Ride the Cyclone is a Dark and Wild Ride You Should Take, While You Can at Lyric Arts

The cast of RIDE THE CYCLONE Photo by: Dan Norman

The last three or four months have given me the opportunity to see several unique musicals that don’t get produced very often, the kind of cult shows most people have never heard of, but musical theater fans whisper about. Ride the Cyclone falls squarely into that category. After an Off-Broadway run in 2016 and, to the best of my knowledge, only one previous local production in 2019, which I did not see (possibly at the Jungle Theater, though I may be misremembering), this is not a show that comes around often.

I almost missed it this time as well. I was originally scheduled to see it earlier in the run, but a road closure and poor road conditions conspired to keep me away. I’m very glad I finally made it. If you enjoy bizarre, off-center musicals, I strongly encourage you to catch Ride the Cyclone before it closes at Lyric Arts in Anoka on February 8. Who knows when, or even if, it will be mounted locally again.

The musical is narrated by an animatronic fortune teller machine and centers on six teenagers stuck in limbo after dying in a roller coaster derailment at an amusement park. They’re told that one of them will be allowed to return to life, while the others will remain dead. The show unfolds as each character presents their case through song, revealing who they are and why they deserve to be the one who survives. Five of the teens are members of the St. Cassian High School Chamber Choir. The sixth is a mystery, known only as Jane Doe. She doesn’t know who she is either and moves through the show like a cross between a robot and a nonviolent zombie.

After the performance, the usual post-show question, “Who was your favorite?”, yielded no clear answer, which feels exactly right for this production. Ride the Cyclone is a true ensemble piece, and its underlying message is that no one is more worthy than anyone else. Every performer gets a moment to shine, and each character leaves an impression.

The real standout here may be the production design. Scenic design by Cory Skold, properties by Ren Edson, costumes by Sarah Christenson, lighting by Shannon Elliott, sound design by Paul Estby, and projections by Michaela Lochen all combine under the assured direction of Marci Lucht to create a striking, immersive visual experience. It’s a dark carnival brought vividly to life.

When I think back on the show, I don’t immediately hear the songs replaying in my head, though several are quite good, but rather the images and sensations. Jane Doe levitating. Roller coaster tracks climbing the walls of the stage. The giant rat. The Great Cassandra, perfectly played by Dezhane Antoinette. The sound of the roller coaster itself, rumbling even before the show begins. And the video design that opens the show and punctuates key moments throughout.

Ride the Cyclone feels less like a traditional musical and more like a trip through a shadowy carnival, full of unexpected thrills, strange beauty, and moments of genuine wonder.

Ride The Cyclone runs through February 8th at Lyric Arts in Anoka. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.lyricarts.org/ride-the-cyclone

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Chicago Gives Us That ol’ Razzle Dazzle at the Orpheum

Ellie Roddy as Roxie Hart in “*Me And Me Baby*” Photo by Jeremy Daniel

Chicago wowed the audience with great songs, a lively band, and fantastic dancing, but with a message that feels a little too close for comfort these days. The premise of Chicago is all about getting murderers acquitted by manipulating the truth and selling the narrative you want the jury and the public to believe. Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly are two such murderesses, represented by the razzle dazzle lawyer Billy Flynn. Flynn bends reality with ease, shaping public opinion and engineering the verdict he wants for his clients. A not-guilty ruling can be yours for the low, low price of $5,000!

Now, this is set in the 1920s, so I assume the price has gone up. You’d have to check with the current administration to know what it costs these days, but hey, you might get the added bonus of having your victim declared an enemy of the state.

Rather than get bogged down in the unfortunate resemblance to the moral cesspit we currently find ourselves wading through, I found the best strategy was to disengage from the story and focus on the music and dancing, which are superb. Once I made that mental shift, the show became much easier (and more enjoyable) to take in.

Ellie Roddy and Claire Marshall, as Roxie and Velma, are terrific across the board: strong performances, solid vocals, and excellent dancing. But the choreography truly comes alive when the full ensemble is onstage. Moving together, they function like a beautifully oiled, complex machine, fluid, precise, and endlessly stylish. The choreography credits are… complicated. The program lists Bob Fosse as the original director and choreographer, Gregory Butler for the re-creation of the original choreography, and Ann Reinking for the original New York production choreography, “in the style of Bob Fosse.” Whoever deserves the final bow, the result is sharp, iconic, and a real pleasure to watch. It’s also a testament to the athleticism of these performers that they can sing and dance at this level for so long.

Max Cervantes, as Billy Flynn, has a moment where he holds a note for what the audience seem to feel was impressive. I’ll tell you what though, you want to see the holding of a note beyond what you think is possible? Get yourself out to Artistry in Bloomington t o see Kiss Me, Kate where John-Michael Zuerlein holds a note which seemed to go on at least twice as long. Which is also to say don’t forget to also support your local theaters, that’s another classic musical running now that is filled with greta dancing!

Another standout, and a clear audience favorite, was Marc Christopher as Roxie’s long-suffering husband Amos. It’s a classic comic relief role, and Christopher absolutely nails it, especially in the show’s emotional bullseye, “Mister Cellophane.”

The show is packed with iconic songs, beautifully backed by the Chicago orchestra under the musical direction of Andy Chen. Go for the music. Go for the dancing. And if the story feels a little too real right now, feel free to tune that part out. There’s more than enough spectacle and talent on display to make the trip worthwhile regardless.

Chicago runs through February 1st at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Minneapolis.
For more information and tickets, visit:
https://hennepinarts.org/events/chicago

Watch the 2025 TCTB Awards on the latest episode of The Stages of MN YouTube Show!! https://bit.ly/TSOMNEp25YouTube

Kiss Me, Kate at Artistry, Shakespeare Meets Cole Porter and the Result is Almost “Too Darn Hot”

Aliya Grace, Nate Turcotte, John-Michael Zuerlein, and Erin Capello Photo by Alyssa Kristine

I first saw a production of Kiss Me, Kate at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres somewhere between 35 and 40 years ago. I own, and have watched the 1953 film version in its original 3D format, though it had been at least a decade since I last revisited it. My only real exposure to Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew comes from the Moonlighting episode titled “Atomic Shakespeare.” So even with that history, I felt like I was going in a little blind.

Kiss Me, Kate is a classic backstage musical that gleefully blurs the line between art and life. The story follows a company of actors mounting a musical version of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, led by former spouses Fred Graham and Lilli Vanessi, whose onstage sparring mirrors their very real offstage animosity. As egos clash and a pair of unexpectedly polite gangsters get involved, the production threatens to unravel both onstage and off. With music and lyrics by Cole Porter, packed with wit, romance, and sharp wordplay, and a book by Sam and Bella Spewack that feels surprisingly modern, the show proves that sometimes the drama behind the curtain is just as entertaining as the show itself.

Directed by Kelli Foster Warder, with music direction by Elijah Leer, the production sounds and flows beautifully. Joey Miller’s choreography is fantastic and is sure to be among the 2026 TCTB Award nominees. Standout numbers that linger in the memory include the extremely athletic “Tom, Dick, or Harry” and the Act II opener, “Too Darn Hot.”

2025 TCTB Award winner for Favorite Musical Performance by an Individual, Erin Capello once again wows with an extraordinary vocal performance while also showcasing her formidable comedic chops as Lilli/Katherine. She’s matched by the seemingly indefatigable John-Michael Zuerlein as Fred/Petruchio, a man who appears not to need to breathe. Zuerlein is a real treat here; I wasn’t as familiar with his work going in, but he anchors the show effortlessly and has definitely earned a spot on my “must-watch” list.

There are plenty of strong supporting turns as well, from Marley Ritchie and Jon Michael Stiff as the gangster heavies sent to collect an IOU, to Chris Owusu, who turns the heat up to scorching levels in “Too Darn Hot,” and The Stages of MN’s own music man, Ryan Lee. But the standout among the supporting cast is Aliya Grace, who headlines both “Tom, Dick, or Harry” and “Always True to You in My Fashion.” Surrounded by other performers, she nonetheless commands every eye and ear. Her sultry voice and confident dancing making her unmistakably one to watch.

Artistry in Bloomington has truly pulled out the stops, vigorously mixing Shakespeare and Cole Porter into a deliciously satisfying cocktail of song and dance. Kiss Me, Kate runs through February 15th. For more information and tickets, visit https://artistrymn.org/kissmekate.

Watch the 2025 TCTB Awards on the latest episode of The Stages of MN YouTube Show!! https://bit.ly/TSOMNEp25YouTube

The 39 Steps Hilarious and Faithful Adaptation of the Hitchcock Classic

The 39 Steps is a stage play adapted by Patrick Barlow from the novel by John Buchan and the film by Alfred Hitchcock, one of Hitch’s early successes during his formative British years. It was also one of the earliest VHS tapes my family owned in the late 1970s. The novel later served as the basis for a 1978 film starring Robert Powell, which I also devoured endlessly as a kid. So this story of a man wrongly accused, on the run to clear his name while trying to foil a plot by foreign agents, holds a special place in my heart. I’ve seen this stage adaptation before at Lyric Arts and have always found it to be a clever and affectionate tribute to Hitchcock’s take on the story.

The 39 Steps answers the question: What if a Hitchcock movie were performed by four people who drank too much coffee and refused to slow down? Richard Hannay is framed for murder, chased across the countryside, and swept into an increasingly absurd web of spies, secrets, and romance. With dozens of characters, breakneck pacing, and comedy that borders on athletic, the show is a non-stop joyride where the thrills are fake, the laughs are real, and the ingenuity is jaw dropping.

Director Sarah Nargang, who has a background in clowning, puts that experience to excellent use in staging the controlled chaos that unfolds over the course of the play. One of the great joys of this production is its use of meta-humor. There’s no attempt to disguise the fact that four performers, assisted by two stagehands or “background clowns”,are staging a cross-country chase involving dozens of characters and at least as many accents. In fact, much of the humor comes from acknowledging exactly that. A lightning fast costume change might earn a round of applause from the audience and a gracious bow of acceptance from the performer.

Michael Kelley as Clown 1 and Lois Estell as Clown 2 handle most of the rapid fire character changes, and their timing is impeccable. I love that roles are assigned regardless of gender, giving the performers freedom to fully commit to the absurdity. Kelley and Estell are brilliant at creating a wide variety of characters, each one as distinct as it is hilarious. The background clowns, who also serve as understudies for the other roles, deserve recognition as well. Though they primarily assist with scene changes and passing tree branches outside train windows, Dominic DeLong-Rodgers and Sophie Finnerty contribute enormously to the show’s momentum and humor.

Hannah Steblay also plays multiple roles, but unlike the clowns, she generally inhabits characters with longer arcs. She portrays both Annabella Schmidt, the spy who passes her mission to Hannay with her dying breath, and Pamela, the woman Hannay finds himself handcuffed to, resulting in an inspired and delightfully physical routine as the pair attempt to navigate a gate together. Hannay himself is played with matinee idol poise and dashing charm by Grant Henderson, who nicely captures the easy charisma of Robert Donat in the original Hitchcock film. It’s excellent casting all around.

The 39 Steps is a great show to take the family to: a classic thriller story performed with comic brilliance that allows the magic and ingenuity of stagecraft to shine. The show runs through February 7th at Lakeshore Players in White Bear Lake. For more information and tickets, visit https://www.lakeshoreplayers.org/39steps-season-73

Watch the 2025 TCTB Awards on the latest episode of The Stages of MN YouTube Show!! https://bit.ly/TSOMNEp25YouTube

Something Rotten Has Sold Out It’s Entire Run

The Cast of Unlabeled Theatre Company’s Production of Something Rotten

What did I think of Unlabeled Theatre Company’s production of Something Rotten!?
In a practical sense, it doesn’t matter, because as of opening night, the entire run is completely sold out. That’s a wonderful problem for any theater company to have. But Unlabeled Theatre Company isn’t just any theater company.

The company exists to create opportunities for adults with disabilities to participate in theater. Every role is performed by an actor who has a cognitive and/or physical disability or is neurodivergent, paired with a neurotypical Shadow Partner. Together, the two performers share the role, performing it in unison.

Right now, those of us who love theater are thinking a lot about the importance of art and its power to change the world. Sometimes those sentiments can feel grand, idealistic, or even a little naïve, especially when the world feels as bleak as it does right now. In moments like these, when we need art the most, our convictions can start to feel implausible.

Then you see a show like this.

It reminds you that change doesn’t always look big. Sometimes it’s small and precious, like changing one person’s understanding of what they are capable of. What they can do. What they can become. That’s what Unlabeled Theatre Company does: it creates possibility and hope.

On this night, the performance showed everyone in the room, but especially those on stage, what they could do. That may sound small, but for those who shared that moment, it was enormous. And the thing about small changes is that they ripple outward. It’s not just the people on stage whose worlds expand; it’s the person in the audience who recognizes themselves in someone performing. Who sees, through that person, that maybe they, too, can do something they were once made to believe they couldn’t.

At the beginning, I said it doesn’t matter what I thought of this show, but of course it does. You don’t need my review to convince you to see a show you can’t buy a ticket for. What I can do is this: I can tell you how beautiful this evening was. How it reminded me that there is still humanity among us. That there are people and organizations in a world that often feels flooded with cruelty who are choosing instead to lift others up.

Will this review sell another ticket? No, not this time. But maybe it sends you to their website. Maybe you subscribe to their newsletter so the next time they produce a show, you don’t miss it. Maybe it reminds you that there are forces in this world that aren’t trying to exclude or diminish, but to expand, to affirm, and to celebrate. To remind us that every person has value, and every person has something to share.

Everyone was great, and the standing ovation at the end wasn’t a “look what you did” moment. It was deeply felt and completely earned. We were genuinely entertained and moved by the music, the laughter, and the joy that radiated from the stage.

While you can’t see this production, I strongly encourage you to visit Unlabeled Theatre Company’s website and join their mailing list to stay connected to their work https://unlabeledtheatre.org/. I Hope you get to experience the magic of one of these performances, you will be amazed at the talent on stage.

If you’re able, consider making a donation to help them continue this vital mission.

Watch the 2025 TCTB Awards on the latest episode of The Stages of MN YouTube Show!! https://bit.ly/TSOMNEp25YouTube

Tubthumping Thursday is a Comedy Grab Bag Of Improv Hilarity at Bryant Lake Bowl Theater

On Monday, I caught one of my favorite improv shows, Off Book, at the Jungle Theater. If you’ve never seen it, their next show is March 2, and I highly recommend it. Off Book pairs actors who have memorized a script with improvisers who have absolutely no idea what the script is. Without fail, hilarity ensues. What does that have to do with Tubthumping Thursday? Well, one of the actors in Monday’s performance was Nissa Nordland, who happens to be one half of the Twin Cities improv duo Bury the Leads. Bury the Leads made up one-third of the bill at this month’s Tubthumping Thursday at Bryant Lake Bowl Theater.

This was my first time attending Tubthumping Thursday, a monthly comedy cabaret hosted by Cameron Cylkowski, who also performs with the group Secret Neighbors. The third act on the bill was Police Cop Detective PI. With the demise of Huge Theater a year ago, it’s been great to see other venues step up and make space for the wide variety of improvisers in the Twin Cities.

I won’t lie, I came to Tubthumping Thursday to see The Stages of MN favorites Nissa Nordland and Sam Landman. Their ongoing series (which they hope to eventually expand into an online show) centers on a pair of character actors named Clyde & Faye. Each performance offers another glimpse into the lives of these “not-the-leads” and their quest to finally land the part. As anyone familiar with Nordland and Landman’s work would expect, it’s excellent. They take audience suggestions and incorporate them into a scenario, in this case, being cast as the best friends of the main characters and required to film a sex scene together. Nordland and Landman keep things relatively clean, though a quick Google search of the audience suggestions tells a much filthier story.

What makes this series so compelling is the ongoing character development. At the end of this episode, because “episode” really feels like the right word, there seemed to be a spark between longtime friends Clyde and Faye. Like Buffy the Vampire Slayer before it, we may come for the jokes, but we stay for the character arcs and emotional bullseyes.

Secret Neighbors performed as a quartet led by Cylkowski, fellow company members include Courtney Miller, Cat Wright, Elizabeth Dunn, and Sean Yahn. After asking the audience a few opening questions, they spun those details into a series of funny situations and delightful tangents. Police Cop Detective PI, featuring Adam Fielitz and John Haynes, played cop partners on a stakeout. Both groups were excellent, and I’d happily check out any improv show featuring either of them on the bill.

Keep an eye out for all the unique and adventurous theater happening at Bryant Lake Bowl Theater by visiting https://www.bryantlakebowl.com/theater and subscribing to their newsletter. I always recommend arriving when the doors open,one hour before showtime, to snag a good seat and order dinner and a drink (or two). The food is great, and the beverage selection includes solid non-alcoholic options as well.

You can follow Bury the Leads on facebook to find out when and where they perform next, I do!

Watch the 2025 TCTB Awards on the latest episode of The Stages of MN YouTube Show!! https://bit.ly/TSOMNEp25YouTube

Plano Is a Fast Paced Darkly Humorous Journey Into Another Plane of Reality at Mixed Blood

Plano, the play by Will Arbery, falls under the heading of experimental theater, a phrase that can trigger flashbacks to previous traumas in much the same way the term performance art often does. This production marks the first full-length show from the new company Third Space Theater, which had a breakout hit with Breach at last year’s Minnesota Fringe Festival. Thankfully, the group of up-and-coming theater makers behind Third Space Theater weaponizes experimental theater as a way to engage and entertain the audience rather than alienate them.

Plano is a strange play that moves at breakneck speed, condensing time, sometimes within the space of a single sentence. Co-directors Alex Church and Em Adam Rosenberg guide the cast with a perfectly calibrated tone: not quite grounded in reality, but not completely detached from it either. That balance allows the increasingly unmoored narrative to unfold in a way that feels deliberate rather than chaotic.

The story focuses on three sisters, played by The Stages of MN newly minted “Must See” performer Stephanie Kahle, and what I suspect are future members of that club, Hannah Leatherbarrow and Mariabella Sorini. The sisters seem cursed in distinctly unsettling ways: one is married to a man who is clearly gay while her house is infested with slugs; another’s husband is abusive, and he multiplies; the third suffers from mysterious ailments. Their memories become their nightmares, and they move through them, interacting with and attempting to normalize the bizarre circumstances surrounding their lives.

The cast is impressive in how they mine humor from the dialogue purely through delivery. They never play a joke; instead, the laughter emerges naturally from their complete acceptance of the absurd. Beyond the three sisters, the cast includes Jennifer D’Lynn, Ben Qualley, Samuel Osborne-Huerta, and Michel Hundevad as a faceless ghost. Everyone is fully aligned tonally, contributing to the dreamlike, or perhaps nightmarishly unreal, quality of the piece.

Plano is a thinker. It’s the kind of show that will take days to fully process. And yet, it’s also immediately entertaining, I was able to write about how much I enjoyed it barely an hour after leaving the theater. At a brisk 85 minutes with no intermission, it flies by.

I highly recommend this production, and if you can, try to attend one of the performances that includes a preshow concert by co-director and choreographer Em Adam Rosenberg. It’s well worth arriving an extra half hour early. Those dates are January 9, 10, 12, 17, and 18.

Plano runs through January 18 at Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis.
For more information and tickets, visit:
https://tix.gobo.show/events/event/r5FkUiiCpqF7daXpAl2N

Watch for the 2025 TCTB Awards to be announced on the next episode of The Stages of MN YouTube Show!!