Artistry in Bloomington is Alive With the Sound of Music

* Disclaimer: On March 28th I suffered a rupture in my right bicep muscle, which has left me without the use of my right arm. I will endeavor to continue seeing and reviewing shows however the reality is that the reviews will need to be significantly shorter. For now I will attempt to provide you, faithful readers, with a few sentences that will make clear whether a show is worth your time and money. My apologies to all of the artists in front of the curtain as well as behind whose work I may not be able to comment on. Hopefully this will be a short-term accommodation, I will do everything in my power to get back to writing full reviews as soon as is humanly possible.

When I was growing up in the pre-cable days of television there were four channels and no home video. There were three movies that I was aware of being broadcast yearly on one of the three major networks ABC, NBC, and CBS. They were The Wizard of Oz which we always watched, Gone with the Wind which I never watched, and of course The Sound of Music which we never missed. It’s fair to say those early screenings planted the seed from which my love of theater and musicals grew. Sometimes revisiting childhood favorites can be a disappointment, thankfully that isn’t the case with Artistrys production of The Sound of Music. Director Max Wojtanowicz has tapped into a deep vein of emotional memory that had my eyes overflowing throughout the evening. It’s a musical filled with such joy and Wojtanowicz’s directorial flourishes only add to it. I’m not sure anyone in the Twin Cities knows as much about musical theater as Wojtanowicz, his mastery of the form shows in every scene. One little touch that I absolutely loved was the use of a bed sheet and shadow hand puppets during the performance of “The Lonely Goatherd“. The set design by Katie Phillips is minimal but Music Director Raymond Berg could have the top notch musicians that beautifully underline the actors vocals. Oh! before I continue, I should just say if you’re looking for plot synopsis, I’m not going to provide you with one, but I would like to welcome you out from under the rock you’ve apparently been living under.

As a rule I do not critique the performances of adolescent actors so all I will say is that they were wonderful and every one of them should continue on this path. The big name in the cast is Susan Hofflander who plays the Mother Abbess, She has a powerful voice and there’s a true connection between her and Maria that is solidified when they sing “My Favorite Things” together and carries throughout the show. Rodolfo Nieto, one of my wife’s All is Calm Boys, plays Captain von Trapp, his deep rich voice and severe look brings a different characterization to the Captain but one that’s very effective. Now for the show’s secret weapon, in the role of Maria, Sheena Janson Kelley was a revelation. Kelley’s voice was not only beautiful but crystal clear. Seeing as many shows as I do, I’m used to hearing great singers, powerful singers, beautiful voices, Kelley’s is exactly the voice I always want to hear in this type of role. Her voice is the embodiment of this character who’s all love and joy and music. Sometimes a character this good can also come off as boring, there’s nothing boring about the perfection of Kelley’s Maria. Every choice she makes in the role whether it’s singing or acting endears her to the audience, we are with her from her first line to her final bow. To the best of my knowledge I’ve not seen Kelley perform before, but I sure hope I do again, and soon. To this reviewer’s mind if you’re casting a musical I can’t understand why you wouldn’t give the lead to Sheena Janson Kelley. Whatever the role is, it’s hard to imagine there’s a better choice.

If you were planning to give The Sound of Music a pass thinking you’ve seen the movie a million times so you don’t need to go see it again, you’re going to want to correct that thinking. This production will remind you why you’ve seen the movie so many times, because it’s so damn good. This production may lack the scenic views but it has everything that makes the musical great intact, heart, lots and lots of heart. The Sound of Music runs through May 12th at Artistry in Bloomington. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://artistrymn.org/thesoundofmusic

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Join us for a twin cities theater blogger event at the Guthrie Theater for their Shakespeare history event. We are also planning a Twin Cities Theater Bloggers post show Gathering on April 27th following the Richard II matinee for 20% discount on tickets to that performance use the code TCBLOG or click on the link http://securesite.guthrietheater.org/single/PSDetail.aspx?psn=33583&promo=TCBLOG

The Cradle Will Rock An Opera Theatre Presentation at Heart of the Beast/Avalon Theater

The Cradle Will Rock is a show I know of but had never seen, it’s sort of that kind of show. There’s an incredible true story about its staging in 1937 that Actor and Director Tim Robbins made into a film in 1999 called Cradle Will Rock, it’s a good movie and a fascinating story. You can get the general gist of what happened in An Opera Theater’s program for this show, which is packed full of captivating information and thoughtful commentary from the people behind this staging of Marc Blitzstein’s condemnation of greed and corruption. The show runs about 65 minutes and as such, it eskews subtlety being very direct and clear about its message. A message whose time has come again, not that it ever really left. The show consists of 10 scenes that play out showing us the ways in which it’s villain Mr Mister exploits, manipulates, and controls not only the people but institutions for his own personal gain. The production directed by Christina Baldwin along with Lizz Windnagel as Puppet Director/Creator is visually inventive with creative use of lighting by Claudia Errickson, and wonderfully stylized costumes by Sonya Berlovitz.

Baldwin speaks in her program notes about the importance of being silly, and it’s a lesson she has successfully instilled in her cast. Written in a very Brechtian Style, the infusion of whimsy that Baldwin brings to the piece makes it more digestible to modern audience. The cast has some familiar faces in it but also new ones. Benjamin Dutcher sounds brilliant as always but, it’s his playful, and yes, silly characterizations were the real joy of his performance. His stylistic movements as his first character Dick were a perfect match for the overcoat designed by Berlovitz for the character. Maurice Fields III is someone I had not seen before but they certainly made an impression. Fields has a wonderful tenor voice but again, it was their characterizations that really stuck out as Reverend Salvation, for example they illustrates how we got to this state we’re in with regards to the religious right. They perfectly play the gradual seduction of the man of God by the power of the dollar. It’s a wonderful cast all around and the production team as well particularly those involved with the puppeteering really make this a production stand out. What’s also intriguing about this company, An Opera Theater is their commitment to community engagement with performances being followed by round table discussions with community leaders as well as resources available in the lobby and in the program. For them, it’s not just about putting on a show it’s about engaging an audience and a community, which is a beautiful thing.

The Cradle Will Rock runs through April 21st at Heart of the Beast /Avalon Theater in Minneapolis. For more information and purchase tickets go to https://anoperatheatre.org/cradle

Shakespeare’s History Plays in Rep, the Once in a Generation Event is a Triumph at the Guthrie

The above disclaimer, which has began each review since my injury, has never felt more like a curse than a blessing then it does for this review. Of all the shows I have covered since beginning The Stages of MN in 2019 this historic three play event deserves an epic review. But, as Shakespeare himself wrote “brevity is the soul of wit”, pray that it be so. And so with rough and all unable-pen our blogger shall pursue a review.

I count myself very fortunate to have been among the few, the happy few attending the opening day marathon of the Guthrie Theater’s History plays comprised of Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V. I know that most people are frightened off at the thought of 13 hours at a theater seeing three Shakespeare plays. But, the experience greatly outweighs and gives proof the falsehood of imagined discomfort. For “there is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so” and so, think not on it, as a non-runner thinks of a marathon, as something to be endured. But rather embrace it as the once in a lifetime privilege and rest assured that like the long distance runner the adrenaline and the excitement and the sense of accomplishment will carry the day. Never have 13 hours passed so quickly or the air in the theater filled with such electricity and excitement. There is one additional marathon day scheduled for Saturday May 18th I urge anyone with an interest in Shakespeare to take advantage of this rare opportunity. As daunting as it may seem, it is, in reality, a supremely satisfying and exhilarating experience. If the date does not work for you I urge you to see all three plays in order whether that be one a week or over the course of a weekend. But one of the unique thrills of seeing these three plays in rep, is watching the actors complete character arcs over multiple plays and seeing the full scope of this story, these histories, play out upon the stage.

The plots of the plays are filled with political intrigue, Civil Wars, loyalties and betrayals, they tell of villains, Kings, knaves and heroes. The Guthrie’s marketing very succinctly distills the plays to their essence Richard II a king becomes a man, Henry IV a man becomes a King, Henry V a king becomes a hero. While that touches on but one key theme of each play it also alludes to the arc that carries through all three, for together they tell of the consecutive reign of three English Monarchs. Each play runs over two and a half hours including the intermission they are histories so we expect drama and intrigue they tell of wars and battles and there is combat and even a few brief moments of romance. For those unfamiliar with the plays, what might surprise is the amount of humor that can be found in each play. Which goes a long way towards converting the plays fascinating historical dramas into well-rounded entertainments. Let us speak no more of plots but, before moving on to the individual plays, a few thoughts on the entire undertaking. One of the aspects of seeing all three plays in one day is the way in which you become aware of the complexity involved in the undertaking of such a feat. We see why we call this a once in a generation event. The intricacies of the details from lighting, costuming, wigs, props, makeup, sound cues, and set designs is mind boggling. The actors learning three plays worth of dialogue, blocking, stage combat, some playing as many as 8 characters across the trilogy. We marvel on the day of the stamina of the cast and crew to run all three in a single day. But, that is just the tip of the iceberg and almost downplays the dedication, talent, and hard work that was needed over years to plan, over months to stage, and over weeks to perform often twice in the day. Picture here a well-deserved standing ovation for Stage Managers Tree O’Halloran and Karl Alphonso, Assistant Stage Managers Jason Clusman and Olivia Louise Tree Plath, Lighting Designer Heather Gilbert, Sound Designer Mikaal Sulaiman, and Composer Jack Herrick.

Truth be told I had never seen any of these plays produced on stage, my exposure to Richard II was Limited to episode 1 of the series The Hollow Crown. The role of King Richard II is played by local favorite Tyler Michaels King who is, as always, brilliant in the role. His King is a man who has come to believe all that his sycophant hangers on tell him, and has completely bought in to the concept of his divine appointment to the throne. Vain and spoilt at the beginning his transformation from divine King to a mortal man, is where Michaels King finds nuance and humanity. David Andrew MacDonald seen recently at the Guthrie in Dial M for Murder is a standout in this play as the Duke of York. Also, Jasmine Bracey as his wife, The Duchess of York makes quite an impression in her short scene towards the end of the play. Begging the newly crowned Henry IV to pardon her son, it’s played with feeling, but also great humor. This play gives us our first look of the day at the set designed by Jan Chambers which consists of a throne room that rotates on a turntable the backside of which can stand in for various locations throughout the three plays. Around the turntable is a rotating donut that set pieces can be placed and rotated from backstage. Both of these rotating floors mechanisms, along with the trap door and elevator platform allow for quick and fluid transitions between scenes. On either side of the stage are large tower like structures on which actors can stand and perform, again allowing us to focus on one area while transitions are happening elsewhere. It’s a marvelous design that allows for the many scene, location, and environmental changes that need to occur over the course of three full length plays.

Henry IV is condensed from Henry IV part 1 and 2 into one play, this is the play that resulted in the most cuts for obvious reasons. My exposure to Henry IV has been multiple viewings of Orson Welles film The Chimes at Midnight which also draws from all four of these plays as well as The Merry Wives of Windsor as well as other texts, as well as episodes 2 and 3 of the series The Hollow Crown. William Sturdivant who had played Henry Bolingbroke who was crowned King at the end of Richard II continues as that character. The strange thing about Henry IV is that it’s almost more Prince Hal played by Daniel Jose Molina and Falstaff played by Jimmy Kieffer’s play. Studivant, still gets to shine over the course of Richard II and Henry IV, perhaps getting the best opportunity to show a characters change over a longer. Of time playing the Young Henry in Richard II and an older near the end of life King Henry IV. He does a nice job of aging Henry aided by well-designed wig, makeup and costuming by Trevor Bowen. It’s hard for me to shake off Welles’ portrayal of Falstaff but Kieffer does good work with the iconic role portraying him a little more outwardly calculating, less ludicrous and less sympathetic. Making Prince Hal turning away from him feel more deserved and less cruel which I think adds to the realism. Molina for his part while the King and Henry V gets to establish his character here as Prince Hal in his wilder youthful days. With this play surprisingly more than Henry V we must note the wonderful stage combat by Fight Director and Captain U. Jonathan Toppo.

Henry V is a work I’ve had the most exposure to not only The Hollow Crown episode 4 but the Kenneth Branagh film is one of my favorite films, I’ve seen all or part of it at least 20 times. Display belongs to Daniel Jose Molina his portrayal of King Harry genuinely conveys the characters maturity and understanding of the awesome responsibility of being the King. Molina still finds places to inject humor into the line readings sometimes in surprising places but they always work. All three plays are fantastic and the direction by Joseph Haj is consistently intelligent and unifying. There was one aspect of this particular play that struck me as an odd choice by Haj and costume designer Trevor Bowen. The costumes of the French Court have a distinctly modern high fashion look that does not mesh with the look of the costumes of every other character in all three plays. It does allow for a lot of added humor around the French Royal Court particularly the role of the Dauphin, played by Dustin Bronson. On its own Bronson and his fellow actors take on the characters of the French Court in army is hilarious. But within the body of the three plays it’s the one piece that feels out of place. I also expected there to be a fair amount of stage combat in Henry V, and was surprised to find very little. That says it works without the stage combat but after seeing how well it was handled in the previous play one couldn’t help but want for more.

There are 26 actors who appear on stage, four of which have non-speaking roles as attendance officers londoners and soldiers. Of the 22 with speaking roles there isn’t a bad performance and too many to single out individually but here are the names of just a few of those not already mentioned who created very memorable moments and characters across multiple plays; John Catron, Charity Jones, Melissa Maxwell, Lanise Antoine Shelley, and Eric Sharp most of whom local audiences will recognize. I do also want to give a shout out to one of my favorite up and coming performers Em Rosenberg who is making their speaking role debut at the Guthrie playing eight roles. All of them small, to be sure, but it’s so thrilling to see someone whose talent has caught your eye getting to take this step and have this experience. They get to play a lot of different characters with not a lot to do but keep your eye on Rosenberg, I think at some point in the future they are someone we will see as the lead in Guthrie Productions.

Shakespeare’s history plays run through May 25th at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets including how to save money on three show packages or to attend the final Marathon Day on May 18th go to https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/2023-2024-season/history-plays/ . We are also planning a Twin Cities Theater Bloggers post show event on April 27th following the Richard II matinee for 20% discount on tickets to that performance use the code TCBLOG or click on the link http://securesite.guthrietheater.org/single/PSDetail.aspx?psn=33583&promo=TCBLOG

We few, we happy few, we band of Bloggers

9 to 5 is Sure to be a Hit at Lyric Arts in Anoka

Opening night of 9 to 5 at Lyric Arts in Anoka looked to be a sold out house, perhaps it’s a popularity of Dolly Parton, perhaps it’s that the average age of theater audiences grew up with the 1980 film that starred Lily Tomlin Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton. Whatever the reason for opening nights business what will likely result in a near, if not complete, sell out run is the work of Director Shanan Custer in the phenomenal cast. The musical features a book by Patricia Resnick with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton. I enjoyed all of the new songs, they seem to fit well with the original hit “9 to 5“. And they sound great under the musical direction of Bradley Beahen and if I’m counting correctly, his 12 musicians strong band. Before moving on to the cast, praise must be given to Custer as director, she’s a favorite of this writer long before The Stages of MN and it’s not hard to see her comedic touches throughout the production. It’s a rare example of a show where you can genuinely sense the directors personality stamped on every element of the production to the productions benefit.

On to the cast and where to start in these days of the injury where reviews are necessarily briefer, it’s hard to know who to single out but for the moment, set aside the three leads and focus on a couple of the supporting roles. Emily Jabas plays Margaret, one of the women who work in the office who happens to drink on the job. It’s a small role but Jabas makes the most of every moment with just the right touch of comic relief but it’s the tiny part that everyone was talking about on the car ride home. True, it’s the kind of part that’s written funny and most actors would get laughs but Jabas does more than get laughs, she makes a lasting impression. Ben Thietje plays the chauvinist pig boss Franklin Hart Jr., like Dabney Coleman in the film version it’s hard to imagine anyone you’d love to hate more. Thietje perfectly threads the needle making him horrible but in a very very funny way.

First off the trio playing the three leads Violet, Judy, and Doralee jockeyed throughout the show for favorite performance crossing the finish line in a three-way tie. The wonderful thing is they all do something different but they all do the exact right thing for this production. Audrey Johnson plays Doralee, the Dolly Parton role, and she plays it like Dolly Parton but that’s exactly what you have to do. That character is Dolly Parton and she is iconic, going another direction isn’t a place that the audience wants you to go. Johnson doesn’t do a caricature, she doesn’t do an imitation, she just goes to the same places that Parton did in the original film, her singing voice is very close which is exactly what needed to happen. The other two roles can be their own thing and that’s what the actors do. Emily A. Grodzik plays Violet the Lily Tomelin role as the competent but overlooked supervisor. She makes her a strong independent woman whom we can easily believe could lead any company to much greater success than Franklin Heart Jr.. Nora Sonneborn plays Judy the Jane Fonda role but she takes the character in a different direction than Fonda did, she makes her meaker more of a Wallflower which adds greater effect when she comes out of her shell. When the three leads sing together it’s magical and they all have wonderful voices that sound great together. But if there’s one standout moment vocally, it’s Sonneborn’s solo “Get Out and Stay Out“, it’s probably a little hyperbolic to say this but for me in this show, in that moment it had the power of “Defying Gravity” in Wicked. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the applause for that song was the longest and loudest of the evening. Of the three leads Sonneborn was the revelation as I had only seen her in supporting roles and after this performance I have to ask why?

9 to 5 runs through May 12th at Lyric Arts in Anoka for more information, like a plot synopsis, and purchase tickets go to https://www.lyricarts.org/9-to-5

Die Winterreise at The Hive Collaborative

Die Winterreise is the latest in The Hive Collaboratives conceptual beginning series. It takes the classical song cycle Franz Schubert’s Winterreise set to 24 poems by German poet Wilhelm Mueller. What The Hive’s website says about the piece is it uses the everlasting story of lost love to explore the human need for connection and acceptance but I’m going to have to take their word for that. The show is sung by baritone Justin Spenner completely in German while being accompanied on the piano by Carson Rose Schneider. A QR code is provided at the theater which will bring you to a side-by-side translation of the poems in German and English. I tried to follow along and realized at the end that the best approach, assuming you don’t already speak German, is to set the translation aside sit back and let the music and performance wash over you. The mind is a wonderful thing but sometimes it can get in our way, it’ll try and impose a narrative in such a way that closes you off to what the artist is giving you. First off, if sitting and listening to someone sing in German for 80 minutes sounds like torture to you this isn’t the show for you and that’s okay. But if listening to a fantastic singer wonderfully accompanied for 80 minutes in a very intimate space is something you would enjoy, then there’s a lot to get out of this experience. I’ve seen Justin spenner perform in Opera and that’s very much what Winterreise sounds like, he’s a fantastic vocalist and to hear him in whatever language is always something special.

Winterreise will have one more performance April 13th at 5:00 p.m. At The Hive collaborative in St Paul for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.thehivecollaborativemn.com/events/winterreise-a-winters-journey

God of Carnage is Wickedly Funny at Theatre in the Round

Mia Josimovic, Kendra Mueller, Michael Postle, and D’aniel Stock Photo by Aaron Mark Photo Film

God of Carnage the Laurence Olivier and Tony award-winning play by Yasmina Reza has the simplest of setups, two couples the Raleigh’s and the Novak’s who have gotten together to discuss an incident between their sons that resulted in one losing a couple of teeth. What begins as a civilized discussion slowly spirals out of control over the 85 minute run time of the play. The content warning for the play which states strong language including derogatory insults with some racist and homophobic terms, simulated vomit will give you some idea of what is in store. This is a very black comedy that I’ve heard criticized as entitled people Behaving Badly. I think that is far too simplistic, the play exaggerates for comedic effect but underneath the reactions, the characters have whatever they’re entitlements may be ring true to those observant of human nature. Ultimately it’s about illustrating the differences between the persona we show other people and how we really feel. It’s about our hidden natures, our hidden resentments, and our hidden entitlements how all of these can emerge when the right buttons are pushed. It reminds us that no matter how old we are or how civilized we think ourselves to be, there is still within us all, a child. Someone once said grown ups are just children who owe money which is the simplified theme of this play. All of the action takes place in the living room of the Novak’s a set designed by Michael Haas that perfectly exploits the theater in the round forum.

If the play sounds familiar you may have seen the Roman Polanski film from 2011 entitled Carnage which sported the to-die-for cast of Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, and John C. Reilly. It’s a play whose brilliant script sinks or swims on the shoulders of the cast, Director Alissa Blaeser’s ensemble looks to have trained for the Olympics. They are Mia Josimovic, Kendra Mueller, Michael Postle, and D’aniel Stock. The play is a true ensemble piece where every part is equally important and the cast, while playing characters who seem to be in constant competition with each other, never seem to be trying to steal the spotlight from each other. The roles require each actor to modulate their characters loss of control showing provocation to momentary outbursts then regaining composure again. There’s a delicate and subtle give and take that in lesser hands would not feel authentic, the strength of this cast is that while the responses are certainly heightened they maintain a sense of realism.

God of Carnage is a dark comedy that invites us to take pleasure in watching not great people having one of the worst days of their lives. Blaeser finds the perfect tone to enable us to get to that mental place to enjoy their misfortune. It’s at times shocking how far the characters allow themselves to regress but there’s also a delicious sense of Schadenfreude in watching it happen. God of carnage runs through April 28th at Theatre in the Round Players in Minneapolis. For more information and purchase tickets go to https://www.theatreintheround.org/home/season-placeholder/72nd-season/carnage/

I Am My Own Wife is a Fascinating Study of True Transgender Pioneer at Lakeshore Players Theatre

* Disclaimer: On March 28th I suffered a rupture in my right bicep muscle, which has left me without the use of my right arm. I will endeavor to continue seeing and reviewing shows; however, the reality is that the reviews will need to be significantly shorter. For now I will attempt to provide you, faithful readers, with a few sentences that will make clear whether a show is worth your time and money. My apologies to all of the artists in front of the curtain as well as behind whose work I may not be able to comment on. Hopefully, this will be a short-term accommodation, I will do everything in my power to get back to writing full reviews as soon as is humanly possible.

I am My Own Wife, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony award-winning play by Doug Wright began a two-week run in Lakeshore Players Theater’s intimate Black Box theater last night. This one person show, about the real life Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, who as a trans woman survived Nazi Germany and life in East Berlin during the Cold War. It’s an extraordinary story about a complex woman, some of which may or may not be true. But even if every detail isn’t completely true, the reality of her existence and what she accomplished is simply astonishing. The play is based on conversations Doug Wright had with Charlotte von Mahlsdorf in the early 1990s. Mahlsdorf was a collector of antiquities and in the 1960s opened the Grunderzeit museum, which also became a meeting place for LGBTQ society.

Speaking of astonishing, the performance of Lewis Youngren who plays dozens of characters is the very definition of the word. Youngren slides effortlessly between characters male, female, and transgender while always keeping the audience completely under their spell. This seems to be a year full of actors performing multiple roles within a scene, following on the heels of Stones In His Pockets and Radiant Vermin, Youngren’s performance is another exhilarating example of the technique. This was my first visit to the Black Box Studio at Lakeshore players; it’s a small but versatile space that director Craig Johnson makes excellent use of. The Production Design and Lighting by Eric Morris and Tracy V. Joe is full of delightful little surprises. What initially looks like a bare stage is revealed to be much more elaborate and the effective use of lighting helps to convey the changes in time and place. It’s a Wonderful show that also teaches us the history lesson as well as a valuable message about being your authentic self.

I am My Own Wife runs through April 14th at the Lakeshore Players Theater in White Bear Lake. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.lakeshoreplayers.org/i-am-my-own-wife