WeAreMarried (WAM) is a trans led multimedia production company that develops new works designed to create a repertoire of performances that ignite creativity and provide a sustainable income for artists. They have partnered with the Jungle Theater for what has resulted in a sold out run of Rich Dogs before the first performance. First off, to clarify while the show is being performed at The Jungle Theater it isn’t being performed in the theater, it’s actually performed in the lobby. This drastically reduces the number of audience members for each performance to about 20. I love an experience like this, setting something in a unique venue or site specific location. My preferred seat is always front row because I like to reduce the barrier between myself and the work as much as possible. I enjoy the intimacy of a small performance space and the connection one feels with the actors and the material. Rich Dogs is 90 minutes of a world turned upside down where dogs are the masters and the humans have to wait in the lobby until called for. It’s also a love story that takes place while the audience is trying to understand the rules of this new world order. Just when you feel like you are getting a grasp on the plays reality, something new, surprising and wonderful happens.

It’s hard to wrap your head around what you are experiencing in the moment. Our minds tend to try and impose structure not only narratively but in terms of how the world we are experiencing works. Dogs can talk, and so can humans. Dogs are in charge, humans know they once were, but more or less seem OK with the way things are at least on the surface. And this is where the traditional mind takes over and starts trying to figure out if there will be a revolt or something along those lines. But it isn’t that kind of play. It’s essentially a romantic comedy, a meet cute between two dog servants. The oddities of the world they inhabit are not the plot, just the backdrop in front of which their growing connection plays out. It adds a lot of humor and keeps the audience on their toes or perhaps off balance. The humans are played by Jay Eisenberg and Chelsie Newland and they are simply the dog’s pajamas. They are fully committed to the quirkiness of the roles, they are playing humans, but humans who have lost a step, and seem unsure of the rules themselves. The play is co written by the two stars and the Director Shelby Richardson. They have conjured a world that is a funhouse mirror of our own that also has space in it for a nightmare featuring a giant dog paw, an homage to Mulholland Drive, and a magical musical duet that reminded me why I love theater. I cannot imagine anyone else in these roles, they are written for Eisenberg and Newland and they fit them some perfectly.

Richardsons direction uses the every aspect of the space, the actors go in and out of the theater on either side, Eisenberg makes his first appearance on the street outside the windows to the lobby. Richardson has them inhabiting the space not simply performing in front of our chairs in a corner of the lobby. Alex Pears creates a wholly unexpected and very impressive giant dog leg for a dream sequence and also designed these bizarre sleep inflatables the humans wear, one assumes so they can grab a few winks whenever they get a chance, because their masters usually just sleep for a couple of hours at a time. They are also used for a rather risque sequence where the humans take turns blowing each others inflatables up. There’s also clever use of video, created by Victoria Carpenter that’s used throughout on a TV that is rolled out, including what must be dog erotica in which Eisenberg via green screen tempts dogs via the video as a bag of trash and a mud puddle. Dan Dukich does the sound design and there is a lot going on from snippets of the play the dogs are attending inside the theater to various sounds and music that originate from a radio. Finally, the costumes by Bee Begley consist of these stylized uniforms that seem very much like something that would come from the minds of dogs who have taken over the world, they are a nice touch that helps build the reality of this unreal world.

There is so much to praise here that it feels like rubbing salt in a wound, knowing that unless you already have tickets you are not going to get to see it….this time. In the program there is mention of a program they have called WAM-For-Hire, I’m including the link here to their website https://www.wearemarried.org/hirewam. So you can hire WAM to do a private performance of the plays in the portfolio, this is a fascinating idea of a new theater model and I’m interested to see how it plays out. For more information and to be added to the waitlist for the remaining performances which run through October 8th go to https://www.jungletheater.org/rich-dogs

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. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/

I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by my colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. We also produce the podcast Twin Cities Theater Chat!! which you can access through this link or wherever you enjoy podcasts https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/ . We post biweekly longer form episodes that will focus on interviews and discussions around theater topics. There is also shorter episodes in which we Bloggers tell you what we think you should get out and see as well as what we have on our schedules that we are most looking forward too.

After experiencing two of Ken Ludwig’s plays last season Murder on the Orient Express and Ken Ludwig’s Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood I was excited to see Ken Ludwig’s The Three Musketeers at Lakeshore Players Theatre, maybe too excited. There are a lot positive aspects of the production, but also several things to temper ones enjoyment. The biggest plus is some of the best stage combat I’ve seen, unfortunately it seems to have come at a cost to the other aspects of performance. There is overall sense that the production wasn’t quite ready for an audience, everything things loose and slightly unfocused. Everything that is except for the stage combat, which is very tight, excellently devised and executed. My biggest advice to anyone planning to attend the production is to sit as close to the stage as possible. Distance from the performers only detaches one from the performances and amplifies the technical issues, which include a lack of sufficient amplification.

Ludwig’s script Generally follows many of the plot points of the original novel by Alexandre Dumas, simplified of course and with the notable addition of the character of Sabine, D’Artagnan’s sister. D’Artagnan and Sabine head to Paris from the country, D’Artagnan hoping to become a Musketeer, and Sabine to attend school at a convent. Both are skilled with the blade and after first running afoul of the Three Musketeers Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, they earn their respect and become allies. The villain of the piece is Cardinal Richelieu who opposes the King of France and whose henchman Rochefort D’Artagnan has sworn to avenge himself against. Richelieu also uses a spy called Milady in his attempts to thwart the King and seize power for himself. There are love interests and nefarious plots and schemes all played with a knowing wink at the audience and a modern sense of humor. It’s clear that Sherwood was modeled on this template and while I don’t think the script is as good. I think it’s slightly disjointed and unfocused feel is due more to Eric Morris’ direction.

There is a sense that the production could have benefitted from another week of rehearsal or that in an effort to make sure the swordplay as brilliant as it is, that other areas didn’t get the attention they needed. Even with professional theaters there is a finite amount of time and resources that can be devoted to a play. I think Morris had to choose where to devote the time they had and with stage combat precision equals safety. Once you commit to the fight choreography you have to make sure everyone has it down so no one gets hurt. With how good Mason Tyer’s fight designs are, I can imagine they consumed more time from rehearsals than expected. It felt that several aspects on the technical side of things were also not as sharp as they needed to be. Nathaniel Glewwe’s sound design, particularly the inspired musical choices, everything from Abba to Danny Elfman’s Batman Score was undermined by a lack of volume. I’ve been to several shows where the music overpowered the dialogue but that wasn’t the case here, the balance was just fine, it was the volume level that was the issue. No music was coming from the speakers in the back half of the theater as far as I could tell, all came from the front. Sitting in the second half of the theater it felt like there was a dampening buffer between myself and the play. The lighting by Alex Clark was inconsistent, and there were staging elements that screamed for some creative lighting that just wasn’t supplied. A scene between D’Artagnan and Athos when they have met in order to duel features a minute or so, of the two actors standing in the least lit portion of the stage, not for any effect that I could discern but because someone forgot to light them or execute the lighting cue. Maybe I’m being too hard on a Community Theater production, I don’t cover a lot of them and tend to evaluate the ones I do by the same standards I use with a professional theater company. But I usually find that the ones I cover are at a very high level and this one in my opinion surpassed many professional theater productions in terms of it’s stage combat.

Another downside of the upside of great stage combat is that the performances in some cases suffered. Some roles seemed to have been filled by people who are fantastic and stage combat, but perhaps the acting skills are not as well developed. In other cases, actors I recognize felt a little less solid, and I suspect that is due to devoted much of the preparation to learning the fight choreography. Most of the performances are fine, it’s just a sense that most could have used more time to really hone in on their characters and make their choices more concrete. The best performances are those that have very little fight choreography. Luke Aaron Davidson as Cardinal Richelieu has the perfect over the top villain performance the material calls for. Garrett Hildebrandt who plays King Louis, though it’s a smaller role, gives the solid well defined performance we expect from actors at this level, I don’t think he had a single fight scene.

Look, it’s not a bad production and there are some great elements, and who knows maybe as the show progresses the production will tighten up. This is some of the best stage combat you are likely to see. Just take my advice when booking your seats get as close to the stage as you can. I don’t know if it’s the technical design work of the show or the limitations of the theaters equipment, but the closer the better. Ken Ludwig’s The Three Musketeers runs through October 1st at Lakeshore Players Theatre in White Bear Lake. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.lakeshoreplayers.org/the-three-musketeers

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. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/

I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by my colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. We also produce the podcast Twin Cities Theater Chat!! which you can access through this link or wherever you enjoy podcasts https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/ . We post biweekly longer form episodes that will focus on interviews and discussions around theater topics. There is also shorter episodes in which we Bloggers tell you what we think you should get out and see as well as what we have on our schedules that we are most looking forward too.

Faithful readers and theater lovers I have to let you know about an upcoming event with the opportunity to score some great deals on theater tickets from over a dozen local theater companies. Next Saturday September 23rd from Noon until 5:00 PM at Hidden Falls Regional Park, Transforming Families MN is hosting the annual fundraiser and celebrating Day of the Transgender Child. Transforming Families of MN is a Peer led support group for Transgender youth and their families. When my family began our journey with my son George about 10 years ago, we had a lot of questions. We found answers, resources, and support when we discovered Transforming Families of MN. When we joined, it consisted of maybe a dozen families but over these last ten years it has grown to over 1,000 members. The organization provides five monthly peer support meetings, advocates for the rights of trans and non-binary youth, and engages with the community to create a safer and more understanding environment for our kids. 

This event is close to my heart and provides you an opportunity to support Transgender kids and their families as well as picking up some really good deals on theater tickets.

At the event you can expect:
*A robust resource fair
*New Day of the Transgender Child T-shirt design
*Drag Tale Time with Transforming Generations
*Amazing guest speakers
*Silent Auction to help raise funds for TFF
*Rainbow Bingo
*Face-painting
*All the family fun

I want to draw your attention to the silent auction. There are going to be a lot of theater tickets to bid on in the auction. And we all know how Silent auctions are, sometimes you get a real steal, but even if you end up bidding full price for a show you planned to see anyway you are also helping to keep Transforming Families doing the great work they do. Now more than ever, our families need support. Transforming Families is part of a coalition of Minnesota nonprofits working to welcome individuals and families fleeing from states where legislation has limited access to basic human rights. We fundraise because we believe that all transgender youth deserve to be safe, healthy and happy. 

A big thank you to all of the theater’s who overwhelmed me with their enthusiasm and generosity. You’ll have to come to Day of the Transgender Child to see everything and to bid but here are some of the Theaters that have donated and there are still more coming in.

Yellow Tree Theatre: $150 Gift Certificate (that’s enough to buy a season ticket to the theatre!)

Chanhassen Dinner Theatres: 3 pairs of dinner and show tickets

History Theatre: 2 tickets

Hennepin Theatre Trust: 2 tickets to Girl From the North Country, featuring the songs of Minnesota’s own Bob Dylan on opening night 10/10/23 which also officially launches the North American Tour!

Lyric Arts: I love this one 2 tickets + 2 drink coupons + a Popcorn!

Jungle Theater: 2 pairs of tickets

Theater Mu: 2 tickets

Theatre in the Round Players: 2 tickets

Stages Theatre Company: 4 tickets

Theater Latté Da: 2 tickets

Theatre Pro Rata: 2 tickets to their fall production Bernhardt/Hamlet

Artistry: 2 tickets for their production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

For more information about the event you can click on this link to the Transforming Families MN Facebook event https://bit.ly/DOTC2023

I hope to see lots of theater lovers out there bidding on these wonderful theater tickets and supporting Transforming Families MN. I’ll be out there all day as a proud parent of a Transgender son handing out free popcorn donated by The stages of MN. Make sure to stop by and say hi and hit me up for theater recommendations!

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. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/

I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by my colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. We also produce the podcast Twin Cities Theater Chat!! which you can access through this link or wherever you enjoy podcasts https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/ . We post biweekly longer form episodes that will focus on interviews and discussions around theater topics. There is also shorter episodes in which we Bloggers tell you what we think you should get out and see as well as what we have on our schedules that we are most looking forward too.

Oscar Wilde was perhaps the greatest wit of the 19th Century and The Importance of Being Earnest is one of his best known works is the perfect showcase of his genius. Unlike the comedies of Shakespeare, Wilde’s play makes no claim to a greater understanding of human nature. It pokes fun at pomposity and the upper classes detachment from reality to be sure, but in truth its greatest achievement is that it is hilariously entertaining. The Guthrie has gathered together a cast that knows just how to play Wilde’s witty dialogue and they bring a physicality to their roles that heightens the already deliciously ludicrous tone. As an avowed anglophile and connoisseur of British humor, Wilde’s work has always hit the sweet spot for me. I’ve enjoyed many productions over the years at the Guthrie but I’m not sure I’ve laughed as consistently at anything as much as I did at The Importance of Being Earnest. This is the rare play from the 1800’s that needs no modernization to make it accessible. No prep or footnotes directed to the audience, it just plays brilliantly.

The play which premiered in 1895 centers on two members of the idle upper class Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff both of whom they discover make use of an alias in order to get out of obligations and do whatever they feel like. Jack has created a younger brother named Earnest which he uses to leave his home in the country where he lives with his ward, the 18 year old Cecily, and goes to London to live the carefree and pleasure centered life as said imaginary brother Earnest. Algernon has invented an invalid friend named Bunbury, who he uses to get out of dinners with his aunt Lady Bracknell under the excuse of being called to Bunbury’s sick bed. Jack has fallen in love with Lady Bracknell’s daughter Gwendolen and she with him, but Lady Bracknell will not allow the engagement due to Jack’s not knowing where he came from having been discovered in a handbag as an infant in Victoria station. Algernon, thinking Jack will be in London through the weekend and having discovered his country address and the existence of the young ward Cecily, arrives at Jack’s country home pretending to be his younger brother Earnest. Cecily and Algernon immediately fall in love, when Jack returns early to inform his household of the death of his brother Earnest he’s surprised to find that Earnest has been moved into the bedroom next to his. The final ingredient is when both men who have wooed under the name of Earnest learn that the women they love both declare they could only ever love a man named Earnest, which neither of them actually are. Hilarity ensues and one can only speculate that the play itself served as the template for every book P.G. Wodehouse ever wrote.

Corey Brill plays Jack, the straight man, at least comparatively to Michael Doherty’s Algernon, whose general look seems to be based in part on Oscar Wilde himself. Both play their roles superbly with Doherty really adding a physical playfulness to his characterization that finds added humor with every movement, particularly in the opening scenes. Helen Cespedes is Gwendolen and Adelin Phelps is Cecily who verbally spare over their erroneous assumption that they are both engaged to Earnest. They play the catiness of female rivals well, Cespedes scores a huge laugh involving lumps of sugar. Twin Cities treasure Sally Wingert is the formidable Lady Bracknell and commands the stage like a force of nature whenever she appears. She deliciously sells the leaps of logic and nonsensical rationale for all of her firmly held beliefs which change depending on her perceived goal. Lastly, I want to mention recent transplant to the Twin Cities and Actor to watch Daniel Petzold who plays Jack’s servant Merriman. Unfortunately Petzold isn’t given much to do by the script in The Importance of Being Earnest and in a way it feels like a waste of his talents. Still it’s good to see that local theater’s are keeping him employed, he’s a rising talent and we don’t want to lose him. Hopefully his next role will give him more to chew on.

The play is directed by David Ivers who has mounted a great looking play and guided his performers to fully realized characterizations. I love the physical touches that help to just add that little extra zing to the wonderfully comedic and rich dialogue. The one area that could have been improved on is there are a few instances where a character is facing the back of the stage and delivering dialogue for far to long. I had seats fairly close to the stage and in those moments the dialogue was lost to me. Speaking in that direction now and then is acceptable but to have a character face no one in the audience and deliver lines for one or two minutes at a stretch needed to be rethought. Luckily, it only happens a couple of times. Susan Tsu’s costumes are just gorgeous, Algernon’s wardrobe is foppish and comical, Jack’s is elegant and stylish, but the women, particularly the gowns worn by Lady Bracknell and Gwendolen are stunning. Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams set design is very classy, the play is in three acts with an intermission between each of the acts so that the set can be changed to a new location for each scene. It looks amazing, the final intermission though seemed to run longer than expected as they seemed to be having a little trouble with the scene change, hopefully that will work smoother as the run continues.

The is a great opportunity to see one of the great comedic plays brought to stage by a cast who knows how to make the laughs work to their fullest. I always tell folks when a classic like this comes around make sure you see it. Plays are meant to be seen performed and some of these don’t come around as often as they should. This is a great production to launch the new season and it runs through October 15th. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/2023-2024-season/the-importance-of-being-earnest/ .

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. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/

I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by my colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. We also produce the podcast Twin Cities Theater Chat!! which you can access through this link or wherever you enjoy podcasts https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/ . We post biweekly longer form episodes that will focus on interviews and discussions around theater topics. There is also shorter episodes in which we Bloggers tell you what we think you should get out and see as well as what we have on our schedules that we are most looking forward too.

For a show that runs only about 75 to 80 minutes playwright Lloyd Suh packs a lot of generational trauma into a two character one location play that spans nearly two centuries. Sumptuously designed, lit and costumed, the only thing that outshines the look of this production are the performances by it’s two stars Katie Bradley and Michael Sung Ho. What begins with humor ends in grief, for the characters as well as the audience. That’s not a bad thing, it speaks to the versatility and power of the piece. It does that wonderful thing that the best theater is capable of, it creates empathy. It gives voice to the history of Asian Americans that is at once unfamiliar but also all too familiar. Open Eye Theatre earns its name with this show, it’s an eye opening experience, and one I’m grateful to have witnessed.

Throughout our history we see the way that those with a different skin color or cultural background have been treated. Using Afong Moy, a real Chinese girl sold by her father to an import company at fourteen, Suh is able to trace the history of the Chinese who came to the United States like so many others looking for a land of opportunity only to find a land of the free and the white. We are introduced to Afong Moy by her interpreter Atung, he as Moy tells us and he agrees, is irrelevant. Moy is fourteen and the first Chinese woman to immigrate to the United States. She is all wide eyed and curious and feels honored to be on display for the American people to learn about her culture. She describes her duties at the beginning of the hour sitting in a room surrounded by objects from China, she does not move or speak. At one point Atung will bring in a tray so that people can watch her eat with chopsticks and drink tea. Then she will get up and walk in a circle around the room, so those who have paid to see her can look at her feet which are tiny having been bound. Although I doubt there are many in the audience who hadn’t picked up on the implications of this existence, it isn’t until Moy cheerfully describes the process of foot binding she underwent at four years old that we really get a sense of how dark the script may get. In the beginning in 1836 at 14, Moy plays the unreliable narrator leaving us with our knowledge of history and the world to see things for what they really are. By the end in 2023 she is 201 and tells us the reality opening our eyes. Though this story is specifically that of Chinese Americans, for any BIPOC American the broad strokes will resonate and speak to their own generational trauma. Because it’s the same story over and over throughout history whether you are indigenous Americans, Black, Chinese, Japanese.

Katie Bradley as Afong Moy and Michael Sung Ho as Atung begin the show with a satirical edge and direct to the audience performances that belays the power they will both bring later in the show. Katie Bradley comes across as in control but naive at the beginning with Michael Sung Ho playing the subservient, only to later reveal he has the upper hand as she cannot speak English and so his interpretations can be whatever he wants to have her say. It’s playful at the start, but as the show progresses, so do their performances. Ho has a fiery speech where he recounts a dream and in it his true anger and fears come out, it’s a gripping moment that preludes a withdrawal and resignation to his fate as basically a slave to the Chinese Lady Show. Bradley’s transformation as all upwards from naive to passionate about what transpired between 1836 and 2023. The pain and anger are palpable, its an actor giving over her voice to a long dead woman so she can at last share her truth and her pain.

Eric Sharp makes his directorial debut with The Chinese Lady and based on this show I hope to continue seeing him direct as well as perform. The costumes designed by Matt LeFebvre are elegant and fit with the overall design work by Joel Sass (set and props) and Emma Gustafson (Wig and Makeup). I really felt that the lighting design by Kathy Maxwell added so much to the mood and tone of the show. Open eye has such a small stage area but that must lend itself to very precise and effective lighting, everything is very controlled and purposeful even the final fade to black feels like more of a statement than a show ending. The Chinese Lady runs through September 24th at Open eye Theatre in Minneapolis for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.openeyetheatre.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. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/

I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by my colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. We also produce the podcast Twin Cities Theater Chat!! which you can access through this link or wherever you enjoy podcasts https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/ . We post biweekly longer form episodes that will focus on interviews and discussions around theater topics. There is also shorter episodes in which we Bloggers tell you what we think you should get out and see as well as what we have on our schedules that we are most looking forward too.

I feel like I say this every review anymore so let me just confess right up front I’ve never seen A Chorus Line before. I haven’t even seen the film of this one. Yes, I’m aware that at one time it was the longest running show in Broadway history, and no, I have no excuse. But I would say that perhaps sometimes it’s worth the wait. Had I seen a production previously, I may have gone into this production reflecting on my memories of that production rather than with a mind that is of late, constantly struggling with the question of how theater survives in a post-covid world. With the eyes and mind I came to A Chorus Line with today I see it, perhaps not as it was originally intended in 1975, but as a reflection of the current state of theater today. I see it as a meditation on the performer, why they do it, the challenges of choosing that profession, and what you do when you can no longer do what you feel you were made to do. I don’t want to turn anyone off to this production with these thoughts, the show is very entertaining, there is fabulous dancing, some good humor, some really top notch singing and yes, some very emotional dramatic moments.

A Chorus Line book by James Kirkwood & Nicholas Dante with music by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Edward Kleban is set during an audition for the Chorus line of a new Broadway musical. The initial group of 24 dancers is paired down to the final 17 of which only 8 are needed. Besides the dancers the only other characters are the Director Zach and the assistant choreographer Larry. After putting them through some steps he then asks them to tell him about themselves. The show seems designed to give the audience a chance to see beyond the sea of legs and arms and perfectly timed jazz hands to the individuals that make up a chorus line. It asks us to see beyond the entertainment to the human underneath. To remind us that what looks like a single line is made up of unique artists, each with their own lives and stories. In these times when unions are striking and the consumers of entertainment simplify their perspective on it by thinking actors are all rich and famous, it’s important to shine a light on the reality.

The show begins with 24 dancers on stage all trying to be the best and singing the opening song “I Hope I Get It”. Immediately we are reminded that this is what a working performer does, they try to get the next job so they can pay their rent and eat. When they get to the section where Zach is asking the dancers to tell him about themselves, it’s over the course of multiple songs, some about an individual dancer, while others are in montage. Once we have a glimpse of some and a deeper understanding of others, one of the dancers suffers and injury. It’s the kind of injury that could end a career and we can see it cross everyone of their faces that could be them. Now that we have achieved a level personal connection with them, we have an emotional understanding of what that could mean. After the injured dancer is taken to the hospital, Zach asks the group what would they do if they could no longer dance? It’s a question more and more dancers, singers, actors, and other artists are undoubtedly asking themselves everyday. Audiences have not returned to live theater to anywhere near the pre-covid days. Theaters are closing, that means fewer productions a year, fewer roles for performers. If you are an actor, a dancer, a singer, what would you do if you could no longer do that?

With a cast of 26, any attempt to summarize performance as a whole seems impossible. There are a few featured performers that I do think stand out from the crowd, though it may be the size of the role above talent, because in general I thought it to be a very talented cast. Kyler Chase as Zach is the one role that doesn’t require much in terms of dancing, but requires an actor who can take command of the stage at a moments notice. Chase moves in and out of the dancers in the opening and then takes to going up and down the stairs of theater, he is with the audience and we are with him, he is asking the questions that we want answers to, who are these people? what makes them dance? Jaclyn McDonald as Cassie, a former girlfriend of Zach who has realized she isn’t meant to be a star, she’s good at dancing and it’s what she loves. She has a wonderful solo number that illustrates how see feels “The Music and the Mirror”. Chris Sanchez plays Paul a young dancer who during a talk with Zach reveals how he came to dancing and his homosexuality and how he had to hide both from his family. It’s the really moving moment in the show and the one that made my eye leak a little. Sanchez earns the tears, with his vulnerable and compelling performance. Finally, a shout out to Marley Ritchie as Diana who sings the song “What I Did For Love” it’s a beautiful rendition of the song, and coupled with her dancing skills she was clearly one of the most talented of a very talented cast.

Director Scott Ford stages the location show as dynamically as he can. Having Zach come out into the audience so that it feels like his voice is coming from us was a great thematic choice as well as adding an element of variety to what is by design a very stagebound show. Lauri Kraft has done a miracle with the choreography. Lyric Arts isn’t a tiny stage, but it isn’t a huge one either and when she has 26 performers all on stage at one time dancing and the audience is able to see what they are all doing and remark at their synchronization, that’s a hell of a feat. Kraft uses the canny device of having someone who can do something special like a flip to raise the wow factor and punch up a dance routine. It’s always wise to incorporate any special techniques someone has rather than getting locked into a predetermined sequence, it always feels when you see that happen that it was done by someone who knows the value of collaboration. The Musical Director is Wesley Frye and he and his orchestra handle Marvin Hamlisch’s iconic music with the precision needed to perform all of the wonderful dance moves we see throughout. Finally a quick comment on Christy Branham’s costumes, far out!

If you are like me and have never seen A Chorus Line I highly recommend this production. Remember theater is now, theater is this moment, you can’t DVR it and watch it later, it’s what makes theater special. Everytime you put off seeing a show you miss the opportunity to experience something unique. But it’s also of the moment in the way this show feels as relevant today as it did over 45 years ago. Since I began going to the theater in ernest, this show hasn’t been performed locally, it probably will be again, but it may be five or even ten years, this might be your chance, don’t throw away your shot. A Chorus Line runs through October 1st at Lyric Arts in Downtown Anoka for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.lyricarts.org/a-chorus-line

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. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/

I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by my colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. We also produce the podcast Twin Cities Theater Chat!! which you can access through this link or wherever you enjoy podcasts https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/ . We post biweekly longer form episodes that will focus on interviews and discussions around theater topics. There is also shorter episodes in which we Bloggers tell you what we think you should get out and see as well as what we have on our schedules that we are most looking forward too.

Much was made by me over Theatre in the Round Players perfect season last year, and well it should. In one season they went from a generally reliable if uneven community theatre, to one of the best bets in the Twin Cities Theater scene. Theater lovers should take note that they are also one of the most affordable. A perfect season is a hard act to follow, but with their first show of the 2023 – 24 season, Arsenic & Old Lace, is off to a strong start. Many will have seen productions of this show previously, it’s a staple of community theaters, colleges, and high schools. In what feels like a trend lately, I had never seen a stage production before, though I’ve seen the 1944 Frank Capra film at least a dozen times. It was a favorite of mine growing up and a love for it that I passed onto my son George who attended the opening night performance with me. We noted a few of the minor changes that were made when the play was adapted to film but were pleased with how similar the two are. At its heart this is a dark comedy that is so entertaining and funny that one completely loses sight that it’s essentially a play about serial killers.

Written in 1939 by Joseph Kesselring, Arsenic and Old Lace ran on Broadway in January 1941 and ran until June 1944. It’s the story of the Brewster Family, the elderly Aunts Abby and Martha whose kind heartedness and desire to do good deeds extends to relieving elder familyless men of their lonesome existences. They advertise rooms for rent and then establishing through the interview that the men who apply are old and alone and in their mind have nothing to live for, they dispatch them with a glass of homemade elderberry wine laced with Arsenic, Strychnine, and just a pinch of Cyanide. Their nephew Teddy, who believes himself to be Teddy Roosevelt, is told they are victims of yellow fever and he is charged with burying them in the locks he has dug in the basement for the Panama Canal. Mortimer Brewster their other nephew stops by with his new Fiance, Elaine, to tell the aunts the good news and stumbles upon what he at first assumes is the result of his brother Teddy graduating from harmless to homicidal. Mortimer decides the best course of action is to get Teddy committed ASAP in order to keep his aunts out of trouble. While he is out trying to make all the arrangements, a third brother Jonathan a ruthless and cruel killer and his accomplice Dr. Einstein strong arms his way into his childhood home and he has a body of his own to dispose of. Dr. Einstein is a plastic surgeon and has given Jonathan new faces once the police are onto him. His recent surgery made him look like Boris Karloff, this was an inside joke during the original Broadway run where the role of Jonathan was played by Boris Karloff. When Mortimer returns he tries to throw Jonathan out, but with every revelation of bodies and murderers the upper hand keeps shifting between the brothers. Things get complicated when the police get involved due to Teddy blowing his buggle in order to call for a cabinet meeting.

Cary Grant who starred in the film as Mortimer is a hard act to follow and it took Ron Ravensborg all of five minutes to make the role his own. He wisely doesn’t try and emulate Grants performance, but plays the character as written and finds his own voice for the role. The standouts performance wise are all of the actors portraying the Brewsters. Kristen C. Mathisen and Naomi Karstad play the sweet misguided aunts Abby and Martha. They have the sweetness down so perfectly that the audience really does, at least momentarily, forgive them for killing 12 men. Jared Reise plays Teddy perfectly with one caveat, I would have liked to see him really go for it everytime Teddy ascends the staircase, which to him is San Juan Hill. Lastly, in terms of Brewsters is Luke Langfeldt as Jonathan, whoever did his makeup did a fantastic job, you can see the resemblance to Karloff is achieved. I also want to mention Lucas Gerstner who plays Dr. Einstein, he actually elicits a sympathetic response from the audience as we root for him to wiggle his way out of the clutches of the police and Jonathan.

Director George M. Roesler doesn’t attempt to reenvision this classic play, he knows his audience and embraces the farcical nature of the play and succeeds with its main objective which is to entertain. Set Designer Lee Christian has once again gone above what we used to expect from Theatre in the Round Players. Creating multiple levels on the main floor and using one of the sections towards the top of the audience seating for the upper floor of the house. There is also a wonderful window seat perfect for stashing bodies in or to sit on and look out into the cemetery that lays outside the window. This design gives Roesler the opportunity to stage the action without compromising some of the classic moments, like Teddy’s charges up the stairs and Jonathan telling the Aunts who are up at the top of the stairs to go back to bed. Rebecca Karstad does a nice job with the costumes, they have a period feel and it was a nice touch dressing Langfeldt in a subtle homage to Karloff’s costume from the first two Frankenstein films.

I had a great time with Arsenic & Old Lace, I was prepared to do some debate with myself to squash any criticisms that came up from comparing it to the film, which would not have been fair. But the production didn’t need me to argue for it, it presents itself as a funny, engaging and very entertaining night at the theater. If you are a fan of the film, I think you’ll enjoy this take on it. If you are not familiar with it, I envy you a chance to see this play without any preconceived ideas. I can never see it without knowing what’s coming, but if you have someone like that in your life that wouldn’t know anything going in that’s the person to take to this wonderful production. The show runs through Oct 1st. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.theatreintheround.org/home/season-placeholder/72nd-season/arsenic/

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. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/

I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by my colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. We also produce the podcast Twin Cities Theater Chat!! which you can access through this link or wherever you enjoy podcasts https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/ . We post biweekly longer form episodes that will focus on interviews and discussions around theater topics. There is also shorter episodes in which we Bloggers tell you what we think you should get out and see as well as what we have on our schedules that we are most looking forward too.