"Promise of America: A New Celebration of Jewish American Song" at Six Points Theater

Back in 2021, the Artistic Director of Six Points Theater (then called Minnesota Jewish Theatre) Barbara Brooks created a virtual musical revue called Promise of America: A Celebration of Jewish American Song as part of their "Theater Six Feet Apart" season (which also included outdoor programming). I watched it, but have no recollection of it; the COVID years are a blur at this point, five years removed. Barbara noted in the program that she's gotten many requests to bring this show back, live and in person. She decided to do it now, to conclude Six Points' 31st season, in honor of America's 250th birthday, as a celebration of the many contributions of Jewish Americans to this country, specifically in the area of songwriting. In this new, expanded, and LIVE version of Promise of America, four excellent singers perform songs from the early 20th Century through today by artists from Irving Berlin  and the Gershwin brothers, to Nissim Black and Regina Spektor. Jewish people and Jewish culture are an inextricable part of America, and this show beautifully highlights their contributions in the area of popular music. Join the musical celebration at Six Points Theater now through May 17.

"Jesus Christ Superstar" on tour at the Ordway Center

It's the most wonderful time of the year, and #TCTheater is overflowing with Christmas shows, many of which are selling out. But in a bit of alternative programming, the Ordway Center is hosting a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar, which is about the ending of Jesus' life rather than the beginning of it. It's a much more somber and less hopeful story, but it has a similar message of Jesus' true teachings - feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, uplifting the downtrodden, welcoming the stranger - that unfortunately some self-proclaimed "Christians" seem to have forgotten. I'm not a huge fan of the show, I've only seen it a couple times (most recently the Ordway's 2017 original production that garnered multiple TCTB Awards) and never really listened to the score, but I found this production to be electric. A fantastic touring cast, a tight and intense and fast-moving 90 minutes, and a cool modern design. It feels more like a rock concert than a musical, in a good way. It's the same tour that played at the Orpheum in January of 2020 but with a different cast, but I didn't see that one so this is my first experience with this Jesus Christ Superstar. It can be seen on the Ordway stage in lovely festive downtown St. Paul through December 28, after which this production, or a version of it, will tour the world and play the West End.

"The Sound of Music" at Artistry

The Sound of Music is a particular favorite of mine, having grown up watching and loving the movie, playing clarinet in the pit orchestra of my high school production, and studying abroad in wunderschöne Salzburg almost 30 years ago. It's been over eight years since we've had a professional #TCTheater production of it, so seeing it at Artistry in Bloomington is a thrill. They've assembled a fantastic cast of #TCTheater favorites and some precocious children, with a simply lovely design, and Raymond Berg leading a 13-piece onstage orchestra on this beloved score. And the result is every bit as warm, comforting, familiar, and delightful as it should be. It continues through May 12, but I'm not the only one with a built-in love for this show, so it's already selling out. Don't wait to long too get your tickets to Salzburg!

"Broadway Songbook: Broadway in Love" at Park Square Theatre

As part of their soft reopening after some financial troubles over the last year, Park Square Theatre is bringing James Rocco's Broadway Songbook series back to St. Paul. When he was Artistic Director at the Ordway, James did a dozen or more shows in the series, most of which I attended. I fondly remember them as the best musical theater edutainment, with James' stories and history combined with live performances by some of #TCTheater's top talent. The series has continued at various locations since James left the Ordway in 2017, but hopefully this is the first of many at Park Square. It's February, so the topic for this Songbook is "Broadway in Love," a very broad topic since just about every musical has a love story. So there was less of a cohesive historical or thematic throughline in this show, but more just a collection of some of James and friends' favorite love songs from musicals. Only two performances remain, so head to downtown St. Paul if you've been missing this unique brand of musical edutainment. And follow Park Square for the upcoming announcement of their four-show season, beginning with a summer mystery.

"The Defeat of Jesse James" at History Theatre

#TCTheater's favorite musical theater creative team Hatcher and Poling is back! Prolific local playwright Jeffrey Hatcher and longtime local musician/composer Chan Poling have teamed up on a number of musical theater pieces, the most successful being Glensheen, which History Theatre will be remounting once again this summer. Their newest work, began several years ago at the suggestion of History Theatre's recently retired Artistic Director Ron Peluso, is The Defeat of Jesse James. If you're thinking, I've already seen this story, you're not wrong. The story of the famed outlaw, whose career in crime was essentially stopped right here in Minnesota, has been told countless times. But you've never seen it quite like this - as a rock concert. This format allows the creators to not just tell this familiar story, but also comment on it, and our fascination with it. The all-star cast gives their all to this show that is delightfully meta, thought-provoking, and super fun. See it at the History Theatre in downtown St. Paul now through May 28.

"Memphis" by Artistry at Bloomington Center for the Arts

"All rock 'n' roll is, is Negro blues sped up." This quote from the 2010 Tony-winning best musical Memphis, currently playing at Artistry in Bloomington, sums up the premise of the story - the way that White rock 'n' roll artists of the 1950s borrowed, or stole, from Black R&B artists. This cultural appropriation is something we're even more aware of in 2022 than we were 12 years ago, as noted by director Aimee K. Bryant in the program: "the show appropriates the story of the birth of rock 'n' roll, just like the music industry appropriates Black music and culture. It credits Huey Calhoun with the success of the genre, instead of crediting Felicia Farrell and her brother Delray with Huey's success." Well said, and this production is fully aware of that, and much of the spotlight is given to the Black artists and music that fueled the rock 'n' roll movement. Artistry has assembled a cast that is truly an embarrassment of riches to bring us the regional premiere of the Tony-winning musical.

A Cabaret Featuring the Cast of the Ordway's "42nd Street"

Friends, I had the most amazing night at the Dakota Jazz Club last night. The cast of the Ordway's "fan-freakin-tastic" 42nd Street presented a cabaret that lasted for over three hours and showcased the many varied talents of this ridiculously talented cast. As I overheard in the bathroom (a great place to gauge audience reaction), the cabaret was almost better than the show itself. I have decided that the cast of every musical needs to do a cabaret show (this is the 4th at the Dakota, after the casts of Theater Latte Da's Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Park Square's Marie and Rosetta, and the Jungle's Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill). It was a particularly genius idea for this cast that is overflowing with talent from every single member. They get to show off a lot of that talent in 42nd Street, which features tap dancing like I've never seen before, but there's so much more to them all. From poetry (Annie Jo Ermel) and spoken word (Phillip Attmore), to freestyle rap (Rush Benson), to country music (Jarrod Emick), to crooning standards (Tyler Michaels King, Tamara Tunie, Kimberly Immanual), to insane tap-dancing (several members of the cast), to the musical stylings of Music Director Raymond Berg and the band, to the most charming and genial hosting (T. Mychael Rambo, underused in 42nd Street), to whatever magic it is that Jamecia Bennett creates that blows the roof of of whatever room she's in and brings the crowd to their feet, last night was a display of talent unlike anything I've seen before. It truly will go down as one of the best and most memorable evenings of musical performance I've ever experienced.

"42nd Street" at the Ordway Center

Come and meet
Those dancing feet
On the avenue I'm taking you to
Washington Street

Washington Street in downtown St. Paul, the address of Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, is the new 42nd Street. The Ordway Original production of 42nd Street is an expertly updated classic that in three words is: Fan. Freakin. Tastic. I've seen the show several times, but never like this. The show opens with the above familiar refrain, the curtain lifting a few inches to reveal feet moving in classic tap-dancing style. Then producer Julian Marsh says something along the lines of - we've done that before, let's do something new. What follows is something entirely new, while still paying homage to the beloved 1933 movie (adapted to the stage in 1980). These dancers (comprised of local and national talent) are some of the best I've ever seen performing this whirlwind tapping, the lead and supporting actors are divine, and the music is familiar yet excitingly modern. If you're a fan of music-theater, get yourself to "naughty, bawdy, gaudy, sporty" Washington Street as soon as you are able! But hurry, the show closes on August 11 after a too-short three-week run (click here for all the deets).

"Ordway Cabaret, A Brand New Day: Rise Up!" at the Ordway Concert Hall

Last night the Ordway presented their second installment in their new Ordway Cabaret series. At this point it's a one-night only event (if you missed it you're out of luck, sorry), but they did also share it with almost 2000 students as part of the Ordway's education program. The first installment earlier this year was subtitled "Breaking Barriers," this one is "Rise Up!" and the third, coming this fall, will be "all about the ladies," i.e., about how women are portrayed in musical theater and how female audience members and performers respond to that (see also Not Fair, My Lady!). The Ordway Cabaret is similar to the Broadway Songbook series that the Ordway ran for a number of years, except that it's less about musical theater history and more about the performers' personal history as it relates to musical theater. I'm really loving this twist, because it shows in a very real way how much musical theater can affect our lives, both for performers and audience members. And as always with these types of shows at the Ordway, the phenomenal cast brings their hearts and souls to the wonderful performances of beloved musical theater songs.

"Ordway Cabaret, A Brand New Day: Breaking Barriers" at the Ordway Concert Hall

From 2011 to 2017, I attended 13 Broadway Songbook concerts at the Ordway (I think I only missed one or two). I absolutely loved learning about the history of musical theater (IMO the greatest American art form), while enjoying performances by some of #TCTheater's top talent. The series ended with the departure of Artistic Director James Rocco, but now the Ordway's new Artistic Director, Rod Kaats, has started a new series called Ordway Cabaret, A Brand New Day, described on their website thusly: "Ordway Cabaret features local performers in a cabaret format. This all-new series presents the music of Broadway in a thoroughly modern way: critiquing musicals that reinforce stereotypes and celebrating those that succeed in breaking barriers. The finale and signature song, 'A Brand New Day' from The Wiz, reminds us that, at least in some Broadway musicals, love can set you free." That sounds fantastic to me (see also last summer's Fringe hit Not Fair, My Lady, returning soon as part of their "Women's March"), I thoroughly enjoyed the first installment, Breaking Barriers, and look forward to this series continuing for many years.

"Broadway Songbook: Hollywood and Broadway" at the Ordway Center

Thursday night I attended my 13th show in the Ordway's Broadway Songbook series, an edutainment series about musical theater (I think I've only missed one, maybe two). Starting way back in 2011 (aka the good old days) with "The Words and Music of Irving Berlin" in the dearly departed McKnight Theatre, the series has traveled to the stage of the main theater and now to the swanky new concert hall, and gone on to cover such composers as Stephen Sondheim, Comden and Green, and Rodgers and Hammerstein and Hart, and such topic or eras as musicals of the '50s and rock and roll on Broadway. Each has been a fun, entertaining, and informative history lesson about musical theater (which happens to be my favorite thing in the world). Which brings us to the current installment: "Hollywood and Broadway." A topic so vast (there was a time when every successful Broadway musical was made into a Hollywood movie, and now it seems every successful Hollywood movie is made into a Broadway musical), that it's impossible to cover in two quick hours. But co-writers Jeffrey P. Scott and the Ordway's Artistic Director James A. Rocco, who also hosts, managed to put together an interesting story that was perhaps a bit too much Hollywood and not enough Broadway for my taste, but was still a wonderful evening of musical theater history and performance.

"Broadway Songbook: Rebels! On Broadway" at the Ordway Concert Hall

Now in its 6th season, the Ordway's Broadway Songbook series is a unique opportunity to learn about the history of American musical theater (my favorite topic) while being entertained by fabulous performances by some of the Twin Cities' top music-theater talent. I've attended nearly every installment of the series (except when they've inconveniently scheduled them for when I'm out of town), with topics ranging from composers like Irving Berlin and Cole Porter, to themes like the first 100 years and Rock and Roll. This is another theme-based Songbook: "Rebels! On Broadway." A more apt title would be "21st Century Rebels," as all but one of the musicals featured debuted in the 21st Century. But it's wise to limit the scope, because as host and co-writer James Rocco says, American musical theater began with rebels, and all major strides forward were made by rebels. Even Rodgers and Hammerstein were rebels when they began (a musical with a serious plot?!), and I can't think of a more rebellious act than burning a draft card onstage in 1967, which Hair did every night. But the best part about focusing on recent Broadway rebels is that it provides an excuse for performances of not one, not two, but three songs from the biggest Broadway hit in decades - Hamilton. That alone is worth the price of admission, but you also get lots of other great songs and stories in another fantastic installment of the Broadway Songbook series.

"A Chorus Line" at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts

The 1975 smash hit Broadway musical A Chorus Line truly is a singular sensation. After winning nine Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize (one of only eight musicals to do so), it ran for 15 years, making it the longest running musical on Broadway at the time (it still ranks as number six). But why would this musical about dancers auditioning to be in the chorus line of a musical be such a popular success? Theater people can surely relate to it, but what about the rest of us mere mortals who've never stepped foot on a stage? The reason for its long-lasting success is that it's not just an inside look at the world of musical theater; its themes of adolescence, acceptance, figuring out who you are and what you want to be, and dedicating your life to something that you love are universal, told with raw honesty and unabashed sincerity. And the dancing is pretty terrific too. I've been waiting almost seven years for a local production of A Chorus Line, since seeing the Broadway revival tour in 2009. The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts has finally fulfilled my wish, and it's well worth the wait. Featuring a fabulously talented cast of over two dozen legit triple threats, about half of whom are local, co-directed and co-choreographed by A Chorus Line expert Kerry Casserly and Artistic Director James Rocco, this show hews very close to the original. There's no re-imagining here, this is a beautifully faithful production of the singular sensation that is A Chorus Line. If you call yourself a musical theater fan, it's a must-see.

"Broadway Songbook: The '70s Songbook" at the Ordway Center

In the 12th installment of the Ordway's fun and educational "Broadway Songbook" series (and the 11th I've seen), host and co-writer (along with Jeffrey P. Scott) James Rocco and Music Director Raymond Berg present the songbook of the '70s. Unlike other shows in the series, the songs in this show don't all come from musicals. Rather, the theme is singer/songwriters of the '70s that had an effect on Broadway. Or something like that. The rules for inclusion seem a little loosey goosey - no Xanadu because the movie on which it was based came out in 1980 (despite the fact that two of the stars of the Chanhassen's 2012 production are in the cast), yet "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from the 1994 movie The Lion King, brilliantly adapted for the stage in 1997,* is fair game because Elton John was a songwriter in the '70s? And no mention of one of the most popular and long-lasting musicals that came out of the '70s - Chicago, or songs from Mamma Mia, another popular jukebox musical based on Abba songs from the '70s. And if we're just singing great songs from the '70s, where's John Denver and The Carpenters (my favorite '70s musicians)? As a musical theater nerd, I would prefer more musical theater songs and fewer pop songs. But that being said, Broadway Songbook: The '70s Songbook is still a fabulously performed, fun, entertaining, and educational evening of music.

I count every one of the five members of this super talented cast (Dieter Bierbrauer, Caroline Innerbichler, Kersten Rodau, Randy Schmeling, and Erin Schwab) among my favorite music-theater performers in the Twin Cities, so it's a treat to hear them sing any song, no matter where it comes from or when it was written. They each get their moment in the spotlight, and back each other up for those dreamy '70s harmonies. Accompanied by an awesome four-piece band led by Raymond Berg on piano, there's no doubt that this show contains many amazing musical moments. Here are a few of my favorites:

• The women combine for a gorgeous and stirring rendition of "At the Ballet" from the ultimate musical about musicals, A Chorus Line.**
• The Donna Summer/Barbra Streisand song "No More Tears (Enough is Enough)" has a pretty loose connection to Broadway, but Erin and Kersten rock out on this super fun disco song.
• You talk about Stephen Sondheim's Company with Dieter Bierbrauer onstage, and don't have him sing "Being Alive" - my favorite version of one of the best musical theater songs ever written? I guess I'll have to settle for a beautifully sad and poignant "Sorry-Grateful."
• Speaking of Dieter, I was getting concerned that he didn't have any solo moments after "Sorry-Grateful," but he must have been saving it up for an awesome performance of "Eli's Coming" (a song known only to me from that one episode of Sports Night) and leading the cast in a lovely version of the aforementioned "Can You Feel the Love Tonight."
• Proving that there really is nothing she can't do, the hilarious and uber-talented Erin Schwab pounds the keys as Carole King, accompanying herself on piano on "Beautiful."***
• Randy also accompanies himself, on an adorable tiny piano, on "Fill in the Words" from They're Playing Our Song (which we learn is written about two of the songwriters whose music this show features). He also makes a great Pippin in "A Corner of the Sky."
• Despite being the only member of the cast not yet born in the '70s, Caroline Innerbichler best embodies the '70s vibe with her long, flowy, beachy hair and easy breezy delivery on such songs as Joni Mitchell's "Help Me" and Laura Nyro's "Wedding Bell Blues."
• Kersten Rodau lends her powerful voice to Sondheim's "Could I Leave You" from Follies (I was lucky enough to see the recent stunning Broadway revival) and Carly Simon's "Nobody Does It Better."
• The show includes several songs from the original JT, James Taylor, including Randy on "Traffic Jam" (which is actually from a musical from the '70s - Working) and James on "Fire and Rain."
• The gorgeous harmonies of Simon and Garfunkel are heard on "Homeward Bound" (by Randy and James) and "Cecilia" (by Dieter, Kersten, and Erin).

Despite being a little light on the Broadway, I really enjoyed this show, as I do all "Broadway Songbook" shows. It features some really incredible performances of those great '70s songs, and it did teach me something new about Broadway musicals. Rest assured that the next "Broadway Songbook" will return to its roots, featuring the music of Kander and Ebb next summer.

*The Lion King returns to Minneapolis, where it made its pre-Broadway debut, next summer.
**The Ordway is producing A Chorus Line next February, with a (hopefully) mostly local cast.
***The national tour of the Carole King musical Beautiful stops at the Orpheum in November.

"Broadway Songbook: Rock & Roll on Broadway" at the Ordway Center

In case the Ordway was not sufficiently rocked in the recent month-long "Rock the Ordway" celebration, the rockification continued with the most recent installment of the Broadway Songbook series, in which Artistic Director James Rocco hosts an evening of musical theater education and entertainment. The theme of this Songbook, which ran for only three performances last weekend (why so short?) is "Rock & Roll on Broadway," not "Rock Musicals," an important distinction. The songlist was comprised of songs not just from rock musicals written for the stage, but also jukebox musicals or concept albums that made it to the stage. A continuation of last fall's "First 100 Years on Broadway," the show focused on rock and pop songs being heard on the Broadway stage in various formats. And as per usual with this series, the result was a marvelously entertaining, informative, fun, informal evening featuring great songs performed by a fantastic cast.

This was my first time in the Ordway's new Concert Hall (a brief detour on the way to see Bernadette Peters notwithstanding), and I found it to be a lovely space. Despite seating 1100 people, it doesn't feel huge, in fact it has a similar intimacy to the old McKnight Theatre, which was demolished to make room for the Concert Hall. In the interim, Broadway Songbooks were presented on the huge stage of the Ordway's main theater, with the audience sitting right on the stage along with the performers on a small stage at the very back of the space. It was fun to be on that stage, but it was a bit of an awkward experience to watch a show there, so I'm happy it's now moved into the Concert Hall. The new space has its own new bathrooms, which is handy, but it would be nice if it also had its own bar and especially box office, to ease the flow of people entering the theater.

But enough about that - on to the show! Host James (who happily can't resist singing a bit) and musical director Raymond Berg (taking the weekend off from his current gig music directing And the World Goes 'Round at the Jungle) are joined by a rockin' band consisting of percussion and two guitars. They have also assembled a dream cast of local favorites. Any day that I can sit in a dark room and listen to Dieter Bierbrauer sing is a good day in my book. So this was a good day, and then some! Dieter was only one of seven amazingly talented performers, including frequent stage partner Randy Schmeling (whom I've seen perform together numerous times over the years including Hair and Power Balladz, more on those a bit later). And then we have Eric Schwab, who is pretty much the best thing ever to happen to musical theater cabarets. She is genius at a very specific and difficult skill - singing comedically. She's absolutely hilarious, singing almost in a campy way sometimes, but yet her voice is never less than perfect, and she does it all in an easy, effortless, fun way that makes it impossible for the audience not to have fun with her. This cast also features Caroline Innerbichler with her lovely voice, infectious spirit, and toned torso (see also The Little Mermaid); the Ursula to Caroline's Ariel - Kersten Rodau of the huge and powerful voice in the tiny body; the adorable and talented Reid Harmsen (who will always be Mark to me); and Yolande Bruce, who is new to me but fits in well with the group and brings her own unique talents.

For this very special Songbook, the cast traded in their usual evening gowns and tuxes for leather, denim, and bare midriffs. They were all in for the rock and roll theme! But the best part is they really performed each song with conviction and emotion, as if it was excerpted from a full production. Many of the songs were so fantastic that I wanted them to continue and do the entire musical! But instead, we got lots of little gems, including:

• A glorious medley from the Hair, the American tribal love-rock musical, started the show. Which pleased me not just because I'm obsessed with a big fan of the show, but because it featured Randy and Dieter from the first production of Hair I ever saw (at the Pantages Theatre 11 years ago), and Caroline, from the most recent production I've seen (by 7th House two years ago).
• Another glorious medley, from my favorite musical RENT, which James rightly called "the heir to Hair," ended the first act. It included "La Vie Boheme" (with Reid reprising his role as Mark from a local production five years ago), the poignant "No Day But Today," and of course, "Seasons of Love."
• As usual, Professor Rocco enlightened me about a few musicals I had never heard of - Chess (music by Abba) and Purlie. And "Muddy Water" from Roger Miller's Big River makes me want to see that show!
• Kersten makes an excellent Eva Peron, singing "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from Evita.
• The second act opened with the boys singing "The Bitch of Living" from Spring Awakening, and although I wondered how some of the typical Songbook audience (which skews a bit older) reacted, I was thrilled!
• And I was even more thrilled to hear a few songs from another one of my favorites, the brilliant Pulitzer Prize-winning Next to Normal. With Kersten and Dieter as the parents and Caroline and Randy as the kids in this beautifully dysfunctional family, I wanted this one to continue. But lucky for me, and any of you with a N2N craving, Yellow Tree Theatre is currently producing the show in their intimate space.
• Power Balladz is not a Broadway musical, but rather a locally grown '80s rock jukebox musical that made it all the way to Off-Broadway. But since this show reunites the original cast-members, they had to do a number from the show. And they picked a good one - Dieter, Randy, and Erin singing Dream On was a highlight of the night.
• In general, I'm not a fan of jukebox musicals. I don't think their presence on Broadway is something to be celebrated, I think it's the death of Broadway! But I guess it's important to acknowledge the ugly parts of our history so we can learn from our mistakes and not repeat them. ;) As James said about Mamma Mia, "If you didn't know the songs already existed you'd think they were written for the story ... not!" But still, it was fun to hear the girls sing "Dancing Queen."
• Jersey Boys* is the exception that proves the jukebox musical rule (a cleverly written book that illuminates the real life story of The Four Seasons), and Randy nicely channeled Frankie Valli's sweet falsetto backed up by Dieter and Reid, with some snappy choreography.
• "I'm A Woman" is another song not written for the stage, but included in Smokey Joe's Cafe. But who cares when these four fantastic W-O-M-E-N brought the house down with their version!
• You can't cover everything in two hours, but one obvious omission was American Idiot, based on Green Day's concept album, another heir to Hair and RENT. And as long as we're including music not written for the stage, how about Once**, featuring music that one could call folk-rock by my favorite musician Glen Hansard?

The Broadway Songbook series is a must for musical theater nerds fans like me, and "Rock & Roll on Broadway" was another great installment! While I would have preferred fewer jukebox musicals and more original rock musicals, I loved every song as performed by this cast and band. The entertaining musical theater education continues this fall with "The 70s Songbook." But before then you can catch not one but two Ordway original productions featuring local talent, hopefully including this cast! Damn Yankees plays in June, and Pirates of Penzance in August. Hooray for "Broadway-style/quality" (whatever that's supposed to mean) musicals produced right here in the Twin Cities!

*You can see Jersey Boys next week, on tour at the Orpheum Theatre.

**Once is returning to Minneapolis' Orpheum Theater this summer.

"And the World Goes 'Round" at Jungle Theater

Legendary musical theater composing duo John Kander and Fred Ebb wrote over a dozen musicals for the American stage, from their early success Cabaret in the 1960s, through their final collaboration Scottsboro Boys, premiering after Ebb's death (with a pre-Broadway engagement at our own Guthrie Theater). And the World Goes 'Round, now playing at the Jungle Theater, is a musical revue of their songs, taking its title from the movie New York, New York. Surprisingly, I've only see four of their shows (including their two most recent ones which are not in this collection), so many of the songs were new to me. It was a delight to hear the work of this talented composing team performed by a fantastic cast of seven.

There's very little dialogue or context for the songs, just one hit after another. Director John Command notes in the playbill that he learned from Liza Minnelli (Kander and Ebb's muse) "to perform every song as if it were 'a one-act play!'" He accomplishes that here, as each song tells a story, whether funny or tragic, and makes me want to see the full musicals from which they came.

the cast of And the World Goes 'Round
(photo by Michel Daniel)

Music director extraordinaire Raymond Berg leads an onstage six-piece band that sounds impossibly smooth. The whole show has a bit of a swanky, jazzy feel, including Bain Boehlke's rich set design and the choreography that's reminiscent of the original shows. The talented cast includes Bradley Greenwald (who memorably played the Emcee in Frank Theater's gloriously seedy production of Cabaret four years ago), Tiffany Seymour, Jon Whittier, Therese Walth, William Gilness, Emily Rose Skinner, and Betti Battocletti.

Highlights include:

• The title song, which is nicely woven throughout the show and occasionally serves as transitions between songs.
• A super high energy performance of the song "Coffee in a Cardboard Cup*," a song I love but didn't know it was Kander and Ebb!
• All of the Chicago songs, including and especially "All That Jazz."
• Mournful love songs were paired together and a bit overlapped, including Bradley and Bill singing "I Don't Remember You" and "Sometimes a Day Goes By," and Jon, Therese, and Emily singing "We Can Make It," "Maybe This Time," and "Isn't This Better!"
• A rousing Act I ending number "Life Is" from Zorba, which continues "what you do when you're waiting to die, life is how the time goes by!"
• Bradley's delicious performance of the title song from Kiss of the Spider Woman (calling local musical theater companies - please stage this show and cast Bradely as the lead!).
• A very funny double duet of "The Grass is Always Greener" from Woman of the Year by Tiffany, Emily, Bill, and Bradley.
• A super jazzy version of "Cabaret" featuring the entire company, unlike I've ever heard it sung before.

And the World Goes 'Round is a cleverly staged homage to two of our greatest musical theater composers, beautifully performed by cast and band - a perfectly pleasant evening of musical theater (continuing at the Jungle through May 24).


*You can get Dunn Brothers coffee in a cardboard cup at the concession stand for only a dollar - best coffee deal in town!

"Broadway Songbook: The First 100 Years of Broadway" at the Ordway Center

The Ordway is opening its fourth season of the Broadway Songbook series with a retrospective of the first 100 years of Broadway. If you're like me, your first question is - when did Broadway begin? It's debatable, but Professor James Rocco - who presides over what feels like a college seminar on musical theater history with live show-and-tell by the Twin Cities' best musical theater performers - tells us that the beginning of Broadway can be marked by The Black Crook in 1866. This is just one of the things you'll learn in this Broadway Songbook, but don't worry, it is anything but dry and pedantic. The stories are fascinating and entertaining (at least to a musical theater nerd like myself), James has chosen just the right collection of songs to illustrate his points, and music director Raymond Berg has beautifully arranged the songs, which are performed with much passion, emotion, and humor by the talented cast of actor/singer/dancers (yes they dance!). If you're a musical theater fan, the Ordway's Broadway Songbook series is a must see, and this is a perfect one to start with. And if you live out-state, you're in luck - this Songbook is going on tour¹!

James takes us through the evolution of the Broadway musical, from the aforementioned The Black Crook, through George M. Cohan's invention of the "musical comedy," to the epic Show Boat which was the first musical drama, to the day when Rodgers met Hammerstein and "changed the world" with their sweeping lyrics and melodies and insistence that everything serve the story, to the invention of the LP record that allowed musical theater songs to invade pop culture, to a hint at the beginning of the Rock Musical with Hair (more on that in the next Songbook in April) in 1967², closing out the first century of Broadway. And the best part of this history lesson is we get to hear the music in this march through time.

The Ordway's Broadway Songbook series features a rotating cast of the Twin Cities' best musical theater performers, which this time includes Songbook vets Dieter Bierbrauer, Gary Briggle, Jennifer Eckes, and Erin Schwab, and newcomers to the series Kendra McMillan, Aja Parham, and Randy Schmeling. The cast performs solos, duets, and trios, but the best moments are when the entire company joins in to bring full life to these musical theater songs and give you just a taste of what the whole show might be like. Fortunately, several of the musicals featured can be seen on stages around the Cities in the upcoming season (see footnotes, which seem appropriate for this which feels a bit like a term paper for my musical theater history seminar).

Musical highlights include:

• The "wide-eyed and devilish singing comedian" Gary Briggle entertains with the '20s song "If You Knew Susie" and "If I Were a Rich Man" from Fiddler on the Roof from the '60s.
• Aja Parham sings the standard "Lady is a Tramp" as well as a gorgeous rendition of "As Long as He Needs Me" from Oliver³.
• Erin Schwab again showcases her unique talents - she has a fantastic voice and is also a brilliant comedian, and when those two things are combined it's a thing of beauty. She brings the house down with "Let's Do It," and also plays it a little more serious with "Don't Rain on My Parade" from Funny Girl.
• Kendra McMillan channels Ethel Merman in a clever arrangement of "I Got Rhythm" and Sally Bowles in "Cabaret."
• Randy Schmeling gleefully sings "Almost Like Being in Love," and leads the company in the rousing "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat" from arguably the most successful musical Guys and Dolls⁴.
• Jennifer Eckes⁵ sounds absolutely lovely singing "Till There Was You" from The Music Man. She also makes a fine Eliza Doolittle opposite Gary as Henry Higgins and Randy as Colonel Pickering⁶.
• Any day that I can sit in a darkened theater and listen to Dieter Bierbrauer sing "Something's Coming" (West Side Story) and "The Impossible Dream" (Man of La Mancha) is a good day in my book. This was a very good day, as evidenced by the longest ovation of the night after the latter song.
• The medleys are the highlights of these shows, and this time included a medley from Show Boat, a Gerswhin medley, and a Rodgers and Hammerstein medley. They're very cleverly and playfully arranged, quickly switching from one song to the next, or lingering for a few lines, going from humorous to poignant in a flash. The Show Boat medley is particularly lovely, and again makes me wish for a local musical theater company to do a production of Show Boat on the Showboat. It's just too good of an opportunity to be missed!
• The show ended with Hair, which felt like a complete 180 from what we had been hearing all night. But that's the brilliant thing about Hair - it changed Broadway forever, just like so many shows before it had. And I was particularly tickled to hear this company sing "Let the Sun Shine In;" the first production of Hair that I saw was a Michael Brindisi-directed production at the Pantages ten years ago, starring Dieter as Claude and Randy as Woof. So much fun to revisit the production that began my Hair obsession.

I now come to the end of my term paper. I hope that I did the show justice and piqued your interest to experience it yourself. As always, this Broadway Songbook is an informative, entertaining, and fun evening of musical theater history brought to vibrant life by talented performers. Playing this weekend only on the Ordway stage in St. Paul, and possibly coming to a city near you this fall.

1. Tour locations include Austin on Oct. 9, Red Wing on Oct. 11, Dawson on Oct. 23, Detroit Lakes on Oct. 25, and St. Cloud on Nov. 2.
2. "Professor Rocco, Professor Rocco, isn't it true that while Hair first appeared Off-Broadway in 1967, it didn't open on Broadway until 1968?" said the annoying know-it-all student in the back row, eagerly waving her hand in the air.
3. Be sure to catch Theater Latte Da's production of Oliver in February, this season's installment of their "Broadway Re-Imagined" series with Hennepin Theatre Trust. Having never seen it, I didn't think I knew any songs from Oliver, but it turns out I do, yet another example of how much musical theater is ingrained in our popular culture.
4. Don't miss Bloomington Civic Theatre's production of Guys and Dolls, opening next week and already scheduled to perform at this year's Ivey Awards!
5. If you like Broadway Songbook, you might also like Jennifer's show with three of her friends, Pop-Up Musical, a more irreverent version of musical theater trivia mixed with great performances.
6. In case you've been living under a rock the past few months, I should tell you that My Fair Lady is currently playing at the Guthrie. And it's scrumptious.

Does anyone need to borrow my notes?

This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"Broadway Songbook: Comden and Green" at the Ordway Center

"Make someone happy, make just one someone happy." What makes this someone happy is an entertaining and informative lesson on musical theater history from James Rocco, Artistic Director of the Ordway and genial host of the Broadway Songbook series. The final show in this third season of the series focuses on lyricist team Betty Comden and Adolph Green, famous for such classic musicals as On the Town, Wonderful Town, Bells are Ringing, and Will Rogers Follies, not to mention such films as Singin' in the Rain. Along with talented local singer/actors Elena Glass, Amasia Gordon, Reid Harmsen, Peggy O'Connell, Carl Shoenborn, Erin Schwab, and Kirby Trymucha-Duresky, and a three-piece band led by pianist and Musical Director Raymond Berg, James presents yet another fun show celebrating musical theater history. There's really no better way to spend a rainy afternoon.

James describes the typical Comden and Green song as "short, sassy, happy, and a little impudent." Lyrics are often fast and clever, and occasionally sad and poignant. Highlights of the show include:

• The company presents a selection of songs from Comden and Green's first musical, the 1944 classic about three sailors on leave for one short day in NYC, On the Town. Songs include the most famous song from the show, "New York, New York," with Reid, Carl, and James playing the sailors, "I Can Cook Too," with Kirby stepping in at the last minute for an ill Regina Marie Williams, "Carried Away," a very funny duet by Reid and Elena, and the poignant final song, "Some Other Time."
• The quite fabulous Peggy O’Connell* sings a funny and sad rendition of "The Story of My Life" from Wonderful Town, as well as a hilarious Carol Channing-esque version of "I’m Going Back" from Bells are Ringing.
• High school student Amasia, whom James "discovered" in an audition for this year's holiday show A Christmas Story, impresses with a couple of solos – "Hallelujah Baby" and "Being Good."
• Kirby and Erin duet on "Ohio," in which Erin filled in for Regina and cracked her cast-members up, as well as the audience. She's also quite funny in the super-fast "If."
• Carl gives the villian's perspective in "Captain Hook's Walz," with the cast and audience cheering him on.
• The choreography is quite impressive; they don't just stand there and sing. Of particular note is the terriffic tap-dancing by Reid and Elena in "Comes Once In A Lifetime" and the fast and fancy red and blue-gloved hand motion for "Our Favorite Song."

If you're a musical theater fan, the Ordway's Broadway Songbook series should be required viewing. I love musical theater more than anything but there's so much I don't know about it, and this series helps fill in the gaps in my knowledge. The show takes place entirely on the stage of the Ordway's main theater, meaning the audience sits on stage too, which is a unique perspective. Broadway Songbook: Comden and Green runs this weekend only so act fast. Or plan ahead for the next installment, The First 100 Years, which unfortunately falls right in the middle of the Minnesota Fringe Festival (although on second thought I may be the only person in the intersection of Broadway Songbook and Fringe Fest).

*I don't believe I've ever seen Peggy on stage but she seemed familiar to me, and I realized why when I read that she had a recurring role on my favorite TV show of all time, Northern Exposure.

"Broadway Songbook: George Gershwin" at the Ordway Center

Just last month, I learned about the Gershwin brothers, and lyricist Ira in particular, in Park Square Theatre's excellent play with music Words By... Ira Gershwin and the Great American Songbook. My education was furthered this weekend with the latest in the Ordway's always entertaining Broadway Songbook series, featuring the music of composer George Gerswhin. Ordway Artistic Director James Rocco tells the story of George's life and career, interspersed with relevant songs performed by some of the top musical theater talent in the Twin Cities. And it's a great story at that - an American success story with a tragic ending. Sons of Russian Jewish immigrants, the Gershwin brothers grew up in Brooklyn, where George was a prodigy on the piano. He soon found fame as a composer for Broadway and movies, collaborating with Ira and other lyricists. George died at the age of 38 from a brain tumor, but forever changed American music in his short but prolific career.

This Broadway Songbook features a significantly larger cast than past Songbooks. Ten singer/actors, each one of them a true talent, are accompanied by Raymond Berg on piano and Eric Solberg on upright bass (for an extra touch of class and jazz). With the likes of Christina Baldwin, Dieter Bierbrauer, Gary Briggle, Isabella Dawis, Jennifer Eckes, Joel Liestman, Ann Michels, Bryan Porter, Kersten Rodau, and Therese Walth, the cast does not simply sing the songs, they perform them and truly embody the humor and emotion in each composition. The benefit of having this large cast is the gorgeous full sound that they're able to achieve in the group numbers, but the bad news is that with such a large cast, each of them only has one or two solos, which in many cases left me wanting more. Such is the danger of having so much talent on one stage and only two hours to display it!

James has chosen a selection of Gerswhin songs from the familiar ("I Got Rhythm") to the obscure ("When You Want 'Em"), but all serve a purpose in the narrative. Surprisingly, there are no selections from the opera Porgy and Bess, but James did take the opportunity to plug the tour of the 2012 Broadway version coming to the Ordway in March (I second that - I saw it on Broadway and it's absolutely stunning). The evening includes too many wonderful moments to mention, but a few of them are: Christina and her boys (Joel, Bryan, and Dieter) singing the playfully seductive "Do It Again," the gorgeous ballads "How Long Has This Been Going On" (Kersten) and "Embraceable You" (Ann), some seriously great scatting by Jennifer in "Stiff Upper Lip," Christina's mic going out towards the end of "By Strauss" with her unamplified voice filling the theater (which makes me wish they'd do a song or two unplugged), the beautiful harmonies on "Love Walked In" (arranged by Raymond), and the comically drunk "Vodka" by Kersten.

The highlights of the show are the two group numbers. The casts presents a medley from the 1931 Pulitzer Prize winning musical Of Thee I Sing. Not only do we get to hear some of the witty songs in this political satire, but we get a glimpse of what the whole show would be like. The show closes with a unique original vocal version of Gershwin's masterpiece Rhapsody in Blue. The story of George's life and career in words (written by Albert Evans and arranged by Raymond) set to this iconic and instantly recognizable music is truly stunning.

This is another great installment in the Broadway Songbook series, which has taught me so much about the history of musical theater - my favorite thing in the world. I've attended all but one of the shows presented in the past three seasons and it's building up to be quite a nice curriculum. And if you're a musical theater fan, it really is required curriculum. Great stories and information accompanied by iconic music wonderfully performed by local favorites. Only one performance remains tonight, if you're brave enough to dare going out in the subzero Minnesota winter. Otherwise, make your plans for the final Broadway Songbook of the season, featuring the composing team Comden and Green, in June. I can't wait to see what next season will bring to further my education!

"Christmas of Swing" at the History Theatre

The holiday season has begun, at least on theater stages across the Twin Cities. Since I was out of the country for the opening of the Guthrie's A Christmas Carol this year, my first taste of Christmas (other than the bitterly cold weather) is History Theatre's WWII-era musical review Christmas of Swing, featuring the Minnesota trio The Andrews Sisters. The return of this popular show is a fun and peppy showcase of 40s-era popular music (also featuring appearances by Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye), that incorporates real letters from WWII soldiers, paying homage to our veterans of this and other wars.

For the most part Christmas of Swing is a light-hearted show, with a few somber moments acknowledging the hardship of the soldiers. But The Andrews Sisters’ job was to entertain and uplift, not wallow in the sorrows of war, and that they do in abundance. The play, written by Bob Beverage and Artistic Director Ron Peluso, is set at a dress rehearsal for a 1944 Christmas Eve show at a VA Hospital for wounded soldiers. This allows us to see all of the great numbers, as well as witness the banter between the sisters and their band and manager between songs. It also has the light and easy feel of a dress rehearsal; the efforts of the cast do not seem labored, but loose and effortless.

Some highlights of the show are:

The Andrews Sisters (Ruthie Baker,
Stacey Lindell, and Jen Burleigh-Bentz)
read a soldier's (Bryan Porter) letter home
(photo by Scott Pakudaitis)

• Ruthie Baker, Stacey Lindell, and Jen Burleigh-Bentz as the sisters Patty, Maxene, and LaVerne are just perfection in voice, movement, and personality, all of which blend together beautifully to create some tight harmonies and precise dance numbers. Ruthie gets most of the solos as lead singer Patty, but we also get a chance to hear the other ladies’ voices on their own, and all are lovely solo or in harmony.
• Bill Scharpen channels Bing Crosby in songs such as "Christmas in Kilarney" and "Here Comes Santa Claus," and Eric Heimsoth does a wonderful impression of the lanky and goofy Danny Kaye.
• Bill Scharpen also generates some laughs with Mark Rosenwinkel as the comedy duo Abbot and Costello.
• Bryan Porter and Eric Heimsoth (again) portray many different soldiers as the sisters read their letters, bringing the desperation, longing, and joys of these long ago men to life.
• The fairly simple set by Michael Hoover features some elaborate pieces that are wheeled out, including a sleigh and a huge two-sided cutout for an amusing number with the sisters and Danny Kaye.
• The choreography by Jan Puffer is a highlight – fast, sharp, concise, with that 40s swing action, effortlessly performed by the cast.
• The ever-busy Raymond Berg plays the piano while sitting in for the sisters' actual band leader Vic Schoen, leading the four-person band in a swingin' big band sound.
• I'm a sucker for period costumes, and these costumes (by Kelsey Glasener) do not disappoint! I love the sisters' black dresses with varying-sized polka dots and red trim and shoes, accented with long black coats with fur trim, red jackets, or authentic military green jackets. The men (who, for a change, have to change costumes much more frequently than the women) are dressed in authentic period uniforms and suits, as well as costumes for their various roles in the show.
• The sisters sing many Christmas songs, familiar and lesser known, and close the show with their most well-known song, the crowd-pleasing "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." 

The History Theatre’s Christmas of Swing, playing now through December 22, is a great choice for a holiday show this year. Filled with the Christmas spirit (which I for one am not quite ready for, until Thanksgiving is over and/or we get our first big snowfall), humor, great songs and dancing, an energetic and entertaining cast, and respect for and celebration of vets, it’s a fun and feel-good show.