"Johnny Skeeky; or, The Remedy for Everything" by Theater Latte Da at the Ritz Theater

I'm not sure what I expected from the new work of music-theater Johnny Skeeky; or, The Remedy for Everything, based on Puccini's one-act comic opera Gianni Schicchi, but it wasn't... that. #TCTheater legends Bradley Greenwald and Steven Epp have adapted the story about a wealthy man's family fighting over his will (with additional inspiration from Succession and Arrested Development) and written new English lyrics for the music. The result is the most ridiculous and delightful opera I've ever seen. If it can even be called an opera anymore; there's much more dialogue than operas typically contain. But whatever you call it, it's simply a joy to watch this outrageously talented cast sing this gorgeous music with modern, silly, and even sometimes crude words. It's a 100-minute wild romp of an opera. You have plenty of time to get to the Ritz Theater in Northeast Minneapolis and see it before it closes in early July. And if you like music, comedy, and creativity - you definitely should.

Fringe Festival 2015: "Trial by Jury"

Day: 3

Show: 11

Title: Trial by Jury

Category: Musical Theater

By: The Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Company

Directed by: Lesley Hendrickson

Location: U of M Rarig Center Proscenium

Summary: Comedy operetta geniuses Gilbert and Sullivan's one-act operetta about a farce of a jury trial, performed by a company that specializes in G&S.

Highlights: A huge singing cast and 10+ piece orchestra on stage doing opera at the Fringe? Yes, please! Trial by Jury may be short (about 40 minutes), but it's a tasty treat. If you're a fan of G&S (see also the Ordway's upcoming production of Pirates of Penzance), you'll love this little ditty about a man on trial for "breach of contract," i.e., leaving his fiance for other women. A jury of eight men, a crowd of people watching and commenting, the defendants and lawyers, and a drunken judge all come together to sing songs that are very G&S - fast, clever, tongue twisting lyrics with repeated phrases. The fantastic cast includes the hilarious Steve Hendrickson as the judge in the overly powdered wig (so happy to see him on stage again after missing him in Sherlock Holmes), Felix Aguilar Tomlinson as the defendant, Grace Lowe as his would-be bride, and Jim Ahrens as her lawyer. It's a joyous celebration!