There is something about the sincerity of a Dawes performance that hits you like a punch to the gut and leaves you a little shell-shocked. Frontman Taylor Goldsmith spits out lyrics like he’s been bottling them up for years—and maybe…
Category: Reviews
“Fully Committed” at The Jungle Theater
If you’ve ever “worked the phones,†been in the service industry, or brushed up against the sometimes silly arrogance of the rich and/or famous, you will so understand this play. However, Fully Committed, by Becky Mode, directed by Casey Stangl…
Spring Awakening at The Orpheum Theatre
In Spring Awakening (Hennepin Theatre Trust performing at the Orpheum, tonight — Nov 7 – only) the musical creators have made a magical discovery: that the flowery 19th century text can be combined with 21st century rock music and the…
The Crowd You’re In With
Walking Shadow Theatre Company’s fifth season begins with the local premier of a play by Rebecca Gilman, The Crowd You’re In With. Set in present day Chicago, and played entirely on the patio behind a small apartment building, the private…
The 39 Steps at The Guthrie Theater
In The 39 Steps (on the Guthrie‘s McGuire Stage, through December 19) everything is played for yuks. Character transitions are made onstage, often with actors simply donning a new hat or coat (four performers divvy up every character in the…
“The House of the Spirits” at Mixed Blood Theatre
Mixed Blood Theatre once again takes us someplace we haven’t been before with The House of Spirits, a bilingual adaptation by Caridad Svich of Isabel Allende’s acclaimed novel. Using the tragedy of Chile’s 20th century politics as a backdrop for…
Black Prairie and Canasta at the 400 Bar
Wednesday’s bill at the 400 Bar featuring Portland, Oregon’s Black Prairie (members of the Decemberists and friends) and Chicago’s Canasta was more than enough to bring me out of music writer retirement. And I wasn’t disappointed. It turned out to…
Rock of Ages at the Orpheum Theater
Get ready to rock, folks, Broadway is finally sharing its star-building power with music’s bad boys and their millions of fans. The national touring production of Rock of Ages, which opened at the Orpheum in downtown Minneapolis last night, is…
Life’s A Dream by Ten Thousand Things Theater
At first it’s off-putting, the lack of any stage lighting at a Ten Thousand Things play. Blinking fluorescents, the glare of the late morning sun, the institutional playing space (conference rooms, cafeterias). But soon you find yourself leaning forward, eager…
Weird Tales For Halloween by Hardcover Theater, performing at Bryant Lake Bowl
Let yourself be ushered into the shadowy and dusty confines of the ancient BLB theater. A creaky wooden floor – is that the waitress? I hope so.  A blood red curtain. An eerie 19th century organ. Is that the distant…