Parade is a Powerful and Darkly Beautiful Musical That Shines a Light on This Country’s Great Sickness at the Orpheum Theatre

The National Touring Company of PARADE, photo by Joan Marcus

Parade which opened last night at the Orpheum Theatre for a five day run is not what I was originally expecting it to be. When the show was announced as part of the 2024-2025 Hennepin Arts Bank of America Broadway on Hennepin Theatre season, I had some notion it was one of the less popular musicals from the 1940’s and 50’s featuring Judy Garland in the film version. Turns out, I was thinking of Easter Parade, which was never a Broadway show, just a film. This is probably about as far away from that Jukebox musical as you can get. What this is however, is a powerful reflection on the hatred and abuses of power on which our country was, and is run. The ignorance and fear by which people are led to do horrible things all set to a beautiful score. I know this doesn’t sound like the show anyone has the stomach for right now, but to miss it would be a mistake. It is a tragic true crime story that ends not with justice, but tragedy. There is no inspirational fanfare at the end just the applause for artists telling a difficult story very, very well. If you are like me, it’ll make you angry, but that’s a good thing. This is where art can remind us, not to be numb to the injustices around us, but to be angry and to fight. When people tell lies to make others angry and trick them into actions that defy logic, when people in roles of authority don’t care about the truth but just feeding the fear of the masses, you should be angry.

Parade tells the story of the 1913 murder of of a 13 year old girl named Mary Phagan and the man Leo Frank, whom the authorities decided should be guilty. What always upsets me about stories like this is how the authorities do not care about justice for the 13 year old girl. They know they’re manufacturing evidence to get a conviction so that they don’t look bad in the press. They don’t care about catching the person that actually did it. We here stories like this over and over again, why? I’m afraid because it really happens like this, over and over and over again. The creators of Parade, the legendary Harold Prince who co-conceived it and the Author of the book Alfred Uhry and Composer and Lyricist Jason Robert Brown have brought power and beauty to this historical event. The show premiered in 1998 winning Tony Awards, then as well as in the revival in 2023 on which this touring production is based. Director Michael Arden has staged a darkly beautiful tableau making commentary on what is happening with things as subtle as who is singing or more pointedly who isn’t. While there isn’t a lot in the way of dancing, the co-choreographers Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant clearly were integral in designing the movements of the characters outside of what we think of as traditional dancing. There are moments when three young girls are testifying that has a dreamlike fluidity, a nightmarish beauty to it. The production is sprinkled with moments like that throughout. The set design by Dane Laffrey is simple yet effective and makes great use of Sven Ortel’s Projection designs, both of which you can get a taste of in the photo above.

The cast is very strong, the leads Max Chernin and Talia Suskauer as Leo and Lucille Frank are terrific together in their two second act duets “This is Not Over Yet” and “All the Wasted Time“. Their performances as they become closer near the end and Leo begins to see that Lucille brings so much to the table that he never saw before, makes the gut punch ending ever so much more bitter. Another fantastic performance comes from Ramone Nelson who plays Jim Conley, a black janitor at the pencil factory where Leo works and where Mary’s body was found. His song at the trial “That’s What He Said” is the most damning evidence which he has been blackmailed by the D.A. into giving. Nelson is so smooth and convincing that it lends believability to the testimony, it’s a stand out number. Another favorite in the cast was Chris Shyer as Governor Slaton, who pulls a switch on the audience and turns out to be a good guy. But don’t worry, before the show ends balance will be returned to the South when the crooked D.A. get elected as the new Governor of Georgia. Wouldn’t it be great if that last sentence was a joke instead of a reflection of reality? Finally Olivia Goosman needs a mention as Mary Phagan, she only gets two scenes before she is murdered, but Director Arden, ensures that her presence is felt throughout the remainder of the show, frequently placing her high and far upstage, her presence being seen at key moments through the projection screen, a reminder of another injustice, a poor little girl that the South let go unavenged.

Parade runs through January 26th at Hennepin Arts Orpheum Theatre in Downtown Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://hennepinarts.org/events/parade-2025

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A Taste of Things to Come is a Bit Undercooked at Lyric Arts in Anoka

Bridget Benson, Lydia Rose Prior, Siri Ashley Wright, Natosha Guldan Photo by Molly Weibel

For those who enjoyed I Am Betty at The History Theatre the last two years, which is basically anyone who saw it, Lyric Arts has what plays as the public’s version of that story. A Taste of Things to Come wants to tell us about the lives of the woman who gathered together and cooked from the Betty Crocker Cookbook rather than those who created it. The problem is that A Taste of Things to Come has nothing new to say and isn’t worthy of being talked about as a companion piece to History Theatre’s smash hit. It’s wants to be a Steel Magnolias/Savannah Sipping Society type story and Act I set in 1957 does seem to have something to say about the four woman whose story it is as well about their roles in society at that point in history. There is character details, humor, some surprises, and some drama. Act II leaps forward ten years to 1967 and seems to have nothing to say and nowhere to go. The big reveals in terms of the women’s lives are delivered as if even the characters know none of it means anything. The concept of the show by Hollye Levin along with the musical numbers being done in the style of the 50’s and 60’s had a lot of promise and some of the songs are actually very fun, but the book of the show written by Debra Barsha and Levin wastes a promising concept. We learn more about every theme this show tries to drag out in the second act in a more effective and powerful way in the play Glory, now playing at Theatre in the Round.

Look, there are things to like here, the cast is good, they can’t help that the script has nothing new to say or a fresh way to present it. I actually quite liked maybe every song in the first Act, but really only cared for the final song in the second act. I wish the program listed the songs so I could reflect on them a little more, but it doesn’t. In the performance I saw the understudy Raquel Ponce performed the role of Agnes, I always am in awe of understudies who go on, particularly in the first week of a run. I know they don’t get anywhere near the rehearsal time as the primary cast and Ponce does a nice job. My favorite performer overall was Natosha Guldan who plays Joan. They all had strengths and weaknesses but Guldan was the one who really stood out particularly in her handling of the changes in the character over the 10 years. Bridget Benson played Dottie, the conservative of the group, she’s also the one who struggles with her diet. Benson does everything you can do with the chubby uptight comic relief stereotype, she hits the jokes as well as anyone can. It’s just that the character is so derivative that it’s hard to do anything new when the writing is so uninventive. Lydia Rose Prior plays Connie who in 1957 is days away from her due date of her first child. It’s around this pregnancy that the only interesting plot development occurs. I felt at times that Prior’s voice was the strongest, but she was also victim to one the most off key moments in the show when she sang in duet with Ponce. I’m not sure who was off, but the combination was discordant. Aside from that one moment I felt the cast was the shows strengths, but a good cast can only do so much with this material.

Another strength was the costume designs by Sarah Christenson, they had a great period look to them and contributed to making Guldan’s Joan transformation so effective between the acts. Another strength was also a weakness at the same time and that was the scenic design by Curtis Phillips. It was cute and effective while also being illogical. In the first act we are in Joan’s kitchen and the women have gathered for their weekly cooking club. The set looks very retro modern, the baffling thing is there is a refrigerator, oven, Countertops, but no stovetop, even though theoretically one of the characters boils water for the Jello salad. I noted it and thought that’s weird not to have added that. In Act II, again in Joan’s kitchen, which granted has been remodeled, we now have a stovetop on the counter thats been shifted slightly in the remodel, but is essentially the same counter. Why? But the bafflement in regards to the set doesn’t end there. When we entered the theater after stretching our legs during intermission, a couch, chair and rug had been added. After about five more minutes of no activity on stage, when everyone has come back into the theater and the house lights have been dimmed, then the stage hands come out and move the kitchen set a round while we sit watching them. They move the back side portions of the set half offstage leaving the wall portion with the oven in it half onstage and half off. It felt to us in the audience that the stage hands had forgotten to make all the changes during intermission and then they couldn’t quite get the set all the way off stage. Looking back it seemed to foreshadow the second act as being half assed in general. Now with the back of the set moved away the curtain drops and we get to see the band and they have 60’s style Laugh-In flowers around them, which was a neat touch. But these oddities just added to the sense of an aimless production. The Director is Laura Tahja Johnson whose work I have admired in the past and I know I will again, but I think the material let her down as it did the cast.

A Taste of Things to Come runs through February 9th at Lyric Arts in Anoka. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.lyricarts.org/taste-of-things

Glory Skates its Way into the Hearts of the Audience at Theatre in the Round

Brynn Kelly, Gabrielle Johnson, Josie Ramler, and Kelly Solberg Photo by Tom Taintor

Theatre in the Round glides into 2025 with a season appropriate production that centers around of all things, Hockey! The feel good play of the year, it plays like a really good sports movie, with a lot of humor and moments that deal with real world issues as well. Inspired by the true story of Canada’s Preston Rivulettes, it tells the story of a Canadian women’s hockey team in the 1930’s. Opening in 1933 during the great depression and ending just after the declaration of War between Germany and Poland in 1939. Aside from thrilling to the rise of a team you come to vocally root for, the play also delves into societal issues like equality and anti-semitism among others. Those moments play powerfully but do not darken the overall feel of the show, which is inspirational. It feels like the perfect balance of getting swept up in cheering your team, hopefully to victory, personal drama, and wonderfully executed humor. A cast that felt like a team rather than a group of actors. Everyone in the play and every aspect of it from the game choreography to the set design works to create something unlike anything I’ve seen on stage before. I mean have you seen hockey games played in a theater, in the round before? I sure hadn’t, and I’m so glad I did.

The team consists of four characters, 2 pairs of sisters. Hilda and Nellie Ranscombe played by Brynn Kelly and Gabrielle Johnson, and Marm and Helen Schmuck played by Kelly Solberg and Josie Ramler. Kelly plays Hilda, who is the driving force behind the creation of the team and its star player with a drive and single minded focus that sells the audience on the team essentially being willed into existence by her alone. Johnson as her sister is terrified of the puck, but as Goalie she manages most of the time not to throw up over it. Her storyline is the polar opposite of her sisters in terms of subtlety, whereas Kelly sells her character to us with vocal passion and energy, Johnson’s role calls for her to underplay her passion and barely more than hint at a love that dare not speak its name. Ramler’s Helen is less single minded and deals with being torn between the team and other desires like being a mother. She has a great scene where she takes offense at the game announcer when he makes a comment about her femininity, the way she proves she’s a woman is a laugh out loud moment. Hilda pushes for women in hockey because it’s all she wants to do, for Helen it is more about Equality and not having her gender define what she can and cannot do whether it be playing hockey or marrying outside her jewish faith. Solberg as her sister Marm identifies more strongly with her faith and in one of the plays most dramatic moments confronts the anti-semitism she feels. It’s this moment that explains her rough playing in a game as a deeply felt injury crying out to be seen and felt. Solberg plays the moment so raw and brutally that it lands like a body check to the boards.

The show is so much about these teammates that it’s tempting not to mention the two men in the cast, and if they were any less perfect in their roles I’d probably leave it there. But Daniel Stock as their reluctant coach perfectly modulates that journey from not caring to deeply caring about this team. It’s humorous when he doesn’t want to be there and then emotionally satisfying when he does begin to actually care and want them to succeed. Glory is very much A League of Their Own on ice and Stock has the Tom Hanks role, but he does his own thing with it and it’s so integrated into the whole that it’s hard not to feel as though the team isn’t complete without him. The final performer is Ron Lamprecht who is perfect as the Announcer for all of the hockey games. Lamprecht sounds exactly like an announcer and it adds a sense of reality to the games as well as helping us to fill in the action on the rink. That action is choreographed by Antonia Perez and it mixes simulated hockey play with dance in a way that shouldn’t work, but really does. It doesn’t feel like the performers have all of the moves down 100% but that kind of adds to the charm a little bit. Perez’s highlights are the more obvious dance moves and the fights that breakout. I loved the simplicity of the set design by Keven Lock and his assistant Essel Beidler, the painted on ice rink complete with blade marks in the ice was a great touch. Director Sean Dooley has found a way to make a theater in the round staging of ice hockey games work, it’s something I couldn’t quite imagine before I went. He has some nice touches for the in the round staging, including some front row patrons in section B who are the unfortunate witnesses to Nellie’s losing battle with her nerves early in her hockey career. Another nice touch is that the show opens with the women changing after their final Softball game of the season. They strip out of their uniforms to their modest undergarments and then into street clothes. This has the effect of acknowledging their gender up front, that they are women, they have all the soft parts and then we see them as successful hockey players. It isn’t salaciously done, it’s there to illustrate Helen’s point, that they can be women and athletes, and neither diminishes the other.

I’m not a hockey fan, never played it outside of with friends at the park so that isn’t a requirement in any way to enjoy the show. But it is a great hook for hockey fans who maybe are not theatergoers usually. If I loved it, and I did, hockey fans will get as much if not more out of it I’m sure. So if you got Hockey fans in your life make sure to take them to see Glory during its run, they will thank you. Glory runs through February 9th at theatre in the Round. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.theatreintheround.org/glory/

The SpongeBob Musical From Unlabeled Theatre Company Showcases The Power of Theater

It’s hard to imagine a more illustrative example of why theater matters than Unlabeled Theatre Company’s production of The SpongeBob Musical. It isn’t the show itself, which is very fun, but the way in which it is performed. Unlabeled Theatre Company is just beginning it’s second year and this was the first production I was able to attend. The company exists to provide a way for adults with disabilities to participate in theater. Each role is performed by an actor who has a cognitive and/or physical disability or is Neurodivergent, they are paired with a neurotypical “Shadow Partner”. The two actors perform the role in unison, which works surprisingly well. Truth be told, many of these performers from the audience’s perspective, didn’t need their “shadow partners” they were fantastic on their own. Obviously I’m a huge advocate for live theater as an artform, I dedicate almost all of my leisure time to it. It combines storytelling, music, and acting but unlike with a book, CD, or film it does so in a communal setting. We have to go seek it out, but when we do, we do so in the company of others. We can see life reflected on stage or we can be carried away to far off places, even to a pineapple under the sea. It’s an amazing process by which the folks behind Unlabeled Theatre Company have made not just attending theater, but actually creating and performing it for individuals who otherwise might not be able to share in that communal experience. No one should be excluded from sharing in the magic of theater. Seeing these artists on stage reinforced my belief in the power of theater to connect us all, to change or minds and our hearts. This is way more than anyone ever expected from anything having to do with SpongeBob Squarepants.

If you are unfamiliar with the world of Bikini Bottom, the city under the sea which SpongeBob and his friends inhabit, you must not have children that were born in the last three decades. For those of us who have, SpongeBob usually holds a place in our hearts as one of the few shows our kids watched over and over again that we actually enjoyed. The story revolves around a volcano that is going to erupt and destroy Bikini Bottom. Sandy, the Squirrel, is very intelligent and figures out a way using science to prevent the catastrophe. In another of his schemes to take over Bikini Bottom, Plankton and his computer wife Karen work the citizens into a xenophobic furor and turn on the land dweller, Sandy. Meanwhile Patrick, a starfish who is SpongeBob’s best friend has become the leader of a cult of Sardines. The power goes to his head creating a break with his BFF, leaving SpongeBob, whose confidence has been shattered by his boss Mr. Krabs proclamation that he’s just a simple sponge and a fry cook and could never be the Manager of the Krusty Krab, and Sandy, who is on the run from an angry mob, the only ones who can try and climb to the top of Mount Humongous and try and stop the eruption using the bubble device Sandy has created. It’s not shakespeare, but it’s also way more involved than you expect from a musical based on a Nickelodeon cartoon. And if the story wasn’t wild enough, the songs for the show were written not by one team but by multiple songwriters including Panic! at the Disco, Cyndi Lauper, Steven Tyler & Joe Perry, Lady Antebellum, and They Might Be Giants. And those are just the songs in this abbreviated version, the full length show also features work from the late David Bowie & Brian Eno from The Flaming Lips. John Legend and Sara Bareilles as well. I guess what I’m trying to say is there’s a lot of creativity and talent behind this show to make it enjoyable to non fans of the cartoon.

This is a large cast with a lot of prominent roles and with the doubling of the cast with the inclusion of the Shadow Partners, far too many to write about all of them. So let me just highlight a couple of my favorites from the cast but first a nod of gratitude to all the Shadow Partners who helped the entire cast shine their brightest. Making his theatrical debut in the lead role of SpongeBob is Christopher Mohn. I would never have believed this was his first time on stage, and the lead is an immense ask for any first time actor. Mohn looks like he was born on stage, confident and funny he makes the role his own. My favorite musical number in the show was “I’m not a Loser” performed by Liam Donovan and his shadow partner Joey Deegan. I mention Deegan as well because the directors did something very interesting with this number and it was only made possible because of both Donovan and Deegan. This is the number that got me a little choked up. It started with Donovan beginning the song brilliantly and for the first time in the show without the shadow partner singing along in unison. This allowed Deegan to come in and perform as an actual shadow of Squidward as he converses in song with himself. It’s a beautifully executed moment and one in which the innovation was improved upon. This would not have been possible if Donovan wasn’t such a powerful performer on his own. Zach Williams, who plays Patrick Star perfectly, and his shadow Partner Max Froehich had a similar though much subtler moment. When the Sardines turn on him and frightened he decides to run off, he picks up his shadow partner, almost as if they were Scooby and Shaggy and carries him off stage. Others that really caught the eye were Callie Johnson as Sandy, Nick Jones as Mr. Krabs, and Ella Stewart as Pearl Krabs.

Aside from seeing a very entertaining and fun show this production will touch you at a deeper level. It filled my heart back up with the wonder of humanity, the miracle of live theater and the infinite variables of human beings. Tonight I saw the wonder of theater on the faces of dozens of people who were singing and acting and moving in a way that brought them joy and one assumes a sense of belonging and accomplishment. God I love the theater. The SpongeBob Musical runs through January 19th at Park Square’s Andy Boss Thrust Stage in St. Paul. For More information and to purchase tickets go to https://unlabeledtheatre.org/

On Laugh Support With Lorna Landvik at Bryant Lake Bowl Theater

Lorna Landvik is the best selling local author of over a dozen books including Patty Jane’s House of Curl and its sequel Once in a Blue Moon Lodge. I’d seen Landvik previously at a book signing for another author, but this was my first experience of her as a performer outside that of an author speaking. Taking in her show On Laugh Support With Lorna Landvik, I knew it was a comedic show but I didn’t realize that it was primarily improv. But it’s improv like I’ve never seen before because she’s the only performer. I’m used to seeing improvisational comedy with several different performers all working with each other to create something funny. This was a neat variation on that style and Landvik doesn’t need anyone else to actively play off of. And in the odd moments when she does she invites someone from the audience up to bounce things off of. Now if that’s the kind of sentence that gives you panic attacks, be assured no one is bullied onto stage, volunteers are asked for, so you can simply not put yourself forward. Of course, the more the audience participates, whether it’s volunteering or shouting out suggestions when they are requested the more fun you’ll have.

What can I tell you about the show? It’s improv and so it’s going to be different at every performance. I can tell you that Landvik is very good at creating multiple characters on the fly and that she has a gift for storytelling. I can also tell you that she is very funny. But I don’t know if that tells you very much. I guess the thing I would tell you is whether you want to get up on stage or not, at least when it’s time to shout out suggestions, don’t be shy. This really is the kind of show where the better the audience the better the show. So don’t invite along Uncle Bob who’s lost his hearing and his hearing aids. Do bring six of your most fun friends, and their dates, come early to get the best seats and enjoy dinner in the theater before and during the show. They have full menu and drink service inside the theater, doors open at 6:00 for the 7:00 PM showtimes. The food is very good and along with the usual bar drink fare, they have a lot of great N/A, from mocktails and THC drinks to the a nice variety of N/A Beers.

On Laugh Support With Lorna Landvik runs through January 31st at Bryant Lake Bowl & Theater. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.bryantlakebowl.com/theater

Alma Murder is the Best Class Reunion You’ll Ever Attend, Murder Included at The Mystery Cafe.

Faithful readers will know that this is not my first time trying to assist a bunch of actors solve a crime. But it is fair to say I’ve never successfully unmasked the killer/thief. Tonight was no exception. Yes I love a whodunnit but no, I’m not very good as a detective. Which would only matter if I was competitive, which I’m not. Just like board games or trivia nights, I don’t care if I win, I just like to play. This is my fourth Mystery Cafe adventure and it’s surprising how different they can be. This one set at an all years class reunion for Mellencamp High School, “Go Cougars!!!” differed from the others I’ve attended in that it featured less of the broad humor I’d come to expect from The Mystery Cafe. There is still humor so don’t be disappointed when you read that, but this one isn’t quite as overflowing with the kind of Dad joke, punny, and broad humor that I’ve noticed in the previous productions. That’s not a good or bad thing, just a difference. This one like all of them is possible to solve, my problem is I get hung up on motives when everyone has one. The key is to think about who had opportunity, who knew things that others didn’t, who lied about something. If you ask yourself more than just who had a motive, you can logically get there.

The cast of this production is a lot of fun. You have Adam Fielitz as Jack to Heather Meyer’s Diane. Jackie was gon’ be a football star, Diane’s debutante backseat of Jackie’s car, along with Class President, head cheerleader, Prom and Homecoming Queen. But that was years ago, now they are a middle aged married couple. Diane is still trying to run the world including organizing the Class Reunion, while her ex-jock husband who seems to have suffered a few too many concussions runs her father’s car dealership. Pete Colburn plays Principal Blake who is devastated by the fact that come Monday morning they are tearing down Mellencamp Senior High, where he has spent the last 40 years. Standing by him to wipe his nose and keep the school organized is the school secretary Ms. Belleweather played by Brittany Oberstadt, who has a secret crush. Acting as D.J. is Patina played by Jessika Wheeler who has some pretty funny music queues, but also spins some fun tunes. As Stanley, the class nerd who made it big, is Josh Carson fresh off his sold out run of the final season on A Very Die Hard Christmas. Stanley wants revenge on everyone who went to the High School. When secrets are revealed and it’s clear that he has something horrible in store for everyone of the other characters, you begin to think to yourself. He’s the baddie, he’s definitely going to get killed because everyone here has a motive to kill him. And that’s all I’m going to say about the plot of the show.

If you enjoy trying to solve mysteries, eating a nice meal while interacting at whatever your comfort level is with actors, and getting caught in the rain, you’ll enjoy any of The Mystery Cafe Shows. They have another show running through January as well called Til Death Do Us Die which I saw and enjoyed last year click here to read that review https://bit.ly/41TqaJh . For more about Alma Murder: A Killer Class Reunion and to purchase tickets go to https://www.themysterycafe.com/alma-murder. The Mystery Cafe can also be hired to perform for private functions whether it’s a family reunion or office party. The stories and humor are always PG and just good clean fun for everyone. I enjoy them immensely and have given tickets as gifts two years in a row now. Hopefully there is a new show or two next year so I can make it into a tradition.

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

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

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

The Best of 2024

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

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

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

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

Top 5 locally produced musicals in alphabetical order.

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

Top 5 locally produced Plays in alphabetical order.

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

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

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

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

From my review of Ironbound 1/20/2024

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

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

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

“The leads are Will Dusek who recently played Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys as Mac, and his girlfriend Pat is played by Katherine Fried who absolutely bowled me over last spring as Percy in The Spitfire Grill. They both give their all again here and besides sounding great they bring the desperation and guilt to life quite believably.”

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

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

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

From my review of Kinky Boots 7/12/2024

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

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

From my review of Radiant Vermin 3/2/2024

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

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

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

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

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