Musical Mondays at LUSH, May 2026

I hadn't been to Musical Mondays at LUSH in almost a year, but when they used a photo of the Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture as the May show image, Cherry and Spoon had to go! And I'm so glad I did. I love this monthly cabaret series started by BFFs Max Wojtanowicz and Sheena Janson some 12 years ago, and would attend every month if I weren't so busy seeing 4-5 shows a week in this busy #TCTheater season. But take it from me, if you're ever free on the first Monday of the month, head to LUSH in Northeast Minneapolis for what is always an amazing display of talent and a fun community event. Max is always an amiable host (before and after cocktails), the bartenders always have a strong pour (food also available before and during the show), the band is always solid on a variety of music styles, and the cast of performers always blows me away, whether or not I've ever seen them before. It's so fun to see performers in this environment where they can sing whatever they want to, whatever means something to them, maybe from some show they'd never be cast in; we get to know the person behind the characters they play. Most of the songs are recognizable (to musical theater nerds), but also include some deep cuts, and the song list is always posted on Musical Monday's Facebook page after the show in case there were a few you didn't recognize. So make plans for the next Musical Mondays on June 1, bring a script or two you want to get rid of in the Script Swap, and get there before the doors open at 6:30 to get a seat in the always crowded room.

Musical Mondays at LUSH, March 2024

This is your regular reminder that if you're not at LUSH Louge & Theater on the first Monday of the  month, you're missing some fabulous music-theater entertainment! Earlier this week Max Wojtanowicz hosted the 94th Musical Mondays, featuring some super talented local singer/actor/performers. The good news is that if you missed it, you can catch the next one on April 1 (no foolin'). Just follow them on Facebook or Instagram for all the deets. 

"Again" by Theater Mu at Mixed Blood Theatre

"At Mu, we believe universality can only be found through specificity." I agree with Theater Mu’s Artistic Director Lily Tung Crystal. Here she’s talking about their new original musical Again, but it's true of all of their work. For 30 years, Mu has been telling specifically Asian American stories from the Asian American perspective, about universal themes of life that anyone can relate to. Again is about Hmong American women living with cancer, an experience that's all too familiar to many people. The story isn't about being Hmong, it's about being human – relationships, career crises, disease, grief – from the specific background of the artists. Despite the heaviness of the theme, I found the musical to be much lighter than I expected, really more about friendship, community, and perseverance than loss and dying. The talented four-person cast (some of whom are purportedly making their professional theater debuts, although that's hard to believe) is charming and fun to watch as they bring this story to life. See it now through April 16 at Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis' Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.