The Great Gatsby Dazzles at the Orpheum Theatre

The Great Gatsby NA Tour Company Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade

The Great Gatsby, the classic American novel written by Minnesota native F. Scott Fitzgerald, gets a splashy Broadway musical adaptation. The style of the era and the excesses of the lives of its characters work in this medium, even if the subject matter seems a little dark. Those familiar with the book, which I’m surprised to discover is not as many people as I thought, will understand it doesn’t have a happily-ever-after ending. When I was a young whipper-snapper, we read books in school; apparently that isn’t the thing anymore. Or perhaps they are being assigned other books instead of what many consider to be one of the greatest novels ever written. You know, maybe they are being assigned Twilight instead. If you missed out on the novel, know that this is a fairly faithful adaptation, even incorporating some of the major imagery from the book.

Set in 1922 on Long Island, the story is told by Nick Carraway, a young war veteran who rents a small cottage next to the estate of Jay Gatsby, who throws loud, lavish parties which he himself doesn’t attend. After receiving an invite to a party, Nick meets Gatsby, who asks for his help in reuniting with the girl he fell in love with before going off to the war, Daisy. Daisy is Nick’s cousin, who is now married with a child, though not happily. Her husband Tom is an asshole who carries on affairs, which everyone, especially Daisy, is aware of. Daisy’s childhood friend Jordan Baker is also on hand as a possible love interest for Nick. The other major characters are George and Myrtle Wilson; George runs a gas station while his wife is having an affair with Tom. Trying not to spoil the plot for the vast number of you who apparently are unfamiliar with it, I’ll just say that, like the novel, the play deals with the themes of the American Dream, class, and how the two collide. Much as it is becoming more and more the case today, the dreams of the lower class are decimated by the excesses and disregard of the wealthy.

There was a lot to like about this production, and probably the top selling point is the production design. Everything from costumes by Linda Cho to the set and projection design by Paul Tate DePoo III, and lighting by Brian Ronan, works seamlessly together. The projections had a three-dimensional quality to them and were coordinated with practical set pieces, sometimes to the point where you weren’t sure which layers were real and which were projections. A favorite lighting cue that really stood out was where the eyes of a billboard at the gas station, as everything fades to black in the scene, even the billboard, except for the eyes, which continue to shine for a couple of additional seconds.

The songs varied nicely in style. Some, like “Roaring On,” had a very Jazz Age feel to them; others, like “For Her” and “My Green Light,” are beautifully touching and romantic. One song, “The Met,” really showcased Joshua Grosso, who plays Nick, and his almost physics defying movement. Grosso, along with playing the best character, was my favorite in the cast. Jake David Smith, who plays Jay Gatsby, achieves things vocally that one might expect would require surgery at a young age to achieve, the upper registers he reaches are impressive. The role requires someone with a very high upper range, which must limit the casting possibilities. Senzel Ahmady and Leanne Robinson, as Daisy and Jordan, are both strong vocally as well as great dancers. The choreography by Dominique Kelley really kicks in during the second act, which includes a very fun and energetic tap number.

The Great Gatsby won the Tony Award in 2024 for Best Costume Design, with most of its other various award nominations also recognizing its design elements. That really is the main selling point on this one. Though everything else is of solid quality, it is the design work that sticks with you.

The Great Gatsby runs through June 7th at Hennepin Arts’ Orpheum Theatre in downtown Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to https://hennepinarts.org/events/the-great-gatsby

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The Stages of MN YouTube channel is home to the Stages of MN Show. You can watch it by clicking here. Be sure to check out the latest episodes and subscribe so you’ll always know when a new one drops. Not sure you agree with one of my takes? I’m also part of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can find review roundups from my colleagues and me. Follow us on Facebook at @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers.

The Most Happy Fella a Joyful and Moving Musical Bursting With Life From Ten Thousand Things

Suzie Juul and Pedro R. Bayón Photo by Glen Stubbe

“If there is one theater company in the Twin Cities that I trust enough to go into a show blind with zero reservations, it’s Ten Thousand Things (TTT). I knew nothing but the title and the cast when I stepped into the makeshift theater-in-the-round space at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, one of almost two dozen venues in which they are performing The Most Happy Fella. Adapted into a musical by Frank Loesser in 1956 from a 1924 play named They Knew What They Wanted by Sidney Howard, it doesn’t feel 70 years old. I would not have been shocked to learn it was a new work. But then, that’s kinda what TTT does, they make whatever they are doing feel new. The best actors in the world, either for tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral, tragical-historical, tragical-comical-historical-pastoral, scene indivisible, or poem unlimited: Seneca cannot be too heavy, nor Plautus too light. For the law of writ and the liberty, these are the only men and women. Yeah, they give good Shakespeare too!

The Most Happy Fella opens in a restaurant at closing time in San Francisco. The two waitresses, Cleo and her friend, are commiserating over their aching feet, the lack of tips, and the lecherous boss they have to fend off. Cleo’s friend receives a jeweled tie pin as a tip, along with a note from a man named Tony, who, not knowing her name, calls her Rosabella and asks her to send him a postcard. The scene then jumps to four months later in the Napa Valley, on Tony’s grape farm, where he receives his latest letter from his Rosabella. She has sent him a photograph, and he prepares to send her one as well. The problem is she is a young and beautiful woman; he is a much older man who does not consider himself handsome. At the last minute, he switches his photo for one of his handsome young foreman, Joe. A little while later, she has agreed to marry him and is arriving on the train. Tony is frightened that she will be angry with him for his deceit. On the way to pick her up at the station, he has an accident and breaks his leg. Rosabella, at first, upon learning of the switch, is determined to leave before realizing that she has no money and no place to go back to, and so she agrees to marry the injured Tony. Tony senses she is unhappy and sends for her friend Cleo, offering her a job where she never has to stand again, so that Rosabella will have a friend.

Tony is played by Pedro R. Bayón as a man full of life and happiness who loses his way for a bit after the accident. With the guilt of his misrepresentation, he thinks he can finally see himself through Rosabella’s eyes and believes his dreams were absurd. What shines through is his innate kindness and genuine love for Rosabella, and as he convinces himself that she couldn’t love him, she begins to love him. Bayón is the heart and soul of the production, to be sure. Before the dawn, he experiences his darkest moments, but his heart and love win out over meaner emotions. It is a moment that brought this reviewer to tears, and I felt a genuine connection with Bayon’s Tony.

This is one of those casts where you cannot pick a favorite, as everyone is so good, and there are slightly too many in the cast to talk about them all individually. Several of the cast members also play instruments during the musical numbers under the music direction of Isabella Dawis. The music in this show seems to live in a space between opera and musical theater, though leaning heavily toward the musical theater end of that spectrum. At times, even though you are sitting in a large, brightly lit room in a church in Minneapolis, you swear you can almost smell the aroma of Italian dishes being prepared for the wedding banquet and feel the sun on your face, surrounded by Tony’s vineyard. Though the cast is only seven actors, it feels like you are part of this vibrant community, especially during songs like “Standing on the Corner” and “Abbondanza,” where the energy is joyful and bursting with life.

As TTT’s new Artistic Director and the Director of this show, Caitlin Lowans finishes her first season with this triumphant production. It’s the start of a new era for TTT, and I’m now entirely confident that all of these precious ten thousand things are in good hands. Joyful and moving doesn’t just describe this show, but this theater company itself.”—

A Most Happy Fella runs through June 7th at various locations around the Twin Cities. For more information such as locations and to purchase tickets go to https://tenthousandthings.org/

The Stages of MN delivered straight to your inbox. It’s the best way to make sure you never miss out on the theater action. To subscribe on a computer, enter your email address on the home page (right-hand side) and click subscribe. On mobile, scroll to the bottom of the page to find the same option. You can also follow me on Facebook @thestagesofmn and on Instagram thestagesofmn.

The Boy Who Cried a Solo Show With Just Three More Performances Is Not to be Missed

The Boy Who Cried is Em Adam Rosenberg’s first solo show. Faithful readers will know what a huge fan I am of Rosenberg, dating back to the first time I saw them onstage in the early days of The Stages of MN, in Theatre Pro Rata’s production of Top Girls at the Crane Theatre. So of course I was there for their first solo show, one that Rosenberg not only performs, but wrote as well.

As the title suggests, the piece uses the familiar lesson turned bedtime story of the boy who cried wolf as a launching point to explore Rosenberg’s own ideas. The show is divided into two acts. The first is about 85 percent comedic, with Rosenberg addressing the audience as though we are the sheep to their shepherd boy. This shepherd has a vivid imagination and fills long, lonely hours with elaborate fantasies—like a courtroom trial in which my wife and I (as sheep) are prosecuted for public sex. Rosenberg plays prosecutor, defense attorney, witness, judge, everyone! Delivering a comedic tour de force. But at the end of the first act, what has been light and silly takes a dark turn when a wolf attacks. But is it a wolf or a wolf in men’s clothing? What has been slain sheep, or innocence?

The second act jumps 20 years into the future, exploring how the past reverberates into the present, before taking a final leap into something strange and wonderful.

The website says the production weaves a personal narrative together with the familiar fable. Part of me doesn’t want that to be true. We like to imagine that our favorite artists’ creativity comes from childhoods full of encouragement and freedom, where imagination is allowed to run wild. But more often than we’d like to admit, it comes from darker places. Just as turbulent political times, like the ones we’re living through now, can inspire great artistic work, the same is true on a personal level. For many, creation is a way to confront or purge demons; for others, it’s a sign they’ve moved beyond them, able to transform pain into art rather than let it cause harm.

I don’t know whether Rosenberg experienced the trauma the piece implies, or if this is a fable meant to help us better understand the trauma of others. Either way, it offers a more meaningful lesson than a simple story about a boy so desperate for attention that he risks the safety of his village just to be seen.

I can’t speak to Em Adam Rosenberg the person, only to the artist. And the artist has once again revealed a new dimension, this time as a writer. In one fell swoop, they demonstrate not only that they can write a great show, but that they can move fluidly between comedy, drama, and fable at a high level. Every time I see Rosenberg’s work, I discover something new to admire, another talent coming into focus.

Em, I hope you never stop surprising me. But should we ever reach the end of “new” talents to discover, it won’t matter. You will always be seen. I will always see you.

The Boy Who Cried is running randomly at The Hive Collaborative through April 26th but there are only 3 more performances and this should not be missed. For specific dates, times, and tickets go to https://www.thehivecollaborativemn.com/events/ekfp2ln88d86u7qwotd6ortatym11h

Hmong Futures: The Future of Us A World Premiere From Theater Mu.

The full cast of “HMong Futures: The Future of Us” Photo by Rich Ryan

Hmong Futures: The Future of Us is the new play by Katie Ka Vang, having its world premiere from Theater Mu. It’s the story of three generations of a Hmong American family a mother, daughter, and granddaughter. It is, to be sure, a story about family, but also about community, or our found families.

Fhoua comes to the home of her mother, Zong, whom she hasn’t spoken to in five years. We learn from a phone call with her own daughter, Maly, who is away at camp, that she has something difficult to ask her mother. We suspect she wants to ask if they can stay with her. There is a lot of information we are not privy to at first, which is gradually revealed. That withholding mirrors a key theme of the play: these characters don’t speak openly about important things, and the script reinforces that by keeping certain details from us.

The secrets matter, of course, but the real thrill of the production, and where Katie Ka Vang truly excels, is in the voice of the characters. Their exchanges, their frustrations, all ring true. The way they talk around issues, saying one thing while meaning much more than they verbalize, feels authentic and deeply observed.

The cast is fantastic at making the dialogue feel natural while conveying the unspoken meaning beneath it. Sharon Omi, as Zong, is excellent as a mother shaped by a different country and a more survival driven life. Nancy Ma is stunning as Fhoua, a woman so accustomed to avoiding conflict that she struggles to reconnect with her mother and seems ready to slip away again. Melody Her, as the 16-year-old Maly, is one to watch. This is my second time seeing Her perform, the first was in Again, also by Vang, with songs by Melissa Li, which I loved, particularly Her’s performance. A college graduate, she can still convincingly play a teenager without it ever feeling forced or artificial.

Rounding out the cast is Greg Watanabe as Unclefriend, a very funny role and part of the found family Zong has built. Mason Yang appears as Aben, a young man helping out in the cooperative Zong is part of and also staying with her. He is also 16, and he and Her share a nice scene in which they open up to each other about their family situations.

A final note on the set design by Sarah Bahr. The set places the interior of Zong’s house upstage, with her garden downstage. The characters actually garden at various points, and it beautifully blends their inner lives with their connection to nature and farming. It’s a wonderful achievement and an impressively executed design.

Hmong Futures: The Future of Us runs through May 3rd at the Gremlin Theatre in St. Paul. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.theatermu.org/hmong-futures#gsc.tab=0

Water For Elephants All the Fun of a Trip to the Circus But With the Added Bonus of Great Music, and No Smells.

The cast of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

Water for Elephants is based on the novel by Sara Gruen, which I haven’t read, that was adapted into a film, which I haven’t seen. Really, all I knew going in was that Mrs. The Stages of MN and I saw the poster when we were in NYC in 2024 and wished we’d had time to see it.

The story is told by an old man to two circus employees after a performance, so it is a memory play. The older Jacob tells of his days in the circus as a young man who missed taking his veterinary exams when his parents were killed in a car accident. With their house taken over by the bank, he hops a train looking for… what, he doesn’t know. What he finds is a circus in need of a veterinarian who can’t afford a real one. He reluctantly agrees to stay on, and when the circus acquires Rosie, the elephant of the title, he helps train her along with the circus owner and ringmaster August’s wife, Marlena. Marlena and Jacob bond over training Rosie, whose addition to the circus reverses its fortunes, endearing Jacob to the rest of the workers and performers. Everything could be wonderful, but, August is not a good man…

The story is compelling enough, and I enjoyed the score and songs enough that I may give the cast recording a listen or two. Sorry, current audiobook, I’ll get back to you in a day or two. But what really makes this show stand out is the choreography by Jesse Robb and Shana Carroll, assuming that’s what you call the spectacular and seemingly peril-filled circus aerial acts. There are some genuinely jaw-dropping moments that you’re amazed they pull off once, let alone eight times a week. As much as I enjoyed everything else about the show, it was those circus acts, and the clowning by Walter, played by Tyler West, that delighted me most. The clowning is so funny and wonderfully slapstick. I loved it, and West was probably my favorite performer in the entire show.

This must be an exceptionally hard show to cast, and to be honest, I think they cast for the ability to do the stunts first and singing voice second. Very few in the cast are outstanding vocally, but none are terrible. Based on what I was most delighted by, I’d say that was probably the right call. The best singers were Zakeyia Lacey, who was in as the understudy for Marlena, and Javier Garcia, who plays Camel, the elderly circus worker who first befriends Jacob. The real stars, though, as I’ve said, are the people floating gracefully through the sky and free-falling headfirst down ropes, stopping themselves inches from the floor. It’s breathtaking.

Visually, in every respect, the show is a winner, from the scenic design by Takeshi Kata, which works seamlessly with Bradley King’s lighting design and David Bengali’s restrained, mood-enhancing projections to create the look of a simpler time. The animals are created via puppets by Ray Wetmore, Jr Goodman, and Camille LaBarre, and while not on the level of Life of Pi or The Lion King, they’re still effective.

Water for Elephants runs through March 8th at Hennepin Arts Orpheum Theatre through March 8th. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://hennepinarts.org/events/water-for-elephants

Connor Sullivan, Helen Krushinski, and Zachary Keller Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

The Stages of MN YouTube channel is home to the weekly Stages of MN Show. You can watch it by clicking here. Be sure to check out the latest episodes and subscribe so you’ll always know when a new one drops. Not sure you agree with one of my takes? I’m also part of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can find review roundups from my colleagues and me. Follow us on Facebook at @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers.

And Then There Were None Gets a Suspenseful and Atmospheric Production at Lyric Arts

Agatha Christie fans who are only familiar with the 1939 novel And Then There Were None should not avoid this under the assumption that they know how it ends. When Christie adapted her novel for the stage in 1943, she made a significant change to the outcome that most adaptations in other mediums have also utilized. I’ll just say it isn’t as bleak as the novel. Those who have seen previous productions, this is my third, should know that if you’re a fan, this is the best adaptation I’ve seen so far. I attribute that to a uniformly strong cast and excellent direction by Lee Hannah Conrads. Conrads and her cast find humor in the character banter and exploit our fear of the dark with well-designed sequences when the power goes out.

I read the novel in junior high for English class, but I was a Christie fan, and an And Then There Were None fan, long before that. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t know who Christie was, and I must have been under ten when I first saw the 1945 film adaptation directed by René Clair. Somehow, a classic whodunnit always feels like it should be in black and white. All the best ones are: And Then There Were None, Green for Danger, The Thin Man. The great missed opportunity of British postwar cinema was that they didn’t make a series of Inspector Cockrill films with Alastair Sim in the 1940s after Green for Danger, one of the greatest mystery films of all time. If you haven’t seen it, seek it out. But I digress.

Christie’s plot will sound familiar to everyone, even those unfamiliar with the title. Ten strangers are brought together by an unknown host. Cut off from the rest of the world on an island, the “ten little soldiers,” as the rhyme goes, begin to find themselves murdered one by one. Each is accused of having murdered someone, and this is their host’s plan to even the scales. Is there a madman loose on the island, or is the killer one of them? It’s devilishly good fun, with a top-notch setup and payoff. Every single slasher movie ever made owes something to it, but don’t hold that against it.

The show does tip its hand a little in that there is a clear attraction between two of the ten, and you can pretty much guess they’ll make it to the final four. Beyond that, all bets are off. Nadya Dominique and Brendan Veerman play the would-be lovers Vera Claythorne and Philip Lombard. Dominique and Veerman perfectly capture the tone, sometimes serious, sometimes playful, of those classic movies I love so much. Bruce Abas gives an intelligent performance as the former judge Sir Lawrence Wargrave, methodical in his attempt to keep everyone safe and root out the true killer. David Denninger gives a very sympathetic performance, particularly in his character’s final scenes, as he seems to get lost in memories of his late wife. It’s disappointing to see Michael Quadrozzi in such a small role as Fred Narracott, who brings everyone to the island at the beginning of the play, and is never heard from again. But perhaps it makes sense, as he’s listed as an understudy, you want someone of his caliber when you need someone who can cover multiple roles. Also, a nod to understudy Sarah Furniss, who stepped in as Mrs. Rogers at the performance I attended and did a very nice job.

Justin Hooper’s set design is well constructed, with perhaps the exception of the glass doors to the patio, which looked to be made of loosely stretched cellophane. It may have been where I was sitting, off to the side of the stage, as the production photos don’t look chintzy, and they hint at a backdrop that adds interesting visuals I may have missed. What was on full display for all to see, or not, was the lighting design by Alyssa Kraft. It’s one of the more effective uses of candlelight I’ve seen in a show. Usually the designer or director is too timid to let the stage be lit solely by candles, but I’ll tell you, it is very effective. I applaud Kraft for going that route, and Conrads stages everything wonderfully, making full use of the darkness to ramp up the tension and play on our collective fear of it.

And Then There Were None at Lyric Arts is a top-notch mystery thriller for those of us who love a good whodunnit and a slap of suspense now and then. The production runs through March 22. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to https://www.lyricarts.org/then-there-were-none.

Showdown at the Kar-a-OK-e Corral, One Final Murder to Solve Before The Mystery Cafe Closes.

It was my fifth case with The Mystery Café, and the writing was on the email: this would be my last. After its 38th season, the Café is closing down. The head of the agency, Brian Kelly, cites rising food costs as one of the motives, though I just heard President Trump say grocery prices are lower than they’ve ever been since the Great Depression, so who knows what to believe. One thing was certain: a crime was going to be committed at the Kar-a-OK-e Corral, and I needed to be there to help find the murderer.

The problem? It was the worst weather of the season in Minnesota. The roads were slicker than the cap of an olive oil bottle after the kids have “helped” you cook dinner. I made it to the venue, though it was a white-knuckler if I’ve ever seen one. Mother Nature was angrier than a TSA agent without a paycheck, and I knew this crime needed to be solved quickly before the roads became completely impassable.

When I arrived, I was met at the entrance by Mama Myrna Shamwow herself, owner of the Kar-a-OK-e Corral. Mama was full of life, though her sense of fashion direction had clearly taken a turn down bargain basement alley. It was immediately clear that she might be a little down on her luck, but that didn’t affect her confidence. This was her place, and she was firmly in charge. Rumors of karaoke fixing had swirled around Mama like bees around a little black rain cloud for years, but so far she’d never been stung. This year, however, the Ham Lake City Council announced that things would be watched closely to ensure everything was above board.

The news that there would be no fix this year ran through the contestants like COVID through a senior center on grandkids’ day. They were elated, unlike the residents of a senior center four to seven days after grandkids’ day. All of them, that is, except Tiffany Shamwow, Mama’s daughter and six-time winner of the annual singing competition. Tiffany was none too pleased to learn she wouldn’t be handed the championship on a golden platter this time.

Not yet knowing what crime would be committed, I began making a mental list of potential victims and suspects. First up were Sully and Shar, a couple who saw this as their first real chance to win. Shar was so desperate for victory that she prevented Sully from singing, which clearly upset Sully, and seemed to relieve the audience. Next was Colt Yokum, Mama’s accountant and a man with friends in low places. Then there was Iris Vox, Tiffany’s perpetual second fiddle, who she played like a harp from hell. It wasn’t hard to imagine Iris getting as tired of Tiffany plucking her strings, as this metaphor is. Also in the mix was last-minute entrant Jimi Wylde, as gifted vocally as he was clueless about everything else. Finally, there was Bernie Love, the DJ, who opened with a musical number that left me wondering why he wasn’t competing.

As for the crime itself? I’ll leave that to you, faithful readers, to discover when you make your final journey to The Mystery Café.

This show gives audience members the opportunity to sign up and perform a karaoke song during the evening, for those so inclined. I attended a Sunday brunch performance, when the weather, and therefore the roads, were particularly terrible. I don’t drink, and I’m therefore unlikely to summon the courage to sing karaoke under any circumstances. Add in the time of day and the icy roads, and participation was understandably low. We did have two audience performances, both so good that they effectively shut down the rest of us who lack confidence in our vocal abilities. I’m told evening performances inspire much higher levels of participation, and that it’s a judgment free, just have fun space.

The food, as always, was enjoyable, and I loved seeing some of my favorite local performers. Josh Carson plays Sully and does finally get to sing, once the waitstaff had collected their tips. I’m not saying there’s a correlation, but I’m also not not saying it. Also performing are Twin Cities power couple Nissa Nordland and Sam “the Man” Landman as Tiffany Shamwow and Bernie Love.

This may not be the funniest Mystery Café show I’ve seen, and the mystery itself is no Agatha Christie or Conan Doyle puzzle. Though it’s fair to say it stumped me. But like all their productions, it’s an enjoyable outing with friends or family, but never both, don’t cross the streams. I gave tickets as a Christmas gift to the Aged P’s and my brother and sister-in-law; it’s been a bit of a tradition for us, and I’m genuinely sad to have to find something new next year.

The addition of karaoke is an inspired one and likely adds a lot to the fun. I happened to see it under less than ideal circumstances, but I’m confident that anyone who sings, or drinks enough to think they can, will enjoy it even more.

Showdown at the Kar-a-OK-e Corral runs through February 15 at Majestic Oaks Golf Club in Ham Lake. The show includes dinner (or brunch at matinees) and a crime. If karaoke isn’t your thing, there are two other shows in this final season: A Cruise-mas Carol, running through January 9 at the Sheraton Bloomington, and ’Til Death Do Us Die, playing January 16–31, also at the Sheraton Bloomington.

You can read my reviews of previous years’ productions here:
https://bit.ly/TSOMNCruismasCarol
https://bit.ly/41TqaJh

For performance dates and reservations, visit:
https://www.themysterycafe.com/