"Ironbound" by Frank Theatre at Gremlin Theatre

Leave it to Wendy Knox to discover a new-to-#TCTheater playwright who has written (at least one) gorgeous, funny, devastating, and very human play about immigrants, poverty, classism, sexism, and so much more. Ironbound is believed to be the first of Polish-American Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Martyna Majok's work to be produced in the Twin Cities, and it's a stunner. As per usual, it receives top notch treatment in Frank Theatre's production, with beautifully raw and real performances from the four-person cast and an understated but effective design. It's only mid-January, but I'm confident this will be one of the best plays of 2024. It plays Thursdays through Sundays at Gremlin Theatre until February 11. Click here for info and tickets, and watch for Frank's remount of another fantastic and relevant play, Fetal, playing at their intimate studio space in late February. After a very long hiatus, it's a joy to have Frank Theatre back with two strong plays, that are probably among my favorites that I've seen them do.

"The Drowsy Chaperone" at Artistry

I hate theatre. Well, it's so disappointing, isn't it? You know what I do when I'm sitting in a darkened theatre waiting for the curtain to rise? I pray. Dear God, please let it be a good show. And let it be short, oh Lord in heaven, please. Two hours is fine, three is too much. And keep the actors out of the audience. God. I didn't pay a hundred dollars to have the fourth wall come crashing down around my ears. I just want a story, and a few good songs that will take me away. I just want to be entertained. I mean, isn't that what it's all about? Amen.

"The Christians" by Walking Shadow Theatre Company at Mixed Blood Theatre

Why do we believe what we believe? Can our beliefs change? What happens when those we love don't believe the same things we believe? How important is it to find a group of people that believe in the same things you do? These are just a few of the questions raised by Walking Shadow Theatre Company's excellent production of the thought-provoking play The Christians. In just 90 minutes or so, we witness the pastor of a hugely successful church lose everything because he preaches what he believes, which contradicts the teachings of the church, causing everyone in his life to reexamine their beliefs as well. And it just might have this same effect on the audience.

"The Little Mermaid, Jr." at Stages Theatre Company

A bunch of my cousins from Northern Minnesota were in town last weekend for a visit. We did the usual touristy stuff (Mall of America, Water Park of America, Como Zoo, Target Field), but when it came to showing them my favorite part of living in "the Cities" (as Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the surrounding communities are known in out-state Minnesota), it meant only one thing: theater! Since the group included lots of little ones, I took the opportunity to make my first visit to Stages Theatre Company in Hopkins for their production of The Little Mermaid, Jr. With a familiar and beloved story and music, enthusiastic performances by the talented young cast, and just over an hour running time, it was a hit with my group, the little ones aged 3 to 10 as well as the adults.

I saw the full Little Mermaid musical at Chanhassen last year (you can read about that here), but this is Little Mermaid, Jr. Which means that it was trimmed to a shorter running time. The good news is that the songs that were cut from the full-length musical are the new ones that did not appear in the movie, so all of the old favorites are still intact - "Part of That World," "Under the Sea," "Kiss the Girl," and the like. And while things wrap up fairly quickly at the end, the condensed story works well. The movie is only 83 minutes long, so it's quite possible to tell this story in an hour or so.

Tori Tedeschi Adams at Ariel

Having never been to Stages before, I was surprised to find that almost the entire cast is made up of teenagers. And such talented, enthusiastic teenagers! Everyone in the large ensemble is so engaged and present, and performs with great energy. As Ariel, Tori Tedeschi Adams gives an effervescent performance, with a strong and lovely voice. Ellie Turk is adorable as her sidekick Flounder. Adults Reginald D. Haney (with a deep voice and regal presence as King Titan) and Brittany Parker (quite fabulous as sea witch Ursula) anchor this young cast, and director Sandy Boren-Barrett does a wonderful job keeping everything moving. Including the quick set changes, in which large pieces are rolled on and off stage or turned around to reveal various underwater treasures (prompting the 5-year-old in my group to ask, "are they changing the channel now?"). Both sets and costumes are bright, colorful, engaging to the eye, and create an underwater feel (set design by Benjamin Olsen, costume design by Samantha Fromm Haddow).

Stages Theatre Company's The Little Mermaid, Jr is a charming, entertaining, and brisk production. If you have little ones, or suddenly find yourself with little ones to entertain, this is definitely a great choice, and a great way to expose kids to theater at an early age. Continuing through August 2 (including a trip to Bigfork this weekend).

"Miracle on Christmas Lake" at Yellow Tree Theatre

Miracle on Christmas Lake is not your typical holiday classic. Instead of figgy pudding, sleigh rides, and angels, you get lost lizards, moon boots, and tater tot hot dish. And yet it deservedly has become a classic. This Yellow Tree Theatre play written quickly out of desperation is returning for its fourth year, and it's one of their most popular shows of the season and has even inspired a sequel. It's not really a surprise - the show is quirky and funny and a little outrageous, but at its heart it's about friends and family working together to create something they believe in and that enriches their community (not unlike Yellow Tree Theatre itself). What better way to celebrate the holiday season? Yellow Tree co-founder Jessica Lind Peterson wrote the play for their first season five years ago and directs for the first time this year. There are more than a few auto-biographical elements in the play, along with a bunch of ridiculous (but true) Minnesota stereotypes. Even though this is my fourth time visiting Christmas Lake (my second time seeing the original, and I also saw the sequel twice), it never fails to delight and entertain.

Quick plot summary (it's delightfully preposterous, so hang in there): Colin's father has died and left him a theater in the small Minnesota town of Christmas Lake (think snowcats and lutefisk and church basements). He has returned to his hometown with his wife Tess after leaving New York City and his successful career as a soap opera actor.* At the last minute, the rights to their annual Christmas show, It's a Wonderful Life, are pulled, forcing them to come up with a new production in a short amount of time (this really happened to Yellow Tree, which was the genesis of this show). The only actors they can get are the moon boot-wearing lizard-loving massage therapist Martha and the Little House on the Prairie-obsessed piano tuner Neil. They decide to stage a Christmas episode of Colin's soap As Time Ticks By (fun fact: Yellow Tree co-founder Jason Peterson had a small role in my favorite soap-that-is-no-longer, As the World Turns) to appeal to their greatest benefactor Mrs. Burlington. She's a big fan of the soap and Colin, and agrees to play a role in the show. Opening night arrives and everything falls apart, but in a so-bad-it's-good Producers sort of way. The show is a hit, the theater is saved, and Colin and Tess decide to stay in Christmas Lake and build the theater and their lives in this quirky little town they've come to love.

Some of my favorite things about Christmas Lake:

• Martha and Neil are the most adorable and funny nerds you've seen in a long time. Martha (played by the delightful Debra Berger, who BTW starred in one of my favorite Fringe shows this summer) wears moon boots, has a pet lizard, loves The Sound of Music, and makes a mean tater tot hot dish. Neil (once again played by Ryan Nelson, who never fails to crack me up) begins every conversation with "that reminds me of a very special episode of Little House on the Prairie."
• But to balance out that craziness, you need someone down-to-earth and relatable, and we have that in Tess (Brittany Parker) and Colin (Josef Buchel, reprising his role from last year's sequel). Both actors are charming and natural, with a believable chemistry. And they get to play a little crazy in the soap opera play.
• Janet Hanson plays two very different characters - the relatively normal Minnesota mom Gloria and the over-the-top eccentric rich lady of Christmas Lake.
• Being a lifelong soap fan, I love the very recognizable soap opera references, from sperm stealing and evil twins to a powerful businessman named Victor (Icon, not Newman).
• Neil's puppet, which I believe is new to this year's production, is as weird and wonderful as the original. He even has his own bio in the playbill.
  
• Tess (Brittany)'s sweet and sad rendition of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" does sound, as Gloria points out, a little like that folky singer with the crooked teeth.
• The eclectic holiday songs played during scene changes are so appropriate and unique that I want them all on a soundtrack!
• The set (designed by Katie Phillips) is a rustic and homey barn/theater and makes great use of Yellow Tree's small intimate space.

One thing I don't like about Christmas Lake:

• The hairy mole. It completely grosses me out in a way that's not even funny. Seriously, ew.

If you've never paid a visit to Christmas Lake, I highly recommend it as a silly and sweet new holiday classic. And even if you've been there several times, there's always something new to experience (playing now through December 29).


*I know it was said in jest, but soap opera actors can act, especially NYC soap opera actors - see Stephen Schnetzer in the recent play Tribes at the Guthrie as one example.