"The Most Happy Fella" by Skylark Opera Theatre at the Historic Mounds Theatre

This fall, Skylark Opera Theatre brings us Frank Loesser's The Most Happy Fella, which is technically a musical, but one with operatic qualities to some of the music. And the fact that some of the songs are in Italian (or mixed English and Italian) also make it feel a little like an opera. It's an unabashedly romantic old-fashioned love story, but not without a few modern tweaks. Skylark's production in St. Paul's Historic Mounds Theatre is charming, intimate, engaging, and gorgeously sung by the 12-person cast.

"Cosi fan tutte" by Skylark Opera Theatre at the Historic Mounds Theatre

The last (and only) time I saw Mozart's comic opera Cosi fan tutte was 24 years ago when I was studying abroad in his lovely hometown of Salzburg, at the Marionettentheater during the week celebrating his birthday (a big deal in Salzburg). I remember nothing about it, other than that I saw it. No better way to experience it, for basically the first time in memory, than with Skylark Opera Theatre, which specializes in performing both new and classic operas in an accessible way, including performing in English. For an opera that roughly translates as "women are like that," Cosi fan tutte could be a difficult one to present in 2019. But Skylark has managed to make it modern and fun, with the jerks not getting away with the nasty tricks they play on their fiances. Performed in the small intimate space at the Historic Mounds Theatre in just over two hours, it's a fun and accessible way to experience the work of this gifted composer.

"As One" by Skylark Opera Theatre at North Garden Theater

The new incarnation of Skylark Opera Theatre, under new Artistic Director Robert Neu, is presenting their third work of accessible, intimate opera. As someone who usually stays on the musical theater side of the music-theater spectrum, this approach seems like a good one for me, sort of bridging that gap between opera and music theater. After last year's stripped down adaptation of Carmen and an immersive Don Giovanni, they're now presenting a contemporary opera about a very timely subject. As One is a two-person 90-minute English language opera about Hannah, a transgender woman becoming herself. She is played by both a man and a woman, pre- and post-transition. It's a beautiful, heart-breaking, inspirational, ultimately hopeful story gorgeously told through music. The intimate new space that is North Garden Theater, in St. Paul's West 7th neighborhood, is the perfect location to experience this sparse-in-spectacle but rich-in-substance opera. But act fast - only three more performances remain this weekend (click here for more info and tickets).

"Don Giovanni" by Skylark Opera Theatre and Angels & Demons Entertainment at the Woman's Club of Minneapolis

For five years, I spent one or two nights at Concordia University's E.M. Pearson Theatre watching opera/operetta/musical theater as part of Skylark Opera's Annual Summer Festival. Last year, the festival was abruptly cancelled as the company went through financial and leadership challenges. I'm happy to report that Skylark is back, rebranded as Skylark Opera Theatre, now with their second show under new Artistic Director Robert Neu. The Summer Festival has not returned, but Skylark's commitment to presenting accessible opera in English hasn't changed. Their second production (after The Tragedy of Carmen earlier this year) is a site-specific production of Mozart's Don Giovanni, with new English translation by Robert Neu and Gabriel Preisser, who also plays the title character. It bears more than a little resemblance to last summer's site-specific Mozart (The Marriage of Figaro in the James J. Hill House) by Robert Neu's other company, Angels and Demons Entertainment, a co-producer of this show. Like Marriage of Figaro, this Don Giovanni is an intimate, immersive experience that one doesn't usually get with opera.

"The Tragedy of Carmen" by Skylark Opera Theatre at the Midpointe Event Center

Welcome back, Skylark Opera! After cancelling their annual summer festival last year, something I had thoroughly enjoyed the previous five summers, they're back in 2017. Newly rebranded as Skylark Opera Theatre, but still committed to making opera accessible to neophytes like me (they always perform in English, for one thing), they've got a couple of shows on the schedule early this year (although no word on the summer festival). First up is The Tragedy of Carmen, a 90-minute English adaptation of one of the most well known and frequently performed operas, Georges Bizet's Carmen. With just six actors and a three-piece orchestra, performed in a small space, it's an intimate and thrilling up-close-and-personal take on a classic opera, even for those of us who maybe aren't that into opera.

"The Marriage of Figaro" by Angels and Demons Entertainment at the James J. Hill House

One of Mozart's most beloved operas, performed by nationally renowned opera singers and local favorites, set in the perfect and intimate location of the grand and beautiful James J. Hill House? I'm in! In by the skin of my teeth, that is. I consider myself very lucky to be one of the 140* people (4 shows x 35 audience members per show) to have had the wonderful experience that was Angels and Demons Entertainment's production of The Marriage of Figaro (with support from the Twin Cities Opera Guild). I'm not much of an opera-goer, unless it's made more accessible by companies like Skylark Opera (who always perform in English, and whose Summer Festival will hopefully return next year). But this was perhaps the most accessible and engaging opera I've ever attended. Sung in English in four different locations within the house that perfectly suited the story, it truly felt like I was in the midst of this crazy upstairs/downstairs story. I only regret that the audience was so limited, and I hope that they bring the production back sometime and expand it so that more people can know this truly lovely and special experience.

"Putting It Together" and "La Rondine" by Skylark Opera at E.M. Pearson Theatre

One of the theatrical highlights of the summer, Skylark Opera's Annual Summer Festival, is upon us! As usual, the two shows playing in repertoire include one that's more of a traditional opera (but always in English) and one that skews a bit more towards musical theater: Puccini's La Rondine and the Sondheim musical revue Putting It Together (put together by Sondheim himself). As someone who loves musical theater but doesn't venture into the world of opera very often, Skylark's Summer Festival offers a fun, easy, accessible way to enjoy to dip my toes into the opera scene and indulge my love of musical theater. Both shows are highly entertaining with excellent casts and orchestras. But the runs are short with just four performances of each show. So read on, take your pick, and get your tickets before this all-too-brief Summer Festival is gone like the all-too-brief Minnesota summer!

Putting It Together
A terrific five-person cast, a fantastic eight-piece orchestra, and over 30 of Sondheim's greatest songs. What could be better?! Written in the early '90s, Sondheim pulled together songs from over a dozen of his musicals (including some that were cut from the original shows) and tied them together loosely with the story of two couples, one that's been together a long time and one that's just starting out. This allowed him to use many great relationship songs from the likes of Merrily We Roll Along, A Little Night Music, Company (my personal favorite, and perhaps Sondheim's as well because he included five songs in this revue), Follies, and the movie Dick Tracy. (Does anyone remember that Sondheim wrote five original songs for the 1990 movie? Me neither, but he included four of those five songs in this revue, maybe because it was so recent.) There's not much of a story here, so much as a study of relationships, and all of these diverse songs work surprisingly well to explore different facets of these relationships and give us a picture of who these people are (although some work better than others - the wolf's song from Into the Woods doesn't really fit in any context outside of the woods, although it is a commentary on a certain kind of relationship).

On a set that looks like a posh and sparse NYC apartment with a terrace, the long-married couple, the new couple, and their butler/commentator have a dinner party, dressed of course in tuxes and gowns. Each song is like a little story in itself, exploring a different facet of the relationships. There's little to no dialogue tying them together, although the commentator does declare the theme of certain segments, like "seduction," "desperation," and "competition." The long-married couple is full of regret ("The Road You Didn't Take" from Follies) and desperation ("The Ladies Who Lunch" from Company), the new couple full of hope ("Marry Me a Little" from Company) and sweetness ("Unworthy of Your Love" from Assassins). The men talk about women ("Have I Got a Girl for You" from Company, "Pretty Women" from Sweeney Todd) and the women talk about men ("Every Day a Little Death" from A Little Night Music). And then there are some silly songs that don't have much to do with anything but are fun nonetheless ("More" from Dick Tracy, "Buddy's Blues" from Follies).

Jeffrey Madison, Emily Gunyou Halaas, Paul Coate,
Vicki Fingalson, and Gabriel Preisser (photo by Matt Bellin)

The original 1993 Off-Broadway production starred Julie Andrews. Despite having Julie Andrews' cute pixie cut, Emily Gunyou Halaas is not known in this town as a singer, but rather as a talented actor in straight plays. I suspect that will change after this performance, in which she proves that singing is another tool in her acting toolbox that is readily available to her. I've always thought she has a melodious speaking voice, and she sings like she talks. Not only is her voice lovely, rich, and pleasant to listen to, but she brings all of her acting talent to the song, making us feel every emotion in Sondheim's intricate lyrics, which is perhaps the most important part of musical theater. She tackles some of the most difficult songs in this show ("Could I Leave You" from Follies, "Getting Married Today" and "The Ladies Who Lunch" from Company) and comes out on top every time.

The rest of the cast more than holds their own, and they all sound beautiful individually and in various combinations of duets, trios, and group numbers. Commentator Paul Coate nicely delivers "Invocations and Instructions to the Audience" from Frogs (which sounds a lot like my recent audience DOs and DON'Ts post) and the super fast and funny "Buddy's Blues" from Follies. As the husband, Jeffrey Madison hits some poignant and creepy notes, respectively, in "The Road You Didn't Take" from Follies and "Hello, Little Girl" from Sweeney Todd. The new couple Vicki Fingalson and Gabriel Preisser share a lovely duet in "Unworthy of Your Love" from Assassins, as well as some nice solo moments including Vicki's seductive "Sooner or Later" from Dick Tracy and Gabriel's triumphant "Marry Me a Little" from Company. And of course, no Sondheim revue about relationships is complete without one of his best songs on the subject, "Being Alive" from Company, a song I've heard many times but never quite like this, as the entire company joins in on a beautiful five-part version of the song.

With direction by Robert Neu and music direction by Andrew Fleser leading this terrific cast and orchestra through some of Sondheim's best work, put together by the man himself, Putting It Together is a must-see for fans of Sondheim, and music-theater in general.

La Rondine
Perhaps most famous for La Boheme (this inspiration for my favorite musical RENT), Puccini called La Rondine "perhaps, my best music" (per a note from director Ben Krywosz of Nautilus Music-Theater). Written in the early Twentieth Century, Skylark sets the story in 1920s Paris. The three acts depict different phases in the life of our heroine, Magda. The first act takes place in her posh Paris apartment (reusing some of the set pieces from Putting It Together). At a dinner party with friends, she reminisces about an exciting and romantic encounter with a man long ago. But now she has settled for a comfortable but loveless life with her patron (or sugar daddy, to put it in modern terms) Rambaldo. The second act takes place in a crowded dance hall, where Magda has decided to go in disguise for a bit of excitement. There admidst the dancing and revelry she meets the charming young Ruggero and they fall instantly in love (because such things happen in opera). She decides to leave Rombaldo and run away with Ruggero to the country, where we see them living blissfully in act three. But alas, their love cannot last because... something about Magda's shameful past? She doesn't think his mother would approve? They ran out of money? It doesn't quite ring true that in 1920s Paris these two crazy kids would conform to social standards and not be able to make it work. But tragedy is as sure to happen in opera as sudden all-consuming love, and the story ends on a tragically beautiful note.

the cast of La Rondine (photo by Matt Bellin)

Cecilia Violetta Lopez is a star as Magda. Not only does she have a stunning voice, but she makes you feel Magda's every emotion, from dissatisfaction to hope to resignation. As Ruggero, Won Whi Choi is her match. They both have huge voices, and when they sing in harmony it's really quite something. The large supporting cast is great and creates some stirring sounds when their voices join together on this gorgeous score. Lindsay Russell provides some comic relief as Magda's spunky and ambitious maid Lisette, and Norman Shankle is lovely and charming as Madga's poet friend and Lisette's secret lover. Paul Hindemith does a good job with Rambaldo, despite the distracting and borderline offensive old man make-up (is "oldface"a thing?).

Skylark's Artistic Director Steven Stucki conducts the 20+ piece orchestra through this lovely and luscious score. Lynn Farrington's costumes recreate that '20s flapper look for both the high society crowd and the dance hall revelers with dropped waist dresses, smart hats, headbands, and jewels. Kit Meyer has designed a flexible set of faux-marble columns and pieces that can be rearranged for the necessary sets in both shows.

Both shows in Skylark Opera's Summer Festival are perfectly lovely and a wonderful summer treat. Head down to St. Paul's Concordia University campus in the next week to see one or both of these very different but equally satisfying shows.


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"Carousel" with the Minnesota Orchestra at Orchestra Hall

One of the greatest musical theater composing teams, Rodgers and Hammerstein, had a smash hit with their very first show - Oklahoma!, based on the play Green Grow the Lilacs. For their sophomore outing they chose another play, the Hungarian Liliom, and adapted it into Carousel, which was a bit of a gamble due to the darker nature of the story and not-so-happy ending. But the risk payed off; Carousel was another rousing success and ranks among R&H's big five musicals. Shockingly, this musical theater geek has never seen the show in any form or listened to the score, an omission that is and will be corrected by two productions this spring. Bloomington Civic Theatre is doing the show next month, but first up is Minnesota Orchestra's semi-staged production of it with the full orchestra and a large ensemble cast, directed by Robert Neu. I can think of no better way to first experience this classic piece of music-theater than in this musically rich production, where the focus is on the score, which the orchestra and cast beautifully bring to life on the newly remodeled Orchestra Hall stage.

Being unfamiliar with the story, I found in it familiar bits from other works of theater. At first it reminded me of Porgy and Bess, until it turned a bit Our Town-ish in the second act, although it's also not dissimilar to Oklahoma! in some of the characters and themes (imagine if Laurey had ended up with Jud Fry instead of Curly). This is the classic good girl falls for bad boy story, in which the good girl sees the best in the bad boy, and the bad boy tries to be a better person for the good girl, but ultimately fails despite his love for her. In this case the good girl is mill worker Julie Jordan and the bad boy is carnival barker Billy Bigelow. They both sacrifice their jobs to be together, which unfortunately does not lead to happiness for the pair. Because of its themes of poverty and domestic violence, it's a difficult story, one that I have some issues with (including one particularly disturbing line in which Julie tells her daughter it's possible to be hit hard and not feel it - unacceptable), so I'm glad I have a chance to see it again next month and let it sink in a bit.

But now, on to the best part - the music! As a former bank geek (once a band geek always a band geek?), I'm always thrilled to be in the presence of an orchestra, and don't get the chance nearly enough. Our Minnesota Orchestra, conducted by Sarah Hicks, sounds marvelous playing this sweeping melodic score. And the cast, comprised of mostly local talent, is a dream. As Billy, Gabriel Preisser has a gorgeous and resonant voice, and brings out every emotion in the famous "Soliloquy" song. Sarah Lawrence sings beautifully sweet as Julie, and makes us feel her deep love and pain. It's great to see so many familiar faces and voices among the supporting players and ensemble, including the always great Kersten Rodau, Paul R. Coate (overheard in the audience: "Mr. Snow has the best voice"), Kathleen Humphrey, Riley McNutt (providing a bit of comic relief as charming rapscallion Jigger), and Gary Briggle. The finale song "You'll Never Walk Alone" (which I didn't know was from Carousel, or if I did know I'd forgotten it) sends chills down the spine and brings tears to the eyes.

I'm not sure what's "semi" about this staging, other than the absence of large set pieces, which are not missed. The small set pieces (benches, crates, and darling hand-held but almost full size carousel horses) are really all that's needed to hint at the scene, with the dialogue and music and our imaginations doing the rest. There's nothing "semi" about Samantha Fromm Haddow's lovely costumes, which include the working folks' garb, a wide range of carnival costumes, and ballerina Louise's light and flowy dress with matching jacket. Nothing "semi" about the choreography by Penelope Freeh either (who also gracefully dances as Louise), with the ensemble ably performing charming group dance numbers. And the staging makes good use of the area behind and in front of the orchestra.

I now understand what all the fuss is about over Carousel, and I'm glad that this gorgeous production was my first introduction to it. I look forward to getting to know it a bit better at Bloomington Civic Theatre next month. In the meantime, if you can make it to Orchestra Hall this weekend, do so.

"Blithe Spirit" at Lyric Arts

On a cold and snowy winter evening, I made my way through the slow and busy highways and streets to Lyric Arts Main Street Stage in Anoka. It was a long and unpleasant drive - but this is Minnesota, that's what we do. Once inside the warm and inviting theater, I forgot all about the frozen snowy world outside as I was immersed in the ghostly antics of a sophisticated English gentleman and his two wives, one living and one dead. Lyric Arts' production of English playwright Noël Coward's classic comedy Blithe Spirit is funny and charming, with a perfect cast under the direction of Robert Neu, who sets an appropriate tone that's equally charming and silly, and spot-on set and costumes. i.e., it's a welcome respite from this cold midwinter.

In Blithe Spirit, Charles and Ruth Comdomine live a happy peaceful life in their summer home in the English countryside, despite having to train in a rather incompetent new maid Edith. All of this changes one evening when Charles invites a medium named Madame Arcati to the house to conduct a séance, as research for a new book he's writing. Charles and Ruth, along with their friends George and Violet whom they also invite to the séance, view the whole thing with skepticism, and struggle to hold back their laughter as Madame Arcati goes through her process of contacting the dead. After the business is finished, the party breaks up and everyone laughs at the amusement of the evening. Except for Charles, who has begun to hear and then see his late wife Elvira. Ruth believes her husband is ill or insane, until he convinces her of the reality of the ghost, when she becomes upset not just because there's a ghost in the house, but because Charles seems to enjoy being reunited with his former love. Ruth attempts to rid their lives of Elvira, but Elvira has plans of her own.

the love triangle that crosses death
(Jessica Scott, Ryan Nielson, and Allie Munson)

The word blithe is not commonly used in American speech (although occasionally in musicals: "blithe smile, lithe limb, she who's winsome, she wins him"). But this word, meaning "showing a casual and cheerful indifference considered to be callous or improper," is the perfect word to describe the ghostly Elvira. She floats into Charles and Ruth's life on a breeze, all smiles and giggles, and doesn't care about the disruption she's causing, so happy is she to be back in her home with her husband. This spirit is perfectly embodied by Allie Munson; her Elvira is a lovely and ethereal apparition, somehow charming despite the ruckus she's causing to our happy couple. As said couple, Ryan Nielson and Jessica Scott are perfectly charming and sophisticated as Charles and Ruth, until their life becomes a bit derailed upon the arrival of Elvira, and their voices and tempers raise in a properly English sort of way.

The show is extremely well cast from top to bottom, and everyone in the cast sports a deliciously exaggerated accent. While it does not appear that Madame Arcati is a role usually played by a man, in the case of Grif Sadow, it's an inspired choice. He's an absolute hoot as Madame Arcati goes through her strange rituals and trances, but without making the character a complete joke as it becomes obvious that she's for real. Last but not least, Hannah Weinberg is quite the scene-stealer as Edith, the maid who tries so hard to please but can't help bounding from one task to the next in a manner not at all matching the sophistication of her employers. She makes the most of every moment, drawing it out for maximum laughs, highlighted by a hilariously torturous clearing of the breakfast table.

Mark Koski's set is a very real-looking, charming, and detailed room in an English home (perhaps a drawing room, in Downton Abbey terms), complete with books on the shelves, a fireplace, a sofa and sitting area, a gramophone, lush curtains on the patio doors, and most importantly, a fully stocked bar. Samantha Fromm Haddow's '40s period costumes are all lovely and help to define each character, but Elvira's dress is the pièce de résistance. A pale grey that matches her delicately beautiful make-up, the light and layered dress floats around the stage in a perfectly ghostly sort of way.

"If you think that community theater in Anoka isn't good or popular, then you simply haven't seen it recently." So says Alan Berks in his editor's note on the newly revamped website Minnesota Playlist, and I couldn't agree more. Blithe Spirit is a great example of this; there's virtually no difference between this production and something you might see on a professional stage in Minneapolis. But do note the "popular" part of the above statement; Lyric Arts shows have a tendency to sell out their relatively few performances in a run, so make plans now (discount tickets available on Goldstar) to see this charming, funny, well-done escapist comedy (written in 1941 as an escape from war, it works as an escape from winter too).

"Godspell" at Lyric Arts

Godspell is one of those well-known musicals that I've never seen. It's also the first musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, who wrote one of my favorite musicals, Wicked. So I was curious to see it, and showed up at Lyric Arts not knowing much about the show or any of the songs (although a few were familiar once I heard them). I found it to be fun and entertaining, with some great songs of various styles, energetically performed by a cast that is obviously having a blast. It's unabashedly corny (e.g., characters touching each other on the nose as a sign of affection), but that's not a bad thing, in fact it sort of revels in the corniness. Godspell is not going to be joining Wicked on my list of favorite musicals, but it's cute and fun with catchy tunes (I can't stop singing "Day by Day").

Godspell is sort of a musical comedy version of the life of Jesus and his followers, with the parables he tells them forming different little skits and songs as they all act out the stories. The show begins with everyone on their cell phones, individuals in this modern world. They soon throw away their phones and come together to listen to and learn from Jesus. The show is overall pretty light-hearted in tone, almost campy at times, with a brief somber moment when Jesus dies. But it ends on a high note, with everyone returning to stage and sharing the joy and love of this community they've built.

Being unfamiliar with the show, I looked for parallels to shows I do know, and I found one in Hair. Godspell premiered off-Broadway in 1971, just a few years after Hair rocked the musical theater world (literally and figuratively). I can see a lot of similarities between the two pieces - a tribe of friends with similar ideals trying to change the world, a loose plot structure more like a series of skits and unrelated songs on a similar theme, a leader who dies in service to his people and then comes back for a glorious final anthem, and an overall message of peace, love, and harmony. In a way, Jesus was the original hippie, with his long hair and sandals, preaching peace, love, non-violence, and community. Godspell is like Hair without the sex, drugs, and nakedness (in other words, not quite as much fun ;).

the cast of Godspell

Director Robert Neu gracefully leads his talented ten-person cast through this high energy and musically challenging show. Other than Jesus (Colin Hutchins) and John/Judas (Charles Goitia), there are no characters as such, rather a group of followers going by each actor's name. Each one gets their moment to shine, and rises to the occasion (standouts include the high schooler Zach Marleau, a total ham in the best possible way, and Quinn Shadko, with a lovely classically trained voice and great onstage presence). But the best part is when they're working as a group, ad-libbing and joking with each other in the moments between scenes. It's almost more fun to watch these side conversations than the main action. The cast is obviously very comfortable with each other and have worked hard to achieve that camaraderie along with the musicality. Another fun aspect of the show is its interactive nature. Audience members are occasionally brought up on stage to participate, and the cast hangs out during intermission to mingle with the audience. This is the kind of thing I enjoy watching but dread being forced to participate in, so I was happy to observe from my inside seat.

The costumes (by Samantha Fromm Haddow) are odd and colorful and quirky, and provide some individuality to the cast of nameless characters. The set (by Kirby Moore) is a series of grey stone blocks and steps that allows the cast plenty of room to play. And the four-piece band capably leads the cast through the diverse musical styles.

Lyric Arts' production of Godspell is a cute, fun show with a talented energetic cast that is having as much fun as the audience. Playing through March 16 with discount tickets available on Goldstar.

"The Laramie Project" at Lyric Arts

I believe in the power of theater to change the world, and The Laramie Project is a great example of that. Shortly after the brutal murder of a young gay man named Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming, a theater company led by playwright Moises Kaufman went to Laramie and conducted over 200 interviews with the townspeople. In the midst of a media frenzy, they gave these people a voice, people who knew Matthew personally during his life or were affected by his death. They listened to them and told their story, as simple and profound as that. The result is a play called The Laramie Project, compiled from interviews, company members' journal entrees, and news reports. The play is not just about Matthew's life and death, and this unspeakable hate crime that sparked a national debate, but it also examines the anatomy of a town, a town that's just like any other town in America. It doesn't offer answers or reasons why, but it sheds light on what happened, allows these people's truths to be known and heard, and begins a dialogue that may eventually lead to healing. I believe that is the best that theater can be and do. Lyric Arts' new production, beautifully directed by Robert Neu and featuring a talented cast of 12 playing over 60 roles, does this story and the project justice. It's a story that continues to need to be heard.

Rather than a reenactment of events, the play is structured as a series of monologues, taken from actual interviews with the real people of Laramie. The theater company members also serve as characters in the play and as narrators, introducing each speaker. All of these interviews put together provide a narrative of events, as well as illustrate life in Laramie, a typical American college town, before and after the tragedy. The simple and bare sloped stage with 12 chairs allows space for the story to be told, as the actors move themselves and their chairs around the space in different formations.

the cast of The Laramie Project

There's not a lot of interaction between the characters, but the play still manages to give us several fully developed characters that we begin to care about. I hesitate to call out anyone in this beautiful cast because they all do a remarkable job creating several characters each, differentiated by a scarf, hat or glasses, or the tone of voice. But if I must mention a few, I will say that I was particularly moved by Ty Hudson as the charismatic bartender and one of the last people to see Matthew alive, Beth King as the strong but sensitive police officer first called to the scene of the crime, Corey Okonek as a friendly limo driver and Matthew's father, Emily Picardi as Matthew's spunky friend turned political activist Romaine Patterson, Jarome Smith as an enthusiastic theater student who was deeply affected by Matthew's story, and Debbie Swanson as two different college professors.

My first experience with The Laramie Project was a staged reading in October of 2008, the 10th anniversary of Matthew's death, directed by Peter Rothstein and featuring T.R. Knight and a cast of local talents. Matthew's mother Judy, who has turned her personal tragedy into a career in activism and righting the wrongs that lead to Matthew's death (including the passage of The Matthew Shepard Act in 2009), was in attendance that night. So I was fully aware what a powerful and important piece of theater this is, and I couldn't be more pleased that a community theater in Anoka is tackling this project and doing such a beautiful job. With the exception of some candlelight choreography at the end that went on a bit too long for me, the whole production is extremely well-done, from the simple set to the subtle intricacies of the costume changes to the sound and lighting setting the scene.

Two quotes from the people of Laramie stick with me. One is by Romaine, who said that the people of Laramie (and, I think, this country) need to own this tragedy and not just ignore it or pretend it didn't happen. Another character said about the perpetrators, "we don't grow children like that here, but obviously we do grow children like that here." At its best, theater can give us a forum to understand and explore the most difficult and important issues of our time, and that's what this play does. I highly recommend that people get out and see this important work of theater (playing at Lyric Arts now through Sept. 22); trust me, it's worth the drive to Anoka (discount tickets available on Goldstar).