REVIEW: The Wolves Comes Howling Back (Jungle Theater) Arts Theatre by Amy Donahue - February 4, 2019February 5, 2019 The cast of the Jungle Theater's reunited cast of The Wolves, now playing at the Southern Theater. A city wrapped in ice, haunted by a pack of wolves. Not normal wolves on the edge of human society, preying on the occasional sheep and staying in the shadows – these wolves defy the normal
REVIEW: Older Humor in The Italian Straw Hat (Minnesota Opera) Arts Dance Music Opera Theatre by Amy Donahue - January 31, 2019January 31, 2019 Wedding planning runs into some snags in Minnesota Opera's production of The Italian Straw Hat. Photo by Cory Weaver. Alignment is key. Whether it's about car wheels, shakras, or humor, it's essential that elements designed to work together be arranged so that they complement and build upon individual virtues and needs, rather
REVIEW: The Post-Nuclear Not-Quite-Apocalypse of The Children (Jungle Theater) Arts Theatre by Amy Donahue - January 15, 2019January 15, 2019 Stephen Yoakam, Linda Kelsey, and Laila Robins in The Children. Photo by Dan Norman. A nuclear catastrophe. It happened. At the Jungle Theater in Minneapolis. Strangely enough, this did not actually break out on-stage per se, at least not in its main elements. But Lucy Kirkwood's play The Children nevertheless unfolds under the shadow
REVIEW: Baked Holidays at Angels We Have Heard Are High (Brave New Workshop) Arts Music Theatre by Amy Donahue - December 28, 2018December 28, 2018 A promotional photo for Brave New Workshop's holiday production, Angels We Have Heard Are High. Photo by Dani Werner. Holidays bring snacks, stress, and (often) self-medication. Brave New Workshop's current holiday show throws these together as Angels We Have Heard Are High (O Holy Crap!). As the title suggests, the "baked" part
NEWS: A Very Die Hard Christmas Sells Out Entire Run Before Opening Arts Music Theatre by Amy Donahue - December 7, 2018December 7, 2018 Josh Carson plays the foul-mouthed cop-in-a-tight-spot John McClane in the parody A Very Die Hard Christmas. On December 7, 2012, a show called A Very Die Hard Christmas opened at Bryant-Lake Bowl's theater space. The event page touted "a new holiday treat with all the trimmings: singing, dancing, and bloodshed. Don't
REVIEW: Book of Mormon A Sparkling, Splendid Trip (Orpheum/Hennepin Theatre Trust) Arts Dance Music Theatre by Amy Donahue - November 14, 2018November 14, 2018 Like most Americans, Elder Price (Kevin Clay, center) and Elder Cunningham (Conner Peirson, right) couldn't find Uganda (represented by Monica L. Patton, left) on a map in The Book of Mormon. Photo by Julieta Cervantes. As our performing arts editor likes to say, we don't do missionary work "that way" anymore. It
REVIEW: A Sometimes There’s Wine Appetizer (Park Square) Arts Theatre by Amy Donahue - October 18, 2018October 20, 2018 Shanan Custer and Carolyn Pool created and star in Sometimes There's Wine, now playing at Park Square Theatre in Saint Paul. Photo by Flordelino Lagundino. There's a lot of Fringe going on at Park Square Theatre this season. The company's 2018-2019 features not just the demented musical Jefferson Township Sparkling Junior Talent
REVIEW: Tepid Two Degrees (Guthrie Theater) Arts Theatre by Amy Donahue - October 17, 2018October 20, 2018 Norah Long and Joel Liestman star in Two Degrees a PRIME Productions/Guthrie Theater co-production now playing at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Photo by Dan Norman. In its best moments, Two Degrees reminds you of some of the more lurid scandal episodes in The West Wing. In its less strong moments,
PREVIEW: DaVina and the Vagabonds Return to the Dakota Jazz Club, 10/6-10/7 Arts Music by Amy Donahue - October 3, 2018October 3, 2018 Davina Lozier of Davina and the Vagabonds at the piano. Photo by Garrett Born. One of the oft-trotted phrases in music criticism is "Jazz is dead." Like many popular aphorisms, it's a fun but false soundbyte. Don't believe me? Just try to buy same-day tickets to see local jazz blues band
REVIEW: Smoldering Coals in Playing With Fire (Guthrie) Arts Theatre by Amy Donahue - September 23, 2018September 24, 2018 Ryan Colbert (Victor), Jason Rojas (Adam), Elijah Alexander (The Creature), and Zachary Fine (Frankenstein) in the Guthrie Theater's production of Frankenstein–Playing With Fire. Photo by Dan Norman. It's been 30 years since Barbara Field’s Frankenstein – Playing with Fire first played at the Guthrie. 2018 also marks the 200th anniversary of the publication