"Annie" at Lakeshore Players Theatre

When I saw the Ordway's production of Annie in December of 2017, I wrote the following, and now, almost exactly eight years later, I feel a great sense of déjà vu. "'The future is female.' If the main stage at the [Lakeshore Players Theatre] is any judge of it, this statement is true, and gives one hope for the future. The story of one 11-year-old girl who changes hearts and minds with optimism and determination is an inspiring one, as is the boundless energy and talent of the young females on stage who bring this story to life. Watching Annie last night, I couldn't help but feel nostalgic for the Great Depression, when at least the president cared about the people and developed (with Annie's help of course) a New Deal that would help lift the country out of poverty. A stark contrast to today's reality, when the current resident of the White House seems to care only for the rich, and those in need get served newly crappy deals nearly every day. Maybe we need to send Annie to the Washington to get Democrats and Republicans singing together about the hopeful future of America!" This female future hasn't come to fruition in the last eight years, if anything it feels farther away, but there's always tomorrow! This show about hope, optimism, working together, and the improbable notion of billionaires and politicians giving back to help their fellow human beings is exactly what we need right now. And Lakeshore has assembled a great team to bring this hopeful story to vibrant life (continuing through December 14).

"Misery" at Yellow Tree Theatre

Yellow Tree Theatre is remounting their 2023 production of Misery, but with an all new cast, and it's just as thrilling as before! The stage adaptation of Stephen King's 1987 novel is relatively new, written by William Goldman, screenwriter of the 1990 movie. This story of a popular novelist's "number one fan" and the lengths she goes to is set in 1987, but it's themes of unhealthy obsession, mental illness, and violence are very timely. As returning director John Catron says in a note in the program, "This is not a story about monsters. This is a story about people pushed to their narrative breaking points. It's a sloppy beautiful mess of love, insecurity, fanaticism, co-dependence and addition. It's a story about the violence that is all around us and within us. If it's 1987. If it's 2025." What follows is my review of the 2023 production, updated to reflect the new cast, who absolutely make this worth seeing again. Or if you missed it last time, this is your chance to enjoy this tight thriller on Yellow Tree's cozy and intimate stage (continuing through October 19).

"Red" at Lakeshore Players Theatre

I first learned about Russian-American abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko when I saw the regional premiere of the 2010 Tony-winning play Red at Park Square Theatre in 2012. I really loved this play, and have not seen it since then. But I have been lucky enough to see several Rothko paintings in person in museums in New York and/or Chicago; in fact I seek them out whenever I'm at a museum that houses modern art. At first glance, they're simple blocks of color, usually dark rich reds. But when you look deeper, they're so layered and endlessly mesmerizing. So is the play - just a simple two-hander, i.e., two people sitting in a room talking, but so layered in the way it explores the life of an artist and the meaning of art, and in a broader sense ideas of legacy, grief, friendship, purpose. I was so thrilled to see it announced as part of Lakeshore Players Theatre's 73rd season, and even more thrilled to report that it's a fantastic production with wonderful performances and gorgeously, messily detailed designed observed up close in the intimate space of Lakeshore's black box theater. Friends, it's only playing for three weekends, and seating is very limited with performances already beginning to sell out, so don't snooze on this one.

"Berlin to Rügen" by Michael Rogers at Phoenix Theater

Traveling by train through Europe, specifically Germany (or even better - Switzerland), is one of life's greatest pleasures. I highly recommend it if you haven't done it yet. Firstly, it's so easy and convenient and accessible; you can get anywhere, and America has a lot to learn from Europe about public transit. But it's also a fun and relaxing way to travel. You can get up and walk around, get a snack, or just stay in your seat and nap or read or stare out the window. Watching the world pass by is an ideal environment for rumination, about the big and the little things in life. Such is the beginning of Michael Rogers' new solo show Berlin to Rügen. It starts off with a person on a train staring out the window and ruminating about their life, and then those ruminations go places I wasn't expecting. Places that are funny or heart-wrenching, and often both. See this new work by the artist who gave the best performance I saw a Minnesota Fringe last year, through Saturday only at the Phoenix Theater in Uptown.

"Anything Goes" at Lakeshore Players Theatre

Get ready to set sail with the classic Cole Porter musical Anything Goes at Lakeshore Players Theatre. In only the second local production I've seen in the 15 years of Cherry and Spoon, director/choreographer Kyle Weiler (whose work was last seen at Lakeshore in the charming She Loves Me last season) leads the team in this fun escapist show full of clever and witty songs, madcap humor, and fabulous dancing. It'll leave you with a smile on your face and a melody stuck in your head. Anything Goes plays Fridays through Sundays until May 18 at the Hanifl Performing Arts Center in White Bear Lake (click here for info and tickets).

"The Rainmaker" at Lyric Arts

The classic play The Rainmaker is like a mix of The Glass Menagerie and The Music Man, set in a rural area beset by drought during the Depression. There's the family daughter who's a bit different that everyone is trying to "marry off," and the charming con man who sweeps into town and brings new life and hope to the community. It's a beautiful and bittersweet story about a woman finding her confidence and self-worth through the eyes of a stranger. Experience the wonder of the long-awaited rain in Lyric Arts' new production, featuring a talented cast and lovely design, continuing through March 23.

"A Christmas Carol" at Lakeshore Players Theatre

'Tis the season* for A Christmas Carol. The Guthrie is in their 50th year of producing Charles Dickens' classic story of redemption, forgiveness, generosity, and kindness, and you can find many other iterations on various stages and screens. Lakeshore Players Theatre is throwing their hat in the ring too with a new original adaptation by the director Kivan Kirk. I love this story, so I was eager to experience a new version of it out here in the 'burbs. This lovely show is still the classic story we know, but from a fresh perspective, and full of heart and humor. A Christmas Carol is the first show in Lakeshore's four-show 72nd season and performances are already selling out for this crowd-pleaser, continuing through December 17.

"Every Christmas Story Ever Told" at Yellow Tree Theatre

Yellow Tree Theatre has a long tradition of doing silly holiday* comedies, beginning with their first season. When the rights to the show they were planning to do were pulled, co-founder Jessica Lind Peterson wrote a play about a theater whose rights to the show they were planning to do were pulled. Miracle on Christmas Lake was born, spawning a sequel and other holiday comedies in the silly but heart-warming vein. Now in their 16th season and under new leadership, the tradition continues with Every Christmas Story Ever Told, a madcap ride through, if not every, then most Christmas stories ever told. It's a clever conceit and a super fun mash-up for those of us who grew up with these stories. In the hands of three talented and very funny performers, it's an enjoyable evening for all. If you don't have time to see every Christmas show, head up to charming downtown Osseo before the end of the year to see all of them at once.

"The Pavilion" at Lyric Arts

After opening their 2023-2024 season with the smash hit sell-out quintessential musical about musicals A Chorus Line, Lyric Arts is bringing us something quieter and more intimate, but no less meaningful, and no less deserving of sell-out crowds. Written by Minnesota screenwriter and playwright Craig Wright, The Pavilion is a lovely, funny, and bittersweet play that's filled with beautiful, poetic, profound, airy language, interspersed with very real and grounded scenes of average humans at their 20-year high school reunion. The story itself is not very original (in life or literature) - high school girl gets pregnant, boy leaves her to deal with it alone, forever changing both of their lives. The original thing about this Pulitzer Prize nominated play is that this very common idea is used as the seed to explore themes of time, regret, happiness, letting go of the past, and second chances. It's funny and earthy at the same time that it's deep and philosophical.* The talented three-person (plus one musician) cast and creative team do a beautiful job of bringing this story to life on Lyric's stage. They're already halfway through their short three-week run, so don't miss out on seeing this lovely show before it fades into the past.

"The Rats & The Wasp's Nest" at Yellow Tree Theatre

About halfway through the first of a pair of one-act Agatha Christie mystery plays at Yellow Tree Theatre, it started to seem familiar. At intermission I checked cherryandspoon.com (which is much more reliable than my memory) and found that I had indeed seen these two plays before. They were part of a triptych of plays at Park Square Theatre in 2019 called Agatha Christie: Rule of Thumb. The director of that piece, Austene Van, has brought two of these plays to Yellow Tree Theatre, of which she is now the Artistic Director, to begin their 16th season in their warm and cozy space in a strip mall in Osseo. Each one of these plays is under 45 minutes long, and both are wonderful examples of tight and concise mystery storytelling. It's like a mini Agatha Christie repertoire festival, but it only takes you less than 90 minutes on one night to see the shows. You will be rewarded by great performances in these murder stories that are more light and funny than dark and scary. A perfect way to ease into October (continuing through October 29).

"Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill" at Yellow Tree Theatre

To close out their 15th season in Osseo, Yellow Tree Theatre is presenting the play with music Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill. The play imagines one of jazz legend Billie Holiday's final concerts before her death at the age of 44 after years of drug and alcohol addiction. #TCTheater favorite Thomasina Petrus returns to this role she's played many times in her career (I saw her do it at the Jungle in 2018), and once again gives a masterful performance. She simply becomes Billie. She said in a talkback after the show (which she does after every show for anyone who wants to stay and chat about the show, which I highly recommend) that the more she plays the role the more she's able to get out of the way and let Billie shine through. Which she does, not in a mystical spirit kind of way, but in a way in which she's telling Billie's story as truthfully as she can. It's a thing to see indeed, and you can (and should) see it for another two weekends before it closes on May 21 (click here for info and tickets).

"Misery" at Yellow Tree Theatre

If you're looking for an on-stage delicious thriller, that's creepy but also funny at times, and beautifully acted, look no further than Misery currently playing at Yellow Tree Theatre's cozy Osseo theater. Stephen King's 1987 novel was adapted into the popular 1990 movie, for which Kathy Bates won an Oscar. It was adapted into a play (by original screenwriter William Goldman) just ten years ago or so. It's been a long time since I've seen the movie and I don't think I ever read the book, but I knew the general gist of the story. Still, I was delightfully surprised at some of the twists and turns in the play. The tension in Yellow Tree's intimate space is palpable, and the excellent cast and creative team handily take us on this terrifying (but also fun) journey. 

"The Wedding Singer" at Lyric Arts

I've never seen the 1998 Adam Sandler movie The Wedding Singer, and am unfamiliar with the 2006 musical adaptation (which was nominated for five Tonys). I went into Lyric Arts' new production of the musical with zero expectations, and found it to be a very fun, very funny show. It's not a particularly revolutionary story, boy meets girl, etc., but it's a whole lot of fun. The huge cast's energy, enthusiasm, and commitment to the campy '80s era is infectious, and the original score (by Matthew Skylar and Chad Beguelin, who also wrote the score for another super fun show, The Prom) is cute and catchy. The Wedding Singer might be just what you need to bring a little light and joy into these last dregs of winter.

"Holidate" at Yellow Tree Theatre

Yellow Tree Theatre is doing something a little different this holiday* season. From the beginning, Yellow Tree has produced an original holiday Minnesota comedy written by co-founder Jessica Peterson, both in the popular Miracle on Christmas Lake series and other stand-alone plays. Taking a break from that this year, they're producing another original holiday show, this one written by new Artistic Director Austene Van for Park Square Theatre in 2011. There may be fewer Minnesota references and goofy characters, but it's still a festive, fun, and heart-warming show. Plus, there's music, lots of great music! So make yourself a Holidate with Yellow Tree Theatre in charming downtown Osseo this year (continuing through December 30).

"Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story" by Wayward Theatre at the James J. Hill House

For an alternative (or complement) to the Guthrie Theater's annual production of A Christmas Carol, head across the river and see what the creative minds at Wayward Theatre Company are bringing to this classic story. Not only are they focusing on the ghostly aspects of the story and doing it in the gorgeous (and slightly spooky on a good day) James J. Hill House, but they're also performing in ten different locations around the house with three staggered groups of 30-person audiences walking around to the different locations. I always enjoy ambulatory site-specific theater, and this Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story is intricately planned, well executed, and provides an immersive (but not interactive) experience into this familiar and beloved tale of redemption. With three performance times every Wednesday through Sunday (except for Christmas Eve and Day) through New Year's Day, you have plenty of opportunities to follow Scrooge on his journey. But with only 30 tickets per show, and some performances already selling out, don't wait too long to secure your ticket.

"Othello" by Classical Actors Ensemble at Elision Playhouse

I've enjoyed Classical Actors Ensemble's summer outdoor tradition of Shakespeare in area parks since 2015. But it turns out they also perform indoors. And while their fall indoor production of Othello isn't as fun and playful as their outdoor shows (also, it's Othello), it's still accessible, understandable, and entertaining. Othello is a heavy play, one I'm not as familiar with, and not a short play (i.e., better for me to see a matinee, which I did). But the clear direction and great performances by the cast make the relevant themes of love, betrayal, trust, deception, and manipulation ring out. It continues weekends through November 20, plus a few free readings of other plays (see CAE's website for more info).

"Passing Strange" at Yellow Tree Theatre

The latest offering at Yellow Tree Theatre, the little theater in the 'burbs with big bold theatrical offerings, is Passing Strange, a loosely autobiographical musical by the musician known as Stew (with help from Heidi Rodewald on the music composition). This rarely done musical (last seen in #TCTheater at Mixed Blood in 2014) is a coming of age story about a young black man from L.A. who travels to Europe in search of what he calls "the real." The narrator (played by Stew himself on Broadway) and his younger self take us on this epic journey with them, filled with the highs of love and music and the lows of grief and heartbreak, and it's a beautiful thing when he comes out the other end with a better understanding of life, love, and art.* The talented cast and creative team at Yellow Tree bring out all of the passion and poignancy of the piece, for a truly unique experience. See it in Osseo through May 8 (click here for info and tickets).

"Sherwood" at Yellow Tree Theatre

The last play seen on the Yellow Tree Theatre stage was the powerful drama Skeleton Key in February of 2020, a co-production with New Dawn Theatre Company. Their next scheduled show, the new Robin Hood comedy Sherwood, was cancelled due to the pandemic, and now, almost a year and a half later, it's finally onstage at Yellow Tree. But things have changed since then, in the world and in theater. Audiences have to show proof of vaccination (or negative COVID-19 test) and wear masks, and New Dawn Artistic Director Austene Van, who directed Skeleton Key, is the new Artistic Director of Yellow Tree (following the departure of co-founders Jessica and Jason Peterson to the North). But what hasn't changed is that this cozy little theater in a strip mall in Osseo is a warm and welcoming place with wonderful theater that entertains and challenges audiences. The super fun and playful Sherwood is an excellent start to this new chapter of life, theater, and Yellow Tree.

"The Merry Wives of Windsor" by Classical Actors Ensemble at Tony Schmidt Regional Park

Summer in Minnesota means outdoor theater. Every year, Classical Actors Ensemble braves the elements (which last night included excessive heat, bugs, and a train) to bring us Shakespeare as it was always meant to be - fun, playful, accessible, and engaging. They're in the final weekend of this year's production, The Merry Wives of Windsor. I saw the show at a park less than five miles from my house (which, as a suburbanite, always makes me happy); tonight they're performing in St. Paul's Newell Park, with two final shows in Minneapolis parks this weekend (click here for details). Bring chairs, a blanket, an umbrella, a picnic, sunscreen, bug spray, water, and settle in for a fun, colorful, silly show.

"The Weir" by Wayward Theatre at Urban Growler Brewing

Sitting in a pub, drinking beer, listening to one of my favorite songs by my favorite musician Glen Hansard ("Revelate," which more accurately is by The Frames), about to watch an Irish play - this pretty much describes my ideal Tuesday night. I love Irish culture, I love beer, and I love site-specific theater. Irish playwright Conor McPherson's play The Weir is pretty much just five people sitting in a pub trading stories, and the cozy space at Urban Growler Brewing (the first woman-owned microbrewery in Minnesota!) was chosen wisely by Wayward Theatre (which has also brought us Tartuffe at the James J. Hill House and Ghost Train at the Minnesota Transportation Museum). Head to Urban Growler (off 280 and University in St. Paul), grab a beverage from the tap room (or even a pre-show dinner, from the smell of it they have great food too), head back to the pub/theater space, and settle in for some good craic.