Fun Home is Dead Brilliant at Theater Latté Da

Eve Scharback (Small Alison), Sara Masterson (Alison), Monty Hays (Medium Alison). Photo Dan Norman

Fun Home the 90 minute no intermission (is there a better theater term than that?) show based on the autobiographical graphic novel by Alison Bechdel gets a fantastic staging at Theater Latté Da. A favorite of mine since I saw a performance of “Ring of Keys” on the 2015 Tony Awards and began listening to the Cast Recording. I saw the tour at the Orpheum Theatre in 2016, and have been anxious for someone to do it in town. The wait was worth it, Theater Latté Da has assembled a stellar cast particularly the trio of actors playing Alison at three different ages. That performance at the Tony’s of “Ring of Keys” that so captivated me that I began listening to the cast recording before even seeing the show, I didn’t think could be matched. But get your baseball gloves ready because Eve Scharback as Small Alison knocks it out of the park! It’s just one of several sublimely perfect moments in the show, but it’s perhaps the most powerful, when Alison clicks with herself. The penny drops and she doesn’t know what it all means yet, but she sees someone, an adult, and she recognizes herself in that stranger. It’s a moment of wonder, joy, and discovery and somehow, a very young actress, conveys all of that in her swagger and her bearing and her just right way of performing the song.

Fun Home is narrated by the Adult Alison who is a cartoonist. She’s turning her memories into a graphic novel and as she explores her past as one of three kids growing up in a house like a museum that is also a funeral home, known in the family as Fun Home. She wrestles with what is real as she doesn’t trust memory. Part of that is because our perspective changes at different ages. Our understanding of what might really have been happening becomes clearer, and new information gained later in life throws a different light on old memories. She states early on “My Dad and I both grew up in the same small Pennsylvania Town, and he was gay, and I was gay, and he killed himself, and I became a lesbian cartoonist”. That sums up what this musical explores, the ways in which two people who are in many ways similar, turn out so different because of the choices they made, and partly because of the times in which they were born it should be acknowledged. Bruce, Alison’s father lived his life in the closet and it ultimately destroyed him. Alison, came out, lived as her authentic self, and it made all the difference. It’s a powerful message in these dark days when we have taken such huge steps backwards as a society. One can see the temptation again to protect yourself by hiding who you are, this speaks to the importance of living your truth.

There are so many moments from this cast that blew the audience away. First up, the three juvenile actors playing Small Alison, Eve Scharback, her brothers Christian and John played by Truman Bednar and Brock Heuring practice a pretend commercial they are writing for the Funeral Home. “Come to the Fun Home” is a song that could go off the rails if any one of the three weren’t up to the task, but the three of them bring the house down, it’s so funny and fabulously choreographed by Katie Rose McLaughlin. Another favorite song is when Monty Hays (who is a The Stages of MN favorite, full stop), playing Medium Alison performs the song “Changing My Major” after their first sexual experience with college girlfriend Joan, played perfectly by the always great Emma Schuld. Lastly, I want to mention a song that has always tugged at my heart which is “Telephone Wire”. It takes place between Adult Alison played by Sara Masterson, who is standing in during this scene that actually took place on a car ride between Medium Alison and her father Bruce, played by Shad Hanley. There is a constant refrain “Say something, talk to him. Say something, Anything.” I think parents and children can both relate to that moment, when you want to be able to say something important to the other person and can’t find the moment or the courage. Adult Alison has stepped in because this is the last night with her Dad and the following lyrics explain why this moment is so important that she has inserted herself into the past to see if she can discover something she missed when she was young.

“Telephone wire, make this not the past.
This car ride, this is where it has to happen.
There must be some other chances.
There’s a moment I’m forgetting, where you tell me you see me?
Say something, talk to me.
Say something, anything.
At the light, at the light.
This can’t be our last-.”
“Telephone wire” Lyrics by Lisa Kron

Masterson is urgent and completely compelling in this heartbreaking moment where she is in the present pleading for a chance at a do over, but it isn’t that kind of show. She can reinterpret and reexamine a memory but she cannot change the past. Hanley is superb as Bruce, there are moments I hated how he behaved, partly because I hated when I behaved that way in my own life. Little parenting moments that every parent has where you didn’t handle things like you would if you were thinking about it rather than just living your life. But a lesson we can take from the show is that we cannot change the past, we have to move forward and move on.

Fun Home runs through May 4th at Theater Latté Da in North Minneapolis. I absolutely loved this production and I’m going to see it a second time if I can. Every aspect of the production is inspired, but I do want to point out specifically the Scenic Designer Eli Sherlock who has crammed every nook and cranny of the stage and under the stage with old furniture. I recommend you get your tickets early I can see this selling out performances and besides, you might want to see it twice as well. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.latteda.org/fun-home

Now more than ever in the wake of the most recent election and the hailstorm of stupidity and hate it has unleashed, theater companies need you and we need them. Buy tickets to shows, go out and support work that reflects diversity and inclusiveness. Donate to your favorite theater companies, don’t wait until they are on the brink of shutting down. We all need to stand up and fight for our theaters whose funding is under attack for promoting inclusion, equality and diversity. In short, theaters are being threatened for sharing stories that reflect our countries cultural and racial diversity.

Don’t depend on a Facebook or Instagram algorithm to insure you hear about a great show. You can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. It’s the best way to ensure you don’t miss out on any of the theater action. 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. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn.

Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I’m also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read review roundups of shows by m’colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. New things are in the work! Click here to go to The Stages of MN YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@TheStagesofMN. Right now there is just a short introductory video, but there will be much more coming this summer. For now, check out the intro video and subscribe to the channel so that when we fully launch you’ll be the first to know!

The Tin Woman Is All About the Heart at the Historic Mounds Theatre

Doug Thompson, Elizabeth Efteland, Matt Berdahl, Stephanie Wipf, and Dorian Chalmers Photo by BTE Media Co

100 Percent Human Theatre presents The Tin Woman by Sean Grennan, a title that has multiple meanings in regards to its protagonist Joy, a woman who like the Tin Man of Oz needs a heart. The play is directed by Joy Donley whose 16-year-old son Lewis’s organ donations have benefited 60 individuals. Donley knows first hand the power inherent in such a gift, in the comfort from knowing that something positive can spring from such so unimaginably tragic. She has poured all of that understanding and compassion into this project and it culminates in such a cathartic moment that we leave the theater feeling as if a weight has been lifted from us all. You will cry more than likely but it is not because something is sad, but because something beautiful and healing has occurred. For my money, those are the best tears, they cleanse and renew us, and that’s how I felt leaving the theater tonight.

Joy, the character is the recipient of a heart transplant from Jack who is a son and brother. While Jack’s family mourns, Joy isolates. Her friend Darla tries to get her to re engage with the world, but there was already something broken within Joy before her heart went bad. Grennan’s script reveals multiple metaphorical meanings, the Tin Woman is certainly a reference to the character from The Wizard of Oz but it is more than the fact that Joy physically needs a heart transplant. She not only literally needs a heart but she figuratively does as well. She is isolating and has broken up with her boyfriend. Judging by her reactions to her nurses inquiries about a boyfriend or fiance, and to a man asking for the cinnamon in a flashback scene set pre-heart surgery in a cafe, she isn’t interested in a relationship. We get a hint as to why Joy doesn’t let anyone into her heart from a conversation she has with her friend Darla about her childhood. Jack’s family is grieving, his mother, Alice, and sister, Sammy are trying to move forward and get excited at the prospect of meeting Joy after she has sent them a letter of thanks. His father Hank though has heart issues of his own, as Alice stated at one point, the next time Hank talks about his feelings will also be the first time. Hank doesn’t want to deal with his sons death and he doesn’t want to meet Joy. Present throughout the play, sometimes in flashbacks but mostly as an unseen and unheard presence is Jack. His minimal interactions as the spirit never take on a supernatural aspect, but they do lend an emotional element, Jack’s hands are like the hands of fate causing a person to finally hit the right button to access an image on a digital camera, or the touch that causes someone to finally feel connection and warmth.

At intermission my favorite performance was Greta Grosch who plays the Nurse and Joy’s friend Darla. Grosch is great fun in both roles providing much of the humor. I know that the description so far doesn’t sound like it’s a comedy, and I wouldn’t go so far as to say it is. But, like life itself, it has a lot of funny moments. The feeling on the rest of the cast was that they were good, but that’s because all of the other characters are for the most part shutting down their emotions. By the end of Act II, it would be hard to pick a favorite, everyone built up their characters defences so well that when they finally fall away it’s an emotional release for everyone in the theater. Joy is played by Elizabeth Efteland, Alice by Dorian Chalmers, Sammy by Stephanie Wipf, Hank by Doug Thompson, and Jack is played by Matt Berdahl. Efteland plays the closed off Joy as someone who seems used to having her share of food at the dinner table stolen, wary and unengaging. When she confronts Hank about his behavior it’s like she finally has decided to fight for her share of the food. Chalmers is great as Alice, her matter of fact dealings with the grumpy Hank feel authentic, Thompson’s responses feel a little more like line readings particularly in the first act, but he really comes through once Hank and Joy begin to interact. Wipf, is quite engaging as the free spirited, blog writing, preschool teacher, Sammy. Overly touchy with the hug averse Joy, and likely to begin crying at the drop of a hat, this is mostly played with humor, but our first one on one scene with her shows us a more subtle side as she conducts story time with her preschoolers, we see her getting a little sad, but she covers it well, a tricky thing to show us the emotions the character is feeling but at the same time, concealing.

The Tin Woman runs through April 13th at the Historic Mounds Theater in St. Paul. I was quite moved by this production and in that rare way where you are crying but because something is more beautiful than sad. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://100percenthumantheatre.com/

To learn more about organ donation and to register to become a donor if you are not already go to https://www.life-source.org/

The Show From E/D is Funny, Dark, Light, Messy, and Everything In Between at Red Eye Theater

Debra Berger and Emily Michaels King Photo by Dan Norman

The Show is a performance that may confound some and exhilarate others. Is The Show, a show for everyone, well no, of course not, no show is. Is it a show that could be for most people? Yes, I think it is as long as they go in as I did with the proper expectations. This show is not a linear story, it isn’t a sketch show, it isn’t a dance recital, it isn’t a country singer showcase, and it isn’t a feminist view of gender roles in modern society. It’s all of those things filtered through abstraction. Like light shown through a prism it splinters the female experience into multiple moments that are unique. Bold, filled with music, and featuring a lighting design by Karin Olson that feels like a third performer, it’s that integral to every moment that occurs on stage. I doubt there is a woman reading this that would not identify with elements of this show, and many would identify with every moment in this show. I also think there are many men who can gain a better understanding of their fellow travelers upon this planet through seeing this show. All that is required to embrace The Show is to let go of the urge to impose a narrative upon what you are witnessing and receive each new segment as it comes. There is something that will make you laugh, hurt, smile, and feel seen and heard in every different shade and color refracted through this show’s amazing light.

Created and performed by Emily Michaels King and Debra Berger The Show premiered in 2022. I missed that production and am very grateful that it was so successful during that run that they decided to bring it back. It’s the sort of experimental and personal theater that we don’t often see. Which of course is what makes it so exciting. I love a good play and a musical, obviously, but it’s nice every now and then to go into something that’s unlike anything else. Berger and Michaels King give us glimpses of everything from their feelings when they look in the mirror, of dancing like the rest of the world isn’t there, lip synching to “the Titanic song”, and experiences that are shameful either for their behavior or for what was done to them. Are all of these moments their personal truth? maybe, maybe not, but they are truths, they are recognizable and they are to some woman, no, many womens truths. It doesn’t matter what is theirs or a friends or a family members. What matters is that these moments, these colors if you will, are seen and shared. These women are brave and talented and they don’t leave anything left in reserve, they give us everything they have and it’s beautiful.

The Show runs through April 5th at Red Eye Theater in Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.edmakesart.org/

Tired of missing reviews from The Stages of MN? Do you find yourself left out when all your friends are talking about that great new play that you didn’t even know about? Fear not! that need never happen again. Now you too can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. No more hoping the algorithm works in your favor and you actually see a post on facebook or Instagram. No relying on so-called “friends” to tip you to the best shows in town. 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. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn.

Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by m’colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. Click here to go to The Stages of MN YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@TheStagesofMN. Right now there is just a short introductory video, but there will be much more coming this summer. For now, check out that video and subscribe to the channel so that when we fully launch you’ll know all about it!

Secret Warriors Examines the Sacrifices and Heroism of Japanese Americans in WWII at History Theatre

Erik Ohno Dagoberg, Clay Man Soo, Tony Larkin, Stephanie Anne Bertumen, Kendall Kent Photo by Rick Spaulding

Secret Warriors by R.A. Shiomi reminds us that the ugliness we see around us everyday, especially from our government is not new. It tells a story from a shameful moment in our country’s history, when Americans of Japanese descent were rounded up and imprisoned in camps after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. That is the backdrop upon which this story is told, in the foreground are four soldiers, who despite what was happening to their families volunteered for a secret project that saved thousands of lives during the war. While we follow these four soldiers through their agreement to enroll in the program, the subsequent training, and their ultimate deployment in the Pacific theater, we are constantly aware of internment camps. The set design by Erik Paulson significantly contributes to this by having the back of the set inclosed in tall chain link fences panels with barbed wire along the top. Whenever the scene changes and wherever the action on stage is taking place, that barbed wire fence stands as a reminder of the injustice that is occuring to the characters families back home. Just as this play, masterfully directed by Lily Tung Crystal, should stand as a reminder that we’ve done all of this before and regretted it.

The four soldiers whom we follow throughout the production are played by Erik Ohno Dagoberg, Song Kim, Josh Kwon, and Clay Man Soo. The story really focuses on two of the soldiers, Tamio played by Dagoberg, and Koji played by Clay Man Soo. While they seem to clash when they first meet, Tamio being a cocky and aggressive personality compared to Koji’s more reserved demeanor, they soon become friends. Soo is good, particularly once he enters the war and uses his skills as a translator to get the enemy to surrender or talking officers of the Japanese army into providing information that will save lives on both sides. Dagoberg is electric, from the moment he comes on stage, it’s a role that requires a big personality and he delivers that but without being over the top, he’s subtly charismatic and that draws the audience into him even more. One of the things that bonds the two is they both meet and fall in love with girls at the same USO dance. Stephanie Anne Bertumen reunites with her Sanctuary City costar Soo, as Koji’s girlfriend Natsuko. While Tamio’s eventual fiance Denise Murphy is played by Kendall Kent. Bertumen and Kent’s performances are crucial to the audiences involvement in the show. The idea itself would make an interesting play to be sure. But, the romantic relationships made so heartfelt by Bertumen and Kent are key to raising our emotional involvement in the characters and raising the level of the play from interesting to compelling. Their letters from home help to build the tension and the concern for the characters raising the emotional bar of what is at stake.

Paulson’s set design in effective in Act One, with a backdrop on which Kathy Maxwell’s projections are splashed, giving us virtual locals or context to the scenes. When the audience returns from intermission for Act Two, we are astonished to see the stage transformed. Wooden structures that formed stairways on the sides of the stage have been moved to the center and combined to represent for example, a ship carrying the soldiers to the Pacific theater of the war. But the surprises do not end there, though I think I’ll keep that to myself as I was rather amazed by the transformation that occured next. Meghan Kent has designed period costuming that perfectly captures the era. Behind the scenes rounding out the overall high quality production design are Lighting Designer Wu Chen Khoo, Properties Designer Kenji Shoemaker, and Sound Designer Frederick Kennedy.

Secret Warriors runs through April 19th at History Theatre in St. Paul. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.historytheatre.com/2024-2025/secret-warriors

Now more than ever in the wake of the most recent election and the hailstorm of stupidity and hate it has unleashed, Theater companies need you and we need them. Buy tickets to shows go out and support work that reflects diversity and inclusiveness. Donate to your favorite theater companies, don’t wait until they are on the brink of shutting down. We all need to stand up and fight for our Theaters whose funding is under attack for promoting inclusion, equality and diversity.

Tired of missing reviews from The Stages of MN? Do you find yourself left out when all your friends are talking about that great new play that you didn’t even know about? Never fear, that need never happen again. Now you too can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. No more hoping the algorithm works in your favor and you actually see a post on facebook or Instagram. No relying on so-called friends to tip you to the best shows in town. 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. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn.

But that’s not all! You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/ from time to time. Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by m’colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers.

Transatlantic Love Affair’s Red and the Mother Wild Worthy of Illusion Theater’s 50th Anniversary

front: Amber Bjork, Adelin Phelps rear: Allison Vincent, Derek Lee Miller, Mark Benzel, Peyton McCandless, Jack Bechard photo by Lauren B Photography

Red and the Mother Wild is the latest from the physical Theater company Transatlantic Love Affair. Their shows are created in collaboration, they are developed and performed without the use of set and props. The wonderful thing about them, is that those elements are not missed. Like listening to and old time radio show your mind fills in that which your eyes cannot see. There is no sound design, but the production is filled with sounds. Those of the birds, of the wind, the sounds of the woods, and the animals that inhabit it. All of the sounds are created by the actors live on stage using their voices and bodies. The cast perform the roles of human characters as well as anything else that might aid in creating a picture in the minds eye of the audience. This includes everything from animals, to the walls of Mother Wilds home, and the trees of the forest. The story is grown from the seed of the Little Red Riding Hood fairytale. It tells of a village of people, one of whom is a little girl named Red who has no parents and so the villagers all take turns raising her. Red is inexplicably drawn to the woods, the one place she is told she must never go. When she is older she will venture in and discover the darker side of the world.

Directed with creativity and exacting detail by Isabel Nelson the first and former Artistic Director of Transatlantic Love Affair. There is one element of production design that they do rely upon and that is lighting which was designed by Dante Benjegerdes and really is well done and integral to the story. The entire ensemble is fantastic and the magic of the piece being the way they have managed to create an entire world using only their voices and bodies. They find the perfect way to suggest a fish in a stream, or a way to embody a tree that is being chopped down, in a way that we know exactly what is happening and also earns a laugh. The cast is a seven Actor ensemble comprised of Jack Bechard, Mark Benzel, Amber Bjork, Peyton McCandless, Derek Lee Miller, Adelin Phelps, and Allison Vincent. While a few have bigger roles, it really is an ensemble in the way they all contribute to creating the world of the play. It’s fascinating the details they add like a dripping faucet in a village home or the layering of sounds to capture the aural experience of the forest at night.

I do want to highlight a few performance moments that really connected for me. Phelps as Red is the perfect performer to take us on this journey, she captures Red’s curiosity about the woods beautifully and is equally effective when shutting down after a traumatic event. Allison Vincent in the role of one of the village mothers has again displayed her gift for line readings that are flat out the best possible way to say anything. She and Phelps together create a very special bond, their connection is felt and is one of the strongest in the production. Vincent also knows how to play a tree falling down in such a way that it elicits a big laugh from the audience. Derek Lee Miller is plays Daniel Vincent’s characters husband, a woodsman, he allows Red to come into the woods. When things take a turn, Miller does a nice job of portraying the two sides of this character. Finally, Amber Bjork plays the Mother Wild, a woman who lives in the woods and takes Red in, this character made me think of Dorothy Molter, the Root Beer Lady, if you saw History Theatre’s show this winter you’ll know what I mean. Bjork plays her very no nonsense and practical, with little jabs of humor now and then.

Red and the Mother Wild runs through April 12th at the Center for Performing Arts in South Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.illusiontheater.org/red-and-the-mother-wild

Witch From Walking Shadow Theatre Company at Open Eye Theatre Selling Out, With Good Reason!

Wini Froelich and Nick Ericksen Photo by Amy Rummenie

Witch by Jen Silverman is another play, like Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, that seems to be commenting on our current society through the lens of the past, and with false accusations of Witchcraft. but that is where the comparisons end, both are great, but they go about it in almost polar opposite ways. Whereas Miller’s play is tense and riveting and close to three hours long. Witch is about 80 minutes and very funny and entertaining. I highly recommend both, but if you only have room in your schedule for one, let that be a guide to which one you take in. I love Open Eye Theatre, it must have the smallest stage in the city but it always looks amazing and this production is no different. A fabulous cast and top notch production design combine with a script full of humor and cleverness make Witch a deal with the Devil worth making.

While titled Witch it’s really about the Devil or at least one of his soulsmen, Scratch. Scratch is working his way around the village of Edmonton making deals for people’s souls. At the castle he makes deals with both Cuddy Banks, the son of Sir Arthur Banks, the lord of the castle, and Frank Thorney, who is treated by Sir Arthur as if he was his son and held in higher regard than Cuddy. Their deals seem to be in opposition to each others, but there is always a catch when you dance with the Devil in the pale moonlight. Cuddy tries to pretend there is an attraction between himself and the maid Winnifred, but she is secretly married to Frank, and it’s made fairly obvious that Cuddy is in the closet. Everything is smooth sailing for Scratch until he comes across Elizabeth Sawyer who is believed to be a witch by the village, but of course is not. She refuses his initial offer, something no one else has ever done. This intrigues him and he begins to spend all of his time with Elizabeth and things play out in an unexpected way. In the end, Scratch becomes the voice of the audience, in a way that is true and sort of shameful.

Witch features a great cast filled with some familiar faces and some new ones to keep our eyes on. Wini Froelich is fantastic as Elizabeth showing a vulnerable and subtle touch that caught me completely off guard. Frankly, I’m used to her cracking wise while serving me dessert at The Mystery Cafe shows. Here she is the voice of women and men, but mostly women and the world in which she and we live. Her scenes with Nick Ericksen’s Scratch are witty and thoughtful and finally quite unexpectedly moving. There’s an understanding in her eyes that shows a greater understanding of humanity than even Scratch, whose job it is to play upon his deep understanding of human nature. Ericksen is delightfully charming as Scratch dressed in leather pants and jacket, he masterfully plays the puppeteer playing on everyone’s desires and fears, knowing all the right buttons to push. But when he meets Elizabeth and starts to have long conversations with her, he begins to lose a little of the swagger and low and behold, the devil appears to have a sensitive side. The transformation is gradual and effective, and Ericksen, who is new to me, is definitely one to watch, I predict a star is on the rise. The Stages of MN favorite Jake Sung-Guk Sullivan plays Frank Thorney, think Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, you can see why Cuddy is jealous of him, but even he gets a moment to show some real emotion, when he makes what I would consider his real deal with the Devil even though Scratch is nowhere in sight. The cast is rounded out by Peter Colburn as Sir Arthur, Caiti Fallon as Winnifred, and Samuel Osborne-Huerta as Cuddy, all are exceptional in their roles.

I would be remiss not to mention the production design which is detailed and perfect in every way. Open Eye Theatre shows always look like Guthrie show budgets on a tiny little stage, but usually the scenic designer is Open Eye’s Joel Sass, but here we have scenic design by Alice Endo whose work is on par with that of Mr. Sass and that is high praise I assure you. From Elizabeth’s detailed cottage interior, to the trees surrounding it and the castle interior wall, it’s impossible to select a favorite element. Emily Heaney’s costumes complete these characters perfectly, though anachronistic, her choices for Scratch are dead on and help us to understand him before he even utters a line. The lighting design by Tony Stoeri is dynamic and integral to the entire production. There is a moment when Scratch is describing the color blue that appears at a certain point during sunrise, he describes it as the color of bruise and the lighting change that accompanies it achieves that very shade. I also enjoyed the work of Fight Choreographer Annie Enneking which was far more physical than you would expect, particularly given the small stage. Also the Intimacy Coordinator Alli St. John who creates a scene of such tenderness between Elizabeth and Scratch that one almost feels as though they have been witness to a moment that should have been private. Of course all of this was achieved under the steady sure handed direction of Co-Directors Cody R. Braudt and Amy Rummenie.

Due to popular demand Witch‘s run has been extended through April 13th at Open Eye Theatre in south Minneapolis, but I expect there will still be a lot of sold out performances so don’t wait too long to get your tickets. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.walkingshadow.org/witch/

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon the Super Live Coming to the Orpheum Theatre April 6th!

The cast of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Super Live in London. February 2025. Photo by: © DavidJensen

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon The Super Live is a stage show based on the original manga (japanese comic book) of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. For those not in the know, Sailor Moon was introduced in 1991 in what is now one of the most popular mangas series of all time. The characters popularity can be measured by the sheer volume of formats into which the world of Sailor Moon has been adapted. Everything from Anime series and films to video and collectible card games. For decades there have been Sailor Moon Stage shows as well, produced in Japan. Now for the first time ever they are bringing one of those shows on a 21 city North American tour which launched in Austin Texas and plays here in Minneapolis on April 6th at Hennepin Arts’ historic Orpheum Theatre, before ending the tour in NYC. Tickets for the Minneapolis show can be purchased at https://hennepinarts.org/events/pretty-guardian-sailor-moon-the-super-live-2025.

Described by its producer Makoto Matsuda as “a unique genre of ‘2.5 dimensional musicals’ rather than a category such as Broadway musicals, etc.”. Expanding on that Matsuda says “it has, you know, the regular song, music, dance, technology, visuals, projections, so much more than a normal conventional musical. So we wanted to kind of honor the situation by naming it and giving it a new category name. And it’s almost kind of like a manifesto to call it a new thing. And that is our intention of calling it something, not a musical, but the super live”, explaining the impetus to create this new genre Matsuda says “I think musicals in Japan was something where the audience wasn’t necessarily young. It was more geared towards a certain demographic that was stable, but not necessarily all encompassing. But once we started doing 2.5 and we incorporated more comics and animation as an original story, their fan base came to see it much more. So we now have a robust group of young audiences that many have never been to a musical before that have been starting to come see the productions, and it has grown so much.” There may be a lesson here for American theaters to study on ways of attracting new and younger audiences by appealing to their tastes and sensibilities.

Riko Tanaka who plays Sailor Moon in the North American tour also commented on the format saying “The format of the production is actually that they have the Super Live musical, and then at the end, there is a second part, which is almost like a concert, and they play all the super classic hits from Sailor Moon. So it’s kind of a different setup and that part when you switch to the concert is really exciting. Because, you know, up to that point, they’re doing all this storytelling, which is great, but then once you switch to the concert, the beloved characters come out and do their known music.” “There’s characters like Tuxedo Mask and Queen Beryl and they have their number where they’re belting it out, and the characters, Sailor Moon and everybody are in the back enjoying it and cheering on as well. So it’s like a really fun part and I think that kind of resonates with the audience as well.”

Tanaka also talked about the what it is about the character that make fans love her so much. “The main character, Usagi, is a really charming, kind of a little clumsy, fun character that people want to just kind of reach out and help almost. And then there’s this other, Sailor Moon, which is like the fighting, really powerful, strong, enigmatic character that is like unbeatable. And that contrast between the two makes it very interesting and attractive, I think. And I feel like keeping that gap is something that makes it very interesting to people.” I asked Tanaka what it was like to take on such an iconic role? “definitely it’s been incredible to be selected and of course all my family, my relatives, everybody was like, oh my God, that’s amazing and they were very happy about it and they were celebrating it. But of course, this is a role that has been very important within this industry. So my fellow actors who understand the significance of the role have been so encouraging and they have been celebrating with me this achievement. Not only just to portray the role, the beloved Sailor Moon, for the people all over the world who love Sailor Moon, but I do it also as me, as an actor. This is going to be my main rise to fame role. So it is something that I take with such honor, and the responsibility is felt, but I’m very excited about it too.” Producer Matsuda added “So actually in Japan There is very few auditions, not as much as you think. But, that being said, every young actress in Japan wants to play Sailor Moon, so there’s a lot of people who apply. So she [Riko] is very casual about it, but this is a really big deal though that she won the Sailor Moon position”.

Tanaka remembers that her first exposure to Sailor Moon was the anime series when she was three or four years old. “It was at that age when you kind of played the character with your friends and stuff. And, actually my favorite character was Sailor Jupiter.” Choreographer for the show Satomi Toma talked about going back to the original manga’s for inspiration “Once I got involved in this production, I had the opportunity to reread the original manga. And I was so moved and impressed by like this elegant line, the beauty of how it’s being portrayed. Talking about choreography, how her hair moves, how her skirt flitters and like that sense is something that I really wanted, that sense of awe. I do want to keep in the production as well that impression that it had on me, it was very strong. There’s a color version as well, but especially the black and white version, I feel like that line is something that left an impression on me when I was looking at the original comic for the first time.”

Matsuda hopes that audiences take away three things from Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon the Super Live “The first message is this is also a message about peace and how there’s a lot of fighting and action, but it is about how that is a sad thing and how important it is to know how precious peace is. The second thing is the message of love. Sailor Moon is loved by generations of people. We see people, mother and daughter that come together and enjoy. Different generations that come together and they go and are very happy about it. And we want people to, you know, after seeing it, feel the sense of love doesn’t have to be certain partners or anything. It could be, I want to just call my mom and say hello, that kind of love as well. A message of love is something that is really compassion and love is something that’s important. And this is probably the most important thing. I want people to feel energized. We get energized from the feedback from the audience, the love that we receive is something that’s so contagious and we will hope that the audience feels that love and excitement and feel really fresh and energized through seeing our production as well. So those are the three things that I hope the audience could feel when they come see the super live.”

If you have someone in your life that is into mangas and anime there’s a good chance they are a fan of Sailor Moon. For me it’s my daughter Savannah who has even dressed as Sailor Moon for Halloween. A show like this is for the fans. It’s an opportunity to go experience something you love in a new way and to gather with others who share your love. I’m hoping she pulls out the costume and wears it when we attend Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon the Super Live on April 6th, my birthday at the Orpheum Theatre. The link again to purchase tickets is https://hennepinarts.org/events/pretty-guardian-sailor-moon-the-super-live-2025

Trailer for the North American Tour of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon the Super Live