"Diamond Jubilee: 60th Anniversary Gala" at The Guthrie Theater

Sixty years ago this month, the Guthrie Theater opened on Vineland Place next to the Walker Art Center. The first production of this experimental repertory theater was Hamlet, directed by founder Sir Tyrone Guthrie himself (read the full history here). The Guthrie is celebrating this momentous anniversary with a new production of Hamlet (closing on May 21), an open house last weekend, and a fundraiser gala earlier this week. While it wasn't the cornucopia of performances and stars that the 2013 50th Anniversary Gala and the 2015 Joe Dowling Tribute Gala were, it was still a wonderful and celebratory night capped with a fantastic concert by Guthrie alum and Tony-winner Santino Fontana. I became a Guthrie subscriber 20 years ago, and I'm certain that without it, I would not be a theater blogger today. Being a Guthrie subscriber introduced me to plays and playwrights I wouldn't have otherwise seen (since as a subscriber you see everything, whether it sounds like something you'd be interested in or not), as well as to other local theater companies they hosted in one of their theaters. I also became familiar with local artists that I followed to other theater companies, beginning the snowball effect that eventually resulted in this wild and wonderful hobby of being a theater blogger and seeing 3-5 shows every week. I'm so grateful that Sir Tyrone Guthrie chose Minneapolis (or rather, as was said at the gala, that Minnesota chose Guthrie) to open his regional theater in the state where I was lucky enough to be born ten years later.

A Broadway Romance: Laura Osnes and Santino Fontana in Concert at Orchestra Hall

Laura Osnes and Santino Fontana are Tony-nominated Broadway/TV/Film stars who have roots right here in Minnesota. Laura grew up here and performed on many stages around town before finding fame through the reality show competition Grease: You're the One That I Want, which she won, thereby landing the role of Sandy in Grease on Broadway and beginning her successful career on the national stage. Santino graduated from the U of M/Guthrie BFA program and did several plays at the Guthrie, most notably playing the title role in Hamlet, the last play performed at the old Guthrie Theater before the new Guthrie opened in 2006. He also has since found his way to Broadway, film (as the voice of Hans in Frozen), and TV (in the brilliant CW music-comedy series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend which you should go watch right now if you haven't yet, Season 1 available on Netflix). Laura and Santino's Broadway paths crossed in 2013 when they co-starred in the 2013 production of Cinderella, for which they were both nominated for a Tony. Fitting then, that these two Minnesota actors and Broadway stars would reunite for a concert called A Broadway Romance, developed by Ted Sterling (himself a Tony-winner for the orchestration of the stunning Light in the Piazza). The three performed the concert Sunday night at Orchestra Hall, and it was a charming romance indeed.