Thursday, March 29, 2018

OMG Spring Theater 2018 - Too Much Theater, Never Enough Time

Happy spring, theaterloving friends! Our beautiful Minnesota spring may be filled with car-murdering potholes and banks of dirty, semi-melted snow, but it is also filled with a ton of amazing theater!

Here's what we're looking forward in particular:



LAST CHANCE - Closing 3/31/18

Luna Gale - Underdog Theatre at the Southern (March 22 - April 1, 2018)
"This contemporary drama follows two teenage parents fighting to keep their daughter while a social worker decides if they are fit to keep her. Wrestling with addiction and the many challenges that parenthood brings, this young couple is held under a microscope as one woman decides the direction of Luna’s future."

TWO SHOWS WE ARE WAY TOO EXCITED ABOUT

Scream. In SUCH a good way.
The Skriker - Fortune's Fool Theatre at the Crane (April 7 - 22, 2018)
“'Whatever you do don't open the do don't open the door.' Mankind is destroying the Earth and the Skriker, a malevolent shape-shifting fairy and death portent, is pissed as hell. In her search for revenge, she leaves the underworld to pursue two teenaged girls in London: Josie, who has murdered her young child, and Lily, who is pregnant. Speaking in riddles, changing her shape at every new encounter, alternately promising glorious wishes and threatening physical harm, she seeks ownership of their souls by any means necessary. With immersive staging, a cast of 17, and original music by Twin Cities composer Keith Hovis." YES PLEASE HERE'S ALL MY MONEY.

Thomas Tallis - Orchard Theater Collective at Calvary Church Minneapolis (April 20 - May 5, 2018)
"You won't want to miss this moving portrait of a composer caught in the throws of Tudor politics, underscored by a live choir singing the works of Tallis throughout, and performed in the candle lit sanctuary of Calvary Church Minneapolis." Again, YES PLEASE.

MAKE YOUR PLANS NOW - Closing SOON


Measure for Measure - Theatre Unbound at the Gremlin (March 24 - April 8, 2018)
"If she accuses him, who will believe her? Theatre Unbound presents the world premiere of a text freshly restored by director Kate Powers to come closer than ever to what scholars believe Shakespeare originally wrote. Experience the #metoo story of Shakespeare’s time as only The Women’s Theatre can present it."

Something Rotten - Hennepin Theater Trust at Orpheum Theatre (April 3 - 8, 2018)
"This hilarious new musical comedy tells the story of brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom, two playwrights stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rockstar Will Shakespeare. When a soothsayer foretells the next big thing in theatre involves singing, dancing and acting at the same time, the Bottom brothers set out to write the world’s very first MUSICAL!"
Why: GO SEE THIS. It's cute and clever and HILARIOUS and the tour is featuring two fantastic Broadway stars: Rob McClure and Adam Pascal. 



Familiar - Guthrie Theater (March 3 - April 14, 2018)
"There’s something old, something new and something borrowed in this feisty, heart-warming play about a Zimbabwean-American family preparing for their daughter Tendi’s wedding. Marvelous and Donald have built their American dream in Minnesota, so when Tendi requests a traditional African blessing before marrying her white fiancĂ© from Minnetonka and a surprise guest drops a bombshell, the rehearsal dinner can’t come soon enough. Family fireworks are interwoven with questions of cultural identity in this acclaimed play."

Dance 'til You Drop - History Theatre (March 24 – April 15, 2018)
Why: Are you fascinated by the dance marathons of the 1930s? Or taking something pleasurable and turning it into a feat of stamina? ME TOO. Also, the book is by Carson Kreitzer and it's created in collaboration with Collide Theatrical Dance Company. We're in!

You've Got a Little Time on These


The Wolves - Jungle Theater (March 31 - April 29, 2018)
"The Wolves is a portrait of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for nine American girls, who just want to score some goals. From the safety of their suburban stretch circle, the team navigates big questions and wages tiny battles with all the vigor of a pack of adolescent warriors." 
Why: Finalist for the 2017 Pulitzer Award for Drama, the buzz on this show is AMAZING. 

Five Points - Theater Latte Da at the Ritz (April 4 - May 6, 2018)
"New York City. 1863. Set amidst the tumult of the Civil War, Five Points chronicles the journeys of Willie Lane, a young African American performer at the famed Almack’s Dance Hall, and John Diamond, an Irish immigrant and former jig champion. Inspired by the confluence of African American and Irish cultures, and the birth of American tap dance, Five Points tells the story of two men who risk everything for the chance to be a part of the American Dream." 
Why: Cause it's Theater Latte Da and has an amazing cast.


The Mermaid Hour: Remixed - Mixed Blood Theatre (April 4 - April 29, 2018)
"A new chamber musical exploring the gender continuum through the prism of a pre-pubescent transgender biracial girl. Working class parents Pilar and Bird face the cracks in their marriage, their opposing parenting styles, and their fears as they negotiate their daughter’s gender transition. Meanwhile, she navigates puberty, her first crush, and the possibility that YouTube holds all the answers."
Why: Mixed Blood is amazing. Support their beautiful work!

Isla Tuliro - Pangea World Theater and Teatro Del Pueblo at the Southern (April 6 - 22, 2018)
"The idyllic life of the KAYUMANGGIs, brown-skinned islanders who live by Dagat Payapa (Ocean of Peace) is disrupted by the sudden arrival of mythical creatures from the ocean and from the sky, speaking strange languages, claiming the islands as their own and making up rules on how the islanders should live. In Tagalog, English and Spanish (subtitles provided)."
Why: Because the story sounds cool AND it's part of the Latino Asian Fusion series which "highlights the intersections, relationships, and influences between Latino and Asian cultures."


The Little Shop of Horrors - Chameleon Theater Circle at Sabes JCC (April 13 - April 29, 2018)
Why: Cause we LOVE Little Shop and are looking forward to seeing what Chameleon does with the show. Also, isn't that photography gorgeous?

Still Dance the Stars - Yellow Tree (April 13 - May 13, 2018)
"A powerful love story with extraordinary heart, Still Dance the Stars follows the journey of James and Anne, a married couple facing unthinkable loss. Things go from bad to worse as their beloved dance studio is about to go under. Desperate, they discover an old box of stuffed animals, and the magic unfolds. Can one dance heal what has been broken?"


The Imaginary Invalid - Combustible Company at Gremlin (April 14 – 28)
"The Imaginary Invalid tells the story of Argan, a miserly hypochondriac who hatches a scheme to get free healthcare by marrying off one of his daughters (Angelique) to a young doctor. This fresh translation by Oded Gross features original Motown- and pop-inspired songs by Paul James Prendergast, commedia dell'arte roots, and sharp modern language."

And this is only APRIL, friends! Wait until May! Happy theatergoing!