Matilda - National Tour at the Orpheum Theatre

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

Catching Up - Post-Hiatus Post

Dear Friends,

We here at Minnesota Theater Love have dropped the ball on the AMAZING amount of theater in February and March 2017. Our apologies and thank goodness our friends at Twin Cities Theater Bloggers are ON IT. They are doing amazingly fun backstage videos and interviews in addition to reviews, so follow them on Facebook. All the cool theater kids are doing it.

So here's a super short look at some things we've seen lately--for posterity's sake.

Look at that fabulous set! Photo by Dan Norman

Six Degrees of Separation at Theater Latte Da - Holy cats, this SET. Walking into the Ritz Theater, Latte Da's new home (hooray!), I almost stopped in my tracks to take it in. I just wanted to live in that stage, with its expansive sofas, massive coffee table, and fabulous art (courtesy of artists from the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District). Scenic design was by Kate Sutton-Johnson. Great cast, of course: Mark Benninghofen, Sally Wingert, Patrick Bailey, Kendra Anne Thompson, and JuCoby Johnson. Great play. Also short. Man, I am REALLY out of practice. Oh, and there was a John Doyleish element of musicians and actors playing music onstage. It ain't easy to be an actor these days.

Dreamy Justin Kirk

Dinner at Eight at Minnesota Opera - Another world premiere opera from Minnesota Opera, with music by William Bolcom and libretto by Mark Campbell. Based on the play by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber. Minnesota Opera has done some beautiful new works in the past year, especially last year's The Shining. And hurray for new work! But this one didn't work. Set in the 1930s, the play is a classic of dry wit. And dry wit simply doesn't translate to traditional opera singing. Some good performances, though, especially Mary Dunleavy as Millicent Jordan. And it was short.

The 24 Hr. Plays at Pantages Theater - The 24 Hour Play Project brings together theater artists to create time-limited theater around the world that benefits various organizations. Playwrights come together and have 24 hours to write six short plays, which are cast and performed the following day. An amazing array of Twin Cities actors and playwrights were featured, as well as a few out-of-towners, like Justin Kirk. The evening was hosted by the charming and talented David Darrow, and his guitar, and benefited Spotlight Education and UMD Theatre Scholarships. Above all else, though, it was so lovely to be in an audience of people who LOVE theater and were so enthusiastic and appreciative. It made my bitter old theater heart grow two sizes.

Bradley Greenwald in The Sneetches.
Photo by Dan Norman

Booty and the Beast: A Tinderella Story at Brave New Workshop - Why do I not go to BNW all the time? This show, a hilarious blend of classic Disney fairy tales and modern dating drama, was so delightful and funny that my face hurt from smiling. Plus, you can text drink orders to your server. They should have a required coat check, though, like 54 Below. Those tables are tight!

The Sneetches: The Musical at Children's Theatre Company - Attended this sensory-friendly performance partly for work, and partly for fun. CTC works with the Autism Society of MN to put on regular sensory-friendly performances of their shows, featuring quiet spaces, low lighting in the house during the show, fidgets and noise-cancelling headphones and plenty of friendly volunteers. The show, featuring another fabulous cast including Max Wojtanowicz, Paul R. Coate, George Keller, Natalie Tran, Kim Kivens, Ryan Colbert and way more, was charming and beautifully designed. It seemed to go on a bit long though, belaboring the same points (but hey, it's children's theater). Then Bradley Greenwald showed up in a red wig, and a green plaid suit and livened things up immeasurably. Good fun and yay inclusiveness!

Kimberly Richardson in The Red Shoes.
Photo by Ron Ravensborg.

The Red Shoes at Open Eye Figure Theatre - Produced in partnership with Joel Sass’ Oddfellows Collective. Conceived, written, designed and directed by Joel Sass. Featuring performer Kimberly Richardson. This show is rather bananas and genius. If only we hadn't seen it on the last day, we'd be sharing the word far and wide. What's it about? Based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, and incorporating elements of vintage detective novels, and modern day anxiety, this show (as Sass writes in his Director's Note): "The Red Shoes evokes a highly stylized landscape of convoluted mystery, subconscious menace, fever dreams, and existential crisis." I'd also add that Richardson's performance was a tour de force, and the amazingly inventive stagecraft was fascinating. So many truly astonishing moments that will stay with me for a long time. This show is far too good to go away--I hope we see it come back.

Whew. Caught up now and ready to attack a new season of theater. Happy theatergoing, theater friends!

Black Light at Penumbra Theatre

Black Light: A Soulful Embrace of Life and Love is a unique theatrical event that feels more like a gathering than a performance. Through music and stories, Jomama Jones acknowledges the darkness of the present moment and encourages strength for the struggles to come.
Black Light is not to be missed, especially if you are feeling disheartened by current events. Jomama Jones is here to tell us that we will get through these times together.

Jomama's stories of her high school science classes lead into discussion of black holes and event horizons as well as a vivid definition of a penumbra, in honor of the theater's namesake. (A penumbra is the light that shines around an object that blocks the light, as in an eclipse. She explains it much more beautifully.) Tales of childhood visits to family in the South become a discovery of her Aunt Cleotha's past and present lives as a witness for God. She engages the audience directly, but not in an overwhelming way, asking for responses and returning to those people later.

Helga Davis, Jomama Jones, and Trevor Bachman
Photos by Angela Jimenez for Penumbra Theatre

These stories introduce upbeat and empowering original music with songs (written by Jones, Bobby Halvorson, and Dylan Meek) that reflect Jomama's history as a "soulsonic superstar" and reminded me of the pop/R&B I heard on the radio as a child of the '70s. The strong musical ensemble includes musical director Samora Pinderhughes on piano, and local musicians Benjamin James Kelly on bass, Matt Edlund on drums, and Geoff LeCrone (alternating with Alexander Kosak) on guitar, plus vocalists Helga Davis and Trevor Bachman. There isn't a song list in the program, but the music was from her newest CD, Flowering. There was even a song dedicated to Prince,

Throughout, Jomama Jones is a thoroughly engaging, wonderful and wise presence. She is very funny, and although I was toward the back of the theater, I felt that she was speaking directly to me. Spending time in her presence was like making a new friend, one who finds life to be challenging, beautiful, and funny, even amidst dark times, and who reminds us that all we really have in this world is each other.

Jomama Jones, Trevor Bachman
Photos by Angela Jimenez for Penumbra Theatre

Daniel Alexander Jones, who created and embodies Jomama, has a long history with Penumbra and the Twin Cities, dating back to Penumbra's 1994 premiere of Shay Youngblood's Talking Bones. Also a core member of the Playwright's Center and a company member of both Penumbra and Pillsbury House theaters, Jones last brought Jomama to the Pillsbury House stage in 2011, which I wish I had seen. Prior to the all-too-brief Penumbra run (through February 17), Black Light was performed at Joe's Pub at the Public Theater in New York.

For more information on this fascinating performer, check out her Facebook page, or her YouTube channel, which include several videos including the song "Joy," her tribute to Prince. And Penumbra's webpage for the show includes a video of Jones captivating her audience in a previous show.

And a shoutout to Jones for creating a character who, in high school, could do anything and everything well, but who was especially drawn to science. A wonderful role model for any girl. Or boy. Or anyone who is otherwise defined.

Our Favorite Shows of 2016: An Embarrassment of Riches

We at Minnesota Theater Love recently got together with our theater blogging friends to award the 2016 Twin Cities Theater Bloggers awards. We discussed and debated and voted and even after all that, we still had a few shows to which we wanted to give a little more love.

Here are some of the other shows we LOVED in 2016. (Links go to our original reviews.)

The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Theatre Pro Rata)

The Beauty Queen of Leenane

Sally Wingert in an intimately staged Martin McDonagh play from Theatre Pro Rata. Hilarious and gory and perfect. (I apologize for my non-inclusive use of the term 'spirit animal' in the linked post--I've learned better since then.) 

The Best Brothers
I mean, come ON. Wade A. Vaughn and David Mann as brothers in Loudmouth Collective's production at the Open Eye Figure Theater. Like I suppose you could do any better than that.

David Darrow and Annie Enneking in Lullaby
(Photo by George Byron Griffiths)

Lullaby

We saw this Theater Latte Da show in previews, so we didn't write about it (but here's Cherry and Spoon's take). This lovely new musical is the show that reaffirmed our love for David Darrow and put Annie Enneking on our must-see list. (See also Lasso of Truth.) 

Bright Half-Life 

Dashing back and forth in time, in seemingly random order, this two-hander at Pillsbury House Theatre (with the marvelous Jasmine Hughes and Sarah Agnew) perfectly captured the elusive moments that make up life and love.

Silence! The Musical
Minneapolis Musical Theatre had a fabulous year, and this show was outfreakingstanding. Tuneful, hilarious and shocking; every cast member utterly committed, and directed with the perfect tone. LOVED.

Silence! The Musical
(Photo by Unser Imagery)

Basement Creatures
Enormously strange and utterly original, this show left me nearly speechless and a huge Davey T. Steinman fan. (In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre)

The Normal Heart/Coriolanus

New Epic Theater immediately became one to watch with this pair of ambitious and perfectly realized plays performed in repertory at the Lab Theater. Amazing cast, beautifully done.

The Fantasticks 

As usual, Nautilus-Music-Theater knocks it out of the park, casting Wendy Lehr and Gary Briggle as the young lovers and the Baldwin sisters as the fathers. Gorgeously done, and exquisitely sung.

Julienne "Mizz June" Brown and her class
(Photo by Rich Ryan)

Charm 

Hilarious and heartwarming play about Mama Darleena, a trans woman running charm classes at a LGBQTI community center. Mixed Blood found a wonderful, young, energetic, racially diverse, and non-gender conforming cast for this new play by Philip Dawkins (whose Le Switch at the Jungle Theater was another highlight of the year).

Leap of Faith
Another great show from Minneapolis Musical Theatre, this little-performed musical about a shady preacher perfectly inhabited the often-tricky New Century Theater space, and brought energy for days. Terrific performances all around, but particularly from Matt Tatone, Jill Iverson and Brandon A. Jackson.

Lasso of Truth

This amazing play, written by Carson Kreitzer and performed by Workhaus Collective is association with Walking Shadow Theatre Company, follows the true story of the man who invented Wonder Woman and the lie detector, and lived in a polyamorous relationship. With imaginative, evocative projections by Davey T. Steinman.

Urinetown 

Regina M. Williams, Dan Hopman, Jennifer Blagen,
James A. Williams in Scapegoat
(Photo by George Byron Griffiths)

Young New Prague theater company DalekoArts blew me away so thoroughly with their gorgeous, hilarious production of Urinetown that I was left utterly without words and had to write the whole post with gifs.

Scapegoat

Christina M. Ham's powerful play about a little-known race riot brings the past and the future together beautifully. Another beautiful work at Pillsbury House Theater, masterfully executed with an outstanding cast.

Trouble in Mind
Alice Childress' 1955 play about racial integration, stereotypical portrayals and prejudice, performed with all the resources available to the Guthrie Theater (yay, new Joseph Haj season!) is spot-on and unnervingly true-to-life today. Beautifully done, with amazing performances from locals and imported actors alike.

Passing Through Pig's Eye
This lovely dance piece by Joe Chvala's Flying Foot Forum at Park Square Theatre explored St. Paul's gangster past through dance, leading the audience through the streets of St. Paul to charming effect.

Bluebeard's Castle 

Although I wish I'd studied up on both Bluebeard and Ibsen's A Doll House before seeing this amazing immersive production set at the James J. Hill House by Combustible Company, the excellent use of a non-traditional setting and wild imagery will stay with me.

The Children 
This show was amazing. How could we have not written about it? As soon as this fascinating and thoughtful new play by Michael Elyanow was over, I wanted to see it again. Pillsbury House Theatre presented an amazing staging with a marvelous cast and excellent use of puppets, designed by Masanari Kawahara, who also designed and brought life to a puppet character in the Jungle Theater's wonderful The Oldest Boy.

Barbecue
This rare comedy about families preparing for a barbecue thoroughly entertains while also asking us to question our prejudices, check our stereotypes, and interrogate the very nature of truth. Another outstandingly important and relevant show from Mixed Blood Theater.

Teenage Misery 
A horror-comedy musical with tons of nods to eighties movies and Stephen King. Written by the marvelously talented Keith Hovis and produced by Revisionary Theatre Collective. A talented, committed cast performed this hilarious, clever and tuneful show. I need a cast recording!

Jasmine Hughes, Terry Bellamy, Darrick Mosley,
and Abdul Salaam El Razzac in Jitney. (Photo by Allen Weeks)

Jitney

Penumbra Theatre, direction by Lou Bellamy, starring a cast of all-time theater greats and wonderful newer faces. August Wilson's beautiful language has never been as beautifully staged and framed. Perfect. I can't imagine anyone doing it better.

We have so much amazing local theater to be grateful for. How can all of this theater magic be all in one year? I can't wait to see what 2017 brings!

Public Exposure by Market Garden Theatre

A bracing antidote to the holiday season's surfeit of sweetness, Public Exposure is a play that starts strong and maintains that drive all the way to the end.

The play is written by Keith Hovis, who also wrote the brilliant musical Teenage Misery. This piece is very different from that tongue-in-cheek horror-musical mashup, but provides ample evidence that Hovis is a playwright to watch.

Produced by Market Garden Theater, the Public Exposure experience starts with a rather adventurous trek to the performance space. In a neighborhood that seems to house mostly artists' spaces, you'll finally find the virtually unmarked but correct building. You'll follow a long series of stairways and hallways to get to the room called Maker Space Northeast. The unconventional space looks like a mess as you take a seat in an assortment of chairs hugging the walls of the space. Seating is truly limited, so definitely reserve tickets and arrive early if you attend.

But then the play begins, and it's all worth it. God bless small theater in unconventional spaces! The play opens and we are in the place where Ford (Nick Wolf) has been living (and partying) since losing his job. His friend and coworker Jen (Marci Lucht) comes to see him and gradually the story unfolds as she tries to interest him in a new business enterprise--basically, the opposite of online reputation defenders. When Hannah, another coworker, (Marika Proctor) drops by, things get increasingly complicated.

More than anything, the beauty in this play is in the tight, acerbic and witty script by Keith Hovis, who is SO on my ones to watch list. Considering this is the first time that this play has been performed, it's amazingly polished. The dialogue feels natural, even as the characters discuss the online ruination of others. And the other wonderful thing about this show is the ability to see such terrific talent up close and in-depth. All three actors do a kick-ass job.

Yay new plays! Yay fresh new talent!

Miss Richfield 1981 Answers Our Burning Questions!

Gorgeous photo from Miss Richfield 1981's
Facebook page

After seeing the hilarious Miss Richfield 1981 in Trailer House to the State House - Santa-Style! at the Illusion Theater (read our glowing review here), we had a few burning questions for highly acclaimed pageant title holder.

Despite the grueling schedule of her super-hot holiday show, Miss Richfield 1981 graciously agreed to answer a few of our questions with her customary style and verve.

Don't forget! If you missed Miss Richfield 1981 this holiday season, she will be back at the Illusion Theater in February for a sneak preview of her new show: Miss Richfield 1981's 2017 Prog-rum.

On to the Q&A!

Chatting about Fun Home on tour at the Orpheum Theatre

Fun Home national touring company. Photo by Joan Marcus.

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