"The Little Mermaid" on tour at the Ordway Center

This holiday season the Ordway is presenting a touring production of The Little Mermaid, the stage adaptation of the 1989 Disney movie that was the first of its modern era animated films. I don't think this is the most successful Disney adaptation. That would be The Lion King (currently the 3rd longest running Broadway musical), followed by Alladin or Beauty and the Beast (the Ordway did a gorgeous original local production of the latter in 2022, a tradition I hope they get back to next season). But even if it's not the best, and it's not local, The Little Mermaid is still a lot of fun for the littles and those of us of a certain age who grew up with the movie. It features a winning cast, and a cool design that is so effective in making us feel like we're "Under the Sea" that I almost got seasick! The Little Mermaid continues at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts in beautiful festive downtown St. Paul through December 29.

"A Night with Janis Joplin" on tour at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts

A Night With Janis Joplin, the short-lived 2013 Broadway musical that's finding new life on tour, is just that. But it's not just a concert featuring one of the all time Rock and Roll greats that was taken from us too soon. This is also Janis Joplin's origin story. In between songs she tells us about her musical influences growing up, mostly female blues singers, with a few musical theater references thrown in for us theater geeks. Thanks to Randy Johnson's well-constructed book, we also get to witness these women sing their signature songs, often followed by Janis' take on the song. This really allows you to see where Janis is coming from and how she adds her own unique sound to the songs that inspired her. It's a celebration not just of Janis, but of the women of blues.