"Diamond Jubilee: 60th Anniversary Gala" at The Guthrie Theater

Sixty years ago this month, the Guthrie Theater opened on Vineland Place next to the Walker Art Center. The first production of this experimental repertory theater was Hamlet, directed by founder Sir Tyrone Guthrie himself (read the full history here). The Guthrie is celebrating this momentous anniversary with a new production of Hamlet (closing on May 21), an open house last weekend, and a fundraiser gala earlier this week. While it wasn't the cornucopia of performances and stars that the 2013 50th Anniversary Gala and the 2015 Joe Dowling Tribute Gala were, it was still a wonderful and celebratory night capped with a fantastic concert by Guthrie alum and Tony-winner Santino Fontana. I became a Guthrie subscriber 20 years ago, and I'm certain that without it, I would not be a theater blogger today. Being a Guthrie subscriber introduced me to plays and playwrights I wouldn't have otherwise seen (since as a subscriber you see everything, whether it sounds like something you'd be interested in or not), as well as to other local theater companies they hosted in one of their theaters. I also became familiar with local artists that I followed to other theater companies, beginning the snowball effect that eventually resulted in this wild and wonderful hobby of being a theater blogger and seeing 3-5 shows every week. I'm so grateful that Sir Tyrone Guthrie chose Minneapolis (or rather, as was said at the gala, that Minnesota chose Guthrie) to open his regional theater in the state where I was lucky enough to be born ten years later.

"The Tempest" at the Guthrie Theater

The Guthrie's production of Shakespeare's The Tempest, which opened last month and continues through April 16, is "such stuff as dreams are made on." Former Artistic Director Joe Dowling returns to the Guthrie to direct this piece, the first time since he left in 2015. I became a subscriber and fell in love with the Guthrie (and through it, the local theater community) during the Joe Dowling era, so this production feels very familiar and comforting to me, like going home. That big blue beautiful building on the Mississippi (which Joe Dowling shepherded into existence) truly is one of my happy places. And this Tempest is a joyful celebration of the magic we call theater, one that's especially heart-warming after the very long intermission of the last two years. This is the first fully new production of the Guthrie's 2021-2022 pandemic-shortened season (they hosted the touring production of What the Constitution Means to Me last fall, and put a new spin on their 40+ year annual tradition The Christmas Carol), and they've just announced an exciting new 60th anniversary season (my 19th as a subscriber). It feels so good to come home to the Guthrie again.

The 2015 Ivey Awards at the State Theatre

On Monday night I attended my 9th Ivey Awards. Yes, even before I started Cherry and Spoon in 2010 and started getting press tickets to the event in 2013, I was still a theater geek (read all the words I've written about the Iveys here). The Ivey Awards are my favorite theater night of the year, not so much for the awards themselves, but because it's a celebration of another year of amazing local theater that gathers all of my favorite theater artists in one room. Even though I've met many of them, I still get starstruck when I walk through the crowd and every other face I see is someone I've enjoyed watching on stage. I love to watch awards shows on TV so it's a thrill to get all glammed up and actually attend one in person. I even painted my toenails with a glittery green called "One Short Day" - appropriate because of its musical theater geekiness and and because this event that I look forward to all year goes by in a whirlwind of people and honorees and loud music and conversations. And now it's over for another year, but more great theater is still to come which we will be celebrating next year!

The super talented Christina Baldwin and Regina Marie Williams hosted this year's awards ceremony. They performed a funny and topical musical opening number, did bits and introductions throughout the show, and closed with Regina dressed as a nun (she's playing the Whoopi Goldberg role in Sister Act at the Chanhassen this fall) and Christina dressed as a WWII Army soldier from Sisters of Swing (get it - they're both sisters!). The awards were presented by past winners and representatives from the night's sponsors. In between awards we were treated to scenes from musicals and plays from the last year.

The Iveys don't have set categories and nominees, rather they award exceptional work wherever they see it. This year 11 awards were given out, representing 12 productions. I saw all but two of them - perhaps my highest percentage to date! And the winners are:

1. Walking Shadow Theatre Company's WWII drama Gabriel, about which I said "so captivating, horrifying, chilling, and completely engaging that it hangs with you well after you leave the theater."
2. Steve Tyler for music direction of the gorgeous Pirates of Penzance at the Ordway
3. Shá Cage for her "tour de force" performance in the one-woman show Grounded by Frank Theatre
4. One of the two honored shows I missed was Green T Productions' Prince Rama's Journey, for which Joko Surtisno was honored for music direction
5. Claudia Wilkins and Barbara Kingsley for their work in Gertrude Stein and a Companion at the Jungle, a show they've performed in several times over the last 20 years, prompting Claudia to say "maybe this time we got it right!"
6. The lovely and charming dancing couple Brian Sostek and Megan McClellan for their delightful, funny, and innovative creation Trick Boxing, seen many times on many stages around the country but most recently at Park Square Theatre
7. Another show I missed, Nothing is Something at Open Eye Figure Theatre
8. The ensemble of Pillsbury House Theatre's Marcus, or the Secret of Sweet, seen at the Guthrie studio last fall
9. Peter Rothstein wins again (deservedly), this time for his direction of Ten Thousand Things' Romeo and Juliet
10. Matthew LeFebre was doubly awarded for his costume design of The Mystery of Irma Vep at the Jungle and A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie (both remounts)
11. Last but not least, Live Action Set was honored for the super creepy and very real production design of the walk-through experience that was Crime and Punishment at the Soap Factory

Every year Ivey honors an artist at the beginning of her or his career and one who is further into their career and has made many contributions to the local theater scene over a number of years. This year's Emerging Artist had already been honored as part of the cast of Marcus (my first thought was Nathan Barlow, but nope, maybe next year) - Mikell Sapp. I've seen him a couple of times on stage and definitely taken notice; I look forward to seeing more of him. In perhaps the only predictable award of the night, recently retired 20-year Artistic Director of the Guthrie Joe Dowling received the Lifetime Achievement Award. He was beautifully celebrated in a grand gala and performance earlier this year, and it was nice to once again celebrate his accomplishments over the last 20 years.

The performances are often the funnest part of the night. This year they included a pre-show warm-up by the beautiful, talented, and athletic young men of Mixed Blood Theatre's Colossal. We also got a brief history of the Iveys from the Church Basement Ladies (celebrating their 10th anniversary this year at Plymouth Playhouse). Next, a couple of past Emerging Artists performed. Ricardo Vázquez led the cast of History Theatre's River Road Boogie in Minnesota rock & roller Augie Garcia's appropriately titled big hit "Ivy League Baby" (Ricardo can currently be seen at Park Square in the moving and powerful portrait of a soldier, Elliot, A Soldier's Fugue). And in the most adorable moment of the night, Tyler Michaels and the cutest lost boys ever bounced around the stage singing "I Won't Grow Up," from Children's Theatre Company's delightful Peter Pan (watch Tyler take on another iconic role in Theater Latte Da's Sweeney Todd, opening at the Ritz this weekend). Not all the performances were musicals; we also saw a montage of scenes from four excellent plays - Jeffrey Hatcher's Hamlet (the playwright's latest work, the musical Glensheen, can be seen at History Theatre beginning next weekend), Thurgood (the previous two plays both presented at Illusion Theatre), Penumbra's Detroit '67, and Frank Theatre's Grounded (giving the audience a taste of why Shá Cage received the Ivey). The always sobering and poignant In Memoriam section was accompanied by a lovely song "We Are the Wandering Wondering" from the new original musical Jonah and the Whale by 7th House Theatre (who are presenting another new original musical at the Guthrie studio this winter). In what has come to be one of the most cleverly entertaining segments of the show, Shade's Brigade managed to work all of the sponsors into their radio drama. The disgruntled princess of Casting Spells' Disenchanted sang a (not so) happy tune, and the evening was brought to a delightful close with Ann Michels and the cast of Chanhassen Dinner Theatres' Mary Poppins singing and dancing their way through "Supercalifragilisticexpialodocious!" And then it was time for the party!

One of my favorite things in this past year is that I've gotten to know several of my fellow bloggers. We're a strange breed, and it's nice to know that other people understand the stress, obsession, and pure joy of being a theater blogger in this town. Last night I had such fun hanging out with Laura (One Girl Two Cities), Stephanie (phenoMNal twin cities), Julie (Minnesota Theater Love), Todd (l'etoile), and Kendra (Artfully Engaging) - check them out! I also had the great pleasure of chatting with many of my favorite theater artists, including but not limited to: Sally Wingert working the check-in at the pre-show party (see her as Mrs. Lovett in Theater Latte Da's Sweeney Todd opening this weekend); Kim Kivens handing out programs at the State (one of The Realish Housewives of Edina, opening at the New Century Theatre this weekend); Adam Qualls (with whom I geeked out about the new musical Glensheen that he's in, opening at History Theatre next weekend); Rachel Weber (whom I will see Dancing at Lughnasa at Yellow Tree tonight); Ivey winner Shá Cage (go see her powerful one-woman show U/G/L/Y at the Guthrie this weekend!); Sam Landman (who seems to have recovered well from his recent health scare); and the Nature people (who totally deserve an Ivey, be sure to catch one of the last two stops on their 2015 tour). There were more people I wanted to talk to but my feet were not getting along with my beautiful golden shoes, so my night had come to end shortly before midnight, just like Cinderella.

So there you have it. Another year of brilliant, funny, clever, challenging, strange, delightful theater, and another wonderful celebration of these beautiful cities we are lucky enough to call home. Were all of my favorite shows from this past year honored? Of course not, but you'll have to wait until my end of the year wrap-up in December for more on that. Until then - happy theater-going!


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.


P.S. ICYMI, here's the Cherry and Spoon Twitter feed from Awards night:

"All the World's A Stage" - a Gala Tribute Honoring Joe Dowling at the Guthrie Theatre

The Guthrie Theater knows how to throw a gala. The 50th Anniversary Gala two years ago is one of my favorite theater memories, with amazing performances by many local and national favorites in celebration of 50 years of this national treasure of a theater we Minnesotans are lucky enough to call ours. Last Saturday night the Guthrie held another gala, and instead of just a general feeling of appreciation for the community, all of the respect, honor, and love was directed towards one person, Joe Dowling. Joe is resigning from his position of Artistic Director after 20 years (12 of which I have been a season subscriber), during which he oversaw the move from the original theater to the big blue beautiful building on the river and co-founded the Guthrie/U of M BFA program along with many other accomplishments. He is the longest tenured Artistic Director in Guthrie history (surpassing the previous holder of that record, his predecessor Garland Wright, by 11 years) and the most consistent leadership in the Guthrie's 52 year history. In that time he has worked with hundreds of theater artists, many of whom were on hand to partake in the celebration. The 90-minute performance included over 70 actors and showcased a dozen of the over 50 plays and musicals that Joe has directed in his tenure at the Guthrie, plus original musical and dance performances. But even more than the many wonderful mini-performances we were treated to was the overwhelming feeling of love, gratitude, and respect for this theater, this community, and the man who has helmed this theater for so many years. It was a truly magical night.

If you weren't there, here's a summary of the wonderful things you missed:

• The show opened (about 30 minutes past the scheduled 8:30 start time) with a rousing musical number in which a cast of too many favorites to mention sang what I'm assuming is an original song "There You Are," complete with some audience interaction. 
• We were welcomed by the hilarious lisping weeble-wobble brothers Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky, played by real-life brothers Kris L. and Lee Mark Nelson, reprising their roles from the 2008 production of The Government Inspector.
• Colman Domingo from the original cast of The Scottsboro Boys returned to serenade us with a beautiful and heart-breaking song from the show, "Go Back Home." The Scottsboro Boys is the brilliant last musical from Kander and Ebb, and played at the Guthrie in the summer of 2010 between stints off and on Broadway. I'm so grateful to Joe and the Guthrie for bringing it to Minnesota.
• Bill McCallum opened a series of scenes with the opening lines from my favorite play The Glass Menagerie, reprising his role of Tom from the 2007 production. The poetic musings by Tennessee Williams on time, memory, and illusion were the perfect way to start the show.
• Michelle O'Neill and Stephen Pelinksi performed the scene about choosing caskets from The Merchant of Venice, in which both actors appeared in 2007.
• This was followed by a selection from Chekhov's Three Sisters, directed by Joe in 2003, with Chloe Armao, Emily Gunyou Halaas, and Michelle O'Neill as the sisters.
• Joe directed The Importance of Being Earnest twice at the Guthrie, in 1998 and 2009. Hugh Kennedy and Valeri Mudek treated us to a scene from the play.
• A "dance interlude" by Megan McClellan and Brian Sostek (who also choreographed the show) did not last nearly long enough. When he leapt into her arms and she caught him and spun around, the audience gasped in delight. They are such effortless, charismatic, playful dancers.
• Master storyteller Kevin Kling delivered a hilarious, touching, and very Minnesotan tale about his work with Joe and the Guthrie.
• Sally Wingert belting out "Gotta Get a Gimmick" from Gypsy - is there anything better than that? Yes there is, because she sang original lyrics by Mark Benninghofen specific to the occasion and was joined by J.C. Cutler, Robert Dorfman, Jim Lichtsheidl, Tracey Maloney, and Isabell Monk O'Connor, each at their most gimmicky to make us love them. It worked.
• Another scene montage began with Bob Davis dryly delivering Minnesota fishing regulations from 2013's Nice Fish, a play I called "absurd, hilarious, strangely profound, and yes, somewhat inexplicable."
• A dramatic and star-studded scene from 2007's The Home Place made me wish I had a better memory, or could see it again.
• Michael Booth recited a monologue from Stoppard's The Invention of Love, directed by Joe in 2003.
• I will never tire of listening to Tyler Michaels sing "On the Street Where You Live," so I was thrilled that he briefly reprised his role from last summer's hit My Fair Lady.
• Four fantastically talented women (Helen Anker, Cat Brindisi, Melisa Hart, Greta Oglesby, and Regina Marie Williams) sang a montage of songs titled "Love's What We'll Remember" that included such Broadway classics as "Send in the Clowns," "Broadway Baby," and of course, the entirely appropriate "What I Did For Love."
• Once again, Jennifer Baldwin Peden made opera seem funny, accessible, natural, and completely effortless. She's sure to win any part she wants with "Adele's Audition Song" from Die Fledermaus.
• The last scene montage began with a scene from the ghostly comedy Blithe Spirit, last seen at the Guthrie in 1997, with Bradley Greenwald, Laura Esping, and Rosaleen Linehan playing man, ghost, and medium.
• Helen Carey and Peter Michael Goetz recreated an intense scene from 2002's All My Sons, another one I wish I could see.
• The scene montages concluded, fittingly, with the heartbreaking closing monologue from The Glass Menagerie, providing a nice bookend to the scene portion of the evening.
• This was immediately followed by a stirring a capella version of "The Hills of Tomorrow" from Merrily We Roll Along, performed by the ensemble. By the way, I should mention that Music Director Andrew Cooke led a fantastic six-person orchestra throughout the show and provided the arrangements. And Peter Flynn did a beautiful job directing the show and the many disparate scenes as they flowed together to form a whole.
• More than two dozen alumni from the U of M/Guthrie BFA program and A Guthrie Experience (or as I like to call it, the Guthrie's strong farm system) performed the As You Like It monologue that begins "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players." They told of the seven ages of man, speaking alone or in small or large groups, from "the infant, mewling and puking in the nurse's arms" through "second childhood and oblivion, sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything." Such great young talent that the Guthrie has sent out into the world.
• Another U of M/Guthrie BFA graduate, Santino Fontana, who played Hamlet in the final production at the old Guthrie, impassionately sang "I Was Here" from The Glorious Ones.
• The closing number was the highly appropriate "You're the Top" from Anything Goes, beginning with Bradley Greenwald and Greta Oglesby, and continuing through all of the wonderful and beloved performers on that stage.

Have you ever watched the Kennedy Center Honors, in which great artists are honored by the president and performances from admiring proteges? That's what this felt like. From where I was sitting, I could see Joe sitting on the center aisle about halfway up, just beaming. He came onstage after the final number to give a few brief words, in which he credited Tyrone Guthrie and the other previous Artistic Directors, as well as all the actors who've worked at the Guthrie beginning with Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy in the inaugural season, through Barbara Bryne (who, at 86, was there but in the audience rather than onstage), through the 70+ actors surrounding him onstage. It was such a love fest, and such a thrill to see so many artists whom I love, respect, and admire in one place, Joe Dowling chief among them.

But wait, that's not all! The evening continued with champagne (in real glasses!), dessert, music (the Minnesota Jazz Orchestra set up just in front of the endless bridge), and mingling. I had the chance to talk to so many of my favorite artists, some of whom I'd met before, some of whom I met for the first time. But there were many I didn't dare approach because they're just too intimidatingly amazing. I could have stood there gawking at the crowd all night and basking in the glow of this amazing theater community.

Here are a few photos from the after-party; I'll add more photos as they become available. Also check out my live twitter feed from the event @cherryandspoon.

champagne toast and tuxes

the dessert table - macarons and truffles

dancing to the smooth sounds of the Minnesota Jazz Orchestra

a memento from a magical night - this chocolate is too pretty to eat!

"Juno and the Paycock" at the Guthrie Theater

Ah, Ireland. Such a beautiful country, a land of endless music, rolling green hills, and waves crashing upon the shore, but with such a complicated and tragic history. Yet the unique spirit of the Irish people perseveres. How fitting, then, that Joe Dowling, proud Irishman and leader of the Guthrie Theater for the past 20 years, chose an Irish play as the last one he will direct in his tenure at the Guthrie. And what a play; Seán O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock, set during the Irish Civil War of the early 1920s, is as beautiful and tragic as Ireland itself.

Juno and the Paycock premiered at Dublin's Abbey Theatre (of which Joe Dowling was Artistic Director in the '70s and '80s) in 1924, just a few years after the Irish Civil War, when wounds and divisive opinions were still very fresh and raw. That's pretty revolutionary. It tells of the effects of the war and extreme poverty on one family in Dublin. Beleaguered and overworked Juno, her proud buffoon of a husband Jack (say "peacock" with an Irish accent and you have the title), and her two adult children live in a run-down room in the cramped, cold, and crowded tenements of Dublin. Juno works to keep bread and tea on the sorry table, and Jack avoids work by claiming pain in his legs so that he can drink, eat, and talk with his buddy Joxer. Son Johnny was injured in the recent wars and rarely leaves the house, while daughter Mary hopes for a better future for herself. She brings home her beau Charles, who has some surprising and life-changing news for the family. But the Boyles are not a family to whom good things happen, and their momentary hope and happiness doesn't last. Johnny gets caught up in the after-effects of his time in the service, Mary faces a crisis of her own, and Juno must make a choice. It's devastating to watch this family struggle, and one can only hope that some of them make it out.

the Boyle family (Stephen Brennan, David Darrow,
Anita Reeves, and Katie Kleiger, photo by Joan Marcus)

Joe Dowling brought in three acclaimed Irish actors to play some of the leads, and as much as I love our local acting community, I can hardly blame him for that. They're all wonderful and lend an air of authenticity to this very Irish story. As the title characters, Anita Reeves and Stephen Brennan are so natural, believable, and likeable, even when they aren't. Anita's Juno is the strong, no-nonsense, loving matriarch of her family, the only thing keeping them going. Stephen makes the "paycock" Jack a loveable lout of a man, charming and funny and infuriating. Tony nominee Dearbhla Molloy has a brief but powerfully memorable scene as a grieving mother. But despite these new faces, this still feels very much like a Guthrie show thanks to the inclusion of Guthrie long-time favorites like Sally Wingert (stealing scenes as the busybody neighbor) and Mark Benninghofen (hilarious as drunken buddy Joxer), as well as newer favorites like Katie Kleiger (appealing and fresh-faced as the hopeful young Mary), David Darrow (in a devastating performance as the one-armed war-damaged son Johnny, so physically contorted that I hope he has a good chiropractor), and Casey Hoekstra (Mary's charming suitor).

The set and costumes are essential to setting the scene in the slums of Dublin. The set (originally designed by Frank Hallinan Flood, executed for the Guthrie by Michael Hoover) consists of a huge high-ceiled room that was once great, but has fallen into disrepair, with cracks and stains covering the walls. Appropriately shabby furniture and props fill the lived-in space. Christine A. Richardson's costumes are also shabby and worn, but neat and polished for some characters if called for. Projections on the lowered curtain before the show and between acts give a brief history and perspective for the story.

happy times in the Boyle household (photo by Joan Marcus)

In this play as in all things Irish, there is humor and music to temper the tragedy. One of the most entertaining scenes is when the family takes turns singing; one feels that music is the thing that gets the Irish people through, which is beautifully illustrated in this scene. I found myself drawing parallels between this play and the one I had seen the previous night, The Gospel of Lovingkindess at Pillsbury House Theatre. Are the slums of 1920s Dublin that different from the projects on the South Side of Chicago? Different circumstances perhaps, but inequality, prejudice, poverty, and tragic loss of young life exist everywhere in the world.

Joe Dowling has been the Artistic Director of the Guthrie Theater for 20 years, and I have been a subscriber for 12 of those years. I can't even really say what he's changed and brought to the theater (other than the obvious, the big beautiful blue building on the river) because I don't know a Guthrie without Joe. His final two shows, the American epic The Crucible, and this very Irish story Juno and the Paycock, are a beautiful way to conclude his time with us. The Guthrie will honor and celebrate Joe's accomplishments in the last 20 years with a gala performance called All the World's a Stage this Saturday. I wouldn't miss it for the world! (Juno and the Paycock continues through June 28.)

"The Crucible" at the Guthrie Theater

Arthur Miller's 1953 play The Crucible is a classic of the American theater, and dramatizes one of the greatest failings of the American, or rather pre-American, judicial system. During the infamous Salem witch trials of the late 17th Century, twenty people were put to death for the crime of witchcraft, following a long history of the execution of "witches" in Europe. Arthur Miller explores the larger themes of this horrible incident through a very personal story of one affected family, making the play at once intimate and epic. Despite being over 60 years old, the themes of religious fanaticism, mob mentality, and persecution of people who are different are sadly as current as they were during the McCarthy era when the play was written. The Guthrie's grand production of this classic with a cast chock-full of talent is truly something to behold. It's long and intense, but somehow the nearly three hours didn't feel long to me; I was engaged every minute by this compelling story and these beautifully flawed and human characters.

The story begins when the Reverend Parris discovers several young women, including his daughter Betty and niece Abigail, dancing in the woods. Yes, dancing! Betty is afflicted by a strange illness that is blamed on the family's Barbadian slave who is accused of conjuring spirits. In what amounts to a harmless prank gone horribly wrong (never underestimate the power of teenage girls), the girls continue to accuse more and more people of witchcraft, who are given the option of confessing or hanging. The whole thing spirals out of control and Abigail soon accuses her former employer/lover John Proctor's wife, an honest and well-respected woman. John attempts to defend his wife but is powerless against the mass hysteria that has overtaken the community. But somehow in the midst this devastating event, he's able to face the truth and become the best version of himself.

the deputy-governor and John Proctor (Stephen Yoakam and
Erik Heger) with the accusers (photo by T. Charles Erickson)

This is a huge play with many characters but just four long scenes, each of which is like a mini play in itself with several different segments and lots of people entering and exiting. All of it is beautifully orchestrated by the Guthrie's departing Artistic Director Joe Dowling. Joe has directed several Arthur Miller* plays at the Guthrie in his 20-year tenure, but this is his first time doing The Crucible here, and it's a beautiful swan song. The 20+ person cast truly is an embarrassment of riches. There are so many wonderful, experienced, beloved actors who pass through the story for just a moment or two. I'm wondering if some of them took the role just to be part of one of Joe Dowling's last productions at the Guthrie.**

Michelle O'Neill and Erik Heger as
Elizabeth and John Proctor
(photo by T. Charles Erickson)

This production reunites Mr. and Mrs. Macbeth from the 2010 production at the Guthrie (one of my favorites that year) as Mr. and Mrs. Proctor. Michelle O'Neill gives a quietly powerful and emotional performance, and Erik Heger is, as he was five years ago, just magnificent. John Proctor is the kind of role that covers the full range of emotions, from angry to devastated, proud to broken, and Erik hits every note. So raw, so emotional, he has the audience in the palm of his hand in the final climactic scene.

Other highlights in this huge and talented cast include: Stephen Yoakam, always a strong and formidable presence onstage and therefore a perfect choice to play the deputy-governor in charge of the legal proceedings; beloved Guthrie vet Peter Michael Goetz, bringing welcome comic relief through the role of Giles Corey, who was tried along with his wife; the great Wendy Lehr, who could bring comfort to any bewitched person, as noble accused Goody Nurse; and several graduates and students of the U of M/Guthrie BFA program (aka the Guthrie's rich farm system), including Chloe Armao as instigator Abigail Williams, and Ashley Rose Montondo, going from sane and sympathetic friend of the Proctors to full out crazy as Mary Warren.

For the opening dancing-in-the-woods scene, a dozen or so large heavy trees hang just above the stage, their roots not quite touching. They are then raised to the ceiling and hang over the rest of the proceedings like a dark cloud. Ominous sounds and lighting add to the somber and heavy mood (set, lighting, and sound by Richard Hoover, Mark McCullough, and Scott W. Edwards). Jane Greenwood's prim and proper period costumes look so authentic you feel like you're right back there in 1692.

As a theater geek I should have seen this play before now, but I have not, and only have vague memories of the 1996 movie starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Winona Ryder. Now I get why it's such a classic - an important and frightening incident in our history that still has echos in today's world, a personal story of one man's struggle with honor, faith, and redemption, an intense and compelling three hours of theater. It's also a powerful argument for why the separation of church and state is absolutely essential and one of the best things about this country, so that no one person's religious belief is allowed to take away the rights, or in this case the life, of another person who's seen to be in some way evil under that belief.

The two shows on the Guthrie's main stages right now are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play on the Proscenium Stage is a new, modern, creative, and innovative play. Across the lobby on the Thrust Stage, The Crucible is a fine and faithful production of a beloved and acclaimed classic. For traditional theater excellently executed with a huge cast full of mostly local talent and top-notch production values, it's a play not to be missed (playing now through May 24).


*Read more about Joe Dowling and the Guthrie Theater's relationship with Arthur Miller here.
**The Guthrie will celebrate Joe Dowling in a gala performance on June 6 - limited seats still available.


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the Guthrie Theatre

Yesterday I sat on the famous thrust stage of the Guthrie Theater and watched a bunch of soldiers, lovers, and fairies dance, sing, fly, converse, love, hate, and generally cavort around in a bare circular space. Or was it all a dream? Such is the Guthrie's latest production of perhaps Shakespeare's best loved romantic comedy, A Midsummer Night's Dream, that after three hours of spellbinding theater, you're not quite sure if what you saw just happened, or perhaps, as Puck suggests in his epilogue, it was all just a dream. Artistic Director Joe Dowling has returned to an old favorite in his final season at the Guthrie, assembling a gorgeous and talented cast of local favorites with a few national talents thrown in. It's no wonder that he returned to this show (a version of which was last seen in 2008); this Midsummer is a dream of a production, with plenty of spectacle in the form of dancing, flying, singing fairies, humor in the form of typical Shakesperean hijinks, and heart in this sweet romance that ends with a neat happily ever after. Everything about it is truly a delight.

The plot of Midsummer is familiar to most theater-goers, being a frequently produced play. Lysander loves Hermia and she him, but her father Theseus, duke of Athens, has betrothed her to Demetrius, who also loves her although she does not return his love. Lysander and Hermia vow to run away together, and Helena, whose love for Demetrius has recently been rejected, tells him so that he will follow, and she in turn follows him. As we know, strange things can happen when you go into the woods, especially in this case as the young lovers encounter a group of mischievous fairies, who delight in nothing more than creating havoc among humans (if you've ever found an object in a different location than you left it, that might be fairies at work). Through a series of mix-ups, both Demetrius and Lysander are bewitched into believing they love Helena, who, like a nerdy teenager tired of being the butt of jokes, does not believe them. Hermia is confused, devastated, and then furious at this turn of events, and the mayhem continues until the fairies decide to set things right again. Another subplot follows a troupe of actors rehearsing for a play, suffering from the most horrible and hilarious actorly cliches, which allows for some delightful poking fun at oneself. Oh, and one of them is turned into an ass and is wooed by the queen of the fairies. It's a whole lot of silliness that allows for some wonderful encounters, fights, conversations, and dances among the large cast of characters.

Puck and the flying fairies (photo by Dan Norman)

And what a cast it is. It's so lovely to see so many familiar and beloved faces on one stage, while discovering a few new favorites who are thrown into the mix to keep things fresh. First among the many delights is the fairy King's attendant who is responsible for causing much of the mayhem. Tyler Michaels brings his unique physical consciousness to the role of Puck, creating a character that's not quite human, almost reptilian, with a bit of Gollum thrown in. Tyler seems unbound by the laws of gravity that inhibit us mere mortals, as he bounds around the stage with deep knee bends, head cocked to one side as he gleefully watches the mischief he has created, thoroughly enjoying "what fools these mortals be." He's like a mischievous loyal pet of Oberon's, who is given a long leash but sometimes needs to be pulled back when he goes too far, not for malicious reasons, but just to see what will happen. (And there's even an inside joke for those of us who saw and loved Tyler in My Fair Lady last summer.)

the Actors (Jay Albright, Peter Thomson, Andrew Weems,
Kris L. Nelson, Angela Timberman, and Michael Fell,
photo by Dan Norman)

As the first fairy, Nike Kadri is making her Guthrie debut after making an impression on stages around town. She looks and sounds fantastic, singing a few songs and leading the fairies in their dance (although not a musical, there are a handful of original songs by Keith Thomas, with some brilliant choreography by co-director David Bolger). Christina Acosta Robinson (who returns to the Guthrie after participating in the Guthrie Experience a few years ago) is absolutely regal as both Titania and Hippolyta, fairy and human royalty, and Nicholas Carrière (a Guthrie newcomer) effortlessly transitions from the stern and slightly square Duke Theseus to the powerful and cool Oberon.

the Lovers (Emily Kitchens, Casey Hoekstra, Zach Keenan,
and Eleonore Dendy, photo by Dan Norman)

The troupe of actors is comprised of a bunch of local comic geniuses (including the always hilarious Jay Albright and Angela Timberman), with East Coast actor Andrew Weems (also seen at the Guthrie as Uncle Vanya) as the buffoonish and blustering Bottom, delivering the most ridiculously drawn-out comic death scene I've ever seen. In fact, the entire play-within-a-play is hysterical as performed by the "Community Theater of Athens." The four lovers could not be more charming (or look better in underwear) than local actors Eleonore Dendy, Casey Hoekstra, and Zach Keenan, along with Twin Cities newcomer Emily Kitchens as the eager and slightly awkward Helena.

For this production, the Guthrie has added a half dozen rows of bleacher seating around the back of the thrust stage, creating an in-the-round effect, almost like you're at the circus. If you're lucky enough to snag one of these seats (available online or call the box office for details), you're led down a stairway and into a secret hallway through the bowels* of the Guthrie, and suddenly you arrive on the stage. There are plenty of ushers and signs along the way so that you don't "accidentally" wander off into a restricted area. It's a great place from which to watch the show, although some of the effects of the video projections at the back of the stage are lost because you have to tear your eyes away from the stage (a difficult task) to look behind you at the screen. One of the reasons it's so difficult to turn away from the stage is Fabio Toblini's gorgeously rich costumes, from Hippolyta's elegant gowns, to the lovers' modern clothing, to the actors' silly get-ups, to the fairies' barely there tribal pieces.

It may be dreary bitter midwinter here in Minnesota, but it feels like warm and colorful midsummer on the Guthrie's thrust stage. The magical, mystical, mischievous dream continues through the end of March. It's not a short play (clocking in at about three hours including intermission), but it's chock full of delights for the eyes, ears, mind, and heart.


*If you want to see more of the bowels of the Guthrie, take a backstage tour, offered most weekends.


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"My Fair Lady" at the Guthrie Theater

There's a reason My Fair Lady is one of the most beloved musicals of all time. Not only does it feature a bunch of wonderful songs by Lerner and Loewe that have become classics (including "Wouldn't it be Loverly," "Get Me to the Church on Time," and "I Could've Danced All Night"), but it's based on the George Bernard Shaw play Pygmalion that deals with issues of class, gender, societal expectations, and the intersection of wealth and power. It's a musical that has style and substance. The Guthrie's gorgeous new production does well by this classic. The show is perfectly cast, the familiar music sounds great, the choreography is fantastic, and the sets and costumes are luscious. This hugely entertaining show is definitely a must-see summer blockbuster musical.

I'm not sure the obligatory plot summary is necessary here; even if you think you aren't familiar with the story, you probably know it. It's been retold many times, from the original Shaw play (which was in turn based on a Greek myth) to the Julia Roberts movie Pretty Woman. A gentleman takes a lower class woman and transforms her into a "lady." In this case, the gentleman is Professor Henry Higgins, who studies phonetics and is intrigued by flower girl Eliza's poor accent, and makes a bet with his colleague Colonel Pickering that he can transform her into a lady in six months time. Eliza does indeed learn to be a "lady," but retains her spirit and even teaches 'Enry 'Iggins a bit about being a human being in the process.

Higgins, Eliza, and Pickering celebrating their success
(Jeff McCarthy, Helen Anker, and Tony Sheldon,
photo by Joan Marcus)

Most of the lead roles are played by non-local actors from around the country and the world, and even though I'm biased towards our wonderful local community of theater artists, they're all fabulous. Helen Anker, from England, is so charming and spirited as Eliza, and believable in the transformation from Cockney flower girl to sophisticated lady. Jeff McCarthy is the perfect Henry Higgins - even though he's thoughtless, selfish, prideful, and kind of a jerk, there's something so appealing and charming about him that you love him even as he annoys you with the stupid things he says. I just wish that this was more of a singing role, because unlike the original Higgins, it sounds like this guy can really sing. Rounding out the trio is Aussie Tony Sheldon as a delightfully amusing Pickering. And of course, we can't forget about Eliza's pop, a charming rogue as played by Donald Corren.

The large ensemble is full of too many familiar faces to mention, all of whom are great fun to watch. And they create some full and gorgeous harmonies (e.g., the "Loverly Quartet") under Andrew Cooke's musical direction, accompanied by his six-piece just barely off-stage band. Featured roles played by some of our local favorites include Robert O. Berdahl as the hair-flipping Hungarian, Angela Timberman (who can still crack me up with a single look) as Higgins' loyal yet exasperated housekeeper, and Melissa Hart as Higgins' mother, the only one who truly has his number. And then there's Tyler Michaels. His rendition of on "On the Street Where You Live" is a definite highlight of the show; I wanted to reach for the remote and rewind so I could watch it again! (Luckily he comes back for a brief reprise in the second act.) Not only does Tyler have a great voice, but he brings a unique physicality to every role he plays, including this one. Freddy has an awkward grace, he's a bit of a clutz around Eliza, but the love he feels for her flows out of every pore. I've never seen this song performed so comically and physically before - leaping across the stage, standing on top of props, dancing with bicycles and flowers and whomever wanders into the scene. It's truly joyous.

Joe Chvala's flying foot choreography, well performed by the ensemble, shines in the elaborate and busy group numbers. He incorporates percussive slapping and clapping, as well as the use of props from brooms to parasols. The prim and proper ladies and gentleman at the races create some beautiful images as they move delicately and gracefully across the stage. In contrast, the entire street comes boisterously alive in the audience's favorite scene (judging by the applause that continued for several minutes), "Get Me to the Church on Time." Fabio Tobloni's costumes are gorgeous as expected (the extravagant hats! the spats!), and the set by Walt Spangler is truly impressive, with three massive moving pieces that turn to reveal different facades, including Higgins' two-story library with spiral staircase. All of these pieces come together beautifully under Joe Dowling's direction to create a feast for the eyes and ears.

My Fair Lady continues through the end of August. It's sure to be a big hit, and deservedly so. The show is so full of life and energy and dance and music, it's almost impossible to take it all in in one sitting. Lucky for me I get to see it again with my season ticket, so I'll have a chance to relive the many wonderful moments.


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"BEHOLD: 50th Anniversary Gala Performance" at the Guthrie Theater

the program was passed out after the show,
the stage and hallways were strewn with yellow rose petals

It's the morning after the Guthrie's 50th anniversary gala performance, and I'm still just beside myself with glee. It was such an incredible celebration of the Guthrie's past, present, and future. We revisited moments from the past with long-time Guthrie favorites, witnessed some of the amazing talent that currently passes through the Guthrie's three stages, and looked to the future of much more goodness to come. I have seen over 120 productions at the Guthrie in my ten seasons as a subscriber, and even though I'm on the Blogger Night list and get offered free tickets to every show, I will not cancel that subscription because I want to be able to say someday "I've been a Guthrie subscriber for 50 years!" I have never been more proud to be a member of the Twin Cities theater community, that in many ways was born and continues to be shaped by Sir Tyrone Guthrie's decision to create his experimental regional American repertory theater in the state where I happened to be born ten years later. What good fortune for us all. I truly believe that we would not have this rich community of over 70 theater companies and more theater seats per capita than any other town outside of NYC if it were not for the Guthie, which continues to lure great talent to our fair state and foster our home-grown talent from within. The Guthrie Theater is one of my favorite places on the planet and where I've spent many of my happiest moments, and last night tops the list.

But enough gushing - on to the show. I had seen the impressive list of attendees weeks before, but I sort of forgot in the wonder of each moment that someone else wonderful was coming next! It was just moment after incredible moment of pure talent. The show was directed by Peter Flynn, written by Mark Benninghofen, music directed by Andrew Cooke (with a fabulous onstage band), choreographed by Brian Sostek, with set design by Michael Hoover. This behind-the-scenes talent was matched by the talent onstage - so many artists whom I love and admire on that stage and in that building (I saw too many faves in the crowd to mention), that by the end of the night my heart was full of love and my face was sore from smiling. Here are a few (OK many) highlights:

• Joe Dowling, the Guthrie's Artistic Director since 1995, was greeted with a standing ovation when he introduced the show and spoke a little bit about the history of the Guthrie (read more here).
• The show opened with a medley of showtunes from musicals that the Guthrie has done over the years, some that I fondly remember and some before my time. And who else should open this musical portion of the evening besides the brilliant and beautiful Baldwin sisters?! Christina Baldwin and Jennifer Baldwin Peden both revisited celebrated roles in Gilbert and Sullivan shows as, respectively, "Poor Little Buttercup" in H.M.S. Pinafore a few years ago and Mabel ("Poor Wandering One") in 2004's Pirates of Penzance (which lives in my memory as my favorite Guthrie show ever). They were joined by many of my favorite musical theater actors (including but not limited to: Dieter Bierbrauer, Aleks Knezevich, Timotha Lanae, Norah Long, Ann Michels, and Angela Timberman) singing selections from Sweeney Todd, She Loves Me, and 1776 among others.

the ensemble (photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

• The evening's co-hosts were none other than Sally Wingert and Greta Oglesby. They were funny and entertaining hosts, and both got a chance to showcase their talent. Sally did a scene from The Royal Family with the incomparable Barbara Bryne and Valeri Mudek, an entirely appropriate scene about love of the theater. Greta reprised "Lot's Wife" from the acclaimed 2009 production of Caroline, or Change, and instantly I was carried back to that show to the point where I could picture the set around her. She was truly astounding on this incredible song.

Sally Wingert and Greta Oglesby (photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

• The "one and only" Peter Michael Goetz has appeared in over 90 productions at the Guthrie, from the 60s through just this year. He is utterly charming and quite the storyteller - no story better than when they were doing Of Mice and Men and Midsummer Night's Dream in rep, and he went onstage for Midsummer Night's Dream in his Lennie costume (a story I've heard before, but it's still great). Incredulously, he's never won an award for theater, but he joked that if there were a Tony for "the guy who kept going," he'd win. After his entertaining talk, he reenacted a scene from the 2004 production of Death of a Salesman with the help of Guthrie alums Matthew Amendt (most recently of Charlie's Aunt) and Erik Heger (a magnificently bearded Macbeth a few years ago).

Matthew Amendt and Erik Heger (photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

• Several nationally known stage and screen actors spoke of their Guthrie memories via pre-recorded video segments, including Gary Sinise, David Hyde Pierce, Harriet Hayes (Hay Fever), Joshua Henry (Scottsboro Boys), Santino Fontana (currently starring in Cinderella on Broadway), recent Tony winner Courtney B. Vance, and Christopher Plummer (be still my heart).
• The male vocal ensemble Cantus (familiar to me from Theater Latte Da's annual All is Calm) treated the audience to a stunning rendition of "Somewhere" from West Side Story.
• Real-life married couple Daniel Gerroll and Patricia Kalember (anyone else remember Sisters?) presented a hilarious sparring scene from Noel Coward's Private Lives. 

Daniel Gerroll and Patricia Kalember (photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

• An adorably nervous T.R Knight ("I wasn't meant to play myself") spoke of his history with the Guthrie (his first role was Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol) and also spoke of original company member (and four-time Tony winner) Zoe Caldwell, and showed a video of an interview he did with this spirited 80-year-old. He also read a lovely quote about the effect her performance had on one man, and how "theater is about changing the lives of people you'll never meet." Ever since falling in love with the sweet dorky George on Grey's Anatomy, I've been waiting for T.R. to return to the Guthrie stage. This will have to do until he comes home to do a play.

T.R. Knight (photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

• Musical theater composer Jason Robert Brown (who, I have to admit, I am not that familiar with) was commissioned to write a song for the occasion, and boy did he deliver! "Hamlet 3.2" is everything you want in a musical theater song - fast and clever lyrics, a full and complete arc, and a melody that's still stuck in my head. Now I see what all the fuss is about - that guy has talent! And so does the man who sang it, Broadway actor and Tony nominee Brian D'Arcy James. I've never had the pleasure of hearing him sing live before, so it was a treat to witness his powerful voice and charismatic delivery on this brand new creation, never before performed for an audience. And he was backed by the best chorus ever (see above). Lyrics include "Speak the speech, I pray you... trippingly off the tongue," ending with a rousing chorus of "To be or not to be, to be or not to be." I wish I could download the song (I wonder if they recorded the show?), but until then, it will live in my memory (you can listen to a demo recorded by Jason Robert Brown here).

Brian D'Arcy James (photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

• I can't tell you how much I love Whoopi Goldberg. Not only is she one of the coolest, smartest, most talented, funniest people on the planet (EGOT, anyone?), but I feel a connection to her because she's in my living room every day and we share a birthday. In the excitement of the evening I almost forgot she was there until she literally (please read that as Parks and Recreation's Chris Traeger would say it) descended from the ceiling. She performed her Tony-winning one-woman-show at the Guthrie years ago, and in her off-hand hilarious style, part faux-reading from a script and part speaking from the heart, talked about how intimidating and amazing that was and how much she loves theater and the Guthrie. With one final "flyover my ass!" she descended down through the floor of the stage, never to be seen again. Was that a dream or did it really just happen?!

Whoopi! (photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

• This evening would not be complete without an appearance by Tracie Bennett. A Tony nominee and Ivey winner for her role as Judy Garland in End of the Rainbow, she once again channeled Judy to sing a medley of "Almost Like Being n Love" and "This Can't Be Love."

Tracie Bennett (photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

• The show ended with a soliloquy from The Tempest by the divine Stephen Yoakam, followed by one final song from our fabulous ensemble (including Cantus) - "Make Our Garden Grow" from Candide. I am certain that Sir Tyrone Guthrie would be quite proud of how the garden he planted 50 years ago has grown.

Stephen Yoakam (photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

• I realize I have outed myself as a TV addict in this post, if not before. Needless to say I am beyond thrilled that Vincent Kartheiser (aka Mad Men's smarmy Pete Campbell) is playing Mr. Darcy in the Guthrie's upcoming production of Pride and Prejudice. When I spotted him in the crowded lobby after the show, I couldn't resist the opportunity to tell him how much I love him on Mad Men (is Pete not the most complex, fascinating, frustrating character on TV?) and how much I'm looking forward to seeing him as Mr. Darcy. I told him I believed he'd do a great job, despite people's protestations that "Pete Campbell can't be Mr. Darcy" (news flash - Vincent is an actor and Pete is just one of the characters he inhabits). He very humbly assured me that the play would be good, if not Mr. Darcy. I'm afraid I was a blithering idiot, but what a thrill to meet one of the best actors from perhaps the best drama ever on television!

That's it friends, thanks for sticking with me through this long story. Last night will live on as one of the theatrical highlights of my life that I will remember forever. I have enjoyed every show (some more than others) of my last ten years as a Guthrie subscriber, and even more I love that it has served as a way in to this deep and rich theater community we call home. And I believe it's only going to get better. As my friend Whoopi said - see you in 50!

a letter from the Kennedys
upon the opening of the Guthrie in 1963

a letter from the Obamas
commemorating the Guthrie's 50th anniversary

costumes from past Guthrie shows were on display,
including this one from the 2009 '50s themed
Two Gentlemen of Verona

Christina Baldwin's gorgeous bustled dress
from the 2004 production of Pirates of Penzance