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.

Leap of Faith - Minneapolis Musical Theatre

Do you believe in miracles? Do you believe in music? You will after seeing Leap of Faith at Minneapolis Musical Theatre (through May 22 at the New Century Theatre). 

MMT's production features the Twin Cities Community Gospel Choir. Need I say more? Can I get an amen? Can I stop asking rhetorical questions?

Based on a 1992 Steve Martin movie, Leap of Faith features music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater. Here's the story: 

Matt Tatone, working the crowd into a frenzy.
Photo by Lisa Persson.

Jonas Nightingale (Matt Tatone) is a preacher/con artist who brings his musical "Angels of Mercy" from town to town setting up revivals, faking miracles, and collecting funds from the townspeople. Jonas's sister Sam (Jill Iverson) is his somewhat skeptical partner in crime. Ida Mae Sturdevant (Sonya Nolen-Moon) is the star performer of the group and her children, Ornella (Brianna Graham) and Isaiah (Brandon A. Jackson) differ widely on issues of faith. When Jonas and his Angels get stranded in the depressed, drought-stricken town of Sweetwater and meet Sheriff Marla McGowan and her wheelchair-bound son Jake, well, things get interesting.

I have so much good to say, I don't know where to start. Forgive the mildly incoherent raving to follow.

The cast is outstanding. Matt Tatone as Jonas gives a full-out, no-holds-barred performance during the revival scenes, leading the proceedings with utter commitment and wild energy. His performance made me think of Hugh Jackman in The Boy from Oz, who worked so hard in that show that he was whippet-thin. (So, someone make sure to feed Tatone, okay?) Yet in his scenes with his sister and with Marla, Tatone creates the perfect combination of charming, seductive con with a thin veneer of slime.

Brianna Graham and Angels. Photo by Lisa Persson.

Jill Iverson as his sister Sam, in a non-showy role, provides deadpan humor and the voice of reason, while singing the heck out of her songs. Emily Jansen as Sheriff Marla perfectly depicts the no-nonsense sheriff with a soft spot for a charming con, and her relationship with her son (Andrew Hey, possessed of an angelic voice) is realistic and believable. Sonya Nolen-Moon, as Ida Mae, anchors the proceedings and the music with gravitas, sparkle and a gorgeous voice. Her daughter (Brianna Graham) has a dynamic presence and a powerful voice as well. And then there's Isaiah.

Brandon A. Jackson plays Ida Mae's highly devout son Isaiah who disapproves highly of everything Jonas and the Angels are doing. Far from being a one-note, stuffy buzzkill, Isaiah's side (and snide) comments are delivered hilariously. His voice is sublime. In the second act, he solos in a song called "Are You On the Bus?" and sings the hell out of it. (Literally?) In opera, there's a controversial convention in which a performer will encore a particularly well-sung aria. (Most recently, Juan Diego Florez encored his "Ah, mes Amis" aria from La Fille du Regiment.) I think this convention should be brought back SOLELY so we can hear Jackson sing his part of "Are You On the Bus?" again. It was staggering.

Is it a miracle? Photo by Lisa Persson.

The entire ensemble is marvelous, and used beautifully. They shift seamlessly between portraying Angels and townspeople, with only a few minor costume changes. The dancing is full-out and energetic, and the music (provided by a rocking onstage band featuring Paul David Stanko, John P. Imgrund, Bill Crean, Ginger Larson, and Alex Maiers) is used perfectly to heighten the preaching. And the SINGING. 

The singing, y'all. It's easily some of the best ensemble singing I've heard on a local theater stage. Christian Unser (Vocal Director) and Alison Shirk (Music Director) weave together the ensemble and the gospel choir perfectly, creating music you feel in your heart and soul. I can't really even explain why it sounds so amazing, but it does. Even in the New Century Theatre, which can sometimes be a tricky space. (Well done, audio designer Abe Gabor!)

A few more technical details: The theater is set up as the interior of the revival tent, and the audience are the townspeople, which creates a powerfully direct link between audience and performers. The set (by Darren Hansel) is spare, but works perfectly. The lighting (by Grant Merges) makes it crystal clear when the revival is in full swing.

One more bit of love for this production. As a repressed Minnesotan, audience participation can make me a titch uncomfortable. I am not great at clapping in time and displays of public emotion....eh. Also, sometimes I have a bit of a "Oh, am I doing your job for you?" feeling about too much audience participation. Leap of Faith has an inherent audience participatory element, but they make it clear and they make it easy. They sent out this note in an email to theatergoers (along with very helpful road closure info): 

Our ushers will be handing out Jonas Bucks before the show. Offering baskets are passed out during the show. Please throw in your Jonas Buck into the plate when the baskets come around. Of course, if you do want to support Minneapolis Musical Theatre, visit our lobby where you can throw in a buck (or more!) to help support MMT.

See? Crystal clear. No wondering about whether we should actually be digging in our purses and wallets--they tell you exactly what to expect and do. And they really limit what they ask of the audience and how long. By the time they want you to put your hands in the air and clap along, you are ready and willing.

Minneapolis Musical Theatre has had a fantastic season. Starting with the wonderful Murder Ballad at Bryant-Lake Bowl, then Silence: The Musical at the Lab Theater (saw it twice, and that's saying something), and now Leap of Faith. They just keep getting better and better. They've always been scrappy and put on shows with SO much heart, but now they are really upping their game on the technical expertise side. I can't wait to see what they will bring us next season!

Six Characters in Search of an Author - Wonderlust Productions

Six Characters in Search of an Author, currently playing on the Andy Boss Thrust Stage at Park Square Theater (through May 8) is a fascinating, multi-layered work of meta-theater.

Alan Berks adapted this work from Luigi Pirandello's 1921 play (which you can read on the Internet, thank you Project Gutenberg!) and also directs the production.

Here's a snippet of the synopsis of the Pirandello play from theaterhistory.com:

A stock company under the direction of their Manager and with the assistance of the Prompter and the Property Man is about to rehearse a play. Since there is a dearth of good French comedies, they have to fall back on a comedy by Pirandello, which, the Manager admits, is, as usual, quite incomprehensible. Just as rehearsal starts the Door Man interrupts. He is followed by a queer assortment of Characters who announce that they are looking for an author.

It appears that the author whose imagination has conceived them has decided against putting them in a drama. Their only chance to live is to find some author who is willing to put them in a play. The bewildered Manager finally consents to let the Characters live out their own story on the stage, while the Prompter takes down the parts in shorthand and the stock company stands round to pick up suggestions for proper interpretation.

The action proceeds accompanied by the attempts of the harassed Manager to keep it within the selective and arbitrary requirements of the stage, and by the insistent endeavors of the Characters to act out the whole of their internal struggle. (Here's the rest of the synopsis.)

This adaptation is set in the world of reality television, which allows Berks to comment on some of the tropes of the genre and on the artificiality of "reality" television.

Joe Wiener, Annika Wahlquist, and Paul LaNave, with Michael T. Brown
on monitor screen. (photo from Wonderlust facebook page)

The play begins in the control room on the set of The Maze, a Big Brother-like tv show, which is preparing for its live finale. Playgoers are the studio audience, watching the crew prepare for the show and being coached by the host (Joe Wiener) to applaud, boo and hiss. Banks of monitors show various views of the house, as well as footage from past episodes of the show.

In the midst of all this, the three remaining contestants burst into the control room, complaining about the game, the show, and each other. The Producer (Paul LaNave) tries to take back control of the proceedings without much success. Meanwhile, we gradually become aware of a strange group of people moving through the supposedly empty house--a wonderfully spooky effect.

The strangers enter the control room, and everything gets a bit surreal. They identify themselves as Characters (Adam Whisner, Sandra Struthers, Kiara Jackson and Gabriel Murphy) who have been abandoned by their author and are searching for someone to help them finish their story. To explain more would be too spoilery. Suffice it to say that the Characters (who are dressed in old-fashioned clothing and kind of otherworldly make-up, but don't appear to be of any specific era) are from the Pirandello play, and their stories are appropriately (and decidedly) complicated.

The beauty in this adaptation is the conceit of the Characters meeting the 'characters'--the contestants, who each fill a particular reality show niche. Rachel (Rachel Finch) is "the flirt", Sam (the wonderful and committed Sam Landman) is "the jerk," an outspoken racist/sexist stereotype. Sam's ill-informed barbs are mostly directed at "the dude," Michael (Michael T. Brown, whose frequent asides to the audience are hilarious). Although the reality show unsuccessfully tries to cast Michael as a thug, he's actually a gay, black man. I'm not sure the stereotyping has been totally averted here. There are tons of interesting observations here about the nature of "reality" television--I only wish they had been developed more fully. At points, those observations feel less like comment, and more like an excuse to have the characters behave in reprehensible ways, especially Sam. It's a very thin line to walk.

The reality show setup has some very nice touches, like the banks of monitors showing "camera angles" from the rest of the house, and the ability of the Techs (Gregory Adam and Annika Wahlquist) to turn their live cameras on the action and individuals. I loved the two Techs tweeting each other during the show, and the tweets being displayed on the monitors. The video showing what was happening in the rest of the house was very well done and integrated into the onstage action. (See the trailer for the reality show below.)

Elements of the Characters' stories are doled out in bits and pieces, and are so complicated as to make the story unclear, but that seems to have been the point in the original play. It's still kind of unusual to see a work of entertainment that doesn't spell out the whole story, but it gave me and my companions plenty to discuss after the show, as we all had different interpretations of what we saw. And hurrah for plays that make the audience think!

The performances by the cast were universally excellent, with the stylized portrayals of the Characters contrasting nicely with the other, more realistic, but equally dramatic, characters. Each actor plays a recognizable "type" but delves below the surface to make each player specific. No matter how confusing the plot becomes, the cast is rock-solid in maintaining each distinctive character. In addition to the work on stage, the actors had the added layer of performing in and reacting to the video from other rooms in the house, which is done seamlessly. Kudos to this talented group and Berks' direction.

Wonderlust Productions updated Berks' adaptation (originally performed in 2013 at Gremlin Theatre) with input from a residency at the University of Saint Thomas, where they asked how young people in our modern society interpret some of the questions asked by the play. Wonderlust has more community-driven projects coming up, including plays about the adoption experience and about being an employee at the state capitol. I look forward to seeing more of this newish company's work, given their unique take on this classic.

Check out the trailer for the play's "reality show:"



(Co-written by Carly and Jules)

Constellations at the Jungle Theater

Beekeeping and quantum mechanics mixed with the multiverse - that is what to expect when seeing Constellations at the Jungle Theater. This play is an amazing kaleidoscope of ideas, options, and chances all mixed into a two-person show. Written by Nick Payne, Constellations is about Roland (Ron Menzel) and Marianne (Anna Sundberg) who meet at a barbecue. Roland is a beekeeper while Marianne is a theoretical physicist - a very unlikely combination. There are several attempts at starting a conversation, each time the characters come to an impasse the scene starts again. When the conversation actually continues, the scene continues. In less talented hands this could look like a high school production of the "first date sketch" in which a bell rings each time the date doesn't work out.

Photo: Dan Norman

Lucky for us this incredible cast, under the precise direction of Gary Gisselman, transforms this work into an amazing show about two people and how each interaction changes their lives. Take the opening scene. Each time the characters come to an impasse the scene starts again. However we start to ask ourselves - is it the same characters making another attempt at connecting? Or is it the same characters in a different universe which creates the alternate outcome of the conversation? I felt the play showed multiple versions of events which really highlights how each choice we make affects our lives and the lives of others. The multiverse is the main through line to this show. That is not to say the characters don't have a storyline. It is fascinating and mesmerizing to watch these actors play similar scenes repeatedly but each scene is played slightly differently - either in attitude, or physicality, or small changes in the words. Roland and Marianne (in some universe) meet, date, are in a relationship, break-up (because she cheats multiple times, or he cheats once), meet again at a ballroom class (some very sweet and simple choreography from Myron Johnson), get married, and deal with death. In one universe there is possible abuse, in another there is a brain tumor in the frontal lobe that may or may not lead to assisted suicide. All I can really say is that this show provides a lot to think about while also providing laughs, sighs of romantic joy, tears, and simple wonder.

I have already mentioned that the cast and direction were singular and incredible. The other thing that I have to mention is the set by Kate Sutton-Johnson. The directors note states "...a new play whose only stage direction is 'with every change of font there is a change of universe.' And there are sixty changes of font." How do you design for that? Sutton-Johnson found the perfect solution by creating a multi-level set with angles and curves through out. There are lines painted on the set, radiating in various directions. There are also metallic bands set across the top of the set, along the back and sides of the set creating an abstract sculpture for the actors to work on. Occasionally the bands would reflect light into the audience creating a shimmer - reminding us of the multitude of stars (and possible universes) in the sky at night. The program provides more insight into her process, along with some fantastic background to the science of the show, beekeeping, and a list of four books available at Magers & Quinn to further explore the ideas behind the play. I had an amazing, talk-creating experience watching Constellations. It plays through May 29th so there is plenty of time to see it, but if it gets reviews like it did on Broadway, I have a sense that the sooner the better.

Sunset Baby - Penumbra Theatre Company

Sunset Baby, is the last play in Penumbra Theatre's 2015-16 Revolution Love season. The play, by rising star Dominique Morisseau, is playing through Sunday, May 8.

Before we get to the play, can I just tell you what I love about Penumbra Theatre? I love that they've devoted their whole season to shows about social justice. I love the comprehensive "Dig Deep" resources and readings, and their thoughtful post-play discussions. I love their innovative Bookends, Let's Talk and Reel Talk programs, which provide even more of an opportunity for engagement. I even love their tee shirts. I wanted to love Sunset Baby as well.

Dominique Morisseau is currently working on a three-play cycle about her hometown. The first of these is Detroit '67, which Penumbra produced last year in a marvelous production directed by Shirley Jo Finney, and starring Austene Van, James T. Alfred, Darius Dotch, Jamecia Bennett and Elizabeth Efteland. Detroit '67 was a moving and musical play about people trying to live their lives in the midst of intense racial tensions that led to one of the deadliest and most destructive riots in history. The play evoked the anxiety of the time, as well as the very real and funny personal relationships of a fascinating group of characters.

Sunset Baby is not part of Morisseau's "The Detroit Projects," and the play is quite different in feel. Detroit '67 was music, dancing and affection in the face of incredibly tense times, and Morisseau's language practically danced across the stage. Sunset Baby is set in contemporary times, and the harsh, profane language never flows, but is fairly spit out by each of the characters.

James Craven and Jasmine Hughes

Nina (Jasmine Hughes) is a hustler who works with her boyfriend Damon (Ronnel Taylor), a drug dealer. It's a harsh life and Nina is a tough customer, which is at least partly due to the absence of her father in her life. Kenyatta Shakur (James W. Craven) was an important figure in the black liberation movement, and ended up in prison for following his ideals. As the play begins, Nina's mother Ashanti X, famous in the movement as well, has died, leaving Nina some letters that she wrote to Kenyatta but never mailed. He wants the letters, but since the news has spread of previously unreleased letters between these two historic figures, Nina has been offered a lot of money to sell them, which could help her to leave her grim life.

What I find fascinating about this play in contrast to Detroit '67 is that I never felt a connection to these characters. They're not easy characters to be sure--there's no dancing in the basement to Motown tunes (as in Detroit '67). Which makes me really think about my own response to this show. Why is it that I found these characters so distancing? Is it really that they didn't exhibit much growth or relationship progression? Is it that the contemporary story of drug dealers and hustlers needs the burnish of years and charming period music and costumes to provide entrée? Or, finally, that I just don't know enough about the black liberation movement?

I keep thinking about Ta-Nehisi Coates's Between the World and Me, and what he wrote about Black History Month:

Every February my classmates and I were herded into assemblies for a ritual review of the Civil Rights Movement. Our teachers urged us toward the example of freedom marchers, Freedom Riders, and Freedom Summers, and it seemed that the month could not pass without a series of films dedicated to the glories of being beaten on camera....Why were only our heroes nonviolent?

And he asks, why do we never see the militants? I love that Dominique Morisseau is addressing the harsher realities, and that her main character is the product of two revolutionary activists. I wanted to know more about Nina's parents, though. Although several scenes have Craven talking to himself (or recording himself?) in a corner of the stage discussing his life, it was hard to understand what he said there (and hard to see from where we were sitting.) I really wanted to know more about Nina's mother, and what she brought to her relationships and the movement. The play felt like it needed a little softness. Although Ronnel Taylor as Damon was the most vulnerable character, he still had a touch of menace. All three actors were solid. James Craven looks and sounds the part of a former revolutionary, Ronnel Taylor brings elements of humor to his performance, and Jasmine Hughes did her best with a pretty unsympathetic character. I look forward to seeing more from Hughes, an engaging actor who was so marvelous in Pillsbury House Theater's Bright-Half Life earlier this year.

However, even at about 100 minutes, the play felt too long and repetitive. I found the dialogue difficult to follow, and even to understand. I clearly may have missed something profound that would have clued me in to the meaning of the play. Unfortunately, I'm still in the dark. It's rare for me to be disappointed by Penumbra, but both figuratively and literally, this play just didn't speak to me. I still appreciate Penumbra's work and mission, and the food for thought that the play has given me.

Bullets Over Broadway - Ordway Music Theater

What do you do when you want to turn a very funny Woody Allen film into a Broadway musical? You take Bullets Over Broadway, add songs from 1914 through the 1930s and turn it into a fantastically fun evening. Bullets Over Broadway, now playing through Sunday at the Ordway Music Theater, tells a good story in the best way possible. I mean really, how can you resist chorus girls, garter belts, flappers, and tap-dancing gangsters?

The story, in case you haven't seen the film, is about a struggling playwright (David) who finally has a chance to get his play produced on Broadway. The one hitch? The gangster (Nick Valenti) who is putting up the money is requiring that his no-talent chorus girl girlfriend (Olive) plays a part. Add to this the playwrights girlfriend (Ellen), a drunken diva (Helen) as leading lady, fighting between two mob families, and...well to paraphrase a theater god (Sondheim)...what happens then, well that's the play and you wouldn't want me to give it away. Suffice it to say that you will have a great night.

Production Photos by Matthew Murphy

The set has a false proscenium (the four edges of the stage) which helps to shrink the enormous Ordway stage. It also has two other prosceniums, one which moves up and down to help create other locations. At the top of the show there is a curtain hanging from the back proscenium. This is all in reds, black, and off-white - it shows a very 1920's style jazz scene. Cheech (played by Jeff Brooks) comes out with a tommy gun and shoots the title of the show into the curtain. Curtain up and we are in a club with show girls singing a song called "Tiger Rag." This song is one that I have never heard and that was one of the great joys of this show - being introduced to some new oldies! Sure, I have heard "Let's Misbehave", and "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You" - but there were quite a few that I didn't know and now love! The music was fantastic. Every song was perfectly selected and used. Glen Kelly adapted and wrote additional lyrics to these songs and they were great! Add to that the amazing choreography by Susan Stroman and there is nothing more I could want in a show. 

The show has a classic musical style with some small changes. Sure, I'm a sucker for shows like "42nd Street", "Crazy for You", "Nice Work if You Can Get It", "Ain't Misbehavin'", all these shows with old classic tunes, and a classic old-school style story. If you take those style shows, add a bit of swearing and some hints of burlesque (mainly in comedy and double entendres), you get Bullets over Broadway. Honestly I can not say enough about the choreography and direction. Each scene had such a smooth transition into the next, the characters were true and believable (even if they were truly over-the-top) and each dance step was perfect. Stroman has a way of moving that is so smooth and beautiful, yet can turn on a dime in an energetic forcefield. Take, for an example, the number "Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do." This is performed by Cheech and the gangsters....and it is a tap dance. Nowhere have I seen a tap dance like this - gorgeous, yet perfectly suited to the characters of gangsters - angular, angry, full of machismo. It was performed on the 68th Tony Awards, and when it was finished last night - it received a long applause. It didn't reach an ovation, but it certainly stopped the show. 

Another stand out number was "Tain't a Fit Night Out for Man or Beast" - also in Act One. This number show a mob fight between the two opposing families - and it was all told through dance. Parts of it reminded me of West Side Story, but it was such an energetic feast for the eyes and ears. It also highlighted a slight issue with the large space that is the Ordway. There are times where the lyrics get lost - either because the space sucks up the sound, or the band is a bit too loud. I noticed this mainly in the group numbers, especially the women's chorus. It may have been just the higher voices fighting with the band. Honestly, it happened rarely and certainly had no effect on my enjoyment of the show. 

There are some amazing performances in this show. I already mentioned Jeff Brooks as Cheech. Michael Corvino as the gangster Nick Valenti was great - especially when he gets a chance to sing in the finale. What a voice!! Jemma Jane played Olive Neal - the gangsters talentless girlfriend - and got every single laugh possible out of her character, while not milking them, nor winking at the audience at how dumb her character was. She played it with all her heart and was fantastic. She and Bradley Allan Zarr get a chance to shine in "Let's Misbehave" - one of the funniest numbers I've seen. Hannah Rose DeFlumeri (Ellen) has two great moments to shine - Act One's "Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me" and Act Two's "I've Found a New Baby." What a fantastic voice. This show would not be what it is without the incredible (and local) Emma Stratton as Helen. She played the Diva leading lady with a heart and a drinking problem perfectly...filling the stage as only that character could, and making the most of playing a Diva while also staying true to the characters heart. She couldn't have done that without the skills, and talent of Michael Williams playing David. Michael plays him with such sweetness, naivete, longing, and determination that even though David cheats on Ellen, we are still rooting for him. Michael has some incredible moments of pure comedy genius and timing. Along with that, he knows how to sell a song and dance. All of these actors, along with an amazing ensemble really created a perfect cast.  Don't miss your chance to see them in action. You won't regret it.

Notes:

The Ordway has done some great articles that I want to share from their site. There is an article with Jemma Jane, and an interview with our hometown girl Emma Stratton. There is also an article about the amazing costume designs by the incomparable William Ivey Long. Also I wanted to mention that this is a non-equity tour. If you are wondering why I bring that up, check here. 

The Fantasticks - Nautilus Music-Theater

Nautilus Music-Theater is best known in the Twin Cities for developing new musical theater and opera works, but from time to time, they grace us with a production of an often-produced show, as with their 1997 Into the Woods, 2006 Man of La Mancha, and 2007 Carousel. When we first heard that the company would be taking on The Fantasticks this season, it was surprising. It's never been a favorite show, but if anyone could breathe new life into this old chestnut, it would be Nautilus.

And of course, they do. The unconventional casting is just the starting point of this production, staged by artistic director Ben Krywosz (see photo below). The young lovers of the story are played by veteran performers and real-life married couple Gary Briggle and Wendy Lehr. Although they play the roles as written (Luisa is just sixteen, and Matt is just over twenty), the actors' maturity lends poignancy to their youthful dreams and fancies. Briggle and Lehr are sweetly convincing both in their tender moments and their childish disagreements.

Gary Briggle and Wendy Lehr - always young lovers.

The lovers are helped and hindered in their romance by their fathers, next-door neighbors and friends who scheme to achieve their desired outcome to the romance, with mixed results. Luisa's father is played by Christina Baldwin as a taciturn tightwad in farmer's overalls and a dour expression. Matt's father is a bit more animated, but still serious, as played by Jennifer Baldwin Peden. Seeing the Baldwin sisters on stage together is always a treat, and hearing them sing together is heavenly!

William Gilness plays the mysterious narrator El Gallo in much more conventional casting, but he shows us that he sees the lovers as young and foolish, and brings a worldly weariness as well as his lovely voice to the role. Brian Sostek rounds out the cast as The Actor Who Dies, which combines three roles from the original script in one. Of course Sostek is more than equal to the task, particularly when it comes to dying with great enthusiasm and style. He also choreographed the show's abduction sequence, which is amazingly ambitious for the small playing space. 

We can't take credit for this brilliant repurposing of the Ivey
Awards' promotional photo of Ben Krywosz that appeared around
Give to the Max Day 2015. We also can't resist sharing it.

The show is snuggled into Nautilus's intimate space in Lowertown's Northern Warehouse. The square stage is surrounded by risers on three sides, one of which holds a loft for music director Jerry Rubino and his piano and Andrea Stern and her harp, who accompany the proceedings beautifully. Sets and costumes by Victoria Petrovich provide simple trappings that let the story and the music shine. And Mike Wangen's lighting, as usual, sets appropriate moods throughout. (Carly says—and I agree—that Wangen could light a Wal-Mart and make it look beautiful.)

There is no reason not to see this show. Unless you can't get tickets, which are selling fast. Get yours now to experience this deeply moving production. The house only seats about 45 people, so you will be among a select few who will be able to say in years to come that they saw the best Fantasticks anyone could imagine.