"Wish You Were Here" at Strike Theater

For one weekend only, Strike Theater is bringing back their improvised dramedy show Wish You Were Here, in which a talented cast of improvisors explore the ideas of grief and loss as a normal part of life. But not in too heavy or sad of a way. It's still very funny and a little goofy, but with a tinge of melancholy and nostalgia as this group of pretend (but maybe also real) friends mourn the pretend death of one of their group. There are only two more performances, so head to Strike in Northeast Minneapolis tonight or tomorrow night for this bittersweet, funny, and original show. Visit their website for info on all of the comedy, storytelling, and spoken word shows and classes they offer, and mark your calendars for the return of my favorite Strike Theater show - The Great Strike Theater Improvised Bake Off - on April 21 (yes, they actually bake live in front of you!).

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2023: "Boy Crazy"

Day: 2

Show: 5

Title: Boy Crazy

Category: COMEDY / IMPROV / MUSICAL THEATER / STORYTELLING / AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

By: Madde Gibba

Created by: Madde Gibba

Location: Rarig Arena

Summary: A solo show about dating that combines storytelling, original songs, and scenes acted out with audience volunteers.

Highlights: This show made me laugh until I cried, and then later get a little teary-eyed with genuine emotion. Fringe vet Madde Gibba, a self-described "bad picker," tells the most horrifyingly hilarious stories about the men that she's dated. It's a great mix of songs (accompanying herself on the keyboard in singer/songwriter style), storytelling pieces (the one that had me crying - a terrible public breakup), and scenes that an audience volunteer draws out of a basket and performs opposite her (more mild stories like making out with a bartender on the streets of New Orleans). Stories come from her time living in NYC, or living and performing on a cruise ship (an odd and fascinating lifestyle), or here in the Twin Cities. Madde's got it all - she's hilarious, she knows how to tell a good story, she has a great voice, she's honest and vulnerable, and she writes beautiful songs. Because in the end, it's not about all these boys she loved and lost, it's about her, and being happy with her life and the things she has regardless of who she's dating, or not. As Whitney reminds us, it's the greatest love of all. It's only day two of the Fring Festival, but this one is my favorite of the shows I've seen so far.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

"Wish You Were Here" at Strike Theater

"A one act improvised comedy about loss and friendship. Grief is sad. And funny. And everything else." Strike Theater's latest show, Wish You Were Here, is funny and silly, and also kind of profound in the way that it shows people grieving as a part of normal life, with nothing resolved or closed by the end of it. I discovered through Family Dinner that long-form is my favorite kind of improv, because I love watching characters and relationships develop in a satisfying way throughout the course of the evening. That's definitely true here as well; in fact I wish there were a second act because there were several relationships established that I'd like to see developed further. But as it is, Wish You Were Here is a funny and bittersweet hour of an improvised dramedy. Only two performances remain - Friday and Saturday. Click here for more info and to purchase the $5-10 tickets.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2018: "Writing Wrongs in a Sandcastle"

Day: 4

Show: 14

Title: Writing Wrongs in a Sandcastle

Category: Comedy / Puppetry

By: Witchy Beach

Created by: Anders Nerheim

Location: Minnsky Theatre

Summary: A writer and his publicist/editor are stranded on a deserted island, that's actually really only just down the beach from the resort.

Highlights: I'm not sure how to describe this one, but I found it quirkily funny and delightfully odd. It's got a sort of absurd, surreal quality that takes a minute to get into, but once you do, it's a fun ride. Frieda (the always hilarious Madde Gibba) and Alexander (creator Anders Nerheim, also very funny) are stranded on a beach when they're thrown overboard during a storm. Alexander seems cool with this because he saw the resort just down the beach, but Frieda goes into survivalist mode, convinced they're stranded, and not hearing Alexander's protests to the contrary. With Alexander's help, she proceeds to fashion a spear out of a stick, catch a fish, make a fire, and cook the fish. There are funny little props; lots of conversing about writing, editing, friendship, and totally unrelated topics; and a bratty dolphin puppet named Trixie that taunts them both about their writing. I thoroughly enjoyed this show and it deserves a bigger audience than the one that was there Sunday afternoon. Only two shows remain at Minnsky in Northeast; If you enjoy absurd yet grounded humor, great comedy duos, tiny things, and dolphin puppets, this is the show for you!

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

"Boy Crazy" by Madde Gibba at Bryant Lake Bowl

If you watch Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (and if you're not, you should be), head to Bryant-Lake Bowl on the next two Monday nights to see Madde Gibba's original musical comedy improv show Boy Crazy. Not unlike Rachel Bloom, Madde can turn a comic and slightly crazy (although the situation is a little more nuance than that) love story into a clever, melodic, funny, and sometimes even sweet song. The 80-minute show is like a song cycle about love and relationships in the modern world, and it's great fun.

"North Pole 1973" at Strike Theater

There's a new theater in Northeast Minneapolis known as Strike Theater, "dedicated to building a community for sketch comedy, storytelling, and spoken word." It's been open for Fringe shows for the last two years, but just opened as a home for comedy performances and classes this fall. Founded by Allison Broeren, Mike Fotis, and Joe Bozic (whom you might know from the Minnesota Fringe Festival), it's sure to become the place to go when you're in need of a good laugh (or to learn how to elicit said laugh). And it certainly was that last night, when I attended their first ever holiday* show, North Pole 1973.

"Some Assembly Required" by Theater Latte Da at the Lab Theater

In the second production of Theater Latte Da's series NEXT: New Musicals in the Making, there is Some Assembly Required. That assembly is done in front of the audience's eyes and with their help by comedy/music/theater/improv experts Jill Bernard, Madde Gibba (who, sadly, did not perform the night I saw the show due to weather-related travel difficulties), Brian Kelly, Doug Neithercott, and Michael Ritchie, with improvised musical accompaniment by Todd Price. The result is a fun, silly, and surprisingly cohesive one-of-a-kind musical.

The show begins with a text solicited from someone in the audience. For the show I saw, this text was "do you know anyone who could sell us a used pontoon?" (only in Minnesota, right?). The cast then ran with the theme of "used pontoon," which is actually a pretty cool title of a musical. I can just see the marquee: Used Pontoon: The Musical (the ubiquitous tag added so that people don't think it's a watercraft sale). Three of the performers made up a song on the spot, ranging from sad ("I feel as useless as a used pontoon," my personal favorite)  to spirited (building an army and overthrowing a dictator on a used pontoon). The audience voted and chose the latter as the basis of the musical. And so the show begins.

The cast created scenes and characters and slowly built a plot that mostly made sense, sort of. The Russian generalissimo living in a castle tower is planning to conquer the small village lying at the foot of the tower, as a present for his wife. The scrappy townspeople gather together to find the generalissimo's weakness and stop him from destroying their little town. There are secrets, betrayals, acts of bravery, a recurring theme of earthworms, a love story, and a really awkward Dallas Buyers Club reference. All of it made up on the spot, although the cast did have time to converse and plan for Act II during the short intermission. It's really remarkable to watch them create something brand new and entertaining right before your eyes. But remember, these are professionals, don't try this at home!

One final performance of this music-theater experiment remains, which will differ slightly from the two previous performances in that they will take the best bits from each and put them together in a somewhat planned, although still improvised, musical. If you're free tonight - check it out for a one-of-a-kind music-theater experience.

"What's A Ocean? And Other Valid Question from Minnesota Girls" at Bryant Lake Bowl

I'm a Minnesota girl, but unlike Madde Gibba and Emily Schmidt, I've never wanted to live anywhere else. These two local theater/comedy artists have recently moved to the East and West Coasts, respectively, to find their fortunes. But they still have strong roots in and love for their home state, and returned for a one-night-only performance of their new sketch comedy show What's A Ocean? at the Bryant Lake Bowl.* And even though comedy is not my main interest (I'm in too deep with the theater scene to go too far into the comedy world; I do like to have one or two nights off a week), I really enjoyed Madde's Fringe show Dear Madde, and What's A Ocean? sounded like a fun concept, so I went, and really enjoyed it.

Madde and Emily have written a series of short two-person sketches about their new respective hometowns - NYC (aka the greatest city in the world) and L.A. (never been, and have no desire to go). The show opens and closes with a witty voiceover explaining the situation, and they make nice use of voiceover and video in several of the sketches. Topics covered include the juicing craze, calling home obsessively, the dangers of nannying, the stress of traveling in L.A. (traffic) and NYC (subway), a hippie cafe called "Cafe Gratitude," meeting old friends at a party and telling them about your new life, and my favorite sketch - online dating (using scarily real profiles). Madde and Emily also each read a humorous piece they'd written, Madde about life in Brooklyn, and Emily a letter to her future daughter.

Madde and Emily are two funny and talented Minnesota women and I wish them well in their new homes on the Coasts. But I also hope they continue to come home to Minnesota on occasion to share their talents with us!



*I had never been to the Bryant Lake Bowl before, although I'd heard about it and walked past it during Fringe week. It's a cute little theater at the back of a restaurant and, yes, bowling alley. Something to note for next time - food and bar service at your seat!

Fringe Festival: "Dear Madde"

Day: 4

Show: 11

Title: Dear Madde

By: Gigglepus Productions

Created by: Madde Gibba

Location: Red Eye Theater

Summary: A "Dear Abby" type reads and sings letters written to her by people asking for advice, mostly about their love lives. She also answers a few letters from the audience.

Highlights: Madde Gibba is funny and charming as she reads letters in different voices, from a 5-year-old boy, to a teenage valley girl, to a TGI-60 woman. Most of the letters are funny, one is sort of sad. She sings a couple of original songs, beginning with "Dear Madde" (a mishmash of various letters she's received) and ending with "Dear You" (say what you feel). In between, previously written material is mixed with improv based on letters from the audience (including the made-up-on-the-spot song "put on a knee brace and mount an otter"). Accompanied by Peter Guertin on keyboards and Josh Kaplan on drums, she sings comically well (a skill I always admire). Bottom line: it's a funny, sweet, and entertaining show. If you have a problem you need help with, go and ask Madde. She might give you a helpful answer, or she might just make everyone laugh.

Read more of my fringe fest reflections…

… including my top 5 shows

"Where's My Tony?" at Hennepin Stages

Last night I attended a fun show that celebrated, while poking gentle fun at, musical theater. Where’s My Tony was a one-night-only show written and hosted by local actors Whitney Rhodes and Joshua James Campbell, both of whom appeared in Theater Latte Da’s The Full Monty last fall. They presented ten “alternate” Tony Awards, followed by a performance by one of the songs from the winning show. Whitney and Josh were great hosts, both very funny with great voices, and with a good chemistry between them. What I loved most about this show is that even though it was sponsored by the Hennepin Theater Trust and featured the big Broadway touring musicals that have passed through the Hennepin theaters, it also spotlighted several talented local artists and their upcoming projects at smaller theaters such as Theater Latte Da and Mixed Blood Theatre (I tried to provide links for everything, so if something interests you, you can click for more info or to order tickets). This evening was fine example of what a great theater town this is.

The show began with a medley of songs from each of the shows in the upcoming Broadway touring season (which I have season tickets for): Wicked, Rock of Ages, Billy Elliot, Shrek, Hair, Jersey Boys, and West Side Story. Josh and Whitney took turns singing the songs, complete with costume changes and pirouettes (from Josh during the Billy Elliot song).

Without further ado, the awards:

The Worst Title of a Musical: Urinetown. Before they even announced the nominees I knew this one would be the winner. I saw Urinetown seven years ago and loved it. It’s equal parts satire, social commentary (“people don’t want to be told their way of life is unsustainable”), and great music. I’m just waiting for a local theater to mount a production of it. Accepting the award was Jared Oxborough, who first caught my attention in Footloose at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre earlier this year. He sang the best song from Urinetown, “Run, Freedom, Run.” He would make a great Bobby Strong, and an even better Che, which just happens to be his next role in Theater Latte Da’s upcoming production of Evita.

Most Controversial Musical: Avenue Q. Even though I was rooting for another nominee, the brilliant Spring Awakening, this is a good choice. Rose Le Tran (frequent performer with Mu Performing Arts) accepted the award and sang “I Wish I Could Go Back to College.” She will be appearing in Mixed Blood Theatre’s production of Avenue Q next spring, which I was really excited to hear about. I love this show but have only seen the Broadway/touring production, so I’m curious to see what a smaller production will look like.

Best Musical that Doesn’t Contain Any Original Music, aka Jukebox Musical: Jersey Boys. Catherine Battocletti (also in last year’s The Full Monty) accepted the award and sang “Oh What A Night” from the show, a fun song with audience participation!

Best Guilty Pleasure Musical: Starlight Express. I’ve never seen this show and don’t know much about it, but Josh and Whitney sang a song that was appropriately cheesy.

Most Epic Musical: Phantom of the Opera (which I’m proud to say I’ve never seen). Whitney and Josh again took this one, with Whitney playing the part of Christine and Josh growling the Phantom role. It ended with a fun disco version of the title song, complete with glow-sticks thrown out to the crowd.

After a brief intermission, Whitney and Josh announced awards that were given out previously, including:

Best Musical to Take Your Kids to, to Torture Them: Fiddler on the Roof
Musical that Makes you Think All Art and Creativity in Theater is Dead: 101 Dalmatians
Lifetime Achievement Award (for Continuing to Tour with that Tired Show): Phantom of the Opera

Back to the main awards:

Best Musical to Take Your Boyfriend to Who You Secretly Think is Gay: Mama Mia. The very talented Kinaundrae Lee (aka Angel in RENT at the Lab Theater earlier this year) took the stage to sing a dramatic rendition of the title song. He will be appearing in the Ordway’s production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (another nominee for worst title) this winter.

Best Show to Inspire Your Halloween Costume: Rock of Ages. Earlier in the show Josh had asked the crowd for names, verbs, body parts, etc. He inserted them into the song “Hit Me with Your Best Shot” which Whitney then sang. A sort of musical Mad Libs.

Best Male Diva (aka Divo) Song: “This is the Moment” from Jekyll and Hyde. Josh and Whitney tag-teamed this song, literally. One of them would sing a line or part of a line, then tag the other one who had to pick up where the song left off. It became very fast and funny, but they did a great job keeping up with it and sounded great too! I always admire the ability to maintain an amazing singing voice while playing for laughs (see Sara Ramirez in Spamalot).

The Best Show to Drink Through: Annie. Madde Gibba was called to accept the award but wasn’t responding. She was soon spotted behind the bar, and slowly (and drunkenly) made her way to the stage to sing a very funny version of “Maybe.” At one point she made her way into the audience and sat on a man’s lap to read a letter to her father. Madde is appearing in a few shows at the Fringe Festival this week.

The last award of the evening was Whitney’s choice, Best Song Typically Sung by a Woman that I Really Want Josh to Sing: “Maybe this Time” from Cabaret. This is the one of the all-time great musical theater songs, and Josh sang it beautifully. I'll next see Josh as the gentleman caller in The Jungle Theater's production of The Glass Menagerie next month.

The show concluded with the People’s Choice Award. There were ballot boxes on the bar where the audience could vote for “most anticipated show of the upcoming Broadway season.” I voted for Wicked, but only because I didn’t hear the question before I voted and I didn’t see all of the shows. The winner is the one I would have voted for had I been fully informed: Hair! My love for this show deserves an entire post to itself so I won’t go into it now; I’ll save it for a slow theater week (and yes I do have them!). But suffice it to say, I can think of no better way to end this show than a performance of “The Flesh Failures/Let the Sun Shine In” from Hair, with all of the above performers taking part. It was the perfect end to a perfect evening of musical theater.