Kinky Boots Makes a Splash at Lyric Arts in Anoka

Grace Hillmyer, Mitchell Douglas, and Erik Speegle Photo by Molly Weibel

Kinky Boots might just be the best thing playing in the Twin Cities area right now. Based on the 2005 film the musical features a book by Harvey Fierstein and music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, that’s a winning combination and it pays off big time. They provide the basis for the show but it’s the cast that really makes this show sing. I usually prefer to use production photos in my reviews, but I wasn’t provided one that really showcased the three outstanding leads Grace Hillmyer, Mitchell Douglas, and Erik Speegle. Speegle plays Charlie whose family shoe business, Price and Sons, is not how he wants to spend his life. After his father’s sudden death he has to return home to take care of business, only to find that the business is family but no one wants well made shoes anymore, they want cheap shoes. After a chance encounter with Lola, a drag queen played by Douglas, he hits upon the idea of making the titular kinky boots, based on a suggestion from Lauren, played by Hillmyer. Rather than close down the shoe factory the decide to try and save it by catering to a niche market, crossdressing men. Will they save the factory? Will the factory workers accept Lola as the new designer? Will they even accept Lola as a person? Even if I told you the answers you’d still need to see the show, it’s not about the story it’s about the message and the way it’s delivered. Director Vanessa Brooke Agnes has made the journey to these answers one well worth taking.

If there is a flaw with this show it’s in the script which should have given the character of Lauren, played by Hillmyer, more time. Hillmyer’s portrayal is so adorably quirky, everytime she gets the spotlight she sparkles but not in a flashy way it’s more of a twinkle. It’s hard to say what it is about the performance other than it’s great character work, it’s comedic, and vulnerable and undeniably endearing to the audience. She’s in love with Charlie who doesn’t get to sparkle, he’s the one with all the responsibility and Speegle, whose new to me does a nice job playing the straight man, though at times he seems a little unsure what to do with his hands. Where he gets to shine is whenever he sings, as good as everyone in the cast is, Speegle for my money had the best voice, possibly second to Daze Bishop who as George, the factory manager and part of the ensemble, only got a brief moment of singing on their own, but it was eye opening. Undoubtedly the star of the show is Mitchell Douglas whose performance as Lola sparkles in the flashy way that Lola would not have any different. Douglas moves as if he was born wearing heels and he nails Jaclyn McDonald’s choreography. In full drag costume he is stunningly beautiful, with attitude and confidence to spare. Then suddenly there are moments in his performance of vulnerability, it’s a remarkable performance and it deserves to be seen by as many people as can get tickets. Hats off to the entire cast but particularly to those playing Lola’s Angels, his backup drag queens, they have the moves down, and it was such a pleasure to watch their performances, they all were amazing.

It’s not often with my schedule that I even entertain the idea of seeing a show more than once. But Kinky Boots is one I’m seriously considering a second trip to see. The show runs through August 11th at Lyric Arts in Anoka for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.lyricarts.org/kinky-boots

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Suor Angelica an Immersive Opera at The Basilica of Saint Mary by Out of the Box Opera

Out of the Box Opera’s immersive production of Giacomo Puccini’s Suor Angelica is being performed in The Basilica of Saint Mary in Downtown Minneapolis. It’s a unique experience to be sure and for fans of Opera I’m sure it will be a special treat. Faithful readers will know that I’m not afraid to dip my toes into Opera from time to time, but am also willing to admit that it is not a natural attraction for me. I find my best experiences have been Opera’s that fall to one extreme or the other, either simply performed in English in nontraditional spaces or a full on MN Opera experience with gigantic sets and costumes. This production uses three locations in the Basilica labeled the Cloister, The Chapel, and the Nave. Each location occupies about 15 to 20 minutes of time, after which we are ushered to another location. The first and last were spacious and well thought out. The middle was cramped, too warm, and some audience member couldn’t get into the room, with close to half having to stand throughout. Nothing like standing in too warm a room listening to people sing in a language you don’t know to test your opera loving credentials. You are given a bookmark with QR codes on it for each location. When scanned you can read a synopsis of what is happening in that scene. That’s something, but if I’m honest I need more, I need the text transcription projected.

This is not a show for people curious about opera or like me trying to get a feel for it. This is a show for dyed in the wool opera lovers, they will no doubt get so much more out of it than I ever could. There were aspects I admired such as the wonderful music conducted by Stephen Hargreaves. The amazing vocalizations particularly of the lead Alexandra Loutsian, when she signs in the final location which is in the cathedral of the Basilica the acoustics are something otherworldly. The beauty and the ornate carvings and stained glass windows of the cathedral were a joy to behold especially while accompanied by Puccini’s music. So those are the positive takeaways. The negatives are based on who you are. It’s like a guitar solo, if it’s really elaborate, a one minute guitar solo can just about hold my interest, but I don’t play guitar and I don’t go to concerts to just listen to the guitar, so anything beyond that is testing my patience. A guitar player will sit and watch a great 30 minute guitar solo and think it ended too soon. It’s the same with this, if it’s your jam, you’ll like it, but it isn’t the crossover hit you need to create new opera audiences. You know if this is for you or not, if you are unsure, I’d reccomend waiting for a production that at least gives you subtitles so you can follow along moment to moment.

Suor Angelica has a short run ending this weekend for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.outoftheboxopera.org/

Protest, A Revolutionary Rock Opus, Something to Watch For

So I wouldn’t ordinarily take the time to write up a post for a show that you faithful readers cannot see, but Protest, A Revolutionary Rock Opus is kind of a unique beast. Also, it was so damned good that I wanted to do a little more than a facebook post about the fact that I enjoyed it. Performed in concert last weekend at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres (CDT) Protest, A Revolutionary Rock Opus is a tribute to women activists throughout the 20th and into the 21st century. The program consisted of 16 new songs by fourteen composers and lyricists as well as six existing protest songs. What was astonishing about the songs is if you were not familiar with the existing songs and if the performers didn’t tip you by way of introductions, you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference. The new songs run a wide range some sounding as if they were created in the late 60’s early 70’s while others feeling very modern, the unifying aspect of all being the quality of the compositions.

I had listened to a download of the concept album once around the time of it’s release last fall. But I listen to music only in the car so it was broken up over several car rides while driving. I remember enjoying it all, but not really getting the opportunity to wrap my head around it entirely. Now sitting in CDT’s intimate Fireside Theatre almost close enough to touch the performers, I was completely caught up in the songs and their messages. There is a plan in the works for a performance at The Parkway Theater in September, and one can only hope that the musicians and performers remain the same. The singers, several of whom also played instruments and wrote or co-wrote some of the songs, were Janely Rodriguez, Ashley DuBose, Linnea Mohn, Barbara Cohen, and Kymani Kahlil. Each performer was given their moments to shine and then provided backup and support for the others. Whether pastiches of songs from bygone times or hip hop influenced cries for change the entire evenings worth of songs share a unity not only of theme but in the emotional response of the audience. The songs touch a place within our cores that decry the inequities and human tragedies that are the subject matters of the compositions. The performers voices full with meaning and soul carry these messages beyond our minds and into our hearts.

I could write a paragraph on each song but I want and hope you will get the opportunity to experience them for yourself. So I will content myself to comment briefly on one song “How Can We Win” written by Timothy Levy which explicitly illustrates the impact of the entire program. The song is inspired by the viral Youtube speech that Kimberly Jones recorded while standing in front of a burnt-down Minneapolis bank in the wake of the communities response to the murder of George Floyd. Everyone who lives in or near Minneapolis will forever remember that day and the days that followed. As a white man I cannot ever fully comprehend what that moment felt like for the black community, but the song reminded me of my emotions at the time. I spent much of that time at Children’s Minnesota in the Abbott Northwestern Hospital with my son, not far from the riots. The hospital was surrounded by the National Guard, it was a surreal moment. I was angry and outraged at the police. I felt helpless in the shadow of the overwhelming immensity of institutional racism. I was frightened for the safety of myself and my family. I was disheartened by the destruction I was seeing, but I also understood it. The song addresses all of those aspects of an event that clarified the disparity that has always existed in our country. It brought back all of those feelings and it brought back some of the tears as well.

I don’t know what the future holds in store for Protest, A Revolutionary Rock Opus but I assure you, I’ll be covering whatever it does. Whether you are socially conscious minded or not, you’ll be impressed by the songs and performances. Watch for a heads up for upcoming performances and developments and listen to the album containing all 16 tracks created for this work at the following link https://www.buffalogalproductions.com/protest

Come From Away Returns to Bleary the Eyes and Sniffle the Noses of the Twin Cities Theatergoers

Touring Cast Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

Full disclosure portions of this review are adapted from my review from the January 2022 tour that ran at the Orpheum Theater. Because, as I read through it I found that it said everything I want to say about this show, better than I thought I could ever say it. That review opened thus “It was approximately 7:38 PM on opening night of Come From Away at the Orpheum Theatre. Eight minutes into the show and I began to cry.” Tonight on opening night at the Ordway I felt the first tear well up in my eye and glanced at my watch it read 7:38 PM, don’t believe me? Ask my wife, I showed her my watch so that I could explain to her after the show why the time was important. Don’t take that wrong, this is not a dark show, though it deals with one of the darkest hours in my lifetime. It isn’t a sad show, though many of the tears are of loss. Most of the tears are happy tears. The tears that come to us when we recognize the inherent good in our fellow man. When we see people at their best, pulling together to help one another. The tears that well up and overflow when we are overcome by the coming together of a community. The show runs around one hour and 40 minutes and you are going to spend much of it either laughing or crying…or both. You expect to be wiped out after an evening like that. But it’s the kind of emotion that uplifts you rather than drains you. Come From Away is simply one of the most emotionally invigorating musicals I’ve ever experienced. I should feel drained, but I feel renewed.

Come From Away is the musical written by Irene Sankoff & David Hein based on the true events of Sept 11th 2001 and the days following. After two airplanes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City and another crashed into the Pentagon, all air travel was grounded and the airspace above the US was closed. All airplanes inbound were diverted to the nearest airfield outside the US. Thus 38 airplanes carrying about 7,000 passengers found themselves stranded in the small town of Gander on the Island of Newfoundland. This small town and its neighboring towns took in these 7,000 passengers from all over the world, fed them, gave them shelter, clothed them, and made them honorary Newfoundlanders. The show does what must always be done with stories about something as large as 9/11, it focuses on a specific aspect and a smaller group of people. This approach allows us to comprehend the incomprehensible, by taking a huge event and bringing it down to a personal level. We get to know key members of the community, passengers, and the pilot of one of the planes and through them we see this moment in history from a new perspective. The overall focus of the play is on the community coming together and caring for these stranded people. Relying heavily on humor that seems very Newfoundlandish but also very Minnesotan. While the play doesn’t dwell on the tragedy of 9/11 and the negative reactions that came from it, it also doesn’t ignore them. And those aspects are definitely responsible for their fair share of those ever present teardrops.

Come From Away is an important work of art, but it doesn’t feel like it should be. A lighter more energetic musical would be hard to find. The show moves with a pace and humor of a broad comedy. It’s a testament not only to the writing but the direction by Christopher Ashley that while the show barrels ahead from one witty lyric to the next, that with all the joy we are feeling, we are also constantly aware of 9/11. In some ways it reopens a wound that I felt had long ago healed over. But in doing so it also begins to heal that wound again at the same time. This is a tightrope walk I can’t really wrap my head around. It’s at once life affirming, joyous, funny, and moving while also reminding us of a tragedy that changed our world, that shocked and saddened us to our very cores. Yet these disparate elements are not at war with each other, they live organically intertwined, as if the one wouldn’t work without the other.

It’s hard to single out the cast, they are all fantastic. It’s refreshing to see a cast filled with such talent, that look like they could really be the characters they are portraying rather than impossibly perfect looking people playing regular folks. They all take on multiple characters between the townsfolk and the passengers on the planes I’m sure every cast member plays at least four different roles. Yet, I was never confused at who anyone was playing on stage at anytime. The set is simple, a little more than chairs that become everything from rows of seat on a plane or a bus, to seats in the local Tim Hortons, and a scenic overlook. Character changes are accomplished by the removal of a jacket or the donning of a hat. Simple, clean, perfect. In terms of the songs, it’s odd, I loved the music, though many of the songs seem to be very similar to each other. Most of them seem to just be musical accompaniment to the singing of the dialogue. There are several songs that do stand out in a more traditional sense such as the opening “Welcome to the Rock” and “Me and the Sky” which is beautifully performed by Addison Garner who plays Beverly one of the Captains of the stranded aircraft. I also really like “Stop the World” which is a love song duet performed by Stanton Morales and Molly Samson. And before we leave the music, it must be noted that the musicians and the instruments they utilize are perfectly minimal. After the cast curtain call, the musicians get their own and it was great to see them so into it and to get a little moment to highlight their talents. There is a nice celtic aspect to some of the music and the mandolin, Whistle, Fiddle, and Bodhran are perfect to bring that out.

Come From Away runs through June 16th at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts in Downtown St. Paul For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://ordway.org/events/come-from-away/ . While it does deal inherently with a very real world tragedy, ultimately it’s about people helping each other and being their best selves. This is a theme we could do with more of. I think the more people who see this show the more of that we’ll see out in the world. Don’t let the subject matter put you off this or limit who attends, this show is appropriate for anyone 12 and up. I think it’s a great show for a family to go together to see as it can lead to some very good conversations afterwards and it’s modeling excellent citizenship.

Artistry in Bloomington is Alive With the Sound of Music

* Disclaimer: On March 28th I suffered a rupture in my right bicep muscle, which has left me without the use of my right arm. I will endeavor to continue seeing and reviewing shows however the reality is that the reviews will need to be significantly shorter. For now I will attempt to provide you, faithful readers, with a few sentences that will make clear whether a show is worth your time and money. My apologies to all of the artists in front of the curtain as well as behind whose work I may not be able to comment on. Hopefully this will be a short-term accommodation, I will do everything in my power to get back to writing full reviews as soon as is humanly possible.

When I was growing up in the pre-cable days of television there were four channels and no home video. There were three movies that I was aware of being broadcast yearly on one of the three major networks ABC, NBC, and CBS. They were The Wizard of Oz which we always watched, Gone with the Wind which I never watched, and of course The Sound of Music which we never missed. It’s fair to say those early screenings planted the seed from which my love of theater and musicals grew. Sometimes revisiting childhood favorites can be a disappointment, thankfully that isn’t the case with Artistrys production of The Sound of Music. Director Max Wojtanowicz has tapped into a deep vein of emotional memory that had my eyes overflowing throughout the evening. It’s a musical filled with such joy and Wojtanowicz’s directorial flourishes only add to it. I’m not sure anyone in the Twin Cities knows as much about musical theater as Wojtanowicz, his mastery of the form shows in every scene. One little touch that I absolutely loved was the use of a bed sheet and shadow hand puppets during the performance of “The Lonely Goatherd“. The set design by Katie Phillips is minimal but Music Director Raymond Berg could have the top notch musicians that beautifully underline the actors vocals. Oh! before I continue, I should just say if you’re looking for plot synopsis, I’m not going to provide you with one, but I would like to welcome you out from under the rock you’ve apparently been living under.

As a rule I do not critique the performances of adolescent actors so all I will say is that they were wonderful and every one of them should continue on this path. The big name in the cast is Susan Hofflander who plays the Mother Abbess, She has a powerful voice and there’s a true connection between her and Maria that is solidified when they sing “My Favorite Things” together and carries throughout the show. Rodolfo Nieto, one of my wife’s All is Calm Boys, plays Captain von Trapp, his deep rich voice and severe look brings a different characterization to the Captain but one that’s very effective. Now for the show’s secret weapon, in the role of Maria, Sheena Janson Kelley was a revelation. Kelley’s voice was not only beautiful but crystal clear. Seeing as many shows as I do, I’m used to hearing great singers, powerful singers, beautiful voices, Kelley’s is exactly the voice I always want to hear in this type of role. Her voice is the embodiment of this character who’s all love and joy and music. Sometimes a character this good can also come off as boring, there’s nothing boring about the perfection of Kelley’s Maria. Every choice she makes in the role whether it’s singing or acting endears her to the audience, we are with her from her first line to her final bow. To the best of my knowledge I’ve not seen Kelley perform before, but I sure hope I do again, and soon. To this reviewer’s mind if you’re casting a musical I can’t understand why you wouldn’t give the lead to Sheena Janson Kelley. Whatever the role is, it’s hard to imagine there’s a better choice.

If you were planning to give The Sound of Music a pass thinking you’ve seen the movie a million times so you don’t need to go see it again, you’re going to want to correct that thinking. This production will remind you why you’ve seen the movie so many times, because it’s so damn good. This production may lack the scenic views but it has everything that makes the musical great intact, heart, lots and lots of heart. The Sound of Music runs through May 12th at Artistry in Bloomington. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://artistrymn.org/thesoundofmusic

Join us for a twin cities theater blogger event at the Guthrie Theater for their Shakespeare history event. We are also planning a Twin Cities Theater Bloggers post show Gathering on April 27th following the Richard II matinee for 20% discount on tickets to that performance use the code TCBLOG or click on the link http://securesite.guthrietheater.org/single/PSDetail.aspx?psn=33583&promo=TCBLOG

9 to 5 is Sure to be a Hit at Lyric Arts in Anoka

Opening night of 9 to 5 at Lyric Arts in Anoka looked to be a sold out house, perhaps it’s a popularity of Dolly Parton, perhaps it’s that the average age of theater audiences grew up with the 1980 film that starred Lily Tomlin Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton. Whatever the reason for opening nights business what will likely result in a near, if not complete, sell out run is the work of Director Shanan Custer in the phenomenal cast. The musical features a book by Patricia Resnick with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton. I enjoyed all of the new songs, they seem to fit well with the original hit “9 to 5“. And they sound great under the musical direction of Bradley Beahen and if I’m counting correctly, his 12 musicians strong band. Before moving on to the cast, praise must be given to Custer as director, she’s a favorite of this writer long before The Stages of MN and it’s not hard to see her comedic touches throughout the production. It’s a rare example of a show where you can genuinely sense the directors personality stamped on every element of the production to the productions benefit.

On to the cast and where to start in these days of the injury where reviews are necessarily briefer, it’s hard to know who to single out but for the moment, set aside the three leads and focus on a couple of the supporting roles. Emily Jabas plays Margaret, one of the women who work in the office who happens to drink on the job. It’s a small role but Jabas makes the most of every moment with just the right touch of comic relief but it’s the tiny part that everyone was talking about on the car ride home. True, it’s the kind of part that’s written funny and most actors would get laughs but Jabas does more than get laughs, she makes a lasting impression. Ben Thietje plays the chauvinist pig boss Franklin Hart Jr., like Dabney Coleman in the film version it’s hard to imagine anyone you’d love to hate more. Thietje perfectly threads the needle making him horrible but in a very very funny way.

First off the trio playing the three leads Violet, Judy, and Doralee jockeyed throughout the show for favorite performance crossing the finish line in a three-way tie. The wonderful thing is they all do something different but they all do the exact right thing for this production. Audrey Johnson plays Doralee, the Dolly Parton role, and she plays it like Dolly Parton but that’s exactly what you have to do. That character is Dolly Parton and she is iconic, going another direction isn’t a place that the audience wants you to go. Johnson doesn’t do a caricature, she doesn’t do an imitation, she just goes to the same places that Parton did in the original film, her singing voice is very close which is exactly what needed to happen. The other two roles can be their own thing and that’s what the actors do. Emily A. Grodzik plays Violet the Lily Tomelin role as the competent but overlooked supervisor. She makes her a strong independent woman whom we can easily believe could lead any company to much greater success than Franklin Heart Jr.. Nora Sonneborn plays Judy the Jane Fonda role but she takes the character in a different direction than Fonda did, she makes her meaker more of a Wallflower which adds greater effect when she comes out of her shell. When the three leads sing together it’s magical and they all have wonderful voices that sound great together. But if there’s one standout moment vocally, it’s Sonneborn’s solo “Get Out and Stay Out“, it’s probably a little hyperbolic to say this but for me in this show, in that moment it had the power of “Defying Gravity” in Wicked. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the applause for that song was the longest and loudest of the evening. Of the three leads Sonneborn was the revelation as I had only seen her in supporting roles and after this performance I have to ask why?

9 to 5 runs through May 12th at Lyric Arts in Anoka for more information, like a plot synopsis, and purchase tickets go to https://www.lyricarts.org/9-to-5

Die Winterreise at The Hive Collaborative

Die Winterreise is the latest in The Hive Collaboratives conceptual beginning series. It takes the classical song cycle Franz Schubert’s Winterreise set to 24 poems by German poet Wilhelm Mueller. What The Hive’s website says about the piece is it uses the everlasting story of lost love to explore the human need for connection and acceptance but I’m going to have to take their word for that. The show is sung by baritone Justin Spenner completely in German while being accompanied on the piano by Carson Rose Schneider. A QR code is provided at the theater which will bring you to a side-by-side translation of the poems in German and English. I tried to follow along and realized at the end that the best approach, assuming you don’t already speak German, is to set the translation aside sit back and let the music and performance wash over you. The mind is a wonderful thing but sometimes it can get in our way, it’ll try and impose a narrative in such a way that closes you off to what the artist is giving you. First off, if sitting and listening to someone sing in German for 80 minutes sounds like torture to you this isn’t the show for you and that’s okay. But if listening to a fantastic singer wonderfully accompanied for 80 minutes in a very intimate space is something you would enjoy, then there’s a lot to get out of this experience. I’ve seen Justin spenner perform in Opera and that’s very much what Winterreise sounds like, he’s a fantastic vocalist and to hear him in whatever language is always something special.

Winterreise will have one more performance April 13th at 5:00 p.m. At The Hive collaborative in St Paul for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.thehivecollaborativemn.com/events/winterreise-a-winters-journey