My headline is meant to grab your attention rather than being completely accurate. While La bohème (1896) the Opera is the inspiration for Jonathan Larson’s masterpiece Rent (1996), it isn’t the ultimate source of the material. La bohème is itself based on the novel Scènes de la vie de bohème (1851) by Henry Murger. It’s part of the creative act to reinterpret, adapt and reinvent that which has come before. There is no West Side Story for example without Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. We need to look no further than Steven Spielberg’s new film adaptation to see that even just producing a new version of an existing work can revitalize it and find new things to say to an audience. Rent isn’t the only modern work that has taken inspiration from La bohème. Baz Luhrmann who directed a very popular production of La bohème has acknowledged it as one of many inspirations for his musical film Moulin Rouge! (2001). Acknowledging these antecedents and understanding the role that they have on creative work is important in understanding the act of creativity. What a treat it was to experience La bohème for the first time in Theater Latté Da’s intimate new reimagining.

La bohème is the story of a group of poor struggling artists living in Paris, in this production set during the Nazi occupation. Rodolfo a writer and Marcello a painter share a garret which they heat by burning the pages of Rodolfo’s writings. Their friends Colline and Schaunard arrive, Schaunard has had a windfall and comes bearing food, wine and money. When the landlord arrives asking for the rent, they flatter him and loosen his tough with wine, they get him to tell of his romantic assignations. After admitting to some he also reveals he is married. The friends feign indignation and order him to leave before he corrupts them with his immoral behavior. And thus they avoid paying the rent. Three of the friends head to the Cafe Momus to celebrate, Rodolfo stays behind to finish writing an article before joining them. There’s a knock on the door, it is Mimi a neighbor who’s candle has gone out. It’s love at first sight for Mimi and Rodolfo they go to join his friends at the Cafe Momus where we are introduced to Marcello’s ex Musetta. The rest of the Opera will follow the ups and downs of these relationships.

The more Opera I see the more I become attuned to it. La bohème is performed in Italian with the lyric’s projected above the action. This works surprisingly well. The style of Opera singing, the words are held for longer, this allows you to read the lyrics and then still be able to take in the performances. Everyone in the cast are fine vocalists. There are several roles which have alternate performers depending on the day. The performance I attended featured Siena Forest and Benjamin Dutcher as Mimi and Rodolfo (pictured in the Photo above) Forest was an excellent Mimi, aside from her voice which was beautiful, she conveyed a sense of adoration for Rodolfo in a performance that began in her eyes and radiated outward from there. Dutcher is a favorite that I seem to be seeing everywhere lately, a performance at Crooners in the summertime and just last month, also at Theater Latté Da in All is Calm. He really captured the emotional devastation that results from the final moments of the opera. Tony Potts as Marcello seemed to almost steal the spotlight every time he appeared. He is not an actor I’m familiar with but I hope to see more of him. He has a commanding stage presence without being over the top or seeming to ask for attention. Whether playing for the laugh, his supposed indifference to Musetta at the Cafe Mosu, or being the sincere confidant, his conversations with Mimi and Rodolfo in Act III. Though not given as much stage time both Rodolfo Nieto as Colline and Justin Anthony Spenner as Schaunard shine. Bergen Baker’s Musetta has the most outlandish role, she gets to really play it up in her first scene which is very entertaining. But also is really effective in the quieter moments in the final Act.

It’s hard to criticise what is one of the most performed and popular Opera’s in the world, especially one that has had as much influence on future artists. I did feel like the final Act is a little long, maybe it’s knowing what is coming that makes it feel that way. As for this production I really enjoyed the scenic design by Michael Hoover and Lighting by Grant E. Merges. The Director Peter Rothstein has done his usual top notch job making the time period and it’s baggage inform plot points and add a new level of meaning to certain character motivations. Sonja Thompson’s musical direction is tight and perfectly compliments this smaller more intimate staging of an opera. She creates everything needed with just a piano, Guitar, Woodwinds, Violin, and an Accordion. For fans of Rent who have never seen an opera don’t be afraid. this is a great introduction to the form, you will find that you are familiar with much of the story and thus will not have trouble following what is going on. A tip always when attending the opera, get there early enough that you have time to read through the complete synopsis in the program.

Theater Latté Da’s production of La bohème runs through February 27th for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.latteda.org/la-boheme-2022.

The Dictionary defines Anamnesis as the remembering of things from a supposed previous existence. The play Anamnesis is not as easily defined. Certainly that definition of the term helps one to unlock some of the answers to the questions that we’ll ask ourselves at the end of the evening. Make no mistake, you will have questions and the play is not going to provide you with all of the answers. This isn’t an exercise in frustration, but you are going to need to make your own interpretations of what you’ve seen. This is not a play for everyone, if you like to be spoon fed your entertainment you might find this challenging. But, I would encourage those who have a little bit of curiosity to check it out. What is essential to the shows success is the way in which it uses humor to engage the audience. There are questions that will not be answered, what is with the blood? There are times at which you will feel somewhat lost, but they will be short lived and will add to the pleasure that comes from trying to wrap your head around what you saw and how you interpret it.

For me the key was the opening of the show, which opens on a darkened set draped by a large black tarp. The tarp is moving in a way that reminded me of the surf rolling up on a beach at night. From these waves one by one the cast appears, rolling out at first and slowly raising up to hands and knees then upright on two legs. They say that life on Earth began in the sea, and I read this as the creation of life. From there we follow the cast as they move around finally settling silently into chairs. Then they become aware of one another and slowly begin to embrace. Slowly they begin to talk and now they are a theater troupe rehearsing a play. But we will discover throughout that they are not just rehearsing the play but are also creating the play. The role of memory in the creation of the play is multilayered. There are the actors memorizing their lines. There is the role of memory in the story of the play they are rehearsing. There is the use of memories from the actors own lives that become part of the creation of this new play. There is the part memory plays when we have lost something and need to try and recreate it. For me the play is really about the role memory plays in the creation of art. How do we pass down memories from one generation to the next but by telling stories. This is my reading of what I saw and as such it holds meaning for me, but may not for you. This sounds heavy and confusing. That use of humor I spoke of is really important, it keeps this from becoming simply an exercise in interpretation for it is also entertaining. If you are confused by one section, don’t worry, the scene will change and you’ll find yourself on firmer ground again.

Anemnesis was conceived and written by Steven Epp, Nathan Keepers and Dominique Serrand and directed by Serrand. Epp and Keepers are also two of the cast, both exceptionally good among a cast of very talented performers. There wasn’t a weak performance in the entire show. Epp, gets to play the slightly slow on the uptake member of the troupe and as such, gets several of the best lighter moments. He also gets a chance to show a more serious side when he plays the part of the Messenger character in the play being rehearsed. Keeper gets to shine throughout with the other two standouts Jennifer Baldwin Peden and Masanari Kawahara, as they play the three main characters in the play within the play. Peden giving us a nice subverting of expectations with a “gasp”. Kawahara as the elderly mother suffering from dementia, who doesn’t always remember where she is or even who. He also shows a physical grace in several scenes that adds an unexpected beauty to the work. There is also spare but almost magical use of musical instruments and voice throughout that also heightens the entire work.

I see a lot of productions, one of the benefits of seeing so many shows is running across one like this from time to time. It’s exciting to find a show that you can really discuss afterwards. Not just in terms of whether you liked it or not, but really discussing what it meant. What makes this an especially fortunate find is that not only is it thought provoking but also entertaining. The show is produced by The Moving Company, it ran in late 2021 and was brought back in 2022, but has been beleaguered by covid forced cancellations. It was set to wrap after this weekends performances but has been extended for another week now running through Sunday February 6th. To purchase tickets click here https://www.southerntheater.org/shows/anamnesis

That’s my accusation for who can provide you with a murderously good time for 90 minutes in the theater this January. The play written by Sandy Rustin is based on the mid 80’s comedy film written by Jonathan Lynn and of course the classic Parker Brothers board game (currently published by Hasbro). Gathered together for a dinner party at a remote mansion on a dark and stormy night are the six Clue characters Col. Mustard, Miss Scarlet et al. Greeted by the staff Wadsworth the butler, Yvette the maid, and the cook, they are reminded to use the code names they were given on their invites to protect their privacy. After dinner they are invited to meet their host Mr. Boddy in the study, where he reveals that each of the guests is the victim of his blackmail scheme. He gives them each a gift in the form of a weapon, which if you’ve ever played the game you’ll be familiar with i.e the rope, the candlestick etc. He then tells them if they want to avoid having their blackmail amounts doubled, they need to eliminate the person who is blackmailing him. I won’t reveal who that is, but when Mr. Boddy turns out the lights, the killing begins.

That sounds dark and scary, but this is a very light comedy, you don’t have to worry about it being too scary for the tweens or too violent for Grandma. While this plays with the usual whodunnit murder mystery tropes, the main difference is that there’s really no chance or expectation that you’ll be able to figure out who did it. In fact, I’m not sure I even remember who did do it? That isn’t a criticism of the play though, it’s due to a fun technique used at the end in which we are given multiple solutions. I believe where it ended doesn’t account for one murder which we clearly see on stage who commits the crime. Does it matter? not a bit. Director Rose Schwietz gives us several cleverly staged sequences, the end reveals were my favorite of these. Another was the utilization of the rather elaborate sets, which allow for the creation of all the different rooms we are used to from the board game. In one sequence we watch a policeman go through two different rooms packed with characters while the stage hands slowly turn the set pieces giving us a sense that we are quickly moving through the room with the character. One sequence that it felt they never quite cracked was a much too long portion in the center of the play where the various characters are searching through the mansion. It was probably three minutes of people going in and out of doors that felt like ten minutes. There were a couple of interesting payoffs from open doors, but more was needed in this section to justify the time we spend on it.

The sets, lighting design, and sound design all worked well together. The soundscape created Matthew Vichlach from the beginning was particularly effective. With sound effects coming from different speakers in the theatre giving it a surround sound feel. One aspect that didn’t come off as well was the radio broadcast being played during the opening, it was too soft to glean any information from it which I believe was to try and set the time period in which the play was taking place. Shannon Elliott’s lighting was effective in creating the lightening for the storm and when possible drawing our attention to one section of the stage as another was being reset. The set pieces which I’ve already mention were quite versatile, the transitions sometimes taking a little longer than optimal but creating all these different rooms in a mansion on stage is a big ask, and the creativity outweighed the need for patience by the audience.

The cast does a nice job of nailing down their characters. These are not deep roles, but they require a surface layer that is distinct and allows the audience to grasp that character and be able to keep them firmly in mind as we are introduced to the next and the next. For me the standout performance was Derek Dirlam as Wadsworth the butler. Dirlam really committed to the zanier moments but also was the solid glue that held the story however tenuously grounded in some semblance of a reality. Of the classic six characters, the standouts were Theresa Rotter as Mrs. White, Chrissy Sonnek as Mrs. Peacock, and Craig Turino as Mr. Green. Turino sold his clumsy and subordinate character well, with well timed reactions and physical bits of comedy. While Rotter and Sonnek seemed like the most at home in their roles.

For more information and to purchase tickets to Clue click here https://www.lakeshoreplayers.org/clue-2022. The show runs through January 30th.

• review updated please see not at bottom of the review.

This is my first visit back to the Ordway since the Pandemic shut down theaters across the world. An Officer and a Gentleman is not a movie to musical adaptation that was on my radar. It is a Jukebox musical filled with classic 80’s pop songs. It follows the plot of the film but adds some twists to make the show more relevant while still keeping it set in 1981. We follow a class of Aviation Officer Candidates (AOC) from their first day through graduation. The main characters are Zack and Paula, he is a man with abandonment issues and a “me first” philosophy. She is a local girl who works in a factory while attending night school to become a paralegal. the other main couple is Zack’s roommate and fellow AOC Sid and the local girl he falls for Lynette who is looking for a naval officer to marry. It is with this couple that the musical diverges from the film by adding a twist that Sid in black and Lynette is White. It’s a nice change as it allows this secondary love story to address some real issues and also provides more diversity in the main cast.

In general the show adapted by Douglas Day Stewart from his own screenplay along with Sharleen Cooper Cohen keeps one entertained. It features some favorite 80’s songs “Never Surrender”, “owner of a Lonely Heart”, “Right Here Waiting”, “Lost In Your Eyes”, and of course the Oscar winning song from the film “Up Where We Belong”. The songs are integrated nicely into the story in most cases with one glaring exception. There is a medley of Pat Benatar songs that takes place during the AOC’s Battle games day. It seems shoehorned into the show, simply because the first song has “Battlefield” in its title. What the AOC’s are doing is well choreographed and interesting, but then on another portion of the stage there are three performers dressed in 80’s exercise outfits doing aerobics while singing the songs. The best of the songs are the quieter ones “Right Here Waiting” was a standout song by Mia Massaro as Paula and Roxy York as her mother Esther. York in particular shines here, creating what was the most emotional moment in the entire show. Emily Louise Franklin as Lynette and Cameron Loyal as Sid have a nice duet with “Lost in Your Eyes” Loyal really shows he has what it takes vocally on this song. The best voice on stage though was undoubtedly Amaya White who plays Casey Seeger, a female AOC who is trying to breakdown the barriers and become the first female AOC to graduate. Her talent is obvious every chance she gets to sing, especially on the song “Do the Walls Come Down”

Highlights of the show include the scenic design by Brett Banakis and the video design by Austin Switser. The set had multiple section that could be rotated to create different settings, most impressive was the centerpiece which rotated to show the wall that the AOC’s have to be able to climb to the top of during their physical training. The other side being used to for various other locations. The video projection was some of the best I’ve seen. It was used to both sell a change in location and also to set the mood. At times we’d see the surf rolling in on the beach at other times a giant sonar display used to help sell the montage like quality of the battle games sequence. *There was one egregious failure of the show unfortunately. The sound design was terribly miscalibrated. The Mics on the actors where turned up way to high, the Musicians were a little better, but they occasionally reached a level as well where you simply couldn’t differentiate what you were hearing it became a muddled mess. The softer songs were best, but frequently in the songs they have multiple performers all singing at once. Due to the extreme volume, it was just noise rather than song. Each voice indecipherable from the others rather than blending. Perhaps that is something they can adjust after opening night. Hopefully, because it is a very entertaining show with a lot of nostalgia going for it. The songs are great fun, but they need to find that balance so you can enjoy them.

An Officer and a Gentleman runs through Sunday at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts in Downtown St. Paul for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://ordway.org/events

*after this review was published I had communication with the Ordway theater regarding the sound issue. Due to some unexpected travel delays the company was rushed in order to get the show ready to perform for opening night. I’ve been assured that the remainder of the run will play with properly calibrated sound equipment. In my opinion the Ordway has superior acoustics to every other theater in town, I wish my schedule was open so that I could experience this show as it was meant to be heard.

[Title of Show] is the “in joke” version of a musical. It will play like gangbusters for theater nerds, actors, anyone involved in the creative process of musical theatre. For those not in that circle, I suggest you read through the resources Lyric Arts has put together here https://www.lyricarts.org/what-audiences-should-know-title-of-show. With that under your belt you’ll feel like you are in on the joke. Not a big reader? you’ll probably still have a good time. This is the ultimate meta musical. It’s a musical about two guys writing a musical about two guys writing a musical.

The music and lyrics were written by Jeff Bowen with book by Hunter Bell. Originally written in 3 weeks to be submitted to the New York Musical Theatre Festival but was later expanded and revised as it went from being accepted to the festival, then to Off Broadway and on to Broadway. The version currently being performed in Anoka is the Broadway version. This version tells the story of Jeff and Hunter who write a musical in three weeks to submit to the New York Musical Theatre Festival. They decide their musical will be about writing a musical to submit to the New york Musical Theatre Festival. Their musical is accepted and performed, then they work on revising it for Off Broadway and finally they make it to Broadway. It’s an autobiographical show written as it happened. The other two main characters are Heidi and Susan, two actor friends who help put on the show. It was interesting to read that the original cast for the New York Musical Theatre Festival remained the same Off Broadway, Broadway, and the national tour. The cast was Jeff Bowen, Hunter Bell, Heidi Blickenstaff, and Susan Blackwell. There was also a video blog called The [Title of Show] Show, which you’ll see the reason for during the show.

The show is directed by Jake Sung-Guk Sullivan with music direction by Bradley Beahen who is the fifth member of the cast playing Larry who is the on stage Keyboardist. The role of Larry was played in the original production by Larry Pressgrove who was the arranger and musical director. Sullivan does a nice job of the staging the the action. I particularly liked the use of flashlights during the song “Change It, Don’t change It/Awkward Photo Shoot. The handling of the photo shoot was also well staged and included one of my favorite moments for the Larry character. He doesn’t get many lines, but each one is rewarded with a laugh. I also really enjoyed the set by scenic designer Cory Skold it plays on the characters love of theatre, which is evident by all the references their dialogue and songs contain. The four main performers are Bradley Johnson as Jeff, Alice McGlave as Heidi, Lux Mortenson as Susan, and Brendan Nelson Finn as Hunter. All four do a great job with each having their moments to shine. Johnson’s Jeff plays the gay straight man to Finn’s more outrageous Hunter who gets the line when being told not to masturbate and work on the script. “Are you saying I’m a procastubater?”

The strength of the show is it’s idea and it’s script. It’s a really interesting idea and it’s history and evolution is as interesting as this end product. The songs are where the show falters a bit. They are all enjoyable while they are happening but many of them don’t really feel like songs so much as signing dialogue, but that dialogue is very entertaining. There were a couple of songs that really stood out “Die, Vampire, Die!” and “A Way Back to Then”. What’s interesting about the show is that it isn’t all fun and insider jokes, as they struggle with taking the show to the next stages, there are clashes and bad behavior. Which just reinforces the truth of this show, creating can be fun and wonderful and fulfilling, it can also be hard work and draining. Collaboration sometimes results in disagreement and those are not always handled with laughs and songs.

[Title of Show] is an interesting dive into the act of creation full of theatre references that will challenge even the biggest theatre nerds. I needed that resource list for quite a few of the references. For me this was a welcome return to form for Lyric Arts. This is one of my favorite Stages in MN if you haven’t been there yet, this is a good show to correct that. The show runs through February 6th for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.lyricarts.org/title-of-show