God of Carnage

by Christine Sarkes God of Carnage by acclaimed Parisian playwright Yasmina Reza, playing at Theatre in the Round through April 28, is not for the faint-hearted. The 2009 Tony Award winner for Best Play is an uncomfortable, in-your-face exploration of human conflict and civilized behavior personified as two sets of upper middle-class parents. Running just…

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

From teenage songwriter to two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Carole King’s life is an inspiring tale full of talent, love, hard work, friendship, and (above all) music. In Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, now playing at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres through September, her story is told through the very songs to which she dedicated her life.

In The Green

In their latest venture, Theatre Elision combines new with old and avant garde with traditional. Grace McLean’s innovative and conceptual musical In the Green portrays two women grappling with darkness and finding light in a 12th century cell.

Dial M for Murder

by Christine Sarkes and Erika Yasmeen Sasseville (a mother/daughter review) Dial M for Murder at the Guthrie Theater through February 25 is the perfect date night or Galentine’s Day evening at the theater. What better way to celebrate modern romance than by watching a murder mystery thriller? There is something for everyone in this clever…

Art

by Christine Sarkes Art at the Guthrie Theater through January 28 thoughtfully and hilariously tackles a multitude of themes focused on friendship, the intrinsic and extrinsic value of art, and personal identity defined by relationships. The play, which won a Tony Award for Best Play in 1998 and was written by French playwright Yasmina Reza,…

Bernhardt/Hamlet

Review by Christine Sarkes Bernhardt/Hamlet at The Crane Theater through October 14 is an exceptionally well-acted, highly entertaining theater-lovers play. As the title suggests, it centers on a point in time in the fascinating true life of French actress Sarah Bernhardt, who is coming to terms with her future career as an aging actress at…

The Importance of Being Earnest

by Christine Sarkes “In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity is the vital thing.” – Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax, The Importance of Being Earnest In the spirit of Oscar Wilde’s Gwendolen Fairfax, I am beginning a review of The Importance of Being Earnest, Guthrie Theater’s brilliantly acted and amusing season opener, as I have never…

Beetlejuice

The Orpheum definitely closed out their 2022-2023 season with a Bang! Beetlejuice is a thrilling combination of haunting and whimsical from start to finish. Based off of Tim Burton’s 1988 classic, this musical adaptation gives fans of the original source material a hearty helping of that dark, twisted story-line while revamping the comedy with a…