"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" at Theatre Elision

I saw the 12-time Tony nominated (and 2-time winning) Broadway musical Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, based on one small section of Tolstoy's epic novel War and Peace with music, book, and lyrics by Dave Malloy, in March of 2017. Just two months later, I witnessed the debut of a promising new #TCTheater company called Theatre Elision. Now, in a full circle moment, Elision (which has since become one of my favorite theater companies, filling the much-needed niche of small cast, one act, rarely done musicals, often with mostly female creative teams and/or casts) is producing the regional premiere of Great Comet, and it's stunning. In those intervening years I have also seen multiple productions of Elision's take on Dave Malloy's one act song cycle Ghost Quartet, and that familiarity with his work, along with Elision's all-star local cast and their intimate immersive staging, meant that I loved this show much more than the Broadway version, and even more than I expected to in the months of buildup. They have virtually sold out the entire run, which is unprecedented for Elision. For eight-plus years they have been an underrated hidden gem of #TCTheater, but that ends with this show. The larger community is finally discovering what I've known for a long time, that Theatre Elision produces work you just cannot see elsewhere, that's musically and aesthetically gorgeous, in an intimate setting. Great Comet continues through November 22, and if you can beg, borrow, or steal your way into the show - do it! Follow them on social media for potential available tickets, or contact the box office to get on the waitlist.

"Ghost Quartet" at Theatre Elision

This fall, Theatre Elision will bring us the regional premiere of the 12-time Tony nominated 2017 Broadway musical Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812. But that's the time of the year they typically do composer/ lyricist/ playwright Dave Malloy's lesser known work Ghost Quartet. Not wanting to miss a year, they're presenting their 7th production for three nights only, featuring many past cast members, in what they're calling "the reunion." I've seen three of the six previous iterations, and I think this is the best one yet. Maybe it's because this non-linear song cycle interweaving many related stories and characters gets better with repeated viewings, maybe it's because the supersized cast makes the score sound even more gorgeous, maybe after seven productions Elision and these artists know this piece better and better. Or likely a combination of all of the above. If you've seen Ghost Quartet before, I recommend this reunion version as a way to deepen your experience. And if you've never seen it, this is a great introduction because it's really well done and feels like a welcoming and communal experience. But hurry, here are only two shows left - tonight (Friday) and tomorrow night! Click here for info and tickets.

"Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley" at Lyric Arts

This holiday* #TCTheater season, we are blessed with not one but two productions of Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon's Pride and Prejudice fan fiction series Christmas at Pemberley. The first play in the trilogy, Miss Bennet, was first seen on local stages at the Jungle Theater five years ago, after which they co-commissioned two more plays, the latest of which, Georgiana and Kitty, is currently premiering at the Jungle. But you can also see where the story all began in Miss Bennet in a new production at Lyric Arts in Anoka. All of these plays are gems, perfectly marrying Jane Austen's legacy of female-centered stories in a man's world of property, marriage, and inheritance with modern feminist sensibilities. It's lovely to see a different take on these stories at Lyric Arts, but just as charming, funny, and heart-warming. You can visit Pemberley via Anoka Thursdays through Sundays until December 18.

"Bright Star" at Lyric Arts

For the second year in a row, Lyric Arts is opening their season with the regional premiere of a new Broadway musical. Last year they brought us a fantastic production of the 2014 Idina Menzel vehicle If/Then, this year it's the 2016 bluegrass musical Bright Star by Edie Brickell and Steve Martin (yes, that Steve Martin). It only ran for a few months on Broadway and didn't win any awards (although it was nominated for several Tonys, including best musical). But it's a sweet story with a gorgeous bluegrass score that perhaps plays better on smaller stages. Like Lyric's Main Street Stage in charming downtown Anoka. The huge and talented cast, along with the fantastic onstage bluegrass band, do a wonderful job of bringing this heart-breaking and heart-warming story to life with all the feels. You can see this regional premiere through September 29.

"Hatchet Lady" by Walking Shadow Theatre Company at Red Eye Theater

On a Wednesday night with a nearly full house at the parking-challenged Red Eye Theater, I saw a bizarre and possibly brilliant creation. Walking Shadow's new bio-musical Hatchet Lady about temperance activist Carrie Nation is in some ways neither a biography nor a musical. There is music and it is somewhat about Carrie Nation, but it doesn't follow the structure of any musical I've seen. And that's a good thing. I'm at a bit of a loss how to talk about this one, but if you're looking for music-theater storytelling that is outside of the norm, you might want to try to snag a ticket to one of the few remaining performances. Going into its 3rd and final weekend, it seems to have built up quite a following based on word-of-mouth that has transcended the usual theater crowd. It's a wild 70-minute ride.