PagesHomeAbout MeTheatersVenuesPast ShowsPast ConcertsCOVID-19 Safety Policies Monday, November 1, 2021 "The Most Beautiful Home... Maybe" by Mixed Blood Theatre Company at Springboard for the ArtsMixed Blood Theatres second production of their 2021-2022 season,The Most Beautiful Home... Maybe, delivers an important message about the housing crisis in an unconventional performance style. The audience participation was too much for this extreme introvert; it just makes me uncomfortable and further distances me from the subject matter, as opposed to drawing me in with non-participatory storytelling. But for those who dont mind some pretty significant audience participation, it might be a good way to start imagining a better world in the future, where everyone has safe affordable housing.Read more Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestLabels:ashley sparks,Bruce A. Young,Hannah Pepper-Cunningham,Joe Strachan,Karla Mosley,Mark Valdez,Mixed Blood Theatre,Nephelie AndonyadisSunday, October 31, 2021 "The People's Violin" by Six Points Theater (formerly known as Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company)The only play I saw live and in person in the last ten months of 2020 was Minnesota Jewish Theatre Companys 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother, performed outdoors at various locations. They produced another outdoor play this summer, A Pickle, as well as multiple virtual offerings over the last year and a half. I cant tell you how much creative theater offerings like this kept be going through the very long intermission from live performance, and Im thrilled that were finally returning (with the help of vaccines and masks). Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company marks their return to their Highland Park space with a new production, The Peoples Violin, and a new name - Six Points Theater (watch a video about the name change here). But what hasnt changed is the thought-provoking, meaningful, entertaining, high quality work that they do, exploring Jewish culture and identity, with relevance to the world at large.The Peoples Violinis another such play.Read more Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestLabels:David Coral,J.C. Cutler,Lea Kalisch,Michael Hoover,Minnesota Jewish Theatre,Morgan Rainford,Patty Mathews,Ryan Melling,The Peoples Violin,Tony Larkin,Warren C. BowlesSaturday, October 30, 2021 "Theatre of the Macabre" at Park Square TheatreLast year, during the very long intermission from live theater, Park Square Theatre presented a virtual cabaret of Halloween-themed songs and stories called Theatre of the Macabre. This year, theyre able to present the show in person in their historic downtown St. Paul space (with the help of vaccines and masks), but only for two nights! It was so great to be back at Park Square for this taste of good things to come (theyre hosting a few other companies this fall and officially opening their season with a remount of Marie and Rosetta in January).Theatre of the Macabre is a truly delightful, and at times disturbing, evening of songs and stories, like an elevated version of gathering around a campfire to tell spooky tales. Tickets remain for tonights show;click here for all the details.Read more Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestLabels:Anna Leverett,Ben Shaw,Craig Johnson,David Mann,Hope Nordquist,Natalia Peterson,Park Square Theatre,Sophina Saggau,Taj Ruler,Theatre of the MacabreFriday, October 29, 2021 Twin Cities Horror Festival 2021 at the Crane TheaterI dont love horror, and Im not really into Halloween (except for the candy). But I do love the ingenious #TCTheater community that creates spooky, creepy, scary works of theater for the annual Twin Cities Horror Festival. After last years virtual festival, theyre returning to in-person shows this year (on a limited capacity, with a virtual portion as well) for their tenth season. I spend last night at the Crane Theater being scared, wowed, entertained, and moved by this years creations. I saw three of the five live shows, and I previously saw one of them at this years Minnesota Fringe Festival (I like to think of TCHF as a genre-specific mini-Fringe). The festival runs this weekend only, with weekend passes as well as individual show tickets available (click here for details).Read more Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestLabels:Blackout,Dangerous Productions,Dogwatch,The Winding Sheet Outfit,Twin Cities Horror FestivalWednesday, October 27, 2021 "Circle Mirror Transformation" at Theatre in the RoundThe oldest theater in Minneapolis returns from the very long intermission; Theatre in the Round opened their 70th season with the sweet and awkward little play Circle Mirror Transformation. Unfortunately it has already closed, but their season continues with four more productions through next summer, including the Agatha Christie mystery A Murder is Announced, opening in November. But in the meantime, read on for more aboutCircle Mirror Transformation, which I caught on closing weekend.Read more Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestLabels:Circle Mirror Transformation,Deb Murphy,Dietrich Poppen,Doc Woods,Jennie Ward,Julie Phillips,Marci Lucht,Natalia Wendlandt,Ryan McCanna,Theatre in the Round,Thomas BuanFriday, October 22, 2021 "The Comedy of Errors" by Ten Thousand Things at Plymouth Congregational ChurchLast night I saw Ten Thousand Things perform Shakespeare (live and in-person, which 20 months ago would have seemed like an absurd qualifier), and for about 90 minutes, it felt like everything was right with the world. No one does Shakespeare like Ten Thousand Things; no one makes it as understandable, relatable, relevant, and fun. And when youre talking about Shakespeares silliest and most slapsticky comedy, The Comedy of Errors, its all about the fun. With just six actors playing all 15 (or 47, whos counting) roles, its a rollicking good time. Of course not all is right with the world, were still very much in the thick of this pandemic, which means TTT cant do their most important work - bringing theater out into the community to people who arent usually able to experience theater. But they can still do what they do for the people who show up at Plymouth Congregational Church, with a pay-what-you-can option to make it more accessible. And what they do is tell stories, in the most delightful and in-the-moment way imaginable, with all the lights on.Read more Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestLabels:Cristina Florencia Castro,Danielle Troiano,Katie Bradley,Marcela Lorca,Nubia Monks,Peter Vitale,Safa Sarvestani,Sally Wingert,Sonya Berlovitz,Ten Thousand Things,The Comedy of Errors,Will SturdivantTuesday, October 19, 2021 "King of the Kosher Grocers" by Stage North at the Capri TheaterNew #TCTheater company Stage North (not to be confused with Stage North Theatre Company in Brainerd) makes its debut in the newly remodeled Capri Theater in North Minneapolis with King of the Kosher Grocers. This charming play that is an homage to the neighborhood, first produced by Mixed Blood Theatre in 1992, is a great first production for a company whose mission is creating vibrant, live experiences that bring people together to tell and celebrate stories of urban life... Our hope is that Stage North will help bring new audiences and new excitement and vitality to the North Side business district and contribute to the neighborhoods continuing growth and expansion (read the full statement here). Unfortunately, North Minneapolis is a neighborhood known more for its crime and violence than for the community and culture of the people who live there. Of course, theater cant solve all of the problems, but it can shine a light on overlooked people and communities. This play does just that - celebrates the diverse community of people and the vibrant history of this neighborhood.*Read more Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestLabels:Capri Theater,Domino DLorion,Ian McCarthy,James A. Williams,Joe Minjares,Melanie Wehrmacher,Michael Hoover,Michael Tezla,Pearce Bunting,Pedro Bayon,Peter Moore,Rick Polenek,Stage NorthSunday, October 17, 2021 "The Red Shoes" at Open Eye TheatreIn 2017, Open Eye Theatre premieredThe Red Shoes, inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen story of the vain little girl with pretty red shoes cursed so that her shoes will never stop dancing. The show also draws inspiration and influences from the vintage detective novels ofRaymond ChandlerandDashiell Hammett, case studies of amnesia and multiple personality, and black and white film noir movies of the 1940s (per director and co-writer Joel Sass, along with Kimberly Richardson). They were all set to remount it in March of 2020, when the pandemic shut down all live performance. Happily, a year and a half later, it is opening their live in-person 2021-2022 season in their charming and intimate space in South Minneapolis. Also happily but not surprisingly, The Red Shoes is still something so curious and unique, odd and chilling, inventive and charming, its thoroughly captivating from start to finish. And perhaps even more relevant and relatable after weve all spent so much time trapped inside our homes with only our own thoughts and imagination to fill the time and space.Read more Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestLabels:Bill Healey,Joel Sass,Kalen Rainbow Kier,Kimberly Richardson,Noah Sommers-Haas,Open Eye Theatre,Sabrin Diehl,Sean Healey,The Red Shoes"Every Brilliant Thing" at the Jungle TheaterJungle Theater couldnt have chosen a better play with which to return to live programming thanEvery Brilliant Thing. After living apart for so long during this ongoing pandemic, Every Brilliant Thing is all about the connections between people and celebrating the little (and big) things that bring us joy in the midst of the traumas of life. As the Jungles new Artistic Director Christina Balwin notes in the virtual program, this beautiful play is performed with the audience, not at them. A live audience is what makes theater theater, and its what weve all been missing. I cant think of a play in which the audience is more vital than this one. It feels so good to be in a room with other humans again, experiencing and even participating in one of the oldest human artforms - storytelling.Read more Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestLabels:Every Brilliant Thing,Joy Dolo,JuCoby Johnson,Jungle Theater,Meredith McDonough,Mina Kinukawa,Montana JohnsonFriday, October 15, 2021 "Not in Our Neighborhood" at History TheatreThe History Theatre original play Not in Our Neighborhood was scheduled to run in rep with Not for Sale in March 2020. We know how that story goes - both productions were shut down shortly before opening. But now, over a year and a half later, History Theatre is opening their new season withNot in Our Neighborhoodand will presentNot for Sale in February. Both plays deal with with redlining and segregation in St. Paul in the early and mid 20th Century, a local history that feels even more important and relevant now than it did a year and a half ago.Not in Our Neighborhood tells the true story of a prominent and successfulSt. Paul Black couple who in the 1920s chose to leave the Rondo neighborhood to move into the all-white Groveland Park neighborhood, and the discrimination they faced.Read more Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestLabels:Anna Hill,Brandon Holscher,Bruce Abas,Carl Schoenborn,Darius Dotch,Edwin Strout,Erin Nicole Farsté,Fred Wagner,History Theatre,James Craven,Kathy Maxwell,Melinda Kordich,Rick PolenekTuesday, October 12, 2021 "Island of Discarded Women" Live Podcast at the Women's Club of MinneapolisIn May of 2020, I posted a piece called I Listen to Podcasts Now! Prior to the pandemic I listened to a few podcasts, but as it probably did for most people, the number of podcasts I listen to has increased exponentially in the last year and a half. One of my few pre-pandemic podcasts was Island of Discarded Women, created and hosted by #TCTheater artist and long-time voice actor on A Prairie Home Companion, Sue Scott. The monthlypodcast was recorded live onstage in 2019 (I was hoping to attend my first one in spring 2020), and moved to at-home/zoom recordings during the pandemic. Now the live recordings have begun again in their new home, the Womans Club of Minneapolis, the second Sunday of every month (proof of vaccination required, plus masks when not enjoying the dinner and drink service). I was thrilled to experience my favorite local podcast live last weekend!Read more Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestLabels:Dexieng Yang,Mo Perry,Nora Montañez,Shanan Custer,Silvia Pontaza,Sue Scott,Womens Club of Minneapolis,Zippy LaskeSaturday, October 9, 2021 "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" by Collide Theatrical Dance Company at the Southern TheaterFor eight years, Collide Theatrical Dance Company has been creating new dance musicals, either with original stories or based on classic works. Even the pandemic didnt stop them - they presented an outdoor dance cabaret last fall when all of us were starved for live entertainment; produced a Valentines Day video dance piece; and returned to the outdoor stage this spring for a dance musical based on Alice in Wonderland. Now theyre back inside the best dance venue in town, the Southern Theater, for the premiere of their dance musical based not just on the well known 19th Century novel Frankenstein, but also on the life of its lesser known author, Mary Shelley. Over 75 minutes of continuous dance, the seven-person ensemble tells these remarkable interconnected stories with great emotion and vitality.Read more Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestLabels:Ben Siglin,Betsy Nelson,Brian Bose,Collide,Dakota Blankenship,FRANKENSTEIN,Grace Janiszewski,Heather Brockman,Megan Carver,Patrick Jeffrey,Regina Peluso,Renee Guittar,Robin McIntyre,Southern TheaterOlder PostsHomeSubscribe to:Posts (Atom)Follow on Social Media Photo Credit: Soul Photography and MediaGoldstar Ticket DealsContact MeHave you seen a great show recently that you think I should see? I'd love to hear about it, email me at cherryandspoon@gmail.com. Upcoming ShowsLittle Women (Artistry, Bloomington)Top Girls (Theatre Pro Rata at the Crane, Northeast Mpls)Brujeria for Beginners (20% Theatre's final show, at Mixed Blood, West Bank Mpls)Broadway tour of Oklahoma! (Orpheum, downtown Mpls)Annie (Children's Theatre Company, south Mpls)Puttin' on the Ritz (Theater Latte Da at the Ritz, northeast Mpls)The Empathy Project (Full Circle at Park Square, downtown St. Paul)It's a Wonderful Life (Lyric Arts, Anoka)Anamnesis (Moving Company at the Southern, West Bank Mpls)Christmas of Swing (History Theatre, downtown St. Paul)Jacuzzi (Dark and Stormy, Stillwater)Holiday Show, the Holiday Show (DalekoArts, New Prague)All is Calm (Theater Latte Da at the Ritz, northeast Mpls)White Christmas (Lakeshore Players Theatre, White Bear Lake)Twin Cities Theater Bloggers Artfully EngagingBrett TalkCompendiumGirl Meets BroadwayLife in RevueMinnesota Theater LoveNo Filter ReviewsOne Girl, Two CitiesPhenoMNal Twin CitiesPlay off the PageSingle White Fringe GeekTalkin' BroadwayThe Room Where It HappensTwin Cities StagesWhat Stirs Your SoulSearch This BlogMost Popular Posts in Last 30 Days"Alice in Wonderland" by Flying Foot Forum at the Lehr Theater Like the rabbit in Lewis Carrolls beloved novel Alice in Wonderland , I ran to the theater last night thinking Im late! I I had heard about this dance/music/theater piece about an American photographer i..."Every Brilliant Thing" at the Jungle TheaterJungle Theater couldnt have chosen a better play with which to return to live programming than Every Brilliant Thing . After living ap..."King of the Kosher Grocers" by Stage North at the Capri TheaterNew #TCTheater company Stage North (not to be confused with Stage North Theatre Company in Brainerd ) makes its debut in the newly remodele...Broadway Tour of "Frozen" at the Orpheum TheatreLast Sunday, the re-opening of Broadway after an unprecedented shutdown of a year and a half was celebrated with the Tonys and a fabulous pr...2021 ConcertsJamecia Bennett in "The Evolution of Jazz 2021(90)November(1)The Most Beautiful Home... 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