Wicked Tour lands again at the Orpheum Theatre

Claudia Bennett as Glinda and Aline Mayagoitia as Elphaba in
the North American Tour of WICKED, photo by Joan Marcus.

The touring production of Wicked has flown back to the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis for a run through August 9. Although the show has been on Broadway for 22 years, and on tour for 21, the show retains its Popular-ity with audiences. 

I'm accustomed to well-known performers receiving entrance applause, but in Wicked, it's the characters of Glinda and Elphaba that receive the applause when they first appear.

For those who somehow missed this phenomenon, Wicked is based on Gregory Maguire's novel, which created a backstory for the witches of Oz originally created by L. Frank Baum and popularized through the perennial-favorite 1939 film. 

In this retelling, the eventual witches are schoolmates at Shiz University and become friends before the events of the original book and film. We also learn the origins of other characters in the story, plus a subplot about talking animals that isn't explained well enough for theatergoers who didn't read Maguire's book. But that's a minor quibble.

The Orpheum Theatre during Wicked load-in.
Photo: MN Theater Love

Claudia Bennett and Aline Mayagoitia as Glinda and Elphaba seemed quite young to me at the start of the show, but as their characters aged, I appreciated the depth they both brought to their older and wiser witches, and they have the vocal chops to really sell the songs most of us know so well. I love that the heart of the show is the relationship between these two women. The story is relatable to anyone. 

The whole cast is excellent and the production is, as always, a technical masterpiece. We bloggers had the opportunity to visit the Orpheum during the show's load-in, and seeing everything that goes into the staging makes the seamlessness of the production even more impressive. 

The set itself is built on the stage from the floor up, with plenty of elements coming in from the wings and flies. It takes 30 hours for the traveling crew and the local stagehands to assemble the set, while taking it down only takes five hours. As for the full touring company of 65 people, they perform 8 shows a week, 52 weeks a year, and they've got it down to a science. 

We also learned that the tour travels in 13 semi trucks, including one that's just for show merchandise! After 22 years and two movies, they offer plenty of options for t-shirts, tote bags, and everything else. 

Claudia Bennett as Glinda and
Aline Mayagoitia as Elphaba in
the North American Tour of
WICKED, photo by Joan Marcus.

A brief rant/public service message: Wicked may be a show that can appeal to the whole family, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the show will consistently capture the attention of small children. 

If kids can't sit still for two and a half hours without talking or being entertained by loud snacks, please stay home and watch the movie.

Unfortunately, the folks seated behind me didn't do that, and it was very distracting. Theater tickets aren't cheap, and I don't understand how people can spend that much money for their kids to squirm through a show they aren't interested in!

Rant over, if you have a group of adults and well-behaved theater kids, take them to Wicked, and everyone will have a good time. But you may want to budget extra money for the merchandise stand.

Suffs Tour at the Orpheum Theatre

March yourself over to the Orpheum Theatre this week to see SUFFS (closing April 12)! 

This brilliant musical follows the efforts of the suffragists (not suffragettes) battling to win the right of women to vote in the early 20th century. Starting with the first Women's Rights Convention in 1848, women had been organizing with the aim of amending the Constitution to give women the right to vote. More than fifty years later and no closer to an amendment, the movement got a burst of energy, and controversy, when Alice Paul (Maya Keleher) joined the fight. Paul clashed with the suffrage establishment, represented by Carrie Chapman Catt (Marya Grandy), president of the National American Women's Suffrage Association (NAWSA). Frustrated with the genteel campaigning of NAWSA, Paul organized a national march for women's suffrage right past the White House in Washington, D.C. 

Maya Keleher (Alice Paul) and Marya Grandy
(Carrie Chapman Catt) in the First National
Touring Company of SUFFS. 
Photo by Joan Marcus, 2025. 

The musical depicts the clashes of the younger "suffs" with the political establishment in a series of frustrating meetings with President Woodrow Wilson (Jenny Ashman) as well as their disagreements with the polite actions of NAWSA. Another contingent competing for recognition by the political establishment and the white suffrage movement includes Black suffragist Mary Church Terrell (Trisha Jeffrey) and crusading Black journalist Ida B. Wells (Danyel Fulton, a standout for her passion and gravitas), who also disagree on tactics. None of these arguments are simple or even necessarily resolvable.  

This may sound heavy, and it is, but the music, book, and lyrics, all by Shaina Taub (who also played Alice Paul on Broadway), delightfully introduce us to these brilliant, dedicated, complex women. Just one example is the song, "If We Were Married," in which presidential aide Dudley Malone (Brandi Porter) lays out a romantic domestic future while Doris Stevens (Livvy Marcus) describes all the ways in which marrying would take away her rights. It's a delightful twist on the traditional musical theater romantic duet. 

Monica Tulia Ramirez (Inez Milholland) and company in the

First National Touring Company of SUFFS.

Photo by Joan Marcus, 2025.

In a show full of stellar performers, Danyel Fulton as Wells stands out, conveying her frustrations with passion and gravitas. The full touring cast of all female-presenting performers is more than up to the job of showing these women (and a few men) in all of their variety. 

I first saw this musical in November 2024 (after the election). The story had great resonance then, but in 2026, the Minneapolis audience was primed and ready to hear the message of SUFFS. I can't remember ever being in an audience so engaged with a theatrical performance at the Orpheum. On opening night, the League of Women Voters was represented by groups from around the state, with some arriving in suffragette white with "Votes for Women" sashes. 

Library of Congress: Suffragists with Flag;
between ca. 1910 and ca. 1915

Before or after the show, or just for the knowledge, check out the SUFFS website for some great information and historical photos of the real life suffs, and more resources. 

And on May 8, watch the recording of the original Broadway cast on PBS's Great Performances. And carry the energy into the streets! Keep marching!

Kimberly Akimbo at the Orpheum Theatre

Carolee Carmello in the National Tour of
Kimberly Akimbo. Photo by Joan Marcus.

We were excited to see Kimberly Akimbo on tour, as we hadn't been able to see it in New York. In the original Broadway production, Kimberly, a teen with a rare genetic condition that ages her far beyond her years, was played by Victoria Clark, a wonderful performer we were lucky enough to see years ago in The Light in the Piazza. 

On this tour, the role is played by the equally delightful Carolee Carmello, who we first saw on the AMC TV series Remember WENN. A theater veteran with outstanding credits including the original casts of Parade and The Addams Family plus 14 other Broadway shows, she was a definite selling point of the show and did not disappoint! Go see it at the Orpheum Theatre before it heads to its next stop. Last two shows are on July 13.

In a world of jukebox musicals and musicals based on movies, Kimberly Akimbo has one of the more unusual plotlines. It won five Tony Awards in 2023, including Best Musical, Best Book for David Lindsay-Abaire, and Best Original Score for Jeanine Tesori's music and David Lindsay-Abaire's lyrics.  

Carolee Carmello and the National Touring Company of
Kimberly Akimbo. Photo by Joan Marcus.

The show follows Kimberly, a teen dealing with a debilitating condition that causes her to age at four  to five times the normal rate, so that at 16, she has the body, including aches and pains, of a woman in her 60s. She's at a new school, hoping to make friends, and not getting much support from her wildly dysfunctional family. In spite of the challenges the character faces, the show is funny, touching, and hopeful. 

The National Touring Company of Kimberly Akimbo.
Photo by Joan Marcus.

The cast, led by Carmello, is small but mighty. Jim Hogan and Laura Woyasz play Kimberly's self-absorbed parents, and Emily Koch is hilarious as her not-so-petty criminal aunt. The young actor playing her love interest, Miguel Gil, is charmingly geeky. The other outsider teens (they're in Show Choir!), played by Grace Capeless, Skye Alyssa Friedman, Darron Hayes, and Pierce Wheeler, each have their own romantic issues, which are summarily sorted out by Koch's Aunt Debra. They're also in Show! Choir! and their harmonies are TIGHT.

Jeanine Tesori's tunes are catchy, and David Lindsay-Abaire's lyrics and lines are frequently hilarious and often touching. 

We just want to give a little more love to Carolee Carmello, who has the daunting task of being an adult actor who is playing a teenager who is aging to an age beyond the actor's. Still with us? She does it beautifully, with a lovely youthful voice and fabulous physicality. You'll fondly remember the tale of Kimberly and to grab life by both hands, because we all only go around once. 

Extra fun fact! Like us, are you intrigued by how the cast managed to skate around at the ice skating rink? It's a cool trick. Click here to learn more.

Company National Tour at the Orpheum Theatre

Company is a Tony-award winning 1970 musical by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth. It's a concept musical that features a series of vignettes about Bobby, a single man, and his married friends.

Britney Coleman as Bobbie in the National Tour of Company.
Photo by Matthew Murphy for Murphy.Made.

 
The production now playing at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis is the first national tour of the 2021 revival that changes the main character to Bobbie, a single woman celebrating her 35th birthday and examining the relationships around her.

School of Rock National Tour at the Orpheum Theatre

The touring production of School of Rock starts with a recorded announcement from the show's composer, Andrew Lloyd Webber, answering the obvious question about this show: Are the kids on stage really playing their instruments? The answer is an emphatic "Yes"!

It's easy to see why this is spelled out in the beginning. Once these young performers get to rocking out, it would be easy to believe that the sound is actually being made by adult professionals in the orchestra pit. These kids can play!

Theo Mitchell-Penner (Lawrence).
© Matthew Murphy.

Matilda - National Tour at the Orpheum Theatre

Matilda the Musical, playing through April 2 at the Orpheum Theatre, is a delight from start to finish. And I am so relieved! I had seen the show back in 2011 at the Cambridge Theatre in London, and was so enchanted by it that I wasn't sure I even wanted to see the national tour for fear that it wouldn't live up to that original experience.

Chatting about Fun Home on tour at the Orpheum Theatre

Fun Home national touring company. Photo by Joan Marcus.

I had the opportunity to see the touring production of Fun Home at the Orpheum Theatre this week. Even though it would be my third viewing, I was interested to see how the show would hold up on tour. Fellow theater bloggers Jill of Cherry and Spoon and Laura of Twin Cities Stages had also seen the show in New York, so we thought we'd try something different and chat about our experiences with the show this time around. (Carly didn't see the show this time, but saw it in NY and did some research on the shows.) The slightly edited transcript follows. 

Sensory-Friendly Lion King at the Orpheum Theatre

Dear theater friends, I need to tell you about an amazing performance--one that transformed the way I think about theater.

[Before I share more about this special performance, a note: If you'd like to read a review of the show itself, which runs at the Orpheum Theatre through August 7, check out Twin Cities Theater Bloggers for a Review Roundup.]

This past Saturday, July 30, Hennepin Theatre Trust presented a Sensory Friendly production of Disney's The Lion King. 

Designed specifically for individuals with sensory, social and learning disabilities and their families, this performance is intended to provide families the opportunity to enjoy live theater in a welcoming and supportive environment.

This welcoming and supportive environment began even before we reached the Orpheum Theater. Theatergoers were met on the street by smiling, trained volunteers in brightly colored HELPER tee shirts, standing near the theater to direct and welcome theatergoers. This was clearly not going to be an everyday trip to the theater.

As we entered, we had a gentle security check of our bags. To the right, was a first aid station--to the left, the ever-popular merchandise stand. The concession bars were mostly closed (which helped with crowd management in the lobby) and the open ones appeared to just sell water and coffee. The women's restroom was transformed into a family restroom, and accessible restrooms were available and well-marked. And everywhere you looked, smiling volunteers in HELPER tee shirts were ready to guide and help families.

AUSM Table in lobby.

A table in the lobby from the Autism Society of Minnesota featured fidgets, noise cancelling ear muffs and a Social Narrative (picture book) called "We Are Going to the Theater" that takes participants through every element of their visit to the theater. Maps of the theater provided a floor-by-floor snapshot of all the resources--including restrooms, first aid and quiet areas--were readily available and prominently displayed. The friendly volunteers were actively and gently promoting and offering these items to families.

Activity Area (and snacks!)

An activity area in the skyway on the second floor (sponsored by Creative Kids Stuff and YOXO) had craft activities, boards where kids could write their feelings about the show, as well as snacks and juice boxes. 

Thought boards at the Activity Area.

The theater also featured large screens in the lobby so that if families needed to exit the seating area, they could still see the show.

As we entered the house, we saw still more volunteers. Although there were some empty seats (which seemed to be strategically spaced out), the theater was quite full. It was a pleasure to see that the outreach efforts were successful, and the Hennepin Theatre Trust certainly reached the target audience for this performance. 

The theater was abuzz with the excited voices of children and their caregivers as they settled into their seats with the assistance of the tee shirt-clad helpers. Theater staff and volunteers alike were friendly and welcoming to all patrons, answering questions, providing directions, and pointing out interesting elements like the orchestra pit. Even Conductor Rick Snyder sweetly visited with audience members before the show and during intermission. (Also, during intermission, volunteers led physical exercises for the audience. I could get behind this.)

Two of the fabulous volunteers. (Neither are Cassie.)

Cassie Okell, one of the volunteers, shared with us a little background on her experience (emphasis mine):

Despite the fact that many of us volunteers are professionals in the special education and autism spectrum field, we did in fact have a two-hour training at the beginning of July. We also had many email communications during July to make sure we were well prepared.

Two of the coolest things that were done, in my opinion, that you may not be aware of is that the Hennepin Theatre Trust hosted a "meet your seat" opportunity about a week ago so kids had the opportunity to get familiar with the space proper to the sensory rich show. And also on the webpage for this special performance was a link to a downloadable social story about the day of the show to help kids know what to expect.

To me, these things (along with the free snacks and juice boxes, noise cancelling headphones, quiet spaces and active space) really put this event above and beyond! I love how accepting and supportive and thoughtful the whole process was! I really hope we have more in the future! 

The show went up a bit late, and the volunteers took their seats in the house, still at the ready to assist families. The house lights dimmed, but did not go completely dark. The show began and the audience's excitement was clearly evident. If you've seen The Lion King, you know that one of the most amazing spectacles in all of theater is the entrance of the animals in the "Circle of Life" number.

Photo from lionking.com

Personal sidebar: I was fortunate enough to see the very first World Premiere performance of Disney's The Lion King here in Minneapolis. I was in awe of all the Disney execs in suits I saw--I'm sure I saw Michael Eisner. We were seated in the back row of the main floor, and were some of the first people to see the animals entering through the house. The music, the amazing stagecraft, the beautiful voices, and the utterly thrilling originality ... I've never forgotten that moment and that feeling--not ever. And it was nineteen years ago.

On Saturday, I saw something that even eclipsed this amazing moment. Because the house lights were at half, and because we were seated in the front rows, we had a beautiful view of the audience as we turned around to see the animals enter. And what we saw was a theater filled with wonder. We saw children and people who were in awe of the spectacle, and we saw parents and grandparents and volunteers and friends who were in tears. I think about it now and it still brings me to tears. It's one of the loveliest things I've ever seen in a theater.

I'd love to know what the actors thought of this performance. It's unusual for them to perform in a half-lit theater, and they must see so much more of the audience than usual. The show has a number of scenes where the cast enters through the house, or comes down into the house, and it was wonderful to see the actors waving at children and making connections. Even Mufasa, entering through the house to yell at Simba, smiled at children with genuine warmth on his way.

Tahni, Josiah and Joe Cullen

I'm saving the best for the last here. I want to share what it's like for a parent to attend this performance.

Joe and Tahni Cullen attended with their son Josiah (see Josiah's Fire on Facebook), and Joe shared his thoughts (again, emphasis mine).

My son Josiah is 10 years old and is on the autism spectrum. We’ve been fortunate to attend many sensory-friendly plays and movies throughout the Twin Cities over the last few years. He’s been to many productions now at the Children’s Theatre as well as some high school musicals too. When I first saw that The Lion King was back in town my first thought was how much my son would love it if only they had a sensory-friendly offering of it. Within a day I saw the advertisements for such a performance and our family was so excited.

The production today certainly did not disappoint! We all enjoyed it, especially our son Josiah. He was clapping, laughing, and in awe the entire time. For us, these sensory-friendly productions are such a blessing. Josiah is usually well behaved in public but it just gives us the peace of mind that we’re in a non-judgmental environment…if he makes noise or is a little too wiggly, no one is going to mind. For instance today he seemed very fascinated with the hair on the lady’s head in front of him and tried touching it a few times. She turned and instead of a disapproving look she just smiled and said, “It’s no big deal. I totally understand.” We can just relax and enjoy the show.

And from the smiles on Josiah’s face from the beginning to the end of The Lion King today I would say he definitely enjoyed it! He cracked us up at one point too. He doesn't have many words right now but at one point when Scar was up to no good he yelled out "No!" LOL!

I had a hard time finding the right words to describe how amazing yesterday was for our family...and all the sensory friendly offerings for that matter. My wife and I met while doing plays together and college and we always imagined bringing our kids to plays one day. To have these opportunities has meant the world to us.

Disney and the Hennepin Theatre Trust worked for months with a Sensory Advisory Committee of local Minnesota educators, therapists and community experts and partners such as Fraser, the Autism Society of Minnesota, and the Minnesota Autism Center, and received financial assistance from funders such as the Minnesota State Arts Board to make this special performance happen.

There is no doubt: Disney's The Lion King is a beautiful show. The cast is marvelous and sang, danced, and acted beautifully. The artistry and music is staggeringly creative and inventive.

But more than anything, every element of this special performance displayed a kindness and inclusiveness that I don't often see in the theater, and certainly not enough in our everyday lives.

The supportive, non-judgmental atmosphere at this show was astonishing--it will change the way I attend and view theater. Kudos to the Hennepin Theatre Trust, their partners, and to all of the marvelous volunteers who created such an amazing day. I hope to experience performances like this again and often, and I hope to see them at theaters that are welcoming audiences of all abilities.

(co-written by Carly and Jules)

See Also:

Interested in catching a Sensory Friendly theater performance? Check out the Sensory Friendly Performances at Children's Theatre Company and the 2016-17 Season at Stages Theater Company in Hopkins, MN. Find more Sensory Friendly Activities at the Autism Society of Minnesota's Community Events page, and all kinds of accessible arts events at VSA Minnesota: The State Organization on Arts and Disability. 

The Bridges of Madison County - National Tour at the Orpheum Theatre

A sweeping romance with a gorgeous musical score, The Bridges of Madison County had too brief a run on Broadway in 2014. It's a rather small story and an unusual musical without large production numbers, which may have made it a hard sell. Fortunately, the touring production is here for a week to show us what we missed.

Based on the 1992 best-selling novel by Robert James Waller, Bridges tells the story of Francesca Johnson, an Italian war bride who has lived with her husband and children on a farm in Winterset, Iowa, for nearly twenty years. She is a devoted homemaker and mother, but is discontented with her life.

Andrew Samonosky (Robert) and Elizabeth
Stanley (Francesca). Photo: Matthew Murphy.

When Francesca's husband Bud, and children Michael and Carolyn, load up the truck to show Carolyn's prize steer at the state fair in Indianapolis, she is left behind, looking forward to spending some time not taking care of others. A National Geographic photographer looking for directions pulls up to her house and changes her life. She takes him to the covered bridge he's seeking, and ends up cooking him dinner. Robert Kincaid is an enigmatic loner, but drawn to this woman whose rich inner life has been sublimated by her years on the farm.

The story is simple, and the original book is not universally beloved. What elevates this adaptation is the music. Jason Robert Brown has amassed a following among musical-theater aficionados as the composer of musicals including Parade, Honeymoon in Vegas, and The Last Five Years (which was made into a movie starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan, which I highly recommend).

Brown's music for Bridges does a wonderful job of delineating characters and story. Rather than an overture, Francesca sings of her life in "To Build a Home," which is full of unexpected turns of melody and phrase. Much simpler are the songs given to the rest of the Johnson family and their neighbors, who express themselves through songs inflected with folk and gospel. When Robert arrives, his duets with Francesca are soaring melodies that clearly show the heights of emotion that their relationship brings about.

Mary Callanan (Marge) and Elizabeth
Stanley (Francesca). Photo: Matthew Murphy.

The music is beautifully performed, particularly by Elizabeth Stanley as Francesca and Andrew Samonosky as Robert. Separately, they convey worlds of longing, and their duets feel like the completion of an unfinished chord. The supporting cast are wonderful, particularly Mary Callanan as an inquisitive but supportive neighbor, and Cullen R. Titmas as Bud, the husband who never quite understands his wife. Caitlin Houlahan and understudy Bryan Welnicki were excellent as Francesca's very American children, with their own preoccupations.

The staging is spare, with just the suggestion of bridges, farmhouses, and other scenes set against a backdrop of wide open sky, suggesting the Iowa farmland. Set pieces moved on and off the stage by the ever-present townfolk lend a fluidity to the proceedings as one scene fades into the next and settings overlap, from the Johnson's kitchen to the pay phones her family use to call home from the road. Although the scale of the show is small, I look forward to seeing even more modest productions when the rights become available to smaller companies (Theater Latte Da, perhaps?). The only extravagance necessary for this story is an excellent group of singers and musicians to do justice to the magnificent score. This production has those qualities in abundance, and should not be missed.

Francesca and Robert against the Iowa sky. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

The Book of Mormon - Touring show at The Orpheum - Guest Post

Candace Quarrels and Cody Jamison Strand
Photo by Joan Marcus

If anyone at The Book of Mormon (showing now until May 29th at the Orpheum) didn’t already know they were attending an evening of cutting satire, “filthy gags” and an irreverent takedown of organized religion, they were quickly informed. But I can’t imagine that anyone there didn’t know at least a little of what to expect. The Book of Mormon opened on Broadway in 2011 (is still playing) and this is its third run in Minneapolis so it’s no secret who the intended audience is (and is not). The young hipsters, forty-something professionals and cool seniors who filled the diverse audience had already been exposed to almost two decades of Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s South Park and did not seem put off or surprised by this Broadway version of their particularly biting sermon. The sharply talented, energetic cast was ready to preach to the choir. The choir was very appreciative of their efforts.

The show is damn funny and wonderfully performed. Ryan Bondy and Cody Jamison Strand effortlessly lead the cast through sharp choreography, biting humor and catchy songs referencing both the traditional Broadway and African music. The set is bright and beautiful and the actors have fun breaking the fourth wall, playing for laughs and taking everything to the nth degree. Candace Quarrels shines as the innocent and naïve Nabulungi.

Monica L. Patton, Ryan Bondy, Cody Jamison Strand
Photo by Joan Marcus

The story follows two mismatched missionaries, the self-focused and self-righteous Elder Price (Bondy) and the bumbling but sweet Elder Cunningham (Strand) in a classic Odd Couple buddy pairing. The young missionaries leave Salt Lake City with dreams that their two year mission abroad will end in a slew of successful baptisms into the Mormon faith. They quickly discover that the simple platitudes of the "word" and their naive hopefulness are no match for the violence and despair of the villagers in Uganda.

The Book of Mormon Company 2;
Photo by Joan Marcus

With the constant threats of genital mutilation, a population that’s 80% HIV+, maggot infested scrotums, raping babies, screwing frogs, gun violence, etc., the show pulls no punches about the reality of life and the ridiculous notion that simply believing in a particular religion can cure such massive problems. But as my companion said, “It’s offensive, but you don’t take offense.” There is a big and very important message in The Book of Mormon about the danger in blindly following the church - any church - without question, faith versus religion, growth, acceptance, and breaking the rules to do what you know is right.

In short, see this show. It’ll be good for your soul. It is also good for your wallet as there is a lottery for $25 tickets for most performances.

(guest post written by Michelle St. Hilaire)

If/Then - Choices at the Orpheum Theater

Jackie Burns
Photos by Joan Marcus

If/Then is the most recent musical by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey. Together they wrote Next to Normal which won a Pulitzer Prize, and a Tony Award. Next to Normal followed the life of a woman dealing with bipolar disease and how it affects her life and her family. If/Then shows us another strong woman and the way her choices change her life.

If/Then centers on Elizabeth (Jackie Burns), who has just ended a long relationship and moves back to New York to start over. The show begins with her asking the audience/universe what would have happened if she had not been in a specific place and time when she was. How would her life have been different? At that point she meets her old friend Lucas (original Broadway cast member Anthony Rapp), as well as her neighbor Kate (Tamyra Gray). Lucas knows her as Elizabeth, Kate knows her as Liz, and Elizabeth thinks, Why not? Why not be Liz? Why not be Beth? From there, we explore the lives of Liz, who ignores a phone call, and Beth, who answers it. The two stories play out in alternating scenes, sometimes making a switch mid-scene.

Since the same people populate both Liz's and Beth's lives, the question is how to show which life is which? A number of signifiers were used - Liz sometimes wears glasses - and the colors of the light changed for each story. (Note: KRL noticed the lights, Jules missed them altogether!)

National tour cast of IF/THEN 

The set was multi-level and modular with projections that showed city sights, map grids, and even street signs to suggest locations and reinforce Elizabeth's career as a city planner. While telling the story of Liz, the bottom portion of the screen took on a pinkish tone. While telling the story of Beth, it took on a blue tone. This was incredibly handy as even during the first scene Beth walks off the stage, puts on a jacket and comes back on as Liz. It was a great way to tell a story, and to make things very clear to the audience. There were also times that the screen had a purple hue to it which were the times where it didn't really matter which story was being told - the moment was true for both characters.

Jackie Burns and Matthew Hydzik.

The cast was strong throughout. Burns, who was Idina Menzel's standby in the Broadway production of If/Then, was fantastic playing two sides of the same character, with a lot of vocal power, but also some lovely subtlety. Rapp's Lucas was perhaps most changed by Elizabeth's choices, and he played the two realities of his character well. Gray was a wonderful presence and brought a great energy to her role. She made Kate a person you'd love to have for a friend. We're glad she was back in the show on Wednesday, when we saw it, as we'd heard she was out on opening night. And Matthew Hydzik was charming as Liz's love interest. (I was especially happy to see Hydzik again after seeing him as Mr. Snow in Carousel at Chicago Lyric Opera last year.-J)

The rest of the ensemble was stellar as well. Between their dance and actions and the projections, they made the stage pulse with the energy of the city. And we appreciated the way the hard-working cast made the scene changes fly by. Although the show runs about 2 hours and 45 minutes, it doesn't feel that long, as it moves at a great pace. The music kept things moving, and the songs served up character development, sometimes for both versions of a character in the same song!

Tamyra Gray, Jackie Burns and Anthony Rapp

It was refreshing to see a contemporary musical dealing with the kinds of issues we all face, from relationships to careers, and a leading lady who isn't an ingenue. The supporting characters were also remarkably well-defined people, with experiences and issues of their own, which can be hard to find in musical theater. And the story covers about four years, allowing Beth and Liz's choices to play out. Every part of the story feels true and real. It is a great journey to take with a fantastic cast and score. It kept us thinking about all the options and choices we make daily and how they affect our lives. It even led to a discussion of parallel universes and the many-worlds theory on the way out of the theater.

If/Then plays at the Orpheum through March 13, 2016.

If you go, bring along a little extra cash. This week is the annual BC/EFA (Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS) appeal, and cast members will be collecting in the lobby for this very good cause.

(co-written by KRL and Jules)

Newsies on tour at the Orpheum

 Joey Barreiro (Jack Kelly) (center) and the North American Tour
company of Disney's NEWSIES. © Disney. Photo by Deen van Meer. 

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! 
Newspaper sellers strike - and dance!

That's the idea behind Newsies, the musical that has finally made its way to the Twin Cities more than a year after the show closed on Broadway in August 2014. The wait surprised me, as I thought we were farther up the touring market food chain, but it might just be a fluke of timing and tour routing.

Newsies had an unusual road to Broadway, where it won the 2012 Tony Awards for Best Score and Best Choreography. Originally a little-seen 1992 film starring Christian Bale, the movie became a cult favorite on video and the most-requested Disney title not already adapted for the stage. After a successful run at New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse, the musical opened on Broadway and had a healthy 1005-performance run.The show also garnered a fervent following known as "Fansies."

Based on the true story of striking newspaper sellers in 1899 New York, the plot follows Jack Kelly (Joey Barreiro) and his pals as they decide to fight back against unfair pricing hikes from the papers' publishers, particularly the publisher of the World, Joseph Pulitzer (Steve Blanchard). With the help of Katherine, a young newspaper reporter eager to write about hard news (Morgan Keene), the newsboys rally together to push for better terms not only for themselves, but for other child laborers in the city.

Although he dreams of a life far away from the streets of New York, Jack alternately embraces and avoids his destiny as a leader and the Newsies work through rousing songs like "Carrying the Banner," "The World Will Know," "Seize the Day," and "King of New York," The songs don't so much move the story along as they provide opportunities for the Newsies to dance.

Newsies defy gravity!
Original company, North American tour of Newsies. © Disney. Photo by Deen van Meer. 

And wow. What dancing! As choreographed by Christopher Gattelli, the ensemble races through grand jetés and pirouettes and performs flips and other stunts. A standout among the very talented ensemble is Jordan Samuels as Specs, whose awe-inspiring flips suggest that he has a special relationship with gravity. He's also a great presence in the chorus, with an energy that stands out from the crowd.

The leading performers were fine, though I couldn't help wondering what it would have been like to see Jeremy Jordan as Jack. On opening night, the cast was also dealing with occasional sound balance issues and some mysterious noises. Overall, the script (by Harvey Fierstein) is just serviceable, with catchy songs by Alan Menken (music) and Jack Feldman (lyrics). It's easy to see how this show became a favorite with the young girls, both those who loved the movie and those who were introduced to the show. For me, the dancing is the real draw. Even if the dances don't do much to move the story forward, they are a joy to watch.

Beautiful on Tour at the Orpheum: The Grinch Review

If you'd like to read a generous, even-handed, objective review of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical tour, now at the Orpheum Theatre, go read Jules's review.

Want to read a slightly bitter rant wherein I denigrate all that is good in the world and brings people joy? Here you go.

I realize that a whole lot of people worked hard to a) put this show together, b) get it to our fair city, and c) perform it with dedication and heart. I respect that and appreciate it. Also, I am a proud owner of (and singer-alonger-to) Tapestry. I think it's a beautiful album. 

But to be totally honest: I don't think Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is a good show.

Let's start with the book, written by Douglas McGrath, who also wrote a vapid adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma starring Gwyneth Paltrow in which he rewrote Austen's dialogue to unsurprisingly ill effect. I found the book incredibly thin, with barely sketched out characters and relationships. The dialogue was simplistic and cliched, with little wit or insight. King's story is probably a fairly interesting one, but it's not depicted this way on stage.

Beautiful starts with King performing at Carnegie Hall. We go back in time and meet King as a precocious, grade-skipping, songwriting teenager selling her songs to Don Kirshner in New York. She meets Gerry Goffin and despite a lack of any chemistry or any onstage relationship-building, she gets knocked up, they get married and a songwriting team is born.

Despite some fun performances of their work by the artists who made them famous, things lag a bit. King is caring for their infant daughter, Goffin is working a day job (King was also working, but they left that out), and Goffin is getting tired of the domestic life and marital fidelity.

Enter Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann--a real-life songwriting team who are so entertaining, I assumed they were fictional. Comic second leads have a long history in musical theater (see Oklahoma!, Carousel, Showboat), but their presence in this show serves to show how not interesting King and Goffin are. I could feel the authorial hand in adding them to the show to perk things up.

And it does. But if the person that you are writing an entire musical about is not interesting enough to carry the show ... maybe the show doesn't need to be written. And yet, I think she IS interesting. She wrote over 400 songs performed by over 1,000 artists! That's amazing! (I found the number in my internet 'research', by the way. It's not in the show.)  Her body of work should be a strong, dramatic part of the plot, with an amazing a-ha moment where the audience realizes the powerful cultural impact of her work. In this show, that moment never happens.

So blah blah blah, Goffin cheats on her incessantly and is, in general, a complete jerk. It's hard not to think less of King for spending time (and money--she bought one of his mistresses a house--also not depicted in the show) with him. She really comes off as a doormat, and I think the fact that they wrote this with her blessing means that they had to whitewash things a bit. And because of the whitewashing, everything is a little more faded and less intense.

Plotwise, there's almost no there there. Basically, in the second act she moves to the suburbs, finally splits up with Goffin, writes her own songs, moves to California, writes Tapestry and performs at Carnegie Hall. Again, the cultural impact of this concert does not come across in the show. I felt no emotional arc in the narrative, despite the fact that we travel through musically vivid time periods, and her actual arc is one of female liberation and power.

On to performances. When you have a show where the book is weak, the actors need to work extra hard to overcome the book--to add interest and engagement where the book has failed them. Having seen snippets of her performance, I have no doubt that Jessie Mueller transcended the material to create King. I'm hoping that Scott J. Campbell as Gerry Goffin did as well.

I'm not a Broadway snob--I've seen at least two touring productions (Little Shop of Horrors starring Jonathan Rayson and Tari Kelly and the first national tour of The Book of Mormon starring Christopher O'Neill) in which I greatly preferred the performances of certain tour cast members to the original Broadway cast. But in this case, I did not feel that Abby Mueller and Liam Tobin transcended the material and the characters remained flat.

I will give a massive amount of love to Becky Gulsvig as Cynthia Weil, Ben Fankhauser as Barry Mann, and Curt Bouril as Don Kirshner. When Gulsvig came on stage to sell her songs to Kirshner, the show got a wonderful boost of energy. And the relationship between Weil and Mann (a marvelously dry and hilarious Fankhauser) had all of the energy and interest that the King/Goffin pairing was lacking.

I love seeing a racially diverse cast, and cheers to the ensemble, who were wonderful. I adored the men who played The Drifters (Josh A. Dawson, Paris Nix, Noah J. Ricketts, Dashaun Young) and their dazzlingly energetic and tight performances. I wished there was a musical about them! But why was the vastly white audience laughing during their performance? Was it the wigs? The mannered dance steps? I found that disturbing. Wonderful performances by The Shirelles--Ashley Blanchet (also an adorable Little Eva), Britney Coleman, Rebecca E. Covington, Salisha Thomas--as well. And John Michael Dias was charming as Neil Sedaka, popping in occasionally to sing "Oh, Carol!"

The costumes were beautiful, particularly the gorgeous dresses and suits on The Shirelles and The Drifters, and excellent period costumes for King, as she goes from frumpy teenager to semi-frumpy housewife to self-actualized California free spirit. The wigs were amazing and they must have hundreds backstage.

The set?  Not so much for me. I found it aggressively ugly and unimaginative. The backdrop for 1650 Broadway, where much of the songwriting time is spent, is brown and consists of vaguely patterned recording equipment. And even the straight-up performance numbers are marred by curtains of light with unfortunate color choices. See below.

Photo by Joan Marcus. See that backdrop?

Photo by Joan Marcus. Fabulous Drifters, ugly lights

I never considered myself to be a jukebox musical snob. But I have strictly avoided Jersey Boys, and any show where the audience might be tempted to sing along. I don't go to musical theater to hear the hits of my youth--although I would have totally gone to see Our House: The Madness Musical. This kind of musical makes me long for something more. Say what you will about Mamma Mia!, at least they ingeniously worked the songs into the narrative. In this show, they are simply plopped in with little rhyme or reason. The audience doesn't marvel at the connection these songs have to the narrative, but is excited just to hear the songs they know. I have a dark, curmudgeonly soul, but I find it unsettling. Jules put it beautifully here.

This show made me long for new musicals, for shows with complicated characters and relationships, with unexpected twists and turns, with songs I may like or I may not, with a narrative enhanced by song, not one that exists purely to hang songs upon.

There you are. Rant over. Grinch review completed. If you loved the show, excellent. We are all different and that is what makes us special. And I'm not just saying that.

Beautiful on Tour at the Orpheum

The national tour of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is playing at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis through November 29. The musical tells Carole King’s story from her start as a teenaged songwriter through her marriage and collaboration with Gerry Goffin, to her success as a singer-songwriter with the smash hit album “Tapestry.”

As far as “jukebox musicals” go (Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia), Beautiful has a better melding of story and song than most. When (then-named) Carol Klein goes to pitch her song to publisher Don Kirshner, the building is full of studios showing all kinds of music being made and performed. It places the audience immediately in the Brill Building era of pop music. 

Abby Mueller as Carole King, Liam
Tobin as Gerry Goffin.
Photo by Joan Marcus.

Klein (who changes her name professionally) connects with college classmate Gerry Goffin, an aspiring playwright, to put words to her music, and they are off and running, personally and professionally. The best idea of playwright Douglas McGrath is to immediately introduce King and Goffin’s friendly rival songwriting team, Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann. The teams compete to sell songs and for chart positions, which gives some pushback to King and Goffin’s success and allows the script to incorporate some of Weil and Mann’s hits.

As both teams write their songs, pieces of their relationships appear in the lyrics, and the people around them shape the songs, which we see when the hits are performed by the Drifters, the Shirelles, Little Eva, and the Righteous Brothers, among others. The songs only get more personal as King and Goffin’s relationship falters.

Mueller, Becky Gulsvig as Cynthia Weil, Ben Fankhauser as Barry Mann, Tobin.
Photo by Joan Marcus.

Abby Mueller is effective as King, from a teenage success and young mother to her emergence as a recording artist. She’s got enough of King’s sound to recall her without the performance feeling like an impersonation. To this untrained eye, she also looked like she could have actually been playing the piano, which is a good thing, since she spend most of her time at the keyboard. The supporting cast is very good, with special praise to Becky Gulsvig and Ben Fankhauser as Weil and Mann. Their partnership in music and life is entertaining to watch, and they get most of the show’s laughs.

Above all, Beautiful is about the music, and that was very well done, although opening night was marred by occasional feedback and volumes so loud that the sound was distorted, which I hope has been corrected. I found the performances entertaining, and enjoyed the way the songs melded with the lives of the songwriters.

Abby Mueller. Photo by Joan Marcus.

However, the majority of the audience seemed to be watching the show as if it were an oldies concert, howling with recognition when familiar tunes began and cheering as if watching the actual stars. By late in the second act, they were cheering the characters on, even during the dialogue scenes. I felt like a bit of a pill, but I just wanted people to calm the heck down and appreciate the show. It made me wonder if the response on Broadway was similar, or if it’s just Midwestern enthusiasm. I thought Mueller deserved a standing ovation for her performance, but the audience was on its feet as soon as the curtain call began.

Like Jersey Boys, Beautiful appeals to an audience recalling the music of its youth, and the show is a smashing success on that front, but there’s an interesting life happening between the hits, as well. That’s the Beautiful that I enjoyed the most.   

Review - Disney's The Little Mermaid

Quite a number of weeks ago I went to the Orpheum to see the new touring production of "Disney's The Little Mermaid." It is a production by Houston's Theatre Under The Stars and is a re-imagining of the original Broadway production.

So I am pretty sure I don't need to go over the story of The Little Mermaid. What I will mention is that there are a few changes between the animated movie and the stage production. I think most the most important change is that Ursula (Jennifer Allen) and King Triton (Fred Inkley) are siblings. You find out the story in the great song "I Want The Good Times Back" but in short - the sea was divided between Triton and Ursula. Triton also received the trident, while Ursula received a magic shell. This change creates more drama because it isn't just an Evil Witch doing bad - there is more to it, and it makes the character of Ursula more rounded. The other change is that Flounder (Adam Garst) is teen-aged and has a crush on Ariel (Alison Woods). While this detail does help in a song called "She's In Love," I think it takes away from the power of friendship that the movie shows. It also makes Flounder a less noble character because it is clear he is helping Ariel only because of his crush, not because they are real friends. 

From what I know of the original production on Broadway, everyone wore Heelys so that they could move around smoothly. The merpeople (or at least Ariel) also had a a long skirt to cover their legs along with a built-up tail piece. The photos I have seen of the original production are imaginative but a bit confusing. This new production though was imaginative and simple - two of my favorite theatrical devices. All the merpeople wore robes with long side panels that they continually moved back and forth while also moving their body. This continual movement perfectly characterized underwater movement. Flounder, being a teen-age boy, was using a hoverboard to get around, and looked a bit like a punk with a mohawk. Ursula was in a large octopus dress with her legs being moved around by Flotsam and Jetsom. These two eels were the only ones in the production wearing Heelys - and they really don't work well in showing continual movement. 

The show itself was charming. There were a few songs that stood out - "Under the Sea" and "Poor Unfortunate Souls" but nothing too exciting. Sebastian (Melvin Abston) has a great voice and uses it well. He knows how to lead a showstopper. Ursula was fantastic in both of her big numbers. She had a great big voice and knew exactly how to use it. I also have to give kudos to Jamie Torcellini who played Scuttle. The role is a true comic role, and his number at the top of act two "Positoovity" was fantastic! I mean - tap-dancing gulls with a kickline? Who can resist?

I found the overall production to be very good. They dealt with the movement/swimming problems very well. I believe both Eric and Ariel had some time flying/swimming on wires (or at least their doubles did) which allowed for some quick scene changes with the lead actors still in the correct role. All in all, I am glad I saw the show to see how some problems can be solved, but I doubt I would see it again. However, the house was filled with plenty of kids who were quiet and paying attention through the whole show so that right there says more than this review ever could.

ps: I missed press night so photos are from the original cast recording, and the program.