NEWS: Silent Nights Return in Minnesota Opera’s 2018-2019 Season Arts Dance Music Opera Theatre by Twin Cities Arts Reader - February 20, 2018February 26, 2018 A scene from Minnesota Opera's 2011 production of Silent Night. Photo by Michal Daniel. Minnesota Opera announced its 2018-2019 season last night. The company, one of the ten largest opera companies in the United States, will produce five mainstage operas at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, MN:
NEWS: Theatre Unbound Drops Wives’ Tale for Bard’s Tale Arts Theatre by Amy Donahue - February 18, 2018February 21, 2018 Illustration by Amy Donahue. Theatre Unbound's premiere of Christina Ham's A Wives' Tale is going to have to wait. With opening night just five weeks away, the script wasn't finished – and so Theatre Unbound announced today that A Wives' Tale will be replaced by a predominantly female production of Shakespeare's Measure for Measure. This
REVIEW: Terrifying Assassins (Theater Latté Da) Arts Theatre by Bev Wolfe - February 18, 2018February 18, 2018 Dieter Bierbrauer as John Wilkes Booth in Theater Latté Da's production of the Sondheim musical Assassins. Photo by Dan Norman. “Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life.” Oscar Wilde's words haunted me as I was finishing this review and learned the horrific news of the shooting in Broward County,
REVIEW: Moving Humanity in the Downtrod of The Humans (Orpheum/Hennepin Theatre Trust) Arts Theatre by Kit Bix - February 17, 2018February 17, 2018 The cast of the national tour of The Humans: Richard Thomas, Pamela Reed, Daisy Eagan, Luis Vega, and Therese Plaehn. Photo by Julieta Cervantes. To paraphrase Tolstoy, all dysfunctional families are not alike. This is a good thing, because there are an awful lot of American dramas that seem to revolve
REVIEW: Will They or Won’t They Slay in The Ravagers? (Savage Umbrella) Arts Theatre by Amy Donahue - February 15, 2018February 17, 2018 A promotional photo for Savage Umbrella's 2018 production of The Ravagers. Photo by Anna Schultz. It's been a long time since Savage Umbrella first presented its drama The Ravagers. If you look back at reviews of the premiere, you get insight into a different landscape of theatrical coverage - Ed Huyck
REVIEW: The Royale Knockout (Yellow Tree Theatre) Arts Theatre by Bev Wolfe - February 12, 2018February 12, 2018 Santino Craven and David Murray in Yellow Tree Theatre's production of The Royale. Photo by Justin Cox. "BAM", "POW", "KAPOW" – A Knockout Bam goes the fist. Pow – another punch and someone’s seeing double. Kapow – the countdown is on and the play begins. Such is the flow of The Royale, an experiential telling of the
NEWS: Toxic Waste, No Laughing Matter. Toxic Avenger, Yes! (Minneapolis Musical Theatre) Arts Dance Music Theatre by Amy Donahue - February 10, 2018February 10, 2018 A promotional image for Minneapolis Musical Theatre's production of The Toxic Avenger. There is a saying that there's an audience somewhere for everything. To support this, you need look no further than the growth of the Internet, which unites people with the most obscure hobbies and allows you to find the most
NEWS: RIP Bearded Men Improv, Long Live The Bearded Company Arts Theatre by Amy Donahue - February 8, 2018February 10, 2018 An image not reflecting the status of a Minneapolis-based improv troupe. Yesterday, the award-winning Bearded Men Improv troupe announced that it would no longer perform under its founding name. The company, which has Minneapolis and Los Angeles chapters, will henceforth be known as The Bearded Company. With typical élan, the 11-year-old company announced
BREAKING NEWS: Patrick’s Cabaret to Close Permanently Arts Dance Music Theatre by Basil Considine - January 30, 2018January 30, 2018 A scene from the 2014 Culture Wars Cabaret hosted by Patrick's Cabaret. Photo by Ryan Stopera. Patrick's Cabaret announced today that it will close permanently this summer. The surprise announcement stunned many in the Twin Cities; the organization has been a fixture in the Twin Cities performing arts scene for 31
REVIEW: Stunning Sights and Dancing in The Wiz (Children’s Theatre Company) Arts Dance Music Theatre by Bev Wolfe - January 30, 2018January 30, 2018 Aimee Bryant as Addaperle in the Children's Theatre Company production of The Wiz. Photo by Dan Norman The Children’s Theatre Company and Penumbra Theatre co-production of The Wiz is an engaging endeavor that makes you wish these two theatre companies had teamed up earlier. Director Lou Bellamy and choreographer Patdro Harris have created