Once on This Island, Is Not Enough. You’ll Want to Go Again and Again to Artistry Theater

“Beautiful.” That was the word that floated up from someone in the audience behind me as the cast prepared to take their bows after the final preview performance of Once on This Island at Artistry in Bloomington tonight. I was sorely tempted to leave it at that. I won’t be able to capture the evening any more perfectly than that, even if I used 5,000 words.

The best word to describe the music? Beautiful.
The best word to describe the story? Beautiful.
The best word to describe the cast? Beautiful.
And the best word to describe the star, Antonisia Collins, who plays the grown Ti Moune? Here I can add some qualifiers: possibly the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen on stage. It’s perhaps the best casting of the year. Collins, who seemed to come out of nowhere and first caught my attention as Robin Hood last summer, has just made the jump to light speed and now sits atop The Stages of MN favorites list.

Once on This Island tells the story of Ti Moune, a young girl saved from a storm by four gods and placed in a tree to be found and adopted by a peasant couple. Mathias Brinda is also excellent as Little Ti Moune, showing remarkable stage presence for an eighth grader. Ti Moune wonders her whole life why the gods saved her as a child. When Daniel, a rich boy from the other side of the island, is in a car crash, Ti Moune discovers him. She knows in her heart the reason for her being saved was so she could save him. She nurses him back to health, falls in love, and when Papa Ge aka Death, comes for Daniel, she offers her own life in his place. Once Daniel is taken home, Ti Moune follows, and he seems to return her love. But where she sees with her heart, he is led by the expectations of others. In the end, he casts her aside and marries someone from his own class. It is Ti Moune’s innocence, her faith, and her belief in love that Collins captures so effortlessly.

There are many excellent members of the cast. A few of note: Darius Gilllard as Tonton Julian, Ti Moune’s adoptive father, whose voice is deep and powerful. Ninchai Nok-Chiclana, who plays the god Papa Ge, is also very good, getting a standout vocal moment in “Promises/Forever Yours (Reprise),” when he offers to spare Ti Moune—if she kills Daniel.

I’d seen the show once before when the tour came to the Ordway in the winter of 2020. Because I’d bought the tickets, I was probably seeing it at the end of its run, and I didn’t write a review. My only real recollection was that we were seated onstage, which was pretty cool, but that’s about all I remember. This time, I was in my favorite seats—front row center. Less novel, but arguably better than being behind the performers.

The production is simply staged, but with a beautiful simplicity that fits the story within a story style. Director Kelli Foster Warder adds some wonderfully creative flourishes, including a scene played entirely in shadows behind a white screen recounting Daniel’s family history. From my vantage point, I may not have been able to fully appreciate Nikki Long’s choreography, but what I could see up close looked fantastic—and I can only assume it looks even better from further back.

Music Director Sanford Moore, as always, draws a big sound from his orchestra, this time infused with a wonderful Caribbean flair. Once on This Island runs through October 26 at Artistry in Bloomington. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit artistrymn.org.

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Oops, I Did it Again! Episode 14 of The Stages of MN Show is Posted…Days Ago

So sorry, once again I took way too long to create the blog post that the latest episode of The Stages of MN is up and ready to be viewed on YouTube https://bit.ly/TSOMNEpisode14YouTube. Or listened to in a slightly condensed version in podcast form here https://bit.ly/TSOMNEpisode14Podcast or wherever you enjoy podcasts.

Episode 14 is sponsored by Prime Productions, a theater company devoted to celebrating women in their second act. Check them out here https://www.primeprods.org/

This episode opens with a special announcement from Theater Blogger Jill Schafer about the 15th Anniversary of her blog Cherry and Spoon. Find out how you can help mark the Occassion and win theater tickets in the process! check out the details here http://www.cherryandspoon.com/

We also have another segment in our “What the Hell’s a Theater Blogger?” series. This time I’m chatting with Erica Skarohlid of Lettered in Theatre fame. You can read her blog here https://letteredintheatre.wordpress.com/

We’ve two reviews for you, one from guest blogger Jill Schafer of Cherry and Spoon. Jill gives us a review of The Ruins running through October 12th at the Guthrie Theater. Get tickets here https://www.guthrietheater.org. I’ll review the latest from Theatre Pro Rata, The Book of Will which runs at the Crane Theater through October 11th. Click here for tickets https://www.theatreprorata.org/

Special thanks: To Ryan Lee for the use of his music catalog which is available at https://ryanlee.bandcamp.com/

If you are interested in sponsoring an episode of The Stages of MN or just have a question of comment on the show or want to join The Stages of MN + 1 Club you can email me at robdunkelberger@thestagesofmn.com

It’s Only a Play is a Hilarious Love Letter to the Theater World at Park Square Theatre

The Cast of It’s Only a Play Photo by Dan Norman

I’d like to be able to say that the cast is the reason to see It’s Only a Play part of Park Square Theatre’s 50 year celebration season. But that’s only one of the reason. There’s also the elegant set design by Benjamin Olsen, the creative and excellently staged Direction by Stephen DiMenna, and of course the knowingly hilarious script by Terrence McNally. Set in the bedroom of the townhouse of Broadway producer Julia Budder on opening night of her first solo production. Below there’s a party going on while upstairs a group of those involved with the play, their friends, the help, and even a critic, await the reviews. Filled with in jokes that those up on theater and pop culture will enjoy, but I feel like the humor is universal enough that you don’t have to be a theater nerd to enjoy it.

The cast is so good that rather than use a more interesting photo from the production I wanted to use one from the curtain call that featured the entire cast, because they are all so good and I can only comment on a few. The largest role is played by Jim Lichtscheidl, as James Wicker the playwrights best friend and an Actor who turned down the male lead he says because of his TV series, but really he thinks it’s a turkey.

For Fans, A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical Will Turn On Your Heartlight at The Orpheum Theatre

Hannah Jewel Kohn and Nick Fradiani Photo credit Jeremy Daniel

When I was growing up, Sunday was chore day. On the stereo, DJ’d by my stepmom, played a steady mix of the Statler Brothers and Neil Diamond. From a young age, I was immersed in Neil Diamond’s music, and I liked it. I still do. So for me, The Neil Diamond Musical: A Beautiful Noise was a chance to revisit one of the soundtracks of my childhood. Diamond wrote so many great songs, not just for himself but also for other performers, including The Monkees and UB40.

This jukebox musical is framed as a series of flashbacks, told by a retired Diamond in conversations with his therapist. His life story unfolds through the songs he wrote, offering a glimpse into how a songwriter draws inspiration from real life. I know Diamond’s songs well, but I don’t know much about his personal story. I can’t say how accurate this depiction is, but it feels plausible, and the show weaves the lyrics of his music into the narrative with remarkable skill.

The production features several strong performances, but the standout is Nick Fradiani as “Neil—Then” (the younger Diamond). His voice is about as close to the real thing as you can get without being Neil Diamond himself. Also noteworthy are Tiffany Tatreau and Hannah Jewel Kohn, who play Diamond’s first and second wives. When the lyrics are given to these characters, the songs reveal Diamond’s awareness of the emotional lives of those around him. The musical portrays him as deeply dedicated to his work, often on the road, and difficult to connect with, a true “Solitary Man” despite long-term relationships. These moments, especially the struggles within his marriages, are the most emotionally powerful.

The set design by David Rockwell is simple but effective, with a second-act reveal of the band in the background providing a delightful surprise. Kevin Adams’s lighting design heightens the energy and gives the impression of a much larger show than what is physically staged. The one disappointment is Emilio Sosa’s costume design, particularly for Diamond. While some work well, too many appear ill-fitting and don’t reflect the iconic looks I remember from his concert footage and television performances.

The bottom line: if you’re a Neil Diamond fan, you’ll probably love this show. It features many of his greatest hits, performed with energy and care. Even when Diamond isn’t singing them, the numbers can be extraordinary—especially Spencer Donovan Jones’s stirring rendition of “Shilo” late in the second act. If you’re not a superfan, you’ll still likely enjoy the show. And if you don’t know Neil Diamond, it just might make you a fan. But if you don’t like his music or his persona, this isn’t the show that will convert you.

The Neil Diamond Musical: A Beautiful Noise runs through October 5 at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis. For more information and tickets, visit hennepinarts.org/events/a-beautiful-noise.

Misery at Yellow Tree Proves the Old Adage Third Times the Charm

Laura Esping and Dustin Bronson Photo by Alex Clark

I like to begin all of my reviews of Misery—and this is the third—by saying I’m Stephen King’s number one fan. Although after watching Annie Wilkes demonstrate the extremes of fandom toward writer Paul Sheldon, I’m not sure I should be so quick to claim it. I say it because it’s true, but I realize faithful readers may find the line repetitive. That was also my first reaction when I saw Yellow Tree Theatre was producing Misery again, making this the third production in as many years. There’s so much good theater I miss because I simply can’t see it all. Having already seen Misery twice since 2023—including Yellow Tree’s last staging—I thought I might skip this one. Then I saw the cast list: Laura Esping as Annie Wilkes and Dustin Bronson as Paul Sheldon. F*#%!. And so there I was once more, seated in the audience for Misery, William Goldman’s stage adaptation of King’s novel (Goldman also wrote the screenplay for the 1990 film).

The play opens with writer Paul Sheldon regaining consciousness in the home of Annie Wilkes, his self-declared “number one fan.” Disoriented, he learns he’s been rescued from a car wreck caused by a snowstorm. With both legs broken and a dislocated shoulder, he’s at the mercy of Annie, a former nurse who has splinted his injuries and dosed him with her stockpile of painkillers. But the phone lines are down, the roads impassable—or so she claims. What begins as a story of apparent salvation quickly shifts into one of entrapment. Annie’s quirks spiral into unsettling behaviors, until it becomes clear she loves Paul too much to ever let him go.

I want to tread carefully here, because I enjoyed both previous stage productions I’ve seen—Yellow Tree in 2023 and Lakeshore Players in January 2025. The actors then gave fine performances, and I praised them in my reviews. But Esping and Bronson deliver the strongest portrayals I’ve yet seen of these roles. Esping doesn’t command the physically intimidating presence of earlier performers or Kathy Bates’s iconic film version, so she wisely takes a different approach. Her Annie is less explosively menacing and more quietly dissonant, at times even comic. A scene where she clambers onto the bed to pull Paul back feels borrowed from silent film comedy, yet lands perfectly in character. She channels something closer to Julie Harris with violent mood swings—an unsettling mix that makes Annie’s darkness even more disturbing.

Bronson’s Paul Sheldon brings a sharper intelligence and freshness to a role I thought I knew inside out. I’ve read the book, seen the film in theaters when it premiered, owned it on VHS, Laserdisc, DVD, and Blu-ray, and now watched three stage productions. Yet Bronson made it feel new again. Previous actors played the part well; Bronson inhabits it. In moments, I forgot I knew the script by heart, hearing familiar lines as though for the first time. That’s an extraordinary achievement—and it’s exactly why we return to plays over and over: great actors breathe fresh life into familiar works.

As with all productions of this script, the weak link is Buster, the sheriff. That’s no fault of Chance Carroll, who plays him here. In the film, Richard Farnsworth made the role memorable, especially alongside Frances Sternhagen. The stage version drastically trims Buster’s part, leaving it underdeveloped and his fate underwhelming. Goldman might have been better off cutting the character entirely. Still, the limitation lies in the script, not the performer.

If you’ve never seen Misery, now is the time. If you have, this production is well worth revisiting for its fresh, incisive performances. Esping and Bronson prove how much a cast can transform a play.

Misery is directed by John Catron, who also helmed Yellow Tree’s 2023 production. The show runs through October 19 at Yellow Tree Theatre in Osseo. For tickets and information, visit yellowtreetheatre.com/misery2025.

A Doll’s House at the Guthrie is Funnier and More Relevant Than One Expects From This Classic Play

Andrew May, David Andrew Macdonald, and Amelia Pedlow Photo by Dan Norman

A fresh adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House by Amy Herzog which premiered on Broadway in 2023 opened the 2025-2026 season at The Guthrie Theater. Written in 1879 Ibsen’s A Doll’s House was a controversial play that challenged societal and theatrical institutions. The story centers around Nora, a devoted wife and mother, who struggles with a secret she has long held. With it’s reveal and her husbands reaction, she learns that her value to him lies in her subservience, in her being exactly what he wants her to be. The final scene of the play we are witness to a woman coming into herself, or at least ready to take the steps necessary to discover who she is as a human being, not just as a wife and mother. In the later half of the 19th century it was a daring exploration of gender roles and the rights of women. You can see why Ibsen is seen as one of the most influential playwrights of his time and often referred to as the father of realism.

I had never seen the play performed live but in preparation for seeing Noura, a modern play inspired by it, the Guthrie in 2020 had a production of Lucas Hnath’s sequel A Doll’s House, Part 2 at the Jungle Theater that same winter. I watched a television version starring Julie Harris and Christopher Plummer from 1959. It’s a bit fuzzy now, but I didn’t remember that version being as funny as this one is. One thing that does hold true is how astonishingly progressive this play seems for a play written in 1879. I think that one might mistakenly attribute that to Herzog’s adaptation, but that isn’t the case if memory serves me. There’s been a lot of chatter about the updating of the language with some feeling that Ibsen’s language should be left alone and doesn’t need to be changed for modern ears. Well Ibsen’s language was Norwegian, Danish so unless you are seeing it in that language, you are not getting Ibsen’s language anyway. The act of translation is also the act of adaptation. The translator is rewriting the text so that a different audience can understand the work. This latest adaptation is simply doing that again but for an audience who understands 21st century English. I had no problem with the script and found it to be humorous but still grounded in the realism that Ibsen was so famous for. The ending still packs a dramatic punch, though I suspect our audience was less shocked and more sympathetic as a whole to Nora’s choices than those in 1879.

The set design by Luciana Stecconi in combination with the lighting design by Robert Wierzel creates a dramatic feel to the proceedings that Director Tracy Brigden undercuts effectively with a generous stream of comedic moments. The tone of the set helps to underscore the darker under currents that run beneath the characters cheerful facade. Amelia Pedlow as Nora has a light touch when the character is simply being, simple. But when things gets serious, Pedlow expertly shows us the shattering of Nora’s illusions about her husband and her coming to terms with Torvald’s outburst and what they represent to her. David Andrew Macdonald, as her husband Torvald, is masterful at playing sweetly condescending while also bringing gasps and jeerings from the audience with his line readings.

A Doll’s House is a strong opening to the Guthrie’s Theater season delivering an adventurous (get used to hearing people say that word this season) take on this classic play. One may ask, why stage this play now? The answer is that more than ever in today’s political climate when the rights of women are coming under attack. We need to remind some of our neighbors that women are not wives and mothers first, but human beings. It’s shocking that nearly 150 years after it was written, we are having to make these statements. A Doll’s House Runs through October 12th at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/2025-2026-season/a-dolls-house/

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Anyone Can Whistle: In concert Brings an Oddball and Rare Stephen Sondheim Show to Audiences Courtesy of Minneapolis Musical Theatre

Anyone Can Whistle is a rarely produced musical featuring music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Debuting on Broadway on April 4, 1964, the show ran for twelve previews and nine performances before closing. Unlike much of Sondheim’s works Anyone Can Whistle is rarely performed. It’s easy to see why. And no, that doesn’t mean I didn’t like it, I actually quite enjoyed this goofy little oddity. But goofy little oddities that strike that perfect cord that transfers into the kind of success that can sustain a Broadway run are few and far between. This clearly wasn’t and probably still isn’t that kind of show. But honestly, I think it’s weird enough with some great music to warrant a fully staged production by someone like say, oh I don’t know, Minneapolis Musical Theatre. I’m grateful that they have given us the opportunity to see the show in concert, though I should tell you this is more than just actors singing their songs, they are playing the characters and there is some blocking and visual storytelling going on. You get the full production here, don’t worry that you will just see singers singing through the songs, as the “In Concert” suggests.

The story centers around an economically depressed town run by Mayoress Cora Hoover Hooper and her stable of corrupt officials who fake a miracle in order to attract tourists. The plan works until Nurse Fay Apple brings her patients, known as Cookies from the local mental asylum which is referred to as The Cookie Jar, to see if the miracle will cure them. Things get kinda weird after that. Dr J. Bowden Hapgood comes to town and Nurse Apple who is in hiding, disguises herself as a French nurse with a bright red wig, a romance ensues. There’s also a weird suggested sexual relationship between the Mayoress and the City Comptroller, which may or may not be transactional. There are several stand out performances including both Hope Quinn as Fay Apple, and William Lucas as Dr. Hapgood. But I also enjoyed Benjamin Kruse as Comptroller Schub and Mary Palazzolo as Mayoress Hooper along with several members of the ensemble. Directed by Max Wojtanowicz with music Direction by Walter Tambor, they get a lot of bang out of a four person band.

This shaggy dog of the Sondheim oeuvre deserves to be seen, the closest thing I can compare it to plot wise is Urinetown. It’s fun, and does contain some pretty fantastic songs. But don’t wait too long it’s short run ends this weekend September 14th. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.aboutmmt.org/