she stays strong and ignores the bullies, they'll eventually stop. Jackson wants to threaten them with violence, while Don thinks reasoning with them and being friendly will solve the problem. The conflict grows inside the apartment and outside on the street.

The three-person cast is fantastic in bringing these characters to life, and making them all at times sympathetic and at times maddening. Sara Richardson, who was fabulous as Fraulein Sally Bowles in Cabaret last year, is equally good here playing this completely different and much more real character. Namir Smallwood (the exiled prince in Ten Thousand Things' Life's a Dream) plays her boyfriend Jackson with great intensity, and possesses a powerful angry stare (as was pointed out in the post-show discussion), which he wears as a weapon. Hugh Kennedy (my favorite Hamlet) is the third wheel, Don, and plays him with a restless frenetic energy that's appropriate for an addict trying not to go back to his old ways (a little like David Arquette on a talk show, all fidgety nervousness). The play is written in such a way that the scenes almost overlap. One scene has barely ended when the next scene picks up immediately, which I found interesting and a great way to keep the momentum building.

In the audience the night I attended was a group of high school students. It was really fun to watch them watch the play. They were so present, so in the moment, so reactive to what was happening on stage. I love theater, but perhaps a bit of the magic and wonder wears off when you see as much theater as I do. But for these kids it was all still there. It was refreshing to see. They also had some interesting comments at the post-show discussion. I love post-show discussions at Pillsbury because they always bring in someone from a community group that is working on some of the issues explored in the play. With this piece it's the City of Lakes Community Land Trust, which "provides and fosters stewardship of perpetually affordable homeownership opportunities for low-income and moderate-income families and individuals." It felt like a great community discussion, thoughtfully led by Artistic Associate and actor Kurt Kwan, rather than just a Q&A session with the actors. There were comments from people who live in the neighborhood in which the theater resides (35th and Chicago), and someone who was a victim of gang violence, as well as the aforementioned students. Theater is at it's best when it engages the audience in a conversation about very real issues facing people today, or at least gets you thinking about things in a different way. That's something Pillsbury House Theatre does very well.

Buzzer is playing now through March 18, and all seats are "pay what you can," from $5 to $50, which is a pretty cool thing when theater tickets for the big touring productions go for $100. You'll definitely get your money's worth and more, no matter what you pay!

"The Birds" at the Guthrie Theater

2012-03-08T19:52:00.001-06:00

My current favorite TV show is AMC's The Walking Dead, about a small group of people trying to survive a zombie apocalypse. I'm not a fan of zombies or horror in general, but for me the show isn't about the zombies. It's about this group of people who have to figure out a new way to live in a world where the old rules of civilization no longer serve. The play The Birds* (based on the original short story by Daphne du Maurier, not the 1963 Hitchcock movie) is the same way. It's not about the birds (which are never seen, although the sound of them is frightening enough), it's about these people who are trying to survive and have some kind of a life when the world has been taken over by killer birds (crazy idea, isn't it?). The old rules of life no longer apply; as one character says, "all bets are off."

The play begins in an old farmhouse where Diane and Nat, who met a few days ago on the road as they were trying to get away, have taken shelter. Nat is ill and Diane nurses him back to health. They develop a sort of rhythm of going out and scavenging for supplies between bird attacks (every six hours, based on the tides). An injured young woman named Julie shows up on their door and they take her in, and she becomes part of their group. They enjoy a certain friendship, but it becomes apparent that they don't really know each other very well. Can they trust each other? They notice a reclusive farmer across the lake, but he doesn't seem friendly so they avoid him. One day when Nat and Julie have gone to town, the farmer visits Diane and asks her to join him so he can "take care of her." She rejects him and he leaves. Meanwhile, Nat and Julie have grown closer, which upsets Diane. She's a writer who is keeping a journal, and we occasionally hear bits of her journal in voiceover, which lets us see into her thoughts a little. Diane goes to extreme lengths to ensure survival. What bothers me most about The Walking Dead is that in the face of a zombie apocalypse, the survivors need to band together against the zombies if the human race has any hope of surviving. Similarly, I wanted everyone in the play to work together; it's the only way they can survive. But as Diane says, "what's so great about the human race anyway?" The humans still have to deal with each other, which proves to be the more difficult task.

Diane and is really the core of the story; we experience the events through her eyes. And Angela Timberman is a wonderful grounding force as she takes us through this journey. She's so good at both comedy (see Annie, where she stole the show as Miss Hannigan) and drama (I still remember her in Third several years ago, which is one of those plays that has stuck with me); she definitely uses her drama chops here. J.C. Cutler, last year's Scrooge, is her equal as Nat. Summer Hagen also give a fine performance as the seemingly sweet but can-you-really-trust-her Julie. Last but not least, Stephen Yoakam (magnificent in last summer's Burial at Thebes) makes a short but very memorable and creepy appearance as the farmer.

This was perhaps the most detailed set I've ever seen (designed by Guthrie newbie Wilson Chin). When I walked into the Guthrie Studio Theater, I wanted to climb right up on the stage and explore the house. Every corner was crammed with old photos and knick-knacks, children's artwork hung on the walls of the kitchen, and the walls were faded and dingy. It not only looks lived in, it looks as if it's been lived in for a hundre years. The play is performed with no intermission which I think was a smart choice. With a story this intense and close, you don't want to let the audience out to walk around and breathe, but rather keep them feeling trapped along with the characters.

The Birds is playing now through April 8. Check it out for a good old-fashioned thrill. You might also come out of the show thinking about just what you would do to survive in a world where killer birds or zombies (or any number of natural disasters) have reduced the world to a dangerous, scary place.

*I received two complementary tickets to attend The Birds as part of the Guthrie's "Blogger Night." And I owe them a big thanks this time because I forgot to RSVP, but when I called the day of the show they were able to get me in. I love the Guthrie!

"Coco's Diary" at the History Theatre

2012-03-05T15:29:00.002-06:00

Coco's Diary* is an adaptation of the recently discovered diary of a 13-year-old named Clotilde Irving who grew up in a mansion on Summit Avenue in the 1920s, the same mansion that now serves as the Governor's Mansion. While her life in 1927 was probably pretty atypical, the daughter of a wealthy and privileged family, her experiences, thoughts, and manner of speaking are quite familiar to anyone who's ever been 13. Coco reminds me of my 13-year-old cousin; everything is so dramatic, it's either the best thing that's ever happened, or the worst. There is no in between when you're 13. Coco was smart, precocious, charming, and a talented writer. It's no surprise that the History Theatre chose to bring this story to life; it's a great story set in a specific time and place in Minnesota history, but it's also a universal story of the trials and tribulations of growing up.

The play begins in 1965 when Coco's mother dies, leaving her and her older brother Tom to sort through the house. Coco discovers her diary and delights in reading it and remembering that time in her life, which mostly involved dancing, boys, and getting into and out of trouble. Only after reading the diary is Coco able to say good-bye to the house. Three actors bring this story to life through reading the diary and reenacting the scenes:

Kacie Riddle (herself 13 years old) plays the young Coco. It's amazing to me that someone so young can so handily carry a two-hour play. Yes she has help from two very talented adult actors, but she is Coco, in all of her moods - funny, charming, dramatic, hopeful, despondent, and lively.
Andrea Wollenberg (one of the hilariously evil stepsisters in Cinderella) is the adult Coco, as well as Coco's mother, Coco's younger sister, and several other characters. Whether she's walking around on her knees and talking with a lisp, or sternly reprimanding Coco for her latest exploit, she brings great life to these different characters. And she has a lovely voice!
Jake Endres plays Coco's brother Tom, both the 1965 and the 1927 versions. He also portrays her father, teacher, and any other characters needed for the story. Jake also acts as the music director and accompanies much of the action on piano, as well as singing songs of the day in his beautifully deep voice. I love plays that add music to the story-telling. It's not a full-blown musical, but the music adds to the story and helps set the scene, especially because Coco is so obsessed with dancing.

The diary was adapted for the stage by Bob Beverage and Artistic Director Ron Peluso (who also directs). The dialogue sounds as if it comes directly from the diary; I'm curious to read it and compare (the diary has been published in the book Through No Fault of My Own). I also want to know what happens next in her life, which makes me wonder, was 1927 the only year that Coco kept a diary? Or just the only one that survived? (Read this article in the StarTribune to find out what happened to Coco. Warning: it's not quite the happy ending we might hope for, but such is life.) The set (by Rick Polenek) looks like what the inside of a Summit Avenue Mansion should, and I'm tempted to take a tour of the real thing.

Coco's Diary plays at the History Theatre in St. Paul now through March 25. It's a delightful look at what is was like to be 13 in 1927, which it turns out is not so different from today.

*I received two complementary tickets to attend the opening night of Coco's Diary.

Celebrity Sighting:
I have a feeling there were a lot of notable people in attendance on opening night. The two I recognized were Jon Hegge, who was in On the Town with Jake Endres last summer, and Norah Long, who played a young Judy Garland in Beyond the Rainbow at the History Theatre last fall.

Punch Brothers at the Varsity Theater

2012-03-04T13:43:00.002-06:00

I don't often write about music on this theater-centric blog, unless it's someone I really love and want to tell everyone about. Such is the case with Chris Thile and his Brothers of Punch. I've been a fan of Chris Thile's for over ten years, since his days in the bluegrass trio Nickel Creek (with siblings Sean and Sara Watkins). I distinctly remember seeing their video for "When You Come Back Down" and immediately buying Nickel Creek's self-titled debut album. I was mesmerized by Chris' voice, and I'm still hooked.

The members of Nickel Creek have since gone their own way and have all made solo albums (Sara is performing at the Cedar next month). Several years ago Chris formed the band Punch Brothers with Chris Eldridge (guitar), Noam Pikelny (banjo), Gabe Witcher (fiddle and sometimes lead vocals), and Paul Kowert (upright bass, possibly the coolest instrument in existence). They've really gelled into a fantastic bluegrass band, appearing on The Tonight Show and opening for Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers. Each is a super talented musician in his own right, and together they create a thrilling musical experience. But it's Chris that I have a hard time taking my eyes off of. He's one of those artists where the music just flows through him from some unearthly place, and it's all he can do to bodily contain it. Definitely one of my favorite musicians to see live, and I try to catch him every time he's in town (even if it means going to Dinkytown* when there's a Gopher game). The Punch Brothers just released a new album last month entitled Who's Feeling Young Now, and it has taken up permanent residence in my car CD player. It's not traditional bluegrass, it's forward-thinking bluegrass, moving bluegrass into the future and pushing the boundaries of what it can be while still respecting the tradition. I love that.

I also love their retro/classy/cool fashion style, with their ties and jackets and vests. I like that they dress up for the show, in their own unique way.

Here are the Punch Brothers performing one of their most popular songs, "Rye Whiskey," from their 2010 album Antifogmatic.

And from their brand new album Who's Feeling Young Now, "It's No Concern of Yours" (a few more videos from the concert avalable on the cherryandspoon youtube channel).

*The Varsity Theater is a really cool space (although I would have liked more seating; this is bluegrass, we can sit down), and has the most interesting bathroom I've ever seen. Tucked in the back upstairs, it's like a cave. All brick and plants and odd angles, with women's stalls on the right and men's on the left, and shared sinks in the middle with showerhead faucets that turn on with foot pedals. There are even comfy couches and chairs in case you want to hang out. Normally I can't see hanging out in a bathroom, unless it's as cool as this one.

"Beautiful Thing" by Theater Latte Da at the Lab Theater

2012-03-01T19:06:00.002-06:00

Make your own kind of music

Sing your own special song
Make your own kind of music
Even if nobody else sings along

This song by the 1960s group The Mamas & the Papas closes Theatre Latte Da's production of the play with music, Beautiful Thing. It's a beautiful and hopeful ending to the show and really gets to the heart of what it's all about.

Beautiful Thing tells the story of two teenage boys in a working-class neighborhood of London who fall in love. Jamie lives with his single mother who works at a pub, and is struggling to fit in with his peers who think he's "weird;" even his own mother tells him that. Ste lives next door with his abusive alcoholic father, and sometimes takes refuge at Jamie's place when things get too bad at home. On the other side of Jamie lives Leah, who has been kicked out of school and spends all her time listening to and singing along with the music of Mama Cass. She's a bit of a jerk, but it soon becomes apparent that she's lonely and struggling to find her place in the world, just like the boys are. And when Jamie and Ste find their place in the world through each other, it truly is a beautiful thing. Jamie's mother is upset when she finds out about the boys' relationship, but comes to accept it. She may not be the best mother (at one point literally rolling around on the ground with her son as they fight), but she loves her son and does the best she can for him. We never see Ste's family, but from the way they're talked about it's hard to believe they'd be very accepting. I like to believe he somehow escaped from their orbit.

Beautiful Thing reminds me a little bit of the movie Billy Elliot (later turned into a stage musical): a young boy from a working class family in England finding himself in an unconventional way. But while Billy falls in love with dancing and his own artistic expression, Jamie falls in love with Ste, and is able to figure out who he is through that love.

Because this is Theater Latte Da, there is music in this play, and the music conveys what mere words cannot. Erin Schwab embodies Mama Cass and walks through the scenes, singing and bringing to life the songs in Leah's head, accompanied by the fabulous band hidden below the set. Before seeing this show I was only marginally familiar with The Mamas & the Papas, and even less so with Mama Cass. She is a fascinating character herself, and yet another incredible voice who left this earth way too early (she died at the age of 32). I'm enamored of the sound and the look of the 1960s, so it's not too surprising that I just downloaded the soundtrack from the 1996 movie version of Beautiful Thing (plus a few additional songs that weren't included). Here's a way that Theater Latte Da could improve (something I thought impossible) - offer downloads of songs from their shows. I would definitely buy a soundtrack of this show featuring the songs of Mama Cass in Erin Schwab's fabulous voice (with Dennis Curley's lovely harmonies).

As with all Latte Da shows, this show is perfectly cast. (And they all do such a great job with the working-class London accent that I really had to pay attention to catch what they were saying, not to mention learning new words such as slag and knackered.) Steven Lee Johnson (a student with the esteemed U of M/Guthrie program) and David Darrow* (who recently moved here from NYC, where he won an Innovative Theatre Award) are perfect as the young lovers Jamie and Ste, believable and natural and sympathetic. Anna Sundberg (one of my favorite artists of 2011) is, as usual, fully committed to creating a distinct and layered character. Jennifer Blagen gives depth to Jamie's tough-talking mother, and Dan Hopman is charming as her boyfriend of the moment, who's also pretty nice to the kids.

This is the first Theater Latte Da production not directed by Artistic Director Peter Rothstein; he handed the reigns over to Jeremy B. Cohen. I also don't remember a show without Denise Prosek as musical director (Dennis Curley takes the baton here). And if I hadn't known it, I would never have guessed it was anyone other than Peter and Denise pulling the strings (I think that's the biggest compliment I can give). The set (by Michael Hoover) is really cool (and smells of new construction). It consists of the outside of three side-by-site flats, elevated to allow room for the band below, with some scenes occurring on the floor in front. The Lab Theater is such a great space. Big and open, allowing for any number of diverse worlds to be created within it (I'll next be seeing The Moving Company's new work Werther and Lotte there).

This play was written almost 20 years ago, but is still timely with the recent rash of gay bullying, and the impending vote on the Minnesota Marriage Amendment. Jamie and Ste's relationship is like any other young love - unsure, passionate, hesitant, sweet, and true. Maybe I'm dense, but I just don't see how that could be a threat to anyone. Theater Latte Da has allowed students and their parents to see this show for free, as a way to facilitate conversations and healing. That is most definitely a beautiful thing.

Check out this video trailer for the show. And then order your tickets here (playing now through March 18).

Beautiful Thing trailer from Theater Latte Da on Vimeo.

*I have been looking forward to Theater Latte Da's final show of the season, Spring Awakening, since their season was announced last summer. I think it's one of the best new musicals of the last decade, and I'm really excited to see what Peter Rothstein and Co. do with it. David Darrow (Ste) will make an excellent Melchior, opposite Cat Brindisi (who sang "Mama, Mama, Mama" so beautifully in Spelling Bee last year that I can easily imagine her singing "Mama Who Bore Me") as Wendla, with the very talented Tyler Michaels (aka Snoopy in You're a Good Man Charlie Brown) as my favorite character Moritz. Definitely a show not to be missed.

Celebrity Sighting
I believe that was Reid Harmsen working in the lobby of the Lab Theater. Reid has appeared at the Lab as Brad in The Rocky Horror Show, and as my favorite character Mark in RENT.

"Crashing the Party" at Mixed Blood Theatre

2012-02-27T19:04:00.001-06:00

Mixed Blood Theatre's world premiere of Crashing the Party is a ridiculous farce of a play, in the style of the big broad comedies of the 1930s, but dealing with very modern themes. The plot is a bit convoluted, but that's forgivable when the cast is this great and the laughs are this outrageous.

The party in question is a surprise birthday party (or more accurately, a surprise family dinner) for the hard-working self-made successful businessman who's the head of this wacky family (an appropriately exasperated Joe Minjares). His wife (the divine Sally Wingert, who's equally good at drama and comedy) has become bored in her role of housewife and fondly remembers the struggling family business in which she worked alongside her husband. They have two spoiled sons who have never had to work or struggle for anything in their lives. The youngest son (the earnest Ricardo Vazquez) is fresh out of college and really wants to do something important with his life, even if he has no idea what that is. The elder son (Rolando Martinez, very funny and adorable in a Josh Gad sort of way) is 30, has several graduate degrees, owns a t-shirt business, and still lives at home with his parents. He seems to spend most of his time sitting around in his pajamas watching Jeopardy and yelling at the TV. In addition to the family unit, we also have a new girlfriend trying to impress the parents (Rose Le Tran from last year's Avenue Q), an employee who's discovered a secret (Laura Esposito), a friendly neighborhood police officer who turns out to be not quite what he seems (Ansa Akyea, who isn't afraid to bare it all), and a serious FBI agent (Mo Perry, who was so good as the victim of love in Dangerous Liaisons and is almost recognizable here). Phew, that's a mixed bag of characters that, along with corporate embezzlement, a surprise stripper, and a false arrest, adds up to some wacky fun.

Crashing the Party is a new play by the husband/wife playwrighting/directing team of Josh Tobiessen and Sarah Rasmussen. It definitely accomplishes the goal of laughter and escapism, but also has some sweet moments of a family trying to connect. These are parents who gave their children everything, but in doing so deprived them of that feeling of accomplishment that comes from earning something on your own.

The stage at the Mixed Blood is transformed into a beautifully decorated living and dining room of a home, in a rich color scheme of tan and red. A packed house (they had to bring in extra chairs to seat everyone) on a Saturday night towards the end of the run suggests good word of mouth. Audiences seem to be enjoying themselves (as did I), and the cast seemed to be having a pretty good time too. You only have one more week to crash this party.

"Blind Date" at the Ordway McKnight Theatre

2012-02-23T19:03:00.006-06:00

I attended the (mostly) one-woman improv show Blind Date last night, which I realized later was the first performance of the six-week run (I got my ticket months ago as part of my Ordway season package). I didn't really know what to expect and was pleasantly surprised at the fresh and funny show. I don't think I've ever seen an improvisational comedy show (which is inexcusable since we have one of the best companies here in Minneapolis). But it really is a thing of beauty to see an entirely new piece created before your eyes. The concept is this: Mimi (played by Rebecca Northan who also created the show) is stood up on a blind date, and picks a man from the audience to be her date for the evening. The audience gets to watch the date unfold, full of all the typical moments of a first date - the awkward pauses, the uncertainty, the sweetness, someone saying the wrong thing, truths coming out, and even real moments of connection. It's great fun to watch it all play out from the safety of the audience.

Mimi mingles with the crowd before the show and vets the candidates for her prospective date, speaking in a charming French accent. I imagine after doing this for several years she knows how to spot someone who will make a good "date." She spoke to me as well and complimented me on my retro sweater clip, which fits the theme of her own fabulously retro look (check out this website where she gets her wardrobe - super cute retro dresses). So get there early if you want a chance to be on stage, or avoid her if you don't. You'll know her when you see her - she's the one wearing the red clown nose.

Once chosen, Mimi invites her date onstage and takes him aside to a stool in the spotlight to explain how the evening works. She gives him the option of calling time-out at any point during the play if he needs some guidance, and tells him to just be himself and not try to act or play a role. The date begins with a few glasses of wine in a cafe, and where it continues on from there depends on the date and in some cases, the audience's choice (it's like Choose-Your-Own-Adventure theater). In the unique one-of-a-kind play that I witnessed, the date continued to Mimi's car and to her apartment, and then flashed forward to five years in the future.

Art student Andy was a great choice for Mimi's first blind date in St. Paul. He gamely followed wherever Mimi led him (albeit understandably reluctantly at times). She asked him some pretty personal questions, which he answered truthfully (one assumes), and also asked him to do things one doesn't normally do in front of a few hundred people. As Mimi told him at the end of the show, he did things with a smile on his face while most people sit in the dark and think, "thank God it's not me!" (I know I did; I had empathetic sweaty palms!) Rebecca as Mimi is an expert improv comedian, having worked at the famed Second City among other places. And she also does a wonderful job working with a non-professional. She knows when to fill the silence with a wacky story (grandmas on ecstasy or lazy impressionist painters), and when to let it hang there awkwardly until her date is forced to say (or do) something. Never breaking character (Mimi is visiting St. Paul from France), but occasionally sharing winks and knowing looks with the audience.

Blind Date is a family affair. Rebecca's brother, Jamie Northan, is the snooty waiter at the cafe. He also provides "guy advice" and a pep talk for Mimi's date when it becomes necessary, as it did during that crucial and particularly awkward moment of the date. (And he reminds me a bit of Eddie Izzard, which is a good thing.) Rebecca's ex-husband Bruce Horak fills in other necessary roles, such as the cop that pulled Mimi over for erratic driving ("we were listening to some great music!").

You have six weeks to check out this show, and maybe get a chance to have a date with Mimi yourself! She's charming, funny, wacky, smart, quick-witted, and a great person to spend an evening with. More than that - this is the kind of theater I want to support. Artists doing something new and different and a little bit risky, creating work that's innovative and unique. To quote Mimi, it's amazing. I might go back again in a few weeks, just to see how different the show can be each night.

"American Idiot" at the Orpheum Theatre

2012-02-22T18:12:00.009-06:00

I'm a theater geek. I don't listen to rock music, I listen to musical theater soundtracks and folk music. I was unfamiliar with the music of Green Day, and as a general rule I'm not a fan of the jukebox musical. But I've only heard good things about the 2010 musical American Idiot, based on Green Day's 2004 album of the same name. And I do love the rock musical (starting with this, continuing through this, and more recently this and this and this). So I went to see American Idiot on tour at the Orpheum Theatre, and I loved it. What HAIR is to the late 1960s and RENT is to the mid 1990s, American Idiot is to the early 21st century - a musical that deals with the very real issues facing the young people of the day. And even though I'm of the RENT generation, I think everyone can remember that time in their lives, dealing with love, friendship, parents, war, starting a career, sex, drugs, rock and roll, and just trying to figure out what life is and where you fit into it.

Unlike most jukebox musicals that take a random collection of songs and make up some silly contrived story to tie them all together, American Idiot is constructed of one entire album (with a few additional songs added), more or less sung through in order. And since most albums (good ones anyway) have a cohesive theme and a narrative, not much additional made-up story needs to be added. What book writers Billie Joe Armstrong (lead singer of Green Day, who also wrote the lyrics) and Michael Mayer (the Tony-winning director of Spring Awakening) have done is let the songs tell the story, adding just a few bits of spoken dialogue to fill in the gaps. There isn't much of a plot, but we really get to know these characters and experience their lives through the music. While these songs were not written for the stage (although they always intended it to be staged or filmed), they lend themselves very well to the stage. They're story-songs, with a nice mix of loud and fast rock songs and quieter, more poignant moments of just a guitar and a voice (my favorite musical sound).

This first national tour features a talented, young, energetic, compelling cast, several of whom come from the Broadway production which closed last year. Van Hughes leads the cast as Johnny, a role he played on Broadway, taking over from John Gallagher Jr. (who won a Tony for playing my favorite character Moritz in Spring Awakening). Van is fantastic as the young man who leaves home for the big city to find his life. He has a great voice both for the loud rock songs and the softer ones, and is passionate and sympathetic and real in his portrayal (and he's a soap actor, so I have to love him for that too). Johnny's friend Tunny (Scott J. Campbell) accompanies him on his journey, but then decides to join the army and go to war, where he's injured and meets a nurse (Nicci Claspell). What follows is a really lovely aerial/dream sequence, in which both Scott and Nicci continue to sing beautifully as they fly and twirl through the air. Johnny's friend Will (Jake Epstein) decides to stay home with his pregnant girlfriend (Leslie McDonel, who at one point sports a Joe Mauer t-shirt!), and spends most of the show sitting on the couch and drinking (and occasionally splashing the audience). The entire ensemble is strong, and I was happy to recognize Matt DeAngelis, who played Woof in last year's touring production of HAIR.

During the show, I was frequently reminded of two of my favorite musicals HAIR and RENT. This is not to say that American Idiot is unoriginal or copycat, but that it's carrying on the tradition of the rock musical into the 21st century. Like Roger in RENT can only find his song through Mimi, Johnny writes a song for the woman he loves (the fierce Gabrielle McClinton) and sings it to her while she's sleeping (unconscious). And I'm sure I heard the word "Glory" (Roger's song) several times. St. Jimmy (an effectively evil Joshua Kobak) is like the drug dealer in RENT ("got any C man, got any D man..."). Tunny contemplates going off to war like Claude does in HAIR (Afghanistan instead of Vietnam), and comes home a changed man. Even the set reminds me a little of RENT with it's stairs and levels, and the fabulous on-stage band (with musical direction by a very enthusiastic and entertaining Jared Stein). One thing that's totally new is the awesome choreography - it's fresh and cool and edgy and urgent.

I've already added the American Idiot soundtrack to my collection of soundtracks. So I guess I do listen to rock music, or at least rock music through musical theater. The show is playing only through this Sunday, and even though I rarely pay $100+ for a theater ticket, even on Broadway, I'm really glad I had the chance to experience American Idiot. This was a much different crowd than I usually see at the theater, younger and more casually dressed, and several families with teenagers. Whatever gets young people to the theater is OK with me. If you go, make sure to stay for the curtain call. It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right. (This is a song that I recognized that I didn't even realize was a Green Day song! Proving once again that everything I know I learned from theater.)

"As You Like It" by Ten Thousand Things at Open Book

2012-02-20T19:24:00.001-06:00

I know I gush a lot on this blog, but there's a lot to gush about when you're talking about theater in Minneapolis/St. Paul. No more so than when you're talking about Ten Thousand Things, the theater company that takes their work out into the community, to people who don't normally have the opportunity to see theater (prisons, homeless shelters, community centers, libraries, etc.). If you're a theater fan who lives in the Twin Cities and you've never seen a TTT show, you really must go as soon as possible. I guarantee you're in for a theater experience unlike any you've ever known. With full lights, minimal sets and costumes, a small intimate space, and nothing but a few feet of air between you and the actors, it's as raw, immediate, authentic, and thrilling as I've ever known theater to be. It's a strange thing; you're more aware that this is make-believe because you can see everything that's going on with no illusions, so you know it's not real. But in a way, that makes it even more magical when you're completely transported into a new world purely through the power of collective imagination. Mere words cannot adequately describe it - you have to experience it yourself.

Ten Thousand Things' current show is the Shakespeare comedy As You Like It (paid performances continue weekends at Open Book through March 11, as well as a number of free performances throughout the area). I saw this play several years ago at the Guthrie, but I don't remember a whole lot about it other than the trippy 60s vibe of that production and the inclusion of music (always a plus in my book). But it wasn't hard to get into the story and the language in the hands of TTT. As You Like It is your typical Shakespearean romantic comedy, full of disguises and mistaken identities and banishments and declarations of love and hate, with everyone appropriately coupled off and happy at the end. But the journey to get there is pure delight.

Ten Thousand Things always attracts the best theater artists in the deep pool of talent that is the Twin Cities theater community, and this six-person cast is no exception:

Maggie Chestovich is the slacker in the group - she only plays one character. ;) But in her defense Rosalind is more or less the main character, and she also dons the clothes of a man through much of the play so as to travel more safely in the forest after her banishment from the court. I've seen Maggie several times in TTT productions, and she's always fully present and real in her portrayal.
The busy and talented Randy Reyes is Orlando, hopelessly in love with Rosalind and also banished from court by his greedy jealous brother. Randy also plays an old shepherd, which gives him the opportunity to ham it up in funny glasses and a hat. He's always entertaining in everything he does, and he's particularly good at engaging the audience here.
Aimee Bryant (who just recently left the role of Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray at the Chan) is Rosalind's cousin/friend, and lucky for us, she also takes on the role of Amiens, which means she gets to sing and play a ukulele (with only two strings!). It's a joy to sit around the pretend campfire and listen to her sing, along with this guy...
As I've said before, I don't think there's anything Bradley Greenwald can't do - comedy, drama, and that voice! Whether singing or speaking, silly or serious, I love to listen to him. He plays a pompous wrestler, the cruel duke who banished his brother as well as the kinder banished duke, a lowly shepherd, and a "country wench" who hilariously delivers a calf.
Pearce Bunting (the only member of the cast I hadn't seen before) does a wonderful job creating three vastly different characters who bear little resemblance to each other. He's the entitled elder brother of Orlando, a smart-talking clown who falls for the aforementioned country wench, and a friend of the banished duke mired in thoughtful and hopeless melancholy. Each one is a distinct character.
Kimberly Richardson's roles are pretty diverse too. She's a frail old man who is loyal to his master until death, a stuffy and formal court messenger, and a silly country girl, each with a specific physicality that would tell us who she is even without the costume changes (which in some cases are very quick!).
The sound by Peter Vitale is almost like a seventh actor in the cast. It's like a soundtrack for a silent movie, accentuating every emotion and movement without distracting from it.

Some TTT plays are more serious, like last year's exquisite Doubt, A Parable. But with a comedy like this, they can be more relaxed and play a little more. If unexpected things happen, the audience is in on the joke and goes along for the ride. Artistic Director Michelle Hensley always introduces the show and tells a little bit about their experiences so far (for more information on that you can read the TTT blog, with commentary by Bradley Greenwald). She talked about how their audiences have been hungry. For laughter, for love, and for language. As You Like It is definitely just what the doctor ordered.

"My Antonia" by Illusion Theater at the Cowles Center

2012-02-18T13:06:00.003-06:00

This is one of those rare opportunities to see an Ivey Award winning production that I missed. Illusion Theater adapted the classic pioneer novel My Antonia for the stage a few years ago. They've recently remounted the production with a mostly new cast and taken it on tour around the Midwest, with a short stop at the shiny new Cowles Center in downtown Minneapolis this weekend. Since I missed it the first time around I was eager to see it this time. I read the book in high school or college, which is to say so long ago that I remember next to nothing about it, other than that I liked it. This is a beautiful production, one of my favorite plays of this new year so far. Willa Cather's story and language are beautifully adapted by playwright Allison Moore, the characters are brought to life by a talented company of actors, many of whom play several different roles, and beautiful music (just a piano, cello, and violin) accompanies the action and helps to define the setting and emotions of the piece.

My Antonia tells the story of a young immigrant girl in late 19th century Nebraska, through the eyes of her childhood friend Jim. The adult Jim narrates the story as he's returning home to visit, and his memories of his time on the frontier and the girl that he loves come to life on stage. Joel Liestman is a wonderful narrator who seamlessly steps into the action to play various characters, from Antonia's father, to Jim's teacher, to Jim himself at the end of the play. Dustin Bronson portrays the young Jim from the age of ten through his college years, hopelessly in love with the older girl but meant for a life that's bigger than the small town they live in. There's a continuity between Joel and Dustin's performances; it's easy to believe they're the same person at different stages in their life. Emily Gunyou Halaas (who starred in another story of pioneer life, The Master Butchers Singing Club) beautifully portrays Antonia in her journey from young immigrant girl, enthusiastic about everything, to a hard-working pioneer woman who still retains that love of life, but in a quieter way. Jim and Antonia are two people who love each other deeply and have a great effect on each other's lives, even though they end up on vastly different paths. The Nebraska prairie will always join them together. (To quote one of my favorite musicals Wicked, "So much of me is made from what I learned from you, you'll be with me, like a handprint on my heart.") The rest of the cast fills in the story playing various roles, changing from one to another just by donning a different hat or accent. The accents, by the way, are excellent - Czech, German, Norwegian, a cacophony of voices from the past.

I found myself (unsuccessfully) fighting back tears through much of the play, and I'm not even sure why. Mostly I blame the music (composed by Roberta Carlson with musical direction by Eli Bender), which so specifically brings you to that time and place, tinged with memory. The language of the play (which I assume was largely taken from the book) paints such a picture I that almost wanted to close my eyes to better see it, but then I would have missed the simple but effective images of waving grass or a plow against the sunset projected onto the backdrop. All of the pieces added together create an experience that is so nostalgic and wistful. It makes me feel nostalgic for a past I never knew, but that is in me somehow. My ancestors immigrated to Minnesota from Germany and Poland in the 19th century, so I felt like I was watching my own history. I have that same feeling of connection to Little House on the Prairie. Laura Ingalls Wilder's experience was probably no different, no more important or exciting, than anyone else's who was living on the frontier in those times. But she wrote it down, which my ancestors did not, so it's all many of us have to remember that time in our collective history. Willa Cather also wrote about those times, and I think it's wonderful to bring this work to the places where it happened, to people who have a connection to it. One of his friends tells Jimmy that he has a romantic view of country life, because he only lived on the farm for a short time and didn't have to work, and lived most of his life in town. Maybe that's why the story has such a nostalgic, romantic feeling, but it also portrays the hardships and struggle that frontier people went through.

I've been told I need to check out Illusion Theater, but this is my first time seeing one of their productions. Judging by this beautiful piece I will be seeing them again. There are only two more performances on this stop of the tour - tonight (Saturday) and Sunday. There were plenty of empty seats in the Goodale Theater at the Cowles Center last night, so if you're looking for something to do this weekend, I would highly recommend this. Click here to find more information on this weekend's performances, as well as future stops on their tour around the Minnesota. It's a show that will make your heart ache, in the best possibly way.

"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" at the Guthrie

2012-02-17T07:36:00.001-06:00

In keeping with the theme for Valentine's Day, I followed the delicious Dial M for Murder at the Jungle with the Guthrie's production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, a tale of not just one, but two dysfunctional marriages. Also delicious, but in a much different and darker way. Like Dial M for Murder, I hadn't seen this play before, or the 1958 movie, so I had no expectations. Except that I love Tennessee Williams; his plays are always so intense and really dig deep into human relationships. That definitely holds true of this play as well.

For the one or two of you who, like me, have never seen the movie, here's a brief plot summary. Big Daddy is the wealthy owner of a plantation in the Mississippi delta. His two sons and their wives return home to celebrate his birthday. Big Daddy dying of cancer, and everyone knows it but him and his wife Big Mama. Gooper is the elder son, but Brick is his father's favorite, maybe because they're more alike. Gooper and his wife Mae want to take over the plantation, but Brick's wife Maggie is determined not to let that happen. Brick himself doesn't seem to care much about anything, except drinking, since the death of his friend Skipper, which he calls the one true thing he ever had in his life. He's completely shut out his wife, and she's desperately trying to get back in.

I'm trying to decide who the star of the show is, but I don't think there really is one. Each character has their moment, and every actor in this cast is up to the challenge (even Gooper and Mae's five adorable children, who continually run across the stage hootin' and hollerin'). Peter Christian Hansen (Brick) always brings a wonderful intensity to his roles, but this one is much more subdued. Brick mostly listens in apathetic silence as others go off around him. He's constantly drinking, and moves around the stage on crutches with an awkward grace, his glass always in his hand. But when he's provoked, he explodes. Until he drinks enough that nothing matters anymore (click). Emily Swallow is wonderful as Maggie the cat, about to jump out of her own skin, desperate to make her marriage work so she doesn't have to return to the life of poverty. Melissa Hart (Fraulein Schneider in Frank Theatre's Cabaret) is amusing and sympathetic as the loveable busybody Big Mama, who just wants her children to be happy, especially her favorite Brick. And David Anthony Brinkley is marvelous as Big Daddy. Such a different role than the last time I saw him, as Big Mama Turnblad in Hairspray at the Chan. It's no mystery why he left that show to do this one - it's such a rich, meaty role, and he inhabits it fully. Chris Carlson and Michelle O'Neill as Gooper and Mae, whose only concern seems to be their inheritance, complete the dysfunctional family. None of these characters are very likeable, but they're all fully realized people.

Once again, the Guthrie beautifully brings to life the complicated, messed up world of Tennessee Williams - mortality, mendacity, families, relationships. You can almost feel the sweltering heat through the southern drawls, the set with the towering blue doors and windows, the 50s costumes. It's not a world I would like to live in, but it's awfully engrossing to observe.

"Dial M for Murder" at the Jungle Theater

2012-02-16T15:09:00.001-06:00

I can't think of anything better to do on Valentine's Day than go to the Jungle Theater and see a play about a horribly dysfunctional, but highly entertaining, married couple. I'd never seen the play or the 1954 Hitchcock movie version of the classic thriller Dial M for Murder, but I did recently see the 1998 remake The Perfect Murder (thanks to the Viggo Mortensen auto-record on my DVR). So I vaguely knew what the storyline was, but I didn't realize just how delightfully it would play out on the Jungle stage. There's an undercurrent of tension and suspense throughout the whole play that's just delicious. Murder shouldn't be this fun.

The entire cast just sparkles, speaking in British accents for this London-set story. Starting with Michael Booth as our hero/villain, Tony, a professional tennis player who married for money and develops an elaborate plot to kill his wife so he'll inherit her money. He's smart and smooth, and thinks he has every detail worked out. As things go wrong he continues to plot and scheme, and almost pulls it off. Cheryl Willis (aka Shirley Valentine) is the neglected wife and target of the plan, Margot. She's so naive and trusting of her husband, even though he did a complete 180 a year ago and suddenly became the perfect husband. Around that time she ended her affair with an American crime writer, Max (Terry Hempleman), who has just come back to town and is obviously the one who truly cares for Margot. She thinks the three of them can be chums, and Tony decides to use that to his advantage and work Max into his plan. He blackmails an old school friend (Peter Moore), who's already a bit of a con man and a gigolo, into doing the deed. Fortunately Margot is tougher than she appears and is able to fight off her attacker, but is not so lucky when her husband subtly schemes to have her charged with the crime. Gary Briggle, who says so much with just a grunt or an mmm-hmmm, is the Columbo-esque detective who can smell something's not quite right with this story, and doesn't give up until he's figured it out. I love moments of silence in a play, when there's such expectation and anticipation of what's going to happen next, and there are several such delightfully tense moments in this production.

The play is directed by Jungle Artistic Director, Bain Boehlke, who also designed the set. I don't know of too many directors who design their own set, but who better than the director to know just what the stage should look like? And when you've got the talent to do both, as Bain does, it's a beautiful cohesion of story and environment. In this case the set is a detailed London apartment, complete with tennis trophies and tea sets, and the all important turnkey. I don't know if it's the way the theater and stage are structured, but at the Jungle I always feel like I'm looking into a very detailed and perfect little diorama that comes to life when the actors enter.

This is the first production in the Jungle Theater's 2012 season (playing now through March 18), and they're off to a fabulous start. With The Birthday Party, Noises Off, Waiting for Godot, and In the Next Room (with some great casts already lined up), 2012 could be a very good year at the Jungle!

"Edith Stein" at Open Window Theatre

2012-02-13T20:14:00.003-06:00

Open Window Theatre's play Edith Stein* is a powerful and thought-provoking play. But it's not an easy one, either to watch or to write about. Partly because it's about the Holocaust, which is an extremely complicated and sensitive issue. And partly because I have my own personal issues with the Catholic Church, which are difficult to set aside. Maybe the solution is not to look at it not as a general statement about the Holocaust and Jewish/Catholic relations (I think Minnesota Jewish Theater's Our Class did a better job of exploring the subtleties and complexities involved), but to look at it as a depiction of the life of one woman, who was inspirational not because of her conversion or death, but because of her intelligence, ambition, and conviction.

Edith Stein was a Jewish woman who converted to Catholicism and joined a convent, was killed in a concentration camp in 1942, and was later declared a martyr and a saint by the Catholic Church. The play begins with a Jewish historian visiting a convent near the site of Auschwitz, asking them to move out of respect for the millions of Jews who died there.  The nun engages the historian in a conversation, and the story of Edith's life is then told, with occasional flashes to the present to return to the conversation. We see Edith celebrating the holy day of Purim with her family, and hear about her work with wounded soldiers during WWI. She leaves the home and family she loves to pursue her education and career. She's inspired by reading about the life of St. Teresa of Avila to convert to Catholicism and join a convent.  Despite my issues with the Catholic Church, I do have great admiration and respect for nuns; throughout much of history the convent was one of the few places where women could go to receive an education and live an independent life. Perhaps that's part of what drew Edith to it. While she's preparing to take her vows, a Nazi soldier named Karl-Heinz begins to visit the convent and speak with Edith (now called Sister Teresia Benedicta of the Cross) through a screen. He becomes obsessed with her, and she is asked to continue speaking with him as part of her service, despite (or because of) the fact that he represents everything she's fighting against.  This part of the play is fictional, but her conversations with him help to shed light on her beliefs as she tries to explain them to this man. Edith is eventually transported to Auschwitz and killed along with millions of Jews.

Highlights among the very capable cast, directed by actor Josh Campbell, include, first and foremost, Kendall Anne Thompson as Edith. She does a wonderful job portraying this strong and independent woman, at the same time expressing her vulnerability and doubts.  Meri Golden is believable and sympathetic as Edith's mother, who clearly loves her daughter despite being disappointed at the choices she's made and the direction her life has taken. Jeremy B. Stanbary, the Artistic Director of Open Window, is a commanding presence as Karl-Heinz, somehow creepy and charismatic at the same time. Unlike Karl-Heinz, the other Nazis in the play are caricatures of pure evil, which is an easy trap to fall into. This oversimplification can be dangerous; if we forget that Nazis were human beings just like us who let their fears take over and turn into hate and discrimination, we run the risk of going down that same road, in small ways or big.

I always enjoy checking out new theaters. This one is actually new, not just new-to-me. Open Window Theatre is in its inaugural season in a warehouse behind the Basilica in Minneapolis.  The space reminds me a little of Yellow Tree Theatre in Osseo - unassuming exterior, warm and cozy lobby, and black box theater (I think they even have the same comfy lawn chairs as theater seats). The stage itself is set up as a cross (I doubt that's a coincidence) with the chairs facing in different directions. There are no set pieces; the sparseness works well for the piece. Despite whatever issues I may have with the subject matter, the play is very well done. I wish them well in their new venture and will continue to keep an eye out for future productions. Next up: The Hobbit, which is sure to be much lighter!

*I received one complementary ticket to see Edith Stein.

Mu Daiko's 15th Anniversary Concert at the Ordway McKnight Theatre

2012-02-11T17:13:00.002-06:00

I've talked about Mu Daiko before, so I'll keep this brief. Mu Daiko is Mu Peforming Arts' taiko drumming ensemble, led by Artistic Director Iris Shiraishi, and they're celebrating their 15th anniversary with a series of concerts at the Ordway's McKnight Theatre. I attended last night's performance, and it was, as always, thrilling. I don't know enough about the art form to really speak intelligently about it or differentiate songs - some are soft and gentle, but most are fast and loud. Drum sizes and placements vary, and sometimes there is guitar or voice accompaniment (local actors Katie Bradley and Sheena Janson). Megan Chao Smith as the featured performer is amazing (and she gets to wear a sparkly top). Next weekend's concerts will also feature Hanayui, an ensemble from Japan. I'm sure they're great too, but I was happy to attend on an all Mu Daiko night.

A few words that come to mind when watching a Mu Daiko performance:

Energy, Drive, Power, Passion, Playfulness, Joy, Grace, Beauty, Collaboration, Rhythm, Precision, Focus.

The bottom line is, if you ever get a chance to see Mu Daiko perform, take it. I guarantee you'll have a great time. Not just from listening to the amazingly intricate rhythms and watching the performers dance around their drums, but feeling it in your body right down to your bones. Happy anniversary Mu Daiko! I look forward to more performances, and if I'm brave enough, I might even take a class someday.

"Still Life with Iris" at Yellow Tree Theatre

2012-02-11T17:04:00.001-06:00

For the past year and a half I've seen every Yellow Tree Theatre production with a group of co-workers from our nearby office. The group changes in size and composition depending on the show and people's schedules, but we always have a good time at the theater (and the lovely and delicious Nectar Wine Bar in downtown Osseo). After seeing Still Life with Iris this week, my friends said to me, "I can't wait to read what you write about this because I don't quite know what to make of it!" I'm not sure I do either, but I'll do my best.

Still Life with Iris is a fantastical tale set in the fictional world of Nocturno, where the inhabitants create everything that exists in the world. They paint spots on lady bugs, teach the wind to howl, and lift the fog. They're the worker bees behind the universe. And they seem quite happy to toil away every night, fulfilling that last minute storm order. Most importantly, they must take care of their coat, for their coat is what holds in their memory. If it rips, they start to forget things; if they take it off, they forget their entire life, everyone and everything they've ever know. (What happens when they take a shower? Sorry, there's no place for logic in Nocturno!)

Our heroine Iris is chosen to go to Great Island, which is not as great as it seems. First her mother's coat is removed so she'll forget she ever had a daughter, and then Iris' coat is removed so she won't mourn for her own life. She's taken to Great Island to be the daughter of the Goods, who have one perfect specimen of everything. Hence they only wear one shoe, one sleeve, one eyebrow, in a delightfully asymmetric world. But Iris is a special girl, she knows something is off, something existed before she got to this island that she can't quite remember. So she escapes, and is aided in her attempt by none other than 18th century composer Mozart (whom she affectionately calls Moz) and the fictional Annabel Lee, from the Edgar Allen Poe poem. They manage to escape and find the lost memory coats, and Iris returns home to the life she loved and remembered. If I were to try to make sense of this wild ride, I'd say that we need to actively hold on to our memories, our past. Not just our own past but our family's past. Like in the genealogical show Who Do You Think You Are (Fridays on NBC), in which celebrities search for their ancestors' stories, we need to remember our collective past in order to live our best present. My great-aunt recently passed away, the last remaining member of her generation, leaving behind a treasure trove of stuff in my great-grandparents' house. I feel like I've found a few lost buttons and threads of my coat, looking around in that beautiful, run-down, stuffy old house.

As always, the cast features wonderful members of the Yellow Tree family (for that's what it feels like). The director, Andy Frye, has himself appeared on stage in Miracle on Christmas Lake II and [title of show]. The always captivating Mary Fox plays Iris, giving her childlike strength and wisdom and curiosity. She's a hero we can root for. I'm not quite sure why Mozart is there, but I'm glad he is, with his Austrian accent and oversized keyboard. Yellow Tree newcomer Nathan Surprenant is a natural charismatic presence on stage and I look forward to seeing more of him. Molly McLain gives a delightfully wacky performance with a Cockney accent as Annabel Lee. Doree Du Toit plays Iris' mother; she has the role of the mourning mother down pat, having played a mother who loses her daughter in Steel Magnolias and Our Town. Our favorite nerdy stereotypical Minnesotan couple from Christmas Lake, Carolyn Trapskin and Ryan Nelson, are reunited here as Mr. and Mrs. Good. Their characters are just as quirky but much more evil. I was particularly impressed with Carolyn's ability to gracefully maneuver in her dress with a long side train while wearing only one high-heeled shoe, and with her maniacal laugh.

The show has a wonderful look. Yellow Tree regulars might do a double-take when they walk into the theater, as I did. The stage is on the opposite side of the room, and the curtain dividing the stage from the lobby is gone, making room for the two story set with lots of stairs and doors and windows to play with (set design by Katie Phillips). The costumes by Sarah Bahr are adorable (striped socks and colorful patchwork sweaters in Nocturno), sleek (the Goods in their stark, asymmetrical black), and whimsical (Annabel Lee's fairy-like layers).

I'm not sure how well I did in making sense of this play, but I'm not sure sense is what it's about. It's more about the feeling that's created. And as always at Yellow Tree, it's a good feeling. Their next production is one of my favorite plays, The Glass Menagerie. Unlike musicals, I don't have a lot of favorite plays (it's pretty much The Glass Menagerie and Tom Stoppard's Arcadia), so it goes without saying that I'm looking forward to it!

"End of the Rainbow" at the Guthrie

2012-02-06T19:30:00.002-06:00

End of the Rainbow is the second show about Judy Garland that I've seen this season. The first was The History Theatre's Beyond the Rainbow, which was set during Judy's famous 1961 Carnegie Hall concert. It was a wonderful production with two actors beautifully portraying Judy, one in the present (1961) and another in memories from the age of 4 throughout her life. At the time I wrote: "I can't imagine anyone capturing Judy better than Jody Briskey and Norah Long." But that was before I saw Tracie Bennett. Not that I think any less of Jody and Norah's performances, but this is a different Judy. Only seven years later but in a much darker place - broke, desperate, bitter, and angry, and less than a year away from her death. Tracie holds nothing back in a portrayal that is fearless, fierce, heart-breaking, and completely mesmerizing.

Similar to Beyond the Rainbow, End of the Rainbow is set against the backdrop of one of Judy's famous concerts - a five-week run at the London cabaret "Talk of the Town" in 1968 (here I am, back in 1968 again). It turned out to be among her final performances. Her new beau/manager and soon-to-be husband Mickey Deans arranged it and works hard to get her to complete her obligation sober. When that doesn't work he gives in and eventually enables her addiction, anything to get her up on stage. This is a woman who was fed drugs by the studio from a young age and probably couldn't have gotten sober without a serious and lengthy in-patient medical intervention. And more importantly, she had to want it, which she didn't seem to at this point in her life. In response to Mickey and her pianist cajoling her, she says, "I won't be clear of it because I don't think I need to be clear of it!"

Tracie Bennett has been involved in this project for ten years, as I learned in the post-show discussion. In its earliest form, it started as a show at a pub for which she was paid "70 quid a week." She had a lot to do with the creation of the piece as it now is, including choreographing her own drunken dance stops. Since the show was first performed in London where it takes place, she spoke to several people who had been at Judy's concerts, so much of her performance is based on eyewitness accounts. Tracie is vastly different from Judy, but just as entertaining a character. As Judy she's completely convincing and authentic, throwing herself physically, vocally, and emotionally into the role. She talked about how she made a conscious choice to almost go over the top, because that's what Judy did. Judy was playing a role onstage, and Tracie plays the role of a woman playing a role. There's no way she won't be nominated for a Tony (the show moves to Broadway in March) for Best Actress in a Play.  This is not a traditional musical, but a play with music; while the music is great and she sings with that familiar smokey vibrato, both a cappella and with a six-piece band, it's not the focus of the show.

The small supporting cast is great too. Broadway veteran Michael Cumpsty is completely charming as her Scottish pianist, not a historical character but an amalgamation of many pianists who worked with Judy. As they say in the show, "Judy Garland's pianist is a wider job description." Anthony is also her friend, confidant, and sponsor, even offering to move her into his home and take care of her. He represents the importance Judy has to the gay community and the gay rights movement. Judy's young fiancee Mickey Deans is played by Tom Pelphrey, two-time Emmy winner for his role on Guiding Light (although I know him for his brief but memorable role on my beloved soap As the World Turns). Tom is one of those great NYC soap/theater actors, a dying breed due to the demise of the New York soap. So I'm very happy to see him get his Broadway debut. He does a great job as the new man in Judy's life who's way out of his league (as Tom said in the post-show discussion, wearing a NY Giants shirt on Super Bowl Sunday like a good New Yorker). Mickey thinks he can control Judy and help her out of her addiction and back into stardom, but that's an impossible task.  Tom is a good match for Tracie, countering her every move, and affects a great hearty laugh as Mickey (mostly at his own jokes).

Like the Kander and Ebb musical Scottsboro Boys in 2010, which also came to the Guthrie just before it hit Broadway, this is your chance to see an almost guaranteed Tony-nominated production before it gets to Broadway. The elegant set and period costumes (designed by William Dudley) were built at the Guthrie and will be traveling to NYC along with the cast.  But be forewarned, this is not a pretty picture of the Minnesota darling. She smokes and swears and throws things. It's an honest portrayal of a woman at the end of her rope, worn down by years of drug addiction and fame and expectations. But she can still sing and entertain a crowd! End of the Rainbow is playing at the Guthrie through March 11; Broadway previews begin a week later with the official opening on April 2.

"It's a terrible thing to realize what you're capable of, and know you'll never get there."

"The Dragons are Singing Tonight" by TigerLion Arts at the Southern Theater

2012-02-04T14:19:00.001-06:00

I've missed the Southern Theater. Last season I had a season package that introduced me to several small theater companies I hadn't heard of. Each show was unique and innovative and sometimes a little weird (in a good way). Unfortunately the last show in my package was cancelled due to financial troubles, from which they're still recovering. So I was happy to hear* about the new musical The Dragons are Singing Tonight, which sounded every bit as interesting as other things I've seen at the Southern. And it is. So many people and groups are involved in this show that I don't know whom to credit for what, so I won't even try. The Dragons are Singing Tonight is based on a book of poems by Jack Prelutsky and is a collaboration of TigerLion Arts, Minnesota Boychoir, Puppet Farm Arts, Circus Juventas, In the Heart of the Beast, four actors, a composer, and twelve musicians, and more, all of whom seemed to have a hand in what's being presented at the Southern Theater. And the result is delightful and whimsical and moving and silly and fun.

A boy (Maxwell Chonk Thao) wishes for a dragon of his own, and a girl (the luminescent Isabella Dawis), who herself has a dozen dragons, leads him to an egg in the garden which eventually hatches into a baby dragon. But being a dragon-owner is harder than he thought, as Nasty (so named because of his breath and attitude) grows bigger and more independent. The boy only wants Nasty to obey, so he puts chains on the dragon and makes him do his bidding. But the girl warns him, "give him room or he will boom!" And boom he does. The boy eventually learns that he can't control Nasty; he has to let the dragon be himself so that they can both be happy. Something that every pet owner (and Daenerys Targaryen) knows. Nasty is portrayed by two actors as he grows from a spark to a huge dragon. Elise Langer (who I've seen in several Ten Thousand Things productions) and Tyson Forbes (who's appeared many times on the Guthrie stage) are both amazing and work together so well to give life to the growing series of puppets. At times they speak in unison, giving more dimension to Nasty. The full-grown dragon puppet is graceful and lifelike, with Elise inside the body of the puppet and Tyson directing its head and expressions. The two humans and the puppet combine to create a loveable full character.

Jack Prelutsky's poems have been beautifully set to music by composer Laurie MacGregor. The songs are fun and catchy, sad and thoughtful, playful and whimsical. I find they're still running through my head two days later. "If you don't believe in dragons, it is curiously true, that the dragons you disparage, choose to not believe in you." These are great poems for children that don't talk down to them. The program includes a glossary of terms (such as disparage) that might be challenging for younger children. The awesome twelve-piece band crammed into the side of the stage bring the words to life. The Minnesota Boychoir joins the band and the actors in telling the story, and they're completely adorable - acting the songs instead of merely singing them. Last but not least, three lovely and graceful aerialists perform on ropes and swings and add to magic.

The Dragons are Singing Tonight is a perfectly delightful theatrical experience for adults and children alike. Here's a suggestion: if you can't get tickets to The Lion King, or if you don't want to shell out $100+ per person to take your family to the theater, go see The Dragons are Singing Tonight. You'll save a ton of money but you'll still have a wonderful experience of theater, music, puppets, and circus. And your money will go to support local artists rather than Disney. :)

*I received two complementary tickets to The Dragons are Singing Tonight.

"1968: The Year that Rocked the World" by the History Theatre at the Minnesota History Center

2012-02-01T18:45:00.002-06:00

I have to admit, I'm enamored of the late 1960s. The music, the fashion, Woodstock, HAIR, people standing up for what they believe in. It all seems so thrilling and, well, cool. But the late 60s were not all love beads and peace signs. It was a tumultuous time in our history, particularly 1968, the year that is the focus of an exhibit at the Minnesota History Center and a corresponding play by the History Theatre. Two of our country's leaders were assassinated, the Vietnam War was at its height with hundreds of people dying every week, protests on our own soil turned deadly, and there was a dramatic and pivotal presidential election. All of these events and more are covered in the exhibit and the play, and I learned so much more about this era that I find so appealing.

The play is comprised of seven scenes that showcase returning soldiers, the Civil Rights movement in various forms, people's reactions to the assassinations, the election, and Apollo 8. The scenes are strung together with songs and dialogue as the cast guides us more or less chronologically through the year. History Theatre's Artistic Director Ron Peluso structured the scenes (written by seven different playwrights) and directed the play. Standouts in the cast include Lindsay Marcy, who plays three different characters equally well (the new wife of a soldier, a modern-day TV reporter in a clever tie-in with WCCO news, and the New Jersey mother of a future astronaut). Randy Schmeling (who was in the first production I saw of one of my now favorite musicals, HAIR, at the Pantages in 2004) is a convincing Bobby Kennedy and a charismatic modern day astronaut visiting his family at the time of his birth in 1968, congenially interacting with the audience. Perhaps the funniest scene (although at times scary funny) is a creative re-imagining of newly elected president Richard Nixon's experiences that year along with his friend and campaign manager John Mitchell. Paul de Cordova and E.J. Subkoviak have an easy chemistry, and Paul does a great Nixon as well as a pretty good Johnny Carson (not surprising since he so convincingly played three different characters in last year's The Pride). Last but not least is Karen Weber's (the witch in last year's Into the Woods) moving portrayal of Rosemary Clooney struggling with depression after the death of her friend Bobby Kennedy.

The music is great, although I would have liked more of it. We only hear snippets of songs between scenes, when I wanted to hear the whole song. This isn't a musical, it's a play with music. The band is made up of students from McNally Smith College of Music in St. Paul (which shares a space with the History Theatre's usual location), and they sound pretty groovy. They start playing 10 or 15 minutes prior to showtime, so get there early if you want to hear some full song selections from this great year of music. The play itself begins and ends with songs from HAIR, the ground-breaking musical that dealt so well with the issues of its day, which seemed quite perfect to me.

In the last week I've seen two pieces that deal with tumultuous times in American history: the fantastic musical Ragtime at Park Square Theatre, and this play. I see a lot of similarities between the two. In 1906 and in 1968 our country was dealing with issues of war, violence, race and gender discrimination and the fight to end it, poor people demanding to be heard. All of things these things we're still dealing with today. It's good to look back on our history and remember how far we've come, and how far we have yet to go. The struggle, the journey, is not yet ended.

If you go, I would recommend getting to the History Center a few hours early to peruse the exhibit (your theater ticket gets you $2 off admission), but check the website for hours to make sure they're open. The cafe there has good, local food (again, check the website for hours, Tuesdays seem to be a good day to go). And if you, like me, love the 1960s aesthetic and are tempted to buy everything with a peace sign, stay away from the museum gift shop. They have some dangerously cute stuff.

"Dangerous Liaisons" by Torch Theater at the Minneapolis Theatre Garage

2012-01-30T19:42:00.005-06:00

Have I mentioned how much I love the Minneapolis Theatre Garage? I think it's the best theater deal in the Twin Cities. For $20 cash at the door (and free parking) you get to see some great theater by small but talented theater companies. Everything I've seen there has been worth the money, and much more! Last week I saw Dangerous Liaisons by Torch Theater, and it was no exception. I'd never seen the play (aka Les Liaisons Dangereuses) or the 1988 movie before so I was largely unfamiliar with the story, if not the general concept. It's a deliciously wicked story; two friends cruelly manipulate people for their own amusement and benefit, with no regard to the consequences for their victims. In the end everyone loses.

Stacia Rice (Torch Theater's Artistic Director) is excellent as La Marquise de Mertueil, the widow who plays these wicked games. What she doesn't want anyone to see is that she does it in self-defense, to keep herself from being hurt or used. And as a woman in 18th century France, it's the only power she has. Her friend and partner in these games is Le Vicomte de Valmont (John Middleton, also excellent), an 18th century Barney Stinson. (Or rather, Barney Stinson is a modern day Vicomte.) He knows exactly the right things to say and do to get seemingly any woman into bed. It's a game for him, and he always wins because he doesn't play fair. He sets his sights on the pious married woman Madame de Tourvel (Mo Perry in a heartfelt and moving performance), and unintentionally falls in love with her. But that's only part of their scheme; things get more complicated and don't quite work out the way they had planned. The Marquise is left alone to crumple sadly and beautifully into a heap in her full skirts.

The supporting cast is also excellent, even those playing the servants who don't have a lot to do except smirk as they're changing sets between scenes. The stage is as deep as I've ever seen it at the garage; usually it's much shallower but they must have opened it up to allow for more space for the bed and period furniture. The costumes (designed by Rich Hamson) are rich and luscious enough to make you drool (see the photo above), including matching hats and coats for the dresses. Perhaps my favorite feature of the play is the live music that's played between scenes. Most of the singing is done by two members of the ensemble, Ann Michels and Matthew O'Connor Riehle, who also plays the lute and other period instruments. They sing various songs in English and French (including "Alouette"), and it's really quite lovely, sometimes heartbreakingly so.

I'm a little late with this one so it's only playing for another week. Check it out if you want a great cheap night at the theater.

Celebrity Sightings
This is a good one, friends! I got to the garage in plenty of time to pick out a good seat. After I got settled I noticed that three seats down from me was a sign that said "Reserved for Sally Wingert." And next to her was "Reserved for Dominique Serrand." Wow, that's like Minnesota theater royalty! Sure enough, they came in and watched the show. Sally will soon be appearing in Crashing the Party at Mixed Blood Theatre, and Dominique's theater company with Steven Epp, The Moving Company, will be presenting a new work at the Lab Theater in March.

"Ragtime" at Park Square Theatre

2012-01-27T19:04:00.002-06:00

I would like to say that Park Square Theatre's production of the musical Ragtime is the show of the year, but I know that it's only January, and there are 11 months to go. But 2012 would have to be a pretty good year for this show not to make it onto my end of the year best of list. I was a little afraid my expectations would be too high; I've been looking forward to this show for months because Ragtime is one of my favorite musical theater soundtracks and the cast list looked superb. But I was not disappointed, the show lived up to my expectations in every way. The cast is indeed superb and includes several of my favorites in top form; the music sounds divine thanks to the depth of talent in the large ensemble and the fantastic orchestra (as expected when Denise Posek of Theater Latte Da is the Music Director); and the costumes, choreography, and sparse set all add to the feeling of time and place - 1906 in New York City and its suburbs. With a cast of 35, this is Park Square's largest production to date, but the stage did not feel crowded, just full of life and music and pain and beauty.

Ragtime is based on the 1975 E.L. Doctorow novel of the same name and tells the story of three families - an upper class White family, an African American family, and an immigrant family. The three families' lives become intertwined with each other, as well as with several historical events and figures, such as anarchist Emma Goldman, magician Harry Houdini, and chorus girl Evelyn Nesbit (played by Kersten Rodau, Sasha Andreev, and Caroline Innerbichler, all perfectly cast and wonderful in their roles). The hero of our story is Coalhouse Walker, Jr. (the charismatic Harry Waters, Jr.), a ragtime piano player in love with a poor servant named Sarah (Brittany Bradford in a beautiful performance that's completely different from the last time I saw her, as Gary Coleman in Avenue Q). Coalhouse's journey takes a drastic turn when he's faced with discrimination and tragedy.

Sarah lives with the seemingly perfect well-to-do family consisting of a father, a mother, and a son, as well as mother's younger brother and father. Curiously, these characters (with the exception of the son, Edgar) don't have names, so that they could be anyone or everyone. I've seen Lee Mark Nelson and Christina Baldwin many times, but I don't think I've ever seen them perform together. It was worth the wait, they both give great performances as these layered characters. Mark makes Father both sympathetic and aggravating as he's caught in the old ways and refuses to change. Christina gives Mother such strength and yearning, hope and determination, and her voice is amazing as always, especially in the moving ballad "Back to Before." Noah Coon is adorable as little Edgar, the boy who mysteriously knows more than he should (warn the duke!). Finally, Younger Brother is on a journey all his own, always looking for something to cling to and finding it in unfortunate places (or persons). Aleks Knezevich (the rightful captain of the Pinafore) is perfect for the role in this perfectly cast show.

At the center of our third family is another one of my favorites, Dieter Bierbrauer, as a poor immigrant trying to make a better life for his daughter (the adorable and talented Megan Fischer, who doesn't have as much to do here as in last year's Annie). Tateh's path crosses with Mother's several times, in what turns out to be a most excellent love triangle. (Lee Mark Nelson, Christina Baldwin, and Dieter Bierbrauer singing in three-part harmony, I thought I'd died and gone to Minnesota musical theater heaven!) All of the characters in this story are connected somehow, and what each does affects the others. The ensemble is spectacular, and several of them shine in their spotlight moments, such as Timotha Lanae (who was also on board the Pinafore last summer) as Sarah's friend.

In addition to the perfect cast and music, the choreography (by another Latte Da regular Michael Matthew Ferrell), set design (by Rick Polenek), and costumes (designed by Andrea M. Gross) also add to the production. I'm not sure where the direction (by Gary Gisselman) ends and choreography begins when you're moving this many people around a small stage, but not only is it flawlessly done but it also really enriches the characters and helps define their story. The same can be said for the costumes, especially in the opening sequence, when all the upper class people are dressed in pale linen, the immigrants in dark earth tones, and the "Negroes" in bolder colors, creating an obvious division that melts away as their stories blur together. The stage is sparse, with a second story around the edge of the stage to allow for characters to come and go in the background. The few set pieces almost look like "silhouettes" (as Tateh sings), allowing the story to be the focus. A screen is occasionally lowered to display real images from the time period, further adding to the sense of time and place.

This is a heavy show, at times so difficult to watch that I closed my eyes to try to erase the images of violence and injustice. But there are also lighter moments of humor (I particularly enjoyed the ode to baseball, "What a Game"). I read the book after first seeing the musical in 1998, and remember thinking that it's not a book that screams "make me into a musical!" But it proves that no topic is off limits for musical theater, if done thoughtfully and respectfully and creatively. Ragtime is such a musical.

This country is always struggling, always changing, always trying to better itself. And there are always going to be tragedies and set-backs along the way, but hopefully each generation leaves the world slightly better for the next generation, for all the Coalhouse Walker IIIs of the world. Ragtime deals with what it's like to be an American, then and now, good and bad. As Gary Gisselman said in a post-show discussion, it's about racism and immigrants and the rich vs. the poor, themes that we are still dealing with today. But it's also about family and love and hope for the future. Ragtime officially opens tonight and plays through February 19, and it's definitely worth seeing. It may even be worth seeing twice!

Ragtime trailer from Park Square Theatre on Vimeo.

"Broadway Songbook: Words and Music of Contemporary Broadway" at the Ordway

2012-01-23T19:43:00.004-06:00

The Ordway is presenting a series of informal cabaret-style concerts this season called Broadway Songbook. The first one featured the music of Irving Berlin, and was an entertaining and informative look at the history of musical theater. The second installment, featuring music of "Contemporary Broadway," was the one I was most looking forward to, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a fairly accurate representation of the state of Broadway today - the good (The Book of Mormon), the bad (Priscilla Queen of the Desert), and the ugly (Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark). I'm not a big fan of jukebox musicals or adaptations of blockbuster movies; it seems like an easy way for producers to make money without taking any risks. But that's a lot of what's popular on Broadway these days, so it's only fair that they included it in this show. Fortunately there were also plenty of original musicals and revivals featured to balance things out.

The host for the series is Ordway Artistic Director James Rocco, and once again he introduced each song with a little background or a funny story about the show or composer. Accompanied by Raymond Berg on piano, the talented singer/actors included Joel Liestman, Robb McKindles (both of whom also appeared in the Irving Berlin show last fall), Kym Chambers Otto, Allison Tilsen-Kassabian, and Cinderella herself, Jessica Fredrickson.

Some highlights of the show:

The opening number was a beautiful, soaring song that I was unfamiliar with (and I thought I'd know all the songs!), from a musical called Songs for a New World by Jason Robert Brown.
Jessica sang several musical theater songs that always get me teary-eyed. "The Beauty Is" from Light in the Piazza by Adam Guettel, "There's a Fine Fine Line" from Avenue Q, "For Good" from Wicked (a duet with Kym), "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" from Mary Poppins. OK maybe that last one doesn't quite fit with the others, but she was definitely channeling Julie Andrews! James announced that Jessica will soon be moving to New York City. I'll be sad not to see her on local stages, but I wish her well and hope to see her on Broadway one day!
In addition to the duet with Jessica, Kym sang the beautiful ballad "I Get a Kick Out of You" from Anything Goes, currently running on Broadway (and I'm kicking myself for not seeing it when I was there last fall - sadly I can only fit so many shows into 5 days in NYC). She also led the cast in "Day by Day," the 1970s pop hit from the musical Godspell, also currently being revived on Broadway.
Two of the shows I did see on Broadway last year (and adored) were featured in the show. Joel sincerely and hilariously sang "I Believe" from the brilliant original musical by the creators of South Park, The Book of Mormon (there are only a few songs from that show that you can sing at the Ordway on a Sunday afternoon), and James himself sang the classic "Broadway Baby" from the divine revival of Stephen Sondheim's Follies.
A newbie to the Twin Cities theater scene, Allison has a fabulous voice and personality to match. She got one of the biggest rounds of applause for her rendition of "When You're Good to Mama" from Chicago, and closed the first act on a high with "I Will Survive" from Priscilla Queen of the Desert, which I earlier referred to as "the bad" because: 1) it's a movie adaptation, 2) it has no original music, and 3) they use some canned music instead of a full live orchestra. That's three strikes and you're out in my book. But despite the origins of the song, it was still a fabulous rendition of a classic pop song.
Joel and Robb made for an entertaining Pumbaa and Timon in the super fun song "Hakuna Matata" from The Lion King. Too bad they didn't also sing this song's counterpart from The Book of Mormon, "Hasa Diga Eebowai." Oh wait, that's one of those songs you can't sing at the Ordway on a Sunday afternoon. Slight digression: I've been seeing the ads for The Lion King everywhere, but I will not be seeing it. Don't get me wrong, I've seen the show several times and love it. It's that great familiar music from the movie but with a much richer and deeper orchestration, and the puppets/masks are truly a sight to behold. But for the price they're charging for tickets ($100+ for just about every seat in the house), I can see 2-3 local shows that are just as good, if not as splashy. So I'm choosing to spend my time, money, and blog space on supporting local artists and new work.
Joel sang the beautiful and dramatic song "Music of the Night" from Phantom of the Opera, a show I'm proud to say I've never seen (I seem to be the only person on the planet who hasn't). He also sat down at the piano to channel Billy Joel in the title song from the jukebox musical Movin' Out (which I have also never seen and don't plan to).
Robb and the cast sang "Steal Your Rock and Roll" from the Tony award winning musical Memphis, a show I am looking forward to seeing on tour at the Ordway in a few months. He also sang one of my favorite songs from Jersey Boys, "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You." I know I said I'm not a fan of jukebox musicals, but Jersey Boys is the exception that proves the rule. I've seen it twice and I love it. I think the reason it works for me is that the book is really clever; it's the true story of The Four Seasons' rise to fame (and subsequent fall), not some silly story made up to fit into the body of songs.
Finally, you can't really talk about contemporary Broadway without at least mentioning the spectacle that is Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark (aka "the ugly"). James gave a brief history of all the trials and tribulations (and expense and injuries) the show has gone through, describing the songs as guitar-heavy Bono songs. "Let's do a song... no, let's not do a song from the show." Wise choice!

It was another great afternoon of exploring the world of musical theater at the Ordway. The only shows I thought were missing were two of my recent faves - Next to Normal and Spring Awakening (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is probably too much to hope for). But other than these two absences, it was a truly wonderful selection of the best of Broadway, performed by some fantastically talented local actors, singers, and musicians. Next up: the music of Johnny Mercer.

"Julius Caesar" by The Acting Company at the Guthrie

2012-01-21T13:02:00.004-06:00

The Acting Company's production of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar* is an intense and beautifully acted drama, even if I didn't quite understand what the war was about or why (spoiler alert) everyone decided to stab themselves at the end. I wasn't very familiar with the play (other than the well-known quotes "et tu, Brute," "beware the ides of March," and "friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears!"), and it's a little too much war and politics for my taste. (It brought to mind the magnificently epic HBO drama Rome, about some of the same historical figures, which I also remember loving except for all of the war and political drama.) That being said, The Acting Company once again brings an energetic, vibrant interpretation of Shakespeare to the Guthrie as one of the stops on their tour around the country.

Last year The Acting Company performed two Shakespeare plays in repertory - the hilarious slapstick comedy The Comedy of Errors and the classic romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet. Four actors from last year's troupe return this year (including Juliet herself, Kaliswa Brewster as Caeser's wife, et al), joined by some familiar faces as well as some new ones. It's a great ensemble, led by Bjorn DuPaty as the powerful, charismatic, and doomed title character. But despite the title, the star of the play is Brutus, the conflicted friend of Caesar who loves Rome more than he loves Caesar, and therefore conspires to kill him to save the people of Rome from his tyranny. Willian Sturdivant (a graduate of the U of M/Guthrie training program who's appeared several times on the Guthrie stage) makes this conflicted character completely believable, embracing Caesar even as he delivers the final blow, following through with what he started until the situation becomes hopeless. Zachary Fine gives a wonderful performance as Mark Antony, who grieves for Caesar and promises to avenge his death. He gets to play a wide range of emotions - devastated, angry, compliant, defiant, persuasive - and reels the audience in every time. Kathleen Wise, one of only three women in the cast, also gives a fine performance in a short scene as Brutus' wife and as several other characters.

This is a modern-day production of an ancient story. Contemporary clothing (the men in sharp suits, the women in business attire or beautiful dresses), cell phones, and a block of video screens make the drama feel current. Walking into the Dowling Studio at the Guthrie, cable news pundits are displayed on the video screens, and the play opens with a demonstration by cheering young people with signs. It seems like a pretty high tech show to tour with, but it's a nice element that adds to the play.

The moral of the story (if there is one) - violence begets violence. An arguably noble act leads to more destruction and war, the very thing they were trying to avoid. That's an idea that is, unfortunately, timeless. Julius Caesar plays at the Guthrie through the first week of February, and then continues on tour around the country, ending up in New York City in April.

*I received two free tickets to this play as part of "Blogger Night at the Guthrie."

Celebrity Sighting
I spotted the great T. Mychael Rambo (last seen in the brilliantly musical Burial at Thebes) as I was getting on the elevator to head up to the 9th floor studio. As far as I know he's not currently appearing on stage at the Guthrie; maybe he was there to check out a show!

"You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" at Bloomington Civic Theatre

2012-01-17T18:50:00.003-06:00

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown at Bloomington Civic Theatre is an energetic, fun, sweet, colorful, and downright adorable show. All I knew about this musical before I saw it is that Kristin Chenowith won a Tony for her role as Sally. Based on the classic comic strip Peanuts by Minnesotan Charles Schultz, it was originally produced in 1967 and revived in 1999.  There's not much of a plot to the show, it's more like a series of vignettes that bring to mind the comic strip. With just a six-person cast, this is the smallest show I've seen at the BCT.  There's no room for weak links in such a small cast, and there are none here. Each character is a familiar friend, and these actors bring them to life in front of us. I happened to go on a "talk-back" day, which is always fun for me, and one of the actors commented that their characters are bigger, more exaggerated versions of themselves. I'm not sure if that's true, but it sure could be judging from their performances.

Our Charlie Brown is Adam Qualls, who was so good as the baker in Into the Woods last year. He again does a wonderful job as our hapless hero, for whom nothing ever goes quite right. Adam's Into the Woods wife is now his adversary/friend Lucy. Colleen Somerville was last seen as one of the hilariously evil stepsisters in Cinderella at the Ordway, and is everything you'd want Lucy to be - relentless and pushy and selfish, and somehow loveable. Charlie Brown's cute, spoiled, and not very studious little sister Sally is played by Courtney Miner, who, as she joked in the talk-back, gives Kristin Chenowith a run for her money! She's adorable and fun to watch, especially chasing rabbits with Snoopy and in her big song "My New Philosophy." Also great are Andrew Newman as the blanket-carrying, thumb-sucking Linus, whose intelligence and eloquence contrast with his babyish ways; and Eric Heimsoth as the classical music obsessed Schroeder, who gets to sing one of the funnest songs, Beethovan Day!

Last but not least, stealing every scene he's in, is Tyler Michaels as Snoopy.  He completely inhabits this canine character with great physicality and energy, in the way he moves and dances as well as how he reacts to what's going on around him. He said in the talk-balk that he studied physical theater, which is obvious in his performance. According to Tyler's website he will soon be playing my favorite character, Moritz Stiefel, in the highly anticipated (by me) Spring Awakening by Theater Latte Da. It's the first bit of casting news I've seen, and I'm very excited to find out that someone I now know and like will be playing my sweet, troubled Moritz.

A few more great things about the show: colorful, oversized children's clothing that makes the adult actors look like kids; cartoonish sets that look like the comic strip come to life; delightful, childlike choreography by Joe Chvala who also directed; and really fun, catchy songs accompanied by the fabulous six-person pit orchestra led by Anita Ruth. I saw a lot of kids in the audience who seemed to be having a good time, but the Peanuts characters are timeless and relatable at any age. The final song is the familiar refrain "Happiness is...", listing all the wonderful and seemingly trivial little things that add up to make life worth living. This production definitely captures the bittersweet life-is-tough-but-wonderful feeling of the comic strip.

I saw my first show at BCT just last year, and it kills me that I missed some of my favorites (like Light in the Piazza and Urinetown) in previous years. Longtime Music Director Anita Ruth talked about how BCT is a stepping stone for young actors between college and some of the bigger stages around town. Most of the actors have "day jobs," and the experience they receive at BCT is invaluable and will surely lead them to bigger things.  BCT seems to be the place to spy young up-and-coming talent, in addition to seeing some great theater.

Brian Stokes Mitchell at Orchestra Hall

2012-01-12T18:49:00.005-06:00

In my first theatrical experience of the new year, I saw Tony award winning Broadway actor Brian Stokes Mitchell at Orchestra Hall last weekend. I know him best as the voice of Coalhouse Walker, Jr. in the original cast of Ragtime. I've never seen him in the role but it's one of my favorite soundtracks (which I've been listening to a lot lately in anticipation of Park Square Theatre's upcoming production featuring an all-star cast of local talent). It was one of those rare experiences when one of your favorite soundtracks comes to life, when a voice and a song that's so familiar is live right there in front of you (like when I saw Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal in RENT a few years ago).

Brian performed with the fabulous Minnesota Orchestra, led by Sarah Hicks and her super-toned arms (I want that workout!). To begin the show, the orchestra performed a medley from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel, and then Brian appeared to sing "Some Enchanted Evening" from South Pacific. His voice in person is everything it is on recordings: deep, rich, expressive, gorgeous. Not only that, but he's also handsome, charming, funny, and entertaining; an engaging performer. As expected, he sang a selection of musical theater classics, some from musicals that he's appeared in ("The Impossible Dream" from Man of La Mancha, his encore) and some that he hasn't ("Soliloquy" from Carousel, "Don't Rain on My Parade" from Funny Girl). But he also sang some standards from outside the musical theater world ("How Long has This Been Going On," "Waters of March," a Gershwin medley). In an interesting twist, he blended the Duke Ellington classic "Take the A Train" with "Another Hundred People (Just Got Off of the Train)" from Sondheim's Company.

Brian Stokes Mitchell in Ragtime

Brian was involved in writing the children's alphabet book Lights on Broadway, and he sang the single that goes along with the book. "I Was Here" was written by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (the composers of Ragtime) and tells about the life of an actor.

One of my favorite moments was when Brian put down his mic to sing another song from South Pacific, "This Nearly Was Mine." With the orchestra playing softly behind him, his voice soared through the beautiful acoustics of Orchestra Hall. It was magical. But of course, what I was waiting for was the glorious "Wheels of a Dream" from Ragtime, and I was not disappointed. He sang it in a medley with "America the Beautiful," and it was a lovely expression of hope for a better world and a belief that those dreams will come true.

I've had the good fortune to see several of my favorite Broadway actors perform at Orchestra Hall, both with and without orchestra accompaniment. Bernadette Peters, Patti LuPone, Idina Menzel, and now Brian Stokes Mitchell. On the top of my wishlist is Mandy Patinkin, so I'm putting that out in the universe: Mandy Patinkin, come and perform at Orchestra Hall!

My Year of Theater, 2011

2011-12-26T15:58:00.010-06:00

What a year it has been! In my first full year of having this blog, I made a conscious effort to see more diverse local theater. The result is that I doubled the number of Minnesota theater events I attended, from around 40 last year to around 80 this year. Not counting the Minnesota Fringe Festival and touring productions, I saw shows by almost 30 different local theater companies. That's not even half of the theater companies in Minneaplis/St. Paul, so I have much more to do next year!

Here are a few of my favorite shows from this year (in alphabetical order). Click on the title of each show to read my full thoughts at the time I saw it.

25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Theater Latte Da

It's a safe bet that a Latte Da show will appear on my year end favorite list every year. I loved this delightful musical about a bunch of misfit middle school spellers so much, I saw it twice. Sweet and funny with a super talented young cast who perfectly embodied the eccentric kids, this was another hit from Theater Latte Da.

Cabaret, Frank Theatre

This was an unexpected highlight of the year: a classic musical by Kander and Ebb, starring one of my favorite local actors (Bradley Greenwald as the emcee) and a member of the original production (Melissa Hart as Fraulein Schneider), produced in the darling little theater on the Minnesota Centennial Showboat. It's such a rich piece of theater, heart-breaking and wildly entertaining, and new-to-me Frank Theatre did an amazing job with it, as well as facilitating a wonderful post-show discussion on the afternoon I attended.

Come Hell and High Water, The Moving Company

Early this year, I went to Baltimore to see a friend of mine in the weird and wicked play The Homecoming, coincidentally also starring Minnesota actor Steven Epp. I'm almost embarrassed to admit I wasn't very familiar with him at the time, having never seen a Jeune Lune show before they closed up shop. But now I know - he's kind of brilliant. Steven and Dominique Serrand of Jeune Lune have a new theater company, and this year they presented the original piece Come Hell and High Water, based on a William Faulkner story about a flood in New Orleans (no, not Katrina, although that's certainly brought to mind). I don't even know how to describe it; there was music, movement, story-telling, and water. A lot of water. What I loved most about this show is that it was unlike anything else I've ever seen. It's a thrill to see something so completely original.

Doubt and Man of la Mancha, Ten Thousand Things

Don't make me choose between these too amazing productions by Ten Thousand Things! They brought their completely unique, bare-bones, intimate, authentic style of theater to these two different plays - one a short, serious exploration of child abuse in the Catholic Church, the other a beloved musical about a man with a dream. Each with a brilliant cast (Sally Wingert and Kris Nelson in Doubt, Steven Epp leading the way in La Mancha) that shined without elaborate sets or lighting to distract from the work of bringing the story to life, I couldn't possibly pick a favorite between the two. They were both heart-breakingly beautiful in their simplicity and truth.

Hamlet, Jungle Theater
I admit it - I have a hard time with Shakespeare. It takes me a while to get inside the language and really feel what's going on. But I didn't have any problems with the Jungle Theater's production of Hamlet this year. Bain Boehlke designed the inventive set and directed the fabulous cast, led by Hugh Kennedy as a very real Hamlet. The whole production felt utterly modern and current, including innovative use of video, while still remaining true to the original work.

Heaven, Flying Foot Forum

I really loved this original dance/music/theater piece by Joe Chvala and the Flying Foot Forum. I had no idea what to expect walking into the Guthrie's studio theater, and was blown away by the story of an American journalist in the Bosnian War, and the way it was told through music, dance, and images. This is what musical theater can and should be: original, relevant, inventive, moving, and full of wonderfully diverse music and dancing. And for some inexplicable reason, this is the most viewed page on my blog, with twice as many views as the next highest page. It makes me think that maybe they're shopping the piece around trying to find new life for it, which makes me happy.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Two Trains Running, Penumbra Theatre

2011 was the year I was introduced to August Wilson's ten-play cycle about the African American experience in the 20th century, although really it's about the American experience. Ma Rainey is about a jazz singer in the 1920s and the musicians that play with her, and the struggles they face amidst the racism of the time. Two Trains tells the story of the patrons and owner of a diner in a 1960s neighborhood that's disappearing. Both are brilliant studies of life and history and characters. And no one does it better than Penumbra Theatre, which has produced more August Wilson plays than any other theater in the country. I look forward to next season's selection.

Pride, Pillsbury House Theatre
This might have been the most difficult play to watch this year; there were some brutally violent scenes. But it was also very moving and meaningful and well done. Four actors all played multiple characters and depicted the story of two gay men and the woman who loves them, in two distinct time periods - 1958 and 2008. Tracey Maloney, Matt Guidry, and Clarence Wethern all brilliantly portrayed two different versions of the same character, one in each time period. Subtle changes in voice, wardrobe, and carriage of the body instantly let the audience know which time period was being presented. The play illustrated just how far we've come in 50 years, and that we still have a ways to go.

[title of show], Yellow Tree Theatre
Musical theater is my favorite thing in the world, so a musical that celebrates (and maybe pokes a little fun at) musical theater is bound to be on my list of favorites. This musical about two guys writing a musical about two guys writing a musical is hilarious and full of musical theater references. It was a perfect choice for the cozy intimate stage of Yellow Tree, my favorite little theater in the suburbs. The fabulous four-person cast (Jessica Lind, Mary Fox, Andy Frye, and J.C. Lippold) had as much fun as the audience. It also gave me a new motto: "I'd rather be nine people's favorite thing than a hundred people's ninth favorite thing."

Twisted Apples, Nautilus Music-Theater at the Fringe Festival
This was my first year attending the Minnesota Fringe Festival, and I loved it. I saw ten shows in a little over a week (a record even for me), some funny, some moving, some weird, but all in all a wonderful sampler of the talent in the Twin Cities. My favorite show of the Fest turned out to be one of my favorites of the year - the original music-theater piece Twisted Apples by Nautilus Music-Theater, the second of three short operas that will eventually make up a full three-act opera based on Sherwood Anderson's 1919 short story cycle Winesburg, Ohio. Led by a gut-wrenching performance by Norah Long, it completely captivated me and brought me into the world of the little frontier town, so much so that I found the sunshine outside jarring when I left the theater. I look forward to next year's installment.

Since it's hard for me to pick just ten, here are ten more shows I loved: 7-Shot Symphony, After Miss Julie, August: Osage County, Avenue Q, Burial at Thebes, Edge of Our Bodies, H.M.S. Pinafore, I Am My Own Wife, Little Shop of Horrors, and Wizard of Oz.

In addition to the above plays and musicals, there are a few artists whose work stood out for me this year, whom I saw multiple times in wonderfully diverse productions.

Bradley Greenwald appeared in two of my favorite shows this year, and I don't think that's a coincidence. From the emcee in Cabaret to a German transvestite antiques collector in I Am My Own Wife, and everything in between ("everything" in this case being Hamlet's murderous uncle and a buffoonish soldier on the Way to the Forum), he's always a joy to watch. Whether he's speaking or singing in that magnificent voice of his, in English or in German, he puts everything he's got into his performance, and I can't get enough.

Unlike my other two favorite artisits, I didn't know who Anna Sundberg was before July of this year, although I had probably seen her before. But this fall she starred in three fantastic and diverse plays by three different theater companies, showing great range in playing a woman among immigrants in early 20th century NYC (Girl Friday's Street Scene), a very modern woman dealing with relationship issues (Walking Shadow's reasons to be pretty), and the entitled daughter of the owner of a large estate in 1940s London (Gremlin Theatre's After Miss Julie). Oh, and she won an Ivey Award for emerging artist, so I guess I'm not the only one who took notice.

I have to admit I don't usually pay attention to the director of theater or movies. I'm never quite sure what to attribute to the director vs. the cast or the writer. But here's what I do know: every play or musical directed by Peter Rothstein that I've seen has been excellent theater, so he must have had something to do with it. It's always high quality work from top to bottom, beginning with the seemingly perfect cast he assembles. Whether it's with Ten Thousand Things (the thought-provoking Doubt, see above), The Children's Theatre (two shows that'll make you feel like a kid again, Annie and The Wizard of Oz), a joint production between the Ordway and 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle (the colorful and entertaining Guys and Dolls), or his own Theater Latte Da (the moving Song of Extinction; an original piece about immigrant music that he created with pianist Dan Chouinard, Steerage Song; and the delightful Spelling Bee), a Peter Rothstein directed show is always entertaining, or interesting, or thought-provoking, or hilarious, or heart-breaking, or moving, or all of the above.

Those are just a few of the things I loved this year in the rich and deep world of theater in Minnesota. Thanks to anyone who read my blog this year, posted comments, emailed me with show suggestions, offered me free tickets to come to their show, or went to the theater with me. It's such a joy to experience the amazing theater in this town and to get to share my experiences, thoughts, and feelings with you all.

P.S. I only made it to New York once this year, but I did pretty good. I saw three of the best Broadway musicals of the year (The Book of Mormon, How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying, and Follies), and two off-Broadway shows I really enjoyed (a new production of my favorite musical RENT, and the thought-provoking two-person play Freud's Last Session). I've already started my list of new shows I want to see, so hopefully I'll get back to NYC again soon!

"The Wizard of Oz" at the Children's Theatre

2011-12-17T14:33:00.001-06:00

This is my week to see children's shows, and I'm loving it! Earlier this week I saw the Ordway's magical production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, and two days later I saw a fantastic production of The Wizard of Oz at the Children's Theatre, beautifully directed by my favorite director Peter Rothstein. If I had to pick a favorite between the two shows it would be The Wizard of Oz, if only because it's a more well-known and beloved story, and the tale of a young girl learning that everything she needs to make her dreams come true is within her is something I appreciate more than the tale of a young girl who needs a fairy godmother and a prince to make her dreams come true. But both are really beautiful, well done productions that made me feel like a kid again.

The star of the show is Maeve Moynihan as Dorothy. Maeve is a Children's Theatre regular (she made her debut as a munchkin in The Wizard of Oz in 2002), but I'm not, so I first saw her as Carrie in the Guthrie's world premiere of the Little House on the Prairie musical in 2008. I remember being impressed with her then, as I was when she played the young version of the title character in Theater Latte Da's Violet last year (one of my favorite shows of 2010). As Dorothy, Maeve is charming and believable with a beautiful full voice. She's so young (she just turned 18) and so talented; she has the whole world ahead of her. I can't wait to see what she does with it, and I only hope that after she becomes a big Broadway star she comes home every now and then to grace us with her talent.

Dorothy's three friends are beautifully and perfectly personified by Dean Holt (Scarecrow), Max Wojtanowicz (Tin Man), and Reed Sigmund (Cowardly Lion). First of all, the make-up and costumes (by Helen Q. Huang) are spectacular and do a wonderful job of helping to create the character (and they get into and out of them fairly quickly). Each one of them has the specific movements of the character - the loose-limbed Scarecrow, the mechanical Tin Man, and the cat-like Lion - that the actors never lose sight of for a moment. I would be entertained just watching the three of them move and dance and interact for two hours. Reed's Lion is particularly entertaining. About his role in this spring's Annie I wrote, "Reed is almost over the top in his portrayal of Rooster, but it works." And that's true here too; he almost goes over the top but never quite crosses that line; it's brilliant, especially for kids.

Another star of the show is little Loki, who plays Toto. He (she?) has to be the most compliant dog I've ever seen. S/he is passed back and forth, sometimes to some pretty scary looking creatures and amid loud noises and commotion, but is never frazzled or upset. S/he is onstage for much of the show, and just calmly hangs out in someone's arms, watching, standing where placed, occasionally eating a treat. I guess that's to be expected when the animal trainer (William Berloni) is a Tony award winner who has worked extensively on Broadway.

The sets by Scott Bradley are simple, but colorful and effective. The spinning house and flying objects are kind of adorable, and the lightning flashes and crashes distract the audience while the set is being changed from Kansas to Munchkinland. This is one show where the lighting really helps create the sense of place (green for Oz, red for poppies). But some of the best effects are never seen at all. In several scenes the actors look off above the audience, at a tornado or the Emerald City or the wizard, and they're so convincing I had to fight the urge to turn around and see what they were looking at! And of course The Wizard of Oz would not be the same without the familiar wonderful music, beautifully played by the pit orchestra led by Victor Zupanc (who seemed to love interacting with the kids before the show and during intermission).

As I said before, the costumes are just magnificent. The child munchkins are the cutest little things; one tiny one in particular I wanted to put in my pocket and take home with me! These kids are so enthusiastic and energetic, and really fine young actors. They're just children playing make-believe, in fabulous costumes in front of hundreds of people. It makes me wonder which of these children will be playing Dorothy in another 10 years.

This was my last show of 2011, and the year couldn't have ended better. I've seen a ton of theater this year, more than any other year of my life (my year-end summary is coming soon), and this was a perfect finale to it. A story so familiar it's part of our cultural heritage, executed to perfection by the top talent in the area, a heart-warming and inspiring story. What a world, what a world!

(For another wonderful stage interpretation of The Wizard of Oz, click here.)

"Cinderella" at the Ordway

2011-12-14T15:54:00.006-06:00

I always like to go to the Ordway's holiday production because it's typically an original production (rather than a touring show) featuring a mostly local cast. Last year they did the colorful and super fun Joseph, the year before Beauty and the Beast. This year's selection is the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Cinderella, originally written for television in 1957 starring the great Julie Andrews. The Ordway's production is magical and very sweet, and almost makes me believe in fairy tales, almost makes me believe that impossible things really can happen. It was fun to forget that I'm way too old for fairy tales and immerse myself in the magical world that Cinderella lives in, if only for a little while.

A few of my favorite things:

A huge cast of primarily local talent, including the divine Wendy Lehr as the Queen and Gary Briggle as her elegant husband, Reid Harmsen (aka Mark in RENT and Brad in Rocky Horror) as the enthusiastic steward and friend of the prince, and way too many ensemble members to mention here (but I had fun trying to identify them in the group numbers).
The sweet-voiced and extremely likeable Jessica Fredrickson (another local with whom I was previously unfamiliar) as our Cinderella.
A quite capable and swoon-worthy Prince in the form of Jeremiah James (the one non-local featured).
Hilariously over the top performances by Greta Grosch (one of the original Church Basement Ladies) as the Stepmother and Colleen Somerville and Andrea Wollenberg as her two homely but hopeful daughters.
A sassy fairy godmother (Tonia Hughes) who encourages Cinderella to make her own wishes come true, with a little help.
Cinderella's animal friends adorably represented by puppets manipulated by dancers dressed in black (including Linda Talcott Lee who recently talked about her experiences working with the one and only Jerome Robbins).
Two dimensional painted set pieces and backdrops that look like a storybook come to life.
A seriously magical and seemingly instantaneous transformation from poor serving girl to belle of the ball and back again (I'm still not sure how they did that).
Great musical theater songs like you would expect from R&H, fun dance numbers, and beautiful playful costumes.

One gauge of the success of a musical is if I leave the theater singing the songs and feeling like I could dance down the sidewalk back to my car. By that criteria, the Ordway's Cinderella is a success. A light and fluffy show, but very well done.

"Charley's Aunt" at the Guthrie Theater

2011-12-08T19:23:00.003-06:00

I'm sure I've said this before, but I love my season ticket seat at the Guthrie's Proscenium Theater (the rectangular red one) - front row center. It's actually in the "cheap seats" section because it's "too close." But even though I get a crick in my neck (like sitting in the front row of a movie theater), I love being close enough to see the color of the actors' eyes and the sweat beading up on their foreheads. I almost feel like I'm in the middle of the action. And a lot of crazy action there is in the late 19th century English farce Charley's Aunt, playing now through mid January.

A brief plot summary: two young men at the fictional St. Olde's College in Oxford are in love with a pair of young ladies who are leaving the country tomorrow. They need an excuse to see the ladies and profess their love to them, so they invite them over to Jack's rooms to meet Charley's aunt, a wealthy widower he's never met. When her arrival is delayed, they convince their pal Babs to wear his theater costume and impersonate the old lady. As you can imagine, much hilarity and hijinks ensue (including pratfalls, kicks in the rear, slaps, etc.), especially when the real aunt arrives and finds someone else using her name!

This is a brilliant cast, and it's worth noting that six of the ten cast members are graduates of the joint University of Minnesota/Guthrie training program. Like the Minnesota Twins, the Guthrie has a strong farm system; they grow their own talent, which is on great display in this show. Starting with the talented and charming John Skelley as the title character, or the false version of the title character. He completely commits to this very physical role; at one point he's holding his breath and his face literally turns red as he breaks out in a sweat! John appears to be having a great time as Babs, who is having a great time being Charley's aunt. Except for avoiding the two distinguished gentleman vying for his affection (Colin McPhillamy and Peter Thomson - much more elegant and handsome than he was as the ruler of the Queen's navy), he gets to laugh and flirt with two lovely ladies to his heart's content! Matthew Amendt is also wonderful as Jack, the ringleader of the whole scheme who goes from confident and enthusiastic to exasperated when his plan falls apart. Ben Mandelbaum is adorable, boyish, and incredibly expressive as the young Charley. Every good English comedy needs a sly, mischievous butler who's smarter than those he serves, and Guthrie newcomer Charles Hubbell fills that role well. The three young ladies are also played by U of M/Guthrie graduates and are as lovely and talented as the men. And if that's not enough, Sally Wingert (the Meryl Streep of the local theater scene) brings her considerable talent to the role of the real Charley's aunt.

As expected at the Guthrie, the sets and costumes are spectacular. The three scenes of the play each have their own authentic and detailed set that floats or slides in or out. When I first walked into the back of the theater and saw the stage, it was like looking into a Victorian doll house. The men look sharp and elegant in their suits, and the ladies' dresses with matching hats look good enough to eat! And from my front row seat I got a good look at the shoes - smashing.

Charley's Aunt is everything a good farce should be - silly and ridiculous, light and funny, and perfectly executed by everyone involved.

"Miracle on Christmas Lake II" at Yellow Tree Theatre

2011-12-08T13:27:00.004-06:00

Three years ago Yellow Tree Theatre faced a dilemma: the rights to the Christmas show they were planning to do were pulled, and they only had a few weeks to come up with something. They performed a “miracle.” They wrote and produced an original play in a few weeks that turned into a hit that ran every December for three years. Miracle on Christmas Lake is about a small town Minnesota theater that has to develop a play in a few weeks in order to keep the theater from closing down, and they do it to hilarious effect. This year Yellow Tree is presenting the brand new sequel, Miracle on Christmas Lake II (both shows written by Jessica Lind). Our favorite characters return (except for the soap fan with the hairy mole) – Colin, who runs the theater, and his wife Tess are now parents of a six month old baby, and Martha, loveable despite (or because of) the fact that she embodies every bad stereotype of Minnesotans, is now (sort of) engaged to her nerdy Little House on the Prairie loving costar from last year’s production. The town of Christmas Lake is in danger of being annexed, and the town savior appears in the form of Hollywood scout Joey Deschantel, who is going to recommend the town to his producers as location for the upcoming remake of It’s a Wonderful Life, starring famous Minnesota actors Josh Hartnet and Jessica Biel. He takes charge of the town Christmas pageant, making it into a spectacle so Hollywood will take notice.

That’s a whole lot of complicated exposition, but the details of the story don’t really matter. What matters is that this is a hilarious show with tons of heart and local flavor. It’s not the usual holiday sugary sweet schmaltz, but you’ll still leave the theater with a warm glow to carry out into the cold Minnesota night. You’ll remember fondly this crazy quirky little Minnesota town full of loveable characters that may actually resemble people you know.

Of the four returning characters from the original Miracle on Christmas Lake, only one is played by the same actor: Ryan Nelson as the nerdy Neil. My favorite thing about Neil is his love for Little House on the Prairie, which I share. It was my favorite show as a kid and I still have to stop and watch whenever I come across it on TV. (Beth and Manly!!) The other fun thing about Neil is that he thinks it’s not acting if you use your normal speaking voice, so he always imitates a famous actor, despite the director’s protests. Said director is played by Andy Frye who played Hunter in [title of show] this spring. His super high energy brings new life into the little town. The moon boot and high-waisted jeans wearing Martha Knutson is played this year by Carolyn Trapskin, and she ably contorts her face and voice into the weirdness needed for this character. And it works for her, she has three men chasing after her! Our sane couple (loosely based on Yellow Tree founders, director Jason Peterson and playwright Jessica Lind) are played this year by J.C. Lippold and Mary Fox (both of whom also appeared in [title of show]). Mary's given some great and diverse performances around the cities this year, as she does again here. While she effortlessly created an outrageously quirky character in Theater Latte Da’s Spelling Bee this fall, she does a great job here of playing the straight role among these other crazies (although she does get to appear in a tutu and speak in rhyme). J.C.’s Colin is a calming, grounding presence as the man who desperately wants to save his hometown, because he doesn’t know who he is without it. Gary DuBreuil fills out the cast playing several diverse roles, from a minister to a volunteer police officer to a Hollywood producer. All together it's a very capable and entertaining cast that plays well together on the little stage (which is an actual raised stage for this production).

A lot of crazy things happen and the show falls apart for various reasons, but still manages to be a success because the townspeople pull together to make it happen. The play within a play (a very modernized version of the Christmas story) is in rhyme, with Mary delivering much of it in a halting cadence as if Tess is making it up on the spot. Colin accompanies the show on the piano, and it closes with everyone joining in to sing a wonderful new holiday ditty, “A little bit of lovin' and a Christmas tree” (written by one of my favorite local musicians Blake Thomas, if you like country/folk music, you must check him out). It’s a really sweet and fun end to a really good time. In fact, if a single were available for download, I’d download it today (hint, hint, to whoever may be reading this!). Or you can just watch this video on a continuous loop, like I do. ;)

I think it's safe to say that their Christmas show is Yellow Tree’s most popular show of the year; it's playing six days a week (which their other shows typically do not) and has been extended into January. If you're looking for a fun and non-traditional holiday show that still has that traditional holiday spirit, check it out, especially if you’re in the Northwest suburbs. And make sure to get there in plenty of time to get seats. I went with a group on a Tuesday night and it was packed, maybe even sold out. We were enjoying our half price bottles of wine at nearby Nectar Wine Bar (which I highly recommend for a pre-show dinner) so much we didn’t get to the theater as early as we hoped, so we had to take whatever seats we could get! But even from way in the corner it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

"I Wish You Love" at Penumbra Theatre

2011-12-05T19:48:00.002-06:00

It's not often that you get a second chance to see a production you missed. Every year at the Ivey Awards I'm presented with several wonderful productions and performances that I didn't see. I always wish they'd bring back the productions so I could have another chance to see them, and this year my wish came true! Dennis Spears won an Ivey for his performance as Nat King Cole in I Wish You Love by Penumbra Theatre earlier this year, and after touring with the show in Washington DC and Connecticut, they brought it home to their St. Paul theater for another run (now through Dec. 18). I'm so glad I had the opportunity to see it. Not just for Dennis' award-worthy performance, but also because it's another quality, thought-provoking, moving production by Penumbra. I was lucky enough to attend on a day when there was a post-show discussion led by Education Director Sarah Bellamy, which was, as always, enlightening and illuminating about the topics surrounding the show (if you ever get a chance to go to a talk-back at Penumbra, take it). The more I see of Penumbra, the more I love them. Like me, they believe that theater is more than just entertainment. Theater has the power to start conversations and change the way we view the world.

I Wish You Love is a Penumbra original; written by Dominic Taylor, head of Penumbra's new play development program, and directed by Artistic Director Lou Bellamy, it premiered at Penumbra earlier this year. The play is a fictionalized account of Nat King Cole's 1957-1958 TV variety show, the first hosted by an African American. The sponsors were skittish, and Cole ended up putting his own money into the show to keep it on the air. The play branches off from that and shows us the racism behind the scenes of the show; the network and sponsors didn't want any of the black band members to appear on camera, and Nat received death threats. The network insisted he go on a national tour to prove his national popularity, ending in his birthplace of Alabama (he grew up in Chicago). This was during the height of the Civil Rights movement and the violence surrounding it. Nat and his band were caught up in the violence, which brought a whole new reality to what they were seeing on the news every night.

The scenes in the play cover rehearsals, breaks, and the TV show itself. Video images are beautifully and effectively woven into the live action on the stage. When the show goes live, a camera in the back of the theater videotapes what's going on onstage, which is simultaneously broadcast on several black and white TVs hanging over the stage. It feels like we're at a live taping of "The Nat King Cole Show," complete with "Applause" signs and vintage commercials that come on during the breaks. We also get news reports of the growing violence in the South and see real news footage projected onto the screens. It's quite a contrast between the smooth, pretty music in the TV studio and people being beaten on the streets in the news footage.

I'm not that familiar with Nat's music (other than his Christmas album and his posthumous duet with his daughter Natalie), but I've been watching some videos of him on youtube, and Dennis Spears seems to have captured his mannerisms, his voice, and his spirit. You see two Nat King Coles in I Wish You Love - the smiling public face, and the behind the scenes real man who is frustrated with the sponsors and the network. As soon as the countdown to live TV begins (five, four, three, two....), Nat puts on his million dollar smile and speaks to the camera, and to his audience watching at home. And then he sings in that familiar velvet voice (musical direction by Sanford Moore). As soon as the cameras are turned off, reality sets in and he lights up a cigarette (Nat died of lung cancer at the age of 45) as he interacts with his band or the producer. Nat's band members (inspired by his real life trio) are played by the always great Kevin D. West as the bass player and long-time friend of Nat's, and newcomer to the Twin Cities theater scene Eric Berryman as the young guitar player Nat takes under his wing. We learn more about Nat and his life and goals through the stories, jokes, and pain he shares with his friends. The show's producer, who does the best he can for Nat within the restrictions placed upon him, is played by Michael Tezla (my co-star from A Serious Man).

In what turned out to be a fascinating and completely unplanned but somehow serendipitous pairing of theater, I saw the Chanhassen's production of Hairspray the same weekend that I saw I Wish You Love. Both shows are set in a similar time period and deal with segregation. Both explore the use of TV and music to help break down the barriers between the races, but in very different ways. Hairspray is a fairly simplified version of events, in which everyone ends up happily and peacefully dancing together, and it's a white girl who leads the way. I Wish You Love is a much more realistic view (we see several violent images that are hard to look at) of the struggles of African Americans that continue to this day. There is no happy ending for Nat King Cole, just continued struggle, and progress mixed with setbacks. Both shows deal with an important and unpleasant part of our history that really wasn't all that long ago. I found that they complemented each other nicely, one a "fairy tale," and one a very real tale of one man trying to make a difference just by his very presence in American living rooms across the country through the power of television.

"Hairspray" at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres

2011-12-04T19:18:00.002-06:00

I saw the musical Hairspray at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres yesterday, and I'm still singing and dancing! I've seen the show several times and it's one of my favorite musical theater soundtracks, so it's no surprise that I loved it. It's a great cast of Channhassen regulars and newcomers, and a really wonderful production. I went with my family, a group of 15 people ranging in age from 4 to 66 (including several teenagers), and a good time was had by all. But it's more than just a good time, it's a great message - togetherness, standing up for what you believe in, and the realization that despite the fact that we might look different, we all just want to dance and have fun and be free to live our lives. It's easy to forget that segregation wasn't really that long ago in the history of this country. Today I saw I Wish You Love at Penumbra Theatre (more thoughts on that coming shortly), which gives a much more brutal, realistic view of segregation. Both shows are about using music and television to enact social change, but that's where the similarities end. In real life, segregation didn't end cleanly and easily with everyone dancing happily together. But like Director Michael Brindisi writes in the playbill, Hairspray "is a fairy tale, but it can come true." Humor and music and dancing is a legitimate way of dealing with an important part of our history.

A few more thoughts:

Chanhassen newcomer Therese Walth is the star of the show. She plays Tracy with such energy and enthusiasm it's contageous, and her voice is big and beautiful. Her energy is matched by another Chan newcomer, Kaija Pellinen, as Tracy's best friend Penny. She's hilarious and endearing in her awkward lankiness and gum smacking as she follows her best friend and supports her in her adventures.
David Anthony Brinkley and Jay Albright may be the best couple I've seen on the Chanhassen stages in some time. Their chemistry is so playful, fun, sweet, and believable, it's a thing of beauty to watch. They have an ad lib section in the middle of "You're Timeless to Me" in the second act. I'm not sure what Jay was doing because his back was to me, but David was cracking up. I don't blame him; I don't know how anyone can look at Jay Albright and keep a straight face, he's such a clown! David usually plays a tall, distinguished, silver-haired gentleman so it was fun to see him play against type as a tall, big-haired, supportive Baltimore mother, and do it so well.
Tom Rusterholz as Link Larkin is no Matthew Morrison (who is, really?), but he puts his Richie Cunningham charm to good use as the boy Tracy falls in love with, and who eventually proves he's worthy of her.
Nice to see some new faces in the ensemble along with old faves, including my favorite Chanhassen dancer and perennial teenager Tony Vierling. In any of the big, fabulous dance numbers (choreographed by Tamara Kangas Erickson), my eyes naturally gravitate towards him. Two more Chanhassen faves Julianne Mundale and Janet Hayes Trow play the two less than supportive, but very funny and entertaining, mothers.
Kasono Mwanza has the moves as Seaweed, and the voice too. Run and tell that!
After I saw the Elvis jukebox musical All Shook Up at the Chan last year, I wrote this: "If Aimee K. Bryant was auditioning for the role of Motormouth Maybelle in next year's Hairspray, she won it in my book!" Apparently it wasn't only in my book, as she is playing the role and doing an amazing job!
We had an understudy for Corny Collins, Ben Johnson, and he was excellent. He's everything Corny should be - suave and charming with a beautiful voice (he sings with the Minnesota Opera). Speaking of understudies, I see Kinaundre Lee is an understudy for the Dynamites, which I would love to see! He played Angel in a local production of RENT last year so I know he can sing and dance in heels!

Hairspray has been extended through May so you have plenty of time to make the trip out to the Southwest suburbs to see this colorful production of a super fun show. You'll laugh and dance, and maybe even be reminded that like Tracy, sometimes you need to take a stand to make a difference. It may not end up with everyone happily dancing together, but it might get things moving.

"How to Cheat" at the Gremlin Theatre

2011-12-02T17:22:00.001-06:00

How to Cheat is an interesting little play. There's a lot going on in the short 75-minute show, some of it weird, some of it funny, some of it intellectual, and all of it entertaining. The show is playing at the Gremlin Theatre* (which recently produced the thrilling After Miss Julie at the James J. Hill House) and is a joint production with Alan Berks & Company. The two-person cast includes Randy Reyes, whom I'd watch in pretty much anything because he's always interesting and entertaining, and Candy Simmons, whom I've never seen before but also quite enjoyed. Alan Berks directs the play and wrote it specifically for Randy; it premiered at the Minnesota Fringe Festival a few years ago and has now been expanded into a full-length play.

How to Cheat is about a man (single) and woman (married) who meet at a fancy party in a huge mansion and steal away together. They end up in an out-of-the way room furnished with eclectic old pieces and boxes of memories (pretty cool set design by John Bueche, and several of the items are being sold via silent auction). The room has several levels leading up to a bed. They both know why they're there but take their time getting there. Louie and Meri dance and flirt, stumble and run up and down and around the room. He's a scientist and a bit of a player, she's a journalist who's unhappy in her marriage. They discuss science and war, they dance, they play a card game that's much more than a card game. Several different narrative styles are used to tell the story, from normal two-person dialogue, to a dream sequence, to speaking directly to and interacting with the audience. It's smart and funny, it'll make you think and feel and laugh. Randy and Candy create two complex and interesting people, and have a believable chemistry.

The play ends with the sounds of explosions coming from outside the room, and the couple decides to face whatever's going on together. I'm not sure if it really is the end of the world, or if the explosions symbolize the new perspective they have on the world after this connection they've discovered, this shared experience. The show is only playing for about a week, so act quickly if you're interested.

*I received two complementary tickets to attend the opening night of How to Cheat.

"A Christmas Carol" at the Guthrie Theater

2011-11-21T19:57:00.004-06:00

The Christmas season has officially begun - we had our first snowfall here in the Twin Cities over the weekend, and I saw the Guthrie's annual production of A Christmas Carol last night.* And even though the snow might melt shortly, A Christmas Carol continues through the end of the year. So if you're looking for a way to get into the holiday spirit, this show will do it. The themes of Charles Dickens' classic tale go beyond any religion or holiday; being kind to everyone, spending time with the people you love, appreciating what you have in life, and sharing with those less fortunate are ideas we can all stand to remember at all times of the year.

This year's show is fairly similar to last year's version, again using the new adaptation by Crispin Whittell and direction by Joe Dowling, with just enough tweaks to make it interesting for return customers. The fabulous set (by Walt Spangler) is the same as last year, depicting a street scene with shop windows and a revolving centerpiece to reveal the inside of the office of Scrooge and Marley. For the Fezziwig scenes a huge set of shelves with all kinds of goods rolls out for a backdrop. There's some pretty amazing engineering going on. Much of last year's cast returns, with some reshuffling and new blood added.

Highlights include:

J.C. Cutler is a very convincing Scrooge, especially in his transformation to the joyful, generous man dancing through the streets sharing his wealth and his love (read this StarTribune article to find out more about our Scrooge).
Zach Fineblum was equally convincing in the reverse transformation. From the young open-hearted Scrooge to the miserly old Scrooge, he almost physically transforms before the audience's eyes.
The fabulous Angela Timberman, aka Miss Hannigan, reprises her role as Scrooge's boozy maid.
Kris L. Nelson also reprises his role as the loveable and hard-working family man Cratchit. It's a family affair again; his brother Lee Mark Nelson plays several characters including Mr. Fezziwig, and his wife Tracey Maloney plays the Ghost of Christmas Past, floating in on feathers and light to remind Scrooge of what he lost.
Sam Bardwell was a bit of a scene stealer as the dim-witted party guest Topper and young Scrooge's friend (roles he also played last year).
Other faves include Robert O. Berdahl as the jolly Ghost of Christmas Present, Suzanne Warmanen as the charming Mrs. Fezziwig, and Viriginia S. Burke as Cratchit's hard-working wife.
Some of the dialogue about the rich vs. the poor sounds oddly current, including the rich man who insists on being called a "job creator."
This production again features a flock of talented kids, some of whom I recognized and some of whom are new. What fun to be able to play make-believe in such a realistic way!
As usual, the dancing at the party is wonderful (movement by Joe Chvala of the Flying Foot Forum). It's quite a feat just to manage the large cast of people moving in and out, and make it look smooth and natural.

The Guthrie's all around top-notch production of A Christmas Carol is a Christmas card come to life. A Dickensian Victorian scene complete with dingy children begging on the streets, snow softly falling, a turkey and figgy pudding feast, carolers in bonnets and full skirts, merry dancing, mistletoe, and of course the famous phrase delivered by an adorable sweet-voiced child, "God bless us, everyone!"

*I received two complimentary tickets to this play as part of "Blogger Night at the Guthrie." Very nice seats in the front row of the balcony, center stage, which provided a very nice overhead view of all the action on stage.

"After Miss Julie" by the Gremlin Theatre at the James J. Hill House

2011-11-17T15:33:00.005-06:00

I love history. Not the politics and wars, kings and presidents kind of history, but history about how people actually lived in years past. I'm fascinated by the houses on Summit Avenue in St. Paul, and have visited the James J. Hill House several times. So when I heard about a play being produced in the house I was intrigued. And when I found out that it stars two 2011 Ivey Award winners, there was no question I was going to go see it.

After Miss Julie is produced by the Gremlin Theatre, normally located on University Avenue in St. Paul. But there really is no better place to see this show than in a big, beautiful Victorian mansion. When the setting so perfectly matches the content, it lends an air of authenticity to the piece. As I watched the drama unfold, I couldn't help but think that such a scene might really have occurred in that very room a hundred years ago. That's kind of thrilling. I felt like I was eavesdropping on these three people's fascinating and complicated lives.

The play is set in a large manor house outside of London in 1945; the action takes place solely in the kitchen, which in the James J. Hill house is in the basement (food was sent upstairs via a dumbwaiter so that the mess and noise of the kitchen was out of sight). The three characters in the play are Miss Julie (Anna Sundberg), the daughter of "his lordship," John (Peter Christian Hansen), the chauffeur, and Christine (Amanda Whisner), the cook and John's unofficial fiancee. Christine is in the kitchen doing her work (even as the audience enters the room), and John joins her after driving the master of the house to London. Julie follows him down to the kitchen in the hopes he'll dance with her at the party upstairs. He feels obliged, and Christine accepts the way things are even though she's not happy about it. Julie's fiancee has recently broken off their engagement and she's desperate and out of control. When an exhausted Christine falls asleep, Julie flirts shamelessly with John, testing the limits of his patience and his duty. John grew up on the estate and admits that he has always secretly loved her. Christine retires to bed, and John takes Julie to his room, at her request (command?). Their relationship is a constantly changing power struggle; at times they are unbelievably cruel to each other, at times sweet and loving. They toy with the idea of running away to New York together, but I don't think either of them really believes that could happen. Julie's father, John's employer, calls, and John jumps to bring him his coffee and well-polished shoes. Julie and John are trapped in the roles they were born into, and don't know how to get out. There's no happy ending for this couple.

This three-person cast is excellent (directed by Leah Cooper, who also did a great job with a much larger cast in August: Osage County at Park Square a few months ago). In the small intimate setting you get a close-up view of the look in their eyes and the expression on their faces. Peter has this intensity that's just about to boil over, and sometimes does; you can see why Julie falls for John (Peter played another violent, angry man in True West a few months ago). I've seen Anna three times in the last several months, and she only gets better. Julie comes off as the spoiled and haughty daughter of a wealthy family, but we see glimpses of a lost little girl underneath. Amanda makes Christine sympathetic; she's the only likeable character - a hard-working woman trying to find a little happiness within the limitations of her life. The actors go in and out of the several doors to the room (what fun to crawl around in the bowels of this magnificent house). On a few occasions they all exit the room; the audience is alone for several long moments in a deliciously awkward silence, during which we are left to imagine what is going on behind closed doors.

After the show the audience can stay for an abbreviated tour of the house. It was a wonderfully entertaining evening - intimate, involving, brutally real theater followed by a tour of this grand house. Unfortunately After Miss Julie closes this weekend, but check it out if you can. And if not, go visit the James J. Hill House anyway, and see how the rich people (and perhaps more interesting, their servants) lived a hundred years ago.

Celebrity Sighting
I recognized a few people in this tiny 40-person audience: Max Wojtanowicz (who is currently appearing as the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz at the Children's Theatre, which I will be seeing next month) and Katie Guentzel (whom I last saw in the beautiful and moving Master Butchers Singing Club at the Guthrie last fall).

"I Am My Own Wife" at the Jungle Theater

2011-11-16T15:07:00.003-06:00

The final play in the Jungle Theater's 2011 season is the Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning play I Am My Own Wife, directed by Joel Sass, who also designed the set. It's a wonderful end to what has been a very enjoyable year of theater. The play tells the fascinating true story of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, German transvestite, antiques collector, museum curator, and gay icon. Charlotte lived through the Nazi and Communist occupations of Berlin. She provided a haven for the gay community in East Berlin during a time of persecution, but also worked as an informant for the Stasi (the Communist secret police). She was truly a singular individual, and the play explores not just her life, but also the playwright Doug Wright's investigation into her life, and his conflicting feelings about her complicated life.

The play is presented as a series of interviews that Doug conducted with Charlotte in her home in Berlin, the Gründerzeit Museum, in the early 1990s. Charlotte tells the story of her life, and Doug tells the story of writing this play. Charlotte was born a boy in 1928 but always felt more comfortable as a girl. She collected furniture and things from abandoned homes, and eventually started the Museum to house them and share them with people. She moved the Mulack-Ritze Cabaret into her basement when the Communists shut it down. The Museum was her life, and she received a commendation from the government because of her work. She moved to Sweden in the 1990s when the news came out about her work with the Stasi (which she somehow justified to Doug), and died in 2002. The museum is still operating, and I will definitely visit it next time I go to Berlin, which I hope to someday.

The roles of Charlotte, and Doug, and a dozen other characters are played by one man - Bradley Greenwald. I have been a fan of his for several years and was particularly moved by his portrayal of the Emcee in Cabaret (that other great theater piece about Berlin) earlier this year. Dressed in a simple black skirt, shirt, kerchief, and a string of pearls (Charlotte was not the stereotypical transvestite with flashy clothes and make-up, she dressed like a grandmother), Bradley transforms himself into all of these diverse characters with just the carriage of his body and his magnificent voice (if you've never heard him sing, which he unfortunately doesn't really do in this play, you're missing out). When he's Charlotte, he speaks German* effortlessly, mixed with heavily accented English, and often slips back and forth between the two languages almost unconsciously (a mix that my friends and I used to call "Germlish" when I studied abroad in Salzburg many years ago). When he's Doug or his friend John Marks, he speaks German with an awful American accent, or plain old English. He's a Nazi, a Stasi, a politician, a TV show host, a reporter; it's truly a beautiful performance. One that helps you see inside this very human individual who lived an authentic life in the face of much adversity. (The Iveys agree - Bradley won an Ivey Award for this performance in 2006. Listen to a great interview with him here.)

I Am My Own Wife is playing now through December 18. With this wonderful play the Jungle Theater's 21st season comes to a close, and the 22nd season looks to be just as intriguing.

*I should warn you that I love the German language. I think it's beautiful, maybe because it's the only language other than English that I ever learned and that I can still somewhat decipher. So it's fun for me when I hear it coming from the stage and feel like I have a little bit more insight into the characters because I can understand it. Some things are lost in translation. But don't worry, if you don't speak German you'll still get most of it. :)

"Sweet Charity" at the Bloomington Civic Theatre

2011-11-12T12:34:00.001-06:00

I had never seen Sweet Charity and didn't know much about it, other than it was written and set in the 1960s, and the Christina Applegate 2005 Broadway revival got its start in Minneapolis (which sadly I didn't see). So I decided to make the trip down to Bloomington (which really isn't as long as I think it is) to see the show. I was not disappointed. I discovered I love the show, from the music and choreography to the great 60s look of the set and costumes, and BCT presents a great production of it.

If you're unfamiliar with the show, here's a brief plot summary. The titular character is a dance hall girl in NYC in the late 1960s. She believes in love, even though she doesn't have much reason to. In the beginning of the show her boyfriend steals her purse and pushes her into the lake. But Charity gets right up again, and makes friends with an international movie star who's in love with someone else. Determined to improve her life, she meets the sweet awkward Oscar when she decides to take a class at the local community center. It seems as if she's found what she's been dreaming of - someone to love her. But it turns out he's not worthy of our sweet Charity, so she keeps looking.

Highlights of the show include:

A star performance by Emily Herringshaw as Charity. Her voice is beautiful and effortless, as is her dancing. She really shines in "If My Friends Could See Me Now," a tentative expression of joy and disbelief at the situation she finds herself in (hanging out with an international movie star!) that grows into a full dance number with top hat and cane. Emily makes Charity extremely likeable and showcases her endless hopefulness in the face of continual setbacks, that should make her seem like an idiot but somehow doesn't. Charity doesn't get her happy ending, but she keeps hoping and looking for it.
A great supporting cast. Angela Fox as Nickie and Larissa Gritti as Helene are Charity's two best friends, spunky and funny but with a vulnerability as shown in the beautiful and sad song "Baby Dream Your Dream." Paul R. Coate (whom I saw in another classic NYC musical On the Town this summer) is suave and funny as the movie star Vittorio Vidal, and later as the leader of the hippie Rhythm of Life Church. Jeff Turner's bio in the program is short, but his performance as Charity's possible one true love is not. Oscar is charming, nervous, slightly awkward, and totally loveable.
Fabulous dance numbers, as expected in a show conceived by Bob Fosse. Choreographer Tracy Doheny Erickson keeps much of Fosse's style intact in the many and diverse numbers. In the signature song "Hey Big Spender," the bored dance hall girls in short colorful dresses and big hair make small, precise, meaningful movements. My favorite number is "Rich Man's Frug," which seems to goes on and on and on (in a good way). The dancers strike a fabulous pose, the music stops, the audience applauds, and then it begins again! The dancers look fabulous in their mod 60s black dresses and tuxes (designed by Ed Gleeman), like they stepped right out of some TV show from the 1960s. Sweet Charity suddenly turns into Hair for one number when Charity and Oscar attend a hippie church. And towards the end of the show the ensemble becomes a marching band in "I'm A Brass Band."

Sweet Charity is a great show with big fabulous dance numbers as well as more intimate heartfelt moments. It's only playing for another week, but it's a fun evening of theater if you can make it.

The Civil Wars at the State Theater

2011-11-10T16:45:00.005-06:00

I don't often write about music on this theater-centric blog, but I'm so in love with this duo that I want to tell everyone about them. The Civil Wars are absolutely magical. Their music is so hauntingly beautiful that it literally brought tears to my eyes when I saw them at the State Theater in Minneapolis last night. It'll break your heart, in the best possible way.

I first heard The Civil Wars on Mountain Stage, broadcast on MPR's Radio Heartland (the only radio station I listen to). The duo is comprised of Joy Williams and John Paul White. John Paul plays guitar, and Joy plays piano on a few of the songs (her voice itself is an instrument). No other band members or musicians accompany them, which allows their voices to shine. They met just three years ago at a songwriting session, and unexpected magic happened when they sang together (you can read more about them and their origins on their website and in this article in Nashville Scene). She's a California girl, raised on the Beach Boys and the Carpenters and Top 40, and he's a southern boy who grew up listing to country/bluegrass/Americana and metal. Somehow they meet in the middle and create a style all their own. She's delightful and adorable and effervescent, a girly girl ("I put on my longest eyelashes for you all tonight!"). He's a little rough around the edges, a little calmer and more grounded (I love a long-haired guitar player). They have a palpable chemistry together; they're playful and spontaneous and totally in the moment. They seem to surprise and delight each other as much as they do the audience.

I was only able to record part of one song when an usher stopped me, strictly enforcing the "no video or audio recording rule" (boo). It's a new song that's not on their fantastic album Baron Hollow, so I'm not sure the name of it (update: it's called "O Henry"). But it'll give you an idea of their playfulness and Joy's expressiveness.

For more of their haunting melodies, here's their most popular song, "Poison and Wine." (You can watch more official videos on their youtube channel; warning: if you're like me you might get lost there for a while).

One of their encores was a cover of Billie Jean (check out this youtube video from someone who was more discrete with their recording than I - there are some disadvantages to sitting in the front row). It was the best and most inventive cover of that song I've ever heard (sorry David Cook). The audience really loved them, and they were obviously touched and a little flabbergasted that so many people showed up to see them.

The Civil Wars were nominated for a CMA (Country Music Award) for best duo this year, and the award ceremony was that same night in Nashville. Not only did they choose to be in Minneapolis rather than Nashville, but they didn't even mention it at the concert. I kind of love that. They don't play Nashville's games. They don't make music to sell records and get played on country radio and win awards, they make music for the love and beauty of it. And that appeals to me. The fact that a duo as talented, original, and authentic as the Civil Wars did not win the award they were nominated for is why I have no interest in country radio, even though I like the genre that is country. I'll stick to Radio Heartland and my own eclectic collection of music, in which The Civil Wars hold a permanent and prominent place.

P.S. The opening act was a band called Milo Greene, who truly were a band. Five members, a drummer and four multi-instrumentalists who also shared the lead vocal duties. Don't ask me to describe their style, but they're pretty cool and original too.

"Our Class" by the Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company at the Hillcrest Center Theater

2011-11-07T15:40:00.001-06:00

The Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company's Our Class is not an easy play to see. It's not the kind of show you go to for a light escape from reality for a few hours. You walk out of the theater with lots to think about, and none of it very happy. But it's important to remember our past and attempt to make sense of it, although I'm not sure one can make sense of the atrocities committed against friends, neighbors, classmates as in this play. But at least we can bear witness to it.

Our Class was written by Polish playwright Tadeusz Slobodzianek based on true events in a small Polish town during WWII. The 2001 controversial book Neighbors argues that the majority of the Jews in the town of Jedwabne were murdered by the Polish residents of the town, their friends and neighbors, not the Nazis. The play explores this idea and examines how children who once played, laughed, and learned together can grow up to betray and murder each other.

The play begins with ten young classmates, played by actors of various ages (corresponding approximately to the age of their character at the time of death). They're normal school-children, laughing, playing, teasing, fighting. As they grow older a division begins to be apparent between the five Jewish children and the five Catholic children. The division grows as the war progresses and Poland is invaded first by the Soviets and then by the Nazis (to simplify the incredibly complicated history). Classmates turn on each other, betray each other, beat each other, but some choose to shelter and save each other. Act I culminates in the burning of a barn containing hundreds of Jews. Some of our class are the perpetrators, some are the victims. In Act II, those that are still alive try to move on and make a life for themselves. Some feel remorse for what they've done, others feel justified in their actions or are in denial of them. Either way, the events of that day remain with them forever. As each character dies (the play follows each character to the end of his or her life, whether young or old, in Poland or elsewhere), one signature article of clothing is replaced with a version in red - a belt, hat, ribbon, vest. And they remain on stage; ghosts haunting the lives of those left behind.

An interesting feature of this play is that characters describe their actions as they're doing them (which reminded me of the style of In the Red and Brown Water). This gives the audience deeper insight into each character's thoughts and feelings. Some of the characters are based on real people, and all of them are fully defined. We get to know specific details of each character's life, some that don't even really relate to the plot, but all of which help to create a sense that these are real people. The cast is so talented in bringing these characters to life that I hesitate to call any of them out because there are so many powerful performances. But I will. :) Elena Giannetti is the young wife and mother Dora; strong and heart-breaking, she's the center of the two most painful scenes of the play. Caleb Carlson (graduate of the U of M/Guthrie training program) is the militant Rysiek who commits some pretty atrocious acts, but Caleb manages to convey Rysiek's inner torment that makes him almost sympathetic. As opposed to the completely unlikable Zygmunt (Michael Jurenek), who betrays both "friends" and "enemies" alike depending on what best serves his own self-interest. Candace Barrett Birk is the Jewish girl Rachelka who becomes the Catholic woman Marianna in order to survive, and lives out her life resigned to her fate. Maggie Bearmon Pistner (who was so funny and over-the-top in Next Fall at the Jungle earlier this year) is Zocha, one of the "heroic" Poles who harbored and saved a Jew, which comes with its own complications. One of the wonderful things about this play is that each character reacts differently to the situation they find themselves in, showcasing a wide variety of what people did to survive, some admirable, some not so.

I wanted to see this play for several reasons. I am of mostly German descent, except for my one Polish great-grandmother, and was raised Catholic, so I feel like it's part of my cultural history that I need to be aware of and deal with, as difficult as that is. I have traveled in Germany and Poland and visited the concentration camp at Auschwitz. To say it's a sobering experience is an understatement. Seeing this play is a little like visiting Auschwitz (without the very visceral sense of being in that place), difficult but somehow necessary. At intermission I overheard several conversations about people's personal stories about the holocaust or what their parents told them about it. This play gets people talking and thinking about difficult issues, which is what theater at its best is all about.

"Joan of Arc" at Nautilus Music-Theater

2011-11-05T11:41:00.001-05:00

This week has been a week of one-woman shows for me. First The Edge of Our Bodies at the Guthrie, a beautiful coming-of-age story, and then Joan of Arc by Nautilus Music-Theater. I'm not sure if it could technically be called a one-woman show, there are beautiful voices and music coming from backstage, but the only person the audience sees in front of them is Jennifer Baldwin Peden of the famous Baldwin sisters (I saw her sister, Christina, most recently as Buttercup in H.M.S. Pinafore this summer). Jennifer narrates the story of Joan of Arc and also embodies her. It's a fascinating and inspirational story that I was only vaguely familiar with, and this 70-minute music-theater piece beautifully conveys her courage, spirit, doubts, and determination.

I saw my first Nautilus production at Fringe this summer and loved it, but this is the first regular season show I've seen. This is their first show produced in their tiny studio space in St. Paul's Lowertown neighborhood, and it was in fact designed for the space. It is without a doubt the smallest room in which I have ever seen theater; it's about the size of a living room. Two rows of chairs are lined up on either side of the room (seating about 40 people), with a catwalk stage running between them and two small stages on either end. It's incredibly intimate; no microphones needed (except when the disembodied voices portray accusers and are projected into opposite corners of the room). At times Jennifer was literally three feet in front of me singing. As I've said before, I find that there's something magical about the unamplified human voice, and when the voice is Jennifer's and you're three feet away from it, it's a pretty amazing experience. That's another benefit of such a small, intimate space; you're not just an observer watching the show, you're part of the experience.

Joan of Arc follows the historical and mythical figure as she enters battle for her native France and is captured by the English. She's put on trial for heresy (claiming that God and his saints and angels speak to her), wearing men's clothes, and generally being a strong woman who doesn't obey the conventions of the day (aka "a witch"). She's burned at the stake at the age of 19, as many such women were in 15th century Europe. I'm not sure about the idea of hearing voices, but this is a young woman of strong faith and conviction who helped her people at a time they needed it. The men in power feared her strength and conviction, and so ended her. Through the beautiful expressive music, Jennifer creates a picture of this young woman, clinging to her faith and overcoming her doubts, refusing to back down from what she believes.

At first it was a little disconcerting to hear the music (sung by Joel Liestman, JP Fitzgibbons, and Laurie Flanigan-Hegge, with Music Director Sonja Thompson on piano and Randall Davidson on cello) and not see the musicians. I kept turning my head, expecting to see the singers come out from behind the wall. But they never did; they're Joan's voices, even she couldn't see them. It was like being in her head and hearing the voices of the angels along with her. At times they went silent (when she renounced them as her accusers demanded), and you could feel the silence and Joan's loneliness, and her happiness and fulfillment when they returned to her.

This is what musical theater is to me. Not some big, loud, over-produced adaptation of a children's movie, but original, challenging, creative, moving. Or in the words of Nautilus Artistic Director and director of this piece, Ben Krywosz, "telling simple stories through songs that are musically expansive, favoring emotional realism over theatrical naturalism, and creating a dramaturgical context that requires an audience's involvement, even investment." The short run of the show closes this weekend. They're virtually sold out for the few remaining performances, but they said to call and they might be able to squeeze a few more chairs into the space. It's worth it.

"The Edge of Our Bodies" at the Guthrie Theater

2011-11-02T19:41:00.001-05:00

When I walked into the Guthrie's Dowling Studio theater last night to see* The Edge of Our Bodies, the star of the show, Ali Rose Dachis, was quietly sitting on stage, barely moving, just observing. It was a bit disconcerting at first (Am I late? Can we talk?), but eventually the audience got used to it and the usual pre-show chatter ensued. At showtime the house lights slowly went down, the audience became silent, and Ali began talking. And she didn't stop for 90 minutes.

We soon found out that Bernadette is a 16-year-old student at a boarding school in Vermont. She begins by reading from her journal, barely looking up as she recounts her journey by train into New York City to visit her boyfriend. She eventually puts down her journal and paces around the stage, acting out some of the story. The purpose of her trip is to tell her boyfriend that she's pregnant, but of course things don't go quite as she planned. Bernie has a series of encounters on her journey - an old man on the train, her boyfriend's sick father, a man she meets in a bar. Each encounter is beautifully told in a way that makes it seem like you're watching the interaction as it happens, instead of listening to Bernie tell about it sometime later. She's somewhat of a pathological liar; she makes up a different back-story for herself with everyone she meets. She returns home after an unsatisfying visit to continue on with her life as best she can.

What an amazing feat of acting, not just to memorize what is basically a 90-minute monologue (except for one brief interruption, which is a bit jarring but helps establish the setting of the play), but also to create this character and tell the entire story by yourself with no help from other cast-members. No breaks or pauses, just continuous story-telling. Ali does an amazing job of bringing Bernie (and the other characters as seen through her eyes) to life through her storytelling. She was hand-picked by the director, Benjamin McGovern, after directing her last year in Circle Mirror Transformation (one of my favorite shows of 2010). In that show she played a sullen teenager, but this role has much more depth, which she's definitely up for. Of course it probably helps that the material is so rich. The Edge of Our Bodies is a beautifully written play that sounds like it could be a short story (there's lots of "he says," "I reply"); Bernie wants to write short stories when she grows up, making one think this could be her first short story. I came away from the show wanting to read some of playwright Adam Rapp's novels or see more of his plays; I really connected to his writing style and the flow of his words. Even though his name sounded familiar, it wasn't until I googled him that I found out he's Anthony Rapp's brother (he originated my favorite character Mark in my favorite musical RENT, and I had the pleasure of seeing him perform the role on tour a few years ago). Talented family.

It took a little while to figure out what the set was supposed to be, where is Bernie telling this story from? The floor of the stage is a series of marble circles, and the furniture is ornate and old-fashioned looking, in contrast to the young and modern story Bernie is telling (Michael Hoover designed the set, and also designed the realistic lived-in house of Park Square Theatre's August: Osage County). We learn that her school is doing the play The Maids by Jean Genet (about two maids who play at killing their employer), and it becomes apparent (especially after the janitor interrupts her and starts dismantling the set) that she's on the abandoned stage after the run of the show. She interjects overly dramatic scenes from the play into her storytelling.

The Edge of Our Bodies is a beautifully written play, beautifully acted; a great 90 minutes of story-telling. The other two shows playing at the Guthrie right now are big and loud (Burial at Thebes and Much Ado About Nothing); this play is a nice contrast to that. One person telling a story from the heart can be just as effective, even moreso, than a large cast. That's what I like about theater; it can be wild and crazy, or silly and funny, or quiet and poignant, or anything in between.

*I received two free tickets to this play as part of "Blogger Night at the Guthrie."

Celebrity Sighting
I seem to run into Peter Rothstein (Artistic Director of Theater Latte Da) everywhere I go lately, but I swear I'm not stalking him! ;) I spotted him in the 4th floor lobby at the Guthrie. I didn't see him up at the Studio so I'm not sure what show he was there to see. I like to think he saw Burial at Thebes because they do some pretty innovative story-telling through music, which is what Latte Da is all about.

"Il Campiello" by Ten Thousand Things at Open Book

2011-10-31T19:00:00.002-05:00

OK. First I need to go through my usual spiel about how Ten Thousand Things makes theater unlike anything you've ever seen. It's as raw, immediate, up-close-and-personal, and in-your-face as theater gets. Without the usual tricks of lighting, fancy costumes, extravagant sets, or big production numbers that you often see in theater, there's nothing to distract you from the work of the actors and the emotions of the piece (which might be why they consistently attract the top talent in the area). There's no separation between actors and audience; depending on where you sit you might get stepped on, flirted with, talked to in an aside, or fist-bumped. Combine this bare-bones intimate style with their mission, to bring theater to audiences that don't normally have the chance to see theater (prisons, homeless shelters, community centers, etc.), and you have something truly special. You simply cannot call yourself a Minnesota theater fan if you've never seen a TTT production. You have two more weekends to see this show, and if that doesn't work out, they have two more shows this season. Go see them.

Now on to the show. TTT Artistic Director Michelle Hensley, who directed this piece, introduced it by saying that sometimes they like to do a show that's pure fun, and that for some of their audiences, just to laugh openly and whole-heartedly is a profound act. Il Campiello is profoundly frivolous and fun. The 18th century Italian comedy was adapted by the brilliant Steven Epp, who played the title role in TTT's Man of La Mancha earlier this year, and whose own company The Moving Company "does theatre." He really modernized the language of the play to great comic effect. The characters speak like today's kids obsessed with potty humor (I don't think I've ever heard the word poop uttered so many times in 90 minutes); the language is accessible and absurd and entertaining. The play takes place in a little square in Venice, where neighbors bicker, gossip, play games, and plan marriages. The plot is almost secondary to the characters and their interaction with each other. Basically, a rich man from out of town shows up to enjoy the Carnivale celebration, three marriages are arranged after a few misunderstandings, and they feast. And by the end of the show, when one character says good-bye to the little square which is the only home she's ever known, I could almost see it - the quaint little Italian square, the twinkling stars above, soft music playing in the background. That's the magic of what Ten Thousand Things does. They transform the ugliest of rooms* into something else entirely, purely through collective imagination.

This nine-person cast is so much fun to watch, and they're obviously having just as much fun as the audience and enjoy playing together. Sarah Agnew (who also displayed her comedic chops in 39 Steps at the Guthrie last year) is almost unrecognizable as the homely old toothless woman trying to marry off her daughter so that she can find a husband for herself. Karen Wiese-Thompson is the tough mama trying to give her daughter away and protect her at the same time. Thomasina Petrus as the "fritter-fryer" completes the trifecta of the doting mothers. The three future brides are all delightfully different. Elise Langer (who was also in TTT's Life's A Dream last year) is the young woman who's almost an old maid (she's 18!) and in love with the peddler, even though she continually calls him poop-turd and other similar insults. Her young, innocent "best friend" across the square is Kimberly Richardson, with a girlish voice and pigtails, who likes the neighbor boy (the charming Brian Curtis James) but isn't quite sure she wants to be married. The third young woman is the subject of gossip because she lives with her strange "uncle" and has a healthy self-esteem. It was fun to see Christiana Clark**, who was so good in the very serious In the Red and Brown Water earlier this year, get the chance to be silly and light. Nathan Keeper (also from The Moving Company, whom I saw in their production of Come Hell and High Water earlier this year) plays dual roles - the brash young peddler/groom, and the strange uncle who is very stern and ... short. Both allow him to use his great onstage physicality in different ways. Last but not least, Randy Reyes (suddenly Seymour!) is the gentleman who comes to town, so suave and elegant except when he's doing the strange bow/greeting that is the custom of his land.

In typical TTT style, the sound, set, and costumes are minimal, but just enough. In addition to being reluctantly pulled into the action of the play on several occasion, Music Director Peter Vitale provides the music (including some lovely accordian) and creates an atmosphere of sound in which the story takes place. He's a one man traveling band and sound effects man. The costumes by Amelia Cheever manage to look both charmingly homemade and professionally appropriate at the same time. The set by Stephen Mohring consists of four adorable little "houses" around the square, which are really just ladders with a little platform/window on top from which the residents chat, spy on their neighbors, and wave. All of this allows the action of the play to take center stage (or in this case floor), and doesn't distract from, but only enhances, the story.

Another fun thing about Ten Thousand Things is that in the program, instead of lengthy bios, each actor answers the question, "Why Do Theater?" I enjoy reading their answers; they talk about connection, joy, play, being in the moment, problem-solving, spirituality, listening. But I think my favorite statement about theater is this from Randy Reyes: "It's make believe about truth." Ten Thousand Things represents the highest form of make believe, requiring their audience's participation and imagination, with the highest payoff of truth and entertainment and magic.

*The lovely space at Open Book is certainly not among the ugliest of rooms, I'm just imagining what some of their other locations must be like, in prisons and the like.

**Christiana is blogging about the show and the tour. It's quite interesting to read about how the show goes over with other audiences - check it out.

"Four Destinies" by Mu Performing Arts at Mixed Blood Theatre

2011-10-29T14:38:00.003-05:00

Four Destinies is a play about the life of four adopted children in the same family - a sort of Sliding Doors alternate universe exploration of what would have happened if the parents had made different choices about adoption. Local playwright Katie Leo has made herself a character in the play (played by Katie Bradley, who's a funny and natural host, with some more emotional moments towards the end), narrating, observing the action, and at times even interacting with the characters. She loses control of her own creation as her characters' lives don't turn out as she expected.

The first act of the play is the same scene, celebrating the child's adoption day anniversary, enacted in four different scenarios. The family repeats the same silly small talk, which becomes funny as by the fourth time the audience knows what's coming. Shanan Custer as the neighbor and close family friend is particularly funny; I only wish she had more to do (she did a very funny skit at the Iveys last month). In the four scenarios the child, whom the parents named Destiny, is adopted from Korea (Sara Ochs, aka Audrey in Little Shop), Guatemala (Nora Montanez), the US foster system (LeDawn James), and a local young woman who gives her baby to the Jones family at birth (Neil Schneider). The four kids are at different ages (from 8 to college age) and different stages of accepting and embracing their past. One little girl is afraid someone is going to come and take her away, despite her mother's assurances that she's "meant" to be with them, while another older Destiny takes back her heritage and her name. The only white child is also the only male; he loves to play with dolls and wear dresses. When his friends question the boy's behavior, the father (Nicholas Freeman) is sweetly defensive of his son, while in the other scenarios he's fairly distant, preferring to watch the football game rather than interact with his family.

In the second act, the playwright (who's also bought a DNA kit that promises to unlock her genetic history and solve all the mysteries of her life) plans to give her characters everything they wanted. But that doesn't happen in life, or in this play either. One Destiny travels to Korea and is unable to find her birth mother or any sense of connection. One grows up to make movies like she always dreamed, but her family medical history catches up with her. One has a successful career, only to end up unexpectedly pregnant and facing the same issues her birth mother faced. The male Destiny calls his birth mother (Shanan Custer getting to flex her dramatic muscles) and finds "the story" not what he imagined. Finally, the playwright doesn't find any answers in the DNA results. Where does this leave us? This is one of those open-ended plays where nothing is resolved. But maybe that's the point.

At the beginning of the play, Katie the character jokingly claims to speak for all adoptees because they all feel and experience the same thing. That's obviously not true; instead Katie the playwright presents four very different experiences, all in the same family. She brings up interesting ideas about fate and what's "meant to be." I'm not sure I believe in "meant to be;" I believe in what is. That's really all we have to cling to.

"Beyond the Rainbow: Garland at Carnegie Hall" at the History Theatre

2011-10-22T16:16:00.003-05:00

Who doesn't love Judy Garland? Star of such movie classics as The Wizard of Oz and Easter Parade, and possessing one of the greatest voices to ever grace this planet. She was a great example of the American Dream, born a child of vaudeville in Grand Rapids, MN (check out the Judy Garland Museum if you're ever in the area) and becoming one of the biggest stars of her day. But her life was also an American Tragedy, used by the Hollywood studio system from a young age, struggling with drug addiction, and dead before the age of 50. Beyond the Rainbow: Garland at Carnegie Hall does a wonderful job of presenting the highs and lows of her life.

The show begins at the beginning of Judy's biggest and most famous concert, Carnegie Hall in 1961, and as Judy moves through the songs she remembers her life story. Actors come on stage to play out the events of her life, as she watches, reacts, and interacts with them. Jody Briskey channels a 39-year-old Judy, and Norah Long portrays a young Judy from the age of 4 through her early 30s. Both women have amazing voices that they've morphed into Judy's, as well as capturing her physical characteristics. Norah looks like she just stepped out of Oz, and Jody's body can barely contain the music as Judy hits her heights. The two Judys converse in an attempt to make sense of her life and come to peace with it, like an onstage musical therapy session. We see Judy's relationship with her vaudevillian parents (played by Peter Moore and Cathleen Fuller), as well as two of her five husbands, Vincente Minnelli (Peter Moore again) and Sid Luft (Clark A. Cruikshank). All of these relationships were troubled; her parents and her husbands were very involved in her career, which led to confusion in her personal life. Through all of her tragedies Judy keeps singing, and the music pulls her through.

Beyond the Rainbow was written by William Randall Beard and first produced at the History Theatre in St. Paul in 2005, and has since toured around the country, all the while with Jody as Judy. Her ease in Judy's skin after all those years is evident. The fabulous four-piece band (directed by Jimmy Martin) is just visible on the side of the stage, which is mostly bare except for a stool and a mic for Judy. The supporting actors portray several different characters each, transforming with just a minimal costume change. When not onstage they sit in the shadows, always present like a memory. Cathleen Fuller's Hollywood gossip columnist is the most fun character, at one point cackling like the Wicked Witch of the West.

If you love Judy Garland (and as I said, who doesn't?), check out this play to find out a little bit more about the woman behind the legend and immerse yourself in her wonderful music. In an interesting coincidence, the Guthrie is also presenting a Judy Garland story this season: End of the Rainbow. This show features another concert even later in Judy's life, and will stop in Minneapolis on its way from London to Broadway. I'll be interested to compare the two. I can't imagine anyone capturing Judy better than Jody Briskey and Norah Long.

Minnesota Original

2011-10-20T16:56:00.002-05:00

My new favorite TV series is Minnesota Original on tpt (Twin Cities Public Television). It's a half hour series that seems to be on every day (I have a season pass on my DVR that picks up every airing). It features Minnesota artists of various types: musicians, fashion designers, painters, filmmakers, woodworkers, sculptors, artists who work in theater (my favorite kind of art, obviously), and much more. Some of the art forms they feature I didn't even realize existed! It's so inspirational and fascinating to see what amazing artistic talent exists in our state. It makes me proud to be a Minnesotan.

Check your local listings (or DVR) to find out when and were you can see this amazing series (new shows premiere on Sunday evening). You can also watch the features on their website: http://www.mnoriginal.org/.

"La Cage aux Folles" at the State Theatre

2011-10-19T19:35:00.000-05:00

"The best of times is now. What's left of summer but a faded rose? The best of times is now. As for tomorrow, well, who knows? So hold this moment fast, and live and love as hard as you know how, and make this moment last, because the best of times is now." This lyric from La Cage aux Folles is at the heart of the show, and a big heart it is. Yes there are lots of feathers and glitter and make-up in this story that takes place in a nightclub featuring men in drag, but underneath it all is a beautiful, simple, family love story. It may be an unconventional family by society's standards, but the love and support they share are universal.

If you've seen the 1996 movie The Birdcage starring Nathan Lane and Robin Williams you're familiar with the story, which began as a 1973 French play called La Cage aux Folles. The musical version of the play was written by Harvey Fierstein (book) and Jerry Herman (music and lyrics) and premiered on Broadway in 1983. It has been revived twice in the past decade, winning a Tony for best revival both times (the only musical do have done so). La Cage tells the story of gay couple Georges and Albin. Georges runs the nightclub where Albin is the star, performing as his alter ego ZaZa. Georges' son Jean-Michel, whom Albin has helped raise, comes home to announce that he's engaged to Anne, the daughter of a conservative politician who wants to shut down all drag entertainment. The in-laws are coming to town, and Jean-Michel asks Albin to leave for the evening, instead inviting his birth mother to pretend that they're a "normal" family. Albin is understandably hurt that the man he considers his son is ashamed to introduce him to his fiance. He can't stay away, and poses first as "Uncle Al," and then, in drag, as Jean-Michel's mother. Of course the deception doesn't last, but they're able to convince Anne's father to give his consent with some good old-fashioned blackmail. Jean-Michel realizes what a mistake he made and tells Albin he thinks of him as his mother. And they live happily ever after, for "the best of times is now."

La Cage closed on Broadway in May after about a year's run (I thought about seeing it when I was in NYC last year, but never quite made it), and this first tour is spectacular and features several cast members from the Broadway run. The role of Georges is played by TV and film veteran George Hamilton. He's a perfectly adequate Georges, and considering his age (72), it's pretty remarkable that he's on the road doing this eight times a week (even if his spins are a little slower than the rest of the cast). But the star of the show, and its heart and soul, is Christopher Sieber as Albin. His performance is fearless, tender, funny, heart-breaking, and inspirational (and he's from Minnesota, which of course makes me love him more!). Through him we feel Albin's insecurity that's forgotten only when he puts "A Little More Mascara" on. Albin's transformation from utter devastation upon learning his son has rejected him to a fierce cry of self assurance in "I Am What I Am" is a show-stopper moment. He brings such natural charm and humor and emotion to the role, it's a thing of beauty to watch. Chris played Georges on Broadway opposite Harvey Fierstein, but it's hard to imagine him as anyone but Albin. He's not a two-time Tony nominee for nothing, and I'm grateful he brought his considerable talent home to Minnesota if only for a short time.

The large supporting cast is great. Jeigh Madjus as Albin's butler/maid Jacob is an irresistible little scene stealer, prancing around with attitude, just waiting for his shot on the nightclub stage. And of course this post would not be complete without mentioning the Cagelles - the eight fabulous men who dance around the stage in heels, wigs, and hose. They are all incredible performers, dancers, and athletes (although some make more attractive women than others ;). It goes without saying that the costumes are fantastically over-the-top.

This show makes you fall in love with this family and forget that they don't meet the traditional definition of family. More than 30 years after the original play was written, one would hope that some of these ideas of prejudice seem archaic and today's society would be more accepting of an atypical family. Maybe that's why it's been revived twice in recent years, because we need to hear this message in a non-threatening musical comedy way. After all, who could argue with the sweet and long-lasting love between Georges and Albin and their son?

La Cage is playing at the State Theatre (slightly smaller but no less beautiful than its sister theater up the street, the Orpheum) for only a week. So get your tickets now if you want a fun, fabulous, entertaining evening with lots of heart.

"Much Ado About Nothing" at the Guthrie Theater

2011-10-15T13:38:00.001-05:00

The Guthrie Theater's Much Ado About Nothing is another one of their big, beautiful productions of a Shakespeare play. Like most Shakespeare plays I see, it took me a while to get into the story and figure out who was who in this big list of connected characters. But once I did, it was quite enjoyable. Judging from the costumes and props (a Victrola and streetlights), I'd say that the time period they're going for is about the turn of the century. The cast is fabulous, full of many of my favorite actors. And it's a credit to the depth of talent that the Guthrie pulls in that even the understudy list is populated with great actors! I wish I could see the show again with the alternate cast.

For those of you unfamiliar with the plot (I had seen it about ten years ago, so I was mostly unfamiliar), Much Ado is a typical Shakespearean romantic comedy, full of misunderstandings that eventually lead to a happy ending. The play contrasts the love stories of two couples: Hero and Claudio, simple young love, and Beatrice and Benedick, two smart and mature people who swear they'll never marry. Much like the soap character who wishes someone dead, only to be suspected in their eventual murder, this much protesting against love ensures that they'll fall prey to Cupid's spell by the end of the story. Beatrice and Benedick's friends conspire to get them together, telling one that the other is in love with them, causing each to see the other in a new light.

Highlights of the show include:

Dearbhla Molloy and Daniel Gerroll (last seen at the Guthrie as Scrooge) have a wonderful chemistry as the clever, sparring lovers, like the Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy of Shakespeare.
Beloved Guthrie veteran Peter Michael Goetz as the constable Dogberry is a total ham and steals every scene he's in. From the delivery of his witty lines, to the silly way he moves around the stage, to barking like a dog, everything he does is wacky and hilarious.
The captain of the Pinafore Robert O. Berdahl makes a brief but memorable appearance singing and playing the guitar.
Another one of my faves, Ron Menzel (I first saw him in a beautiful play about immigrants in the Lower East Side called Intimate Apparel, years ago at the old Guthrie), gives a serious, weighty performance in an otherwise light-hearted play. The depth of his performance made me want to know more about his character; I didn't quite understand why he wanted to sabotage the marriage of Hero and Claudio (it must be because he's the bastard brother, bastards always have a bad attitude in literature).
The first act features a costume party, which gives the Guthrie costume shop, led by designer Fabio Toblini, an excuse to go gloriously over the top in the creation of delightful masks and costumes for the characters and extras.
The set (designed by Riccardo Hernandez) is simple but beautiful. Green and red marble tiles adorn the empty stage, over which a moving neutral-colored tarp hangs.

If you can only see one of the two shows playing on the Guthrie's main stages right now, I'd recommend The Burial at Thebes. If only because it's something I've never seen before; the original music is amazing and really heightens the storytelling in the classic Greek tragedy of Oedipus' daughter Antigone. But if you prefer something a little lighter, see Much Ado. Both are entertaining in different ways.

"Two Trains Running" at Penumbra Theatre

2011-10-11T20:11:00.004-05:00

I saw my first August Wilson play earlier this year, Penumbra Theatre's production of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom at the Guthrie. I was so affected by it that I now have a goal to see all of the plays in Wilson's ten-play cycle, each one covering the African American experience in a different decade in the 20th century. Lucky for me I live here, where the Penumbra Theatre in St. Paul has produced more August Wilson plays than any other theater in the country. So it's pretty likely that I'll meet my goal in the next ten years or so.

Ma Rainey is set in the 1920s, and Two Trains Running is set in the 1960s. It has a little more of a happy ending that what I remember from Ma Rainey, which has a pretty bleak outlook. This play takes place in a fading restaurant in Pittsburgh in 1969. The city wants to buy it from the owner, Memphis, and he's determined to set his own price. The play's characters are the locals who frequent the restaurant (played by many of the same actors I saw in Ma Rainey). They play the numbers in hopes of a way out, drink coffee, argue with each other, and visit "Aunt Edna," a woman who claims she's over 300 years old and can predict the future.

James Craven (who still sounds like Tommy Lee Jones) is Memphis and has a couple of great moments, including a drunken celebratory scene. Memphis' land was taken away from him in the South, so he moved north to make a better life for himself. He has, but still thinks about going home. Crystal Fox, the only woman in the cast, plays the unappreciated waitress Risa. She drags her heels slowly around the stage, pouring coffee, wiping down tables, and refilling the sugar. Her weariness with life is evident in every word, expression, and movement, until she finds something to hope for. Namely, the newcomer Sterling (James T. Alfred), who's just been released from prison and is restlessly looking for a job or something to occupy his time and energy. Wolf (Kevin D. West) uses the restaurant as an office for his business running numbers and tries to get Risa's attention, but she's not interested. West (Dennis W. Spears) is the rich man in town who owns the funeral home as well as many businesses, and has been trying to buy Memphis out for years. Abdul Salaam El Razzac is the regular Holloway, who seems like he's been coming in, sitting at the same table, and eating the same food for years. And then there's the man called Hambone because every day for ten years he demands the ham that was promised him in payment, and never gets it. Ahanti Young, who was so great as Ma Rainey's stuttering nephew, again plays someone who doesn't quite fit in with such tenderness and dignity. All of these characters are so beautifully created and lived in by these actors. The set looked real and lived in too; I wanted to pull up a chair and order some macaroni and cheese. By the end of the play, Memphis gets his price, Sterling and Risa attend a rally for Malcolm X, and Hambone gets his ham. Things are changing, the neighborhood is dying, but there's hope for the future.

Although I've seen a few Penumbra productions at the Guthrie, this was my first time at their theater near Selby and Dale in St. Paul. It's a great space (it feels fresh and modern with great artwork on the walls) in a great location (close to the freeway with lots of nearby restaurants). Here's an easy equation to remember: August Wilson + Penumbra Theatre = great theater not to be missed. I look forward to the next one.

"Steel Magnolias" at Yellow Tree Theatre

2011-10-08T17:04:00.002-05:00

This is my second season attending theater at Yellow Tree Theatre in Osseo (it's their fourth season), and I have to say again how much I love the idea of great theater in a strip mall in the suburbs at an affordable price. As a suburbanite, I sometimes grow weary of driving into the city and dealing with traffic and parking issues to see a show. So it's refreshing to go to a nearby town to an unassuming strip mall and enter a warm inviting space "where good stories live." I love Yellow Tree's mission - to bring theater into the community and make it a part of the community. If you're on the North and/or West side of the cities, you should definitely check them out. And when you go, don't go to a chain restaurant in Maple Grove. Check out Nectar Wine Bar on the quaint main street of downtown Osseo, a town that looks like it could be anywhere in outstate Minnesota. You don't have to go to the city to get great food, wine, and entertainment.

Most people have seen the 1989 move Steel Magnolias, but it began its life as a 1987 Off-Broadway play written by Robert Harling (starring recent Emmy winner Margo Martindale, and Rosemary Prinz who portrayed half of soap's first supercouple, As the World Turns' Penny and Jeff). Unlike the movie, the play takes place solely in Truvy's beauty salon and the only characters seen are the six women - Truvy and her customers. Everyone else in their lives (men, children, dogs) are talked about but never seen. In fact there really isn't any action in the play; it's six women talking about their lives, which really puts the focus on the friendship between these women. Through laughter and tears and insults, they're there to support each other through life.

The show takes place on four Saturday mornings over a couple of years, marked by events in young Shelby's life - the morning of her wedding; the following Christmas when she announces that she is pregnant, which poses a danger to her health; shortly before her mother donates a kidney to her; and (spoiler alert!) after her death. Truvy (Jennifer Allton) presides over these events while washing and setting hair and doing nails. Her new assistant Annelle (the appealing Amy Bouthilette) transforms from an insecure abandoned wife, to a party girl, to a born-again Christian, to a wife and mother. Jennifer Kirkeby is the delightfully grumpy and matter-of-fact Ousier, and Mary Cutler is her adversary, the wealthy and recently widowed Clairee. But the heart of the story is Shelby (Stephanie Cousins) and her mother M'Lynn (Doree Du Toit). The two actors have a believably loving and antagonistic relationship as mother and daughter. M'Lynn wants to protect her daughter from her own bad choices, and is frustrated that she can't. The last scene is a killer as M'Lynn rails against the world for what happened to her daughter. You might need tissues, but it won't last long. As Truvy says, "laughter through tears is my favorite emotion." Which is only one of many great quotes in this play.

Yellow Tree's small stage is transformed into a colorful, busy, and homey salon, chock full of beauty products and chotchkes. The bad 80s fashions and hairdos complete the picture. Southern accents are employed to varying degrees of success. All in all, Steel Magnolias an entertaining evening of theater at the lovely Yellow Tree Theatre. The rest of their season consists of a sequel to their wacky Christmas comedy, Miracle on Christmas Lake II, an "adventure fantasy drama" Still Life with Iris, and the classic Tennessee Williams play (and one of my favorites) The Glass Menagerie. Another great season of theater in the 'burbs.

"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" by Theater Latte Da at the Ordway McKnight Theatre

2011-10-08T15:16:00.004-05:00

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, or in the case of Theater Latte Da's new production, The 25th Annual Seven County Metro Area Spelling Bee, is a delightful, hilarious, clever look at a middle school spelling bee and the characters that inhabit it. (And if you think this show is an exaggeration, check out the marvelous documentary Spellbound - truth is stranger than fiction.) I had seen the show twice before, once on tour and once on Broadway, so I already knew I loved it. And as usual, Latte Da's production of it is practically perfect in every way.

One of the things I love about Latte Da is their impeccable casting, which is beautifully on display in this show. With the exception of Tod Petersen (creator and star of the funny, sweet, and very Minnesotan A Christmas Carole Petersen), this is a cast of Latte Da newcomers. And many of the actors who play the kids are kids themselves - college students or recent graduates. Artistic Director Peter Rothstein is intentionally focusing on casting young actors this season (a season which ends with one of my favorite new musicals Spring Awakening). And I think he may have discovered several stars of the future in this cast.

My favorite of the six Spelling Bee finalists is Leaf Coneybear, with an adorably spirited and loopy performance by Alan Bach. Poor Leaf isn't your typical smart kid, he sort of ended up there by accident, and is having the time of his life. Logainne Schwarzandgrubenierre (Mary Fox, one of my Yellow Tree faves, who fully commits to creating a quirky character) is the lisping daughter of two dads, always trying to please them. Derek Prestly as last year's champion Chip Tolentino gets his (slightly embarrassing) glory moment after Chip is eliminated from the competition. Marcy Park (Sheena Janson, aka the sultry seductive man-eating plant Audrey II, in a totally opposite role here) is the stereotypical Asian student who's good at everything, but learns it's more fun not to be perfect. William Barfee (convincingly played by Joseph R. Pyfferoen) has nasal congestion issues and a magic foot, and unexpectedly develops a sweet friendship with a competitor. As the other half of that relationship, the slightly neglected Olive Ostrovsy, Cat Brindisi proves she has inherited her parents' many talents (her dad is Michael Brindisi, Artistic Director of the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, and her mom is actor Michelle Barber), but has a spark and a spirit all her own. It's a pleasure to watch these six "kids" light up the stage with their talent.

The "adults" aren't too shabby either. The hosts of the Bee are Vice Principal Panch (Tod Petersen) and former champion Rona Lisa Peretti (Kim Kivens). Tod and Kim are both spot-on in their characterizations of the tightly wound VP and the woman who looks back on her Spelling Bee win as the highlight of her life. Brian Frutiger plays convict-turned-counselor Mitch Mahoney, who hands the losers a juice box and escorts them off stage. He has a great voice; he's a member of the Metropolitan Opera in NYC "slumming" it in musical theater here in Minnesota. Whether stage veteran or relative newcomer, this show is perfectly cast.

This show involves some audience participation; three audience members are called up to join the competition, which allows for some hilarious ad libbing by our hosts. It's great fun to watch the people on stage being led around by the cast, to see their reactions to the show going on around them, as well as the always in-character reactions of the actors playing with them. I'm not quite sure how it works, but I assume you can put your name in the hat before the show, so look for that in the lobby if you want to take your chances at the Bee. The 25th Annual Seven County Metro Area Spelling Bee is playing through the end of the month - catch it while you can. I'm going again at the end of the month, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the show has grown as well as the differences that new audience members onstage bring.

Celebrity Sighting
Yellow Tree Theatre co-founders Jason Peterson and Jessica Lind were in the audience to support their friend and frequent collaborator Mary Fox, who is also responsible for the sound design in Yellow Tree's current show Steel Magnolias.

"The Burial at Thebes" at the Guthrie Theater

2011-10-08T13:56:00.002-05:00

The Burial at Thebes is a typical Greek tragedy - someone defies the will of the gods and their life falls apart as everyone they love dies. But what's not so typical is the musical accompaniment that adds to the story. This is a Greek chorus that actually sings! Combined with powerful performances by the entire cast, it's a wonderful and jam-packed 90 minutes of theater.

The Burial at Thebes is a translation of Sophocles' Antigone by Irish poet Seamus Haeney. In Greek mythology, Antigone is a daughter of Oedipus (you remember him - the one who killed his father and married his mother). So it's fair to say her life was doomed from the start. When her brother is killed as an enemy of the state, King Creon (her uncle) declares that his body cannot be buried in the traditional way. Feeling that she must obey the laws of the underworld rather than the laws of the mortal world, Antigone defies the King and attempts to give her brother a proper burial, knowing that it means her own death. Creon will not back down and insists that she be put to death. He realizes too late that he chose wrong, and is unable to prevent the tragic events that befall everyone he loves.

This is a large and talented cast in a show with a relatively short running time, which means the audience is treated to little gems of performances throughout the play, from Brian Sostek's comic relief as the guard who delivers the news to Creon that someone has broken his decree, to Greta Oglesby as the prophet with creepy unseeing eyes and a powerful voice, to Sun Mee Chomet as the doomed heroine, to Regina Marie Williams' brief appearance as the grief-stricken mother Eurydice. And through it all Stephen Yoakam gives a powerful leading performance as Creon, transforming from a strong, confident, unyielding ruler to a grieving and remorseful father and husband.

On top of the great acting performances, or rather intermeshed with them, is some amazing music (composed by J.D. Steele of the fabulous Steele family, with piano accompaniment by his brother Billy and percussion by Marc Anderson). The incomparable Robert Robinson leads the Greek chorus that sings and speaks with equal melodious beauty. Every time Robert opens his mouth it's a "lift up your hands" kind of moment; add to that the beautiful harmonies created by Lee Mark Nelson, Richard Ooms, T. Mychael Rambo, and Joe Nathan Thomas, and you have some powerful music that really heightens the emotion of the play. An imposing set of towering walls and flowing dramatic costumes add to the overall effect.

What more can I say, it was another amazing evening of theater, music, emotion, and drama at the Guthrie Theater.

"reasons to be pretty" by Walking Shadow Theatre Company at the Guthrie Studio

2011-10-03T16:22:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure what's going on, but I've seen several plays recently about angry people yelling at and being violent with each other. First was the story of battling brothers in True West, then the intersecting stories of gay men in the 1950s and today in The Pride, and now Neil LaBute's tale of two troubled couples - reasons to be pretty. Don't get me wrong, they're all brilliant plays beautifully staged and acted, but it's a lot to take in in a short time!

The play opens with an argument between Steph and Greg. Steph is offended and betrayed by something that Greg said about her - that she has a "regular" face in comparison to a pretty girl. A small thing, but with huge consequences. Steph can't stand to be with someone who she thinks doesn't like the way she looks, as much as Greg tries to convince her that it's not true. So she leaves him, after four years of being together. The other couple in the play are their friends and Greg's co-workers, Kent and Carly. They seem to be happily married on the surface, but as the play goes on we begin to see just how much of a jerk Kent is. Which makes Greg's slightly offensive comment seem entirely forgivable.

Thinking back, I don't think that the two women ever shared a scene together, which is interesting because their relationship is the strongest and most healthy. But their conversations take place outside of the play, and we only see the alternately friendly and contentious relationships between the other pairs - Greg and Steph, Greg and Kent, Greg and Carly, Kent and Carly. There's a lot of talking in this play, and it sounds the way real people talk, complete with swearing and talking over each other, inappropriate statements and humor. But there's also some action, as Greg and Kent's relationship comes to a violent end after Kent says something unforgivable about Steph.

Ivey's "emerging artist" Anna Sundberg is believable and relatable as Steph, whose sense of hurt and betrayal is completely understandable (even if I wanted her to forgive Greg). By the end of the play, Joseph Bombard's Greg turns out to be a sweet, smart, nice guy and a good friend, despite his flaws and the fact that it was his blunder that started the whole mess. You really empathize with him through all the ugliness, and we're left with a little bit of hope that his life will get better. Andrew Sass has a little bit too much fun as the creep Kent who's cheating on his pregnant wife and has absolutely no guilt about it. As has happened a few times recently, I felt the urge to boo him at the curtain call because his character is so unlikeable! Rachel Finch is sweet and strong and vulnerable as the wronged woman Carly, who knows there's something going on but doesn't want to admit it. The cast plays and fights together very well in the various combinations of characters.

reasons to be pretty is an interesting reflection on appearance and beauty. Something that we really can't get away from in this culture, as much as we might like to think we're above it. This play seems to present more reasons NOT to be pretty, as being pretty causes all sorts of problems. Or rather, people's reactions to and expectations of beauty.

I love the Dowling Studio at the Guthrie Theater. It introduces me to theater companies I never would have heard of otherwise. Such as Walking Shadow Theatre Company, which I will now be keeping on my radar. Once again I caught this show just as it was closing (sorry!). But the rest of their season looks interesting - I do love an Oscar Wilde play! And as much as I've enjoyed seeing these heavy plays in the last week or so, after all this drama, anger, and violence, I'm really ready for a light-hearted musical comedy.

"The Pride" by Pillsbury House Theatre

2011-10-01T12:51:00.005-05:00

I didn't know much about The Pride before I saw it. I had seen a Pillsbury House Theatre production at the Guthrie this summer (In the Red and Brown Water) and was impressed by the play and the theater's commitment to the community. I wanted to see something in their theater (at Chicago and 35th Street in Minneapolis), and I'd watch Tracey Maloney in anything, so I went to see The Pride. I was blown away. It's a great play with an important message, at times painful to watch, uniquely constructed in two different time periods, with brilliant acting by all four cast members.

The two interconnected stories feature three characters in two time periods in London: 1958 and 2008. They're sort of the same characters (they have the same names in both time periods), but they're fundamentally different, maybe because of the culture they're living in. With each scene the action switches from one time period to the other. Even though the set doesn't change (except for the opening and closing of doors on a bookcase), it's obvious which time period we're in by the clothing and the way the actors carry themselves. It's amazing to watch these actors create two such distinct and fully realized characters (not to mention the super quick costume changes). Even their accents and way of speaking are different between the two time periods. There's a delightful array of British accents, like watching a great show on BBCA.

Our three main characters are two gay men and a woman, and the triangle takes different forms in the two time periods due to the social norms of the time. In 1958, Sylvia (Tracey Maloney) is married to Philip (Matt Guidry), but something is off in their marriage. They seem happy on the surface, but Sylvia is desperate to have a child because she's afraid of being alone with Philip for the rest of their lives. She introduces her husband to her co-worker Oliver (Clarence Wethern), suspecting, but also dreading, that they might have something in common. They feel an instant attraction to each other, which Philip unsuccessfully tries to ignore. They have a brief but intense affair until Philip ends it, in what may be the most realistically and painfully violent scene I've ever seen on stage. It's a tragic exploration of what happens when people aren't allowed to live their own truth.

Fast forward to 2008 when times are different. Philip and Oliver have been together for a year and a half, but Oliver repeatedly cheats on Philip, and Philip has finally left him. Sylvia is Oliver's best friend who introduced the two men. Oliver is miserable without Philip and wants him back, and Sylvia reluctantly helps him as they all prepare for London's Pride parade (hence the title). This story is more hopeful than the earlier one. In the second act the apartment set changes from Syliva and Phillip's 1958 flat and Oliver's 2008 home to Syliva's 2008 flat. On prominent display is one of those photo series that spell out a word with photos of things that resemble letters, and this one spells "HOPE." The play ends with 1958 Sylvia repeating Oliver's earlier words, that one day "it will be all right." We're not quite at the place of total equality and acceptance of all people, but as The Pride illustrates, 2008 is closer to it than 1958.

It's an interesting juxtaposition between the two sets of characters. In 1958 Oliver is the one who is sure of and confident in who he is, while Philip is doing everything he can to deny it and live by the standards of the day. In 2008 Philip seems to have it all together, even a career that he loves instead of the job that the 1958 Philip is stuck in. Oliver is the one who doesn't know how to get what he wants, and is his own worst enemy. As I said before all of the actors do an amazing job creating their different-yet-similar characters. Clarence Wethern is particularly impressive in his portrayal of the strong but vulnerable 1958 Oliver, and the lovable rogue of 2008, whom you can't help but root for despite his frequent mistakes. In addition to the three main characters, three completely different secondary characters are played by Paul de Cordova, two of which are scene stealers.

The Pride, directed by Co-Artistic Director Noël Raymond, runs through October 16 at the Pillsbury House Theatre. It's not an easy play to watch, but well worth the effort.

"The Extraordinary Terms of Ordinary Life" by Four Humors Theater at the Loring Theater

2011-09-27T19:26:00.002-05:00

The Extraordinary Terms of Ordinary Life is a wacky, off-beat comedy, which seems fairly typical of Four Humors Theater. The other Four Humors show I've seen is the new original rock musical The Age of Wordsworth - the life and words of William Wordsworth set to rock music. This show really is nothing like that, but they are similar in that both are pieces created from unique and original ideas that really evoke a sense of time and place.

The time and place of The Extraordinary Terms of Ordinary Life is a life insurance company in Manhattan in 1929, just before the crash. The play was written by Ryan Lear (who also directs), inspired by some old life insurance training manuals he found at a garage sale. A band playing jazz standards of the time helps set the mood, and the Loring Theater is a perfect venue - it's an old vaudeville theater built in the 1920s. The set pieces are cartoonish skyscrapers, with a nifty backdrop of the skyline of NYC. The whole thing put together almost feels like watching a silent film from the era, with exaggerated facial expressions and gestures and broad physical comedy.

John Davidson (the adorable Andy Rocco Kraft who's adept at the physical comedy) moves from a small town to the big city in response to an ad from the "Good Old Life Insurance Company." Naive and enthusiastic, he believes he could be "the man." He's immediately hired by the head of the company (Alisa Mattson, who also plays his wife, who it turns out is really the one in charge). The experienced salesman Frank Engles (the fast talking Ryan Nelson) takes Johnny under his wing and teaches him how to sell to anyone. Johnny soon becomes a big success, and falls in love with the sweet girl in Accounts Receivable, Mary Southworth (Rachel Petri), who has dreams of becoming a salesman like her father. Rounding out the cast are Kat Wodtke as a creepy old man who eats paper, and the clowns Garret Vollmer, Mark Rehani, and Jon Mac Cole playing multiple roles (and harmonizing on the company theme song).

The Extraordinary Terms of Ordinary Life is a wacky, fun, at times inexplicable look at a time when the economy was booming, until it all fell apart. Sound familiar? Only in this world we learn that the reason the economy tanks is because the bankers are storing up gold to feed to angry demons to keep them from eating the entire human race. Huh? Oh well, it's about as good of a reason as any others I've heard!

Things aren't always what they seem.

"Broadway Songbook: The Words and Music of Irving Berlin" at the Ordway McKnight Theatre

2011-09-27T16:39:00.002-05:00

This season the Ordway is doing a new series called Broadway Songbook, all about the music of Broadway - my favorite thing! The first selection featured the music of one of the greatest American composers, Irving Berlin. Even though I haven't seen very many of his shows or movies (he composed for both the stage and screen), I knew most of the songs in the program because his music is so ingrained in popular culture. This is the second Irving Berlin themed musical event I've attended this year; his early immigrant experience was featured in Theater Latte Da's Steerage Song this summer.

The music of Irving Berlin was brought to life by the narration of James Rocco (Artistic Director of the Ordway), piano accompaniment by Raymond Berg, and four talented singers. Actually, to call them "singers" is selling them short. They're all accomplished musical theater actors who really brought the songs to life. The wonderful thing about Berlin's music is that even songs that were not written for musical theater tell a story, making them perfect for a musical theater cabaret like this. The cast included Joel Liestman, who's made frequent appearances in Ordway productions, including last year's super fun Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. I think I first saw Robb McKindles as Leo Bloom in The Producers at the Chanhassen a few years ago, and most recently as a tap-dancing* sailor on the H.M.S. Pinafore at the Guthrie. I still remember Kersten Rodau as half of the conjoined Hilton sisters in Side Show at Park Square almost ten years ago (she'll be appearing there again in Ragtime in January), and she also appeared in Pinafore this summer, as a fabulously dressed sister/cousin/aunt. I don't recall seeing Maria Stukey before, although she's appeared at the Chan a few times, but I'll be sure to take note next time she's in a show.

The music was arranged more or less chronologically, with James leading the audience through Berlin's life, from his days as an immigrant child, to his first hit song ("Alexander's Ragtime Band"), to his stint in the army during World War II which led to a couple of musicals written for all soldier casts, to his popularity as a composer in Hollywood. Highlights include the Joel's beautiful version of the ballad "How Deep as the Ocean" (written shortly after Berlin's first wife died on their honeymoon), Kersten's gorgeous "Always," Robb's rousing "Let Me Sing and I'm Happy," and Maria singing the often cut "Mr. Monotony." That seemed to be a theme; Berlin would write a song for one show only to cut it, and resurrect it years later. Such as the failed song "Smile and Show Me Your Dimple," which later became the hit "Easter Parade." Another uber-popular holiday song is, of course, "White Christmas." Robb sat down on the edge of the stage to sing it, and then led the audience in a sing-along. That song evokes such a sense of nostalgia; it's a beautiful thing. Another song from the movie White Christmas was featured when Kersten and Maria dueted on one of my favorites from the movie, "Sisters."

The cast sang a medley of songs from Irving Berlin's most popular stage musical, Annie Get Your Gun, which sadly I've never seen. Perhaps some local musical theater company should do a production of it, and soon. Kersten has my vote to play Annie for her convincing performance of "You Can't Get a Man with a Gun," as well as beating Joel at the playful competition song "Anything You Can Do." Robb can join her in the cast; his performance of "They Say It's Wonderful" was heart-breaking.

This was a wonderful afternoon of musical theater; I learned some things I didn't know, and heard some new songs along with old favorites. I'm really looking forward to the next selection in the Broadway Songbook series - The Words and Music of Contemporary Broadway in January. That's right up my alley, and I'm sure it will again feature great local musical theater talent.

*Robb is teaching a ten-week tap-dancing class at the Guthrie this fall, for beginners and experienced tappers, which I find extremely tempting. But I'm not sure I'm up to the commitment of being in downtown Minneapolis by 10 am every Sunday for 10 weeks. But it sounds like a lot of fun!