Men On Boats at Theatre in the Round Players

* Disclaimer: On March 28th I suffered a rupture in my right bicep muscle, which has left me without the use of my right arm. I will endeavor to continue seeing and reviewing shows however the reality is that the reviews will need to be significantly shorter. For now I will attempt to provide you, faithful readers, with a few sentences that will make clear whether a show is worth your time and money. My apologies to all of the artists in front of the curtain as well as behind whose work I may not be able to comment on. Hopefully this will be a short-term accommodation, I will do everything in my power to get back to writing full reviews as soon as is humanly possible.

Men on Boats somehow reminded me off Valley Fair, the amusement park in Shakopee, specifically the Thunder Canyon and Flume rides. Are those still attractions at the park? It’s been at least a decade since I’ve been out there. The set design, by MJ Leffler, no doubt has something to do with this flashback effect. It’s a rather remarkable build complete with cave, river, and western vistas. Every available bit of real estate is utilized to tell the story of a 1869 expedition by 10 men down the Green and Colorado Rivers from Wyoming to Big Canyon (now known as the Grand Canyon). Technically the show is on par with the higher standard we have come to expect under Executive Director Larisa Netterlund’s tenure. Director Sophie Peyton and Movement Director Kelly Nelson find effective ways to bring this tale of exploration and adventure to life in the arena. Honoring Jaclyn Backhaus, the playwright’s intentions, the cast is made up of non-cisgender white males.

Per the Director’s note, the play seems designed to be a commentary on Colonialism and White supremacy. I’m not sure that subtext comes through as strongly as they may have desired. There are moments in the script that certainly address these issues, and the casting definitely changed the way the audience reacts to the characters and what they are doing. It’s an interesting and effective way of forcing an audience on an almost subconscious level to view the world of the play through a different lense. The 10 actor cast are all solid, no one stands out from the others performance wise but they all stand apart from each other in terms of creating distinct characters that we remember and feel consistent. They work as a true ensemble, which is exactly what is required for this play. While the play doesn’t wow in any single aspect, it’s entertaining throughout, there are moments that of humor, drama, adventure, and social commentary. It also leaves you wanting to find out more about the history of the actual expedition led by John Wesley Powell on which the play is based. There’s nothing wrong with just being entertained, but I think anytime theater leaves you thirsty to learn more about something is a plus.

Men on Boats runs through June 2nd at Theatre in the Round Players in Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.theatreintheround.org/home/season-placeholder/72nd-season/boats/

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Skeleton Crew at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis.

Jennifer Fouché, Darius Dotch, Stephanie Everett, and Mikell Sapp Photo by Dan Norman

Under the direction of Austene Van, the hardest working woman in theater, Dominique Morisseau’s Skeleton Crew comes vividly to life on the Guthrie Theater’s McGuire Proscenium Stage. The play follows four characters at a Detroit, Michigan, Stamping Plant that is facing the possibility of shutdown. While the plot follows the tensions that surround who knows if the plant’s closing vs who doesn’t, and at times the characters try and make it into a workers vs management battle, but it’s really about the characters. Morisseau’s characters are richly drawn, no one can be reduced to a simple description like Foreman, thief, Shop Steward, single mother. No one ends up being defined by their first impression, no one is a hero nor villain, they’re all just individuals doing the best they can for themselves and each other. The undeniable authenticity of the characters comes from Morisseau’s well crafted script. The fact that we come to care strongly for all four characters is due to the remarkable talents of the four-person cast.

Faye, who seems to live in the break room, is played by Jennifer Fouché, she’s the Union rep who’s been at the plant for 29 years, at 30 years her retirement benefits are greatly increased. Darius Dotch, plays Reggie the Foreman under enormous pressure to keep productivity up and discover who’s been stealing materials from the factory. Stephanie Everett, plays Shanita a single woman who is the best on the assembly line and is also pregnant, she needs her job and her benefits. The final character Dez normally played by Mikell Sapp, was performed by the understudy Domino D’Lorion at the performance I attended. Dez is a young man who has dreams of opening his own auto shop and only six months away from having enough money saved. I won’t go into further details of their characters but to say that we care about all of them and that they defy any attempt to categorize or stereotype them. Fouché and Everett were brought in from out of town so they are both new to me as performers and are excellent in their roles. Both Dotch and Sapp are performers I’ve seen before and while I can’t comment on Sapp’s performance not having seen it, I’m familiar with his work and am confident it will be at the same high level as the rest of the cast. Dotch is the role I most identified with and he does an excellent job playing the reality of being the boss, but one who has come up with workers. He’s trying to serve the needs of two different groups that in some ways have opposing goals, Dotch skillfully finds the way to communicate that internal struggle and the stress it puts on the human being in that role. I do want to mention that I thought Domino D’Lorion’s performance as Dez was flawless with a winning combination of charm and toughness that served the character well.

The drama and humor is played out on a wonderfully detailed set designed by Regina Garcia. Built into the set are some tinted windows which when lights are shown through backstage allows the performers to be seen in silhouette dancing, which is used during the scene changes. It’s a neat effect, though I’m not entirely sure what it’s purpose is, I took it to represent the assembly line, the workers doing their choreographed moves down on the factory floor. I liked Samantha Fromm Haddow’s costumes as well, especially the one’s for Reggie several of which I wouldn’t mind having in my own closet. It’s a fantastic production that does what all great art does, help us see the world through eyes other than our own. It’s refreshing to see a drama that feels real, engaging, and doesn’t feature an antagonist. No one is the bad guy, no one is the savior, we are all just at the mercy of life, and it’s how we navigate it which decides whether we are victims or not. None of these characters are, they are all fighters, and working for the best possible outcome they can get from life.

Skeleton Crew runs through June 9th at the Guthrie Theater in Downtown Minneapolis for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/2023-2024-season/skeleton-crew/

The Spitfire Grill From Ten Thousand Things is Wonderfully Intimate and Beautifully Done

Michelle Barber, Katherine Fried, George Keller, and Dominic Schiro. Photo by Tom Wallace

Ten Thousand Things Theater is rapidly becoming my favorite theater company. This production of The Spitfire Grill in their trademark stripped down, theater in the round, lights on, and minimal sets style is simply a revelation. This is going to be one of those boring reviews because everything’s great and I won’t be able to find words expressive enough to praise the show. Based on the 1996 film of the same title it tells the story of Percy Talbott, a young woman just released from prison who looks for a fresh start in a dying small town named Gilead. Percy’s bus is met by the local Sheriff Joe Sutter who will serve as her parole officer. Sheriff Sutter takes her to the Spitfire Grill a rundown old Diner and convinces the owner Hannah Ferguson to take Percy on as a waitress and give her a room. At breakfast on her first morning, the town begins to wonder about Percy led by the town gossip and Postmistress Effy Krayneck. We also meet Hannah’s nephew Caleb and his wife Shelby, Caleb has been trying to sell the Spitfire Grill for the last 10 years. Just when Percy is questioning her decision to live in Gilead, Hannah falls and breaks her leg. Percy is enlisted to run the Spitfire with help from Shelby. Running the diner together Percy and Shelby bond and hatch an idea to raffle off the Spitfire Grill. Hannah gradually warms to the idea and they post the contest in newspapers. To enter, contestants need to send $100 and an essay on why they want the diner. The musical isn’t really about contest and a diner it’s about making connections and laying down roots, it’s about the concept of second chances in the re-emergence of hope.

I’ve written before about my preference for the front row in any theater, my desire to remove as many barriers between myself and the performers as possible. Wonderful thing about a Ten Thousand Things performance is that even if you’re in the back row you’re about as close to the performers as you are in the front row at any other theater. 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. There is something about the intimacy and immediacy of being so close to such talent, and that includes the entire cast, that cannot be outdone by the most elaborate touring production at the Orpheum. Michelle Barber as Hannah perfectly balances the gruff and hardened widow with the gradual thawing of her character as hope returns to Gilead. Katie Bradley as Shelby also handles her character’s transition from a timid wife to someone who is ready to embrace her own destiny with confidence. George Keller’s Effy is wonderfully played, Keller knows how to play the part to nail every moment of comic relief. Tom Reed reminds us that there isn’t anything he can’t do, playing Caleb who tries to be in charge but sees the town’s failure to thrive as his own failure. Well known for his comedic chops, Reed’s performance on the song “Digging Stone” displays his powerful singing voice. Making his professional debut is Dominic Schiro, as Sheriff Sutter, Schiro positions himself as a performer with a bright future and one to watch. The cast is rounded out by Tyson Forbes in the role of the a mysterious visitor, as well as one of the musicians. It’s a small but critical role that Forbes handles just right making the characters skittishness and solitude palpable.

The production is co-directed by Michelle O’Neill and outgoing Artistic Director Marcela Lorca who are more than up to the challenge creating so much with so little. Stripping the show down to its bare essentials rather than creating a more artificial feel strengthens the connection between performer and audience. Credited with movement is Jim Lichtscheidl who creates some ingenious ways to help set the locales using wooden poles which held by the actors become everything from prison bars to a bus. This production of The Spitfire Grill it’s a very embodiment of why I love live theater, the talent on display, the creativity, and the emotional connection to the work being performed all contribute to giving this my highest recommendation. It’s the type of performance that reminds you why the Arts not only matter but are of vital importance to our souls as human beings.

The Spitfire Grill runs through June 9th, at various locations and at affordable prices for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://tenthousandthings.org/

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Artistry in Bloomington is Alive With the Sound of Music

When I was growing up in the pre-cable days of television there were four channels and no home video. There were three movies that I was aware of being broadcast yearly on one of the three major networks ABC, NBC, and CBS. They were The Wizard of Oz which we always watched, Gone with the Wind which I never watched, and of course The Sound of Music which we never missed. It’s fair to say those early screenings planted the seed from which my love of theater and musicals grew. Sometimes revisiting childhood favorites can be a disappointment, thankfully that isn’t the case with Artistrys production of The Sound of Music. Director Max Wojtanowicz has tapped into a deep vein of emotional memory that had my eyes overflowing throughout the evening. It’s a musical filled with such joy and Wojtanowicz’s directorial flourishes only add to it. I’m not sure anyone in the Twin Cities knows as much about musical theater as Wojtanowicz, his mastery of the form shows in every scene. One little touch that I absolutely loved was the use of a bed sheet and shadow hand puppets during the performance of “The Lonely Goatherd“. The set design by Katie Phillips is minimal but Music Director Raymond Berg could have the top notch musicians that beautifully underline the actors vocals. Oh! before I continue, I should just say if you’re looking for plot synopsis, I’m not going to provide you with one, but I would like to welcome you out from under the rock you’ve apparently been living under.

As a rule I do not critique the performances of adolescent actors so all I will say is that they were wonderful and every one of them should continue on this path. The big name in the cast is Susan Hofflander who plays the Mother Abbess, She has a powerful voice and there’s a true connection between her and Maria that is solidified when they sing “My Favorite Things” together and carries throughout the show. Rodolfo Nieto, one of my wife’s All is Calm Boys, plays Captain von Trapp, his deep rich voice and severe look brings a different characterization to the Captain but one that’s very effective. Now for the show’s secret weapon, in the role of Maria, Sheena Janson Kelley was a revelation. Kelley’s voice was not only beautiful but crystal clear. Seeing as many shows as I do, I’m used to hearing great singers, powerful singers, beautiful voices, Kelley’s is exactly the voice I always want to hear in this type of role. Her voice is the embodiment of this character who’s all love and joy and music. Sometimes a character this good can also come off as boring, there’s nothing boring about the perfection of Kelley’s Maria. Every choice she makes in the role whether it’s singing or acting endears her to the audience, we are with her from her first line to her final bow. To the best of my knowledge I’ve not seen Kelley perform before, but I sure hope I do again, and soon. To this reviewer’s mind if you’re casting a musical I can’t understand why you wouldn’t give the lead to Sheena Janson Kelley. Whatever the role is, it’s hard to imagine there’s a better choice.

If you were planning to give The Sound of Music a pass thinking you’ve seen the movie a million times so you don’t need to go see it again, you’re going to want to correct that thinking. This production will remind you why you’ve seen the movie so many times, because it’s so damn good. This production may lack the scenic views but it has everything that makes the musical great intact, heart, lots and lots of heart. The Sound of Music runs through May 12th at Artistry in Bloomington. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://artistrymn.org/thesoundofmusic

Join us for a twin cities theater blogger event at the Guthrie Theater for their Shakespeare history event. We are also planning a Twin Cities Theater Bloggers post show Gathering on April 27th following the Richard II matinee for 20% discount on tickets to that performance use the code TCBLOG or click on the link http://securesite.guthrietheater.org/single/PSDetail.aspx?psn=33583&promo=TCBLOG

Shakespeare’s History Plays in Rep, the Once in a Generation Event is a Triumph at the Guthrie

The above disclaimer, which has began each review since my injury, has never felt more like a curse than a blessing then it does for this review. Of all the shows I have covered since beginning The Stages of MN in 2019 this historic three play event deserves an epic review. But, as Shakespeare himself wrote “brevity is the soul of wit”, pray that it be so. And so with rough and all unable-pen our blogger shall pursue a review.

I count myself very fortunate to have been among the few, the happy few attending the opening day marathon of the Guthrie Theater’s History plays comprised of Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V. I know that most people are frightened off at the thought of 13 hours at a theater seeing three Shakespeare plays. But, the experience greatly outweighs and gives proof the falsehood of imagined discomfort. For “there is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so” and so, think not on it, as a non-runner thinks of a marathon, as something to be endured. But rather embrace it as the once in a lifetime privilege and rest assured that like the long distance runner the adrenaline and the excitement and the sense of accomplishment will carry the day. Never have 13 hours passed so quickly or the air in the theater filled with such electricity and excitement. There is one additional marathon day scheduled for Saturday May 18th I urge anyone with an interest in Shakespeare to take advantage of this rare opportunity. As daunting as it may seem, it is, in reality, a supremely satisfying and exhilarating experience. If the date does not work for you I urge you to see all three plays in order whether that be one a week or over the course of a weekend. But one of the unique thrills of seeing these three plays in rep, is watching the actors complete character arcs over multiple plays and seeing the full scope of this story, these histories, play out upon the stage.

The plots of the plays are filled with political intrigue, Civil Wars, loyalties and betrayals, they tell of villains, Kings, knaves and heroes. The Guthrie’s marketing very succinctly distills the plays to their essence Richard II a king becomes a man, Henry IV a man becomes a King, Henry V a king becomes a hero. While that touches on but one key theme of each play it also alludes to the arc that carries through all three, for together they tell of the consecutive reign of three English Monarchs. Each play runs over two and a half hours including the intermission they are histories so we expect drama and intrigue they tell of wars and battles and there is combat and even a few brief moments of romance. For those unfamiliar with the plays, what might surprise is the amount of humor that can be found in each play. Which goes a long way towards converting the plays fascinating historical dramas into well-rounded entertainments. Let us speak no more of plots but, before moving on to the individual plays, a few thoughts on the entire undertaking. One of the aspects of seeing all three plays in one day is the way in which you become aware of the complexity involved in the undertaking of such a feat. We see why we call this a once in a generation event. The intricacies of the details from lighting, costuming, wigs, props, makeup, sound cues, and set designs is mind boggling. The actors learning three plays worth of dialogue, blocking, stage combat, some playing as many as 8 characters across the trilogy. We marvel on the day of the stamina of the cast and crew to run all three in a single day. But, that is just the tip of the iceberg and almost downplays the dedication, talent, and hard work that was needed over years to plan, over months to stage, and over weeks to perform often twice in the day. Picture here a well-deserved standing ovation for Stage Managers Tree O’Halloran and Karl Alphonso, Assistant Stage Managers Jason Clusman and Olivia Louise Tree Plath, Lighting Designer Heather Gilbert, Sound Designer Mikaal Sulaiman, and Composer Jack Herrick.

Truth be told I had never seen any of these plays produced on stage, my exposure to Richard II was Limited to episode 1 of the series The Hollow Crown. The role of King Richard II is played by local favorite Tyler Michaels King who is, as always, brilliant in the role. His King is a man who has come to believe all that his sycophant hangers on tell him, and has completely bought in to the concept of his divine appointment to the throne. Vain and spoilt at the beginning his transformation from divine King to a mortal man, is where Michaels King finds nuance and humanity. David Andrew MacDonald seen recently at the Guthrie in Dial M for Murder is a standout in this play as the Duke of York. Also, Jasmine Bracey as his wife, The Duchess of York makes quite an impression in her short scene towards the end of the play. Begging the newly crowned Henry IV to pardon her son, it’s played with feeling, but also great humor. This play gives us our first look of the day at the set designed by Jan Chambers which consists of a throne room that rotates on a turntable the backside of which can stand in for various locations throughout the three plays. Around the turntable is a rotating donut that set pieces can be placed and rotated from backstage. Both of these rotating floors mechanisms, along with the trap door and elevator platform allow for quick and fluid transitions between scenes. On either side of the stage are large tower like structures on which actors can stand and perform, again allowing us to focus on one area while transitions are happening elsewhere. It’s a marvelous design that allows for the many scene, location, and environmental changes that need to occur over the course of three full length plays.

Henry IV is condensed from Henry IV part 1 and 2 into one play, this is the play that resulted in the most cuts for obvious reasons. My exposure to Henry IV has been multiple viewings of Orson Welles film The Chimes at Midnight which also draws from all four of these plays as well as The Merry Wives of Windsor as well as other texts, as well as episodes 2 and 3 of the series The Hollow Crown. William Sturdivant who had played Henry Bolingbroke who was crowned King at the end of Richard II continues as that character. The strange thing about Henry IV is that it’s almost more Prince Hal played by Daniel Jose Molina and Falstaff played by Jimmy Kieffer’s play. Studivant, still gets to shine over the course of Richard II and Henry IV, perhaps getting the best opportunity to show a characters change over a longer. Of time playing the Young Henry in Richard II and an older near the end of life King Henry IV. He does a nice job of aging Henry aided by well-designed wig, makeup and costuming by Trevor Bowen. It’s hard for me to shake off Welles’ portrayal of Falstaff but Kieffer does good work with the iconic role portraying him a little more outwardly calculating, less ludicrous and less sympathetic. Making Prince Hal turning away from him feel more deserved and less cruel which I think adds to the realism. Molina for his part while the King and Henry V gets to establish his character here as Prince Hal in his wilder youthful days. With this play surprisingly more than Henry V we must note the wonderful stage combat by Fight Director and Captain U. Jonathan Toppo.

Henry V is a work I’ve had the most exposure to not only The Hollow Crown episode 4 but the Kenneth Branagh film is one of my favorite films, I’ve seen all or part of it at least 20 times. Display belongs to Daniel Jose Molina his portrayal of King Harry genuinely conveys the characters maturity and understanding of the awesome responsibility of being the King. Molina still finds places to inject humor into the line readings sometimes in surprising places but they always work. All three plays are fantastic and the direction by Joseph Haj is consistently intelligent and unifying. There was one aspect of this particular play that struck me as an odd choice by Haj and costume designer Trevor Bowen. The costumes of the French Court have a distinctly modern high fashion look that does not mesh with the look of the costumes of every other character in all three plays. It does allow for a lot of added humor around the French Royal Court particularly the role of the Dauphin, played by Dustin Bronson. On its own Bronson and his fellow actors take on the characters of the French Court in army is hilarious. But within the body of the three plays it’s the one piece that feels out of place. I also expected there to be a fair amount of stage combat in Henry V, and was surprised to find very little. That says it works without the stage combat but after seeing how well it was handled in the previous play one couldn’t help but want for more.

There are 26 actors who appear on stage, four of which have non-speaking roles as attendance officers londoners and soldiers. Of the 22 with speaking roles there isn’t a bad performance and too many to single out individually but here are the names of just a few of those not already mentioned who created very memorable moments and characters across multiple plays; John Catron, Charity Jones, Melissa Maxwell, Lanise Antoine Shelley, and Eric Sharp most of whom local audiences will recognize. I do also want to give a shout out to one of my favorite up and coming performers Em Rosenberg who is making their speaking role debut at the Guthrie playing eight roles. All of them small, to be sure, but it’s so thrilling to see someone whose talent has caught your eye getting to take this step and have this experience. They get to play a lot of different characters with not a lot to do but keep your eye on Rosenberg, I think at some point in the future they are someone we will see as the lead in Guthrie Productions.

Shakespeare’s history plays run through May 25th at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets including how to save money on three show packages or to attend the final Marathon Day on May 18th go to https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/2023-2024-season/history-plays/ . We are also planning a Twin Cities Theater Bloggers post show event on April 27th following the Richard II matinee for 20% discount on tickets to that performance use the code TCBLOG or click on the link http://securesite.guthrietheater.org/single/PSDetail.aspx?psn=33583&promo=TCBLOG

We few, we happy few, we band of Bloggers

9 to 5 is Sure to be a Hit at Lyric Arts in Anoka

Opening night of 9 to 5 at Lyric Arts in Anoka looked to be a sold out house, perhaps it’s a popularity of Dolly Parton, perhaps it’s that the average age of theater audiences grew up with the 1980 film that starred Lily Tomlin Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton. Whatever the reason for opening nights business what will likely result in a near, if not complete, sell out run is the work of Director Shanan Custer in the phenomenal cast. The musical features a book by Patricia Resnick with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton. I enjoyed all of the new songs, they seem to fit well with the original hit “9 to 5“. And they sound great under the musical direction of Bradley Beahen and if I’m counting correctly, his 12 musicians strong band. Before moving on to the cast, praise must be given to Custer as director, she’s a favorite of this writer long before The Stages of MN and it’s not hard to see her comedic touches throughout the production. It’s a rare example of a show where you can genuinely sense the directors personality stamped on every element of the production to the productions benefit.

On to the cast and where to start in these days of the injury where reviews are necessarily briefer, it’s hard to know who to single out but for the moment, set aside the three leads and focus on a couple of the supporting roles. Emily Jabas plays Margaret, one of the women who work in the office who happens to drink on the job. It’s a small role but Jabas makes the most of every moment with just the right touch of comic relief but it’s the tiny part that everyone was talking about on the car ride home. True, it’s the kind of part that’s written funny and most actors would get laughs but Jabas does more than get laughs, she makes a lasting impression. Ben Thietje plays the chauvinist pig boss Franklin Hart Jr., like Dabney Coleman in the film version it’s hard to imagine anyone you’d love to hate more. Thietje perfectly threads the needle making him horrible but in a very very funny way.

First off the trio playing the three leads Violet, Judy, and Doralee jockeyed throughout the show for favorite performance crossing the finish line in a three-way tie. The wonderful thing is they all do something different but they all do the exact right thing for this production. Audrey Johnson plays Doralee, the Dolly Parton role, and she plays it like Dolly Parton but that’s exactly what you have to do. That character is Dolly Parton and she is iconic, going another direction isn’t a place that the audience wants you to go. Johnson doesn’t do a caricature, she doesn’t do an imitation, she just goes to the same places that Parton did in the original film, her singing voice is very close which is exactly what needed to happen. The other two roles can be their own thing and that’s what the actors do. Emily A. Grodzik plays Violet the Lily Tomelin role as the competent but overlooked supervisor. She makes her a strong independent woman whom we can easily believe could lead any company to much greater success than Franklin Heart Jr.. Nora Sonneborn plays Judy the Jane Fonda role but she takes the character in a different direction than Fonda did, she makes her meaker more of a Wallflower which adds greater effect when she comes out of her shell. When the three leads sing together it’s magical and they all have wonderful voices that sound great together. But if there’s one standout moment vocally, it’s Sonneborn’s solo “Get Out and Stay Out“, it’s probably a little hyperbolic to say this but for me in this show, in that moment it had the power of “Defying Gravity” in Wicked. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the applause for that song was the longest and loudest of the evening. Of the three leads Sonneborn was the revelation as I had only seen her in supporting roles and after this performance I have to ask why?

9 to 5 runs through May 12th at Lyric Arts in Anoka for more information, like a plot synopsis, and purchase tickets go to https://www.lyricarts.org/9-to-5

Die Winterreise at The Hive Collaborative

Die Winterreise is the latest in The Hive Collaboratives conceptual beginning series. It takes the classical song cycle Franz Schubert’s Winterreise set to 24 poems by German poet Wilhelm Mueller. What The Hive’s website says about the piece is it uses the everlasting story of lost love to explore the human need for connection and acceptance but I’m going to have to take their word for that. The show is sung by baritone Justin Spenner completely in German while being accompanied on the piano by Carson Rose Schneider. A QR code is provided at the theater which will bring you to a side-by-side translation of the poems in German and English. I tried to follow along and realized at the end that the best approach, assuming you don’t already speak German, is to set the translation aside sit back and let the music and performance wash over you. The mind is a wonderful thing but sometimes it can get in our way, it’ll try and impose a narrative in such a way that closes you off to what the artist is giving you. First off, if sitting and listening to someone sing in German for 80 minutes sounds like torture to you this isn’t the show for you and that’s okay. But if listening to a fantastic singer wonderfully accompanied for 80 minutes in a very intimate space is something you would enjoy, then there’s a lot to get out of this experience. I’ve seen Justin spenner perform in Opera and that’s very much what Winterreise sounds like, he’s a fantastic vocalist and to hear him in whatever language is always something special.

Winterreise will have one more performance April 13th at 5:00 p.m. At The Hive collaborative in St Paul for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.thehivecollaborativemn.com/events/winterreise-a-winters-journey