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.

Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man at the Ordway

Had a rough couple of weeks? Despondent about the state of the world? I can't imagine any better antidote than seeing Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man at the Ordway (November 18-19).

This show makes you remember that there are still good things in the world, like theater that makes you throw your head back and laugh with your whole body.

Grant MacDermott and Rachel Moulton
(from the NYC production; image from Broadway World.com)

Sex Tips started off-Broadway in 2014 as a play adapted by Matt Murphy from the book by Dan Anderson and Maggie Berman. It's been running ever since at the 777 Theater on 8th Avenue. The tour stops in St. Paul for only two days, but I wish it was staying longer.

We open at St. Paul Community College, where the audience is attending a 'meet the authors' forum. Due to the untimely demise of the usual moderator, shy, awkward (and single) Robyn is facilitating the event. Oh, and the book they're discussing? Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man by Dan Anderson. Technical help during the show is provided by Stefan, one of Robyn's employees who is helping with lights and sound (and much more).

Brooks Christopher (headshot by Matthew Murray
http://www.brookschristopher.com/headshotsresume/)

Grant MacDermott plays Dan (the titular gay man) and he has the audience is in the palm of his hand almost immediately. He is engaging and hilarious and makes this interactive show seem unbelievably easy and charming. Jacklyn Collier is charmingly awkward and nervous as Robyn (the titular straight woman) and Brooks Christopher is hunky Stefan, who does a beautiful job of being wildly objectified, but in an affectionate way.

The energy level of this show is intense. The performers go all-out to bring the audience into the performance, and it was fun to see their reactions to some of the audience members they brought up on stage. Christopher did a particularly good job of staying stoic in the face of ridiculousness and good-naturedly accepting so much prurient attention.

Not your average merch table, no?

And yes, if the title didn't tip you off, this is a show that acknowledges the existence of sexual activities (as the NPR disclaimer goes). Much of the humor comes from the frank and funny airing of topics not usually heard about on the Ordway stage.

The charming MacDermott makes the Ordway Concert Hall feel intimate, and his winks and reactions to his own and others' naughtiness are priceless. Collier takes the audience on her journey from discomfort to enjoyment, and Christopher is quite funny as well as being very easy on the eyes.

[Kooky sidebar: In researching the show and looking for photos with the touring cast, we found this amazing story of the time Jacklyn Collier went on a date with Martin Shrekli: My Tinder date with "Pharma bro" Martin Shkreli]

Above all, Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man is a show that helps me remember that:

If you haven't read Hyperbole and a Half, you should.

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)

Hip Hop Nutcracker at the Ordway

If you like great dancing and incredible feats of flexibility and athleticism, see the Hip Hop Nutcracker! It's a short run, just two nights at the Ordway. The show, produced by The New Jersey Performing Arts Center, combines hip-hop music and dance with the classic melodies of Tchaikovsky.

The show starts with an introduction to old-school hip-hop from DJ Boo with Special Guest MC Kurtis Blow, a trailblazing artist who was the first rapper signed to a major record label. Not just a legend, Blow got the Minnesota crowd hyped up, which is saying something. Speaking of the crowd, it was amazingly diverse, not just ethnically, but by age. There were white-haired folks waving their hands in the air and little children dancing in their seats, and it was great to see.

Image from hiphopnutcracker.wordpress.com

After the opener, violinist Mathew "Mattviolinist" Silvera and DJ Boo riff along with Tchaikovsky before the dancers come out and the action, set on the streets of New York, begins. The dancing is primarily performed to a straightforward recording of "The Nutcracker."

I admit to very little experience with hip-hop or classical dance, but the movement was amazing to watch, and included a lot of moves I recognized from breakdancing videos back in the day. In addition to moving beautifully, the eleven-member cast convey the emotions of the story and the projected backdrop and costumes set the scene for recognizable characters like the mouse king and the snowflakes.

I don't think I'm giving this show its due, but it's a hugely enjoyable evening of really impressive dance and wonderful for audiences of all ages.

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.

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You ... 2014 Season Announcements

A couple of theaters have announced their upcoming seasons.  Check out the links and plan up your next year accordingly!

Hennepin Theatre Trust announced its 2014–2015 Thrivent Financial Broadway on Hennepin Season (16-page season brochure PDF). 

Some new offerings on tour include Pippin, Motown the Musical and Kinky Boots, all currently running on Broadway.  The Book of Mormon and Jersey Boys are back, and a couple of eyebrow-raising shows;  Dirty Dancing and I Love Lucy Live on Stage.  Also included in the season is Theater Latte Da's Oliver.


The Ordway also announced their 2014-2014 Season.  Musical theater shows include Evita, Nice Work If You Can Get It, and the very well-received A Christmas Story.  Other offerings include Damn Yankees, Camelot and The Pirates of Penzance.  Hmm.

Park Square Theatre announced its new season and has expanded its number of shows due to the Boss Stage, their new black box space.  Shows of interest next season include Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play, which was well-reviewed at Playwrights Horizon in New York, 33 Variations (warning: sound--I mean, really?) and The Color Purple.

A few shows are making encore appearance at Park Square, including Trick Boxing, created by and starring the wildly talented Brian Sostek, Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol and Two Sugars, Room for Cream.

More season announcements to come--stay tuned!