"You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" at Artistry

Happiness is... watching six legends of #TCTheater stages personifying beloved Peanuts characters. In Artistry's new production of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown, these legends bring all of their wisdom and experience to their roles, yet tap into that childlike spirit that is inside all of us. This is a deceptively simple little musical that truly feels like the comic strips come to life with its short and often unrelated scenes, but it's also kind of profound, in the way it deals with those important lessons we learn in childhood. Lessons about friendship, self-esteem, disappointment, working together. The last time I saw this show was almost 15 years ago in this very space by a version of this theater company then known as Bloomington Civic Theatre, starring a bunch of young up-and-coming actors. It truly is happiness to experience it again now, ingeniously cast with actors age 60+. Because the older you get, the more poignant these life lessons become, and the more you appreciate the simple happinesses in life.

"Ball: A Musical Tribute To My Lost Testicle" at Artistry

Multi-talented #TCTheater artist Max Wojtanowicz's solo musical Ball: A Musical Tribute to My Lost Testicle was my favorite show of the 2016 Minnesota Fringe Festival, because it was so funny and poignant, so raw and emotional, so cleverly and smartly put together. At the time, Max was just about six months removed from a diagnosis of stage 3 testicular cancer, and started writing the show during treatment, with help from director and frequent collaborator Nikki Swoboda, and composers Andrew Cooke, Michael Gruber, and Jason Hansen. He toured the show for a couple of years after that, and even brought it back to the Southern in 2018, before performing at a festival in NYC. And now, ten years cancer free, Max is performing the show for two short weekends at Artistry. It's still just about an hour long, still set in 2016, but with a few tweaks to make it make sense today. If anything, the show has gotten better with time and perspective; Max is still able to tap back into the emotions of the moment, but with perhaps more clarity or insight looking back on it. There are only five performances left, so if you're looking for a great solo show that is personal and universal, and very well written and performed, Ball is it!

"In the Heights" at Artistry

This summer, Artistry is doing just the second #TCTheater production of Lin-Manuel Miranda's first musical, In the Heights (the first was the Ordway in 2017). While his most well-known musical Hamilton (currently the 16th longest running musical on Broadway, closing in on #15) is an epic story about famous people - the founding fathers - In the Heights is an intimate story about everyday people - a Latin American immigrant community in NYC's Washington Heights neighborhood. But it's epic in its own way, telling stories of home, family, community, identity, growing up, that are relatable to anyone with a home or a family or a community. Artistry's production features a fantastic local cast, and is full of energy, joy, and heart. And it's particularly wonderful to celebrate a community of immigrants right now, when our own immigrant communities are in danger. In the Heights is a love letter to the hard-working, close-knit neighborhood communities that make up NYC, that make up America. Don't miss this rare chance to see the 2008 Tony-winning best musical In the Heights - head to Bloomington between now and August 30 (extended!).

"What the Constitution Means to Me" at Artistry

Continuing their programming of plays in the black box theater at Bloomington Center for the Arts this season, Artistry is bringing us the never more relevant play What the Constitution Means to Me. Until it becomes more relevant tomorrow, or next week, or whenever another one of our rights is stripped away by the current administration. Although it premiered nine years ago, this play feels like it was written specifically for this moment in our country, with the recent Supreme Court decision gutting the Voting Rights Act, discussions of overturning birthright citizenship (guaranteed by the 14th Amendment, which features heavily in this play), and the gross violations of due process (also the 14th Amendment) in Minnesota earlier this year, just to name a few. It also feels a great time to really examine our founding document as America is about to celebrate its 250th birthday. This is such a brilliantly written play, in the way that it discusses the very foundation upon which our nation is built, but not in a dry textbook kind of way (although there are lots of facts and dates), but in the most personal way that makes me see just how much the constitution shapes our daily lives, and the unfair way it treats many American citizens.* It's also funny and relatable, chock full of pop culture references (especially for us Gen Xers), and thoroughly engaging for the 95-minute or so runtime. I highly recommend that you check out this smart and relevant new(ish) play that's not been done much since the original Broadway production and tour (continuing through June 7).

"The Mountaintop" at Artistry

Lately it feels like we're a long way from the mountaintop, like we've slid quite a way downhill in the last year, or ten years. But Katori Hall's play The Mountaintop, about the great Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., reminds us that we can never stop climbing, that progress never ends. As Artistry's Artistic Director Kelli Foster Warder noted in her pre-show speech, they could not have known when they programmed this play a year ago how relevant it (and their next two shows - What the Constitution Means to Me and In the Heights) would be. Stories about Civil Rights, the constitution that is supposed to protect us all, and an immigrant community, all of which are in danger under the current administration. The Mountaintop imagines King on the night before his assassination, having a conversation with someone who isn't what she seems, and shows us that he was more than the iconic figure, speech maker, and quote generator we often think of when we hear the name. He was human, with flaws and fears like the rest of us, which means that we too can overcome our flaws and fears and pick up the baton in the race towards justice. Head to Bloomington before this short run closes on March 1 to experience this inspiring, creatively written, and well told story.

Update: extended through March 8!

"Kiss Me, Kate" at Artistry

After yet another difficult weekend in the Twin Cities (ICE OUT NOW!), it was a welcome stress release to see a good old-fashioned musical comedy, full of classic Cole Porter songs performed by a gorgeous 14-piece onstage orchestra and fabulous dancing by a talented 12-person ensemble. With their production of the rarely done 1949 best musical Kiss Me, Kate, Artistry continues their tradition of the last few years opening their season with a classic musical, staged in a way that puts the focus on the music and dancing, with minimal sets or costume changes. This was actually my first time seeing Kiss Me, Kate, and while it may be a bit dated (and its source material problematic), this show is delightfully escapist entertainment. Even, or especially, with all the darkness in our world right now, it's good to be in community with audience and artists, to laugh and be entertained together. See Kiss Me, Kate at the Bloomington Center for the Arts through February 15.

"Plaid Tidings" at Artistry

What's better than a '60s boy band with men in sharp suits singing tight harmonies and performing smart choreography? When the suits are plaid, or Christmas cardigans, and the music is accompanied by comedy. I had never seen any rendition of the popular jukebox musical Forever Plaid, or its holiday* sequel Plaid Tidings, until seeing Artistry's production of the latter yesterday. I found it to be utterly delightful, and surprisingly poignant as it ends in a rumination on the fleeting nature of life, the afterlife, and the joys of being together at the holidays. Featuring a fantastic cast of four that is a musical and comedy dream team, and direction by Church Basement Ladies' Greta Grosch with her signature zany humor with heart, Plaid Tidings is, in a world, heaven. The Plaids will perform in Bloomington, Earth through December 28. Weekends are already selling out, with greater availability on weeknights and the weekend after Christmas.

"Once on This Island" at Artistry

It feels like last week's very late summer heat wave was just to usher in the warm breezes of Artistry's production of Once on this Island, the first regional production since it won the Tony in 2018 for Best Revival. That too-warm-for-fall weather has thankfully left us, but you can still feel the joy and warmth of the island inside Bloomington Center for the Arts for the next few weeks. Based on a book that's based on The Little Mermaid, it tells the familiar story of a young woman who falls in love with a man she rescues on the beach, giving up her life for him, only to be rejected. But here the twist is that this young woman's love changed the world for the better. The beautiful thing about Once on this Island is the storytelling employed; it starts with a community gathered around a common space and telling a story to a frightened little girl. The musical (by the creators of Ragtime) has a score with fabulous Caribbean and African sounds, and features an uber talented local African American cast. Get your tickets now to see this excellent 90-minute show, continuing through October 26.

"Singin' in the Rain" at Artistry

I interrupt this all-fringe-all-the-time coverage to bring you news of a terrific new production of the classic-movie-musical-turned-stage-musical Singin' in the Rain at Artistry. The classic 1952 movie musical was written by legendary musical theater team Comden and Green, and adapted into a stage musical in 1983. It's a big old-fashioned musical with comedy, romance, dancing, and tons of familiar songs* (by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed). Artistry did the show 12 years ago (then known as Bloomington Civic Theatre), directed and choreographed by the late, great Michael Matthew Ferrell. I remember loving that production, and it's a treat to see this new production on that same stage. This time it's directed by Artistry's Artistic Director Kelly Foster Warder, who also co-choreographed with our fabulous Don Lockwood, Danny McHugh, a native Minnesotan who makes his very welcome return to #TCTheater after living and working in NYC for 16 years. In the interest of saving precious time to see more Fringe shows, I will give you a brief review and encourage you to buy your tickets to this fun, high energy, and endlessly entertaining show sooner rather than later - it's been selling so well they already added another week (continuing through the end of August).

"Love and Baseball" at Artistry

On the day after the Minnesota Twins' All-Star center fielder Byron Buxton made history by becoming the first player to hit for the cycle* at Target Field, capping off the nominal first half of the best year of his career, I saw a play called Love and Baseball in Artistry's Black Box theater. I love baseball, and I love theater, so when the two combine it's pretty much my favorite thing. But don't worry, you don't have to love baseball to love Love and Baseball, in the same way that I love the play Colossal and the TV series Friday Night Lights despite the fact that I don't like football, and I love the play The Wolves and the TV series Ted Lasso despite knowing nothing about soccer. As all of the above exhibits, sports are a great metaphor for life, and a great framework for telling a story. In this case, the story is a love story between two people, one a baseball fan, one not so much, who have a chance encounter that changes both of their lives. It's a sweet and funny rom com that's well cast, directed, and designed, in Artistry's intimate black box space, a great two-hander that's a joy to watch even if you're one of those people who inexplicably does not appreciate the beauty of the game. As director Eric Morris writes in a note in the program, "How can you not be romantic about baseball?!" Go watch this and then tell me baseball isn't dramatic, theatrical, emotional, and wonderful. And then get your tickets to see Love and Baseball.

"Waitress" at Artistry

I've been waiting for the #TCTheater premiere of the Tony nominated musical Waitress since I first saw it on tour in 2017. I'm a big fan of the quirky little 2007 movie of the same name upon which it was based (written by and co-starring Adrienne Shelly, who was tragically murdered before its release). When I saw the tour at the Orpheum Theatre, and later the Ordway, I found the musical adaptation to be a successful one, but one with an intimate story that would probably play better on smaller and more intimate stages. The regional premiere is finally here, and I was right! Artistry's production does feel more real and intimate and heart-wrenching, and so beautifully done that I wish I had time to go back and see it again. Go see this all-star cast in Waitress at Bloomington Center for the Arts now through May 11, they'll rip your heart out and make you laugh.

"Sweet Charity" at Artistry

Artistry is beginning their 2025 season in a similar fashion as their fantastic 2024 season: a classic musical staged almost like a concert with a full orchestra on stage, and fabulous dancing in front of it. The 1966 Broadway musical Sweet Charity, adapted into a movie in 1969 starring Shirley MacLaine, is an excellent choice for this type of treatment; it almost feels like a series of vignettes about a NYC dance hall hostess in the '60s, rather than one continuous story with beginning, middle, and end. The strengths of this Bob Fosse show truly are the music and dancing, with a story about a "dance hall girl" looking for love in all the wrong places and continually being rejected that feels a little dated. So why not put the focus on the music, dancing, and performances of this terrific cast? The result is an absolutely smashing production that soars with one big music-and-dance number after another. Sweet Charity continues at the Bloomington Center for the Arts through February 16.

"RENT" at Artistry

Whenever someone asks me what my favorite musical is, I usually respond that while there are many musicals I love, only one is permanently tattooed on my body. Ever since it exploded in 1996, when I was a grad student living on my own for the first time, RENT has had a special hold over my heart, unmatched by any of my other musical theater loves. Something about Jonathan Larson's story of friendship, community, living fully in the face of death, and appreciating life every day, struck a chord with me and continues to do so. Seeing Artistry's new production last night was my 18th time seeing it live, and I was reminded all over again why I love it so much. This brilliant cast pouring their hearts and souls into every poignant, funny, heart-breaking, or inspiring moment of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical brought tears to my eyes, frequently. And although I've seen the show many times, the majority of those productions were the Broadway/touring production, which I know like the back of my hand. So it was fun and exciting, as someone who has loved this musical for 28 years (likely longer than some of the cast has been alive), to see a fresh new take on it, and discover new things in it. Whether you've seen RENT a hundred times, or never seen it, you truly need to get yourself out to Bloomington to experience this wonderful new production. No day but today to get your tickets! (Continuing through October 27.)

"Newsies" at Artistry

Artistry's production of Newsies has done so well in its first two weekends, selling out several performances, that they extended it for a week. I saw it the second weekend, and it's easy to see why it's so popular. The musical adaptation of the 1992 cult hit Disney movie appeals to kids as well as their parents, with an inspiring and relevant story about young people standing up for their rights. Artistry has assembled a young, talented, and energetic cast, with some fabulous high-kicking choreography. Catch it at the Bloomington Center for the Arts, now through August 18.

"The Sound of Music" at Artistry

The Sound of Music is a particular favorite of mine, having grown up watching and loving the movie, playing clarinet in the pit orchestra of my high school production, and studying abroad in wunderschöne Salzburg almost 30 years ago. It's been over eight years since we've had a professional #TCTheater production of it, so seeing it at Artistry in Bloomington is a thrill. They've assembled a fantastic cast of #TCTheater favorites and some precocious children, with a simply lovely design, and Raymond Berg leading a 13-piece onstage orchestra on this beloved score. And the result is every bit as warm, comforting, familiar, and delightful as it should be. It continues through May 12, but I'm not the only one with a built-in love for this show, so it's already selling out. Don't wait to long too get your tickets to Salzburg!

"Crazy for You" at Artistry

Artistry is opening their 2024 with a winner - the 1992 Broadway musical Crazy For You, featuring music by George and Ira Gershwin taken from several early 20th Century musicals, including Girl Crazy. With book by Ken Ludwig (known for his comedic adaptations of classic stories) and music by the Gershwins, you really can't go wrong. Despite being only about 30 years old, it has the feel of an old-fashioned (in a good way) American musical comedy. Director Ben Bakken has staged it as a sort of concert version, with an almost unheard of 20-piece orchestra conducted by recently retired longtime #TCTheater Music Director Anita Ruth, at center stage and the focus of the show. The cast is smaller than the band, with just 12 performers (the Broadway production had more than twice that) playing all of the roles and performing in the small space in front of the orchestra with little in the way of sets and costumes. But while some elements of production are stripped down, the music, singing, dancing, and performing are full out and fabulous! The Sunday matinee on opening weekend was almost sold out, and word is only going to spread about how great this show is, so you would be wise to get your tickets now for the final two weekends.

"Some Enchanted Evening" at Artistry

From Oklahoma! to The Sound of Music, composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II collaborated on nine musicals written for the stage, plus one for TV and one for film. A few of them were forgettable flops, but among them are some of the most enduring musicals of the 20th Century. In their less than 20 years of writing musicals together, they reinvented the form. This holiday* season, Artistry is paying tribute to their work with the lovely musical revue show Some Enchanted Evening. With no spoken dialogue, five talented performers tell the story of a group of people stranded at a cozy bar during a snowstorm, entertaining each other (and us) by singing songs. It is, indeed, an enchanting 70 minutes or so, and a great way to close out 2023, with five final performances this Thursday through Sunday.

"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" at Artistry

Artistry produced the 2005 two-time Tony winning musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee back in 2014, when they were still known as Bloomington Civic Theatre. But this hilarious, irreverent, and surprisingly sweet musical is worth revisiting. Directed by #TCTheater favorite Tyler Michaels King and featuring a fantastic cast, it's so playful and fun, and also gives you the warm fuzzies about this group of loveably oddball kids just trying their best to spell and be happy. There's only one weekend left to attend the Bee - don't miss it!

"Godspell" at Artistry

Artistry's second production in their 2023 season, coming back after a rough spell, is the 1971 musical Godspell (postponed from last fall). Written by Stephen Schwartz (who later penned a little show called Wicked) when he was in his early 20s, it tells the story of Jesus, with lyrics mostly taken from the Gospel of Matthew in the Christian Bible. Musically it's more akin to Pippin (his second musical to be produced, also in the '70s) than Wicked, and thematically and stylistically it bears some resemblance to the 1968 peace and love musical Hair. It may seem like an odd juxtaposition - the teachings of Jesus mixed with popular music and a sort of hippie group of friends, but it actually isn't. Jesus' original message of love, kindness, forgiveness, compassion, non-judgement, and community, before it was corrupted by institutional religion, is beautifully conveyed through this music-theater vehicle. Artistry has assembled a dynamite ensemble of performers, each one of them a superstar, for a joyful, fun, and moving show that's really all about love and acceptance. As radical an idea today as it was 2000 years ago.

"The Pajama Game" at Artistry

Artistry is back, and I think they've got another hit on their hands! After financial troubles that cancelled several shows last fall and winter, they have pulled things together and are currently presenting the first of their three-show 2023 season. The 1955 Tony winner for best musical, The Pajama Game, is a great choice for their comeback. It's a classic musical, of the type they've done so well in their long history, but it's one that's rarely done (I've never seen it). It's light and funny with a sweet love story, but not without significance in its depiction of a union demanding fair wages for workers, and features a great score with a few familiar songs, even if you think you don't know the show. This cast is dynamite, the dancing is lively, and it had me grinning under my mask for the whole show. In fact it's so good, I will happily see it twice. Scroll down for details about a special event - a Pajama Party with TCTB! There's nothing I love to wear more than my PJs, and no better reason for a party than to celebrate the return of Artistry, an important fixture in the #TCTheater community. So put on your best PJs or poodle skirt, and head on down to Bloomington to see The Pajama Game, now through May 14.