BWW Review: Theater Latte Da's Gleefully Maniacal SWEENEY TODD is Not to be Missed!
by Jill Schafer - October 01, 2015
Friends, Theater Latte Da has done it again. They've created a music-theater production that is so stirring and chilling, it's nothing short of brilliant. After the delightfully innovative and stripped-down INTO THE WOODS this spring, they return to Sondheim with a similarly innovative and stripped-down SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET. But where INTO THE WOODS was a fun and slightly sinister mish-mash of classic fairy tales, SWEENEY is all darkness and death, albeit with a bit of dark humor. Director Peter Rothstein again cast just ten actors in the show, many playing multiple roles and all perfect for the parts, and Denise Prosek leads a pared down orchestra of just four, that still somehow sounds musically full on this gorgeous and disturbing score. With a couple of actors not known for their singing leading this talented cast, and a cohesive look to the set, costumes, and theater space that is well used, this SWEENEYis completely engaging and all-consuming, and brilliantly shows what Latte Da can do with not musical theater, but theater musically.
by Jill Schafer - October 01, 2015
Friends, Theater Latte Da has done it again. They've created a music-theater production that is so stirring and chilling, it's nothing short of brilliant. After the delightfully innovative and stripped-down INTO THE WOODS this spring, they return to Sondheim with a similarly innovative and stripped-down SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET. But where INTO THE WOODS was a fun and slightly sinister mish-mash of classic fairy tales, SWEENEY is all darkness and death, albeit with a bit of dark humor. Director Peter Rothstein again cast just ten actors in the show, many playing multiple roles and all perfect for the parts, and Denise Prosek leads a pared down orchestra of just four, that still somehow sounds musically full on this gorgeous and disturbing score. With a couple of actors not known for their singing leading this talented cast, and a cohesive look to the set, costumes, and theater space that is well used, this SWEENEYis completely engaging and all-consuming, and brilliantly shows what Latte Da can do with not musical theater, but theater musically.
GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES Comes to The Duluth Playhouse Tonight
by BWW News Desk - October 01, 2015
The Underground presents Rajiv Joseph's GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES, running tonight, October 1, through October 10, 2015, starring Robert Lee and Sarah Lueck and directed by Mary Fox, at The Duluth Playhouse.
by BWW News Desk - October 01, 2015
The Underground presents Rajiv Joseph's GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES, running tonight, October 1, through October 10, 2015, starring Robert Lee and Sarah Lueck and directed by Mary Fox, at The Duluth Playhouse.
Jungle Theater to Present Conor McPherson's THE NIGHT ALIVE, Opening 11/6
by BWW News Desk - September 30, 2015
The Jungle closes its 25th Anniversary Season with the regional premiere of the latest work by Conor McPherson, lauded by The New York Times as "the finest playwright of his generation." Joel Sass will direct THE NIGHT ALIVE, his third turn with a McPherson play at the Jungle after critical and audience acclaim with Shining City (2007) and The Seafarer (2009). The Night Alive opens November 6 and will be on stage through December 20 at the Lyn-Lake neighborhood theater, 2951 Lyndale Ave. So. in Minneapolis.
by BWW News Desk - September 30, 2015
The Jungle closes its 25th Anniversary Season with the regional premiere of the latest work by Conor McPherson, lauded by The New York Times as "the finest playwright of his generation." Joel Sass will direct THE NIGHT ALIVE, his third turn with a McPherson play at the Jungle after critical and audience acclaim with Shining City (2007) and The Seafarer (2009). The Night Alive opens November 6 and will be on stage through December 20 at the Lyn-Lake neighborhood theater, 2951 Lyndale Ave. So. in Minneapolis.
PlayLabs Festival to Run 10/12-18 at the Playwrights' Center
by BWW News Desk - September 29, 2015
The Twin Cities area is well known as a great theater town, so it is a fitting home to one of the nation's most celebrated new play festivals. The 32nd annual PlayLabs festival runs October 12-18 at the Playwrights' Center, a 44-year-old organization that is one of just a handful of play development centers in the country.
by BWW News Desk - September 29, 2015
The Twin Cities area is well known as a great theater town, so it is a fitting home to one of the nation's most celebrated new play festivals. The 32nd annual PlayLabs festival runs October 12-18 at the Playwrights' Center, a 44-year-old organization that is one of just a handful of play development centers in the country.
Theatre Coup d'Etat Presents EQUUS by Peter Shaffer
by BWW News Desk - September 27, 2015
Winner of the Tony Award, the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, the Drama Desk Award, and the New York Outer Critics Award for Best Play, Equus explores how society's obsession with normalcy has destroyed our acceptance and understanding of passion.
by BWW News Desk - September 27, 2015
Winner of the Tony Award, the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, the Drama Desk Award, and the New York Outer Critics Award for Best Play, Equus explores how society's obsession with normalcy has destroyed our acceptance and understanding of passion.
Children's Theatre Company Extends THE WIZARD OF OZ
by BWW News Desk - September 25, 2015
Children's Theatre Company (CTC) is proud to present the extraordinary classic musical, The Wizard of Oz, November 3, 2015 to January 10, 2016 on the UnitedHealth Group Stage. Extended by one week due to popular demand, audiences can expect all the splendor, magic, and excitement of the classic story beautifully captured in this production starring CTC Acting Company member Traci Allen Shannon as Dorothy.
by BWW News Desk - September 25, 2015
Children's Theatre Company (CTC) is proud to present the extraordinary classic musical, The Wizard of Oz, November 3, 2015 to January 10, 2016 on the UnitedHealth Group Stage. Extended by one week due to popular demand, audiences can expect all the splendor, magic, and excitement of the classic story beautifully captured in this production starring CTC Acting Company member Traci Allen Shannon as Dorothy.
MURDER FOR TWO Brings Music, Mayhem and Murder to Park Square Tonight
by BWW News Desk - September 25, 2015
Park Square continues its 41st season next month with the Minnesota premiere of the musical comedy MURDER FOR TWO on the Andy Boss Thrust Stage. The whodunit by Kellen Blair (book and lyrics) and Joe Kinosian (book and music) is the perfect blend of music, mayhem and murder. In this hilarious 90-minute show, two performers play thirteen roles -- not to mention the piano -- in a witty and winking homage to old-fashioned murder mysteries.
by BWW News Desk - September 25, 2015
Park Square continues its 41st season next month with the Minnesota premiere of the musical comedy MURDER FOR TWO on the Andy Boss Thrust Stage. The whodunit by Kellen Blair (book and lyrics) and Joe Kinosian (book and music) is the perfect blend of music, mayhem and murder. In this hilarious 90-minute show, two performers play thirteen roles -- not to mention the piano -- in a witty and winking homage to old-fashioned murder mysteries.
BWW Feature: The Ivey Awards Celebrates an Amazing Year of Theater in Minneapolis and St. Paul
by Jill Schafer - September 23, 2015
On Monday night I attended my 9th Ivey Awards. Yes, even before I started Cherry and Spoon in 2010 and started getting press tickets to the event in 2013, I was still a theater geek (read all the words I've written about the Iveys here). The Ivey Awards are my favorite theater night of the year, not so much for the awards themselves, but because it's a celebration of another year of amazing local theater that gathers all of my favorite theater artists in one room. Even though I've met many of them, I still get starstruck when I walk through the crowd and every other face I see is someone I've enjoyed watching on stage. I love to watch awards shows on TV so it's a thrill to get all glammed up and actually attend one in person. I even painted my toenails with a glittery green called 'One Short Day' - appropriate because of its musical theater geekiness and and because this event that I look forward to all year goes by in a whirlwind of people and honorees and loud music and conversations. And now it's over for another year, but more great theater is still to come which we will be celebrating next year!
by Jill Schafer - September 23, 2015
On Monday night I attended my 9th Ivey Awards. Yes, even before I started Cherry and Spoon in 2010 and started getting press tickets to the event in 2013, I was still a theater geek (read all the words I've written about the Iveys here). The Ivey Awards are my favorite theater night of the year, not so much for the awards themselves, but because it's a celebration of another year of amazing local theater that gathers all of my favorite theater artists in one room. Even though I've met many of them, I still get starstruck when I walk through the crowd and every other face I see is someone I've enjoyed watching on stage. I love to watch awards shows on TV so it's a thrill to get all glammed up and actually attend one in person. I even painted my toenails with a glittery green called 'One Short Day' - appropriate because of its musical theater geekiness and and because this event that I look forward to all year goes by in a whirlwind of people and honorees and loud music and conversations. And now it's over for another year, but more great theater is still to come which we will be celebrating next year!
Guthrie Theater's Joe Dowling Receives Ivey Lifetime Achievement Award; 2015 Honorees Announced!
by BWW News Desk - September 21, 2015
Joe Dowling, the Guthrie Theater's recently retired artistic director, was honored at the 2015 Ivey Lifetime Achievement Award, the celebration of Twin Cities theater, on September 21 at the Historic State Theatre in downtown Minneapolis. Critically-acclaimed actor Mikell Sapp received the Emerging Artist Award.
by BWW News Desk - September 21, 2015
Joe Dowling, the Guthrie Theater's recently retired artistic director, was honored at the 2015 Ivey Lifetime Achievement Award, the celebration of Twin Cities theater, on September 21 at the Historic State Theatre in downtown Minneapolis. Critically-acclaimed actor Mikell Sapp received the Emerging Artist Award.
Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company to Stage THE TWENTY-SEVENTH MAN, 10/17-11/8
by BWW News Desk - September 21, 2015
Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company (MJTC) is pleased to announce the opening of The Twenty-Seventh Man, a new work by Nathan Englander. This regional premiere runs from October 17 - November 8 at MJTC's theater home in the Highland Park Community Center, 1978 Ford Parkway, St. Paul, MN 55116.
by BWW News Desk - September 21, 2015
Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company (MJTC) is pleased to announce the opening of The Twenty-Seventh Man, a new work by Nathan Englander. This regional premiere runs from October 17 - November 8 at MJTC's theater home in the Highland Park Community Center, 1978 Ford Parkway, St. Paul, MN 55116.
Minneapolis Musical Theatre Presents MURDER BALLAD
by BWW News Desk - September 19, 2015
Minneapolis Musical Theatre (MMT) kicks off their 24th season with a "concert staging" of the Off-Broadway musical hit Murder Ballad at the Bryant-Lake Bowl Theater (810 W Lake St, Minneapolis) October 2nd, 9th and 16th at 7:00 p.m.
by BWW News Desk - September 19, 2015
Minneapolis Musical Theatre (MMT) kicks off their 24th season with a "concert staging" of the Off-Broadway musical hit Murder Ballad at the Bryant-Lake Bowl Theater (810 W Lake St, Minneapolis) October 2nd, 9th and 16th at 7:00 p.m.
Photo Flash: First Look at Stages Theatre Company's JUNIE B. JONES
by BWW News Desk - September 18, 2015
Junie B. Jones - The Musical opens Friday, September 18th and runs through Sunday, October 18th, and is an all ages show. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.stagestheatre.org for performance dates and times, or by calling the Box Office at (952) 979-1111, option 4,
by BWW News Desk - September 18, 2015
Junie B. Jones - The Musical opens Friday, September 18th and runs through Sunday, October 18th, and is an all ages show. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.stagestheatre.org for performance dates and times, or by calling the Box Office at (952) 979-1111, option 4,
MURDER FOR TWO Brings Music, Mayhem and Murder to Park Square Tonight
by BWW News Desk - September 18, 2015
Park Square continues its 41st season next month with the Minnesota premiere of the musical comedy MURDER FOR TWO on the Andy Boss Thrust Stage. The whodunit by Kellen Blair (book and lyrics) and Joe Kinosian (book and music) is the perfect blend of music, mayhem and murder. In this hilarious 90-minute show, two performers play thirteen roles -- not to mention the piano -- in a witty and winking homage to old-fashioned murder mysteries.
by BWW News Desk - September 18, 2015
Park Square continues its 41st season next month with the Minnesota premiere of the musical comedy MURDER FOR TWO on the Andy Boss Thrust Stage. The whodunit by Kellen Blair (book and lyrics) and Joe Kinosian (book and music) is the perfect blend of music, mayhem and murder. In this hilarious 90-minute show, two performers play thirteen roles -- not to mention the piano -- in a witty and winking homage to old-fashioned murder mysteries.
Ellie Turk to Lead Stages Theatre Company's JUNIE B. JONES THE MUSICAL; Cast Set!
by BWW News Desk - September 18, 2015
Stages Theatre Company is thrilled to announce the cast for JUNIE B. JONES THE MUSICAL. This marks the first production of the 2015-2016 Season - A Season of Believing! JUNIE B. JONES THE MUSICAL runs September 18 - October 18, 2015.
by BWW News Desk - September 18, 2015
Stages Theatre Company is thrilled to announce the cast for JUNIE B. JONES THE MUSICAL. This marks the first production of the 2015-2016 Season - A Season of Believing! JUNIE B. JONES THE MUSICAL runs September 18 - October 18, 2015.
JUNIE B. JONES, THE SNOW QUEEN and More Set for Stages Theatre Company's 2015-16 Season
by BWW News Desk - September 18, 2015
As Stages Theatre Company (STC) unveils our 32nd season, we continue our commitment providing high-quality, accessible theatre for young audiences.
by BWW News Desk - September 18, 2015
As Stages Theatre Company (STC) unveils our 32nd season, we continue our commitment providing high-quality, accessible theatre for young audiences.
Brave New Workshop to Present THE TRUMP WHO STOLE CHRISTMAS This Holiday Season
by BWW News Desk - September 17, 2015
The Brave New Workshop Theatre (BNW) is pleased to announce the title and cast of its holiday show, THE TRUMP WHO STOLE CHRISTMAS. Previews for the show run November 6-12, with opening night on Friday, November 13. 'The Trump Who Stole Christmas' runs through January 30.
by BWW News Desk - September 17, 2015
The Brave New Workshop Theatre (BNW) is pleased to announce the title and cast of its holiday show, THE TRUMP WHO STOLE CHRISTMAS. Previews for the show run November 6-12, with opening night on Friday, November 13. 'The Trump Who Stole Christmas' runs through January 30.
JUNIE B. JONES Opens Friday at Stages Theatre Company
by BWW News Desk - September 17, 2015
Come sneak a peek into the 'Top-Secret Personal Beeswax Journal' of the sassy and lovable Junie B. Jones! This delightful, fun-filled musical kicks off our season just as school kicks off this fall. No one believes in herself quite like Junie B! Join her as she takes on best pal problems, new kids on the bus, trouble reading the blackboard, a friendly cafeteria lady and a kickball tournament. Based on four of Barbara Park's best-selling books, this charming musical will capture your heart just as the book series has captivated readers for over two decades!
by BWW News Desk - September 17, 2015
Come sneak a peek into the 'Top-Secret Personal Beeswax Journal' of the sassy and lovable Junie B. Jones! This delightful, fun-filled musical kicks off our season just as school kicks off this fall. No one believes in herself quite like Junie B! Join her as she takes on best pal problems, new kids on the bus, trouble reading the blackboard, a friendly cafeteria lady and a kickball tournament. Based on four of Barbara Park's best-selling books, this charming musical will capture your heart just as the book series has captivated readers for over two decades!
Ordway to Present BROADWAY SONGBOOK: THE 70S SONGBOOK, 10/9-11
by BWW News Desk - September 17, 2015
The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts will continue its popular Broadway Songbook series Oct. 9-11 with Broadway Songbook: The 70s Songbook. Tickets are $37 and can be purchased online at www.ordway.org, by phone at
by BWW News Desk - September 17, 2015
The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts will continue its popular Broadway Songbook series Oct. 9-11 with Broadway Songbook: The 70s Songbook. Tickets are $37 and can be purchased online at www.ordway.org, by phone at
GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES Comes to The Duluth Playhouse Next Month
by BWW News Desk - September 16, 2015
The Underground presents Rajiv Joseph's GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES, running October 1-10, 2015, starring Robert Lee and Sarah Lueck and directed by Mary Fox, at The Duluth Playhouse.
by BWW News Desk - September 16, 2015
The Underground presents Rajiv Joseph's GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES, running October 1-10, 2015, starring Robert Lee and Sarah Lueck and directed by Mary Fox, at The Duluth Playhouse.
The Duluth Playhouse to Open 2015-16 Season with THE FOREIGNER, 9/17-27
by BWW News Desk - September 16, 2015
The Duluth Playhouse will present THE FOREIGNER, a comedic farce by Larry Shue, originally performed at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, running September 17-27, 2015.
by BWW News Desk - September 16, 2015
The Duluth Playhouse will present THE FOREIGNER, a comedic farce by Larry Shue, originally performed at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, running September 17-27, 2015.
Mixed Blood Theatre's AN OCTOROON to Open 10/16
by BWW News Desk - September 15, 2015
AN OCTOROON, which the New York Times proclaimed to be "this decade's most eloquent theatrical statement on race in America today," is a shrewdly awkward riff on The Octoroon, a 19th-century melodrama about illicit interracial love. A funny, disturbing, whirlwind of a play, AN OCTOROON riffs on the antebellum South as well as our present-day American selves, delves into the complexity of American identities and their unresolvable connection to our legacy of slavery and genocide, and perpetrates a full-blooded investigation of race and cultural politics. At the same time it is so theatrically mind-bending, funny, energetic, and demented, that it's impossible to look away.
by BWW News Desk - September 15, 2015
AN OCTOROON, which the New York Times proclaimed to be "this decade's most eloquent theatrical statement on race in America today," is a shrewdly awkward riff on The Octoroon, a 19th-century melodrama about illicit interracial love. A funny, disturbing, whirlwind of a play, AN OCTOROON riffs on the antebellum South as well as our present-day American selves, delves into the complexity of American identities and their unresolvable connection to our legacy of slavery and genocide, and perpetrates a full-blooded investigation of race and cultural politics. At the same time it is so theatrically mind-bending, funny, energetic, and demented, that it's impossible to look away.
Open Window Theatre to Present Buzz McLaughlin's SISTER CALLING MY NAME, 10/16-11/1
by BWW News Desk - September 14, 2015
Artistic Director Jeremy Stanbary chose to open the theatre's fifth season with a serious drama that he says 'advocates for the worth and dignity of the mentally disabled.' SISTER CALLING MY NAME, which celebrates its Minnesota premiere, is the winner of the 1996 National Play Award. The production will run October 16 - November 1, 2015.
by BWW News Desk - September 14, 2015
Artistic Director Jeremy Stanbary chose to open the theatre's fifth season with a serious drama that he says 'advocates for the worth and dignity of the mentally disabled.' SISTER CALLING MY NAME, which celebrates its Minnesota premiere, is the winner of the 1996 National Play Award. The production will run October 16 - November 1, 2015.
ELLIOT, A SOLDIER'S FUGUE Launches Park Square's 41st Season Tonight
by BWW News Desk - September 11, 2015
Park Square begins its 41st season next month with Quiara Alegria Hudes' moving and funny indictment of war, ELLIOT, A SOLDIER'S FUGUE.
by BWW News Desk - September 11, 2015
Park Square begins its 41st season next month with Quiara Alegria Hudes' moving and funny indictment of war, ELLIOT, A SOLDIER'S FUGUE.
Old Log Theatre Presents THE VELOCITY OF AUTUMN, Now thru 10/24
by BWW News Desk - September 11, 2015
Old Log Theatre's 2015/16 season opens with the regional premiere of Eric Coble's new dramatic comedy THE VELOCITY OF AUTUMN. This two person play takes place in a simple Brooklyn brownstone; 79-year-old Alexandra lives a solitary existence with her fleeting memories and is at an impasse with her family over how she should spend her autumn years. Alexandra's long-absent son enters as a most unlikely mediator, to try and save his mother's life as much as his own. Funny and sweet, aching and revelatory, this perceptive play reveals both the fragility and ferocity of life.
by BWW News Desk - September 11, 2015
Old Log Theatre's 2015/16 season opens with the regional premiere of Eric Coble's new dramatic comedy THE VELOCITY OF AUTUMN. This two person play takes place in a simple Brooklyn brownstone; 79-year-old Alexandra lives a solitary existence with her fleeting memories and is at an impasse with her family over how she should spend her autumn years. Alexandra's long-absent son enters as a most unlikely mediator, to try and save his mother's life as much as his own. Funny and sweet, aching and revelatory, this perceptive play reveals both the fragility and ferocity of life.
Playwrights' Center Sets 2015-16 Season of New Play Readings
by BWW News Desk - September 10, 2015
The Playwrights' Center has announced the plays and Core Writer playwrights to be featured in its 2015-16 season of free public readings, comprising the 2015 PlayLabs new play festival and the 2015-16 Ruth Easton New Play Series. The plays and playwrights:
by BWW News Desk - September 10, 2015
The Playwrights' Center has announced the plays and Core Writer playwrights to be featured in its 2015-16 season of free public readings, comprising the 2015 PlayLabs new play festival and the 2015-16 Ruth Easton New Play Series. The plays and playwrights:
Videos
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Forts! Build Your Own Adventure
Children's Theatre Company (2/13 - 4/5) | |
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Jerry Seinfeld
Orpheum Theatre (3/21 - 3/21) | |
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Chelsea Handler: The High and Mighty Tour
State Theatre (4/25 - 4/25) | |
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Baron Vordenburg's Guide to the Para-Normal
Bryant Lake Bowl (1/16 - 1/31) | |
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America - The Happy Trails Tour 2026
State Theatre (4/23 - 4/23) | |
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Spamalot
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts (6/10 - 6/14) | |
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The Best of Broadway Belters & A Band with Jen Burleigh-Bentz
History Theatre (4/18 - 4/18) | |
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