Big Fish based on the novel by Daniel Wallace and the 2003 Tim Burton film from Columbia Pictures, could be aptly titled Dad Jokes and Stories: The Musical. I saw the film in the Theater with my son Alex when he would have been about five and a half years old. It sticks with me because of a memory I have of Alex laughing his head off at a scene where a baby goes sliding down the aisle of, I want to say an airplane. I’m not 100% sure that scene exists, and seeing the show with Alex 22 years later has made us both curious to revisit the film and see if my memory is true.
Daddy and Alex at Lyric Arts for Big Fish 9/5/2025 Photo by my right hand
I don’t know how faithful it is to the book I never read or the film I barely remembered, though story details did come back to me as we watched. I feel like there is a lot of consistency at least between the film and the musical. Which also makes sense because the screenplay for the film and the book for the musical were both written by John August. The show is about the relationship between a father, who tells tall tales, and his son who expecting his own son in a few months. The father, Edward, is dying and his son Will wants to know the truth about his father who has been an embarrassment to him throughout his life, always telling wildly implausible stories. The fun of the show is the enactment of these stories, which feature mermaids, giants, the circus, and a war story in which Edward thwarts the assassination of a general. Much of the humor comes in the style commonly referred to as Dad Joke’s, which being a Dad, I loved. The heart comes from the relationships. Whether it’s the romantic and loving relationship between Edward and his wife Sandra, the attempts to connect between Edward and Will, or how the myriad of other characters with who Edward interacts create a tapestry that tells his mythology. I can’t say any of the songs by Andrew Lippa have actually stuck with me, but they were enjoyable enough as the show played out.
The cast is led by Ben Bakken, who is terrific as Edward, with boundless energy and a twinkle in his eye as he unloads every whopper of a story. The other cast member whose performance I found really touching was Kate Beahen as Edward’s wife Sandra. Beahen is a gifted vocalist, but it’s the warmth and unwavering love she displays for Edward throughout that really grounds that relationship making her the glue that binds the family together. Director Scott Ford along with Music Director Wesley Frye, and Choreographer Hannah Weinberg-Goerger, wonderfully stage everything from the tall tales to the group dance numbers. Special shout out to Costume Designer Samantha Fromm Haddow who must have 5 or 6 different costumes for each of the 21 cast members. And special little nod to two performers in small roles that absolutely put their uniques stamp on the show, Justin Betancourt and Alex Stokes.
The show runs about 2 hours and 35 minutes including the intermission, but it doesn’t feel long at all. The storyline that threads its way through the episodic stories told by Edwards keep it clipping along and allows us a variety to the storytelling that keeps it fresh. Alex and I both really enjoyed revisiting the story of Edward and Will and all the fantastical characters that populate it. Big Fish runs through September 28th at Lyric Arts in Anoka. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.lyricarts.org/big-fish
Don’t depend on a Facebook or Instagram algorithms to ensure you hear about a great show. You can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. It’s the best way to ensure you don’t miss out on any of the theater action. 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.
The Stages of MN YouTube Channel is home of the weekly The Stages of MN Show which you can view by clicking on this link https://www.youtube.com/@TheStagesofMN. Check out the latest episodes and Subscribe to the channel so you’ll always know when a new episode has dropped. Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I’m also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read review roundups of shows by m’colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers.
Day 10 brought the sad news that Jackdonkey Productions had to cancel their final performance of 503. Hopefully they will do a remount in the future. From what I heard from those who caught it, it’s too good not to be seen. We are hoping that Jeffrey Nolan is on the mend and want to share Jacdonkey’s venmo account with you which is @jackdonkeyprod. I know they would appreciate any donations to help offset the financial costs that went into producing a show that you weren’t able to perform. This is a young theater company with young Actors and artists in the company, I think that’s probably all I need to say to make you understand how much your donations would mean.
This was the penultimate day of the Fringe Festival. I’ll be seeing shows in the first two slots and the last slot tomorrow and then attending the closing night party. On that last day I’ll be trying to capture some quick sound bites of what everyone’s favorite show was and how many productions they saw. I’ll have fans and buttons with me to give out. If you are headed to Mixed Blood or Theatre in the Round tomorrow flag me down to get a fan, those venues in my experience can get rather warm, and the fans really help. Below read my reviews of all the shows I saw on day 10!
So I was able to catch MicroMedics after all. This improv show’s format is that we follow the adventures and loves of the MicroMedics, which are a crew of Doctors shrunk down to fight diseases inside of human bodies in their MicroMedic ship. Where Rec League is Improv at the top of its game with seasoned improv performers, this is younger performers who don’t always read what each other are putting down but get enough laughs to make it worth seeing. There are definitely some good performers in this group and it will be fun to watch them develop their skills over the coming years. The best part of the show might be their adorable and choreographed opening theme song and their outfits. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/micromedics
I’m not gonna lie, I have a soft spot for Destiny Davison’s Dolly Who since first encountering the cartoonist character at the 2023 Minnesota Fringe Festival. Her offbeat sense of humor isn’t for everyone, but I kinda vibe to it. DOLLY WHO?’S HOLIDAY HORROR SHOW has Dolly hosting a show based on a holiday we all create together. It features her signature line drawn cartoon characters along with a host of invisible technicians who help put the show together. It’s chock full of bizarre lighting and sound effects, with Dolly seemingly as unsettled as we are by everything that is occuring. If you get Dolly, you’ll enjoy the show, if it isn’t your thing it may leave you cold. Another really cool thing for fans is she has all sorts of magnets, buttons, stickers and fun merch you can pick up if you enjoy her artwork as much as I do. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/dolly-who-s-holiday-horror-show
Final Dress is another improv show, I should warn you, this was a big improv day for me with four of the seven shows I saw being improv ones. This one is the brainchild of Michael DallaValle & Sean Dillon who together are Dilly Dally. This one is supposedly the final dress rehearsal for a new play, each performance has a guest Director who walks the Actors through the show. The name of the play is up to the guest Director, for my performance they were directed by Duck Washington and the play was titled After the Goblin Wars. It’s improv so it’s always going to be different, but note to self and faithful readers next time you see that Dilly Dally is doing a show, get tickets. It’s the type of Fringe show where you wish you could see every performance. It’s such a great concept and they are both brilliant improvisors, and I’m sure it didn’t hurt that Washington is also an accomplished improvisor. But honestly, looking at the other four Directors they had lined up, I don’t think you could have gone wrong at any of the performances. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/final-dress
The Temporary Tattoo Trio was a riot, plus I got inked, temporarily. This high energy show about three best friends named Tyler living their best lives as temporary tattoo artists and spending as much time as possible at the most beautiful place on earth, Wisconsin Dells. It takes an unexpected turn, and then another, and this ludicrously upbeat and silly show gets surprisingly real. It doesn’t get dark, and it doesn’t stop being funny. But the guys, like all good actors, commit to their characters and it makes all the difference. I don’t want to give anything away, but this was damn near a tie for The Fringe of the Day Award. But I promised myself I wasn’t going to be wishy washy and do ties this year. So I flipped a coin. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/the-temporary-tattoo-trio
Cabin Fever was improv show number three today and that’s about where I would rank it as well. It’s more successful than MicroMedics, but doesn’t quite reach the level of Final Dress and Dice of Destiny:Neon City, which wasthe final show of the day. This one is a reality show about lesbians who are dropped into a remote cabin in the woods for 6 weeks to see who will be chosen by Ashley, the girls they are all trying to woo. This is the final episode, so Ashley will chose the one she feels she has a love connection with. I’m not sure what reality shows to compare it to, as I’ve never watched any of these finding love shows like The Bachelor or Love Island, which I assume is what these are based on. It’s quite fun and the host, a drag queen named Buttercream, is really good. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/cabin-fever
An Exorcism, Don’tcha Know? has demonic possession, Lutefisk, Bars (the bake sale kind not the alcohol serving kind), and Minnesotan accents as thick as a sixth grade english teachers eyebrows. This cross between the Church Basement Ladies and The Exorcist is a pretty gosh darn good time. Anyone that spent time in the Luthern church, which I have, will probably get an extra jolt of recognition out of the whole thing. But maybe Minnesota churches, particularly in smallish towns, are all more or less the same. The show trades heavily on the audience’s knowledge of the Minnesota caricature, and we all ate it up! Earning it The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/an-exorcism-don-tcha-know-
Dice of Destiny: Neon City by The Bearded Company was the fourth Improv show of the day and is basically on exactly the same level as Final Dress. Final Dress is what I believe they call long form Improv, meaning the entire show is telling one story as opposed to a bunch of different little scenes that don’t necessarily fit together. So if that’s long form, I guess Dice of Destiny: Neon City is very long form Improv. You see, each of the five Fringe performances picks up the story where the last performance left off. So the five performances together make up one long story. Another show in which you wish you could see all five performances. The setup is a future world where the population is controled by a giant corporation through drugs. And the pair of 80’s style movie characters who try and save the future. The interesting twist aside from the serialized story is that it incorporates role playing. Not the playing of roles, though obviously they do that too, but they actually role a 20 sided dice to determine if their actions are successful or not. This is a well polished troop that has been performing locally for years. In the leads are the excellent Anna Tobin and Endometriosis: The Musical co-creator Maria Bartholdi. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/dice-of-destiny-neon-city
That’s it for day ten of the Minnesota Fringe Festival you can click on the Fringe website here to get details on all of the shows https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025. Don’t forget to tune into The Stages of MN YouTube channel for mini episodes all week long from The MN Fringe Festival https://www.youtube.com/@TheStagesofMN
Subscribe to the channel so you’ll always know when a new episode has dropped. Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I’m also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read review roundups of shows by m’colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers.
Don’t depend on a Facebook or Instagram algorithms to ensure you hear about a great show. You can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. It’s the best way to ensure you don’t miss out on any of the theater action. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subs
OK, day four of the Minnesota Fringe festival is behind u. Here are my reviews for the shows I saw on day four, including The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award winner. I’ve now seen 22 of my projected 45 shows, keep checking back for my reviews of the remaining 23. Haven’t made it out yet yourself? Here’s the link to the Fringe website so you can pick some shows https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025
Journey to Joy, Again, Marie Cooney’s latest solo story telling show is funny, endearing, and empowering. It begins with coming out as a lesbian woman and ends with coming out as a person with a disability. The success of her show is a testament to the reality that our set backs don’t have to stop us, they can redefine us. Cooney has taken her injuries and turned them into a story of overcoming adversity, and of of developing advocacy. It’s filled with moments of triumph and Joy as well as sprinkled with advice for anyone who is going through something similar. Cooney who has suffered two traumatic brain injuries uses moments in her show where she searches for a word or loses her place (this doesn’t happen often) as an opportunity to educate the audience on techniques she has learned to help her navigate those moments. This is such an inviting experience which opens with Cooney asking the Artists in the audience to tell about their shows and audience members to share their recommendations. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/journey-to-joy-again
I am Here is a storytelling anthology with rotating performers, so each performance will be different. But the connecting thread is about existence and resistance. The performance I saw had moments of laughter and moments of stunned silence. Go to the shows page and see what performers you are most interested in seeing and then go to that performance. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/i-am-here
The Book of Mordor is a musical version of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy using the music from the musical The Book of Mormon. It kind of amazing how much of the 10 + hour runtime they are able to cover in 60 minutes. It’s also very impressive how funny the songs are and how good the singers are especially given the fact I’m unfamiliar with most of them, I assume that’s because they appear to be from Mankato. Like Hamluke from Day 2 it’s kind of surprising how well these two wildly different properties mash up. The Costumes are well done and cleverly conceived and the humor goes beyond just funny songs. But it also feels respectful of The Lord of the Rings you get the feeling that the creators of the show Carissa Christenson and Kendra Braunger are genuine fans. I really enjoyed The Book of Mordor and have awarded it The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award! To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/the-book-of-mordor
Against My Will is local Actor Michael Quadrozzi’s solo show about the childhood environment in which he grew up and the ramifications it has caused throughout his life. From a narcissistic Mother to his Dad dying when he was in his early 20’s. The glimpses we get into his formative years are indeed traumatic. Quadrozzi is an open and sympathetic performer, and he forges a genuine connection with the audience. Given the subject matter it is surprisingly funny and entertaining. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/against-my-will
Boxcutter Harmonica this two man show by and starring J. Merrill Motz (rhymes with Boats) along with Martin Dockery is a fascinating investigation into the Crossroads legend. Which is where one goes to make a deal with the devil in order to become the best at whatever they are trying to be the best at. The story dates back to Faust but the most common variation on this story in modern history revolves around a blues guitar player Robert Johnson. And that is the focus of The show ,which is presented as a lecture given by Detective White played by hardcore Fringe performer and visiting Artist Martin Dockery and Inspector Black played by local amateur performer Motz. Motz is competent in the role, but to be completely honest, Dockery carries him throughout the performance. And it’s Dockery’s skills on the guitar that are really what makes this show worth putting on your list. I suspect Motz leaned on a friendship and the promise of giving all the best lines to Dockery that got him in the show. Warning: the promised build-your own Reuben sandwich buffet never materialized as promised following the show. It was still worth seeing, but don’t plan your meal break around it like I did. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/boxcutter-harmonica
Breakneck Twelfth Night by Timothy Mooney, with assist from Will Shakespeare is Twelfth Night performed at breakneck speed. Somehow Mooney gets through the entire twelfth Night in an hour. I mean I don’t have the play memorized or anything and I’m sure there are cuts to the text, but the plot is intact. Mooney does a great job of making the language accessible and even adds in some footnotes to help the audience understand what is happening . He’s a consummate performer and I’m glad I adjusted my schedule to see it. Full confession and an apology to the Artist and any other Artist this may happen to throughout the Festival. I kept catching myself nodding off throughout the performance. This had absolutely nothing to do with what was happening on stage, this was a physiological response to seeing 22 shows in four days getting at most 5 hours of sleep a night and feeling completely wiped out by the 8:30 time slot. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/breakneck-twelfth-night
The Spirit Moves You To Color The Unseen is Created by The Winding Sheet Outfit. They are a theater company I am always impressed with whether it’s a Fringe presentation or at the Twin Cities Horror Fest their shows are always beautifully designed and executed while having impossible to remember or sometimes even pronounce titles. When I go to a show I’m not expecting to learn anything, but I love it when I do. This show is about the artist Hilma af Klint played by Boo Segersin and to a lesser extent her four friends with whom she made up De Fem (the Five), played by Heather Meyer, Kayla Dvorak Feld, Megan Campbell Lagas, and Peyton McCandless. They were a group devoted to Theosophy which appears to be a combination of spiritualism and science. She is the true creator of the abstract art style. The show is dedicated to making her story known and setting the record straight at least for those who attend this show. It is a reminder of the injustices done throughout history in order to preserve the patriarchy. Hilma af Klint lived from 1862-1944 and because she was a woman, she has been sidelined and had her accomplishments obscured and stolen by men and the art world in general. Aside from the subject matter, which is completely fascinating, the production itself is beautifully rendered. Particularly the costume of the Spirit played by Kristina Fjellman and designed by Mandi Johnson. It is also features unexpected humor by way of occasional interjections and interactions with the shows Director, Amber Bjork. To purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/the-spirit-moves-you-to-color-the-unseen
That’s it for day four of the Minnesota Fringe Festival you can click on the Fringe website here to get details on all of the shows https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025. Don’t forget to tune into The Stages of MN YouTube channel for mini episodes all week long from The MN Fringe Festival https://www.youtube.com/@TheStagesofMN
Subscribe to the channel so you’ll always know when a new episode has dropped. Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I’m also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read review roundups of shows by m’colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers.
Don’t depend on a Facebook or Instagram algorithm to ensure you hear about a great show. You can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. It’s the best way to ensure you don’t miss out on any of the theater action. 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.
The Minnesota Fringe Festival began with a bang this year. That may be partially my fault, I deliberately stacked the first night so that Micky would get to see these four shows. The unforeseen problem was that any of these four shows could easily have garnered the highly unknown and mostly uncoveted (which spellcheck assures me is not a word, but you know what I mean and therefore I’m laying claim to inventing it!) The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award. Only one show made me get a little teary eyed and that was The Kendra Plant Variety Hour, but if I pick that will you all say I’m giving it to that show because she’s a fellow Theater Blogger? What about Sam Landman and Nissa Nordland’s shows? They are both very funny “currently” a couple, what if awarding one of them the Award over the other drives a wedge of jealousy between them and causes their status to change to “formerly”? That’s a lot of imaginary power for one Theater Blogger. And so I decided to go with Andrew Erskine Wheeler’s In the Garden of American Heroes, because I was too afraid to pick any of the others. No that’s not true, but it was a tough call on this first night of the 2025 Minnesota Fringe Festival. Here are my quick reviews of the first four shows I saw.
A Sad Carousel 2: The Timely Death of Herschel Douscheburg is apparently a sequel to a show Sam Landman did 15 years ago. That was well before my time on the Fringe beat, so I never saw the original. I can tell you with all confidence that this is one sequel, unlike the latest marvel movies, that you can enjoy without ever having seen the previous show. The humor comes from Landman’s character, an insult comic who is considered toxic by todays comedians, dealing with a world that has moved on since he went into a coma. It takes shots at the toothless comedy of the younger generation. I’m old enough to find a lot of it funny and to recognize Douscheburg as an exaggeration of my generation’s sometimes eye rolling at how far the pendulum has swung in terms of what can be joked about. I’m not saying Douscheburg speaks for me, but I understand where he’s coming from. Featuring a totally committed performance from Landman, including a hair and costume that perfectly complete the picture. We are treated to a fun supporting cast which includes Director Shanan Custer’s husband Eric Custer (for those who were at the show, you’ll know that now they are even), Eric Webster does a great job changing hats and in doing so changing from Eric Webster wearing one hat, to Eric Webster wearing a different hat. An Actor of his calibre is only limited by the number of hats available to him. I’m not criticizing Webster, it’s a play on a joke in the show. Webster is a favorite and a lot of fun here. To learn more about the show which performs in the Rarig Thrust stage and to purchase tickets go to the shows page at The Minnesota Fringe Site here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/a-sad-carousel-2-the-timely-death-of-herschel-douscheburg
Fangs and Bangs (and Sangs) is equal parts funny and endearing. Nordland has been a Stages of MN favorite along with her “current” Plus one since I saw them both in Nordland’s Twin Cities Horror Festival show, Incarnate. This is one of those shows that will be different every night and makes me wish there were only 40 shows in the festival so I could see them all and this one for all five performances. The format is that Nordland shares her journal entries and poems she wrote in Junior High and High School. A lot of us did those things, but how many would have the guts to share them now with an audience of strangers. She also wrote vampire romantic fiction which she has a rotating crew of guest actors perform from cold readings. Peppered throughout are songs that mattered to her during those years, but they are not played via the sound system they are performed as well by a rotating group of guest musicians, of which Nordland is one and also sings some of the songs. I had the honor of being present at Executive Director of the Minnesota Fringe Festival made her Fringe performance debut on Violin! This is really an especially sweet and funny show that is led by that little pixie with the twinkle in her eye who shares her teenage soul with the audience, understanding that we love her and are laughing with her, not at her. I’ve looked at the page and guarantee that the rotating artists pool doesn’t have a weak link, so it’s going to be great whenever your slot it into your schedule. For more info and to get tickets go to this shows page here https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/fangs-and-bangs-and-sangs-
The Kendra Plant Variety Hour: Good Things Edition! -with special guests- full disclosure this is a show put on my my friend and fellow Twin Cities Theater Blogger Kendra Plant. I think it’s great! It’s the one show that got my eyes watering a little bit. Kendra is pushing herself to try something new and that’s a general theme throughout her show. There are three guests the first is the TAM Edo Bayashi Ensemble which performs traditional Japanese arts, and in this case accompanied by flute and drums a performer in a giant lion puppet performs an enchanting traditional Lion Dance. The Puppet alone is worth the price of admission as it’s quite exquisite. The second Act is Emily Boyajian a composer who absolutely thrilled me last year with her Opera Transition. It is I believe the only Fringe show I’ve ever seen twice. Last year the Opera about two Transgender people transitioning together was basically a staged performance of the piece, with two fabulous singers and an 11 piece orchestra backing them. Here we get Boyajian playing a keyboard and singing the songs herself. And while we don’t get the full Opera or the full effect of an orchestra what we do get is something that feels even more personal. Boyajian is such a talented human and I hope I get to see Transition performed again in full someday. The final act is Jolie Meshbesher who performs dance routines to two songs. the second of which ends with a nearly nude Meshbesher on stage. Which makes it the second most graphic display of nudity I saw on day one of the Fringe Festival. For more about the show and to purchase tickets go to https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/the-kendra-plant-variety-hour-good-things-edition-with-special-guests#tickets
In The Garden Of American Heroes Andrew Erskine Wheeler gives what I believe is referred to as a brave performance. Translation: this is the most graphic display of nudity I saw on day one of the festival. But it’s more than brave, it’s a reminder of what a captivating Actor Wheeler is. My first exposure (I’m sorry I couldn’t help it) to Wheeler was his Fringe show Whoosh! which I later saw a remount of at Mill Stone Museum the next summer and will be getting a run this coming winter in early 2026 at History Theater in St. Paul. That was a favorite show of that festival and Wheeler again dives into history and comes up with the story of General Custer who we exam in all his glory (honestly you try and do this without saying things like that). What makes this show the winner of The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award is Wheeler’s penis, I mean performance. No seriously, it’s the way he digs into a character and gives such a focused and intense penis, Goddammit! performance! Man this is hard (now stop it!) It’s a great performance, a fascinating look at history and the perfect show to bring your Grandmother to. For more information and purchase tickets here’s the link to the show page https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/in-the-garden-of-american-heroes
That’s it for day one of the Minnesota Fringe Festival you can click on the Fringe website here to get details on all of the shows https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025. That’s it for day one of the Minnesota Fringe Festival you can click on the Fringe website here to get details on all of the shows https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025 don’t forget to tune into The Stages of MN YouTube channel for mini episodes all week long from The MN Fringe Festival https://www.youtube.com/@TheStagesofMN
Subscribe to the channel so you’ll always know when a new episode has dropped. Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I’m also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read review roundups of shows by m’colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers.
Don’t depend on a Facebook or Instagram algorithm to ensure you hear about a great show. You can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. It’s the best way to ensure you don’t miss out on any of the theater action. 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.
Follow me on Facebook / thestagesofmn and Instagram / thestagesofmn The show will also be available tomorrow in podcast form at https://robdunkelberger.podbean.com/ or wherever you enjoy podcasts
Don’t depend on a Facebook or Instagram algorithm to ensure you hear about a great show. You can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. It’s the best way to ensure you don’t miss out on any of the theater action. 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.
I’ve officially launched The Stages of MN YouTube Channel which you can view by clicking on this link. https://www.youtube.com/@TheStagesofMN. Check out the intro videos and the weekly episodes. Subscribe to the channel so you’ll always know when a new episode has dropped. Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I’m also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read review roundups of shows by m’colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers.
Dustin Bronson and Kendra Mueller Photo by Alyssa Kristine Photography
Love and Baseball reopens the Artistry Black Box Theatre in Bloomington. How long has it been closed? I have no idea, I didn’t even know they had one. So I’m guessing since the Pandemic. I’ll tell you what though, it is a great space and I’m looking forward to next season at Artistry even more knowing there is programming for this space as well. You can get a gander at Artistry’s terrific looking 2026 season here https://artistrymn.org/2026season. Love and Baseball is a two hander directed by one of The Stages of MN favorites as an Actor, Director, and Theater owner (The Hive Collaborative) Eric Morris. Here Morris creatively tells the story of three meetings between two people who seem to belong together. Each meeting between Will and Michele begins awkwardly and ends with you yearning for them to kiss. It’s a Romcom about two people you want to get together but something keeps getting in their way, their own life choices mostly.
The script Jerry Montoya is full of baseball stories and analogies, some straightforward but some that only occurs to you the longer you think about it, even the structure of the play seems to correlate to baseball, three strikes, three outs, three acts. But you do not need to know anything about baseball to fully connect and enjoy this play. Everything that you need to know is explained to you, and if you are worried that it will all be about baseball, it isn’t. Will loves baseball and so he uses it to illustrate a point and that becomes the template for their subsequent meetings. Morris finds ways to incorporate the baseball theme into every aspect of the show including having the actors change on stage between scenes as if they were in locker rooms on either side of the stage. The set design by Katie Phillips cleverly incorporates the baseball theme. The play is set in the living room of a rented house and along the floor is the outline of a baseball diamond. The walls are the chainlink fence of a park baseball field, which allows us to see through into the kitchen or bathroom when one of the characters leaves the room. There are some nice technical touches as well from Lighting Designer Grant E. Merges whose subtle dimming of the lights at key moments nurtures the emotional connection that is forming between the characters and the audience. Sound Designer Richard Graham adds cute sound cues that tie everything back in to baseball, and there are some great music cues as well.
Montoya’s script is smart, funny, and emotionally nuanced but it takes just the right actors to hit it out of the park. Thankfully, Morris has perfectly cast this production. This show works because we want the characters to get together in the end. We only have 90 minutes with them, so their chemistry has to be almost immediate. It may sound shallow to say but, the short cut to manifesting that acceptance in the audience, of their almost instant attraction is to cast two Actors who are attractive to the audience. We find them attractive and therefore believe they would find each other attractive. In Dustin Bronson and Kendra Mueller we have two very attractive Actors to be sure, but also two very talented Actors. That shortcut allows us to get onboard quickly but it’s the Actors charm, their playful interactions, the way they seem completely caught off guard every Act by the feelings the other stirs in them that makes this a grand slam of a play. Bronson’s awkwardness at unexpectedly finding Michele, who is waiting for his roommate in the house, is beautifully played. We see the struggle in him initially between his desire to turn on the Dodgers play off game or be polite to the stranger. The longer the scene goes on Bronson, motivations gradually shift from a desire to be polite to genuine desire. Mueller, who has apparently been in hiding for a number of years, because I’m completely unfamiliar with her, is confidant, intelligent, and perfect in the role. I think it’s her playful confidence contrasted with Bronson’s timidity at first that really cements her appeal. She draws him out and once they get on equal footing we realize there is a yearning in ourselves to see these two together that harmonizes with the characters own feelings. It’s interesting to me the similarities between the emotions I felt during this play and those I feel during a Jane Austen book, film or play. Especially since Bronson earned a place on my MUST SEE list in Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley at The Jungle Theater in 2022. In fact it feels like a modern Jane Austen story, the secret that keeps them apart, the longing for the two to come together.
Love and Baseball runs through July 28th at Artistry in Bloomington. I loved the space, the play, the cast. If you love baseball you’ll love it. If you hate baseball, I assure you you’ll still love this play, liking baseball has nothing to do with the enjoyment of this play in any way. For more information and to purchase tickets visit https://artistrymn.org/loveandbaseball
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Faithful readers, if you aren’t already faithful viewers, what are you waiting for? click here for the latest episode https://bit.ly/TSOMNEpisode5. On which The Stages of MN traveled down to Winona, MN for The Great River Shakespeare Festival (GRSF). I talked to the people behind the scenes and those on stage to give you a complete picture of the festival. I even got a lesson in Intimacy Coordination from the Artistic Director Doug Scholz-Carlson. But I didn’t do it alone I had a little help from my friend fellow Twin Cities Theater Blogger Jil Schafer of Cherry and spoon. You can read her reviews at http://www.cherryandspoon.com/
My MN Honest Reviews are of the two shows playing in the festival Romeo & Juliet and The Comedy of Errors. For info on the GRSF, those shows and to purchase tickets go to https://www.grsf.org/. We also have our customary “At a Show With…” montage of who I saw out at the Theater this week.
Special thanks this week to Chanhassen Dinner Theaters (CDT) for Sponsoring this episode. Check out all the happening out at CDT here https://chanhassendt.com/. If you are interested in sponsoring an episode you can email me at robdunkelberger@thestagesofmn.com
Follow me on Facebook / thestagesofmn and Instagram / thestagesofmn The show will also be available tomorrow in podcast form at https://robdunkelberger.podbean.com/ or wherever you enjoy podcasts
Don’t depend on a Facebook or Instagram algorithm to ensure you hear about a great show. You can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. It’s the best way to ensure you don’t miss out on any of the theater action. 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.
I’ve officially launched The Stages of MN YouTube Channel which you can view by clicking on this link. https://www.youtube.com/@TheStagesofMN. Check out the intro videos and the weekly episodes. Subscribe to the channel so you’ll always know when a new episode has dropped. Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I’m also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read review roundups of shows by m’colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers.
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