"Treasure Island" at Children's Theatre Company

For high stakes adventure on the open sea, head to Children's Theatre Company in South Minneapolis. Their production of Scottish playwright Stuart Paterson's adaptation of the 1883 novel Treasure Island is a high energy tale filled with music, magic, thrilling fight scenes, and admirable heroism. Surprisingly, this was my first experience with the classic tale, having never read the book or seen any of the many movie adaptations. There are a lot of pirates and bad guys to keep track of, but the trajectory of our young hero Jim is clear as he risks life, limb, and reputation to do what's right and stand up to the bullies who will stop at nothing to get what they want. The kind of heroism that seems to be lacking in the real world right now, but maybe Jim will inspire us to be heroes in our own stories. CTC recommends this show for age 8 and up, and I observed some little ones getting a little squirrelly as the story and accents might have gone over their heads, and there's quite a bit of violence, including gunfights and murder. But for the older kids and the grown-ups, this show is treasure indeed.

"Alice in Wonderland" at Children's Theatre Company

Children's Theatre Company is bringing back their original adaptation of Lewis Caroll's classic children's novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Somehow I missed the last time they did it over a decade ago, perhaps mistakenly thinking it was just for kids. So this was my first time going down the rabbit hole with director Peter C. Brosius, composer and one-man band Victor Zupanc, and this exceedingly talented ensemble of young and grownup actors. It's two hours of sheer wonder, magic, and delight for audiences of all ages, so inventive and playful and surprising at every turn. The fun and whimsical sets and costumes, the ensemble leading us through the story like something out of Pantomime and/or English Music Hall traditions, and Caroll's endlessly entertaining series of oddball characters speaking nonsense combine for a truly enjoyable show. Bring your kids, your grownups, or yourself to see Alice in Wonderland now through the end of March.

"Up: the Man in the Flying Chair" by Theatre Pro Rata at Park Square Theatre

For their third show in partnership with Park Square Theatre, Theatre Pro Rata is presenting the sweet, funny, and heart-warming Up: The Man in the Flying Chair in the intimate thrust stage in the basement of the theater. It's one of those shows that just makes me happy. The seemingly diverse elements of a fascinating real person, a family dramedy, a perky pregnant teen and her con artist aunt, and the magical appearance of tightrope walker Philippe Petit all combine for a unique and engaging play. Brought to life by this wonderful cast, it made me feel all the feels.