REVIEW: Inconsistent Norseplay (Maximum Verbosity/Phoenix Theater) Arts Music Theatre by Basil Considine - June 3, 2023June 4, 2023 Rob Ward (left) and Mickaylee Shaugnessy (center) play the titular Thor and Loki, respectively, in Norseplay: The Musical Adventures of Loki and Thor, now playing at the Phoenix Theater in Minneapolis. Norseplay: The Musical Adventures of Loki and Thor opened at the Phoenix Theater last evening. The occasion? The 20th anniversary
REVIEW: Energy, Hope and Smooth Jazz: Keiko Matsui at The Dakota Arts Music by Brian Bix - May 15, 2023May 15, 2023 Jazz pianist and composer Keiko Matsui performed at The Dakota in Minneapolis, MN on May 14. Photo by Raj Naik. If you have listened to smooth jazz at any point over the last three decades, then you know the music of pianist and composer Keiko Matsui. But don’t let the “smooth
REVIEW: “Sunshine on a Cloudy Day”: Smokey Robinson in Concert (Grand Casino Hinckley) Arts Music by Brian Bix - April 30, 2023May 2, 2023 Legendary entertainer Smokey Robinson. Smokey Robinson does not lack for lifetime honors. A member of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame, he has received a Kennedy Center Honors, the National Medal of Arts, a Grammys Living Legend Award, and an Honorary Doctorate from Howard
REVIEW: The Prodigy’s Next Act: The Joey Alexander Trio (The Dakota) Arts Music by Brian Bix - April 29, 2023May 2, 2023 The faces of the Joey Alexander Trio, who performed Friday at The Dakota in Minneapolis. Joey Alexander became an international sensation at 11 years old, playing jazz standards on piano like a seasoned veteran. At 12, performing at the 2016 Grammy’s, he was the youngest ever Grammy nominee. (He would later accumulate
INTERVIEW: Itamar Moses and (Re-)Creating An American Tail for the Stage Arts Music Theatre by Kit Bix - April 24, 2023April 24, 2023 Lillian Hochman as Tanya and Matthew Woody as Fievel in the world premiere of An American Tail: The Musical, which starts previews Tuesday, April 25 at the Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis, MN. Photo by Kaitlin Randolph. Twenty-five years ago, the Song of the Year at the Grammy Awards was a
NEWS: Minnesota Film Score Fest Announces 2023 Selections Arts Movies Music by Amy Donahue - April 18, 2023April 20, 2023 The Minnesota Film Score Fest, which presents new short films with a live orchestral accompaniment, has announced the selections for its 2023 season. Sixteen films from filmmakers and composers across the state will be presented on June 10 at the History Theatre in St. Paul. A uniquely Minnesotan institution, the Film
REVIEW: Do Not Throw Away Your Shot to See Hamilton (Orpheum/HTT) Arts Dance Music Theatre by Boo Segersin - April 6, 2023April 6, 2023 The national touring production of the megamusical Hamilton opened Monday at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, MN. Photo by Joan Marcus. Rejoice, fans! The wildly popular musical Hamilton has returned to Minneapolis, and this time it's staying for a 1-month engagement. If you haven't experienced the global phenomenon, or if you want
NEWS: Metropolitan Regional Arts Council Announces Arts Impact for Groups Recipients Arts Dance Music Theatre Visual Arts by Twin Cities Arts Reader - March 20, 2023March 30, 2023 On March 28, 2023, the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council voted to award $1,076,356 in funding for 109 groups and organizations. These grant awards, offered through MRAC's Arts Impact for Groups grant program for fiscal year 2023, provide up to $10,000 in funding to help groups create and sustain Minnesotans’ access
REVIEW: Rock ‘n’ Roll with Tina – The Tina Turner Musical (Orpheum/HTT) Arts Music Theatre by Boo Segersin - March 3, 2023March 3, 2023 A promotional photo for Tina – The Tina Turner Musical, playing through March 12 at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, MN. As rockstar biographies go, Tina Turner's just about has it all – great heights, great lows, turning points, struggles, and victories. And so it is in Tina - The Tina Turner
REVIEW: Building The Prom for Everyone (Chanhassen Dinner Theatres) Arts Music Theatre by Brian Bix - February 18, 2023February 21, 2023 The cast of Chanhassen Dinner Theatres' new production of The Prom, now playing in Chanhassen, MN. Photo by Dan Norman Photography. Hell hasn't exactly frozen over, but the thermometer eased over freezing this weekend in the Twin Cities. Thus, one can say empirically that the musical The Prom, which opened Friday at Chanhassen Dinner