Will You be My Prom Date?

M’ colleagues with the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB) and I are super excited to finally be able to share something we’ve been working on for several months now. We’d like to think of it as a Prom date with the TCTB! We have been looking for ways in which to engage with our readers in person. When we saw the announcement from Chanhassen Dinner Theatres (CDT) that their next production was going to be The Prom we were surprised and thrilled! Just last Spring the touring production of The Prom was here at the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis and it was fantastic! I even urged people at the time to make sure they went while it was in town, don’t wait for it to inevitably play at Chanhassen, assuming that would be a decade or so down the road. Also, the CDT always puts on a good show, the one criticism some of the bloggers have is that if anything, CDT plays it a little safe in choosing which shows they produce. Well, The Prom isn’t playing it safe, it’s trying something new, that made this the perfect show to partner with to try something new ourselves.

So here’s the deal, click on this link: https://bit.ly/TCTBPROM and select the March 4th Matinee performance. This will get you $20 off each ticket, instead of $80 for the meal and show it’s only $60. But that’s not all! After the performance we’ll be hosting a talkback with the Director of the show and three of it’s stars. It’s a great opportunity to hear them talk about what the show means to them and what it was like putting it all together and there will be an opportunity to ask them some questions. As a member of the TCTB, I’m excited for this opportunity to meet and share a show with our readers. We are discussing other ways in which we can connect and if this goes well, look for us to do similar events in the future. I’d also like to thank CDT for trying this with us and providing this discount for our readers. I believe this production is going to be something special. If you haven’t seen The Prom, you’re missing one of the best shows to come out of Broadway in recent years. Not convinced? Check out my review from last springs production here https://bit.ly/3xvqUqT. Did I mention that the food at CDT is really tasty? It is!

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. Also you can follow me on Facebook, search @thestagesofmn and click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers, you can read roundups of shows by my colleagues and I on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. Follow that group, It’s a great way to see reviews for shows I don’t get to. We have some exciting things in the works for 2023 for the TCTB and our readers follows us to be the first to know about those happenings.

Hairspray Brings the Fun at the Orpheum Theatre in MPLS

Andrew Levitt (aka Nina West) as “Edna Turnblad,” Niki Metcalf as “Tracy Turnblad” and Company in Hairspray. Photo: Jeremy Daniel.

The Hennepin Theatre Trust starts 2023 out with a winner in Hairspray. A show packed with upbeat songs, humor, fantastic dance moves, and a message about doing the right thing. Hairspray the Broadway musical is celebrating its 20th Anniversary with this brand new touring production that reunites much of the original Broadway creative team. I’ve never seen a live production but familiar with the original John Water’s film on which the musical is based, and also seen the movie version of the musical. I enjoyed both film versions, though it has been years since I’ve seen either of them, I feel safe in saying this was my favorite experience with the material. I tend to gravitate to the popular music of the late 1950’s and 1960’s and Hairspray’s songs lean heavily into the style of that period. Filled with an exaggerated take on the looks and sounds of 1962 America, it’s a technicolor fantasy of a bygone time, but one that also addresses the civil rights movement. One is reminded of Artistry’s production last year of Memphis for another take on this time and subject matter. I really liked Memphis, but I think Hairspray is more fun, it’s probably the influence of the The Pope of Trash himself John Waters. Hints of Waters’ sensibilities and his unique view of his beloved Baltimore remain in this translation of his film to a musical, and those moments are wonderful little winks at where this all began.

Hairspray follows Tracy Turnblad who dreams of being one of the dancers on the Corny Collins Show a local TV show that features kids dancing to the latest pop chart songs. When an opening on the show becomes available, Tracy skips school with her friend Penny in order to audition, against her mother Edna’s wishes. The resident Teen Diva Amber Von Tussle who is the daughter of the shows producer Velma Von Tussle, ridicules Tracy over her weight and she’s refused the chance to audition. Back in school during detention she strikes up a friendship with Seaweed, a black student and son of Motormouth Maybelle who hosts the “Negro Day” on The Corny Collins Show, bond over dance moves. When Corny Collins comes to their high school for the Sophomore Hop, Tracy wows him with the dance moves she’s learned from Seaweed and he awards her a spot on his show. After her first broadcast, not only has she fallen in love with Link Larkin the resident teen heartthrob and Amber’s boyfriend, but she becomes a local celebrity. Tracy is content to be a dancer on the show but she also wants to integrate the broadcast so that the black and white kids can all dance together. Her success leads her mother to reassess whether or not that’s a place for people of her and Tracy’s size out in the world. They deal with some fairly heavy issues, race, being marginalized due to weight, self esteem, corruption, hell nearly every woman in it winds up behind bars at one point, but they do it with humor and optimism. It’s Tracy’s heart that never stops fighting for what is right that changes everyone around her.

The cast lead by Niki Metcalf as Tracy Turnblad is traditional, the role Edna Turnblad is played by a man in drag, in this case Andrew Levitt also known by his drag queen name Nina West, are both terrific. Levitt camps it up wonderfully especially in a showstopper of a number “(You’re) Timeless to Me” a duet with Ralph Prentice Daniel as her husband Wilbur. Metcalf is impressive as Tracy, not only does she sing well, but her footwork lives up to the characters ability to win a spot on the TV show. She also wonderfully projects the positive spirit and beliefs her character has that, along with her ceaseless energy, really are the heart of the play. Others of note are Charlie Bryant III as Seaweed whos dance moves have a life of their own and Emery Henderson who plays Tracy’s best friend Penny who falls in love with Seaweed. Henderson gets a lot of great comic relief moments along with Emmanuelle Zeesman who plays her mother Prudy. Nick Cortazzo is perfectly cast as the impossibly dreamy Link Larkin, he looks the part, sounds the part, and we believe him when he falls in love with Tracy. There was only one performance that I had issues with, *Melanie Puente Ervin as Motormouth Maybelle seemed to fall short in the acting category, seeming to walk around on stage saying her lines without much in the way of inflection or emotion, fortunately her singing voice was undoubtedly the best of the company and it was worth the wooden line delivery to hear her belt out “I Know Where I’ve Been”.

As mentioned, this new touring production brought back many of the original Broadways productions team. Back are director Jack O’Brien and choreographer Jerry Mitchell along with scenic designer David Rockwell and costume designer William Ivey Long. It all works wonderfully well together giving the entire production this unified feel. The sets and costumes share this glossy unreal feel to them, that come to think of it, is also present in the wigs the performers wear. The only technical flaw I observed was a balance issue between the vocals and the musicians. Several of the actors lyrics were getting lost to the music, but it seemed to be an issue they corrected for over the course of the evening, because beyond the first couple of songs it ceased to be an issue.

If you are looking for a fun night at the theater with a positive message and upbeat music don’t wait for The Prom to open next month at Chanhassen Dinner Theaters get yourself primed for that this month with Hairspray. Hairspray runs through January 15th at the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown Minneapolis, for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://hennepintheatretrust.org/events/hairspray-broadway-tickets-minneapolis-mn-2022/.

*This review has been updated to reflect that the role of Motormouth Maybelle was played by Melanie Puente Ervin not Sandie Lee as originally stated. This helps to explain the somewhat wooden delivery of the character’s dialogue.

King Gilgamesh & the Man of the Wild at Jungle Theater

Ahmed Moneka and Jesse LaVercombe Photo by Bruce Silcox

Jungle Presents the new series that provides a showcase for shows from out of town continues with another successful production. Last falls Of Pigs and Pianos was one of my favorite touring productions of 2022. The second in the series, King Gilgamesh & the Man of the Wild is my first night at the theater in 2023, and if it’s any indication of what the rest of the year holds, it’s going to be another great year of theater on the stages of MN. Intertwining the personal with the epic through the use of music and humor to tell the story of two mens friendship. It’s based on the real story of it’s performers and co-creators, Jesse LaVercombe and Ahmed Moneka, that adds an immediacy that is perfectly suited to the Jungle Theaters intimate space.

Ahmed and Jesse play versions of themselves, they meet in a cafe in Toronto, Ahmed is working and living there in exile from Iraq. Jesse, a Minnesota native, whose credits include appearances in the much loved Christmas at Pemberley trilogy, is an actor who is living in Toronto after marrying a Canadian woman. As the show begins they each get a phone call which the other overhears part of. Ahmed learns he has officially become a citizen of Canada. Jesse has learned that he has just seemingly lost his big break in a Hollywood film. Over an evening in the cafe after closing time, they share details about their lives, some music, and a magic mushroom. Throughout they break character and tell the epic ancient tale of Gilgamesh. Ahmed plays the role of Gilgamesh the King of the city of Uruk and Jesse is Enkidu who was transformed from a beast man after two weeks of sex with Shamhat. Gilgamesh and Enkidu become friends and have many adventures together but when Enkido dies, Gilgamesh sets off on a journey to find a fabled plant that will grant him immortality. After that night they go their separate ways but a connection has been forged that they will return to. The show was created by Moneka and LaVercombe along with the Director Seth Bockley, and it incorporates Moneka’s band, Moneka Arabic Jazz, who appear on stage throughout the show.

Moneka and LaVercombe both have an easy going natural presence on stage, their real life friendship translates into an easy give and take and the joy they find in performing together is palpable. Both performers are adept at finding the humor in the line readings and then in the next line finding a moment of dramatic truth. The songs sung, primarily by Moneka, are in Arabic, with LaVercombe, the band, and at the end the audience providing some back up vocals. While we cannot understand the lyrics of what Moneka is singing, we don’t need to know the literal meaning in order to appreciate the beauty in his voice and they style with which he sings. It reminded me of the Jungle Theaters co-production last year with Theater Mu of Cambodian Rock Band. While we don’t understand the lyrics, the music itself it captivating. The band under the musical direction of Demetrios Petsalakis is wonderful playing this unique fusion of Arabic and Jazz.

Seth Bockley stages the show simply, we basically have a table, a few chairs and a piano and a few plants, but it’s really all we need. He has the actors utilize these sparse trappings effectively as they move from present day to Ancient Mesopotamia. The Production Design by Lorenzo Savoini is given strong support by the Lighting Designer Jon Brophy. The lighting really comes into play and is most effectively used during the telling of the the Gilgamesh story. A couple of moments really work well, the use of red as Enkidu slays an opponent and the flashing of the overhead lights in synchronization with Moneka’s actions.

King Gilgamesh & the Man of the Wild is only here for a short run, with performances ending January 8th. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.jungletheater.org/king-gilgamesh-the-man-of-the-wild

The Stages of MN: Looking Back at the Year That Was 2022

I launched The Stages of MN in the fall of 2019 and by spring of 2020, as I was really beginning to feel established, theatre’s shut down in response to the worldwide pandemic. Aside from the odd production here and there, things really didn’t open up again until the fall of 2021. There has been the odd cancellation occasionally but for the most part, 2022 was the first full year of theatres being open since I launched this blog. Not surprisingly, this has been the biggest year for The Stages of MN in terms of statistics. In 2022 the site has published 127 posts, reviews of over 150 productions, and had over 31,000 visits. Numbers aside, it’s also been a fulfilling year in terms of how the site has grown and what it has become. It’s been a year of new experiences like my first Minnesota Fringe Festival. I’ve been building relationships with theatre’s and the theatrical community in the Twin Cities that have been rewarding both in terms of the blog and personally. I’m proud of the work and am certain that I have succeeded in the goal of this blog, which since the very beginning was simply to try and put theater back into the minds of the average person. I know I’ve gotten people off their couches and into theater seats that would not have been there otherwise, that was the purpose. I hope I’ve helped guide those who already were theatergoers towards the best of what our cities have to offer and encouraged them to try new venues. We are so lucky in Minnesota, there is such a wealth of talent and abundance of opportunities and venues in which to enjoy the artistic output of that talent. It’s a privilege to be a part of it this community in my small way, to help boost the signal that these artists are sending out.

One of the pleasures of seeing so many productions since the site began is becoming familiar with the performers and creative teams involved with the productions. When you can’t possibly see everything, knowing who’s involved really helps when making each months schedule. You come to have your favorites, those that you know even if the show doesn’t work, they are going to give you something interesting. Each year I add new names to that list of people whose work I never want to miss. That list includes those who are able to devote themselves full time to their craft as well as those who have, as I do, the “day job”. It doesn’t matter if they are the stars at the Guthrie or one of an ensemble at a Fringe show. This year there were several additions to the list that includes such familiar Twin cities names as Tyler Michaels King, Nissa Nordland Morgan, Max Wojtanowicz and Joy Dolo among many others. I’d like to highlight a few of those who were added to the “must-not-miss” list in 2022.

Daniel Petzold caught my attention last spring in Park Square’s production of Airness and followed it up with Performances in Holmes and Watson also at Park Square and finally in Sally & Tom at the Guthrie.

“The standout is Daniel Petzold as “Facebender”. Under a wig that should undercut every line, Petzold instead projects the characters soul and every line rings true. He gets a nice scene where he explains to Nina why he does air guitar, it’s a moment that elevates the script and the character. Petzolds comic timing is so spot on you almost forget to laugh you are in awe of it.”
Airness review 5/14/2022

“I don’t know where Daniel Petzold has come from, or what the story is, does Park Square have him under exclusive contract? He was fantastic in their last production Airness, and again shines here. I hope this young man is going to set down roots in the Twin Cities, based on what I’ve seen so far, he is a very talented actor.“
Holmes and Watson review 7/16/2022

“Daniel Petzold plays, as the actor character Geoff states, many different roles. I don’t know what it is about Petzold, but he’s quickly becoming a favorite. This is his third performance I’ve seen and in each one he brings something special. Petzold does indeed play many different roles within the play within a play, but it’s his role as the actor Geoff that really captures the audience’s attention. Making the most of the comedic relief bits he’s given, he also has a wonderfully sweet romantic thread that works perfectly due to the vulnerability he infuses the character with.”
Sally & Tom review 10/12/2022

Emily Rosenberg who first came to my attention in the fall of 2021 had two eye catching performances this year in Hands on a Hardbody for Minneapolis Musical Theatre and Mary’s Wondrous Body at the Elision Playhouse

“One final performer I want to take note of is Emily Rosenberg. They play Greg, one half of the young bumper crossed lovers. I’ve noticed them a few times since the theaters reopened through their work with Theatre Pro Rata. Every once in awhile you come across an actor that you can just tell is someone to keep an eye on. Rosenberg has something, I don’t think we’ve seen their best work yet, but it’s coming.
Hands on a Hardbody review 4/23/2022

“Emily Rosenberg is Mags, they play the most sympathetic of the women, perhaps she is softer because she is younger. Rosenberg has been on my one to watch [list]for awhile now and once again they reminded me why, towards the end of the show they have a moment of song that was beyond anything I’d seen or known they were capable of before.”
Mary’s Wondrous Body review 12-11-2022

Finally but not the only new performer to be added to the list this year is Lucy Farrell who dazzled in The Boys Room at Gremlin Theatre.

“… but it’s newcomer Lucy Farrell who takes the stage as Roann about midway through the play announcing, there is a new rising star in the Twin Cities. To say Farrell blew me away would be an understatement, the first words on my lips as I left the play is who is this actress? Where did she come from? In her scenes with Linda Kelsey who plays her grandmother Susan, she has a playful rapport when they practice Susan’s Spanish together. But the two also have a very palpable tenderness that radiates from both of them. When she confronts her father and namesake Ron, played by Dan Hopman, she unleashes all of the anger and pain that we have seen glimpses of in the scenes leading up to it. She is adept at playing all these different aspects of the character, playful, confessional, worried, angry, sad, strong not in individual scenes, but you sense all of these multitudes within her the entire time.”
The Boys Room review 11-5-2022

When you take in over 150 productions it’s a little hard at the end of the year to rank them so here in chronological order are the 10 best locally produced shows I saw this year.

The Tempest – Guthrie
Passing Strange – Yellow Tree
Once – DalekoArts
Cambodian Rock Band – coproduction of Jungle Theater and Theater Mu
Holmes and Watson – Park Square
Who’s Afraid of Winnie the Pooh – Minnesota Fringe Festival
Merrily We Roll Along – Theater Latte Da
Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley – Lyric Arts
Georgiana & Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley – Jungle Theater
Christmas at the Local – Theater Latte Da

Here are the standout touring Productions I saw

Come From Away – National tour part of the Broadway on Hennepin Season
The Prom – National tour part of the Broadway on Hennepin Season
Of Pigs and Pianos – Jungle Presents Series
Six – Ordway
Les Miserables – National tour part of the Broadway on Hennepin Season

Lastly, as I look back at 2022 I’d like to thank all of you out there who read what I write and give me a reason to keep at it. Those 31,000 + visits to the Blog are what makes this venture worthwhile, knowing that I’m reaching people and encouraging them to get out and experience the joy of live theatre means the world to me. So thank you all, keep reading, and watch for some exciting things in 2023.

Preview: “Bob and Reggie Stay Awake” The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award Winner Strikes Bake at Bryant Lake Bowl Theater December 29th Through the 31st

One of my favorite shows from last summer’s Minnesota Fringe Festival Bob and Reggie Go To Bed is being remounting and tweaked for four shows at Bryant Lake Bowl Theater. I’ll be there with some friends for the Thursday December 29th performance. I’d love to see some more friends and readers there as well. Here’s what I said about the show after seeing it on my first day at Fringe last August.

Comedy Suitcase presents Bob and Reggie Go To Bed created and performed by Joshua English Scrimshaw and Levi Weinhagen. I don’t know what I was expecting when I entered the theatre for this show but it wasn’t to see my love of silent comedy brought to life, live on stage. Bob and Reggie get ready for bed confronting obstacles that arise with the problem solving skills of Laurel and Hardy. Set in the silent world of a Buster Keaton two reeler, the duo blend physical comedy with a Keatonesque surreal humor. Inventive in the way it keeps building on it’s situations. The humor comes as often from the reveal as it does from their solution to the next snag in their bedtime routine. Just when you think it can’t get any crazier it takes a turn that made me think of Sherlock Jr. The similarities to the silents doesn’t stop at the type of humor but also in the fact there is no dialogue. Just as there was with the silent movies, there is a live score and sound effects, created on stage by Rhiannon Fiskradatz, who adds more than just accompaniment to the proceedings. The final performer in this four person show is Sulia Altenberg as the Tooth Fairy. Scrimshaw and Weinhagen are brilliant in their gag creation and execution. You have to be pretty smart to act this stupid. I only knew Scrimshaw from his work with the Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society and would never have guessed that a genius for this form of comedy was in his or anyone else in the 21st Century’s wheelhouse. This is the perfect show to take everyone and anyone too, old and young, the larger the audience the more fun it will be.
I already knew that one of the downsides of Fringe is that it’s impossible to see everything, there is always the worry of what you are missing. Tonight I discovered another downside, you can’t justify seeing things twice. That’s really frustrating in this case because I want to see Bob and Reggie Go To Bed with everyone I know. If this was not at Fringe and just a normal show on a two or three week run, I’d be organizing group meet ups to enjoy this show again and again. If you could see only one of the three shows I saw today it has to be Bob and Reggie Go To Bed. And so it earns the inaugural, highly coveted and just made up on the fly The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award!
August 5th 2022 Post of The Stages of MN

FOUR PERFORMANCES ONLY
Thursday, December 29 and Friday, December 30, 7pm
Saturday, December 31, 2022, 5pm and 7pm
Price: $15/$12 in advance or with Fringe button/$8 kids, 12 and under
At the Bryant-Lake Bowl Theater in Minneapolis

For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bob-and-reggie-stay-awake-tickets-466085713917

The Little Prince is an Imaginative Flight of Fancy and Wonder at the Guthrie Theater

Reed Northrup (Little Prince), Catherine Young (Geographer/Puppeteer), and Steve Epp (Aviator) Photo by Dan Norman

I sort of had to check when the show ended to make sure I was at the Guthrie Theater, this felt like an Open Eye Theatre creation, and I mean that in a good way. The Guthrie is the Premiere Regional Theater, their shows are always well produced and immaculately designed with a budget that makes that possible. Open Eye Theatre also does beautifully designed shows but on a much smaller scale and they are known for their innovative and imaginative stagings. This production of The Little Prince uses the space allowed by the Guthrie’s McGuire Proscenium Stage but also has that unique spark of creative design and wondrous execution of Open Eye. I loved this productions look, feel, and general sense of wide eyed innocence. An unbelievable tale told in such matter-of-fact manner that one is simply swept up in the fantasy

Based on the famous novella Le Petit Prince by French author and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and adapted by Rick Cummins and John Scoullar. The tale of The Little Prince is told to us by the Aviator who begins explaining how grown ups do not know how to perceive things. This conclusion is arrived at because when he was younger and drew a picture of a boa constrictor eating an elephant they always just see a picture of a hat. Thus, he did not become a great painter but instead a pilot. When his plane breaks down and he has to land in the desert, he comes into contact with a small golden haired child, whom he soon learns is from another planet. While the aviator tries to repair his plan before his food and water runs out the Little Prince tells him of his world on which has three volcanoes, that he has to clean out weekly, of Baobab trees which he has to constantly pull out or they create problems for his little planet. One day a rose begins to grow, he falls in love with the rose but it becomes jealous and needy of his attention and so he decides he should leave. He travels to different planets of which he tells the Aviator each is inhabited by a single individual, all of them with a negative personality trait. The play is re-enforcing the Aviators stated opinion of adults with all these examples of the ways in which adults are foolish and petty.

Steven Epp plays the Aviator and it’s his performance that sets the tone of the play from his opening moments describing his thwarted attempt to be an artist. He talks simply and with the logic of a child, without being childish, giving us the sense of a man who grew into adulthood without ever losing the clear eyed way of seeing things that the young have. It’s a wonderfully sweet and humorous performance that takes the fantastical events in stride. Reed Northrup is the Little Prince who is inquisitive and searching longing to understand and find connection. Three other actors portray the various other beings the Little Prince encounters on his travels. Nathan Keepers, whose Stanley Kowalski was a stunner at Yellow Tree Theatre this past fall, plays The King, The Snake, and the Fox. Wariboko Semenitari plays the Conceited Man and the Lamplighter, and Catherine Young plays Rose, the Businessman, and the Geographer. All three give humorous turns as these characters that stand in for the personality traits of humans. Keepers is again the standout though, his portrayal of the King alone is worth the price of admission, a silly absurd ruler who’s every word seems designed to save face and declare his power over all around him. His Fox is the first creature the Little Prince encounters on earth and, is the character with whom he makes a connection. It’s a sweet turn that is as different from the other two characters as it could be.

The production is Directed by Dominique Serrand whose creative staging seems to enlarge the space as the play goes on. Starting with a curtain only partially raised and focusing the action around a desk, as the play moves on and the prince tells of other worlds the curtain rises and the actors move out from the desk. As the world of the play opens up, so does the space on which it is performed. The Set Design is by Rachel Hauck, and though the action in the play takes place in a desert and the stories with the play take place on different planets, the design is that of the an imaginary studio from which the Aviator is telling his story. It’s a non literal approach that actually works surprisingly well. Like a studio in the imagination it creates whatever it needs to empart it’s tale. If it needs more space, the imagination creates it. It’s a wonderful job of realizing this concept. The Costumes and Puppet Designer is Olivera Gajic and this is where we really see some of fantastic creation. The look of all these characters are wonderfully realized, from the Businessman whose all body and hat, to the Fox whose tail seems to have a mind of its own. Working in perfect harmony with the look of the show, is exemplary work from Lighting Designer Yi Zhao, whose sunsets are wonderful as they beam through the blinds of the studio windows.

The Little Prince runs through February 5th for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/2022-2023-season/the-little-prince/

Striking 12 Another Winner From Minneapolis Musical Theatre Ends This Weekend and is Worth Your Time!

Nick Manthe and Madeline Kadlec Photo by Unser Imagery

There are two shows that can be directly linked to the genesis of The Stages of MN and one of them just happens to be a Minneapolis Musical Theatre (MMT) production in the Spring of 2019, Be More Chill. So this company has a special place in my heart which is why I feel terrible that I didn’t get to the show until their final week. The theatre company’s tagline is “Rare musicals. Well done.” and so you are almost always going to see something you’ve never seen before, and in my experience it will be done well. Such is the case with their latest offering Striking 12, I’d never heard of, let alone seen it produced before and I had a great time with it. It’s a New Years Eve tale that incorporates Hans Christian Andersen’s, The Little Match Girl into its story of a man who wants to spend the night alone rather than partying with friends. It’s a little SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), a little funny, and a little sweet with some very good music to round out this eclectic little show. Another plus for a show at this time of year, when we are all so busy, it’s about 85 minutes long and no intermission. So there’s time to take it in and still have time to wrap some presents before bed.

The show was written by Brendan Milburn, Rachel Sheinkin, and Valerie Vigoda, and I can see influences of everything from A Christmas Carol to Rent. In structure, it’s not dissimilar to Theater Latte Da’s Christmas at the Local. Again, we have a group of performers, many of them playing instruments combining songs with the retelling of a classic piece of literature. The difference here is that the actors acknowledge they are performing a show and also have a story to tell with characters alongside The Little Match Girl telling. The show opens with the cast coming into the theater and chatting with the audience, then they begin with a song about turning off your cell phones and unwrapping your candies now. The modern story being told is about a man who has had it with the year, he’s decided he just wants to spend New Years Eve on his own. There is a knock on his door and it’s a persistent woman who is trying to sell strings of SAD therapy Christmas lights door to door. Their conversation leads to the mention of the Andersen story, which the man cannot remember how it ends. So he grabs it from his shelf and we get the telling of the tale through narration and song interrupted by phone calls from friends, and in one inspired moment the talking down of the drummer who wanted to do “The Little Drummer Boy” instead.

There is something about these shows where the cast play the instruments that I really enjoy and while most of the musicians in this production have minor moments of dialogue there is one exception and it’s the captivating performance of the Bassist and Little Match Girl, Madeline Kadlec. Kadlec takes center stage for a decent portion of the show and really has a wonderful voice and seems, to my untrained eye, quite good on the bass guitar. I don’t recall seeing her before in anything, but she seemed very at home on stage and I hope we’ll be seeing more of her locally, she’s one to watch that’s for sure. Also quite good and unfamiliar to me was Nick Manthe as the grump who wants to avoid other people on New Years Eve. The role called a very wide vocal range that while staying in the middle for the most part did go to the upper and lower extremes. Manthe only struggled to be heard when called to go into the very deep registers, but that was a line or two in one song. The entire ensemble has to do a lot of high fiving and pretending they are having a good time performing, it’s one of my least favorite bits of stage business, but they generally make it as painless as possible. There is a real misfits quality to the cast that is super endearing and they sounded great together.

The show is co-directed by Kari Steinbach and MMT Artistic Director Joe Hendren with Jean Orbison Van Heel handling the music direction. Aside from the theme park, ‘aren’t we all having a great time’ aspects, which I think could be dropped, they did a wonderful job. There are 11 performers and the story is constantly changing from the modern to the Little Match Girl, moments of breaking down the fourth wall, phone calls, narrators moving us along and commenting on the action. With all that going on, the team keeps everything clear in our minds as to what is happening at any given time. There isn’t much in the way of set design or costuming to comment on, but I did note some really nice lighting queues designed by Kurt Jung. I’m thinking particularly of a moment timed perfectly to the music where first one and then a second string of the darker almost orange Christmas lights came on, just a little moment of perfection between sound and light.

Striking 12 Closes This Sunday December 18th so get your tickets quick. My Thursday night performance on a day of heavy snow was very well attended so I wouldn’t be surprised if they sell out some of these last few performances. It’s a show that’s really worth taking, you never know when or if you’ll get another chance. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.aboutmmt.org/2022-23-season/