REVIEW: The Return of Nachito Herrera with the Wayzata Symphony Orchestra Arts Music by Brian Bix - October 11, 2021October 12, 2021 Cuban pianist Nachito Herrera at the piano. Photo by Sheilxa Ryan Photography. When I told a friend that Ignacio “Nachito” Herrera’s performance with the Wayzata Symphony Orchestra at Orchestra Hall would feature Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, my friend was surprised. She knew that Herrera was one of the area’s foremost
REVIEW: A Stations of the Heart Time Capsule (Nautilus Music-Theater) Arts Music Theatre by Basil Considine - October 9, 2021October 14, 2021 The set of Stations of the Heart, now playing at the Northern Warehouse in Lowertown St. Paul. Photo courtesy of Nautilus Music-Theater. After an extended, mostly quiet pandemic hiatus, Nautilus Music-Theater returned to in-person art-making last week with Stations of the Heart, a musical theatre song cycle of sorts by composer
BREAKING NEWS: Brand New Minneapolis School of New Music Abruptly Closes Arts Music by Amy Donahue - October 6, 2021October 7, 2021 A message from Minneapolis School of New Music founder Bart Johnson on the school's closure. The Minneapolis School of New Music has closed. The charter school, which opened its doors this fall, promised middle school children a tuition-free, music-immersive curriculum. Founder Bart Johnson cited the resignations of 2 of the school'
REVIEW: The Frozen Tornado Lands (Orpheum/Hennepin Theatre Trust) Arts Dance Music Theatre by Basil Considine - October 5, 2021October 6, 2021 Caroline Bowman stars as Princess Elsa in the North American tour of the musical Frozen, now playing through October 20 at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis. Photo by Deen van Meer. The national tour of Frozen landed at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis last week. This stage adaptation of the Disney
NEWS: Beloved Arts Reporter Passes Away Arts Dance Music Opera Theatre Visual Arts by Twin Cities Arts Reader - September 27, 2021September 27, 2021 Pamela Espeland, a beloved arts reporter and fixture of Twin Cities journalism, passed away on Sunday, September 26. Her weekly Artscape column for MinnPost was a regular centerpiece of arts coverage.A multi-talented author and editor, Pamela was a graduate of Carleton College in Northfield, MN. As a copywriter, she worked
INTERVIEW: Caroline Bowman and Austin Colby on Playing Frozen Royalty and Returning to the Stage Arts Dance Music Theatre by Basil Considine - September 24, 2021September 24, 2021 Caroline Bowman stars as Princess Elsa in the North American tour of the musical Frozen, which opens September 30 at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, MN. Photo by Deen van Meer. On January 28, 2014, a bitter cold wind blew down Hennepin Avenue. For the last few days, a winter storm
REVIEW: Restarting Songs for a New World (Artistry) Arts Music Theatre by Basil Considine - September 11, 2021September 12, 2021 Joey Miller (front, center) crouches in the spotlight in Artistry's production of Songs for a New World, playing at the Bloomington Center for the Arts through September 26, 2021. The production is dramatically lit by lighting designer Karin Olson. Photo by Lucas Wells. In the disruptive world of theatre rescheduling and
PREVIEW: Artistry’s Return to the Stage: Songs for a New World Arts Music Theatre by Twin Cities Arts Reader - September 7, 2021September 8, 2021 It's been a year and a half since Artistry closed its doors in Bloomington, Minnesota as pandemic shutdowns swept the country. When they reopen on Friday, the company faces a different world: one without Producing Artistic Director Benjamin McGovern, who stepped down in May after six seasons; one with a
PREVIEW: Hotly Anticipated Frozen Times Ahead (Hennepin Theatre Trust) Arts Dance Music Theatre by Twin Cities Arts Reader - August 30, 2021August 30, 2021 Caroline Bowman as Elsa (center) with the North American Touring Company of Frozen, which opens in Minneapolis on September 30. Photo by Deen van Meer. This week's cooler weather and rain are not just a welcome respite from a scorching summer, but also a harbinger of things to come: one month
REVIEW: Karina Canellakis Leads MN Orchestra to Exciting Close (Orchestra Hall) Arts Music by Basil Considine - August 30, 2021August 31, 2021 The Minnesota Orchestra closed its summer programming this weekend with a thrilling program led by guest conductor Karina Canellakis. The evening included a movement from a symphony by William Grant Still, two excerpts from a Mozart piano concerto, and a Tchaikovsky symphony. For some season planners, the archetypical summer classical music