Marie and Rosetta Makes its Long Awaited Appearance at Yellow Tree Theatre and Proves it Was Worth the Wait!

Adair Gilliam and Chaz Shermil Hodges Photo by Alex Clark

Marie and Rosetta, after being postponed last season, finally takes the spotlight at Yellow Tree Theatre, and it was well worth the wait. I have no personal connection to gospel music, but I gained a real appreciation for it, and genuine enjoyment, during the 100 minutes I spent with Adair Gilliam and Chaz Shermil Hodges, who play Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Marie Knight, respectively.

These are perfect roles for both actors, especially Gilliam. I imagine the pool of Twin Cities performers who can handle the intricate guitar work required for this role, while also acting and singing at a high level, is not a large one. But no matter how large that pool might be, I doubt anyone could do it better than Adair Gilliam. Her guitar playing is stunning, her singing remarkable, and her acting equally strong, but she also possesses that intangible quality I can only describe as chemistry with the audience. There’s something in the way she leans into the music, particularly with the guitar in hand, her feel for it, the twinkle in her eye, the smile that spreads across her face as she doesn’t just sing, but communicates the lyrics. It gave me goosebumps, and it will undoubtedly be one of my top theater highlights of 2026, even this early in the year.

Chaz Shermil Hodges is a terrific partner for Gilliam. As Marie, the young protégé Rosetta has taken under her wing, she projects openness and youthful energy, and their vocal performances together are both uplifting and electric.

The story unfolds over their first evening working together, as they rehearse and get to know one another. Interestingly, it takes place in a funeral home. As Black performers traveling the South in the 1940s, their lodging options are limited, so they rely on friends and community connections wherever they go. The women talk about their mothers, the men in their lives, religion, and music, sharing their stories as we come to know them. I found these conversations fascinating, like listening to two people you instantly like open up about themselves. Co-directors Ansa Akyea and Richard Thompson beautifully capture that feeling of connection, the simple act of sitting, talking, and truly listening. It’s something many productions aim for, but few fully achieve.

The show would be worth seeing even without the musical numbers woven throughout, but man, those performances make this one a must-see. Go and swing with Marie and Rosetta which runs through April 19 at Yellow Tree Theatre in Osseo. For more information and tickets, go to https://yellowtreetheatre.com/marie-and-rosetta.

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The Stages of MN YouTube channel is home to the 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.

The Welkin Is Riveting From Start To Finish From Frank Theatre Ending Sunday at the Gremlin Theatre

Cast of “The Welkin” Tracey Maloney and Elizabeth Efteland front and center Photo by Tony Nelson

The Welkin continues Frank Theatre’s tradition of producing incredibly thought provoking and relevant work that speaks directly to our world. I had to reschedule this one three times due to some ongoing health issues. I didn’t want to miss it, but by the third reschedule, when I was looking at finally seeing it during the last weekend, that’s usually when I cut my losses and move on to something with more of a run left. Big shout-out to my friend Jill over at Cherry and Spoon, who made sure I knew this was not to be missed. She has never been more right in all the years I’ve known her. This one has TCTB Awards written all over it.

Here’s the thing: it’s now almost midnight on Thursday, and this show closes Sunday. So this is going to be short and sweet, because I have another show tomorrow night, and if I want to give anyone a chance of catching this, I need to publish tonight. And those health issues? Still ongoing. I’m tired. So Frank Theatre, forgive me if this feels a little rushed.

“It’s 1759 in rural England, and the country is awaiting the return of Halley’s Comet. A young woman, accused of murder, is sentenced to death. When she tries to escape the noose by claiming she is pregnant, twelve ordinary women are gathered to decide whether she is telling the truth.”
—Frank Theatre website synopsis

Wendy Knox directs Lucy Kirkwood’s script, which had its U.S. premiere in 2024, making this the first chance for local audiences to experience it. The show runs close to three hours, with a 15-minute intermission, but I swear it feels like two, and a quick two at that. Knox’s great strength is her work with actors. There are 16 performers onstage, and not a single one fails to captivate for even a moment.

My biggest problem with this show is already looming: when I submit my nominees next January, do I just nominate it for Favorite Ensemble in a Drama, or do I also single out individual performances? Elizabeth Efteland as Sally, the accused, and Tracey Maloney as Elizabeth Luke, the local midwife and her chief supporter, both deserve Favorite Performance in a Drama nominations, but do they end up canceling each other out? That’s a problem for next year. The point is: they are both brilliant.

And then, frankly, so is everyone else. That includes Stages of MN favorites like Grace Hillmyer, Suzie Juul, Eva Gemlo, and Wini Froelich, who shows a side of herself you never saw at The Mystery Café. Simply stunning. Even performers with the fewest lines hold your attention completely. There isn’t a wasted moment, not a throwaway line. In fact, there are a couple of subtle, intriguing lines that could easily be missed but leave you questioning what you’ve actually seen. I won’t spoil those moments. This play is so strong that others will undoubtedly produce it, but I doubt they’ll do it as well as Frank.

The remainder of the run, which ends March 29, is nearly sold out. If you can make it, I urge you to act fast and grab one of the remaining tickets. I’ll make it easy, here’s the link to the Frank Theatre website:
https://franktheatre.org/events/the-welkin/

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.

Sleuth Will Keep You on Your Toes and on the Edge of Your Seat as This Classic Thriller Hits The Guthrie Stage

John Tufts (Milo Tindle) and Ramiz Monsef (Andrew Wyke) Photo Credit: Dan Norman

I’m fairly familiar with Sleuth, though I’d never seen it performed. I have seen the two film versions, which have their own interesting backstory. The play, written by Anthony Shaffer, premiered in 1970 and won the Tony Award for Best Play. It was adapted by Shaffer into a film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz starring Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine.

The play was adapted again in 2007 with a screenplay by Harold Pinter, who had never seen the earlier film or the play before. That film, directed by Kenneth Branagh, starred Michael Caine again, this time in the older role, with Jude Law taking over the part Caine played in the original film. Few plays have such an interesting lineage, where one generation of actors quite literally inherits the roles from the previous one.

Which made it a particular pleasure to finally see the original version as it was intended: on stage.

The two-act play is a cat-and-mouse game between Andrew Wyke, a writer of mystery novels, and Milo Tindle, who owns a travel agency and happens to want to marry Andrew’s wife. Andrew says he has no objections; he just wants to make sure that Milo can afford her and won’t find her back on his doorstep. Andrew has a plan to have Milo pretend to burglarize his house and make off with a fortune in jewels, which Milo can sell for cash while Andrew collects on the insurance money. But is it as straightforward as that? Is that even straightforward? The twists and turns are what make the show such an enjoyable entertainment, so discussing the plot any further feels like robbing it of its bread and butter.

John Tufts as Milo and Ramiz Monsef as Andrew both do solid work. Tufts in particular is very good, and while Sleuth isn’t exactly a comedic thriller, the performers find quite a bit of black comedy to play with.

That said, I was a little disappointed in the Guthrie for bringing in a cast of out-of-towners rather than utilizing the deep bench of talent we have here in the Twin Cities. Monsef also strikes me as a little young for Andrew. I couldn’t help imagining what someone like David Andrew Macdonald might have done with that role, with Peter Christian Hansen as Milo.

Rounding out the supporting cast is a particularly droll performance by Stanley Rushton as Inspector Doppler, with smaller roles for Liam McNulty and Robin Mayfield as fellow policemen.

I always say that a play that uses black wooden boxes to stand in for every piece of set can be just as thrilling as a set that costs the budget of some theater companies’ entire seasons. And I believe that to be true. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love a well-dressed and elaborate set. Todd Rosenthal has created a playroom of a set, which you can see in the accompanying photo, and it’s a thing of beauty.

If you enjoy a twisty-turny mystery, Sleuth will be right up your alley. It’s a well-mounted production and the cast is really quite good, even if they aren’t local. Sleuth runs through May 10. I read in a program recently that Agatha Christie was single handedly keeping theater doors open. That’s an exaggeration, of course, but this is along those lines and should fill seats and entertain theatergoers.

For more information and to purchase tickets, go to:
https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/2025-2026-season/sleuth/

Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope Uplifts the Audience While Refracting a Spotlight Through the Prism of Black America

The Cast of Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope (March 2026 Penumbra Theatre) Photo Credit Caroline Yang

Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope is a historic piece of musical theater, the first Broadway show with music and lyrics by a Black woman and also the first Broadway show directed by a Black woman. That was back in 1972, the year I was born. The similarities end there.

Micki Grant’s musical revue doesn’t have a traditional narrative. There are no discernible continuing characters moving throughout the show, and no dialogue to speak of. And yet it feels as though each new number is a short story, complete with characters, a theme, and its own unique tone. Each of these short stories looks at the lives of Black Americans through a different social, political, or cultural lens.

Unlike other works that strive to examine the Black experience, this one feels like it’s looking at it from the inside rather than presenting it for an outside perspective. That allows the show to be, above all else, a celebration. This isn’t a laundry list of injustices or righteous grievances. It’s the world through a perspective shared by many in the audience and, for others like myself, perhaps a clearer sense of how that world looks.

What the show gets incredibly right is that no one is the sum of the bad things that happen to them. If that were true, all of us living under Trump would be defined either by our ignorance or by our outrage. I am more than my outrage, because outrage alone is no way to live a life. As with this show, many of the songs deal with social issues, and there are moments when the show allows that outrage to breathe. But it always reminds us that people living with outrage day in and day out still find ways to let joy in.

I want to convey as strongly as I can that this is not a work about anger and injustice. It’s a beautiful, engaging, uplifting, and ultimately joyous experience. It acknowledges reality and shows how people deal with that reality, by not letting it win, by fighting when they can, and by finding laughter, love, and yes, joy wherever they can. By refusing to be defined by what others have done to them.

The songs move through styles including gospel, jazz, funk, soul, and rock, though my personal favorite was the calypso flavor that kept popping up. One of the best songs early in the show, “Goin’ to Town This Morning,” immediately made me think of my favorite Donna Summer song, “Unconditional Love.” That number features one of my favorites, Austene Van, on lead vocals, reminding me yet again how amazing she is.

But here’s the thing: the entire cast is amazing. I could easily sit here and list every performer and tell you my favorite moment for each of them. But then I wouldn’t get to bed, and you’d probably stop reading a quarter of the way through. Suffice it to say they are all terrific, including Twin Cities Theater Blogger Favorite Emerging Artist of 2025 Antonisia Collins. This is her first role since winning the award, and it reassures us that we got that one absolutely right.

And Mrs. The Stages of MN would kill me if I didn’t also mention Aimee K. Bryant, who gave her goosebumps every time she sang. Did I know Bryant could sing? She can’t possibly be that good and I never noticed, so I must have known and simply forgotten.

Before wrapping up, I do want to acknowledge a few of the backstage artists. First, Patdro Harris, who directs the show so that each song has a distinct and clearly told story. Harris is also getting my nomination for Best Choreographer, one of the elements that makes this production truly unforgettable. Sanford Moore’s music direction, and the sound he gets from his band, is so thrilling that there wasn’t a moment in the entire runtime when I wasn’t bobbing along or clapping to the beat. The energy of some of these numbers is absolutely infectious.

I also want to mention projection designer Miko Simmons, whose work is exceptional. The projections add texture and weight where needed without overwhelming the show’s overwhelmingly positive “Good Vibrations“.

Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope runs through April 5 at Penumbra Theatre in St. Paul. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit:
https://penumbratheatre.org/event/dont-bother-me-i-cant-cope/#4

Water For Elephants All the Fun of a Trip to the Circus But With the Added Bonus of Great Music, and No Smells.

The cast of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

Water for Elephants is based on the novel by Sara Gruen, which I haven’t read, that was adapted into a film, which I haven’t seen. Really, all I knew going in was that Mrs. The Stages of MN and I saw the poster when we were in NYC in 2024 and wished we’d had time to see it.

The story is told by an old man to two circus employees after a performance, so it is a memory play. The older Jacob tells of his days in the circus as a young man who missed taking his veterinary exams when his parents were killed in a car accident. With their house taken over by the bank, he hops a train looking for… what, he doesn’t know. What he finds is a circus in need of a veterinarian who can’t afford a real one. He reluctantly agrees to stay on, and when the circus acquires Rosie, the elephant of the title, he helps train her along with the circus owner and ringmaster August’s wife, Marlena. Marlena and Jacob bond over training Rosie, whose addition to the circus reverses its fortunes, endearing Jacob to the rest of the workers and performers. Everything could be wonderful, but, August is not a good man…

The story is compelling enough, and I enjoyed the score and songs enough that I may give the cast recording a listen or two. Sorry, current audiobook, I’ll get back to you in a day or two. But what really makes this show stand out is the choreography by Jesse Robb and Shana Carroll, assuming that’s what you call the spectacular and seemingly peril-filled circus aerial acts. There are some genuinely jaw-dropping moments that you’re amazed they pull off once, let alone eight times a week. As much as I enjoyed everything else about the show, it was those circus acts, and the clowning by Walter, played by Tyler West, that delighted me most. The clowning is so funny and wonderfully slapstick. I loved it, and West was probably my favorite performer in the entire show.

This must be an exceptionally hard show to cast, and to be honest, I think they cast for the ability to do the stunts first and singing voice second. Very few in the cast are outstanding vocally, but none are terrible. Based on what I was most delighted by, I’d say that was probably the right call. The best singers were Zakeyia Lacey, who was in as the understudy for Marlena, and Javier Garcia, who plays Camel, the elderly circus worker who first befriends Jacob. The real stars, though, as I’ve said, are the people floating gracefully through the sky and free-falling headfirst down ropes, stopping themselves inches from the floor. It’s breathtaking.

Visually, in every respect, the show is a winner, from the scenic design by Takeshi Kata, which works seamlessly with Bradley King’s lighting design and David Bengali’s restrained, mood-enhancing projections to create the look of a simpler time. The animals are created via puppets by Ray Wetmore, Jr Goodman, and Camille LaBarre, and while not on the level of Life of Pi or The Lion King, they’re still effective.

Water for Elephants runs through March 8th at Hennepin Arts Orpheum Theatre through March 8th. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://hennepinarts.org/events/water-for-elephants

Connor Sullivan, Helen Krushinski, and Zachary Keller Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

Oscar Wilde’s Salomé is Shiveringly Good at PAIKKA

Nathan Keepers Photo by Molly Jay Photography

The new production of Oscar Wilde’s Salomé, playing at PAIKKA, isn’t just a play, it’s an experience.

To get the most out of it, when they show you the coat rack, do not avail yourself of it. Find a seat close to the action, but also as near as possible to the end of the room you entered from. A character exits and enters through an exterior door several times during the show, and depending on the weather, you’re going to want to protect yourself. If I have one criticism, it’s not the use of the door, it’s how long it’s left open. I’m not saying I believe they shouldn’t do it. I just know I wished I’d had my coat instead of sitting there in a short-sleeved T-shirt.

The discomfort is clearly intentional, and I understand the artistic reasoning. Still, a warning might have been nice. At times I found myself distracted, not only by my own chill but by concern for the actors, who occasionally had even less protection than I did. And that’s all I’ll say about that. Take the proper precautions and you’ll be free to immerse yourself in this riveting drama.

Wilde’s play tells the story of Jokanaan (John the Baptist), imprisoned in a cistern by King Herod. The production opens in a dining hall, where some audience members are seated (don’t worry, there’s no audience participation), as four servants tidy up and gossip. We quickly learn that one of them is infatuated with Princess Salomé, Herod’s stepdaughter.

When Salomé leaves the party and enters the dining hall, she hears Jokanaan’s prophetic ravings and becomes fascinated. She convinces a servant to bring him before her. She is captivated by him, and is determined to kiss his lips, but he refuses her advances and is returned to his prison. Soon Herod and his wife, Herodias, enter. It becomes disturbingly clear that Herod harbors an inappropriate fascination with his stepdaughter. He promises Salomé anything she desires if she will dance for him. She agrees, and when she names her price, he desperately attempts to dissuade her.

Director Grant Sorenson eschews traditional theatrical forms, creating something immediate, immersive, and visceral. From my seat at one of the tables, it felt like front row theater in the most literal sense, which as faithful readers know, is my preferred vantage point. The action unfolds between two long banquet tables, with audiences seated along the outside edges and in rows lining the walls. The performers use the entire space, moving from one end of the room to the other and even through both doors. At times, the actors are directly between the tables and the audience, eliminating any sense of distance.

The performances are uniformly strong. Ani Tonoyan, in a dazzling silver gown, makes Salomé both seductive and calculating. Emily Gunyou Halaas brings a grounded realism to Herodias, watchful and keenly aware of her husband’s wandering eye. Logan Lang’s Jokanaan is ferocious, a prophet teetering between divine inspiration and madness, with bursts of physical intensity that are genuinely startling.

But it is Nathan Keepers as Herod who steals the show. His performance is layered with pointed allusions to Trump, funny, unsettling, and chillingly recognizable. He prowls the dining hall, ranting and rambling, his obsession with his stepdaughter rendered both grotesque and darkly comic. Whether you see the parallels immediately or gradually, the effect is undeniable. It’s a bold and captivating performance.

The ensemble of servants is equally compelling, and the presence of Stages of MN Must-See Lister, Stephanie Kahle, alone is reason enough to attend.

Salomé runs just two weekends ending February 28th. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.salomempls.com/

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

Despite a String of Local Theater Accidents and Ailments surrounding Adaptations. The Guthrie Rolls the Dice on the Scottish Play.

Daniel José Molina (Macbeth) and John Catron (Macduff) Photo by Dan Norman

I’ve got to hand it to the Guthrie: Macbeth was a brave choice for this year’s Shakespeare production, especially given the unfortunate events surrounding other “Macbeth-adjacent” productions over the past couple of years, from Theater Latté Da’s Scotland, P.A. to Rough Magic’s The Macbeths. It has sometimes felt as though the so-called “curse” wasn’t being dispelled so much as branching out into adaptations. You can Google or search Facebook for the details of those misfortunes.

For the curious, I’d suggest keeping an eye on the Guthrie’s social media accounts to see if anything mysterious or unfortunate befalls this production. I sincerely hope not, because this Macbeth is thrilling and fast-paced, and I’d hate to see any performances canceled and audiences deprived of the chance to experience it.

Former Guthrie Artistic Director Joe Dowling returns to direct this bold new production of Shakespeare’s tragedy of ambition and corruption.

Headlining the cast, and returning to the Guthrie after his wonderful turn as Henry V in the History Plays during the 2024 season, is Daniel José Molina as Macbeth. He was excellent as Prince Hal, but he may be even better here. His delivery of the famous “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow” soliloquy is unlike any version I’ve ever heard, and it works brilliantly.

Other standouts include John Catron as Macduff (among several other roles), whose final confrontation with Macbeth is especially powerful. A quick note of praise also goes to fight director Annie Enneking, the climactic battle has a precision and speed rarely seen in live theater.

Stages of MN favorites Regina Marie Williams and Daniel Petzold each take on multiple roles, and it’s always a pleasure to see them, especially in Shakespeare. Meghan Kreidler is at her strongest as Lady Macbeth when her grip on reason begins to unravel. Peter Christian Hansen’s Banquo sports a couple of memorable wigs that give his character, particularly in spectral form, a striking visual identity. I know some folks will be delighted to learn that his chest has also come out of retirement for this production.

If you’ve never seen Macbeth, this is an excellent place to start. It’s one of Shakespeare’s shorter thrillers, and this production moves with a driving pace that feels almost like a modern suspense film. The production team creates a cold, towering backdrop for the action, and the frequent use of fog reinforces the sense of danger and isolation in the Scottish Highlands.

Macbeth runs through March 22 at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit:
https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/2025-2026-season/macbeth/

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