5-Step Guide to Being German is Paco Erhard’s one man show that normally runs about 80 minutes but to conform to the MN Fringe format it’s been crammed into the 60 minute time allocation. Erhard talks fast, I’m not sure if it’s to cram everything into the shortened time frame or if it’s his natural rhythm, either way he delivers a fast paced and hilarious show. It’s basically an hour of stand up comedy which examines our cultural differences. He pokes fun at Americans and Germans in equal measure. Underneath the humor there is definitely layers of well thought out social commentary. There is adult language to be sure, but beyond that it’s all good clean nationalistic fun.

https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2023/5-step-guide-to-being-german

Reception from Downton Productions is a comedy written by Dennis Johnston set at the reception after a Star Wars themed wedding. It plays on it’s Star Wars themed humor in just the right proportion without hammering it in, leaving room for other types of humor and some drama. It’s well written and performed with fun costumes and the perfect amount of set design. It delves into themes of maturity, fatherhood, and parental expectations. I could see this fleshed out into a 90 minute play where the resolution can land a little more emotionally. I really enjoyed the performance of Kayleen Barlow as Mirabelle, the best man’s wedding date, who’s flakiness and cluelessness steals every moment she’s in. This is one of those thoroughly entertaining Fringe shows that give character actors a chance to shine. You don’t need to have seen any Star Wars films to enjoy the show, but for those familiar, it’ll be an even more rewarding experience.

https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2023/reception

Climbing My Family Tree is Les Kurkendaal-Barrett’s one man show in which he tells two stories simultaneously. The first is about meeting his 99 year old Grandfather for the first time who tells him the story of the time he killed a man. The second is about tracking down and meeting up with unknown relatives through the Ancestory.com DNA test and website. Kurkendaal-Barrett builds suspense in his grandfather’s story by telling that story until he reaches a new revelation and then like an old cliffhanger serial, stopping that thread and telling about the next relative he met through Ancestry.com. Sprinkled throughout are stories of his familial history that he learns from his new found cousins. Kurkendaal-Barrett is an engaging storyteller whose charm and humor instantly connect with the audience. I enjoyed his show last year The Real Black Swann and this one was even better as he’s so open about sharing the details of his personal journey of discovering who his family is.

https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2023/climbing-my-family-tree-

THE STAGES OF MN FRINGE OF THE DAY AWARD winner!!!!

A Girl Scout’s Guide to Exorcism by Melancholics Anonymous is the best show I saw on Day 1 of the Minnesota Fringe Festival. Thus, it wins the uncoveted and reasonably unknown, Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award! This fantastically realized comedic play has something for everyone. It begins with the cast enthusiastically performing the Girl Scout song and from the first lyric until the final cry of a hawk, everyone commits 100% to their performance. It begins as a story of a girl scout troops last summer camp trip before junior high, with all the changes and insecurities that time of life brings with it. Friendships shifting, romantic awakenings, and concerns about one’s social status and infatuations with pop culture figures. By the end, a camper will have been possessed by the spirit of dead environmentalist Rosalie Barrow Edge, several hawk attacks, and the girls will learn some important lessons about friendship, ouija boards, and sexial orientation. The play co-written by Rachel Ropella and Timothy Kelly, and Directed by Ropella has a tone all it’s own that is an astonishingly successful blending of comedy, horror, and adolescent authenticity. The entire cast is committed but a special mention goes to Claire Chenoweth who at every turn shows us something new from the panic and pain of fearing you’ve lost your BFF to a BFFL, to the physicality of being possessed. Also because he’s one to watch in everything he does. Jeffrey Nolan appears as The Hawk in what is the first dramatic role I’ve seen him in. If playing a puppet hawk can be called a dramatic role, and honestly, I think it can.

https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2023/a-girl-scout-s-guide-to-exorcism-

Hey faithful readers for more Fringe fun follow Minnesota Fringe on Instagram at mnfringe where members of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers will be taking over the Fringe’s instagram account through Monday August 7th, which is the day The Stages of MN takes control!!

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 on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. Follow that group, It’s a great way to see reviews for shows I don’t get to or to get another blogger’s take on one I did. 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 weekly 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.

Godspell is another of those shows everyone knows and I’m embarrassed to admit I had never seen before. Well, I’ve seen it now and after a rocky start I really came to enjoy it. The first song in the musical is “Tower of Babble” which is exactly what it sounded like. It’s a song with nearly every member of the cast sings different parts simultaneously, couldn’t distinguish one voice from another and was really struggling to make sense of what was being sung and happening. I think a listen to a cast album ahead of time might have been helpful. After the first song, things got better and Act II vastly improved when I moved from my rear stage right seats to empty center of the row seats. Let that be a lesson to you, if you are planning on attending choose your seats carefully, it made quite a difference. From the second song on it was very clear that there were some excellent vocalists in the house, by the end of the show it was clear they were all excellent vocalists. The wonderful thing is, essentially every performer gets a solo, when that’s the case you have to cast the best, and Artistry certainly has.

Godspell was first performed Off-Broadway in 1971, the same year Jesus Christ Superstar, the combination of which may be responsible for the Christian Rock genre, but don’t hold that against either of these landmark shows. The show is created as being conceived and directed originally by John-Michael Tebelak with music and new lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. For a show over 50 years old, I was surprised at some of the lines but suspect someone has done a little tinkering with the script since it’s debut. The story is a series of parables taught by Jesus to his disciples as we also trace Jesus’s journey to the cross. It’s the sort of religious show that nonreligious people can be comfortable with, as it teaches the lessons of love and treating each other with understanding and charity. Thus, it’s also the kind of religious show that causes controversy with religious types as it seems to completely side step their core beliefs revolving around zombies and hate crimes. None of that Jesus intolerance here, just the love thy neighbor stuff, so pretty blasphemous. If you’re not religious but do believe in spreading the message of love and being good to each other, don’t let the title or plot turn you off.

Since every cast member gets a moment to shine and they are all brilliant I’m just going to highlight a few performers that had a moment or two that really thrilled me. From the moment the second song began “Prepare Ye” featuring Jordan Leggett as John the Baptist, and later in the show as Judas, my hopes soared, having him enter from the back of the theater created a moment that drew us to him and his song. It was followed by the appearance of Jesus played by John Jamison II singing “Save the People”. At that point, I knew if I never fully understood all the lyrics when the entire cast sang together, I’d still have an evening to remember. Jamison, brings a quality of serenity to the role, you can sense his joy in teaching his message, he seems above it all, but also completely a part of everything and everyone. Other highlights include what my wife refers to as one of her All is Calm boys, Ben Dutcher, who as always wowed with his vocal gifts. The showstopper song belongs to Wariboko Semenitari singing “By My Side”, wow, just wow!

The production was directed by Vanessa Brooke Agnes with musical direction by Bradley Beahen. Agnes does a wonderful job of staging the action, frequently using the auditorium for exits and entrances or just to have the character walk through. It’s particularly well used in the song Turn Back, O Man, which features Grace Hillmyer trying to be the center of attention even chasing the spotlight – part of Lighting Designer Kyia Britts cheeky contributions. Beahen gets the great sound we’re used to at Artistry from his band, and even gets a little moment to sing and perform, which was a nice little touch. I enjoyed Kyle Weiler’s choreography, there’s some really good group moments that seemed perfectly aligned to draw our focus to a specific character or space on stage. The scenic design by Katie Edwards was a little bit of a mixed bag. I didn’t love it or dislike it, I was sort of confused by it. The setting is clearly not biblical times, but when is it? It looks like a cross between a 1970’s era talk show with the band on stage, mixed with the Brady Bunch house and the Bronx.

Godspell runs through August 13th at Artistry in Bloomington. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://artistrymn.org/godspell

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 on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. Follow that group, It’s a great way to see reviews for shows I don’t get to or to get another blogger’s take on one I did. 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 weekly 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.

There was a period in December where it felt like every show I saw was the one of the best shows of the year. There was Christmas at the Local, two Christmas at Pemberley plays, and A Christmas Carol at the James J. Hill House, to name a few. Now it feels like it’s Christmas in July. I swear every show I’ve seen lately has been a must see. Theater Mu continues the streak of must see shows with their World premiere of Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay’s The Kung Fu Zombies Saga: Shaman Warrior & Cannibals. But saying it’s a must see show in this case, actually means two things. Firstly, it’s so good that you do not want to miss it. Secondly, it’s so unlike anything you’ve ever seen in a play that you have to see it for yourself. The title, doubles as plot description. It is as advertised, you may have thought there would be some bait and switch at play, there isn’t, everyone was kung fu fighting.

The play is really two stories set in the same world. Act I follows Arun, a young woman from a village in Laos, who is destined to be a Shaman like her Grandmother. Disaster strikes when sun fire rains down upon the earth creating destruction and raising the dead. Arun must reconnect with the powers she tried to deny, save her sister from the evil Mara as well as zombies and cannibals. Act II follows Sika who travels from Minnesota to Laos during this same period to bring the ashes of her parents to the village they came from. She struggles to deal with the memories of those she couldn’t save while finding a way to move on. This apocalyptic world of The Kung Fu Zombies Saga: Shaman Warrior & Cannibals is filled with metaphors, but like the best metaphors it can be enjoyed without making all of the connections. A multi-layered script from Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay deals with heavy issues but it does so indirectly dressed in the clothes of a action horror dramedy. It’s wildly entertaining while also touching on issues of mental illness, colonialism, and generation trauma caused by the still clear and present danger caused by undetonated bombs dropped on Laos by the US military.

It’s an impressive cast many of them making their Theater Mu and professional mainstage debuts. Hannah Nguyen is one of those, she plays Arun in Act I. I was impressed by her transformation from the the pre-catastrophe girl to the Shaman Warrior she has become by the end of the Act. Michelle De Joya plays Sika, the hero of Act II, the physicality and intensity she brings to the role is one of the greatest joys of this fantastic production. Other standouts include Sandy Agustin as Mae Thao (Arun’s Grandmother the Village Shaman) in Act I and as the old Woman in Act II. Soudavone Khamvongsa who in Act II plays what at first seems like an antagonist but later becomes Sika’s Ally in another amazingly physical performance. Finally, a shout out to Enormvs Munoz who plays Arun’s father in and I believe the Monkey King in Act I and Slim,. a Buddhist Monk in Act II, each character distinct, so much so that I had to consult my program to be sure I was correct in assigning him to all of those roles. Payton J. Woodson as Principal Butcher and the Buddhist Monk Loc in Act II. Woodson’s delivery in both roles is wise, but also deadpan funny, his and Munoz’s handshake routine is a showstopper.

The production is being staged in the Luminary Arts Center in Downtown Minneapolis in the North Loop area. Somehow in 4 years of blogging I had never been there, which is shocking because it’s a beautiful space, why it isn’t used more is a mystery. The space is needed as this show is epic. Director Lily Tung Crystal fills the space with Mina Kinukawa spralling set onto and around which Miko Simmons adds his brilliant projections to create a real sense of place and a larger world. I was really amazed at the scope of the entire production. I’m used to Theater Mu’s more modest productions, this felt like we were in Guthrie territory budget wise. Every aspect of the show from the lighting by Karin Olson and sound Design by Akiem Scott, which had a hip-hop crossed with a Quentin Tarantino movie vibe, worked perfectly together under Crystal’s sure handed direction. Lastly, the Fight Choreography by Allen Malicsi with assistance from Laura Anderson was off the hook. Act I was super cool with the fights much more physical and frequent than I was expecting. I was looking forward to more of the same in Act II, and then Act II began and well that’s part of where the “Holy F*cking Sh!t!!!!!” comes from in this blog title. I’ve never seen such prolonged, frequent, and well executed combat in a stage play before. Lily Tung Crystal has harnessed every tool at her disposal to create a theatrical event unlike anything I’ve seen before and that fully realizes the ambitious script by Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay.

Theater Mu’s world Premiere production of The Kung Fu Zombies Saga: Shaman Warrior & Cannibals runs through August 13th at The Luminary Arts Center. This is one of those productions that you really will regret not seeing. People who see it will be referencing it for years to come. You don’t want to be left out in the cold two years from now when someone says, “Somehow, they all know motherf*cking kung fu”, and everyone laughs except you. For more information, to purchase tickets, and to learn more about Theater Mu, which is celebrating its 30th Anniversary this season as one of the countries largest Asian American Theater companies go to https://www.theatermu.org/kfz-saga. In these days when all theater companies are struggling there are some theater companies that particularly need our support because of the unique role they play in our community. Theater Mu is one of those, one that gives a voice to an underrepresented segment of our society. They are telling stories that celebrate and expand all of our understanding of the Asian American community. It’s important, and so I encourage you, if you have the means to do so find the donation button on their website and help ensure they are around making great theater for another 30 seasons.

***checkout the latest episode of Twin Cities Theater Chat where Blogger Laura Van Zandt chats with playwright Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay and actor Michelle de Joya about the play you can find it by clicking here https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/2150807/13149765

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 on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. Follow that group, It’s a great way to see reviews for shows I don’t get to or to get another blogger’s take on one I did. 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 weekly 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.

Shane the new co-production between the Guthrie Theater and the Cincinnati Playhouse is the final play in the Guthrie’s 60th anniversary season. On paper it must have seemed like an ideal way to end the season with a bang. Unfortunately, the reality is a but more muted, like the six shooter was fitted with a silencer. A good idea bolstered by a great cast but handicapped by a script that is far too didactic and some directorial choices that alienate the audience. With all the fantastic theater in the Twin Cities it’s hard to recommend Shane, though it does have it’s good points. One of those actually is the exception to my main problem with the script. At the beginning of the performance there is what has come to be the standard land acknowledgement statement. What should have been the first step in a larger address of the historical injustice has become something that we almost stop hearing, like the safety instructions on an airplane. Within the play the characters actually discuss and correct some of the historical inaccuracies regarding the treatment of the indigenous people. That was a refreshing and effective moment that felt like knowledge being imparted to the characters and the audience.

I’m a fan of playwright Karen Zacarias, both her Native Gardens which was produced as part of Daleko Arts final season and The Book Club Play which was part of Theatre In The Round Players perfect season this year, were highly recommended. For this adaptation, Zacarias set aside the famous Alan Ladd starring film adaptation from 1953 that adapted the novel by Jack Schaefer. The correction to a more racially and culturally accurate adaptation is a welcome one. Unfortunately, Zacarias doesn’t trust those changes and the audience’s ability to make the connections, and uses the dialogue to drive home points that we’ve already grasped. The play runs 90 minutes with no intermission, which is a wonderful phrase in the theater. The plot and the runtime should make for a lean little western about a cattle baron trying to force homesteaders off their land. The title character of Shane is a mysterious man passing through, who upon meeting the Starrett family and experiencing their generosity, discovers a lifestyle that he didn’t know he longed for. When trouble comes knocking on the the Starrett family’s door, Shane decides to hang around awhile and help his new friends deal with it. The story is told in flashback by the Starrett’s son Bobby. This is another miscalculation either on the writer or the directors part. Both older Bob who is telling the story and young Bobby who is in the story are played by the same actor. It’s the technique used recently by Aaron Sorkin in his To Kill a Mockingbird adaptation, but what worked there, doesn’t work here. The difference is in the function of that choice, here it doesn’t need to be told in flashback, the commentary by the adult Bobby doesn’t add insight or humor to the story, as it did in Sorkin’s play.

Juan Arturo plays Bobby, always a difficult task for an adult to play a child and not be annoyingly childish. Arturo mostly avoids doing that, but something about the execution rather than his performance just falls flat. William DeMeritt is well cast as Shane. We sense, as does the Starrett family, that while he has been a hard man, there is a desire within him to change, to be better, to find a new way of life. When the need to fight comes, we see the vulnerability first cave him inward in resignation and then the steel creep in and the hard man he used to be is resurrected. Ricardo Chavira and Gabriela Fernandez-Coffey play Joe and Marian Starrett, they radiate goodness without being bland or one dimensional. It takes skill to make characters this well intentioned as these are interesting, but aside from Shane they were the most interesting character in the play, and I don’t mean that to say the other characters were not interesting, but to say that I really liked these characters and that was due to the sensitive and nuanced performances by Chavira and Fernandez-Coffey.

Blake Robinson’s direction was a mixed bag of creative choices, some worked, some didn’t. The opening of the play where the characters start slapping their arms and knees and stomping rhythmically, begged the question, why? It didn’t lead to anything, it felt affected and indulgent. Opening the show with an act that seems pretentious really started the show off on the wrong foot. But the unique staging of a fistfight between Shane and several other men was quite interesting. As was the staging of the final showdown. The set design by Lex Liang is cool looking but it’s also kind of pretentious. Maybe I think that the way to share this story that moved Zacarias in her youth was not to turn it into arthouse theater, but theater for the people. I write and talk alot about creating new audiences for live theater, I think it’s the single most important issue that theater companies face right now. A Western actually seems like a good way to lure some who might not normally attend the theater. Once you have them, giving them a faithful adaptation of the novel that reflects the diversity of the source material could be a powerful way to create empathy. But do it in an entertaining way, don’t get them into the theater and remind them of why they don’t go to the theater.

Shane is running through August 27th at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/2022-2023-season/shane/. This is a blip in the record of the Guthrie nothing more than a missed opportunity or a near miss, they will be back beginning Sept. 9th with their 61st season which is filled with must see shows.

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 on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. Follow that group, It’s a great way to see reviews for shows I don’t get to or to get another blogger’s take on one I did. 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 weekly 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.

Elision Theatre’s new production of the musical Ruthless isn’t for everyone. For example, if you have an aversion to fun, laughing and general merriment, this isn’t for you. For pretty much everyone else, this show is for you. I had never heard of Ruthless and I went in only knowing the tagline from the theater’s press release “This all-female production spoofs Broadway musicals, like Gypsy and Mame, and movies such as The Bad Seed and All About Eve. It is the story of Tina, a precocious eight-year-old who knows she was born to play Pippi Longstocking in her school play, and will do anything to get the part, including murdering the leading lady!”. How I never heard of this musical which premiered Off-Broadway in 1992 is one of life’s great mysteries. Ruthless is fantastically funny, filled with bitingly clever songs, and featuring six performers whose vocal talents are only surpassed by their comedic instincts. This is the show to take your friends and family to. Theater lovers, if you’re like me and haven’t seen this show, do yourself a favor and don’t miss this opportunity. Old movie fans, if All About Eve holds a place in your heart, don’t miss this opportunity. Fans of laughing, I know you’re out there, do not miss this opportunity! Humans living on earth currently, do not miss this opportunity. Did I miss anyone? if you do not fit into one of the above groups, maybe skip this one, but I bet you’d like anyway.

The book and lyrics for Ruthless are by Joel Paley with music by Marvin Laird. As far as I can discover it’s basically the only show they’ve written. One interesting fact I discovered in my digging, in the original production the role of Tina was played by Laura Bell Bundy, her understudies were Natalie Portman and Britney Spears. Which illustrates one of the hidden joys in this show, trying to catch all of the easter eggs that the show is filled with. Some are obvious, some are deep cuts, and some you spot but are maddeningly just beyond your memories grasp. But don’t worry, you don’t have to be familiar with any old movies or musicals, that’s all just gravy, you can enjoy the show fresh off the bus. The other beautiful thing about Ruthless, 90 minutes, no intermission! It’s fast paced, full of twists, and a tone that works because everyone involved from the performers to the drummer is on the same page. I think the best way to describe the tone is to say, it’s like the best sketch from The Carol Burnett Show that never wears out its welcome.

Leading the cast is Christine Wade as Judy Denmark the happy housewife and mother of Tina the eight year old triple threat. Wade is so perfect in every aspect of the role, in the beginning she is like one of the Stepford Wives but one who hears everything literally and without punctuation. The pace of the show is so fast that you may miss a few of her funniest responses, so keep your ears sharp there are throw away lines that are just golden. Speaking of golden, that would be the term I’d use to describe her vocals as well. Vanessa Gamble plays Sylvia St. Croix, a theatrical agent who saw young Tina perform at an old folks home and wants to represent her. She’s delightfully over the top as a former actress whose moved on to representation, but hasn’t entirely left the urge to perform behind. Then there is Amanda Mai who plays Tina, who’s “ON” 100 % of the time. Mai perfectly balances the difficult task of acting like a child without being annoyingly childish. The cast is rounded out by Isabella Dunseith as Tina’s third grade teacher who’s directing the school play Pippi, Greta Grosch as Tina’s Grandmother, and Deidre Cochran in a duel role as Louise, the girl cast in the lead of Pippi, and Eve and assistant to a big Broadway star in Act II. Each one of them has moments of brilliance, comedic beats that are so perfectly played, some seemingly ad libbed. I cannot praise the cast enough, I have to wonder if Ruthless has ever been as good as it is with this cast.

Ruthless runs through Sunday July 30th at the Elision Playhouse in Crystal Minnesota. Again, I strongly urge you to see this show, you will not regret it. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.elisionproductions.com/ruthless

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 on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. Follow that group, It’s a great way to see reviews for shows I don’t get to or to get another blogger’s take on one I did. 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 weekly 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 have a question for you faithful readers, who lives in a pineapple under the seas? If you knew the answer to that question then The Spongebob Musical is for you. My kids grew up on Spongebob Squarepants and unlike Teletubbies or The Wiggles, I never prayed for them to grow out of Spongebob. It was clever and funny and it played to adults almost as much as it did to kids. It didn’t pander to children and just try and keep them occupied, it told funny stories set in a grown up world of work, but you know, under the sea. Attending The Spongebob Musical on opening night felt something like I imagine attending a One Direction concert would be like. The audience was off the hook, there’s a double meaning in that for Spongebob fans. But in all sincerity, you couldn’t ask for a better audience to enjoy a show with. I have never heard an audience react like that at Lyric Arts. Sure, there were obviously a lot of Spongeheads in the audience, but the performance justified the hysteria. This isn’t the greatest show in the world, but it’s sure is one kelp of good time. The terrific cast brings these characters to life in a theater transformed from floor to ceiling into Bikini Bottom. It’s everything you expect from Spongebob and several things you don’t, and all of it is designed with one thing in mind, to make you smile.

This is kind of an unusual musical in that, the book is by Kyle Jarrow but the songs are originals by a variety of artists. There is one existing David Bowie and Brian Eno song “No Control” as well as the “Spongebob Theme Song” and the song “Best Day ever” from the Spongebob Squarepants movie. The list of artists that contributed original songs is kind of wild. There’s The Flaming Lips, Panic! At the Disco, They Might Be Giants, John Legend, Sara Bareilles, and Cyndi Lauper just to name a few. The story involves a volcano that is going to erupt and destroy Bikini Bottom. The townspeople are in a panic and refuse to listen to the plan of resident Scientist and land mammal Sandy Cheeks. Instead they are led, using tactics of fear, by Plankton, the local mad scientist restaurateur to put on a benefit concert to raise funds to buy an escape pod large enough for them all to flee in. His true objective is to get them all in one place so he can mass hypnotize them into preferring his restaurant The Chum Bucket to that of his competitor the Krusty Krab owned by Mr. Krabs and in which both Spongebob and Squidward work. Given it’s themes of stirring up Xenophobia and anti-science, it’s surprising to learn that the musicals development and premiere pre-date the Trump Presidency. While Plankton has the towns folk turning against each other, it’s up to Spongebob and his best friend Patrick to help Sandy stop the volcano’s eruption and save Bikini Bottom. Meanwhile Squidward, attempts to organize the benefit concert in hopes of getting a chance to realize his life’s dream of performing at the Bikini Bottom Clamshell. Jarrow clearly understands the world of Spongebob as his book feels like a very extended episode of the TV show. In fact, now might be a good time to warn you, the show is kinda long, with the intermission it runs about two and a half hours. Children under 5 are not admitted, if your older kids say 7 to 12 are into Spongebob, don’t worry about the length, the show is so entertaining it will hold their attention. But if your kids don’t like SB or loudish sound, this isn’t the show for them. And 12 isn’t the top age for the show, my wife and I loved it as did our 21 year old daughter.

I always ask a question on the ride home from a show, which was your favorite performance. For my daughter it was Squidward, for my wife it was Spongebob, for me it was Patrick, no wait Sandy, no wait Squidward, maybe Spongebob. Which is one way of saying the cast is all around fantastic. After favorites, it’s all about the little mentions of the ensemble players, all of which had moments to shine. What’s amazing is how much you come to see the actors as these cartoon characters even though they use minimal makeup and while many of the costumes are quite good, they askew using any person inside a costume getups. They do it by capturing the mannerisms and voices and through a thorough understanding of the characters. Berto Borroto plays Spongebob he has the voice, particularly the laugh down as well as the way Spongebob moves. Justin Michael is Patrick, hands down the most spot on when it comes to the speaking voice, dead ringer for his cartoon counterpart, he loses the voice when he sings, but it’s forgiven because he probably has the best singing voice of the entire male cast. Taelyn gore is Sandy who wasn’t done any favors by a mic that seemed either to go out on her or get turned down, but I was front row and she was pretty amazing when I could hear her, which was most of the time. She has a strong stage presence and of the hero trio she has the difficult job of being the normal one, which means she doesn’t get the easy laughs, but she gets a nice emotional moment towards the end which really caught me off guard and had me wiping my eyes. Speaking of unexpected moments, I was not expecting a tap dance number, let alone featuring Squidward played by Noah Hynick who is starting to really gain my attention this year with all three of his Lyric Arts roles. An actor would be hard pressed to find a better sequence of roles to show of their range. Like the others he gets the voice right but also seems to understand the physical nuances and mannerisms of the character. Lots of ensemble performers that deserve a mention but I’ll limit it to Kaylyn Schmit who plays Pearl Krabs, who gets to really show off her vocal talents a couple of times in the show and it leaves you wanting a rewrite so she get’s another song or two to perform.

Matt McNabb directs the show with a clear understanding of the feel and tone of Spongebob. The scenic design by Sadie Ward is wonderfully low rent yet all encompassing. There are the floating flowers that always appear in the background on Spongebob made from LaCroix 12-pack boxes, the sea flowers along the dock that runs across the front of the stage made from cardboard toilet paper tubes. She is assisted by Scenic Painter Victoria Clawson, and Props Designer Cory Skold in bringing the world of the cartoon to life. The show isn’t over designed or under designed, it feels just right. The Costume Designer is Samantha Fromm Haddow and she’s got some really ingenious pieces in this production, I loved Squidwards multi-leg trousers, Mr. Krabs claws, and Sandy’s white spacesuit, which I think she wisely leaves us to imagine the helmet that Sandy needs so she can breath. the one area that seemed to need tweaking, which will hopefully occur as the run continues. The mixing engineer is Emily Ludewig and aside from Sandy, and sometimes Spongebob’s voices being hard to hear, there was a general imbalance between the music and the vocals, with the vocals on the losing end frequently. There are several songs where most of the cast is singing, with various groups singing different lyrics, it’s little more than a cacophony at times.

If you have any connection at all with Spongebob Squarepants I highly recommend seeing The Spongebob Musical. If you’re not familiar with the character and before you dismiss it out of hand, I would point out that it was nominated for 12 Tony Awards, tying with Mean Girls for the most nominations in 2018. It’s very hard to imagine anyone not having a great time at this show. It’s silly and fun, but there are also messages about friendship and believing in yourself, about the dangers of reacting out of blind fear and prejudice. The Spongebob Musical runs through August 13th at Lyric Arts in Anoka. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.lyricarts.org/spongebob.

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 on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. Follow that group, It’s a great way to see reviews for shows I don’t get to or to get another blogger’s take on one I did. 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 weekly 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.

Originally produced by the History Theatre in 2015, Glensheen returns once more to the stages of the History Theatre this summer. This was my second time seeing Glensheen, and there is something about this show that grows on you. I really enjoyed it last summer, I enjoyed it even more this year. The production hasn’t really changed aside from one cast member. It’s easy to see why the History Theatre brings the show back, it’s an incredibly fun production, that apparently gets better the more times you see it. I’m not a true crime fan, but it turns out you don’t need to be to enjoy the show. It’s less about the details of a true crime as it is watching in disbelief the train wreck of humanity that is the main character, Marjorie Caldwell. The amount of suspicious things that have happened around her and the lack of punishment she recieved is mindblowing. It makes for a fascinating story but it also raises serious questions about the criminal justice system…oh wait, we already have those doubts didn’t we? What’s amazing, how enjoyable the whole thing is. I recently spoke with playwright Jeffrey Hatcher on the podcast Twin Cities Theater Chat (you can listen to that episode by clicking here https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/2150807/13157328 ) and he made a comment about it being a real story that seems populated by the characters from Fargo. I thought that perfectly embodied what Glensheen the Musical is. A great cast brings us into the past with songs that oddly do not feel out of place in a story as weird as this.

The book for the musical is by Hatcher with the songs written by Chan Poling who was a member of the alternative rock band The Suburbs. The two have collaborated several times on musicals including the last production at History Theatre, The Defeat of Jesse James, which was another wonderfully original piece of musical theatre. Hatcher’s script leans into the craziness of the events without drawing us into that frame of mind. This allows us to view them through our reality thus we see them for the absurdities they are. He tells us the story of Marjorie Caldwell and her husband Roger who conspired together resulting in the murder of her mother Elizabeth Congdon and her nurse. Very quickly, Roger is arrested and found guilty but Marjorie proves to be a much harder catch for the justice system. She’s a master of staying one step ahead of everyone, but also seems to lose a half step with every one that she takes. Always avoiding the punishment but somehow also losing the prize. Poling’s songs are fun, often witty, sometimes quite touching. Favorites are the hilarious “Conspiracy” performed by Marjorie’s defense team. The defense they mount is so crazy, it works. On a sweeter note is “Just You & Me” which is a duet between Marjorie and Roger. It’s a beautiful moment on the surface, but underneath it’s incredibly dark as it’s simply Marjorie manipulating Roger to save herself.

The cast is filled with actors familiar to theatergoers of the Twin Cities, most of the performers play multiple rolls. My favorite was Wendy Lehr who plays Elisabeth Congdon and Marjorie’s defense attorney among others. Her over the top defense attorney was a big reason that the song “Conspiracy” was a crowd favorite. Dancing like a man half her age, she was as believable as the elderly matriarch as she was unbelievably outrageous as the attorney for the defense. Gary Briggle, whose rich vocalizations are a highlight and bolster every song especially the ensemble pieces. Dane Stauffer is perfect as the out of his depth, easily manipulated, Roger. He has the dumb and dumber act down perfectly and you are surprisingly sympathetic to him as the man in over his head. Jen Maren holds the whole show together as Marjorie, she perfectly straddles the line between being a smart manipulator and not quite smart enough to get what she wants.

Ron Peluso directs the show with a playfulness that lets the tone shift dramatically from scene to scene while still feeling like a cohesive whole. Rick Polenek’s set design is very impressive, recreating a section of the Glensheen mansion including the staircase on which the nurse was murdered. Bill Healey’s lighting design helps to emphasize the tonal changes and is cleverly used for dramatic effect, lighting flashes to create the dark and stormy night in an old mansion which basically screams for a murder. Bold flashes of red to strike a cord that syncs with Marjorie’s evil actions. It all works wonderfully with Sound Designer C. Andrew Mayer’s soundscape. David Lohman as musical director along with his orchestra are just off to the side stage right, with Lohman’s piano doubling as a bar. The choreography by Tinia Moulder is small and contained, it has to be due to the size of the stage. But Moulder makes every move count and the dancing and moves in “Conspiracy” are but of what makes that the showstopper it is.

Glensheen runs through July 23rd at the History Theatre in downtown St. Paul for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.historytheatre.com/2022-2023/glensheen

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 on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. Follow that group, It’s a great way to see reviews for shows I don’t get to or to get another blogger’s take on one I did. 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 weekly 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.