Dear Evan Hansen Will be Found at the Ordway

Michael Fabisch Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade

Dear Evan Hansen is the show you may know as the suicide musical. That is a fair description but it is also an extremely limiting one that doesn’t embrace the other aspects of the show. The show centers around the suicide of a troubled teenager named Connor Murphy, but what it explores is the need we all have for connection. The show doesn’t put its focus on Connor, the suicide happens off screen, he’s a character we see very little of before the suicide, and we are never told how or why it occurs. The focus is on the living and, through a misunderstanding, something positive can come of tragedy. That misunderstanding directly relates to the title of the musical. The main character Evan Hansen is inscructed to write himself a letter of positive reinforcements by his therapist. That letter his taken by Conner and is found on his body. His parents mistakenly assume that Connor is the author of the letter and that their friendless son was actually friends with the equally friendless Evan. Unable to correct the error and seeing the comfort it gives his parents, Evan creates a series of fake email exchange between himself and Connor that creates a fictitious friendship between the two. What starts as a well intentioned deception, snowballs into Evan who is raised by a single mother that works full time while also attending night school, becoming a surrogate son to the Murphy’s. This also brings Connor into close and frequent contact with Connor’s sister Zoe, whom he has a crush on. Eventually Evan and two fellow classmates, Jared and Alana create The Connor Project to shine a spotlight on Connor. The message Evan conveys in the song “You Will Be Found” with the lyrics:

You are not alone Even when the dark comes crashing through And you need someone to carry you When you’re broken on the ground You will be found
Lyrics by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul

What the show does extremely well is capture the reality of being a teenager and a parent in our time. What parent can’t relate to the sentiments expressed in the first song “Anybody Have a Map?“

Another Stellar Conversation for the scrapbook Another stumble as I’m reaching for the right thing to say I’m kinda coming up empty, can’t find my way to you Does anybody have a map? Anybody maybe happen to know how the hell to do this?
Lyrics by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul

It does a great job as well of allowing us to empathize with Evan’s actions. We know they are wrong and cannot end well. But the character of Evan is so well crafted that by the time when get to the initial misunderstanding, we know his character well enough to understand what he’s needing in his life, what his problems are, and what his desires are. The show portrays the incidents in a way that we fully understand how and why the character of Evan, young and fragile as he is, makes the choices he makes. When he feels like it needs to be ended another reward appears and lures him deeper into the lie.

In this production, the second that I’ve seen not including the disasteriously cast film version, I was extremely impressed with the younger members of the cast playing the teenagers. Michael Fabisch is excellent as Evan Hansen with a voice that seems perfectly suited for the range in which the characters songs are written. He is very engaging while also conveying the characters awkwardness and anxieties. Hatty Ryan King as Zoe also sounds great really shining on the songs “Requiem” and in the duet with Evan “Only Us”. Makena Jackson as Alana and Gabriel Vernon Nunag as Jared also capture their characters really well. Both bringing personalities that create moments of humor in their accurate portrayals of recognizable young high school types, both their positive and negative qualities. It’s the young cast that really stands out in this production.

The set design by David Korins which consists of a few tableaus that roll on and off the stage as needed, like a dining room table or Evan’s bedroom is simple but effective. The primary design element though is the projections designed by Peter Nigrini which are cast upon large screen panels staggered throughout the stage. On it, we see social media and texting messages which reminds us of the ways in which today’s teenagers have grown up with this technology. Its constant presence on stage reflects its role in their lives and in a show about alienated and disconnected youth it’s presence is a clue as to why that is. Interestingly, it’s also the conduit by which Evans message that you are not alone goes viral. Steven Levenson’s book for the show wisely shows us the dangers of the technology while also understanding that realistically it isn’t going to go away and so we need to use it positively as well.

Dear Evan Hansen is a very good musical with a lot of standout songs and a positive message. This is dark subject matter but the authors have found the appropriate level of humor to create an entertaining and rewarding night of musical theater. Dear Evan Hansen runs through March 16th at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts in St. Paul. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://ordway.org/events/dear-evan-hansen/

Now more than ever in the wake of the most recent election and the hailstorm of stupidity and hate it has unleashed, Theater companies need you and we need them. Buy tickets to shows go out and support work that reflects diversity and inclusiveness. Donate to your favorite theater companies, don’t wait until they are on the brink of shutting down. We all need to stand up and fight for our Theaters whose funding is under attack for promoting inclusion, equality and diversity.

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Hundred Days is a Beautiful Rousing Joyous Show at the Elision Playhouse.

The entire wonderful cast of *Hundred Days* Photo by Jolie Morehouse Olson

Theatre Elision’s latest production Hundred Days feels like a cross between a concert and the musical sections of Once if you’ve seen the stage musical version performed. There are two performers playing the characters of the shows songwriting duo Abigail and Shaun Bengson plus six musicians. The story, which is implied to be autobiographical tells the love story of Abigail and Shaun through folk-punk music. The 100 days of the title refers to a dream Abigail has had since the age of 15 where she’s seated in a booth at a diner with her husband and told by a Dr. that he will die in 100 days. When Shaun discovers this, and it’s the reason she’s pulling away, they decide to try and live an entire lifetime in those 100 days. It’s an interesting premise and as good as any to use as a structure for the duo’s songs, whether or not it is true. To be clear, I don’t know nor does it matter. What is true are the emotions the characters are feeling, the rush of feeling that initial spark of connection, of talking all night telling each other your life story, the things you share, and the things you keep hidden. If you think back on those romances that have been significant in your life, doesn’t it feel like those first hundred days are like a lifetime of excitement and discovery?

Christine Wade and Ryan Lee play Abigail and Shaun, with Lee also strumming away on guitar throughout. They are perfect together, with their voices complimenting each other beautifully. They also both have the acting chops to pull us into the darker moments. Those moments are few, but do require someone with the skills to convey them in basically a concert staging rather than the way a traditional play or musical would be staged. Taking this even further out of the realm of traditional theater, the actors interact a bit with the members of the band who also provide vocals. While Lee and Wade are definitely the leads, the band is so integral to the joyous mood of the piece that I have to list them as well. So much talent on view here with Emily Hensley on accordion, Benjamin Emory Larson on keyboards, Joni Griffith on Violin, Rae Wasson on Cello (surely the most poignant of instruments), Miles Whealy on drums, and Harrison Wade on guitar and also the Musical Director of the production. Together they create an atmosphere that I’d almost describe as rowdy but not in a bad way. There is at times almost an Irish Pub band feel to it that I just loved. I wouldn’t mind getting to this again before the run ends, it really does feel like an hour and change spent listening to some great music, but with the added element of a love story.

I found Hundred Days to be an uplifting and beautiful musical jam session. The show runs through March 22nd at the Elision Playhouse in Crystal. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.elisionproductions.com/hundreddays

more than ever in the wake of the most recent election and the hailstorm of stupidity and hate it has unleashed, Theater companies need you and we need them. Buy tickets to shows go out and support work that reflects diversity and inclusiveness. Donate to your favorite theater companies, don’t wait until they are on the brink of shutting down. We all need to stand up and fight for our Theaters whose funding is under attack for promoting inclusion, equality and diversity.

Life of Pi is a Visual Wonder and Fairly Dark Tale at the Orpheum Theatre

Taha Mandviwala, Toussaint Jeanlouis, Shiloh Goodin, and Anna Leigh Gortner
Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade

Life of Pi based on the Man Booker Prize winning novel by Yann Martel which was also been adapted into the 2012 film directed by Ang Lee, who took home the Best Director Oscar for it. Despite having seen, and actually owning the film on 3D blu-ray I have very little recollection of it. Odd for a film that was nominated for 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture, and even won four. Yet, I just remember there was a boy on a boat with a tiger. I have never read the novel so I cannot speak to how faithfully it adapts the story to the stage. Life of Pi the stage play is a dark tale of faith told with boundless visual creativity that had me fully engaged and often wonderstruck by it’s artful beauty. The story of Pi, the lone survivor of a cargo ship that sank is told in flashback to Mr. Okamoto, who has been sent to interview him to discover what he can about the ships sinking, and Lulu Chen, who is from the Canadian embassy. Pi tells them of the sinking of the ship and how he managed to survive for 227 days at sea in a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker as well as a Zebra, an Orangutan, and a Hyena. Mr. Okamoto cannot believe the story Pi tells and so Pi tells him another story in which the animals are replaced by people from the ship. Lolita Chakrabarti who wrote the play uses these two versions of the story as a reflection on the concept of religious faith. Okamoto believes the version of the story featuring people but is forced to agree that the one with the tiger is the better story.

Taha Mandviwala is exceptional as Pi, it’s a role that requires a lot of heavy lifting as he has to carry much of the story acting with puppets, that for the most part don’t speak. You know he’s done a great job when he isn’t overshadowed by what could easily be the star of the show, which is the production design and puppets used to create the animals. The marvelous puppets were designed by Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell in a way that captures the idea of the animal without trying to create a lifelike version that would fool the audience. The puppets are brought to life by puppeteers that are visible to the audience but, rather than taking us out of the play, it adds to the enjoyment as we watch their skilled work in capturing the movement and performance of the creatures. One example beyond the larger animals, which are truly amazing, are a group of fish that swim alongside Pi’s lifeboat, they are probably the most realistic of the creations. But the wonderful design isn’t just confined to the puppets as masterfully executed as they are, the scenic and costume designs by Tim Hatley as well as the video and animation designs by Andrzej Goulding contribute immensely. There is an effect that I’m not even sure how they pulled off where the lines on the background set begin to go all wavey like you are viewing it through a sheet of water. The lighting design by Tim Lutkin & Tim Deiling and the sound design be Carolyn Downing also play important roles and have several very impactful moments, especially during the storm that accompanies the sinking of the ship.

Life of Pi might remind some of the delightful creations in The Lion King, but believe me the comparisons end there and parents should be warned. There are several moments that might frighten children, and there are also elements of the story that are probably too intense or disturbing for younger audiences. I’d recommend this for mature 13 year olds and above. Life of Pi runs through March 9th at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://hennepinarts.org/events/life-of-pi-2025

The Stages of MN

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is Wildly Entertaining at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis

Justin Withers (Demetrius), John Catron (Oberon), Royer Bockus (Helena), Jimmy Kieffer
(Puck), Jonathan Luke Stevens (Lysander). Photo by Dan Norman

Faithful readers will know that I’m very much a Shakespeare enthusiast. How then to explain that I’ve never seen a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream? I can make no sense of it and am grateful to have finally corrected that shameful omittance. I saw the 1999 film version starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Kevin Kline, but to be honest, it made little impression as nearly everything that happened on stage opening night was a revelation to me. Of course everything about this production is a revelation thanks to an incredible cast and Joseph Haj’s brilliant direction. The contributions of Composer/Musician Jack Herrick, who performs onstage during the production, cannot be overstated. Herrick and Haj have transformed the play into something approaching a musical, the music is so integral to the show. It’s a production that is spectacularly creative and endlessly surprising. I feel like I can count on the fingers of my two hands the number of shows that I have found myself laughing out loud to for extended periods, this one goes on the list. It’s a perfect first Shakespeare play for the uninitiated or those who may have never found a production of the Bard’s work that connected with them. It’s universal in its appeal as laughter, love, and music speak to all of us. While nothing is likely to surpass the extraordinary experience that was The History plays last season, this is the best single Shakespeare production I’ve seen at the Guthrie, and perhaps ever.

Haj opens the play with Royer Bockus, who plays Helena, singing a little and then interacting directly with the audience. At first this seemed a little cute but unnecessary given the two and a half hour runtime, but as with everything in the show it proved to have been worth it in the end (there’s a double meaning in that). In some ways A Midsummer Night’s Dream is like many of Shakespeare’s comedies with lovers loving those who don’t love them, and a trick by which lovers are deceived. But no twins or shipwrecks this time. Theseus, a Duke of Athens, and Hippolyta, the Queen of the Amazons, are to be married in four days but the action of the play revolves mostly around other characters. As if the play itself is like the dream by which Hippolyta says the time will pass. Hermia is in love with Lysander, but Hermia’s Father demands she marry Demetrius whom she doesn’t love, but loves her. Helena, Hermia’s friend, loves Demetrius, but he doesn’t love her. It’s decreed by Athens law that if Hermia refuses to marry, per her father’s wishes, she must be either put to death or live a celibate life as a nun. Lysander and Hermia plan to meet in the forest and elope together, a plan they share with Helena. Helena tells Demetrius, hoping to gain his love. But as they search the forest for the lovers, he states over and over again that he does not and will not ever love her. This is overheard by Oberon, the King of the fairies, who looking to punish his queen Titania has concocted a juice which when applied to the eyelids of someone will make them fall in love with the first person they see. Oberon applies it to Titania and when she awakens she falls in love with Bottom, one of the Mechanicals, a group craftspeople who are rehearsing to perform a play for Theseus and Hippolyta’s wedding reception. Bottom has been transformed by Oberon’s sprite Puck into a donkeyman which frightens away his fellow performers and perfectly achieves the punishment Oberon intended for Titania. Oberon instructs Puck to apply the juice to the eyelids of Demetrius so that he will return Helena’s love. Puck mistakes Lysander for Demetrius and applies the juice to him causing him to fall in love with Helena. Oberon discovering the mistake doses Demetrius causing him to fall in love with Helena as well. Helena never having been loved by anyone, mistakes the sudden change of adoration as mockery. Will all be set right and lovers paired off by stories end? Of course they will, it’s not the destination but the journey that matters.

The Mechanicals cast of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Photo by Dan Norman

The test of a great Shakespeare production is the Actors. The scripts are going to be good (it’s Shakespeare) but even with the best direction and production design in the world, if your Actors cannot convey the language to the audience in a way they can understand it, all is lost. This cast is amazing, every single member of the cast gets a moment to shine. At Intermission I was loving the show but was thinking to myself, not knowing the play, that it seemed like a phenomenally talented cast who were portraying the Mechanicals were being wasted on roles with very little to do. Well, the play closes out with a play within the play that illustrates the need to have cast Actors of their caliber. Aimee K. Bryant cracks everyone up with her portrayal of a wall and then wows us with a song. Dustin Bronson solution to reassuring his audience that he isn’t really a lion, just a man in costume and Kimberly Richardson’s performance as the moon, a branch, and a dog are played with as much physical humor as vocal, and it’s hard to imagine anyone else in either of those roles. Will Sturdivant’s Peter Quince, the Director of the Mechanicals decision to try and gesture the meaning behind every line of his prologue to the play should not be experienced while drinking liquids as it will result in you spraying the person in front of you with a mouthful of your beverage. Max Wojtanowicz’s character Flute, playing the female love interest in the play is at first brilliantly subtle in his self consciousness, then on a dime takes the play from a hilarious takedown of amatuer theatrics to a moment of esquisite beauty. Unleashing his none too secret weapon of an angelic voice and a moment of genuine grieve, that left most of the audience truly moved and a few unsure how to react and nervously tittering. Remy Auberjonois gets the meatiest role, that of Bottom, his comedic hamminess is perfectly played and sure to be an audience favorite.

The interplay between the four young lovers is joyously hilarious. Jonathan Luke Stevens as Lysander carries a guitar with him and once enchanted, tries to woo Helena musically. Just when Justin Withers as Demetrius enters also with Helena infatuated, things become more and more energetic. When Hermia, played by Ari Derambakhsh joins the fray, she’s angry with Helena for stealing Lysander’s love and Helena assumes she’s in on it with the men, and is mocking her. The scene plays out and when we return from intermission, they recap the last scene as if it were a silent film including a nice sound effect of a film projector from Sound Designer Darron L West. It’s an inspired choice by Director Haj and the cast are spot on in their parody of silent film acting raising the franticness of the scene even higher. John Catron and Regina Marie Williams have dual roles playing the two couples of Theseus and Hippolyta as well as Oberon and Titania. These are the grounded roles, despite one of the couples being fairies. They are the calm center around which the chaos swirls. Catron and Williams bring with them a presence that grounds the play in a tenuous but necessary reality. They don’t get to play up the humor or go big with their performances but I assure you the play would not work as it does if you didn’t have two performers of their abilities in those roles holding the center so the play doesn’t lose it’s form. Everyone else can shoot around like ludicrous satellites because they act as a gravitational force that ensures no one flies out of orbit. Finally, we come to Jimmy Kieffer who as Puck brings a sarcastic edge to the role that plays very well to a modern audience. From what I think I know of the part, it feels like he plays it less playfully and more relatable than the usual interpretation, and I think it works beautifully.

The Fairies Cast of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Photo by Dan Norman

In the last year I’ve striven to write shorter more readable reviews mentioning a few key performers and the technical aspects that really stand out. And then you bump up against a play like this that you cannot help but mention every single one of the performers because they are all staggeringly good. Likewise, every member of the creative team does excellent work that needs to be at least touched on. Pulling double duty as Scenic and Costume Designer is Lex Liang whose set is magical and whose costumes clearly separate and distinguish between the fairies and the humans. Isabella Byrd’s lighting design adds to the magic of the forest and she creates an added flicker to silent film moment at the opening of the second half of the show that help sell the concept. Emily Michaels King’s movement direction and Annie Enneking’s Fight and Intimacy Direction enhance the performances with nice little touches throughout.

A show that succeeds on every level to the highest level imaginable. For Shakespeare fans and novices alike, I don’t know how anyone could not be completely enchanted by this production. One of the down sides of seeing so much theater and living in a city with so much theater is that one rarely has the time to take in a production more than once. This will be one of the exceptions to that rule, I’ll definitely be back for a second dream. A Midsummer Night’s Dream runs through March 23rd at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. For More information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/2024-2025-season/a-midsummer-nights-dream/

Sanctuary City a Complex and Thought Provoking Drama From Frank Theatre at Open Eye Theatre

Stephanie Anne Bertumen, Clay Man Soo, Keivin Vang Photo by Tony Nelson

Last year Ironbound produced by Frank Theatre and written by Martyna Majok wowed me and my fellow Twin Cities Theater Bloggers receiving five Twin City Theater Blogger Award nominations and winning one. Sanctuary City is this years first offering from the socially minded theater company and is also written by the Pulitzer Prize winning Majok. It’s another thought provoking and challenging play that explores the timely topic of immigration. Uniquely structured, the first act contains dozens of brief moments, memories over a course of a couple of years that establish the close friendship between two teenagers G and B, who live in the US illegally. During these scenes which last anywhere from 10 seconds to a couple of minutes each, we learn that one becomes a citizen and they hatch a plan to marry each other so that the other can legally stay in the country as well. Act two is one scene which explores what happens to that plan when a third person, Henry, enters the pictures as a romantic partner. Every reveal in the second act clarifies the situation while complicating the issue itself. As I sat in the audience I found myself constantly reconsidering what I thought moments earlier.

Majok’s script is brilliantly directed by Wendy Knox who always manages to obscure what should be from the audience while making what we should understand clear. When you see the play you will understand what a complex task that is. Joe Stanley’s set design helps to illustrate the differences between the two Acts of the show and make tangible the idea of the first Act as a series of memories. Act one is performed on a bare stage with a few simple boxes that take the place of a bed or a bench. Act Two is revealed as B’s apartment fully realized indicating that this is happening in real time. Majok’s script further distinguishes this fact by the simplistic, almost black and white aspect of the dialogue and emotions in Act one compared to the intricate and often amorphous reality of the present. Tony Stoeri’s lighting is also intricate to the telling of this story particularly in Act one in which the lights fade down and back up to indicate the jump to a new memory.

Stephanie Anne Bertumen who plays G is stunningly good conveying unspoken backstory and emotion through her performance. We not only get a sense of unexpressed emotions and life details but have a sense of what they are without the script actually dictating any of it. Clay Man Soo who plays B, takes as a cue to his character one of the lines his character says at the beginning of the show, “I don’t know what to do.” I’m not saying Soo doesn’t know what to do, I mean that is the key to portraying this character and Soo picks up on it and uses it. B spends his life in Limbo; as an illegal, his live options if he wants to stay in the US are limited, he can’t get aid for school and he needs to work jobs that don’t enforce certain regulations. Because of the introduction of Henry to the plot, he doesn’t know if he’s still going to be able to escape Limbo with G. If he can’t, should he continue to live this life or return to his birth country? Soo perfectly captures a sense of being lost, unsure what he should do, always looking to others for guidance. Henry is played by Keivin Vang and it’s a difficult, at least initially, unlikeable role. Vang does a good job of conveying the characters conceitedness. He enters the play at a point where a third is unwanted by the audience and first impressions are that he is just going to make everything fall apart. But he softens and as more is revealed, we find something to appreciate in the character for a time. It’s here that Majok’s script kicks into overdrive requiring the performers to manipulate the audience’s allegiances from moment to moment.

Sanctuary City runs around an hour and forty five minutes with no intermission. It is a drama, but also contains humor and while it will leave you with a lot to think about and does not end with a super sunny resolution, it’s creativity and performances will leave you feeling excited and engaged rather than depressed. Sanctuary City runs through February 23rd at Open Eye Theatre in Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://franktheatre.org/events/sanctuary-city/

Sweet Charity is Full of Dance, Song, and Laughs at Artistry in Bloomington

Shinah Hey and the cast of Sweet charity Photo by Dan Norman Photography

I was a Sweet Charity virgin in the purest most poetical sense of the word. I was in for several surprises not the least of which was that the 1966 musical was based on the screenplay for Fellini’s Nights of Cabiria. I likewise, wasn’t aware that the book for the musical was by Neil Simon. Any time I’m experiencing a musical for the first time I try and go in cold, to let it work on me the way it would have for audiences when it first came out. So it’s always a surprise when you recognize a song or two that you didn’t realize came from the show. That happened with two songs in this show “Big Spender” and “If My Friends Could See Me Now“, but it’s filled with other catchy tunes as well. As fun as the songs are, the real attraction of this production is the dancing. Choreographed by Abby Magalee the cast’s moves will entertain even those for whom dancing isn’t a draw. There’s nothing like seeing a dozen or so performers all moving in perfect synchronization, and who isn’t impressed by a perfectly executed kickline. There were a couple of ensemble members who’s dancing really stood out as flawless, Jaclyn McDonald and Aliya Grace. I’m not hugely knowledgeable about dance and tend to enjoy it most as part of a musical, but I think I could happily while away a couple of hours watching those two dance so exquisitely.

No slouch in the hoofing department either is the star of the show Shinah Hey who plays Charity Hope Valentine. Charity is a dance hall girl who is constantly taken advantage of by the men she falls for. After being pushed in the lake in Central Park by her boyfriend who also steals her purse, Charity is saved from drowning reluctantly by a member of the crowd of people who gathered to watch her drown. This is the first taste of the humor that pervades the show. Charity takes it all in stride and this is the cue for the audience to do so as well. If you don’t take that “shrug it off and keep on going” attitude to heart, you may find yourself severely out of sorts by the end of the show. Shinah Hey is perfectly cast with a relentlessly positive energy and optimism crucial to making the character believable. Other outstanding members of the cast include the always hilarious Brendan Nelson Finn who first came to our attention on the Artistry stage in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. He plays Oscar who Charity meets when they get stuck in an elevator together and will become her love interest. Finn is a master at milking every ounce of humor out of any scene, whether verbally, his exclamations of panic in the elevator, or non verbally, his reactions and dancing during the song “The Rhythm of Life“. You don’t want to take your eyes off him for fear you’ll miss something. Adan Varela plays a famous movie star named Vittorio Vidal, he and Charity have less of a love connection but she coaches him in her ever selfless way to a reconciliation with his girlfriend. Varela has a jaw dropping moment when he begins to sing “Too Many Tomorrows” and you get your first exposure to his voice on his own. I thought I’d died and gone to classic movie musical heaven his voice is so full, rich, and what the girls used to call dreamy. Another ensemble member that didn’t get a large stand alone role but played multiple small parts was Quinn Lorez, who after a nice turn as Joanne in Rent at Artistry, brings to this an ability to punch each of her small roles with something to make them memorable, which is a great way to differentiate the characters and become an audience favorite, just the perfect amount of attitude.

This production was Directed by Laura Leffler who masterfully stages the show on what has become Artistry’s go to production design lately. Which is to have the band up stage and have the minimal set pieces, mostly just a few chairs, a door frame, and a table or couch that can be brought on and off quickly. I suspect this has been done in several of their productions over the last year or so as a financial savings, which I understand completely. I’m happy to have them spend less on costumes and sets if it means they can continue to maintain such a full orchestra. Music Director Isabella Dawis and the Conductor Anita Ruth continue Artistry’s legacy of exemplary musical performances. Leffler doesn’t let the lack of set make the show less dynamic, she uses various sections behind the band to add locales and create striking visual moments. Lighting Designer Shannon Elliott also assists with some clever lighting cues including creating the square of the elevator with a box of light shone on the stage floor. I had a great time with this show, enjoyed the singing and dancing and experienced another comedic performance I’m not likely to ever forget.

Sweet Charity runs through February 16th at Artistry in Bloomington. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://artistrymn.org/sweetcharity

But that’s not all! Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by m’colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers.

Loudly, Clearly, Beautifully Elena Glass’ Tribute to Her Father, Emotionally Touching and Song Filled.

Gene Glass (pictured) and his daughter Elena Glass Photo by M & D Media

Loudly, Clearly, Beautifully is not only the title of Elena Glass’ new show about her father and their relationship but also the advice he always gave her before she sang. She informs us this is what she tells herself before she performs. That is as simple and true an illustration of the impact of fathers that you could ask for. Years later, even after they are long gone, we hear their words coming out of our own mouths. Glass who wrote and performs the show shares the details of her relationship with her father before and after his diagnosis Multiple Sclerosis. We get glimpses into the the love and honesty with which he parented and the struggles of dealing with such a diagnosis. Yes, there are some tears spilt, but there’s also a lot of laughs, and some fantastic singing. This isn’t a show about the tragedy of a man’s life unfairly cut short by disease. It’s a celebration of that man’s life and his impact on his daughter’s life in so many ways, as a cheerleader, an information distributor (sex talk yikes!!), and as a role model.

Glass lays herself out in a performance that touches the audience with it’s vulnerability. She finds humor in the stories she relates, but what is most important is she finds truth. She doesn’t simply raise her father up on a pedestal and show herself as the courageous daughter in the face of tragedy, always there with patience and selfless sacrifice. No, she acknowledges the moments when she and her father were not at their best, she points out the realities of living day in and day out with this cruel disease. It can make people angry, and impatient, and to pretend that isn’t so would be a betrayal to everyone who has gone through it. It’s important to acknowledge those realities and it’s so amazing of Glass to share that with us. Nearly everyone in the audience for this show will at some point go through something like this, whether it’s MS or another disease, either themselves, a parent, a child, or a partner. They will reflect back on this show and not judge themselves harshly for a momentary loss of patience or a flash of anger. Glass effectively and quite emotionally reassures us that’s part of the journey, part of our humanity, and that is the gift of the artist, to communicate that truth to their audience.

Wesley Frye is the Music Director and Pianist for the show, but also interacts with Glass in welcomed moments of humor and song. Frequently that role is to disappear into the background and provide the music as if out of the ether. The choice to include Frye more directly is a choice that pays off big time. Frye has a wonderful give and take with Glass and a wonderful singing voice, it’s an added gift that we didn’t anticipate, but are grateful for. The show is Directed by The Stages of MN favorite Allison Vincent who tackled similar ground in last summer’s The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award Winning Minnesota Fringe show, Daddy Issues, about her own relationship with her father. Vincent was the perfect choice to direct this show having recently tackled her own father/daughter relationship. Also contributing to the show is Leslie Vincent and Emily Dussault whose original song “Who I’ve Always Been” is a beautiful note on which to end the show.

Loudly, Clearly, Beautifully runs at the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers 2024 Award Winner for Favorite Theater Venue, The Hive Collaborative in St Paul, for five more performances through 1/31/25. For more information at to purchase your tickets go to https://www.thehivecollaborativemn.com/events/loudly-clearly-beautifully If you haven’t been before check out all the upcoming programming at The Hive Collaborative and support this wonderful intimate venue!