"RENT" at Zeitgeist Theater

My favorite musical in my favorite city in Minnesota?! I'm there, even if it means missing the first day of the Minnesota Fringe Festival (don't worry, there are ten more days). This was my 19th time seeing RENT, some 28 years after I saw it the first time on tour at the Ordway, and it still moves me. Zeitgeist in Duluth (just across the street from the NorShor Theatre) is a unique hub of arts, culture, and community, with a non-profit restaurant, a movie theater, and a live performance space with various programming including theater. Under Producing Artistic Director Mary Fox (whom some of you might know from her years performing at Yellow Tree, Theater Latte Da, the Children's Theatre Company, and more), Zeitgeist Theater has been producing excellent choices of shows in their last couple seasons. Where Renegade Theater Company (which performed in the same space and did the Minnesota premiere of Fun Home, among other great shows) did not survive the pandemic, Zeitgeist has bloomed in its place. Last season they did POTUS (which we have yet to see in #TCTheater), and this season includes six great choices of plays and musicals, some familiar, some new. I've been wanting to get up to Duluth to see a Zeitgeist show for the last few years, but just wasn't able to make it work. Until RENT. That's a show I cannot resist, and I was so thrilled to be there on opening night to see this raw young talented cast perform in the most intimate and immersive production of RENT I've ever seen. I felt like I was surrounded by RENT, and it was just the best. I'd tell you to get yourself to Duluth to see it but the short run is virtually sold out. Instead I'll tell you that the next time you plan a trip to Duluth, check out what's going on at Zeitgeist, or the Playhouse, or other arts organization in this amazing artsy town (including a production of Jonathan Larson's first musical Tick, Tick... Boom! by Boat House Productions this fall).

"Survivors of the Fire" by Bucket Brigade at Art House North

I love a new original historical musical, and Bucket Brigade's Survivors of the Fire is a good one. The stories of the survivors of the Great Hinckley Fire of 1894 are told in a compelling way using songs (mostly hymns and traditional songs), physical theater, and storytelling. It's only 75 minutes long but it feels epic, like we've gone on this journey from booming lumber town, to the unimaginable terror of a firestorm with a four-mile high wall of fire and temperatures of 2000 degrees, to the grief of loss and hope of rebuilding that came after. The seven-person cast embodies the real people who survived the fire, and their acts of humanity and heroism. Their performances, along with a four-person band playing well-chosen songs, and the spot-on sound and lighting design, combine to create a visceral experience of the fire and the people who lived through it. A musical brings the story to life in a way a museum or book never could (although I will now be visiting the museum and reading a book to learn more). Experience it yourself at the charming Art House North in St. Paul's West 7th neighborhood, weekends through October 12 (pro tip: make a reservation if you want to go to one of the trendy nearby restaurants).

"They Wear Teal Ribbons Around Their Tongues" by Full Circle Theater Company at Gremlin Theatre

In the new play They Wear Teal Ribbons Around Their Tongues by #TCTheater artist Siddeeqah Shabazz, a family therapy session turns into a '90s sitcom. But the cheesy laughs soon give way to some heavy drama, as painful secrets are revealed. Produced by Full Circle Theater Company, the play walks the fine line between comedy and drama, as does the talented cast. Come for the funny and comforting sitcom tropes, stay for the emotional truth of this dysfunctional but loving family. They Wear Teal Ribbons Around Their Tongues continues this weekend and next at Gremlin Theatre.

"Diesel Heart" at History Theatre

Several years in the making, the new play Diesel Heart is now on stage at History Theatre. Adapted from the autobiography of the same name by Melvin Carter, Jr., one of St. Paul's first Black police officers (and father of the current mayor), this is a story of the history of America. Specifically, the migration of Black Americans from the rural South to Northern cities (like Minneapolis and St. Paul), the displacement of Black communities through the building of interstate freeways (see also History Theatre's 2017 play The Highwaymen), the violence faced by many Black men and women growing up in this country, and the perseverance through those hardships into a better future. Melvin Carter, Jr. is an ordinary and extraordinary man living an ordinary and extraordinary life, that's beautifully brought to life on stage by the talented cast and creative team. See it at the History Theatre in downtown St. Paul now through April 2.

"Miracle on Christmas Lake" by Actors' Theater of Minnesota at Camp Bar

I'm a big fan of Yellow Tree Theatre in general and their four original and very Minnesotan Christmas* plays in particular (see also: A Gone Fishin' Christmas, no seriously go see it, playing now through the end of the year). So I jumped at the chance to see another theater company, Actors Theater of Minnesota, perform the play that started it all - A Miracle on Christmas Lake. Written by Yellow Tree co-founder Jessica Lind Peterson, it's inspired by the real life predicament they faced when they lost the rights to the show they were planning to do and had to come up with something in a short amount of time. This wacky, sweet, ridiculous little play chock full of Minnesota references and stereotypes was the result, and it's great fun to see another company's take on it in the intimate space of Camp Bar.

"Promise Land" by Transatlantic Love Affair at Guthrie Theater

Twin Cities Theater Bloggers' favorite theater of 2016, the charmingly named Transatlantic Love Affair, is making their Guthrie Theater debut as part of the Guthrie's new Level Nine Series. This series makes theater more accessible (all tickets for shows in the Dowling Studio are just $9), and also endeavors to engage theater-goers with what they call "community engagement activities," which often include post-show discussions or displays in the golden lobby. Hopefully TLA's participation in this series will allow people who don't know that TCTB knows about them to get on board with this truly unique and special physical theater company.