The Korean Drama Addict's Guide to Losing Your Virginity - Theater Mu

Thank you, May Lee-Yang and Theater Mu.

After seeing The Korean Drama Addict's Guide to Losing Your Virginity (at Park Square Andy Boss stage through August 19), I'm officially obsessed with Korean Dramas.

The Abominables at Children's Theatre Company

"Check it—
Can I be real a second?
For just a millisecond?
Let down my guard and tell the people how I feel a second?"
- Right Hand Man, Hamilton

About The Abominables at Children's Theatre Company ...

First of all, yay for new musicals! Hurrah for for the Children's Theatre Company for partnering with The Civilians, the fascinating NY-based "company that creates new theater from creative investigations into the most vital questions of the present" that brought us Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play and a host of other amazing sounding productions.

Secondly, but not secondarily, is the tragic passing of Michael Friedman, who wrote the music and lyrics for this show. Please read this lovely tribute to him by Sarah Larson at the New Yorker: 

"Michael Friedman, who died Saturday, at forty-one, was a brilliant and prolific composer and lyricist, a pianist, a thinker, a mile-a-minute talker, a gesticulator, a person who dazzled and could leave you dizzied—not just by his talent and intelligence but by his kindness and humanity, which were always at the forefront of his work."

With all that said, though, I wish I could give this show some love. But I need to be real (a second). I found this show really problematic.

Let's start at the very beginning. Here's the summary from the CTC website:

"Rink rats, hockey moms, tournament weekends and the quest to play your best – It’s tryout season in the Great State of Hockey! Mitch has always played on the A team for the Prairie Lake Blizzards – these are his guys – they've played together forever, but he's worried this could be the year he gets sent down to the B team. When a new “kid” appears at Bantam tryouts, things go from bad to worse. From the land of ice and nice comes the first Minnesota hockey musical! Will you love it? You betcha!"

Hockey! Musical! Minnesota-set! Fun fun, right? Not so much.

Mitch Munson (Henry Constable) has been practicing all summer for hockey tryouts, and convinces his friends to let him go out on the ice first, which, astonishingly enough, they do. He tries out but does not make the A team. A new family has moved to town with their yeti son, adopted from the Himalayas. (It turns out yetis are really good at hockey.) Harry, the yeti (Ryan Colbert), gets a spot on the A team, and Mitch gets a spot on the B team. Cue massive amounts of pouting and privilege from young Mitch, mostly at the expense of the new kid in town. Mitch does everything he can to try and bring Harry down, including finding his lost yeti parents, so they will take him away.

I've got two major concerns with this show.

The first is that the show is remarkably inconsistent and underwritten. Although the Civilians is notable for devising and creating their work as a group, Steve Cosson is credited as the writer.

We meet Mitch's parents, Ellen and Charlie (Autumn Ness and Reed Sigmund), but we learn almost nothing about them except that she is a hockey mom (who likes to drink and be an A team parent) and he--I don't know. Does he support Mitch? Is he a toxic sport parent? Does he think Mitch is a lousy hockey player? Does he have shattered dreams from his own sporting youth? We get a hint of that near the end of the play, but not when we need it--in the beginning.

Our "hero", Mitch, is severely undercharacterized. He has practiced all summer. That is all we know about him, and yet we are expected to sympathize with him and with the journey he takes (eventually) to being less of a brat (in theory). I got to be honest: When a young, white, male character is expected to earn our interest and affection merely by existing, I can't help but feel that the playwright is considering the white male character to be the neutral default (see Steven Epp in Refugia). Apart from that, the character is just a complete whiny little creep.

Oh, and Mitch has two younger sisters: Tracy (the always delightful Natalie Tran) and Lily (an engaging Valerie Wick), neither of whom gets nearly the attention that Mitch does, despite the fact that Tracy is a great hockey player. A particularly infuriating scene has Mitch breaking Tracy's trophy (which she was sharing with another player due to their excellent teamwork) with no repercussions whatsoever. It is never referred to again, nor is Tracy's admirable sportsmanship. Certainly not by the parents. A note: Having the script acknowledge that these characters get less attention does not get you a pass on shortchanging their stories. And when Lily gets lost in the snow because her parents have again ignored their daughters, she saves herself and others with intelligence and competence that literally no one even comments on.

Let's meet Mitch's arch-enemy, shall we? Harry the yeti (a delightful and poignant Ryan Colbert) and his parents (Bradley Greenwald and Elise Benson), as well as son Freddy (adorable and winning Alejandro Vega) have just moved to town so that Harry can play hockey and make friends. Wait, what? A yeti? Explain how.

APPARENTLY, Hank and Judy, mountain-climbers/television stars/authors/etc., were climbing in the Himalayas and found a young Yeti and took him home and named him Harry. Although we are told Hank and Judy are selfish, self-centered egotists, apparently they care enough about their son to bring him to Minnesota to play hockey and make friends.

And here's where everything gets just a little bit more complicated. Having recently seen The Sneetches at CTC, I know that children's theater often has deeper and more substantial themes than one might find at face value.

Hank and Judy are human, and Harry is a yeti. He is constantly referred to as "other" and especially so when Mitch takes so strongly against him and refers to his adopted status derisively. Even his parents consider him as "other" and highlight his differences from his human teammates. Part of Mitch's plan to get back on the A Team involves him contacting Harry's yeti parents, who come to town and accuse Hank and Judy of stealing their son.

Seriously, how can you not see this as a depiction of transracial adoption? Or at the very least, an incredibly problematic portrayal of adoption in general.

The yeti parents have no names. Hank and Judy are portrayed by white actors and their adopted son is portrayed by an actor of color. Stephanie Bertumen plays a variety of anonymous characters, with far less dialogue than her counterpart Doug Nethercott. And far more ridiculous wigs.

I truly don't know what to make of this musical. If it's truly a light-hearted hockey musical, it at least needs to tell us what these characters want and need. What drives them? What is our happy ending? Why can't we resolve a few problems? Why isn't it more fun? If it's something more serious, then tackle those issues. I literally think the writer did not consider the implications of portraying adoption and certainly transracial adoption in this way. But that's no excuse, especially for the Children's Theatre, which generally does pay attention to issues like these.

One last note: CTC does have a content advisory page for the play, and it includes this statement:

Special note: This production contains potentially triggering situations surrounding adoption. If you and/or your child have adoptive experiences, please contact the ticket office...

That doesn't seem to be enough. Putting together new work is hard, but especially when creating a new play for and about children, I'd hope that the creative team would be on the lookout for problems like these.

GIRL Shakes Loose at Penumbra Theatre

GIRL Shakes Loose is the final show in Penumbra Theatre's 40th anniversary season, and it's an ambitious, engaging, and energetic world premiere musical that explores modern, black female identity.


This intimate new musical by Imani Uzuri (music & lyrics) and Zakiyyah Alexander (book & lyrics) includes the words of poet Sonia Sanchez, whose work is grounded in the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s. Directed by May Adrales, this is a rare show that has a creative team comprised of all women of color.

If that's not reason enough to celebrate this show, Penumbra Theatre and Artistic Director Sarah Bellamy have been directly involved with the bringing this musical to life. As Ms. Bellamy writes in her program note:

Alexis Sims and the plaid shirt.
Photo by Allen Weeks.

"That we are investing in the representation of ourselves, our lives, how we love, and who we love with such tenderness, excellence and ferocity is to be widely celebrated. GIRL Shakes Loose truly is #blackgirlmagic!"

YES!

The cast of GIRL Shakes Loose. All hail Jamecia Bennett.
Photo by Allen Weeks.

The story of GIRL Shakes Loose isn't groundbreaking, except that it's being told about a young woman of color. The title character, simply called GIRL, is a young black woman at a crossroads in her life. She has worked hard for success, attending a good college, obtaining a graduate degree, and running her own start up in Oakland, California. When her company goes bust, she loses any sense of who she is, and has to learn whether her life is worthwhile without the career success she worked so hard to get. Meanwhile, her love affairs are in equal disarray. GIRL heads to New York, and then to Atlanta to attend a family funeral, all the while figuring out what home really means.

Alexis Sims and Kory Pullam.
Photo by Allen Weeks.

As played by Alexis Sims, GIRL is quite sympathetic, even when she's feeling very sorry for herself. It helps that her moping isn't indulged by her friends, or by her family when she goes back to Georgia. She has an engaging spark of energy, and her voice is, quite simply, exceptional.

Jamecia Bennett brings her considerable talents to bear as GIRL's aunt, who tries to reunite her niece with the mother she hasn't seen in years. Thomasina Petrus is, as always, terrific as the mother who feels abandoned by her child but can't bear to condemn her.

Bennett and Petrus also stand out as singers in the eight-member ensemble which musically accompanies GIRL's journey and play the people she meets along the way.

A few standouts: John Jamison is very funny as a friend whose couch she crashes on, and he has an amazing singing voice which I hope to hear again soon. Kory Pullam, wonderful in so many local productions of the last few years at Pillsbury House, the Guthrie, as well as a standout role in Choir Boy, is compelling as an old love, while Tatiana Williams shows tenderness as well as anger as a more recent lover. China Brickey, Lamar Jefferson, and Valencia Proctor also bring beautiful voices to the mix.

Tatiana Williams rocks the house.
Photo by Allen Weeks.

The music is contemporary, with detours into gospel, doo-wop, R & B and other styles, with the strong ensemble present for most of the music and Sanford Moore leading the band from backstage. John Acaerrgui's sound design puts the voices front and center without being over-amplified. I wasn't exactly whistling when I left the theater, but I could see the music taking hold over a few listenings.

In intention, the show felt a little RENT-like to me. Possibly due to the minimal set and revolving cast of characters, and possibly due to a plaid shirt that outstays its welcome on stage.

But I love that the show is trying something new, musically and narratively. Not only is it telling the story of a young woman of color finding herself, it's also telling a story in which a person doesn't have to find someone else to find herself. This is pretty unusual in musical theater, and I applaud it wholeheartedly.

Vietgone at Mixed Blood Theatre

There simply aren't enough adjectives to describe Vietgone by Qui Nguyen, now playing at Mixed Blood Theatre through April 30. 

But here are a few: Hilarious, irreverent, touching, sexy, energetic, surprising, romantic, raunchy, thought-provoking, enlightening, pop-culture-reference-filled, heart-breaking, and did I mention completely hilarious?

Also: NINJAS!

Playwright Qui Nguyen, a self-described "playwright, screenwriter, geek!" is the co-founder of NYC theater company Vampire Cowboys and has a fascinating catalog of plays with titles like Alice in Slasherland, Living Dead in Denmark, Six Rounds of Vengeance, and She Kills Monsters. [Note: Can someone in the Twin Cities please produce all of these plays immediately? Kay, thanks!] 

With Vietgone, Nguyen tells the story of his parents meeting in a refugee camp in Arkansas in 1975 after immigrating from Vietnam after the war. I love this video from Broadway.com that explains his parents' reaction to a first reading of this play:

Essentially, his mother said the play didn't sound like him at all. So he went back, worked on it, and made it more him. The play has a fascinating style. Nguyen explains the unique tone in a New York Times article (Diep Tran, NYT, 10/6/16):

It’s a story that Mr. Nguyen grew up hearing and knows well, but it has also been filtered through his pop-culture-filled and irreverent sensibility.

“When my parents told me stories about Vietnam, they told me the real stories, what actually happened,” he explained. “But what I imagined was kung fu movies. Because the only things I ever saw [growing up] that had a lot of Asian people in it, were kung fu movies.”

So there is kung fu in “Vietgone,” and ninjas. As in Mr. Nguyen’s other works, everyone speaks in a modern voice and raps — and no one speaks with “an Asian accent,” part of his fight against minority stereotypes.

Stefon tells you all about Vietgone.
Dana Edelson/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank, via Getty

The result? This show has EVERYTHING. So much that I need to list it in bullet form:

• A touching, true story
• A fascinating, thought-provoking look at an another aspect of the Vietnam War
• Amazing fight scenes and NINJAS
• Rap and hip-hop interspersed in the narrative
• Songs and dancing
• Delightful pop culture references
• Romance and sexy sex for days
• A spare, but clever set

And the cast. The Twin Cities Theater Bloggers annually award the best in local theater, and it will be hard to top Vietgone for Best Ensemble.

Sherwin Resurreccion, Sun Mee Chomet and Meghan Kreidler
Photo by Rich Ryan

David Huynh plays Quang, a helicopter pilot who longs to get home to his family in Vietnam. He meets Tong, played by Meghan Kreidler, in the refugee camp, who is embracing life in America. The two get it on and fall in love--in that order. Sun Mee Chomet plays Tong's mother, Flordelino Lagundino plays Quang's good friend, and Sherwin Resurreccion plays the playwright himself. Chomet, Langundino and Resurreccion play all the rest of the characters in the cast as well--depicting a variety of characters with little more than wigs and a costume change.

But this CAST.

Huynh's Quang is vibrantly complex: intense, melancholy, funny, and sexy. His relationship with Kriedler's Tong is equally complex, and their witty, sarcastic relationship is right up there with the best romantic comedies (to which the play pays homage). Chomet, as Tong's mother, gives one of the most hilarious performances I've ever seen on stage. Lagundino gives a sweetness and groundedness to his characters. And Resurreccion plays all of his characters with his customary skill and humor, such as Bobby, an American soldier who takes a shine to Tong, and courts her in pidgin English (actually Vietnamese) in a delightfully over-the-top Southern accent. Also, the relationship between 'the playwright' and his father is beautifully depicted, and it's fascinating to see David Huynh utterly disappear into his older self at the end.

Meghan Kreidler and NINJAS.
Photo by Rich Ryan

Director Mark Valdez masterfully manages a complex story and a wide variety of storytelling styles to create an amazingly cohesive show. Paul Whitaker's minimal set and lighting design uses just a few pieces of furniture, sliding screens, and some effective projections to transport us through decades, across the country, across the world, into a war, and to a refugee camp. Add some touches of interstitial rap, amazing fight choreography, and even some dancing, and you have an enormously energetic production that keeps its perfectly irreverent tone for two and a half hours (w/intermission).

I can't say enough, and yet I'm saying too much. Just go see it.

Don't let accessibility get in your way. Mixed Blood Theatre is dedicated to complete accessibility. Read more about their Disability Initiative.

Don't let cost get in your way either. Check out Mixed Blood Theatre's Radical Hospitality program.

Trust me. Go.

The Oldest Boy at the Jungle Theater

Did you know that this production of The Oldest Boy marks the first time an Asian man has been on stage at the Jungle Theater?

True story. Just sit with that a second.

Tsering Dorjee Bawa, Masanari Kawahara and
Eric "Pogi" Sumangil (photo by Dan Norman)

Once that has sunk in, let's celebrate the fact that Sarah Rasmussen is dedicated to creating a new Jungle Theater. This past season has featured a female and racially diverse cast Two Gentlemen of Verona, a hilarious and sweet new play about gay marriage (Le Switch), and Bars and Measures, which tackled issues of prison, terrorism, Islam and brotherhood. 

The 2016 season ends with The Oldest Boy, a play by Sarah Ruhl that depicts a family whose young son is believed to be a reincarnated Tibetan lama.

Masanari Kawahara's gorgeous "Oldest Boy" puppet
(http://welovemasa.com/the-oldest-boy-at-jungle-theater/)

As the unnamed mother, Christina Baldwin is heartrending. She tells the story of meeting her Tibetan husband (Randy Reyes) in his restaurant, the family disapproval they faced, and the courthouse wedding they had when she was already pregnant. She dotes on three-year-old Tenzin, who is played by master puppeteer Masanari Kawahara and the amazingly lifelike puppet he created of the boy. (We've admired his compelling work in Crow Boy at In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre.)

The puppet and puppeteer, as playwright Ruhl intended, allow Tenzin to be both small and childlike and then wise and worldly as he recalls his past existence.

As the monks who come to find the lama, Eric "Pogi" Sumangil is charmingly cheery, while Tsering Dorjee Bawa is more serious, but with a smile that lights the room when he recognizes the boy as his old friend.

Bawa also served as cultural consultant for this production, providing guidance on Tibetan language, music, and tradition, which he also did for the original Lincoln Center Theater production of the show. His contribution here is amazing, for the play touches on cultural and religious traditions that we have not seen portrayed on a Minnesota stage. The authenticity also means that we can really identify with the mother as she considers whether to send her son to a monastery in India to be educated.

Director Sarah Rasmussen stages the show beautifully, allowing the love, fear, and hope to emanate from the stage. It's a wonderful production of a terrific, thoughtful show that challenges us to consider the cultural context of the lives around us in a deep way. This might be our only chance to experience this work, and I can't imagine a better production, so please do not miss The Oldest Boy - it runs now through December 18.

The Jungle Theater provides a host of fascinating information to add to the audience experience. The program includes selections from Sarah Ruhl's Afterward of The Oldest Boy, which immediate tackles two intriguing questions: "How did a Catholic white girl from Illinois come to write about Tibetan Buddhism?" and "Why puppets?" Also, they offer a number of opportunities to explore the play in depth with their Come Early, Stay Late series.

The night we attended the play, the post-play discussion centered on Creating Cross-Cultural Theater, led by Artistic Associate Katherine Pardue and featuring Sarah Rasmussen, Noel Raymond and Randy Reyes. It was a fascinating discussion that touched on a number of current and compelling facets of theater and culture--I hated to see the conversation end. (Twin Cities Theater Bloggers, let's keep this in mind for future discussions!)

Come Early, Stay Late Upcoming Conversations:

Storytelling Through Puppetry with Masanari Kawahara - December 1

Traditional Tibetan Music & Dance with Tsering Dorjee Bawa and Yeshi Samdup - December 8

The Politics and Culture of Tibet & The Diaspora with Tsering Dorjee Bawa - December 15

Remember, you don't need a ticket to these performances to attend the discussions.

Plus, Books!

Also, check out the fabulous #JungleReads list of suggested reading in partnership with Magers & Quinn Booksellers. Hot Tip: If you bring your #junglereads Magers & Quinn receipt to the theater, you'll get a free beverage at concessions. Win/win!

The Parchman Hour at Guthrie Theater

all photos by Dan Norman

The Parchman Hour: Songs and Stories of the '61 Freedom Riders is performed on the Guthrie's McGuire proscenium stage through November 6.

A play with music, The Parchman Hour tells the story of the young women and men who rode buses headed for the Deep South to call attention to illegal segregation.

You may wonder, if this show is about the Freedom Riders, why is it called The Parchman Hour?

According to the Guthrie Theater's website: 

"Arrested and imprisoned in Mississippi’s notorious Parchman Farm Penitentiary, these Freedom Riders endured by creating a nightly variety show called “The Parchman Hour.” The Parchman Hour is a captivating play with music, one that reveals a defining chapter in American history while celebrating the hope and resilience of a community that joined together to stand against segregation."

This play was originally staged in 2010 as a student production at Duke University, and had its world premiere in 2011 at Playmakers Repertory Theater in North Carolina (with producing artistic director Joe Haj.) Mike Wiley, the playwright, specializes in documentary theater and according to the Playmakers website: "The student production was also featured in workshop in May 2010 as the finale event of the Freedom Riders’ 50th anniversary commemoration in Jackson, Mississippi."

The play features twelve actors, who are listed as both an actor number and a character name (e.g. Actor 1 - Forsyth/Stephen Green). The spare, white stage of the McGuire Proscenium stage features occasional projections of archival footage and mug shots of the Freedom Riders as each actor steps forward as a Rider and tells us about their experience. 

The story of the Freedom Riders is an incredibly compelling chapter in Civil Rights history. If you've not seen PBS's American Experience: Freedom Riders, I highly recommend doing so. Also, WGBH's website has a host of fascinating information about the rides and riders, including full Freedom Riders rosters, an interactive map, a timeline, and biographies of the Riders.

Also, please read John Lewis's graphic memoir March (volumes 1, 2 and 3, co-written by Andrew Aydin, art by Nate Powell) for a fantastic, compelling look at the movement and the Rides. I warn you, be sure you have all three volumes before starting, because number two ends with a hell of a cliffhanger.

To be sure, the music in The Parchman Hour is wonderful. With a marvelous on-stage band led by Sanford Moore, the chorus numbers are beautifully sung by the great cast. A few cast members really stood out, especially Kory LaQuess Pullam (as Stokely Carmichael), who I've recently seen in non-singing roles. It was a treat to hear his gorgeous voice again. Zonya Love, as Pearl, and the sole woman of color in the 12-actor cast, had a beautiful voice and great stage presence. Other outstanding performance included those of Kevin R. Free as James Farmer and Jared Joseph as John Lewis.

Zonya Love tearing down the roof.

Yet I didn't love this show, and I feel pretty conflicted about it. The Parchman Hour doesn't feel complete to me. It covers such a specific aspect of the Freedom Rides, and one that allows for light-hearted goofing and singing, which is combined discordantly with vivid depictions of body cavity searches and beatings. The end of the show, instead of following up on the Riders, their stories, and what they accomplished, is devoted to a reading of the names of contemporary victims of police brutality. Which is important, but felt tacked on at best.

The reading of names was followed by a rousing song with exhortations to clap along to end the show. It's hard not to feel that the ending was engineered to make the audience feel pretty good about themselves. My sister and theater companion, who is not generally cynical, turned to me after the show and said, "Isn't it great that we solved racism?"

Also, did I mention that Zonya Love is the only actress of color in the cast? And repeatedly, she is placed in the back, off to the side and barely spotlit while the three (three!) white actresses get multiple opportunities to shine. It was really hard to see that kind of disparity, particularly in a show about civil rights. I mean, come on.

The Parchman Hour tells about an important time in our country's history and brings some aspects of it to life, but overall, it felt like a good idea that never really fulfilled its promise. 

Barbecue at Mixed Blood Theatre

Mixed Blood Theatre kicks off its 2016-17 season with a bang with a terrific production of Robert O'Hara's Barbecue. It's a fascinating, outrageous, discomfiting comedy. The play opens in a park, with a family preparing for a barbecue party. That is about all I want to say about the plot, because the play is full of surprises. More than once, the story and telling change so abruptly that the audience has to reorient itself to the new situation.

The cast is phenomenal, handling these shifts and inhabiting all of the facets of their characters wonderfully, under the sure-handed direction of Thomas W. Jones III, who is also in the cast. Regina Marie Williams, Jevetta Steele, and Sandra Struthers were standouts, but the entire ensemble was terrific and also included Bonni Allen, Aimee K. Bryant, Lolly Foy, Sue Scott, Dana Lee Thompson, and Stephen Yoakam.

Besides keeping the actors on their toes, Barbecue challenges the audience to think about racial and cultural stereotypes, about the way the media presents marginalized groups, and about cultural appropriation. But mostly, it will make you think about your own biases and assumptions, whether or not you realized you had them. It's not just about race and class, but about expectations and automatic assumptions.

Barbecue is a rare comedy that entertains while also questioning our prejudices, checking our stereotypes, and interrogating the very nature of truth. Whether or not you believe that theater has the power to effect change in people or in society, this play explores the deep roots of the biases that impact our everyday lives. Barbecue is a must-see that demonstrates Mixed Blood's continuing commitment to "...using theater to address artificial barriers that keep people from succeeding in American society."

Barbecue runs at Mixed Blood through October 16, and thanks to their Radical Hospitality admission program, ticket cost need not be a barrier to anyone.

In looking up the theater's mission statement for the above quote, I found their whole mission and vision statement inspiring. Check it out here. And then consider signing up for a season membership, so you won't miss any of this fantastic theater's important work.

Paint Your Wagon at the Ordway

 For a perfectly delightful summer night at the theater, go see Paint Your Wagon, the new Lerner and Loewe musical that opened Thursday night at the Ordway (playing through August 21).

Wait, what? Paint Your Wagon is a new musical? But wasn't it a movie where Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood sang? And a hilarious musical joke on The Simpsons? Yes to all of the above.

Paint Your Wagon was the 1951 Broadway follow-up for Alan Jay Lerner (book and lyrics) and Frederick Loewe (music), whose Brigadoon was a hit four years earlier. The show had book trouble from the start, and when it was made into the 1969 film, the story was thrown out and a new plot accompanied the songs, which were always the strength of the show.

The show has never been revived on Broadway, and doesn't get a lot of productions, due in part to the lack of a compelling storyline. The Ordway has partnered with Seattle's Fifth Avenue Theatre to commission a new book by Jon Marans, the Pulitzer-nominated author of Old Wicked Songs. The production was first performed at Fifth Avenue and now comes to the Ordway as the first show in the 2016-2017 season. 

Grim times in No Name City.
(Production photos by Tracy Martin.)

Despite being a huge fan of musical theater, I didn't know much about the previous iterations. What's wonderfully refreshing about the new book is that it populates the Gold Rush setting with a cast of characters seldom seen in a classic musical. The racial and cultural diversity here isn't window dressing, but is central to the story in a new and refreshing way.

In 1849, gold is discovered in California, and settlers converge on a desolate place that they call No Name City. The travelers include Jake Rutland, a businessman accompanied by his slave, Wesley. When they cross paths with free black man H. Ford, Wesley starts to see a different future for himself. William has come from Ireland to make his fortune and return to his wife back home. As more men come to No Name City, Jake opens a saloon. Even on the frontier, where cooperation means survival, Jake segregates his clientele, who also include prospectors from China. But it's clear that not everyone agrees with his strictures, and much of the push and pull of the story involves these disparate people learning to live together and accept each other - or not. 

Armando (Justin Gregory Lopez) and a nicely cleaned up
Ben Rumson (Robert Cuccioli)

Of course, it's a musical, so there is also romance. Grizzled trapper Ben Rumson comes to the aid of Armando, whose Mexican family and their land were lost to the influx of white settlers. They arrive at the same time as a Mormon swindler with his two wives, one of whom is purchased by Ben to keep her out of Jake's hands. The town is livened up later by the arrival of some showgirls and Ben's daughter. As time passes, the town's fortunes rise and fall, some people learn to get along, others allow fear to turn to hatred, and everyone has to deal with the vagaries of the gold supply and the weather. 

It's a compelling chronicle of a fascinating time, but of course is held together by the music. "They Call the Wind Maria" and "Wand'rin' Star" are the most familiar tunes, but all of the songs, newly arranged for this production by Ian Eisendrath, are effective and catchy expressions of the time and place. 

Girls! Gold! Wigs!

Lerner and Loewe had a gift for writing to their setting, whether the Scottish Highlands in Brigadoon or the court of King Arthur in Camelot, and once again, the songs here are particularly appropriate to the tine and place as well as the characters. The energetic "I'm On My Way" and "Whoop-Ti-Ay!" show off the talented ensemble, while "Wand'rin' Star" and "Cariño Mio" are examples of songs that fit the characters perfectly. The fourteen-piece orchestra provides beautiful accompaniment for the gorgeous singing. A simple set perfectly sets off the wild, energetic choreography.This show has some serious fluid and powerful movement. And not a moving staircase to be found!

Robert Cuccioli, whose many Broadway credits include originating the title role(s) in Jekyll and Hyde, has a wonderful larger-than-life presence as Ben. From his introduction as a bushy-bearded, beaver-trapping loner to the complex married man trying to find a way to live his life, you cannot take your eyes off of him. His rich and robust voice utterly soars in "They Call the Wind Maria" and "Wand'rin' Star," two of the best-known songs in the show. I was pleasantly reminded of John Raitt.

Armando (Justin Gregory Lopez) and
Jennifer (Kirsten DeLohr Helland) get cozy

As Armando, Justin Gregory Lopez has a crystalline tenor voice and endearing comic timing. He creates a wonderfully layered character, and his relationships with Ben and Ben's daughter Jennifer are complex and moving. As a bonus, his voice blends beautifully in duets with Kirsten deLohr Helland's Jennifer.

A few standouts: Rhett George plays free man of color (and barber) H. Ford, and with his rich voice, comic timing, and strong character, was the heart and soul of the show. Jared Michael Brown plays the (mostly) villainous Jake Rutland with tons of wicked charm, as well as a beautiful head of hair. Twin Cities favorite Ann Michels plays Cayla Woodling, Ben's love interest--they have wonderful chemistry together, and they sing real pretty too.

The Ordway has created (and co-created) some fabulous productions in recent years (including The Sound of Music, The Pirates of Penzance, and Damn Yankees) and their excellent work continues to inspire and entertain. 

Paint Your Wagon honors the beautiful songs of Lerner and Loewe while simultaneously telling a modern, thoughtful story of a moment in American history when people from a range of origins all came together. Representation matters, and it's so exciting to see it onstage at the Ordway.

(co-written by Jules and Carly)

Le Switch by Philip Dawkins at the Jungle Theater

If you are looking for the perfect play to celebrate Pride, to follow Two Boys Kissing, or even to see where the anger from The Normal Heart finally got the GLBTQIA community - Le Switch at the Jungle Theater is the one. In fact, in my view, Le Switch may be a perfect play. I know that is a LOT of pressure to put on a play, and on a review, but here are my thoughts.

The plot is fairly simple. David (played by Kasey Mahaffy) is commitment-shy, and not sure what he makes of marriage equality. He falls back into the comfort of his home of unopened, antique books and his deep friendship with his roommate. Frank (played by Patrick Bailey) is a father-figure, activist, and grieving the loss of his longtime companion. David's best friend Zachary (Michael Wieser) is getting married, and is holding the bachelor party in Montreal. When David gets to Montreal, he is swept off his feet by a gorgeous, young florist Benoît (Michael Hanna). In the months that follow, David and his non-traditional family, including his sister Sarah (Emily Gunyou Halaas), have to figure out what commitment and marriage really mean to them, while also realizing what it means to be queer.

David is a librarian who is focused on classification, and cataloging. He likes things being where they should be. He knows who he is as a queer man of a certain age, and what he believes about marriage. At the same time, he collects books and leaves them unopened because then there is a mystery about them, they could be anything and he can believe them to be anything. There is a fantastical aspect of David. I think the cross-cultural romance helped bring this out even more. After all, when we travel aren't we usually able to be more ourselves? Free from the roles we have imposed on ourselves back at home?

Michael Hanna & Kasey Mahaffy
Photo by Dan Norman

The script, written by Philip Dawkins, is fast-paced, funny, smart, honest, timely and real in so many ways. He knows how to tell a story that affects multiple generations to a multi-generational audience. The question of marriage equality has many responses from the personal to the political. There are some in an older generation who are against marriage equality because it is a heternormative institution that "queers" should never want to follow. They pride themselves on being and staying different. There are others who fully accept and want equality because they are finally allowed something they never thought they would be allowed. This script shows all of these sides while never sounding preachy, yet keeping it honest and real. Along with that there is the question of what does it mean to be queer? If you have been feeling different all your life but suddenly you are no longer different...how do you deal with that? (there is a perfect line for this that I wrote down...but might have had the cap on my pen...darn.)

David goes on a journey, not only to Montreal, but to a different person. In the same way, the set (by the always amazing Kate Sutton-Johnson) goes on a journey as well. It starts very realistic but suddenly walls are rotating during transitions, jutting out for new locations, furniture sliding on and off stage - all with great lighting by Barry Browning, perfect sound design by Sean Healey, and fantastic projections by Daniel Benoit. What starts as one thing, ends as another. David starts as one thing and with a great magical realistic ending...well...go see for yourself.

I may say this too much but I can't think of a better cast. Emily Gunyou Halaas (looking like a young Patti LuPone) plays David's twin sister Sarah practically perfectly. There is a comfort between she and Kasey Mahaffy in their conversations and interactions onstage. Kasey is...well my initial notes say 'I can't even" so that says something. He is funny, moving, honest to the character, truthful and open. David's best friend Zachary is played by the extraordinary Michael Wieser. He is funny, stunning, sassy, and though his character may be on the outrageous side, he is solidly grounded and so clearly loves David. Patrick Bailey as Frank is also grounded and grounding. He seems to be a touchstone for David, someone who has been there for a long time and has helped David grow into the person he is. Bailey is wonderful and funny. Bringing magic to the stage is Michael Hanna as Benoît--brilliant in English and French--challenging David and yet remaining totally true to his character. Hanna and the rest of the cast are perfect really. Part of the perfection is the direction by Jeremy B Cohen. He kept the show moving, consistently real and truthful, finding time and place for humor and emotion helping make it a perfect production.

Le Switch plays at the Jungle Theater through July 31. Go see what I consider to be a perfect play in a fantastic production.

Charm - Mixed Blood Theatre

Charm, showing at Mixed Blood Theater through May 8, could not be more timely.

At a time of so much confusion, misinformation (and frankly, hate) around transgender people, it's refreshing and eye-opening to see the story of so many non-gender-conforming people.

Please note: I will attempt to use appropriate terminology and respectful language in this post, and apologize in advance if I say something I shouldn't. As Miss Darleena says in the show, "Have pity on the straight people, baby, they get confused."

The play is set in a dingy classroom in a LGBTQI community center in Chicago, where a volunteer is starting a class in - what else? - Charm. Mama Darleena, played by Julienne "Mizz June" Brown, is an African American trans woman in her 60s. A retired nurse, she wants to help her students, mostly homeless trans youth, to transcend their situations. Having come of age in an even less welcoming time, Mama Darleena believes that manners can benefit everyone. D (just "D"), a skeptical administrator played by Meighan Gerachis, warns her it's going to be a tough sell.

At first, some of the students show up because they heard there would be food. Some students are more forthcoming, and others take a while to get to know. Ariela (Rehema Mertinez) is a bit older than the rest, and fairly candid about using her body to make her living. Jonelle (Alyssandra Taylor) is outgoing as well, but not as settled into her identity as she would like to think.

Beta (Jay Simmons), on the other hand, sits in the back of the classroom and doesn't say more than a couple of words until far into the play. And one character, played by Jay Owen Eisenberg, is so overwhelmed by the newness of her experience that she hasn't chosen a name. The others call her "Lady" and it sticks.

Miss Darleena and her class (Rich Ryan photo)

Each character is in a different stage of their personal journey, even those who identify as cisgender (meaning their gender identity aligns with what they were assigned at birth). Donnie (Ryan Colbert) and Victoria (Jennifer Waweru) are a couple with children, and Logan (Nathan Barlow) is a curious college student.

The students slowly grow in their trust of Mama Darleena and each other, but there is plenty of antagonism along the way. The story of a teacher and her students is not a new one, but the issues these students face are not ones we see playing out on stage very often.

Playwright Philip Dawkins based his play on the real-life Gloria Allen, and sat in on her classes, and the play feels very authentic as a result. Charm just premiered last year in Chicago, and Mixed Blood's production is the first to achieve authentic casting, thanks to a nationwide search for trans actors. (The program helpfully lists preferred pronouns along with the cast and crew bios.)

As a person without a lot of experience in this community, I found the play enlightening, heartwarming, and very entertaining. Some of the performances felt a little unpolished, but it seemed appropriate for a play about people who are doing quite a bit of acting in life as they try to forge their unique identities. This is an important play for the world we live in right now, as it reminds us that trans people, like all people, are not a monolithic "they" but individuals trying to live their authentic lives. And isn't that what we are all striving for?

Every performance is followed by an opportunity to discuss the play with some of the people involved. And don't forget that with Mixed Blood's "Radical Hospitality" program, admission is free on a first come/first served basis starting two hours before every show. Or you can purchase advance tickets online or by phone. But go, and support this enlightening and entertaining show.

Spring 2016 Preview - SO. Much. Theater.

If you need me this spring, I'll be at the theater.

As much as I'd like to be out gardening (not really), enjoying the sun (in theory), or taking a long run (stop laughing), I shall be inside a dark theater enjoying the best from our local purveyors of quality theater.

So here's a look at the shows I'm most excited for this spring!

C. at Theater Latte Da (The Ritz Theater)
March 30 - April 24
What: A musical adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac with book and lyrics by Bradley Greenwald and music by Robert Elhai.
Why I'm Excited: Because it is an absolutely, utterly, gorgeous production of a wonderful new show. The music, in particularly the male chorus numbers, is astonishingly beautiful. Read more about from our friend Cherry and Spoon's rave review.

Buyer and Cellar at New Century Theatre
April 6 - April 24

What: One-man show about a Alex More, an unemployed actor who takes a job running the mall in Barbra Streisand's basement, originally performed off-Broadway in 2013.

Why I'm Stoked: Saw it in New York and the show is completely hilarious. We saw it with Michael Urie, and I can't think of a better local actor than Sasha Andreev to take on the sweet and funny role of Alex More.

The Fantasticks at Nautilus Music-Theatre
April 8 - April 19
What: Classic musical by Tom Jones about two young lovers and the fathers that try to separate them.

Why I'm There: a) That cast! Gary Briggle and Wendy Lehr as the young lovers, Christina Baldwin and Jennifer Baldwin Peden as their fathers, William Gilness as the mysterious narrator, and Brian Sostek as his sidekick. And b) There's no better place in town to hear amazing performers in charming, inventive productions AND unmiked in an intimate space.

Sunset Baby at Penumbra Theatre
April 12 - May 8
What: "A tough, independent woman in Brooklyn is visited by her father, a former revolutionary in the Black liberation movement who seeks to mend their broken relationship." (From Timeline Theatre)
Why It's a Must-See: Last year, Penumbra produced Detroit '67 by Dominique Morrisseau, and it was a beautiful, riveting night of theater. Also, Penumbra is hitting them out of the park this season.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid at Children's Theatre Company
April 12 - June 5
What: Musical adaptation of the wildly popular children's book series by Jeff Kinney.
Why: Four words: Produced by Kevin McCollum.

Lasso of Truth at Workhaus Collective in association with Walking Shadow Theatre Company(The Playwright's Center)
April 15 - May 1
What: A play that explores the origins of Wonder Woman, written by Carson Kreitzer.
Why I Am Excited (But a Little Sad): 1) Stephen Yoakam. 2) Projections by Davey Steinman (of Basement Creatures.) 3) It's Workhaus Collective's final show.  

Charm at Mixed Blood Theatre
April 22 – May 8, 2016
What: "A beguiling comic drama revolving around Mama Darleena, an African American trans woman in her 60s teaching an etiquette class to trans youth experiencing homelessness in a LGBTQI Chicago community center." (Mixed Blood website)
Why I'm Down: They had me at "beguiling." And I adore all things etiquette. Plus, important social issues and all that.

Leap of Faith at Minneapolis Musical Theatre
April 29 – May 22
What: Charismatic con man preacher has a change of heart (I assume).
Why I'm Up for It: I'm loving Minneapolis Musical Theatre's season this year and this one features the Twin Cities Gospel Choir. Yes, please.

Complicated Fun: the Minneapolis Music Scene at History Theatre

April 30–May 29, 2016
What: Exploration of the Minneapolis music scene of the 1980s.
Why I'm Interested but a Little Freaked Out: My youth is going to be on stage at the History Theatre. The History Theatre. That means I am OLD. Still ... I love that they're leaping into more recent history. Will the History Theatre be rocking? Will I need those kids to get off my lawn?

The Shining at Minnesota Opera
May 7 - 15
What: It's all there in the title. World Premiere, no less.
Why I'll Be In the Front Row: I love Stephen King AND opera! It's as though they made it just for me! Thanks, Minnesota Opera!

Trouble in Mind at Guthrie Theater
May 7 - June 5
What: "It is 1957 in New York and rehearsals have begun for a racially integrated production, one the company hopes will be the next hit. But when prejudices and stereotypes emerge, African American actress Wiletta Mayer faces a difficult decision: should she swallow her pride and compromise her values to achieve her lifelong dream of playing a leading role on Broadway?" (Guthrie website)

Why I Won't Miss This One: New play, by Alice Childress. (Can we talk about all the women playwrights on this list? And the women playwrights of color? HURRAH!) Fascinating story. Support representation at the Big G! And the lovely Mr. Haj.

A Night in Olympus at Illusion Theater
May 7 - June 4
What: I read the description and I really don't have any idea. Mythology? Zombies? Geeks? Wish fulfillment?
Why I'm Underlining This One: Really just a big list of names: Jeffrey Hatcher, Bill Corbett, Chan Poling, Dieter Bierbrauer, Aimee K. Bryant, Norah Long, Randy Schmeling and oh, so many more.

The Changelings at Ten Thousand Things
May 13 - June 5
What: Play by Kira Obolensky. They could put on a dramatic reading of the phone book, and I'd be there in the front row.
Why I Won't Miss It: See above. And because I don't miss a TTT production. Ever. Also, yay Joy Dolo! One of my new favorite local actors!

Happy Spring Theatergoing! And don't worry, Spring will be a little late this year.

Did I miss something amazing? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter!

A Night with Janis Joplin - Ordway

Photo by Joan Marcus

If you are looking for a night of fantastic songs from a bygone era, an amazing band and electrifying vocals, look no further than "A Night with Janis Joplin" playing at the Ordway through April 3rd. The whole evening is set up as a concert with Janis Joplin - played by the 2014 Tony Award nominee Mary Bridget Davies. It does not disappoint (unless you are looking for a traditional book musical.)

The show starts a bit slow (at it did least on opening night), but I think that is mainly because it is a bit out of the ordinary for the traditional theater-going crowd. Once Davies lets loose, she is a force to be reckoned with and she got the audience on her side, to the point of more than one mid-show standing ovation. The audience was not huge, but they were enthusiastic, and were screaming for more. More than that, the excitement felt organic and not forced. It didn't feel like "the band wants us to clap so we'll clap," nor did it feel like "we just got permission to scream in the theater, so let's do it." What it felt like was the audience wanted to clap, scream and get moving but needed a bit of guidance from the stage before letting loose. And once they let loose, the energy of the room shifted. It was great! I can only imagine the energy that would have been in a full house, or a smaller room.

Photo by Joan Marcus

The other great thing is that this was a strong female cast of amazing voices! The show is not Beautiful in that it doesn't tell the story of Janis Joplin and her life. In fact, it is a bit cleaned up and family friendly. Yes, there is swearing however there is no mention of the drug use that eventually killed Janis at the age of 27 in 1970.

What the show does is give you an audience with Janis so that you can hear a bit of her life, and her influences. It was great seeing Etta James (Tawny Dolley), Bessie Smith, Odetta (both played by Cicily Daniels), Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone (both played by Q. Smith), and a character simply named Blues Singer (the amazing Jennifer Leigh Warren). All of these characters had some influence on what Janis sang and her connection to the blues. Hearing these women, these icons of song sing...then hearing Janis's version of those same songs was fantastic. The ensemble was terrific and so versatile as they also sang some back-up vocals for Janis, and Aretha. The band was incredible as well. It was an all male band (as was Big Brother and the Holding Company) and they sounded and looked the part.

Photo by Joan Marcus

The set was simple and effective. The costumes that made the ensemble into the icons were fantastic, and Ms Davies had the look, mannerisms and the voice of Janis Joplin down to a T. Honestly, there were times that were spine-tingling because I felt I was transported back to seeing Janis live and in person (especially with the projections behind the band - totally trippy and 60's and perfect!) And if that is the experience you want, then you get your butt down to the Ordway and you have it. You will hear all the Janis songs that you want to hear, and more.

PS: I just found out that Janis played once here in the Twin Cities. She played at the Guthrie Theater on August 18, 1968. I can't imagine her at the Guthrie.

co-written - Jules, KRL

Nina Simone: Four Women - Park Square Theater (Guest Post!)

Don’t let me be misunderstood!

Nina Simone: Four Women is currently in its world premiere at the Andy Boss stage at Park Square Theater in St. Paul. The show runs through March 26.

Actor-singer Regina Marie Williams takes on the role of Nina Simone. It’s a role she performed a few years ago in a one-woman show at the Capri Theater in North Minneapolis. That show was essentially just the music of Nina Simone. But here and now, we have a full-fledged play written by Christina Ham and directed by Faye Price, with Nina Simone as the central character.

Regina Marie Williams as Nina Simone; photo
 by Petronella J. Ytsma

The play is set in 1963 in the bombed out ruins of the 16th Street Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama, the day after the four little girls were killed. The event inspired Nina Simone's song "Mississippi Goddam." She meets three other women who are seeking shelter in the church from the riots outside. These woman are played skillfully by actor-singers Aimee K. Bryant, Thomasina Petrus and Traci Allen Shannon and serve as the fictitious inspiration in the show for Simone to write one of her signature songs, "Four Women," which depicts stereotypes of black women.

It was during this period that Simone became more of an artist/activist--realizing how difficult it was to sing tender ballads like “I Love You Porgy” while the civil rights movement was gaining momentum. (Note her use of "Love," not "Loves.") The play clearly outlines how black women were marginalized during this time--not just for their race, but also for their sex. I learned that during the March on Washington in 1963, black women were even forced to walk down a separate street to hear Martin Luther King speak. Also, only one black woman was allowed to speak at this monumental, historic gathering and her speech was written by a black man.

Nina Simone: Four Women is an important, thought-provoking piece of theater, where these four women bond and become stronger individuals as a result. In the process, we are given a taste of Simone’s prickly personality. (Much later, in the 1980s, she would be diagnosed as bipolar. According to her daughter, she was an abusive parent after being abused herself both physically and mentally by her controlling husband.)

This original production is a good introduction to an important turning point in Nina Simone’s complex and complicated life. Sanford Moore’s arrangements are beautifully vocalized in the play--the harmonies are heavenly. A special shout out to the effective lighting design by Michael Wangen. My only disappointment was that there wasn’t more of Nina Simone’s music in the show, but it understandably wasn’t created as that type of play. Thankfully, we avid Simone fans have our old LPs and CDs for that!

A marvelous companion piece to this play is the documentary What Happened, Miss Simone? I highly recommend it if you have any interest in Nina Simone, and after seeing this show, you will.

(Guest post by rickjallen)

The Shape of Things - Daleko Arts

I love a good theater resolution. Last year, my goal was to go to more small theaters. This year, I'm resolving to get out of the Twin Cities.

I can't think of a better place to start this spring resolution than DalekoArts in New Prague. I love this explanation of the name and a bit of the mission from their program:

"'Daleko' - a Czech word meaning 'far away' - reflects New Prague's strong bohemian roots, its spatial relationship to the cultural hub that is the Twin Cities, and the ensemble's desire to step back and examine the world from a new point of view.'"

When we heard that DalekoArts was doing The Shape of Things by Neil LaBute, we were so in. Way to swing for the fences! And we were not disappointed.

Playing now through March 20, The Shape of Things is, for a Neil LaBute play, extremely accessible. The "nastiest parts of ourselves" as director Jamil Jude puts it in his Director's Note, are a bit less nasty than, for example, Fat Pig or In the Company of Men.

Mike Swan and Cristina Florencia Castro
(photo provided by DalekoArts)

Director Jamil Jude has put together a tight cast of four actors for this intense story of art and relationships. Artist Evelyn (Cristina Florencia Castro) meets Adam (Mike Swan) at a college art gallery, where she plans to make an artistic statement about censorship using a can of spray paint. She flirts her way into a date with the slightly dorky student, who is soon embarking on a course of self-improvement. Adam's friends Philip (James Rodriguez) and Jenny (Tamara Clark) are not as taken with Evelyn as he is, as her influence starts to change more than his outward appearance.

That's the story, and to tell more would be giving away too much. I'll say this though: The production is well worth traveling to New Prague to see. (Less than an hour from the Cities!)

Mike Swan and Cristina Florencia Castro in perspective.
(photo provided by DalekoArts)

Although the play originally premiered in 2001, this production sets it in the present day, using artwork from all eras as part of the set, as well as contemporary music and costuming.

The music that plays in between scenes deserves its own ovation. Fun and contemporary, it's a perfect accompaniment to the efficient set changes and scene transitions. (Excellent use of the Klik Klak sofa bed, I have to say.). Also, I need the mixtape based on this show.

This play runs a brisk 90 minutes with no intermission. The dialogue, especially as delivered by Castro and Swan as Evelyn and Adam, flows naturally with excellent pacing. Swan in particular lends an endearing humor to his scenes, and undergoes a believable transformation. Castro, despite an unnerving resemblance to The Good Wife's Sarah Steele, gives a multi-dimensional and sympathetic performance of a character who could be quite unpleasant.

One more tip: Don't rush too quickly out of the theater when you've seen the show. Take a quick left when you reach the lobby. (Not a right, that's the bathroom.) Trust me.

Fun fact: Elvis Costello did the music for the 2003 film of The Shape of Things starring Paul Rudd and Rachel Weisz. Could that film BE any whiter? So pleased that DalekoArts did not follow that lead.

(co-written by Carly and Jules)