Review: Kinky Boots

Ladies, Gentlemen, and those of you who have yet to decide - Kinky Boots is in a word - Fantastic!

The multi-award winning show Kinky Boots opened last night at the Orpheum. The story is about a man who is trying to find a way to save his family's shoe factory. In trying to do so, he comes across the idea of making stiletto boots for the men who wear them. Of course, there is romance, and conflicts that need to be overcome. The show is still playing on Broadway (at the time of this writing) and won six Tony awards in 2013, including Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Choreography, and Best Performance by a Leading Actor. Even though Billy Porter is not touring with the show, all of that award winning talent is evident on stage.

The set is a shoe factory. The show starts with an actor walking in through the front door for work and takes a phone call. He then provides the very clever pre-show announcement about silencing cell phones, not texting, or taking photos, etc (though some folks still didn't get that message, but more about the audience later*). The first number clearly sets the stage and gives a brief history of Charlie growing up in a shoe factory and being told that he would be in charge of it later in life. It also shows Lola growing up and the trouble she has to deal with, and finally the upwardly-mobile life-view of Nicola - Charlie's girlfriend. The joy is that all of these viewpoints are shared while focusing on shoes. Charlie and the shoe factory (making men's shoes), Lola and the bright red heels she likes as a boy, and Nicola's desire for a pair of shoes that cost three-months rent.

Charlie's father dies and he has to figure out what to do with the factory. On his way out of a pub, he sees a woman being chased and steps in to protect her. She doesn't need his protection, swing her purse and accidentally hits Charlie. She takes her to her dressing room and we are introduced to the land of Lola - a drag queen. Billy Porter won a Tony award for his performance as Lola on Broadway. Kyle Taylor Parker was incredible as well. As Lola, he knows how to work some high boots and great drag! He never felt like he was over-the-top but was so natural. In fact, he was so natural that when he comes on stage dressed in a suit and tie, it is clear that he is uncomfortable. Lola is backed up by her "Angels" - six gorgeous men in drag. By the reaction of the audience last night, this town loves their drag queens! After the first number by Lola and her Angels, Charlie realizes that this is his niche market for shoes - tall, stiletto boots for men - and a way to save the factory. Of course, there are some relationship issues that need to be worked out. The relationship between Charlie and Nicola, between Charlie and Lola, between Charlie and Lauren (the girl at the factory who is majorly crushing on Charlie - and played by the amazing Lindsay Nicole Chambers [Gayle from Submissions Only]), and the relationship between Lola and the factory workers.

For the rest of the story, go see the show. If you can't make it, then I would recommend watching the film. The film was based on a true story, and was translated for the stage by Harvey Fierstein with music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper. It was all directed and choreographed for the stage by the amazing Jerry Mitchell. The versatile, multi-level set by David Rockwell was amazing. I never felt trapped by the factory set as it was used so fantastically, and it changed up so easily for other scenes. Of course, the costumes for Lola and the Angels are going to get most of the "publicity" but the rest of the costumes were perfect for the time and place. The score is very pop with some gorgeous ballads as well. And for a "pop" show, even the sound levels were perfect, with some really cool surround-sound effects during a number.

I already called out Kyle Taylor Parker as Lola but I also have to call out Steven Booth as Charlie. While he was at first uncomfortable being around Lola, he opened his mind and accepted her for who she is - not as a gay man (as her sexuality is never mentioned) - but as a person who expresses herself differently. And this is the true message of the show - change your mind and you can change the world. For an amazingly fun show to have a subtle message is fantastic. And speaking of fantastic - I have to call out Lindsay Nicole Chambers. If you are a fan of the webseries Submissions Only, then you know her as Gayle. This role of Lauren is a total turn-around from that role. And what an amazing voice!! I also have to mention the Angels, and the rest of the cast. Every role was perfectly cast and well played. I had a LOT of fun watching the show, and it was clear that the cast was loving every minute as well.

Go see this show!!

*now, about the audience...First off. When the tickets say that the show starts at 7:30, it means it starts at 7:30. There were probably 30+ people coming in after the opening number. I know that there were multiple things happening downtown Mpls last night but 7:30 means 7:30. Also - I noticed quite a few people walking out during the first ballad, and coming back in. On the other hand - the audience last night was looking for a great fun time, and they were present for it. There was cheering and extended applause after almost every number, and for certain after every number of Lola's. The standing ovation was almost instantaneous as well. There was so much energy coming from the audience, and it was a loud house in a good way. I was really amazed!

(all photos curtesy of Hennepin Theatre Trust and Matthew Murphy)

Beautiful Grandeur: The Music Man at the Guthrie (Guest Post!)

Days later, I’m still reveling in the Guthrie Theater’s majestic and faithful production of Meredith Willson’s The Music Man (playing now through August 30 on the Wurtele Thrust Stage).

The Guthrie simply pulls out all the stops in this razzle-dazzle, slam-bam production, directed masterfully by John Miller-­Stephany. He has employed a surefire energetic cast who perform, in a classy, brassy, old fashioned theatrical manner, this classic piece of Americana theater. After seeing this rendition, I can almost see how it beat out West Side Story for the Tony Award in 1958. 

Photo by T. Charles Erickson

The entire cast is up to the challenge and perform at the top of their game, lead by the spirited Danny Binstock as Harold Hill and the effervescent Stacie Bono (possessed with a lovely voice) as Marian Paroo. Every actor, too many to name, owns their character. A shout out out to Peter Thompson and Barbara Marineau as Mayor Shinn and his petulant wife. The kids were also a real delight, but then, everyone was. Just delightful! 

There is so much to admire here. Let’s start with Mr. Willson’s now famous music score. It was beautifully sung whether in solo or chorus. The chorus work was staggering in the big numbers completely delivering Willson’s pleasing, big, brassy, melodies. We simply have to single out the barbershop quartet which drew spontaneous applause each time they sang. They were just so much fun. 

Photo by T. Charles Erickson

The Guthrie made full use of the thrust stage with Todd Rosenthal’s impressive set design and the number of performers gracing it. At times there were close to 30 people on stage at one time. The scene changes were done effortlessly with some pieces lowered below the stage as the lights dimmed, others popping up from the floor.

And the costumes! Boy, were they rich. Designed by Matthew J. LeFebvre, they were simply stunning. 1912 to the hilt! So much color and adornment. Kudos, too, to the lighting designer, David Lander. His work was especially effective in some of the tender solo numbers. 

Need I say that this is a highly recommended production? It’s practically perfect in every conceivable way. Good, old Broadway razzmatazz! Like I said, there is just so much to be admired scene after scene. It really is awesome!!! (contributed with massive enthusiasm by rickjallen)

Review: Nature by TigerLion Arts

I spent about 30 min outside today, just around late afternoon. I live just north of 694 and the area is quite nice - lots of tree, grass, a pond; and yet I can hear the rumble of traffic, I can see cars driving by from my deck, and there are neighbors.

I had a similar experience when I went to see Nature at Washburn Fair Oaks Park just north of the Minneapolis Institute of Art. It was a gorgeous late afternoon, there were trees and grass, some sounds of traffic, some sounds of other people enjoying the park, and the sun was low in the sky. It was a perfect night to see Nature.

This show is presented by TigerLion Arts, and it tells of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau's mutual love of the natural world.  It also tells of the lives of these two great gentlemen, thinkers and writers. It is a fascinating story told by an ensemble of actors portraying various roles, and providing sound effects, creating props, etc. Ralph Waldo Emerson is played by Tyson Forbes (a direct descendent of Emerson, as well as being a co-creator/writer of the work), while Thoreau was played by John Catron (Sam Elmore plays Thoreau at other times). The piece provides a view into their lives that is simple and beautiful, yet incredibly complex and relevant at the same time. The whole cast was fantastic, as were the musicians and singers.


One thing that made this piece as wonderful as it was is the fact that it is a "walking play." One the night I saw it, it started in a hollow in the park. Benches were set up, a small group of vocalists were singing music of the period and I was told to go to "the small church." The show started with a reverend starting a service and being interrupted by a woman portraying Nature. She then introduced Emerson and Thoreau, and we were off on an exciting journey. Background was given about both men and their introduction to each other took place. Then we moved. We were told to follow musicians and we made our way up an incline to the open expanse of the hilled center of the park. It was a perfect location as the two men made their way towards us, while also having a conversation. Were they using microphones? No - the ensemble was standing on a platform behind the audience, and they were speaking for the gentlemen, creating sound effect of the breeze, eating an apple, a swarm of bees, etc. Once the men got close enough, they did start to speak themselves but it was a very imaginative way to have a scene in an open space and yet still keep everything natural.

When that scene ended, we moved as an audience to another location in the park. This happened four or five times through out the piece and each of the four locations was perfectly suited to the action of the play. Eventually we ended back at the "little church" for the final scenes.

This is the start of the tour. TigerLion has collaborated with parks, arboretums, universities and various communities across the country in a way to reconnect with the natural world. From Minneapolis, this tour moves to Park Rapids, Alexandria, Grinnell, St. Johns/St. Benedicts, Gustavus, and ends in Carleton. After seeing the show at the park, I must confess that there is a part of me that wants to follow the tour so that I can see how each location is used. Along with that, the ideas spoken to in this show are worthy of more thought. With that in mind, I provide the following links.

Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson - http://www.rwe.org/
The Walden Woods Project - http://www.walden.org/
The Thoreau Reader - http://thoreau.eserver.org/
The Thoreau Society - http://www.thoreausociety.org/

If you have a chance to see this work, please do so. It is lovely and simple, so well performed and such a joy to experience. It is recommended to bring a portable chair or blanket as seating is not provided except at the "little church." I would also suggest a bottle of water, and possibly bug spray.

Choir Boy at the Guthrie

The Guthrie Dowling Studio season began in September with a Pillsbury House Theater/Mount Curve Company co-production of Tarell Alvin McCraney's Marcus; Or the Secret of Sweet, the final installment in his Brother/Sister Plays trilogy. We enjoyed that production, and anxiously awaited the Guthrie's production of McCraney's new play, Choir Boy.

McCraney's script takes us into the fictional Charles R. Drew Preparatory School, a historically black boarding school with an acclaimed choir that helps to support the institution. The student leader of the choir is Pharus (John-Michael Lyles), whose homosexuality is tolerated grudgingly by Headmaster Marrow (the always-terrific James Craven). Through the school year, Pharus tries to drag the choir (Nathan Barlow, Ryan Colbert, Darrick Mosley, and Kory LaQuess Pullam) into shape while dealing with antagonistic classmates and more complicated relationships. 

I knew the play included music, having seen this wonderful clip of the New York cast:

New York Times In Performance video

James Craven (Headmaster Marrow) and John-Michael Lyles (Pharus).
Photo: Heidi Bohnenkamp

But I was surprised at the amount of music, and the way it was woven through the story and the staging, frequently happening during the seamless scene changes.

The vocal arrangements by Sanford Moore are wonderful, and the actors' beautiful voices ring out through the theater without accompaniment, beyond the rhythms stomped on the stage, pounded on chairs, and beat-boxed. Austene Van is credited as movement consultant, but the beautifully coordinated moves of the choir looked a whole lot like dance to me.

The cast are all just wonderful, including Robert Dorfman as a past headmaster who comes back to teach the feuding choir some lessons in life as well as literature. The action plays out on Michael Hoover's set, which puts us in the classroom, the headmaster's office, the shower room, a dorm room, and other locations on campus with minimal shifting of furniture and evocative lighting by Ryan Connealy.

Peter Rothstein's staging keeps the 90-minute one-act moving smoothly, but his best work is with the dialogue. McCraney's script is very musical, with cadence and rhythm and poetry, which in this production sounds both like everyday speech and like great oratory. I enjoyed the language so much that I picked up a copy of the script in the gift shop and was a bit surprised to find the formatting rather like poetry, suggesting the rhythm of the speeches right on the page. But delivering those words in such an elegant and yet earthy way cannot be easy, though Rothstein and his cast make it seem effortless.

In short (too late!), this is a terrific production of a moving, funny, and above all, musical play, and I'm so glad I got to see it! See it. You'll be entertained, enlightened, and very glad you got to experience Choir Boy.

John-Michael Lyles (Pharus), Ryan Colbert (A.J.), Nathan Barlow (David), Darrick
Mosley (Bobby), and Kory LaQuess Pullam (Junior). Photo: Heidi Bohnenkamp.

Review: Once at the State Theatre

Music, passion and community.

Many saw the film Once and saw it as a love story that also dealt with the power of music. Then it was noted that the film may have been semi-biographical about the relationship between Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. Once then became a best selling soundtrack, was nominated for two Grammy Awards, and also won the 2007 Academy Award for best original song for "Falling Slowly." Finally it became a Broadway show - winning eight Tony Awards (including Best Musical), along with a Grammy Award for the cast recording.

Honestly, I wasn't taken with the film. I thought it was sweet and charming but something about it didn't really work for me. Of course, I enjoyed the music but I didn't really see the passion in the film. There were awkward moments, and charming moments but nothing that really caught my attention, or moved me. And while I did listen to the soundtrack a few times, it wasn't all that inspiring or moving to me.

 Then I saw this on the Tony Awards.



I was moved to tears. That clip right there tells you almost everything you want to know about the show before seeing it. It is folksy, has a small yet incredibly talented cast, abstract choreography that works magic and it is clearly about the passion for music and the passion for kindred souls.

Seeing the show last night, there was so much that I was taken with. The audience is invited on stage before the show and during intermission to grab a drink from the onstage bar and get immersed in the set. The set is a semi-circular Irish pub set with a bar at the back. Above it on all three sides are brick walls set in a square - giving the impression that you are seeing the back of the theatre space, as well as giving a sense (to me) of being blocked, stuck with no escape. Towards the start of the show the cast comes on and mingles with the audience. They then turn to the folks still on stage and start playing songs. As the audience trickles off the stage and to their seats, the cast turns and starts playing to the full house. They each take turns playing a song, and finally they turn to one guy who says he doesn't really have anything to play - and yet he starts playing "Leave". The house lights slowly go down and the show has begun. What a fantastic way to start. It creates a bond between the audience and the cast right away and the cast never leaves the stage. They sit in chairs along the sides and provide additional instrumentation, and backing vocals when needed. They also provide underscoring for certain scenes in the most imaginative and simple ways.

I think this is the heart of this show. It tells a simple story about the power of music to bring folks together. It also shows how the support and belief of one person can make a huge impact in another persons life, and by doing so - impact them both. The lead characters have no names. Stuart Ward plays "Guy" while Dani de Waal plays "Girl." They both have fantastic voices and great stage presence. The character of "Girl" is Czech, and there are some portions of the show where the characters are speaking in Czech. However they actually speak in English with Czech supertitles show above the bar. I found this to be a wonderful way to show the difference in language. Simple and imaginative.

I could write a few more paragraphs about the wonder that is this show. It is moving and funny and powerful. It is simple and grand. It has some of the most beautiful vocal arrangements I have heard in a long time - the acapella version of "Gold" in Act Two is quiet and stunning. Suffice it to say that Once is a show that you will enjoy, if not love. And if you love the movie, you will LOVE the stage show.

note: all photos by Joan Marcus

Damn Good Production - Damn Yankees at the Ordway

There are so many things to love about Damn Yankees at the Ordway--where to start?  First of all, go see it now as it runs only through June 28th, which is shockingly short for such a great production.

Did you go buy tickets? I'll wait here. Let me know when you're back.

Got 'em?  Great! In a nutshell: Damn Yankees is a variation on the Faust legend and has a middle-aged baseball fan selling his soul (to "Mr. Applegate") for a chance to play on his favorite team (the Washington Senators) and the chance to help them beat those "damn Yankees."

Damn Yankees is a truly classic musical, first running on Broadway in 1955. With music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, Book and direction by George Abbott, and choreography by one Bob Fosse, this was a follow-up to The Pajama Game, which featured much of the same creative team.

(BTW, did you know there's a longtime jinx about shows dealing with baseball and Damn Yankees broke it by being a hit?  True story.  I learned it from Stanley Green, who knows everything about Broadway Musicals.)

The Ordway's production is a sure-fire hit. It's an absolutely delightful evening of magical musical theater that features a cast of local favorites and some marvelous new faces. It's a fabulous production, just as their production of A Christmas Story was last year, and I love the trend of these amazing homegrown productions that feature and employ such amazing local talent. Yay!


Above all else for me, though, what stands out for this show is the wonderful cast.

Lawrence Clayton (as middle-aged Joe Boyd) and Thay Floyd (as young Joe Hardy) not only have gorgeous voices (I mean, GORGEOUS, in ways I am not qualified to explain), but they both have chemistry for days with Meg Boyd (the wife Joe leaves behind to play baseball, played beautifully by Ann Morrison). Their relationships are realistic and touching and provide a whole lot of heart.

I love a man in uniform. (Allen Fitzpatrick, Randy Schmeling,
Dieter Bierbrauer and Reid Harmsen)

Speaking of heart, a local triumvirate (I just really like using that word) of talent is included in the Washington Senators: Dieter Bierbrauer, Randy Schmeling, and Reid Harmsen. Add in Allen Fitzpatrick as the coach Van Buren, and from the second number ("Heart"), it's clear this is going to be a standout production. I love when a well-known number is performed so skillfully and so authentically that it feels like a whole new song. And I could watch Randy Schmeling and Dieter Bierbrauer sing together all day any day. They knock "The Game" out of the park. (That is a baseball reference, right?)

On the evil side of things, Monte Riegel Wheeler plays the hell out of Mr. Applegate. You can not take your eyes off him, and he adds a whole other level of humor to his material. He's so over-the-top, but it works perfectly. (He wears a few red suits to death as well).

Are those not two AMAZING theater faces?
(Tari Kelly and Monte Riegel Wheeler)

His handmaiden Lola is played by Tari Kelly, who came through town a few years ago in a tour of Little Shop of Horrors, in which she was a vulnerable and sweet Audrey (far better than Kerry Butler, who had just played it on Broadway). Every inch of the role of Lola has Gwen Verdon written all over it, but Kelly gave it her own spin and welcome depth.

Oh my gosh, and I haven't even mentioned Kersten Rodau as the publicist Gloria Thorpe, with her amazing voice, which feels utterly effortless, or Regina Marie Williams, who makes the most of the wit and charm in her role as Sister, or the adorable Mario Esteb as Joe's Fan Club.

In case I didn't mention it before, this is a terrific production that also happens to feature a racially diverse cast. There's a fascinating Casting Note in the program about the casting of African American males in the lead roles, and the interracial marriage of Joe and Meg. The Ordway continues this conversation with displays in the lobby that feature the integration of baseball, including a few local ball clubs, as well as featured talkbacks.

Beautifully done, Ordway. Can't wait until your next production!

I Shall Be Redeemed: Wise Blood at The Soap Factory (Guest Post!)

In the entire canon of literary fiction, the novel Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor would surely be placed in a special section of the exceedingly bizarre, as would all the work of this enigmatic author. The tale in many ways defies description, which brings us to The Soap Factory's retelling of the novel as an immersive opera (co-presented and co-commissioned by Walker Art Center.)

Flannery O’Connor wrote in a Southern Gothic style, creating grotesque characters, many of whom are in spiritual crisis and searching for redemption and truth. In Wise Blood, the damaged Hazel Motes rejects common religious beliefs and sets out to establish an anti-­religious ministry in a small southern town full of equally eccentric and colorful characters. First off, the production was probably the most bizarre and unique theater experience that I have ever had. It’s important to note that I didn’t say best.

As you probably know, The Soap Factory is a 130-year-old warehouse. Wise Blood is billed as an opera exhibition and consists of set installation pieces created marvelously by Chris Larson, around which the whole production revolves. The audience is invited to take the journey with Hazel Motes as we travel, directed by volunteers, from one set piece to another as the story unfolds.

The orchestra also has various sites situated near and sometimes farther back from these installations, so they are on the move, as well. For most of the 90-minute presentation the audience is standing. They did have benches set up where one could sit down for some of the longer scenes. The thing is, you never knew exactly where the action was going to occur. Sometimes the actors would be right in front of you or in the middle of the audience, other times they may be up on a platform or in a railroad car or automobile, which would be moved alongside the audience by stage techs.

One interesting set piece was the boarding house, where Hazel stayed. The beds were tilted upward at an angle where the performer could stand on the bottom base board and he appeared to be lying down on the bed. The show also used some rear projection, which was a good thing, when you might have wandered to a spot in the warehouse where it was difficult to see because you were too far removed from the action.

The production was for the most part well sung, with special shout outs to baritone Brian ​Major and tenor Martin Bakari, composer David Lee Echelard, and Anthony Gatto and the Adam Meckler Orchestra. The music at times seemed discordant and jarring and even overbearing, but fit the tone of O’Connor’s dark and gloomy tale. One peculiar thing is that the actors used hand mikes, which lent an odd note. Also, I think it would be good for patrons to do some homework for this type of performance beforehand in order to familiarize yourself with the storyline. It was too difficult to read the scene descriptions in the program in the dim theater lighting. The words to the songs were also hard to decipher at times, even though they were in English. It would be impossible, however, to project them anywhere, with the audience on the move. The more one knew about the piece beforehand the better off the theater experience would be. I only had a vague recollection of the novel and the John Huston film (1979) but it was enough to get the gist of the crazy, upside down world of Flannery O’Connor in a extremely unique presentation.

Despite any quibbles, just being a part of this marvelously unique show was special enough for me! I’d recommend an immersive show like this one in the future for a unique theatrical experience. (Contributed by rickjallen)