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

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

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

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

Tired of missing reviews from The Stages of MN? Do you find yourself left out when all your friends are talking about that great new play that you didn’t even know about? Never fear, that need never happen again. Now you too can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. No more hoping the algorithm works in your favor and you actually see a post on facebook or Instagram. No relying on so-called friends to tip you to the best shows in town. 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/ from time to time.

A Christmas Carol Continues to Enchant as it Celebrates 50 Years at the Guthrie Theater

Cast of A Christmas Carol Photo by Dan Norman

Every year come November and December we are exposed to multiple version of of A Christmas Carol. From films to episodes of TV series that use it’s plot to stage productions. I’ll likely see at least three stage productions this season that are based off of it. This was the fourth production of the Guthrie’s latest adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol and also marks it’s 50th Production overall. I’ve seen all four years of this current incarnation which was adapted by Lavina Jadhwani and first performed in the 2021 season. This years production is directed by Addie Gorlin-Han based on the original direction by Guthrie Artistic Director Joseph Haj. After spending time with so many versions of this story year after year I’m amazed at it’s capacity to captivate me each time. There is something so enduring about Dickens tale of reflection and redemption, and its familiarity to audiences, which accounts for its adaptability. It’s core plot and themes can be seen in so many different works. Even that other mainstay of the holiday season It’s a Wonderful Life shares DNA with it. In it, we see George Bailey’s past, then his present, and then an alternate reality which is what the Ghost of Christmas Future shows Scrooge, a possible future, but one that may not come to pass. Like Scrooge who changes his ways and embraces life, George changes his mind deciding it’s better to live and we get a happy ending for all.

What struck me this year is how fresh the production felt and a lot of details or moments that I either didn’t remember or are new. Being the fourth year in a row, knowing it was the same adaptation with the same sets, I admit I did entertain the idea of giving it a skip this year. So glad I didn’t. Now I’ve reviewed nearly 200 productions since I last saw A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie last fall, so I struggle to remember last years in detail. Are the things I noticed this year new or have they just slipped my memory? This year it felt like there were some different songs and more choreography between scenes, but that may not be the case at all. There is a scene before the Ghost of Christmas Past visits when the ensemble is forming the hands of the clock on stage as the hour between Midnight and one A.M. passes. This struck me as a really creative touch from Choreographer Regina Peluso, but was it new this year? I don’t know. The only change I am certain of are those of casting. There are a lot of the same actors but many of them have changed roles this year. After years in the role of Bob Cratchit, John Catron has been promoted to Fred, Scrooge’s nephew. This was due to former Fred, Eric Sharp moving into the role of the Ghost of Christmas Past. It also led to Tyler Michaels King taking on the role of Bob Cratchit leaving his role as Collector 1 and Dick Wilkins. That in turn leads to the addition this year of Max Wojtanowicz to the cast in those vacated roles. It’s very interesting to notice the changes that each performer brings to the roles and how that subtle changes the play as a whole and giving it a breath of fresh air. The biggest cast change this year is the replacement of Matthew Saldivar, who was very good in the role, but always struck me as a little too young, with David Beach who feels very age appropriate, is fantastic.

The things that wowed me in previous production continue to do so now. The Ghost of Christmas Future portrayed by Nathan Huberty in a costume created by Toni-Leslie James is still effectively nightmarish and might give the very wee ones in the audience a genuine fright. The moment when the Ghost comes out of the darkness engulfed in fog to tower over a cowering Scrooge is truly a heart pounding moment. The set design by Matt Saunders in conjunction with the Lighting design by Yi Zhao manages to be both detailed and expressionistic. Sound Designer Mikaal Sulaiman and Musical Director Jason hansen also contribute greatly to the tone and atmosphere of the work whether through Composer Jane Shaw’s score, traditional Christmas carols, or well times sound effects. The one scene that has always been a head scratcher for me is when Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Present observe the ship out at sea. I know it’s from the book, I know many adaptations include it, I understand there is a point to it. But it’s so short and requires elaborate, and very effective projection, a separate set piece that has to be built and wheeled on and off the stage. I wonder if what it brings to the show ultimately justifies that build out and expense.

If you’ve never seen A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie it’s something you are required by the State Constitution to do at least once if you’ve lived her more than five years. If you’ve seen it before, even this very adaptation, I promise you it rewards on multiple viewings. I think the cast changes do shift the whole piece enough that you are going to find it remarkably fresh and entertaining. A Christmas Carol runs through December 29th at The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/a-christmas-carol/

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane Charms at Stages Theater Company

Leah Rimstad and Asher Rilen Photo by Amy Rondeau Photography

Based upon the novel The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by celebrated Newbery Award winning Minnesota author Kate Dicamillo this production at Stages Theatre Company is warm, emotional, and utterly Charming. I’ve not read the novel but I am familiar with the story from attending the Minnesota Opera’s Edward Tulane in 2022 during its world premiere. The highlight of that show was the extravagant production design while in this version Scenic Designer Sarah Brandner seems to benefit from going the opposite direction. Not that there is no design, it’s that rather than being lavious and detailed here Brandner is subtle, simple, and all the more entrancing for it. Rather than being wowed by spectacle we are drawn in by a design that pulls us into the characters. With moments as simple as the sky lighting up with stars, which the audience I attended the show with, made up of a few hundred grade schoolers were audibly wowed by. They loved it and old as I am, I confess I did as well.

The story follows the journey of Edward Tulane a rabbit made of China. Edward is given at first by a grandmother to her granddaughter Abilene. The Rabbit is represented on stage by a Rabbit doll but also by a young actor named Asher Rilen who gives voice to Edwards inner thoughts. When we first meet him Edward is very vain and only cares about how he looks and himself. The girl dearly loves him and makes everyone in her family include him, but whatever they say is just noise to him, he’s only interested in himself. One day when the family goes on a vacation on a large ship Edward is lost overboard, he spends months and months at the bottom of the ocean until a storm comes a long and churns up the sea. A fisherman catches Edward in his net and brings him home to his wife, who makes him a dress and names him Suzanna, he is happy there until fate steps in again and he is separated from them. The plot continues on in episodic fashion with Edward being taken in by various people with their own stories to share and their own names to give him. The constant is that everyone he goes to loves him and by the time he has been smashed and then repaired and placed in a doll shop, he has learned to love and is no longer concerned with just his appearance.

There are separations and there are deaths in the story, there is cruelty, but there is also kindness. Director Anna Crace handles the darker aspects with skill, presenting them as the tragedies or injustices that they are, so that the younger members register them. Then she moves on, because a play like life has to move forward. Asher Rilen is very good as Edward, it’s a difficult role for a young actor to be the main character but also not be aloud to act out their role physically, relying almost entirely on a vocal performance, while appearing on stage and not fidgeting. Asher finds the stillness that is needed and accomplishes way more through his performance than had he been able to act out the role of Edward physically. The young cast all do a great job, there is none of the awkwardness or self conscious hand movements that you sometimes encounter with younger performers. The two adult cast members, Grant Hooyer and Charlene Hong White, both of whom play multiple characters throughout Edwards journey are both excellent in every persona they take on. They are great examples to the young cast of how to create multiple distinct characters within a play.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane runs through October 27th at Stages Theatre Company in Hopkins. It’s the sort of children’s show that will also enchant the adults in the audience, making it a great show for the whole family. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.stagestheatre.org/the-miraculous-journey-of-edward-tulane/

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A Wrinkle in Time Full of Stage Magic at Theatre in the Round

A Wrinkle in Time is an American Newbery Award winning young adult novel published in 1962 by Madeleine L’Engle. Cherished by many, not me, but many. I’m not saying it’s not a good book, I’m saying I haven’t read it, and honestly now I wish I had. A little research has informed me that there are actually 5 books in the series that make up the Time Quintet. A Wrinkle in Time tells the story of Meg Murray, her younger brother Charles Wallace and their new friend Calvin O’Keefe who are sent on an adventure through time and space to rescue the Murray children’s father. The story takes us to several different planets where the trio will encounter strange beings and a powerful darkness known as It. Their guides on the journey are the three Mrs. W’s: Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, who it is suggested by a line of dialogue could perhaps be the three Witches from Macbeth.

The Director Penelope Parsons-Lord has chosen to produce the show using only practical effects so there are no projections or recordings used. For the most part this approach works and in fact is one of the charms of the production. There are a few aspects of the story for those of us not familiar with it that are a little hard to follow. When they reach the planet Camazotz where Mr. Murray is imprisoned, much of what occurs there is hard to follow in the literal sense, though you get a general understanding of what happens overall. I mention this because the play is appropriate for younger audiences say Ten and up, but those unfamiliar with the story might get lost during this section. In terms of the production design I enjoyed the fairly barebones approach; I always like what I call stage magic. It really is a combined effort to create the illusions used to illustrate the fantastical elements of the story. Lighting Designer Mark Kieffer makes excellent use of Black Light technology for the interplanetary traveling sequences. The team behind the characters’ looks: Co-Costume Designers Krista Weiss and Penelope Parsons-Lord, Makeup/Hair Designer Robin Gilmer, and Puppet Designer Elliot Van Winkle create some very distinct images and creatures very simplistically.

The three leads are all relatively new to me; Ryan Pierce as Charles Wallace, Harriet Spencer as Meg, and Tic Treitler as Calvin. Pierce has it the toughest, being the biggest of the three but playing the youngest (six years old in the book), it’s an uphill battle, but I’m not sure most child actors would be able handle some elements as when the character is possessed by the spirit of It. Spencer and Treitler have an easier time suspending our disbelief, as they are playing 13 and 14 year olds. They also somehow create a romantic connection between the two characters that you can sense but I’m not sure is explicit in the script; in my research I find it foreshadows their relationship in the later books. My favorite performances were those of the Mrs. W’s played by Shelley Nelson, Robin Gilmer, and Ariel Pinkerton. Nelson’s portrayal of the quirky Mrs. Whatsit who is the quirkiest of the three is especially fun.

Highly recommended for fans of the book or those who have seen one of the two screen adaptations. I think foreknowledge of the plot is a great help in following certain elements of the plot. The story is full of ideas, themes, and concepts that I think an audience not struggling to follow the plot will focus in on more completely. A Wrinkle in Time runs through July 14th at Theatre in the Round Players for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.theatreintheround.org/home/season-placeholder/72nd-season/wrinkle/

Tired of missing reviews from The Stages of MN? Do you find yourself left out when all your friends are talking about that great new play that you didn’t even know about? Never fear that never has to happen again. Now you too can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. No more hoping the algorithm works in your favor and you actually see a post on facebook or Instagram. No relying on so-called friends to tip you to the best shows in town. 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/ from time to time.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at Lakeshore Players Theatre in White Bear Lake

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is Simon Stephens Tony Award winning adaptation of the Mark Haddon Novel. I read the book years ago and have now seen the play three times. The first was the National touring production and it was incredible, with an elaborate production design utilizing a complex combination of projection, lighting and sound to simulate the lead character Christopher’s sensory sensitivity. The two subsequent productions I’ve seen, this latest at Lakeshore Players in White Bear Lake, are working with significantly fewer resources. But, despite the limitations, have found a smaller way to represent the world from Christopher’s perspective. Lakeshore players have found creative ways to compensate for budget limitations and have produced a very successful staging of the play. It’s a great play though it does run a little long a 90 minute first act and 80 minutes second act with one 15 minute intermission.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time tell the story of Christopher a young man on the Autism Spectrum, who in trying to discover the killer of the titular dog. Along the way he discovers not only the solution to the murder but deeper secrets as well. The main mystery though is how he will navigate through the dark secrets he uncovers and if we will be able to take and pass his Math A levels. The play deals with the way Mark Thinks and sees the world, the way in which he interacts with his Father, his teachers, friends, strangers, and police. It is at times heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting and positive. When the book first came out Christopher was described as having Asperger Syndrome, a diagnosis now classified as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The play holds a certain extra connection for me as my oldest son Alex was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome when he was young. With both of my songs carrying the ASD diagnosis it is a subject I know something about. The main thing to remember, as they point pout in a pre-show announcement, everyone with this diagnosis is, like everyone on the planet, unique. Christopher’s strengths and weaknesses do not represent those of everyone with ASD. Christopher uniqueness is the lense through which we view this specific story of a broken family. It is a way for those of us in the audience to, not exactly see what the world is like for someone who is on the spectrum, but to see the ways in which the world itself is ableist. Once we have gotten to understand Christopher, seeing the ways he is treated by the police and other people he encounters out in the world, is heartbreaking.

Jackson Hoemann gives a strong performance as Christopher, understanding that the character is not without emotion, but that he processes information through a set of often rigid rules. He seems to grasp that while the world is made up of shades of gray, that for Christopher it’s almost as if he is color blind and he cannot interpret shades but only sees the world in black and white. Katie Rowles-Perich is particularly strong as Christopher’s teacher Siobhan who’s helps to facilitate the major change from the book to the play, which is that the story is presented as a sort of play within a play. Riley Peltz and Bill Stevens are two of the ensemble actors who did especially nice work with a variety of characters. Of note on the technical production side of things is the work of Scenic Designer Brady Whitcomb. Whitcomb’s plethora of Tetris shaped set pieces that are constantly in movement reconfiguring and interlocking into new scene locations are well constructed and versatile. Certain cubes also contain video monitors that at times convey written information and at others might become a prop like an ATM or microwave oven. The sound design by Born Into Royalty and Alex Clark’s Lighting design, work with the score by Torgo and Whitcomb’s set pieces to, at times, give us an effective simulation of the sensory overload Christopher is experiencing.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time runs through March 17th at Lakeshore Players Theatre in White Bear Lake for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.lakeshoreplayers.org/the-curious-incident-of-the-dog-in-the-night-time

Don’t want to miss a single review from The Stages of MN? You can subscribe and have every post sent directly to your email. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/

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