"Wonderland" by Collide Theatrical Dance Company outside the James J. Hill House

Oh happy day - outdoor theater has returned! Kicking off a great year of outdoor performances*, Collide Theatrical Dance Company (who also did an outdoor show last year) is presenting their take on Alice in Wonderland outdoors at the James J. Hill House and Mill City Museum. Over the last eight years, Collide has created original jazz dance musicals set to a soundtrack of well-chosen pop music, and WonderLand continues that tradition. Even better, this one is performed at a gorgeous outdoor location, behind the James J. Hill House on Summit Avenue in St. Paul overlooking the Mississippi River valley (and later this month, the Mill City Museum). It's a wonderful step back into the reopening of our vital preforming arts community. Click here for more info and to purchase tickets for an outdoor performance or to watch the show virtually.

"The Cafe" by Collide Theatrical Dance Company Outdoors at Gremlin Theatre

Since 2013, Collide Theatrical Dance Company has been creating original dance musicals that really blur the line between dance, theater, and music (their name refers to a collision of art forms). Most of their shows tell a story strictly through dance and music (typically pop songs performed live), with little or no dialogue. In February they remounted their adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, which I didn't see because I had seen the original in 2014 and I was so busy with #TCTheater that I couldn't fit it in (can you even imagine?!). But in the last 6+ months my life has become the complete opposite of that, so my schedule was happily free and clear to see their new production, being performed outdoors for a limited time only. In fact only one performance remains, tonight, and can be viewed in person or virtually. I saw it in person last night and was smiling under my mask for 60 minutes! Click here for all of the details of how you can take in this delightful dance show.

"Ordway Cabaret: Gotta Dance!" at the Ordway Concert Hall

The Ordway began their second year of the "Ordway Cabaret" series with "Gotta Dance!" This fantastic series of one-night only cabaret shows not only features our amazing local music-theater community, but also allows the performers to tell their own story about what musicals have meant to them in their life. We all are drawn to the theater for different reasons at different times in our lives, whether as performers or audience, and it's wonderful to connect with the artists in this way. Dancing has always been a part of the series, with some choreographed or semi-choreographed numbers. But in this installment, dance takes center stage - literally! It really reminded me of a #TCTheater version of A Chorus Line, but more casual and intimate and true. Read on to find out what you missed, then stay tuned for details about the next installment!

"The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Collide Theatrical Dance Company at Park Square Theatre

Now in their 6th season, Collide Theatrical Dance Company is an expert at telling stories through dance. In their newest original jazz dance musical, playwright and frequent collaborator Michael Hanna has re-imagined Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray in the modern NYC fashion world with all female characters. I'll let Regina Peluso, Collide's Artistic Director and choreographer of this show, take it from here. "This classic story, as told through a female lens, illustrates many central themes for women today including the fight against aging in our culture and in the beauty industry, social media's narcissistic influence, the depravity behind perfection, and the debate between beauty and morality." That's more words than are uttered in the entire 100-minute (including intermission) show, but all of that and more is conveyed through the expressive choreography, beautifully danced and emoted by the company, the appropriately chosen pop songs, and the sparkling look of the show. It's a fabulous and well constructed piece of dance-music-theater.

"The Great Gatsby" by Collide Theatrical Dance Company at the Ritz Theater

In the past five seasons, Collide Theatrical Dance Company has brought us original stories from various historical eras, as well as adaptations of classics like Romeo and Juliet. Their new show is an adaptation of the most well-known novel by Minnesota's own F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby. What makes Collide unique is that they tell their stories entirely through movement and music, with few or no words. Their "original Broadway-style jazz dance musicals" are a collision of music, dance, and theater. In other words, an excuse for this busy theater blogger to watch pretty people dance prettily, while telling a theatrical story. Combining perfectly chosen pop songs performed by a live band and singers with thrilling dances performed by the talented company of dancers, they're able to convey all of the emotion of the story (with plot summary printed in the program if you care about the plot). The Great Gatsby is a great example of this as they tell the story of these beautifully tragic and tragically beautiful people.