The Mail Order Bride by Charles Mee, a nimbus theatre production at Minneapolis Theater Garage on 11/2/07

By: David de Young
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Rose Le Tran as June in nimbus theatre's production of The Mail Order Bride Directed by Josh Cragun Run time 1 hour and 50 minutes with no intermission   Inevitably when writing theater reviews one eventually gets to call a play “a satiric romp.” That phrase is apt in the case of Charles Mee’s The Mail Order Bride, which had its regional premiere at the Minne...

The Rocky Horror Show at Ordway Center for the Performing Arts on 10/12/07

By: Jon Behm
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Photo from www.ordway.org No one ever forgets their virgin viewing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. The movie experience usually involves a red lipstick “V” painted on your forehead and some sort of humiliating spectacle in front of the crowd. Mine, many years ago, was unusually harrowing for both the audience, and me, but when you have a theater-full of people in drag ...

Global Voices presents: An evening with Ian McKellen in conversation with Joe Dowling at Guthrie Theater on 10/8/07

By: David de Young
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Ian McKellen (right) with Joe Dowling at the Guthrie - Photo by Daniel Schultz As you’ve likely heard, because it’s kind of a big deal, Sir Ian McKellen is at the Guthrie Theater this month as the Royal Shakespeare Company performs Anton Chekov’s The Seagull and Shakespeare’s King Lear in repertory. Both plays are directed by Trevor Nunn.   All Minneapolis performances have sold o...

Dead City, A Red Eye Theater Production at Red Eye Theater on 10/6/07

By: David de Young
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Jon Cole, Miriam Must and Darcey Engen in a publicity photo for Red Eye Theater's production of Dead City Directed by Steve Busa, Red Eye Artistic Director Runtime 1 hour and 50 minutes with no intermission. An email blast from Red Eye Managing Director Miriam Must reassured potential theatergoers they need not have read Ulysses to enjoy the theater’s current production, the Twin Cities premier...

Fashion 47, A Children's Theater Company production at The Children's Theatre Company on 9/28/07

By: Janet Preus
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  Written by Diane Paulus and Randy Weiner Directed by Diane Paulus Choreography by Michael Matthew Ferrell   Pre-teeners, your day has arrived. The Children’s Theatre Company has mounted a production that has your number. “Fashion 47” puts you right in the aisle seats next to the runway, with all the hype and pseudo-glam of a pint-sized “Runway” meets “Ameri...

The Wedding Singer: The Musical at Orpheum Theatre on 9/25/07

By: Jen Paulson
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  Inspirational things I learned from this show: On the pros of being single: If you’re single, no one can Moonwalk over your heart.   For anyone who’s felt down and wanted to give up: Hey, did that girl from Flashdance stop flash-dancing because she had welding to do and shit?   The touring company of The Wedding Singer rolled through town for a weeklong stint in Minneapolis this...

The Pillowman, A Frank Theater Production at Guthrie Theater on 9/21/07

By: David de Young
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Jim Lichtscheidl, Chris Carlson and Luverne Seifert in The Pillowman. Publicity photo by Tony Nelson Synopsis: A writer of short horror fiction in a totalitarian state is taken into custody and interrogated by police after some local children are murdered. Awarded Laurence Olivier Award for Best new play in 2004 and nominated for Tony Award for Best Play in 2005. Run time: approximately 160 minu...

Two Queens One Castle, a Mixed Blood production at Music Box Theatre on 9/19/07

By: Janet Preus
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Two Queens One Castle - Publicity Photo Book & Lyrics by Jevetta Steele & Thomas W. Jones II Music by J.D. Steele & William Hubbard   Mixed Blood Theatre’s production of Jevetta Steele’s autobiographical co-write, Two Queens One Castle has returned with Steele’s deeply personal story and engaging songs. Mixed Blood commissioned the piece and first produced it in 2002. If you...

Orestes, a nimbus theater production at Minneapolis Theater Garage on 9/7/07

By: David de Young
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Statue of Athena on the set of Orestes - Photo by David de Young Orestes, the second part of nimbus theater company’s two-part original adaptation of Aeschylus’ Oresteia trilogy opened Friday at the Minneapolis Theater Garage. Directed by Liz Neerland, the three-scene 70-minute production, which runs with no intermission, fuses the second half of The Libation Bearers with the entirety of The Eumenide...

Idigaragua at Bedlam Theatre on 9/6/07

By: David de Young
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Photo of the preview performance of Idigaragua by Stacy Schwartz Directed by Jeremey Catterton Synopsis: Loosely based on short stories by Paul Bowles, an unnamed journalist gets drunk in a foreign bar, gets lost at sea, gets captured by pirates, gets married, builds a technocratic and unwelcome civilization in a foreign land, and more.   My first inclination as the metaphoric curtain fel...