Hamilton tour at the Orpheum Theatre

Elijah Malcomb, Joseph Morales, Kyle Scatliffe, Fergie L. Philippe
and Company © Joan Marcus 2018

Hamilton is here! And yes, it is still all that. The touring show, which plays at the Orpheum Theatre through October 7, is every bit as astonishing as you've heard.

High Fidelity - Minneapolis Musical Theatre at The Electric Fetus

Dear Minneapolis Musical Theatre, you are a genius. 

Staging the musical High Fidelity at Minneapolis's beloved record store The Electric Fetus is truly inspired. (The show plays through May 20--get your tickets now, before they sell out!)

High Fidelity is about Rob, a record store owner who gets dumped by his girlfriend Laura and tries to figure out what went wrong in this and the other relationships in his past. All of this, and everything else in Rob's and his employees' lives, is intrinsically related to music.

This Bitter Earth at Penumbra Theatre

This Bitter Earth is an absolute must-see. This new play by Harrison David Rivers is having its area premiere at Penumbra Theatre through May 20, and it is an intensely personal look at an interracial relationship during the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. 

Thomas Tallis - Orchard Theater Collective

Orchard Theater Collective's promotions are AMAZING.
Damian Leverett as Thomas Tallis.

You may not know the name Thomas Tallis--unless you're a follower of Tudor-era liturgical composers (and aren't we all?)--but you've definitely heard his glorious music.

In this new play, we meet Thomas Tallis in the atmospheric setting of Calvary Baptist Church, where he explains his creative motivation, to create music more beautiful than silence, to glorify God.

The Mermaid Hour: Remixed at Mixed Blood Theatre

The world premiere* production Mermaid Hour: Remixed is playing at Mixed Blood through April 29, and it's essential viewing. It's the intimate story of a family dealing with the challenges of adolescence. In this particular family, mom Pilar (Thallis Santesteban) and dad Bird (Michael Hanna) are trying to make the best decisions for and with their transgender daughter, Vi.

Something Rotten! National Tour at the Orpheum Theatre

The opening night of Something Rotten!, playing at the Orpheum through April 8, overcame unforeseen circumstances to thoroughly reward the audience who slogged through the latest spring snowstorm to attend the show on Tuesday night.

As One - Skylark Opera Theatre at North Garden Theater

One of the beautiful things about having this blog is having the opportunity to share when a show is truly outstanding and needs to be seen. The blog works much better than standing on the street corner shouting at passersby. (I think. I haven't really tried that yet.)

Friends, go see As One at Skylark Opera. Now at North Garden Theater (St. Paul! Represent!) only through Sunday, March 25.

Two Mile Hollow - Theater Mu and Mixed Blood Theatre

Dear theatergoing friends,

We here at Minnesota Theater Love owe you an apology. Due to a number of contributing factors, including a trip to the Big City, we didn't see Two Mile Hollow until its final weekend. 

We did not use our voice and our platform to broadcast the news of this play and production far and wide, and for that, we are truly sorry. 

Wedding Band at Penumbra Theatre

Wedding Band is the first show of Penumbra Theatre's new season, Sarah Bellamy's first as solo artistic director. But Lou Bellamy is not completely gone from the theater he founded; he directs this moving production with his usual finesse.

Alice Childress, whose play Trouble in Mind was part of the Guthrie's season last year, wrote Wedding Band in 1962, amid the turmoil of the civil rights movement and five years before Loving v. Virginia Supreme Court decision, which overturned laws against interracial marriage in 16 states. The play wasn't performed until 1966 (at the University of Michigan) and had its first professional production at the New York Shakespeare Festival of the Public Theater in 1972.

The Wedding Band cast; photos by Allen Weeks.

I'd like to pause here to plug
Penumbra's study guides. Available on the theater's website, the guides present a wealth of background and history for their shows. A play like Wedding Band always makes me curious about the time and place where it's set, and the study guide is a wonderful resource, which I made good use of above.

Set in 1918 South Carolina, the play introduces Julia Augustine (Dame-Jasmine Hughes), just as she moves into rented lodgings behind the house of Fanny (George Keller), who is very proud of being a rare property-owning black woman. Soon, her new neighbors learn that Julia is in a romantic relationship with Herman, a white baker (Peter Christian Hansen). Though they've been together for ten years, they can't legally marry, and his family business keeps him from moving elsewhere.

All of the characters have opinions about the relationship, which they don't hesitate to share. The play is full of wonderfully complicated female characters, and the director and his cast bring out their individual qualities beautifully. Julia and Herman have a loving relationship, but it's not free of strife or resentment, and we see how those undercurrents play out in their interactions.

It's fascinating to think of the different time periods that affect our experience of the show. In 1918, the United States had entered into the World War, and characters hope that serving their country will make things easier when the war is over. In the 1960s, when it was written, issues of race and equality were at the forefront of public discussion, and the arguments and problems sound all too familiar in 2017.

Wedding Band deals with a lot of heavy issues, but at heart is a story of ordinary people dealing with the harsh realities of their lives as best they can. And they are people worth spending two hours getting to know.

The Music Man at Artistry

Harold Hill (Michael Gruber) takes on the ladies of River City (Corey DeDanann,
Becca Hart, Deidre Cochran, Lauren Drasler, Wendy Short-Hays). Photo: Devon Cox.

The new production of The Music Man at Artistry is delightful. Meredith Willson's classic musical is brought to beautiful life by a host of amazing theatrical talents.

Marian, Winthrop, and Mrs. Paroo (Jennifer Eckes,
Liam Beck-O'Sullivan, Lolly Foy). Photo: Devon Cox.

As salesman/huckster Harold Hill, Michael Gruber is fantastic, exuding charismatic energy, charming the audience as well as the population of River City. From his introduction on a train full of traveling salesmen, he hits the small town with his best material, convincing the stolid Iowans that not only is their sleepy little town in trouble, but that he can solve everything by starting up a boys' band. As his wiles work on the town, everything gets a little brighter. And when the band instruments arrive, even librarian Marian Paroo softens toward Hill when she sees how excited her little brother is. As Marian, Jennifer Eckes starts starchy and gradually loosens up in both appearance and actions, lending her sweet soprano to a raft of lovely songs along the way.

Joel Sass has designed a stripped-down but never empty set that speeds the transition between scenes without distracting from the action. Even the wooden-plank moon in the sky is effective, glowing under the colorful lights designed by Grant E. Merges. The most fully realistic aspect of the production design is Ed Gleeman's costumes, which showcase period-appropriate clothes that make everyone look good. The ensemble is pleasingly varied in size and appearance, which makes them all the more fun to watch.

Harold Hill (Michael Gruber) makes his sales pitch.
Photo: Devon Cox.

With a well-made musical, it's tempting to sit back and let the music and story work their magic, but director Angela Timberman has done something more. I'm not even sure what it is, but I was noticing nuances of the show I'd never paid much attention to before. And Anita Ruth's orchestra does full justice to the score without sounding like a carbon copy of the cast recording. Michael Gruber does double duty as choreographer, bringing a playful energy to the many dances. The dance in the library and the novelty Shipoopi number are great fun, as are the big production numbers that involve the whole ensemble.

The entire cast is terrific, and the show is a whole lot of fun. Unfortunately, unless you already have tickets, you are unlikely to see it, since the show was sold out before the second weekend of performances. I only wish the run were longer so that more people could see this lovely show.

Ten Reasons to See Jesus Christ Superstar at the Ordway. Like, NOW.

I believe in the restorative power of theater. If you need your spirit restored, I highly recommend seeing the Ordway's new production of Jesus Christ Superstar, which runs only through July 30.

Although I could gush for days about how amazing this show is, I will keep it short, so nothing will get in your way of seeing this show. Cause, GO. Also? Go.

p.s.? Go.

But Minnesota Theater Love, you ask, why should I go? It's summer and I am spending time outdoors with family and friends and nature. Theater is BORING! And Jesus Christ Superstar? Isn't that a tired old show?

First of all, quit asking questions. I'm trying to write a coherent blog post about this show, and you aren't helping. Secondly, I'll TELL YOU WHY.

Ten Reasons Why You Should See Jesus Christ Superstar. Like NOW.

Randy Schmeling in JCS. Melting faces. Photo by Rich Ryan. 

1) Randy Schmeling. I've seen Randy Schmeling in a million shows locally over the years. I first remember him from Theater Latte Da's Gypsy in 2006, but have loved him in everything. He's adorable, and funny, and really should have played Bobby in the Jungle Theater's Urinetown (but that's a story for another time). Oh, and dude can SING. Judas is one of my favorite musical theater roles of all time, and he sings the bejeezus out of it. The term face-melting comes to mind. He acts the hell out of the role (see what I did there?) and sings his heart out in a way I never expected.

2) Jesse Nager as Jesus Christ. I am a jaded theatergoer and given to viewing standing ovations with judicious side-eye. But at the end of Nager's performance of "Gethsemane" in the second act, I was ready to leap to my feet. In the middle of the show! This song made me wish that musical theater followed the tradition of opera in demanding immediate aria encores. In addition to his fantastic voice, Jesse Nager is charismatic, compelling, and plays Jesus with real humanity. He and Schmeling create marvelous chemistry and tension--which plays out delightfully in the curtain call.

Lauren Villegas and Jesse Nager in JCS, moments before
Judas kills the buzz. Again. Photo by Rich Ryan.

3) The Whole Dang Cast. Way too much love, but in short: Dieter Bierbrauer in a skirt also singing his face off. Erin Schwab as Herod? Utter genius. James Ramlet and John Brink perfectly cast as Caiphas and Annas. Lauren Villegas, performing Mary Magdalene with a powerful, but exquisite voice, and bringing depth and heart to a role which can be passive and inert. More love for Julius Collins, Kersten Rodau--fantastic as always--and Rudolph Searles as Peter, who performs a gorgeous "Could We Start Again, Please?" with Mary M. And the entire ensemble--utterly amazing.

(Shoot, I'm running out of adjectives and I'm only on number three. Rats!)

4) The Orchestra. Musical director and conductor Andrew Bourgoin gets the most out of his fantastic 16-piece ensemble. I don't think I've heard the Ordway rocked that profoundly since the first tour of Rent came through. The music was tight, hot, and a whole bunch of other words that sound vaguely dirty.

Terance Reddick and the amazeballs ensemble.
Photo by Rich Ryan.

5) Dancing. Remember earlier, when I said I wanted to leap to my feet for a mid-show ovation? I also almost leapt to my feet after "Hosanna" and "Superstar", two numbers which featured unbelievable dancing. The energy! The movement! The fact that the ensemble is also singing while dancing like mad? Ah. May. Zing. I can't even call out a few favorites (like Rush Benson, Wes Mouri and Kayla Jenerson) because the entire ensemble kicked butt, directed and choreographed beautifully by James Rocco.

5a) Direction by James Rocco. My more rational co-blogger demands I give James Rocco some love. To wit: "I think he pulled together a fabulous show, starting with the amazing cast and design team. The visuals were powerful, but not overwhelming, and he knew when to let the singers be the focus. The huge shifts in tone from exuberant joy to painful sorrow, which could have been jarring, all seemed to flow naturally. And I suspect from some of the moments he created that he’s been thinking about this show for a long time, and what he wanted it to look like and achieve. Good direction is often overlooked because it doesn’t draw attention to itself, but this show was masterfully directed." Done and done!

6) The Set. Scenic and lighting designer Paul Whitaker creates a simple but wonderfully dynamic set. Beautifully lit, and featuring some amazing feats of theater magic. Spoiler: the bit with the cross is really powerfully done.

7) The Audience. Again, I am a jaded theatergoer and heartily sick of--yet resigned to--the uncivil behavior of theater audiences. The audience when I saw this show, though? Fantastic. I didn't hear anyone chatting during the show (yay loud shows), I didn't see anyone texting or even checking the time on their phone, and very few people left and reentered the theater during the show. The audience was RAPT. Totally in, totally on board. Emotionally leaning forward in their seats (though not physically, cause if you do that, people behind you can't see. PSA over.)

All hail Erin Schwab. But not Herod. He's a bad dude.
Photo by Rich Ryan.

8) Erm, the Actual Show? ALW (Andrew Lloyd Webber to you) frequently gets a bad rap--often from me. But this show made me remember that Jesus Christ Superstar was my first grown-up musical theater obsession. My best friend and I listened to her mother's record of the 1970 studio album over and over again until we could replicate every last bit of phrasing and intonation. I still love the show, and this production made me remember that love. This show ROCKS.

Me at the curtain call. Nope, sorry, it's Jesse Nager and
Randy Schmeling. Photo by Rich Ryan.

9) Children! Adorable children! Singing and being cute. In small doses!

10) Randy Schmeling. In case I didn't make the point strongly enough the first time around. Go see this fantastic actor and singer in this true star turn. I will be going again. You'll recognize me cause I'll look like this:

Jesus Christ Superstar. At the Ordway through July 30. Go. See. It. Love, your friends at Minnesota Theater Love.

Don Giovanni - Skylark Opera Theatre at The Woman's Club of Minneapolis

Dear Skylark Opera,

In regards to your recent production of Don Giovanni, presented in partnership with Angels & Demons Entertainment and performed at the The Woman's Club of Minneapolis:

Also:

I could not be more pleased that one of my all-time favorite companies is back and better than ever. 

I've loved Skylark Opera since they were NorthStar Opera, and their summer productions have always been a highlight of my theater summer. As a lover of opera and musical theater, operetta hits my sweet spot beautifully, and Skylark Opera has created some gorgeous productions over the years.

Sadly, most of their productions pre-date this blog, but they live on warmly in my heart: 2014's gorgeous Candide, 2013's The Mikado (in partnership with Mu Performing Arts), 2011's fantastically cast On the Town, and 2009's The Desert Song, which was stunning. I could SO go on, thanks to Skylark Opera's Past Production list. Ooh, Wonderful Town with the Baldwin sisters, and a beautiful She Loves Me. Okay, I'm done.

Things have been a bit challenging for Skylark Opera in past years, and the Star Tribune wrote a great summary of their travails and their resurgence. Understandably, they are moving away from operetta and towards more opera productions, but if Don Giovanni is any indication, they are heading in a marvelous direction.

Gabriel Preisser as Don Giovanni (veramarinerstudio)

Mozart's 1787 opera Don Giovanni is based on the legendary character of Don Juan and "brings humor and tragedy" [to] "the essentially grim story of a serial seducer who escapes all retribution except death" (thanks, DK Opera Eyewitness Companion!). 

The original libretto was by Lorenzo Da Ponte and my favorite sassy opera book comments that "the great thing about Mozart and Da Ponte's take on the story is that the opera's music and text are somewhat more complicated: the don can be seen as a truly oversexed, amoral hell-raiser, a randy young guy who is merely having a good time, or a boastful creep; he does not consummate any sexual act during the opera--it's all hearsay, flirting, and bluster. Maybe." (Weep, Shudder, Die by Robert Levine).

However, Gabriel Preisser (of Angels & Demons) and Robert Neu (of A&D and Skylark Opera) have written a completely new translation, which fits in beautifully with the 1930s time period and the gorgeous setting of Woman's Club of Minneapolis.

Andrew Wilkowske (veramarinderstudio)

The opera starts in the lounge of the Woman's Club, with staff passing hors d'oeuvre, and a conveniently located bar. Don Giovanni himself (Preisser) is already wandering about, looking appropriately louche. 

Want to know the whole story of Don Giovanni? I recommend checking out the Met Opera's synopsis. (And NOT on your phone during the show while you're in the front row, bald man with glasses with woman with dark topknot and white sweater. People, man.)

Here's your TL; DR of Don Giovanni. 

Act One: Donny G--playah extreme--'seduces' Donna Anna. Her dad, the Commendatore, challenges Don to a duel, which Don wins. Anna demands her fiance avenge her dad's murder, then Don's ex Elvira shows up, pregnant. Meanwhile, Don's bestie Leporello fills us in on all the haps. Then a wedding! Don is all over Zerlina (the bride) and gets rid of Masetto (the groom) temporarily. Elvira shows up and is all, 'Girl, don't even,' with Zerlina. Anna figures out that Don killed her dad, there's a party and masks and a gun.

Act Two: Don and Leporello disguise themselves as one another and seduction, singing and confusion ensues. Then we're at a cemetery and the Commendatore's statue haunts Don. More singing, more confusion, and then the statue appears. Bad news for Donny G as he refuses to repent and is consigned to hell. And we're out.

Andrew Wilkowske and Tess Altiveros.
Leporello/Donna Elvira fanfic anyone? (veramarinerstudio)

The performers are all amazing, and the voices are universally exquisite. Although it can be occasionally challenging to make out the words, to hear these beautiful voices in such an intimate setting is truly a gift. There is NOTHING like intimate opera.

Gabriel Preisser is a marvelously smooth and semi-sleazy Don Giovanni. Andrew Wilkowske, who I tend to adore in everything, is a delightfully humorous and touching Leporello. And he plays guitar in a lovely scene with Tess Altiveros, who is a perfectly gorgeous Donna Elvira. Altiveros handles the role of the wronged woman with wit, strength and considerable charm. Benjamin Sieverding as Masetto and the Commendatore has not only impressive hair, but is genuinely chilling in the last scene as the Commendatore. Quinn Shadko, Karin Wolverton and David Blalock also provide wonderful performances, as does the six member ensemble. And can I just say: Preisser's Wilkowske impression is ON POINT.

So this is all to say, even if the opera had been performed in a traditional setting, it would have been beautifully done. But it's being performed at The Woman's Club, which was built in 1928 and has history seeping from every cornice and corner. The opera ranges through several floors of the building, from the lounge to the ballroom to the dining room and into the theater. Your ticket price comes with the aforementioned hors d'oeuvre, as well as some intermission nibbles, and a lovely after-opera dessert. Plus, the opportunity to wander about in the beautiful Woman's Club building.

I would urge you to go see this, but I'm pretty sure the remaining performances are all sold out. Which bodes well for the future of Skylark Opera. Yay!!

One Man Two Guvnors - Yellow Tree Theatre

There's still one weekend to catch the terrific production of One Man Two Guvnors at Yellow Tree Theatre. This was my first experience at Yellow Tree, and it was certainly worth the drive to Osseo (which was not as long as I expected!).

Based on the Italian comedy The Servant of Two Masters, One Man Two Guvnors sets its action in Brighton, England, in 1963. The story revolves around Francis Henshall, newly arrived in town with his employer. He takes on another job, making him the one man with two guvnors, trying to juggle both jobs and employers while trying to get something to eat. The plot is ridiculously convoluted, featuring an assortment of shady characters in increasingly silly situations.

Elise Langer, Elena Glass, and Marika Proctor
Photos by Yellow Tree Theatre / jcoxphotography.com

Characters speak in distinctly British accents with the slang to match, which can take a bit of getting used to, but it's an important part of the atmosphere, along with the period costumes and music. The whole thing works amazingly well with the commedia dell'arte-inspired style of the Goldoni play, which includes asides to the audience and plenty of physical comedy. Richard Bean's script was originally performed at the National Theatre in London in 2011, with James Corden as Francis. The show was a huge hit that transferred to the West End and later, to Broadway.

The Yellow Tree production features an incredible cast that work together seamlessly. Besides playing their characters to perfection, the cast also perform interstitial songs that were written for the original production. In the London production, a separate band played the music, with occasional vocals by the cast. Under the lead of Brant Miller, this group does double duty, playing everything from guitar and drums to washboard and kazoo. (Note: the song lyrics cleverly relate to themes in the play and are definitely worth a listen on their own after you've seen the show. Amazon carries the original cast recording.)

Ryan Lear and Jason Ballweber

Photos by Yellow Tree Theatre / jcoxphotography.com

Jason Ballweber plays Francis with exactly the right blend of guilelessness and charm, entrancing the audience while keeping them in stitches. Marika Proctor plays the first guvnor, a woman masquerading as her dead brother, with enough swagger to convince the other characters of her identity. Granted, the folks she's trying to trick are not the brightest bulbs. Sam Landman bellows as businessman Charlie Clench, who's celebrating the engagement of his dim daughter (Elise Langer) to the son of his colleague Harry Dangle (Peter Simmons). Neal Skoy revels in the ridiculousness of the fiance, whose dream is to be an actor, but whose idea of acting is melodramatic at best.

Ryan Lear shines as the second guvnor, who clearly has more looks than brains, but an excellent way of expressing his heartbreak in an unexpected instrumental solo. Elena Glass is the long-suffering bookkeeper who has an eye for Francis, Warren C. Bowles is a pub owner who can keep a secret, and Tristan Tifft is an elderly, but very spry waiter who takes a lot of physical abuse. I wanted to mention everyone, because each actor is terrific, adding up to a fantastic ensemble.

The ensemble of One Man, Two Guvnors
Photos by Yellow Tree Theatre / jcoxphotography.com

Director Anne Byrd has done an amazing job of keeping the play moving on Gabriel Gomez's compact but surprisingly functional set. The technical aspects are all top-notch, including Sarah Bahr's character-defining period costumes. Special recognition is owed to dialect coach Keely Wolter. The specificity of the various English accents contributes enormously to the tone of the play, and the actors carry them off splendidly.

One Man, Two Guvnors is not a play to change the world, but it keeps the audience laughing, even howling, for the entire evening. Don't miss this opportunity to see this hilarious production, as a more masterful comedy is unlikely to come along anytime soon.

Need more convincing? Watch the video Yellow Tree put together. Doesn't that just look like fun? Now go get your tickets!

Vietgone at Mixed Blood Theatre

There simply aren't enough adjectives to describe Vietgone by Qui Nguyen, now playing at Mixed Blood Theatre through April 30. 

But here are a few: Hilarious, irreverent, touching, sexy, energetic, surprising, romantic, raunchy, thought-provoking, enlightening, pop-culture-reference-filled, heart-breaking, and did I mention completely hilarious?

Also: NINJAS!

Playwright Qui Nguyen, a self-described "playwright, screenwriter, geek!" is the co-founder of NYC theater company Vampire Cowboys and has a fascinating catalog of plays with titles like Alice in Slasherland, Living Dead in Denmark, Six Rounds of Vengeance, and She Kills Monsters. [Note: Can someone in the Twin Cities please produce all of these plays immediately? Kay, thanks!] 

With Vietgone, Nguyen tells the story of his parents meeting in a refugee camp in Arkansas in 1975 after immigrating from Vietnam after the war. I love this video from Broadway.com that explains his parents' reaction to a first reading of this play:

Essentially, his mother said the play didn't sound like him at all. So he went back, worked on it, and made it more him. The play has a fascinating style. Nguyen explains the unique tone in a New York Times article (Diep Tran, NYT, 10/6/16):

It’s a story that Mr. Nguyen grew up hearing and knows well, but it has also been filtered through his pop-culture-filled and irreverent sensibility.

“When my parents told me stories about Vietnam, they told me the real stories, what actually happened,” he explained. “But what I imagined was kung fu movies. Because the only things I ever saw [growing up] that had a lot of Asian people in it, were kung fu movies.”

So there is kung fu in “Vietgone,” and ninjas. As in Mr. Nguyen’s other works, everyone speaks in a modern voice and raps — and no one speaks with “an Asian accent,” part of his fight against minority stereotypes.

Stefon tells you all about Vietgone.
Dana Edelson/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank, via Getty

The result? This show has EVERYTHING. So much that I need to list it in bullet form:

• A touching, true story
• A fascinating, thought-provoking look at an another aspect of the Vietnam War
• Amazing fight scenes and NINJAS
• Rap and hip-hop interspersed in the narrative
• Songs and dancing
• Delightful pop culture references
• Romance and sexy sex for days
• A spare, but clever set

And the cast. The Twin Cities Theater Bloggers annually award the best in local theater, and it will be hard to top Vietgone for Best Ensemble.

Sherwin Resurreccion, Sun Mee Chomet and Meghan Kreidler
Photo by Rich Ryan

David Huynh plays Quang, a helicopter pilot who longs to get home to his family in Vietnam. He meets Tong, played by Meghan Kreidler, in the refugee camp, who is embracing life in America. The two get it on and fall in love--in that order. Sun Mee Chomet plays Tong's mother, Flordelino Lagundino plays Quang's good friend, and Sherwin Resurreccion plays the playwright himself. Chomet, Langundino and Resurreccion play all the rest of the characters in the cast as well--depicting a variety of characters with little more than wigs and a costume change.

But this CAST.

Huynh's Quang is vibrantly complex: intense, melancholy, funny, and sexy. His relationship with Kriedler's Tong is equally complex, and their witty, sarcastic relationship is right up there with the best romantic comedies (to which the play pays homage). Chomet, as Tong's mother, gives one of the most hilarious performances I've ever seen on stage. Lagundino gives a sweetness and groundedness to his characters. And Resurreccion plays all of his characters with his customary skill and humor, such as Bobby, an American soldier who takes a shine to Tong, and courts her in pidgin English (actually Vietnamese) in a delightfully over-the-top Southern accent. Also, the relationship between 'the playwright' and his father is beautifully depicted, and it's fascinating to see David Huynh utterly disappear into his older self at the end.

Meghan Kreidler and NINJAS.
Photo by Rich Ryan

Director Mark Valdez masterfully manages a complex story and a wide variety of storytelling styles to create an amazingly cohesive show. Paul Whitaker's minimal set and lighting design uses just a few pieces of furniture, sliding screens, and some effective projections to transport us through decades, across the country, across the world, into a war, and to a refugee camp. Add some touches of interstitial rap, amazing fight choreography, and even some dancing, and you have an enormously energetic production that keeps its perfectly irreverent tone for two and a half hours (w/intermission).

I can't say enough, and yet I'm saying too much. Just go see it.

Don't let accessibility get in your way. Mixed Blood Theatre is dedicated to complete accessibility. Read more about their Disability Initiative.

Don't let cost get in your way either. Check out Mixed Blood Theatre's Radical Hospitality program.

Trust me. Go.

Peter Brook's Battlefield at the Guthrie

I've seldom been in an audience as incredibly rapt and attentive as at last night's production of Peter Brook's Battlefield at the Guthrie Theater.

In 70 minutes, four actors and one musician, on a spare set, armed only with colored robes and sticks, tell a story from The Mahabharata about the aftermath of war and the meaning of time and life.

Jared McNeill, Carole Karemera, Ery Nzaramba
Photo by Caroline Moreau

This production, part of the Guthrie Worldstage Series, is one of the reasons why we are so fortunate to have the Guthrie Theater (under its fabulous new leadership) in the Twin Cities. The opportunity to see a production by the acclaimed director Peter Brook, and to see this show, which premiered at the Young Vic in 2015, with the original cast, is a rare gift indeed.

A bit of background: The Mahabarata is an epic poem that comprises a hundred thousand stanzas which was originally written in Sanskrit, sometime between 400 B.C. and 400 A.D. It's considered to be the longest literary work in existence. About 30 years ago, Peter Brook and his collaborator Marie-Hélène Estienne staged a nine-hour production of The Mahabharata, which was subsequently televised. In 2015, Brook and Estienne returned to this work to create Battlefield.

Carole Karemera, Sean O'Callaghan, Jared McNeill and Ery Nzaramba.
Photo by Caroline Moreau.

According to a 2016 NPR article by Jeff Lunden:

Now, inspired by the civil war in Syria, the 91-year-old director has decided to re-explore a part of that poem — but this time he's thinking small. Brook's new play, Battlefield, starts after a catastrophic war. "We wanted to concentrate on one thing only," he says. " ... What is the position of the great leader who realizes that he has done what he set out to do? He has won."

And from Guthrie Artistic Director Joseph Haj's program note:

At its surface, Battlefield is a story of rival factions of a ruling family struggling with the enormity of their war's destructive toll. At its soul, the show is a gorgeous, subtle plea for unity and a meditation on time, destiny and the meaning of a life fully lived. 

Toshi Tsuchitori
 Photo by Caroline Moreau

I'm not sure I can tell you any more than that about this show. I can only say that this is an incredibly rare opportunity to see a truly great work of theater art by who is considered one of the world's best living theater directors.

Also, I will tell you that I have seldom been more enraptured by a work of theater. At times, I felt almost hypnotized by the performances and the storytelling. It's mesmerizing, and so stripped down. The musical accompaniment, by longtime Brook collaborator Toshi Tsuchitori, playing just one drum, lends the perfect tone to each scene.

And the end? Holy cats, the end was truly stunning and unlike anything I've ever seen.

To wrap it all up, a bit more from Jeff Lunden at NPR:

The director shares one of his favorite parables, about a man in a perilous situation: "Hanging over a chasm, upside down, with a snake waiting to catch him underneath and an elephant about to trample him on the side. And in all this, suddenly, the possibility of tasting for the last time a drop of honey. A drop of honey says something to all of us: that life is worth living, because life is there and it is beyond the horrors."

Don't believe me? Check out the super raves in this trailer:

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!

All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 - Theater Latte Da at Pantages Theatre

2015 Production photo by George Byron Griffiths

Friends, there is a plethora of holiday shows for your theatergoing enjoyment this year, but I promise you:

No show will touch your heart more than All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 by Theater Latte Da at the Pantages Theater. Nor will you hear more exquisite music and singing.

The curtain rises on a dark stage, and gradually the cast of twelve men take shape through the fog, singing "Will Ye Go to Flanders?"

In seventy breathtaking minutes, we hear the story of the Christmas Truce of 1914, where British and German soldiers met in No Man's Land and played football, took photographs, exchanged addresses and buried their dead. And they sang.

Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man at the Ordway

Had a rough couple of weeks? Despondent about the state of the world? I can't imagine any better antidote than seeing Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man at the Ordway (November 18-19).

This show makes you remember that there are still good things in the world, like theater that makes you throw your head back and laugh with your whole body.

Grant MacDermott and Rachel Moulton
(from the NYC production; image from Broadway World.com)

Sex Tips started off-Broadway in 2014 as a play adapted by Matt Murphy from the book by Dan Anderson and Maggie Berman. It's been running ever since at the 777 Theater on 8th Avenue. The tour stops in St. Paul for only two days, but I wish it was staying longer.

We open at St. Paul Community College, where the audience is attending a 'meet the authors' forum. Due to the untimely demise of the usual moderator, shy, awkward (and single) Robyn is facilitating the event. Oh, and the book they're discussing? Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man by Dan Anderson. Technical help during the show is provided by Stefan, one of Robyn's employees who is helping with lights and sound (and much more).

Brooks Christopher (headshot by Matthew Murray
http://www.brookschristopher.com/headshotsresume/)

Grant MacDermott plays Dan (the titular gay man) and he has the audience is in the palm of his hand almost immediately. He is engaging and hilarious and makes this interactive show seem unbelievably easy and charming. Jacklyn Collier is charmingly awkward and nervous as Robyn (the titular straight woman) and Brooks Christopher is hunky Stefan, who does a beautiful job of being wildly objectified, but in an affectionate way.

The energy level of this show is intense. The performers go all-out to bring the audience into the performance, and it was fun to see their reactions to some of the audience members they brought up on stage. Christopher did a particularly good job of staying stoic in the face of ridiculousness and good-naturedly accepting so much prurient attention.

Not your average merch table, no?

And yes, if the title didn't tip you off, this is a show that acknowledges the existence of sexual activities (as the NPR disclaimer goes). Much of the humor comes from the frank and funny airing of topics not usually heard about on the Ordway stage.

The charming MacDermott makes the Ordway Concert Hall feel intimate, and his winks and reactions to his own and others' naughtiness are priceless. Collier takes the audience on her journey from discomfort to enjoyment, and Christopher is quite funny as well as being very easy on the eyes.

[Kooky sidebar: In researching the show and looking for photos with the touring cast, we found this amazing story of the time Jacklyn Collier went on a date with Martin Shrekli: My Tinder date with "Pharma bro" Martin Shkreli]

Above all, Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man is a show that helps me remember that:

If you haven't read Hyperbole and a Half, you should.