"Bent" by The BAND Group at the Phoenix Theater

Partnering with OutFront Minnesota, The BAND Group is bringing us the 1979 play Bent about the imprisonment and murder of gay people in Nazi Germany. A look at the daily news should tell you that those days are not as long ago and far away as they may seem, with increasing violence and discrimination against the LGBTQ community. One of OutFront's current campaigns is to end conversion therapy, which is still legal in Minnesota. You can find more information about this and sign the petition here. And you can see The BAND Group's powerful and sobering production of Bent at the Phoenix Theater in Uptown through this weekend only.

"Maple and Vine" by The BAND Group at Center for Performing Arts

The 2011 play Maple and Vine explores what might happen if we really could return to the "good old days," the era that the Cleavers and Ozzie and Harriet make look so perfectly pleasant and innocent on TV. With all the recent talk of returning to a time when the world, and America, was supposedly greater than now, The BAND Group chose a great time to present this play. With minimal staging in an intimate space, the audience is almost uncomfortably close to this fake '50s world as its true ugliness is slowly revealed. As they always do, The BAND Group is partnering with community organizations, the Citizens League and the League of Women Voters, who both have materials and representatives at the show. Reminding us to use our voting power, as the play reminds us of the things at stake.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2018: "TITUS: Sweet Water, Silent Walks"

Day: 8

Show: 28

Title: TITUS: Sweet Water, Silent Walks

Category: Dance / Drama / Physical Theater

By: The BAND Group

Created by: The BAND Group

Location: Rarig Center Thrust

Summary: An adaptation of Shakespeare's most bloody play Titus Andronicus, using movement, music, physical theater, and dance.

Highlights: Wow, and I thought Macbeth was a violent play. A quick perusal of the Wikipedia page (always recommended before a first experience with a Shakespeare play) was enough to turn my stomach, with its tale of rape, murder, dismemberment, and cannibalism (no wonder people fainted). I don't think I ever need to see a full production of this play, but The BAND Group's interpretation (directed and adapted by Adrian Lopez-Balbontin) is beautiful in its brutality and powerful in its message. Focusing on the violent rape and mutilation of Titus' daughter Lavinia (played by Jackie O'Neil, who also choreographed), this production returns some of her power as she dances with other survivors and gets revenge by killing her attackers, with the help of her mother Titus (an interesting and effective gender switch). In fact, The BAND Group is partnering with Cornerstone, an organization whose goal is "to reduce the prevalence of domestic violence, sexual violence, human trafficking, and general crime," all of which are on full display in this play. The talented and committed 18-person cast is comprised of actors, dancers, and musicians (clarinet, trumpet, guitar, percussion), and they create some beautiful (and at times disturbing) sounds and images. The most brutal scenes of violence are also beautiful and graceful in the choreography (which as an audience member makes it a little easier to take). A beautiful, powerful, original, relevant Shakespearean adaptation.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

"TART: A Modern Adaptation of Moliere's Tartuffe" by The BAND Group at Bryant Lake Bowl

Working towards a world Beyond Acceptance with No Discrimination, The BAND Group debuts with a delightfully modern adaptation of Moliere's most famous comedy Tartuffe, set in a drag club. Similar to The Misanthrope a few years ago, founder-director-adapter Adrian Lopez-Balbontin has taken this 350 year old French comedy, made it look like the world today, peppered it with pop culture references, used it as commentary on current issues, and set it all to rhyme. With a talented cast of artists from across the gender spectrum whom we don't get to see onstage often enough, and a partnership with local non-profit RECLAIM! that provides mental health support for queer and trans youth, TART is as relevant as it is entertaining. Check it out at BLB (with full food and drink service before and during the show) through June 16.

"You Can't Take It With You" at Lyric Arts

You can't take it with you. Meaning money, meaning when you die. What's the point of racking up piles of money at the expense of living? It's more important to rack up experiences and time spent doing the things you love with the people you love. At least that's the moral of the story in the classic play You Can't Take It With You, now playing at Lyric Arts Main Street Stage in Anoka. This 80-year-old play may be a little dated and old-fashioned, and I don't really see the urgency of doing this play at this moment in time. And of course, it's a privileged class of people who can contemplate giving up their high-paying job to spend more time on their hobbies. That being said, this is still a charming, funny, and uplifting play, a good way to spend an evening and a good reminder to not overlook the important things in life.

"Moonlight and Magnolias" at Lyric Arts

Although it became and still remains the highest grossing film of all time (adjusted for inflation), Gone with the Wind had an infamously difficult beginning. Producer David O. Selznick bought the rights to the popular book shortly after it was published in 1936, and spent years obsessing over every detail of the production, hiring and firing directors and screenwriters along the way. The play Moonlight and Magnolias, which premiered at Chicago's Goodman Theatre in 2004, imagines one week in this years-long process in which Selznick locks himself in his office along with screenwriter Ben Hecht and director Victor Fleming to rewrite the script after filming has already begun. The play is part hilarious look at Hollywood and what makes it tick, part recap of the popular movie, and part exploration of the balance between making a movie you can stand behind and giving the people what they want. Lyric Arts' production is fast and funny, with a strong four-person cast that works and plays well together.

"Nice Work If You Can Get It" at Lyric Arts

A jukebox musical featuring the songs of the Gershwin brothers (composer George and lyracist Ira) set in the bootlegging days of the 1920s. Sounds fun, right? And it is that. It's not what I want from Broadway (I prefer new original musicals), but it's a perfect fit for regional and community theater. Perhaps that's why I enjoyed Lyric Arts' production of Nice Work If You Can Get more than I remember enjoying the Broadway tour that came through town a few years ago. It's chock full of wonderful tunes, the 20-person cast is really strong from the leads through the ensemble, the set is cool, and the large offstage band sounds great. There's nothing deep or overly meaningful about the show, but it's a great good time.

"The Misanthrope" at Bryant Lake Bowl

Misanthrope: noun, a person who dislikes humankind and avoids human society.

Such is the title character of 17th century French playwright Molière's most popular comedy The Misanthrope. In a new adaptation by the show's director Adrian Balbontin, based on the translation by Robert Cohen, this cantankerous character is re-imagined as a New York fashion designer. The play opens, at the informal setting of the Bryant Lake Bowl Theater, with a fashion show. Musicians accompany the fashion show and provide interludes between the five short acts of the play. All of this adds to Molière's biting social commentary, heard in delicious rhyme, to create a thoroughly entertaining evening and a great way to jump into the 2015 theater year!

Alceste is the titular misanthropic designer (Sam Pearson, appealing in a Benedict Cumberbatch sort of way) surrounded by a group of characters he barely tolerates, being too quick to point out the faults in everyone, including himself. He's an idealistic man who expects the best in people and society, and is constantly frustrated when they don't live up to his high standards. But despite himself and his ideals, he can't help but love Celimene (a charming Devon Cox), a flighty and flirtatious gossip with many suitors (of all genders and persuasions). Celimene assures Alceste that they mean nothing, and he's the one she truly loves. But he can't believe her, and when given proof of her dalliances, he's devastated, but then forgives her and begs her to leave this world and live with him away from distasteful society. When Celimene is unwilling to leave the life and society she loves, Alceste walks off into the sunset, alone.

This clever adaptation name-drops designer such as Louis Vuitton and Isaac Mizrahi, and feels subtly modern. The talented young cast handles the difficult rhyming dialogue with ease and makes it sound natural, with occasional winks at the audience when it stretches for the rhyme. It's all done in a mostly light-hearted manner, except for a few tense scenes when Alceste's anguish at his predicament is palpably felt.

I'm not sure what genre of music combines a ukulele and mandolin with a trumpet and bongo drums, but the result is quirky and whimsical and wistful, setting a perfect tone for the show. Joe Scheller (who introduces the show and occasionally interacts with the cast) and Maya Elena Baglien add their lovely vocals, and there's a fun interplay between cast and band, as Alceste (or one of the other characters) snaps his fingers to call the band to play when the conversation is over.

When you're setting a play in the fashion world, wardrobe is important, and costume designer Jenna Rose Graupman rises to the task. Each character has a specific style, from Alceste's neat suit to Philinte's hoody, from Eliante's mousy look to Celimene's series of pretty party dresses you might see on [insert name of current female pop star], creating an eclectic mix that's a feast for the eyes, as the music and dialogue is a feast for the ears.

This delightful Misanthrope continues to spew his discontent through January 17 at Bryant Lake Bowl, with 7 and 10 pm shows lasting a perfect 90 minutes, and full menu and bar service during the show (which personally I find a bit distracting, but does contribute to the fun and relaxed atmosphere).