The show is written and directed by Conor McPherson and if there is a falling off in the show it’s the plot. It centers on a failing boarding house in Duluth Minnesota run by a couple, Nick and Elizabeth, who are no longer in love. Prior to the story’s beginning Elizabeth has suffered some sort of breakdown and has to be cared for and watched over. They have a son, Gene, who wants to be a writer and an adopted daughter, Marianne, who is unmarried and pregnant. They have various tenants all with hard luck depression stories, all of them have their moments but none of them seem to coalesce into a whole that is particularly satisfying. McPherson’s direction seems to understand that with his staging some scenes as if they are meant to be really happening but then some musical numbers become almost mini concerts with the performers singing into microphones and back up singers gathering in a half circle in the background. I’m not sure what McPherson is trying to say, but what it said to me is, sit back and enjoy the music, that’s why we’re really here.

The cast kept surprising me, there are about a dozen major characters and in a show that runs a little over two hours without the intermission, that’s a lot. What happens is, a singer wow’s you, another sounds fine and so you think you know what they have to offer but later, they wow you. Time after time I kept thinking, this performers great, build the show around them, but it’s a true ensemble piece, no one seems to be headlining the show. A few of my favorite moments: Jennifer Blood as Elizabeth singing “Like a Rolling Stone” and in fact, her performance is the fantastic in the non singing portions as well. She gets most of the comic relief and knows just what to do with it. Matt Manuel as a boxer coming through town who sings “Hurricane” it’s one of those really effective arrangements that Simon Hale has put together for the show and it’s in this moment that Manuel shines. Ben Biggers as Gene and Chiara Trentalange, as a girl he seems to have been interested in singing a really unique and effective version of “I Want You”. In mostly dialogues roles, John Schiappa as Nick and Jeremy Webb as Reverend Marlowe whose look seems modeled on Tom Waits are really captivating.

The Scenic and Costume Designer Rae Smith seems to have followed McPherson’s lead and given up on having every choice make sense. At times there are backgrounds projected that seem to be designed to create a mood rather than a specific representation of a location. It’s striking but not elaborate, and it again seems to be saying, listen to the music, that’s why we’re here. I did enjoy the period costumes and props and one moment when the entire back wall becomes a beautiful backdrop during a segment meant to represent someone who has left this mortal plain. The Lighting Design is very effective by Mark Henderson, especially when creating a sense of a darker older world, it’s a design that focuses more on the absence of light.

Girl From the North Country runs through October 14th at the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown Minneapolis for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://hennepintheatretrust.org/events/girl-from-the-north-country-orpheum-theatre-minneapolis-mn-2023/

Don’t want to miss a single review from The Stages of MN? You can subscribe and have every post sent directly to your email. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/

I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by my colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. We also produce the podcast Twin Cities Theater Chat!! which you can access through this link or wherever you enjoy podcasts https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/ . We post biweekly longer form episodes that will focus on interviews and discussions around theater topics. There is also shorter episodes in which we Bloggers tell you what we think you should get out and see as well as what we have on our schedules that we are most looking forward too.

History Theatre in St. Paul launches their 2023-2024 theater season with the world premiere of the new musical The Boy Wonder by Keith Hovis. To say that I found the production exceptional would be to under sell it. In fact, to try and sum up the show in one word would undermine the fact that it is a multifaceted and layered work. For it is inspirational, moving, funny, educational, relevant, and very entertaining. As someone who has lost almost all interest and certainly all faith in politics, this show made me care again, while not boring me by being a musical about politics. Hovis who wrote the book as well as the music and lyrics has a gift for songwriting and storytelling, both which is a rare gift, a boy wonder himself to be sure. The cast is led by the phenomenal Evan Tyler Wilson whom with this performance may finally shed the label my wife uses for him and his former co-stars of “one of my All is Calm Boys“. Which isn’t a derogatory label, as the inclusion in a shows cast of one of her “All is Calm Boys“, guarantees she will be my plus one for that show.

The Boy Wonder tells the true story of Harold Stassen who was the youngest person ever elected to the Governorship of Minnesota. It’s the story of a man who dedicated his life to public service and the rare politician who put principles before party. What people remember of Harold Stassen is his never ending runs for the Republican Presidential Nomination which he did routinely from 1940 through 1992. It’s the story behind a punchline that reveals a man who was so much more than we remember. A man who possibly lost his chance at the Presidency because he followed his sense of duty to his country, resigning during his third term as Governor with a 91% approval rating to join the Navy during World War II. Losing momentum careerwise by following his gut, he still contributed greatly to our country and the world playing a key part in the formation of the United Nations. Obviously, we learn just the barest elements about the real man but if this representation of the man is anywhere near the truth, then I can say of him something I cannot imagine saying about a candidate in the modern era, this is a Republican I would vote for. He also seems to be the antithesis of every Republican of today. He put service, the people, and Country before his party.

Two wonderful local actors portray Harold Stassen via a structural device that Hovis uses allowing us to focus on the his early successes, while we acknowledge the second half of his life that doesn’t have a storybook ending. Bradley Greenwald is Stassen as the story begins in 1991, about announcing his final run for President. He is being urged by his son Glen, played by Thomas Bevan, to stop running. The rest of the show is Glen having the younger version of his father, played by the aforementioned Evan Tyler Wilson, recount his life as he repeatedly tells his father this is a perfectly respectable ending to his public life. Greenwald, plays Stassen briefly throughout but also plays many other roles including that of Harold’s father. Wilson is simply fantastic in the role, with a singing voice that is unmatched by a cast of exceptional singers, he also easily endears us to his character whose idealism finds a way against the odds to win. The heart of the play comes from the relationship between Harold and his wife Esther played by Emily Dussault. Together they create a palpable sense of affection and devotion, it’s a relationship that feels authentic and as ideal as Strassen’s approach to politics. The rest of the cast plays multiple roles wonderfully finding ways to distinguish their different characters in a way that makes it seem like the cast is much larger than nine. I also want to give a special mention of Jen Maren’s performances, comedically as Harold’s mother, and vocally every time she opens her mouth, another flawless vocalist that it’s always a joy to listen too.

The Boy Wonder is directed by Laura Leffler who will always hold a special place in my heart as the Assistant Director of Steel Magnolias at the Guthrie who went on as a member of the cast when there was an illness and received the loudest ovation from the audience. Here as Director, she uses the set designed by the fabulous Sadie Ward to great advantage. The center of the stage is a turntable, Leffler wisely resists the urge to overuse the device, instead making it an impactful element by using it only when it adds the scene. The scenes with songs are all handled well, but it’s the quieter moments where Leffler really shows her skill at creating intimate connections between the characters. These lay the groundwork so that the bigger story beats still create genuine emotions and responses from the audience. Amanda Weis as the Musical Director is on the keys and overseeing a solid group of musicians bringing Hovi’s catching and memorable songs to life.

The Boy Wonder is a mirror for the world today and also its remedy. As you watch it you will ache for a world in which candidates had the integrity and ideology of Harold Stassen. As someone who has lost faith in our political parties, it was amazing to find a hero on the other side of the aisle. Though to be fair his Republican views sound like modern day Democratic stances. The Boy Wonder runs through October 29th at History Theatre in Downtown St. Paul for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.historytheatre.com/2023-2024/boy-wonder

Don’t want to miss a single review from The Stages of MN? You can subscribe and have every post sent directly to your email. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/

I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by my colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. We also produce the podcast Twin Cities Theater Chat!! which you can access through this link or wherever you enjoy podcasts https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/ . We post biweekly longer form episodes that will focus on interviews and discussions around theater topics. There is also shorter episodes in which we Bloggers tell you what we think you should get out and see as well as what we have on our schedules that we are most looking forward too.

For a Hamlet junkie like myself Bernhardt/Hamlet is a delight, but it encompasses so much more than just the melancholy Dane, and most of it lands squarely in my basket of intense interests. There are explorations of gender, power, art, interpretation, adaptation, and even a fleeting nod to the invention of cinema. And that’s just the play itself, the production also casts the show without gender bias, including Women cast as men and a gender nonconforming actor cast as a man. The production reflects one of the central themes of the work as life imitate art and shows us that Bernhardt was right. There is no reason that women cannot be cast in male roles, men in female roles, and nonbinary actors as either. The goal should always be to find the best person for any given role. Theatre Pro Rata is a company that has, since I attended my first show of theirs, always been open to this concept. Always sent out press releases identifying the actors pronouns and making sure that those of us who write about the shows are respectful of those pronouns.

In Bernhardt/Hamlet written by Theresa Rebeck we get a fictional take on what the rehearsals and discussions were like when the great actress Sarah Bernhardt was preparing for her controversial appearance in Hamlet as Hamlet. There is so much happening in the play and for theater lovers there is plenty of talk about what is meant by certain lines in the plays, what the characters are thinking, and how the actors should perform them. There is also a love affair that as far as I can tell from perusing Wikipedia, is not based on real life, between Bernhardt and the married playwright Edmond Rostand. Along with many of the famous speeches from Hamlet we also get some extracts from Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac. The relationship between Rostand and Bernhardt is a wonderful invention and it’s amazing how well the scenes form Hamlet and Cyrano, when they are performed, comment on and progress the ideologies of the play and it’s characters.

Nicole Goeden plays Bernhardt as someone who is aware of her power and position as well as her celebrity. She gives the impression of someone who simply gets what she wants by doing as she pleases, confident in her ability to inspire submission from those around her, not out of fear but out of affection for her. Her costar and perhaps director Constant Coquelin played by Sean Dillon seems to good naturedly go along with her abrupt desires to work on a different scene in the middle of another one. Dillon plays this with good humor, giving a sense that his character has been through all of this before, and is at peace with Bernhardt’s process. The same is true of Duck Washington’s Alphonse Mucha who creates the posters for Bernhardt’s productions. They are natural and understanding of Sarah’s whims and her gifts, they are friends and collaborators, and both actors convey that nicely to the audience. Em Rosenberg who recently made their debut appearance on the Guthrie stage in Hamlet, how’s that for serendipity, plays Edmond Rostand. Rosenberg is an actor I’ve had my eye on for a while now. I first came across them in the first Theatre Pro Rata show I saw Top Girls. My comments in that review about them began “The stand out for me was Emily (Em) Rosenberg” and that could just as easily be the start of my comments regarding Rosenberg in every show I’ve seen them in including this one. Rosenberg is cast not based on gender but because they are the best actor for the role of Rostand. Every interaction with another character whether it is a passionate embrace with Sarah, an argument with a critic about Bernhardt playing Hamlet, or standing up for his play Cyrano de Bergerac we completely believe this version of Rostand even as we know he is in most ways a fiction of the playwright.

Directed by Carin Bratlie Wethern who seems to have created a sense of ease with these actors so that we feel like their rehearsal is just that, running lines and exploring their characters. There are fun reveals throughout the show of Alphonse Mucha poster art which was recreated for the show by the Set Designer Sadie Ward. There is a link on the Theatre Pro Rata website where you can bid in a silent auction to own these wonderful posters. Ward has done a nice job with the sets, using a lot of curtains and sheets of fabric draping over things, it gives the idea that we are in a theater that is in the early stages of creating it’s sets. Other strong technical elements were the lighting design by Emmet Kowler and the costumes by Raphael Ferreira. I’d also like to mention the work of Annie Enneking as the Intimacy/Fight Choreographer along with Claire Chenoweth for Intimacy/Fight Observer, last summer I got a better understanding of what an Intimacy Coordinator does from conversations at the Great River Shakespeare Festival with one of the founders in the field, and I love that a smaller company like Pro Rata is utilizing people with those skills. It shows a respect for their actors and their audiences.

Bernhardt/Hamlet maybe a little too inside baseball for anyone who is unfamiliar with Hamlet and Cyrano de Bergerac, but if you know the basics of those plays you’ll be on solid ground for this well scripted play that continues the conversation about gender in theater that Sarah Bernhardt began over 100 years ago. It’s a thoughtful and entertaining evening at the theater with a love story that really comes alive thanks to the strong performances of Nicole Goeden and Em Rosenberg. Bernhardt/Hamlet runs through October 14th at the Crane Theater in NE Minneapolis for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.theatreprorata.org/category/shows/current-production/

Don’t want to miss a single review from The Stages of MN? You can subscribe and have every post sent directly to your email. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/

I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by my colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. We also produce the podcast Twin Cities Theater Chat!! which you can access through this link or wherever you enjoy podcasts https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/ . We post biweekly longer form episodes that will focus on interviews and discussions around theater topics. There is also shorter episodes in which we Bloggers tell you what we think you should get out and see as well as what we have on our schedules that we are most looking forward too.

Cookin’ playing at the Children’s Theatre Company is not a home grown production but rather a touring company that’s being hosted by the CTC. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a perfect fit for families though, it certainly is. This is the longest running show in South Korea and listed as one of the top ten tourist attractions in that country. It began life at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1999 and since then has been performed in 60 countries all over the world. It’s a unique opportunity to experience a touring company from another country. This one will appeal to all ages, it’s physical precision will amaze the adults in the audience, while the comedy and audience interaction will keep the wee ones engaged. Cookin’ takes theater off the stage and into the audience in ways that are suprising little moments of joy for the young ones in the crowd.

Featuring a very loose plot about the chefs in a Korean kitchen with one hour to prepare a wedding feast, and forced to allow the owners son to help. It’s all just an excuse to wow the audience with all manner of physical and musical feats. This show has a little bit of everything including, mad hibachi skills, magic, juggling, martial arts, percussion, and even a little romance. For me, the thing that always amazes with shows like this is the precision. I cannot imagine the stress I’d feel trying to rely on my body to successfully execute everything they do over the course of 90 minutes. In fact, I get a little anxious for them just watching from the audience. But, while I know they must make mistakes sometimes, they didn’t drop a plate or get out of sync for even a second at the performance I was at. It’s astonishing and the discipline and hours of practice that must go into being one of these performers is simply mind boggling. All of the physical stunts and comedic moments would be enough to recommend the show, but the folks behind Cookin’ go all out in terms of set design and lighting as well. By the time the finale comes, you feel like you’ve seen it all and then they do some lighting and staging that creates a whole new vibe for the last five to ten minutes of the show.

Cookin’ runs through October 22nd at Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis. For more information about the show and to purchase tickets go to https://childrenstheatre.org/whats-on/cookin/ . There are a couple of things you should know before going. Firstly, sit as close to the stage as you can. Secondly, if you don’t want to be pulled on stage, avoid sitting too close to the aisles. And lastly, it’s a 90 minute show with no intermission, personally I love that, but with small children this is your warning to limit liquids and insist on a restroom stop before the performance begins.

Don’t want to miss a single review from The Stages of MN? You can subscribe and have every post sent directly to your email. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/

I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by my colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. We also produce the podcast Twin Cities Theater Chat!! which you can access through this link or wherever you enjoy podcasts https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/ . We post biweekly longer form episodes that will focus on interviews and discussions around theater topics. There is also shorter episodes in which we Bloggers tell you what we think you should get out and see as well as what we have on our schedules that we are most looking forward too.