Despite having been a Twin Cities theatre-goer for years now, last night’s performance of Ragtime was the first time I had ever seen a show by local favourite Theater Latté Da. Nuts, I know, but at least I finally got there. And it seemed like fortuitous timing that I should finally see the much-praised company at their first…
By BRYCE + LIZ BYRON. Set in the green room of a production of Waiting for Godot, the play Waiting for Waiting for Godot re-imagines the themes of Beckett’s absurdist play through a lens of modern “show business”. The play’s action unfolds as the two understudies, Ester and Val, wait for their chance to go on stage and…
by CHRISTINE SARKES I’m writing this review as an unabashed Jane Austen fan and addressing it to the likewise. Anyone else is a mystery to me and I wouldn’t know where to begin. Janeites/Austenites will love the Guthrie Theater and Kate Hamill’s reverent, yet lightly modernized adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. With spot-on lead performances, exceptional ensemble…
by CHRISTINE SARKES Inclusiveness and gratitude were the themes of the 12th Annual Ivey Awards held last evening at the Historic State Theater, downtown Minneapolis. Theater professionals honored their own and one of ours–Star Tribune theater critic Graydon Royce–as they reached beyond the typical candidates by awarding a non-actor, costume designer Trevor Bowen, with the Emerging Artist Award. Bowen got his…
by CHRISTINE SARKES In Disgraced at the Guthrie Theater, playwright Ayad Akhtar lays bare the deepest, darkest prejudices and fears of his diverse cast. In some ways, this is the most important review I’ve written to date and, like the play itself, the pressure to get it right is intense. What is it like for…
by CHRISTINE SARKES La vie est belle, life is beautiful, on the set of South Pacific at the Guthrie Theater through August 28. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1949 Broadway musical (and 1958 film) is romantic and lush, with such indelible music and lyrics that many left the theater whistling the tunes. It takes on prejudice and…
I’m just going to come right out and say it: I loved Le Switch. I feel a little guilty about this, mainly because it’s a pretty standard form rom-com complete with quirky characters and convenient coincidences and the overarching message that the best, most important thing you can do in life is fall in love and get…
tot is Mu Performing Arts‘ 50th World Premiere of a new play; in this case, playwright Victor Maog‘s quirky piece about a ten-year-old boy who immigrates from the Philippines to the San Francisco Bay Area to be reunited with his parents. Tot’s parents had departed from then military-ruled Philippines to seek a better life, leaving their only son…
by CHRISTINE SARKES Complicated Fun at the History Theatre through May 29 is a weirdly coincidental musical retelling of the history of First Avenue and the acts that made it famous, including Prince, who played frequently and filmed many scenes in Purple Rain there. In fact, Chris Osgood of The Suicide Commandos opened the show with a moving tribute…
BY TAMAR NEUMANN: Have you ever stopped to think about the sounds you hear every day? Do you notice the soft click, clack of a button in the dryer, the low purr of a lawn mower in the backyard, a joyful screech from a toddler, or the tap, tap of the keys on your keyboard? What…
Anatomy of Gray marks the first non-musical I have seen at Anoka’s Lyric Arts Main Street Stage, and to put it succinctly, I was glad I went. The show is a little bit drama, a little bit comedy, a little bit medical mystery, and a little bit fantasy (I mean, come on, one of the main characters…
Hope Theater Company has been around since 2013, but Recent Experiences is only their second production to date. Touted as a “mini-epic”, the play sets out to explore the political events and cultural shifts that took place through the 20th century as seen through four generations of a single family. It’s an ambitious task, particularly for a 75-minute…
