The Best Brothers - Loudmouth Collective

There's still a little time to catch Loudmouth Collective's production of The Best Brothers, playing through Sunday, January 24 at Open Eye Figure Theater.

And if you can see it, you should.

This is a small play in the best ways. The script, by Daniel MacIvor, focuses on just two people coping with an event that affects them both. Kyle (Wade A. Vaughn) and Hamilton (David Mann) Best are brothers who are not close when we meet them. When a tragedy brings them together, they - and we - learn more about their relationship through clever dialogue that gradually reveals the characters and their situations.

Wade A. Vaughn, David Mann/
Justin D. Gallo Photography

Vaughn and Mann are perfectly cast as brothers, very different people who are more alike than they would probably admit. No one pushes your buttons like a sibling, and these brothers feel real.

The story itself is simple, but watching these two interact is just delightful. To see their dramatic and comedic acting in such an intimate space is a true pleasure.

Natalie Novacek's direction, with lighting by Courtney Schmitz, perfectly set the scenes on a simple single set credited to the company. Simple and quick changes of A. Emily Heaney's costumes are effective in showing the passage of time and place as well.

Loudmouth has done wonderful work in the past, including a riveting production of MacIvor's solo show (Cul-de-Sac) in 2013, starring Vaughn. The Best Brothers is another excellent example of this company's work and a welcome reminder to keep track of this company and their stellar work.

Country Roads: The Music of John Denver - Plymouth Playhouse (Guest Post)

© 2015 by Ruth Mason. All Rights Reserved

“There’s the Green Mill . . . There’s the Ramada Hotel . . .  is there really a theater here, right by 494?” A bit confused, I finally noticed the small neon sign that pointed the way past the hotel lobby, made my way down the steps and into the Plymouth Playhouse. Imagine my surprise to discover an intimate 200 seat jewel box of a theater with nice wide rows, great lighting and warm sound in the middle of Western Suburban Minneapolis.

I was also a bit confused at the beginning of Country Roads: The Music of John Denver. Where is this going? What kind of show is this? Is this a play or a concert? They started with a few favorites though and I was soon sucked in by the energy and talent of the performers (I hesitate to say “cast”) starring the multi-talented Dennis Curley and led by guitarist and banjo picker Tony Wirth. Country Roads is easy to enjoy. Curley’s vocals are toned beautifully for Denver’s songs, the musicians are very connected with one another and I was frankly a little jealous of the fun they seemed to be having on stage. Obviously they’ve played together before and truly enjoy the music. At best when really rocking on songs like "The Eagle and the Hawk" and "Calypso," the ensemble’s tight harmonies shine beautifully in the more contemplative "Fly Away" and "Perhaps Love," especially in duets between Curley and vocalist Dorian Chalmers. Amy LeGrand’s fiddle solo in "Annie’s Song" is a particular highlight as well as the ensemble’s vocals on "Back Home Again." I also feel the need to call out the lighting in general but especially during "Sunshine On My Shoulders." ISWYDT (see note), designer Jim Eischen!

Calypso — by John Denver from Dennis Curley on Vimeo.

Country Roads is more of a jukebox concert than a play or musical. The songs are interspersed with Curley’s personal reflections, stories from friends about their John Denver memories and audience groups/birthday call outs a la Prairie Home Companion. What’s missing in Country Roads is the story of John Denver himself. As a fan, I welcome information about his life (good and bad), what led him to write particular songs, his activism, and/or his relationships. I think this also is a missed opportunity on the part of the production to bring in those people in every audience who are along for the ride - not really John Denver fans but with someone who is or just riding along with their group to see a nice show. Hearing about John Denver’s life would make the show more meaningful and could only serve to create more fans.

As cute a theater as the Plymouth Playhouse is, I couldn’t help but want to see this show in a different venue. Toes tapping and heads bobbing, the audience sang along softly. But despite the valiant attempt to get us riled up, it felt a bit closeted in a dark basement on a cloudy and cold Thursday afternoon. This show (and the natural imagery in Denver’s music) deserves bright warm sunshine, cold beer and a crowd free to sway and sing along at the top of their lungs. As they’ve done with past shows, I hope they’ll take Country Roads to the MN State Fair or other fairs and festivals this summer to open it up to a more diverse audience who might not think to attend theater at all, let alone in Plymouth, Minnesota. There’s good to be found in John Denver’s ability to turn an appreciation for nature and love into beautiful music. And there’s good to be found in little suburban basement theaters like the Plymouth Playhouse. Hopefully fans of John Denver will be led to The Plymouth Playhouse and vice versa. The existence of both, make Minnesota a great place to experience entertainment.

Thank God I'm A Country Boy — by John Denver from Dennis Curley on Vimeo.

Previewing now and playing through May 1. (contributed by Michelle St. Hilaire)

note: I See What You Did There

Seldom done Shakespeare - Pericles at the Guthrie

front of program - krl

Pericles is a seldom performed Shakespeare (maybe - see note) that is playing at the Guthrie Theater. It is the first production directed by the new Artistic Director of the Guthrie - Joseph Haj. He had previously directed this at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and this production is a done in association with that Festival. The casting was done via the Oregon Shakespeare Festival as well so while it is the directorial debut at the Guthrie of Joseph Haj's, I get the sense that it is the same production he directed in Oregon.

And it is a great production worth doing again!! The set is a multi-level set in shades of grey and black. The back of the stage has a cyclorama that is used for projections. There are also clouds set across the top of the cyclorama. When the lights go down, the stage and backdrop are covered in stars. The stars slowly move up to the cyclorama and spread out in circles. At times through out the play, the stars come back in an actual star shape - giving the idea that certain events that take place are fate and written in the stars.

Pericles (Wayne T. Carr) is the story of the Prince of Tyre (not based on the historical Pericles), who decides to try to marry a certain Princess, the daughter of the King of Antioch. To marry her, he must first answer a riddle. However the answer to the riddle speaks to the fact that the King of Antioch is in an incestuous relationship with his daughter. When Pericles realizes that, he also realizes that he can't answer the riddle out loud, nor can he continue living in Antioch without fearing for his life. He leaves via the sea. A storm takes down his ship and he is washed ashore in Pentapolis. Here he is found by fishermen who tell him the King of Pentapolis is holding a tournament for the hand of his daughter. Pericles wins the hand of Thaisa (Brooke Parks), and within a verse or two from Gower (the narrator), time has passed and Thaisa is expecting.

view from bridge - krl

The rest of the story - well, I don't want to give it all away. The story is told in a very episodic manner, with Gower (Armando Duran) telling us where we are in the narrative and whose story line we are going to see next. The play itself starts with "To sing a song that old was sung..." and so there is quite a bit of music by Jack Herrick in this work. Some of the verse is sung, and often there is underscoring to scenes. I found the music and singing to be very good, yet at the same time I thought perhaps it wasn't as necessary. The show is 2 hours and 20 min. long, and while it was very good - I also think the singing extended it longer than it needed to be. That written though, it was very enjoyable. The costumes and set were at the usual Guthrie standards - simple effects to show the ocean, storms, near-drowning, etc. Each actor in the cast was very good. They were all making their Guthrie debuts and it was good to see new faces on the stage, especially some actors of color. The cast was far more mixed than the audience - though there were some school groups which were good to see on a Wed. night.

The play is a comedy. Traditionally this means that no one dies at the end instead of the newer meaning of being a laugh-riot. The play is also one of Shakespeare's Romances so it has some fantastical aspects, including the goddess Diana. This helps provide a great ending that is simply gorgeous and moving. So should you go? Of course!! The quality of work that is done at the Guthrie is incredible, and this comedy is not done that often so you should certainly give it a shot. Personally, I would rather see a "new" Shakespeare than another Hamlet or Midsummer. As good as his plays are to read, they were written for the stage and so they should be seen when possible.

note: according to the notes in the program, there was a prose narrative published in 1608 by George Wilkins. Since Pericles is generally dated around 1607-1608, some scholars believe that Wilkins collaborated with Shakespeare on this work. Others believe that he just drew heavily on the play to write his own version.

The Beauty Queen of Leenane - Theatre Pro Rata

Amber Bjork and Sally Wingert. Photo by Charles Gorrill.
(Pay no attention to the frying pan.)

Martin McDonagh is my spirit animal. In his work, flowing, lilting language, interspersed with cutting remarks and colorful cursing, combines to create the funniest and most disquieting dark humor--and then things get a little darker.

The Beauty Queen of Leenane, by Theatre Pro Rata and playing now at the Andy Boss stage at Park Square Theatre (through January 24), is an excellent introduction to Martin McDonagh's work.

Mag and Maureen Folan, spiteful mother and bitter spinster daughter respectively, live together in a small house in Leenane, locked in a poisonous relationship. When Maureen's long lost crush returns to Leenane, she starts to envision a different future for herself. However, as Theater Pro Rata puts it, "In his first published work, master tragedian Martin McDonagh proves that when cruelty is met with cruelty, all promises of civility are forfeit." I'd also add that in addition to being a master tragedian, Martin McDonagh writes some of the funniest dialogue and situations I've ever seen on stage.

Photo by Charles Gorrill

Director Carin Bratlie Wethern keeps the pace brisk and the tension high--relieved only by more laughter than you'd expect. Local treasure Sally Wingert, playing the mother, alternately put-upon, vicious and sneaky, captures the sly nature of McDonagh's language perfectly and hits every subtle and hilarious note. Amber Bjork ably holds her own as daughter Maureen, spinning from bitter daughter to free spirit to something much more dark and mysterious. Taylor Evans as Ray, and Grant Henderson as Pato alternately adds bits of humor, menace and sweetness. And the accents were spot on--with McDonagh's language, you've got to get the Irish right.

The staging is well-done, with most of the action centered around Mag in her rocking chair. The continuously playing television and radio lend even more tension to the scenes (sound design by Jake Davis) as do the visible stove (and poker), and the lighting (by Julia Carlis) sets the tone beautifully.

Go see it--you seldom see this beautiful combination of humor and darkness done so beautifully. You'll leave the theater tired from laughing but shaking off a bit of a macabre chill. Theatre Pro Rata is fast becoming one of my favorite theaters in town.

A note: There's a quick language guide in the program, but for those questions that you may be left with (What is Mag eating and drinking?), check out their Online Play Guide. It'll be after saving you a bit of Googling, to be sure. There is a ton of additional information on their website--well done, Theatre Pro Rata. I love an online program.

One more note: Dear MN Theaters: Please do more Martin McDonagh plays. Thanks, me. Also plays by women and from communities of color. Okay, I'm done now. Thanks for everything, love, me again.

Razzle Dazzle 'Em - The Phipps Dance Theater

The Phipps Center for the Arts is expanding its horizons. Crossing the river from Hudson, Wisconsin, the Phipps Dance Theater has brought its latest show to the Southern Theater in Minneapolis.

Razzle Dazzle 'Em: A Tribute to Bob Fosse is a celebration of the director/choreographer's work, performed with panache by thirteen talented performers. Director Mackenzie Lewis, with choreographers Melissa Huber and Christina Leines, re-creates Fosse's dances in iconic numbers from shows including Chicago, Sweet Charity, Pippin, and The Pajama Game, as well as his autobiographical film All That Jazz.

The Southern provides the perfect setting for these dances, with no frills to distract from the precision of the dancing. Fosse's dance style is all about the details, and the dancers do not disappoint. The music is recorded, but much of the singing is live, including solos that break up the dance numbers.

"Cell Block Tango" 

A highlight for me was the "Cell Block Tango" from Chicago, which was sung, acted, and danced to perfection. Though the songs and dances are familiar, it's exciting to see them performed live and close up. Cabaret's "Mein Herr" and The Pajama Game's "Steam Heat" were also wonderful to see, as were all the dances. A few interstitial scenes devised to give the dancers time to change are not quite as successful, but then we are right back into the dance.

The one number I was really looking forward to most was a terrific finale. "The Rich Man's Frug" from Sweet Charity is a wonderfully iconic dance, and the performance of it was everything I hoped for. It's full of the signature Fosse moves from the exaggerated full-body leaning of the dancers to the precise wrist-twisting finger snaps.

There are four more chances to see Razzle Dazzle 'Em through January 10. It is indeed a dazzling night of dance, and I hope it brings more attention to the Phipps, which offers classes, theater, dance, music, visual arts, and more. It's just a short trip from the Twin Cities to experience all kinds of art in their beautiful facility in picturesque downtown Hudson.

Dreadfully Delightful - "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder"

Photo by Joan Marcus

What a deliciously, deathly, dreadfully delightful show! Playing for a short time at the State Theatre, "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder" is based on the film "Kind Hearts and Coronets." The story is about a man who finds out, after his mother has died, that he is a member of the D'Ysquith family...a well-off, aristocratic family. His mother married for love and was disinherited so the penniless Monty Navarro decides to see if he can change destiny. There are eight members of the D'Ysquith family between him and the family fortune. He decides, for love, to kill off the family until he becomes Earl.

Photo by Joan Marcus

Yes - this is a light comedy that tends towards operetta (which I don't like but I loved this score). Yes - it is a very black light comedy. Yes - there are only eleven cast members. and Yes....ONE actor play all the eight members of the family that get killed. The cast was fantastic, and John Rapson as the "D'Ysquith Family" was astounding. The quick changes that took place between one of his characters exiting, and another walking on must be a blast to do backstage! Every quirky character was perfectly played - each very distinct and yet clearly all related, and mostly clearly all played by the same actor. I did wonder, at times, if there were audience members who didn't look at the program and thought that there were different actors for some of the family members. That is how different some of the D'Ysquith family members looked. Simply astounding.

Photo by Joan Marcus

The set and costumes were just gorgeous as well. The set had a jewel-box proscenium set in the center of the stage. Most of the action took place on that stage, though the actual stage was also used at times. The staging utilized a perfect mix of classic theater tricks, and computer projections on the back wall. As an example, there is a scene that takes place while characters are ice skating. The back projection has a lovely winter scene on it, the set has very fake looking trees and mounds of snow creating levels (yet lovely to look at), and some of the actors made crosses behind the set. These crosses were made to look as if the actors were on ice skates by way of some board on wheels. A very simple trick that was well utilized. So, classic theater tricks mixed with modern technology. It is a great combination. As for costumes, I believe the photos clearly show how gorgeous they are. There are two love-interests for Monty and both of them had the most stunning costumes.

Photo by Joan Marcus

Musically it was also gorgeous. It was a small orchestra of twelve creating a very classic sound appropriate to 1909, the year the show is set. Vocally the cast was fantastic as well. The diction and sound was great with only a few lines being lost to laughter. Honestly, I really can't say much more besides go see it. It is charming and delightful, funny and well, to use some lyrics from the opening number - "blood may spill, spines may chill, it's ghastly" and yet so much fun!

Note: The Broadway production is closing in a few days so take this chance to see it on tour.

The Great Work - 7th House Theater

Unfortunately, it's the end of the run for 7th House Theater's new production, The Great Work, which closes Sunday, January 3 at the Guthrie's Dowling Studio. I wish I'd seen it earlier!

Andy Frye and Shinah Brashears.
StarTribune photo by Amy Anderson.

7th House company members David Darrow (music and lyrics) and Grant Sorenson (book) wrote this brief (65 minutes) but intense new musical. A cast of eight performs the story of an aging composer (played by David Carey) sharing a piece of his past with his grown daughter (Kendall Anne Thompson). As a young man in Vienna, Hans (played as a young man by Andy Frye) experienced great love and great success. Bergen Baker uses her terrific soprano voice to great effect as his love interest. The music is lovely, though a couple of songs become a bit repetitive. The 6-piece orchestra, led by Jason Hansen, fills out the sound, and a variety of roles are played by the ensemble (Shinah Brashears, Aleks Knezevich, Maeve Moynihan, and Adam Moen), who sound wonderful, particularly in an a capella segment that shows off both the music and the voices.

I hope the group continues to develop the show and that we get a chance to see it again. This production seemed a bit overwhelmed by the physical staging. The piece is strong enough on its own that it doesn't need a lot of frills to be effective. It's strengths are in the story, music, and performers.