"Some Like It Hot" Broadway tour at the Orpheum Theatre

I saw the new musical adaptation of the 1959 comedy classic film Some Like It Hot on Broadway in 2023, and loved it more than I expected to. I was unfamiliar with the film at the time, but have since learned that the musical stays fairly true to the plot of the film, but with a few tweaks that make it feel refreshingly modern and relevant. When I saw it on Broadway I wrote, "this is a show that is perfect for touring." It is at its heart an old-fashioned musical comedy show, with a fabulous score, thrilling dance numbers, and hilarious comedy that I heard an audience member refer to as "corny as hell." But it's almost subversive in the way that it works in issues of trans acceptance, feminism, and overcoming racism. I'm thrilled that it's touring around America in this time when we need more of all of that, and that one of the first stops on the tour is right here in Minneapolis. So don't walk, don't run, but tap briskly down the street as if gangsters were chasing you to get to the Orpheum Theatre to see this fantabulous new musical before Joe, Daphne, and the gang tap on out of town! Click here for tickets, including student/educator rush tickets.

Broadway tour of "Aladdin" at the Orpheum Theatre

The 1992 animated Disney movie Aladdin was adapted into a stage musical and opened on Broadway in 2014, where it's still running. The second national tour has made it to Minneapolis this week, and since I skipped it the first time around, I decided to check it out this time. It is, in the tradition of Disney musicals, a funny, sweet, entertaining spectacle of a show. Fabulous dancing, recognizable music, and some great performances (the real star of this show - Genie - does not disappoint) make for a fun and not too long show (under two and a half hours including intermission). I have some concerns about the casting choices, which you can read about at the end of this post. But first I'll share a few things I enjoyed about the show. Aladdin is in town through Sunday only - remember to only buy your tickets from the official site here, NOT from any of the third-party vendors that pop up first in a Google search.

"Elf the Musical" Broadway Tour at the Ordway Center

For the past four Decembers, The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts has produced Ordway Original holiday* shows - large-scale Broadway-style musicals using local talent. We had the delightfully nostalgic A Christmas Story in 2014, one of my personal favorites The Sound of Music in 2015, the sumptuous White Christmas in 2016, and the wonderful Annie last year. The last three calendar years have seen at least three Ordway Originals; perhaps 2017 was the high point, in which they also produced a gorgeous West Side Story, an explosive Jesus Christ Superstar, and a fantastic In the Heights (Lin-Manuel Miranda's first work). Coming off of that high point, and after the departure of Producing Artistic Director James Rocco, the Ordway has chosen to bring in a touring production this December, after only one Original this year (the super fun Mamma Mia!). I can't say I'm not disappointed. It's not that Elf the Musical (a non-equity tour) isn't a fine selection - bright and sweet and fun and very Christmassy - it's just that I've come to expect more from the Ordway. All that being said, I'm certain that the children who showed up opening night with elf hats on their heads and excitement in their eyes didn't know the difference, and likely some of their parents didn't either. So let's move on to the perfectly satisfactory Elf, which runs through the end of December.