"Singin' in the Rain" at Bloomington Civic Theatre

For the first musical of its 2013-2014 season, Bloomington Civic Theatre chose Singin' in the Rain, based on one of the most popular movie musicals of all time. Having never seen the movie (I'm a theater geek, not a movie geek), I was less excited about this one than the rest of their season, which includes the epic Les Miserables, the adorably hilarious 25th Annual Putnum County Spelling, and the stage classic Gypsy. But I really enjoyed Singin' in the Rain, which bodes well for the rest of the season. Director and choreographer Michael Matthew Ferrell incorporates some tricky technical elements into the story about the end of silent films and the beginning of "talkies," and, as expected, provides some wonderful choreography that is energetically performed by the young and talented cast. The classic movie musical may not be my favorite kind of musical, but this one is a lot of fun and well done.

Let's start with the choreography. There is of course the iconic title number, in which Hollywood actor Don dances in the rain and doesn't mind because he's in love with his new co-star Kathy. Real water pours out of a spout on the side of the stage, while confetti falls from the ceiling and looks like rain as it catches the light. It's a magical and delightful scene. The "Broadway Melody" montage is also a highlight (even if it has nothing to do with the musical or musical-within-a-musical plot), with lots of tap dancing. The dancing is so great it continues into the longest curtain call ever!

a scene from the movie

Second, the technical elements. Since the plot centers around silent film actors transitioning to talking film actors (with varying degrees of success), it's important to see those films, and we do. Previously filmed material is shown on a screen onstage, with Music Director Anita Ruth playing along live just like they did in the olden days of movies. We see a complete (short) silent film cut together with title cards, and later a talking film with purposely bad sound. They're very well done and entertaining, and essential to the storytelling.

Third, the cast is fantastic, beginning with the four leads (and remember I have no strong impressions of the film so I'm not comparing them to anybody). BCT vet C. Ryan Shipley, as our hero Don, sounds beautiful on the love songs and dances the title number with infectious joy. His Kathy is played by Holli Richgels, a recent college 

Jeffrey C. Nelson, Holli Richgels, and C. Ryan Shipley

graduate and welcome newcomer to the Twin Cities theater scene. With her gorgeous voice, dancing talent, and likeable stage presence, I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of her on Twin Cities stages in the near future. For comic relief we have the delightful Rachel Weber as Lina, the silent film star with the unbearable voice (but don't let her fool you, she has a lovely voice of her own). Is it wrong that I found myself rooting for Lina? "What's wrong with me?" Nothing, indeed! Last but not least is Jeffrey C. Nelson, who is perfectly cast as the clownish sidekick Cosmo. He has a rubber face and body and knows how to "Make 'em Laugh."

Lastly, I can't write about a BCT show without mentioning the fantastic full (20+ piece) pit orchestra led by Anita Ruth, which warms my former-pit-player heart. Makes a girl wish she had never given up the clarinet.

BCT always puts on a good quality show, and Singin' in the Rain is no exception. Next up: Les Miserables, starring one of my favorite local actors Dieter Bierbrauer as Jean Valjean. But before that, I'm going to my first play at the BCT Black Box Theater, my second favorite math play Proof.

"The Big Lowdown" on the streets of Lowertown St. Paul, by Bedlam Theatre and Live Action Set

I had an interesting new theatrical experience last night. It's called The Big Lowdown and it's put on by Bedlam Theatre and Live Action Set on the streets of Lowertown. Rather than sit in a theater and be entertained by what's happening on the stage in front of you, the audience walks around from stage to stage to view various short pieces, so that you're actually walking in and moving through the theatrical universe. It's pretty darn cool. There are only three performances (I attended a preview) and I highly recommend you check it out this weekend if you're looking for a fun and unique adventure that's part theater, part neighborhood tour, and part community gathering.

The adventure begins at the beautifully restored historic Union Depot in St. Paul, where the audience is divided into 12 small groups (I was told the max size is 40, but there were only five in my group which was a great size for us all to get to know each other a little bit). Each group is given directions to their destination where they meet their "roamer," or tour guide for the night. You are then led to various locations in St. Paul's Lowertown neighborhood (a neighborhood with which I was not very familiar, but of which I am now a fan) to view short pieces. It's almost like a mini-Fringe Festival, in that there's a great variety of work presented and you're never sure what you're going to see next. I will refrain from telling you any details about any of the performances because I don't want to ruin the delightful surprise of it all. Suffice it to say that I experienced many different kinds of theater, including but not limited to: music, puppetry, storytelling, dance, folktale, circus, painting, poetry, and things I'm not sure have a name. The pieces were in turn odd, funny, beautiful, creepy, delightful, sad, silly, moving, fun, trippy, and fascinating. They took place in locations as various as the bright and open waiting room at the Depot, a darkened room, a rough and unfinished basement, an alley, and a lovely park. Walking around the dark and deserted streets with a small group of companions and only a lantern to light our way, it was as if we were on our own private adventure, with everything happening around us seemingly a part of the show.

My group attended seven of the nine performances going on that night (according to the program, which also includes a handy map), and we were just one of 12 groups. I don't really get how that math works (and I'm good at math), but it's an impressive logistical feat by director Noah Bremer and team to make it all work! Since I attended the first and only preview performance, there were a few moments of extra time here or not enough time there, but in general it all ran remarkably smoothly. And it's an adventure, so it doesn't have to be perfect, that's part of the fun.

I just can't recommend this highly enough; it's the best adventure you can have for $15! Wear your walking shoes, dress for the weather (i.e., hot and and humid), carry a water bottle (although there are a few water stops along the way), bring your adventurous spirit, and be aware of what's happening around you, for around each corner is a new wonder to explore. The adventure begins this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 8 pm (but they ask that you arrive by 7:30 to allow time to be sorted into groups and take care of logistics). Be sure to visit the Facebook event page for details on location, parking, and ticket info. Have fun!

the Union Depot and light rail stop

one of the locations, inside artists lofts

"Shade's Brigade" by The Producing House at the Jerome Hill Theatre

"Feel free to close your eyes." One is not often told that at the theater, and while I do occasionally do that, it's usually due to sleep deprivation and not to enhance the experience of theater. But Shade's Brigade is a unique theater experience. It's a serialized radio play that you can watch live, but that you can also listen to (for free) on www.ShadesBrigade.com. I saw Episode 3 last night at the Jerome Hill Theatre in St. Paul and listened to Episode 1 today online. As fun as it is to watch live and see how the story is created, there's something to be said for experiencing it the way it was intended - as a purely auditory experience.

Shade's Brigade is a noir thriller about Captain Jack Shade and his team of colleagues who travel the world having adventures, getting into scrapes, and solving problems. Episode 3 involves a stolen painting that needs to be returned to the museum from which it was stolen, but the mystery is really not as important as the characters and how they go about solving it. All of the actors have great and expressive voices (and do their own sound effects!), but they also put on an entertaining performance for the live audience, despite standing behind music stands with scripts. Eric Webster, who wrote and directs the plays, is Captain Shade, and also narrates in that classic noir style. He's joined by Dave Gangler as the proper Brit, Lee H. Adams, who effortlessly switches between two outrageous characters, the good old Southern boy Cooper and the tough but dumb Ernie, and the delightful Shanan Custer as Kate, former Air Force Pilot and Girl Friday type. They're joined for Episode 3 by local radio personality Brian Turner as a Frenchman who runs into the gang. The cast has a variety of props onstage to create the sound effects, from a squeaky door to a train.

Going to see Shade's Brigage is a little like watching a broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion, where you get a peek behind the magic. Or you can close your eyes and just listen, and let your imagination paint the pictures you hear. Take a listen on their website (each episode is roughly an hour), and if you like what you hear, you can check out one of two monthly performances through November (more info here, discount tickets available at Goldstar). I will definitely be keeping up with the Brigade online to see what they get into next!

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2013 Wrap-up

2013 was my third year at the Minnesota Fringe Festival. In 2011 I saw 10 shows, followed by 16 last year, and 25 this year. This was my first year with a "Gold Pass," which means that I could see as many shows as I wanted - for free! I attended both Fringe-For-Alls (a sampler in which 30 shows present a 3-minute preview) and read through the list of 176 shows to narrow down the list to those I wanted to see (based either on the preview or the people involved, or sometimes the subject matter). I came up with a must-see list of 28 shows. I was able to fit 25 of those into my 8-day schedule (I had conflicts on 2 of the 11 days of the fest, and wanted to give myself a day off). And since I am not a spontaneous person, I stuck to that schedule (I almost stayed for a 10 pm performance of Clocked until I remembered that's past my bedtime).

And I had a marvelous time. As a Minnesota super-theater-goer, I know that we have an abundance of talent in this town, but it's never more apparent than at the Fringe Fest. I saw a huge variety of shows - musicals, plays, comedies, dramas, stand-up, spoken word, dance, clowning, improv - and almost all 25 were enjoyable. Several of them I absolutely loved, and many I liked immensely. But mostly I was once again impressed at the level and depth of talent and creativity we are lucky enough to have in this local theater community.

In summary, it was a whirlwind 25 shows in 8 days, but it was amazing and well worth the sleep lost and vacation hours spent. From my vantage point, the fest was once again extremely well-organized and impeccably run, thanks to the Fringe employees and many volunteers. And the lines, traffic, and parking were not even that bad. I love the Fringe Fest, and I can't wait until next year!

Here are just a few of the shows that I loved the most. You can read what I thought about all 25 by clicking the link at the bottom of the post.

• Expiration Date: a one-woman show about a young woman facing a diagnosis of terminal cancer, featuring one of the best performances I saw in the Fringe - Candy Simmons, who also wrote the piece.
• Four Humors' Lolita: A Three Man Show: a clever, hilarious, well-written, and well-performed adaptation of the infamous movie/book. It's obvious a lot of thought went into this wonderfully ridiculous show.
• Hello Stranger: the best original music I heard at the Fringe (by local musician/composer Blake Thomas), a charming host, and a delightful experience of human relationships.
• Shelly Bachberg Presents: How Helen Keller and Anne Frank Freed the Slaves: The Musical: a fantastic cast of local musical theater actors, smartly written political satire, great original songs, and fabulous costumes.
• Teenage Misery: The Horror Musical: a fun and clever new musical that mashed the stories of Carrie, Misery, Sweeney Todd, and Bye Bye Birdie, featuring a young cast chock full of raw talent.
• The Unknown Matters: a quiet and lovely musical about two friends exploring the grand ideas of the universe while navigating earthly matters like friendship and snacks.
• These Old Shoes: an aesthetically and emotionally beautiful tale of love lost and found, in Transatlantic Love Affair's trademark physical theater style.
• They Called Her Captain: the one show I saw that is begging to be extended into a full-length play, because the material about a woman who becomes a captain in the army in WWII is so rich. Bonus - it's a true story, and the woman and many other characters are portrayed by her real-life daughter.

Read more of my fringe fest reflections…

Read the press release from the Fringe detailing attendance numbers and most popular shows...

Fringe Festival: "The Cosmic Equation = 2 Wives + 2 Husbands / Adventure"

Day: 8

Show: 25

Title: The Cosmic Equation = 2 Wives + 2 Husbands / Adventure

By: Adventurer Press

Created by: Stephen B. Brooks

Location: Intermedia Arts

Summary: Narrated by a talking horse, two husbands work in an office rearranging numbers, while their wives go an adventure, meet a giant, are turned into dancing pennies, and eventually reunite with their husbands.

Highlights: Unfortunately, my last show of the 2013 Minnesota Fringe Festival was also one of my least favorites. I really wanted to love this show - it's about numbers (which I love), the cast includes several actors that I love (Tyson Forbes, Suzy Kohane, and Sara Richardson), and the three-minute preview I saw at Fringe-for-All was funny in a crazy way. But when I saw the whole show, I just didn't get it. The actors are great as expected, fully committed to what they're doing, but it just didn't make any sense to me. What I learned about marriage is that husbands work in an office all day and never come home, while wives go on crazy adventures and get turned into dancing pennies. Huh? The highlights are the musical accompaniment and whenever Sara and Suzy add their lovely voices to it, especially during the singing scene changes, and the attention to detail in the props and costumes.

Read more of my fringe fest reflections…

… including my top 5 shows

Fringe Festival: "Once Upon a Chalkboard"

Day: 8

Show: 24

Title: Once Upon a Chalkboard

By: The Last Magic

Created by: Tyler Michaels and Tod Peterson

Location: Minneapolis Theatre Garage

Summary: Two men improvise fairy tales based on key words from the audience, integrating sets, props, and costumes drawn on chalkboards by volunteers.

Highlights: Tod Peterson and Tyler Michaels (who play father and son in Joseph at the Chan, now playing) are the perfect pair. Both are highly entertaining actor/singers with a gift for thinking on their feet. They appear to be having great fun together and play off of each other very well. Asking for a suggestion from the audience (a prop or costume piece commonly seen in fairy tales), they create a story on the spot like some odd mishmash of every fairy tale you've ever heard. They each play a wide variety of characters, from a dinosaur to a guardian angel to a king, usually with some form of a British accent. The ask their assistants to draw various things they mention, and much of the humor comes in how bad (or sometimes good) the drawings might be and how they incorporate that into the story. When they can go no further, they end with a "and they all lived happily ever after" and being anew.  Of the seven stories they told at the show I attended, my favorites were the "river song" by an old poet and the young musician who happens upon him, and the passing on of the job of queen's herald. It's a jolly good time watching these two talented artists play.

Read more of my fringe fest reflections…

… including my top 5 shows

Fringe Festival: "The Unknown Matters"

Day: 8

Show: 22

Title: The Unknown Matters

By: Broken Boot Theatre

Created by: Mark Sweeney

Location: HUGE Theater

Summary: Two friends and colleagues explore ideas lofty (dark matter, new planets, the universe) and mundane (snacks!).

Highlights: I found the music in this piece, written by Mark Sweeney, to be completely lovely. He and Katie Bradley harmonize about physics and the universe and friendship and life, accompanied only by a ukulele, and the result is hauntingly beautiful. The plot is simple - Peter and Sarah work together, spending their days researching the vastness of the universe, until Peter gets sick and they are forced to rethink their routine and their life. But not in drastic, dramatic ways; this is a quiet and subtle piece. They make great use of silence, leaving plenty of room for ideas to breathe. The question on the chalkboard asks, "What are you waiting for?" Possible answers: "equality for all, adventure, ice cream, planets, dark matter, something to begin." In the busyness of the Fringe Festival, The Unknown Matters is a reprieve of quiet, simple beauty.

Read more of my fringe fest reflections…

… including my top 5 shows

Fringe Festival: "To Mars With Tesla or The Interplanetary Machinations of Evil Thomas Edison"

Day: 8

Show: 23

Title: To Mars With Tesla or The Interplanetary Machinations of Evil Thomas Edison

By: English Scrimshaw Theatrical Novelties

Created by: Adrienne and Joshua English Scrimshaw

Location: Intermedia Arts

Summary: A silent film style play that explores the real and imagined life of scientist Nikola Tesla, and his real and imagined enemy Thomas Edison.

Highlights: A few months ago, nimbus theatre did an original play called Tesla about the fascinating and brilliant scientist (best known for developing the alternating current motor). The first half of this piece tells a similar story about Tesla immigrating to the US and working for Edison, and his OCD-like quirks. The second half diverges into an imagined tale of Tesla and Edison travelling to Mars to... well I'm not quite sure why. I find Tesla's real life more interesting that the made-up parts, but it does provide an excuse for some interesting Martian choreography (they speak only in movement). The silent film aspects of this piece are very well done, with expressive silent acting telling the story along with title cards displayed at the back of the stage. The funniest bits include a static electricity fight and a chalkboard brainstorm session about how to get to Mars. The six-person cast all perform well in this style, especially Joshua Scrimshaw as Tesla and Kelvin Hatle as Edison. It deserved its placement among the top 15 shows in attendance.

Read more of my fringe fest reflections…

… including my top 5 shows

Fringe Festival: "Expiration Date"

Day: 8

Show: 21

Title: Expiration Date

By: SunsetGun Productions

Created by: Candy Simmons

Location: Intermedia Arts

Summary: A one-woman show about a woman diagnosed with terminal cancer who decides not to tell anyone about it until she figures out what it means and what she wants.

Highlights: Candy Simmons, who also wrote the play, gives one of the best performances I saw in the 2013 Minnesota Fringe Festival. She portrays a range of emotion, from anger and despair to acceptance and determination, with ease and believability. Acting out multiple parts (with multiple accents) in scenes and speaking directly to the audience, she moves around the sparse stage, populated only by a bench, rolling chair, and doctor's office curtain, with grace and purpose. Expiration Date is funny, sharp, moving, and thought-provoking. Where a lot of Fringe shows abound with silliness (which is not necessarily a bad thing), it's nice to see a more serious and contemplative, but still entertaining, piece of theater.

Read more of my fringe fest reflections…

… including my top 5 shows

Fringe Festival: "The Nose"

Day: 7

Show: 20

Title: The Nose

By: The Piltdown Men

Created by: The Piltdown Men

Location: Illusion Theater

Summary: A politician's nose is accidentally cut off by his barber, and the nose takes on a life of its own - running for office against him and stealing the woman he loves.

Highlights: Based on a 19th century short story, The Nose is a delightfully absurd piece, well-performed by the three-man cast (Theo Langason, Matt Spring, and Brant Miller, the latter two also a part of the three-man cast in Four Humors' Lolita). With rapid-fire dialogue, odd and amusing dance interludes between scenes, musical accompaniment that provides a soundtrack (by Alex Kim), zero props or set pieces, and fully committed performances by the three actors in multiple roles, it's just a highly entertaining show. For only the second time in the Fringe, I forgot to take notes after about 5 minutes, so enthralled was I by the show. What else can I say?  It's great - their last show is tomorrow (Sunday) and it's well worth fitting it into your Fringe schedule if you haven't yet.

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… including my top 5 shows

Fringe Festival: "I Make No Promises, But Someone's Probably Going to Die"

Day: 7

Show: 19

Title: I Make No Promises, But Someone's Probably Going to Die

By: Trusty Paper Ship

Written by: Annie Scott Riley

Location: Illusion Theater

Summary: A dark comedy about people waiting to commit suicide by being looked at by the "Giant Eyeball."

Highlights: The tight six-person cast does justice to a smartly written dark comedy that takes place in a world that's very like ours, but just slightly off. A world where people looking to end their lives (and presumably start over in the next one) go to visit the "Giant Eyeball" (not to be confused with the "Grasping Lotus," who makes people into "Omniscient Yogis"). A world where there's an audience watching (us), but only some people know it. A world where an odd and strict warden watches over the proceedings, and everyone has a spiritual adviser. It's in this world that Brianna (Joanna Harmon) meets Adam (Clarence Wethern), and begins to rethink her decision, despite her awful therapist (John Middleton). Bottom line: smart, funny, well-written and well-acted.

Read more of my fringe fest reflections…

… including my top 5 shows

Fringe Festival: "Teenage Misery: A Horror Musical"

Day: 6

Show: 18

Title: Teenage Misery: A Horror Musical

By: Devious Mechanics

Written by: Keith Hovis

Location: Theatre in the Round

Summary: A young woman in college and her two best friends kidnap their idol Shane West. It ends badly, and they go on a killing spree across the country.

Highlights: What do you get if you combine the Stephen King novels Misery and Carrie with the musicals Sweeney Todd and Bye Bye Birdie? You get this odd and delightful mishmash of a musical, that doesn't shy away from the material it borrows from (the opening song is "attend the tale of Carrie Black," and Conrad Birdie is replaced by Shane West). A little rough around the edges, but the songs are great, with clever commentary on what it's like to be a young person growing up today, and winking jokes about "no time for proper character introduction, we only have an hour." The young actors in the cast may be a little green, but there's a ton of raw talent on that stage, and they perform with such enthusiasm and energy that it's impossible not to have fun watching them. Kelly Houlehan as Carrie has a strong voice and lights up the stage, Jordan Oxborough plays the not-so-smart idol well and sounds great too (talent runs in the family), and Shana Berg is a scene-stealer as the woman with a psychic connection to Shane (their psychic duet is hilarious). It's everything you want a Fringe musical to be - fun, clever, over-the-top, with strong performances and catchy tunes. Musical theater lovers - go see this one!

Read more of my fringe fest reflections…

… including my top 5 shows