REVIEW: The Magical Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Spoiler-Free; NYC/Broadway) Arts Theatre by Basil Considine - May 13, 2018May 13, 2018 Light and composition are exquisitely used throughout the visually lush Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, now playing on Broadway. Photo by Manuel Harlan. What's the hardest show to get tickets to on Broadway right now? Not The Book of Mormon and not Hamilton. That honor belongs to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,
PREVIEW: It Can’t Happen Here Reading (Arlington Hills Community Center) Arts Theatre by Twin Cities Arts Reader - May 13, 2018May 13, 2018 A promotional image for It Can't Happen Here. Some stories find their place immediately; some find resonance years or even decades later. It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis is both - a bestselling novel when it first came out in 1935, it was even more of a hit as a play
FEATURE: On the Sweet, Seductive Decadence in Minnesota Opera’s Thaïs Arts Dance Music Opera Theatre by Basil Considine - May 11, 2018June 24, 2018 A scene from Jules Massenet and Anatole France's classic opera Thaïs, opening tomorrow at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, MN. Photo by Cory Weaver. Thaïs opens tomorrow at Minnesota Opera. The opera features some of the most beautiful music ever written, notably the famous Meditation (see below)
REVIEW: Enemy of the People, Lite Edition (Guthrie Theater) Arts Theatre by Amy Donahue - May 9, 2018May 9, 2018 The Stockmann brothers Peter (Ricardo Chavira) and Tom (Billy Carter) in the Guthrie Theater's production of An Enemy of the People. Photo by Dan Norman. It says something about Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906)'s place in the theatrical canon that his works are now being freely reinterpreted, reconceived, and given sequels.
REVIEW: Flawed Script, Earnest Performance in Still Dance the Stars (Yellow Tree Theatre Arts Dance Theatre by Bev Wolfe - May 2, 2018May 2, 2018 A scene from Yellow Tree Theatre's play with dance Still Dance the Stars. Photo by Justin Cox. A disintegrating marriage following the loss of a child. That is the central theme of Still Dance the Stars, currently playing at Yellow Tree Theatre in Osseo, MN and bringing the company's 10th season to
PREVIEW: Five Fifths of the Matrix Runs Down the Rabbit Hole (Minnesota Fringe) Arts Dance Music Theatre by Basil Considine - April 29, 2018April 29, 2018 A promotional image for Five Fifths of The Matrix. On Monday, May 7, the Minnesota Fringe Festival rings in its approaching silver anniversary with the latest installment of its annual Five Fifths fundraiser. Each year, the festival selects a new movie to parody and riff on; this year, executive director Dawn Bentley
BREAKING NEWS: Iowa Soprano 1 of 5 Winners at Met Opera Grand Finals Concert Arts Music Opera Theatre by Basil Considine - April 29, 2018April 29, 2018 Soprano Jessica Faselt (right) during the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions at Bethel University in March. Photo courtesy of the Met National Council Upper Midwest Region. The votes are in for the final round of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. The five winners, chosen based on their performances in the
REVIEW: The Lorax‘s Striking Cautionary Tale (Children’s Theatre Company) Arts Dance Music Theatre Visual Arts by Bev Wolfe - April 28, 2018April 28, 2018 The ensemble of Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, now playing at the Children's Theatre Company. Photo by Dan Norman. “[U]nless someone likes you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” These words sum up the essence of the Children’s Theatre Company’s current musical production of the Dr.
REVIEW: Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons Are Back in Jersey Boys (Orpheum/HTT) Arts Dance Music Theatre by Bev Wolfe - April 27, 2018April 27, 2018 Chris Stevens, Corey Greenan, Jonny Wexler, and Tommaso Antico as Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons in the national tour of Jersey Boys. Photo by Joan Marcus. The excitement of the Broadway touring company playing this week at the Orpheum Theatre demonstrates why Jersey Boys: The Story of Frankie Valli &
NEWS: Finalists Announced for Metropolitan Opera’s Annual Talent Search Arts Music Opera Theatre by Basil Considine - April 23, 2018April 23, 2018 The finalists for the 2018 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. L-R: Carlos Santelli, Ashley Dixon, Jessica Faselt, Gretchen Krupp, Danielle Beckvermit, Emily Misch, Madison Leonard, Megan Grey, and Hongni Wu. New York is heating up, and it's not just the temperature outside. Over the weekend, the Metropolitan Opera wrapped up the