Just over a year ago, the
History Theatre presented a new play with music called
Complicated Fun as part of their
annual Raw Stages festival. The full production opened last night, and while it maintains the humor, complexity, and fun that was present in the reading, adding all the elements of a full production has taken it to a whole new level. This very Minnesotan story about the Minneapolis music scene of the early '80s is like a long-ago unknown history play to me, something that the History Theatre does very well. Although I'm of the right generation, I was perhaps a bit too young, a bit too suburban, and much too nerdy to be aware of what was going on in downtown Minneapolis clubs, most notably, First Avenue (a venue I've only visited a few times in recent years to see my folky faves Glen Hansard and Punch Brothers). So while people who lived through and loved this musical era will probably enjoy this piece in a much different and perhaps more meaningful way than I, for the uninitiated it succeeds as great theater that invites us into an unfamiliar experience and world.
