REVIEW: Joy and Tuxes in Mr. Popper’s Penguins (Pins and Needles/Children’s Theatre Company) Arts Dance Music Theatre by Bev Wolfe - January 24, 2019January 24, 2019 Susanna Jennings, Monica Nash, Richard Holt and Christopher Finn in the Pins and Needles-Children's Theatre Company co-production of Mr. Popper’s Penguins. Photo by Dan Norman. A sweet and sentimental tale of realizing one’s dreams as well as the joy of raising penguins is currently gracing the stage at Children’s Theatre. Mr. Popper's
REVIEW: Whence Cometh These Sweet Sounds? Marie and Rosetta (Park Square Theatre) Arts Music Theatre by Bev Wolfe - January 9, 2019January 15, 2019 Rajané Katurah Brown (as Marie) and Jamecia Bennett (as Rosetta) in Park Square Theatre's production of Marie and Rosetta. Photo by Petronella J. Ytsma. Rosetta Tharpe was a swinging gospel music star who also played rocking secular music. A well-known name during World War II, she was a major influence on a variety
REVIEW: Miracle at Christmas Lake‘s Joyous Return (Yellow Tree Theatre) Arts Dance Music Theatre by Bev Wolfe - December 31, 2018January 3, 2019 Mary Fox, Miriam Monasch, Ryan Nelson, Jessie Rae Rayle, and Jason Peterson in Yellow Tree Theatre's production of Miracle at Christmas Lake. Photo by Justin Cox. The first year that Yellow Tree opened, it lost its rights to its planned holiday show and theatre co-founder Jessica Lind wrote an original show,
REVIEW: The Grinch Still Rules the Roost (Children’s Theatre Company) Arts Dance Music Theatre by Bev Wolfe - December 8, 2018December 8, 2018 The Grinch (Reed Sigmund) sets off to commit dastardly deeds of humbug in the Children's Theatre Company production of Dr. Seuss’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Photo by Dan Norman. The Grinch is back and he is a green, mean, anti-holiday machine. It has been a long time since I have seen
REVIEW: Peter Yarrow Still Rocking in Concert (Hopkins Center for the Arts) Arts Music by Bev Wolfe - October 21, 2018October 22, 2018 A photo of Peter Yarrow in concert. Peter Yarrow, formerly of Peter, Paul and Mary, told Saturday night’s audience at the Hopkins Center for the Arts that his performance would be part concert, part protest march, and part orgy. Although he never progressed to the orgy part, Yarrow demonstrated through song
REVIEW: Blind, Deaf, Unrestrained inThe Miracle Worker (Yellow Tree Theatre) Arts Theatre by Bev Wolfe - September 29, 2018October 1, 2018 Kiara Jackson and Jane Froiland in Yellow Tree Theatre's The Miracle Worker. Photo by Justin Cox Photography. Helen Keller was blind and deaf from an early age but went on to become an accomplished and world-famous equal rights activist, speaker, and author. Playwright William Gibson's play The Miracle Worker dramatizes the
REVIEW: If/Then/Anoka: Yes (Lyric Arts) Arts Dance Music Theatre by Bev Wolfe - September 10, 2018September 11, 2018 The cast of Lyric Arts' production of the musical If/Then. Photo courtesy of Lyric Arts. Impressive is the word that best describes my experience at Lyric Arts Main Street Stage’s production of the Broadway musical If/Then. The word describes both the theatre as well as the performance. Lyric Arts has been
REVIEW: Spectacular Women, Amazing Voices in The Broadway Princess Party Arts Music Theatre by Bev Wolfe - August 24, 2018August 31, 2018 A promotional photo for the Broadway Princess Party, touched down at the Pantages Theatre in Minneapolis on August 18. Broadway/Disney royalty were in town last week at the Pantages Theatre. Which members of the royalty, you ask? Well, Cinderella, Jasmine, and Belle...to start. There was no need to splurge on spectacular
REVIEW: Another Look at The Korean Drama Addict (Theater Mu/Park Square) Arts Theatre by Bev Wolfe - August 17, 2018August 20, 2018 A scene from The Korean Drama Addict’s Guide to Losing Your Virginity. Photo by Rich Ryan. Theater Mu and Park Square Theatre's joint production of The Korean Drama Addict’s Guide to Losing Your Virginity has sold out much of it's run in St. Paul, including added performances. In today's review, Bev Wolfe
REVIEW: A Lawyer’s Look at Legally Blonde (Artistry) Arts Dance Music Theatre by Bev Wolfe - August 14, 2018August 14, 2018 A courtroom scene in Artistry's production of Legally Blonde. Photo by Devon Cox. Having been both blonde and a law student, the title Legally Blonde always catches my attention, whether it is the 2001 Reese Witherspoon movie or the 2007 Broadway musical. The stage adaptation currently being presented by Artistry features a book by