Irving Berlin’s White Christmas Brings Holiday Cheer Early to Chanhassen Dinner Theatres

The Cast of White Christmas Photo by Dan Norman, 2024

I know what you are thinking, and I was thinking the same thing, Christmas already? It’s still Monster Month! Well, when you mount a musical at the Chanhassen Dinner Theaters, even an abbreviated run like this, you have to start a little early and run a little late. And guess what? If you want to see this production before Christmas, you’ll need to purchase tickets for an October performance because a quick perusal through the CDT website shows every show from November 1st through until New Years Eve is sold out already. The kicker is, this production, it’s really really good. The dancing alone is worth the price of admission and it will be just as spectacular in October and January as it is in November and December. Choreographer Tamara Kangas Erickson has created some brilliant dances, many for large groups, but even the duet routines contain showstopping moves. Filled with perfectly synchronized tap, the cast really gives everything and it pays off. Under the musical direction of Andy Kust, the orchestra and vocalists are as is always the case at CDT of the highest level. Long time Artistic Director Michael Brindisi shows that after over 120 productions he knows just how to stage a show for this theater and its audiences. I promise you, even the Scroogiest will come away from Irving Berlin’s White Christmas with the holiday spirit.

Song and dance man Michael Gruber plays Bob Wallace one half of a song and dance team along with Tony Vierling’s Phil Davis. These two sound and act the part of 1950’s wholesome crooners perfectly. After an opening set in 1944 Europe in which Bob and Phil are entertaining their fellow soldiers including General Waverly, whom they all would follow to the ends of the earth, we jump ahead to 1954. Bob and Phil are huge stars and on their way to Florida over the holidays to work on and rehearse a new Broadway revue. When Phil falls for one half of a sister act, who are on their way to Vermont to perform at an Inn, he tricks Bob onto the wrong train so they can tag along. It turns out the Inn is owned by their former commanding officer General Waverly, it is also financially deep in the red. When they arrive the Inn has just lost all of it’s reservation due to a heat wave that makes skiing and other winter activities unavailable. Bob and Phil decide to move their rehearsal to Vermont and mount a show, getting all their old infantry division to come over the Christmas holiday and save the General’s Inn. Of course the two sisters they followed, Betty and Judy played by Ann Michels and Andrea Mislan, are on again off again romantic interests for Bob and Phil. Misunderstandings occur to keep the couples apart until the end of course, but they continue to make beautiful music together throughout the show. Helping the General to run the Inn is Martha Watson played by Michelle Barber, who used to be a performer herself. Barber has a great bickering chemistry with Joenathan Thomas who plays the general, as well as with his Granddaughter played in rotation by Jenalia Valerio and Malee Cenizal.

The main leads all mentioned above are exceptional at recreating the light and wholesome feel of the 1954 film on which the stage musical is based. They get great support, particularly in the dancing department from the ensemble. There are also a couple of character roles that add immensely to the humor of the show. Jon Andrew Hegge plays a few different roles but it’s as the Inn’s handyman Ezekiel, who apparently came with the place when the General bought it, that he gets some of the biggest laughs of the show, all by seemingly to do very little, but very slowly. In his first scene I swear he was cracking up Michelle Barber with the pace at which he was executing his performance. Another standout is Mark King as the harried stage manager Mike Nulty, he adds a bit of comic flair with his exasperated performance throughout the five days of trying to get the show up and running. But, it’s his interactions with Hegge’s Ezekiel that bring out the best in both performers who feed of each other with a perfect comic timing.

Irving Berlin’s White Christmas runs through January 25th at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the wonderful food that comes included with your tickets. They also have delicious beverages and desserts you can enjoy, I highly recommend indulging in the Tiramisu. For more information about the show, the menu, and to purchase tickets go to https://chanhassendt.com/whitechristmas/

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Rent is an Emotional and Transporting Experience Not to be Missed at Artistry in Bloomington

Rent Is one of my favorite musicals. I’ve seen touring productions countless times, I’ve seen it done by colleges and community theater companies, I’ve seen it done in the suburbs with the whitest cast you can imagine. The last time I reviewed the show I said when you’ve seen a show as often as I have Rent, you have to let go of your preconceived notions of what characters should look like, from costumes to hairstyles, what the set should look like and how every lyric in every song should be sung. The joy of going to a favorite show is seeing how a new group of artists will approach it. Obviously, you don’t want them to sing different songs or deviate from the characters essence. But when you know something so well and can let go of some standard set by an original cast recording you’ve memorized, you notice the small changes, and rather than being frustrated by them, they become the moments that make each production unique and engaging. I love Rent and I loved Artistry’s production of Rent. I loved it so much I want to go again, but mad at all the other theater companies in town who have filled my schedule so that I can’t go again. The only date I have available is my wedding anniversary, and I’m pretty sure my wife wants to do something we don’t do every other night of the week for our tenth anniversary. I know I’ll get over it, and I know by the time I hit the Twin Cities Horror Festival I won’t be holding a grudge.

I was going to say that if you are not familiar with Rent that it is patterned off of Puccini’s Opera La Boheme. Then I realized who hasn’t heard of Rent but knows La Boheme? Yes, I’m sure there is someone out there but my guess is they are not reading this review. Essentially it’s the story of a group of friends, artists living in New York’s East Village during the late 80’s early 90’s half of whom have contracted HIV. It contains a message of love and friendship played out among characters that suffer from all the human traits that hold us back, greed, addiction, jealousy, self doubt, isolation. It reminds us there is no day but today. In it’s emotional finale the characters sing the fundamental lesson that the musical is trying to impart to its audience “There’s only us. There’s only this. Forget regret or life is yours to miss.” I can’t think of a truer or more important message and that I suspect is why it won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. If you are not aware of the story of Jonathan Larson who wrote the Music, Lyrics, and Book for Rent I highly recommend purchasing the film version of Rent to watch the Documentary No Day But Today which is included as a special feature, it’s a heartbreaking story.

This production is Directed by Kelli Foster Warder with energy and confidence, making subtle changes like I believe cutting a portion of the song “Contact” which worked for me. Warder also choreographed the show along with Joey Miller and they did an exceptional job. The moves that Michelle de Joya as Mimi performs while singing “Out Tonight” are an example of their creativity and de Joya’s skill. In terms of staging the Actors and the use of set pieces Warder does an excellent of staying true to the simple and scaffold like design of the original Broadway run, while also changing things up and doing her own thing, putting her stamp on the show while keeping the feel and look we expect. The Broadway costumes are iconic and the reality is that regional theaters need to find their own look for the characters to some extent which they do here. The only misstep costume wise for me was the choice for Mark’s shirt, a horizontal striped pullover collared affair that shouts mathlete rather than NYC Bohemian filmmaker. It’s an odd and glaring oversight that you can see in the photo above. There is the usual solid work from Music Director Jason Hansen and his band which are tight and perfectly balanced with the vocals.

I really can’t praise the cast enough, some are stronger vocalists and others stronger in the acting department but everyone plays to their strengths. de Joya’s Mimi is a little flat occasionally when it comes to the singing with things pushed out of her ideal range, but it’s not a huge concern because when it’s in her sweet spot she kills it, and her performance and physicality are among the strongest in the cast. Mitchell Douglas, hot off a nice turn in drag in Kinky Boots at Lyric Arts, plays Angel with some dance moves that elicit gasps and admiration. The best singers in the cast are Caleb Michael who plays Roger, Quinn Lorez who plays Joanne, and Em Rosenberg who is an ensemble member but when they get their few moments to be heard outside the group songs, Rosenberg reminds us what a fantastic singing voice they have. Matthew Hall also impresses as Collins with a rich voice that straddles the deep and mid register nicely. Both Wesley Mouri who plays Mark and Ninchai Nok-Chiclana who plays Benny are better in the acting than in singing departments, though they are both capable singers, their strengths lie in the former. Maureen is played by Sara Masterson and we believe her when she says there will always be women in rubber flirting with her.

Ultimately what the show did, what it always does, is evoke an emotional response from deep within me. Every time I see the show I’m transported in my soul back to the time I first saw it, before I was old. It reminds me of a more passionate age, when I could see myself as one of them, maybe not a Roger, I was never that cool, but maybe Mark. When I see it, when I hear these characters pouring out their hearts in these songs, I feel young. Every production offers something new, but the one thing they always remind me is that, if there is a production of Rent happening, go. Never, ever miss an opportunity to see a production of this show. Rent runs through October 27th at Artistry in Bloomington. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://artistrymn.org/rent

Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations Brings Soul to the Ordway

I previously saw Ain’t Too Proud at the Orpheum in 2022 and loved it so much I was excited at the chance to see it again so soon. Ain’t Too Proud is a jukebox musical in the vein of Jersey Boys, which has made its rounds on tour many times and most recently at Chanhassen Dinner Theaters. Both follow the formation and rise of a famous 1960’s, well let’s call em what they would be considered today, boy bands. That these are two of the greatest boy bands in history means that the shows will be filled with great music, but the similarities don’t end there. For each follows the age old trajectory of success leading to excess. They both even contain the tragic death of one of the members children. You also get the sense that both of these groups should have had a lot more money then they did. I suspect the reason the record companies are not raked over the coals in these shows is that they have to grant use of the music. The Temptations musical has so many songs to feature that it’s weakness is that it doesn’t have time to perform many of these classics in full. In fact, I’m not entirely sure there is ever one song that is actually performed start to finish. So less of a rock concert than a two hour medley of hits. The performance of the songs, and the songs themselves, are so good that we forgive their abbreviation. If you love the music of Motown Ain’t Too Proud will delight you.

The book for this musical does what it needs to in order to tell it’s story but if the show lacks something it’s a better understanding of where we are chronologically and how they actually got their start. We move very quickly from Otis Williams’, the sole surviving member of the original Temptations and the narrator of the show, release from Juvenile Detention, to his putting together a band. He lures new members by pointing out they already have a manager and paying gigs. But how did that happen? Once the group gets connected to legendary Motown Record label founder Berry Gordy, it stops feeling like things are being omitted as much. Like the Four Season, I knew the music of The Temptations but next to nothing about their personal story and lives when I first saw the show. It makes for an interesting history lesson and also a cautionary tale. It’s amazing how familiar the broad strokes are of these tales of celebrity, the egos, the drugs, the infighting. One wonders if anyone is capable of navigating fame without self destructing. Of course there are, and Otis Williams is one of them, assuming he’s a reliable narrator, remember history is written by the victors or in this case, the survivor.

A show like this, has to be cast with exceptionally talented performers. They have to be able to sing in a reasonable facsimile of some very iconic and impressive voices. The cast here is all supremely gifted vocally and their dancing choreographed by Sergio Trujillo is perfectly timed and executed. Surprisingly the best vocal performance in my opinion came from Mikey Corey Hassel who plays several minor characters but really shines early on singing “Gloria“. The one character whose voice is supposed to be so good, that there are worries about replacing him when his behavior becomes to erratic is David Ruffin. At the performance I attended, he was hard to hear, this was most noticeable in the first Act a situation I think the sound technicians attempted to fix during intermission as he was more audible then. What’s exciting is that the performers who briefly appear and sing as some other motown groups like The Cadillacs, The Supremes, and The Five Satins are just as great vocally as the Temptations. The one performer that really embodies the show with its heart and soul is Rudy Foster as Otis Williams. Of course he’s a good singer, but it’s his acting that really draws us to him. He isn’t volatile, he’s deliberate and reasonable, like his character he’s the backbone of the ensemble. He’s trying to do the right things and move everyone forward, he’s the survivor and we can see the toll that surviving takes on him.

If you are a fan of the music of The Temptations, Ain’t Too Proud… is going to be well worth your time. The showmanship on display is very impressive, each performance has its own unique choreography and the vocal performances of so many great songs is almost an embarrassment of riches. I had a blast with the production numbers and was captivated again by the glorious music of Motown.Ain’t Too Proud runs through October 13th at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://ordway.org/events/aint-too-proud/

Scotland, PA Sizzles at Theater Latté Da

Tara Borman, Will Dusek, Katherine Fried, Deidre Cochran Photo by Dan Norman

I saw the 2001 film Scotland, PA on which Theater Latté Da’s production is adapted from on DVD as soon as it was released. I had a small child at the time and getting out to the movies wasn’t in the cards very often. But I’d read about the film in a magazine and being a Shakespeare fan, I knew it was a film I needed to see as soon as Netflix* could get it to me. Plus, I had a bit of a screen crush on Maura Tierney who starred in the film. Now besides the basic idea and the knowledge that I liked it at the time, I’ve retained little else of the movie, which allowed me to view this musical version with relatively fresh eyes. Not that it would have mattered because something this fun cannot be spoiled by any amount of fore knowledge. Besides, in case you didn’t know it’s Shakespeare’s Macbeth update to 1970’s Pennsylvania set in a fast food restaurant. The twist in the stage adaptation is that it’s become a rockin’ musical! Faithful readers know that I love the front row, well the front row is pretty loud at this one, but I loved it anyway. Who knew taking Shakespeare aging it to 1975, adding a heavy portion of rock music, a pinch of cocaine, a puff of pot, and putting it between two sesame seed buns would make such a delicious recipe?

If you’ve seen the news there has been a certain amount of tragedy surrounding this show, leading to rumors that the curse of the Scottish play has reared its head once again. Multiple cast members had to be replaced due to injuries resulting in an entire weekends shows being cancelled. Thankfully, as far as I know no one was mortally wounded, and we hope everyone recovers quickly and fully. Theater Latté Da has announced that they have extended the run of the show through the last weekend in October. As for curses, that’s strictly a backstage thing clearly because this show is fantastically entertaining. I know the cast has jostled around quite a bit but it’s hard to imagine anyone else in any of these roles. But before we get to the cast, a quick word of praise about the Production itself. I loved every aspect of the design and there are some things that shocked me with their brilliance that I’m not sure who to credit, and I don’t want to spoil the surprise for you who have yet to see it. So simply let me say that the works of all of the following artists contribute to immensely to the success of this show. Scenic Designer Mina Kinukawa, Costume Designer Zamora Simmons-Stiles, Lighting Designer Grant E. Merges, Sound Designer Kevin Springer, Hair; Wigs; and Makeup Designer Emma Gustafson, and Prop Designer Madelaine Foster. All of these technical and creative departments are perfectly in sync under Directors Lonny Price and Matt Cowart who make this production sing along with Musical Director Joshua Zecher-Ross. And putting that music to good use are Choreographers Lorin Latarro & Travis Waldschmidt.

Let’s start with the three Stoners who replace the three Witches in Macbeth, we have Tara Borman whom I’ve admired as an actor in previous shows, but I’m not sure I’d ever heard her sing front and center like she does here and she has a gorgeous voice, which only adds to the hilarity of her comedic performance by contrast. We also get Deidre Cochran and Eric Morris as the other two stoners and if you didn’t know they could sing, I’m not sure what rock you’ve been living under but welcome to the party! The leads are Will Dusek who recently played Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys as Mac, and his girlfriend Pat is played by Katherine Fried who absolutely bowled me over last spring as Percy in The Spitfire Grill. They both give their all again here and besides sounding great they bring the desperation and guilt to life quite believably. Stages of MN favorite Tom Reed, who inherited the role of Banko, Mac’s clueless best friend, plays it such that you cannot imagine anyone but Reed in the role, he gets the best song in Act 1 “Kick-Ass Party”. The best song in Act 2 is “Why I Love Football” it’s sung by Joshua Row who plays Malcolm. Row doesn’t have a lot of credits yet, but I think he is one to watch and expect big things from. As the Vegetarian police inspector Peg McDuff is Emily Gunyou Halaas who doesn’t really enter until Act 2 but makes her mark all the same. Other roles are filled by the always dependable Carl Swanson who plays three different smaller roles, all unique and they get some of the best one liners. With Kim Kivens and Timothy Thomas also doing great character work, it really feels like the perfect actor in every role.

Scotland, PA runs through October 27th at Theater Latté Da in North Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.latteda.org/scotland-pa

* Netflix began as a video rental service that sent movies on DVD through the mail. This was before the age of streaming also known as the golden age of physical media.

But that’s not all! Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by m’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/ . Now you too can be in the know about all the fabulous theater happening in and around the Twin Cities.

Speechless by The Moving Company Left Me Speechless at the Jungle Theater

Speechless accurately describes both the show and my reaction to it. A remount of The Moving Company’s 2017 production that aimed to reflect our collective despair following the 2016 election of Donald Trump. This latest production is either forecasting a return to despair or reflecting our dread of what may happen. Whichever it is, the message of the piece, if I read it correctly, is that through community we can comfort each other and work to brighten our future. The show which runs about 75 minutes doesn’t contain a single spoken word. There is music and the actors make sounds like sneezing, but otherwise it all plays out like a silent movie. It’s not a comedy or a drama but it hits both veins of theatre throughout. It contains elements of Chaplin at his most pathosie with touches of Keaton’s surrealism but the movement is always graceful and purposeful. Opening with the death of Hope ,the five performers, Kenzi Allen, Steven Epp, Helen Hatch, Nathan Keepers, and Randy Reyes go through the motions of a funeral. The greive, they enjoy some refreshment and companionship, they clean up, they move on. From the ashes of the cremated hope will finally rise the possibility of a brighter world, if they can just get through the grief.

There is hardly anything more I can say without trying to describe the actions they perform, which I will not attempt. I think the information above will give you a road map through which to navigate the show. But, we all bring to something like this our own perception, so don’t feel inhibited by my reading, allow yourself to interpret what you see in your own way. I was more or less speechless after the show, unsure how to process or interpret it, I needed time to sit with it a bit. It’s obviously a sad show at the beginning, but I encourage you to laugh when something touches you as funny. I think one of the lessons is that, even in the darkest times we should find humor when and wherever we can. Speechless runs through November 10th at the Jungle Theater in Uptown. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.themovingco.org/

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane Charms at Stages Theater Company

Leah Rimstad and Asher Rilen Photo by Amy Rondeau Photography

Based upon the novel The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by celebrated Newbery Award winning Minnesota author Kate Dicamillo this production at Stages Theatre Company is warm, emotional, and utterly Charming. I’ve not read the novel but I am familiar with the story from attending the Minnesota Opera’s Edward Tulane in 2022 during its world premiere. The highlight of that show was the extravagant production design while in this version Scenic Designer Sarah Brandner seems to benefit from going the opposite direction. Not that there is no design, it’s that rather than being lavious and detailed here Brandner is subtle, simple, and all the more entrancing for it. Rather than being wowed by spectacle we are drawn in by a design that pulls us into the characters. With moments as simple as the sky lighting up with stars, which the audience I attended the show with, made up of a few hundred grade schoolers were audibly wowed by. They loved it and old as I am, I confess I did as well.

The story follows the journey of Edward Tulane a rabbit made of China. Edward is given at first by a grandmother to her granddaughter Abilene. The Rabbit is represented on stage by a Rabbit doll but also by a young actor named Asher Rilen who gives voice to Edwards inner thoughts. When we first meet him Edward is very vain and only cares about how he looks and himself. The girl dearly loves him and makes everyone in her family include him, but whatever they say is just noise to him, he’s only interested in himself. One day when the family goes on a vacation on a large ship Edward is lost overboard, he spends months and months at the bottom of the ocean until a storm comes a long and churns up the sea. A fisherman catches Edward in his net and brings him home to his wife, who makes him a dress and names him Suzanna, he is happy there until fate steps in again and he is separated from them. The plot continues on in episodic fashion with Edward being taken in by various people with their own stories to share and their own names to give him. The constant is that everyone he goes to loves him and by the time he has been smashed and then repaired and placed in a doll shop, he has learned to love and is no longer concerned with just his appearance.

There are separations and there are deaths in the story, there is cruelty, but there is also kindness. Director Anna Crace handles the darker aspects with skill, presenting them as the tragedies or injustices that they are, so that the younger members register them. Then she moves on, because a play like life has to move forward. Asher Rilen is very good as Edward, it’s a difficult role for a young actor to be the main character but also not be aloud to act out their role physically, relying almost entirely on a vocal performance, while appearing on stage and not fidgeting. Asher finds the stillness that is needed and accomplishes way more through his performance than had he been able to act out the role of Edward physically. The young cast all do a great job, there is none of the awkwardness or self conscious hand movements that you sometimes encounter with younger performers. The two adult cast members, Grant Hooyer and Charlene Hong White, both of whom play multiple characters throughout Edwards journey are both excellent in every persona they take on. They are great examples to the young cast of how to create multiple distinct characters within a play.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane runs through October 27th at Stages Theatre Company in Hopkins. It’s the sort of children’s show that will also enchant the adults in the audience, making it a great show for the whole family. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.stagestheatre.org/the-miraculous-journey-of-edward-tulane/

Measure For Measure is Must See Shakespeare From the Birth Play Project at A-Mill Artists Loft

Measure for Measure is one of Shakespeare’s lesser known plays. I’ve never seen it performed before and have no recollection of skipping it if it has been performed locally in recent years. The play is usually given a pass as one of Shakespeare’s problem plays. Is it a comedy or is it a tragedy, what happens exactly at the end and as the cast performing this production acknowledges, there are some twists and convolutions that nobody understands why they are included. Based on this one exposure to Measure for Measure I think this may be Shakespeare inventing the black comedy. The great thing about Shakespeare is that all the plays are around 400 years old, they’re in the public domain baby! You can do whatever you want with them, that’s how we get a Hamlet adaptation entitled Strange Brew and Henry IV as My Own Private Idaho. You can cut, rearrange, add to, completely modernize, and even set it on a Forbidden Planet. The Birth Play Project’s adaptation by Madeline Wall & William Edson embraces that freedom and comes up with a captivating production that feels like a Ten Thousand Things Shakespeare production. That is some very nice company to be in and The Birth Play Project earns their place at the table.

The play opens with Vienna’s Duke Vincentio placing Angelo in charge when she has to leave the city. She doesn’t actually leave though but disguises herself as a nun in order to observe Angelo and the citizens without their knowledge. Angelo, mad with power, decrees that anyone having sex out of wedlock will be put to death. The first offender is Claudio and his lover Juliet, who he is in the process of marrying and is pregnant. Claudio’s sister Isabella comes to plead with Angelo for Claudio’s life. This scene is where the show really clicked for me. Isabella Dunsieth who plays Isabella and Madeline Wall who plays Angelo debate back and forth like a slightly more serious Benedict and Beatrice. Angelo falls for Isabella, who is in the process of taking her vows to become a nun. All comparisons to that “will they or won’t they” couple end abruptly when Angelo agrees to let Claudio live if Isabella will sleep with her (Did I mention there is a lot of gender swapping in this production?). Isabella relays the information to Claudio who expresses his feelings that dying is worse than losing your virginity. Isabella is assisted by a nun, really the Duke in disguise, and it is arranged that Angelo will have sex with someone else thinking it is Isabella. After having her way with Isabella’s stand in, Angelo changes her mind and orders Claudios head to be cut off immediately. Again the Duke in disguise intervenes and another prisoners head is cut off instead. Can you kind of see why this is a Problem play? The twists and turns and convolutions are right out of his comedies, except instead of pretending to be a servant and wooing a princess, they are swapping people to be beheaded. It’s absurd and also very very dark. I didn’t even mention the live birth, that you almost sort of witness.

I absolutely loved what Wall and Edson who also co-directed the play did with this adaptation. Likewise the cast is excellent and embraces the weirdness of the play and all its twists and odd turns. They do two things that are crucial in a good Shakespeare performance. The first is you need actors who can speak the language so that it makes sense to the audience, everyone does so here. Secondly they need to not only make it understood but breathe fresh air into it, which they also accomplish admirably. The big surprise for me was Isabella Dunsieth, who I feel I know primarily for her work in the Brave New Workshop shows such as No Country For Two Old which she is currently also appearing in. Here she speaks shakespeare’s language as if it were her first, which being english I guess it probably was… but you know what I mean, she’s a natural. Edson and Wall both do triple duty not only adapting and directing but also acting in the show. Wall is Angelo and the sparks that fly as Isabella and Angelo debate are electric. Edson plays Claudio and makes a good argument himself when pleading for his life. There are too many cast members to go through them all, but trust me there is no weak link in this chain of performers.

This is a great opportunity to see a little produced play from Shakespeare. One can see why it’s not often staged, because it takes a very special theater company like The Birth Play Project to make it come alive like this. I suspect I will never see a better production of Measure for Measure and as such I highly recommend you see it while you can. Measure for Measure has three more performances at various location for tickets go to https://linktr.ee/birthplayproject.