"One-Shot" at Six Points Theater

The new play One-Shot, premiering at Six Points Theater, takes us back to 1999, when we rented VHS tapes from video stores to watch movies at home. It was also a time when we were beginning to see more LGBTQ+ representation on TV and in movies, but it was still dangerous to come out in many parts of the country. The play tells the story of two young gay men in a small Southern town trying to navigate that world, with successes, set backs, and heartaches. Written by Playwrights' Center affiliated writer Andrew Rosendorf and inspired by his experience growing up as a "closed queer kid in the late-1990s," with a talented three-person cast and a design so detailed it'll make you nostalgic for browsing through video stores looking for a movie to watch (if you're over a certain age), One-Shot is a moving, funny, relatable, and at times heart-breaking play. See it at Highland Park Community Center now through November 8.

"Merrily We Roll Along" at Lyric Arts

Stephen Sondheim's musical Merrily We Roll Along, with book by George Furth, was a flop when it premiered on Broadway in 1981, and only played 60 total performances (most of them previews). It went through many rounds and decades of revisions, until it landed back on Broadway more than 40 years later and won four Tony Awards, including best revival of a musical in 2024. A few years before that, our own Theater Latte Da had done a gorgeous production, which was my introduction to the piece. I love it (and understand it) more each time I see it, with its unique backwards storytelling style. Now, to open their new season, Lyric Arts is bringing us the first #TCTheater production post-Broadway revival, and I'm happy to declare, "It's a Hit!" You wouldn't know it from the small audience on a rainy Wednesday night, but that's sure to change once word gets out about this fantastic local cast and this great Sondheim score played by a live band, telling a story of friendship and regret, and the way our story is made up of small choices that ultimately add up to life. Find out how this story ends, or begins, at Lyric Arts in Anoka through October 4.

"Promise of America: A New Celebration of Jewish American Song" at Six Points Theater

Back in 2021, the Artistic Director of Six Points Theater (then called Minnesota Jewish Theatre) Barbara Brooks created a virtual musical revue called Promise of America: A Celebration of Jewish American Song as part of their "Theater Six Feet Apart" season (which also included outdoor programming). I watched it, but have no recollection of it; the COVID years are a blur at this point, five years removed. Barbara noted in the program that she's gotten many requests to bring this show back, live and in person. She decided to do it now, to conclude Six Points' 31st season, in honor of America's 250th birthday, as a celebration of the many contributions of Jewish Americans to this country, specifically in the area of songwriting. In this new, expanded, and LIVE version of Promise of America, four excellent singers perform songs from the early 20th Century through today by artists from Irving Berlin  and the Gershwin brothers, to Nissim Black and Regina Spektor. Jewish people and Jewish culture are an inextricable part of America, and this show beautifully highlights their contributions in the area of popular music. Join the musical celebration at Six Points Theater now through May 17.

"The Right Thing to Do: The Joe Mauer Story" at Stages Theatre Company

I haven't been to Stages Theatre Company in ages; I don't have any children in my life to bring to a show at the children's theater, and I live on the opposite side of the city from Hopkins. But as a lifelong Twins fan (I have the game on as I write this*), I'm not going to miss a new musical about one of my (and all of Minnesota's) favorite Twins, 2024 Hall of Fame inductee Joe Mauer! A St. Paul native, Joe played 15 seasons for his hometown team, and I was fortunate to be at his final game in 2018, when he donned the catcher's gear for one last time, to the crowd's delight. Joe Mauer was a special player and racked up many awards and accolades in his career, culminating in being voted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. But as this musical, based on a book by local sports broadcaster Joe Schmit, shows us, Joe was also a special human. The book and musical show us a young Joe, who befriended a blind classmate in high school, when other kids were ignoring or bullying him (as kids often do). The Right Thing to Do depicts a world of kindness, of community, of kids being kids, supporting each other in their differences and uniqueness. With a 60-minute runtime, it's perfect for kids, especially baseball fans, with lots of fun Twins and baseball nuggets. The Right Thing to Do continues at Stages Theatre in Hopkins through May 10, with lots of matinees available.

"The Happiest Man on Earth" at Six Points Theater

"Family first, family second, family last. And we are all family." When Six Points Theater programmed the solo play The Happiest Man on Earth, based on a Holocaust survivor's memoir, for their 31st season, they couldn't have known that it would play at a time when Minnesota has shown the entire world the true meaning of these words. We are all family, we are all Minnesotans, and when you come for any of us, you come for all of us, and we will stand up for and protect our neighbors, our family. This 80-year-old story of surviving Nazi Germany has an eerie resonance to what's happening right here, right now. People afraid to leave their houses to go to work or school, citizens and lawful immigrants carrying their papers around as protection, armed government agents abducting people off the streets and imprisoning them in detention centers where they're treated inhumanely. I'm not calling anyone Nazis, they were a special breed of evil, but the parallels are unmistakable to anyone who's looking. We need to remember our past in order not to repeat it, and since there are fewer and fewer people alive who lived through the Holocaust, plays like this are an excellent way to do that. Six Points' regional premiere of The Happiest Man on Earth is a gorgeous and moving production that is at times difficult to watch, but also provides hope that humans can survive unthinkably horrible times, and come out on the other side better and stronger, and choose happiness. Experience this beautiful true story through February 8 only at Six Points Theater in St. Paul's Highland Park neighborhood.

"Big Fish" at Lyric Arts

Lyric Arts is opening their exciting 2025-2026 season with yet another regional premiere musical - Big Fish, an adaptation of the 2003 Tim Burton film and 1998 novel. While the musical only ran for a few months on Broadway in 2013, earning zero Tony nominations, it seems to have sort of a cult following, and I can see why. It's a big-hearted feel-good story about parents and children, and what happens when children grow up and realize they don't know their parents as well as they thought they did. And there are a bunch of fantasy sequences that allow for fun little stories within the story. Lyric Arts has assembled a talented cast who are putting their whole hearts into the show, with some charming effects to create the fantasy sequences. See it on their Main Street Anoka stage now through September 28 October 5.

"Just for Us" at Six Points Theater

NYC-based comedian Alex Edelman's comedy special Just for Us, about that time he, a Jewish man, attended a White Nationalist meeting in Queens, won both a Special Tony Award and an Emmy Award (it's available on Max, where I watched it). A comedy show may seem like an odd choice for a theater, but it's really less of a stand-up show than it is a solo storytelling show, like you may see at a fringe festival. And in fact, it debuted at Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2018. Six Points Theater's Artistic Director Barbara Brooks has inquired about the rights for years, so when they finally became available (after Alex performed it over 500 times), Six Points became the first theater in the country to produce it. And #TCTheater artist Ryan London Levin became the first actor to perform it, other than the playwright. It's a brilliantly written piece (don't just take my word for it - ask the Emmy and Tony voters!), confronting some really ugly parts of our world with humor and honesty. Ryan gives a fantastic performance (you'd never know it was his first solo show), and I really can't imagine anyone else in the role (other than Alex, of course). This show is really funny and engaging, using laughter as a weapon against bigotry and hate. I think the world could use a little more of that. See it at Highland Park Community Center now through November 10.

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" at Lakeshore Players Theatre

To continue Lakeshore Players Theatre's ambitious 71st season, which began with the regional premiere of the smart, poignant, relevant play What the Constitution Means to Me, they're presenting the 2015 Tony-winning Best Play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, about an autistic boy who goes in search of the truth about a dog and finds the truth about himself. It's a really lovely production of this cleverly constructed and moving play, with a strong ensemble cast and inventive design, that makes you feel all the feels. But it's only running for two weekends, so head to charming White Bear Lake to experience this Curious Incident through March 17. And then get ready for the conclusion of this exciting season with the rarely done solo play I Am My Own Wife, a for-kids production of Pinocchio, and the hilarious social satire musical Urinetown. Good things are happening out here in the suburbs.

"La Cage Aux Folles" at Lakeshore Players Theatre

On the surface, the 1983 Broadway musical La Cage Aux Folles may be about drag performers, but at its heart it's a simple and beautiful story about a family that may look different than the stereotypical family we think of, but is full of love, compassion, and support. What better time to produce this musical than now, with all this irrational fear of drag queens perpetuated by politicians to garner votes and increase their power. Lakeshore Players Theatre opened their production last night, and this beautiful message comes through loud and clear. It's not perfect; it feels a bit long at over 2.5 hours, with some challenging scene transitions (and costume changes), and some line hesitancy on opening night, all of which will likely tighten up over the run of the show. But what it lacks in professional polish it makes up for in heart. It's a joyful show, with a great score, fun dancing, and plenty of humor. See it at the Hanifl Performing Arts Center in downtown White Bear Lake now through May 21.

"Calendar Girls" at Lakeshore Players Theatre

Just in time for Women's History Month, Lakeshore Players Theatre is bringing us the true story of a group of women in the UK who bared it all in a calendar to raise money for cancer research after one of the women lost her husband to the disease. Calendar Girls is a story of female friendship and support, of ordinary women defying expectations, taking a risk, and making a difference. It's funny and poignant and a little risqué, with a genial cast that makes you root for these women and their friendship. See it in the beautiful Hanifl Performing Arts Center in White Bear Lake now through March 26.