The Cyrus Chestnut Trio featuring Buster Williams and Lenny White. Photo courtesy of the AMI Agency. Some consider Cyrus Chestnut the finest jazz pianist of this generation. Without a doubt, he is one of the most entertaining; last evening at Vieux Carré, he arrived boosted by two excellent recent albums (2017's There’s
Music
NEWS: Crystal Manich to Take Reins at Mill City Summer Opera
Today, Mill City Summer Opera announced the appointment of Crystal Manich as its new artistic director. Manich, a lauded stage director, will take the artistic reins for the company's 2019 season and direct its production of Mozart's Così fan Tutte. Read an interview with Crystal Manich on directing. Manich takes over
NEWS: The 2018 MN Theater Award Honorees
The 2018 Minnesota Theater Awards took place on Monday, September 24 at ARIA in Minneapolis. Last night, the 2018 Minnesota Theater Awards party unfolded at Aria. Unusually, there were no award recipients announced – only honorees who had been nominated. In a typically Minnesotan development, the organizers announced last week that they
INTERVIEW: Cantus on Lorelei and Cross-Country Concertizing
The Boston-based Lorelei Ensemble, which joins Cantus for a concert this Thursday at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. This Thursday will witness a rare choral event: the Twin Cities-based, all-male vocal ensemble Cantus sharing a program with the celebrated, Boston-based, all-female Lorelei Ensemble. The two ensembles will join forces
REVIEW: If/Then/Anoka: Yes (Lyric Arts)
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
PREVIEW: Ananya Dance Theatre’s Annual Dance Showcase (The O’Shaughnessy)
Ananya Dance Theatre. Photo by V. Paul Virtucio. This month, Ananya Dance Theatre closes out its 5-part series Work Women Do with the world premiere of Shaatranga at The O'Shaughnessy. This final chapter, whose name in Bangla translates as "Seven Colors", will be performed Friday, Sept. 21 and Saturday, Sept. 22
REVIEW: Stunning Hamilton Erupts on Hennepin (Orpheum/Hennepin Theatre Trust)
Joseph Morales and Nik Walker as Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, in the second national tour of Hamilton. Photo by Joan Marcus. The most remarkable thing about Hamilton is not that each song is so good. The most remarkable thing is that each element – the striking choreography, the immense variety
REVIEW: Spectacular Women, Amazing Voices in The Broadway Princess Party
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
Fringe File 2018 #26 – Official Numbers; MN Fringe No Longer Largest in United States
REVIEW: A Lawyer’s Look at Legally Blonde (Artistry)
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