"Fun Home" by Theater Latte Da at the Ritz Theater

The long-awaited #TCTheater premiere of the 2015 Tony winning best musical Fun Home is finally happening! I was lucky enough to see this brilliant and moving musical on Broadway and have loved it ever since, even driving to Duluth for the Minnesota premiere by an intrepid theater company known as Renegade in 2019. I'm thrilled to finally see a production in the Twin Cities, and no one better to do it than Theater Latte Da. The smartly and succinctly written 90-minute musical is perfectly cast, perfectly staged, and perfectly designed, for an emotionally satisfying and epic journey through one person's story of coming of age, coming out, and coming to terms with her parents' flaws and humanity; a specific story that feels so real and relatable. Apparently I am not alone in this opinion; some performances are already selling out and they've extended it a week. Don't wait - get your tickets now to see this modern musical theater masterpiece (through April 11 at the Ritz Theater in Northeast Minneapolis).

"The Christmas Spider" by Skylark Opera Theatre at the Lowry Lab Theater

For the last several holiday* seasons, Skylark Opera Theatre has been presenting a modern one-act English-language opera. They're continuing that tradition this year with the one-weekend-only performance of The Christmas Spider, based on a Ukranian folktale. The super sweet story of a poor family finding miracles in nature and kindness has been turned into a beautiful and accessible opera. It would be the perfect introduction to opera for kids, with a sparse 45-minute runtime and two adorable and talented children in the cast. But no matter your age, it's a heart-warming and moving piece that as always is gorgeously performed by Skylark. Catch one of the four remaining performances at The Lowry Lab Theater inside St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists in downtown St. Paul, which is particularly pretty right now with all of the lights and the recent snowfall. It makes for a very festive outing.