Once Upon a Mattress at Lakeshore Players

Once Upon a Mattress at Lakeshore Players in White Bear Lake is a case of the parts being more successful than the whole. It’s ultimately an enjoyable experience, though the musical itself and, to be honest, this production as well, is by no means a must-see. The show has a couple of memorable songs, but there’s a reason it isn’t performed very often. It’s a bit unfocused, though still serviceable. I suspect there’s been some script tweaking, as it felt surprisingly meta for a 1959 musical. I didn’t catch all of the pop culture references, there were definitely allusions to boy bands (a world I know nothing about), and likely other musical nods that went over my head. Younger or more in-the-know audiences may get more out of those moments.

The plot adapts The Princess and the Pea, padded out with enough additions to stretch to nearly three hours, including an intermission. To its credit, it doesn’t feel that long. If there’s a primary issue with this production, it’s likely budget and time, the perennial challenges of theater-making. This is an epic-length musical with a serviceable but bare-bones set design by Justin Hooper. The main set piece, a large staircase connected to a platform upstage that later transforms into the famous stack of mattresses, is an impressive build. However, it seems to have consumed much of the available resources, leaving little room to flesh out the rest of the set. They gamely try and get a lot of mileage out of a large red see through curtain, but it shows. One could argue for a simple, elegant aesthetic, but that doesn’t quite match the tone of this show.

It often feels like what works does so at the expense of something else. The costumes by Sarah Christenson, for example, include some genuinely inspired choices. The Minstrel, played perfectly by Devin Dolquist, is clearly styled after Elton John, and the costume is fantastic. Sir Harry’s look feels like it stepped out of a fairy tale and then got run through a hipster filter, and King Sextimus sports a ’70s Elvis-style white jumpsuit with a cape, another fun touch. But much of the rest of the cast is dressed in either jeans and T-shirts or corsets and bustiers. You get the sense that, with more time and budget, the entire design could have matched the creativity of those standout elements. Instead, the inconsistency contributes to an overall feeling of disjointedness, as though the production never quite comes together as a unified whole.

Thankfully, the cast is consistently strong. The secondary romantic pair, Sir Harry and Lady Larkin, are especially well played by Thomas Friebe and Lizzie Stuebs. They get a standout song in each Act, and both are highlights of the show. Sophia LaFave as Princess Winnifred fully leans into her big numbers, delivering them with just the right amount of attitude. And Maya Vagle as Queen Aggravain, delightfully overbearing and far too attached to her son, is fabulously over-the-top in all the best ways.

Once Upon a Mattress runs through May 17th at Lakeshore Players. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.lakeshoreplayers.org/mattress-season-73

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Little Women Gets a Hugely Successful Adaptation at the Guthrie Theater

George Keller (Marmee), May Heinecke (Beth), Isabella Star LeBlanc (Louisa/Jo), Audrey Parker (Amy), and Stephanie Anne Bertumen (Meg) Photo by Dan Norman

Little Women has long been a favorite story of mine. I first experienced it in 1994 when I saw the film adaptation starring Winona Ryder in theaters. Since then, I’ve read the novel and seen other screen adaptations. But my only previous stage experience was the 2021 production at Artistry of Little Women: The Broadway Musical, which, frankly, was a disappointment. After that, I shied away from other stage versions, feeling that perhaps the theater just wasn’t the right venue for this story. Five years later, I decided to try again, this time with a non-musical adaptation at the Guthrie Theater. Why return? The script is by Lauren M. Gunderson, the most produced playwright in the country and the writer behind The Christmas at Pemberley trilogy, which follows characters from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, which are a personal favorite. (I’m still waiting for some ambitious theater company to mount all three plays in rep!)

So how does Gunderson’s adaptation compare to the Broadway musical? It blows it out of the water in every conceivable way. Gunderson uses the clever narrative device of having Louisa May Alcott herself tell the story. For those unfamiliar, Little Women is largely based on Alcott’s own life and her relationship with her three sisters. When the play opens, Alcott introduces us to her family, and then to their fictional counterparts. What’s beautiful about the story is how we follow the sisters and their relationships with each other and those around them. It feels very much in the vein of Jane Austen; you develop the same attachment to the characters, their misfortunes, and their joys. This is a story that thrives not on action or mystery, but on character.

Any adaptation of Little Women will succeed or fail largely on the strength of its cast. These are beloved characters, and audiences come in not just knowing them, but loving them. The cast here is sublime, led by Isabella Star LaBlanc as Louisa and, by extension, Jo. LaBlanc brings the perfect mix of confidence and intelligence. Her Jo has mischief in her eyes and secrets just beneath the surface. The moment that crystallizes her perfect casting is the look she gives the audience just before the blackout at the end of Act I. It can’t be described, it must be seen.

It’s also great to see Stages of MN favorite Daniel Petzold as Laurie. His strongest moments come in his interactions with Louisa; he’s particularly well suited to the show’s more meta elements, as well as the older, more mature version of the character. His younger moments feel slightly forced at first, but that fades as Laurie grows. The three sisters are equally well cast: Stephanie Anne Bertumen as Meg, May Heinecke as Beth, and Audrey Parker as Amy fully embody these beloved roles. A shout-out as well to George Keller, who is excellent as Marmee and delightfully comic as Aunt March.

As with most Guthrie productions, the set looks like a million bucks. Designed by Junghyun Georgia Lee, it’s a true stunner: an open grassy clearing surrounded by woods, with pieces of furniture scattered throughout. It supports the idea that we are watching Louisa and her sisters enact the story, rather than attempting strict realism. It’s a bold choice, and it works beautifully.

Fans of Little Women owe it to themselves to see this production. Like Theatre in the Round’s production of Pride and Prejudice last fall, it makes a story from another era feel fresh, immediate, and original.

Little Women runs through June 21st at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.guthrietheater.org/whats-on/little-women/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Full Monty From Theatre 55 Leaves Nothing to the Imagination Featuring Six Very “Brave” Performances

The Cast (who you can see much more of in the show) Photo by Dan Norman

The Full Monty is what it’s called, what it promises, and, I’m fairly certain, what it delivers. I say “fairly certain” because the show’s final reveal hinges on a well-timed lighting cue. The guys fully commit, and in the moment just before the blackout, there’s little doubt that once the G-strings are gone, so is everything else. So why, you might ask, should you go if they pull a trick at the end to prevent a clear look at their one-eyed trouser snakes? (Sorry—I saw Grumpy Old Men: The Musical on Sunday, and Grandpa’s one-liners are still rattling around in my head.)

Well, come on, if you want to see the penis’ (I don’t know what the plural is for penis, I’ve only ever had one of my own) of a bunch of men over 55 google it. You don’t really need to see the full package, because what you’re actually there for is the vulnerability, of both the performers and their characters. This show isn’t about sex or nudity; it’s about self-confidence, acceptance, being true to yourself, and showing up for each other. It’s about vulnerability, and who better to explore that than a group of men who often cope through toxic masculinity, bottling up feelings, and hiding fear and shame?

Based on the 1997 film of the same name, the musical relocates the story from Northern England to Buffalo, New York. Why? It doesn’t really matter, one economically depressed city facing mass unemployment looks a lot like another, and the story is universal. A group of out-of-work men, each desperate for their own reasons, money, dignity, or both, hatch a plan to raise cash by putting on a one night only strip show. The problem? Most of them aren’t in great shape, most can’t dance, and none have done anything like this before. The fun of the show, and it is fun, is watching them talk themselves from a ridiculous idea to the point where they’re ready to step onstage in front of a sold-out crowd.

There are some genuinely fun songs, highlights include “Big-Ass Rock,” “Big Black Man,” and “The Goods.” There are also a couple of surprisingly touching numbers, “You Rule My World” and “You Walk With Me,” both of which land with real emotional weight. I’m not going to lie, that’s part of the deal, remember, the performances are a little uneven. But honestly, that works for a show about a group of guys who no one would nominate as Chippendales material, trying to pull off a strip show. Nobodies bad, few are great, and they pretty much all completely win you over. Their willingness to give you everything they have, or at least a glimpse of it, is inspiring and genuinely endearing.

So go for the… peniseses (?) (I did try and Google “plural Penis” and may have some explaining to do to Mrs. The Stages of MN), but stay for a show about figuring out what really matters. And for the joy of watching a group of artists over 55 prove they’re not done playin’ yet.

But hurry, this show closes this weekend, April 19, at the Frey Theatre at St. Catherine University. For more information and tickets, visit https://theatre55.org/current-show/

Grumpy Old Men the Musical From Minneapolis Musical Theatre is a Rather Fun Adaptation of the 90’s Film.

Jim Ahrens, Michael Fischetti, Ward Eames, and Quintin Michael Photo by Molly Jay Photography

Grumpy Old Men: The Musical, based on the 1993 film, is a perfect fit for the theater company Minneapolis Musical Theatre, which specializes in “Rare Musicals. Well Done.” This is certainly a rarely performed musical and, as is often the case, there’s a reason for that. The show itself isn’t of the quality that a larger theater like Theater Latté Da or the Guthrie Theater is likely to mount. But what MMT does is take those not-quite-hit-worthy efforts and, as their slogan promises, do them well.

The smaller budget, the mix of professional and community theater actors, and sets that lean more on creativity than realism are exactly what make a show like this work. To see Tyler Michaels King, Erin Capello, Tod Petersen, and Roland Hawkins II perform this on the Guthrie thrust stage, surrounded by a set that cost 20 times MMT’s budget, would shine far too bright a light on the material. At this level, we forgive the show’s imperfections, in fact, they become part of its charm. I don’t know if a lavish set could be any more charming than the clever creations scenic designer Maggie Mae Sulentic has devised. Actually, I do know: it would be a step down.

This material was never meant to stand beside Les Misérables or even Legally Blonde. Just as the original film wasn’t aiming for the magic of When Harry Met Sally or Groundhog Day, it was meant to be fun, light entertainment. And if memory serves, it was. I haven’t seen it since 1993, but I remember laughing and, despite it being aimed at people much older than my then tender 21 years, finding it quite enjoyable.

That’s what this is, too. Though I will say, I don’t think most modern 21-year-olds would find it as entertaining as I did. The sweet spot here seems to be my age and older, which, thankfully for MMT, my highly scientific observational poll suggests makes up about 75% of theatergoers. The trick, as with any show, is finding that audience and making sure they know about it. So if you’re under 40 and this doesn’t seem like your cup of tea, let your parents know, they’re going to have a blast.

The grumpy old men of the title are two former friends who have been feuding for more than 30 years. Their rivalry gets a fresh burst of energy when they both fall for a new widow who moves in across the street. Her home furnishings, especially a statue of her late husband, are among the many clever set pieces that add delightful touches to the production.

There’s also a subplot involving their children that might feel unnecessary, if not for the charming performances of Jillian Bader and James Lane, who win you over completely. Jim Ahrens and Ward Eames play the titular grumps, trading barbs and insults like seasoned pros. There are also a couple of real crowd-pleasers. Punky, played by Lisa Denninger, is essentially the show’s version of Woody from Cheers, and if you don’t know what Cheers is, this show probably isn’t for you. Denninger nails the comedy, but she also surprises vocally, arguably the strongest singer in the cast, if I’m being honest (and you know I always am). The other standout is Michael Fischetti as Grandpa, the role made famous by Burgess Meredith in the film. He’s just as funny, and just as inappropriate here.

Grumpy Old Men: The Musical is a great show to take in with a group of friends, say, ages 50 to 87. It runs through April 19th at the Conn Theater in Minneapolis. For more information and tickets, visit https://www.aboutmmt.org/2025-26-season/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mama Mia, Here We Go Again at Lyric Arts in Anoka!

Holli Kingdon, Lisa Vogel, Emily Jabas, and Raquel Ponce Photo by Molly Jay.

I really wanted to like Mamma Mia! at Lyric Arts in Anoka. I love this theater and find it, along with Yellow Tree Theatre in Osseo, to be key to growing new audiences. I’m so, so, so, so, so sorry that those of you who haven’t already purchased tickets will likely not get to see it. The show opens Friday night, and they let me attend the preview on Thursday because, well, the entire run sold out more than a week before it even opened. I think it was the only date in the first two weeks they could squeeze me in.

Unfortunately for you, I didn’t like the show, I loved it! And so I feel terrible that you have to read about what you’re destined to miss.

I’ll be completely honest: I’ve always loved the music of ABBA. I thought the Mamma Mia! movie was terrible, and I was surprised to find that, despite that, when I finally saw it on stage, I really enjoyed myself. This is probably the fourth time I’ve seen the musical live, but all the others were national tours. This is a pared-down version compared to those, with talented, but, for the most part, not Broadway caliber performers. So why is this the best version I’ve ever seen?

One reason, and I don’t mean to take anything away from the tremendous job director Kassy Skoretz has done with the staging, which is fantastic, is the choreography by Michael Terrell Brown. It’s the real star of the show. The choreography is filled with so much character that it feels like the driving creative force behind the production. Brown, months before the audience even walks in, seems to anticipate their reactions and gives them exactly what they want, along with what they didn’t know they wanted. The movement is confident, full of bold choices and wildly theatrical flourishes that, if they didn’t land, could sink the show. But there’s no fear of that here, everything works. I think the only Lyric Arts audience I’ve seen more enthusiastic in the decade plus I’ve been attending, was opening night of The SpongeBob Musical, those cats were Beatlemania-level excited. I’m genuinely mortified you won’t get to see this.

Another winning aspect of the production is the cast. There are varying levels of vocal ability, and in fact, many performers, particularly Lisa Vogel as Donna, seem to grow over the course of the evening. She starts out solid, quite good, and then at some point becomes great. Does that make the performance feel uneven? Not at all. It feels like Donna is finding her confidence, and maybe Vogel is too, but it works. That’s true across the cast: they’re not polished in the way you might expect, but they feel real. You instantly like them. They surprise you. They connect with you, sometimes literally (I had a flipper land on my head during the show, and I loved it).

It’s a cast where I could go on all night about how good everyone is. But again, and I am sorrier than it is humanly possible to be, if you didn’t already get tickets, it would just be rubbing salt in the wound. And, you know… sleep. I will say that the three men playing Donna’s exes, Eric Lee, France A. Roberts, and Keith Reilly are perfectly cast. Emily Jabas and Holli Kingdon, as Donna’s best friends, are even better. Each gets a number that had the audience screaming with joy: Jabas kills “Take a Chance on Me,” and Kingdon has the audience foaming at the mouth with “Does Your Mother Know.” Both numbers soar even higher thanks to Brown’s brilliant choreography. And I should clarify here, it isn’t Bob Fosse, it doesn’t stun, it delights. And one last comment on the cast Raquel Ponce as Sophie, is magical, the heart of the show.

I know I didn’t give you a plot synopsis, but it’s Mamma Mia!, you already bought your tickets, and if you didn’t, it doesn’t matter… you can’t go. I assume if they could have worked out an extension, they would have announced it by now, but hey, you can always cross your fingers. I really feel bad for you, because this show is pure joy, and we all need a nice helping of that right now.

Mama Mia runs through May 10th at Lyric Arts in Anoka. Though it’s essentially sold out, if you are dying to get a ticket I encourage you to go to https://www.lyricarts.org/mamma-mia as some tickets may free up. Click on the dates you can go and see if there are any left. A quick glance through a few dates revealed a few single seats at some performances.

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