The cast of TheatreX's upcoming Fringe show Escape THIS in rehearsal. Pictured: Ryan Vanasse, Christy Johnson, Kyle Doherty, and Hannah Bakke. Photo by Joe Hendren. When Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Egypt in 1798, he had no idea that his most enduring legacy would be Egyptomania. The French military expedition included historians and
Author: Basil Considine
Basil Considine is the Performing Arts Editor and Senior Classical Music and Drama Critic at the Twin Cities Arts Reader. He was previously the Resident Classical Music and Drama Critic at the Twin Cities Daily Planet and remains an occasional contributing writer for The Boston Musical Intelligencer and The Chattanoogan. He holds a PhD in Music and Drama from Boston University, an MTS in Sacred Music from the BU School of Theology, and a BA in Music and Theatre from the University of San Diego.
Basil was named one of Musical America's 30 Professionals of the Year in 2017.
REVIEW: La Serva Padrona Ascends at Icehouse (Mill City Summer Opera)
Rodolfo Nieto (center) and Madison Holtze (right) in Mill City Summer Opera's production of the opera La serva padrona. Photo by Jasmin Kemp. Mill City Summer Opera leaped onto its first-ever second stage last night. The company's compact production of La serva padrona is a light-hearted, entertaining gem staged at the
Fringe File #3: INTERVIEW: Kevin T. Houle on Star Trek, Being Stuck in an Elevator, and Fandom Plays
NEWS: Patrick Scully’s Leaves of Grass – Illuminated Sells Out (Guthrie Theater)
Fringe File #1: INTERVIEW: Andrew Erskine Wheeler on Becoming Booth’s Ghost
A promotional photo for Booth's Ghost. Photo by Nathan Kornelis. He's played a Disneyland Genie, a Green Bay Packers Super Fan, Hubert H. Humphrey (twice), and assorted police officers over the years – so it's natural that Andrew Erskine Wheeler should eventually come around to playing a ghost. This ghost's beef?
REVIEW: Jefferson Township Sparkling Junior Talent Pageant Kills It (Park Square Theatre)
The cast of Jefferson Township Sparkling Junior Talent Pageant, opening Friday at Park Square Theatre in St. Paul, MN. Photo by Petronella J. Ytsma. A new musical with a very wordy title opened in St. Paul last night. The show? The Jefferson Township Sparkling Junior Talent Pageant by Keith Hovis. The
REVIEW: Drizzle in The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical (Ordway)
Kristin Stokes, Chris McCarrell, and Jorrel Javier in the national tour of The Lightning Thief. Photo by Jeremy Daniel. There might be a good children's show lurking inside The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical. If there is, however, it's buried pretty deep. The show's great moment of wonder is when
INTERVIEW: Keith Hovis on Sparkling Junior Talent Pageants…for Theatrical Purposes (Park Square Theatre)
The cast of Jefferson Township Sparkling Junior Talent Pageant, opening Friday at Park Square Theatre in St. Paul, MN. Photo by Petronella J. Ytsma. This Friday, a show with a surprisingly long title opens at Park Square Theatre: the Jefferson Township Sparkling Junior Talent Pageant musical. This roaring comedy – a
FEATURE: Threats, Quid Pro Quo Harassment, & Obscene Messages: Abuse on an Operatic Scale
Photo by Toni Maksan. [Editor's update: Following the June 18th publication of this article, Stephen Lord resigned from Michigan Opera Theatre and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.] [Warning: This article includes a detailed discussion of sexual harassment.] "If you sleep with me, you would have so many jobs." "I could cast you in so
