"I Come from Arizona" at the Children's Theatre Company

Two world premiere new works of theater are premiering at the Children's Theatre Company this fall (which is actually not that unusual for this company that focuses on new work). The main stage production of Last Stop on Market Street closed today (to make way for everyone's favorite furry green grump, another CTC original), but downstairs on the smaller Cargill stage, I Come from Arizona continues through the end of November. This very timely play (adapted by playwright Carolos Murillo from his play Augusta and Noble) speaks directly to the issues of the day, issues that children in the audience may be experiencing first-hand. Gabi is the child of undocumented immigrants, and has far more worries than any 14-year-old should. This production makes what for some of us may be abstract immigration policy ideas seem very real, and very human.

"Marisol" by Theatre Coup D'Etat at SpringHouse Ministry Center

Theatre Coup D'Etat has done it again. They've brought us an interesting piece in an intimate setting with innovative staging and a talented and diverse cast. A piece that pushes boundaries and makes the audience think. I never know what to expect from Coup D'Etat, as I didn't with Marisol, currently playing at SpringHouse Ministry Center, but it's always worth my time. For this play written by Puerto Rican playwright José Rivera they've enlisted Puerto Rican #TCTheater artist Ricardo Vázquez, which is the smartest choice they made with this piece, because it lends an authenticity and an understanding of the culture and traditions from which this play was born. It's a wild ride, one that's at times confusing or difficult to watch, but so chock full of meaning and symbolism that I can't even begin to unpack it all. The production is very thoughtful and detailed, and not one I will soon forget.

"The Great Divide II: Plays on the Politics of Truth" at Pillsbury House Theatre

Last year, just a few months into this divisive presidency, Pillsbury House Theatre presented a series of short plays commissioned from local playwrights titled The Great Divide: Plays for a Broken Nation. Utilizing art not to judge or blame, but to explore where we are at this present moment, how we got here, and how we can move forward. One year later, it feels like we're more divisive than ever (although not without a few glimmers of hope), and Pillsbury House has yet again commissioned five short plays, this time under the title The Great Divide II: Plays on the Politics of Truth. They asked the playwrights, "What does truth have to do with our us vs. them mentalities? What is the difference between fact and truth anyway, and does it matter? What happens when our firmly embedded emotions become facts?" The result is five very different and very thoughtful plays, all dealing in some (more or less obvious) way with truth.

A Reading of the New Musical "Delgadina" at Strike Theater

Last week was a great week for readings. First, I saw the second play in the Playwrights' Center Ruth Easton Series (continuing the first Monday/Tuesday of the month through April), then I saw three readings in the History Theatre's "Raw Stages" series (the last one is today at 2), and finally, I concluded my the week of readings with a new musical written by Max Wojtanowicz (book and lyrics) and Michael Gruber (music and additional lyrics). Based on a Chilean folk tale, Delgadina is ostensibly a musical for young people, but this not-so-young person with no particular interest in "children's entertainment" found it utterly delightful. There are two more readings of this great new work, Sunday and Monday at 7 pm at Strike Theater in Northeast Minneapolis. I highly recommend checking it out if you're interested in new works of music-theater being created right here in #TCTheater (free, no reservations necessary, more information here).

"Electra" by Ten Thousand Things at Open Book

To begin her final season as Artistic Director of Ten Thousand Things, the company she founded over 25 years ago, recent Ivey Lifetime Achievement Award winner Michelle Hensley has chosen the Greek classic Electra. This 2000+ year old story of betrayal and revenge is clearly and succinctly told in not much more than an hour, and like all TTT shows, feels both fantastical and grounded in reality. With guest director/adapter Rebecca Novick out of San Francisco, seven of the top #TCTheater actors, a warm and wonderful Peter Vitale musical soundtrack, and very little in the way of usual theater magic (except that created by the skills of the performers), this tragedy is a joy to watch.

"The Great Divide" at Pillsbury House Theatre

Tension. Authentic. Provocative. Humorous. Hope. Uncomfortable. Despair. Familiar. These were some one-word audience reactions to the performance of Pillsbury House Theatre's collection of new short plays last night, titled The Great Divide: Plays for a Broken Nation. I think we're all aware that the world is not the same as it was a year ago, or even six months ago. Theater is a great way to explore the issues that we're all grappling with, to understand them, to process them, to look for solutions. Pillsbury House jumped right into this by commissioning five local playwrights to write a ten-minute play with the title as their only prompt. The result is a diverse collection of stories and characters that are all of the above things, as well as incredibly relevant, timely, and necessary.

"The Royal Family" at the Guthrie Theater

If you know me, you know that I'm a morning person who loves a 90-minute no intermission show - short, succinct, and to the point. The Royal Family, now playing at the Guthrie, is not that show. With its three acts and two intermissions, the show is pushing three hours. The good news is it doesn't feel nearly that long. In fact it's quite a delight to spend three hours with the wacky and extremely theatrical Cavendish family (as long as they're not your own). This 1927 Broadway play is a spoof of the real life Barrymore family of actors, a hilarious family comedy in addition to being an exploration of the sacrifices made by those in the theater. Directed by Rachel Chavkin (who also directed the new musical Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, currently on Broadway*), the strong 15-person cast, made up of mostly local favorites with some national talent thrown in for extra spice, is a joy to watch. Continuing through March 19, The Royal Family provides plenty of laughter and a much needed escape.

"The Last Firefly" at Children's Theatre Company

The new play The Last Firefly by Naomi Iizuka, commissioned by the Children's Theatre Company, feels like a new fairy tale for the modern age. The playwright has combined elements from several Japanese folktales and put at the center a child of a single mother who has never met his father and is living with an abusive stepfather. A lot of today's kids can relate to this situation in some way. Boom goes on a hero's journey in search of his father to help his mother, and along the way discovers his own strength. It's a familiar story, but one told in a new and modern way with some fantastic design elements to create an engaging 80-minute play.

"The Palabras Project" by Other Tiger Productions at Park Square Theatre

After spending the evening walking around the historic James J. Hill House on Summit Avenue watching theater, I spent the next night walking around the historic Hamm Building in downtown St. Paul watching theater. But unlike the comic opera wedding in The Marriage of Figaro, the wedding depicted in The Palabras* Project, based on Spanish playwright Frederico Garcia Lorca's 1932 tragedy Blood Wedding, is decidedly less happy. If "blood wedding" makes you think of Game of Throne's "red wedding," you're not far off. But this isn't a straight-forward adaptation of the play. New theater company Other Tiger Productions, founded by local theater artists Jessica Huang and Ricardo Vázquez with a mission "to pursue other forms, stories, and modes of collaboration in order to present an inclusive and global theater experience," has assembled a collection of short pieces around the theme of Blood Wedding. Incorporating music, dance, and puppetry, as well as theater, the pieces are performed in various locations in and around Park Square Theatre's basement Boss Stage, including hallways, lobbies, and rehearsal rooms. It's a truly unique experience that goes beyond theater, and a wonderful new (or old) form of storytelling.

"The Changelings" by Ten Thousand Things at Bedlam Lowertown

The final show in Ten Thousand Things' 2015-2016 season is another new play from their playwright in residence, Kira Obolensky. Ten Thousand Things is in the business of telling stories and sharing human truths through fairy tales, because that distance and sense of fantasy allows their non-traditional audiences (they perform for free in prisons, homeless shelter, community centers, etc., as well as paid public performances for more traditional audiences) to see their own lives and experiences reflected back at them, without the harshness of reality.* The Changelings, like last year's Forget Me Not When Far Away and Dirt Sticks two years ago, is a new original fairy tale set in an unspecified time and place (the playbill tells us the three plays exist in the same universe). And like those two plays, it's charming and funny and poignant as it speaks of love, loss, grief, hope, family, and community, a relatable human story set in a made-up world that appeals to traditional and non-traditional theater audiences alike.

"DJ Latinidad's Latino Dance Party" at Mixed Blood Theatre

I don't know what I was thinking. The words "dance" and "party" are right in the title, two words that strike instant fear into my heart! But I love Mixed Blood Theatre, so I took a chance on their new creation DJ Latinidad's Latino Dance Party, knowing it was probably not my thing. I was not wrong. Standing in a corner of Mixed Blood's open space where the theater usually is brought back that very specific terror of a junior high dance, which is when I stopped going to dances. But obviously this theater nerd/blogger/introvert is not the target audience for this piece. If you're someone who likes dancing, parties, and loud music, you'll probably have a great time, as most of the crowd seemed to. Me, I'll stick to sitting in the seat of a dark theater watching a story play out in front of me at a safe distance.

"An Octoroon" at Mixed Blood Theatre

The word octoroon is defined as "a person of one-eight black ancestry." The Octoroon is a 19th Century play by Irish playwright Dion Boucicault about which Wikipedia says, "among antebellum melodramas, it was considered second only in popularity to Uncle Tom's Cabin." An Octoroon is a new play by playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, who adapted the play and added himself as a character, writing the play and playing all the white male parts in white face, with the original playwright and his assistant playing roles in redface and blackface, while a rabbit seems to pull the strings behind the scenes. Got all that? Believe me, it's a lot to take in, and the play says some pretty profound things about race and racism in the past and present. But despite being a little perplexing and intentionally offensive (in a way that's not really offensive because it's satire), the whole thing is kinda brilliant in a crazy sort of way.

I'm not going to describe the plot of the play to you; it's one of those things you just have to see for yourself (and you should). Suffice it to say, this adaptation actually hews quite close to the original in the middle play-within-a-play bit, in which a kindly slave owner dies and leaves his kindly wife and heir with no money to save the plantation or its slaves, including the kindly dead slave owner's octoroon daughter whom his wife loves and they both treat like a daughter (because that happened). But before we get to all of that, the "black playwright" sets the scene by telling us the origins of this play, and why he was forced to play all the white male parts himself. Then the play begins, done in an exaggerated melodramatic style that points out the silliness of this depiction of the Old South, complete with piano accompaniment to heighten the mood (beautifully and cleverly composed and performed by Eric Mayson). In the fourth act of the play-with-a-play, the playwright and some of the other actors break out of character to describe the scene that's too difficult to stage, and to offer commentary on it. It's all very meta, and also offers some comments on theater itself (as well as some nifty pyrotechnics).

Director Nataki Garrett somehow keeps all of these timelines and realities moving together smoothly and making sense, and the cast fully commits to the melodrama of the piece. William Hodgson gives several excellent performances - as the playwright and both the kindly slaveowner's heir and the evil slaveowner, sometimes playing multiple characters in one scene, and even having a fight with himself (kudos again to Annie Enneking for her fight choreography). Jon Andrew Hegge is ridiculous (in the best way) as the Irish playwright in redface; Ricardo Vázquez portrays every stereotype of blackface; Jamila Anderson, Chaz Hodges, and Jasmine Hughes are amusing as the modern-talking slave women; and Jane Froiland is an absolute hoot as the stereotypical and overly dramatic Southern Belle. Megan Burns as the titular octoroon Zoe is the straight woman in this crazy scene, bringing dignity and humanity to her character. Last but not least, I'm not sure what Br'er Rabbit has to do with any of this, but Gregory Parks is nimble and slightly creepy in that oversized rabbit head (with movements delightfully punctuated by the aforementioned Eric Mayson's music).

William Hodgson and Megan Burns (photo by Rich Ryan)

At one point the playwright character complains that there's no novelty in the theater anymore. Which any theater-goer in this town knows is not true, and this play is Exhibit A. At the end of the play another character says, "we were just trying to make you feel something." An Octoroon will most definitely make you feel something, it will likely make you feel many things, some of them uncomfortable or even unpleasant. But that's not a bad thing in theater, in fact sometimes it's necessary. An Octoroon continues at Mixed Blood Theatre through November 15. Tickets are free through their Radical Hospitality program, or you can reserve tickets in advance for $20.


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"Elliot: A Soldier's Fugue" at Park Square Theatre

A quick Google search presented me with two definitions of the word fugue: "a contrapuntal composition in which a short melody or phrase (the subject) is introduced by one part and successively taken up by others and developed by interweaving the parts" and "a state or period of loss of awareness of one's identity, often coupled with flight from one's usual environment, associated with certain forms of hysteria and epilepsy." Quiara Alegria Hudes could not have chosen a better title for her play Elliot, A Soldier's Fugue, now playing on Park Square Theatre's main stage. This story of three generations of soldiers is like a great fugue composition, variations on the personal and devastating effects of war, woven together through time and space. While the soldiers depicted aren't exactly in a fugue state, they definitely struggle with loss of identity, flight from their environment, and maybe even a kind of hysteria as they deal with the aftereffects of being in combat. As brought to life by this terrific four-person cast, Elliot, A Soldier's Fugue is a powerful, poetic, and sobering look at war.

Elliot in his mother's garden
(Adlyn Carreras and Ricard Vázquez, photo by Petronella J. Ytsma)

We first meet Elliot as the returning war hero after his first tour in Iraq, welcomed and celebrated by his family and throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at the Phillies game. He has a week to decide if he's going to return for his second tour, despite an injured leg. He seems raring to go on the surface, but as the playwright peels back the layers of Elliot and his close-knit Puerto Rican family, we see that things aren't as simple as they seem. Elliot's grandpop played the flute in the Korean War, and his pop served in Vietnam, where he met Elliot's mom, an Army nurse. We see flashes of each man's time in the service, often in parallel at the same time, as each tells their similar but unique story. Elliot's mom also talks about her wartime experiences and the effects on the men that she loves. She has created a beautifully wild garden, an oasis for the family. Hudes expertly weaves the scenes from the three different wars together with the present to create a moving portrait of a soldier.

Elliot is injured (Ricard Vázquez with Pedro R. Bayón,
Rich Remedios, and Adlyn Carreras, photo by Petronella J. Ytsma)

First time Park Square director Robert Rosen, with a background as a performer trained in physical theater, is an interesting choice for this production. The physicality of these characters is so important, the strong young soldiers, the injured returning vet, the stooped old man. All four actors, relatively new to the Park Square stage, step up to the task in this challenging piece, giving strong and committed performances. None more so that Park Square Artistic Associate and recent Ivey Emerging Artist Ricardo Vázquez as the title character. Ricardo is always a treat to watch, whether as a lisping little boy or the godfather of Minnesota Rock and Roll, and here he gives a beautifully layered performance. He's strong and arrogant as the returning young soldier, showing moments of pain and confusion when alone with his injury, and heart-breaking as he's lying injured on the battle field, crying out for his mom. This believable family unit is completed with Rich Remedios as Pop, Pedro R. Bayón (who played Ricardo's father in River Road Boogie earlier this year) as Grandpop, and Adlyn Carreras as Mom.

Kit Mayer's simple and eloquent set design begins with a bare stage painted with American colors and five large rotating panels. On one side is a natural wood representing the desert of Iraq, the jungle of Vietnam, and the cold landscape of Korea. On the other side is the colorful and tropical garden of home. Panels are organically turned as appropriate, or left partially open to create a third effect. The bare stage gradually becomes littered with letters, leaves, and other remnants of war.

Elliot, A Soldier's Fugue is one of those 90-minute no intermission plays that fully immerses you in their world for a short period of time, creating a full and epic experience (while still allowing for an early bedtime). Playing now through October 4, it's definitely worth checking out to see a moving portrait of a solider and ruminations on war and returning vets, a topic that sadly never goes out of style. (Find discount tickets on Goldstar.com.)

"River Road Boogie" at History Theatre

Does the name Augie Garcia ring a bell? Unless you were a young person who frequented the local Rock and Roll clubs in 1950s St. Paul, probably not. Augie is considered the Godfather of Minnesota Rock and Roll, but unlike his contemporary Buddy Holly, he was a one-hit wonder who never achieved national fame, whether by choice or happenstance is unclear. A new play at the History Theatre, written by local actor and playwright Joe Minjares, sheds light on the fascinating story of this man who was not just a pioneering Minnesota musician, but also a Korean War vet and a devoted family man. Like The Buddy Holly Story (a History Theatre hit remounted last fall), River Road Boogie tells the story of Augie's life through his music as performed by this fabulous cast, but unlike The Buddy Holly Story the music takes a back seat in the second act as Augie's life starts to turn away from a music-focused one into a family-focused one. As always at the History Theatre,* this play is a wonderful opportunity to learn about a great Minnesotan you might never have heard of, but whom you will certainly admire and appreciate after seeing him brought to life on stage.

Augie Garcia grew up in a tight-knit Mexican-American family in St. Paul's West Side neighborhood, specifically an area know as The Flats across the river from downtown St. Paul. He and his friends were such loyal St. Paulites that they refused to drink Grain Belt beer (brewed "across the river"), only Schmidt or Hamm's would do! Our story picks up when Augie returns from a few harrowing years serving in the Korean War. He's happy to be home with his family, friends, and music, and channels his conflicting feelings about the war into his music. He starts a band called the Augie Garcia quintet (inexplicably with six members) and they become quite successful in the local music scene, with a standing gig at the River Road Club in Mendota. In what was perhaps the highlight of their career, Augie and the boys opened for Elvis and were famously kicked off the stage by Colonel Parker because they were coming dangerously close to upstaging the King. Soon after, fame came a-callin' with the promise of bigger gigs and national attention, forcing Augie (in this interpretation of his life) to do some serious soul-searching and decide what he truly wanted in life. Jersey Boys showed us what happens when you succumb to the dangers of fame and success, but Augie chose a different path. As a result most people today don't know his name, but those who saw him perform remember, and thanks to the History Theatre, so will I.

a '50s dance party on the History Theatre stage

Augie released a handful of singles in the mid-50s, the most successful of which is "Hi Yo Silver," inspired by the popular Lone Ranger TV series. The show incorporates five Augie Garcia originals, including this hit and the title song, as well as a few other hits of the time and traditional Mexican songs. All are performed in the context of a concert, rehearsal, or just singing around the house or bunker with friends, making this more of a play with music than a traditional musical. This along with the fact that the cast doubles as the band (a mix of actors and musicians) means that the music feels organic to the story, rather than an add-on. The big Rock and Roll numbers all come in the first act and are fabulously performed by cast, band, and dancers. The second act only features a few quieter songs, the musical spectacles of the first act fading into memory as did Augie's musical career. The tone of the piece shifts as Augie grows up and deals with his demons.

Ricardo Vázquez channels Augie Garcia
(photo by Scott Pakudaitis)

The Ivey Awards 2013 Emerging Artist Ricardo Vázquez is the perfect choice to play Augie Garcia. He embodies the man physically, emotionally, and musically. Augie's music inhabits his body in a specific way, particularly in the song "Ivy League Baby," when he's all over the stage energetically performing crazy dance moves in Augie's trademark shorts (in the post-show talk back Ricardo said he was able to watch a video of a performance Augie gave in the '90s, and extrapolated that back a few decades with his own unique spirit). In addition to the music, Ricardo also brings depth to the character, particularly in Augie's emotional breakdown after a local tragedy reminds him of the hell of war. The excellent supporting cast includes Matt Rein with a couple of diverse performances as Augie's tormented war buddy and band mate (playing the upright bass), and a sleazy radio DJ; Lara Trujillo and Pedro R. Bayón as Augie's supportive parents; Kelly Matthews as Augie's girlfriend Nancy in a sweet love story; and Shawn Hamilton as the sax player who serves as a sort of narrator of the story. Like they did for Buddy Holly, History Theatre has brought in some students from St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Arts to serves as dancers and concert attendees, bringing a youthful energy to the stage.

Tom Mays' cool scenic design provides a perfect backdrop for the story. A replica of the Robert Street Bridge, so important in Augie's life and memories, dominates the back of the stage, with the outline of a huge guitar behind it (something I didn't actually notice until I attended the "hiatus concert" by my favorite local band Storyhill on the same stage later that day). The stage on which Augie and the boys perform rolls out for the concert/rehearsal scenes, and then rolls back again to allow room for scenes in Augie's house, a bar, or other locations.

I truly appreciate the History Theatre for bringing to life people who are important in the history of my beloved home state of Minnesota, but who may not be written about in the history books. Augie Garcia is one such Minnesotan, and it's a treat to watch him shine on stage in the person of the uber-talented Ricardo Vázquez, supported by all these great actors, musicians, and dancers. River Road Boogie continues through May 31 (discount tickets available on Goldstar).


*The History Theatre recently announced their new season, and I'm super excited that the season opens with my favorite Raw Stages reading Glensheen, a musical about the famous Duluth mansion and the strange murder mystery that occurred there. My favorite Minnesota playwright Jeffrey Hatcher sets just the right tone, with some really great songs by Chan Polling. Another very promising reading from this year, Complicated Fun, closes out the season next spring. And if you missed Buddy Holly last time around - don't worry, he's back this fall.

"Love's Labour's Lost" by the Moving Company at the Lab Theater

The Moving Company's new adaptation of one of Shakespeare's earliest romantic comedies, Love's Labour's Lost, includes at least one line from each of his 37 other plays. Not being a Shakespeare expert, I only recognized a few, mostly from Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet, the two plays with which I (and probably most people) am most familiar. If I didn't know that they had removed sections of the original play and replaced them with lines from other plays, I would never have known; it feels very much like one cohesive story, not at all the mash-up that it is. Which is a credit to creators Steve Epp, Nathan Keepers (both of whom also star in the play), and Dominique Serrand (who directs), who have so seamlessly woven in lines and plot points from other plays to create something entirely new and original. In typical Moving Company style, it's at times wacky, or funny, or moving, or just plain entertaining.

The original plot of Love's Labour's Lost follows a king who convinces his three companions to join him in three years of intense study, fasting, and avoiding the company of women. This only lasts until the daughter of the King of France arrives with her three comely companions, and the men forget their vows to woo the women. We follow these four love stories through the ending, which is not your typical happy ever after, but allows room for the possibility.

Other than Steve Epp and Nathan Keepers (Co-Artistic Director and Artistic Associate), the rest of the 13 person cast are all new to The Moving Company, but it doesn't feel that way. They all mesh very well in the MoCo aesthetic and bring their own skills to the table. As one of the four pairs of lovers, Emily King and Lucas Melsha have created several stunningly beautiful dances, in a sort of animalistic modern dance style. These two characters speak no words but say everything with their bodies. Jim Lichtsheidl is such a unique and gifted physical comedian, a skill that's on great display here. There's music too, with a couple of songs sung by the ensemble in gorgeous harmony (not surprising with voices like Ricardo Vazquez and Jennifer Baldwin Peden). Steve and Nathan are a couple of goofballs and work so well together after years of collaboration. Heidi Bakke as the object of their affection completes this silly trio.

Director Dominique Serrand has created an exceedingly simple set that is so lovely and evocative - just an AstroTurf-like carpet unrolled on the floor, and sheer fabric creating the green of the field and the blue of the sky, that ripple with the slightest motion. I absolutely loved the costumes (by Sonya Berlovitz), so unique and creative and perfectly suited to each character. In the first act everyone is dressed in military garb - traditional camouflaged soldiers and warrior women looks; the second act civilian costumes are beautiful but whimsical, with each pair a perfect matched set. Of particular note is the king's daughter, who goes from an armored breastplate to a lusciously full-skirted gown.

This is my 6th Moving Company show, and they never cease to surprise and delight me with their innovative and unique style of creation. Love's Labour's Lost, billed as "a fresh new riff on a very old play," covers all the bases - it's sweet and poignant, with some lovely dancing and music, and silly entertaining antics. Watch the video below to get a taste of the show, and then order your tickets here.

"The Working Boys Band" at the History Theatre

In the early 20th Century in Minneapolis, when children were forced to work long hours in factories, a marching band was formed to keep these boys off the streets and improve their lives through music and teamwork. This is a subject that is begging to be made into a musical, and the History Theatre has obliged with The Working Boys Band, directed by Ron Peluso, with book and lyrics by Dominic Orlando and music by recently deceased local composer Hiram Titus. Part Newsies, part The Music Man, and part Dead Poet's Society, The Working Boys Band isn't a particularly original musical, but it is a fun and feel-good musical about the power of music as it played out in local history.

Like Professor Harold Hill did for the people of River City, Professor C.C. Heintzman (based on a real person) gave the working boys in WWI era Minneapolis a love of music and sense of community and teamwork. In other words, "manliness, integrity, intelligence, and kindness" as the song goes. He faced obstacles - unruly boys coming late to rehearsal, 21-year-old Franky who joins the band to dodge the draft, and a community board that wants to fire him because of his German heritage - but he and the music came out on top in the end (as required in any feel-good musical such as this).

Here are a few highlights of the show:

• The History Theatre stage is teeming with talented young men (and women!) of all ages and sizes playing the dozen or so boys in the band, a mix of professional actors and children studying music and/or theater in school. They're all fantastic, hitting their marks and saying their lines on cue with great energy and enthusiasm, staying present in the scene even if they don't have lines. The true joy of this show is watching these youngsters gleefully perform.
• After so many supporting roles, it's nice to see Jon Andrew Hegge in the lead role of the Professor. He really shines in the spotlight, creating a strong and sympathetic character. And Kendall Anne Thompson as Harriet, the woman working with the boys and falling in love with the professor, is always welcome with her lovely voice.
• Jen Burleigh-Bentz gives a deliciously nasty performance as the Cruella De Vil-esque Mrs. Winter. I didn't quite follow all of the politics involved, but all you need to know is that she's the bad guy trying to spoil the fun and stop the music, while adding to the fun of the show, giving the boys and the audience a villain to root against.
• Like he did in Ten Thousand Things' truly delightful production of The Music Man, Ricardo Vasquez once again plays a young man whose playing of the coronet in the band gives him confidence and a sense of purpose. Franky is a bit older than Winthrop, but both are suffering the absence of a father and a feeling of being lost.
• Christian Bardin is our plucky drum major Andy, who just happens to be a girl disguised as a boy to more safely live on the streets, and so of course she falls in love with Franky. This leads to some confusion and a really lovely quartet "Moonlight, Loring Park" by Andy, Franky, Harriet, and the Professor.
• A standout among the kids is Keegan L. Robinson as Bjorn, the first chair coronet player, with a strong voice and confident stage presence.
• The music is typical musical theater stuff, and the choreography (by Cat Brindisi, adding to her already long list of talents) is organic to the story and characters.
• The rough and rustic two-story set by Rick Polenek and beautifully polished or unkempt period costumes by Kathy Kohl create the world in which the story takes place.
• I love a marching band, and happily the boys do get it together to play and march around the theater like a real marching band. I would have loved to have heard even more from them!

If you're looking for a fun, feel-good musical with great performances by professionals and kids alike, look no further. The Working Boys Band is playing at the History Theatre through June 1 (discount tickets available on Goldstar).

the Professor with the boys
(photo by Scott Pakudaitis)

"The Music Man" by Ten Thousand Things at Open Book

"There were bells on the hill, but I never heard them ringing, no I never heard them at all, 'till there was you." So sings Marian the librarian in the classic musical The Music Man when Professor Harold Hill comes into her life and her town, bringing music and community and hope along with him. And this is how I feel about The Music Man after seeing Ten Thousand Things' production. Even though I saw it on stage once before and am very familiar with the movie, I never realized what it was really about until Ten Thousand Things stripped away all of the unnecessary fluff to reveal the true heart of the piece. I was lucky enough to attend a dress rehearsal a few weeks ago, and saw the full production last night (although there was very little difference except that the audience was larger). TTT applies their usual bare bones, straight-to-the-heart-of-the-matter style of theater to the classic musical about a con man salesman and the small Iowa town forever changed by his visit, and it is, in a word, spellbinding. This ensemble of wonderful actors led by Luverne Seifert cast their spell over me just as Professor Harold Hill cast his spell over the people of River City. I've seen a dozen Ten Thousand Things shows over the last several years and love everything they do, but this show is my favorite. So utterly charming, delightful, sweet, funny, and moving, it's a perfectly executed concept.

Marian the librarian and Professor Hill
(Aimee Bryant and Luverne Seifert)

Luverne Seifert is an absolute charmer as Professor Hill, as he easily wins over the town with his smooth-talking ways, and stern Marian the librarian a little less easily. I knew Luverne was a comic genius and the best kind of clown, but I have to say, I fell in love with him a little in this performance. He's a true romantic leading man, a role I've never seen him in before. He shares great chemistry with Aimee Bryant, who conveys Marian's strength of character and longing for something more, and lends her lovely voice to such songs as "Goodnight My Someone." Dennis Spears is a delight as her mother (in a great example of TTT's color- and gender-blind casting, an African American man plays an Irish woman). Recently crowned Ivey Emerging Artist Ricardo Vasquez plays Marian's little brother Winthrop (whose lisp was made famous by little Ronnie Howard). Ricardo completely transforms into a ten-year-old boy, and not just any ten-year-old boy, but a sad, lost, troubled ten-year-old boy. When he begins to open up thanks to music and the band and friendship, it's a thing of beauty. Rounding out the cast as salesmen, townspeople, school board members, and dancing ladies are Bradley Greenwald, literally waving his tail feathers as the mayor's wife; Jim Lichtsheidl, especially funny as the blustering idiot of a mayor (Bradley and Jim work so well together they should always play a married couple!); Sarah Agnew as the Professor's Shipoopi buddy and a fawning teenage girl (ee gads!); and Kimberly Richardson, charming in the piano lesson scene as the breathy little girl with a crush on Winthrop.

Luverne Seifert and the cast of The Music Man

The wonderful thing about musicals as performed by Ten Thousand Things is that because it's quite stripped down (just a two-person band in this case - Jake Endres on keyboard and Peter Vitale on a myriad of instruments), the music feels very organic to the characters and story. Unlike typical musicals in which there's a clear differentiation between full-blown musical numbers and straight dialogue, the actors flow naturally back and forth between speaking and singing, with the band subtly coming in to support them. The Music Man is a good choice for this sort of style, with it's rhythmic talky songs. The fast and lyric-heavy opening number on the train* ("you gotta know the territory!") is extremely well-done by the cast, as is "Ya Got Trouble," and everything with the barbershop quartet and gossiping ladies - the same four actors switching back and forth, often within the same scene! But my favorite moment is the most famous song in the show. How do you create the sound of 76 trombones with just two musicians? You don't even try, you do it as a soft, gentle, reverent plea. In the dress rehearsal I was sitting a few feet from Luverne and could see the awe and wonder in his eyes as he softly spoke of this marvelous band, and I fell completely under his spell as much as the townspeople did. The speaking eventually becomes singing, with the musicians chiming in as it grows into the familiar big band song.

The sparse set (by Joel Sass) and costumes (by Mary Anna Culligan) are so charming and effective. Each of the four corners of the square that is the Ten Thousand Things stage holds a weathered white post on which various signs are hung to represent the billiard hall, the Peroo home, the Wells Fargo Wagon, or the city gymnasium. Costumes are of a pale muted hue one night wear in the hot Iowa summer, and provide a great base for accessories to differentiate characters. In the blink of an eye, the actors change hats or add a shawl and transform into someone else entirely.

There's a reason The Music Man is such a classic. It's a beautiful story about the power of music, storytelling, family, friendship, community, and having a common goal. Professor Hill gives River City hope and something to strive for, and Marian's love and faith in him help him become the man that she thinks he is. With direction by Lear deBessonet and choreography by Jim Lichtsheidl, this is a wonderfully unique and delightful interpretation of this familiar story. Ten Thousand Things productions are always extremely professional, yet retain a playfulness and laid back feeling that draw the audience in, whether that audience is comprised of prisoners or seasoned theater-goers. Only five public performances remain and they're entirely sold out, but they do sell a limited number of 4th row seats at the door (yes, 4th row are the "bad seats" in this intimate staging). If you don't already have tickets, I highly recommend you show up and take a chance on these seats. This is a show not to be missed!




*I once saw Bradley Greenwald perform the opening number by himself, and it was quite impressive!

A Dress Rehearsal of Ten Thousand Things "The Music Man"

Friends, I experienced a rare treat last week. I attended the final dress rehearsal for Ten Thousand Things' new show, The Music Man, and it was scrumptious! They posted an open invitation on their Facebook page so I was sure the seats would be filled. That was not the case; only about ten people took advantage of the opportunity to see some free, live, excellent theater. In a cold church basement in Minneapolis, where the cast and crew outnumbered the audience, I witnessed TTT's usual bare bones, straight-to-the-heart-of-the-matter style of theater as applied to the classic musical about a con man salesman and the small Iowa town forever changed by his visit. In one word, it was spellbinding. This ensemble of wonderful actors led by Luverne Seifert cast their spell over me just as Professor Harold Hill cast his spell over the people of River City. And this was just a dress rehearsal! It was already nearly flawless (and the rare miscue only added more entertainment value in the hands of these professionals), so I can only imagine that the full production (running Feb. 14 through Mar. 9 at Open Book) will be a thing to behold.

Luverne Seifert is an absolute charmer as Professor Hill, as he easily wins over the town with his smooth-talking, and stern Marian the librarian a little less easily. Aimee Bryant conveys Marian's strength of character and longing for something more, and lends her lovely voice to such songs as "Goodnight My Someone." Dennis Spears is a delight as her mother (in a great example of TTT's color- and gender-blind casting, an African American man plays an Irish woman). Recently crowned Ivey Emerging Artist Ricardo Vasquez plays Marian's little brother Winthrop (whose lisp was made famous by little Ronnie Howard). Ricardo completely transforms into a ten-year-old boy, and not just any ten-year-old boy, but a sad, lost, troubled ten-year-old boy. When he begins to open up thanks to music and the band and friendship, it's a thing of beauty. Rounding out the cast as salesmen, townspeople, school board members, and dancing ladies are the very entertaining Bradley Greenwald, Jim Lichtsheidl, Sarah Agnew, and Kimberly Richardson.

The wonderful thing about musicals as performed by Ten Thousand Things is that because it's quite stripped down (just a two-person band in this case - Jake Endres on keyboard and Peter Vitale on a myriad of instruments), the music feels very organic to the characters and story. Unlike typical musicals in which there's a clear differentiation between full-blown musical numbers and straight dialogue, the actors flow naturally back and forth between speaking and singing, with the band subtly coming in to support them. The Music Man is a good choice for this sort of style, with it's rhythmic talky songs. The fast and lyric-heavy opening number on the train* ("you gotta know the territory!") is extremely well-done by the cast, as is "Ya Got Trouble," and everything with the barbershop quartet and gossiping ladies - the same four actors switching back and forth, often within the same scene! But my favorite moment is the most famous song in the show. How do you create the sound of 76 trombones with just two musicians? You don't even try, you do it as a soft, gentle, reverent plea. I was sitting a few feet from Luverne and could see the awe and wonder in his eyes as he softly spoke of this marvelous band, and I fell completely under his spell as much as the townspeople did. The speaking eventually becomes singing, with the musicians chiming in as it grows into the familiar big band song.

There's a reason The Music Man is such a classic. It's a beautiful story about the power of music, storytelling, family, friendship, community, and having a common goal. Professor Hill gives River City hope and something to strive for, and Marian's love and faith in him helps him become the man that she thinks he is. With direction by Lear deBessonet and choreography by Jim Lichtsheidl, this is a wonderfully unique and delightful interpretation of this familiar story. Ten Thousand Things productions are always extremely professional, yet retain a playfulness and laid back feeling that draw the audience in, whether that audience is prisoners or seasoned theater-goers. Mere words cannot express how much I love this show, and look forward to seeing it again at Open Book. It's playful and funny, sweet and touching. I'll be back to update after seeing the final version in a few weeks. In the meantime, reserve your seats for one of the three performances that are not sold out. Trust me, you are not going to want to miss this one!


*I once saw Bradley Greenwald perform the opening number by himself, and it was quite impressive!

The 2013 Ivey Awards at the State Theater

It's the morning after the Ivey Awards, and I have a happiness hangover. It was another great night of celebrating the Twin Cities theater community, through awards given out to select artists and productions, performances from this year's shows, and another fun post-show party hob-nobbing with some of my favorite theater artists. There's nothing better than introducing myself to one of them as "Jill from Cherry and Spoon" and having them not only know who I am, but seem almost as excited to meet me as I am to meet them! It's so lovely to hear that my work here is appreciated, so thank you to everyone I met. I look forward to seeing more of your work in the coming year.

Let's get right down to it. Twelve Ivey Awards were presented this year (to 11 productions, 7 of which I saw), plus the Emerging Artist and Lifetime Achievement Awards. Last year's winners and representatives from corporate sponsors served as presenters. Returning host, the delightfully funny Shanan Custer, was joined by the always entertaining Randy Reyes (Artistic Director of Mu Performing Arts). In the same way I would like Neil Patrick Harris to host every televised awards show, I think Shanan and Randy should host the Iveys every year! There are no two better people to guide us through this night.

The 2013 Ivey Award recipients are (for shows that I've seen, click on the title to read my thoughts about the show):

• Peter Brosius for his direction of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie at Children's Theatre Company.
• Raymond Berg for the musical direction of this summer's fantastic musical hit Urinetown at the Jungle Theater.
• The uber talented cast of Clybourne Park at the Guthrie.
• Playwriting team Katherine Glover, Alissa M. Shellito, and Jeri Weiss for Freshwater Theatre Goes Back to High School at Freshwater Theatre Company.
• Milly and Tillie at Open Eye Figure Theatre (overall excellence).
• Michael Croswell for sound design of Frank Theatre's crazy brilliant one-man-show Misterman (I was kind of hoping for an Ivey for John Catron, but I'll take this).
• Michael Matthew Ferrell for his delightful choreography of Singin' in the Rain at Bloomington Civic Theater (I got to hold his Ivey!).
• The incredibly smart and funny and touching In the Next Room at the Jungle Theater (overall excellence).
• Peter Beard and James Napoleon Stone for their direction of Hamlet at Theare Coup d'Etat.
• A very deserving Craig Johnson for playing the title role in Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde at Walking Shadow Theatre Company.
• Ivey host Shanan Custer and Carolyn Pool for their utterly charming show 2 Sugars, Room for Cream (which you can see next month at the Jerome Hill Theater).
• Dean Holt for playing the mouse in If You Give a Mouse a Cookie at Children's Theatre Company.

I was pleasantly surprised to hear Ricardo Vazquez announced as this year's Emerging Artist. I think he's super-talented (e.g., as Gabe in Mixed Blood's Next to Normal, filling the space at Open Book with his powerful voice in The Seven for TTT, and directing a really cool musical at the Fringe). I'm looking forward to seeing what the future has in store for this emerging artist.

Prolific and talented local playwright Jeffrey Hatcher won this year's Lifetime Achievement Award and gave a very funny speech deserving of an award-winning playwright. I've seen many of his plays over the last few years, my favorites of which include lat year's Ivey-winner Compleat Female Stage Beauty and Turn of the Screw. Whenver I see Jeffrey Hatcher's name on a play, I know it's going to be good.

In between all of these awards we were treated to performances from past, present, and upcoming productions (accompanied by the fantastic band led by music director extraordinaire Denise Prosek) that really showed off the diverse talent in this abundantly rich theater town:

• A celebratory tone was set by the opening number, a selection from Illusion Theater's musical review Love & Marriage, featuring cast members from last year's original and this year's update, "What a Difference a Year Makes," now playing at Illusion (I'm seeing it next week).
• We were treated to an excerpt from one of the trilogy of plays Displaced Hindu Gods, opening next weekend at Mixed Blood. A stand-up comedy routine, accompanied by Ivey Award-winning actor Peter Christian Hansen on electric guitar (as host Randy said, "what the what?").
• I was very excited to see an encore of Nautilus Music-Theater's Ordinary Days, which I had just seen the day before and completely fell in love with. It's playing for two more weekends - go see it!
• Miss Minnesota Rebecca Yeh, who recently won Miss America's talent competition, played a lovely song on the violin as we remembered local theater artists we lost in the last year.
• The Ivey Award-winning cast of Clybourne Park performed a scene from the modern-day second act of the play (and I was slightly relieved when the scene ended just before the telling of offensive jokes began!).
• Mike Fotis and Lauren Anderson performed a ridiculous (in a good way) super-hero skit incorporating the names of the corporate sponsors.
• I was so thrilled that Yellow Tree Theatre's new original musical Stay Tuned made an appearance at the Ivey's, with show creators and performers Blake Thomas, Mary Fox, and Andy Frye presenting a scene and a song from the fictional radio show. Most of the evening was pretty high energy and almost frantic with excitement, so "Love Will Lift You Up" was a welcome calm moment, a chance to take a breath, enjoy the simple beauty of the song, and recharge for the excitement of the evening yet to come. (Blake Thomas' music is available on iTunes, I highly recommend Flatlands for a start.)
• I cannot think of a better closing number than the super fun and high energy "Run, Freedom, Run" from the Ivey Award-winning production of Urinetown, performed by this talented cast. A great end to the show that fired us up for the post-show party!

And that's it, another Ivey Awards has come and gone, and some pretty incredibly theater too. I am so grateful to be a part of this theater community and to have the privilege to witness the great work of our local Minnesota theater artists. Now let's go see some local theater!

Fringe Festival: "Elysium Blues"

Day: 6

Show: 17

Title: Elysium Blues

By: The Barkada Theater Project

Created by: Jessica Huang

Location: U of M Rarig Center Xperimental

Summary: This modern retelling of the Greek myth about Orpheus following his love Eurydice into the underworld uses blues music to add to the story.

Highlights: This is a really cool piece, very captivating and transporting, so that leaving the theater feels a bit jarring. We're all familiar with the story - Orpheus' wife Eurydice dies so he follows her to the underworld to bring her back. But this adaptation focuses more on Eurydice and why she left in the first place - turns out Orpheus is a controlling abusive jerk. He comes into the underworld and takes over, tying up Persephone, queen of the underworld, who wants her people to forget the past (by drinking a green elixir) and be happy. But slowly, memory comes back and Eurydice makes a choice. It's kind of trippy but the music is fantastic! And the cast is great - Eric Mayson plays Orpheus as a rock star, with voice and guitar-playing skills to match; Rachel Austin has a strong and expressive bluesy voice as Eurydice; Rebecca Wall is a regal and sympathetic Persephone; and the ensemble supports them well musically and theatrically (directed by Ricardo Vazquez). Bottom line: a fascinating and successful exploration using music to shed new light on one of the oldest stories in the world. I wish I could buy the soundtrack.

Read more of my fringe fest reflections…

… including my top 5 shows