In one of those strange theater-going coincidences, the night after I saw two one-act plays at the Guthrie, I attended opening night of Penumbra's presentation of two one-act plays. Both paired plays by different playwrights linked by a common theme. But unlike the theater comedies THE CRITIC and THE REAL INSPECTOR HOUND, THE DUTCHMAN and THE OWL ANSWERS are dense and meaty dramas dealing with heavy issues. They might not make you laugh (except, occasionally, uncomfortably), but they will definitely make you think. Written in the '60s as part of the Black Arts Movement, these plays take an unforgiving look at the racism, sexism, and classism of the day, that still have implications in today's world. A stellar ensemble cast and top-notch production design tie the two very different plays together and highlight the playwrights' messages. Though they are not easy to watch and I can't say I understood everything that was going on, I certainly came away with much to chew on, and a greater understanding of our shared history. Which is pretty much a given at Penumbra Theatre.
Friends, it's been a rough week. With devastating news here at home (the Children's Theatre lawsuit) and around the country (yet another senseless and horrific mass shooting, this time in San Bernadino, CA), on top of all the other painful things we've been dealing with lately, it's almost more than anyone can take. It was under this cloud that I saw Penumbra Theatre's annual production of BLACK NATIVITY for the first time. Yes, even though this is their 28th year, I've never seen BLACK NATIVITY before. I'm not sure how that happened, but this was the perfect time to first experience this truly joyful celebration. The story, the music, the dancing, the feeling of joy and faith and togetherness in that room, was a balm to my soul and did much to restore my faith in humanity. Maybe in times like this, the first and best response is to 'be the light,' and let that light lead us into appropriate action to heal the wounds of society and prevent things like what happened this week from happening again (and again and again) in the future.
2014-15 McKnight Theater Artist Fellows Austene Van and Sally Wingert, along with their collaborators, will present selections from works in progress on June 29 at 7 p.m. at the Illusion Theater.
At first glance, the musicals THE COLOR PURPLE, CALVIN BERGER, and LA CAGE AUX FOLLES may not seem to have much in common. The settings couldn't be more different - the rural South in the early 20th century, a modern day high school, and a drag club in 1970s France. But since I happened to see them all on the same weekend, I couldn't help but draw parallels between them. All three musicals all speak to themes of beauty, identity, self-worth, and having the courage to be who you really are, despite what the world is telling you. In THE COLOR PURPLE, a young, poor, black woman is told that she's ugly and worthless, but after a lifelong journey she arrives at a place of strength and self-love. CALVIN BERGER sets the classic play Cyrano de Bergerac in a modern high school, where a young man feels that his large nose prevents him from getting what he wants in life and chooses to hide behind the handsome popular guy, both of whom eventually learn it's better to be loved for who you are. Finally, in LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, a middle aged man who feels more comfortable dressed as a woman is asked by his own son to hide who he is, but confidently declares 'I am who I am!' Another thing these three musicals have in common is that they can all currently be seen on Twin Cities stages featuring talented local casts. Read on for more details on each, pick one that suits your fancy, and go see a local musical that just may inspire you to love you you really are!
Park Square Theatre will produce the musical The Color Purple featuring a cast of 20 actors, a live orchestra, and some of the finest talent in the Twin Cities on its Proscenium Stage January 16 - February 15, 2015.
With Sexy Laundry opening tonight, the entire cast roster for the theatre's biggest season is almost complete. Nearly 300 Minnesota artists - including actors, directors, designers and technical operators - will mount 18 productions on two stages. The season lineup confirms Park Square's commitment to the work of women writers like Amy Herzog, Michele Riml and Alice Walker. The casting emphasizes Park Square as a home for local artists of color, from returning favorites like James A. Williams, T. Mychael Rambo and Regina Williams to dozens of debuts like Dominique Wooten, Kurt Kwan and Sarah Ochs.
Identity and racial politics form the foundation of PASSING STRANGE, one of the seminal musicals of our time, and Mixed Blood Theatre's production honors that epic rock legacy, with the added dimension of the intimacy and immediacy of the Alan Page Auditorium. With disparate styles that range from '60's Europop to '70's punk to '80's electronica, to gospel, soul, and funk, to musical theatre, and with a nod to James Brown, this Tony Award winner is a play within a rock concert. Eschewing preconceptions, this band's lead singer is a middle class African American Buddhist rocker ex-pat story-teller, sharing the picaresque journey of his youth via 24 songs. The play's title is inspired by a passage in Shakespeare's OTHELLO.
Identity and racial politics form the foundation of PASSING STRANGE, one of the seminal musicals of our time, and Mixed Blood Theatre's production honors that epic rock legacy, with the added dimension of the intimacy and immediacy of the Alan Page Auditorium. With disparate styles that range from '60's Europop to '70's punk to '80's electronica, to gospel, soul, and funk, to musical theatre, and with a nod to James Brown, this Tony Award winner is a play within a rock concert. Eschewing preconceptions, this band's lead singer is a middle class African American Buddhist rocker ex-pat story-teller, sharing the picaresque journey of his youth via 24 songs. The play's title is inspired by a passage in Shakespeare's OTHELLO.
The Ordway will say farewell to the McKnight Theatre in grand style tonight, April 28 at 7:30 pm, in a special performance called, 'The Night of a Million Stars.' The concert production will highlight area artists and feature musical pieces from productions previously held in the McKnight Theatre.
James Rocco is the vice president of programming and producing artistic director of the Ordway Center for Performing Arts in Saint Paul, Minn. He is also the director, host and a performer in the Ordway's latest edition of BROADWAY SONGBOOK, this time, focusing on American musical theatre master, Cole Porter. I recently sat down to learn about James, the BROADWAY SONGBOOK: Cole Porter and what's next for the theatre.
The Ordway will say farewell to the McKnight Theatre in grand style on Sunday, April 28 at 7:30 pm, in a special performance called, "The Night of a Million Stars." The concert production will highlight area artists and feature musical pieces from productions previously held in the McKnight Theatre.
Rent, the rock musical about a group of artists in New York City who are dealing with questions of art, integrity, AIDS, and community, premiered on Broadway in 1996 and enjoyed a twelve-year run there, spurring multiple national tours. Now, for the first time, a local production of the show can be seen in the Twin Cities at the Lab Theatre, and it's enjoying a reinvigoration that comes with new staging, local actors, and a commitment to a full audience experience.
Though the Broadway production of Rent closed on September 7, 2008 and the national tour based on the Broadway production gives its final performance this February, the show and its message live on.
Minneapolis theatergoers will be able to see as much for themselves through the first local, professional production of Rent, which opens on February 3 and runs through February 21 at the Lab Theatre (formerly the Guthrie Lab), located in the Warehouse District near Acme Comedy Club and the former site of Theatre de la Jeune Lune.
Cardinal Theatricals announces today complete casting for the first locally produced professional staging of RENT which opens at The Lab in Minneapolis beginning February 3.
Acclaimed actor and vocalist T. Mychael Rambo hosts fellow cast members from the Guthrie's production of Caroline, or Change in 'Caroline's Cabaret' at the Dakota Jazz Club on Monday, May 18 at 7:00 p.m. The Dakota is located at 1010 Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis. For more information and reservations call 612.332.1010 or visit www.dakotacooks.com.
Acclaimed actor and vocalist T. Mychael Rambo hosts fellow cast members from the Guthrie's production of Caroline, or Change in 'Caroline's Cabaret' at the Dakota Jazz Club on Monday, May 18 at 7:00 p.m. The Dakota is located at 1010 Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis. For more information and reservations call 612.332.1010 or visit www.dakotacooks.com.
Tony Kushner and Jeanine Tesori's Caroline, or Change opened at the Guthrie Theater April 24th to a full house and prolonged standing ovation! Tony Kushner and director Marcela Lorca take a bow with the cast. Caroline, or Change is the first of three productions in the Guthrie's Kushner Celebration.
Caroline, or Change book and lyrics by Tony Kushner by Jeanine Resori and directed by Marcela Lorca
Set against the backdrop of Lake Charles, Louisiana in 1963, this award-winning musical centers on Caroline Thibodeaux (Greta Oglesby), an African American maid, and Noah Gellman (Noah Coon and Ryan Poehler), the son of the Jewish family for whom she works
