"Hair" by Theatre 55 at Mixed Blood Theatre

I was a little obsessed with the 40th anniversary revival of Hair, which opened on Broadway in 2009. I first fell in love with the show via a #TCTheater production directed by Michael Brindisi in 2004, and this fantastic Broadway revival only increased that love to the point of, yes, obsession. You can read more of my Hair thoughts here, but suffice it to say that when I adopted two adult male cats several years ago, I named them Claude and Berger. Now another 10 years have passed, so we're 50 years removed from the groundbreaking Gerome Ragni and James Rado creation (with music by Galt MacDermot) that changed the face of musical theater forever. Theatre 55, a new #TCTheater company dedicated to "enriching the lives of elders," has chosen Hair as their first production, populated with people who were alive and perhaps even saw that first production 50+ years ago, and lived the lifestyle of the '60s represented in the show. While the vocal performances are uneven in this cast made up mostly of non-professional actors, they capture the spirit of the piece in the way that perhaps younger people cannot. They bring an authenticity to the characters and situations of the show, and also a sort of fun free-wheeling vibe because they survived those tumultuous times (although one could say that the times we're living in now are pretty tumultuous too). The firehouse was packed with an audience full of people ready for this show and loving every minute of it. I'm quite sure that Ragni and Rado (the original Berger and Claude, the latter of whom is still alive and just turned 87) would be tickled with this production.

"Hair" by 7th House Theater Collective at 514 Studios

Hair is a sneaky little show (subversive, one might say). This piece that James Rado and Gerome Ragni created in the late 60s lures you in with it's happy hippie, silly and fun celebration of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, and then punches you in the gut with its serious and powerful themes of war and death and conformity. I always forget until I see it again what a remarkable thing it is that in 1968, the anti-war movement from the streets of NYC and around the country was represented on a Broadway stage, which before was relegated to more traditional musicals about things happening far away in time or space. Burning draft cards onstage in 1968 was a serious (and dangerous) artistic statement. But sadly, the idea of young people going off to war, never to return, is a concept that is not outdated. It's always a good time to put on a production of Hair in my opinion, and the talented young theater artists behind the 7th House Theater Collective agree. Theirs is a low-budget (they raised funds on Kickstarter), grass-roots, up-close-and-personal, raw and real production (perhaps similar to the first Off-Broadway production). But don't let this low-key vibe fool you, these kids have talent. And with the Chanhassen's Michael Brindisi as director, and choreographer Emily King, they have created a new interpretation of one of the most important pieces in musical theater history that's full of life and energy and raw emotion.

Hair is light on plot, but you don't need a complicated plot to have a story to tell and a truth to convey. Hair is about a "tribe" of young people living, loving, and protesting war on the streets of NYC. We follow Claude's journey as he receives his draft notice in the mail and processes it with the help of his friends (and a drug-aided hallucination), and makes a decision that affects everyone's lives. The novelty of this production is that it's done in the round in a small warehouse* in Minneapolis, with audience members sitting on couches and pillows, sometimes invited to take part. As you enter through the open garage door, actors are milling with the audience (and on a Monday night with many theater peeps in attendance, including Joseph and several of his brothers and a couple residents of Urinetown, it was difficult to tell the cast from the audience). They're dressed in modern clothes in the first act, which I was OK with, until they changed to period hippie clothes in the second act, which just felt right. The only set pieces are a couple of ladders rolled in and out as needed. The lighting is really cool, at times throwing shadows of dancing hippies up on the brick wall and huge flag, and creating a circle of light from which Claude cannot escape.

Listening to the 2009 revival cast album today, I realized they cut out a few songs and bits, and rearranged some things. But it works, there's a nice flow to the loopy ramblings of the tribe. The first act ends with the infamous nudity (tastefully and subtlety done, if there is such a thing a subtle nudity), and Claude is given a hallucinogenic drug just as the lights go down prior to intermission. The second act opens with everyone in the same position, now dressed in period hippie clothing. It's almost as if the play begins in modern times, and then they shed that modernity (literally) and everyone is transported back to the 60s in the second act with Claude's trip. Lots of bizarre things happen like in a crazy dream, including a brutal war sequence that's repeated and rewound several times, flowing through to Claude's decision to fulfill his duty.

this flyer for the Be-In looks suspiciously
similar to the one handed out during
the 2009 Broadway production

The cast of 13 is smaller than usual (the Broadway casts have been over 20), which causes some insignificant compromises - the women burn draft cards (which doesn't make sense logically but works aesthetically) and there aren't enough women of color for "White Boys," so one of the guys joins them. But all of the major characters are covered. And most importantly, this tribe really feels like a tribe - a group of people that love and trust each other, and play and work well together. Including - Katie Bradley as the pregnant Jeannie who's hung up on Claude; a fabulous Brianna Graham as Dionne (and Abraham Lincoln); Caroline Innerbichler, a perfect choice for the sweet innocent Crissy ("Frank Mills"); Derek Prestly as my favorite character Woof (although no making out with Mick Jagger's poster); Grant Sorenson in a very funny and well-done bit as a female (?) tourist encountering the hippies; and lovely harmonies by Rudolph Searles III and Tara Borman on one of my favorite musical moments of the show, "What a Piece of Work is Man."

The heart of this piece for me is the love triangle between Claude, Berger, and Sheila, with the strongest love being between best friends Claude and Berger. The trio of Matt Riehle, David Darrow, and Cat Brindisi play it well and believably. Matt is charismatic and playful with the audience, as Berger should be, at times a lovable and loyal friend, at other times a jerk. As much as I love Gavin Creel from the 2009 Broadway revival (so much so that I made a special trip to NYC to see him and the rest of the tribe before they took the show to London, and waited outside in the freezing cold of January to meet him after the show), David's version of "The Flesh Failures" is something I've never heard before. He turns the song into a desperate cry of confusion, terror, and despair, literally beating his chest as he tries to make sense of it all. He took this song that I've heard hundreds of times before and made me hear it in a whole different way. "Silence tells me secretly... everything" gave me chills. Finally, I had this thought while I was sitting there - someday when Cat Brindisi wins her first Tony Award, I'll be sitting at home on my couch cheering her on and remembering the day I heard her sing "Easy to be Hard" in a sweaty little garage space in Minneapolis.

My first experience with Hair, the Americal Tribal Love-Rock Musical (besides that one episode of the early 90s sitcom Head of the Class), was the 2004 Michael Brindisi directed production at the Pantages, starring a hugely talented cast that are still among my favorite actors working today. Now almost ten years later, this feels like the next generation of that production. The future looks bright, and I look forward to seeing what these young artists do in the next ten years. A few tickets remain for this weekend's final performances (did I mention they're free?). Get 'em while you can.

*514 Studios is a little tricky to find. It's actually on an alley parallel to Washington on the 3rd Street side, between 5th and 6th Avenues. Street parking is pretty easy to find, especially on the other side of Washington (and free after 6). The one downside of this space is that there are no concessions available. On a hot summer night, it would be nice to have a drink, which also often helps with interactive theater. ;)

March Musical Madness!

Apparently there's some sort of sports tournament this month that's making everyone want to rank things in the form of brackets. I don't really get it, but when I saw this floating around the internet, I couldn't resist. 64 musicals are entered into this bracket, with many many one-on-one comparisons resulting in one musical theater winner. (Click on the bracket above to enlarge it.)

My method for filling this out was not to pick the "better" or "best" musical, because who am I to judge that? And with such diversity, from Oklahoma! to Book of Mormon, many comparisons are like apples to oranges. Instead, I chose the musicals that I enjoy the most, or that have meant the most to me, or that I see as important in musical theater history. I'm sure there are as many different results as there are people who fill this out. If this looks like fun to you, you can get a blank bracket here and fill it out yourself.

A few notes on some of the comparisons:

• Of the 64 musicals listed, there are 12 I have not seen on stage or screen (marked with a question mark). In those cases I chose the musical I have seen. I concede that those are uninformed decisions, and I may change my mind if and when I see those remaining 12.
• Anyone who knows me will not be surprised that RENT ended up as my ultimate winner. I'm not saying that RENT is the best musical ever written, but it's the one that's meant the most to me in my life, and continues to mean the most to me. When I first saw RENT on the Tonys in 1996 (where it won four awards, including best musical, book, and score), and then live on stage in 1997, I was fresh out of college, living on my own for the first time, going to grad school, with no car (literally "riding my bike midday past the three piece suits"), and it really struck a chord with me. I've seen it 13 times total, could sing the entire soundtrack, and will go see it any opportunity I get.
• Sound of Music ranked pretty high for me for mostly sentimental reasons. I've loved the movie since I was a kid, it was one of the two musicals for which I played in the pit orchestra in high school, and I studied abroad in Salzburg for a semester in college. Watching the movie is very nostalgic for me on many levels. But still, it lost out to...
• Wicked, which is one of those rare musicals that is both a huge success (it's been playing on Broadway for nine years and counting) and is actually really good. It's probably my favorite soundtrack to sing along with in my car.
• West Side Story is another of my favorite musical movies, but the reason it went all the way to the final battle is because of its place in musical theater history. Firstly, it's a collaboration of four giants in the music-theater-dance world - Stephen Sondheim (lyrics), Leonard Berstein (music), Jerome Robbins (choreography), and Arthur Laurents (director). The choreography is iconic and the music has become part of our popular culture. That's the reason it took out Book of Mormon (really unfair of Broadway.com to put them head to head in the first round), Next to Normal (which I think is one of the best musicals written in this century), and ...
• Hair. I love Hair, for itself and for its place in musical theater history. It's the first Broadway musical that reflected what was actually happening in the world right outside the theater. It may seem pretty safe today, but they were burning draft cards on stage in 1968, not to mention the drug use, nudity, and interracial relationships (shortly after the landmark Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia). And it's another one where the music crossed over from the musical theater world into pop culture.
• For someone who often complains about jukebox musicals, Jersey Boys ranked pretty high on my bracket. Partly it's because of lack of competition, but I also think it's the exception that proves the rule. The clever book tells the story of the real musicians and their rise to and fall from fame, instead of some silly made up story to fit awkwardly into the songs.

I could go on and on, but it's Survivor night, so I'll leave it at that. Please comment below if you agree or disagree about a particular match-up!

2014 Update:
Of the 12 musicals I hadn't seen last year, I have seen one of them since - Phantom of the Opera. And I would still rank Oklahoma above it. Although after seeing a magical production of The Music Man by Ten Thousand Things recently, I would rank it above Oklahoma.

2015 Update:
Of the 11 musicals I hadn't seen last year, I have seen two of them since - Oliver! and Pippin. (And I plan to see two more this year - Damn Yankees at the Ordway and Carousel at Bloomington Civic Theatre.) As much as I loved Pippin, no way I'm ranking it above Hair. Oliver! vs. Billy Elliot is a bit tougher, I might have to say Oliver! because of the many familiar songs. In fact I may have to rethink that whole section in light of BCT's delightful production of Guys and Dolls last year. This bracket might look a little different if I filled it out today.

2016 Update:
Here it is, March again, and my CBS soaps are preempted. Must mean it's time to update this bracket. As I mentioned last year, I have checked off two more of those original unknown twelve, Damn Yankees and Carousel. And even though I enjoyed them both, I've still got to give it to The Full Monty (so fun!) and Company (probably my favorite Sondheim). The bracket is still available (although I wish they'd update it with new entries - hello Hamilton!) if you want to play along!

"HAIR" at the Orpheum Theatre

We starve, look
at one another, short of breath
walking proudly in our winter coats
wearing smells from laboratories
facing a dying nation
of moving paper fantasy
listening to the new told lies
with supreme visions of lonely tunes.

I don't entirely know what that means, but it's one of my favorite lyrics from the musical HAIR, from the song "Flesh Failures."  It's so wonderfully trippy and profound, somehow.  Which is how I feel about the musical.  It's rare that a show has such a powerful and meaningful and relevant message, and is so fun and entertaining at the same time.  My obsession with HAIR began several years ago when I saw a local production at the Pantages in Minneapolis (directed by Michael Brindisi of the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres).  Looking back on it now, the cast list reads like a Who's Who of the local musical theater scene.  I loved the show so much I saw it twice and bought the original Broadway soundtrack (from 1968), which I've been listening to ever since.  The Broadway revival opened in 2009 and won several Tonys, including best musical.  I saw it twice in 2010, when, not surprisingly, it was among my favorite shows of the year. 

The night before HAIR opened at the Orpheum this week, I attended a talk sponsored by the Hennepin Theatre Trust as part of their Broadway Confidential series.  Dr. Richard Kagan, a history professor from Hamline University, and Dr. Megan Lewis, a theater professor from the U of M, spoke about the significance of HAIR in the history of musical theater and this country.  HAIR was written by two actors, James Rado and Gerome Ragni, along with music by Galt MacDermot, and was first produced off-Broadway in 1967 before moving to Broadway in 1968.  It was groundbreaking in many ways.  It was the first rock musical and paved the way for such shows as RENT.  It featured an interracial cast and interracial relationships, just a few months after the Supreme Court decision Loving vs. Virginia that declared unconstitutional laws preventing interracial marriage.  It broke the fourth wall and invited the audience into the experience.  It featured nudity and sexuality.  It was one of the first shows that was absolutely current and reflected what was going on just outside the theater doors.  At the height of the draft and the Vietnam War, they burned draft cards on stage.  It's truly amazing to think about what it would have been like to see this show at the time.  And sadly, even though it is a period piece, many of the themes are still relevant today.  Wouldn't it be nice to live in a time when fighting for racial and gender equality, peace and freedom for all, was an antiquated idea?

Since both the Broadway and London productions of HAIR closed last year (the original Broadway cast moved with the show to London in March of last year and the entire show was re-cast in NYC), many of the cast members from both tribes joined the tour.  Two actors from the original tribe reprised their roles: the magnificent deep-voiced Darius Nichols as Hud and Kacie Sheik as the sweet pregnant Jeannie.  The two leads, Claude and Berger, are also played by two original tribe members: Paris Remillard and Steel Burkhardt, who were the understudies on Broadway (Steel also took over as Berger midway through the London run).  The relationship between Claude and Berger is the heart of the show, so getting the chemistry of these two actors right is absolutely key.  And they struck gold with Paris and Steel.  They have such a comfort and friendship and chemistry between them, it's quite obvious they've been working together for years.  Similar to Gavin Creel and Will Swenson in the original tribe, you believe that these two are best friends.  Berger/Sheila/Claude is a true love triangle; the love goes in all directions.  Sheila loves Berger, and Berger loves Sheila, although he's a bit of a jerk to her.  And Sheila loves Claude because everyone loves Claude, and he loves her too.  But the greatest love exists between Claude and Berger.  When Claude decides to go to war, against all of his friends' advice, and is gone from their world, Berger is devastated.  Even right through the final song, Berger looks lost and confused without his best friend.  All throughout the show, Claude says that all he wants is to be invisible and make magic, and in the end, that's what happens.  He returns as a ghost and none of his friends can see him.  They walk off the stage, singing "Let the Sun Shine In" until their voices disappear into the lobby, and Claude is laying motionless on stage in his uniform.  "The rest is silence."  It's a powerful and somber ending to the show.

But then the cast comes back, the lights come up, and the audience is invited on stage to dance and sing with the tribe.  It's such a joyous show, and so heart-breaking at the same time.  Maybe that's part of why I love it so much.

If you'd like to learn more about "The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical," check out the Wikipedia page which discusses its themes and history at length.  And if you have a free night sometime in the next week, go see it!  But buy your tickets now as the show closes on Sunday March 6 and there are only a few seats left.  I'm so tempted to go again, but since I've got two other shows coming up in the next few days, I really shouldn't.  We'll see if I'm able to resist temptation.

Shows I’m Looking Forward to in 2011

Happy 2011 friends! A new year brings new plays and musicals to go see. Here are a few I’m excited to see in the first part of this year.  (Click on the title for more info and to purchase tickets, although not all of them are available yet.)

Into the Woods, Bloomington Civic Theater, January 14 – February 13
I’ve been hearing good things about the Bloomington Civic Theater and seen it listed in the bios of some of my favorite new actors, so I’ve been itching to check it out. This show fits nicely into my goal to see more Sondheim, so it’s worth the drive across town.
Update: read my review of the show.

Doubt, Ten Thousand Things, February 11 – March 6
There are five reasons to see this show: 1) Ten Thousand Things’ stripped-to-the-core style of theater; 2) A Tony-award winning play about “A fiery battle between a nun and a priest over suspicions of the sexual abuse of a child. Can you get at the truth, when the truth is so colored by our lenses of experience?” 3) Peter Rothstein, my favorite director and Artistic Director of Theater Latte Da; 4) Sally Wingert, who, like Meryl Streep who played the role in the movie, can play anything from comedy to drama and everything in between, and elevates everything she’s in; and 5) Kris Nelson, another of my favorite actors who never disappoints. Any one of those five reasons would be enough to get me to this show, but with all five of them? I’m counting the days!
Update: read my review of the show.

Song of Extinction, Theater Latte Da, February 25 – March 20
Peter Rothstein is a busy man! He’s also directing this Theater Latte Da “play about the science of life and loss, the relationships between fathers and sons, Cambodian fields, Bolivian rainforests and redemption.” I don’t know anything about this play and don’t recognize any of the names on the cast list, but I’ve never met a Latte Da show I didn’t love. And they do a great job casting their shows, so I might discover a few new favorite actors too.
Update: read my review of the show.

HAIR, Orpheum Theater, March 1–6
You can read more about my obsession with the 1968 musical HAIR near the bottom of my 2010 Top Ten list, but suffice it to say I saw it twice on Broadway last year, including making a special trip to NYC just to see the original cast before they moved to London. So yeah, I’m a fan. There’s not much of a plot, but with great music, incredible heartfelt performances, a message of love and peace and togetherness, and a chance to be harassed by hippies, who needs a plot? Since both the Broadway and London shows have closed, I look forward to seeing some familiar hippies, including original tribe members Paris Remillard and Steel Burkhardt as Claude and Berger.  It's only here for a week so get your tickets now!
Update: read my review of the show.

Little Shop of Horrors, Mu Performing Arts, March 19 – April 3
This musical about the plant that eats people is one of my favorites, and “Suddenly Seymour” is one of the best musical love songs ever. Mu usually does Asian-American themed pieces, but this is their chance to cast Asian-Americans in roles they wouldn’t normally be cast in. Randy Reyes is playing Seymour, and I’m sure he’ll be completely charming and funny and touching, as is required in Seymour.
Update: read my review of the show.

Avenue Q, Mixed Blood Theatre, March 25 – May 29
Avenue Q is a refreshingly original and funny musical featuring puppets, like an R-rated Sesame Street. I’ve seen it once on Broadway and once on tour, and I’m very curious to see how Mixed Blood stages this show in their intimate space.
Update: read my review of the show.

[title of show], Yellow Tree Theatre, April 22 – May 15
My favorite little theater in Osseo is doing a musical, and I can’t wait to see how they do it! Wikipedia says “The musical documents its own creation by two Broadway fans, who want to enter the New York Musical Theatre Festival. It follows the team's struggle to complete the show in three and a half weeks with the help of their two actress friends.” It sounds like it’s right up Yellow Tree’s alley, and I think I’m going to love this "musical about two guys writing a musical about two guys writing a musical."
Update: read my review of the show (hint: I did love it).

Next to Normal, Ordway Center, May 10–22
I saw Next to Normal on Broadway shortly after it premiered in 2009, and saw it again last year. I walked into the theater the first time knowing almost nothing about the show, other than it had gotten good buzz and it was about a family struggling with mental illness. Sometimes that’s the best way to see a show; I was blown away. It won a Tony for the brilliant rock score, but lost the best musical Tony to Billy Elliot. The six-person cast was amazing, and Alice Ripley won the Tony for her role. Lucky for us she’s reprising her role in this tour. If you want to see a Tony-winning actress in a bold, brilliant, truly original musical, go see Next to Normal. Expect to be emotionally drained by the end of the evening (in a good way ;).
Update: read my review of the show.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Jungle Theater, June 10 – July 31
Again, more Sondheim. I’ve only seen one musical at the Jungle, the completely fabulous Hedwig and the Angry Inch. So I have high expectations for this show. I don’t think I’ll be disappointed.
Update: read my review of the show.

HMS Pinafore, Guthrie Theater, June 18 – August 28
My favorite show that I’ve ever seen at the Guthrie is the Gilbert and Sullivan musical The Pirates of Penzance. It was the final production of my first season as a subscriber in 2004, and I loved it so much I saw it twice. With pirates climbing down from the balconies and flying in on ropes, costumes that were to die for, a fantastic cast, and Gilbert and Sullivan’s clever use of language and rhythm, not to mention a song about the Pythagorean Theorem, this is one of those shows I wish I could travel back in time to revisit. If this production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore is even half as good as The Pirates of Penzance was, I know I’ll love it. I’m also hoping that some of my local musical theater faves will be in it.
Update: read my review of the show.

2011 is shaping up to be another great year for theater in Minneapolis/St. Paul.  I hope you get to one or two of these shows, and let me know if there are others you're looking forward to.  FYI you can always see what shows I've got coming up in my schedule in the "Upcoming Shows" section on the right-hand side of this page.  Click on the show name for more information and to order tickets.

I hope your 2011 is filled with health, happiness, and great theater.

My Top Ten Shows of 2010

I attended 72 events in 2010, a significant increase from last year’s total of 48. Appropriate that this is the year I started this blog! Although it’s a bit of a chicken/egg situation; I’m trying to attend more theater (especially new-to-me local theaters) to make this blog more diverse. Of the 72 events, 27 were musicals, 20 were plays, 22 were concerts, and 3 were other events (such as awards or galas). Included in the 47 plays/musicals were 10 in New York City (I visited the city three times this year, also a record high!). The 37 local shows were at 18 different theaters in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the suburbs, ranging in size from the 40-seat Dreamland Arts on Hamline Ave. in St. Paul to the 2500-seat Orpheum Theatre on Hennepin Ave. in downtown Minneapolis. The 37 shows are actually comprised of 36 different productions since there was one I saw twice (see below to find out which one). I picked out ten memorable shows from these 36. They’re listed below in chronological order, NOT in rank order (it’s hard enough for me to limit it to ten, much less rank them).

1.  As you can read in the “About Me” section on the right-hand side of this page, RENT is my favorite musical. Before this year, I had seen it 11 times, once on Broadway and 10 times on tour, including last year’s tour with Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal, who created the roles of Mark and Roger back in 1996. Every time is new and different because the cast is different and they bring something new to the piece. But it’s also become very familiar; I know what the set and costumes are going to look like, and who’s going to move where across the stage at what point in their song. So I was really excited when I heard there was going to be a local production at the Lab Theater in Minneapolis, featuring a local cast. It’s a great venue for a show like RENT; an old warehouse with exposed brick walls, the seats very close to and level with the stage. Everything about the show felt new, from the set, to the way the characters moved around it, to the costumes, to the interpretations of the familiar and beloved characters by the amazing cast (led by Reid Harmsen as Mark and Harley Wood, of local band Far from Falling, as Roger). A brand new version of a beloved classic, and I loved it.

2. The Guthrie Theater’s production of Macbeth was a bloody, violent, spectacle of a show, and I loved it. I’m not usually a big fan of fight scenes in movies, but when it’s on stage, it’s as intricately choreographed as a dance and often as graceful. Add to that a condensed version of Shakespeare’s classic story of a man who will do whatever it takes to become king, even if he regrets it later; a powerful performance by a magnificently bearded Erik Heger as Macbeth leading the large talented cast; and the Guthrie’s usual incomparable production value, and you have a great two hours of theater.

3. Theater Latte Da’s production of the musical Violet is the show I loved so much I saw it twice. Theater Latte Da can do no wrong in my book; I love the art form of musical theater and so does Latte Da; they make musicals that push beyond the definition of what we think musicals are. They had a very successful run with the large-scale Evita this fall, but I loved their spring show best – the quiet, intimate, moving story of a young woman on a journey to face her past, heal her wounds, and move forward with her life. With a top-notch cast featuring Latte Da favorites (Dieter Bierbrauer as Violet’s father and Randy Schmeling as Monty) and newcomers (Britta Ollmann as Violet, Azudi Onyejekwe as Flick, and teenage wonder Maeve Moynihan as the young Violet), a sparse but rich-sounding three-piece orchestra, and an intimate space in the Guthrie Dowling Studio, I easily could have seen it three or four times.

4. Technically, Brief Encounter is not a local production. It’s a touring show out of the Kneehigh Theatre in Cornwall, England, that’s currently playing on Broadway (where I saw it again in October, basically the same show with just a few cast changes). But I’m including it because it was part of the Guthrie season and only made limited stops in the US. I don't know how to begin to describe this show. It’s a perfectly lovely and unique evening of theater that uses song, film, and movement to tell the story of the 1945 Noel Coward film of the same name about star-crossed lovers who are married to other people. It’s quirky, funny, silly, and absolutely heart-breaking. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen, and I expect the Tony voters will agree come next June.

*It’s worth nothing that the above three shows were playing at the Guthrie at the same time in February/March of this year. I remember sitting in the Dowling Studio on the 9th floor, waiting for Violet to start, thinking about how a few floors below me Macbeth and Brief Encounter were occurring on the Wurtele Thrust and McGuire Proscenium Stages. Three such completely different shows, all truly entertaining in their own unique way. That’s why I love the Guthrie.

5. I’ve been hearing about Ten Thousand Things Theatre for a few years and was intrigued by the idea: theater that travels to prisons, homeless shelters, and other locations to reach the less fortunate among us who don’t typically have a chance to experience theater. And they get some of the top talent in the Twin Cities. I don’t know why it took me so long to finally attend a show, but after seeing My Fair Lady in a large empty fully-lit room at the MN Opera Center, I’m hooked and am now a season ticket holder. Ten Thousand Things performs the paid public version of their show the same way they do it on location: small cast, minimal to no sets, simple costumes, and full lights, with the audience sitting in a few rows surrounding the performance area. It’s theater unlike I’ve ever seen it: sparse, sharp, and with nothing to distract you from the work. It’s truly remarkable. In My Fair Lady, the music took a back seat to the story of a woman from the streets trying to make it in “society,” and all the gender and class issues that go along with it. Kate Eifrig gave a gutsy performance as Eliza, and Steve Hendrickson was her elegant but emotionally reserved Henry Higgins. Some of the songs were spoken which gave more focus to the words. The one exception was when Bradley Greenwald, a member of the ensemble who played several parts, sang “On the Street Where You Live.” He has an amazing operatic voice and he absolutely killed the song. With minimal accompaniment, his voice filled the room and gave me chills. Ten Thousand Things is bare bones theater, and it’s breathtaking.

6. This summer’s Circle Mirror Transformation was a Guthrie production but not part of the Guthrie season. It told the story of a Saturday acting class in the fictional small town of Shirley, Vermont. Full of awkward pauses and odd exercises, it felt like I was spying on this class and getting to know and love the five participants and their complicated lives. This small, intimate production in the Dowling Studio also seemed to be a favorite of actors; I spotted three of them in the audience (and even got to ride the elevator down to the first floor stage door with two of them!). There was nothing really remarkable about this show, just a quiet, real, completely satisfying exploration of five intersecting lives.

7. Another part of the Guthrie season that’s not technically a Guthrie production, Scottsboro Boys is the final musical by John Kander and the late Fred Ebb (composers of classics such as Cabaret and Chicago). Following a successful run Off-Broadway earlier this year, Scottsboro Boys moved to the Guthrie this summer in preparation for its opening on Broadway this fall. The excellent cast was intact with one exception: local actor David Anthony Brinkley filled in for John Cullum (aka Holling Vincoeur from my favorite TV show Northern Exposure). Employing a traditional minstrel style, the musical tells the true story of nine young black men who were accused of raping two white women in 1931 in Scottsboro, Alabama, and the miscarriage of justice that ensues. As you can tell from the subject matter, it’s not a light and easy musical. At times difficult to watch, but with the amazing music and choreography you’d expect from a Kander and Ebb show, it deals with some serious issues of racism and justice that we’re still dealing with in this country today. I wish there were more musicals like this, forcing us to look at our world in a new way through the medium of song and dance. Apparently it’s too raw and real for the mainstream theater-going public to deal with, because the show recently closed after a run on Broadway of less than two months. The producers are hoping for a spring revival in time for the Tonys, at which it’s sure to be well-represented.

8. The Glass Menagerie is a tragic tale of a dysfunctional codependent family; a mother who only wants the best for her children, a daughter who is afraid to go out in the world, and a son who doesn’t know what to do to make it better for them all. The Jungle Theater’s production was beautifully sad and moving.  The incomparable Wendy Lehr (winner of the 2010 Lifetime Achievement Ivey Award) played the mother, and her chemistry with Joshua James Campbell's Tom was real and delightful.  Rounding out the strong cast was Michael Booth as the charming and arrogant gentleman caller, and Alayne Hopkins as the fragile Laura.  This family is trying so desperately to be happy, and they fail so miserably, that your heart just breaks for them.  I was reminded of how much I love the space at the Jungle and the work that they do.  They have several exciting shows coming up this year, so I just ordered a season pass.

9. My favorite theater find this year is the Yellow Tree Theatre in Osseo, a northwest suburb with a quaint small town feel. Founders and spouses Jason Peterson and Jessica Lind founded the theater in 2008 upon returning home after trying to find their fortune in New York City. Instead, they decided to make their fortune here. They transformed an ordinary space in a suburban strip mall into a warm, inviting space “where good stories live.” They opened the 2010-2011 with the original play String, a quirky romantic comedy that made me laugh and warmed my heart. Their website says: “We at Yellow Tree Theatre have this dream. We see the people of this community gathering together and getting excited about theatre. We see our theatre as a meeting place where everyone feels welcome, an artistic venue where people of all ages and walks of life can mingle together. Maybe we’re a little romantic, maybe this sounds like a crazy convoluted idea, but we’re okay with that. We like crazy.” I like that kind of crazy too.

10. The Guthrie’s production of The 39 Steps, which just closed last week, was a zany, fun, whirlwind of a show. A cast of just four actors played dozens of different characters on a wild ride across the Scottish countryside. Sarah Agnew, Jim Lichtscheidl, and Luverne Seifert were all hilarious in each of their many roles, and Robert Berdahl played the main character Richard Hannay with a suave elegance and over the top hamminess. They all seemed to be having as much fun as the audience was. I ran into Sarah at a Ten Thousand Things performance of Life’s a Dream during the run of the show, and couldn’t resist telling her I loved the show. I said to her, “I don’t know how you guys don’t crack each other up.” And she responded, “We do!” Like a great Carol Burnett sketch, the audience and the actors get caught up in the hilarity and fun of it all.

Honorable Mention:

I’ll always remember 2010 as the year of Hair. The 1968 Broadway musical was revived in 2009 and I had only started hearing about it when I was in New York City that April. I was hoping to get tickets at the TKTS booth, but no such luck. I became obsessed with the show as the soundtrack was released and the cast made frequent TV appearances, including on the 2009 Tony Awards, where it won for best revival of a musical. I fell in love with the entire cast, or tribe as they’re known, but especially Gavin Creel, both for his infectious performance as Claude and his tireless advocacy in bringing equality to everyone. I was planning another trip to NYC in April 2010, and as soon as Hair tickets were released I bought some. Just a few weeks later, it was announced that the entire cast was moving across the pond to do the show in London’s West End; their last NYC performance would be in March of 2010. Great news for the show and a great opportunity for the tribe, but devastating news for me! After a few hours of depression I thought, why don’t I just go to NYC before March to see the cast that I love doing this show that I love? So that’s exactly what I did, and it turned out to be one of my best trips there. My theater buddy Kendra and I saw the show and loved it – I was afraid it wouldn’t live up to my high expectations, but it absolutely did. We danced onstage and sang “Let the Sun Shine In,” and met most of the cast at the stage door. When Gavin hadn’t appeared and no one else seemed to be coming out, we were about to give up (did I mention it was January and cold?). But our patience was rewarded when Gavin came out to talk to a man who had been at the original show 40 years ago. He very generously braved the cold to talk to the few fans that remained. I found him to be just as sweet and kind and warm and funny as I thought he would be. Gavin traveled to Minnesota in September to perform at a fundraiser for then-candidate and current governor Mark Dayton, and I was able to talk to him for a few minutes then as well, after watching his amazing performance of classics and musical theater selections. But enough about Gavin, back to the show at hand.  I saw Hair again in April with the replacement cast, and it was almost as good as the original! I’m looking forward the tour that’s coming to Minneapolis in March, starring original tribe members Paris Remillard and Steel Burkhardt as Claude and Berger.

Entertainment Weekly called Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson “a weird, wild masterpiece,” and I find that a fitting description. During my third trip to NYC this year, Kendra and I were standing in the TKTS line trying to decide what to see, when a very nice and helpful young man convinced us to see BBAJ. It wasn’t a hard sell; I had heard rumblings about it, and as soon as our new friend heard that we’re interested in original, inventive musical theater, he directed us to this show. A political satire set to an endlessly singable emo-rock score with brilliant over-the-top performances, most notably by rising star Ben Walker as the sexypants president, BBAJ is part utter silliness and part biting commentary on the world we live in. Sadly, like Scottsboro Boys, this show is ahead of its time. It’s closing this weekend after a mere 120 performances. I’m so grateful I had the chance to see it during its short run, and I hope that it finds life in other forms.

I had the great fortune of seeing two Broadway legends and one legend-in-the-making at Orchestra Hall this year. Bernadette Peters (Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, the movie version of Annie) performed with the Orchestra in May; Patti LuPone (in addition to such Broadway classics as Evita and Sweeney Todd, she also played my alter-ego Becca’s mom in my favorite TV show as a teen, Life Goes On) performed with only piano accompaniment in June; and Idina Menzel (Maureen in RENT and Elphaba in Wicked) performed barefoot with the orchestra in November. All three women told stories about their history and experiences in the world of musical theater, singing songs from shows they were a part of and shows they wished they were a part of. Three amazingly talented women and three amazing evenings celebrating my favorite thing, musical theater.

On the music front (remember those 22 concerts?) the definite highlight of the year was StoryhillFest over Labor Day Weekend. A two-day folk music festival in the beautiful Brainerd lakes area, StoryhillFest featured performances from nine artists in addition to two concerts by the duo Storyhill, about whom Garrison Keillor said something like, “setting the bar for male vocal duets.” The weekend was a wonderful celebration of music and the outdoors, and a collaboration between artists that culminated in a nightly campfire sing. I’ve never experienced anything quite like listening to my favorite musicians sing and play by the magical light of a campfire under a thousand stars. I went to the website to buy my tickets for the 2011 fest last week, only to find that the rooms are sold out! Not a big fan of camping in a crowd of people, I bought a few day passes and put my name on the waiting list in the hopes that something will open up before next September. If you like sitting outside listening to great music, get your tickets now!

That about wraps up my year in live entertainment!  Looking back on it, 2010 was a very good year.

Gavin Creel at the Woman's Club of Minneapolis

If you live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and you're a fan of musical theater, you should have been at the Woman's Club of Minneapolis on Friday night.  My favorite Broadway actor, Gavin Creel, performed at a fundraiser for Minnesota's DFL gubernatorial candidate, Mark Dayton, sponsored by HRC Minnesota PAC and OutFront Action PAC.  Gavin recently spent a year and half playing Claude in Hair on Broadway and London's West End, which closed earlier this month.  I became obsessed with the show shortly after it opened, and fell in love with Gavin's voice upon buying the soundtrack.  I also have his two solo recordings, the lovely little EP called Quiet, and his earlier (more upbeat and poppy) recording Goodtimenation.  I finally got to see Gavin and the rest of Hair's talented tribe on Broadway in January of this year.  While Hair has sadly closed on Broadway and in London, it's soon embarking on a national tour.  I was hoping Gavin might join the cast (he confirmed that he's not when I spoke to him after the show), but having this opportunity to see him in concert is even better!

In addition to being a super talented performer, Gavin is also a great advocate for marriage equality, having co-founded an organization called Broadway Impact.  Their website pretty much explains it all: "We are a community of actors, directors, stage managers, fans, producers - pretty much anyone who has ever seen, been in or worked on a Broadway show - united by the simple belief that anyone who wants to should be able to get married."  Sounds like a no-brainer to me.  Mark Dayton is a supporter of marriage equality, so somehow, somebody connected with somebody, and Gavin ended up here in Minnesota for great music and a great cause. 

Gavin with Minnesota's next governor Mark Dayton

On to the show.  Gavin brought with him Mary Mitchell Campbell, musical director of such shows as The Addam's Family, Company, and Next to Normal in its off-Broadway incarnation (one of my recent faves). 

Gavin Creel accompanied by Mary Mitchell Campbell on piano

Gavin started off the concert with a medley of (mostly) Irving Berlin songs, and later sang the Berlin song "Pack up your sins (and go to the devil)."  In addition to a few classics, he also sang several musical theater songs, including "Something's Coming" from West Side Story, "You Got Trouble" from The Music Man (which was fabulous, this song has such complex and clever lyrics that it's always fun to see it done live), a Stephen Sondheim song "What Can You Lose?" from the film Dick Tracy, and a selection from Thoroughly Modern Millie, for which he was nominated for his first Tony.  He also told a very funny story about what it's like to audition for a show, such as the (hopefully) fictional Exorcist: the Musical (a dig at the recent unfortunate trend of movie and TV show adaptations on Broadway).  He sang one of his real-life audition songs, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life."

Mary Mitchell left the stage for a few solo songs by Gavin, for which he also played the piano.  He sang two new songs, one of which he wrote for his best friend's recent wedding.

Gavin's solo songs at the piano

For the finale of the show, Gavin was joined on stage by local musical theater actors.  Unfortunately they were not individually introduced, but I did recognize several of them, including Ann Michels (most recently seen in A Streetcar Named Desire at the Guthrie), Sasha Andreev (Latte Da in the Park, Two Gentlemen of Verona at the Guthrie) , Harley Wood (from the band Far from Falling and a local production of my favorite musical RENT at the Lab Theater), and Brendan Bujold (the title character in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Chan).  They sang the finale from Gavin's most recent show, Hair, for which he was nominated for his second Tony.  Any concert that ends with a sing-along to "Let the Sun Shine In" is my kind of concert!

Gavin and the local tribe singing
"Flesh Failures/Let the Sun Shine In"

Well, not quite the end.  Gavin and Mary Mitchell came back out for an encore: "The Rainbow Connection."

Gavin and Mary Mitchell: "The Rainbow Connection"

After the concert there was a reception upstairs in the beautiful old building that is the Woman's Club.  Gavin is a popular man, but I did eventually get a few minutes to chat with him.  It's nice to know he's still the warm, genuine, giving person that I met at the stage door of Hair earlier this year.

Gavin and me

Broadway is Coming to Minnesota in the Form of Gavin Creel!

We're in luck, my fellow Minnesota theater lovers! One of today's hottest Broadway stars is coming to Minnesota for a concert next Friday, September 24. Gavin Creel most recently portrayed Claude in Hair on Broadway and London's West End. Hair is my most recent theater obsession, and I made a special trip to NYC in January of this year just to see this show with the original revival cast, especially Gavin, before the entire company moved the show to London in March. I was lucky enough to meet Gavin at the stage door, and he was every bit as sweet and kind as I expected him to be.

In addition to being a talented actor and singer (check out his albums Goodtimenation and Quiet on itunes), Gavin is also very involved in social activism, particularly in the area of marriage equality. He founded an organization called Broadway Impact, and was also largely responsible for the entire cast of Hair taking the day off so that they could participate in the National Equality March in October 2009. The concert next week is a fundraiser for Minnesota DFL gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton, who is running on a platform that includes marriage equality.

Great cause, great music, I'm there! For more information on the event or how you can donate, click here.

Update: read my report of the event here.