"Tolkien" at Open Window Theatre

Five years ago today, I landed in New Zealand for my second visit to this magical land that I fell in love with (as many of us did) watching Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy. A story that I first encountered when my aunt gave me The Hobbit for my 12th birthday. For nearly 40 years I have continued to read and re-read J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece, finding new inspiration in it every time. Open Window Theatre was scheduled to produce the U.S. premiere of Tolkien, by Canadian playwright Ron Reed, shortly after my return from New Zealand in the spring of 2020. We know how that story goes, but happily, they are finally bringing this beautiful story of Tolkien and his friendship with C.S. Lewis to their intimate stage. It's a must-see for fans of Tolkien and/or Lewis, but even if you've never read The Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia, you still might enjoy this play about friendship, faith, loss, literature, myth, and inspiration. Tolkien plays weekends through the end of March at Open Window Theatre in Inver Grove Heights.

"Flight of Short Musicals" by Theatre Elision at Elision Playhouse

About a year ago, I returned to the theater after 508 days without it to see Theatre Elision's truly lovely production of Islander at Elision Playhouse, continuing in their tradition of new or rarely done one-act musicals with mostly female cast and/or creative team. Now in just their second post-covid-intermission production, they're bringing us another edition of Flight of Short Musicals, which they first did in January 2020 (sadly no flight of drinks this time, because covid). Elision has a knack for finding hidden gems, and for this program they found six of them: short musicals, or excerpts from musicals, that are perfect and complete in just 15 minutes or less. If you're interested in the future of music-theater that's more than just the big splashy musical, you don't want to miss this. Just two performances remain - click here for details.

"Fearless 5: Music" by Fearless Comedy Productions at the Historic Mounds Theatre

This was my first time seeing Fearless Comedy Productions' Fearless 5 show: "an evening of one act plays in which an ensemble of actors perform 5 original short plays, written by 5 different playwrights, and directed by 5 different directors." This year's theme is music, and combining music and theater is my favorite kind of storytelling, so I couldn't resist. In an era of jukebox musicals, movie adaptations, and repeated revivals (e.g., the upcoming Broadway touring season, which has not a single new original musical), it's exciting to see local playwrights explore the idea of music-theater, whether it's through full-blown musicals, or merely with music as an idea behind the story. Check it out at the cool (and possibly haunted) art deco-era renovated Historic Mounds Theatre in St. Paul's Dayton's Bluff neighborhood, Fridays and Saturdays through the end of the month (tickets just $10 - click here for details).