"The Madwoman of Minneapolis" by The BAND Group at Calvary Baptist Church

The little theater in the basement of Calvary Baptist Church is becoming one of my favorite theater venues, because it's intimate and versatile. The latest example is The BAND Group's adaptation of the mid 20th Century French satire The Madwoman of Chaillot, which they're calling The Madwoman of Minneapolis. They've turned the space into a cafe, complete with food and drinks, which makes for an immersive and intimate (but not interactive, thankfully) experience of this charming little story, with a message of environmentalism and community over consumerism that couldn't be more timely.

"Spring Awakening" by The Chameleon Theatre Circle at Gremlin Theatre

At last night's 2019 Tony Awards, Hadestown won eight Tonys (including best musical, notably the first best musical written and directed by women). Twelve years ago, Spring Awakening won eight Tonys, including best musical. Like Hadestown, Spring Awakening is based on an old story (not as old as the myth of Eurydice and Orpheus, rather a late 19th Century German play), retold in a way that feels new utterly relevant to today's world. Sadly, the issues of suicide, teen pregnancy, abortion, child abuse, and the general difficulties of being a teenager are never not relevant. The new production by The Chameleon Theatre Circle features a talented young cast, many of whom also play instruments, and brings these issues to the forefront of 2019.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2018: "TITUS: Sweet Water, Silent Walks"

Day: 8

Show: 28

Title: TITUS: Sweet Water, Silent Walks

Category: Dance / Drama / Physical Theater

By: The BAND Group

Created by: The BAND Group

Location: Rarig Center Thrust

Summary: An adaptation of Shakespeare's most bloody play Titus Andronicus, using movement, music, physical theater, and dance.

Highlights: Wow, and I thought Macbeth was a violent play. A quick perusal of the Wikipedia page (always recommended before a first experience with a Shakespeare play) was enough to turn my stomach, with its tale of rape, murder, dismemberment, and cannibalism (no wonder people fainted). I don't think I ever need to see a full production of this play, but The BAND Group's interpretation (directed and adapted by Adrian Lopez-Balbontin) is beautiful in its brutality and powerful in its message. Focusing on the violent rape and mutilation of Titus' daughter Lavinia (played by Jackie O'Neil, who also choreographed), this production returns some of her power as she dances with other survivors and gets revenge by killing her attackers, with the help of her mother Titus (an interesting and effective gender switch). In fact, The BAND Group is partnering with Cornerstone, an organization whose goal is "to reduce the prevalence of domestic violence, sexual violence, human trafficking, and general crime," all of which are on full display in this play. The talented and committed 18-person cast is comprised of actors, dancers, and musicians (clarinet, trumpet, guitar, percussion), and they create some beautiful (and at times disturbing) sounds and images. The most brutal scenes of violence are also beautiful and graceful in the choreography (which as an audience member makes it a little easier to take). A beautiful, powerful, original, relevant Shakespearean adaptation.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

"You Can't Take It With You" at Lyric Arts

You can't take it with you. Meaning money, meaning when you die. What's the point of racking up piles of money at the expense of living? It's more important to rack up experiences and time spent doing the things you love with the people you love. At least that's the moral of the story in the classic play You Can't Take It With You, now playing at Lyric Arts Main Street Stage in Anoka. This 80-year-old play may be a little dated and old-fashioned, and I don't really see the urgency of doing this play at this moment in time. And of course, it's a privileged class of people who can contemplate giving up their high-paying job to spend more time on their hobbies. That being said, this is still a charming, funny, and uplifting play, a good way to spend an evening and a good reminder to not overlook the important things in life.

"Nice Work If You Can Get It" at Lyric Arts

A jukebox musical featuring the songs of the Gershwin brothers (composer George and lyracist Ira) set in the bootlegging days of the 1920s. Sounds fun, right? And it is that. It's not what I want from Broadway (I prefer new original musicals), but it's a perfect fit for regional and community theater. Perhaps that's why I enjoyed Lyric Arts' production of Nice Work If You Can Get more than I remember enjoying the Broadway tour that came through town a few years ago. It's chock full of wonderful tunes, the 20-person cast is really strong from the leads through the ensemble, the set is cool, and the large offstage band sounds great. There's nothing deep or overly meaningful about the show, but it's a great good time.