"Endometriosis: The Musical" at Theatre in the Round

The Minnesota Fringe Festival* is a great place for artists to develop and showcase new work. But truthfully, even the best shows at Fringe usually work best within that framework (less than an hour in length, presented at an experimental festival). But every once in a while, you'll see a show that feels like it has life beyond Fringe. The smash hit of the 2022 festival, Endometriosis: The Musical, was one such show. I knew immediately that this was more than "just" a Fringe musical, and "it needs to be seen by more people than just five (likely sold out) Fringe performances." Thankfully, the folks at Theatre in the Round (the venue for the 2022 show) saw that too, and have worked with the creators (book by Maria Bartholdi, music by Kristin Stowell, and lyrics by both) to develop Endometriosis into a full-length musical. Sadly, a show about women's reproductive health and the increasing dangers to it, and our ever more broken health care system, has only become more relevant in the last three years. What better way to bring attention to these issues, and to talk (and sing) about periods and other things related to "lady parts," than in an original musical? And to do it in such a fun, funny, entertaining way. As I wrote in 2022, Endometriosis: The Musical is "beautifully and cleverly written, both hilarious and poignant, and utterly relatable for any human who has ever menstruated." If you're looking for a new, original, relevant, locally created, silly, sobering, highly entertaining musical, go see Endometriosis: The Musical at the oldest theater in Minneapolis, and one smart enough to recognize the potential of this Fringey musical. 

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2022: "Endometriosis: The Musical"

Day: 2

Show: 6

Title: Endometriosis: The Musical

Category: MUSICAL THEATER

By: Ripped Nylons Productions

Written by: Maria Bartholdi (book and lyrics) and Kristin Stowell (music and lyrics)

Location: Theatre in the Round

Summary: A musical about one woman's struggles to be heard by her health care providers, and eventual diagnosis of endometriosis.

Highlights: It's only day two, but I can already tell you this is going to be one of my favorite shows of the festival. Firstly, it's a great and unique topic for a musical - who else is singing about women's reproductive health?! But we should be! Years in development, it couldn't be more timely with recent legal changes that have set women's reproductive health and rights back 50 years. And on top of that it's beautifully and cleverly written, both hilarious and poignant, and utterly relatable for any human who has ever menstruated. Songs cover the pain and shame around the menstrual cycle (why can't we say period at the dinner table, or on stage?!), constant doctors visits at which our protagonist is told her debilitating pain is normal or is all in her head, doctors prescribing birth control for any and all ailments in females from a very young age, and the novel idea that our reproductive organs and our reproductive choices shouldn't hold us back from doing everything we want to do. I hope and suspect that this is only the beginning for Endometriosis: The Musical. I'm not saying it'll end up on Broadway and win a Tony for best score like another female-centric musical that started at a Fringe festival, but I think it needs to be seen by more people than just five (likely sold out) Fringe performances. I would love to see it expanded to a 70-90 show (the happy ending wrapped up a little too quickly, I think there's more to explore there), and if they recorded a cast album of this fabulous score I would buy it, listen to it in my car, and sing along with every word. And they should lock this cast down because they're perfection. The two guys in the show (Christian Unser and Drew Tennenbaum) are great and very funny playing multiple (often antagonistic) characters, but this show belongs to the women. Abby Holstrom, who plays our protagonist Jane, appears to be new to #TCTheater and I look forward to seeing her again. Her portrayal is so empathetic and real, she really grounds the show in humanity amongst the wackiness going on around her, and has a voice that's so crystal clear and full of emotion I found myself tearing up in some of the more poignant moments. She's supported by a comedy/vocal dream team of a trio in Nora Sonneborn, Tara Borman, and Aly O'Keefe playing multiple characters and singing gorgeous harmony (particularly in the song "Birth Control" which you can watch here). 

This mini-review is already too long and I haven't even mentioned the adorable DIY costumes and props, the smart and interesting staging/choreography in the in-the-round space (by choreographer Krista Grover Winkka and director Maria Bartholdi, who also voices some very funny and bizarre interstitial bits about a serial stabber), the fabulous three-piece live on-stage band (with music director/composer Kristin Stowell on keyboard), the perfect sound mix (TRP is a such great space for musicals, no mikes necessary), and the way they expertly walk the line between outrageous comedy and tender moments about this very real and relatable issue. You'll just have to see it for yourself, and I recommend making reservations because their first night was nearly sold out. Friends, this is going to be the breakout hit of the 2022 Minnesota Fringe Festival, and deservedly so.

The first step in recording a cast album - the song "Hide."

Hide.mp4 from Maria Bartholdi on Vimeo.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

"Hands on a Hardbody" by Minneapolis Musical Theatre at Luther Cadillac

"Rare Musicals. Well Done." That's Minneapolis Musical Theatre's motto, and one they live up to time and time again. In their first full production in over two years (they produced a series of ten-minute Minne-Musicals one weekend last fall), they're bringing us the regional premiere of the musical Hands on a Hardbody, based on the 1997 documentary of the same name about a Texas contest to win a truck. It only ran for a few months on Broadway in the spring of 2013, but has since become something of a cult hit. As MMT has shown before (see also High Fidelity), sometimes shows that don't work on a big Broadway stage work brilliantly in a more intimate and site-specific space. I was expecting a fun time, which I got, but I wasn't expecting to be moved to tears by these very human stories of people trying to live the American dream, and what happens when that dream fails them. Performed with MMT's usual heart, gusto, and authenticity, in a car dealership showroom of all places, Hands on a Hardbody is a don't-miss-it opportunity for music-theater fans. But it's only playing for a few weeks, with limited seating, so get your tickets now (click here for details)!

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2019: "ATLAS ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ : An Objective Musical"

Day: 7

Show: 23

Title: ATLAS ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ : An Objective Musical

Category: COMEDY / MUSICAL THEATER / ORIGINAL MUSIC / SCI-FI / POLITICAL CONTENT

By: Clevername Theatre

Created by: Alexander Gerchak & Bradley Kallhoff

Location: Ritz Theater Mainstage

Summary: A musical parody of Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged, turned into social satire.

Highlights: This was a last minute schedule filler because it was in the right pace at the right time; I didn't know anything about this book going into the show. From what I read on Wikipedia, this show turns the strong capitalist message on its head, and uses satire to bring the themes of the book into 2019. The wealthy businessmen and women believing that socialism is the biggest threat, fearing fair wages and mandatory health care for workers, these are all part of the daily rhetoric, making the show feel very timely. It's performed in an absurdist style which the strong cast (Aly O'Keefe, Carl Swanson, Christian Unser, Kayli McIntyre, Michael Burton, Sarah Platts, Todd O’Dowd, and Tyler Lanam) fully commits to. The props are charmingly DIY, with a live band performing the clever and scary songs, sometimes intentionally jarring and techy. Not my favorite show in the festival (absurdism isn't really my thing), but it's a clever concept well executed.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

"The Last Five Years" at Artistry

If you're a musical theater nerd, I don't need to tell you what an ingenious piece Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years is. A simple story of a relationship told from both sides, one chronologically forwards, one chronologically backwards. Premiering in Chicago and Off-Broadway in the early aughts, L5Y received a bit of a resurgence recently due to the recent movie adaptation; Artistry's nearly sold-out show is the fourth local production I've seen in (sorry) the last five years. And I have to say, I enjoy it a little more each time I see it. In fact I very much enjoyed this production, partly because of my familiarity with the complexities of the piece, and partly because it's really well done. The Black Box space is small enough to provide the intimacy the piece needs, with just a sparse two-person band, and a truly fantastic young cast in Aly Westberg O'Keeffe and Ryan London Levin. The run is nearly sold out, so call the box office if you want to get into this one (continuing through February 11, more info here).

"The Baker's Wife" at Artistry

I had a rare experience at the theater yesterday - I went to see a musical I knew nothing about and was absolutely charmed by it. Stephen Schwartz's Wicked may be the 10th longest-running show on Broadway and one of the most "popular" musicals of recent years, but his 1976 musical The Baker's Wife never made it to Broadway and is rarely produced. I'm grateful that Artistry's resident Music Director Anita Ruth was finally able to do her "dream show," and what a dream it is! The absolutely lovely score, the touching story about love and forgiveness, and the cast, led by everyone's favorite Bradley Greenwald and soon-to-be everyone's favorite Jill Iverson, make this a dream show indeed. Head to Bloomington before November 12 and take a chance on an unfamiliar musical, you just might fall in love.

"The Most Happy Fella" - A Reading by Second Fiddle Productions

Wikipedia says Frank Loesser was "an American songwriter who wrote the lyrics and music to the Broadway hits Guys and Dolls and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, among others." I, like many people, have seen and love both of these shows (click on above titles for details of how I love them). But I had never seen or even really heard of The Most Happy Fella, one of those "among others" that Loesser wrote (and for which he also wrote the book). What a perfect choice, then, for Second Fiddle Productions, "a reading series that breathes life into uncommon and rarely produced musicals." Last night they presented a one-night only reading of the show at Camp Bar, featuring some of the Twin Cities brightest music-theater talent. And I'm so glad they did so that I could experience this lovely musical!

The Most Happy Fella is a love story, if a bit of an unusual one. It goes something like this: boy (Tony, played by Bill Marshall) meets girl (called Rosabella, played by Elizabeth Reese) in a San Francisco restaurant and leaves her a tie pin and a love note instead of a tip, girl doesn't remember boy but begins a correspondence with him, boy is afraid girl will reject him so he sends her a photo of a younger boy (Joe, played by Aleks Knezevich), girl agrees to marry boy and arrives at his Napa farm, girl is disappointed that boy lied to her and has a dalliance with the younger boy, boy and girl fall in love, girl finds out she's pregnant with younger boy's baby, boy is crushed but ultimately decides he loves girl and accepts the baby as his own (that last bit is actually very similar to a current storyline on The Bold and the Beautiful). A little convoluted, but it's actually a very sweet love story.

The most well-known song in the score is "Standing on the Corner," which doesn't sound as much like sexual harassment when sung in sprightly four-part harmony. A few of the other songs seemed vaguely familiar to me, but most of the songs I had never heard before. The show skews towards the opera end of the music-theater spectrum, about which Loesser said "I may give the impression the show has operatic tendencies. If people feel that way - fine. Actually all it has is a great frequency of songs. It's a musical with music." There's definitely an operatic feel to the score - sweeping and romantic with soaring melodies. The hero of the story, Tony, is an Italian immigrant, so some of the songs are partly in Italian, which only makes it more fancy. But mixed in with this opera-like music are some down home Country-Western feeling songs, both on the Napa farm and when Rosabella's friend Cleo is talking about her hometown, "Big D (Little-A Double-L-A-S)." It's a strange and lovely mix of musical styles that's quite pleasant to listen to.

the cast of The Most Happy Fella (photo by Second Fiddle)

Also quite pleasant to listen to is this 13-person cast crammed on the small stage at Camp Bar, accompanied by a 4-piece band. Even though they have the script and score in front of them, they all give full performances not just of the music, but also of the emotions of the characters. And many of them are doing this on their day off! On stage were Ruthie Baker (Artistic Director) and Adam Qualls, currently appearing in the fabulous new musical Glensheen just a few blocks away at the History Theatre. A few blocks beyond that at Park Square Theatre is where you can see Music Director Nic Delacambre as one half of the delightful musical murder mystery Murder for Two. Randy Schmeling recently performed in the Ordway's latest Broadway Songbook, and Aly Westberg just finished a short run of Murder Ballad with Minneapolis Musical Theatre. Everyone in the cast can be seen on various stages around the Twin Cities; in fact there was so much talent on that stage that much of it was underused (like the always adorable Suzie Juul). Bottom line is - these are all busy people who come together to learn this show for just one night!

The Most Happy Fella marks the final show in Second Fiddle's second season. Hopefully next year will bring another selection of rare and delightful musicals "read" by super-talented artists. If you want to help make that happen, remember them on Give to the Max Day, coming up on November 12.

"Musical Mondays" at Hell's Kitchen, February 2015

Musical theater loving friends, if you're not at Hell's Kitchen on the first Monday of the month, you are missing out. This is when Sheena Jansen and Max Wojtanowicz gather a few of their friends, who just happen to be among the most talented musical theater artists in town, for a little cabaret show. They've been doing it for over two years now, and it just keeps getting better and better. Each month has a theme, and this being February, the theme for this month's show was love. And as much as I love hearing my favorite musical theater songs, I also enjoy the choices made by this crew that are perhaps a bit more obscure. It was a fabulously entertaining night of musical theater, and it also served as a preview for shows to come this spring and summer. Read on for highlights and to find out where you can see the cast on stages around town.

This month's performers are a veritable Who's Who in the local musical theater scene. In addition to hosts Max and Sheena, performers include Aly Westberg O'Keefe and Dominique Wooten from last fall's brilliant production of Next to Normal at Bloomington Civic Theatre; two of the Andrews Sisters from History Theatre's Christmas of Swing, Ruthie Baker McGrath and Jen Burleigh-Benz (whom you may also know as Snow White from last fall's delightfully irreverent fairy tale Disenchanted); Radames/Joseph/et al. Jared Oxborough; and everyone's favorite, who's been in too many wonderful shows to recount here, Bradley Greenwald. They performed solos, duets, and group numbers, all accompanied by the maestro Andrew Cooke on keyboard. The show lasted about two hours, with a brief intermission, with food and bar service available throughout the night. It's also a fun place for people watching, as over half of the audience are theater people.

Highlights of the show include:

• Group numbers are always fun, including the opener, "It's Love" from Wonderful Town, and the closing number, the entirely appropriate classic
  L-O-V-E. But that's not to say that the night was fully of lovey-dovey songs. Read on...
• Listening to Bradley Greenwald sing Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine" is worth the price of admission alone (which, BTW, is a super cheap $5 suggested donation). Swoon!
• File under the category of "my favorite musical theater songs" - Ruthie's delightfully hopeful "I'm in Love With a Wonderful Guy" from South Pacific, Dom's powerful "Somewhere" from West Side Story, and Jen's terrific rendition of that little known song "Don't Rain on My Parade" from Funny Girl.
• Yes, I own the Moulin Rouge soundtrack, so I was delighted to hear Dom and Aly sing "Elephant Love Medley" in a most charming way.
• Jared sang a lovely rendition of "Hey There," a song from The Pajama Game that has become a classic.
• The cast showed off their talent for harmony with a couple of strong quartets and a trio - "Poor Child" from Wild Party (Dom, Jared, Jen, and Sheena), "Dear One" from Kiss of the Spider Woman (Bradley, Dom, Jen, and Ruthie), and "I've Decided to Marry You" from the last year's Tony winner Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (Aly, Bradley, and Ruthie).
• I'd never heard the song "Lying There" from the song cycle Edges, but Aly brought tears to my eyes with her beautiful and moving rendition.
• Somebody needs to cast Jen and Bradley in a show together, because they looked and sounded gorgeous together on "Carried Away" from On the Town, with oodles of chemistry.
• Somebody needs to cast Sheena and Max in a show together, because they looked and sounded gorgeous together on "Where Would You Be" from from one of those aforementioned obscure musicals The Roar of the Greasepaint, with oodles of chemistry. Oh wait, they've cast themselves in a show together, that they wrote!  Which brings me to...

The cast's upcoming shows (click on show title for more info):

• About his beautiful silver hair Bradley Greenwald joked, "I used to have brown hair, but I've been in tech for a week." He stars as Fagen in the Theater Latte Da/Hennepin Theatre Trust co-production of Oliver!, opening at the Pantages Theatre this week.
• Max Wojtanowicz is making his Ten Thousand Things debut in The Unsinkable Molly Brown, which opens next week. It's worth noting that TTT's last musical ended up on my favorites list last year.
• Chanhassen Dinner Theatre's resident Music Director Andrew Cooke begins rehearsing his cast and orchestra this week, for the new production of Mary Poppins. Performances begin on February 27 and run through the summer.
• Max Wojtanowicz and Sheena Jansen bring their charming, funny, and poignant auto-biographical musical Fruit Fly, a Fringe hit in 2012, to Illusion Theater this March.
• Forcing me to make the long drive out to Excelsior once again, Jen Burleigh-Benz is starring in Old Log Theatre's Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, also opening in March.
• Dominique Wooten is Bloomington Civic Theatre's Billy in their production of the classic musical Carousel, opening in April (can you believe I've never seen it?!).
• Ruthie Baker McGrath announced that she will be in a little show called The Music Man at the Guthrie Theater this summer.

And that's it for this month, folks. The next Musical Mondays takes place on March 2 and will feature the music of Cy Coleman (I know, I don't really know who that is either, so this one is sure to be educational as well as entertaining!). "Like" the Musical Mondays Facebook page for updates and more information.


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"Next to Normal" at Bloomington Civic Theatre

Diverging from the usual feel-good classic musicals, Bloomington Civic Theatre is currently presenting Next to Normal, one of the few musicals to win a Pulitzer Prize for drama and perhaps the most brilliantly written musical of this century. Unlike shows like Guys and Dolls or Singin' in the Rain, you won't leave the theater feeling happy and carefree. You'll leave feeling emotionally exhausted and perhaps continuing to think heavy thoughts for several days. Next to Normal is not an easy show to watch, but it's such a rich and rewarding experience. I couldn't be happier that there are not one but two local productions if it this season, at BCT now through November 15, and at Yellow Tree Theatre next spring (which is sure to be a much different show with their small intimate stage). This was my fifth time seeing Next to Normal, and BCT's production is as beautiful and heartbreaking as ever.

Next to Normal tells the story of what at first appears to be a normal American family, until the cracks begin to show. Diana and her husband Dan married young and started a family. They suffered a great tragedy that triggered Diana's bipolar disorder, which she's been dealing with for years. Everyone in the family suffers in their own way. Dan has to be the strong one as Diana falls apart, and therefore never gets the chance to deal with his own feelings about what happened. Their children, Gabe and Natalie, live in the shadow of the tragedy and are trying to deal with it on top of the normal problems that come with adolescence. Natalie's afraid that she'll follow in her mother's footsteps, and Diana's unable to be the mother that she wants to be. Diana hits rock bottom and undergoes ECT, aka shock therapy. It erases her memories, both the good and the bad, and she struggles to get her life and family back. One of the things that this show does is play with the idea of "normal." There is no such thing as a "normal" family; all families look different and are dealing with their own unique issues, both big and small. As Natalie sings, "I don't need a life that's normal, that's way too far away, but something next to normal, would be OK."

Karen Weber gives a raw and fearless performance as Diana, taking her to all her highs and lows, a voice full of emotion. Sean Dooley broke my heart as Dan, the caregiver in the family who sacrifices himself to take care of everyone else. Like he did in RENT, Blake Rhiner gives a passionate and powerful performance as their son Gabe. Aly O'Keeffe (née Westberg) brings her effortlessly beautiful voice to the role of daughter Natalie, imbuing her with all the angst, despair, and hopefulness of a teenager. Rounding out the six-person cast are Erin Patrick Miller, sweet and funny as Natalie's "perfect for you" boyfriend, and the powerful-voiced Dominique Wooten as the doctors.

Music director Anita Ruth usually helms a big traditional pit orchestra, but in this show she directs a six-piece onstage rock band, which is fantastic. Director Joel Sass also designed the set (as he does at the Jungle), and it's really cool. The use of levels, representing different rooms in the house, is continued from the original Broadway set but on a more manageable scale. The sharp clean lines of a modern and orderly home contrast with the chaotic inner life of this family. Barry Browning's bold lighting highlights the changing tones of the songs.

Next to Normal is a truly brilliant musical, but a heavy one, dealing with issues of mental illness, codependency, drug abuse, suicide, and grief, albeit with moments of humor (a great relief to the audience). It's a perfect example of what musical theater can do; it can be so much more than just light frothy entertainment (although there's a place for that too). Next to Normal is real, relevant, poignant, smart, funny, deeply emotional, and yes, profound. Check it out at Bloomington Civic Theatre through November 15, just don't expect big colorful dance numbers (discount tickets available on Goldstar).


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson" by Minneapolis Musical Theatre at New Century Theatre

If you have a toe in the local theater world, you've probably heard about the controversy surrounding Minneapolis Musical Theatre's production of the 2010 Broadway musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. I saw the show on Broadway and found it to be sharp political satire and social commentary wrapped up in a great emo-rock score. Just a few days before this local version opened, founder of New Native Theatre Rhiana Yazzie posted an open letter on Minnesota Playlist criticizing the piece as offensive in its depiction of Native Americans, and expressing disappointment in MMT for making the choice to produce it in Minnesota (read the full letter here). She organized a protest to be held at the New Century Theatre on opening night. While the letter and protest did not deter me from seeing this show I had long been looking forward to (and included on my summer must-see list), it did give me something extra to think about while seeing the show for a second time. It's important to remember that this is not just a light and fun romp through history, but rather a pretty serious commentary on a very ugly period in American history.

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson tells the story of the seventh president of the United States of America, from his humble beginnings on the frontier of Tennessee, to “hero” of wars against the Spanish, English, and Indians, to the White House. Andrew Jackson has dreams of overthrowing the Washington “elite” (sound familiar?) and becoming “the people’s president,” but he soon discovers that a president has to make the hard decisions, and is never going to please everyone. One of the things Jackson is most known for is “Indian removal,” having convinced many Native American tribes to sign treaties under false pretenses and move west, resulting in the infamous Trail of Tears (the song "Ten Little Indians" recounts the number of ways that Native Americans died at the hands of the white man). As the narrator of the piece says, historians are still debating whether Jackson was a hero or a genocidal murderer. The musical deals with this serious subject matter in a satirical, campy, and over-the-top way. Young Andrew is portrayed as a petulant teenager, and the politicians as idiots. It's a ridiculous and fantastical mash-up of history that's intended to entertain and make a statement about our past and present.

Logan Greene and Philip C. Matthews
(photo by Byron Ritter)

The large and energetic young cast breathes great life into this crazy story. As our (ironically) sexypants president, Philip C. Matthews is charismatic with a great rock voice. Aly Westberg as his wife Rachel is extremely sympathetic and gives a gorgeous rendition of the poignant song "The Great Compromise," about the difficulties of political life for the family left behind. Not only is Amanda Weis hilarious as the doomed storyteller, but she also steps into the band to play keyboard on a number of songs. Besides Amanda, the band consists of just a couple of guitars and percussion, led by Darren Hensel who occasionally takes part in the action and dialogue of the show. The ensemble members all bring great specificity and humor to the many roles of various presidents and politicians.

The show looks and feels like a rock concert, with bright lights, microphone stands, and modern rock costumes with an Old West twist. Unfortunately there were some sound issues on opening night, with headset mics going in and out or sounding muffled or staticky. Hopefully they'll work these issues out, but I would prefer that they lose the headset mics altogether and just use the hand-held mics for the more loud, rocky songs. I believe Philip's mic went out halfway through the show and I'm not sure it ever came back on, but you could still hear him and he sounded fantastic. The advantage of a small space like New Century is that you don't necessary need to mic everyone all the time.

the cast rocks out (photo by Byron Ritter)

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is a musical that deals with issues of corrupt politics, elections, compromises made by politicians and their families, racism, slavery, and the near extermination of an entire race of people. Maybe the creators bit off more than they could chew in a mere 90 minutes and therefore were not able to give each issue the weight it deserved, but it's an ambitious attempt to bring light to these issues in an accessible rock musical kind of way. It's not a bad thing for art to be controversial sometimes; I much prefer a controversial piece like this to a bland inoffensive movie-musical adaptation. At the very least, it began a dialogue that will hopefully continue. I greatly appreciate hearing Rhiana's perspective on the piece and look forward to seeing some New Native Theatre shows next season. MMT responded gracefully to the controversy with a note in the playbill, a brief post-show statement, and a planned post-show discussion on Thursday June 19 (the show runs through June 29).

Even though this is a hugely entertaining and fun show, it goes deeper than that. At the end of the show I was left with a feeling of sadness, that this is the way our country was built. The beautifully poignant song "Second Nature," which plays over a video montage of pivotal moments in our nation's history, says it best:

The grass grows, a prairie
A wilderness across a continent
And we take it
We clear it out and make it
In our image 

The backyards, the driveways
The covered wagons rushing
Through the high planes,
The motels on the canyon
They make a second nature 

And what was it for, this country
the farms and the blood across a prairie
the nation we became as we build a second nature

This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"Glensheen" by the History Theatre at the Minnesota History Center

I love historic old mansions that have been turned into museums, and my favorite is the Glensheen Mansion in Duluth. A gorgeous house and beautifully manicured grounds right on the shores of Lake Superior, the story of a New York lawyer who got rich in the local mining industry and built this house for his wife and many children, plus a murder mystery! I have to admit, I am more than little fascinated by the story of how elderly millionaire Elisabeth Congden and her nurse were found dead in 1977, one smothered by a satin pillow and the other beaten to death with a candlestick (an actual candlestick!). Yes it's gruesome and tragic, but it's also one of those "truth is stranger than fiction" stories that is so captivating. Playwright Jeffrey Hatcher and composer Chan Poling have taken this fascination with this weird and wonderful story and turned it into a musical, presented as the third show in the History Theatre's Raw Stages Festival. Or at least it's the beginnings of a musical. After working together for only a few days, the creators and the fabulous cast they have assembled presented just over an hour of material. They had meant to have more, "but it snowed" (Jeffrey is extremely dry and funny, see also his Lifetime Achievement Ivey Award acceptance speech). It's definitely still in the "raw" stage of the development process, but almost every song and scene is terrific, the tone of "ironic comedic cynicism" is spot on, and it has much potential to be a fantastic new original musical (my favorite thing in the world!).

In a short intro, Jeffrey explained that the musical is supposed to be a "non-realistic break the fourth wall" sort of thing, with "a spirit of theatricality." Our way into the story is through a modern day tour guide at the mansion (a bubbly Aly Westberg). She calls the head docent (Norah Long) in a panic when one of the guests takes a forbidden photograph in the stairwell where one of the bodies was found. Through a series of flashbacks we meet Elisabeth Congden and her two adopted daughters - Jennifer, the sweet and pretty one (Norah again) and Marjorie (the always fabulous Jody Briskey), who epitomizes the phrase "black sheep of the family." Marjorie meets her second husband Roger (an adorably awkward and "sad sack" Robert O. Berdahl) and introduces him to the family. He (with or without Marjorie's assistance and knowledge) plots to kill Elisabeth, is convicted, confesses to secure his release from jail, and commits suicide. Marjorie is never convicted and goes on to rack up charges of fraud, arson, bigamy, and even murder. The action flashes back and forth between moments in the past and the present day, where we also meet a "cub reporter" (Randy Schmeling) and a wacky detective (Jim Ramlet). The only part of the piece that didn't quite work for me was the ending, with a long exchange about the camera or phone used to take the picture. I was confused about who this woman was (Marjorie? the ghost of Elisabeth?), and the reveal that she was some sort of Marjorie fanatic didn't quite seem to fit. I only nitpick because the rest of the show is gold, just waiting to be polished and fleshed out and put together in the most shiny way possible.

The wonderful songs with clever and funny lyrics include the Sweeney Todd-esque "Ballad of Haunted Glensheen," a song between the two sisters, one good and one bad, a Marjorie/Roger duet  - a "mismatch made in hell," a very funny and drunken Roger singing about the "murder plot," Marjorie's swan song "Burn it Down," and what seemed to be the favorite of the audience - nurse Velma's* sad and sweet song in which her husband begs "stay with me" when the recently retired nurse is called back to work that fateful night.

I loved this piece so much. It's my favorite of the Raw Stages festival so far even though it's also the most raw. It's exactly the kind of musical I like - funny, satirical, witty, a little wacky, about a topic I'm already fascinated by. I cannot wait to see it further fleshed out and produced with lavish sets and costumes and a full orchestra. I hope they keep every one of these seven cast-members who were just perfect in their roles, maybe adding a few more actors to fill out some of the roles. Judging by the sold-out crowd, there is definitely an audience anxious to see Glensheen: The Musical, myself included!

The History Theatre's Raw Stages Festival concludes with a new play by Garrison Keillor this Sunday. But if you don't already have tickets, you're out of luck - it's sold out. But don't worry, I'll be there and will tell you all about it!

the Glensheen Mansion, definitely worth a visit
next time you find yourself in Duluth

*Velma's grand-niece was in the audience and gave her approval of the show in general and Velma's song in particular.

"Les Miserables" at Bloomington Civic Theatre

I'm not one of those Les Mis fanatics. I first saw it on tour over a dozen years ago, and what I remember most about it is that it was really long. I liked it well enough to buy the soundtrack, which I listen to periodically; the score is gorgeous and includes some wonderful songs. But I've never really connected with it like I have other musicals (I'm more of a RENThead). That changed a little when I saw the movie last year, but that too felt long and a little exhausting. But after seeing Bloomington Civic Theatre's new production of Les Miserables, I finally see what all of the fuss was about. It does not feel long or tedious; every moment is completely engaging. The music soars in the hands of this talented cast of singers and the big gorgeous pit orchestra (Anita Ruth has written some new orchestrations to replace the synthesizers, adding bassoon and guitar and doubling some instruments), and the themes of redemption, forgiveness, and love are so compelling. I've seen just about every musical production at BCT for the last few years and I always enjoy what they do, but Les Miserables is the best thing I've seen there so far. It's absolutely thrilling.

In case you're unfamiliar with the theater juggernaut that is Les Miserables, here's a quick primer. The musical premiered in London in 1985 and arrived on Broadway in 1987, and became one of the longest running musicals in both locations. Based on the 19th century novel of the same name by Victor Hugo, it follows the life of Jean Valjean from the release from his 20-year imprisonment for stealing food, to his involvement in the French Revolution, and many points and characters in between. Always on the run from Inspector Javert, Valjean tries to make a good life for his adopted daughter Cosette while struggling with his past. As director Karen Weber (who went back to the original text to inspire the tone of this production) writes in a note in the playbill, "It is a sprawling morality play, set against a tumultuous period in French history. That setting illuminates and encapsulates the suffering and oppression of generations of the French people, the human spirit crying for an end to that suffering, and the desperate measures taken to end it."

Valjean and Javert
(Dieter Bierbrauer and William Gilness)

One of the reasons I was so excited to see BCT's production of Les Mis is the cast. As anyone who's read this blog with any regularity knows, I'm a big fan of Dieter Bierbrauer, and have been since I saw him play Tony in West Side Story at the Chan years ago. I will see him in anything (even a musical that takes me back to the 80s, my least favorite decade), and I love seeing him in iconic musical theater roles like Jean Valjean, the troubled hero of Les Miserables. In addition to Dieter's typically perfect vocals, this is a very physical performance as he transforms from a young man beaten down by years in prison, to a respected businessman, to an aging man who walks like he's lived long and suffered much (but can still easily sling a young man across his shoulders). He carries the character's suffering in his body and his voice. "Bring Him Home" is a highlight, so beautiful and heartfelt. I didn't think anything could top hearing Dieter sing "Being Alive," but this just might have.

Of course Dieter is not the only star in this show. There are so many characters who have great moments in song, and BCT has chosen the perfect actor for each one. William Gilness is a great adversary as Inspector Javert, strong and unmoving in his goal to find Valjean, until Valjean shows him mercy and he is unable to process it and doesn't know how to go on with life. Laurel Armstrong beautifully embodies the tragedy of Fantine. The talented Aly Westberg is an incredibly sympathetic Eponine, another tragic character, and her "On My Own" is another highlight. Riley McNutt has a strong voice as Marius, with Molly Jo Hall as his lovely Cosette. Carl Shoenborn and Sally Ann Wright are entertaining as the comic relief innkeepers. Dominique Wooten is magnificent in a scarlet jacket; his cries to war make me want to climb a pile of rubble and wave a red flag! From the oldest to the youngest, this cast brings these characters to life. In a post-show discussion, Karen said that she told her cast that it's not enough to sing beautifully (as they are all capable of doing), but they also need to tell the story in a compelling way. Mission accomplished.

Once again, Michael Hoover designed a functional and appropriate set. Stairs to a balcony provide many levels on which Karen effectively places the action. A rotating center piece allows set pieces to enter and leave the stage smoothly, most effectively the barricade in the second act. As it spins we see both sides of the barricade. Costume designer Ed Gleeman has dressed the cast in period clothing both desperate and opulent.

Les Miserables is such an inspiring story. Through a moment of kindness, a man's life is changed and he goes on to affect others' lives by passing on that kindness. But through it all he's still just a man, with doubts and regrets and struggles. In short, it's the human experience. I see a lot of theater, and it's not often that I'm moved to a standing ovation (in fact sometimes I resent it when everyone stands up and I'm obliged to follow). But this is one of those times when I was eager to stand up and applaud and show my appreciation for all the work that went into creating this marvelous theatrical experience. Les Miserables is playing at BCT through November 16, get your tickets now before it completely sells out! (If you have no plans for Halloween, discount tickets are available on Goldstar.)

"Sunset Boulevard" by Minneapolis Musical Theater at New Century Theatre

I'm really not much of a movie buff, spending most of my time at live theater. I've never seen the 1950 classic movie Sunset Boulevard, about a delusional aging Hollywood star and the younger screenwriter whom she takes as her lover while he helps her edit her screenplay that she believes will be her comeback. The movie was turned into a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and opened in 1993 in London, with by a Los Angeles premiere later that year, and Broadway the following year. The three productions starred, at various times, such legendary actors as Patti LuPone, Betty Buckley, Glenn Close, Elaine Page, and Rita Moreno. Minneapolis Musical Theatre has taken this big lavish production and stripped it down to fit on the small stage at New Century. But the story still remains big, and Sarah Gibson as Norma Desmond does an incredible job filling the shoes of the women mentioned above. I'm not the biggest Andrew Lloyd Webber fan (as they say in Xanadu, "so grand and so earnest but ultimately so preposterous that one has to laugh"), and this show is very Andrew Lloyd Webber. But if there's one reason to see this show it's Sarah's delightfully exaggerated and completely committed performance as this complex, manipulative, crazy, and somehow sympathetic woman.

If you're one of the two other people on the planet who have never seen the movie, here's a brief plot summary. Circa 1950, struggling writer Joe Gillis ends up at the grand estate belonging to silent film star Norma Desmond when his car breaks down. She lives there alone with her butler (and ex-husband) Max. When she finds out that Joe is a screenwriter, she shows him the screenplay that she has written, and convinces him to help her get it into shape to submit to the great movie-maker Cecil DeMille. It's awful, but Joe does his best. He moves in with her and she showers him with gifts, and they eventually become lovers ("I get suits, and she gets hope"). Norma is a master manipulator; she has Max wrapped around her little finger, and all it takes is a little uncontrollable weeping or a suicide attempt to get what she wants out of Joe. She sends DeMille her screenplay and goes back to the studio where she was once a fixture, and prepares to make her comeback, unaware that everyone's laughing behind her back. Meanwhile, Joe has been working with a young screenwriter named Betty to adapt one of his stories. Although she's engaged to be married, the two fall in love, until Norma calls Betty to tell her where and how Joe has been living. Disillusioned, Joe tells Norma that her comeback is a joke, and plans to leave Hollywood for good. But Norma is not about to let that happen.

Like many Webber shows, the musical is mostly sung-through; there's little spoken dialogue. It reminds me a little of Evita, with similar musical sounds and plot structure, with Joe serving as a narrator as well as a character in the story. I didn't think I knew the score, but the song "With One Look" is familiar to me, and of course I know "As If We Never Said Good-Bye" from that episode of Glee in which Kurt sings it. Both songs are beautifully delivered by Sarah. I've seen her in several shows in the past (most recently in a supporting role in Theater Latte Da's Light in the Piazza) and have always been impressed by her, but this is a star-making performance. First of all, she looks like a movie star out of old Hollywood (maybe because I've only seen her in period roles). In this show, her every gesture, every word (I particularly like how she enunciates "picture"), every movement, every cell of her body down to her little finger, is imbued with Norma Desmond-ness. In heavy eye make-up and red lipstick, wearing feathers and fur, animal prints, flowy sleeves, headwraps, and jewels, she plays the role to the hilt. But if Norma is the star of the show, Joe is our tour guide through this weird world. Tim Kuehl (who looks like Vince Gill and sings almost as sweet) ably carries the show from Norma's creepy world to the world of young Hollywood, representing the audience as a bit of an outsider in both. His version of the title song, somewhat desperate and sarcastic, is another highlight. The lovely-voiced Aly Westberg is charming as the bright young writer Joe falls in love with, as they sing a sweet duet "Too Much in Love to Care." There are also several nice group numbers performed by the capable ensemble.

An interesting feature of this production is the use of video. Screens on either side of the wide and shallow stage show still shots of Norma's house or the studio lot, adding to the sparse set decoration to set the scene. Oftentimes an onstage camera tracks Norma's movements and displays them on the screen. The shaky close-ups, on which Sarah's wide-open eyes are even more apparent, ramp up the creepiness of the story. Nice period costumes on everyone, but Norma's get-ups are obviously the standout (costumes by Rian Berberich). Last but not least, a shout-out to the great slightly-off-stage band (directed by Lori Maxwell).

This is only my second MMT production (the other being Gilligan's Island: The Musical, which couldn't be more different from Sunset Boulevard), and so far I like what I've seen (and I'm super excited about their summer show next year - the brilliant political satire Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson!). Sunset Boulevard is a co-production with Hennepin Theatre Trust, and plays now through June 23.

"Deal! The Musical" by Tyrol Hills Music at the Ritz Theater

One sign of a good musical is when the audience leaves the theater singing, humming, and whistling the songs from the show* which they've never heard before.  Such was the case when I attended** the new, original, and very Minnesotan musical Deal! The Musical by Tyrol Hills Music.  Not only are the songs catchy and hummable, but the story is heart-warming and wickedly funny, and it rings true to anyone who grew up in this state.  It's a little like a Garrison Keillor story come to life, and in my opinion Garrison Keillor is an American treasure, so that's a very good thing.

Deal! The Musical was written by local playwrights Jerry Seifert and Tom Broadbent, who also wrote the music.  I gather from a note in the playbill, as well as the appearance of the name Broadbent in the real newspaper clippings that are displayed between scenes along with old photos, that this is at least a semi-autobiographical show for Tom.  The story takes place over a ten-year span in the late 1950s and 1960s in the town of Stacy MN, not too far north of the Twin Cities on I35.  Art and Elsie have just moved into town, having hit a snag in their dream to own their own farm.  Elsie's newly widowed friend  Pearl along with Art's brother Oscar and his "pal" Millie come over to the house to play poker every week, where much is discussed.  Art and Elsie's two daughters grow up over the course of the play - from proms and first loves to babies and illness.  Life changes and grows, and the only thing that stays the same is the weekly poker game that brings this family together.

This capable cast (directed by Josh Campbell) is led by real life husband and wife team Jon Hegge and Laurie Flanigan-Hegge as Art and Elsie.  Laurie has a beautiful voice that's featured in several songs, and Jon gives a nuanced performance as the head of the family who's struggling with not being able to provide as he had hoped, especially after an accident leaves him unable to work.  He sings about feeling useless, and finding inspiration in his hero, Twins great Harmon Killebrew (as a lifelong Twins fan, any musical that includes a song called "Harmon Killebrew" is definitely one for me!). David Roberts' Oscar is a bit of a drunk and a loveable jerk, but we get to see a more vulnerable side when he sings about "The Lost and Found Tavern."  Aly Westberg and Max Wojtanowicz share a couple of lovely duets as one of the daughters and her beau, who grow from an awkward prom couple to a married couple facing very real problems.  The scene-stealer of the show is Kim Kivens (who was also great in Spelling Bee last fall) as the boozy, bawdy Millie, tottering on her high heels and constantly skiping off to the bathroom after uttering another cute euphemism ("time to tinkle!" "I feel a rain delay coming on!").  Millie's a cutesy, funny character, but Kim gives her depth (especially in the lovely "Lord's Prayer") and makes the audience root for her.

Don't let the ads you might have seen fool you - Deal! The Musical is not a flashy Vegas musical; it's a sweet and funny Minnesota story about a family in a small town and people that will seem familiar to you.  Yes, they cram a lot of hardships and romances into two and a half hours, so that some of them get short shrift, but that's forgivable when the overall show is this satisfying. Check it out at the Ritz Theater in Northeast Minneapolis (free parking across the street!), and you'll see a lovely little story set in a small Minnesota town, where the women are strong, the men are good-looking, and the children are above average.


*I woke up morning after the show singing "Deal, dammit, deal, dammit, deal dammit deal!"  And here's the song that I heard people humming and whistling at intermission, echoing what I was hearing in my own head:




**I received one complementary ticket to see Deal! The Musical.