"What / Washed Ashore / Astray" at Pillsbury House Theatre

In just 80 minutes, playwright Benjamin Benne succinctly writes about the experience of the death of a beloved family member with raw honesty and simple beauty. Despite the odd structure of the title, What / Washed Ashore / Astray is a very human story, with a little room for play and magic. Having recently gone through this experience, this play hit very close to home for me, and I was wiping away tears throughout the show. But it's quite lovely to see one of the most fundamental human experiences depicted on stage in such a beautiful way. Combined with wonderful performances from three of #TCTheater's best actors, an incredibly detailed set design that places us right there in the seaside cottage, and some delightfully inventive shadow puppetry, What / Washed Ashore / Astray is a must see for anyone interested in thoughtful human dramas (continuing through April 16 at Pillsbury House Theatre in South Minneapolis).

"Follies" at Artistry

Artistry's production of Stephen Sondheim's 1971 musical Follies, the final show of their 2017-2018 season, opened two weeks ago, but the Great April Blizzard of '18 caused them to cancel several shows on their opening weekend. I finally had the opportunity to see it this weekend, and it was worth the wait! Having seen the 2011 Broadway revival, I knew what a gorgeous, but complicated, musical Follies is (does Sondheim write any other kind?). During my two-week delay in seeing the show I've been listening to the 2011 recording, so I was primed and ready for this show, and I loved every minute of it. Music Director Anita Ruth's 21-piece pit orchestra, Director Benjamin McGovern's large and talented cast (which includes three Equity actors, perhaps the most I've seen in a single show at Artistry), plus the dazzling design do justice to Sondheim and book writer James Goldman's complicated and beautiful musical. Congratulations to Artistry for tackling tricky Sondheim and pulling it off beautifully!

"The Velocity of Autumn" at Old Log Theatre

Last spring, I was lucky enough to see Eric Coble's smart, funny, poignant, relevant new play about aging and family, The Velocity of Autumn, during it's short Broadway run. Despite earning Estelle Parsons a Tony nomination, the play didn't last long on Broadway, perhaps because the small, intimate story is better suited to Off Broadway or regional theater than the tourist-bait that Broadway has become. The Old Log Theatre was smart enough to snap up this gem and be the first to bring it to Minnesota to open their 2015-2016 season. The Old Log has really stepped up their game in the last few years, but it's still difficult for me to make the 70-mile round trip from my home in the Northeast suburbs to lovely lakeside Excelsior. But for this play, I was determined to go to my first Old Log opening night. And boy, was my determination rewarded! It was a truly remarkable experience, something I've never seen on stage before, and one that will not soon be forgotten.

The play opens on 79-year-old Alexandra (Melissa Hart), who has barricaded herself in her Brooklyn home, armed with home-made explosives. Her children are trying to remove her from her home and put her in a nursing home, so she’s refusing to let anyone inside. Her long absent youngest son Chris (Paul de Cordova) climbs a tree and into her window in the hopes of talking her down. What follows is an intense and revelatory conversation between these two people, both at a crossroads in their lives and unsure of what’s going to happen next. What Alexandra is really trying to barricade out of her life is age – the loss of herself. Chris is the one of her three children that is most like her, an artist and a free spirit, which is how she raised him. He gives her what she needs – someone to listen to her and acknowledge her fears. Chris has recently experienced a life-changing event of his own, which is why he’s decided to come home, for a chance to “do the right thing.” As they talk about their shared past, and the uncertainty of the future, they come to a bit of an understanding, although nothing is resolved for certain. It’s a clear and precise depiction of one moment in these two people’s lives, lives that existed before this moment and will continue to exist after.*

Paul de Cordova and Melissa Hart (photo credit: Old Log Theatre)

Melissa Hart is veteran Broadway and regional theater actor - she played Sally Bowles during the original run of Cabaret and received a 1970 Tony nomination for the musical Georgy - and lucky for us, she now calls Minnesota home.  I first saw her in a return to Cabaret, this time as Fraulein Schneider in Frank Theater's delectably gritty production on the Showboat four years ago, and have seen her many times since on various stages around town including Illusion and the Guthrie. Melissa as Alexandra and Paul de Cordova as her son Chris are a dream team to bring this talky two-person play to life. This play demands great listening and presence from both actors as each delivers long monologues, along with overlapping dialogue written in the way people actually talk, and Melissa's and Paul's individual and combined performances are one of the best examples of that I've ever seen at the theater.

Alexandra is continually losing parts of herself, as happens with aging, from bodily functions to words. On opening night, Melissa Hart lost her words, and read from a script for the last half of the show. But she never lost the character, and if anything, it made her performance that much more real and poignant. And Paul was right there with her the whole time, listening and responding and helping her through. The character of Alexandra is flustered and struggles for words and memories, yet has moments of crisp clarity about her life and situation. It was indescribably moving to watch Melissa truly live Alexandra's struggles and triumphs for that brief moment in time. It was the truest example of one of the most poignant lines in the play, "there's beauty and art in the coming apart." Melissa took what she was experiencing in the moment and made it serve the character and the play, that's what a pro does. I'm certain that if you go see this play (and you should), you will see a much smoother performance, but no more beautiful than the one I saw.

An important part of this play is the setting - Alexandra's beloved brownstone in Brooklyn, which is beautifully and realistically represented on the Old Log stage. While the leaves outside the Old Log are not yet changing, I attended the show on a perfect fall day and it seemed that the picturesque setting outside the theater had been brought inside. A huge tree with autumn-tinted leaves is seen behind the large window, and is sturdy enough for Chris to climb on. Tree branches and leaves also frame the stage, which contains a cluttered, homey, lived in apartment with furniture stacked against the door and dozens of Molotov cocktails surrounding the perimeter (scenic and lighting design by Erik Paulson).

Having now seen The Velocity of Autumn twice, at different theaters and with different casts, I'm even more convinced what a beautiful and timely play this is. As the Baby Boomer generation ages, we all have Alexandras in our lives, an aging and beloved parent or aunt who seems to be on the verge of not being able to take care of him or herself. It's a difficult thing to navigate and this play provides one example of one family going through it, without providing any simple answers, because there are none. As medical advances allow us to live longer and longer, we all have to deal with our own aging and that of our loved ones, and hopefully we do so with grace, kindness, and acceptance.

The Velocity of Autumn continues through October 24 and it's well worth the drive out to Excelsior to see this smart, funny, poignant, relevant, beautifully written and acted play.


*Once again, I plagiarized myself by copying the description of the play from what I wrote last year.

"The New Electric Ballroom" by Frank Theatre at the New Century Theatre

Enda Walsh seems to be a perfect match for Frank Theatre. Their mission is "to produce unique work that stretches the skill of the artists who create the work while simultaneously challenging the everyday perceptions of the audience." In other words, they do weird stuff, but weird in the best possible way, in the way that challenges the audience and encourages us to look at things in a new way, even if we don't quite understand it. Irish playwright Enda Walsh also writes weird and interesting and challenging and utterly unique plays. Hennepin Theatre Trust is marketing The New Electric Ballroom as "from the author of Once." Please don't go to this expecting to see Once; The New Electric Ballroom is most definitely not Once. Enda Walsh did not create the world or the characters in Once, he adapted a film, putting his gritty Irish stamp on it. But the worlds he creates himself are much more dark and twisted and complex. As with last year's Ivey award-winning Misterman, Frank once again does beautiful work with this weird, challenging, disturbing, completely engrossing, crazy brilliant play.

Much like in Misterman, The New Electric Ballroom features characters that are trapped in the past. More specifically, in one pivotal day in the past. Sisters Clara and Breda, in their 60s, reenact a traumatic experience they had when they were teenagers, relating all of this to their younger sister Ada, who encourages them to keep telling the story even when it's almost too painful to continue. They put on make-up and the clothes they were wearing that day as they go through the story for what seems like the thousandth time, a story that involves a long bike ride, a handsome singer, a town dance, and an event so traumatic that Clara and Breda have not left the house since. It's difficult to understand Ada's place in the story, the one sister that leaves the house to go out in the world, and why she forces them to do this repeatedly. On this one particular day, they invite the fishmonger Patsy, their one contact with the outside world, to play a part in their story. Patsy has his own issues, and a surprising connection to the story. There's a glimmer of hope for a way out of this endless cycle, but it's quickly squashed, and the sisters' sad life continues as before.

sisters Breda (Melissa Hart), Ada (Virginia Burke), and
Clara (Katherine Ferrand) contemplate eating the cake
as Patsy (Patrick Bailey) looks on (photo by Tony Nelson)

This four-person cast could not be better, nor could Wendy Knox's direction. Each actor is so immersed in their character, and each character is more than she or he seems. Katherine Ferrand is a thing of fragile and disturbed beauty as the childlike Clara. Melissa Hart is also excellent as the somewhat stronger and more together sister Breda. Virginia Burke is the sane center of this family as Ada, until we learn that she has her issues too. Irishman Patrick Bailey with his authentic accent is a delight to listen to as he tells the sisters his stories, and later reveals a deeper and darker side to Patsy. These four characters don't so much converse with each other, as recite long monologues, repeating their part of the story or talking to themselves, often not hearing what the other has said. Several passages are repeated throughout the play, creating a harshly beautiful rhythm.

This is the second play I've seen at the New Century Theatre where the stage has been built out, and I've come to see that it's a must for most plays. Even though a few rows of seating are lost, the usual wide and shallow stage often just doesn't work. In this case, Andrea Heilman has designed a shabby but neat little home on the square stage, with vintage kitchen appliances and tape players.

The New Electric Ballroom continues for only two more weekends, so get there soon if you like complex, layered, disturbing, engrossing, tragic, beautifully performed theater.


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"My Fair Lady" at the Guthrie Theater

There's a reason My Fair Lady is one of the most beloved musicals of all time. Not only does it feature a bunch of wonderful songs by Lerner and Loewe that have become classics (including "Wouldn't it be Loverly," "Get Me to the Church on Time," and "I Could've Danced All Night"), but it's based on the George Bernard Shaw play Pygmalion that deals with issues of class, gender, societal expectations, and the intersection of wealth and power. It's a musical that has style and substance. The Guthrie's gorgeous new production does well by this classic. The show is perfectly cast, the familiar music sounds great, the choreography is fantastic, and the sets and costumes are luscious. This hugely entertaining show is definitely a must-see summer blockbuster musical.

I'm not sure the obligatory plot summary is necessary here; even if you think you aren't familiar with the story, you probably know it. It's been retold many times, from the original Shaw play (which was in turn based on a Greek myth) to the Julia Roberts movie Pretty Woman. A gentleman takes a lower class woman and transforms her into a "lady." In this case, the gentleman is Professor Henry Higgins, who studies phonetics and is intrigued by flower girl Eliza's poor accent, and makes a bet with his colleague Colonel Pickering that he can transform her into a lady in six months time. Eliza does indeed learn to be a "lady," but retains her spirit and even teaches 'Enry 'Iggins a bit about being a human being in the process.

Higgins, Eliza, and Pickering celebrating their success
(Jeff McCarthy, Helen Anker, and Tony Sheldon,
photo by Joan Marcus)

Most of the lead roles are played by non-local actors from around the country and the world, and even though I'm biased towards our wonderful local community of theater artists, they're all fabulous. Helen Anker, from England, is so charming and spirited as Eliza, and believable in the transformation from Cockney flower girl to sophisticated lady. Jeff McCarthy is the perfect Henry Higgins - even though he's thoughtless, selfish, prideful, and kind of a jerk, there's something so appealing and charming about him that you love him even as he annoys you with the stupid things he says. I just wish that this was more of a singing role, because unlike the original Higgins, it sounds like this guy can really sing. Rounding out the trio is Aussie Tony Sheldon as a delightfully amusing Pickering. And of course, we can't forget about Eliza's pop, a charming rogue as played by Donald Corren.

The large ensemble is full of too many familiar faces to mention, all of whom are great fun to watch. And they create some full and gorgeous harmonies (e.g., the "Loverly Quartet") under Andrew Cooke's musical direction, accompanied by his six-piece just barely off-stage band. Featured roles played by some of our local favorites include Robert O. Berdahl as the hair-flipping Hungarian, Angela Timberman (who can still crack me up with a single look) as Higgins' loyal yet exasperated housekeeper, and Melissa Hart as Higgins' mother, the only one who truly has his number. And then there's Tyler Michaels. His rendition of on "On the Street Where You Live" is a definite highlight of the show; I wanted to reach for the remote and rewind so I could watch it again! (Luckily he comes back for a brief reprise in the second act.) Not only does Tyler have a great voice, but he brings a unique physicality to every role he plays, including this one. Freddy has an awkward grace, he's a bit of a clutz around Eliza, but the love he feels for her flows out of every pore. I've never seen this song performed so comically and physically before - leaping across the stage, standing on top of props, dancing with bicycles and flowers and whomever wanders into the scene. It's truly joyous.

Joe Chvala's flying foot choreography, well performed by the ensemble, shines in the elaborate and busy group numbers. He incorporates percussive slapping and clapping, as well as the use of props from brooms to parasols. The prim and proper ladies and gentleman at the races create some beautiful images as they move delicately and gracefully across the stage. In contrast, the entire street comes boisterously alive in the audience's favorite scene (judging by the applause that continued for several minutes), "Get Me to the Church on Time." Fabio Tobloni's costumes are gorgeous as expected (the extravagant hats! the spats!), and the set by Walt Spangler is truly impressive, with three massive moving pieces that turn to reveal different facades, including Higgins' two-story library with spiral staircase. All of these pieces come together beautifully under Joe Dowling's direction to create a feast for the eyes and ears.

My Fair Lady continues through the end of August. It's sure to be a big hit, and deservedly so. The show is so full of life and energy and dance and music, it's almost impossible to take it all in in one sitting. Lucky for me I get to see it again with my season ticket, so I'll have a chance to relive the many wonderful moments.


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"Uncle Vanya" at the Guthrie Theater

Since I'm a Guthrie season subscriber (this is my 11th season), I just go when they send me, which for Uncle Vanya happened to be in its final week. There was not a big crowd on Tuesday night (I think the opening of the fantastic Tribes has overshadowed it), but those who were there seemed to enjoy it, including me. I've never seen a Chekhov play (not counting a production of The Seagull over 20 years ago of which I have zero recollection, even though it was my first ever Guthrie show), and honestly when I think Russian literature my first reaction is... ugh. But a few minutes into the show I realized Uncle Vanya is not at all intimidating or fomidable or dry; this adaptation by Irish playwright Brian Friel is a very accessible telling of a bittersweet story, a mixture of laughter and melancholy. With a charming set and the usual fantastic cast of Guthrie favorites and a few newcomers, I found it to be quite enjoyable - a bittersweet, melancholy, funny, thoughtful, and insightful play.

Set in late 19th century Russia, Uncle Vanya tells of a group of relations living on a country estate. Sonya (Emily Gunyou Halaas) and her Uncle Vanya (a charmingly befuddled Andrew Weems) work the estate that she inherited upon her mother's death years ago. Her ill and aging father Alexander (Robert Dorfman) has returned to the estate with his new young wife Elena (Valeri Mudek), and has plans of his own. Also living at the estate are Vanya's mother Maria (the legendary Melissa Hart, making the most of a small role), the nanny (Barbara Kinsley, so memorable in August: Osage County at Park Square a few years ago, here creating another distinct character), an eccentric family friend nicknamed Waffles (the always fantastic Jim Lichtsheidl), and occasionally the town doctor (John Catron, with another great drunken scene). It's a diverse group of characters who interact with each other, having conversations in small groups or alone on stage, talking directly to the audience.

Valeri Mudek, Jim Lichtsheidl, Andrew Weems,
and Emily Gunyou Halaas

Not a lot happens in the play; it's more of a study of life through these characters. The doctor is an environmentalist and talks about the destruction of the forests and the ecosystem in a way that has become scarily real in the 100+ years since the play was written. Poor Sonya is blissfully in love with the doctor but he's completely unaware of her. Everyone falls in love with the married Elena; she leaves many broken hearts in her wake but is not unsympathetic herself. Alexander mourns his exciting life as a famous professor that is now largely behind him, and Vanya struggles with the drudgery of every day life with no excitement or happiness. The play ponders such ideas as: What does it mean to be happy? Why are some people destined to live happy and full lives while others don't? Why do some women have all the men fall in love with them while others must toil away on the family farm? No clear answers, but we must endure!

The charming set was designed by Michael Hoover (who seems to be the busiest and definitely one of the best set designers in town); it looks like a life-size dollhouse. Three different rooms in the house are distinctly created in exquisite detail - the front porch, a living room, and a bedroom. Two of the sets are split in two and move in from either side to join in the middle. It's a delight to watch.

Uncle Vanya closes this weekend, so you only have a few more chances to see this lovely production of a classic. I'm looking forward to seeing the final play in the Guthrie's 2013-2014 next summer - the recent Broadway hit Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, a sort of modern twist on Uncle Vanya. That's some pretty clever season programming.

"Love & Marriage" at Illusion Theater

Love and marriage
Love and marriage
Go together like a horse and carriage!

Love and marriage are so much a part of our culture; "you can't have one without the other," says the song. But the reality is that marriage is an exclusive club in our country, one that not everyone can join, despite how valued it is in our society. The issue of marriage equality is in the forefront right now, and Illusion Theater's new musical review, appropriately titled Love & Marriage, brings the issue to light with warmth, humor, music, and stories of over a dozen diverse real life couples. It's a fun and heartwarming celebration of love.

Eight fabulous local actor/singers bring this music to life, accompanied by Roberta Carlson on piano, who created the show with Illusion's Artistic Director Michael Robins. The song list includes classic American love songs, musical theater standards, and current pop songs (or as I call them, Glee songs). Also included are a few original songs by Roberta that fit right into the lexicon of American love songs. Interspersed with the musical numbers are clips of interviews with real-life couples of all sorts - straight, gay, and lesbian. They tell their "meet cute" stories, and continue on as the show progresses to their stories of committing to each other, going through hard times, and making their relationship last. Featured couples include local celebrities such as Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak and his wife Megan, talented actor and singer Bradley Greenwald and his partner John, and recent Ivey Award winner Isabel Nelson and her husband (and Transatlantic Love Affair co-founder) Diogo (and now I finally understand where they got the name of their theater company). Their stories are touching, funny, and inspiring.

Highlights from the talented cast include:

• Rising local talent Cat Brindisi sings a lovely rendition of the wistful "When I Fall in Love" and the bubbly ode to fairy tales "Happily Ever After" (Cat was last seen as Wendla in Spring Awakening, and will next be seen as Princess Amneris in Aida).
• Adara Bryan was in the ensemble of one of my favorite shows of the year, Park Square's Ragtime, and it's nice to see her gorgeous voice featured here, including on the Beatles' classic "In My Life" and a duet of "Truly, Madly, Deeply" with Cat.
• Reid Harmsen duets with Cat on one of the most charming numbers of the show, (I think I wanna) "Marry You," and with Dennis on "Wouldn't it Be Nice," as well as taking part in several other numbers (see below).
• Unlike most of the other performers, I've ever seen Rachel Hurst before, but she impressed on a powerful duet of "Don't Know Much," among others.
• Broadway vet Melissa Hart, who has made Minnesota her home, appropriately covers most of the musical theater selections, including Rodgers and Hammerstein's hopeful "It Might as Well be Spring," and the decidedly darker "Could I Leave You?" from Sondheim's Follies (which I was fortunate to see on Broadway last year).
• The other cast member I'd never seen before is Charles Johnson, and I was instantly mesmerized by his effortlessly smooth voice on such songs as "All in Love is Fair" and the aforementioned duet of "Don't Know Much."
• It's always fun to see one of my longtime faves, Randy Schmeling, here singing a couple of duets and taking the lead on "I Won't Give Up" (one of those Glee songs I mentioned).
• The dynamic Dennis Spears played Nat King Cole last year in Penumbra Theater's I Wish You Love. But I don't think Nat had moves like Dennis' in "We'll Be Together," or played the tambourine so energetically and seriously as Dennis did in the final number!

My favorite group numbers include a Sondheim song I'd never heard, "Loving You," a typically amazing Sondheim song brought to life in the beautiful harmonies of Adara, Randy, Cat, and Reid, and another Sondheim song that is quite literally about marriage, "The Little Things You Do Together" (from Company, which I will see tonight!). The cast sings and performs beautifully as a group, in pairs, and individually.

Love & Marriage is a fun and entertaining evening of music that personalizes the topic of marriage equality by sharing the true stories of real people in our community. On November 6, my beloved home state of Minnesota will vote on a constitutional amendment that limits the definition of marriage to one man and one woman. I don't know how anyone can see this show and witness the love of all of these couples, and still vote yes on this amedment. Through music and real stories, we see the equality and validity of all kinds of love. I plan to VOTE NO on the marriage amendment (and the voter ID amendment, see my thoughts on Appomattox for more about that). Will you join me?

the live cast of Love & Marriage in front of the screen
showing taped interview pieces

"What's the Word For" at Illusion Theater

What’s the Word For is kind of an awkward title. But that's the only thing that's awkward about this new play by Jeffrey Hatcher, commissioned by Illusion Theater. It's a beautiful exploration of the inter-dependant relationship between two unlikely companions.

What’s the Word For tells the story of a college film professor who loses his ability to take care of himself after being injured in a car accident, and the nurse who takes him in. The title refers to Mrs. Caleodis and Hayden’s favorite activity – crossword puzzles. She reads the clues to him, saying “what’s the word for …” and he always knows the answer. He’s maintained an incredible amount of knowledge, but can’t remember simple things, like the titles of the movies he loves so well. He has to be reminded to eat and lock the door. Mrs. Caleodis has taken care of Hayden for 14 years, and has reached an age where she needs a little taking care of herself, after suffering several strokes. She tries to find a new home for Hayden, but he doesn’t want to live anywhere else or with anyone else (routine is very important to him). And she’s unwilling to let him go, too. They’ve created a life together that seems to work for them, however difficult it might be. Unfortunately they can’t go on forever in this way; change is coming whether they want it to or not.

This two-person play features a couple of wonderful performances. I’ve seen several two-person plays lately; it's a nice format, the actors can really dive into the characters and their relationship (see also Werther and Lotte, Gruesome Playground Injuries). Melissa Hart, a Broadway vet who, fortunately for us, has made Minnesota her home (Frank Theatre's Cabaret last year, most recently Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Guthrie), is so natural as Mrs. Caleodis. She never appears to be acting, she just is this character. And Michael Paul Levin is also wonderful as Hayden, portraying both the sweet, confused, helpless version of the character, as well as a flashback to his healthier days when he was much less likeable. The two create a believable relationship onstage.

This was my first time at Illusion Theater’s space on the 8th floor of the Hennepin Center for the Arts. (I recently their beautiful production of My Antonia downstairs at the Goodale Theater in the new Cowles Center.) It’s a lovely space with a beautiful view of the city. The audience was sparse on the Thursday night I attended, which always makes me feel as if I know a secret few others do. (Now you're in on the secret. :) This was also my first time purchasing a ticket through Goldstar, which is a website I recently ran across that’s like Groupon for local theater and other events. I bought a ticket to this show for under $10, including fees. I also purchased a ticket for the upcoming play Sea Marks at Gremlin Theater for a similar price. All you have to do is enter your email and zip code, and you get a daily email with deals. It's great way to keep up with what’s out there and see more theater affordably (which is nice when you see as much theater as I do!). What's the Word For is a great place to start.

"Twin Cities Theatre Artists Support Japan" at the Ordway McKnight Theatre

The Ordway took their fun and colorful production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on tour to Tokyo, Japan earlier this year, and a few days after their arrival, the earthquake hit.  The experience obviously affected the cast and crew greatly, which inspired them to pull together much of the top musical theater talent in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area (including many of my favorites) to perform in a benefit concert at the Ordway's McKnight Theatre last night.  It was a wonderful evening of music and entertainment that raised money for the Red Cross.  (And it almost made up for the Guthrie not doing their annual Cabaret show this year.)

The evening began with Joseph castmember Brian Kim singing "Something's Coming" from West Side Story.  Next, local actor Linda Kelsey gave us a few sobering facts about the earthquake and its continuing repercussions, and introduced the evening's hosts, Kimberly Wells and Kristine Kvanli from ShopNBC.  The singers were accompanied by four talented pianists: Mindy Eschedor, Denise Prosek (Music Director of Theater Latte Da), Gregory Theisen, and George Maurer (more about him later).

Back to the performances.  Dennis Curley from local theater company Table Salt Productions sang a very funny song about a dinner party that got a little out of control, "I Should Have Said No."  Jennifer Eckes sang about her love of bald men in "I Want Them."  The next performance featured a delightful dance number by Brian Sostek and Megan McClellan of Sossy Mechanics, preceeded by a cute little voice from the audience crying, "Mommy!  Daddy!"

Local director Austene Van introduced her performance by saying that she usually stays behind the scenes, but was recently encouraged to share her voice with an audience.  It became clear a few seconds into the performance that she was joking, as she sang in a very over-exaggerated style with a very dramatic dancer behind her.  Very funny.

The next singer, however, was no joke.  I recently saw Melissa Hart in Frank Theatre's fabulous production of Cabaret.  A Broadway veteran, she was also involved in the original Broadway production of Cabaret.  She sang "Make Someone Happy," and her years of experience shone through in the way she emoted through the performance and sang to the audience.  Lucky for us, she now calls the Twin Cities home.

Joel Liestman was part of the Joseph cast and one of the people behind getting this event together.  He performed a comic ode to his lawn.  Next, Michael Gruber and one of my favorite Chanhassan regulars Tony Vierling performed "Moses Supposes" from Singing in the Rain (which Tony starred in a few years ago at the Chan).  In addition to some tongue-twisting lyrics, the performance included some pretty impressive tap-dancing.

The penultimate performance of the first act was by another one of my favorites, Bradley Greenwald.  He was brilliant as the emcee in Frank Theatre's Cabaret, among many other performances.  He sang the opening number from The Music Man, you know, the one that sounds like a train and includes the line "but he doesn't know the territory!"  It's super fast and contains a ton of lyrics, and was masterfully performed (although I'm glad I wasn't sitting in the front row at that point ;).  I'm pretty sure there's nothing Bradley can't do.

The first act ended with the always thrilling Mu Daiko.  A Japanese drumming group that's part of Mu Performing Arts, their presence seemed appropriate to the theme of the evening and was an entertaining and rousing combination of percussion and choreography.

The second act began with a performance of "Any Dream Will Do" by the cast of Joseph.  Another one of my favorites, from Theater Latte Da, the Chanhassan, and other theaters, Randy Schmeling, sang the lead (I also happened to be sitting next to Randy's biggest fan - his mom).  Connie Kunkle joined him, as did much of the cast, including a few children.

Ann Michels, who's been in too many amazing shows to mention, sang a beautiful song called "Christmas Lullaby."  She was accompanied on the piano by George Maurer, with whom she frequently performs as part of the George Maurer Jazz Group.  George later performed an original solo piece called "Purple Muppets," which combined classic rock, TV theme songs, and classical piano pieces.  In a very funny intro to this song, he said he wrote it as therapy for his "pianist's envy."  I have a few of his CDs but have never seen him live; I'm thinking now I need to make sure that happens soon.

James Rocco proved that he's not just the man behind the scenes as the Artistic Director of the Ordway when he sang a fast, jazzy song called "Cloudburst."  Connie Kunkle came back to center stage to sing "I've Got No Strings."

I just adore Jim Lichtscheidl; he never fails to crack me up.  He's currently appearing as Captain Bluntschli in Arms and the Man at the Guthrie, but he's recently made a name for himself by playing multiple characters in one piece.  He's brilliant at differentiating the characters through the tone of his voice and the carriage of his body.  Now I know he can do it in dance too!  He performed a hilarious dance/comedy routine in which his partner dropped out at the last minute, leaving him a "Dear Jim" letter which he sheepishly read on stage.  He then proceeded to do both parts of the dance, holding a dress on a hanger in front of him when he was doing the female part.  Brilliantly entertaining, as usual.

I had just seen Regina Marie Williams the day before in Ten Thousand Things' delightful Man of La Mancha, in which she plays the prostitute Aldonza, aka the lady Dulcinea.  She's wonderful in that role, and last night sang a beautiful, jazzy rendition of "Come Rain or Come Shine."  Erin Schwab followed that with a wacky performance of "Somebody to Love" (because nothing puts you in the mood to give like a hootenanny Queen song).  She had the audience help her out with the chorus, which I was able to do because I knew the song from Glee (my window into the world of popular music).  In addition to being very funny, she has a killer voice too.

The next performance featured my favorite local actor, Dieter Bierbrauer, in a performance from his recent Off-Broadway show Power Balladz.  His co-star from the 2009 Lab Theater version of the 80s jukebox musical, Randy Schmeling, joined him for "Wanted, Dead or Alive" (one of the few 80s songs I know despite never being featured on Glee).  They gave a very hammy, sincere performance of the song with dramatic poses and facial expressions.  But they both have outstanding voices individually that blend together beautifully, so even though they were playing it for laughs, it sounded gorgeous and rich.

The final individual performance of the night was given by Tokyo native Momoko Tanno.  It was very moving to hear her talk about her home and family, and then sing a Japanese song which translated to "My Country Home."  It made the recent tragedy seem a little more real.

Finally, all of the performers joined Jen Burleigh-Bentz and Jake Endres singing "You'll Never Walk Alone."  It was just thrilling to hear all of those amazing voices blend together in this inspirational song.  Which brings me to the business portion of the evening.  The Japanese people need our help.  If you're like me and you've been meaning to make a contribution to the Red Cross, but just haven't gotten around to it, maybe this will serve as a good reminder, as it did for me.  If so, you can go to the Red Cross website and click on "Donate Now" in the upper right-hand corner.  You can then check "Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami" if that's where you want your donation to go.

Thanks to all of the artists and behind-the-scenes people who donated their time to bring this wonderful evening to reality and raise money for a good cause.  I only wish more people had been there to see it!

"Cabaret" by Frank Theatre at the Minnesota Centennial Showboat

I went to see Cabaret by a theater company I'd never heard of, in a location I didn't know housed theater.  And it was one of those times when I felt so lucky to be in that room, experiencing such an amazing performance of a classic piece of musical theater, with wonderful guests for a post-show discussion.  I found out about the show from one of the many theater emails that I get, and since Cabaret is one of my favorites I looked into it.  I saw that Bradley Greenwald was playing the emcee, and that was enough to get me there.  "There" was a (permanently docked) boat on the Mississippi River in St. Paul, just across from downtown on Harriet Island.  A perfectly lovely location and theater, the original Centennial Showboat opened in celebration of Minnesota's Centennial, which as every Minnesota school child knows was in 1958.  The current showboat was built new after the original burned in a fire during reconstruction, and houses productions by the University of Minnesota and other local theaters like this one.  Frank Theatre has been around for over twenty years, and is "committed to producing unique work that stretches the skills of the artists who create the work while simultaneously challenging the everyday perceptions of the audience through the exploration of ideas and issues of social, political and/or cultural concern."  So far I like what I see, and I'll be keeping an eye out for future productions.

In typical Kander and Ebb style, Cabaret is such a layered, complex piece while still being hugely entertaining.  This production focuses more on the story rather than big splashy musical numbers, although with Bradley Greenwald in the cast the music is amazing too.  He has an unbelievable voice and can sing anything, and brings a lot of humor and depth to the role of the emcee, our guide through the story.  My favorite part of his performance is the opening number in which he sings lines in German, French, and then English.  He sings the English lines in a crass, over-exaggerated American accent that's completely fabulous.  The other star of the show is Melissa Hart, who plays Fraulein Schneider in this production but played Sally Bowles in the original 1966 Broadway and national touring production.  (Lucky for us Melissa moved to Minnesota a few years ago, so I look forward to seeing her on local stages again!)  Her history and connection to the show add a lot to the production, in addition to her amazing performance as the landlady who found love late in life, only to lose it.  Patrick Bailey is her sweet, funny suitor who doesn't want to face what's happening in Germany.

The Kit Kat Klub is filled with great performers, yet they're not too polished as one would expect in a seedy Berlin nightclub.  Fraulein Sally Bowles, "the toast of Mayfair" and star of the Klub, is played by Sara Richardson.  Not only does she have the look (cute short dark hair, smokey eyes and red cupie doll lips) and the voice, but she also has the vulnerability and strength of Sally.  Max Wojtanowicz (who has a lovely voice that I wish we got to hear more of) is the sensible, stable American writer trying to find himself in Berlin, while Sally is flighty and fluttery and scattered.  At first I thought Sally was naive, always happy and pretending not to notice what was happening around her.  But really, Sally is the realist.  She knows how hard life is, she's lived it, and she's just doing what she can to get through the day.  Max is the naive idealist who sees everything in black and white, and thinks all of their problems can be solved by taking a train to Paris.  When Sally sings the final number, "Cabaret," it's a gut-wrenching performance.

The finale of the show features a jumbled sound and look, as everything falls apart in Germany and the Kit Kat Klub.  Each of the characters sings a line or two of their song, reminding us of their journey.  The stage empties except for the emcee, who sings, "Auf Wiedersehen, A Bientot," followed by a shot and silence.  It's so sad, knowing what comes next.  Berlin has such a fascinating and tortured history.

As if all of that wasn't wonderful enough, the day wasn't over yet.  There was a post-show discussion which included director and Frank Artistic Director Wendy Knox, Melissa Hart, choregrapher Bonnie Bottoms, and her mother, Holocaust survivor Sabina Zimering.  She wrote a book about how she survived, assuming a false identity and working in Germany.  It was so humbling and such an honor to be in her presence, knowing she lived through the reality of the world that Cabaret gave us a glimpse into.  And I always love to listen to artists talk about their work, so it was a great ending to a lovely day of theater.

What I love most about Kander and Ebb is that they don't shy away from the tough stuff.  Starting with Cabaret in 1966, all the way through to their final show Scottsboro Boys which came out just last year, they deal with serious issues such as anti-Semitism in Germany and racism in America.  Issues that we like to believe are further in the past than they really are.  Kander and Ebb use the art form of musical theater to ask the difficult questions, not necessarily providing answers but encouraging the audience to wrestle with them.  It seems Frank Theatre has a similar viewpoint, which is perhaps why they chose this piece and why they do it so well.  It's only playing for one more weekend, "good lord willing and the creek don't rise" (literally!), so go see it if you can!