The Full Monty From Theatre 55 Leaves Nothing to the Imagination Featuring Six Very “Brave” Performances

The Cast (who you can see much more of in the show) Photo by Dan Norman

The Full Monty is what it’s called, what it promises, and, I’m fairly certain, what it delivers. I say “fairly certain” because the show’s final reveal hinges on a well-timed lighting cue. The guys fully commit, and in the moment just before the blackout, there’s little doubt that once the G-strings are gone, so is everything else. So why, you might ask, should you go if they pull a trick at the end to prevent a clear look at their one-eyed trouser snakes? (Sorry—I saw Grumpy Old Men: The Musical on Sunday, and Grandpa’s one-liners are still rattling around in my head.)

Well, come on, if you want to see the penis’ (I don’t know what the plural is for penis, I’ve only ever had one of my own) of a bunch of men over 55 google it. You don’t really need to see the full package, because what you’re actually there for is the vulnerability, of both the performers and their characters. This show isn’t about sex or nudity; it’s about self-confidence, acceptance, being true to yourself, and showing up for each other. It’s about vulnerability, and who better to explore that than a group of men who often cope through toxic masculinity, bottling up feelings, and hiding fear and shame?

Based on the 1997 film of the same name, the musical relocates the story from Northern England to Buffalo, New York. Why? It doesn’t really matter, one economically depressed city facing mass unemployment looks a lot like another, and the story is universal. A group of out-of-work men, each desperate for their own reasons, money, dignity, or both, hatch a plan to raise cash by putting on a one night only strip show. The problem? Most of them aren’t in great shape, most can’t dance, and none have done anything like this before. The fun of the show, and it is fun, is watching them talk themselves from a ridiculous idea to the point where they’re ready to step onstage in front of a sold-out crowd.

There are some genuinely fun songs, highlights include “Big-Ass Rock,” “Big Black Man,” and “The Goods.” There are also a couple of surprisingly touching numbers, “You Rule My World” and “You Walk With Me,” both of which land with real emotional weight. I’m not going to lie, that’s part of the deal, remember, the performances are a little uneven. But honestly, that works for a show about a group of guys who no one would nominate as Chippendales material, trying to pull off a strip show. Nobodies bad, few are great, and they pretty much all completely win you over. Their willingness to give you everything they have, or at least a glimpse of it, is inspiring and genuinely endearing.

So go for the… peniseses (?) (I did try and Google “plural Penis” and may have some explaining to do to Mrs. The Stages of MN), but stay for a show about figuring out what really matters. And for the joy of watching a group of artists over 55 prove they’re not done playin’ yet.

But hurry, this show closes this weekend, April 19, at the Frey Theatre at St. Catherine University. For more information and tickets, visit https://theatre55.org/current-show/

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Ada Lovelace: Bride of Science is the Most Interesting Math Lesson You’ll Ever Get

Ada Lovelace: Bride of Science

Ada Lovelace: Bride of Science is the first full-length play written by Stages of MN favorite Nissa Nordland. I’ve enjoyed Nordland’s writing in her short-form plays featured at the Twin Cities Horror Festival and Minnesota Fringe Festival. I’ve loved those shows, but anyone familiar with those festivals knows that kind of work is unique. I was excited, but also a bit anxious, to see what she would do with a full-length play. After all, I promise Minnesota honest reviews, and being a favorite doesn’t grant immunity from criticism. I’m relieved to report that I came away impressed by the discipline of the piece, which is without a doubt a polished, effective, and creative telling of the story of real-life mathematician Ada Lovelace.

Lovelace, the daughter of the poet Lord Byron, was a woman ahead of her time. Considered the first computer programmer, she died in 1852 at the age of 36. Knowing Nordland’s affinity for the dark side, I suspect the title is a play on The Bride of Frankenstein, especially given that Ada’s father, Lord Byron, figures into the origin of Mary Shelley’s famous tale. Ada does seem to share with Victor Frankenstein a single-minded obsession in her pursuit of, at a stretch, an artificial form of life.

We follow Ada’s story from her parents’ separation when she was one month old through her death. Along the way, we witness her relationship with her overbearing mother, her marriage to William King-Noel, 1st Earl of Lovelace, and her own challenging relationship with her children. But the two most important relationships are with her dead father, who emerges from a painting to converse with and encourage her, and with Charles Babbage, fellow mathematician and inventor of the Analytical Engine, which would have been the world’s first computer if it had been completed. Ada could see the potential of the Analytical Engine beyond what even Babbage could, and far beyond what the rest of the world, unable to imagine its use, could grasp.

Gabi Jones, who is relatively new to me, does a great job handling the highly technical dialogue while also conveying Ada’s “poetical science” approach to her work. Derek Lee Miller, as both Lord Byron and William King-Noel, is excellent as always. I especially loved his take on the dead Lord Byron, including a song he sings to Ada that is particularly well done. Tara Lucchino, as Ada’s mother, does not shy away from the character’s cruelty, but also allows her softer side to come through. David Tufford capably handles some truly challenging technobabble, but his best moments come in conflict with Ada toward the end, as well as in scenes with her fellow mathematician and friend Mary Somerville, played by Victoria Pyan. Pyan excels in scenes addressing what she sees as Babbage taking advantage of Ada’s intellect without giving her proper credit.

Lastly, praise must be given to scenic designer Ursula K. Bowden for a surprisingly large scale set full of inventive touches, including a computer punch card flat that scrolls to display the year as the play progresses. Director Josh Cragun also deserves recognition; his use of movement creates an almost dreamlike quality in scenes that primarily serve to deliver exposition or endnotes, transforming what could be dry information dumps into elegantly engaging interludes.

Ada Lovelace: Bride of Science runs through April 19 at the Crane Theater in Northeast Minneapolis. For more information and tickets, visit https://nimbustheatre.com/productions/ada-lovelace

Grumpy Old Men the Musical From Minneapolis Musical Theatre is a Rather Fun Adaptation of the 90’s Film.

Jim Ahrens, Michael Fischetti, Ward Eames, and Quintin Michael Photo by Molly Jay Photography

Grumpy Old Men: The Musical, based on the 1993 film, is a perfect fit for the theater company Minneapolis Musical Theatre, which specializes in “Rare Musicals. Well Done.” This is certainly a rarely performed musical and, as is often the case, there’s a reason for that. The show itself isn’t of the quality that a larger theater like Theater Latté Da or the Guthrie Theater is likely to mount. But what MMT does is take those not-quite-hit-worthy efforts and, as their slogan promises, do them well.

The smaller budget, the mix of professional and community theater actors, and sets that lean more on creativity than realism are exactly what make a show like this work. To see Tyler Michaels King, Erin Capello, Tod Petersen, and Roland Hawkins II perform this on the Guthrie thrust stage, surrounded by a set that cost 20 times MMT’s budget, would shine far too bright a light on the material. At this level, we forgive the show’s imperfections, in fact, they become part of its charm. I don’t know if a lavish set could be any more charming than the clever creations scenic designer Maggie Mae Sulentic has devised. Actually, I do know: it would be a step down.

This material was never meant to stand beside Les Misérables or even Legally Blonde. Just as the original film wasn’t aiming for the magic of When Harry Met Sally or Groundhog Day, it was meant to be fun, light entertainment. And if memory serves, it was. I haven’t seen it since 1993, but I remember laughing and, despite it being aimed at people much older than my then tender 21 years, finding it quite enjoyable.

That’s what this is, too. Though I will say, I don’t think most modern 21-year-olds would find it as entertaining as I did. The sweet spot here seems to be my age and older, which, thankfully for MMT, my highly scientific observational poll suggests makes up about 75% of theatergoers. The trick, as with any show, is finding that audience and making sure they know about it. So if you’re under 40 and this doesn’t seem like your cup of tea, let your parents know, they’re going to have a blast.

The grumpy old men of the title are two former friends who have been feuding for more than 30 years. Their rivalry gets a fresh burst of energy when they both fall for a new widow who moves in across the street. Her home furnishings, especially a statue of her late husband, are among the many clever set pieces that add delightful touches to the production.

There’s also a subplot involving their children that might feel unnecessary, if not for the charming performances of Jillian Bader and James Lane, who win you over completely. Jim Ahrens and Ward Eames play the titular grumps, trading barbs and insults like seasoned pros. There are also a couple of real crowd-pleasers. Punky, played by Lisa Denninger, is essentially the show’s version of Woody from Cheers, and if you don’t know what Cheers is, this show probably isn’t for you. Denninger nails the comedy, but she also surprises vocally, arguably the strongest singer in the cast, if I’m being honest (and you know I always am). The other standout is Michael Fischetti as Grandpa, the role made famous by Burgess Meredith in the film. He’s just as funny, and just as inappropriate here.

Grumpy Old Men: The Musical is a great show to take in with a group of friends, say, ages 50 to 87. It runs through April 19th at the Conn Theater in Minneapolis. For more information and tickets, visit https://www.aboutmmt.org/2025-26-season/

Hmong Futures: The Future of Us A World Premiere From Theater Mu.

The full cast of “HMong Futures: The Future of Us” Photo by Rich Ryan

Hmong Futures: The Future of Us is the new play by Katie Ka Vang, having its world premiere from Theater Mu. It’s the story of three generations of a Hmong American family a mother, daughter, and granddaughter. It is, to be sure, a story about family, but also about community, or our found families.

Fhoua comes to the home of her mother, Zong, whom she hasn’t spoken to in five years. We learn from a phone call with her own daughter, Maly, who is away at camp, that she has something difficult to ask her mother. We suspect she wants to ask if they can stay with her. There is a lot of information we are not privy to at first, which is gradually revealed. That withholding mirrors a key theme of the play: these characters don’t speak openly about important things, and the script reinforces that by keeping certain details from us.

The secrets matter, of course, but the real thrill of the production, and where Katie Ka Vang truly excels, is in the voice of the characters. Their exchanges, their frustrations, all ring true. The way they talk around issues, saying one thing while meaning much more than they verbalize, feels authentic and deeply observed.

The cast is fantastic at making the dialogue feel natural while conveying the unspoken meaning beneath it. Sharon Omi, as Zong, is excellent as a mother shaped by a different country and a more survival driven life. Nancy Ma is stunning as Fhoua, a woman so accustomed to avoiding conflict that she struggles to reconnect with her mother and seems ready to slip away again. Melody Her, as the 16-year-old Maly, is one to watch. This is my second time seeing Her perform, the first was in Again, also by Vang, with songs by Melissa Li, which I loved, particularly Her’s performance. A college graduate, she can still convincingly play a teenager without it ever feeling forced or artificial.

Rounding out the cast is Greg Watanabe as Unclefriend, a very funny role and part of the found family Zong has built. Mason Yang appears as Aben, a young man helping out in the cooperative Zong is part of and also staying with her. He is also 16, and he and Her share a nice scene in which they open up to each other about their family situations.

A final note on the set design by Sarah Bahr. The set places the interior of Zong’s house upstage, with her garden downstage. The characters actually garden at various points, and it beautifully blends their inner lives with their connection to nature and farming. It’s a wonderful achievement and an impressively executed design.

Hmong Futures: The Future of Us runs through May 3rd at the Gremlin Theatre in St. Paul. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.theatermu.org/hmong-futures#gsc.tab=0

Mama Mia, Here We Go Again at Lyric Arts in Anoka!

Holli Kingdon, Lisa Vogel, Emily Jabas, and Raquel Ponce Photo by Molly Jay.

I really wanted to like Mamma Mia! at Lyric Arts in Anoka. I love this theater and find it, along with Yellow Tree Theatre in Osseo, to be key to growing new audiences. I’m so, so, so, so, so sorry that those of you who haven’t already purchased tickets will likely not get to see it. The show opens Friday night, and they let me attend the preview on Thursday because, well, the entire run sold out more than a week before it even opened. I think it was the only date in the first two weeks they could squeeze me in.

Unfortunately for you, I didn’t like the show, I loved it! And so I feel terrible that you have to read about what you’re destined to miss.

I’ll be completely honest: I’ve always loved the music of ABBA. I thought the Mamma Mia! movie was terrible, and I was surprised to find that, despite that, when I finally saw it on stage, I really enjoyed myself. This is probably the fourth time I’ve seen the musical live, but all the others were national tours. This is a pared-down version compared to those, with talented, but, for the most part, not Broadway caliber performers. So why is this the best version I’ve ever seen?

One reason, and I don’t mean to take anything away from the tremendous job director Kassy Skoretz has done with the staging, which is fantastic, is the choreography by Michael Terrell Brown. It’s the real star of the show. The choreography is filled with so much character that it feels like the driving creative force behind the production. Brown, months before the audience even walks in, seems to anticipate their reactions and gives them exactly what they want, along with what they didn’t know they wanted. The movement is confident, full of bold choices and wildly theatrical flourishes that, if they didn’t land, could sink the show. But there’s no fear of that here, everything works. I think the only Lyric Arts audience I’ve seen more enthusiastic in the decade plus I’ve been attending, was opening night of The SpongeBob Musical, those cats were Beatlemania-level excited. I’m genuinely mortified you won’t get to see this.

Another winning aspect of the production is the cast. There are varying levels of vocal ability, and in fact, many performers, particularly Lisa Vogel as Donna, seem to grow over the course of the evening. She starts out solid, quite good, and then at some point becomes great. Does that make the performance feel uneven? Not at all. It feels like Donna is finding her confidence, and maybe Vogel is too, but it works. That’s true across the cast: they’re not polished in the way you might expect, but they feel real. You instantly like them. They surprise you. They connect with you, sometimes literally (I had a flipper land on my head during the show, and I loved it).

It’s a cast where I could go on all night about how good everyone is. But again, and I am sorrier than it is humanly possible to be, if you didn’t already get tickets, it would just be rubbing salt in the wound. And, you know… sleep. I will say that the three men playing Donna’s exes, Eric Lee, France A. Roberts, and Keith Reilly are perfectly cast. Emily Jabas and Holli Kingdon, as Donna’s best friends, are even better. Each gets a number that had the audience screaming with joy: Jabas kills “Take a Chance on Me,” and Kingdon has the audience foaming at the mouth with “Does Your Mother Know.” Both numbers soar even higher thanks to Brown’s brilliant choreography. And I should clarify here, it isn’t Bob Fosse, it doesn’t stun, it delights. And one last comment on the cast Raquel Ponce as Sophie, is magical, the heart of the show.

I know I didn’t give you a plot synopsis, but it’s Mamma Mia!, you already bought your tickets, and if you didn’t, it doesn’t matter… you can’t go. I assume if they could have worked out an extension, they would have announced it by now, but hey, you can always cross your fingers. I really feel bad for you, because this show is pure joy, and we all need a nice helping of that right now.

Mama Mia runs through May 10th at Lyric Arts in Anoka. Though it’s essentially sold out, if you are dying to get a ticket I encourage you to go to https://www.lyricarts.org/mamma-mia as some tickets may free up. Click on the dates you can go and see if there are any left. A quick glance through a few dates revealed a few single seats at some performances.

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Suffs Enough, Give Everyone Equal Rights Now!

Danyel Fulton as Ida B. Wells and SUFFS Company Photo by Joan Marcus, 2025

I first saw Shaina Taub’s musical Suffs on Broadway on November 3, 2024, two days before the last presidential election. It felt like the perfect show to close out our first trip to New York City, almost uncannily timely. A year and a half later, it hasn’t aged, it’s escalated.

As Republicans once again float efforts to create “legal” pathways to disqualify female voters, under the now-standard excuse of rampant voter fraud that stubbornly refuses to exist in any meaningful, evidence-based way, the story of the 19th Amendment lands with renewed force. It took nearly 140 years after the Constitution was adopted for women to secure the right to vote in 1920. Apparently, it doesn’t take quite as long to start chipping away at it.

Suffs is a passionate and frequently powerful musical, despite its deceptively light title. If you’re expecting something breezy, maybe a number called “Wassup, Suffs?”, you’re in the wrong theater. What you get instead is one of the most musically satisfying new shows in recent years. While it doesn’t chase the pop-cultural sheen of Hamilton, it doesn’t need to. The score leans more traditional, but it’s packed with sharp, witty songs and genuinely stirring anthems. And this all-female cast doesn’t just perform them, they deliver them with purpose.

The show centers on Alice Paul and her efforts to drag the suffrage movement forward, often in direct conflict with the more measured approach of Carrie Chapman Catt. Paul and her fellow suffragists organize a march on Washington the day before Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration, pushing him to support a federal amendment. When that predictably fails, they escalate, protesting, picketing, and ultimately holding a silent vigil outside the White House. For this, they are arrested.

Once the U.S. enters World War I, Wilson effectively frames dissent as disloyalty, because nothing says “defending democracy” like silencing it. This was of course a violation of their first amendment rights. which is of course illegal,as the constitution gives citizens the right of free speech. Or it least it did, I’m not sure much in the constitution other than the right to bear arms is still in effect. I think they call them alternative rights now. The suffragists are imprisoned, subjected to forced feedings and abuse, while the administration lies to the public about their treatment. It’s the kind of history that would feel exaggerated if it weren’t so well documented.

And that’s where Suffs hits hardest. It doesn’t need to twist itself into relevance, the parallels are already doing the work. The show is inspiring, yes, but it’s also quietly infuriating. It reminds you not just of how hard these women fought, but how fragile those victories can be.

It also doesn’t shy away from the movement’s limitations. As the show makes clear, the passage of the 19th Amendment did not mean equal access to the ballot for Black women. Even in victory, there were compromises, and people left behind.

So yes, Suffs is uplifting. It’s also a pointed reminder that progress is neither permanent nor guaranteed. Rights are won, eroded, defended, and, if history is any indication, fought for all over again.

Suffs runs through April 12 at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Minneapolis. If you’re paying attention to the world around you, it’s not just worth seeing, it feels necessary. For more information and tickets, visit:
https://hennepinarts.org/events/suffs

Gutenberg! the Musical! A Historically Fictional Musical That’s so Funny it Should be Considered True!

Tom Reed and Dominic Schiro Photo by Dan Norman

Gutenberg! The Musical! And for good measure, I’m adding another “!”! Why does it deserve a third, and potentially fourth, “!” (I’m not sure, grammatically, if I needed end punctuation after the ! in “”) “.” ? Well, I’ll tell you why (which is when a harp would be strummed and I’d begin to sing), because this is the kind of show that led to the creation of The Stages of MN in the first place. Faithful readers will remember that the actual shows were Be More Chill and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. By some sort of mystical coincidence, the latter was, like Gutenberg! The Musical!, produced at Theater Latté Da, and the star of that show, Tyler Michaels King, is the director of this one. I assume your mind is now blown.

The show is about two best friends, Doug and Bud, who, thanks to a financial windfall, have rented the Ritz Theater for one night only to present the musical they’ve written together: Gutenberg! The Musical!. The musical (the show within the show) is about Johannes Gutenberg and the invention of the printing press. It is completely fictional and incredibly silly. But the piece is also a send-up of the musical theater form itself, and Doug and Bud get about as much stage time as the characters they portray. When I say “performance,” it’s really a staged reading, in which Doug and Bud play all the roles, aided by an ever-rotating collection of baseball caps to help the audience keep track of which of the dozens of characters they’re embodying at any given moment.

Tom Reed plays Doug. Regular Theater Latté Da patrons may recognize him from another Latté Da production, Stones in His Pockets, where he proved his skill at playing dozens of characters alongside a single fellow performer. A longtime Stages of MN favorite since appearing in one of my all-time favorite musicals, Interstate, he once again demonstrates the comedic timing and musical chops that make him a “must-see” performer for me.

Dominic Schiro first came to my attention a couple of years ago in Ten Thousand Things’ production of The Spitfire Grill, where I immediately found myself asking fellow bloggers, “Who is this guy?” He was far too good for me not to have noticed him before. I knew he could sing, now I know he’s also a gifted comedic actor. Reed and Schiro play off each other beautifully. They make it look effortless (it is not). The supportive banter between Doug and Bud feels genuinely heartfelt, even amid the extremely goofy dialogue, plot, songs, and overall conceit.

Tyler Michaels King is the perfect guiding force for this show. While the book itself is clever, so much of the humor comes from the performances. Michaels King is an accomplished improv performer, as is Reed, and I can only imagine the laughter in rehearsal as they explored blocking, added bits of stage business, shaped reactions, and fine-tuned all the details we don’t consciously see but absolutely feel. A tip o’ the hat as well (don’t ask me where the Irish accent came from [perhaps thinking about Stones in His Pockets] {which is set in Ireland}) to music director Jason Hansen, who even gets in on the action with a few well delivered lines of his own.

This is the kind of show that will have you chasing the theatrical dragon. It’s so fun, warm-spirited, and delightful that you’ll want to see more theater, always searching for that next show that gives you the same high. Do it. Keep going. For in theater, as I’m about to start always saying, here there be dragons!

Gutenberg! The Musical! runs through May 3 at Theater Latte Da. For more information, and to get your fix, visit
https://www.latteda.org/gutenberg-musical