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/
In the wake of the tragedy that was the closure of the newly relocated HUGE Improv Theater, the Jungle Theater has stepped up and provided a new home for some of HUGE’s resident shows. One such show is Off Book which I experienced last night for the first time, the next performance will be March 3rd. Off Book is unlike the other Improv I’ve reviewed, though to be honest most of the improv I have reviewed has its own unique angle like this does. Off Book divides its performers into two group. Group one is “Off book” which in theater terms means an Actor has learned his lines, so these artists have memorized a scene from a play. Group two is so far off book that they have never even seen the book. Not only do they have no lines memorized, but they don’t even know what play their fellow actors have memorized. The players take the stage together, one scripted, one unscripted and try to perform a scene from a play. Hilarity does indeed ensue. I think this may be the best Improv I’ve ever seen. Actually, Off Book hands down this is the best Improv show I’ve ever seen.
I’m going to list the lineup from the program and those who know some of the local Actors and Improv Performers will see why this was so fantastic.
ACT I The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov Actor: Christina Baldwin Improviser: Alsa Bruno
The Great Nebula in Orion by Lanford Wilson Actor: Emily Grodzik Improviser: Molly Ritchie
Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons by Sam Steiner Actor: Cheryl Willis Improviser: Tom Reed
ACT II The Motherfucker with the Hat by Stephen Adly Guirgis Actor: James Rodriguez Improviser: Chris Rodriguez
The Flick by Annie Baker Actor: Destiny Davison Improviser: Taj Ruler
Stage Kiss by Sarah Ruhl Actor: Michael Rogers Improviser: Jill Bernard
Each scene had the audience howling with laughter and it’s hard to single any out, but if I had to choose a scene that was most likely to make you wet your pants it would be the pairing of Destiny Davidson, who somehow mostly kept it together and didn’t start outright laughing, and the hurricane of hilarity that is Taj Ruler. There’s no point in going into details of what we saw beyond the format because the glorious thing about improv is also the terrible thing about improv, it’s a one time thing! Which is why I’ve decided, now that I’ve found this show, I’m never missing another one. Thank you to The Jungle Theater for giving this show a new home, hopefully a long term home!
Destiny Davison and Taj Ruler Photo by Evelyn Vocu
For more information about Off Book and other Improv at the Jungle shows and to purchase tickets for the March 3rd show and other Jungle events go to https://www.jungletheater.org/improv-at-the-jungle
Tired of missing reviews from The Stages of MN? Do you find yourself left out when all your friends are talking about that great new play that you didn’t even know about? Never fear, that need never happen again. Now you too can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. No more hoping the algorithm works in your favor and you actually see a post on facebook or Instagram. No relying on so-called friends to tip you to the best shows in town. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/ from time to time.
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.
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
Tired of missing reviews from The Stages of MN? Do you find yourself left out when all your friends are talking about that great new play that you didn’t even know about? Never fear, that need never happen again. Now you too can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. No more hoping the algorithm works in your favor and you actually see a post on facebook or Instagram. No relying on so-called friends to tip you to the best shows in town. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/ from time to time.
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.
Bridget Benson, Lydia Rose Prior, Siri Ashley Wright, Natosha Guldan Photo by Molly Weibel
For those who enjoyed I Am Betty at The History Theatre the last two years, which is basically anyone who saw it, Lyric Arts has what plays as the public’s version of that story. A Taste of Things to Come wants to tell us about the lives of the woman who gathered together and cooked from the Betty Crocker Cookbook rather than those who created it. The problem is that A Taste of Things to Come has nothing new to say and isn’t worthy of being talked about as a companion piece to History Theatre’s smash hit. It’s wants to be a Steel Magnolias/Savannah Sipping Society type story and Act I set in 1957 does seem to have something to say about the four woman whose story it is as well about their roles in society at that point in history. There is character details, humor, some surprises, and some drama. Act II leaps forward ten years to 1967 and seems to have nothing to say and nowhere to go. The big reveals in terms of the women’s lives are delivered as if even the characters know none of it means anything. The concept of the show by Hollye Levin along with the musical numbers being done in the style of the 50’s and 60’s had a lot of promise and some of the songs are actually very fun, but the book of the show written by Debra Barsha and Levin wastes a promising concept. We learn more about every theme this show tries to drag out in the second act in a more effective and powerful way in the play Glory, now playing at Theatre in the Round.
Look, there are things to like here, the cast is good, they can’t help that the script has nothing new to say or a fresh way to present it. I actually quite liked maybe every song in the first Act, but really only cared for the final song in the second act. I wish the program listed the songs so I could reflect on them a little more, but it doesn’t. In the performance I saw the understudy Raquel Ponce performed the role of Agnes, I always am in awe of understudies who go on, particularly in the first week of a run. I know they don’t get anywhere near the rehearsal time as the primary cast and Ponce does a nice job. My favorite performer overall was Natosha Guldan who plays Joan. They all had strengths and weaknesses but Guldan was the one who really stood out particularly in her handling of the changes in the character over the 10 years. Bridget Benson played Dottie, the conservative of the group, she’s also the one who struggles with her diet. Benson does everything you can do with the chubby uptight comic relief stereotype, she hits the jokes as well as anyone can. It’s just that the character is so derivative that it’s hard to do anything new when the writing is so uninventive. Lydia Rose Prior plays Connie who in 1957 is days away from her due date of her first child. It’s around this pregnancy that the only interesting plot development occurs. I felt at times that Prior’s voice was the strongest, but she was also victim to one the most off key moments in the show when she sang in duet with Ponce. I’m not sure who was off, but the combination was discordant. Aside from that one moment I felt the cast was the shows strengths, but a good cast can only do so much with this material.
Another strength was the costume designs by Sarah Christenson, they had a great period look to them and contributed to making Guldan’s Joan transformation so effective between the acts. Another strength was also a weakness at the same time and that was the scenic design by Curtis Phillips. It was cute and effective while also being illogical. In the first act we are in Joan’s kitchen and the women have gathered for their weekly cooking club. The set looks very retro modern, the baffling thing is there is a refrigerator, oven, Countertops, but no stovetop, even though theoretically one of the characters boils water for the Jello salad. I noted it and thought that’s weird not to have added that. In Act II, again in Joan’s kitchen, which granted has been remodeled, we now have a stovetop on the counter thats been shifted slightly in the remodel, but is essentially the same counter. Why? But the bafflement in regards to the set doesn’t end there. When we entered the theater after stretching our legs during intermission, a couch, chair and rug had been added. After about five more minutes of no activity on stage, when everyone has come back into the theater and the house lights have been dimmed, then the stage hands come out and move the kitchen set a round while we sit watching them. They move the back side portions of the set half offstage leaving the wall portion with the oven in it half onstage and half off. It felt to us in the audience that the stage hands had forgotten to make all the changes during intermission and then they couldn’t quite get the set all the way off stage. Looking back it seemed to foreshadow the second act as being half assed in general. Now with the back of the set moved away the curtain drops and we get to see the band and they have 60’s style Laugh-In flowers around them, which was a neat touch. But these oddities just added to the sense of an aimless production. The Director is Laura Tahja Johnson whose work I have admired in the past and I know I will again, but I think the material let her down as it did the cast.
A Taste of Things to Come runs through February 9th at Lyric Arts in Anoka. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.lyricarts.org/taste-of-things
Tired of missing reviews from The Stages of MN? Do you find yourself left out when all your friends are talking about that great new play that you didn’t even know about? Never fear, that need never happen again. Now you too can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. No more hoping the algorithm works in your favor and you actually see a post on facebook or Instagram. No relying on so-called friends to tip you to the best shows in town. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/ from time to time.
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.
Lorna Landvik is the best selling local author of over a dozen books including Patty Jane’s House of Curl and its sequel Once in a Blue Moon Lodge. I’d seen Landvik previously at a book signing for another author, but this was my first experience of her as a performer outside that of an author speaking. Taking in her show On Laugh Support With Lorna Landvik, I knew it was a comedic show but I didn’t realize that it was primarily improv. But it’s improv like I’ve never seen before because she’s the only performer. I’m used to seeing improvisational comedy with several different performers all working with each other to create something funny. This was a neat variation on that style and Landvik doesn’t need anyone else to actively play off of. And in the odd moments when she does she invites someone from the audience up to bounce things off of. Now if that’s the kind of sentence that gives you panic attacks, be assured no one is bullied onto stage, volunteers are asked for, so you can simply not put yourself forward. Of course, the more the audience participates, whether it’s volunteering or shouting out suggestions when they are requested the more fun you’ll have.
What can I tell you about the show? It’s improv and so it’s going to be different at every performance. I can tell you that Landvik is very good at creating multiple characters on the fly and that she has a gift for storytelling. I can also tell you that she is very funny. But I don’t know if that tells you very much. I guess the thing I would tell you is whether you want to get up on stage or not, at least when it’s time to shout out suggestions, don’t be shy. This really is the kind of show where the better the audience the better the show. So don’t invite along Uncle Bob who’s lost his hearing and his hearing aids. Do bring six of your most fun friends, and their dates, come early to get the best seats and enjoy dinner in the theater before and during the show. They have full menu and drink service inside the theater, doors open at 6:00 for the 7:00 PM showtimes. The food is very good and along with the usual bar drink fare, they have a lot of great N/A, from mocktails and THC drinks to the a nice variety of N/A Beers.
On Laugh Support With Lorna Landvik runs through January 31st at Bryant Lake Bowl & Theater. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.bryantlakebowl.com/theater
Tired of missing reviews from The Stages of MN? Do you find yourself left out when all your friends are talking about that great new play that you didn’t even know about? Never fear, that need never happen again. Now you too can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. No more hoping the algorithm works in your favor and you actually see a post on facebook or Instagram. No relying on so-called friends to tip you to the best shows in town. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/ from time to time.
As I close the books on 2024 I always like to look back and reflect on the shows I saw and the accomplishments of this site. Before I look at my favorite shows of the year I want to look at The Stages of MN itself. In April of this year I ruptured the bicep of my right (dominant) arm. This made me unable to type out my reviews and forced me to adopt for the short term voice recognition software in order to continue writing. That was a difficult adjustment as verbally is not the way I process what I want to write. It also required a lot of one handed manual corrections. It is not a tool I utilized any longer than I had too. But one good thing did come from that period. Out of necessity the reviews got shorter, and as a result probably more readable. I have for the most part tried to maintain the more reader friendly length of reviews and I think that is ultimately a good thing. I get a little more sleep, readers are more likely to read the entire review. Perhaps the only folks that miss out at times are the technical Theater departments. Theirs are the contributions most often left out or at least shortened, to be honest they are also the areas most difficult to write about meaningfully. When it works I frequently don’t notice, when it’s great I still call it out, when it’s bad I don’t dwell on it. Overall, I think this has been an improvement and I hope you agree.
Reflecting that adjustment to word count, in 2024 I posted 147 blog entries compared to 146 in 2023. The word count in 2024 is 18,000 less words than 2023. Views to The Stages of MN in 2024 grew by 19,000 over the views in 2023. So the site continues to grow steadily which means more people are seeing the reviews which hopefully means more people are getting out to see live theater. Readers can help the site grow by making sure you are following The Stages of MN on Facebook and Instagram. When you see a review you like, like it, when you see one you love share it. Encourage friends to follow as well, the more visibility, the further the reach, the more likely someone who isn’t a regular theatergoer will see a post and hopefully be inspired to check out a show. Creating new audiences for live theater needs to be the objective of anyone in theater or in love with theater. The second objective is to create or promote great theater. Which will hopefully help realize goal three which is to turn occasional theatergoers into regular theatergoers. I’m trying to do my part, I saw more theater this year that any year previous. I saw 190 shows in 2023 compared to 200 in 2024. I wrote reviews of 192 separate productions. I made my first trip to New York City seeing three shows as well as being there for the NYC debut of local Jazz vocalist and actor Leslie Vincent. While I didn’t write reviews of those shows I do feel that the experience benefits you faithful readers as it expands my knowledge and experience of the theater world.
The Best of 2024
Let’s start with Broadway alone because they were all great and if I lumped them in with touring shows as I first planned too, I’d only have 2 slots left for the touring shows.
King Lear (NYC): This was the highlight of my year and the whole reason I finally made it to NYC. Seeing one of my favorite Actor/Director/Writers Kenneth Branagh perform live was a dream come true and he did not disappoint.
The Outsiders: A New Musical (NYC): This was an amazing adaptation of the classic young adult novel. The production design and choreography were unbelievable. I cannot wait for a touring production of this show so I can compare and share with you all.
Suff: The Musical (NYC): This was an incredibly inspirational show that I saw days before the 2024 Presidential election. It was a last blast of optimism and couldn’t have been more timely.
Touring shows, I saw 15 that qualify it that category in 2024 and the below were the top 5 in alphabetical order.
Back to the Future: The Musical (Orpheum Theatre): My favorite film at one time in my life, this one had an uphill battle to justify its existence and avoid negative comparisons. What it lacks in terms of great new songs it more than makes up for in stage magic. The best blending of practical effects and projection I’ve ever seen. I believed a DeLorean could fly.
Come From Away (Ordway Center for Performing Arts): This was my third time seeing Come From Away, it’s a top ten show for me.
Les Misérables (Orpheum Theatre): Third time for this show as well, but this one grows on me more and more. It’s gone from really good in my book to great over the course of my history with the play.
The Lion King (Orpheum Theatre): First time, I know WHAT?!?!?! it’s everything I’d heard it was, beautifully realized adaptation of the Disney film, with amazing production design.
Some Like It Hot (Orpheum Theatre): Maybe the best nonmusical film to musical stage show I’ve ever seen. Wonderful way to adapt a period piece in a way that reflects our modern attitudes. Great choreography, songs, and performances.
Top 5 locally produced musicals in alphabetical order.
McAdo (Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Company): I loved the design and original materials written for this hilarious updating of The Mikado. Stand out Comedic performance from Robert Brandt as well.
Rent (Artistry): This is a top 5 musical for me and Artistry took a show I know so well and successfully did some new things with it that really worked.
Scotland, PA (Theater Latté Da): Creative adaptation of a cult film adaptation of Macbeth set in a fast food restaurant. Great ensemble cast, that kept dropping like flies but the understudies were brilliant. Great stage magic as well especially the face in the deep fryer moment (now you are wishing you’d seen it aren’t you?).
The Sound of Music (Artistry): A favorite from childhood, this production wonderfully directed by Max Wojtanowicz with a vocally pure performance by Sheena Janson Kelley as Maria.
The Spitfire Grill (Ten Thousand Things): Amazing cast led by Katherine Fried who knocked me out of my seat with the first notes out of her mouth, more on her later. Honorable mention to St. Croix Festival Theatre for their production as well.
Top 5 locally produced Plays in alphabetical order.
Georgiana & Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley (Lyric Arts): I love love love these Christmas at Pemberley plays. Lyric Arts’ production was as good as the Jungle production two years ago. Amazing cast including the yet to make a wrong move Noah Hynick, more on him as well later. First let me say that if you ever see there is a production of one of the three Christmas at Pemberley plays running near you, just go, they are all brilliantly written. Second, let me reiterate my wish that some theater company mount all three plays in Rep some November/December period. It would be a massive undertaking so The Guthrie is probably the best bet, but I don’t see them tackling it, so maybe Park Square, Theater Latté Da, Jungle Theater, or Lyric Arts.
Hamlet (The Great River Shakespeare Festival): This was the best production of Hamlet I’ve ever seen. In a space that doesn’t allow for a lot in the way of production design Director Doug Scholz-Carlson used darkness particularly effectively makeing the supernatural aspects of the play take on a very visceral and chilling feel.
Ironbound (Frank Theatre) Everything about this production floored me but most of all was the performance of Brittany D. Parker in the lead role. It was the best performance I saw all year and I sure hope we see more of her in 2025.
The Lehman Trilogy (Guthrie): This three and a half hour play performed by three actors playing multiple characters across several generations,telling the story of the rise and fall of real life financial company Lehman Brothers had tedious written all over it. And then it was brilliant in every aspect, riveting, educational, funny, tragic, epic.
Stones in His Pockets (Theater Latté Da): A two actor show with Tom Reed and Reed Sigmund each playing a dozen or so characters. Very funny, and a great showcase for two very talented performers.
Every year I add a few performers to my list of “Must See” Actors, Dancers, Singers that I come across throughout the year that I either hadn’t seen before or that really drew my attention that year. They aren’t always new to me, but they did something that made me take notice and say, let’s keep an eye on that one. This year I have four names that I have added to the list that already includes Tyler Michaels King, Max Wojtanowicz, Joy Dolo, Shanan Custer, Daniel Petzold, Em Rosenberg, Jeffrey Nolan, Allison Vincent, and Brendan Nelson Finn to name a few.
First up is Brittany D. Parker whom I believe I’ve only ever seen in one production and that was Ironbound this year from Frank Theatre.
“Brittany D. Parker plays Darja, I hadn’t expected to see someone “new” to me so early in 2024 that blew my socks off through my shoes and up over the audience so that I had to spend 10 minutes after the performance looking around the auditorium for them. If I’ve seen her before and have just forgotten, I apologize. If she just hasn’t been performing much I’d like to know why the hell not? Accent, perfect. Timing, perfect. Emotional openness, I’ll say. There isn’t a moment in the play that Parker doesn’t make what feels like the only possible performance choice and it’s mesmerizing. Never have I seen a performer bring to life a character so strong and in control that you know she can take care of herself, and it makes you want to take care of her. Before I move onto the rest of the cast I just want to welcome Brittany D. Parker onto the list of performers that I will try and see everything they do going forward. I know we just announced the winners of the TCTB Awards last week, but the competition just kicked into high gear for 2024’s best performance and Parker’s is going to be a tough one to top.”
From my review of Ironbound 1/20/2024
Second up is Katherine Fried whose performances in The Spitfire Grill from Ten Thousand Things came out of nowhere and gave me goosebumps. She followed that up with a turn in the wildly creative Scotland, PA at Theater Latté Da.
“When Katherine Fried who plays Percy begins to sing “A Ring Around the Moon” from her prison cell at the opening of the play, you know you’re in for something special. Fried’s voice is stunning as is every aspect of her performance.”
From my review of The Spitfire Grill 5/5/2024
“The leads are Will Dusek who recently played Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys as Mac, and his girlfriend Pat is played by Katherine Fried who absolutely bowled me over last spring as Percy in The Spitfire Grill. They both give their all again here and besides sounding great they bring the desperation and guilt to life quite believably.”
From my review of Scotland, PA 10/4/2024
Third on the list is Grace Hillmyer who I saw in Kinky Boots at Lyric Arts and then again at the end of the year at the Jackdonkey Misfits Cabaret fundraiser.
“If there is a flaw with this show it’s in the script which should have given the character of Lauren, played by Hillmyer, more time. Hillmyer’s portrayal is so adorably quirky, everytime she gets the spotlight she sparkles but not in a flashy way it’s more of a twinkle. It’s hard to say what it is about the performance other than it’s great character work, it’s comedic, and vulnerable and undeniably endearing to the audience.”
From my review of Kinky Boots 7/12/2024
Last but by no means least is Noah Hynick who has been on my radar for a couple of years now, but this feels like the year he broke out. From Radiant Vermin to the same end of year Misfits Cabaret as I saw Miss Hillmyer in Hynick can no longer be ignored.
“Hynick and Baack give fantastic performances and hats off to the dialect coach Gillian Constable, because they sound authentically British with Hynick having a distinctly early Hugh Grant quality minus the poshness. Their performances really shine in the reenactment of the garden party in which they each play along with Ollie and Jill at least four other characters” … “I’m not sure if Lyric Arts has Hynick under exclusive contract or what, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him on stage anywhere else, but everything he’s been in at Lyric he has impressed the hell out of me.”
From my review of Radiant Vermin 3/2/2024
“Hynick, who seems to be a strong component of the majority of Lyric Arts productions over the last few years plays Black Stache, the pirate villain of the piece. Hynick plays into the absurdity of scenes but also knows when to be the one who’s smarter than everyone else and sees how silly everyone is being.”
From my review of Peter and the Starcatcher 9/8/2024
“Noah Hynick, frankly I don’t think I’ve ever seen Hynick be anything but perfect in a role. I’m not sure how Lyric Arts seems to have him under exclusive contract, after a performance like this I ask myself again, why isn’t this guy cast in everything at the Guthrie. He is as gifted in his gestures and reactions as he is in his line reading choices. The first time I can remember coming across Mr. Hynick was in 2022 when he appeared in Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley at Lyric Arts and since it feels like he’s been in most of Lyric Arts productions, his timing is unerring, and it’s time to officially add him to the must see list, though he was already there to be honest.”
From my review of Georgiana & Kitty Christmas at Pemberley 11/23/2024
It was another great year for theater and I’m looking forward to 2025, I hope you are as well. I write about theater and love it but I’m not a extrovert. That said, I do enjoy meeting readers and artists, so if you see me at the theater, please do stop over and say hi. Finally a note on Twin Cities Theater Chat (TCTC), the Twin Cities Theater Blogger (TCTB) podcast. Last spring our Producer got a day job and that put us in hiatus for a bit. It’s unclear at this time whether the podcast will start up again in the future or not. I’d appreciate, if you read this far, if folks would post a comment either here or in Facebook, or email me at robdunkelberger@thestagesofmn.com, or messenger my personal facebook account whether or not you are interested in a podcast on the Twin Cities theater scene. If there is enough of an interest and TCTC doesn’t come back I may explore the idea of creating one for The Stages of MN. Also the TCTB and or The Stages of Mn are always open to partnering Theaters to participate or facilitate pre and post show discussions or events. So if that is of interest reach out as well. Thanks as always for your continued support faithful readers, now in the immortal words of Carol Jackson “Go see a show!”
Tired of missing reviews from The Stages of MN? Do you find yourself left out when all your friends are talking about that great new play that you didn’t even know about? Never fear, that need never happen again. Now you too can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. No more hoping the algorithm works in your favor and you actually see a post on facebook or Instagram. No relying on so-called friends to tip you to the best shows in town. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/ from time to time.
This was my second year attending Holiday Office Party at Strike Theater. This is a long form improvisational comedy, which means everything you see at your show is being made up on the spot and that all of it fits together as one cohesive story. So that means two things, first and most importantly, if you love it, you can go again and see a completely new show! Secondly, anything I tell you specifically wouldn’t matter because those jokes wouldn’t appear at another performance. So what can I tell you besides that the performance I saw was really funny? Well, there is the set up which you should be able to inuit from the title. Essentially, we are watching a group of coworkers at their company holiday party. Each of the performers becomes a character which they develop over the course of the show. Much of the humor comes from clever call backs to things that happened earlier. For instance, at our performance one of the characters, played by Anna Tobin, explains to her coworkers that she is an orphan. Every detail of her story is brought up again later in the show building on the groundwork that Tobin set up at the beginning. That running gag throughout the show referenced not only by her character but others not even in scenes with her adds to the sense of this as a story unfolding before us rather than just improv moments. That’s what the best Improv performers bring to a show, not just a quick wit but the ability to create an arc for the character within the improvisational framework of a piece.
So I’ve seen some great improv at theaters like Strike, where Holiday Office Party is running, and the sadly closed Huge Improv Theater in Uptown. I’ve also seen some not so great improv, so how do you know what improv to spend your hard earned money and precious time on? Well the best way to hedge your bets is become familiar with the performers and producers of improv and watch for their shows. Holiday Office Party is produced and directed by Mike Fotis who is one of the co-founders of Strike Theater. I’ve seen Mike perform in the shows he’s created before so I know from those that he’s a good bet. Fotis appears in this show but he’s directing the show by the use of lights. So basically the performers know during specific video text prompts what the next scene will be, for example it might say “the party continues”. The performers know to form small groups in designated areas of the stage and when Mike turns the light on their area that is their cue to speak. Fotis then determines when a scene has run its course and will turn the lights off and redirect us to another group. So that’s a name for the improv novices to remember Mike Fotis. When you see him, he’s either performing or behind the scenes you’ll know you are in good hands. In fact, since he’s directing the show he’s on stage much less than the other performers, but when he jumps in, the energy on stage gets an adrenaline shot. He’s been doing improv for a long time and his skills are on another level.
But here’s the thing, Fotis is a guy who works with and casts the best, there isn’t anyone in the cast who didn’t have a great show. There was one recurring scene clearly based on the Pam and Jim trope of the office co-workers who should be together but never quite get up the courage to move beyond flirting. The performers Sam Baker-Harris and Nels Lennes take on that role this year and the talk in our car on the way home was “are they a couple in real life?” because we were all buying the attraction. In the end, my wife convinced us they weren’t because they didn’t kiss at the end, but they sure seemed like they wanted too. The entire cast comes up with funny moments throughout but I can’t describe everyone’s bit; however, they were all fantastic and hilarious so I do want to mention everyone in the cast. Along with those already mentioned the cast included Erik Hoversten, Kerri O’Halloran, Christian Unser, Heather Meyer, Nels Lennes, Jonathan Adri Feld, Gubby Kubik-Nielsen, Matt Prindle, Lacey Mamak and Amee Nefzger Banks. The show runs for three more performances December 22nd, December 27th and December 28th at 7:30 PM. For more information about this and other shows at Strike Theater and to purchase tickets go to https://www.strike.theater/shows.html
This Holiday season why not start a new tradition of taking in a live theater production with family and friends? It’s a great way to create lasting memories and will give you something to look forward to every year as you experience the magic of live theater. Whether your budget is large or small, there is a show for you. Looking for gift ideas? Don’t we all have enough “stuff”? Give the gift of live theater, go to your favorite theaters website, see what shows they have coming up in the new year and give the gift of an experience over material.
Tired of missing reviews from The Stages of MN? Do you find yourself left out when all your friends are talking about that great new play that you didn’t even know about? Never fear, that need never happen again. Now you too can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. No more hoping the algorithm works in your favor and you actually see a post on facebook or Instagram. No relying on so-called friends to tip you to the best shows in town. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/ from time to time.
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