"The Right Thing to Do: The Joe Mauer Story" at Stages Theatre Company

I haven't been to Stages Theatre Company in ages; I don't have any children in my life to bring to a show at the children's theater, and I live on the opposite side of the city from Hopkins. But as a lifelong Twins fan (I have the game on as I write this*), I'm not going to miss a new musical about one of my (and all of Minnesota's) favorite Twins, 2024 Hall of Fame inductee Joe Mauer! A St. Paul native, Joe played 15 seasons for his hometown team, and I was fortunate to be at his final game in 2018, when he donned the catcher's gear for one last time, to the crowd's delight. Joe Mauer was a special player and racked up many awards and accolades in his career, culminating in being voted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. But as this musical, based on a book by local sports broadcaster Joe Schmit, shows us, Joe was also a special human. The book and musical show us a young Joe, who befriended a blind classmate in high school, when other kids were ignoring or bullying him (as kids often do). The Right Thing to Do depicts a world of kindness, of community, of kids being kids, supporting each other in their differences and uniqueness. With a 60-minute runtime, it's perfect for kids, especially baseball fans, with lots of fun Twins and baseball nuggets. The Right Thing to Do continues at Stages Theatre in Hopkins through May 10, with lots of matinees available.

"The Little Mermaid, Jr." at Stages Theatre Company

A bunch of my cousins from Northern Minnesota were in town last weekend for a visit. We did the usual touristy stuff (Mall of America, Water Park of America, Como Zoo, Target Field), but when it came to showing them my favorite part of living in "the Cities" (as Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the surrounding communities are known in out-state Minnesota), it meant only one thing: theater! Since the group included lots of little ones, I took the opportunity to make my first visit to Stages Theatre Company in Hopkins for their production of The Little Mermaid, Jr. With a familiar and beloved story and music, enthusiastic performances by the talented young cast, and just over an hour running time, it was a hit with my group, the little ones aged 3 to 10 as well as the adults.

I saw the full Little Mermaid musical at Chanhassen last year (you can read about that here), but this is Little Mermaid, Jr. Which means that it was trimmed to a shorter running time. The good news is that the songs that were cut from the full-length musical are the new ones that did not appear in the movie, so all of the old favorites are still intact - "Part of That World," "Under the Sea," "Kiss the Girl," and the like. And while things wrap up fairly quickly at the end, the condensed story works well. The movie is only 83 minutes long, so it's quite possible to tell this story in an hour or so.

Tori Tedeschi Adams at Ariel

Having never been to Stages before, I was surprised to find that almost the entire cast is made up of teenagers. And such talented, enthusiastic teenagers! Everyone in the large ensemble is so engaged and present, and performs with great energy. As Ariel, Tori Tedeschi Adams gives an effervescent performance, with a strong and lovely voice. Ellie Turk is adorable as her sidekick Flounder. Adults Reginald D. Haney (with a deep voice and regal presence as King Titan) and Brittany Parker (quite fabulous as sea witch Ursula) anchor this young cast, and director Sandy Boren-Barrett does a wonderful job keeping everything moving. Including the quick set changes, in which large pieces are rolled on and off stage or turned around to reveal various underwater treasures (prompting the 5-year-old in my group to ask, "are they changing the channel now?"). Both sets and costumes are bright, colorful, engaging to the eye, and create an underwater feel (set design by Benjamin Olsen, costume design by Samantha Fromm Haddow).

Stages Theatre Company's The Little Mermaid, Jr is a charming, entertaining, and brisk production. If you have little ones, or suddenly find yourself with little ones to entertain, this is definitely a great choice, and a great way to expose kids to theater at an early age. Continuing through August 2 (including a trip to Bigfork this weekend).