"Joyful Noise" by Bucket Brigade at Art House North

The play with music Joyful Noise tells the story of the creation of Handel's Messiah, "one of the best-known and most frequently performed choral works in Western music." Who knew there was so much scandal and controversy in the creation of this beloved work which, even if you don't think you know it, you will recognize. Affairs, censorship, rivalries, disagreements between the creators, all threatened to derail this project. Playwright Tim Slover has compiled these stories into some funny and entertaining historical fiction, brought to life but a great cast at Bucket Brigade, even if it does feel a bit too long (the free coffee at intermission helps). See it at the charming and intimate Art House North through May 10.

"Patience" by The Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company at the Conn Theater

Just when I think I've seen every Gilbert and Sullivan show, The Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company (GSVLOC) introduces me to another silly delight. No, the number of comic operas that this pair created is not infinite, it's 14, but when GSVLOC only does one or two shows a year, it takes a while to cycle through the repertoire. In my ten years of attending GSVLOC shows (they've been around for over 40), I've seen nine different operas and only one repeat (although last fall's The McAdo was such a delightfully unique reworking of The Mikado as to almost feel like a different show). This spring's offering is the ridiculous and delicious Patience, which skewers the aesthetic movement of the late 19th Century. If you don't know what that is, no worries (think Oscar Wilde); the show is basically about the way we mere mortals worship artists and celebrities, to ridiculous extremes. Patience continues weekends through April 6, with a talented onstage cast and offstage orchestra, both too large to count.

"The McAdo" by The Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company at the Conn Theater

If you can't wait for new episodes of Outlander to begin on November 22, maybe you should go see The Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company's Scottish take on The Mikado. Granted, there aren't a whole lot of similarities between G&S and our favorite time-traveling romance, but there are plenty of kilts and questionable Scottish accents! There is also a bit of romance and danger and fighting, although in a much less dramatic way. Using an adaptation form Gilbert & Sullivan Austin, this McAdo (which is an actual Scottish name) very cleverly changes the setting from Japan to Scotland, with some modern references as well (additional "tinkering" by stage director Joe Andrews). And as always with GSVLOC, the huge cast and orchestra sound amazing bringing to life another G&S classic in a fun and fresh way. The McAdo continues through November 24 at The Conn Theater in Plymouth Congregational Church in South Minneapolis.

"Survivors of the Fire" by Bucket Brigade at Art House North

I love a new original historical musical, and Bucket Brigade's Survivors of the Fire is a good one. The stories of the survivors of the Great Hinckley Fire of 1894 are told in a compelling way using songs (mostly hymns and traditional songs), physical theater, and storytelling. It's only 75 minutes long but it feels epic, like we've gone on this journey from booming lumber town, to the unimaginable terror of a firestorm with a four-mile high wall of fire and temperatures of 2000 degrees, to the grief of loss and hope of rebuilding that came after. The seven-person cast embodies the real people who survived the fire, and their acts of humanity and heroism. Their performances, along with a four-person band playing well-chosen songs, and the spot-on sound and lighting design, combine to create a visceral experience of the fire and the people who lived through it. A musical brings the story to life in a way a museum or book never could (although I will now be visiting the museum and reading a book to learn more). Experience it yourself at the charming Art House North in St. Paul's West 7th neighborhood, weekends through October 12 (pro tip: make a reservation if you want to go to one of the trendy nearby restaurants).

"Torch Song" at Six Points Theater

A few years ago, Broadway legend Harvey Fierstein wrote a new adaptation of his 1982 play Torch Song Trilogy (for which he won two of his four Tonys), cutting it down to about two and a half hours from the original four. Six Points Theater is presenting this version, that still feels like three distinct but related one-act plays. It's a beautiful and heart-wrenching story about a gay man navigating his career as a drag queen, dating, relationships, and family. Full of heart and humor and featuring a lovely and heartfelt performance by Neal Beckman, this Torch Song is a joy to experience. See it at Six Points Theater (in the Highland Park Community Center) now through May 19.

"The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord" by Bucket Brigade at Art House North

My favorite kind of play is a two-hander - just two people sitting in a room talking. The awkwardly titled The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord one-ups that model - it's just three people sitting in a room talking. Specifically, three historical figures, great writers and thinkers, who are discussing deeply philosophical issues. But despite the deep issues discussed, it's actually a very funny and light-hearted play. Deep thoughts, humor, great performances, 95 minutes no intermission, a cozy and intimate space, and free cookies and coffee before the show - what more could you ask for? See Bucket Brigade's production of this smart, funny, thought-provoking, and engaging play now through October 14 at Art House North in St. Paul's West 7th neighborhood.

"Pirates of Penzance" by Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company at Howard Conn Fine Arts Center

In their first fall production, Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company, the only local company dedicated to the silly, witty, and delightful creations of late 19th Century British librettist and composer W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, respectively, bring us my personal favorite, The Pirates of Penzance! GSVLOC have typically just been doing one show a year, in the spring, but as their dedicated audience would agree, once is just not enough. Directed by Gary Briggle (who played the Major General in the Ordway's 2015 production), the huge cast and off-stage orchestra bring out all of the delicious silliness and gorgeous musicality of the piece. If you're looking for a traditional production of this G&S masterpiece (with an interesting note in the program about the history of the piece - the first to premiere in the U.S.), this is it. See it at the Howard Conn Fine Arts Center in Plymouth Congregational Church in South Minneapolis through November 20.

"Groupthink" at Six Points Theater

The 2022-2023 #TCTheater season officially begins after Labor Day, but Six Points Theater is bringing us a juicy appetizer prior to the start of the regular season. The world premiere new play Groupthink is a darkly funny and so-real-it's-scary look at the world of PR and social media. A group of coworkers at a PR firm plot and plan to make their horrible clients look better to the public, and the scary part is - it works. In what would be a tight 90-minute-no-intermission play, if not for the intermission, the talented cast and crisp design bring us right into this world that doesn't seem so far from our own.

"Ruddigore; or, The Witch's Curse" by the Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company at the Howard Conn Fine Arts Center

Another 2020 "ghost show" has returned! (And this one is a "ghost show" in more ways than one.) The Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company had just opened their production of Ruddigore; or, The Witch's Curse in March of 2020 when the pandemic shut down all live performance. Finally, two years later, they've re-opened the show for a (hopefully) full run, and it's delightful! A huge and talented cast, a gorgeously full opera, and a clever concept that pays homage to classic movies makes this show a thoroughly enjoyable evening, and worth the wait.

"The Last Schwartz" by Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company at the Highland Park Center Theatre

Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company brings us another modern (well, late '90s) Jewish family trying to maintain their cultural identity while living in the melting pot of America. Four siblings gather at the family home in upstate New York for their father's Jahrzeit (one-year anniversary of death), and disagree about just about everything. At times funny, at times heart-breaking, The Last Schwartz is an intense 90 minutes spent with a family that puts the fun in dysfunctional. Or as one character puts it when another laments "why can't you be a normal family?" - "this is a normal family."

"Flashback" by Alive & Kickin at Bloomington Center for the Arts

If you think growing older is a drag, then you've never seen Alive & Kickin, a choir full of "seniors that rock." Led by the energetic and talented director/choreographer Michael Matthew Ferrell, with music director extraordinaire Jason Hansen, this choir is so much fun to watch, so full of life and the joy of music. Ranging in age from 62 to 93, these beautiful humans still have talent and gifts to share. They represent a segment of our population that is often ignored, overlooked, and discarded. But this show will remind you that it's important to listen to your elders, especially when they can rock like this! You can see them at Bloomington Center for the Arts through next weekend, and visit their website to find out how you can support them or get involved (click here for both).

"Princess Ida" by Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company at Howard Conn Fine Arts Center

This is the fourth year in a row I've attended Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company's spring production of, you guessed it, a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. Before becoming familiar with this company (that's been around for more than 30 years), I had no idea G&S wrote so many shows! I was only familiar with the more popular ones (e.g., Pirates of Penzance and H.M.S. Pinafore, both of which I love), and it's been fun to discover the lesser known and performed works of this unique composing team. This year they're performing Princess Ida in a steampunk style (which just makes everything more fun). And similar to Park Square Theatre's ingenious adaptation of Pirates of Penzance (now playing through March 24), GSVLOC has made some minor adjustments that make this 130 year old play a little more palatable to modern ears. The result is quite a feminist story of a university by and for women, who live without men. It's Gilbert and Sullivan, so of course it ends with a happy ending to a love story, but at least these female characters are a little more smart and independent than the usual. And as always, it's such a treat to the ears to hear an operetta performed with cast and orchestra too large to count (but north of 30). Traditional, yet modern, this Princess Ida strikes just the right tone.

"Church and State" by Minnesota Jewish Theatre at Highland Park Center Theatre

"God is a concept by which we measure our pain," John Lennon sang. Or to put it another way, in the movie Corrina, Corrina when a little girl tells her dad that her mother is in heaven with the angels, he says, "heaven, the angels, and all that, it's just something people made up so they won't feel sad anymore." And the child responds, "well, what's wrong with that?" The answer, of course, is that what's wrong with that is when people try to force their religious beliefs on others, and are intolerant of any other beliefs. But here in America, we have something called the separation of church and state which ensures this can't happen. Don't we? It's getting a little hard to tell these days. But in Jason Odell Williams' new play Church and State, making its #TCTheater debut at Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company, at least one politician still believes that, and isn't afraid to say so. Church and State is funny, smart, thought-provoking, sobering, and short, and MJTC has put together an excellent cast that makes this an entertaining, if a bit depressing, evening of theater.

"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at Artistry

When I heard Artistry was opening their 2017-2018 season with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, I thought, "Why?" Why are they doing this frequently produced show now, and why do I need to see it again when I've seen it so many times (the Chanhassen alone did it seven times in three years, or was it the other way around?). But I did go, and I'm thrilled that I did because this is a Joseph and a Joseph unlike any I've ever seen before. The familiar score and story are seen through a new and different lens. Direction, choreography, staging, set, costumes, music, casting, and performance all contribute to the most inventive production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat I've ever seen. It's pretty far out, and if you're an Andrew Lloyd Webber traditionalist, you may not be pleased. But I dug it. Read on to find out why I did, and why you might too.

"Miranda" at Illusion Theater

The titular character of James Still's new play Miranda is like Homeland's Carrie Mathison, but more grounded in reality, without all of the soap opera drama. A CIA operative currently based in Yemen after years of working in the Middle East, she's good at her job, but has begun to grow weary with all that her job entails. The playwright notes, "While the pursuit of happiness may be one of the inalienable rights guaranteed in our Declaration of Independence, Miranda is too smart not to know that happiness is elusive. She's thrived during her years in the CIA in the pursuit of meaning, not happiness. But what if that meaning and sense of purpose has faded with time and age - what now?" Miranda is a dense and fascinating play about the women and men who immerse themselves in foreign lands to secure intelligence for the US government, but also find themselves getting entangled in the lives of the people they live among.

"Black Death: The Musical" by Apostasia Productions at Sabes JCC Theater

The new original musical Black Death: The Musical runs for three performances only, just in time for Halloween. I was invited to attend the final dress rehearsal a few nights ago. Writer Susan Woehrle and composer Scott Keever have created a well-researched piece with a unique musical style. They originally intended it to be for the Fringe Festival (read my fellow Twin Cities Theater Blogger Kendra's interview with Susan here), and it definitely has that feel. If you miss those Fringey musicals of August, enjoy dark humor and original music, and don't mind driving all the way out to St. Louis Park, you might want to check out Black Death: The Musical - this weekend only!

"The Kalevala" by nimbus theatre at The Crane Theater

What's The Crane Theater, you ask? It's nimbus theatre's brand new theater space in Northeast Minneapolis. Less than a year after a rent hike forced them out of their previous space in Northeast, a space where they not only presented exciting new work of their own but also hosted many nomadic theater companies in presenting their work, nimbus has found a new home. There seems to be a dearth of small affordable theater spaces for small theater companies (of which there are very many in this town), so the opening of The Crane Theater is an important and exciting thing. This big, open, airy former factory space with 30-foot ceilings will provide a great home for not just nimbus, but many theater companies who need a space in which to share their work, and also for audiences who want to see such work. That's why I donated to their Kickstarter campaign to help with continued renovations, which include a second theater/studio space, and I look forward to watching the space progress and to seeing some great theater there. Last weekend nimbus opened the first show in The Crane Theater, a new work based on the Finnish epic poem The Kalevala. As a new work it's a bit rough, but also fascinating, introducing me to a piece of literature and history with which I was previously unfamiliar, using modern language and cool design elements.

"Disenchanted" by Casting Spells Productions at Illusion Theater

The princesses of Disenchanted will cast their spell on you in a whole different way than their Disney predecessors. While Disney portrays such fairy tale princesses and historical figures as Snow White, the Little Mermaid, and Pocahontas as sweet, mild-mannered, passive ladies waiting for a prince to come along and save them, the salty, sassy princess of Disenchanted are smart, strong, and unwilling to put up with crap from anyone! This new musical comedy by Dennis C. Giancino has had several productions around the country in the last few years and is currently playing Off-Broadway, but more importantly, it's currently in its second production here in the Twin Cities. Casting Spells Productions has brought back three of the princesses from last year's fantastic production at the Ritz Theater, added a few new and equally fabulous princesses, spiffed up the costumes, and included a few tweaks by the creator. It opened at the Illusion Theater on Halloween and continues through November 23; I finally saw it this week, and it's still a super fun show for anyone who loves and/or hates Disney princesses. It also makes for a perfect girls night out; I went with a bunch of friends and spotted several tiaras in the crowd (princess attire encouraged). These are the kind of princesses little (and not so little) girls should emulate!

Our host for the evening is Snow White (Jen Burleigh-Bentz is perfection, reprising the role from last year's show). She's smart, strong, and determined to convey her message about "the Princess Complex" to the audience (she's also not afraid of singing unnecessary runs, to hilarious effect). Her back-up singers are Cinderella (the delightfully daft Bonni Allen, also returning from last year) and a very sleepy Sleeping Beauty (Katherine Tieben-Holt, a welcome newcomer to the cast). They each introduce their story, which of course ends with getting married. But these princesses are here to tell us what happens next - and it's not as pretty and idyllic as Disney would have us believe. We also hear the stories of an insane Belle, a drunken Ariel, a very German Rapunzel (Kim Kivens as all three, a true musical comedy genius as she sings in three distinct styles, each hilarious with spot-on vocals), a possibly lesbian Mulan, a misrepresented Pocahontas, a second-place Jasmine (another excellent triple performance, by Stephanie Bertumen), and last but not least, the frog princess (an underused Joy Dolo, also returning from last year's show). The princesses sing about body image, dieting, and the crazy marketing of the princess image that little girls are rarely able to escape.

All of the princesses have fantastic voices, singing solo or in harmony. The night I attended they were accompanied by the "Understudy" Musical Director, Steven Hobert (filling in for Lori Dokken), who did a great job with the music, and occasionally interacting with the princesses. The structure of the show is casual and tongue-in-cheek, with direct address to the audience, sing-a-longs, and a bit of ad-libbing ("Garth Brooks took all the parking spots!"). Since the show was written, one new Disney princess has risen above all others, and you all know who I'm talking about. While she doesn't appear in the show, the creator has added a "Let It Go!" moment that makes fun of the craze. And of course, you can't talk about princesses without mentioning what they're wearing! Which is a modern spin on each princess' traditional attire (costume design by Barb Portinga).

I'm so glad I had the opportunity to see this show again, and I stand by what I wrote last year: "Featuring catchy and melodic tunes, clever and funny lyrics, and a stellar cast, it's a really fun and fantastic 90 minutes!" Disenchanted continues this weekend and next - don't miss this hilarious and well-sung princess satire! (Buy your tickets here, or get the few remaining discount tickets on Goldstar before they're gone.)

Mulan, Snow White, Cinderella, the Frog Princess, and the Little Mermaid
(Stephanie Bertumen, Jen Burleigh-Bentz, Bonni Allen, Joy Dolo, and Kim Kivens)

This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"Crazyface" by Shadow Horse Theater at nimbus theatre

Wow, I don't know where to start with this one. Clive Barker, who is mostly known for writing and directing horror films (of which I am not generally a fan), has also written plays, including the epic mess Crazyface. Shadow Horse Theatre's ambitious production is not without redeeming qualities, including a darkly beautiful aesthetic and some fine performances, but this is a play that could use some editing. At three hours long with dozens of characters, including some who show up and then leave, never to be heard from again, it mostly just left me perplexed at what I just saw.

Set in medieval Europe, Crazyface tells the story of a fool who goes by that name. He is on the run with his mother, who loves him dearly, and the three wives of his brother, also a fool, but a much darker one. Crazyface is visited by an angel, who is really more of a devil, and because of this is not accepted by society. This was a time when people who were different than the norm weren't just bullied, they were hung. But Crazyface is actually the most sane and sympathetic character, it's everyone around him who's scary in the way that they treat him. Crazyface leaves his family to wander around the countryside, encountering many strange characters, and eventually finds himself in possession of a secret box that everyone wants (you won't believe what it contains!). The evil Mengo sends Crazyface's brother Lenny, whom he is keeping captive and torturing for some unknown reason (think Ramsey Bolton and Reek), to find and kill Crazyface. But Crazyface, who is not as foolish as he appears, survives to return to his mother. Lots of other weird stuff happens, but that's the gist of it.

Andy Schnabel as Crazyface

Andy Schnabel as Crazyface is a wonderful centering force through this strange maze, and makes this fool someone to root for and believe in. Derek Meyer is charismatic as the angel/devil on his shoulder, Matt Saxe is chilling as Mengo, and Matthew Kelly is the scariest as Lenny. Lots of other actors play lots of other characters that I had a hard time keeping track of, but they managed to, with the help of the period costumes by Barb Portinga. The simple set (by Theresa Akers) is dominated by a huge twisted tree trunk, upon which the angel perches, and a church that's shaped like a coffin.

If you're a fan of horror films and weird macabre storytelling, you might want to check this one out. Playing at nimbus theatre in Northeast Minneapolis through July 26 (discount tickets available on Goldstar).

"One Flea Spare" by Theatre Coup D'Etat at the Soap Factory

"Our lives are but a splash of water on a stone. I am the stone they fell upon, and they have marked me." So ends the hauntingly beautiful play One Flea Spare by Naomi Wallace. Theatre Coup D'Etat's production, currently playing in the cold dark basement of The Soap Factory*, an art gallery near St. Anthony Main, is one of those theater experiences that will stay with me long after the lights go up. Focusing on four people trapped in a house together in 1665 plague-infested London, the play takes a hard look at who people really are when the everyday distractions of life are removed, and there's nothing left but themselves and each other. It's a harsh but beautiful view of humanity.

A 12-year-old girl named Morse begins and ends the story for us. She has broken into her neighbor's home, that of the well-to-do Mr. and Mrs. Snelgrave, after everyone in her home perished from the plague. A sailor named Bunce has also sought refuge in the house, which has all been boarded up except for one room, the only room in which no one has died. After discovering this break-in, the guard Kabe, their only contact with the outside world, has ordered them to say inside for 28 days to ensure none of them are infected. So begins a long process of these strangers getting to know each other, and the long-married couple facing their long-buried issues. We're told by Morse at the beginning of the play that not everyone survives, so we wait to see who dies and how, like a 17th Century deadly version of Survivor.

Morse (Briana Patnode), Mr. Snelgrave (Jim Ahrens),
Bunce (Peter Beard), and Mrs. Snelgrave (Ellen Apel),

It doesn't get much more intimate than this space, with just a few rows of seats on three sides of the small square that serves as the stage. There's nothing between the audience and the actors, and all of their performances are almost too real. I was completely drawn in by them, almost to the point of feeling uncomfortable as if you're eavesdropping on some very intense conversations. As their true colors begin to show in this small room with nowhere to go and nothing to do, we learn that Mr. Snelgrave is hard and cruel, Mrs. Snelgrave is lonely and suffering from a long-ago hurt, Bunce the sailor is kind and tender-hearted, yet unwilling to tolerate Mr. Snelgrave's classist attitude, Kabe the guard is a selfish opportunist, feeding off the dead, and little Morse is curious and precocious, innocent yet knowing more of the pain of the world than any little girl should.

James Napolean Stone does a beautiful job directing this fine cast and so vividly creating this world. As Morse, Briana Patnode is utterly captivating and appealing, with her ever-changing emotions displayed plainly on her open face. Peter Beard's Bunce has a raw intensity boiling just below the surface of his calm demeanor. Ellen Apel is as sympathetic as Mrs. Snelgrave as Jim Ahrens is vicious and appropriately unlikable as her cruel husband. Last but not least Brian Joyce brings the right mix of humor and creepiness to the guard who occasionally shows up at the window. Helping to set the tone is the sparse set by Meagan Kedrowski, which consists of two chairs and one boarded up wall with a window. The surroundings are well-incorporated into the set, most effectively in the concrete floor of the basement that is momentarily marked by the water that is splashed on it, until it drinks it up. The beautiful period costumes by Barb Portinga range from shabby to elegant and help to define the characters (there's even some clothes-swapping as roles are reversed). I particularly loved Morse's too-large dresses, ragged and dragging on the floor.

"Our lives are but a splash of water on a stone. I am the stone they fell upon, and they have marked me." And this play has marked me. You can't ask for much more than that from theater - a beautifully written, thought-provoking, disturbing play with wonderfully real and raw performances by the small cast in a space that adds to the tone of the show, that has a lasting impact on the audience. It's playing for two more weekends and I highly recommend that you check it out as one example of the fine work being done by small theater companies in unusual spaces.



*It really is chilly in the basement, so bring a sweater. There is street parking around The Soap Factory, but leave a little extra time to drive around and find a spot.