Kiss Me, Kate at Artistry, Shakespeare Meets Cole Porter and the Result is Almost “Too Darn Hot”

Aliya Grace, Nate Turcotte, John-Michael Zuerlein, and Erin Capello Photo by Alyssa Kristine

I first saw a production of Kiss Me, Kate at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres somewhere between 35 and 40 years ago. I own, and have watched the 1953 film version in its original 3D format, though it had been at least a decade since I last revisited it. My only real exposure to Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew comes from the Moonlighting episode titled “Atomic Shakespeare.” So even with that history, I felt like I was going in a little blind.

Kiss Me, Kate is a classic backstage musical that gleefully blurs the line between art and life. The story follows a company of actors mounting a musical version of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, led by former spouses Fred Graham and Lilli Vanessi, whose onstage sparring mirrors their very real offstage animosity. As egos clash and a pair of unexpectedly polite gangsters get involved, the production threatens to unravel both onstage and off. With music and lyrics by Cole Porter, packed with wit, romance, and sharp wordplay, and a book by Sam and Bella Spewack that feels surprisingly modern, the show proves that sometimes the drama behind the curtain is just as entertaining as the show itself.

Directed by Kelli Foster Warder, with music direction by Elijah Leer, the production sounds and flows beautifully. Joey Miller’s choreography is fantastic and is sure to be among the 2026 TCTB Award nominees. Standout numbers that linger in the memory include the extremely athletic “Tom, Dick, or Harry” and the Act II opener, “Too Darn Hot.”

2025 TCTB Award winner for Favorite Musical Performance by an Individual, Erin Capello once again wows with an extraordinary vocal performance while also showcasing her formidable comedic chops as Lilli/Katherine. She’s matched by the seemingly indefatigable John-Michael Zuerlein as Fred/Petruchio, a man who appears not to need to breathe. Zuerlein is a real treat here; I wasn’t as familiar with his work going in, but he anchors the show effortlessly and has definitely earned a spot on my “must-watch” list.

There are plenty of strong supporting turns as well, from Marley Ritchie and Jon Michael Stiff as the gangster heavies sent to collect an IOU, to Chris Owusu, who turns the heat up to scorching levels in “Too Darn Hot,” and The Stages of MN’s own music man, Ryan Lee. But the standout among the supporting cast is Aliya Grace, who headlines both “Tom, Dick, or Harry” and “Always True to You in My Fashion.” Surrounded by other performers, she nonetheless commands every eye and ear. Her sultry voice and confident dancing making her unmistakably one to watch.

Artistry in Bloomington has truly pulled out the stops, vigorously mixing Shakespeare and Cole Porter into a deliciously satisfying cocktail of song and dance. Kiss Me, Kate runs through February 15th. For more information and tickets, visit https://artistrymn.org/kissmekate.

Watch the 2025 TCTB Awards on the latest episode of The Stages of MN YouTube Show!! https://bit.ly/TSOMNEp25YouTube

Don’t rely on Facebook or Instagram algorithms to keep you in the loop about great shows. Subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN delivered straight to your inbox. It’s the best way to make sure you never miss out on the theater action. To subscribe on a computer, enter your email address on the home page (right-hand side) and click subscribe. On mobile, scroll to the bottom of the page to find the same option. You can also follow me on Facebook @thestagesofmn and on Instagram thestagesofmn.

The Stages of MN YouTube channel is home to the weekly Stages of MN Show. You can watch it by clicking here. Be sure to check out the latest episodes and subscribe so you’ll always know when a new one drops. Not sure you agree with one of my takes? I’m also part of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can find review roundups from my colleagues and me. Follow us on Facebook at @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers.

Two Gents Another Delightful Shakespear Interpretation From Ten Thousand Things

Kimberly Richardson and Michelle de Joya Photo by Tom Wallace

Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona is believed to be his first play, and many consider it one of if not the, weakest of his works. You can see the early seeds of plots and themes he would later refine, but as a whole, it’s undeniably problematic. Because of that, it’s performed far less often than his more popular comedies like A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, or Twelfth Night. I’ve only seen one other production, at the Jungle Theater more than a decade ago, and the plot had completely left my memory. That’s fine, though, since this new version makes some changes, which feels like a valid way to approach it. One of the most remarkable things about Shakespeare’s work is its universality, which allows artists to continually reinterpret it in new ways.

Nobody does Shakespeare quite like Ten Thousand Things (TTT), and Two Gents, their take on Two Gentlemen of Verona, is no exception. Part of the company’s mission is to make art accessible to everyone. They create stripped-down productions that can travel easily, bringing theater directly into the community. But they also make Shakespeare accessible by casting performers who can make the language clear and engaging for a modern audience. Which is something not every actor can do as skillfully as this cast.

I won’t try to summarize the plot, it can be a bit convoluted, but I always understood what was happening in a general sense, even if the finer details occasionally blurred. With this particular play, perhaps more than any other, the pleasure comes from the performances rather than the story itself.

This five-actor ensemble plays roughly sixteen or seventeen roles, and that’s where much of the production’s joy lies. One character, Sir Thurio, is actually portrayed by four different actors throughout the show. That might sound confusing, but Caitlin Lowans, the new artistic director of TTT who is making her directorial debut for the company, ensures it’s always crystal clear who’s who at any given moment.

As usual with TTT, the entire cast is strong. The standout is Kimberly Richardson, who plays Launce, the play’s most beloved comedic character. Richardson, a gifted comic actor, brings her considerable talents to all eight of her roles, stealing nearly every scene she’s in. Don’t mistake me though, the rest of the cast, which includes Michelle de Joya, Kamani Graham, Kurt Kwan, and Sara Richardson, definitely hold there own. It’s a true ensemble piece and every player adds to the whole!

Faithful viewers of The Stages of MN Show may remember my interview with Ryan Lee and Tod Petersen back in Episode 4. This production was one of the projects Ryan hinted at but couldn’t announce yet. Here, he creates an unobtrusive soundscape that perfectly complements the action onstage.

This may not be the best Shakespeare adaptation I’ve seen from Ten Thousand Things—which makes sense given the play’s reputation—but even weak Shakespeare, in TTT’s hands, is always entertaining.

Two Gents runs through November 2 at various locations. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit tenthousandthings.org/two-gents

Don’t rely on Facebook or Instagram algorithms to keep you in the loop about great shows. Subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN delivered straight to your inbox—it’s the best way to make sure you never miss out on the theater action. To subscribe on a computer, enter your email address on the home page (right-hand side) and click subscribe. On mobile, scroll to the bottom of the page to find the same option. You can also follow me on Facebook @thestagesofmn and on Instagram thestagesofmn.

The Book of Will is Both Funny and Moving From Theatre Pro Rata at the Crane Theater

Sean Dillon, Jeremy Motz, Nissa Nordland, Kjer Whiting, Alex Hagen, Andrew Toth, Sandesh Sukhram Photo by Alex Wohlhueter

The Book of Will is a play by Lauren Gunderson, co-author of the much-beloved Christmas at Pemberley Trilogy of which I have gushed on more than one occasion. The play tells the true story, though through a fictional lens, of the men and women, chiefly, Henry Condell and John Heminges, who worked alongside Shakespeare, who ensured that William Shakespeare’s work survived after his death. The play opens With Condell and Heminges in The Globe Tap House with the actor Richard Burbage. The three friends of Shakespeare’s, actors in his theater company, discuss the poor quality of the pirated versions of Shakespeare’s plays that were being performed by younger actors after his death. Burbage dies the next day. Condell and Heminges realize that with Burbage, who had the plays memorized, gone, they no longer have copies of most of his plays. They make it their mission to track down the plays and through their efforts we learn a lot about the theater practices of the period. The play is both funny and emotionally poignant as it explores the importance of story and theater in the lives of its characters and society at large. It is a theme I am completely in sync with.

The cast is incredibly talented, including favorites like Nissa Nordland, who plays Heminges’ daughter, providing brief moments of the sort of romantic spark with Carter Graham’s Isaac Jaggard, that we have come to expect from Gunderson. Though unconsummated, Graham and Nordland generate the kind of instant chemistry that made me wish the play was ten minutes longer to devote to developing that spark. Kjer Whiting, whose Ben Jonson was Shakespeare’s rival, but here clearly a friend as well, plays it so that we can clearly see that duality. The always interesting Jeremy Motz gives a rapid-fire mashup of Shakespearian dialogue in a scene where he confronts one of the younger actors he sees as ruining Shakespeare’s works. It’s a moment that sets the bar high for the night. Sean Dillon as Condell is passionate, refusing to give up on the project. His best moments come in his portrayal of the friendship between Condell and Heminges, with the ability to convey heartfelt compassion, and with decency always being chief among Dillon’s strengths an actor and a person.

This brings us to Andrew Troth, who plays Heminges. Troth is absolutely heartbreaking as a bereaved Heminges trying to make sense of the world after his wife passes away. I’ve always enjoyed Troth’s performances, but here he surpassed mere enjoyment and left me impressed with his emotionally raw performance.

Gunderson’s script plays well to general audiences, but for those of us with a familiarity with much of Shakespeare’s canon, it’s filled with Easter eggs that reflect the author’s love of the plays. It’s easy to be amazed at the lack of foresight the people of Shakespeare’s time had in the importance of preserving the plays. He was one of the most popular playwrights of his time, and yet three years after his death, his acting company had but a handful of his scripts. It’s easy to scoff at the short-sightedness of those in the arts of the time and think we would never be such poor custodians of our cultural and artistic heritage. Then we remember that three hundred years later, the motion picture industry was making the same mistake, leaving us a world where 75% of all silent films are lost. Is the lost Lon Chaney film London After Midnight as important an artistic achievement as Shakespeare’s lost Love’s Labour’s Won? Who is to say? Rubble&Ash provides the wonderful period costumes, which are always one of the joys of a play set in this time. But my favorite visual element of the show was the set design by MJ Leffler. I ran into Leffler before the show, when we discussed the design. Leffler informed me that the design was made up 100% of recycled and repurposed pieces. There is a giant feather standing like a pillar along the back wall that rang a distant bell for me. It turns out the feather was part of the Guthrie’s Cyrano de Bergerac from 2019. It makes the perfect accent to this play about the greatest English language writer of all time.The Book of Will is a treat for any fans of Shakespeare, to be sure. But understanding Shakespeare or even appreciating him isn’t necessary going into the show. It’s a fascinating look at the idea of legacy and the importance of preservation. The play runs through October 11th at the Crane Theater in Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.theatreprorata.org/production-history/book-of-will.

Henry V Gets Some Radical Changes From Jackdonkey Productions

Henry V is one of the Shakespeare history plays that I am fairly familiar with have seen it produced on stage twice now and seen three screen adaptations. I have certainly never seen it done like this. The story of King Henry V of England and his war to conquer France has been used as propaganda for war and against it. Here it is seen through the lens of how the decisions of flawed men have profound effects on the people over which they rule. This is a valid viewpoint and is a way to make the play speak to our times. Shakespeare’s works are so rich and out of copyright that they become easy to adapt in a way that highlights the message a Director wishes to convey without departing the text simply by how you cut it and play it. Here Director Zach Christensen makes some bold choices which are mostly successful, but occasionally perplexing.

First off, the show adds close to a half a dozen songs but not sung throughout, only at the opening of the first Act and after intermission. The songs are well performed by the cast and I get the vibe what they are going for. While not being detrimental to the production, the songs don’t really integrate into the play, but more like live pre-show of music meant to set the tone. There may also be too many of them but they are enjoyable. The biggest and most bizarre change is the inclusion of Falstaff who does not appear in the original play though he does die offstage. Now adding some flashbacks or prologue with Falstaff is not unheard of, in his film version Kenneth Branagh includes several flashback scenes with Falstaff. But here Falstaff is seen in scenes from the Henry IV plays, much as his characters is in those plays, which is a comical character for the most part. But then he actually replaces the role of the Duke of Exeter jettisoning for the most part the traits we associate with Falstaff and playing it as you would Exeter. There is one scene in which the reason for the change became clear and made a certain amount of sense if you wanted to play the scene that way. But it still results in Falstaff for the most part acting completely out of character for most of the play. It’s a questionable choice that kept taking me out of the performance.

The play is well cast even Dominic Schiro as Falstaff is very good, despite the puzzling choice of who he was playing. David Michaeli is very good as King Henry, tackling some very famous speeches and successfully making them his own. It’s a very strong cast with some wonderful and surprisingly humorous performances. Standouts were Amanda Espinoza as among other roles Fluellen, who is the Welsh captain of a contingent of Henry’s army. Noah Hynick, who must be on loan from Lyric Arts, as the Dauphin of France is hilarious as he tries to outbrag his fellow French noblemen on the eve of the battle of Agincourt. Bradley Johnson and Eden Fahy, are particularly good in the the song sections of the show. Overall it’s an exciting and unusual production and while every gamble doesn’t pay off there’s no denying it’s a very interesting and engaging production. The fun thing about Shakespeare is that you can be bold and try new things and I applaud Director Christensen for making some bold choices. Fans of Shakespeare will have seen faithful productions in the past and will enjoy seeing Jackdonkey play around with things. I think it will also appeal to those who aren’t that into a Shakespeare History play as it does what it can to be kinda radical and accessible to all.

Henry V runs through 8/18/25 at Theatre in the Round. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/jackdonkeyproductions/henry-v-jackdonkey-productions

Don’t depend on a Facebook or Instagram algorithm to ensure you hear about a great show. You can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. It’s the best way to ensure you don’t miss out on any of the theater action. 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.

I’ve officially launched The Stages of MN YouTube Channel which you can view by clicking on this link. https://www.youtube.com/@TheStagesofMN. Check out the weekly episodes. Subscribe to the channel so you’ll always know when a new episode has dropped. Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I’m also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read review roundups of shows by m’colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers.

Romeo & Juliet and The Comedy of Errors Make For Another Fantastic Trip to The Great River Shakespeare Festival

Alessandro Yokoyama and Serena Phillip, Will Sturdivant and Emily Fury Daly (Photos by Dan Norman)

It’s time once again for the Great River Shakespeare Festival (GRSF) in Winona, MN. This year there are two productions which I was able to see in one day, Romeo & Juliet and The Comedy of Errors. There is a third production of Two Gentlemen of Verona that will have four performances around the Region. It is being staged by the graduate acting company of the Clarence Brown Theatre and the University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK) who will be in residence at the GRSF this summer. This cohort of young professional actors will understudy roles in The Comedy of Errors and Romeo and Juliet while studying with the company and professors from UTK. They will also be presenting the Festivals Green Shows which take place about 45 minutes before each performance of Romeo & Juliet and The Comedy of Errors. These green shows act as a way for the audience to tune into Shakespeare’s language before the shows and also give the audience a quick rundown of the characters and their relationships and roles in the plays. It’s a great way to make sure the you’re prepared to get the most out of each production and I never miss them.

Romeo & Juliet is the real surprise this season, Director H. Adam Harris has taken an approach I’ve never seen before in staging the play as a memory play from the POV of Juliet’s Nurse. It really works, it doesn’t dramatically alter the play but it does add another undercurrent of loss. That may not sound like what you want in a tragedy but whenever we find new things to play in Shakespeare, it’s exciting. The concept is aided by some well designed lighting cues by Avery Reagan. They aren’t overused but periodically the lighting changes and the action freezes around the nurse. In this way the focus shifts to her and we see the story from her perspective, it colors the story in a slightly different way. The nurse is played by Stephanie Lambourn who brings out this new dimension in the character that feels fresh and original, while still feeling faithful. As the young lovers Alessandro Yokoyama as Romeo and Serena Phillip as Juliet are really terrific, with a great command of the language and an ability to make the immature decisions of the characters not feel juvenile, by bringing to the forefront the emotions they are battling. It’s one of the best productions of one of the most produced plays of Shakespeare’s that I’ve seen.

The Comedy of Errors is one of Shakespeares silliest comedies, and that is absolutely what Director Doug Scholz-Carlson leans into with this production. Audience members might not be as familiar with this play and that’s OK. This is simply meant as an entertainment and for a play written over 400 years ago it’s astonishing how funny it feels. Of course a lot of making a play like this work is in what the Actors and Director bring to the play. The plot is rather confusing while also being sort of simple. There are two sets of twins, one the master and the other the servants, who were separated when they were young during a shipwreck. As adults, they end up in the same city and a series of mistaken identities occurs. That’s basically all you need to know. The tricky part is keeping everyone straight throughout the play and who has mistaken whom for who… OK now I’m confused again. Really, the plot doesn’t matter and you wont have any real trouble following it. The joy of this production is the way the actors play the roles, the clowning they do and the ingenious ways in which they present a play with about 20 characters using only 9 actors. The best part of the show is the ways in which Will Sturdivant and Emily Fury Daly take on the challenge of playing the duel rows of the two sets of twins. It’s Shakespeare by way of Scooby Doo, set in the 1980’s with great musical cues throughout by Sound Designer Matthew Tibbs. And again Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz as Lighting Designer is an asset adding some wonderfully wacky lighting effects.

The Great River Shakespeare Festival runs through July 27th in Winona, MN. If you haven’t been yet, it takes just over two hours to reach from the Cities, there’s lot’s to do and some fun places to eat. We always make a two day trip out of it and have a fantastic time. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.grsf.org/

I’ve officially launched The Stages of MN YouTube Channel which you can view by clicking on this link. https://www.youtube.com/@TheStagesofMN. Check out the intro videos and the weekly episodes. Subscribe to the channel so you’ll always know when a new episode has dropped. Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I’m also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read review roundups of shows by m’colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers.

Episode 3: The Stages of MN Meets Will Sturdivant and a Game is Played. Available Now!!!

Faithful Readers and hopefully now Faithful Viewers and Listeners, the latest episode of The Stages of MN Show is up on YouTube https://bit.ly/TSOMNEpisode3 as well as in the slightly shorter Audio only Podcast version which you can listen to here https://bit.ly/TSOMNPodcastEpisode3 or search for The Stages of MN wherever you enjoy podcasts!

On this weeks episode, I chatted with Actor and Author Will Sturdivant about his path to becoming an actor, his new books, and The Great River Shakespeare Festival; where he is performing in Romeo and Juliet and The Comedy of Errors through July 27th in Winona, MN. I also try and stump Will with the shakespeare game. Where he has to identify what character spoke a line and for extra points which play it came from. Will was on fire, but I wont spoil if he was able to beat the game and in doing so, win back his car keys. You can click here for more about the Festival and to purchase tickets https://www.grsf.org/. I’ll be there for my third year in a row on July 11th to take in both shows with a few of my fellow Twin Cities Theater Bloggers Jill Schafer of Cherry and Spoon http://www.cherryandspoon.com/ and Carol and Julie Jackson of Minnesota Theater Love https://www.mntheaterlove.com/. So if you see us around, don’t be shy, say hi! Get a picture and you’ll find yourself up on the next episode of The Stages of MN!

Also on this weeks episode a look at opening night of Cabaret at the Guthrie Theater as well as a review of the show running through August 24th. Click here for more info and to purchase tickets https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/2024-2025-season/cabaret/. We also have a review of Madagascar: A Musical Adventure at Stages Theatre Company running through August 3rd, Click here for tickets to that show https://www.stagestheatre.org/madagascar-a-musical-adventure/. As always we have the photo montage of who I saw out at the theater last week. We also cover some breaking news in Verona that you will not want to miss. Don’t forget to Like, Review, share and subscribe.

& Juliet Dazzles at the Orpheum Theatre

Rachel Simone Webb and Michael Canu Photo credit Matthew Murphy

& Juliet is a jukebox musical using popular songs from a time in which I did not listen to popular songs. That said, I recognized several and the ones I didn’t know I still enjoyed. There are those who shun the jukebox musical, but I prefer them by far to most of the movies adapted to stage musicals, at least the songs are likely to be good. & Juliet takes place on opening night of Romeo and Juliet and the Authors wife Anne Hathaway has gotten a babysitter and come to London to attend. But she isn’t happy with Will’s ending and she proposes a new one in which Juliet doesn’t kill herself. Instead, she flees her family who want to get her to a nunnery, she heads to Paris with her besties April (a role Anne has assumed for herself) May, her obviously gay first bestie, and her nurse. There she finds herself hitched to another ill advised suitor, one who is really in love with May. Add to this, a back from the dead Romeo and a bickering Mr. and Mrs. greatest writer in the English language, and you have the makings of high drama, but what you get is pure fun with a capital FU.

Set against a fabulous design, this has hints of Moulin Rouge, not as big and splashy, but somehow more organic and magical. Like the perfect balance of stage magic to heighten the emotional highs without being garish. Like Moulin Rouge but with some sense of decorum. So hats off to the design team; Soutra Gilmour, Set Designer; Paloma Young, Costume Designer; Howard Hudson, Lighting Designer; and Andrzej Goulding, Video and Projection Designer. The book is by David West Read and for Shakespeare enthusiasts, he packs it with Easter eggs, from lines in his plays to little details in costume and historical details. It’s a very funny script and it’s packed with positive messaging from LGBTQA+ issues to female empowerment. The music and lyrics are by Max Martin and Friends, which a search tells me that there is one original song “One More Try“, the rest are existing pop songs co-written by Martin.

Corey Mach and Teal Wicks play Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway, and they are both very good. Mach especially has a great voice and Wicks plays everything as if it’s just occurring to her, which is fitting for the time period historically, though the design is sort of Renaissance Modern, which isn’t a quibble, I kinda loved it. Daniel J. Maldonado has just recently replaced Michael Canu as Romeo on the tour, so the photo attached to this review show Canu, but I couldn’t bear to part with that photo, as it was one of my favorite moments in the show. I enjoyed Maldonado’s performance and other favorites included Nick Drake as May, Paul-Jordan Jansen as Lance, father of Juliets new fiancé and an old flame of the nurse, and speaking of the nurse she wonderfully portrayed by Kathryn Allison. But as good as everyone else is, the star of the show and the one that just nailed everything was none other than Juliet herself, Rachel Simone Webb.

If you are on the fence on this one, I highly recommend it, it’s not that often that you get to just sit back and laugh and rock out and be genuinely wowed by the spectacle of a show. This is one of the shows where the crowd is super into it and screams fun. & Juliet runs through May 18th at The Orpheum Theatre in downtown Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://hennepinarts.org/events/and-juliet-2025

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

Don’t depend on a Facebook or Instagram algorithm to insure you hear about a great show. You can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. It’s the best way to ensure you don’t miss out on any of the theater action. 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.

Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I’m also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read review roundups of shows by m’colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. New things are in the work! Click here to go to The Stages of MN YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@TheStagesofMN. Right now there is just a short introductory video, but there will be much more coming this summer. For now, check out the intro video and subscribe to the channel so that when we fully launch you’ll be the first to know!