Jared Fessler - Page 14

What did our critic think of GUNS! THE MUSICAL at Theatre In The Round?

What did our critic think of JOAN OF ARC FOR MISS TEEN QUEEN USA at Rarig Stoll Thrust Theatre?

It’s not every day that a Disney classic gets a fresh new life on stage, but that’s exactly what’s happening with the latest North American tour of Beauty and the Beast. For the first time in over 25 years, audiences are being treated to a reimagined production of this beloved tale — complete with stunning new sets, dazzling costumes, and all the magic you remember.

Greg Milliren is a Twin Cities–based flutist and musician. He performs with the Minnesota Orchestra and the Lake Area Music Festival, and he also offers private lessons.

Macy Gray Brings Soul, Sass, and Surprises to the Fillmore Minneapolis. By the time Macy Gray walked onto the Fillmore stage Sunday night—draped in a sparkling shawl and grinning like she owned the room—the crowd was already buzzing. It wasn’t just anticipation. It was admiration. After 25 years, she’s still got that weird, wild magic that first made us lean in when On How Life Is dropped back in ‘99.

Scott Lykins, co-founder and Executive Director of the Lakes Area Music Festival. Since its start in 2009, the Festival has grown from a small, homegrown idea into a nationally respected organization that brings top classical musicians from around the country to perform in the heart of central Minnesota.

Adam is a Minneapolis-based singer and songwriter with deep musical roots stretching across the country. Whether he's performing in New York City, Nashville, New Orleans, or on the road, he brings a blend of soul, jazz, funk, and R&B to every stage. His sound is shaped by legends like Stevie Wonder, D’Angelo, Donny Hathaway, Sam Cooke, and Marvin Gaye.

Ashland Productions' rendition of Into the Woods is a captivating exploration of the complexity of wishes, consequences, and the intertwining fates of beloved fairy-tale characters.

Hailing from Minnetonka, Minnesota, Frankie developed her musical identity early, drawing influence from a wide array of genres.

The national tour of Kimberly Akimbo, the five-time Tony Award-winning musical, opened this week at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Minneapolis — and it is, quite simply, a triumph of storytelling.

​​​​​​​Mikah Meyer is a advernturer, music performer, and is working on his new film Canyon Chorus - A River Rafting Journey and will be sharing his film in Minneapolis this summer. 

There’s no gentle way into A Pink Triangle, and that’s exactly the point. This new play by Kirby Taylor, now running at Phoenix Theater in Minneapolis, wastes no time setting its tone—grim, intimate, and deeply human. Set in a Nazi concentration camp, the story focuses on a father and son forced into proximity after years of silence, betrayal, and shame. It’s heavy material, but what emerges is a tightly focused, emotionally charged drama that lingers long after the lights come up.

Theatre in the Round is ending its 73rd season with a bang—and a belly laugh—with the world premiere of Endometriosis: The Musical, a gutsy and hilarious new work by Maria Bartholdi and Kristin Stowell. What began as a hit at the 2022 Minnesota Fringe Festival (where it took home Venue Pick, Audience Pick, and Artist Pick) has blossomed into a full-length, full-hearted production that’s both sharply funny and painfully honest.

We are chatting with the brilliant and unpredictable Suzie Toot—fresh off RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 17 and now stepping into the spotlight with her one-woman show, If You Knew Suzie…, at Amsterdam Bar & Hall on June 24.

From the second the doors opened at Minneapolis’ Varsity Theater, it was clear that Betty Who’s Out of the Darkness tour wasn’t just another pop concert—it was a radiant, communal celebration. The cozy venue, known for its intimate vibe and flawless acoustics, buzzed with energy as fans filtered in, ready for an evening of synth-pop, self-love, and pure joy.

On a warm June evening in St. Paul, James Taylor brought his trademark warmth and wit to a packed Xcel Energy Center, offering fans an evening that felt less like a massive arena concert and more like an intimate fireside gathering—only with 15,000 people invited.

The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts has once again delivered a winning Broadway experience with its latest production of Legally Blonde, running June 10-15, 2025. Based on the 2001 cult-favorite film starring Reese Witherspoon, this musical adaptation is a high-energy, feel-good show that perfectly balances infectious fun with meaningful themes of empowerment and self-discovery.

At the Crane Theater, Walking Shadow Theatre Company isn’t just reviving history — it’s exhuming it, dusting it off, and tossing it unapologetically under the spotlight. Mae West and the Trial of Sex, a new play written by Artistic Director John Heimbuch and directed by Allison Vincent, dives headlong into the scandal, subversion, and censorship of 1920s Broadway — and finds the modern resonance humming just beneath the fringe.

'Legally Blonde' will be playing at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in Saint Paul, Minnesota, from June 10 to June 15, 2025. We spoke with Kathryn Brunner, who stars as Elle Woods in this production.

What happens if Juliet doesn’t die at the end of Romeo & Juliet? That’s the bold (and surprisingly heartwarming) premise behind & Juliet, now playing at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis through May 18. This energetic, genre-bending musical takes Shakespeare’s tragic heroine and gives her a second act—one where she gets to live, love, and belt out pop hits from the likes of Britney Spears, Katy Perry, and the Backstreet Boys.