Tuesdays With Morrie at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres is Inspirational, Funny, and Thoughtful.

Gabriele Angieri and Ryan London Levin Photo by Tom Wallace Photography

Tuesdays with Morrie is a memoir published in 1997 by Mitch Albom. It had an initial run of 20,000 copies. After exposure on The Oprah Winfrey Show, it made it onto the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list, where it stayed for over four years. It has now sold over 17 million copies worldwide and been translated into dozens of languages. Albom reconnected with his favorite college professor after seeing him on Nightline and learning he had ALS. The bulk of the book and this adaptation consists of the weekly Tuesday sessions Mitch has with Morrie Schwartz before his death. The production is less sad and much funnier than I anticipated. Did I cry? Come on, faithful readers, you know damn well I did. But Albom and Hatcher avoid easy manipulation and obvious heartstring-pulling moments. They are not concerned with making you cry; they are much more interested in sharing the wisdom Morrie has gained over his lifetime and exploring the love between these two men. Schwartz was a teacher, and these Tuesday meetups are his final class. He isn’t looking for Mitch’s sympathy; he is trying to help him be the best version of himself he can be. Like Morrie, the play is less concerned with dying and more concerned with sharing how we can live our best, most fulfilling lives.

The adaptation is by Albom and Jeffrey Hatcher, who is number six on the list of most-produced playwrights in America for the 2026–27 season. Hatcher, who resides in the Twin Cities, has four additional shows running locally this season. His adaptation of Dial M for Murder opens at Theatre in the Round on November 20. His adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities runs April 3 through May 23 at the Guthrie Theater. His adaptation of Rope opens at the Park Square Theatre on July 28, and his new musical with Glensheen collaborator Chan Poling, Love on a Stick, has its world premiere next summer at the History Theatre in St. Paul. I am a fan of Hatcher’s thrillers, whether they’re his original scripts, like Holmes and Watson or the recent The Butler Did It, or his adaptations of older properties, like Dial M for Murder and The Turn of the Screw. This is the first non-thriller I’ve seen of Hatcher’s, and it solidifies my opinion that he is one of our finest working playwrights.

The production marks the directorial debut of Twin Cities actor Serena Brook, who, along with directing this show, is starring as Miss Hannigan in Annie on the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres Main Stage. She’s excellent in that role, a standout of the production. As for her directing future, based on this show, I’d say it’s as bright as her acting career. The show doesn’t have a moment of fat on it. Brook doesn’t allow the actors to pause, knowing that those are the moments in which maudlin tendencies might peek through. She keeps it real, she keeps it moving, and she keeps the characters positive. In that way, she avoids emotionally manipulating us and allows the positive and inspiring messages to be the focus. We laugh too much to be sad, at least for too long.

Ryan London Levin and Gabriele Angieri play Mitch and Morrie, and their performances are naturalistic and filled with an easy humor that makes the audience bond with them quickly. Levin’s Mitch narrates the play as if he were looking back on it from beyond the end of the play. As such, he addresses us directly more often, allowing him to share his inner thoughts as well. This makes sense since Albom was the author of the book; he had those insights to draw on. Levin uses that to build an easy rapport with the audience, and it also allows for a stronger contrast to the emotional reticence he shows throughout his actual time with Morrie.

Angieri’s Morrie is alert, intelligent, and quick with a witty response. He’s also devoid of cruelty. There is a warmheartedness that Angieri brings to the role. He shows how effective a teacher Morrie is by using humor and little conversational moments to slip in his philosophies. He never seems to be teaching; he’s just talking, and when he finishes, you realize he made you laugh and somehow also shared something profound. The two performers play off each other so beautifully that when they hugged each other after their bows, it felt genuine. The best compliment you can give a performer after a show is that, for the runtime of the show, you believed they were those people.

Mitch is the character I related to, the one in whom I saw parts of myself. I know not everyone has that favorite teacher who was more than a teacher, but I did. His name was Ted Larson. He was my film teacher, my boss the summer I worked promotions for The Straw Hat Players Summer Theater program at Moorhead State University, my mentor, and my friend. Like Mitch and Morrie, our time together when I was in college went way beyond the teacher-student connection. We had dinners together, saw movies together, and he was a guest at my first wedding. And like Mitch and Morrie, when I left college and moved to Albuquerque, Ted told me to stay in touch, and I didn’t.

When he heard my first wife and I were getting divorced, he called the bookstore I was working at in New Mexico to talk to me, to make sure I was OK. I didn’t get 14 Tuesdays with Ted. I got two more visits. One was to introduce him to my second wife and Alex, our first child. I envy Mitch Albom that he got the chance to reconnect, to let Morrie know what he meant to him. Maybe if Ted had lived 15 years instead of five, I’d have had the chance to tell him what a more mature man came to understand too late: that I loved him, and that despite the fact that I had a wonderful father, Ted had also filled that role for me. It would have been great to thank him for all he showed me and taught me. And that, I think, is the most important thing Tuesdays with Morrie is telling us: say those things now. You never know when it will be too late.

Tuesdays with Morrie is running through November 29 at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres’ Playhouse Theatre Stage. It’s a much smaller and more intimate theater, perfect for a show like this. Smaller theater, but the same great food and beverage options. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to https://chanhassendt.com/series/tuesdays-with-morrie-2026/

Don’t forget to keep an eye on the new website 79 Seconds on Stage a free and full guide to local theatre in the Twin Cities.

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Kunene and the King Provides a History Lesson as Well as a Study of Humanity Itself

Edward Gero and John Kani in the 2025 Shakespeare Theatre Company production (Teresa Castracane Photography)

Kunene and the King is flying under the radar a little bit, but it shouldn’t. I mean, here’s a play starring the Black Panther being performed at the Guthrie Theater. OK, so it’s the old Black Panther, the one who has stopped wearing the costume and just rules Wakanda as King in Captain America: Civil War before being killed. But hey, he was Black Panther! It’s been a season for high-profile performers, with David Strathairn’s performance last month in Waiting for Godot. This is not stunt casting, though, by any means. John Kani (Black Panther) is also the author of Kunene and the King, a play that draws heavily on his own experiences as a South African. I’m guessing that I am like a lot of Americans in that I know apartheid was bad, and I know about Nelson Mandela, his long imprisonment, his release, and his election as President of South Africa. I knew a little of the country’s tumultuous history, but, to be honest, not nearly as much as I should. I appreciated gaining a better understanding of where that country is now as well as filling in gaps in my understanding of its history.

Kani’s play is not a history of South Africa. It is set in 2019, but through the conversations between its two characters, we learn some of that history, as well as the ways in which it affected both South Africa’s black and white people. But it is also a play about two very different men who do find ways to connect, one of which is through the works of William Shakespeare. Kani plays Lunga Kunene, a top caregiver who has been hired to look after Jack Morris, an actor who has been diagnosed with stage-four liver cancer. Morris, who is played by Edward Gero, has been cast as the King in an upcoming production of King Lear and is working on memorizing his lines. The two men find an odd common ground in Shakespeare. It is Kunene’s remembrance of reading Julius Caesar in school that initially breaks the ice between the two men, who are uncomfortable with each other.

But while the men do share some laughs, this isn’t the kind of play where they become best friends. They yell and lash out at each other almost as much as they bond. In that way, it feels deeply honest. Morris shows his ingrained racism in his mistrust of Kunene. Kunene shows that he is a man like any other, subject to frustrations and anger. Neither man is a saint, and neither man is a demon. Which of us is truly one or the other? None of us. We all have the capacity to be both at different times. Both actors have moments of powerful vulnerability, and one scene contains spotlight moments for each performance. Morris has not made it to the bathroom in time and comes back onstage in just his shirt, carrying his soiled pants. Gero expertly plays the embarrassment, the shame, the frustration, and the anger that arise from this all-too-human moment, when his body betrays him and his mortality comes closer to the surface. Kunene is the victim of an outburst from Morris that is deeply disrespectful, and Kani shows us flashes of outrage and anger, and near violence. Both men play these scenes so that we understand their reactions, we recognize the raw emotions that lead to less than desirable behaviors.

The play opens, and the transitions between scenes are broken up by segments of song sung by Ntebo. This is one of the elements that makes this production really special. Ntebo sings in another language. I won’t shame myself by trying to guess what it is, but even though we do not understand the lyrics, we are entranced by the power and beauty of her voice.

The set design by Lawrence E. Moten III is of Jack’s home, and we are neither impressed nor underwhelmed by it. It is a well-crafted, realistic set. And then… it changes for the third scene to Kunene’s home in a transformation that is so astonishing it reminded me of the moment the train cars moved in the Guthrie’s production of Murder on the Orient Express several years ago. That scene change is almost worth the price of admission alone.

I enjoyed the performances, the set design, the singing, and the connection to Shakespeare. There was one little tidbit about Morris’ process that I found really interesting. I don’t know if this is something a lot of actors do or not, but he talks about translating the play from Shakespeare’s English to modern English. His explanation of why he does it makes a lot of sense and is a fascinating bit of insider knowledge.

Kunene and the King runs through November 8 at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to https://www.guthrietheater.org/whats-on/kunene-and-the-king/

Don’t forget to keep an eye on the new website 79 Seconds on Stage a free and full guide to local theatre in the Twin Cities.

Monster Month is Now in Full Swing With the Launch of the Twin Cities Horror Festival XV Opening Night Reviews: LESLIE VINCENT: A MONSTER & MAYHEM CABARET, TALES OF TERROR…FROM THE TOMB!!!, AUGMENTATION, and MANTICORE, MN.

There is a wonderful thing that happens about midway through Monster Month: a select group of Twin Cities theatergoers look forward to it like Christmas. It’s the Twin Cities Horror Festival, the longest-running horror theater festival in the country. This is like a mini Fringe Festival. Each show runs about an hour, and there are 13 shows in rotation, plus a one-night-only festival-opening jazz cabaret by Leslie Vincent, which, if you are reading this and weren’t there, you missed. The great thing about this festival, as opposed to the MN Fringe Festival, is that it is not only possible to see every show, it’s easily done if you so desire. Each of the 13 shows is performed five times over 16 days. The cost per show is $15, but while supplies last, you can purchase a five-show pass for $70. There is also a Skeleton Pass, which gets you into all 13 shows, but those are usually sold out before the festival opens, so that’s something to keep in mind for next year. Here is a link to the festival website: https://www.tchorrorfestival.com/

There isn’t a lot to say about this since you were either there or you missed it. This was the second time they opened the festival with the sultry sounds of the exquisite Leslie Vincent. If you’ve not heard Vincent perform, you don’t know what you are missing. Here is a link to her website so you can catch an upcoming show or purchase her albums: https://leslievincentmusic.com/home. It’s a real feather in the festival’s hat that they can open the festival with her, and I hope they make it an ongoing thing.

Tales of Terror…From the Tomb!!! is an improv show that includes some puppets. Like improv shows at the Fringe, it will be different every time. What matters is the cast and the format. This is long-form improv, meaning they tell one continuous story for the entire hour. It is structured like one of those horror anthology shows, such as Tales from the Crypt, with this version featuring the Tomb Teller, played by co-director Laura Berger, who introduces and narrates the tale. I’m a fan of the horror anthology format, everything from the British film Dead of Night up through The Vault of Horror and Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors, to TV shows like Thriller and Inside No. 9. So the structure was something I was predisposed to like. Was it funny? That comes down to the cast, and the answer is yes, it was. Ari Newman, Chris Rodriguez, Hannah Wydeven, Maria Bartholdi, Meghan Wolff, and Phil Schramm are the performers, with the other co-director, Will Schroeder, under a hood operating the puppets backstage. This show will delight fans of the horror anthology and improv.

Augmentation is written by, co-directed by, and stars the Executive Director of the TCHF, Duck Washington, and, as with previous years, it is one of the more accomplished shows we’ll see in the festival. Washington’s scripts are always more than just stories to scare the audience; they are thought-provoking tales. This one deals with a man who is gravely injured after rescuing people from a burning building. The doctors who get ahold of him save his life by implanting him with a ton of cybertronic parts. As he recovers, it becomes obvious that the “enhancements” that saved his life have not only replaced some of his body but also his humanity. It’s a cautionary tale about technology and whether we control it or it controls us. It’s easy to see the parallels to our current debate about AI.

A great cast features some favorites, including Kyle Dekker, Heather Meyer, Angela Fox, and Ariel Pinkerton. A special salute to CJ Mantel and Nick Glover for the costumes, makeup, and effects. The final scene has some wonderful tech, with the final blackout creating a rather terrifying image for the audience to ponder. This will surely be among the best of the festival.

Manticore, MN is written by J. Merrill Motz (rhymes with boats) and is another very strong script and well-done production. Directed by Alexander Gerchak, it features another great cast, including Thomas M. Buan, Kyra Richardson, Boo Segersin, and Lewis Youngren. In the small town of Manticore, MN, which isn’t even on the map, people have been disappearing and returning different. A special government agent, played by Segersin, comes to town to try to find out what is happening. The show keeps you on your toes; you are never sure who is good and who might be bad. There are echoes of John Carpenter’s version of The Thing, down to blood tests to try to figure out who is human and who isn’t, though without the gross body-horror elements.

It’s filled with nice touches of humor and is grounded by a commanding performance from Segersin. Buan, who plays the one-syllable-speaking logger Lars, gets a surprise scene of verbalness that reminds one of Silent Bob, but it also made me realize that, in a few years or with makeup, Buan would make a fantastic Falstaff.

If the rest of the TCHF is as good as opening night, this will be a very strong year.

I want to alert you faithful readers to a new Website that has just started up in the Twin Cities. It’s called 79 Seconds on Stage and it is a free and full guide to local theatre in the Twin Cities.

The Rocky Horror Show is an Absolute Joy of Overloaded Spectacle From Mixfit Theatre at Lush Lounge & Theater

Mixfit Theatre’s production of The Rocky Horror Show is unlike any other production I’ve seen, which is in keeping with the oddity that is the legacy of The Rocky Horror Show. A love letter to genre sci-fi and horror films, it is best known to the general public through the film adaptation, which, after a poor initial theatrical release, found new life during midnight screenings. Due to the popularity of those midnight screenings, in which the audience interacts with the film, shouting lines and throwing rice, it has become the longest-running theatrical release in film history. Now, this production doesn’t want you throwing rice, but the cast may ask you to participate, which is a nice nod to the film’s traditions. But fear not, introverts! You will be asked at the entry if you wish to be interacted with. If you select no, you will be given a red glow necklace to wear.

This is the second show I’ve seen at Lush this season, and they have both been a blast. The theater at Lush is primarily used for their drag shows and isn’t really designed for full-on staged musicals. So there is literally nothing in terms of set, but there are costumes, video projections, props, and an assortment of aerialist equipment. The show is billed as a burlesque circus cabaret, but that seems to imply it doesn’t tell the story of the show, which it absolutely does. But there is a lot going on at any one time. As characters are singing the songs, there is usually someone either on stage or out in the center of the audience performing aerial acts that are jaw-dropping. Throughout the show, you will literally not know where to be looking from moment to moment. It is complete sensory overload, but in the best possible way. To say I was wowed by some of the circus performers’ aerial choreography would be an understatement.

The show starts with the song “Science Fiction/Double Feature,” the lyrics of which string together titles and facts from various sci-fi and horror films. Director Siddeeqah Shabazz has utilized projections that exactly mirror the content of the lyrics of the song. We get a really well-edited montage of shots from many films, including The Day the Earth Stood Still, Night of the Demon, and the old Flash Gordon serial starring Buster Crabbe, all with a very queer-feeling color overlay. I knew from the first moment that montage appeared that I was going to love the show.

For those familiar with the show, you may already be aware that the first act is the strongest. All the best songs are in the first act, and the story is relatively easy to follow, even in this unique staging. The second half can be a little muddled in terms of plot, but again, there is so much going on in the space that, while you might be a little fuzzy on what is happening, you will be completely entertained. Even when the songs are not that strong, the band, led by Musical Director Bradley Beahen, wins you over with their clean, tight sound.

The cast has a lot of performers who are new to me, including El-Sara Duopu as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, whose vocals and stage presence are equally powerful. Lee Garr, as the Narrator, is full of strut and coolness as he dips in and out of the story to give us a guiding voice. The cast also has some Stages of MN favorites, including Monty Hays in the dual role of Eddie and Dr. Scott, who really makes the song “Whatever Happened to Saturday Night?” his own. Nora Sonneborn, as Riff Raff, is a powerhouse. Her vocals are always top-notch, but this role is a million miles from what I’m used to seeing her in, and I thought she was fantastic here. And another really strong performance comes from Caitlin Sparks, who brings a new edge to the character of Janet. That was really fun. She plays it big, which works perfectly for this production, where mousey would have been lost in the cacophony of the show.

This is one to attend with friends, have some drinks, and just relax and enjoy the spectacle. But hurry, the show is selling out its short run quickly. The Rocky Horror Show runs through October 24 at Lush Lounge and Theater in Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to https://www.mixfittheatre.org/tickets.

Dracula Rises Once Again, This Time With A Creative Feminist Take on the Classic at the Historic Mounds Theatre

Kate Hamill’s Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really is an adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic tale, but with a decidedly forward-thinking view of gender roles. It follows the geographic outline of Stoker’s plot but changes many of the details. Several key roles in the book are eliminated, relationships change, and even genders are swapped, as in the case of Doctor Van Helsing, who is now a woman. Changes like these to the original source material are almost a prerequisite. Even Francis Ford Coppola’s film version, which is among the more faithful adaptations, can’t help but tweak things a bit. Fidelity to the text should never be an issue when judging a Dracula or Frankenstein adaptation, as Hollywood and the stage long ago implanted changes that the casual observer may assume are the true plots. This production is a mixed bag that works for the most part.

What works well are the elements that deal with gender roles and questioning the patriarchy. The tale lends itself well to this sort of examination. You have the old-school Dracula, who rules over his wives as if he is their lord and master. Then you have the more modern relationships, such as Dr. Seward and his relationship with his fiancée, Lucy, and her friend Mina. He tries to be in charge but finds himself being overruled by Doctor Van Helsing, and the women in his world are more likely to state their opinions or be aware that they have to circumvent his authority.

The casting of Mavrick M. Miller as Count Dracula is very effective. He doesn’t look like our pop culture Draculas, such as Bela Lugosi or even Christopher Lee, but he matches Stoker’s description fairly accurately. He adds an effective accent and has a foreboding stage presence; he’s slightly let down by the wardrobe, particularly in one of the final scenes, where he appears to be wearing a white polo shirt over a white long-sleeved shirt. Cate Jackson is also well cast as Mina. Though the character is changed from the book a good deal, she’s a strong character, and Jackson brings that across to the audience. The direction Hamill took with the character of Van Helsing works really well, but I didn’t feel like Maggie Mae Sulentic played it as effectively as she could have. It may also be the costuming here; there is a sloppiness to the character that undercuts her effectiveness. A lot of that can be laid at the feet of costume designer Krista Weiss’s choices. I’d have gone for a cooler look, less hobo.

The costumes are good in some scenes and detrimental in others. The reality is that there are over 20 actors in the show, many need multiple costumes, and this theater company is a small one. I think they did the best they could in all design departments; it’s just that the budget shows. Some elements are really good. There are some blood effects by Robin Gilmer and Shannon Walbran that are well handled, along with some set pieces that are exactly what is needed, such as Renfield’s cell and the beds of Lucy and Mina. You can suspend your disbelief to the needed level, and then someone enters wearing a polo shirt and the illusion with the audience is broken. I don’t know what the answer to that is. Obviously, within their means, they should do the best they can in every aspect, is the immediate thought, but perhaps finding a balance is better. The inequity in these elements is what pulls us out at times, which is not what you want.

Erika Sasseville directs the show and makes a lot of really effective choices. For the 30 minutes prior to the start, Renfield, another gender-role swap, played by Jennifer D’Lynn, is on stage, at times lying down facing away from the audience and at other times making eerie eye contact with us. It’s a fun way to set the tone, and she carries that tone throughout, with Dracula’s undead posse entering through the aisles among the audience. Another nice touch is having Dracula’s horde act as furniture in the Count’s castle.

The other aspect of the show that needs work is the length. It runs nearly three hours and felt like it could easily have shaved 15 to 30 minutes off through judicious cuts (which would be Hamill’s job) and general pacing, which the director could try to pick up.

If you are someone who can’t get enough horror shows during monster month, like I am, you’ll want to check this one out. It has its flaws, but the good stuff outweighs the missed steps. Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really runs through October 31 at the Historic Mounds Theatre, where you can enjoy a variety of treats and beverages during the show, including popcorn and cocktails. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to https://www.nightfiretheatre.com/dracula.

The Taming Should be the Right Play at the Right Time, But Somehow it Isn’t at Yellow Tree Theatre in Osseo

Nora Targonski-O’Brien, Jane Froiland, and Grace Litzau Photo by Alex Clark

The Taming by Lauren Gunderson, who is consistently one of the most-produced playwrights every year, would seem like a safe choice to open the theater season. Stack on top of that the fact that it’s a political play right before the midterm elections, at a time when politics are very much in the forefront of our collective minds. But for some reason, this play just doesn’t connect very strongly. It isn’t the performances. The three actors, including newcomer Grace Litzau, are all superb. I think it’s the structure of the play, specifically the middle section, that derails the production.

The play opens with brief introductions to the characters. Katherine, played by Grace Litzau, is a contestant in the Miss American competition. Patricia, played by Jane Froiland, is the aide to a U.S. senator about to propose a new bill. Nora Targonski-O’Brien plays Bianca, a left-wing social media influencer with a pet cause and dirt on the senator. After their basics are revealed and they have some slight interaction, we cut to a hotel room, where Patricia and Bianca awaken having been drugged. Katherine, it is revealed, has drugged them both in order to get them to help her rewrite the Constitution. What follows are debates and discussions on the state of politics in our country. At one point, Patricia and Bianca decide that if they work together, they can overtake Katherine and get out of their captivity, but she is a step ahead of them and sprays them with ether.

The next section is, one assumes, an ether dream, as the three are back in the 1700s as Founding Fathers working on the Constitution. Again, there are discussions of a political nature, including a possibly semi-accurate account of some of the conversations and compromises that occurred. Then we are back in the present day. There is a revelation here that is really clever and would have been a much better reveal in a play that didn’t spend a third of its runtime in a dream.

There are several things that just didn’t connect for me. There is supposedly a link to Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, but I don’t see it. I feel like the play would have worked so much better if it had stayed in the present and explored the idea of these three women coming together and actually discussing how to change the Constitution.

Maybe I’m being too harsh on the play. Faithful readers will know that this is only my second review after having undergone surgery earlier in the week. It’s possible that while my body was ready for the outing, my brain wasn’t, and I missed things. I found the ideas floating around to be engaging, and the performances were strong. There is a nice blend of humor and politics, so if that’s your cup of tea, you will definitely get something out of this.

The Taming runs through November 1 at Yellow Tree Theatre in Osseo. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to https://yellowtreetheatre.com/the-taming.

Annie Returns to Chanhasen Dinner Theaters in Fantastic New Production With Rising Star Eve Scharback as Annie

Annie acts as sort of a stealth missile of a musical. Everyone knows it, either from the movie or having seen it previously on stage. Just about every theater company has mounted a production, particularly community theaters. So when it comes up, there is an instinct to dismiss it or, when choosing between two shows, go with the less familiar. What we forget is just how good a production of Annie can be. Case in point: Chanhassen Dinner Theatres’ new production is the best I’ve ever seen! The cast is phenomenal, with a special emphasis on the juvenile performers who make this classic musical feel fresh and new!

As with all long-running professional productions featuring school-age performers, the children’s roles are double-cast. The performance I saw featured Eve Scharback as Annie. Scharback had already impressed me in multiple productions at Theatre Latté Da as Small Alison in Fun Home and Young Alice in their Next Festival reading of Alice in Neverland. It’s unclear if she is trying to corner the market on roles that begin with the letter “A,” but if that is her goal, I’ve no doubt she will achieve it. My prediction is that we are seeing the start of a career actor, one destined to be one of the Twin Cities’ go-to performers. Want to see a star born? Get out to CDT’s production of Annie. Eve Scharback is already shining with a brilliance akin to the North Star. I’d love to go back and see the show with the other cast as well, if they are as good as this, I’d say CDT has locked in the best young performers in the area.

Scharback is surrounded by six or seven other young actors, any of whom would outshine most performances in any community theater production. Special mention has to be given as well to Lucy Anderson, who played Molly this night. Director Tamara Kangas Erickson has guided Anderson straight into the hearts of the audience with her perfectly timed moments of comic relief. The audience was eating out of her hand as she was wheeled offstage in her bed while changing into different poses.

The adult cast is stellar as well. The role of Miss Hannigan, played to perfection by Carol Burnett in the film version, must be a daunting role, knowing that much of the audience will subconsciously be measuring your performance against hers. Serena Brook easily overcomes any resistance to her performance, and it is the standout of the adult cast. Also very impressive, as always, is Anna Hashizume as Grace Farrell, whose voice stands out due to her complete control of every note and the fullness of her sound. In the role of Daddy Warbucks was Dante Jamar Lamonte Murray, whom I’m unfamiliar with, but he’s a welcome surprise, with a nice, rich voice and an easy chemistry with Scharback’s Annie.

If you don’t know the story of Annie, all you really need to know is that it’s a show perfect for the whole family. Kids will love it, adults will love it, even the family dog will love it, though they probably aren’t allowed in. Annie’s dog Sandy is played by Addison, a professional “Sandy” who has performed the role all over the country. The role is small, but when Addison is on stage, she always hits her mark.

Annie runs through February at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres in Chanhassen. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to https://bit.ly/ANNIECDT. The wonderful thing about CDT is that not only do you get a great show, but a delicious meal as well. And don’t forget to add a dessert. I can personally vouch for the tiramisu and the salted caramel cheesecake, both are to die for.