Ain’t Misbehavin’ Produced by Stage North at the Capri Theater in North Minneapolis

Stage North is a relatively new theater company, this is only their third production after launching in the Fall of 2021 and Ain’t Misbehavin’ is its first musical production. Stage North, based in the Capri Theater, is the only professional theater company on the Northside of Minneapolis. The Capri Theater which was built in 1927 and renovated 1921, is a wonderful little theater that is trying to establish a place for the community to come and experience art. The world today is a very difficult environment for established theatre companies and it’s even harder for new companies. Here is a great new company that has produced three fantastic shows in a row but the performance I saw was criminally under attended. Kudos to the amazing cast who performed as if it was a sold out theater. The show is packed with soulful dance moves, toe tappin songs, humor, and amazingly talented artists on and off stage.

This isn’t what we usually think of as a musical, there is no storyline it’s more along the lines of Smokey Joe’s Cafe, in that it’s a musical revue but instead of the songs of Leiber and Stoller, this features the songs of American Jazz composer Fats Waller. Though there is no storyline per se, that doesn’t mean the performers just get up and sing one song after another, in fact each song is like a mini story in itself. The actors play different characters and scenarios with each song and even when they’re not part of a given song, the actors contribute with reactions and looks. Favorite songs include “Mean to Me” which is more somber, is heartbreakingly performed by Angela Stewart. “The Viper’s Drag” is strange and a humorously staged song about marijuana that provides Kevin Brown Jr. a chance to play a hilariously ‘high’ performer. “Yacht Club Swing” has Kia Brown performing like a vocally challenged woman to comedic effect, a characterization she disproves throughout the rest of the show. “Squeeze Me” has Cornisha Garmon vamping it up in a wonderfully sultry manner. Len Jones performs “Your Feet’s Too Big” which is so silly and wonderful you can’t hardly believe it’s a real song. All five performers get a chance to show off their vocal chops and they are all incredible singers. They’re all equally gifted in their physical performances as well, both their facial expressions and comedic delivery along with their execution of the choreography.

The Director and Choreographer is the hardest working woman in theater, Austene Van, who apparently simultaneously choreographed The Defeat of Jesse James at the History Theatre, directed Lady Day at Yellow Tree Theatre, which she also happens to run, while preparing this show. I imagine she also sewed the costumes and painted the sets for a couple of other shows around town. What a talented artist she is. Here her gifts for staging and movement really come to the forefront. “The Viper’s Drag” being a perfect illustration in that we have a surprising appearance of a character in a highly (pun intended) unexpected location, across the theater you have the rest of the cast sitting at a table doing there best to also play into the theme of the song. Van isn’t content to only give Kevin Brown Jr. the spotlight and have him perform this song, which would have been enough. She utilizes the rest of the cast to pull us into the moment making it that much more effective. The physicality and logic of Brown’s movements in retrieving his dropped joint at the end is just so perfectly realized. The Music Director and Pianist in the band on stage is Sanford Moore who seamlessly blends the songs one into the other, his band is tight in the way a jazz band has to be to pull off that loose improvisational feel. The set design by Robin Macintyre, lighting design by Sue Berger, and the costumes by Joe Burch all help to bring the setting of The Shim Sham Club circa 1931, to glorious life.

Ain’t Misbehavin’ is a fun fast paced musical revue that will have your toe tappin and a smile across your face for it’s entire runtime. I urge everyone to get out and see this one while you can it runs through June 4th, for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://stagenorthmpls.org/.

Kia Brown, Kevin Brown, Angela Stewart, Cornisha Garmon & Len Jones – the fantastic cast of Ain’t Misbehavin’ at Stage North

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Murder on the Orient Express at Guthrie Theater

Gavin Lawrence as Monsieur Bouc assists Andrew May as Hercule Poirot in his investigations Photo by Dan Norman

I’ve been an Agatha Christie fan for as long as I can remember. The great thing about that is, since she is the best selling fiction writer of all time, as a fan you’re never short of new adaptations on stage and screen to enjoy. The downside can be that as a fan, who has read most of her works and seen most of the film and television adaptations and at least a dozen stage shows, I almost always know the solution to the mystery. I still enjoy most of them to some extent, but for me it becomes about the production itself, more howdunnit than whodunnit. The Guthrie Theater’s new production of Murder on the Orient Express understands that you cannot change the solution to the mystery when adapting a classic like this. Only Christie herself can do that, as she did in changing the ending between the book and play of And Then There Were None, for example. If you are unfamiliar with the mystery, it’s a good one and you’re in for a real treat. The good news is, if you do remember the story, and I think that’s probably quite a large segment of the population with it being one of Christie’s most frequently adapted novels, your still in for a highly entertaining evening! The show is a marvel of production design and features a cast filled with local favorites and a unique take on the great detective himself.

Ken Ludwig has adapted the novel for the stage and in doing so has remained faithful to the mystery of the novel while also putting his own spin on things. Ludwig does a nice job of pairing down the number of suspects from 12 in the original novel to eight for his play. This allows us to get to know and keep straight the different characters, yet still a large enough pool of suspects that it’s never obvious who the real killer is. There’s room to devote a little introductory scene to each of the characters without bogging the play down, in fact it barrels along like a runaway train. Running 2 hours and 20 minutes (including intermission) it feels much shorter. Ludwig’s biggest change, what makes it very entertaining, is the addition of humor. There is a healthy dose of the comedic thriller without crossing the line into Clue territory. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a mystery comedy but the humor that is there comes from the performances of the cast and it marks the biggest departure for Poirot himself

With a character like Hercule Poirot, who has been played to faithful perfection by David Suchet on TV, it’s a losing battle to attempt to be even more faithful. The best way for a a new adaptation to go, try and bring a fresh approach to the character. Andrew May brings Poirot back from the land of caricature and makes him more of a real person. By not leaning into the characters idiosyncrasies, he creates a Poirot that we can identify with rather than just sit in awe of. It humanizes the great detective which allows for moments of humor that work for this play but would be out of character in a more faithful portrayal. The reason we restage and reinterpret Christie is no different than the reason we do so with Shakespeare. Because the choices made by playwrights, directors, and actors affects the whole, brings out new aspects of a piece new meanings or even just new avenues of entertainment. I liked the choices May made as Poirot, it gave me a version of the character I hadn’t seen before. Gavin Lawrence as Poirot’s old friend Bouc, who happens to run the company that operates the Orient Express, is the perfect sidekick for this new Poirot. He could very easily have been the blank slate to whom the detective shares his thoughts in order to keep the audience informed, but he’s so much more than that. There is a palpable friendship between the men, Lawrence is particularly good with the humorous reactions and shared looks with May. The entire cast is great, I always love to see Tyler Michaels King in anything, same with China Brickey and Peter Christian Hansen who plays two different roles so well, that I didn’t realize he was both characters until I went to the program at intermission. Once again proving herself to be one of the best actors working the Minnesota stages, Sally Wingert gets the biggest laughs in a performance that contains more layers than are at once obvious.

Director Risa Brainin keeps the show moving right along, there’s never a moment that seems wasted or overstays its welcome. I loved her staging of Poirot’s summation where he walks us through how he solved the mystery. Brainin has the lights go down with a spotlight on Poirot as he recounts what happened and the actors recreate the moments from earlier in the play. In fact, there are a lot of clever lighting cues from Lighting Designer Michael Klaers that add an almost cinematic quality to the production. There’s also effective use of Projection which was designed by Miko Simmons, it adds realism to some scenes and a theatricality to others. The costumes by Devon Painter are period appropriate, Painter eschew going full dandy with Poirot, which compliments the choices May has made with his characterization. The star of the production though, the real WOW! is the set design by Rob Koharchik. It’s elegant in its appearance and incredibly versatile and inventive in its utilization. I’m not sure what I was expecting but when the train cars began to move, I knew that wasn’t what I was expecting. It really is one of the best sets in terms of inventiveness and ingenuity that I’ve seen in a long time.

Murder on the Orient Express is a classic mystery told in a very entertaining way, with an excellent cast and knock your socks off production design. I highly recommend it whether you are new to this Christie classic or know the story, either way you’re in for a very entertaining night at the theater. Murder on the Orient Express runs through July 2nd for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/2022-2023-season/murder-on-the-orient-express/

The Defeat of Jesse James The World Premiere at History Theatre in Downtown St. Paul

The biggest disappointment of the summer was the news that the new mystery play Holmes/Poirot co written by Jeffrey Hatcher was cancelled when Park Square Theatre had to end their 2022/2023 season early. Hopefully we’ll still get a chance to see that play in an upcoming season. Luckily, fans of Hatcher will still have plenty of opportunity to see productions of his work in the coming months. History Theatre is bringing us two musicals from the team of Jeffrey Hatcher and Chan Poling. Later this summer they’re bringing back one of History Theatre’s most popular shows, the musical Glensheen. But first, we get the world premiere of a new musical, The Defeat of Jesse James. This is not your standard musical, it’s more of a concert that tells the story of Jesse James through it’s songs and through dialogue interaction between the characters. Some of it acted out, but none of it meant to be taken as an actual scene being played out at specific locations. It’s filled as History Theatre shows always are, facts about its subject, some of which is common knowledge to the average theatregoer, but a lot of interesting pieces of information that I wasn’t aware of. It’s also full of humor and some catchy songs, all of which makes for a fun and informative night at the theatre.

Jesse James, like many famous figures from history, has been obscured by the legends and myths that have sprung up around him. Hatcher and Poling’s new musical acknowledges this and does it’s best to cut through the baloney and give us the facts, though definitely with tongue planted firmly in cheek. The duo use humor in the script and in the songs to relay the facts but keep them from getting to gruesome. An example, what happens to Mother Zerelda’s arm, just the fact of it is awful but the representation gets a big laugh. It’s a joke that gets called back to a few times and never really loses its ability to pull a laugh from the audience. Another excellent use of humor is the song “Two Unlucky Stiffs”, which is sung by two members of the James gang that weren’t, as the title indicates, very lucky. The reality of the James gang is dark stuff and choosing to present their story with humor allows them to sidestep several problematic elements. There are no realistic looking firearms used in the production, the rule is established early on with the characters using their hands in the shape of guns. You couldn’t tell Jesse James’ story without the use of guns and if you tell it seriously they’d have to look real, but if you go the humorous route it can just be their hands in the shape of guns. Let’s face it, given today’s world, anytime we can avoid seeing firearms in the theater, is a win. It’s a clever choice, it adds humor while at the same time being mindful that it’s time to take a step back from realistic depictions of gun violence whenever possible. Theatermakers have to be conscious of their audiences by adapting to the times and reflecting the world in which we live today, even when telling stories from the past. Another element that deliberately speaks to our world today is a song performed by the character Perry Samuel, Jesse’s half Step Brother who was of mixed race. A reminder that despite over 100 years of film and television westerns that seemed to suggest the wild west was white, BIPOC were part of this country’s history as well.

Adam Qualls headlines The Defeat of Jesse James as the titular character playing it with just the right mix of bravado and humor. He has the look and swagger of a Country Music star which fits well with the style of most of the songs. My favorite performer in the entire show was Angela Timberman who plays Jesse’s mother Zerelda. Primarily for comedic relief, that arm moment I mentioned earlier is one of many moments that Timberman plays to perfection, not only in her line delivery but in the gestures she utilizes. That is the moment that will stay with me long after the details of this show have been lost under the mountain of shows that have fallen. She also gets to sing one of the shows jaw dropping songs “House Full of…” Timberman alone is worth the price of the ticket, but we get so much more including not one, not two, but three veterans of All is Calm which is a personal favorite from Theater Latté Da. Sasha Andreev in particular really gets a chance to shine along with Jen Burleigh-Bentz as reanimated corpses singing the song “Two Unlucky Stiffs. The entire ensemble though is quite good and seem to be on the same page in realizing the tone being set by Director and the new Artistic Director of the History Theatre Richard D. Thompson.

Thompson creates this concert feel that effortlessly segways into bits of story and than back again, reminding one of the types of popular comedic music shows one might catch at Opryland or Silver Dollar City. Set Designer Joel Sass has created a space that plays into that theme and it’s really a stunner. I loved the fabric wall panels and the ‘Applause’ sign that lights up at all the right moments. Like all great storytelling concerts, the Lighting Design is critical and Karin Olson’s work here beautifully alters the look and feel of the stage as we move from upbeat to more quiet moments. The costumes by Sonya Berlovitz are a nice blend of traditional cowboy garb crossed with the Country and Western performers wardrobe. It’s a production that really has all of its elements working together toward a unified tone and purpose. It would seem that History Theatre is in good hands with Richard D. Thompson

The Defeat of Jesse James runs through May 28th at History Theatre in St. Paul. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.historytheatre.com/2022-2023/defeat-jesse-james

Bright Star Shines Bright as DalekoArts’ Swan Song

Jake S. Nelson (Billy) and Abby Holmstrom (Margo) Photo by Dan Norman

Ruthie Baker (Alice) and Daniel Greco (Jimmy Ray) Photo by Dan Norman

A love affair that began a year ago has come to an end. It was for DalekoArts’ spring musical in 2022, Once, that I finally made my way down to New Prague, a little theatre on Main Street. It’s small unassuming theater in a sleepy little town that by all rights, shouldn’t have been even half as good as it was. Me? I was a wide-eyed blogger just getting my theatre legs back after a worldwide pandemic. When the house lights went down and the stage lights went up, seemly dozens upon dozens of musicians took to the 15 X 15 foot stage and made beautiful music. There was no “Falling Slowly” about it, I fell hard and fast. Before I knew it I was trying to work a second show into my busy schedule. Fate, that cruel organizer of near misses, conspired between a sell out show and a case of Covid to keep us apart. It wouldn’t be until fall when I made it down for their next production and every production onward, except for White Chrismith. How naive I was, thinking we had all the time world that there would be plenty of shows in our future. But alas, DalekoArts, thou hast cleft my heart in twain. After 11 seasons the founders of DalekoArts have decided it’s time to take on new challenges and pursue new adventures. 11 seasons, and they were right there but I didn’t know about them until 2022. Of course by “right there” I mean about an hour south of the Cities. 11 years but only one year in my orbit. In that small time, mostly greatly shone this Bright Star of New Prague. DalekoArts will always be the one that got away. But as the man says, if you gotta go, go out with a bang. I’m thrilled to report that DalekoArts remained true to the last, and while the first kiss lasts forever, there is still witchcraft in Daleko’s lips.

This was not my first exposure to Bright Star, I had seen the production Lyric Arts in Anoka mounted in the fall of 2019, in fact it was the second review I ever wrote for what was at the time called Stages of the Twin Cities. The show written by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell is inspired by a true story. You can Google Iron Mountain Baby and read the Wikipedia page to learn about the true story that inspired the plot of this musical. But, I encourage you to do so after enjoying the show. The story follows two tracks, one set in 1945 after the end of WWII and one in flashback to 1923. The show opens in 1946 with Alice Murphy, a publisher in Asheville North Carolina singing “If You Knew My Story”. It’s sets the stage that this is Alice’s story which we’ll see told through flashbacks. It also introduces us to the the style of music that the musical utilizes which is bluegrass. The 1940’s story begins with young Billy Cane who has returned home from the war, set on pursuing a career as a writer. He’s encouraged by his friend and wanna be best girl, Margo, who has been reading the stories he’s sent her. Billy learns upon reaching home that while he was away his Mother passed away. The show balances it’s plot on these moments of joy and optimism followed by incidents that temper the joy. This happens again and again throughout the plot and in that way, the story mirrors the feel of the bluegrass music that is underscoring it. The music can be very rousing and upbeat but it can also have a beautiful melancholy aspect to it. It’s sorrowful without being depressing or downbeat. Billy, who had always been timid about his writing, realized when he was knee deep in the mud wondering if he would survive the war, if he did, he was going to follow his own “Bright Star”. So he heads to Asheville to try and get Alice Murphy to publish his stories in her magazine The Asheville Southern Journal. She agrees to read his stories. In a conversation with her two employees Daryl and Lucy, who try and convince her to come out with them after work, she comments that she did always used to be so no-nonsense. This leads into the flashback to 1923 and her love story with Jimmy Ray Dobbs. Again, we have the young Billy who was reticent to engage with the world, choosing to go out and try and get what he wants from life. Meanwhile Alice who used to be outgoing and joyful, now appears to focus entirely on work. The parallels between the characters and the light and dark moments are intentional and it makes for intriguing characters and an engrossing story. The songs with little if any exceptions are fantastic. I’m not a bluegrass aficionado, but I’ve had this album in my rotation regularly since I saw that production at Lyric Arts. There are some really powerful scenes as the play progresses but I don’t want to rob them of that power, so I’m going to keep those plot points to myself.

The cast is just fantastic, from the moment Ruthie Baker came out as Alice Murphy and launched into “If You Knew My Story” it was clear they had found a performer who could do the vocalizations justice. Baker is most fitting in the role during the 1945 period. When she is playing the 1920’s aged Alice she leans a little to much into the young giddy teenager, most of the time it’s fine, but there are a couple of moments that just go a little too broad. When the darkness comes in 1923, she brings the pain handling some really difficult emotional scenes brilliantly. Equally wonderful is Daniel Greco who plays her love interest Jimmy Ray Dobbs. Greco as with Baker is clearly a gifted vocalist and he also gets a couple of moments, one in 1924 and one in 1945 to show that he has the dramatic chops to go with the voice. Jake S. Nelson as Billy Cane and Abby Holmstrom as Margo, make a cute match, they both deliver everything you could want and they make the most of a slightly underwritten love story, managing to provide a moving climax to that thread of the story. Other favorites among the cast were Grant Hooyer as Daryl and Amanda Mai as Lucy, they get some fun comic relief moments and a fun song in “Another Round”. Ryan Lee as Billy’s Daddy. Warren R. Sampson as Jimmy Ray’s Daddy, and Luke Aaron Davidson as Alice’s Daddy all do wonderful work, with each getting a moment to showcase a moment of gravitas. Lee even gets to help out the band part of the time on his guitar as does ensemble player Nora Sonneborn on an instrument to be named later.

The production is directed by one of DalekoArts’ founders Amanda White. This stage is not really 15 X15 as I joked earlier, it’s actually a bit smaller. Seriously though, it’s a small stage and as with Once last spring, they have a fairly sizable cast. White and her Choreographer Kyle Weiler have done some really interesting work to keep the size of the space from impeding the production. They have gone for a more representation approach, chairs spaced to represent the train car. a cast member sitting in a chair to represent Billy’s mothers grave and the angel statue his father placed at it. The actress has movement during that particular scene, it isn’t meant to represent reality is an impressionistic interpretation that is meant to suggest the physical world while also acknowledging the emotional undercurrent and mood of the moment. They have really done some interesting things with movement, there is a sense that in some ways as we enter the 1920’s flashback that elements of physicality among the performers are meant to emphasize the fact that this is a memory and as such there are almost dreamlike aspects to certain transitions. It’s a really interesting and successfully executed approach. Bradley A. Beahen is the Musical Director and he and his band are up in the loft playing, they are fantastic and my only criticism is that we cannot see them playing, Bluegrass, just seems like the kind of music you want to see the musicians playing the instruments. Robin McIntyre Scenic Design utilizes the space surprisingly well, giving us two upper level platforms that some scenes are performed on to add a little visual freshness. Everything is constructed with bare wood which gives it somehow and first half of the 20th Century bluegrass feel to it.

Bright Star runs through May 21st it’s also basically sold out, but click here to get on the waitlist for cancellations https://www.dalekoarts.com/season-11. Bright Star is a worthy final bow for this theater and it’s passionate crew. You enriched our lives, and for that we are grateful. We will cherish the memories you gave us and mourn your loss. It’s OK to take a moment and grieve but, we cannot rest for long, our theatres are under siege on multiple fronts. And so, we cannot sit at home and wallow in lost loves, we have to get back out there and find new theatre’s and support them. Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more!

Bright Star (May 2023) Final production of DalekoArts 2012 – 2023 Photo by Dan Norman

The Tourist Trap: A Midwestern Gothic at the Crane Theater

Ghoulish Delights chief ghoul, and member of The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society (the MORLS), Tim Uren writes and directs this revised and expanded version of his Minnesota Fringe Festival production from 2014. Not having seen the original production, I can’t speak to what changed whether added or subtracted. I can say, the version I saw runs close to the timing of a Fringe show but contains a 10 minute intermission. The Tourist Trap is a fun little horror play that lays out its own original mythology. It also poses the question, what does it mean to be from somewhere and who is the real native of this little area of South Dakota where the play is set. Above all, Uren reminds us with this piece is when you visit South Dakota, there will be blood.

When a group of friends visits a tourist museum in the Black Hills of South Dakota, devoted to a 19th century murderous cult leader named Marcus Bingham, they discover a whole new meaning to the term “tourist trap”. Uren’s script nicely lays out the backstory of the subject, the museum which is layered upon and enriched by the set Design of Devyn Becker. This “historical” basis for the museum is really well developed and actually sounds plausible. Horror works best when it builds from a believable starting point and this is The Tourist Trap‘s biggest asset. Uren starts the play the moment we enter the theater where we are encouraged to explore the museum exhibits (on stage). I recommend getting to the theater with at least 10+ minutes to take in what is on display. You won’t need the information as the tour guide as the characters will provide all the necessary exposition; however, it adds to the richness of the experience. I don’t really want to say anything more about the plot, not knowing which path this horror show will take is part of the fun.

The cast is filled with local performers who have popped up in all manner of shows over the years. If you’ve been to the Minnesota Fringe Festival, The Twin Cities Horror Festival (TCHF) or any of the 10,000 local theaters you’ve likely seen and enjoyed many of them in other productions. They all do do nice work here and you can tell their past experiences have prepared them for what they need to bring to a horror show. Two of the cast Jay Kistler and Sean Dillon performed in what I thought was the best show at the 2022 TCHF, Duck Washington’s All Your White Darlings. But I have to confess the true Draw for me aside from Uren was Shanan Custer who plays Dianne, the owner operator of the Museum. I’ve always loved Custer’s performances with the MORLS and have been enjoying her other roles on and off stage for decades. One of my oldest sons earliest theater experiences was the serialized London After Midnight shows she was a part of at Bryant Lake Bowl Theater. What a blast to see Custer tackle something dark and disturbing, unlike anything I’d seen her do before. She’s all in and still manages to get the biggest laugh without shifting the tone or breaking the mood of the piece. Fans of this Twin Cities Theatre Goddess are not going to want to miss this chance to see her go dark, very dark.

Uren script is the winner with the direction in need of a little tightening up. The tension is a bit lax with the character remaining a little too rational as things begin to go south. I like everything that happens, but the actors needed some stronger motivations at times for the characters movements or lack thereof to feel earned. It all stays a little too tame when things go crazy. On one hand, it was probably for the best as my wife was able to enjoy the show and will be able to sleep tonight. But I think there’s room to make what happens felt more viscerally by the audience, therein can also be a distraction from some characters in action or the motivation for it, that they are in shock. The lighting Design Ariel Pinkerton who also plays Joelle in the play, creates some extra tension with a sudden lights-out moment between the acts. Until the house lights come up, you’re on the edge of your seat. The blood and other effects are well handled, I’m guessing that is the work of Violence Coordinator, Jena Young. You’ve been warned, there are some mildly gruesome moments and a fair amount of blood in the show.

Overall, this is a really well thought out script with a underlying mythology that feels as real as the Blair Witch legend did back in 1999. Horror fans will find this a bloody good time. The Tourist Trap runs through May 20th at the Crane Theater in NE Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.ghoulishdelights.com/#tourist. You can also find out about the MORLS live performances and their podcast and if you haven’t taken in one of their performances done in the style of old radio broadcasts, I highly recommend it!

An American Tail The Musical at Children’s Theatre Company a Tale Told with Creativity and Heart

Matthew Woody (Fievel) in the World Premiere of *An American Tail the Musical* at Children’s Theatre Company. Photo: Glen Stubbe Photography

In 1986 Universal Pictures released the animated film An American Tail, and I wasn’t in the theater for that one. I was fourteen and it was a cartoon released three years before Disney’s, The Little Mermaid, made animated features cool again. I was aware of the Academy Award nominated song “Somewhere Out There“, and I think I was aware it was about a mouse who immigrated to America. So I can’t tell you if the film you loved as a kid is faithfully adapted to the stage. What I can tell you is that the version I saw on opening night at Children’s Theatre Company is a very entertaining yet surprisingly political show. The show is jam packed with subjects to discuss with your children or grandchildren on the drive home. Tradition (As Tevye might sing it), immigration, organized crime, political philosophies, and haberdashery to name a few. There’s plenty of laughs to keep the adults entertained along with excitement and creativity to enthrall the wee ones. There was also a couple of effectively frightening moments that were quite impressive from a stage craft perspective as well an emotional response.

The film has been adapted for the stage with book and lyrics by Itamar Moses, and music and lyrics by Michael Mahler and Alan Schmuckler. The story opens in Russia where the the Mousekewitz family is celebrating Hanukkah after lighting the candles and giving the children their presents. Papa tells the children, Tanya and Fievel, stories before bedtime. These tales play into the multiple meanings that the title represents. For it’s through recounting the tales his father told him that Fievel finds inspiration to overcome the challenges he faces throughout the story. Once everyone is in bed there’s a cat attack and the Mousekowitzes home is destroyed. It’s then they decide to immigrate to America where they believe are no cats and the roads are paved with cheese. During the journey across the ocean, Fievel is washed overboard during a storm but survives in a bottle and washes up in New York City. Fievel sets off into the city to try and find his family, who assume he has died. Fievel first meets the villainous Warren T. Rat who sells him to a sweatshop. There he meets Tony who helps him and other orphans, who have also been enslaved, to escape the sweatshop. We learn that Warren T. Rat has been collecting protection money from the mice to pay the cats to leave the mice alone. Tony offers to help Fievel find his parents and in doing so they meet Bridget, an outspoken politically minded young mouse, who wants to lead a revolt against the cats. They organize a rally with the help of the wealthy uptown mouse Gussie Mausheimer and the politician Honest John to stop paying the protection money and fight the cats. Fievel hopes that his family will come to the rally and see him where they’ll be reunited.

Playing the lead as Fievel is Matthew Woody who performs with the assuredness and stage presence of a veteran performer. He’ll be an inspiration to any young people in the audience who think they might like to try their hand at the acting life. Equally appealing and talented is Lillian Hochman as his older sister Tanya. The duet share on that holdover from the film version “Somewhere Out there” is a high point of the show and an emotionally resonant moment towards the end of the first act. Luverne Seifert plays duo roles as the warm and loving Papa and the devious Warren T. Rat, pulling these complete opposites off wonderfully. Becca Hart likewise plays both Mama and Rat’s cockroach accountant Digit, getting a chance to show off her dance moves in a seen with her fellow cockroaches that’s wonderfully choreographed by Katie Spelman. Other notable performers are Ryan London Levin as Tony, Kiko Laureano as Bridget, Autumn Ness as Gussie and Reed Sigmund as Honest John. They, along with the entire ensemble, bring this tale of mice and cats to glorious life.

Speaking of bringing things to life, what a spectacular job the creative team has done bringing this tail into existence. Jason Sherwood’s Set Design is astonishingly inventive, each new scene brings some new wonder. Beginning with a suitcase that opens to reveal the Mousekowitz house to the perspective illusion of the sewer tunnels under New York. Lighting Designer Jeanett Oi-Suk Yew’s work enhances Sherwood’s work and get’s to do some really creative things like a flashlight that shines down making the Cockroaches scatter. Costume Designer Trevor Bowen along with Hair, Make-up, and Wig Designer J. Jared Janas create effective and distinctive looks for the characters. The tails and ears on the mice are perfect and I love Honest John’s suit, the suit that Tony makes for himself. The Puppet Designer Christopher Lutter-Gardella deserves special praise for the creation of the life size (in comparison to the mice) cats. Their attack at the beginning is genuinely scary with a great big face that comes lurking from the back of the stage and paws that reach out at the mice from the wings. There are also several sets of large glowing eyes that menace from all corners of the stage. Equally impressive is a giant mouse that appears inspired by one of Papa’s stories.

An American Tail the Musical is one of those Children’s shows that the adults will enjoy as much as the kids. In fact, it’s one of the rare children’s shows that I can unabashedly recommend to adults without children. It is running through June 18th at Children’s Theatre Company in Mineapolis, for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://childrenstheatre.org/whats-on/an-american-tail-22-23/

I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), 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 have some exciting things in the works for 2023 for the TCTB and our readers. Follow us to be the first to know about those happenings like our recent Prom Date with the TCTB that we held on March 4th. If you didn’t make it to that event there’s still time to see the The Prom at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres (CDT) thru June 10th . You can view the TCTB Talk Back that we held on March 4th with the CDT Artistic Director and three of the stars of The Prom here https://bit.ly/promtalkback

UPCOMING TCTB EVENT!!! Join me and my fellow Twin Cities Theater Bloggers Thursday May 4th for a Pajama Party with the TCTB! We encourage you to come in your pajamas and enjoy a performance of The Pajama Game at Artistry in Bloomington. There will be a post show discussion and a chance to meet your favorite Theater Bloggers. And, best of all, here’s a code to use PJPARTY to get discounted $30 tickets. You can read my review of the show here https://bit.ly/pajamagameartistry

True West a Tale of Sibling Rivalry, Screenwriting, and Toast at Theatre in the Round Players in Minneapolis

As the 2022/2023 theatre season progresses at Theatre in the Round Players I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. So far this has been without a doubt, the strongest season show by show the company has had since I began attending regularly, long before I began reviewing shows. Would True West be the show that broke the perfect record? Given the pedigree, a modern classic by Sam Shepard and directed by Duck Washington, I didn’t think it likely. Sure enough, it’s another triumph for Theatre in the Round Players, the oldest community theater in the Twin Cities. Anchored by two powerhouse performances, True West keeps you precariously on the edge of your seat while regularly letting off steam with moments of dark humor. Shepards play, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1983, begins as an uncomfortable situation that takes a turn into absurdity.

Austin is a screenwriter who is staying in his mother’s house while she’s away on a trip to Alaska. He is grounded and well educated, straight laced, and married with children. As the play opens, we see him trying to work on his latest screenplay but unable to give it his attention due to the unexpected arrival of his estranged brother Lee. Lee is a drifter who has been living in the desert making his living as a thief by breaking into houses and stealing items to sell. Austin is clearly uncomfortable with his brothers presence and the audience shares his feelings. Annoyed at the interruption, distrustful of his intentions, and clearly somewhat intimidated, Austin does everything he can to keep the conversation light and non-confrontational. Unfortunately, Lee is one of those people who can turn every remark from a comment on the weather to a compliment into a confrontation. Austin along with the audience is thinking how can they be brothers or begin to relate to each other. When Lee interests Saul, the movie producer, Austin is working with on a story of his own, both of their lives turn upside down. The diametrically opposed brothers begin to swap places. The tone goes from sense of uneasiness to something akin to a black farce if such a thing exists. The intelligent Austin begins to make decisions ruled by emotions while the volatile Lee tries to rationally work on his screenplay. In nearly every way the two become comic versions of each other where they’ve swapped not only careers, but desires.

The performances of Joe Swanson as Austin and David Tufford as Lee are riveting. Swanson, whose character the audience identifies with, reacts as we do to Lee’s personality thus bonding us to him. The connection is so complete that we find our mind backpedaling at the same moments Austin is. We flinch when he does, and we have the urge to appease Lee when he does. When things begin to go off the rails, we suddenly start to diverge from the character. Swanson has to play it very composed and rational in the opening scenes, when he starts to change into a humorous version of Lee, he doesn’t go the volatile route, his irrational behavior has a different quality which feels authentic to his character. It’s the less showy of the two roles, but Swanson perfectly captured the idea of a man who hasn’t snapped, but more so departed the course and values by which he has lived his life. Tufford’s character Lee is the kind of man you never want to get stuck in a room or a conversation with. He intentionally turns every interaction into a moment of unease and awkwardness. Tufford prowls around the stage like a tiger in a cage adding to the feeling that he is about to pounce on Austin at any moment. The role could be played over the top and larger than life but Tufford wisely keeps the character internal making his every move packed with the potential, rather than an example of explosiveness. It’s the unreleased potential and expectation of violence that makes Tuffold’s performance so menacing. His performance is actually frightening, not because of what the character actually does, but by how it is performed. When his character begins to change, it makes that all the more humorous. To see the man who was clearly and intentionally making his brother frustrated by his constant comments while he’s trying to write, the reverse is comical. The reversals tone is so opposite is due to the actors understanding of their characters, the reversal of intent doesn’t change who they are. The cast is rounded out by Kjer Whiting as Saul and Kathleen Winters as Austin and Lee’s Mom, both small roles but well played.

Duck Washington clearly understands the dichotomy of the characters which is the focus of Shepard’s play. He understands that the exchanges the characters make in terms of goals and actions doesn’t change who they are underneath. He trusts the audience to see what is happening without pandering to them with obvious changes like wardrobe. He realizes that it’s important for the characters to remain who they are internally, even as the things they want change. He directs with intelligence, and a focus on building the tension from expectation rather than open aggression. Michael Haas’s set design effectively uses the theatre in the round arena creating the interior of a home. The lighting design by Shannon Elliott helps to set time of day and ends the play with a particularly effective spotlight. Colleen O’dell’s costume design help establish the characters with those of Saul being especially effective in helping to create the character of the Hollywood producer

True West runs through May 14th at Theatre in the Round Players in Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.theatreintheround.org/home/season-placeholder/current_season/true-west/