"Church Basement Ladies: A Second Helping" by Rags to Rags Productions at Plymouth Playhouse

Almost one year to the date and I'm back in the basement. The literal basement beneath a Ramada Inn where Plymouth Playhouse is located, and the theatrical basement that is the setting for the Minnesota-grown musical comedy franchise known as Church Basement Ladies. The first musical in what was to become a series premiered in 2005 at the Plymouth Playhouse, written by Jim Stowell and Jessica Zuelhlke based on the book Growing Up Lutheran by Janet Letnes Martin and Suzann Nelson, with music and lyrics by Drew Jansen. That was before my time as a theater blogger, and somehow I also missed out on the eight sequels, all penned by original cast member Greta Grosch, with Dennis Curley joining the songwriting team. Lucky for me, Rags to Rags Productions began what I hope is a full series rewatch last year, so I was able to jump in on the ground floor, or basement, as it were. After seeing the original The Church Basement Ladies last year, I wrote "this musical comedy is very broad, very corny, very Minnesotan, and whole lot of fun.... and I hope to visit the basement again!" My hopes were realized; this year they're doing the second show in the series, aptly titled A Second Helping. Because it is exactly that - a second helping of the humor, the heart, the bad puns, the physical comedy, and the Minnesota references. You can see it now through August 23, but don't worry if you haven't seen the first one, you'll have no trouble jumping into the story and falling in love with these charmingly quirky (and familiar) characters.

"Church Basement Ladies" by Rags to Rags Productions at Plymouth Playhouse

How is it that I've been a theater blogger in Minnesota for 15 years and have never seen a show from the Minnesota musical comedy institution that is Church Basement Ladies? I have no excuse, other than possibly geography (the shows have primarily performed in Plymouth and Burnsville, neither a great location for me), and that it's produced by a production company (Troupe America and/or Rags to Rags Productions) rather than one of the many theaters I frequent. Whatever the reason for this omission, it has been remedied, and I have now been indoctrinated into the basement. After eight sequels, the original Church Basement Ladies has returned to its original venue, Plymouth Playhouse underneath a Ramada Inn off 494, to celebrate its 20th anniversary. The three original ladies of the basement are still with the show, which works like a well-oiled machine at this point. This musical comedy is very broad, very corny, very Minnesotan, and whole lot of fun. This incarnation of Church Basement Ladies continues through August 24, after which they're sure to pop again somewhere, and I hope to visit the basement again!

"Dear World" by Ten Thousand Things at Open Book

I consider myself a fan of musicals (although perhaps not quite an expert), but I had never heard of the 1969 musical Dear World that won Angela Lansbury her second Tony. It has certainly not seen the success of composer/lyricist Jerry Herman's other works, which include La Cage aux Folles and Hello, Dolly! That's hard to comprehend after seeing Ten Thousand Things' new production of Dear World, which reveals it to be a perfectly charming and lovely musical. But then, Ten Thousand Things productions have a tendency to reduce any work of theater, from Shakespeare to a Broadway musical flop, to it's most perfect, accessible, relatable heart. Under the direction of Jungle Theater's new Artistic Director Sarah Rasmussen, with one-man orchestra Peter Vitale and a beautifully diverse eight-person cast, Dear World is a musical that's sweet, funny, hopeful, and just a little bit wacky.

"Gabriel" by Walking Shadow Theatre Company at the Minneapolis Theatre Garage

As I left the theater yesterday afternoon, I clutched my sweater close around me to ward off the chill. Not the chill in the crisp fall air, but the chill from the play I had just seen - Walking Shadow's Gabriel. This story about a little known facet of WWII history is so captivating, horrifying, chilling, and completely engaging that it hangs with you well after you leave the theater. The excellent cast and realistic set make you feel like you're right there, as this family fights for survival on a Nazi-occupied British island. It's only playing for one more weekend, but it's well worth it if you can make it. You won't soon forget this beautifully done, powerful play.

It's 1943 on the island of Guernsey, a British Island just off the coast of France. After the British troops abandoned it and much of the population fled to England, the Germans occupied it without a fight, leaving the remaining population to live under their rule. They've watched their homes and cities be taken over by the Nazis, with rumors of "camps" striking fear into their hearts. One particular family, consisting of the widow Mrs. Becquet, her young daughter Estelle, her secretly Jewish daughter-in-law Lily (son Miles is a pilot in the British army), and their housekeeper Mrs. Lake, has recently moved out of their home, which is now serving as a barracks for the German soldiers, and into a small cottage. They do what they can to survive, including selling food on the black market and Mrs. Becquet making nice with the officers. Two things threaten this delicate balance - the arrival of a new Nazi commander, von Pfunz, who is smarter and more vicious than he seems, and a naked and unconscious young man washed up on the beach, whom Lily brings home. The mystery of just who this young man is, whom they call Gabriel, lingers throughout the play. In fact we never find out for certain who he is, but his presence changes things for everyone involved. Estelle thinks he's an angel who has come to save them from the Nazis, Mrs. Lake calls him "my boy" and tenderly cares for him, Lily sees in him the husband gone so long she can barely remember him, Mrs. Becquet finds him a dangerous nuisance and wants him out of her house, and von Pfunz suspects he's a German due to his fluent speech (there are several conversations in beautiful German). What enfolds as Gabriel tries to remember who he is and Mrs. Becquet tries to save her family from the evil von Pfunz will keep you on the edge of your seat.

a strong little girl in saddle shoes stands up to a Nazi
(Katherine Kupiecki, Lily Wangerin, and Wade A. Vaughn,
photo by Dan Norman)

There is not a weak link in this excellent six-person cast, beautifully directed by Amy Rummenie. Katherine Kupiecki is the proud and haughty Mrs. Becquet, who may not seem like the best mother but will do whatever she has to to protect her family, however distasteful. Janet Paone is a welcome comic relief as Mrs. Lake, who's as much a part of this family as any of them. Miriam Schwartz brings both strength and vulnerability to the role of Lily, who sees something in this strange young man, portrayed by Ross Destiche as a lost soul with innate goodness in him. Wade A. Vaughn gives yet another brilliant and fully committed performance as the Nazi commander von Pfunz, an evil, twisted, disturbed man, outwardly charming, quietly threatening, and a menace to them all. Last but certainly not least is star in the making Lily Wangerin, who can't be more than ten years old but holds her own with these professionals. Adorably precocious and spirited, she's so present and engaged in every moment, and impressively goes toe-to-toe with Wade in an intense interrogation scene. It's a heavy play and a large role for a little girl, and she handles it gracefully. The entire cast works and plays together very well, and has a great chemistry. Their playground is the realistic and detailed cottage set by Steve Kath, including a kitchen with working sink, stocked pantry, and stove, and an attic bedroom.

Head to the Theatre Garage this weekend for one of the four remaining performances of Gabriel to see this chilling, mesmerizing, beautifully acted play. It's a bit long at nearly three hours with intermission, but it doesn't feel long; every moment is captivating and gripping. It's just devastating, and truly one of the best plays I've seen recently.


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"The Ultimate Pajama Party" at the Lab Theater

I tend to be a little leery of things referred to as "for girls only!" I'm afraid that it'll be chock full of gender stereotypes that will offend my feminist sensibilities more than entertain. But when I received an invitation to the opening night of The Ultimate Pajama Party at the Lab Theater, I couldn't resist the idea of going out to the theater in my comfiest and cutest pajamas (I have a weakness for pajamas, and can never walk through the Target pajama section without throwing something into my cart). The Ultimate Pajama Party is more party than theater, and since I'm a theater geek who enjoys theater more than parties, it's not really my thing. But everyone seemed to be having a great time, and I can see that it could be a really fun thing for a group of girlfriends who like this type of thing. The gorgeous space at the Lab Theater is decked out to full effect and everyone involved has worked really hard to create a fun and welcoming space for this experience.

As expected, this "girls night out" event does play on every stereotype of What Women Like, from the Kardashians and Fifty Shade of Grey (no, thank you) to shopping and jewelry (yes, please). Even the cast of characters assembled fit into stereotypes - the frazzled mom, the single girl, the gay best friend. The evening is set up as a party for Lisa, who is late in arriving to the party (allowing us party-goers time to visit the tiki bar and enjoy the free snacks). Lisa has invited her friends to celebrate, and the evening continues with a few skits and musical numbers interspersed with party games. I wish that the scripted play parts were more developed. They've assembled a fantastic cast of local actors whose talents I would like to see more of. What's there is good (written by James Detmar, who brilliantly played many roles in Spring Awakening last year), there's just not enough of it. The website says "After a bad breakup with Steve, a dead-end job and years spent not pursuing her dreams, Lisa is ready to celebrate new beginnings," but I didn't really get that from the show. I would prefer more scripted parts and less interactive games (diet bingo, walk like a Kardashian). But again, I'm a theater geek so maybe that's just me.

On the plus side is that fantastic cast of local actors I mentioned:

• Bonni Allen - I got a kick out of her presiding over the strange puppet show since she played Kate Monster in Avenue Q.
• Doug Anderson - he makes a smooth transition from playing the stereotypical Minnesota guy in A Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol to the stereotypical gay best friend.
• Betti Battocletti - always musically comedic in such shows as 42nd Street and The Full Monty.
• Dawn Brodey - one of the standouts in last year's fantastic Fringe show Joe Dowling's William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet...
• Janet Paone - I've never seen her before but she's very funny and bawdy in the show.
• Melanie Wehrmacher - the guest of honor Lisa, a totally different role from the last time I saw her in Diary of Anne Frank.
• Lisa Weiland - the frazzled mom, which I'm sure many women in the audience can relate to.

Many of them go by their real names in the show, and seem to be sharing some real stories about their lives, so I'm not really sure where the actor ends and the character begins. They all meander through the audience during the show, chatting with guests, and are all very fun and open, creating that party atmosphere. The evening concludes with a performance by Lisa's favorite local band (and actual local band), Belladiva. They sing a collection of current pop hits (which I like to call Glee songs) as well as classic female power pop anthems like "I Will Survive" and "It's Raining Men." This loosely theatrical interactive event turns into a dance party.

the Lab Theater all decked out for a party

I love the Lab Theater - it's like a big, beautiful blank slate. Joshua Barnd has transformed it into an elegant space, with comfy white couches and chairs, black tables, zebra print floor, gorgeous drapery, and a fun setup for photo shoots (if that's your thing). It's just an all around lovely space to be in. There are also party favors and t-shirts to be had, and free food - always a plus at a party!

The Ultimate Pajama Party is super cheesy, both literally (snacks!) and figuratively. They're definitely targeting a specific market and might become a huge success. Personally, I prefer more traditional theater (did I mention I'm a geek who would a million times rather go to the theater than a party?), but if you're looking for a fun and silly night out with your girlfriends, you might want to give this one a try. The party continues through February 10, and don't forget to wear you favorite pajamas! (Half price tickets available for select dates at Goldstar.com.)