A scene from Frank Theatre's The Convert, now playing at the Gremlin Theatre in St. Paul, MN. Photo by Tony Nelson. It took eight years for Wendy Knox to secure the rights for Frank Theatre to stage Danai Gurira's play The Convert. This play, set against the backdrop late-19th-century Zimbabwe, tells
REVIEW: Intriguing A Doll’s House, Part 2 (Jungle)
Steven Epp (as Torvald) and Christina Baldwin (as Nora) in the Jungle Theater production of A Doll's House, Part 2, now playing in Minneapolis, MN. Photo by Lauren B. Photography. What happens to Nora? This question has lingered with theatregoers ever since Nora first walked out on her family at the
REVIEW: Stellar, Riveting Romeo & Juliet (COLLIDE)
Renee Guittar (Juliet) and Rush Benson (Romeo) in a promotional image for COLLIDE Theatrical's ballet adaptation of Romeo & Juliet. Staging what is often described as the greatest love story ever told on Valentine's Day might sound hokey. COLLIDE Theatrical's ballet setting of William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet is anything but:
REVIEW: The Latin Jazz Master at Work: Eddie Pamilieri (Dakota Jazz Club)
The legendary pianist-composer and bandleader Eddie Palmieri played at The Dakota Jazz Club on February 9. Photo courtesy of Uprising Music NYC. Eddie Palmieri is 83 years old, has won numerous Grammy awards, and has over 50 albums released over 50-plus years of recording. In 2013, what everyone knew was made
REVIEW: Earthgang, Mick Jenkins Ignite Sold Out Crowd (Varsity Theater)
Promotional art for Earthgang's Mirrorland. Varsity Theater remains the pinnacle of intimate, yet still riveting concerts from music’s most exciting up-and-comers. Located in Dinkytown, the celebrated theater welcomed rising Atlanta hip-hop duo, Earthgang, on their Welcome to Mirrorland Tour Wednesday night. Accompanied by Portland MC Wynne (currently enrolled at the University
REVIEW: The Collapse of the Blue Collar Dream in Skeleton Crew (Yellow Tree Theatre)
Darius Dotch, Jamecia Bennett, and Mikell Sapp in Yellow Tree Theatre's production of Skeleton Crew, now playing in Osseo, MN. Photo by Justin Cox. Feelings of hopelessness and perseverance pervade in Dominque Morisseau’s play Skeleton Crew, the last in Morisseau’s trilogy on life in her hometown of Detroit, Michigan. This third
MOVIE REVIEW: Escapist Fantasy Ass-Kicking in Birds of Prey
Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie, center) is the center of the new comic book universe action movie Birds of Prey (DC Films/Warner Brothers). The voluminously titled Birds of Prey: The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn is the antithesis of the recent Joker. Both are based on DC Comics properties and were
REVIEW: Striking, Grim Bernarda Alba (Theater Latté Da)
Stephanie Bertuman and the cast of Theater Latté Da's Bernarda Alba, now playing at the Ritz Theater in Minneapolis, MN. Photo by Dan Norman. For decades, the Spanish playwright Federico García Lorca's last play, The House of Bernarda Alba (1936), has been a staple of regional, community, and educational theatres across
PHOTOS: Blue Man Group Returns (State Theatre/HTT)
Blue Man Group performances always feature bold colors, sometimes punctuated by flying paint and water bouncing off drums. Photo by Evan Zimmerman. Blue Man Group. It's a wordless performance act with long-running shows in Boston, New York, and Las Vegas, with tours running more or less constantly. It's an evening of
REVIEW: Another Look at Jesus Christ Superstar (Orpheum Theatre/HTT)
A scene from Jesus Christ Superstar, now playing at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis. Photo by Matthew Murphy. In the 50th Anniversary Broadway touring version of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, Jesus is a rock star messiah. This is portrayed quite literally: Aaron LaVigne, as