Dan Norman News

'Combining CTC's critical literacy work and Penumbra's racial justice work allows us to forge something together that neither could do alone.' These words in the playbill of THE WIZ, the first collaboration between these two acclaimed #TCTheater companies, brought tears to my eyes before the show even started. Especially after wading through a sea of children of all shapes, sizes, colors, and creeds. In an increasingly divided world, Penumbra (one of the longest-running and most acclaimed African American theater companies in the nation) and Children's Theatre (ditto for children's theater) give me hope, as individual companies and especially in this collaboration in which an all-black cast tells a story of a young black woman who discovers her own power through the help of friends. They give me hope that maybe we can overcome our seemingly insurmountable differences and join together in song and awesome dance to solve our problems. It's possible, right? Can't you feel a brand new day? Indeed I can.

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) in partnership with Penumbra Theatre will present The Wiz, adapted from L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; directed by Lou Bellamy, Founder and Artistic Director Emeritus of Penumbra Theatre Company, assistant directed and choreographed by Patdro Harris (Broadway credits as Choreographer for A Raisin in the Sun), with music direction by Sanford Moore (Musical Director at Penumbra Theatre).

If you're looking for a fun, light-hearted, escapist night at the theater (and really, who isn't in need of that?!), look no further than the Guthrie's sublimely entertaining production of No l Coward's BLITHE SPIRIT. Featuring Guthrie favorites and newcomers in this perfect concoction of a cast, breath-takingly gorgeous design, and the witty words of one of 20th Century England's favorite writers of comedy, BLITHE SPIRIT will keep you warm with laughter on a cold winter's night, and make you forget about the seemingly endless despair happening outside of the theater walls (this is why I prefer to say in the theater as much as possible). BLITHE SPIRIT continues through January 18 and is a hilarious duet partner to that other ghost story across the hall.

Writing a sequel to one of the most beloved novels in English literature is a daunting and risky task. Audiences have such attachment to the original, and it could go wrong in so many ways. But playwrights Lauren Gunderson and Margo Melcon have gotten it so, so right in their theatrical sequel to Jane Austen's novel PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. In a sparkling new production at Jungle Theater, MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY is very reminiscent of Jane Austen, but also fresh and modern and new. It's a witty, smart, utterly charming new play that celebrates not just literal sisterhood, but women working together and supporting each other, both onstage and behind the scenes. I can think of nothing we need more at this moment in time.

The Guthrie Theater's WATCH ON THE RHINE is a timely historical reminder and an excellent production of Lillian Hellman's 1941 drama.

A musical about youth hockey with an abominable snowman, er... yeti? It's gotta be Minnesota, and it's gotta be the Children's Theatre Company. It's no surprise that this new original musical is a surefire hit, the only surprise is that it took them so long to come up with the idea. THE ABOMINABLES was developed by The Civilians, a NYC-based theater company, and researched and workshopped right here in Minnesota. This feels like authentic portrayal, if a bit extreme and fantastical. I attended a backstage tour at the Children's Theatre a few weeks ago, which was hugely exciting as things were starting to come together. It's such a thrill to see the final product this opening weekend and to report to you that this is not only a super fun and entertaining new original musical for kids and adults alike, but also one that celebrates the good (and gently mocks the less than good) of our beloved state of Minnesota while telling a heart-warming story about teamwork, friendship, community, and family that, yes, brought tears to my eyes.

Good cast, good technical work, some funny jokes, but there's something missing.

Good fences make good neighbors...right? Neighborly rivalry escalates into an all-out border dispute in Karen Zacarias' newest hot-button comedy Native Gardens, which makes its D.C. debut at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater.

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) brings to the stage the very first Minnesota hockey musical, The Abominables. Produced in association with New York City's extraordinary theatre company The Civilians, the musical is written and directed by Steve Cosson with music and lyrics by the late Michael Friedman and choreography by Joe Chvala. BroadwayWorld has a fresh batch of shots, featuring a first look at Ryan Colbert as 'the Yeti' and more, below!

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) brings to the stage the very first Minnesota hockey musical, The Abominables. Produced in association with New York City's extraordinary theatre company The Civilians, the musical is written and directed by Steve Cosson with music and lyrics by the late Michael Friedman and choreography by Joe Chvala. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

We have all had them. Whether they were the apartment down the hall that blasted their stereo or the house next door that held parties till the wee small hours of the morning, everyone has had a problem neighbor. And while many a comedy has taken place when the mantra 'good fences makes good neighbors' goes south, Native Gardens aims to do much more than make people laugh. When Native Gardens begins performances at Arena Stage next week it hopes to start a conversation.

'I think comedy is disarming. I mean literally. You let down your armor so you can laugh. And if you laugh, you're taking things in. I want people who disagree to watch this play and be able to laugh at themselves.' Mission accomplished. The new play NATIVE GARDENS by Karen Zacarias (from whom this quote comes), now playing on the Guthrie proscenium stage, accomplishes this and more. Through the lens of neighbors disagreeing about a fence, she exposes our many prejudices, fears, and defenses. Everyone in the audience can recognize themselves and the prejudices they harbor, or the ones they've faced, and laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. The two couples in the play are on opposite sides of many issues, but through this dispute they eventually come to realize that despite their differences they both want the same thing - a nice yard to live in and friendly neighbors.

Good fences make good neighbors...right? Neighborly rivalry escalates into an all-out border dispute in Karen Zacarias' newest hot-button comedy Native Gardens, which makes its D.C. debut at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater.

Learning more about an actor who you've seen a lot in a show you've never seen before can be a lot of fun. Local actor Jim Lichtscheidl answers 6 Questions and a Plug, and is going places but won't be going anywhere.

A new original folk-rock musical? It's like FLY BY NIGHT was created and brought to the Jungle just for me. The rare bird that is the new original musical is my favorite thing in the world, and folk-rock/folk/Americana is my favorite genre of music. I was primed and ready to love this show, and love it I did. Charming and funny yet poignant, with a fantastic score played by greats from the local music scene, and a cast that couldn't be better - what's not to love?

"Refugia" is a Latin term meaning "an area where special circumstances have enabled survival after extinction in surrounding areas." The adventurous theater explorers of The Moving Company (themselves displaced from the renowned Theatre de la Jeune Lune, which closed in 2006) have devised multiple riffs on this idea and related themes, pushing the boundaries of narrative and perhaps, too, of the mainstage Guthrie audiences.

Nearly 10 years after this production garnered three Tony nominations in a Broadway run, it's back at the home that commissioned and created it: Children's Theater Company in Minneapolis. Based on Arnold Lobel's Caldecott and Newbery winning fables about friendship between Frog, a fairly organized fellow, and Toad, who is much less together, it models how we can bond with those unlike us, if we are kind, and we listen.

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) welcomes the return after 10 years of the audience favorite, A Year with Frog and Toad, which began last night, April 18, 2017. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Y'all, Jungle Theater's LONE STAR SPIRITS got me feeling all the feels! Hilarious and heart-breaking, it's one of the best plays I've seen this year. Brought to us by wife/husband director/playwright team Sarah Rasmussen and Josh Tobiessen, it features crisply drawn characters beautifully brought to life by a brilliant five-person cast, an incredibly detailed and realistic set, family drama, a poignant exploration of small town life, ghosts, country music, and accidental gunshots. I was laughing throughout the show and wiping away tears at the end, which is pretty much my favorite kind of play. Friends, you'd be wise to get on down to the Jungle between now and May 7 to experience this practically perfect 90 minutes of theater.

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) will bring its production of Seedfolks to the prestigious ASSITEJ International World Conference in Cape Town, South Africa. Prior to this international touring stop, CTC will bring Seedfolks to Seattle Children's Theatre in the Unites States.