Deal Alert for Theater Lovers!!!!! Day of the Transgender Child Silent Auction to be Filled With Theater Tickets

Faithful readers and theater lovers I have to let you know about an upcoming event with the opportunity to score some great deals on theater tickets from over a dozen local theater companies. Next Saturday September 23rd from Noon until 5:00 PM at Hidden Falls Regional Park, Transforming Families MN is hosting the annual fundraiser and celebrating Day of the Transgender Child. Transforming Families of MN is a Peer led support group for Transgender youth and their families. When my family began our journey with my son George about 10 years ago, we had a lot of questions. We found answers, resources, and support when we discovered Transforming Families of MN. When we joined, it consisted of maybe a dozen families but over these last ten years it has grown to over 1,000 members. The organization provides five monthly peer support meetings, advocates for the rights of trans and non-binary youth, and engages with the community to create a safer and more understanding environment for our kids.

This event is close to my heart and provides you an opportunity to support Transgender kids and their families as well as picking up some really good deals on theater tickets.

At the event you can expect:
*A robust resource fair
*New Day of the Transgender Child T-shirt design
*Drag Tale Time with Transforming Generations
*Amazing guest speakers
*Silent Auction to help raise funds for TFF
*Rainbow Bingo
*Face-painting
*All the family fun

I want to draw your attention to the silent auction. There are going to be a lot of theater tickets to bid on in the auction. And we all know how Silent auctions are, sometimes you get a real steal, but even if you end up bidding full price for a show you planned to see anyway you are also helping to keep Transforming Families doing the great work they do. Now more than ever, our families need support. Transforming Families is part of a coalition of Minnesota nonprofits working to welcome individuals and families fleeing from states where legislation has limited access to basic human rights. We fundraise because we believe that all transgender youth deserve to be safe, healthy and happy.

A big thank you to all of the theater’s who overwhelmed me with their enthusiasm and generosity. You’ll have to come to Day of the Transgender Child to see everything and to bid but here are some of the Theaters that have donated and there are still more coming in.

Yellow Tree Theatre: $150 Gift Certificate (that’s enough to buy a season ticket to the theatre!)

Chanhassen Dinner Theatres: 3 pairs of dinner and show tickets

History Theatre: 2 tickets

Hennepin Theatre Trust: 2 tickets to Girl From the North Country, featuring the songs of Minnesota’s own Bob Dylan on opening night 10/10/23 which also officially launches the North American Tour!

Lyric Arts: I love this one 2 tickets + 2 drink coupons + a Popcorn!

Jungle Theater: 2 pairs of tickets

Theater Mu: 2 tickets

Theatre in the Round Players: 2 tickets

Stages Theatre Company: 4 tickets

Theater Latté Da: 2 tickets

Theatre Pro Rata: 2 tickets to their fall production Bernhardt/Hamlet

Artistry: 2 tickets for their production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

For more information about the event you can click on this link to the Transforming Families MN Facebook event https://bit.ly/DOTC2023

I hope to see lots of theater lovers out there bidding on these wonderful theater tickets and supporting Transforming Families MN. I’ll be out there all day as a proud parent of a Transgender son handing out free popcorn donated by The stages of MN. Make sure to stop by and say hi and hit me up for theater recommendations!

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The Importance of Being Earnest Launches the Guthrie’s 2023-2024 Season with Wit and Style!

Corey Brill and Michael Doherty Photo by Dan Norman

Oscar Wilde was perhaps the greatest wit of the 19th Century and The Importance of Being Earnest is one of his best known works is the perfect showcase of his genius. Unlike the comedies of Shakespeare, Wilde’s play makes no claim to a greater understanding of human nature. It pokes fun at pomposity and the upper classes detachment from reality to be sure, but in truth its greatest achievement is that it is hilariously entertaining. The Guthrie has gathered together a cast that knows just how to play Wilde’s witty dialogue and they bring a physicality to their roles that heightens the already deliciously ludicrous tone. As an avowed anglophile and connoisseur of British humor, Wilde’s work has always hit the sweet spot for me. I’ve enjoyed many productions over the years at the Guthrie but I’m not sure I’ve laughed as consistently at anything as much as I did at The Importance of Being Earnest. This is the rare play from the 1800’s that needs no modernization to make it accessible. No prep or footnotes directed to the audience, it just plays brilliantly.

The play which premiered in 1895 centers on two members of the idle upper class Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff both of whom they discover make use of an alias in order to get out of obligations and do whatever they feel like. Jack has created a younger brother named Earnest which he uses to leave his home in the country where he lives with his ward, the 18 year old Cecily, and goes to London to live the carefree and pleasure centered life as said imaginary brother Earnest. Algernon has invented an invalid friend named Bunbury, who he uses to get out of dinners with his aunt Lady Bracknell under the excuse of being called to Bunbury’s sick bed. Jack has fallen in love with Lady Bracknell’s daughter Gwendolen and she with him, but Lady Bracknell will not allow the engagement due to Jack’s not knowing where he came from having been discovered in a handbag as an infant in Victoria station. Algernon, thinking Jack will be in London through the weekend and having discovered his country address and the existence of the young ward Cecily, arrives at Jack’s country home pretending to be his younger brother Earnest. Cecily and Algernon immediately fall in love, when Jack returns early to inform his household of the death of his brother Earnest he’s surprised to find that Earnest has been moved into the bedroom next to his. The final ingredient is when both men who have wooed under the name of Earnest learn that the women they love both declare they could only ever love a man named Earnest, which neither of them actually are. Hilarity ensues and one can only speculate that the play itself served as the template for every book P.G. Wodehouse ever wrote.

Corey Brill plays Jack, the straight man, at least comparatively to Michael Doherty’s Algernon, whose general look seems to be based in part on Oscar Wilde himself. Both play their roles superbly with Doherty really adding a physical playfulness to his characterization that finds added humor with every movement, particularly in the opening scenes. Helen Cespedes is Gwendolen and Adelin Phelps is Cecily who verbally spare over their erroneous assumption that they are both engaged to Earnest. They play the catiness of female rivals well, Cespedes scores a huge laugh involving lumps of sugar. Twin Cities treasure Sally Wingert is the formidable Lady Bracknell and commands the stage like a force of nature whenever she appears. She deliciously sells the leaps of logic and nonsensical rationale for all of her firmly held beliefs which change depending on her perceived goal. Lastly, I want to mention recent transplant to the Twin Cities and Actor to watch Daniel Petzold who plays Jack’s servant Merriman. Unfortunately Petzold isn’t given much to do by the script in The Importance of Being Earnest and in a way it feels like a waste of his talents. Still it’s good to see that local theater’s are keeping him employed, he’s a rising talent and we don’t want to lose him. Hopefully his next role will give him more to chew on.

The play is directed by David Ivers who has mounted a great looking play and guided his performers to fully realized characterizations. I love the physical touches that help to just add that little extra zing to the wonderfully comedic and rich dialogue. The one area that could have been improved on is there are a few instances where a character is facing the back of the stage and delivering dialogue for far to long. I had seats fairly close to the stage and in those moments the dialogue was lost to me. Speaking in that direction now and then is acceptable but to have a character face no one in the audience and deliver lines for one or two minutes at a stretch needed to be rethought. Luckily, it only happens a couple of times. Susan Tsu’s costumes are just gorgeous, Algernon’s wardrobe is foppish and comical, Jack’s is elegant and stylish, but the women, particularly the gowns worn by Lady Bracknell and Gwendolen are stunning. Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams set design is very classy, the play is in three acts with an intermission between each of the acts so that the set can be changed to a new location for each scene. It looks amazing, the final intermission though seemed to run longer than expected as they seemed to be having a little trouble with the scene change, hopefully that will work smoother as the run continues.

The is a great opportunity to see one of the great comedic plays brought to stage by a cast who knows how to make the laughs work to their fullest. I always tell folks when a classic like this comes around make sure you see it. Plays are meant to be seen performed and some of these don’t come around as often as they should. This is a great production to launch the new season and it runs through October 15th. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/2023-2024-season/the-importance-of-being-earnest/ .

The Chinese Lady at Open Eye Theatre

For a show that runs only about 75 to 80 minutes playwright Lloyd Suh packs a lot of generational trauma into a two character one location play that spans nearly two centuries. Sumptuously designed, lit and costumed, the only thing that outshines the look of this production are the performances by it’s two stars Katie Bradley and Michael Sung Ho. What begins with humor ends in grief, for the characters as well as the audience. That’s not a bad thing, it speaks to the versatility and power of the piece. It does that wonderful thing that the best theater is capable of, it creates empathy. It gives voice to the history of Asian Americans that is at once unfamiliar but also all too familiar. Open Eye Theatre earns its name with this show, it’s an eye opening experience, and one I’m grateful to have witnessed.

Throughout our history we see the way that those with a different skin color or cultural background have been treated. Using Afong Moy, a real Chinese girl sold by her father to an import company at fourteen, Suh is able to trace the history of the Chinese who came to the United States like so many others looking for a land of opportunity only to find a land of the free and the white. We are introduced to Afong Moy by her interpreter Atung, he as Moy tells us and he agrees, is irrelevant. Moy is fourteen and the first Chinese woman to immigrate to the United States. She is all wide eyed and curious and feels honored to be on display for the American people to learn about her culture. She describes her duties at the beginning of the hour sitting in a room surrounded by objects from China, she does not move or speak. At one point Atung will bring in a tray so that people can watch her eat with chopsticks and drink tea. Then she will get up and walk in a circle around the room, so those who have paid to see her can look at her feet which are tiny having been bound. Although I doubt there are many in the audience who hadn’t picked up on the implications of this existence, it isn’t until Moy cheerfully describes the process of foot binding she underwent at four years old that we really get a sense of how dark the script may get. In the beginning in 1836 at 14, Moy plays the unreliable narrator leaving us with our knowledge of history and the world to see things for what they really are. By the end in 2023 she is 201 and tells us the reality opening our eyes. Though this story is specifically that of Chinese Americans, for any BIPOC American the broad strokes will resonate and speak to their own generational trauma. Because it’s the same story over and over throughout history whether you are indigenous Americans, Black, Chinese, Japanese.

Katie Bradley as Afong Moy and Michael Sung Ho as Atung begin the show with a satirical edge and direct to the audience performances that belays the power they will both bring later in the show. Katie Bradley comes across as in control but naive at the beginning with Michael Sung Ho playing the subservient, only to later reveal he has the upper hand as she cannot speak English and so his interpretations can be whatever he wants to have her say. It’s playful at the start, but as the show progresses, so do their performances. Ho has a fiery speech where he recounts a dream and in it his true anger and fears come out, it’s a gripping moment that preludes a withdrawal and resignation to his fate as basically a slave to the Chinese Lady Show. Bradley’s transformation as all upwards from naive to passionate about what transpired between 1836 and 2023. The pain and anger are palpable, its an actor giving over her voice to a long dead woman so she can at last share her truth and her pain.

Eric Sharp makes his directorial debut with The Chinese Lady and based on this show I hope to continue seeing him direct as well as perform. The costumes designed by Matt LeFebvre are elegant and fit with the overall design work by Joel Sass (set and props) and Emma Gustafson (Wig and Makeup). I really felt that the lighting design by Kathy Maxwell added so much to the mood and tone of the show. Open eye has such a small stage area but that must lend itself to very precise and effective lighting, everything is very controlled and purposeful even the final fade to black feels like more of a statement than a show ending. The Chinese Lady runs through September 24th at Open eye Theatre in Minneapolis for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.openeyetheatre.org/

A Chorus Line at Lyric Arts is an Eerily Relevant Look at the Future of Theater, With Dancing!

Pictured: Kyler Chase (right) and the cast of A CHORUS LINE Photo by Dan Norman

I feel like I say this every review anymore so let me just confess right up front I’ve never seen A Chorus Line before. I haven’t even seen the film of this one. Yes, I’m aware that at one time it was the longest running show in Broadway history, and no, I have no excuse. But I would say that perhaps sometimes it’s worth the wait. Had I seen a production previously, I may have gone into this production reflecting on my memories of that production rather than with a mind that is of late, constantly struggling with the question of how theater survives in a post-covid world. With the eyes and mind I came to A Chorus Line with today I see it, perhaps not as it was originally intended in 1975, but as a reflection of the current state of theater today. I see it as a meditation on the performer, why they do it, the challenges of choosing that profession, and what you do when you can no longer do what you feel you were made to do. I don’t want to turn anyone off to this production with these thoughts, the show is very entertaining, there is fabulous dancing, some good humor, some really top notch singing and yes, some very emotional dramatic moments.

A Chorus Line book by James Kirkwood & Nicholas Dante with music by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Edward Kleban is set during an audition for the Chorus line of a new Broadway musical. The initial group of 24 dancers is paired down to the final 17 of which only 8 are needed. Besides the dancers the only other characters are the Director Zach and the assistant choreographer Larry. After putting them through some steps he then asks them to tell him about themselves. The show seems designed to give the audience a chance to see beyond the sea of legs and arms and perfectly timed jazz hands to the individuals that make up a chorus line. It asks us to see beyond the entertainment to the human underneath. To remind us that what looks like a single line is made up of unique artists, each with their own lives and stories. In these times when unions are striking and the consumers of entertainment simplify their perspective on it by thinking actors are all rich and famous, it’s important to shine a light on the reality.

The show begins with 24 dancers on stage all trying to be the best and singing the opening song “I Hope I Get It”. Immediately we are reminded that this is what a working performer does, they try to get the next job so they can pay their rent and eat. When they get to the section where Zach is asking the dancers to tell him about themselves, it’s over the course of multiple songs, some about an individual dancer, while others are in montage. Once we have a glimpse of some and a deeper understanding of others, one of the dancers suffers and injury. It’s the kind of injury that could end a career and we can see it cross everyone of their faces that could be them. Now that we have achieved a level personal connection with them, we have an emotional understanding of what that could mean. After the injured dancer is taken to the hospital, Zach asks the group what would they do if they could no longer dance? It’s a question more and more dancers, singers, actors, and other artists are undoubtedly asking themselves everyday. Audiences have not returned to live theater to anywhere near the pre-covid days. Theaters are closing, that means fewer productions a year, fewer roles for performers. If you are an actor, a dancer, a singer, what would you do if you could no longer do that?

With a cast of 26, any attempt to summarize performance as a whole seems impossible. There are a few featured performers that I do think stand out from the crowd, though it may be the size of the role above talent, because in general I thought it to be a very talented cast. Kyler Chase as Zach is the one role that doesn’t require much in terms of dancing, but requires an actor who can take command of the stage at a moments notice. Chase moves in and out of the dancers in the opening and then takes to going up and down the stairs of theater, he is with the audience and we are with him, he is asking the questions that we want answers to, who are these people? what makes them dance? Jaclyn McDonald as Cassie, a former girlfriend of Zach who has realized she isn’t meant to be a star, she’s good at dancing and it’s what she loves. She has a wonderful solo number that illustrates how see feels “The Music and the Mirror”. Chris Sanchez plays Paul a young dancer who during a talk with Zach reveals how he came to dancing and his homosexuality and how he had to hide both from his family. It’s the really moving moment in the show and the one that made my eye leak a little. Sanchez earns the tears, with his vulnerable and compelling performance. Finally, a shout out to Marley Ritchie as Diana who sings the song “What I Did For Love” it’s a beautiful rendition of the song, and coupled with her dancing skills she was clearly one of the most talented of a very talented cast.

Director Scott Ford stages the location show as dynamically as he can. Having Zach come out into the audience so that it feels like his voice is coming from us was a great thematic choice as well as adding an element of variety to what is by design a very stagebound show. Lauri Kraft has done a miracle with the choreography. Lyric Arts isn’t a tiny stage, but it isn’t a huge one either and when she has 26 performers all on stage at one time dancing and the audience is able to see what they are all doing and remark at their synchronization, that’s a hell of a feat. Kraft uses the canny device of having someone who can do something special like a flip to raise the wow factor and punch up a dance routine. It’s always wise to incorporate any special techniques someone has rather than getting locked into a predetermined sequence, it always feels when you see that happen that it was done by someone who knows the value of collaboration. The Musical Director is Wesley Frye and he and his orchestra handle Marvin Hamlisch’s iconic music with the precision needed to perform all of the wonderful dance moves we see throughout. Finally a quick comment on Christy Branham’s costumes, far out!

If you are like me and have never seen A Chorus Line I highly recommend this production. Remember theater is now, theater is this moment, you can’t DVR it and watch it later, it’s what makes theater special. Everytime you put off seeing a show you miss the opportunity to experience something unique. But it’s also of the moment in the way this show feels as relevant today as it did over 45 years ago. Since I began going to the theater in ernest, this show hasn’t been performed locally, it probably will be again, but it may be five or even ten years, this might be your chance, don’t throw away your shot. A Chorus Line runs through October 1st at Lyric Arts in Downtown Anoka for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.lyricarts.org/a-chorus-line

With Arsenic & Old Lace, Theatre in the Round is Off to a Strong Start for Their 72nd Season!

Much was made by me over Theatre in the Round Players perfect season last year, and well it should. In one season they went from a generally reliable if uneven community theatre, to one of the best bets in the Twin Cities Theater scene. Theater lovers should take note that they are also one of the most affordable. A perfect season is a hard act to follow, but with their first show of the 2023 – 24 season, Arsenic & Old Lace, is off to a strong start. Many will have seen productions of this show previously, it’s a staple of community theaters, colleges, and high schools. In what feels like a trend lately, I had never seen a stage production before, though I’ve seen the 1944 Frank Capra film at least a dozen times. It was a favorite of mine growing up and a love for it that I passed onto my son George who attended the opening night performance with me. We noted a few of the minor changes that were made when the play was adapted to film but were pleased with how similar the two are. At its heart this is a dark comedy that is so entertaining and funny that one completely loses sight that it’s essentially a play about serial killers.

Written in 1939 by Joseph Kesselring, Arsenic and Old Lace ran on Broadway in January 1941 and ran until June 1944. It’s the story of the Brewster Family, the elderly Aunts Abby and Martha whose kind heartedness and desire to do good deeds extends to relieving elder familyless men of their lonesome existences. They advertise rooms for rent and then establishing through the interview that the men who apply are old and alone and in their mind have nothing to live for, they dispatch them with a glass of homemade elderberry wine laced with Arsenic, Strychnine, and just a pinch of Cyanide. Their nephew Teddy, who believes himself to be Teddy Roosevelt, is told they are victims of yellow fever and he is charged with burying them in the locks he has dug in the basement for the Panama Canal. Mortimer Brewster their other nephew stops by with his new Fiance, Elaine, to tell the aunts the good news and stumbles upon what he at first assumes is the result of his brother Teddy graduating from harmless to homicidal. Mortimer decides the best course of action is to get Teddy committed ASAP in order to keep his aunts out of trouble. While he is out trying to make all the arrangements, a third brother Jonathan a ruthless and cruel killer and his accomplice Dr. Einstein strong arms his way into his childhood home and he has a body of his own to dispose of. Dr. Einstein is a plastic surgeon and has given Jonathan new faces once the police are onto him. His recent surgery made him look like Boris Karloff, this was an inside joke during the original Broadway run where the role of Jonathan was played by Boris Karloff. When Mortimer returns he tries to throw Jonathan out, but with every revelation of bodies and murderers the upper hand keeps shifting between the brothers. Things get complicated when the police get involved due to Teddy blowing his buggle in order to call for a cabinet meeting.

Cary Grant who starred in the film as Mortimer is a hard act to follow and it took Ron Ravensborg all of five minutes to make the role his own. He wisely doesn’t try and emulate Grants performance, but plays the character as written and finds his own voice for the role. The standouts performance wise are all of the actors portraying the Brewsters. Kristen C. Mathisen and Naomi Karstad play the sweet misguided aunts Abby and Martha. They have the sweetness down so perfectly that the audience really does, at least momentarily, forgive them for killing 12 men. Jared Reise plays Teddy perfectly with one caveat, I would have liked to see him really go for it everytime Teddy ascends the staircase, which to him is San Juan Hill. Lastly, in terms of Brewsters is Luke Langfeldt as Jonathan, whoever did his makeup did a fantastic job, you can see the resemblance to Karloff is achieved. I also want to mention Lucas Gerstner who plays Dr. Einstein, he actually elicits a sympathetic response from the audience as we root for him to wiggle his way out of the clutches of the police and Jonathan.

Director George M. Roesler doesn’t attempt to reenvision this classic play, he knows his audience and embraces the farcical nature of the play and succeeds with its main objective which is to entertain. Set Designer Lee Christian has once again gone above what we used to expect from Theatre in the Round Players. Creating multiple levels on the main floor and using one of the sections towards the top of the audience seating for the upper floor of the house. There is also a wonderful window seat perfect for stashing bodies in or to sit on and look out into the cemetery that lays outside the window. This design gives Roesler the opportunity to stage the action without compromising some of the classic moments, like Teddy’s charges up the stairs and Jonathan telling the Aunts who are up at the top of the stairs to go back to bed. Rebecca Karstad does a nice job with the costumes, they have a period feel and it was a nice touch dressing Langfeldt in a subtle homage to Karloff’s costume from the first two Frankenstein films.

I had a great time with Arsenic & Old Lace, I was prepared to do some debate with myself to squash any criticisms that came up from comparing it to the film, which would not have been fair. But the production didn’t need me to argue for it, it presents itself as a funny, engaging and very entertaining night at the theater. If you are a fan of the film, I think you’ll enjoy this take on it. If you are not familiar with it, I envy you a chance to see this play without any preconceived ideas. I can never see it without knowing what’s coming, but if you have someone like that in your life that wouldn’t know anything going in that’s the person to take to this wonderful production. The show runs through Oct 1st. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.theatreintheround.org/home/season-placeholder/72nd-season/arsenic/

Preview!!! The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society Returns With Two Shows in September

As faithful readers know I’m a big fan of the theater group known as the MORLS or The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society for long. Their live performances of classic as well as original radio scripts are a blast from the past. Watching the team of Shanan Custer, Joshua English Scrimshaw, Tim Uren, and Eric Webster give voice to multiple characters each while also creating all of the sound effects and music is an experience everyone should give themselves at least once in the lifetime if not twice a month, which I always try and do if I can. These are great shows for families from the school aged kids up to Grandma and Grandpa, who may actually remember hearing some of these shows on their original broadcasts. here’s what and where they are performing this month.

First up is The Mysterious Old Radio Workshop at Bryant Lake Bowl Theater on September 10th. The Doors open at 6:00 PM with the show starting at 7:00 PM. This is a great venue for these shows with the added benefit that you can order your dinner and enjoy your favorite adult of non-adult beverages while watching the show. Billed as a genre-crossing night of adventure, murder, and time-travel the program includes three stories.

“Get to the Castle, Part 1” from Grey Ghost and the Agents of Floor 10 (premiere): Eric Webster, creator of Shade’s Brigade, brings you an all-new adventure serial, Grey Ghost and the Agents of Floor 10! The first mission of the newly-formed team of agents takes them to a castle in Austria with a notorious and terrifying secret!

“The 13th Sound” from Suspense (1947): A widow is haunted by the murder of her husband. An experiment in psychology and sound from radio’s theater of thrills.

“Nikola Tesla and the Pigeon of Destiny” from Strange History (live premiere): Joshua English Scrimshaw brings you the untold and mostly untrue story of Nikola Tesla’s final confrontation with his time-traveling arch-foe, Thomas Edison!

for tickets to this performance and for more information go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-mysterious-old-radio-workshop-tickets-702012376917

The second show of the month is Agatha Christie Night this time at Crooners Supper Club on September 23rd. It’s an Agatha Christie double-feature! The Society presents two audio plays by the grand dame of mystery. The first of which I saw them perform last April and it’s a winner!

“Philomel Cottage” from Suspense: When newlywed Alix finds a mysterious entry in her husband’s diary, their idyllic marriage turns suddenly sinister. A vintage tale of suspense based on one of Agatha Christie’s earliest stories.

“The Veiled Lady” from A Toast to Murder: Lady Millicent Vaughn is being blackmailed and only one man can save her – Hercule Poirot! A classic Christie tale adapted for audio by Joshua English Scrimshaw and starring Tim Uren as the great Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot.

For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-mysterious-old-radio-listening-society-presents-agatha-christie-night-tickets-696218707897

You can follow the MORLS and listen to their podcast which I also highly recommend at https://www.ghoulishdelights.com/ There you can become a Patreon Subscriber like The Stages of MN. One of the many honors and benefits is that if you cannot attend one of their live shows as a supporter you can watch a video recording of the performance.