Happy Days: A New Musical

By LIZ BYRON. Yes, that’s right, there is a musical based on the TV show Happy Days. Now, I have to admit that I’ve never seen a single episode of the iconic show (blame it on my age plus my general preference for books over TV as a kid), but my theatre companion had, which…

Carmen

By LIZ BYRON. Carmen is a classic opera whose music is so well-known that even opera virgins will probably recognise some of the songs. Indeed, I walked into the Ordway knowing nothing about the opera but that it featured a woman, presumably named Carmen, who might at some point wear a red dress. But it…

Q and A with Aisle Say Twin Cities’ Founders Sophie Kerman and Anna Rosensweig: A Farewell Tribute and Virtual Legacy

BY CHRISTINE SARKES SASSEVILLE Recently, Aisle Say Twin Cities lost the second of its two founding members as life pulled them in different directions. Sophie Kerman announced that she was moving on in her last post, a review of the Ivey Awards. Anna Rosensweig left us in 2012 to complete her Ph.D. and begin postdoctoral…

My Fair Lady

By CHRISTINE SARKES SASSEVILLE My Fair Lady at the Guthrie Theater is a lavish musical theater spectacle that stays true to the Lerner/Loewe, Moss Hart Broadway original while adding its own unique touches. The 1956 production set the record for the longest run of any major musical theater show at the time and has been called “the…

Once

by CHRISTINE SARKES SASSEVILLE Once is an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime theater experience with achingly beautiful melodies, a ridiculously talented cast of triple-threat actors (actor, musician, and singer) and a richly compelling story about falling in love and following your dreams. Winner of eight Tony Awards and an Academy Award for the movie version of “Falling Slowly” (one of…

Peter and the Starcatcher

by CHRISTINE SARKES SASSEVILLE Peter and the Starcatcher at the Orpheum Theatre, through this weekend only, is a high-octane and hilarious voyage to Neverland, with wildly innovative staging and scene-chewing acting that will have you laughing out loud and marveling at the inventiveness of it all. The five-time Tony Award winning adaptation by Rick Elice is based…

Five Course Love

by CHRISTINE SARKES SASSEVILLE New Century Theatre’s musical comedy, Five Course Love, is a light, sometimes naughty, cabaret-style evening of entertainment catering to the Valentine’s Day date-night crowd. The quality of the material is mixed, with some genuinely funny moments. The three performers, who play five characters each, give it everything they’ve got. Ryan McGuire Grimes,…