FEATURE: On Neil Simon’s First Play, Come Blow Your Horn Arts Theatre by Basil Considine - October 3, 2017October 3, 2017 John Haynes, Sue Gerver, Nicole Korbisch, Dylan Rugh, and Grant Hooyer in St. Croix Off Broadway Dinner Theatre's current production of Come Blow Your Horn, now playing in Hudson, WI. There are so many Neil Simon plays in the repertory that you might not realize that the playwright is still among
PREVIEW: Life Could Be a Dream is a Doo Wop Fantasia (Old Log Theatre) Arts Dance Music Theatre by Basil Considine - October 2, 2017June 24, 2018 The cast of the Old Log Theatre's upcoming production of Life Could Be a Dream. From left to right: Austin Stole, Lucas Wells, Grace Lowe, Eric Sargent, Brian Winter. There's something about the music of the 1950s that forms a quintessential part of American nostalgia and culture. This comes in part
FEATURE: 8 Illustrations Showing Intermedia Arts’ Plight Arts Dance Music Theatre Visual Arts by Basil Considine - October 1, 2017October 1, 2017 A bar chart illustrating the deficit cycle faced by Intermedia Arts, its board, and its staff since 2000. The organization's financial reserves were severely eroded even before the Great Recession hit; post-Recession, soaring expenses quickly eroded Intermedia's financial gains. Thursday evening, Intermedia Arts sent out a short, succinct to its media
REVIEW: Oh, To Hear Goblin Market (Theatre Elision) Arts Music Theatre Visual Arts by Basil Considine - September 30, 2017October 2, 2017 Krin McMillen (Lizzie) and Christine Wade (Laura) in Theatre Elision's Goblin Market. There are some theatre companies that you innately root for. Theatre Elision is an exciting new company in town with a strong focus, an interesting and important mission, and a lot of energy. After debuting in May with the musical
INTERVIEW: Actor-Playwright John Cariani on The Band’s Visit, the Final Frontier, and More Arts Music Theatre by Basil Considine - September 30, 2017October 18, 2017 An Egyptian band unexpectedly arrives on the doorstep in a small, rural Israeli town in The Band's Visit, which opens on Broadway on November 9. Photo by Ahron R. Foster. John Cariani is a busy man who always has a few irons in the theatrical fires. As a playwright, he develops
REVIEW: Splendid Romeo and Juliet (Guthrie Theater) Arts Theatre Visual Arts by Kit Bix - September 29, 2017September 30, 2017 Shá Cage (Lady Capulet), Kate Eastman (Juliet), and Candace Barrett Birk (Nurse) in the Guthrie Theater’s current production of Romeo and Juliet. No one was surprised when American Theatre Magazine announced that Shakespeare will once again be the most produced playwright of the current American theatre season, though there were some
REVIEW: Inspiring Man of La Mancha for Troubled Times (Latté Da) Arts Dance Music Theatre Visual Arts by Bev Wolfe - September 27, 2017September 28, 2017 Martín Solá and Zachary Garcia ride out in the play-within-a-play in Theater Latté Da's production of Man of La Mancha. Photo by Allen Weeks. September is one of the busiest months for Minnesota's professional theatres, with dozens of show openings in the Twin Cities alone. Theater Latté Da's production of Man of La
REVIEW: Protest, Subversion, Innuendo in Ex-Gays (Savage Umbrella) Arts Theatre by Basil Considine - September 27, 2017September 27, 2017 The cast of Savage Umbrella's Ex-Gays: Not a Str8 Remount. Photo courtesy of Savage Umbrella. I was immediately offended when I first walked into Savage Umbrella's Ex-Gays: Not a Str8 Remount. I'm glad that I stayed. The reasons for my offense were two-fold: an oft-over-used Sanskrit greeting at the door that should be
NEWS: 2017 Ivey Award Recipients Announced Arts Dance Music Theatre by Twin Cities Arts Reader - September 26, 2017 A Staged Expression, featuring Ryan Colbert and Traci Allen Shannon. Photo by William Clark Photography. Last night, the 2017 Ivey Awards for professional theatre were announced at the State Theatre in Minneapolis, MN. Highlights included performances by a variety of companies that had previously won Ivey Awards, as well as a
REVIEW: The Abominables Takes a Musical Swing at Hockey (Children’s Theatre Company) Arts Dance Music Theatre by Bev Wolfe - September 25, 2017September 25, 2017 A reporter (Stephanie Bertumen) catches a Yeti (Ryan Colbert) on the ice in The Abominables, now playing at the Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis. Photo by Dan Norman. The Abominables, a new musical playing at the Children’s Theatre Company, is an entertaining story about acceptance, team work, and the belief that