"Juno and the Paycock" at the Guthrie Theater

Ah, Ireland. Such a beautiful country, a land of endless music, rolling green hills, and waves crashing upon the shore, but with such a complicated and tragic history. Yet the unique spirit of the Irish people perseveres. How fitting, then, that Joe Dowling, proud Irishman and leader of the Guthrie Theater for the past 20 years, chose an Irish play as the last one he will direct in his tenure at the Guthrie. And what a play; Seán O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock, set during the Irish Civil War of the early 1920s, is as beautiful and tragic as Ireland itself.

Juno and the Paycock premiered at Dublin's Abbey Theatre (of which Joe Dowling was Artistic Director in the '70s and '80s) in 1924, just a few years after the Irish Civil War, when wounds and divisive opinions were still very fresh and raw. That's pretty revolutionary. It tells of the effects of the war and extreme poverty on one family in Dublin. Beleaguered and overworked Juno, her proud buffoon of a husband Jack (say "peacock" with an Irish accent and you have the title), and her two adult children live in a run-down room in the cramped, cold, and crowded tenements of Dublin. Juno works to keep bread and tea on the sorry table, and Jack avoids work by claiming pain in his legs so that he can drink, eat, and talk with his buddy Joxer. Son Johnny was injured in the recent wars and rarely leaves the house, while daughter Mary hopes for a better future for herself. She brings home her beau Charles, who has some surprising and life-changing news for the family. But the Boyles are not a family to whom good things happen, and their momentary hope and happiness doesn't last. Johnny gets caught up in the after-effects of his time in the service, Mary faces a crisis of her own, and Juno must make a choice. It's devastating to watch this family struggle, and one can only hope that some of them make it out.

the Boyle family (Stephen Brennan, David Darrow,
Anita Reeves, and Katie Kleiger, photo by Joan Marcus)

Joe Dowling brought in three acclaimed Irish actors to play some of the leads, and as much as I love our local acting community, I can hardly blame him for that. They're all wonderful and lend an air of authenticity to this very Irish story. As the title characters, Anita Reeves and Stephen Brennan are so natural, believable, and likeable, even when they aren't. Anita's Juno is the strong, no-nonsense, loving matriarch of her family, the only thing keeping them going. Stephen makes the "paycock" Jack a loveable lout of a man, charming and funny and infuriating. Tony nominee Dearbhla Molloy has a brief but powerfully memorable scene as a grieving mother. But despite these new faces, this still feels very much like a Guthrie show thanks to the inclusion of Guthrie long-time favorites like Sally Wingert (stealing scenes as the busybody neighbor) and Mark Benninghofen (hilarious as drunken buddy Joxer), as well as newer favorites like Katie Kleiger (appealing and fresh-faced as the hopeful young Mary), David Darrow (in a devastating performance as the one-armed war-damaged son Johnny, so physically contorted that I hope he has a good chiropractor), and Casey Hoekstra (Mary's charming suitor).

The set and costumes are essential to setting the scene in the slums of Dublin. The set (originally designed by Frank Hallinan Flood, executed for the Guthrie by Michael Hoover) consists of a huge high-ceiled room that was once great, but has fallen into disrepair, with cracks and stains covering the walls. Appropriately shabby furniture and props fill the lived-in space. Christine A. Richardson's costumes are also shabby and worn, but neat and polished for some characters if called for. Projections on the lowered curtain before the show and between acts give a brief history and perspective for the story.

happy times in the Boyle household (photo by Joan Marcus)

In this play as in all things Irish, there is humor and music to temper the tragedy. One of the most entertaining scenes is when the family takes turns singing; one feels that music is the thing that gets the Irish people through, which is beautifully illustrated in this scene. I found myself drawing parallels between this play and the one I had seen the previous night, The Gospel of Lovingkindess at Pillsbury House Theatre. Are the slums of 1920s Dublin that different from the projects on the South Side of Chicago? Different circumstances perhaps, but inequality, prejudice, poverty, and tragic loss of young life exist everywhere in the world.

Joe Dowling has been the Artistic Director of the Guthrie Theater for 20 years, and I have been a subscriber for 12 of those years. I can't even really say what he's changed and brought to the theater (other than the obvious, the big beautiful blue building on the river) because I don't know a Guthrie without Joe. His final two shows, the American epic The Crucible, and this very Irish story Juno and the Paycock, are a beautiful way to conclude his time with us. The Guthrie will honor and celebrate Joe's accomplishments in the last 20 years with a gala performance called All the World's a Stage this Saturday. I wouldn't miss it for the world! (Juno and the Paycock continues through June 28.)

"Oliver!" by Theater Latte Da and Hennepin Theatre Trust at the Pantages Theatre

Theater Latte Da and Hennepin Theatre Trust have formed a beautiful partnership called "Broadway Re-Imagined," in which they combine the resources of the Trust with the creativity and innovation of Latte Da to produce a Broadway-sized musical with all local talent and that special Latte Da twist. After the powerful rock musical Aida and the brilliant Ivey Award-winning Cabaret, they return this year with Oliver!, the 1960 musical based on Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist. But don't let all those adorable moppets dancing around the stage and singing upbeat tunes fool you. Oliver! is not a light and fluffy happy musical, well, not solely anyway. It's also a dark and somber look at such serious issues as child abuse and neglect, the desperation of poverty, and violence. But fortunately, after all the death and darkness, the curtain call ends with a reprise of a happy number, so we can all leave the theater with that happy musical feeling. But perhaps we also leave with a deeper thought about the relevance and seriousness of what we just saw, wrapped up in a gorgeous musical theater package, to ponder further at a later date.

As you probably know from the book or one its many adaptations, Oliver is an orphan boy in 19th Century London. He's sold from the workhouse where he was left as a baby to a coffin maker, from whom he runs away. He joins a merry band of pickpockets, led by a man called Fagin who teaches his boys how to steal and makes sure they don't go hungry. Oliver is arrested on his first day on the job, and offered a better life. But Fagin and his partner in crime Bill Sykes worry that he'll snitch, so Bill kidnaps him and brings him back, with the reluctant help of his girlfriend Nancy. In a bit of an Annie situation, Oliver's true family discovers him with the help of a locket and attempts to get him back, but not without cost to Fagin's gang.

Oliver! has a wonderful score (by Lionel Bart) filled with many great tunes, several of which were familiar to me even though I'd never seen the show before: "Food, Glorious Food," "I'd Do Anything," and "As Long as He Needs Me" (a song that's much too beautiful for the ugly situation - a woman singing about standing by her abusive boyfriend). Other songs range also the poignant "Where is Love" to the peppy "Consider Yourself." And it goes without saying that the music in a Latte Da production sounds fantastic, in the hands of this excellent ensemble cast (which includes the Minnesota Boychoir as the workhouse orphans) and the six-piece orchestra in a traditional pit, led by Latte Da's resident Music Director Denise Prosek.

Fagin and his band of merry pickpockets
(photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

It also goes without saying in a Latte Da production that it's perfectly cast. Director Peter Rothstein has once again chosen the right actors for each part, and guided them all into wonderful, specific, imaginative performances. Perhaps most importantly, he's found a sweet and pure Oliver Twist in sixth grader Nate Turcotte, with a voice to match. There were some technical issues with his mic on opening night and he handled it like a pro. All of the kids in the show, who range from tiny to teens, are so stinkin' cute! They perform Michael Matthew Ferrell's lively choreography with such energy and spirit it makes me tired. Ah, youth! A standout among them is Alec Fisher (who already has a pretty lengthy bio in Twin Cities theater at the ripe old age of 14) as the charming rapscallion known as The Artful Dodger.

The adults in this show aren't half bad either. James Ramlet's deep and commanding voice makes Mr. Bumble a figure to be reckoned with, and plays nicely off of Lolly Foy's Widow Corney. As Nancy, Lauren Davis has a beautifully powerful voice and turns "As Long as He Needs Me" into a desperate cry for love. In a role that's the complete opposite of the bumbling dad he played in A Christmas Story at the Ordway just a few months ago, Dieter Bierbrauer is downright menacing as the cruel and violent Bill Sykes. There are really too many delightful performances in the ensemble by favorites and newcomers alike to mention them all, but suffice it to say there's something wonderful going on wherever you look on the crowded stage.

Nate Turcotte as Oliver with Bradley Greenwald as Fagin
(photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

I've saved the best for last - the divine Bradley Greenwald. I don't have enough words to describe how amazing he is, in everything he does and in this role specifically. His Fagen has a mischievous spirit but also a depth and humanity; despite the fact that he's using these boys, he seems to have real affection for them. Bradley turns "Reviewing the Situation," in which Fagen ponders leaving the life of crime, into a real ethical dilemma. "Pick a Pocket or Two" is just delightful and fun, but with a few tender moments as he puts Oliver to bed. From the moment Bradley appears on stage (which is really when the show takes off) to when he slowly exits to a new life at the end of the show, he's just an absolute delight in every moment. And he performs some pretty astounding magic tricks too!

The "Broadway-sized" part of the show comes into play with the sets (by Rick Polenek) and costumes (by Christine A. Richardson), which are a feast for the eyes. Both have a steampunk flair, but not in an obnoxious way that takes away from the story or the setting in 19th Century London. Gears and clockwork appear on the massive set pieces that include various stairways and ladders connecting the two levels, and a bridge that lowers from the ceiling. Fagin's boys are dressed in colorful rags, and the women are adorned in bustles, flounces, and outrageous hairstyles.

Theater Latte Da and Hennepin Theatre Trust's "Broadway Re-Imagined" series is a great way to experience what we think of as "Broadway" theater, right here on Minneapolis' Hennepin Avenue featuring our amazing local talent. I love New York City and Broadway, but in my unbiased opinion, they've got nothing on the Twin Cities in terms of the quality, breadth, and depth of theater. Minnesota can do Broadway too! Oliver! continues Thursday through Sunday at the Pantages Theatre through March 1 (if you're thinking of bringing little ones, just make sure they're old enough to handle a couple of brutal onstage deaths - spoiler alert!).


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"Nature" by TigerLion Arts at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

I went for a walk today. The sky through the trees caught my eye. The sound of music floated in and out between the calling of the birds, and the smell of the late summer prairie was all around me. I followed Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau through their lives, studies, and friendship. I thought about nature not as something to be visited occasionally, but as something we live in the midst of daily, whether we're aware of it or not. Sometimes her voice is obscured by the busyness of modern life, but she's always there if we take the time and listen hard enough.

TigerLion Arts' outdoor walking play, Nature, is more than just theater, it's an experience. The story of the life of writers, philosophers, scholars, and friends Emerson and Thoreau would make for an interesting piece of theater if presented in a traditional indoor setting, but it would not be nearly as effective without the most important character in the play - nature. The beautiful grounds of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chanhassen is the perfect setting for this site-specific work of theater, music, and storytelling.

The experience takes place at four sites on the vast grounds of the Arboretum, far away from the busy main buildings. We follow our characters from a church, to the cabin on Walden Pond, to a grassy hill, to the fields, and back again. We learn about Waldo and Henry's early lives, their meeting, and their deep but tumultuous friendship. This is one of those plays that will inspire you to do further reading, so I won't begin to try to describe these two great men's work, but suffice it to say that they found common ground in their reverence for nature. This work of theater beautiful expresses that reverence.

friends Waldo and Henry on a walk
(Tyson Forbes and John Catron)

The eleven-person cast and community chorus lead us through the experience, dressed in authentic looking period clothing (costumes by Christine A. Richardson). Waldo and Henry are perfectly personified by Tyson Forbes (who also created and co-wrote the piece) as the tall, elegant, well-dressed minister and lecturer, and John Catron as the bearded and unruly-haired nature-lover who eschews the trappings of modern society. They're like yin and yang, two different expressions of the same idea. Norah Long beautifully embodies Nature herself, golden flowers in her shining curls, a glowing expression on her face as she lovingly looks upon her boys, her pure clear voice singing the songs of nature ringing out across the prairie. The rest of the ensemble portrays all of the other characters as well as inanimate objects in a very physical style of theater. Perhaps the most charming moment is when the audience watches Waldo and Henry far across a grassy hill as they exaggeratedly pantomime their actions and words while the ensemble provides their voices and sound effects.

It may be a bit of a hike to get to the west side of town, but it's well worth the trip. Pick one of these beautiful Minnesota fall days, bring your family, and spend the day at the Arboretum. Walk the grounds, take a deep breath, visit the exhibits and gift shop, have a bite to eat at the cafe, and let these wonderful actors lead you on an experience with nature. And then continue that experience on your own, either at the Arboretum, or in the mountains of New Zealand, or in your own backyard. For the song of nature is everywhere if we take the time and listen hard enough.

the cast of Nature in the open air cabin where several of the scenes take place

This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.