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.

Monster at Swandive Theatre

I adore walking into a theater, seeing a fantastic set, and being super excited to see what's going to take place on that set.

In this case, the theater is the Southern, the set is by Sean McArdle and the play is Monster by Swandive Theatre. Monster is a world premiere by Minneapolis playwright Sam Graber, and plays through October 7.

Kelsey McMahon in Monster. That SET!
Photo from Swandive Theatre

Monster is a play about the dark beginnings of the World Wide Web, and the Director's Note (Meg Di Scionio) begins: "Do you ever think about what our lives would be like without the internet? Would the state of the world, our society, our individual days be better or worse if we weren't carrying around tiny pocket computers?"

Kelsey McMahon and Avi Aharoni
Photo from Swandive Theatre

We open on a dorm room in September 1994. Nessa (Jamie Fields) is psyched to start college and to have a roommate to join in her adventures. Brill (Kelsey McMahon), said roommate, is already entrenched in the room, tapping away at her computer, utterly absorbed to the exclusion of all else. Nessa doesn't appear to be concerned about Brill's obsession with her computer and with the vague threat that Brill obliquely refers to frequently, both to her and to RA Greg (Avi Aharoni). 

While Nessa has the traditional college experience of crushes, drinking to excess and studying, Brill does not get up from her computer due to a vague threat of what will happen if she leaves the computer, and what will happen if people see what's on her screen. 

It's an intriguing premise, but we spend too much time watching Brill freak out without having enough of a sense of what she is protecting the world from. Stronger characterization would have helped as well. Still, it's always exciting to see new plays from one of the many fabulous smaller theaters in the Twin Cities.

Man of La Mancha at Theater Latte Da

Theater Latte Da artistic director Peter Rothstein knows what his theater does best. They've got a great program for developing new musicals, but when they take on a classic--they give it their own unique and special spin. The new production of Man of La Mancha, playing through October 22 at the Ritz Theater, is a stellar example of their work.

A Broadway hit in 1965, followed by a generally-panned movie version in 1972, tells the story of Don Quixote de la Mancha, knight errant, and his adventures. Except that Quixote is actually a persona adopted by Alonso Quijano, an old Spanish gentleman. And Quijano is a role played by Miguel de Cervantes, who was the writer of the original book Don Quixote.

Photo by Allen Weeks

In the musical, Cervantes is an itinerant actor and storyteller who runs afoul of the Spanish Inquisition. While waiting to be called before the authorities, he tells the story of Don Quixote.
The original musical has a framing device for its play within the play. Generally, this is a 17th-century dungeon filled with assorted prisoners.

Martín Solá and Zach Garcia
Photo by Allen Weeks

For this iteration, Rothstein and scenic designer Michael Hoover have created a modern monstrosity: an ugly cinder-block waiting room where people are being held, with their belongings, for no discernible reason. Whether this is an immigration detention center or some other place, it is cold, impersonal, and dehumanizing. The inmates do not speak to one another, each experiencing their private sadness, fear, or anger.

A guard brings in new people who seem to have not yet had their enthusiasm dimmed by their circumstances. We learn that Miguel de Cervantes and his manservant are traveling performers, and that no one knows how long they may be held. Although the words of the play are unchanged, setting it in this familiar place makes everything feel very immediate for the contemporary audience.

Jon-Michael Reese and cast of Man of La Mancha
Photo by Allen Weeks

One prisoner, calling himself the Governor (Andre Shoals), states that the new arrival will be tried by his fellow prisoners, forfeiting his belongings if he does not make a good impression on them. Cervantes proceeds to tell the story of an old man, Alonso Quijano, who has become obsessed with knights and chivalry, and adopts the persona of Don Quixote de la Mancha, knight errant. He roams the countryside fighting imaginary dangers--he's where we got the idea of "tilting at windmills"--and righting the wrongs he finds along the way.

Cervantes as Quixote is played by New York actor Martín Solá, who recently appeared in On Your Feet, the Broadway show about Gloria Estefan's life. He sings beautifully, and is perfect in all aspects of his character from the prisoner to the knight to the old man.

Zach Garcia is his ideal foil as Quixote's squire and friend Sancho Panza, touching with a gorgeous voice, and with a sweetness that allows him to sell "I Really Like Him" with utter sincerity. Meghan Kreidler is a perfect Aldonza. Very few actors can sell exasperated (and tough!) with as much charm as she.

The cast, as a whole, are marvelous. In a fantastically strong cast, Jon-Michael Reese (as Paco/The Padre) is a standout. His voice is clear and beautiful, and I hope to see him in many more productions.

Man of La Mancha is not a show that gets revived often, but Theater Latte Da's gorgeous and ingenious production creates a heartrending link to the current day, while still showcasing the beauty and heart of this classic. And they make it look so easy.

The Nether at the Jungle Theater

Stephen Yoakam and Mo Perry in The Nether
Photo by the amazing Dan Norman

I went into The Nether at Jungle Theater knowing nothing about the play or the production.

From the title, I was expecting some sort of spooky Irish drama like those by Conor McPherson (The Veil, The Weir). I left thinking much more of another Irishman, Martin McDonagh and an Englishman, Charlie Brooker, creator of the television series Black Mirror.

Like those creators' works, The Nether presents a dark view of humanity and our relationship to technology. I have struggled for days about how to write about this show. It's short, haunting, beautifully acted, and gorgeously designed. It's thought-provoking, but it's really best not to know too much going into it. And you should go see it.

Written by Jennifer Haley, and directed by Casey Stangl, The Nether premiered in Los Angeles in 2013. Although its subject is the fast-moving world of technology, this play feels brand-new. This play and production are a perfect representation of the Jungle Theater under Sarah Rasmussen, using all of the fabulous skills and craftsmanship of the Jungle on innovative new plays and productions. And it's written and directed by women. Yay!

Here are five things I utterly loved about The Nether.

1. The production and scenic design. Two wildly disparate settings which perfect encapsulate the main conflict of the play. Lighting, set, sound, projections--all exquisitely done. At times claustrophobic, at times jarring, and at other times utterly idyllic.

2. The cast. Stephen Yoakam, Mo Perry, Craig Johnson, Ella Freeburg, Jucoby Johnson. Amazing performers, all. Often the play consists just two actors on stage, as one is undergoing an interrogation, and their faces are projected above the stage, and it's a beautiful master class in subtlety.

3. The cast, part two. In one scene, Stephen Yoakam and Craig Johnson are alone on stage, and I can't think of a time I've seen these two alone on stage together before, which is astonishing. Now I would like them to star together (perhaps attached like Daisy and Violet in Side Show) in everything from now on.

4. The content. Again, no spoilers here--not even a hint. There is a fair amount of disturbing content, but the script and production handle this content so skillfully (and yet straightforwardly) that it's almost less palatable than it would be if it was more overt. The story itself is thought-provoking and relevant, told in a mysterious and enthralling fashion. This show brings up a lot of questions and provides no easy answers--which is rare and delightful.

5. The talkback. The Jungle's Stay Late program features talkbacks with the cast and/or creative. We were fortunate enough to have Stephen Yoakam and Mo Perry talking about their experiences with the play. This play cries out to be discussed, and the audience--who were utterly rapt during the show in a way I seldom see at the theater--were eager to engage in discussion.

Fantastic. Go see it, support the Jungle, discuss it with a friend!

The Abominables at Children's Theatre Company

"Check it—
Can I be real a second?
For just a millisecond?
Let down my guard and tell the people how I feel a second?"
- Right Hand Man, Hamilton

About The Abominables at Children's Theatre Company ...

First of all, yay for new musicals! Hurrah for for the Children's Theatre Company for partnering with The Civilians, the fascinating NY-based "company that creates new theater from creative investigations into the most vital questions of the present" that brought us Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play and a host of other amazing sounding productions.

Secondly, but not secondarily, is the tragic passing of Michael Friedman, who wrote the music and lyrics for this show. Please read this lovely tribute to him by Sarah Larson at the New Yorker: 

"Michael Friedman, who died Saturday, at forty-one, was a brilliant and prolific composer and lyricist, a pianist, a thinker, a mile-a-minute talker, a gesticulator, a person who dazzled and could leave you dizzied—not just by his talent and intelligence but by his kindness and humanity, which were always at the forefront of his work."

With all that said, though, I wish I could give this show some love. But I need to be real (a second). I found this show really problematic.

Let's start at the very beginning. Here's the summary from the CTC website:

"Rink rats, hockey moms, tournament weekends and the quest to play your best – It’s tryout season in the Great State of Hockey! Mitch has always played on the A team for the Prairie Lake Blizzards – these are his guys – they've played together forever, but he's worried this could be the year he gets sent down to the B team. When a new “kid” appears at Bantam tryouts, things go from bad to worse. From the land of ice and nice comes the first Minnesota hockey musical! Will you love it? You betcha!"

Hockey! Musical! Minnesota-set! Fun fun, right? Not so much.

Mitch Munson (Henry Constable) has been practicing all summer for hockey tryouts, and convinces his friends to let him go out on the ice first, which, astonishingly enough, they do. He tries out but does not make the A team. A new family has moved to town with their yeti son, adopted from the Himalayas. (It turns out yetis are really good at hockey.) Harry, the yeti (Ryan Colbert), gets a spot on the A team, and Mitch gets a spot on the B team. Cue massive amounts of pouting and privilege from young Mitch, mostly at the expense of the new kid in town. Mitch does everything he can to try and bring Harry down, including finding his lost yeti parents, so they will take him away.

I've got two major concerns with this show.

The first is that the show is remarkably inconsistent and underwritten. Although the Civilians is notable for devising and creating their work as a group, Steve Cosson is credited as the writer.

We meet Mitch's parents, Ellen and Charlie (Autumn Ness and Reed Sigmund), but we learn almost nothing about them except that she is a hockey mom (who likes to drink and be an A team parent) and he--I don't know. Does he support Mitch? Is he a toxic sport parent? Does he think Mitch is a lousy hockey player? Does he have shattered dreams from his own sporting youth? We get a hint of that near the end of the play, but not when we need it--in the beginning.

Our "hero", Mitch, is severely undercharacterized. He has practiced all summer. That is all we know about him, and yet we are expected to sympathize with him and with the journey he takes (eventually) to being less of a brat (in theory). I got to be honest: When a young, white, male character is expected to earn our interest and affection merely by existing, I can't help but feel that the playwright is considering the white male character to be the neutral default (see Steven Epp in Refugia). Apart from that, the character is just a complete whiny little creep.

Oh, and Mitch has two younger sisters: Tracy (the always delightful Natalie Tran) and Lily (an engaging Valerie Wick), neither of whom gets nearly the attention that Mitch does, despite the fact that Tracy is a great hockey player. A particularly infuriating scene has Mitch breaking Tracy's trophy (which she was sharing with another player due to their excellent teamwork) with no repercussions whatsoever. It is never referred to again, nor is Tracy's admirable sportsmanship. Certainly not by the parents. A note: Having the script acknowledge that these characters get less attention does not get you a pass on shortchanging their stories. And when Lily gets lost in the snow because her parents have again ignored their daughters, she saves herself and others with intelligence and competence that literally no one even comments on.

Let's meet Mitch's arch-enemy, shall we? Harry the yeti (a delightful and poignant Ryan Colbert) and his parents (Bradley Greenwald and Elise Benson), as well as son Freddy (adorable and winning Alejandro Vega) have just moved to town so that Harry can play hockey and make friends. Wait, what? A yeti? Explain how.

APPARENTLY, Hank and Judy, mountain-climbers/television stars/authors/etc., were climbing in the Himalayas and found a young Yeti and took him home and named him Harry. Although we are told Hank and Judy are selfish, self-centered egotists, apparently they care enough about their son to bring him to Minnesota to play hockey and make friends.

And here's where everything gets just a little bit more complicated. Having recently seen The Sneetches at CTC, I know that children's theater often has deeper and more substantial themes than one might find at face value.

Hank and Judy are human, and Harry is a yeti. He is constantly referred to as "other" and especially so when Mitch takes so strongly against him and refers to his adopted status derisively. Even his parents consider him as "other" and highlight his differences from his human teammates. Part of Mitch's plan to get back on the A Team involves him contacting Harry's yeti parents, who come to town and accuse Hank and Judy of stealing their son.

Seriously, how can you not see this as a depiction of transracial adoption? Or at the very least, an incredibly problematic portrayal of adoption in general.

The yeti parents have no names. Hank and Judy are portrayed by white actors and their adopted son is portrayed by an actor of color. Stephanie Bertumen plays a variety of anonymous characters, with far less dialogue than her counterpart Doug Nethercott. And far more ridiculous wigs.

I truly don't know what to make of this musical. If it's truly a light-hearted hockey musical, it at least needs to tell us what these characters want and need. What drives them? What is our happy ending? Why can't we resolve a few problems? Why isn't it more fun? If it's something more serious, then tackle those issues. I literally think the writer did not consider the implications of portraying adoption and certainly transracial adoption in this way. But that's no excuse, especially for the Children's Theatre, which generally does pay attention to issues like these.

One last note: CTC does have a content advisory page for the play, and it includes this statement:

Special note: This production contains potentially triggering situations surrounding adoption. If you and/or your child have adoptive experiences, please contact the ticket office...

That doesn't seem to be enough. Putting together new work is hard, but especially when creating a new play for and about children, I'd hope that the creative team would be on the lookout for problems like these.

In the Heights at the Ordway

As we may have mentioned, we love Lin-Manuel Miranda's first Broadway show, In the Heights. Why I Love In the Heights (and you should, too)

So we were excited when the show was announced as one of this season's Ordway Originals. And it's finally here!

A little background for those who may not have heard of the immensely talented Mr. Miranda. He's got a little show on Broadway (and in Chicago, and Los Angeles, soon to be touring the United States and opening on London's West End) called Hamilton. Before writing the Tony-winning, Pulitzer Prize-winning hip hop musical about the founding of the United States, Miranda penned and starred in In the Heights. If you are a Hamilfan, you really should see this show.

Debra Cardona and Justin Gregory Lopez as
Abuela Claudia and Usnavi (photo: Rich Ryan)

In the Heights is an original story, not based on a movie or a book, but on the lives of ordinary people living and working in a predominantly Latino neighborhood in Washington Heights at the north end of Manhattan. As gentrification spreads north, rising rents mean changes for everyone in the neighborhood.

The Ordway's coproduction with Teatro del Pueblo, directed and choreographed by James Rocco and Alberto Justiniano, brings this community to vibrant life for an all-too-brief run (ending September 24). The cast is excellent, with Justin Gregory Lopez leading the ensemble as Usnavi, the role originated by Lin-Manuel Miranda on Broadway. Lopez, seen in last year's Ordway production of Paint Your Wagon, has the perfect blend of bravado and sweetness. Val Nuccio nails the beauty and personality of Usnavi's crush, Vanessa. The whole cast is wonderful, and it was delightful to see Lauren Villegas, recently Jesus Christ Superstar's Mary Magdalene, in a completely different role as the outspoken salon owner, Daniela. Stephen Scott Wormley as Benny and Debra Cardona as Abuela Claudia have great voices and presence.

The cast of In the Heights (photo: Rich Ryan)

The excellent nine-member orchestra keeps the music moving, and there is some terrifically energetic dancing, most impressively from Brian Bose as Graffiti Pete. With a compelling array of characters and plotlines, In the Heights is a joyous celebration of life, love, and community that makes you think about the true meaning of home.