"Ride the Cyclone" at Lyric Arts

Everything is so awful right now, with ICE terrorizing our neighborhoods, schools, and business, that I don't know if I should keep doing this, or why it matters. But then I see something like Lyric Arts' production of the rarely done cult hit musical Ride the Cyclone, and am reminded that joy still matters, community still matters, gratitude for life still matters. This bizarro story of a group of teenagers killed in a freak roller coaster accident, and given one chance to return to life, ends on a note that brought tears to my eyes, as it reminds us to look around and appreciate what we have. Even if, especially if, everything is awful. I mostly feel helpless* and hopeless these days, and honestly it's hard to shut out the constant feeling of anxiety and worry even when sitting in the theater, but through all the noise, Ride the Cyclone reminded me that there's something bigger than this awful moment we're currently in. And it's also just super funny and wild and entertaining, and wholly unique and original, with a fantastically talented young cast (many of whom you may never have heard of). See it at Lyric Arts in Anoka through February 8.

Musical Mondays at LUSH, November 2023

Happy 11th Anniversary to Musical Mondays! This monthly cabaret that showcases the abundance of talent in our community, started by BFFs Max Wojtanwicz and Sheena Janson Kelly, just held their 90th show. Can you believe that?! It was my 19th time attending Musical Mondays (previously held at Hell's Kitchen), and just my second since its post-pandemic return to LUSH last December. Every time I go I think - why don't I go to this every month?! (The answer: too many shows, too little time.) It's always a great time filled with fabulous performances, great people watching, beloved songs as well as new ones, and a fun and festive community atmosphere. I've said it before and I'll say it again - if you are casting musicals in the Twin Cities, you need to go to Musical Mondays to scout out new talent, or talent you may think you know but who show a whole new side of themselves in this format. And if you love musicals and our #TCTheater talent, you need to be attending this show too. So mark your calendar for the next show on December 6, and follow them on Facebook or Instagram for updates.

"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.

"SKOL!" by Collide Theatrical Dance Company at the Southern Theater

For their latest original jazz dance musical, Collide Theatrical Dance Company took inspiration from a recent scholarly finding that a 1878 archeological find that was believed to be the body of a Viking warrior is in fact female remains. There is other evidence to support the existence of female Viking warriors, which you can read about here and I'm sure other scholarly sources. Or you can go see SKOL!, which is less historically accurate than it is an imaging of a strong female leader in the Viking culture and its reflections in today's world. For the first time since the pandemic, Collide is returning to live music accompanying the dancing (their last few shows have used recorded music), and for the first time in their history, they're using original music written for this story instead of covers of pop songs. It's an ambitious task, and after 10 years of creating original dance pieces, they're up for it. If you're someone who things dancing warriors is silly, this might not be the show for you. But if you see dance/music/theater as a way to express heightened emotions, the kind that are very much presence in war, love, and family drama, head to the Southern Theater in the next two weeks to see this fun collision of dance, music, and theater to tell a story of female power.

"Class of '85" by Collide Theatrical Dance Company at Gremlin Theatre

For two weekends only, Collide Theatrical Dance Company is remounting their super fun original jazz dance musical Class of '85, which premiered in 2014 (just their fourth production). They've made some updates to the music, characters, and story, and moved from the spacious Southern to the more intimate Gremlin. As with all of their work, it's creatively choreographed to well-chosen music, impeccably performed by this troupe of dancers. Class of '85 is not only a fun '80s homage with all of the fashion and music we love, but it also has a poignant (but not heavy-handed) message about looking beyond the labels we put on each other to see the human with real feelings and experiences behind it. Only three performances remain this weekend, in addition to a virtual option - click here for more info and tickets.

"Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" by Collide Theatrical Dance Company at the Southern Theater

For eight years, Collide Theatrical Dance Company has been creating new dance musicals, either with original stories or based on classic works. Even the pandemic didn't stop them - they presented an outdoor dance cabaret last fall when all of us were starved for live entertainment; produced a Valentine's Day video dance piece; and returned to the outdoor stage this spring for a dance musical based on Alice in Wonderland. Now they're back inside the best dance venue in town, the Southern Theater, for the premiere of their dance musical based not just on the well known 19th Century novel Frankenstein, but also on the life of its lesser known author, Mary Shelley. Over 75 minutes of continuous dance, the seven-person ensemble tells these remarkable interconnected stories with great emotion and vitality.