The Stages of MN: Looking Back at the Year That Was 2024!

As I close the books on 2024 I always like to look back and reflect on the shows I saw and the accomplishments of this site. Before I look at my favorite shows of the year I want to look at The Stages of MN itself. In April of this year I ruptured the bicep of my right (dominant) arm. This made me unable to type out my reviews and forced me to adopt for the short term voice recognition software in order to continue writing. That was a difficult adjustment as verbally is not the way I process what I want to write. It also required a lot of one handed manual corrections. It is not a tool I utilized any longer than I had too. But one good thing did come from that period. Out of necessity the reviews got shorter, and as a result probably more readable. I have for the most part tried to maintain the more reader friendly length of reviews and I think that is ultimately a good thing. I get a little more sleep, readers are more likely to read the entire review. Perhaps the only folks that miss out at times are the technical Theater departments. Theirs are the contributions most often left out or at least shortened, to be honest they are also the areas most difficult to write about meaningfully. When it works I frequently don’t notice, when it’s great I still call it out, when it’s bad I don’t dwell on it. Overall, I think this has been an improvement and I hope you agree.

Reflecting that adjustment to word count, in 2024 I posted 147 blog entries compared to 146 in 2023. The word count in 2024 is 18,000 less words than 2023. Views to The Stages of MN in 2024 grew by 19,000 over the views in 2023. So the site continues to grow steadily which means more people are seeing the reviews which hopefully means more people are getting out to see live theater. Readers can help the site grow by making sure you are following The Stages of MN on Facebook and Instagram. When you see a review you like, like it, when you see one you love share it. Encourage friends to follow as well, the more visibility, the further the reach, the more likely someone who isn’t a regular theatergoer will see a post and hopefully be inspired to check out a show. Creating new audiences for live theater needs to be the objective of anyone in theater or in love with theater. The second objective is to create or promote great theater. Which will hopefully help realize goal three which is to turn occasional theatergoers into regular theatergoers. I’m trying to do my part, I saw more theater this year that any year previous. I saw 190 shows in 2023 compared to 200 in 2024. I wrote reviews of 192 separate productions. I made my first trip to New York City seeing three shows as well as being there for the NYC debut of local Jazz vocalist and actor Leslie Vincent. While I didn’t write reviews of those shows I do feel that the experience benefits you faithful readers as it expands my knowledge and experience of the theater world.

The Best of 2024

Let’s start with Broadway alone because they were all great and if I lumped them in with touring shows as I first planned too, I’d only have 2 slots left for the touring shows.

1. King Lear (NYC): This was the highlight of my year and the whole reason I finally made it to NYC. Seeing one of my favorite Actor/Director/Writers Kenneth Branagh perform live was a dream come true and he did not disappoint.
2. The Outsiders: A New Musical (NYC): This was an amazing adaptation of the classic young adult novel. The production design and choreography were unbelievable. I cannot wait for a touring production of this show so I can compare and share with you all.
3. Suff: The Musical (NYC): This was an incredibly inspirational show that I saw days before the 2024 Presidential election. It was a last blast of optimism and couldn’t have been more timely.

Touring shows, I saw 15 that qualify it that category in 2024 and the below were the top 5 in alphabetical order.

1. Back to the Future: The Musical (Orpheum Theatre): My favorite film at one time in my life, this one had an uphill battle to justify its existence and avoid negative comparisons. What it lacks in terms of great new songs it more than makes up for in stage magic. The best blending of practical effects and projection I’ve ever seen. I believed a DeLorean could fly.
2. Come From Away (Ordway Center for Performing Arts): This was my third time seeing Come From Away, it’s a top ten show for me.
3. Les Misérables (Orpheum Theatre): Third time for this show as well, but this one grows on me more and more. It’s gone from really good in my book to great over the course of my history with the play.
4. The Lion King (Orpheum Theatre): First time, I know WHAT?!?!?! it’s everything I’d heard it was, beautifully realized adaptation of the Disney film, with amazing production design.
5. Some Like It Hot (Orpheum Theatre): Maybe the best nonmusical film to musical stage show I’ve ever seen. Wonderful way to adapt a period piece in a way that reflects our modern attitudes. Great choreography, songs, and performances.

Top 5 locally produced musicals in alphabetical order.

1. McAdo (Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Company): I loved the design and original materials written for this hilarious updating of The Mikado. Stand out Comedic performance from Robert Brandt as well.
2. Rent (Artistry): This is a top 5 musical for me and Artistry took a show I know so well and successfully did some new things with it that really worked.
3. Scotland, PA (Theater Latté Da): Creative adaptation of a cult film adaptation of Macbeth set in a fast food restaurant. Great ensemble cast, that kept dropping like flies but the understudies were brilliant. Great stage magic as well especially the face in the deep fryer moment (now you are wishing you’d seen it aren’t you?).
4. The Sound of Music (Artistry): A favorite from childhood, this production wonderfully directed by Max Wojtanowicz with a vocally pure performance by Sheena Janson Kelley as Maria.
5. The Spitfire Grill (Ten Thousand Things): Amazing cast led by Katherine Fried who knocked me out of my seat with the first notes out of her mouth, more on her later. Honorable mention to St. Croix Festival Theatre for their production as well.

Top 5 locally produced Plays in alphabetical order.

1. Georgiana & Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley (Lyric Arts): I love love love these Christmas at Pemberley plays. Lyric Arts’ production was as good as the Jungle production two years ago. Amazing cast including the yet to make a wrong move Noah Hynick, more on him as well later. First let me say that if you ever see there is a production of one of the three Christmas at Pemberley plays running near you, just go, they are all brilliantly written. Second, let me reiterate my wish that some theater company mount all three plays in Rep some November/December period. It would be a massive undertaking so The Guthrie is probably the best bet, but I don’t see them tackling it, so maybe Park Square, Theater Latté Da, Jungle Theater, or Lyric Arts.
2. Hamlet (The Great River Shakespeare Festival): This was the best production of Hamlet I’ve ever seen. In a space that doesn’t allow for a lot in the way of production design Director Doug Scholz-Carlson used darkness particularly effectively makeing the supernatural aspects of the play take on a very visceral and chilling feel.
3. Ironbound (Frank Theatre) Everything about this production floored me but most of all was the performance of Brittany D. Parker in the lead role. It was the best performance I saw all year and I sure hope we see more of her in 2025.
4. The Lehman Trilogy (Guthrie): This three and a half hour play performed by three actors playing multiple characters across several generations,telling the story of the rise and fall of real life financial company Lehman Brothers had tedious written all over it. And then it was brilliant in every aspect, riveting, educational, funny, tragic, epic.
5. Stones in His Pockets (Theater Latté Da): A two actor show with Tom Reed and Reed Sigmund each playing a dozen or so characters. Very funny, and a great showcase for two very talented performers.

Every year I add a few performers to my list of “Must See” Actors, Dancers, Singers that I come across throughout the year that I either hadn’t seen before or that really drew my attention that year. They aren’t always new to me, but they did something that made me take notice and say, let’s keep an eye on that one. This year I have four names that I have added to the list that already includes Tyler Michaels King, Max Wojtanowicz, Joy Dolo, Shanan Custer, Daniel Petzold, Em Rosenberg, Jeffrey Nolan, Allison Vincent, and Brendan Nelson Finn to name a few.

First up is Brittany D. Parker whom I believe I’ve only ever seen in one production and that was Ironbound this year from Frank Theatre.

“Brittany D. Parker plays Darja, I hadn’t expected to see someone “new” to me so early in 2024 that blew my socks off through my shoes and up over the audience so that I had to spend 10 minutes after the performance looking around the auditorium for them. If I’ve seen her before and have just forgotten, I apologize. If she just hasn’t been performing much I’d like to know why the hell not? Accent, perfect. Timing, perfect. Emotional openness, I’ll say. There isn’t a moment in the play that Parker doesn’t make what feels like the only possible performance choice and it’s mesmerizing. Never have I seen a performer bring to life a character so strong and in control that you know she can take care of herself, and it makes you want to take care of her. Before I move onto the rest of the cast I just want to welcome Brittany D. Parker onto the list of performers that I will try and see everything they do going forward. I know we just announced the winners of the TCTB Awards last week, but the competition just kicked into high gear for 2024’s best performance and Parker’s is going to be a tough one to top.”

From my review of Ironbound 1/20/2024

Second up is Katherine Fried whose performances in The Spitfire Grill from Ten Thousand Things came out of nowhere and gave me goosebumps. She followed that up with a turn in the wildly creative Scotland, PA at Theater Latté Da.

“When Katherine Fried who plays Percy begins to sing “A Ring Around the Moon” from her prison cell at the opening of the play, you know you’re in for something special. Fried’s voice is stunning as is every aspect of her performance.”

From my review of The Spitfire Grill 5/5/2024

“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.”

From my review of Scotland, PA 10/4/2024

Third on the list is Grace Hillmyer who I saw in Kinky Boots at Lyric Arts and then again at the end of the year at the Jackdonkey Misfits Cabaret fundraiser.

“If there is a flaw with this show it’s in the script which should have given the character of Lauren, played by Hillmyer, more time. Hillmyer’s portrayal is so adorably quirky, everytime she gets the spotlight she sparkles but not in a flashy way it’s more of a twinkle. It’s hard to say what it is about the performance other than it’s great character work, it’s comedic, and vulnerable and undeniably endearing to the audience.”

From my review of Kinky Boots 7/12/2024

Last but by no means least is Noah Hynick who has been on my radar for a couple of years now, but this feels like the year he broke out. From Radiant Vermin to the same end of year Misfits Cabaret as I saw Miss Hillmyer in Hynick can no longer be ignored.

“Hynick and Baack give fantastic performances and hats off to the dialect coach Gillian Constable, because they sound authentically British with Hynick having a distinctly early Hugh Grant quality minus the poshness. Their performances really shine in the reenactment of the garden party in which they each play along with Ollie and Jill at least four other characters” … “I’m not sure if Lyric Arts has Hynick under exclusive contract or what, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him on stage anywhere else, but everything he’s been in at Lyric he has impressed the hell out of me.”

From my review of Radiant Vermin 3/2/2024

“Hynick, who seems to be a strong component of the majority of Lyric Arts productions over the last few years plays Black Stache, the pirate villain of the piece. Hynick plays into the absurdity of scenes but also knows when to be the one who’s smarter than everyone else and sees how silly everyone is being.”

From my review of Peter and the Starcatcher 9/8/2024

“Noah Hynick, frankly I don’t think I’ve ever seen Hynick be anything but perfect in a role. I’m not sure how Lyric Arts seems to have him under exclusive contract, after a performance like this I ask myself again, why isn’t this guy cast in everything at the Guthrie. He is as gifted in his gestures and reactions as he is in his line reading choices. The first time I can remember coming across Mr. Hynick was in 2022 when he appeared in Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley at Lyric Arts and since it feels like he’s been in most of Lyric Arts productions, his timing is unerring, and it’s time to officially add him to the must see list, though he was already there to be honest.”

From my review of Georgiana & Kitty Christmas at Pemberley 11/23/2024

It was another great year for theater and I’m looking forward to 2025, I hope you are as well. I write about theater and love it but I’m not a extrovert. That said, I do enjoy meeting readers and artists, so if you see me at the theater, please do stop over and say hi. Finally a note on Twin Cities Theater Chat (TCTC), the Twin Cities Theater Blogger (TCTB) podcast. Last spring our Producer got a day job and that put us in hiatus for a bit. It’s unclear at this time whether the podcast will start up again in the future or not. I’d appreciate, if you read this far, if folks would post a comment either here or in Facebook, or email me at robdunkelberger@thestagesofmn.com, or messenger my personal facebook account whether or not you are interested in a podcast on the Twin Cities theater scene. If there is enough of an interest and TCTC doesn’t come back I may explore the idea of creating one for The Stages of MN. Also the TCTB and or The Stages of Mn are always open to partnering Theaters to participate or facilitate pre and post show discussions or events. So if that is of interest reach out as well. Thanks as always for your continued support faithful readers, now in the immortal words of Carol Jackson “Go see a show!”

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