Lyric Arts in Anoka reminds us once again that they are the little theater that can. I first saw Something Rotten! about four years ago when the national tour came to the Orpheum. I had a blast with the show then and I think I had just as much fun with it last night. What Lyric Arts production loses in spectacle it more then makes up for with the immediacy of it’s perfectly sized theatre. There really isn’t a bad seat in the Main Street Stage, but for me, my heart is always in the front row. Fun, witty, and entertaining from top to Bottom (there’s a double meaning in that) Lyric Arts finishes it’s 2021 -22 season on a high note. Filled with anachronisms, like a sunglasses wearing William Shakespeare, and jokes that come from every imaginable direction, visual, dialogue, and clever song lyrics. It’s a musical comedy that has something for everyone, but a little extra for those who know their Shakespeare and musical theatre. This is a show that is as much a parody of musicals as it is an entertaining example of the form. For fans of musical theatre it is chock full of Easter eggs, with nods to everything from Les Miserables to Rent, as well as regular eggs, including four tap dancing eggs.

Written by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell with music and lyrics by Wayne and Karey Kirkpatrick. The story follows the Bottom brothers Nick and Nigel who are playwrights during the Renaissance period and contemporaries of William Shakespeare. Shakespeare is portrayed as something akin to a rockstar by today’s standards. Nigel is a huge fan of Shakespeare but his older brother Nick hates him, partially out of jealousy. When their new play is cancelled, due to a rumor that Shakespeare is writing a play with the same title, the brothers have one night to come up with a new idea. In a panic, Nick takes the money he and his wife Bea had been saving and goes to a soothsayer named Nostradamus. Nostradamus looks into the future to see what the next big thing in theater is going to be, what he sees are musicals! Once sold on this idea, the brothers are still stuck for an idea on which to base their musical. So Nick asks Nostradamus to look again into the future and see what Shakespeare’s greatest work will be, the response is Omlet! Filled with some really fun songs, favorites include “God, I Hate Shakespeare”, “A Musical” and To Thine Own Self Be True” just to name a few.

The cast is headed by Kyler Chase and Grant Hooyer as Nick and Nigel Bottom. Chase brought me full circle to my first visit to Lyric Arts and his portrayal of Mark in Rent. Here again, he wowed me not only with his singing but his comic timing as well. Hooyer is perfectly cast as Nigel, he captures the innocence of a sheltered younger brother but also plays the naive young man under the spell of first love. He is also a nice singer and his facial expressions play the humor just right. Justin Betancourt steals the show every time he appears as Nostradamus. His performance of “A Musical” is hilarious and worth the price of admission alone. Carl Swanson plays William Shakespeare with all the pomp and arrogance of someone who is being called the greatest writer in the English language and believes it. It’s a star making performance of an actor who’s playing a star. Special notice also needs to go to Becca Hart as Bea (Nick’s wife), Courtney Vonvett, as Portia (Nigels love interest), and Kiko Laureano (the Minstrel).

Something Rotten! is directed by Scott Ford with his usual sure hand with Anna Murphy handling the musical direction. The set design by Peter Lerohl makes perfect use of the space. What looks like a series of painted flats of buildings turns out to be quite inventive in the way that various pieces unfold to create different interiors, the central set piece functions as the outside of a building but then rotates to serve as the inside of the theater for the plays rehearsals. The scenic artist Victoria Clawson has given the buildings the look of a picture storybook, which feels perfectly in step with the silliness that ensues. I also wanted to make sure I mentioned the costume designer Caitlin Quinn whose work here is marvelous. Also Hannah Weinberg-Goerger whose choreography was a joy to behold. A little tap goes a long way sometimes but a little tap done well, as it is here, can be an impressive display of timing and precision.

For more information and to purchase tickets for Something Rotten! go to https://www.lyricarts.org/. The show runs through August 14th, it’s a real crowd pleaser of a show, a lot of fun and laughs, sometimes that’s just what we need.

Don’t miss a single review from The Stages of MN, 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. Also you can follow me on Facebook, search @thestagesofmn and click follow and on Instagram thestagesonmn.

If you love RENT as I do, then like me you want to see it every chance you get. I believe this is my tenth cast, when you’ve seen a show done ten differents times you’ve learned to let go of your preconceived notions of how a character should look or the set should be. Especially when it comes to the smaller theatre’s productions. Instead what you go for is to see what kind of energy a company brings, how does their set work, in what ways is it unique and how well does that work. You look for that new interpretation by an actor or a director, hoping they will show you something new, but not stray too far from what you loved. You go for the musical you love, but you take pleasures in the details. There are a lot of details to enjoy in Inver Grove Heights Community Theatre’s production of RENT. The production is a success giving the audience enough highs to overshadow the few lows. I can’t say this is my favorite production, but if you are a Rent-Head it will more than do until the next one comes around.

There are a few weak performances, but they are smaller roles. A lot of solid performances where at times the songs just go slightly out of the performers range. Then there are a couple of tremendous performances. Aram Eskridge as Tom Collins and Bee Tremmel as Angel are amazing, both vocally and acting. Their duet on “I’ll cover you” is one of the highlights of the the first act, and I doubted anything in the rest of the show would top it. Then in the second act Eskridge nearly received a mid performance standing ovation for his performance of “I’ll Cover You (Reprise)“. That was the moment that made the drive to Inver Grove Heights on a Friday evening after a long week worth it. The moment when it got a little dusty in the theatre. Tremmel’s interpretation of Angel was probably the most unique and original take on the character I’ve seen. I don’t mean they have completely reinterpreted the character, but their line readings had a fresh spin on them, and it worked like gangbusters. These are two actors I will look for to seeing again. The other two that really impressed were Lewis Youngren as Mark and Shannon Dancler as Mimi. Youngren’s character is also the narrator of the show and as such, the role has always felt like the onstage director, he carried on that tradition well and did proud all the Mark’s that came before. Dancler’s acting was up there with Eskridge and Tremmel’s as she had the role of Mimi down, and was quite moving. She had one song that was just so beautifully sung “Goodbye, Love“. Other songs seemed to give her some minor trouble range wise, such as “Out Tonight” but even in that case her physical and emotion performance covered the vocal imperfections. There were multiple others that that stood out in the cast and the ensemble such as Cheron Whittley and Brooklyn Schwiesow as JoAnne and Maureen.

The production was directed by Quinn forrest Masterson, how the hell he managed that while starring in Shrek at Artistry, which opened the same night I cannot imagine. But alongside his ability to be in two places at one time, he can add first rate director. There are some weaker elements to the production but none of them come from the staging of the scenes. There were a few touches I don’t remember seeing in previous productions such as a young Roger and April interacting above present Roger as he sings “One Song Glory” and he also has a dancer up top during “Tango: Maureen“. These were nice added little touches that worked really well. Adam Oster’s set was in the style of the original set but also it’s own take on it, it perfectly walked that line of being recognizably RENT but also giving us something fresh. Pierce Jensen’s lighting was very effective, directing our gaze but also helping to evoke emotions, particularly in the quieter moments. Finally costume Designer Christy Branham did a great job of capturing a hint and a flavor of the original costumes without going anywhere near trying to copy them, again finding that perfect line of being RENT, but also being its own production.

One thing I’ll say for Community theatre, because these are generally not professional actors (yet) what sometimes is lacking in polish or technique can be compensated for with enthusiasm. Maybe it’s just that RENT is such a powerful and electric work of musical theatre but you can feel the joy and energy flowing off the stage. RENT has two performances remaining Saturday July 23rd at 7:00 PM and Sunday July 24th at 2:00 PM for more information and to purchase tickets Adults are $15 and students are only $10 got to https://www.ightheatre.org/

Don’t miss a single review from The Stages of MN, 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. Also you can follow me on Facebook, search @thestagesofmn and click follow and on Instagram thestagesonmn.

Shrek the Musical opened this past weekend at the Artistry in Bloomington. It’s always nice to find a show you can recommend for families in the summertime. Sometimes they’re aimed at the younger end of theatergoing age like Stages, The Little Mermaid Jr.. Other times, as is the case with Shrek the Musical, the older you are the more enjoyment you are likely to get from it. Like much of the best family entertainment, Shrek plays on two levels. For kids, it’s a fun story with ogre’s, princesses,and dragons. For the adults, it has another level of humor in it’s clever song lyrics and it’s postmodern spin on the fairy tales of childhood. Some shows I get more excited about seeing than others and have to admit, this wasn’t registering high on the excitement level going in. But I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable a production it is. There were families in the audience as well as the usual sextigenarian and above set. My plus one for the day and I may have been the only two middle aged men without children in attendance, but I think it played just as well to us as it did to anyone. While a great show for families, which is great, I don’t think you need to have children in tow to have a blast with it.

Based on the Dreamworks Animation film and the book by William Steig it features a book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori. It stays fairly faithful to the film if memory serves but with the addition of songs. Many of the new songs contains some very clever lyrics and a lot of the humor comes from the performance of the musical numbers. The production was directed by Angela Timberman who makes great use of the space at times having the performers enter through the aisles of the theatre and also using the curtain as a staging device, especially effective in the staging of a gag with the Pied Piper. The scenic design by Christopher Heilman was serviceable, but consisted mainly of flats that were lowered and raised. The true technical achievements were in the costumes by Khamphian Vang, hair & makeup by Britt Hilton and props by Katie Phillips. Heilman’s costumes for all of these fantastical characters were spot on and the solution to presenting a dragon was wonderfully realized. I’m not sure under which department Pinocchio’s nose fell but it created one of those moments in live theater where you ask yourself “How did they do that?!”.

All the costumes, wigs, and makeup in the world would not be enough if you didn’t have a cast up to the task of portraying the likes of Shrek, Donkey, and dozens of storybook icons. Artistry has a cast well up to the task. Quinn Forrest Masterson, Kevin Brown Jr., and Deidre Cochran as Shrek, Donkey and Fiona are all well cast. Each recognizably realizes the characters we know and love, but they stop short of doing impersonations of the performers who made them famous. Some other favorites for me were Jon Michael Stiff for his hilarious interpretation of Lord Farquaad. It’s the characterization that seems the most removed from the film version, but in a way that improves on the role. Neal Beckman’s Pinocchio was hilarious a combination of the classic wooden boy we know but channeled through Emo Philips. Janely Rodriguez as the dragon was fantastic, and her singing voice made me wish she had another song in the show, possibly the best voice in the cast and we get far too little of it. Finally, I got a kick out of all of Jay Albrights roles, Papa Orge, Captain of the Guard, and the Bishop. His deadpan delivery particularly as the Captain of the guard, was study in restraint and perfect timing.

Shrek the Musical runs through August 14th at Artistry in Bloomington for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://artistrymn.org/shrek.

Don’t miss a single review from The Stages of MN, 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. Also you can follow me on Facebook, search @thestagesofmn and click follow and on Instagram thestagesonmn.

Park Square Theatre’s annual tradition of the summer mystery returns and this year it’s a corker! I’m a huge Sherlock Holmes fan, my love for the character began at an early age watching the old Basil Rathbone series of films from the 1940’s with my Dad. I’ve read everything Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote featuring the great detective, what we fans consider canon, as well as novels and stories by other writers. When I saw the title of this years mystery offering, Holmes and Watson, fantastic! Then I read the three sentence plot synopsis:

Dr. Watson receives a telegram from a mental asylum: three patients are claiming to be Sherlock Holmes. Did the world’s greatest sleuth fake his own death? Who’s the real detective and who are the imposters? 

Park Square Theatre Website

and thought, how is that supposed to work? Are we supposed to believe that Watson wouldn’t instantly recognize Holmes? Are all the lights out and he has to try and determine who is Holmes by their answers to questions? Is this going to require a herculean suspension of disbelief to enjoy? If these questions occurred to you as well, fear not. The key to the success of the script is that this is Doyle’s Watson, not the dim witted Watson portrayed so loveably by Nigel Bruce 80 years ago. This Watson is intelligent and brave and will be wary of revealing what he knows until he gets the lay of the land. And that is all I can say about the plot of this production, anything more might inadvertently give something away.

Jeffrey Hatcher’s ingenious script for Holmes and Watson is everything you could want in a stage thriller. Intricately plotted, a premise that seems unlikely, quickly becomes intriguing. Twists pile up one upon another without ever feeling forced but rather, deeply satisfying. As the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place the logic seems as simple as Sherlock’s deductions after he has explained them. But, just when you think you have it figured out a new twist comes and it seems as if the pieces have been scattered only to fall back into place while creating a wholly new picture. Twisty turny to be sure yet straightforward in its intricacies. The other beautiful aspect of the script is that it does not contradict canon. This play fits snugly in between “The Final Problem” and “The Adventure of the Empty House” we just have to accept that at Holmes’ request, Watson has withheld these events. Usually with mystery plays or thrillers I’ve read the book or seen the film version and as enjoyable as they may be it’s never quite the same when you know the answer to the mystery going in. That’s what made this production so enjoyable, I had no idea which was the real Sherlock Holmes, and thus was able to keep guessing up until his last bow. I’m so impressed by Hatcher’s script that I’m more excited than ever for his collaboration with Steve Hendrickson on next Summers Park Square Mystery Holmes/Poirot!

The script is brought to life by an excellent cast headed by Bruce Roach as Watson and Daniel Petzold as Dr. Evans who has summoned Watson to the Asylum located on a remote island. I don’t know where Daniel Petzold has come from, or what the story is, does Park Square have him under exclusive contract? He was fantastic in their last production Airness, and again shines here. I hope this young man is going to set down roots in the Twin Cities, based on what I’ve seen so far, he is a very talented actor. This show has a terrific Watson that’s for sure. Roach’s character may get second billing in the title, but it’s really his show. He deftly controls what he lets us the audience in on, giving us just enough to keep up with him, but never enough to get very far ahead. We also get multiple versions of Sherlock Holmes, each unique, each at different times completely plausibly the real Holmes. Each time Pearce Bunting (Holmes 2), Paul De Cordova (Holmes 1), and Peter Simmons (Holmes 3) are brought on stage I thought the true Holmes was a different one, which is a way of saying I never really guessed who the real Holmes was. The cast is rounded out by nice supporting turns from Kirby Bennett as the Matron and Peter Christian Hansen as the orderly.

Director Michael Evan Haney has the show perfectly paced, things move fast enough to keep you off balance, but never too fast so that you lose track of anything. His visual staging of the various tellings by the three Holmes’ of what really happened between himself and Professor Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls is wonderfully executed. The set design by Erik Paulson is wonderfully realized version of what you might imagine in your mind at the suggestion of a late 19th century asylum on a remote island in Scotland. Stone Walls and wooden beams bring to life this creepy location. Add in some really effective lighting design by Mary Shabatura and sound design by Montana Johnson who work together to create a thunderstorm to add perfectly to the atmosphere. This truly is a top notch production from script to finished performance. Holmes and Watson Runs through August 21st at Park Square Theatre. It’s hard to imagine anyone not having a great time with this show. From its smart intricate script and wonderfully evocative set to a wonderful cast, this production is the one to catch this summer! For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://parksquaretheatre.org/.

Don’t miss a single review from The Stages of MN, 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. Also you can follow me on Facebook, search @thestagesofmn and click follow and on Instagram thestagesonmn.

Originally produced by the History Theatre in 2015, Glensheen returns this summer after touring the state. I missed Glensheen’s original run but caught up with it this weekend in the uncomfortably warm History Theatre in Downtown St. Paul, seriously wear something lightweight. It’s easy to see why the History Theatre brought the show back, it’s an incredibly fun production. I’m not a true crime fan but my wife is, so I knew this would be up her alley and I’d get the true crimer’s perspective. Turns out you don’t need to be a true crime fan 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 is how enjoyable the whole thing 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 Jeffrey Hatcher who has another play opening next week at Park Square Theatre Holmes and Watson. The songs were written by Chan Poling who was a member of the alternative rock band The Suburbs. The two have collaborated on a wonderful piece of musical theatre with Glensheen. 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 is 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, whom I first encountered as Falstaff in the Rogue Prince several years ago, is another jewel in this ensemble bringing something new and different to each of the multitude of characters he portrays. Suzie Juul, who opens the show as the tour guide at Glensheen, then proceeds to play a plethora of characters with a wonderful quality that endears the audience to her immediately. I’ve seen her in about half a dozen shows now and I think she has what it takes to carve out a nice long career for herself. Dane Stauffer is perfect as the out of his depth, easily manipulated, Roger. 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. C Andrew Mayer’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. 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. It all plays together wonderfully.

Glensheen runs through July 24th at the History Theatre in downtown St. Paul for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.historytheatre.com/2021-2022/glensheen.

Don’t miss a single review from The Stages of MN, 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. Also you can follow me on Facebook, search @thestagesofmn and click follow and on Instagram thestagesonmn.

Brave New Workshop returns with it’s first show since being closed down for the pandemic in 2020. This Iconic Hennepin Ave. Institution has reopened having been purchased by the Hennepin Theatre Trust to ensure its continued presence and to build upon it’s over 60 year legacy. The new show which opened in May and continues through August 6th is titled Back to the Workshop, or Everything’s Fine!. I went anticipating seeing Lauren Anderson perform, who is someone I’ve seen and admired in other productions. Unfortunately, on the night I attended her role was being filled by Artistic Director Caleb McEwen. I was sad not to see Anderson perform and wish her a speedy recovery; however, I have to say well done to McEwen! If he hadn’t informed us at the beginning that he was filling in, we would never have known it. He did a fantastic job and never for a moment seemed unsure of what he was supposed to be doing. Of course for all we know he completely departed the text and the the other performers. Denzel Belin, Doug Neithercott, and Taj Ruler are phenomenal improvers, improvrs, improv’ers… hey how the hell do your pluralize someone who improv’s?, who made it seem like whatever he said was part of the script. What’s fantastic about this show is whether it’s Anderson or McEwen, improv or scripted, it’s all pretty great.

The first two acts of the show are a series of skits dealing with various aspects of the Covid Pandemic. It’s a little scary how close to the truth some of these outrageous scenes come, but you know what they say, it’s funny cause it’s true. Whether addressing how we all had months and months of shelter in place and somehow became less productive, or navigating the awkward adjustments of going back into the office after over a year of working from home, the target of the jokes is all of us. There something in this show that everyone is laughing at that you did, and the joy of the show is it helps us laugh at ourselves, so that we don’t cry. Aside from pandemic situations the show also addresses other topics that have made the last two years unique. The performers don’t shy away political topics, from Black Lives Matter to Don’t Say Gay, they find the humor while bringing the truth. The third act is a short session of improv which in the hands of such talented performers is always a treat. I definitely recommend sticking around for the improv at the end. One piece of warning though, I’m always hot and I was cold in the theater, bring something to put on your arms and wear long pants.

It’s so good to see performers back on stage at the Brave New Workshop. This is the perfect topic to tackle, what better way to recover from these past two years than to laugh at those past two years. Clever and witty, it’s the collective laugh we all need to begin to put the pandemic behind us. Give yourself the treat of laughing into the face of the pandemic, it won’t change it but it will help you put it in perspective and it will definitely make you feel better. For more information and to purchase tickets for Back to the Workshop, or Everything’s Fine! go to https://bravenewworkshop.org/. You deserve it, we all do after the last two years.

Don’t miss a single review from The Stages of MN, 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. Also you can follow me on Facebook, search @thestagesofmn and click follow and on Instagram thestagesonmn.

Ain’t Too Proud... is a jukebox musical in the vein of Jersey Boys which played The Orpheum earlier in the season. Both follow the formation and rise of a famous 1960’s, well let’s call em what they would be considered today, boy bands. That these are two of the greatest boy bands in history means that the shows will be filled with great music, but the similarities don’t end there. For each follows the age old trajectory of success leading to excess. They both even contain the tragic death of one of the members children. You also get the sense that both of these groups should have had a lot more money then they did. I suspect the reason the record companies are not raked over the coals in these shows is that they have to grant use of the music. The Temptations musical has so many songs to feature that it’s weakness is that it doesn’t have time to perform many of these classics in full. In fact, I’m not entirely sure there is ever one song that is actually performed start to finish. So less of a rock concert than a two hour medley of hits. The performance of the songs, and the songs themselves, are so good that we forgive their abbreviation.

The book for this musical does what it needs to in order to tell it’s story but if the show lacks something it’s a better understanding of where we are chronologically and how they actually got their start. We move very quickly from Otis Williams, the sole surviving member of the original Temptations and the narrator of the show, release from Juvenile Detention, to his putting together a band. He lures new members by pointing out they already have a manager and paying gigs. But how did that happen? Once the group gets connected to legendary Motown Record label founder Berry Gordy, it stops feeling like things are being omitted as much. Like the Four Season, I know the music of The Temptations but next to nothing about their personal story and lives. It makes for an interesting history lesson and also a cautionary tale. It’s amazing how familiar the broad strokes are of these tales of celebrity, the egos, the drugs, the infighting. One wonders if anyone is capable of navigating fame without self destructing. Of course there are, and Otis Williams is one of them, assuming he’s a reliable narrator, remember history is written by the victors or in this case, the survivor.

A show like this, just as with Jersey Boys, has to cast with exceptionally talented performers. They have to be able to sing in a reasonable facsimile of some very iconic and impressive voices. The cast here is all supremely gifted vocally and their dancing choreographed by Sergio Trujillo is perfectly timed and executed. Jalen Harris as Eddie Kendricks was the most impressive vocally of the Temps, one can see his casting as Michael Jackson when MJ the Musical gets ready to tour. The one character whose voice is supposed to be so good, that there are worries about replacing him when his behavior becomes to erratic is David Ruffin. At the performance I attended, he was good, but nowhere near the best voice on the stage, this may be because it was the understudy Harris Matthew in the role that night. What’s exciting is that the performers who briefly appear and sing as some other motown groups like The Cadillacs, The Supremes, and The Five Satins are just as great vocally as the Temptations. The one performer that really embodies the show with its heart and soul is Marcus Paul James as Otis Williams. Of course he’s a great singer, but it’s his acting that really draws us to him. He isn’t volatile, he’s deliberate and reasonable, like his character he’s the backbone of the ensemble. He’s trying to do the right things and move everyone forward, he’s the survivor and we can see the toll that surviving takes on him. He reminded me of a young Denzel Washington, there is a power to him that somehow comes across without being showy in the least.

If you are a fan of the music of The Temptations, Ain’t Too Proud… is going to be well worth your time. The showmanship on display is very impressive, each performance has its own unique choreography and the vocal performances of so many great songs is almost an embarrassment of riches. I had a blast with the production numbers and was captivated my the lead performance by Marcus Paul James. Ain’t Too Proud… runs through July 10th at the Hennepin Theatre Trust Orpheum Theatre. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://hennepintheatretrust.org/events/aint-too-proud-broadway-tickets-minneapolis-mn-2022/

Don’t miss a single review from The Stages of MN, 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. Also you can follow me on Facebook, search @thestagesofmn and click follow and on Instagram thestagesonmn.