REVIEW: Figaro at the Hill House Arts Music Opera Theatre by Lydia Lunning - July 16, 2016July 17, 2016 Angels and Demons Entertainment’s recent production of The Marriage of Figaro at the James J. Hill House in St. Paul was a magical experience. Over the last two weekends, the music of Mozart’s masterpiece has echoed through the rooms and over the terraces of the historic mansion, breathing new life
REVIEW: Under the Gaslight is a Grand Finale (MN Centennial Showboat) Arts Dance Music Theatre by Bev Wolfe - July 14, 2016July 14, 2016 A scene from Under the Gaslight. Photo by Dan Norman. At the end of this summer, an era of Minnesota theatre comes to an end when the Minnesota Centennial Showboat closes its final season after 55 years on the waterfront. As things, began, so they end: the final production, Augustine Daly’s 1861 melodrama
INTERVIEW: Ron Peluso on Glensheen, Murder, and Revivals Arts Dance Music Theatre by Basil Considine - July 12, 2016July 12, 2016 Glensheen opened last Wednesday at the History Theatre in St. Paul. This revival of last fall's hit came early – just seven months after the world premiere at the History Theatre brought in surging audiences and sold-out show after show. The Twin Cities Arts Reader's Basil Considine spoke with the History Theatre's artistic
REVIEW: Lady and the Trump (Brave New Workshop) Arts Theatre by Bev Wolfe - July 12, 2016July 13, 2016 Lady and the Trump is the latest comedy show from Brave New Workshop (BNW) and opened last week. BNW is well-known for its social and political humors based on certain themes. Like the Saturday Night Live television show, BNW is probably at its best when it weaves together comedy skits
REVIEW: The Lion King (National Tour/Orpheum Theatre) Arts Dance Music Theatre by Bev Wolfe - July 10, 2016July 10, 2016 Mukelisiwe Goba as Rafiki in The Lion King North American Tour. Photo by Matthew Murphy. The Lion King has touched down at the Orpheum Theatre for a five-week run. This show not only famously adapts the hit animated musical movie to the stage, but manages to raise the show to new artistic heights in the
REVIEW: Murder’s Still Got It in Glensheen (History Theatre) Arts Music Theatre by Bev Wolfe - July 8, 2016July 12, 2016 Last fall, the Minnesota History Theatre had a sell-out hit with its original production of the musical Glensheen. Fortunately, I and many other theatre goers who missed the show the first time around are lucky to see it in a summer reprise of the show. Under the swift direction of
WEEKEND PICKS: 2 Defy Gravity’s Evening of Aerial, Ice Cream, Laking Arts Dance Lifestyle Theatre by Twin Cities Arts Reader - July 8, 2016July 8, 2016 2 Defy Gravity. Photo by John Lombardi. Watch and Marvel This weekend's event pick is 2 Defy Gravity's An Evening of Aerial, a cabaret-style evening of circus, dance, and theatre featuring local aerial performers. July 8 @ 7:30 PM, July 9 @ 7:30 PM, and July 10 @ 2 PM at the Minnsky Theatre
FEATURE: Building the Opera Audience of Tomorrow Arts Music Opera Theatre by Basil Considine - July 8, 2016July 8, 2016 Opera has a reputation, deserved or undeserved, for exclusivity. To the young audience members in attendance at The Marriage of Figaro last night, exclusivity was definitely on the menu: by the time the performance drew to a close, each of them seemed absolutely convinced that attending was like winning a lottery. Technically, this performance was the
Fringe File #3: About Fringe and How to Pick a Show Arts Dance Music Opera Theatre by Basil Considine - July 4, 2016July 5, 2016 Pictured: The official show image for Trusty Paper Ship's The Real World: Fringe Festival. Part 3 of a multipart series. Read Part 1 and Part 2. One of the great things about the Minnesota Fringe Festival is that it's a large, unjuried festival with an adventurous audience. "Unjuried" in this context means that there's
Fringe File #2: How to Plan Your Fringe; Publisher’s Picks Arts Dance Lifestyle Music Opera Theatre by Twin Cities Arts Reader - July 3, 2016July 5, 2016 Ilana Kapra Productions's Evil Twin. One of the interesting new features of this year's Minnesota Fringe Festival website is the scheduling grid, which makes it a sinch to block out your schedule. Here's how to use it: Go to http://fringefestival.org/ Create a free account (or login if you have one) by