"Cabaret" by Theatre 55 at Mixed Blood Theatre

Cabaret is one of my favorite musicals. I've seen it on stage many times, but it's been almost ten years since I saw a production of it, so it's beyond time to see it again. As usual, Theatre 55 brings a whole new perspective to the beloved and familiar piece by populating the world with people age 55 and better. These performers have lived through, if not the rise of Nazism in 1930s Berlin (that would be Theater 95), then many difficult, tumultuous, divisive times in this country and around the world. Facing another contentious and vitally important election cycle, 2024 is the perfect time to bring back Kander and Ebb's brilliant musical, that lures you in with a funny, sexy, gorgeous show, and then punches you in the gut with the ugly reality of what hate, fear, and bigotry can do. I interviewed Director Richard Hitchler and star Prudence Johnson on an episode of Twin Cities Theater Chat, and it was a pleasure to talk about the meaning of this piece, as well as Theater 55's important work of fighting agism and "enriching the lives of elders as artists, audiences, and lifelong learners." This especially poignant but still super fun Cabaret has only six performances left, several of which are sold out, so don't snooze on getting tickets, or you may be left sitting alone in your room instead of going to the cabaret, where everything is beautiful.

"RENT" by Theatre 55 at the Gremlin Theatre

I first fell in love with RENT in 1996 when I saw the original cast perform on the Tonys and all over TV (RENT was the Hamilton of the '90s). I had just graduated from college and was living on my own for the first time, so the story of young twenty-somethings trying to make their way in the world really resonated with me. I first saw the show in 1997 when the First National Tour came to the Ordway, and have seen it every time it's been in the Twin Cities (and twice in NYC). Now, 27 years and one "no day but today" tattoo later, the story continues to resonate with me, but in different ways. At a point in my life when I've lost loved ones, and it's likely that more than half of my todays are behind me, the theme of living for today, and the preciousness of life, only gets more poignant every day. It makes perfect sense to me, then, for a troupe of actors age 55 and older to embody these themes - a brilliant choice for Theatre 55, a company dedicated to "enriching the lives of elders as artists, audiences, and lifelong learners." If RENT's creator Jonathan Larson hadn't died tragically the night before the Off-Broadway opening, just shy of his 36th birthday, he'd be 63 today. Theatre 55's cast is made up of Jonathan's contemporaries, who, like him, lived through the early days of the AIDS crisis. I would tell you to go see this relevant, resonant, poignant, joyful, and utterly unique production of one of the 20th Century's best musicals, but they've sold out their entire short seven-show run. No day but today, indeed!

"The Rocky Horror Show" by Theatre 55 at Mixed Blood Theatre

Since 2018, Theatre 55 has been producing shows with entire casts made up of actors age 55 or older, showcasing the talent of elder actors in our community (like the B Positive of #TCTheater). They also give novice actors the chance to work with and learn from more experienced theater artists, with a goal to "enrich the lives of elders as artists, audiences, and lifelong learners through theatre performance and education." They're returning to live in-person performance with the cult classic The Rocky Horror Show, and similar to Hair, their first production three years ago, populating this show with people who likely were around for and witnessed the original incarnation brings a new depth and meaning to it. But mostly, it's just a whole lot of fun. Everyone in the 15-person cast seemed to be having a blast, and the audience was right there in it with them. This show is such a fun and wacky expression of life and individuality, and this particular production is a great reminder that it's never too late for "don't dream it, be it." If you're one of those Rocky Horror fanatics (which, I admit, I am not), or if you just want to have a good time at the theater, check out this unique Rocky Horror through February 6 only (click here for details and to purchase tickets on a pay-what-you-can scale).

"Hair" by Theatre 55 at Mixed Blood Theatre

I was a little obsessed with the 40th anniversary revival of Hair, which opened on Broadway in 2009. I first fell in love with the show via a #TCTheater production directed by Michael Brindisi in 2004, and this fantastic Broadway revival only increased that love to the point of, yes, obsession. You can read more of my Hair thoughts here, but suffice it to say that when I adopted two adult male cats several years ago, I named them Claude and Berger. Now another 10 years have passed, so we're 50 years removed from the groundbreaking Gerome Ragni and James Rado creation (with music by Galt MacDermot) that changed the face of musical theater forever. Theatre 55, a new #TCTheater company dedicated to "enriching the lives of elders," has chosen Hair as their first production, populated with people who were alive and perhaps even saw that first production 50+ years ago, and lived the lifestyle of the '60s represented in the show. While the vocal performances are uneven in this cast made up mostly of non-professional actors, they capture the spirit of the piece in the way that perhaps younger people cannot. They bring an authenticity to the characters and situations of the show, and also a sort of fun free-wheeling vibe because they survived those tumultuous times (although one could say that the times we're living in now are pretty tumultuous too). The firehouse was packed with an audience full of people ready for this show and loving every minute of it. I'm quite sure that Ragni and Rado (the original Berger and Claude, the latter of whom is still alive and just turned 87) would be tickled with this production.