"Church Basement Ladies" by Rags to Rags Productions at Plymouth Playhouse

How is it that I've been a theater blogger in Minnesota for 15 years and have never seen a show from the Minnesota musical comedy institution that is Church Basement Ladies? I have no excuse, other than possibly geography (the shows have primarily performed in Plymouth and Burnsville, neither a great location for me), and that it's produced by a production company (Troupe America and/or Rags to Rags Productions) rather than one of the many theaters I frequent. Whatever the reason for this omission, it has been remedied, and I have now been indoctrinated into the basement. After eight sequels, the original Church Basement Ladies has returned to its original venue, Plymouth Playhouse underneath a Ramada Inn off 494, to celebrate its 20th anniversary. The three original ladies of the basement are still with the show, which works like a well-oiled machine at this point. This musical comedy is very broad, very corny, very Minnesotan, and whole lot of fun. This incarnation of Church Basement Ladies continues through August 24, after which they're sure to pop again somewhere, and I hope to visit the basement again!

"The Tin Woman" by 100 Percent Human Theatre at the Historic Mounds Theatre

The topic of organ donation is one that sounds simple in theory - who wouldn't want to donate viable organs to save someone's life (or lives)? But to be faced with the decision in reality is unimaginable. Such is the subject of The Tin Woman, about a woman facing an existential crisis after receiving a donor heart and the family of the man who donated it grieving their loss. It's a personal story for director Joy Donley of 100 Percent Human Theatre, whose son died at age 16. They donated his organs to over 60 recipients, which is a truly remarkable gift. As good artists do, she's taken her tragedy and turned it into art, partnering with the local organization LifeSource to produce this play and raise awareness about organ donation. The Tin Woman is a funny, poignant, and relatable story about the messiness of grief, loss, family, and life. The super short run closes this weekend with just a few performances remaining at the Historic Mounds Theatre in St. Paul.

"Country Roads: The Music of John Denver" at Plymouth Playhouse

Shortly into Country Roads: The Music of John Denver, creator and host Dennis Curley tell us a story about his aunts and uncles sitting around the living room laughing, telling stories, and singing songs of the great singer/songwriters of the '60s and '70s, including John Denver. Dennis has successfully recreated that experience on the stage of the Plymouth Playhouse. He's not trying to imitate John Denver, or tell John Denver's life story, he's simply singing the songs that he loves and sharing what this music means to him, his friends and family, and the audience. There's really no theater here; it's a casual concert of one John Denver fan (and his awesome band) singing to a roomful of John Denver fans, who are encouraged to sing along. If you're a fan of John Denver, Country Roads is a must-see to experience all of that John Denver goodness. If you're not a fan of John Denver, well, you're missing out on some great music!

"Ring of Fire" at Plymouth Playhouse

"Hello, I'm Johnny Cash." This is how the country legend began all of his concerts, and it's also how the jukebox musical based on his life begins, as all eight members of the ensemble repeat this line. Ring of Fire loosely tells the story of his life, with the ensemble taking turns as the voice of Johnny, interspersed with over two dozen of his songs and other country classics. I grew up listening to country music (my dad is the biggest Johnny Cash fan I know); other families went to Disneyland on vacation, we went to Nashville, the Grand Ole Opry, and Dollywood. I'm not such a fan of current country music (preferring the folk/Americana genre), but I still love that old time country sound. Ring of Fire taps into that nostalgic love of old time country and features a fantastic cast of talented vocalists and multi-instrumentalists. I'm not sure I learned anything new about Johnny (except for his Scottish heritage), but it's a wonderful celebration of the Man in Black and his music.

Ring of Fire played briefly on Broadway in 2006 but it didn't last long. That's not too surprising; it feels like a show that's more suited to smaller theaters across the country than a big Broadway stage. It's been playing at Plymouth Playhouse all summer, returning after a successful run last year. This was my first trip to the Playhouse, and despite the somewhat odd entrance through a hotel, once you get into the basement theater it's a cozy and intimate little space, perfect for this show. Half of the cast were in the National Tour, and the experience and familiarity with the music and the subject are evident. In this show there is no differentiation between band, singers, and actors. All eight cast members play at least one instrument, most of them several. And they all sing and take turns playing Johnny, June, and members of their family. It's well constructed into four sections, with Johnny's songs appropriately chosen to match the mood of the story. We don't really get a lot of details, his first marriage and children and are glossed over, and how he made the transition from farm boy to country music star to drug addict to religious devotion is never really explained. But through the music and a few key points in his life, we get a picture of the man. Johnny's "Boyhood Years" are marked by hard work on the farm, a close-knit family, and the death of his brother. During "Opry and Fame," Johnny meets June and performs on the Opry stage, "Dark Years" touches on his drug use and prison records, which somehow morphs into "Redemption and Celebration." Along the way we hear many of Johnny's hits, including "Flesh and Blood," "Daddy Sang Bass," " Cry, Cry, Cry," "Get Rhythm," "Folsom Prison Blues," "I Walk the Line," and "A Boy Named Sue."

I was impressed with the terrific musicality displayed by this cast, as they smoothly make the transition between instruments, and from lead to back-up vocals, trading the spotlight fairly equally among the eight. They play over a dozen instruments: drumset, washboard, acoustic and electric guitar, upright bass, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, ukelele, accordion, dobro, autoharp, piano, and spoons. The entertaining ensemble currently includes Andy Carroll (bass), Dorian Chalmers (with a fantastic full-throated voice), Jacob Aaron Cullum (a charming young Johnny, with a pretty voice), Tim Drake (on drums, washboard, and more), Candice Lively (a lovely voice), Charlotte Matis (a mean fiddler), Chad Willow (the piano man with a deep voice), and Chet Wollan (with a great smile and an appealing tenor voice).

The Plymouth Playhouse stage is fairly wide and shallow, with about a half-dozen or so long rows (with ample leg room) in a soft curve around it. At the center of the stage is a rotating sloped circle which is not overused, but adds interest to the staging. At the edges of the seat are placed some barrels and crates to lend that authentic country feel. The costumes also do that, with Western shirts, fringed skirts, cowboy hats, and of course - plenty of black (set by Susan Holgersson and costumes by Katrina Benedict).

Johnny Cash and classic country fans are sure to enjoy this show. Ring of Fire continues through November 23 so you have about another month to catch it. Up next at the Playhouse is the holiday show The Alley Cats in A Doo-Wop Christmas, followed next year year by Pop-Up Musical, which I saw last summer and is a must-see for musical theater fans.

I'm so glad I finally made it out to the Plymouth Playhouse. They put on some great entertainment, and I look forward to seeing more there in the future.

the touring cast of Ring of Fire, half of whom are currently in the Plymouth production