"Musical Mondays" at Hell's Kitchen, April 2016

Last night was the first Monday of the month, which means it's time for Musical Mondays at Hell's Kitchen! If you're a fan of musical theater, you need to attend one of these monthly cabarets featuring fabulous local talent performing musical theater songs, with a different theme each month. But be forewarned - like potato chips, once you attend one you won't be able to stop! Musical Mondays has also become a monthly gathering of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers; this month I was joined by Gina from The Room Where it Happens, Laura from One Girl Two Cities, and Keith and Carol from Minnesota Theater Love. A good time was had by all as we discussed all things local theater (from impressive abs to impressive new musicals) and enjoyed some fun entertainment over yummy food and drinks. Join us on May 2, when the theme is "the lusty month of May!" Become a fan of the Musical Mondays Facebook page for information on schedule and performers.

"Beauty and the Beast" at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres

Of all the Disney heroines, the odd girl with her nose stuck in a book is the one that I relate to most, especially since the 1991 movie Beauty and the Beast came out when I was a teenager and at my most odd bookishness. Belle is a heroine for all us normal girls who feel like we don't quite fit in. She meets another odd soul (who conveniently happens to be a handsome prince inside) and they make a connection, bringing out the best in each other. Yes it's a typical Disney fairy tale that ends in a wedding, but at least it's a meeting of equals who rescue each other. A few years after the movie, Beauty and the Beast was adapted into a successful Broadway musical (the 9th longest running musical on Broadway), and in 2005 Chanhassen Dinner Theatres was one of the first regional theaters to mount a production. Now, 11 years later, director Michael Brindisi and his team are revisiting this classic and beloved fairy tale with an energetic show that is flawlessly cast and beautifully designed. My inner odd bookish teenage girl (who's never very far beneath the surface) was quite pleased.

"Mary Poppins" at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres

Mary Poppins is a classic and beloved movie. What child growing up in this country in the last 50 years didn't grow up with the no nonsense magical nanny? The surprising thing is that this original movie musical released in 1964 wasn't adapted for the stage until 40 years later. But when it finally was, it was a success; the Broadway production ran for six years and toured the country, including a stop in Minneapolis in 2013. While it's not a perfect adaptation, the stage musical does retain the magical quality of the movie and many of the most loved moments and song. Chanhassen Dinner Theatres' new production of Mary Poppins: The Broadway Musical is delightful and charming with a huge and talented cast.

The familiar story we know and love from the classic movie is mostly there on stage, except, sadly, the floating to the ceiling with laughter scene and the women's suffrage subplot. Mary shows up to the Banks family in London because they need her. Father George is too busy with his important job at the bank to spend much time or thought on his children Jane and Michael, who are acting out and scaring all the nannies away, and mother Winifred doesn't know what to do to help the situation (pretty much the definition of first world problems). Enter Mary Poppins, who takes the children on fantastical outings while teaching them to be more considerate and responsible. After a crisis at the bank, George learns to appreciate his family, and with the family unit healed, Mary Poppins departs as quickly as she arrived, on to help the next family.

When I saw Mary Poppins on tour two years ago, I thought it was too long, especially for a show that will draw a lot of kids. The songs, scenes, and storylines that were added are just not as compelling as those we're familiar with from the movie. I was hoping that director Michael Brindisi would trim some of the fat, but I don't know how much freedom a regional theater has to make changes when licencing a work such as this. So I'll blame the creators of the piece for making it feel a bit bloated and draggy in parts. But it certainly doesn't overshadow the wonderful moments in the show, which are many:

Ann Michels as Mary Poppins
(photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

• It's not easy to step into Julie Andrews' sensible shoes in her iconic portrayal of Mary Poppins, but the Chanhassen has found just the right actor to do so. There's no practically about it, Ann Michels is perfect in every way - her voice, her posture, her attitude, her comic timing, her look, even the way she holds the umbrella. She's an absolute delight to watch in this beloved role.
• As young Jane and Michael Banks, Isabelle Erhart and Jay Soulen (who share the roles with two other actors) are adorable, very present and expressive with lovely voices who fit right in with the veteran cast.
• Fantastic dancer Mark King plays Bert, who serves as a sort of narrator of the story, often on stage observing the action as well as taking part in it. He has a sort of melancholy about him, as if he knows that Mary will soon leave.
• Seri Johnson is, as always, hilarious as the frazzled housekeeper Mrs. Brill. She and Scott Blackburn, as butler Robertson Ay, make for quite the comedy team, like a warped version of Mrs. Hughes and Carson.
• Even though the Mr. Banks at the bank story is not very interesting, Chan favorite Keith Rice is a joy to watch as he transforms from a prickly and absent father to a more devoted family man, with the help of Janet Hayes Trow's sweet and caring Mrs. Banks, who I wish had more to sing about than "Being Mrs. Banks."
• Michelle Barber only has a few short scenes on stage, but her "Feed the Birds" is a lovely and quiet moment in the busy show.

Mary, Bert, and the children
in the sky (photo by
Heidi Bohnenkamp)

• Tamara Kangas Erickson's choreography shines in a couple of group numbers. In "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," the cast spells the crazy long word in song and with their bodies, and it's a thrill as the speed increases and the precision never wavers. "Step in Time" is a tap-dancing delight, with chimney sweeps popping up as if by magic in the audience and slowly making their way onto the stage for the ever increasing energy of the number.
• The entire show has a sort of magical, dreamlike quality. The set is dominated by a large moon, with ladders climbing to the sky. Low-tech theatrical tricks create the illusions of flying and large objects coming out of Mary's bag. Hundreds of tiny lights twinkle on the ceiling in the formation of the constellations, making one want to lean one's head back and get lost in the stars (set design by Nayna Ramey, lighting design by Sue Ellen Berger).
• The Chanhassen's resident costume designer Rich Hamson (who recently had his own moment to shine on stage) has clothed the cast in a wide array of London street garb, living life-size toy costumes, and other fantastical getups.
• Last but not least, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Music Director Andrew Cooke and his always fabulous onstage band, making this (mostly) familiar music sound great.

The Chanhassen's Mary Poppins is a joyful production (even if it is a bit too long), filled with great performances and plenty of theatrical magic. Playing now through the end of August, so you have plenty of time to get out to the suburbs and experience the magic.

It's a Jolly Holiday! (photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

"Xanadu" at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres

I was fortunate enough to be invited to Press Night* at the Chanhassen for the Midwest premiere of their summer musical, Xanadu, and I have to say, I think it's the most fun I've ever had at the theater! Xanadu is a parody of the 1980 Olivia Newton-John movie flop of the same name, and Douglas Carter Beane (who wrote the book of the show) has done a fantastic job of creating a clever, funny, silly, campy piece of theater that manages to make fun of itself at the same time that it celebrates creation and the arts. The Chanhassen always does a good job with their shows, but this is a really excellent production, the best I've seen there in years. The cast completely commits to the camp of the piece, as directed by Artistic Director Michael Brindisi, and that's what you have to do. There's no halfway with this show, you have to go all in or it doesn't work. And they do.

The plot of the show is an odd mix of Greek mythology and 80s references, with some 40s dance numbers thrown in. Sonny is a Venice Beach artist who has lost his inspiration, when Clio the muse (along with her sisters) steps out of a mural and disguises herself as the roller-skating legwarmer-wearing Australian-accented Kira to help him. Together, they fix up an old theater to open a roller disco, where music, art, dance, and athletics combine. Meanwhile, Kira's evil sister curses her to fall in love with the mortal, which is forbidden by their father Zeus, so she is exiled to the netherworld. Sonny follows Kira through the mural to Mount Olympus to declare his love for her. (Yes, I know, it's ridiculous, but just go with it!) Amidst all of this silliness is some clever commentary on the current state of musical theater (all of the muses left in 1980, leaving only poor cinematic adaptations, and the box that is juke), including an Andrew Lloyd Webber dig! This is a show that doesn't take itself too seriously; it's in on the joke.

Kira (Jodi Carmeli) and her sister muses
photo by Act One, Too Ltd

Jodi Carmeli as Kira is the star of this show. Totally immersed in the camp, she floats around the stage on her skates, speaking with an exaggerated Australian accent, and her gorgeous singing voice sounds uncannily like Oliva Newton-John at times. Dieter Bierbrauer (one of my faves) is an excellent choice to play Sonny. He also walks that fine line of camp and sincerity as the sweet but slightly stupid California artist dude (and he's a natural on roller stakes, methinks he's done this before). A silver-maned, big-voiced Keith Rice is great as always, playing a business man who once had a muse of his one. In a flashback, we see his younger self (the Gene Kelly-esque Mark King) singing, dancing, and being inspired by a muse who looks an awful lot like our Kira. The muses are all wonderful, especially Kersten Rodau, who totally hams it up as the evil muse, and Seri Johnson, as her slightly nerdy sidekick (and a second role that's equally hilarious). The two of them cackling and plotting together are a hoot! Finally, I was waiting the entire show to see Cat Brindisi (aka Wendla from Theater Latte Da's brilliant production of Spring Awakening), but she only appears briefly at the end. Still, it means that she hasn't moved back to New York City yet and is helping out with the family business this summer. Maybe we can keep her around a little longer.

Kira (Jodi Carmeli) inspires Sonny (Dieter Bierbrauer)
photo by Act One, Too Ltd

The set is pretty simple and the stage is considerably smaller due to the onstage seating. The costumes (by Rich Hamson) are super fun, ranging from drapey Greek gowns, to bad 80s cliches, to a centaur and Medusa! And you gotta love a musical that has both a choreographer and a skating coach. The music (by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar) is from the 1980 movie, so it has that great cheesy nostalgia (I just downloaded the soundtrack and will likely be singing along with it in the car with the top down all summer!).

Xanadu is the perfect summer show - light and fun, clever and silly, very refreshing and entertaining. There are limited seats available onstage, which on Press Night seemed to be reserved for local TV celebrities, including Don Shelby (aka the narrator of The Rocky Horror Show). So if you'd like to be part of the action, call the box office for details (but don't say I didn't warn you!). There are also participation kits available for purchase (ala The Rocky Horror Show), which include disco balls, glow sticks, and other assorted goodies. All of this, along with the great material and spot-on execution, makes for a ridiculously fun summer party at the theater. This is a fairly limited run for the Chanhassen, just four short summer months, so get out to the Southwest suburbs while you can!

the Xanadu "X-Box" participation kit, available for purchase 

*I received two complementary tickets to Xanadu, along with food and drinks (thanks to the official drink sponsor of the show, I now have a new favorite summer drink). But I loved the show so much that if I lived closer, I'd happily pay full price to see it again!