"Little Shop of Horrors" at Artistry

I love Little Shop of Horrors. While I wasn't too familiar with the beginnings of it (it started as an Off-Broadway musical in the early '80s and was made into a movie in 1986), I was lucky enough to see the original Broadway run when it finally landed there in the early aughts. The campy and nostalgic story of a 1960s plant shop employee who sells his soul to the devil in the form of a man-eating plant is full of unique charm. It may not be a typical musical with its small cast, small band, and darkly comic subject matter, but it has become a classic, and I'm glad that Artistry (formerly known as Bloomington Civic Theatre) continues to include non-traditional musicals in its programming, even if the BCT Sunday matinee crowd didn't seem that into it. I overheard a comment in the ladies' room that "it's not Camelot," but that's exactly the point. Artistry's production is perfectly cast, features a fun and colorful set, and beautifully captures that campy tone - definitely worth the drive to the southern suburbs.

"Yeston & Kopit's Phantom" at Artistry (formerly known as Bloomington Civic Theatre)

There's a new Phantom in town. OK it's not exactly a new Phantom, but rather one that's lived under the shadow of the musical theater juggernaut that is Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, the longest running show on Broadway and "the most financially successful entertainment event to date." What hope, then, does any other musical adaptation of the early 20th Century French novel have? Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit (who also wrote the 1982 Tony-winning Best Musical Nine) had already begun their musical adaptation when Webber's premiered in 1986 and took over the world. Consequently, Yeston and Kopit's version never made it to Broadway, but it has had many productions around the world, and now, in Bloomington MN at the newly renamed Artistry. Not being a huge fan of Webber's version (read more about that here), I was curious to see what another version might look like. While it's still not my favorite story, I found Artistry's production of this different sort of Phantom to be lovely, touching, and well performed by the cast and orchestra.

This Phantom follows the same general outline as the book and other adaptations, although they all differ on the details. The general outline: a disfigured man haunts the Paris Opera House, he falls in love with and kidnaps the beautiful young opera singer Christine, and tragic things happen. The details: in this version, the Phantom, aka Erik, has lived below the Opera House all of his life, having grown up there after his mother dies. He tutors Christine in opera technique, and only kidnaps her to save her from the diva who's trying to sabotage her. She seems to genuinely love him, but alas, they can't be happy together, because this is still Phantom.

I've only seen ALW's Phantom once, and I found it to be a bit difficult to follow, slow and draggy in parts, and way too melodramatic. This Phantom doesn't have those problems. It's still a preposterous story (why does someone who basically grew up in a sewer and rarely appears in public go about dressed in pristine tails and a fancy cape?), but Erik's origin story explains more of why is he the way he is, the show moves along with a fairly good momentum, and while it's still dramatic, it's a bit sweeter and with some lighter moments.

Yeston's score is lovely and melodic, with the duet "You Are Music" a highlight. As per usual, Anita Ruth's 20-piece pit orchestra plays it wonderfully, and the cast is full of strong singers. Courtney Groves is radiant as the young Christine, and has a sweet and lovely voice. William Guilness brings great dark and conflicted emotion in his portrayal and his strong deep voice. She's all lightness, and he's all darkness (which I guess is the point of the piece), and they sound beautiful together. Other highlights in the large and talented ensemble are Riley McNutt as Christine's patron, Alan Sorenson as Erik's friend with a secret of his own, and Carl Schoenborn and Angela Walberg as the new owners of the Opera House, the latter adding humor with her diva-like scheming.

One of the main focuses of that other Phantom is the huge chandelier that almost drops on the audience. While there is a dropping chandelier here, it's less of a spectacle, but still impressive, as is the set. The massive two-story structure with movable steps, multiple doors and entrances, and surprising nooks and crannies may be the most elaborate I've seen on the Artistry stage. It doesn't overpower the story but provides the appropriate grandeur for the Opera House (set design by Benjamin Olsen). Ed Gleeman's luscious costumes complete the look of Paris high society.

If you're a big fan of ALW's Phantom, you might want to give this one a try just to see a different take on the story. If you're not a big fan of ALW's Phantom, you might find this one more to your liking. It's less of a spectacle and more of a story, with a beautiful score beautifully realized. Yeston & Kopit's Phantom continues through November 14 (discount tickets available on Goldstar).

Christine and the Phantom (Courtney Groves and William Guilness)

"RENT" at Lyric Arts

RENT gets me every time. Seeing it for the 14th time is just as thrilling, emotional, and epic as the first time I saw it 17 years ago. I can't even put into words why it has such a strong grip on my soul (and so many others'). It's just such a beautiful message of love, hope, community, and life, made all the more poignant by creator Jonathan Larson's untimely passing (or eerily timely - he died suddenly the night before the first Off-Broadway preview in 1996). Lyric Arts' new production is truly beautiful; the cast is energetic and talented, the sets and costumes have that cool rock show vibe, and the staging is different enough to make it feel fresh and original, but similar enough to the Broadway version to feel familiar to RENTheads like me. RENT is a brilliantly written piece of music-theater (it's one of only eight musicals to win the Pulitzer Prize for drama), and Lyric Arts has done Jonathan Larson proud. I can think of no higher praise.

Jonathan Larson used the Puccini opera La Boheme as a framework to tell a story about a community of young artists living in Manhattan's Lower East Side and dealing with issues of poverty, identity, creativity, relationships, and AIDS. It's a story he lived (several of the characters are named after friends of his who died from AIDS), which is perhaps why it feels so real and vital. At the center of RENT are roommates Mark, a struggling filmmaker, and Roger, a rock musician still reeling from his recent HIV diagnosis. Into Roger's life comes Mimi, who convinces him that there is still life to live. Their friends include Mark's ex-girlfriend the performance artist Maureen, who is living with her new girlfriend, the lawyer Joanne; disgruntled college professor Collins; his new love the sweet transvestite Angel; and their old roommate Benny, who has sold out by marrying a rich woman and moving out and up. Over the course of a year these friends argue, love, break up, reunite, die, but most of all live. The characters in RENT don't have easy lives, but they cling to that life and each other because it's the only thing they have. How can a piece about death, disease, poverty, and drug abuse be so uplifting and inspiring? Because it cuts through all of the pain to celebrate the joy of life; that's the genius of it.

It must be challenging to take such an iconic piece of music-theater history and put your own spin on it so that it feels fresh and new, while still staying true to the beloved original work. But that's exactly what Lyric Arts has done. Matt McNabb's direction, Penelope Freeh's choreography, Brian J. Proball's scenic design, Stacey Palmer's costumes, and every one of the large ensemble's performances are familiar to the RENT world that I know and love, but have allowed me to experience it in a way I never have before. For example, I was shocked when the cast stood up during "La Vie Boheme" instead of doing the usual seated dance, but I loved it. The Lyric Arts stage has never looked cooler; they've knocked out all the walls and filled the stage space with scaffolding, pipes, stairs, graffiti, and the obligatory three long tables moved around the space to create various pieces of furniture. I only have one disappointment with the show, and that is the lack of racial diversity in the cast. While I don't think it's necessary to exactly match the racial composition of the original cast, I do think that diversity is a part of what makes RENT special, and is necessary to accurately represent the Lower East Side.

That being said, the show is very well cast. Kyler Chase is wonderfully charming and likeable as my favorite character Mark, our reliable narrator who describes the action he longs to feel a part of. Blake Rhiner* was born to play Roger. He's got killer pipes, looks like a rock star in skinny jeans, a leather jacket, and crazy hair, and is so passionate and angsty you can feel Roger's pain. Courtney Groves is fearless and vulnerable as Mimi. As on-again-off-again lovers Maureen and Joanne, Kendall Anne Thompson and Kate Beahen** are perfection; their duet "Take Me or Leave Me" is a highlight, and Kendall's beautifully ridiculous "Over the Moon" is something I've never seen before. Patrick Jones makes his welcome Minnesota debut as the tender-hearted Collins, and did his job by making me cry in the second act reprise of "I'll Cover You." I've always felt that Angel is the heart of the show, and Kyle Szarzynski fills that role well. Last but not least, Maurice Britts gives a strong performance as Benny, the one we love to hate. The ensemble members are all fun to watch, but special mention must be given to Molly Jo Hall for knocking it out of the park with the solo in "Seasons of Love." Chills.

For people who think that RENT is dated or no longer relevant, consider this: there are currently over a million people in the US living with (living with, living with, not dying from) HIV, with about 50,000 new cases every year. And the idea of living life to the fullest, being present in every moment, and loving the people around you can never go out of style. I commend Lyric Arts for taking on this challenging and important piece of music-theater, and for continuing to challenge their audience in a season that started with a beautiful (and somehow controversial) production of The Laramie Project. RENT needs to continue to be produced and seen. Jonathan Larson created something powerful and special, and the team at Lyric Arts have done the same with this new production. Get yourself out to Anoka by August 3 to see this wonderful creation. No day but today!

*I'm looking forward to watching Blake Rhiner bring his raw talent and passion to the role of Gabe in another Pulitzer Prize winning rock musical, Next to Normal, at Bloomington Civic Theatre this fall.
**If you need more evidence that Kate Beahen is a star, Peter Rothstein has cast her as the Baker's Wife in Theater Latte Da's production of Into the Woods next spring. Case closed.


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.