"Frozen" at Children's Theatre Company

When the National Tour of the stage adaptation of the hit 2013 Disney movie Frozen came to Minneapolis in the fall of 2021, it was a true celebration of the return to theater after a global pandemic closed all theaters for nearly a year and a half. Now three and a half years later it feels like the pandemic truly is in the past, although today's world is not without its own unique and scary challenges. But now we have Children's Theatre Company's glorious regional premiere of this sisterhood love story to remind us that we can get through hard times if we work together and have an open heart (and door). The movie is beloved by many (expect to see lots of little Elsas, Annas, and Olafs in the crowd), and the thing CTC does best is make the experience the best it possibly can be for the little ones. They present this story with such care, thoughtfulness, passion, and love that it's also a joy for the grown-ups, and will melt even the most frozen of hearts. As the outdoor world continues its slow melt into spring, the world of Arendelle will continue to freeze and thaw and freeze again on the CTC stage through June 15.

"Grease" at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres

I'd been looking forward to the opening night of Grease at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres for weeks, months even. It's always the best press night in town - free food and drinks, a welcoming and celebratory atmosphere, the bloggers are seated at a table together, and it's always a high quality production - and Grease is a classic and always fun show. But everything changed two days before opening when it was announced that Michael Brindisi, longtime Artistic Director and co-owner since 2010, died suddenly after a brief illness. It's a devastating loss for his family (including wife Michelle Barber, daughter Cat Brindisi, and son-in-law David Darrow, all of whom are talented and beloved members of the #TCTheater community in their own right), the people he's worked alongside of for decades, artists he's mentored and to whom he's given life-changing opportunities, and those of us in the larger community who know him mostly through his work. But it's eerily fitting that he died doing what he loved - directing a musical that meant so much to him, that started his career when he was cast in a tour in the 70s. And it also felt appropriate that while that grief and shock is fresh in all of our minds and hearts, we were able to gather in a room and be together, laugh together, cry together, celebrate his life and legacy together. Grease is scheduled to run through early October, followed by a remount of White Christmas which he directed just previous to this show, so whatever the future of Chanhassen Dinner Theatres looks like, his work will live on on that stage for the next year through these shows, and forever in the community that he created and the culture he fostered (which by all accounts is welcoming and respectful and supportive) and the artists he inspired. I can't imagine what it was like for the cast to go on and perform this show the night that they heard their leader was gone, and the next night, and the next. But rest assured that this cast is giving their whole hearts, souls, gorgeous voices, comedic chops, and hand-jiving bodies to this show to make their leader proud, and I know he is.

"SKOL!" by Collide Theatrical Dance Company at the Southern Theater

For their latest original jazz dance musical, Collide Theatrical Dance Company took inspiration from a recent scholarly finding that a 1878 archeological find that was believed to be the body of a Viking warrior is in fact female remains. There is other evidence to support the existence of female Viking warriors, which you can read about here and I'm sure other scholarly sources. Or you can go see SKOL!, which is less historically accurate than it is an imaging of a strong female leader in the Viking culture and its reflections in today's world. For the first time since the pandemic, Collide is returning to live music accompanying the dancing (their last few shows have used recorded music), and for the first time in their history, they're using original music written for this story instead of covers of pop songs. It's an ambitious task, and after 10 years of creating original dance pieces, they're up for it. If you're someone who things dancing warriors is silly, this might not be the show for you. But if you see dance/music/theater as a way to express heightened emotions, the kind that are very much presence in war, love, and family drama, head to the Southern Theater in the next two weeks to see this fun collision of dance, music, and theater to tell a story of female power.

"Beauty and the Beast" at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts

Here's one thing I'm grateful for this season: after more than three years, the Ordway Original is back! As Executive Producer of the "Broadway @ the Ordway" series Rod Kaats noted in his pre-show speech, the Ordway is one of the few theaters in the country that both hosts Broadway tours, and does original Broadway-scale productions using local talent. There have been some great tours coming through the Ordway (a pre-Broadway SIX, and a little show called RENT in 1997 and many years thereafter), but my favorites have always been their original productions, because #TCTheater absolutely has the talent in cast, creatives, and crew to build a big beautiful show. In 2019 they were on a roll with a fan-freakin-tastic 42nd Street and a terrific Smokey Joe's Café. The extended pandemic intermission interrupted that momentum, but now they're back with a Disney favorite - Beauty and the Beast (which they last produced back in 2019, shortly pre-blog). It is everything I expected it to be and more: an incredibly talented and mostly local cast, a fabulous 12-person pit orchestra, and an all-around impressive design, combining into one enchanting theatrical experience for all ages. The show continues through New Year's Eve but it's a popular one, so book your tickets now and head to downtown St. Paul, which is particularly beautiful this time of a year, for a magical night. Click here for the official ticket site, with prices ranging from $50-$150.

Ghostlight Series: "Heroic Acts of Music" streaming from Theater Latte Da

The third installment of Theater Latte Da's fantastic virtual cabaret series called "The Ghostlight Series" is now available! The five-part series began with the powerful and moving Twelve Blocks From Where I Live, Regina Marie Williams's response to the murder of George Floyd in photos and song. Next was Re-Cast, which gave some of our favorites the chance to sing a song from a role they would never be cast in. And now we have Heroic Acts of Music, honoring 20th Century musicians (and others) who used music for protest or support in difficult and dangerous times. All three shows are available to watch now and as many times as you want through August with the purchase of a season pass. These gorgeously filmed and edited 30-minute shows with fantastic performances from some of #TCTheater's best are worth every penny, helping to bridge the gap until we can gather in person again to share stories and music (hopefully very soon!).

"Wonderland" by Collide Theatrical Dance Company outside the James J. Hill House

Oh happy day - outdoor theater has returned! Kicking off a great year of outdoor performances*, Collide Theatrical Dance Company (who also did an outdoor show last year) is presenting their take on Alice in Wonderland outdoors at the James J. Hill House and Mill City Museum. Over the last eight years, Collide has created original jazz dance musicals set to a soundtrack of well-chosen pop music, and WonderLand continues that tradition. Even better, this one is performed at a gorgeous outdoor location, behind the James J. Hill House on Summit Avenue in St. Paul overlooking the Mississippi River valley (and later this month, the Mill City Museum). It's a wonderful step back into the reopening of our vital preforming arts community. Click here for more info and to purchase tickets for an outdoor performance or to watch the show virtually.

"The Cafe" by Collide Theatrical Dance Company Outdoors at Gremlin Theatre

Since 2013, Collide Theatrical Dance Company has been creating original dance musicals that really blur the line between dance, theater, and music (their name refers to a collision of art forms). Most of their shows tell a story strictly through dance and music (typically pop songs performed live), with little or no dialogue. In February they remounted their adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, which I didn't see because I had seen the original in 2014 and I was so busy with #TCTheater that I couldn't fit it in (can you even imagine?!). But in the last 6+ months my life has become the complete opposite of that, so my schedule was happily free and clear to see their new production, being performed outdoors for a limited time only. In fact only one performance remains, tonight, and can be viewed in person or virtually. I saw it in person last night and was smiling under my mask for 60 minutes! Click here for all of the details of how you can take in this delightful dance show.

"Ordway Cabaret: Gotta Dance!" at the Ordway Concert Hall

The Ordway began their second year of the "Ordway Cabaret" series with "Gotta Dance!" This fantastic series of one-night only cabaret shows not only features our amazing local music-theater community, but also allows the performers to tell their own story about what musicals have meant to them in their life. We all are drawn to the theater for different reasons at different times in our lives, whether as performers or audience, and it's wonderful to connect with the artists in this way. Dancing has always been a part of the series, with some choreographed or semi-choreographed numbers. But in this installment, dance takes center stage - literally! It really reminded me of a #TCTheater version of A Chorus Line, but more casual and intimate and true. Read on to find out what you missed, then stay tuned for details about the next installment!

"The Rocky Horror Show" at Park Square Theatre

The Rocky Horror Show is an experience. Although it was a stage show first, it's mostly known as the 1975 movie thanks to the cult popularity of midnight showings, complete with audience participation. This popularity informs the live shows, as evidenced by the opening night crowd of Park Square Theatre's new production, which was the most vocal and involved theater audience* I've experienced in many years. They knew what to yell when, and many of them had purchased the "participation packs," available for $5 at concessions, with newspapers and rubber gloves and other things I don't get. As someone who's never attended one of those midnight participatory movie showings, although I have seen the stage show twice before, I sort of felt left out of the joke. Camp isn't really my thing, and The Rocky Horror Show is full on camp, so I wasn't as into it as many of the people around me. But there's no denying the talent and commitment of the cast, and the love-bordering-on-obsession people have for this show.

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.

"West Side Story" at the Ordway Center

I might have watched the 1961 movie adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical West Side Story a few too many times as a dreamy teenager. So much so that I know every word, every note, every iconic dance step by heart. I'm happy to report that the Ordway's new production doesn't disappoint this West Side Story mega-fan. In fact, It's positively thrilling to see this musical I love so much live on stage with some of my favorite local talent. The cast (which also includes some national talent) is phenomenal, Leonard Bernstein's stunning score sounds beautiful as played by the nearly 20-piece orchestra directed by Raymond Berg, and the dancing, oh the dancing! Jerome Robins' iconic and ground-breaking choreography is easily identifiable here, and this cast just nails it (choreography by Diane Laurenson, who has frequently paired with director Bob Richards on WSS). This West Side Story is so gorgeous, I wish I could see it every night of its two-week run!

"Passing through Pig's Eye" by Flying Foot Forum at Park Square Theatre

The dance/theater company Flying Foot Forum never disappoints, with it's fast, rhythmic, and yes, flying foot choreography, performed by top-notch dancers with much theatricality and storytelling. But with their newest creation, Passing through Pig's Eye, they're offering all this and more! Starting at Park Square Theatre's Andy Boss Stage in the basement of the historic Hamm building in downtown St. Paul, the cast leads the audience through the building and out onto the streets, where we learn a bit of the history of our fair capital city. It's an exceedingly fun time, watching the incredible dancers/singers/ performers, walking around beautiful downtown St. Paul, and even participating in the music and dancing (if you choose, the audience participation is completely voluntary and without pressure). I highly recommend experiencing Passing through Pig's Eye for yourself for an entertaining, immersive, non-threateningly participatory, uniquely fun night of music, theater, dance, and history.

"A New Brain" by Second Fiddle Productions at Camp Bar

I'm a musical theater nerd. But I'm not the kind of musical theater nerd that listens to cast albums of shows I've never seen. I guess for me, musicals are more about seeing the story as it plays out before me, and then I often buy the cast recording to relive that experience. So when it comes to musicals that are beloved in the musical theater community but rarely performed, for whatever reason, I typically have not heard them. That's where Second Fiddle Productions (and Artistic Director Ruthie Baker) come in. Now in their third season, Second Fiddle produces readings of rare musicals using some of the Twin Cities finest music-theater talent.

"Dracula" by Collide Theatrical Dance Company at the Ritz Theater

Collide Theatrical Dance Company is now in their fourth season of creating "original Broadway-style jazz dance musicals." As a theater geek who doesn't know much about dance but loves to watch it, Collide provides an accessible and theatrical way to get into dance. I've seen all of their productions over the last four seasons, and their newest creation Dracula may just be my favorite of them all. Collide is at their best when they let the dancing do the talking, as they do here, telling this modernized story of the iconic Dracula strictly through movement and music. A live band accompanies this fantastic troupe of dancers as they perform innovative and evocative choreography to a wide variety of popular songs reinvented to fit the story. Created by Artistic Director and choreographer Regina Peluso and director Joshua Campbell, this Dracula truly is a perfect collision of dance, music, and theater to create a new and exciting form of storytelling.

"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.

"CABARAVE: #sexuality" by Rathaus Productions at the Lab Theatre

There's something new and cool going on down at the Lab Theatre, the gorgeous and open warehouse-turned-performance space in the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis. CABARAVE is cabaret experience that combines a nightclub feel with performances of dance, music, aerial dance, and visual art. I was lucky enough to attend the last tech rehearsal with my blogger buddy Laura of "One Girl, Two Cities," where it felt like they were performing just for us! The performances were spectacular, and even though we didn't get the full nightclub experience at a rehearsal, it's easy to imagine what it will be like when the Lab is filled with revelers (and may require a future visit to get the full flavor of it). Created by Jessie Storovich and Kameron Nelson of Rathaus Productions (read more about them here) with help from Sasha Andreev and director Joshua Campbell, the intent of the show is to create a fun, relaxed environment where people who might not usually go to "arty" things can experience art while having a good time, perhaps without even realizing it!

dancer Emily Madigan

CABARAVE: #sexuality runs Thursdays through Saturdays throughout the month of June (along with a few Monday night dates for the 18+ crowd, otherwise you must be 21 to enter), and will return in July with a new theme. Doors open at 9 pm and close around 1 am, with the intent being you can wander in whenever and stay as long as you please (with the lowest ticket price at $10, you don't have to stay long to get your money's worth). The evening is constructed as five 20-minute sets, separated by about 30 minutes of house music provided by the DJ, during which time you can dance, mingle, and drink (beer, wine, and wine cocktails served at the bar). The music is a modern twist on jazz and ragtime classics, known as "electro swing." It's pretty cool, familiar yet new sounding.

Each 20-minute set includes several short performances, a sort of mix and match from the following:

aerialist Timothy Herian

• Dance - including some fierce tapping by Rush Benson, sexy duo numbers by fantastic dancers Emily Madigan and Jeff Robinson, and able assistance (as well as waitressing) by Michelle Lemon and Georgia Sylvester in various combinations.
• Aerial dance - Timothy Herian is so graceful, confident, and athletic on the aerial silks that I couldn't take my eyes off him whenever he performed. It's a very cool (and somewhat dangerous) form of dance.
• Music - powerful and gorgeous singing by Kecia Rehkamp and Michael Hanna, and electric fiddle by Alison Keller.
• Visual art - artist Aimee Strzok paints a new creation every night. It's not often you get to watch a piece of art be created, so it's a fascinating peek into the process.

dancer Rush Benson

The Lab is one of my favorite places to see theater because it's so open and adaptable, with great bones. For this show the space is decked out in chandeliers and hanging crystals, with the lobby turned into a shabby chic green room of an old theater. Cabaret tables on the floor and risers provide a perch from which to watch the action, with plenty of floor space between the three stages for dancing (if that's your thing).

As someone who (willingly) sees a ton of theater, it's always a treat to see something that pushes the boundaries of what theater can do and be, as this show does. CABARAVE is a unique experience and one that regular theater-goes like myself can enjoy as much as people who would never step foot inside a theater. It's a fun place to go and hang out with friends and strangers, and oh by the way, there's "art" happening all around you! Watch the trailer below, and if you like what you see, make plans to head to the Lab Theater this summer (more info and tickets here).