It’s always great when you get the chance to see one of the classic musicals restaged especially when they have been mounted with an eye towards making them relevant to our modern sensibilities. They don’t always work, sometimes the source material just will not support the tweaks the new adapter intends. A recent example of the revival of Oklahoma, which has a sort of love it or hate it response, for the record I loved it. When this new Lincoln Center production of My Fair Lady came to town a few years back I called it a smashing success. I’m not sure if the bar has just moved that much since then or if I’ve just become better attuned, but I now find it to be a less qualified success. It still works, it’s a reminder that great material never goes out of style, but it’s major tonal shift which occurs in the last moments of the musical, feels like it suffers slightly from a case of too little too late. Whatever one thinks of the social politics of the piece, you can’t deny that the songs and plotline are truly classics. This is a richly designed and wonderfully performed production of a musical masterpiece. It is filled with great songs and, as it always has, shines from a rich vein of humor. It’s easy to see why its revival was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, and difficult to see why it lost Best Musical Revival to Once on This Island, which I saw, and while good, it doesn’t hold a candle to My Fair Lady.

My Fair Lady is a musical adaptation of the George Bernard Shaw 1913 play Pygmalion. It tells the exact same story only with musical numbers. Cockney Flower girl Eliza Doolittle is taken on as an experiment by Professor Henry Higgins a phoneticist. He will attempt to turn her into a proper english speaking woman in 6 months time. He is accompanied on this seemingly impossible task by fellow language enthusiast Colonel Pickering. But the road will not be easy, for even when they succeed in how she sounds, they have to contend with what she says. For their first test they will take Eliza to the horse races, she sounds perfectly elegant and proper, while she relays her belief that someone “done in” her relative. This “new small talk” as Higgins tries to pass it off as, acquires a devoted suitor for Eliza in the form of Freddy Eynsford-Hill. Who will spend much of his time thereafter hanging out “on the street where she(sic) lives”. We will also get to know Eliza’s Father who comes looking for money from Higgins to allow her to stay with him. He’s a man with a unique morality and strange logic, which will improve his station in life much to his consternation. At the end of the six months Professor Higgins presents Eliza at an Embassy Ballroom to see if anyone can tell she is not of their class. When the experiment is done, the reality sets in, Eliza should be on her way, but to where and what is she now fit for?

Eliza is played my Madeline Powell, she has a lovely voice, and handles the challenging speaking role well. Imagine having to master a nearly indecipherable Cockney accent and then a uber correct posh and proper english voice in the same show. Her standout song is “I Could Have Danced All Night”. Her physical transformation is equally impressive, to the point where when she enters dressed for the Embassy Ball we are as blown over as Higgins and Pickering at the image of elegance before us. Jonathan Grunert as Professor Henry Higgins reminded me of David Tennant, playing a decidedly younger version of the character than we are used to. In a show full of accents and linguistic acrobatics, his is the crystal clear and concise voice that cuts through everything. He sings well and almost more importantly he has the perfect touch when it comes to the humor. The two qualities meld perfectly in his song “Why Can’t the English?”. Nathan Haltiwanger, who plays Freddie, gets the most romantic song to sing “On the Street Where You Live” and while the character is underwritten and serves as more or less a plot device, that is a beautiful and superbly performed song. In terms of comic acting, Michael Hegarty, delivers the goods as Eliza’s Dad Alfie. Also of note is Becky Saunders as Higgins mother, whom along with Hegarty were my favorite performances of the show.

The production itself is beautiful to be sure. The sets by Michael Yeargan are very detailed and beautiful. The London street scene at the beginning starts everything off right. Designed using perspective and layered flats, Yeargan creates a sense of scale that’s very effective. This is clearly a scaled down production from the version that played at the Orpheum in 2020, gone is the set for Higgins’s home which was built on a turntable, instead we have a similar set of Higgins library that simply moves forwards and back as needed, no longer allowing us to follow characters into other rooms. It’s not a terrible loss and doesn’t really affect the story in any way. The backgrounds for the streets as well as at the ballroom are also less elaborate if memory serves. The Costumes by Catherine Zuber are beautiful creations, particularly the outfits work at the horse races and the Ball, with Eliza’s being the standouts in both cases. There were a couple of technical issues with the performance, a curtain that didn’t want to fully rise during the ballroom scene threatened to hold up the production before finally sorting itself out and rising fully. The spotlight operation or perhaps the lighting design by Donald Holder was having issues as well. Characters clearly not lit as well as they were meant to be was an issue in several scenes and actors silhouettes on the backdrop were ugly and distracting. Of course the great source material from the celebrated collaborators of Lerner & Loewe is what really makes the show dazzle. Aside from those minor issues mentioned all of the various elements are brought together under the direction of Bartlett Sher to create a well mounted and enjoyable evening with this classic of musical theater.

My Fair Lady runs through March 25th at The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts as part of the Broadway @ the Ordway season. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://ordway.org/events/.

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 or to get another bloggers take on one. We have some exciting things in the works for 2023 for the TCTB and our readers. Follow us to be the first to know about those happenings like our recent Prom Date with the TCTB that we held on March 4th. If you didn’t make it to that event there’s still time to see the The Prom at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres.

The Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Company (GSVLOC) latest production is The Sorcerer. GSVLOC only performs the works of Gilbert & Sullivan and has been doing so in rotation since 1979. Clearly GSVLOC is passionate about the works of G&S and I hope they continue to produce them for many years to come. Unlike what we usually think of when we say “Opera”, for these productions there’s no need for captions to understand what everyone is singing. Firstly, they are in English and it’s not so stylized so as to be unintelligible. Secondly, they have a wonderful sense of humor, in fact it’s rather remarkable how modern the humor feels despite being nearly 150 years old. It’s the sort of Opera you can safely bring the whole family to as the humor is universal. This latest seemed a little shorter than the previously productions I’ve reviewed, The Pirates of Penzance and Ruddigore, and not quite as good, I’m not actually referring to the production quality which is excellent, but the Opera itself.

Like all Opera’s, it’s recommended that one arrive early and read through the plot synopsis, it’s less crucial in this case because it’s really quite easy to understand the vocalizations in a G&S production. But the plots are also comically convoluted, so, yeah read the synopsis:

The Sorcerer’s plot involves an engaged couple, Alexis and Aline, the son and daughter of the community’s two aristocratic families. The couples wish is that everyone could be as happily in love as they are. In addition, Alexis believes that love should level all ranks and social distinctions. To achieve both goals, Alexis hires John Wellington Wells of J. W. Wells & Co., Family Sorcerers, to put a love potion into the tea that the villagers will drink at a celebration in honor of the couple. The love potion causes everyone in the village to fall in love with the first person they see, regardless of rank or social distinction. This results in the pairing of comically mismatched couples … including Alexis and Aline’s parents. All is made right in the end, when a sacrifice is made to break the spell.

From the GSVLOC website https://gsvloc.org/on-stage/

What is always amazing about the GSVLOC productions is the size of the cast, there are over 30 performers in The Sorcerer and the Howard Conn Fine Arts Center is not a large theater or stage. Somehow they make it work. Most of the performers are villagers and aristocrats and the sound they all make together is superb. Music Director Randal A. Buikema is certainly an asset to the company, both the vocals of the cast and the musical performance of the orchestra are wonderful. The performance I saw, the role of John Wellington Wells the Sorcerer, was played by the cover Sam Vinitsky, he was good in the role, so no worries if you attend and he’s on for Sifryn Oberon who is scheduled to perform the role at all other performances. Seth Tychon Steidl plays Alexis, he has a real talent for G&S, a wonderful voice, and a gift for the comical. Other highlights of the cast were Anna Maher, he played Aline at this performance. J.R. Andrews as Mrs. Partlet is a hoot and Kaoru Shoji as her daughter Constance had possibly the best voice of the female cast.

Gary Briggle directs the show finding ways to make the size of the stage and cast somehow work smoothly, that’s no small accomplishment. The Set Designer & Scenic Painter is Wendy Waszut-Barrett and it has that classic G&S look to it. I really enjoy what they do with this limited space, the sets are all about pulling back layers to reveal something different whether it’s the landscape in the background or the inhabitants of Hell. The Lighting Designer Carl Schoenborn plays a key role in that last variation and the lighting throughout is very effective. The other thing that usually impresses at GSVLOC is the Costumes, which were designed by Barb Portinga. It really is amazing the quality of these productions and that they take place in such an intimate space, it makes them a real treat.

I enjoyed The Sorcerer, though I imagine it’s considered lesser G&S, it doesn’t have the reputation of The Pirates of Penzance or the intriguing classic Hollywood angle they used for Ruddigore. But it still is an evening filled with laughs and greta musical performances. The Sorcerer runs through April 2nd, for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://gsvloc.org/on-stage/

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 or to get another bloggers take on one. 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. Such as our Prom Date with the TCTB that we held on March 4th. If you didn’t make it to that event there’s still time to see the The Prom at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres.

Diesel Heart, the new play on stage at the History Theatre in St. Paul, is an adaptation of the book of the same name, about and by Melvin Carter Jr. Now the fascinating thing about the History Theatre is that all of their plays are based on history, either the story of a real person or event that has happened. And so far as I’ve seen there is always a Minnesota connection. It’s also the kind of theatre where things like this happen; at tonight’s performance Melvin Carter Jr. was walking around the theatre before the play began, greeting friends and introducing himself to folks at random. How cool is that? Not only does the man live in St. Paul, but his son is the Mayor. I’m sure the History Theatre has an open invitation for him to come see the show whenever he wants. And given what I’ve learned of him tonight I think he probably stops by fairly often. He is a person who is able to connect with people, who found his life’s work when he started using that talent to connect with young black men who needed a guiding hand to find a way out of violence. I think the best marketing in the world for the History Theatre is Melvin, it was clearly a thrill for the people I saw him stop and talk with. Now don’t worry if he isn’t at the performance you attend, the good news is the show itself is worthy of your time. Diesel Heart tells the fascinating story of Melvin Carter Jr. which is at times difficult, at others laugh out loud funny, and in the end ultimately inspiring and uplifting.

The play, which is written by Brian Grandison in collaboration with Carter begins with a moment from 1969 when Carter was in the Navy and stationed in Morocco, North Africa. It shows us the beginning of a boxing match which we will not see the ending of until later in the play. From there the narrative goes back in time to when Carter was a kid growing up in St. Paul. We get to know a little about is family, basically his Mom, Dad, sister, and some cousins whom he is very close to. We see him struggle with school work and making good decisions. After his time in the Navy his life is shaken by an act of violence that takes the lives of his two cousins. That act almost leads him down a very different path from the one he ended up taking. We see the night when everything changes. He applies to be a police officer, then he meets his wife, and they have three children. But even on this path there will be trials. He is a policeman on a police force that is mainly white, and would prefer to stay that way. When he confronts the racism, he finds himself transferred, and it is in one of these transfers to the Juvenile unit that he finds his calling.

Headlining the cast is Mikell Sapp as Melvin, who has the charisma to stand in place of the real Carter and guide us through this story frequently addressing the audience directly. He is also deeply compelling in the moments when he is expressing anger or struggling with how to persevere in a world and career that seem to be against him. There were two other performances that really stuck out for me. Ron Collier plays his father, a man of few words, but those words usually count for something, they either give insight into the wisdom of the man or show his dry sense of humor. He’s not overly affectionate, nor is he too strict, but he’s the kind of man when he says he’s proud of you, it means something. Monica E. Scott plays his Mother, and she is no nonsense. You don’t want to cross his Mother. Scott has to do a couple of things that could come off as caricaturish in lesser hands. First she has to play that Mother no one can pull anything over on that we’ve seen many times before, but she makes it feel real. Secondly she has to be a little bit of a badgerer to her husband. This could play as unlikeable but somehow Scott is able to make us understand her behavior and accept it as one aspect of a woman who is many things.

Warren C. Bowles directs the play letting the humor play when appropriate and leaning into the darker material at times without letting it become oppressive. Seitu Jones is the Scenic Designer and his design is very functional. A large turntable under a portion of the stage revolves to create different formations for the actors to play on. Within that center section that revolves panels open up from which furniture and props can be pulled out of as the scene changes. The production design is assisted by some video projections by Kathy Maxwell. At times the video is very effective, but it seems to be a non issue for much of the play and there is one set that simply looks too cartoonish to fit with the tone of the play. Finally, Annie Enneking deserves a mention for her fight choreography, young Melvin seems to always be fighting and Enneking has made those fights feel surprisingly real.

Diesel Heart runs through April 2nd at the History Theatre for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.historytheatre.com/

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 or to get another bloggers take on one. 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. Such as our Prom Date with the TCTB that we held on March 4th. If you didn’t make it to that event there’s still time to see the The Prom at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres.

I’m a theater guy, I’m a Shakespeare guy, but I’m too busy going to shows and writing about them to read as much as I should about either of those things. That’s why a play like Born With Teeth and a program as filled with information as the Guthrie’s usually are was so fascinating to me. One thing I learned tonight, in 2016 The New Oxford Shakespeare used a computer to analyze the Henry VI history cycle written by Shakespeare and they concluded that Christopher “Kit” Marlowe contributed to the scripts. That piece of news was the catalyst for this new play by Liz Duffy Adams which is running at the Guthrie Theater this month. I found the basis for the play intriguing while watching it and now afterwards having a chance to peruse the program, I find it doubly so. What I thought was a fun experiment in “what if?” turns out to be closer to a “Maybe this?”. Of course it’s all speculation and there are detractors who dismiss the The New Oxford Shakespeare supposition, and whether true or not, the play is of course the creation of Adams own imagination. The script approaches the time period from a much dark point of view than we are used to associating with it, but it’s unquestionably a more accurate portrayal. This is a play about fear, intrigue, and survival set in the backroom of a London Tavern with the two greatest writers in English literature as it’s characters.

The play opens with a brief vignette of Marlowe and Shakespeare being tortured for information. After a few moments they say that never happened. We then proceed to three separate meetings between Marlowe and Shakespeare as they collaborate on the the three plays of Henry VI. By the end, it becomes clear the moment that opens the play is a metaphor for the characters inner lives. These are tortured men, they live in a world that is rampant with accusations of religious treason, where a writer’s words can be used against him to imply guilt. They are tortured by their rivalry and by what Lord Alfred Douglas called “the love that dare not speak its name”. At the time of the plays opening, Marlowe is the great and admired writer of the age, Shakespeare is the actor who shows promise as a writer. Much of the play deals with Shakespeare’s uncertainty of Marlowe’s motives for working with him. Marlowe is known as a spy and also for being wild and controversial, Shakespeare just wants to keep his head down, write and stay out of trouble. Shakespeare is never sure if he’s simply a pawn that Marlowe plans to sacrifice when he needs a lamb to offer up to save his own hide. While the play takes place during a dark and dangerous time period in history it’s also filled with humor, most of it coming from Marlowe’s super confidence and Shakespeare’s uncertainty of how to respond or interpret the behavior.

As you might have suspected this is a two man show. In the role of Kit Marlowe is Matthew Amendt who returns to the Guthrie where he was part of the inaugural class of the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater B.F.A. Acting Program in 2000. (There’s a fun little conversation between Amendt and the Guthrie’s Resident Casting Director Jennifer Liestman in the show’s program that I recommend reading) I’ve been a little vocal in the past of the Guthrie’s over reliance on bringing in actors from out of town and not using more local talent in productions, in this case it’s really nice to have them bring someone in who was trained here and has performed many times on the Guthrie’s stages. His performance as Marlowe is sassy, sexy, and at times emotionally raw. wisely those moments when we see into Marlowe’s heart are kept to a minimum and are fleeting. Kit is outrageous, purposely shocking and it is his very nature to keep his true feeling guarded. Those flashes of genuine feeling are felt all the more keenly due to their rarity. In contrast, Dylan Godwin’s Shakespeare is timid, at least at first, he is cautious, and uninterested in intrigue. He seems like an open book and the mouse which Kit the cat is toying with. There will be moments in the play where Shakespeare will surprise Kit and us, it’s to Godwin’s credit that those moments don’t feel false in the least. He has played the less experienced, more cautious Will, with enough awareness and intelligence that when we see more than what he shows on the surface it feels authentic. The two have a great rhythm in their banter and debate, you can sense the characters growing understanding of each other and a bonding that deepens the meaning of the events of Marlowe’s short life.

Rob Melrose who previously directed Frankenstein – Playing With Fire at the Guthrie is back to Direct Born With Teeth. Melrose is the Artistic Director of the Alley Theatre in Houston Texas where Born With Teeth had its world premiere in May of 2022. Melrose doesn’t clutter the play up with elaborate design, he trusts Adams script and his actors to draw the audience in. The minimal set design and props allow us to keep our focus on the actors and their words. Melrose allows the actors themselves to hold our interest blocking them around and upon a large wooden table. The jump up and walk upon the table creating dynamic movements that work far better than a more elaborate set would have. What set design there is from Michael Locher is enough to convey that we are in the time and place in which the play takes place. There is the use of glass or plexiglass in the background of the set that is it’s one flaw, a couple of times I caught the actors reflection in the glass taking one out of the play momentarily. The Costumes by Alejo Vietti deserve a mention, they feel very authentic and Kit’s feel like the times equivalent of a celebrity. I enjoyed the music and sound design from Sound Designer/Composer Cliff Caruthers, the music is not period but adds a nice link to the modern version of what Marlowe represents and how he behaves. The lighting throughout is well handled, I especially liked a moment at the end where Lighting Designer Carolina Ortiz Herrera drops down a row of track lights as Shakespeare addresses us directly, it emphasizes the change that has occured and points a light towards us as he tells us what we should have understood all along.

Born With Teeth runs through April 2nd and is the perfect way to get ready for Hamlet which opens next month at the Guthrie in honor of it’s 60th year, they are producing the play that opened the theater in 1963. For more information and to purchase tickets for either of those plays go to https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/2023-2024-season/

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 or to get another bloggers take on one. 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. Such as our Prom Date with the TCTB that we held on March 4th. If you didn’t make it to that event there’s still time to see the The Prom at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres.

I just left the matinee performance of 5 at the Jungle Theater and I was blown away by this new work but particularly by it’s star and writer JuCoby Johnson. In this co-production between Trademark Theater and the Jungle Theater we get the best of both theater companies. Trademark brings it’s care and nurturing of new works having commissioned this play through it’s new-works-to-production pipeline. Developing the play over several years, resulting in a workshop and reading in 2021. Now having developed the script, Jungle brings it’s theater space, artists, and budget to bare on the work and the two companies have created a significant and brilliantly executed piece of new theater for Twin Cities audiences. A script that contains both laugh out loud moments, startling surprises, and leaves you with a lot to unpack and process once the curtain call is done. Theses performances feel real and lived in, completely authentic. The production design adds to the authentic feel of the entire piece with technical departments in lock step that will wow the audience in unexpected ways. This is a treat for theatergoers in every imaginable way.

5 features five characters whose lives are interconnected. Jay and Evan are co-owners of a corner store in an area of a city that is undergoing gentrification. The two lifelong friends have inherited the store from their fathers, and attempt to run it together as they always have. But, as the world is changing around them, not only their city but the entire planet, they disagree on what will need to be done in order to save the store which hardly ever has a customer. The five are rounded out by Walter who preaches the end of times outside the store, whom they feed and respect. June Jay’s ex-girlfriend, who has left him over some nude photo texts that he received from another woman. And finally, Stacy from the realty firm that is buying up local buildings to demolish and put up condos and juice bars. Offers are made, friendships tested, secrets revealed. It’s helpful to remember what the plays Director H. Adam Harris says in his program notes “As you watch, know that this play has no villains or heroes.” Every character is grappling with their own baggage and desires, there are things in their pasts that motivate and immobilizes them. There’s a force at work outside of the five but we’re uncertain when or to what extent that force will come into play.

JuCoby Johnson along with writing the play also plays the role of Jay, I really can’t say enough good things about his performance. Right from the start as he comes out of his shop to bring Walter, played by Aaron Todd Douglas, in and feed him some breakfast, he plays to unseen people across the street, he does it with confidence and authority. His give and take, warmth and interest, and respect, shows Walter is genuine. When confronted by June about the text pictures, he finds the perfect notes to play the frustration and honesty with humor, we understand what Jay is going through and are able to laugh at his inability to extricate himself from the doghouse. He has a wonderful best friend vibe with Eric Hagen who plays Evan. They kid each other and talk as if they are saying the same things they say everyday. When the two are in conflict you can feel the betrayal and frustration from both of them. Hagen plays the role that comes across initially as the sell out, but the play gives him time to point out the ineffectiveness of refusing to even consider change. There’s a lot of topics and issues that are woven within the story that aren’t hammered home but we are relied upon as the audience to draw conclusions, to way the idealism with the practical. And when we feel like we know who is right and who is wrong, we’re allowed more information and that colors the situation differently. There are no villains or heroes, only real people with their strengths and their weaknesses. Douglas, gets some nice moments to be the wise prophet and has a gravitas, especially in a later scene with Dana Lee Thompson’s Stacy, when he remembers who she was when she was younger. Reminding us that even this man of God, has regrets and weaknesses. Thompson’s Stacy spends most of the play in no-nonsense mode, she’s there to do a job and she’s very good at it. We get one moment of some vulnerability in the scene just mentioned, where we see her let her guard down, it’s brief but impactful. That moment allows us to reevaluate her character and adds depth and humanity to the role. Isabella Dawis as June is the character that reminds everyone to be their best. She sees through others and doesn’t let them get away with anything. Dawis is able to cross examine both Jay and Evan but also connect with them.

Scenic Designer Chelsea M. Warren has created an environment that feels like it has the history and familiarity of a corner store that these characters have been mucking around in their entire lives. The front door to the store is perfect and the way in which JuCoby in particular uses that downstage space to remind drivers they can’t park there, really adds a feeling of a specific location. The set is filled with details that look like more then set dressing and the combination of the space. Props by John Novak, and Lighting Design by Bill Healey, really immerse the audience in the story. Dan Dukich as Sounds Designer along with Healey’s Lighting Design also create bizarre moments of unease and a sense that there are more things in heaven and earth… The entire production feels as though each department made their plan in talks with the others, then everything was gone over with a fine tooth comb. Giving every refrigerated case, every bag of chips, every cassette tape an extra measure of meaning and relevance. 5 is a brilliantly written, performed, designed and directed show. H. Adam Harris has fashioned a theater piece that entertains us, makes us question the characters and ourselves and even surprises us. It feels cohesive and real in a way that theater rarely does and then it still is able to add elements of the fantastic without losing it’s tone or grounding.

5 runs through April 16th at the Jungle Theater in a co production with Trademark Theater that brings out the best of both companies. This is one not to be missed! For more information about 5 and purchase your tickets please go to https://www.jungletheater.org/5-show

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 or to get another bloggers take on one. 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. Such as our Prom Date with the TCTB that we held on March 4th. If you didn’t make it to that event there’s still time to see the The Prom at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres.

Eurydice is the third Sarah Ruhl production to be staged in less than a year. Last March, Theatre Pro Rata gave us the gender non-conforming story of Orlando. It was then followed last summer with Yellow Tree theaters, In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play). I enjoyed both of those works immensely, and given the season Theatre in the Round Players (TRP) has been having, expectations were high for this one. What can I say, TRP is on a roll, this is another winner. Perhaps their most accomplished set and lighting design ever, certainly the best I’ve seen. Sarah Ruhl is working her way up my list of favorite playwrights as well with another thought provoking and engaging script.

Not being a student of mythology I was grateful that I’d recently had a little refresher in the form of last springs Hadestown tour at the Orpheum of the Orpheus myth from which Eurydice is another interpretation of. The main difference in this telling, it’s not Orpheus’ story but Eurydice’s. Not set in ancient times but in a version of our own world. Ruhl also makes other changes to the basic story, in her version, Eurydice’s father is already dead and writes her a letter for her wedding day, which he hopes will somehow reach her in the land of the living. The letter is found instead by The Nasty Interesting Man/Lord of the Underworld (Hades for short), who lures her away from her wedding party by promising to show her the letter which says was delivered by mistake to his high-rise apartment. Rather than being killed by a snake, she instead falls in her attempt to escape Hades’ unwanted seduction. When she arrives in the underworld she is greeted by The Stones, Six stones who can talk and move and function as Ruhls unique take on a greek chorus. Her memory of the upper world is mostly gone and the the language of the underworld is limited. It’s in these moments that Ruhl finds a way to inject humor into the production. The underworld is surreal, reminding one at times of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Her Father finds her and though she doesn’t know him at first, he eventually gets through to her and her memories begin to return. Throughout her time down below, Orpheus is trying to reach her. He’ll eventually make his way to her and this will be set up the traditional chance to lead her back to the land of the living. Where as long as he doesn’t look back to make sure she is following him they can both return to the upper world.

This is a superb cast led by Eva Gemlo as Eurydice. Gemlo gives a nimble performance switching direction, emotion, and style from moment to moment and exceling every step of the way. She’s light and breezy at the opening as she is enjoying living and loving and when she first arrives in the underworld she doesn’t miss a beat as she goes into absurdist nonsensical comedy mode. There is a decided lack of heat or chemistry between her and Troy Lowry, Jr.’s Orpheus. The real emotion comes through in the relationship with her Father played by Jim Ahrens. Both Gemlo and Ahrens sell the father daughter relationship to the point where it’s unclear if Ruhl’s intention is to pivot the heart of the play from the romantic relationship we normally associate with the story, to that of the familial, or if their performances are responsible for the shift. Either way, the heart lies Gemlo and Ahrens relationship. Corey Boe as Hades, in what I think is the fourth performance I’ve seen him in, finally gets a chance to let down his hair and surprise us. We basically see him in three guises and each is radically different from the others. Always solid in previous roles, this performance gets me excited about him as a performer and looking forward to what he does next. Finally, I have to list the performers who play The Rocks, their movements and vocal timing as the chorus is too perfect and beautiful not to mention each one of them by name. Marie Finch-Koinuma, Lena Menefee-Cook, Morgan Mulford, Tess Rada, Caleb Reich, and Kassy Skoretz.

Sophie Peyton directs the hell (pun intended) out of this production. So many choices are bold and surprising from the use of music to Hades first appearance in the underworld. I’d say, I would love to see what she would do with a Guthrie budget with this play, but I kinda think it wouldn’t make any difference. I don’t think you can improve on what they’ve done here. Bigger doesn’t mean better, and the creativity that has gone into the staging and the performances she’s gotten from this group of artists is everything you could want. There’s something to be said about the intimacy of a smaller theatre, where as is the case here, there are actors sitting next to your seat at times in the aisles. Kelly Nelson is the Movement Director, if you don’t really understand what is meant by that, after you see Eurydice you will. There are moments of movement that feel are simply beautiful in a way I cannot express in words, one of which is Eurydice’s fall and descent into the underworld. The Set and Lighting were co-designed by Crist Ballas and Dietrich Poppen, you can feel how entwined the lighting is with the set. This is the best set design and lighting I’ve ever seen at TRP. I’m going to mention the Assistant Lighting Designer as well Noelle Kirscht, because this is one beautiful looking show. The Costume Designer is Sarah Christenson, there is no way to improve upon the work here, it’s really good. I really loved Hades final costume, it’s a page out of something from a Tim Burton movie. The Sound Designer is Robert Hoffman and it again is just as good as anything I’ve seen at TRP before. I don’t want to leave the wrong impression here, I’ve always really enjoyed TRP, they didn’t need “improving” or anything. That said, something is different this year, they have stepped up their game and I for one am hoping this winning streak lasts a long, long time.

Aside from a fantastic production, this is also one of the most reasonable tickets in town. It’s great that there is a theatre in town offering this level of theatre at prices a family can afford. For more information and to purchase tickets to Eurydice go to https://www.theatreintheround.org/

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 or to get another bloggers take on one. 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. Such as our recent Prom Date with the TCTB at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres. The talk back for which can be viewed here https://bit.ly/promtalkback

Mercy Unrelenting is the true story of the Catholic Saint Maria Goretti and her murderer Alessandro Serenelli. It’s a brutal story filled with horrific acts and should not be attended by who may have endured a violent sexual or non-sexual assault, or is under the age of 14, would be my recommendation. With that out of the way, it’s an extremely well acted and ultimately inspirational story that will leave you pondering forgiveness, but also what message is sent by the canonization of Maria Goretti. It makes a strong case for the peace that can come from accepting forgiveness from others and from yourself.

The play is written and co-directed with Stephen O’Toole, by Jeremy Stanbary. Stanbary also plays the older version of Serenelli that we meet as the play opens. A female journalist named Vittoria Cimarelli has been given permission to interview Serenelli by his superior. This occurs nearly 50 years after the murder was committed, and around the time that Maria Goretti is becoming a Saint of the Catholic Church. We see the story that Serenelli tells Cimarelli played out in flashback on the stage. Maria Goretti was a 12 year old girl who was stabbed 14 times by Alessandro Serenelli after refusing to submit to his demands for sexual favors. On her death bed, she forgave Serenelli. For years, locked away in prison Serenelli was unrepentant. One night he had a vision of Goretti and afterwards requested to see the Chaplain. When he was released from prison he spent the remainder of his life a lay brother of the order of Friars, Minor Capuchin, as the gardner and receptionist.

Sarah Stanbary plays Serenellis interviewer, Vittoria Cimarelli. Jeremy also plays Giovanni, Alessandro Serenelli’s father, in the flashback sequence. Both give excellent performances. Jeremy is so effective in both roles that despite having a similar appearance, a striking beard and bald head, I had to check my program to ensure it was the same actor. Sarah gets a very powerful moment in the second act when she reveals a secret of her own that really challenges Serenellis beliefs. It’s an emotionally raw scene and both Stanbarys are riveting in it. Dawson Ehlke plays the young Serenelli and Abby Slater is Goretti. Again fantastic casting, the pair of them build such tension and suspense in the scenes leading up to the murder. The cast is rounded out with Molly Delaney Druffner as Assunta Goretti, Maria’s Mother. Jeromy Darling plays The Prosecutor in a short seen at the beginning and the prison guard throughout. Finally, a friend Tim Perfect in not one, not two, but three pretty much one scene roles. I was looking forward to see Tim but was disappointed in the lack of stage time he has despite playing three roles. His best role is the Doctor who attended Maria, he describes the wounds and the surgery she endured without anesthetic and speaks of the girls braveness, it’s a nice if all too short moment.

Stanbary and O’Toole direct the action which takes place on and a round a stage built in the shape of a cross. I like the way the elder Serenelli was gardening around the cross and then the story he was telling, the flashback, took place upon the cross. Essentially, we have Maria dying on the cross, Serenelli suffering years in prison upon the cross, and old repentant Serenelli caring for the cross. The set design is by Nate Farley and it works well in conjunction of some well executed but simple projections designed by Jeremy Stanbary. Olivia Lundsten does some neat effects with her lighting design using light to create the vision Serenelli sees in his prison cell and giving us the shadow of bars on the ground to emphasize that he is caged, as there are several moments of dialogue that refer to people as either not being animals or being nothing more than an animal.

Mercy Unrelenting runs through March 26th at Open Window Theatre in Inver Grove Heights for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://openwindowtheatre.org/live-theatre/

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 or to get another bloggers take on one. 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. Such as our Prom Date with the TCTB that we held on March 4th. If you didn’t make it to that event there’s still time to see the The Prom at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres and you can use the discount code TCTB1 for $20 off each ticket on performances through 3/12/23.