Chicago Gives Us That ol’ Razzle Dazzle at the Orpheum

Ellie Roddy as Roxie Hart in “*Me And Me Baby*” Photo by Jeremy Daniel

Chicago wowed the audience with great songs, a lively band, and fantastic dancing, but with a message that feels a little too close for comfort these days. The premise of Chicago is all about getting murderers acquitted by manipulating the truth and selling the narrative you want the jury and the public to believe. Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly are two such murderesses, represented by the razzle dazzle lawyer Billy Flynn. Flynn bends reality with ease, shaping public opinion and engineering the verdict he wants for his clients. A not-guilty ruling can be yours for the low, low price of $5,000!

Now, this is set in the 1920s, so I assume the price has gone up. You’d have to check with the current administration to know what it costs these days, but hey, you might get the added bonus of having your victim declared an enemy of the state.

Rather than get bogged down in the unfortunate resemblance to the moral cesspit we currently find ourselves wading through, I found the best strategy was to disengage from the story and focus on the music and dancing, which are superb. Once I made that mental shift, the show became much easier (and more enjoyable) to take in.

Ellie Roddy and Claire Marshall, as Roxie and Velma, are terrific across the board: strong performances, solid vocals, and excellent dancing. But the choreography truly comes alive when the full ensemble is onstage. Moving together, they function like a beautifully oiled, complex machine, fluid, precise, and endlessly stylish. The choreography credits are… complicated. The program lists Bob Fosse as the original director and choreographer, Gregory Butler for the re-creation of the original choreography, and Ann Reinking for the original New York production choreography, “in the style of Bob Fosse.” Whoever deserves the final bow, the result is sharp, iconic, and a real pleasure to watch. It’s also a testament to the athleticism of these performers that they can sing and dance at this level for so long.

Max Cervantes, as Billy Flynn, has a moment where he holds a note for what the audience seem to feel was impressive. I’ll tell you what though, you want to see the holding of a note beyond what you think is possible? Get yourself out to Artistry in Bloomington t o see Kiss Me, Kate where John-Michael Zuerlein holds a note which seemed to go on at least twice as long. Which is also to say don’t forget to also support your local theaters, that’s another classic musical running now that is filled with greta dancing!

Another standout, and a clear audience favorite, was Marc Christopher as Roxie’s long-suffering husband Amos. It’s a classic comic relief role, and Christopher absolutely nails it, especially in the show’s emotional bullseye, “Mister Cellophane.”

The show is packed with iconic songs, beautifully backed by the Chicago orchestra under the musical direction of Andy Chen. Go for the music. Go for the dancing. And if the story feels a little too real right now, feel free to tune that part out. There’s more than enough spectacle and talent on display to make the trip worthwhile regardless.

Chicago runs through February 1st at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Minneapolis.
For more information and tickets, visit:
https://hennepinarts.org/events/chicago

Watch the 2025 TCTB Awards on the latest episode of The Stages of MN YouTube Show!! https://bit.ly/TSOMNEp25YouTube

Don’t rely on Facebook or Instagram algorithms to keep you in the loop about great shows. Subscribe and have every post from 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 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.

Tubthumping Thursday is a Comedy Grab Bag Of Improv Hilarity at Bryant Lake Bowl Theater

On Monday, I caught one of my favorite improv shows, Off Book, at the Jungle Theater. If you’ve never seen it, their next show is March 2, and I highly recommend it. Off Book pairs actors who have memorized a script with improvisers who have absolutely no idea what the script is. Without fail, hilarity ensues. What does that have to do with Tubthumping Thursday? Well, one of the actors in Monday’s performance was Nissa Nordland, who happens to be one half of the Twin Cities improv duo Bury the Leads. Bury the Leads made up one-third of the bill at this month’s Tubthumping Thursday at Bryant Lake Bowl Theater.

This was my first time attending Tubthumping Thursday, a monthly comedy cabaret hosted by Cameron Cylkowski, who also performs with the group Secret Neighbors. The third act on the bill was Police Cop Detective PI. With the demise of Huge Theater a year ago, it’s been great to see other venues step up and make space for the wide variety of improvisers in the Twin Cities.

I won’t lie, I came to Tubthumping Thursday to see The Stages of MN favorites Nissa Nordland and Sam Landman. Their ongoing series (which they hope to eventually expand into an online show) centers on a pair of character actors named Clyde & Faye. Each performance offers another glimpse into the lives of these “not-the-leads” and their quest to finally land the part. As anyone familiar with Nordland and Landman’s work would expect, it’s excellent. They take audience suggestions and incorporate them into a scenario, in this case, being cast as the best friends of the main characters and required to film a sex scene together. Nordland and Landman keep things relatively clean, though a quick Google search of the audience suggestions tells a much filthier story.

What makes this series so compelling is the ongoing character development. At the end of this episode, because “episode” really feels like the right word, there seemed to be a spark between longtime friends Clyde and Faye. Like Buffy the Vampire Slayer before it, we may come for the jokes, but we stay for the character arcs and emotional bullseyes.

Secret Neighbors performed as a quartet led by Cylkowski, fellow company members include Courtney Miller, Cat Wright, Elizabeth Dunn, and Sean Yahn. After asking the audience a few opening questions, they spun those details into a series of funny situations and delightful tangents. Police Cop Detective PI, featuring Adam Fielitz and John Haynes, played cop partners on a stakeout. Both groups were excellent, and I’d happily check out any improv show featuring either of them on the bill.

Keep an eye out for all the unique and adventurous theater happening at Bryant Lake Bowl Theater by visiting https://www.bryantlakebowl.com/theater and subscribing to their newsletter. I always recommend arriving when the doors open,one hour before showtime, to snag a good seat and order dinner and a drink (or two). The food is great, and the beverage selection includes solid non-alcoholic options as well.

You can follow Bury the Leads on facebook to find out when and where they perform next, I do!

Watch the 2025 TCTB Awards on the latest episode of The Stages of MN YouTube Show!! https://bit.ly/TSOMNEp25YouTube

SHUCKED Is Hilarious Proof That Corn Can Be Sexy And Extremely Stupid at The Orpheum

The Cast of The North American Tour of SHUCKED Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

SHUCKED, the original Broadway musical that garnered nine Tony Award nominations in 2023, is a show that feels tailor-made for Twin Cities audiences. I went in knowing almost nothing, just that it involved corn, and I assumed it would be silly. What I didn’t expect was how raunchy it would be at times, or how consistently it would land its jokes. To give you some point of reference think Hee Haw after dark mixed with The Simpsons and that will get you close to the tone of the show.

To give you a reference point: imagine an R-rated version of Hee Haw and you’ll be pretty close. Much of the humor falls squarely into the “it’s so dumb it’s clever” category—nonstop wordplay groaners that somehow make you laugh while you’re rolling your eyes. The jokes come at you about a mile a minute. Then the show pulls off a real surprise: the songs aren’t just funny, they’re genuinely good, and they’re performed by a very talented cast. The result is a musical that’s funny, upbeat, delightfully silly, and more than a little raunchy at times. I was honestly surprised by just how much fun I had with this unapologetically corny show packed with songs that really pop.

The story is narrated by two storytellers who guide us through the action with songs and an endless stream of one-liners. The setting is Cob County, a place so devoted to corn that it has literally walled itself off from the rest of the world with corn. No one ever leaves, and no one outside seems to know it exists. On the day of Maizy and Beau’s wedding, just before the vows, the unthinkable happens: the corn begins to die on the stalks. Since corn is everything in Cob County, the wedding is put on hold until the cause of the corntastrophe can be discovered. Against Beau’s wishes Maizy ventures into the outside world for help. She ends up in Tampa, Florida, where she mistakenly believes a podiatrist named Gordy, who advertises himself as a “corn doctor”, can save her town. Gordy is a con man (though not a particularly good one) who realizes the stones in Maizy’s bracelet are valuable and decides to tag along to Cob County under the pretense of saving the corn, while secretly planning to steal the jewels to pay off his mob debts. Romance, betrayal, broken engagements, and new ones ensue, with Lulu (Maizy’s cousin) and Peanut (Beau’s brother) along for the ride providing commentary, chaos, and some of the show’s biggest laughs.

Danielle Wade is the engine of the show as Maizy. She has a wonderfully distinctive voice, part Southern twang, part Bonnie Tyler rasp, with real raw power behind it. Her unique sound and along with her spunky performance are spot on for the character she’s playing. Nick Bailey gives a stellar vocal performance as Beau, nailing songs that feel like classic rock power ballads. There may very likely be country music comparisons that are more apt, but not being at all versed on country music, or really any contemporary music to be truthful, those would be lost on me.

Miki Abraham is fantastic as Lulu, stopping the show with “Independently Owned,” a number that feels closest to traditional musical theater while still delivering sharp, funny commentary on self-reliance and empowerment. Mike Nappi provides pure comic joy as Peanut, the lovable idiot brother, very much in the spirit of those old Hee Haw cutaway jokes. Our narrators are played by Maya Lagerstam, a graduate of the UMN/Guthrie BFA program and Joe Moeller. Their engaging presence guides us through the narrative with wit, and knowing nods to the audience.

Local audiences are going to recognize and appreciate every layer of the humor here: the rural jokes, the meta commentary, and the sly nods to modern politics and culture. With a top-notch cast delivering big laughs, strong vocals, and genuinely smart silliness, SHUCKED proves that being corny can be a virtue.

SHUCKED runs through January 11th at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://hennepinarts.org/events/shucked

Watch for the 2025 TCTB Awards to be announced on the next episode of The Stages of MN YouTube Show!!

Episode 23 of The Stages of MN is up and it’s a Jolly Roger of a Good Time!

We have a new episode up in which we join Fortune’s Fool Theatre in celebrating their 20th Anniversary! I talk with co–Artistic Directors, father and daughter Daniel and Ariel Pinkerton, about how the company started, how they settle disagreements, and what they’re doing to mark this big milestone. Hint: it involves pirates. In fact, they have two pirate shows running in rep at the Hive Collaborative in St. Paul as part of their 20th Anniversary Festival of FREE Musicals. Yep, tickets to both shows are absolutely free.

Watch the episode on YouTube here: https://bit.ly/TSOMNEp23YouTube
Or listen to the podcast version here: https://bit.ly/TSOMNEp23Podcast

We also have a review of Mistletoe & Mayhem from Just Us Theater, which runs through 12/14: https://mistletoe-mayhem.com/

A Christmas in Ochopee From New Native Theatre When You are Ready for Something Completely Different

A Christmas in Ochopee, the remount from New Native Theatre first produced two years ago, is like nothing else I’ve seen this holiday season. It has none of the things we normally associate with Christmas shows, no snow, no carols, no turkey dinner. Instead, we get the Everglades, basketball games, and an alligator. But while the trappings may be different, the chaotic family dynamics are universal. I was rather taken with its shaggy Christmas charms, and it was refreshing to mix things up a bit.

The play follows Christmas Day with the Weetley family on a reservation in the Florida Everglades. Bo Weetley, the father, has already bet the money from a landscaping job he hasn’t even been awarded yet on a basketball game, the same money he planned to use to take the family to Disney World for Christmas. Meanwhile, Donnie Boy, the youngest son, is unexpectedly released from prison when the arresting officer forgets to show up in court, resulting in the case being thrown out. His brother Joseph is bringing his fiancée home for Christmas but forgot to tell his family they’re engaged… or that they’re vegans. And fiancée Audrey hasn’t gotten around to telling him that she’s pregnant. Add in a Barney Fife-esque cop and an antagonistic uncle, and you have the makings of a Christmas spiraling entirely out of control, with very little assistance required.

Montana Cypress’s script somehow keeps everything clearly delineated even as the story turns increasingly chaotic, which, as I began summarizing the plot, I realized is kind of amazing. The script is tight, though the direction occasionally feels a bit loose, perhaps due to a few less experienced cast members. The ensemble is uneven, but several performers shine. Benjamin Wilson as the father is especially strong. He seems born to play the role and doesn’t hit a false note the entire show. Mato Wayuhi as Donnie Boy delivers a manic goofball energy and dim-witted charm that perfectly explains his place in the family. In a smaller role as Joseph’s childhood best friend Summer, Shinaana Secody displays that enviable skill of simply knowing how to be on stage. We would have loved to see more of her.

I’m sure there are cultural nuances I missed, jokes specific to reservation life in the Everglades or references that went over my head. But I never felt like an outsider. I enjoyed the show because I recognized the characters as people I’ve known, and the situations are universal even when the details are not. The production has a chaotic charm, gets surprisingly physical at times, and offers quieter moments when its larger-than-life characters become grounded and deeply relatable.

A Christmas in Ochopee runs through December 21 at 825 Arts in Saint Paul.
Visit New Native Theatre’s website for more information and to purchase tickets:
https://www.newnativetheatre.org/tickets.

New Native Theatre is the largest Native-led nonprofit theater company in the country, now in its 16th year. Let’s make sure it has another 16. Please go see the show, and if you can’t make it, consider making a donation. It’s important that these voices are heard and these stories are told, and the best way to ensure that is by supporting New Native Theatre.

The Phantom of the Opera Returns to the Orpheum Theater in Best Production in Decades

Isaiah Bailey and Jordan Lee Gilbert Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

The Phantom of the Opera returns to the Twin Cities for what must be the seventh or eighth time. This tour is billed as a revitalized production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s legendary musical—based on Harold Prince’s original direction, with staging and choreography by Gillian Lynne, recreated by Chrissie Cartwright. The last time the show toured through Minneapolis, the staging was noticeably different from the version I remembered. While I enjoyed that iteration, I’m thrilled this production brings back the staging I first fell in love with.

For the uninitiated, The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of a mysterious, disfigured musical genius who lives beneath the Paris Opera House and becomes obsessed with a young soprano named Christine Daaé. As he manipulates the opera company to make her a star, Christine is torn between fear, fascination, and her love for childhood friend Raoul. The Phantom’s desperate obsession spirals into jealousy and violence, culminating in a confrontation where compassion becomes his final reckoning.

This is one of those musicals people tend to either love or loathe. I know plenty of musically sophisticated people who dismiss it entirely, but I’m not one of them. My love for this show goes back to my first encounter with it: a high school show choir trip to Los Angeles in 1990, where I saw Michael Crawford in the role he originated in the West End and on Broadway. That performance seared itself into my memory. It was probably the first massive Broadway caliber show I ever saw, and it left its mark. I played the cast recording endlessly, so much so that “All I Ask of You” ended up in my first wedding, which feels incredibly cliché now.

Like every version I’ve seen since, this production doesn’t quite reach the perfection of that first experience, but only just. If you’re a Phantom fan, this may be the strongest tour in a couple of decades.

The cast is solid overall, with a few minor quibbles. Daniel Lopez (Raoul) sings beautifully, though at times his constant smiling felt more like musical theatre autopilot than character driven choice. Jordan Lee Gilbert is a stunning Christine, her voice and emotional performance are exceptional. Isaiah Bailey (the Phantom) felt slightly tentative in Act I, but something clicked for him in Act II, and his performance deepened significantly. Of course, every Phantom I see ends up compared, perhaps unfairly, to Michael Crawford’s definitive interpretation. I also enjoyed William Thomas Evans and Carrington Vilmont as the new opera managers; they brought nuance and personality to roles that can easily become one-note.

As always, two things define Phantom: the music and the design. The score, depending on who you ask, is either lush romantic genius or overly popularist fluff. I fall firmly in the first camp. I find it sweeping, emotional, and unforgettable. Some of the most memorable melodies in musical theatre live here.

The production design is equally superb, truly lush in every sense. From the jaw-dropping moment when the chandelier transforms from dusty relic to blazing spectacle in under two seconds, to quieter scenes like the managers’ office framed by rich curtains, the visual world is breathtaking, theatrical, and immersive.

If you’re already a Phantom devotee, consider this a strong recommendation. If you’ve never seen it, now’s the time, if only so you can finally decide whether you’re a Phantom lover or Phantom leaver.

The Phantom of the Opera runs through December 7 at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis.
For more information and tickets, visit: https://hennepinarts.org/events/the-phantom-of-the-opera

My Fair Lady at Theater Latté Da Feels Fresh and New, While Still Retaining its Classic Charms

Tod Petersen, Jon-Michael Reese, and Anna Hashizume Photo by Dan Norman

Usually, when it comes to a long runtime, I secretly wish they’d cut the overture. My thinking is, the show is already long enough, I don’t need a preview of every song I’m about to hear over the next three hours. But here, director Justin Lucero turns the overture into an unexpectedly delightful launchpad.

The entire score is played on two pianos, one musician dressed as an upper-class pianist (Joshua Burniece), the other as a working-class player (Wesley Frye). This establish one of the show’s key themes, class divide right at the top of the show. The playful interaction and energy between them makes the overture feel like a friendly dueling piano act. This was one overture I really enjoyed.

And that’s just the first of many smart choices Lucero makes to pull My Fair Lady into the 21st century. His direction doesn’t ignore the source material’s outdated gender dynamics but he doesn’t let them pass without commenting on them either. In subtle ways he works to undermine them and in doing so makes the show relevant to a modern audience. Perhaps if the producers of Purple Rain had enlisted the services of Lucero, they’d have cracked the code and their Broadway chances would seem more hopeful. The parallels between the two shows, especially in how we now view power, agency, and gender, are striking.

Without question, the heart, soul, and blazing force of this production is Anna Hashizume as Eliza Doolittle. She brings fire, dignity, and grounding to a character who has too often been framed as a fantasy version of compliant womanhood. Hashizume wants no part of that narrative. Her Eliza is sharp, funny, evolving and increasingly unwilling to accept the terms of her transformation.

She’s wonderfully comedic at Ascot, quietly heartbreaking when ignored after her triumph, and electrifying in the final scenes as she claims her autonomy. And, as always, her vocal work is stunning. This role showcases both her classical training and her musical theater skills.

Jon-Michael Reese’s Henry Higgins feels like The Kid from Purple Rain, but this time, the actor has the charisma and nuance to make the character compelling even when he’s insufferable. Reese finds humor and rhythm in Higgins’ arrogance, giving the score a fresh tone without softening who the character fundamentally is. His dynamic with Hashizume feels carefully calibrated, and the result is a very well matched pairing.

Stages of MN favorite, Tod Petersen, brings his inherent goodness, warmth, and perfect comedic timing to Colonel Pickering. His scenes with Norah Long (as Higgins’ mother) are a particular delight. Felix Aguilar Tomlinson rich voice delivers one of the night’s vocal highlights with a powerful performance of “On the Street Where You Live.”

Eli Sherlock’s set is wonderfully ingenious. It consists of two parts, a center column on which the dual pianos are situated with an outer ring that rotates around that stationary center. One side is Henry Higgins’ home with the other side standing in as various locations. Amber Brown’s costumes are exquisite, and when Hashizume appears at the top of the staircase ready to head to the embassy ball her costume takes the entire theater’s breathe away.

Also deserving of praise is the Choreography of Abby Magalee, her work on the song “Wouldn’t it be Loverly” being the standout. Which brings up one baffling thing, I wasn’t sure if I was just hearing it wrong or did they change it from Loverly to lovely? or were they just downplaying that “R”?

My Fair Lady runs through December 28, 2025 at Theater Latté Da in Northeast Minneapolis.
Tickets and info: https://www.latteda.org/my-fair-lady