THE CURMUDGEON: Vol. 2 – Who is in this show? Arts Dance Music Opera The Curmudgeon Theatre Visual Arts by Basil Considine - July 6, 2017July 6, 2017 Dear Press Release Writer, Nice minimalist press release! You had full contact info and all the details there about when and where the performance will take place – good start! However, it says nothing about who's in it or who wrote it. In fact, the only name at all included in the
THE CURMUDGEON: Vol. 1 – How Should We Contact You? Arts Dance Music Opera The Curmudgeon Theatre Visual Arts by Basil Considine - July 5, 2017July 19, 2017 Dear _____ Company, Lovely press release with a note to request tickets through the contact form on your website (Strike 1). I can't help notice that you sent this from a do-not-reply address (Strike 2) and that your website does not have a clearly labeled contact form (Strike 3) or any
REVIEW: Slick Sunday in the Park with George Shines (Guthrie Theater) Arts Music Theatre Visual Arts by Basil Considine - June 30, 2017June 30, 2017 The grand arch and backdrop in the Guthrie Theater's current production of Sunday in the Park with George. A sailboat and water from the source painting (see below, upper-left) appear on the right-hand side. Lighting design by Jane Cox, projection design by Caite Gevner, and scenic design by Jan Chambers. Photo by
PREVIEW: The Fierce Femme Feelings Cabaret (Troubadour Wine Bar) Arts Music by Basil Considine - June 25, 2017June 26, 2017 Leslie Vincent (right) and Emily Dussault (left). Photo by Carl Atiya Swanson. There's a little green storefront in Uptown that's perfect for a glass of wine and a song. Head south on Hennepin towards Lake; just across from the YWCA, look left and there's the Troubadour Wine Bar – an unassuming gem
REVIEW: One Man Star Wars Trilogy = Extended In-Joke (Ordway) Arts Theatre by Basil Considine - June 24, 2017July 5, 2017 Charles Ross is the creator and star of One Man Star Wars Trilogy. With One Man Star Wars Trilogy, the title is more or less what you get. This solo show by Charles Ross is an extended set of in-jokes and references spanning the original Star Wars trilogy. It's nostalgic, at times very
REVIEW: Fine Dining, Rough Talk at Don Giovanni (Skylark Opera Theatre) Arts Music Opera Theatre by Basil Considine - June 16, 2017June 17, 2017 Gabriel Preisser as Don Giovanni. Photo by Vera Mariner. At its best, Skylark Opera Theatre's Don Giovanni is an extraordinary way to experience a beloved Mozart opera. The site-specific performance at the Women's Club of Minneapolis provides ample opportunities for shaking up the traditional opera-going experience, which are ably exploited with a talented
INTERVIEW: Dan Norman on Photographing Theatre Magic Arts Dance Music Opera Theatre Visual Arts by Basil Considine - June 16, 2017June 16, 2017 A collage of theatrical photos by Dan Norman. Larger and uncropped versions are available below. Page through theatre reviews and websites in the Twin Cities and you'll see Dan Norman's name coming up again and again. In the past 12 years, Norman has become one of the most distinguished theatre photographers
INTERVIEW: Bob Neu on Skylark Opera Theatre’s Immersive Donny G. Arts Music Opera Theatre by Basil Considine - June 12, 2017June 12, 2017 Photo by Vera Mariner. This week, Skylark Opera Theatre opens a site-specific production of Don Giovanni at the Women's Club in Minneapolis. This performance, which will snake through different rooms in the venue, is the company's second outing since its financial and artistic reorganization last year. The Arts Reader's Basil Considine
REVIEW: RENT Keeps on Rocking Hard (Hennepin Theatre Trust) Arts Dance Music Theatre by Basil Considine - June 7, 2017June 7, 2017 The company for the RENT 20th Anniversary Tour. Photo by Carol Rosegg. As the last notes of RENT sounded, the audience burst from their seats en masse in a standing ovation. After that response, much of the writing of this review seems superfluous. For a show on its 20th anniversary tour, RENT has weathered the years very well. Jonathan
DC REVIEW: Delectable Appetizers in Les Indes Galantes (Opera Lafayette) Arts Music Opera Theatre by Basil Considine - June 2, 2017July 5, 2017 The Opera Lafayette Orchestra. Ryan Brown leads with his violin (standing, center). Sketch by Basil Considine. The Twin Cities opera scene is blessed with several opera companies whose specialties range from the popular canon to new repertoire to site-specific and unusual spectacle. If your tastes run to Baroque operas, however, your odds of