Cyrano’s nose is great. Super-long, warty, bent, broken (one imagines) numerous times, the nose provides a convincing reason for Cyrano’s suicidal self-loathing (“How can anyone love a face like this?”). His ugly honker drives him into increasingly arcane and abtruse…
Watermelon Hill at the History Theater
Minnesota (and the rest of the country) has an uncomfortable history of mistreating unwed mothers. While unwed fathers have always been able to hide their status with relative ease, this proves near impossible for women. Bearing children is and always…
Nina Simone: Four Women at Park Square Theatre
Nina Simone is a musical icon whose complex personal history fueled her artistic creativity and revolutionary passion. It is no wonder that we are now seeing a rash of artistic works remembering her, from last year’s Oscar-nominated documentary What Happened,…
Beauty And The Beast at Chanhassen Dinner Theatre
Beauty and the Beast is a story not quite as old as time. Unlike most fairy tales we know when it was written, who wrote it, and why: in 1740, by Mlle Barbot de Villeneuve as an adult entertainment for…
The How And The Why by Theatre Unbound and the Hennepin Theatre Trust
Some outstanding stuff in this play, for sure, but it has to be said: The How And The Why (a co-production of Theatre Unbound and Hennepin Theatre Trust, at the New Century Theatre through March 20) is not for everyone.…
Interview with Davey T. Steinman creator of “Basement Creatures”
Not everyone would be inspired by a basement – a real basement with creepy creatures, stacks of old newspapers, darkness … you know the kind I mean. But Davey Steinman was and, with his collaborators, created a show that springs…
DJ Latinidad’s Latino Dance Party at Mixed Blood Theatre
There are time-honored ways of celebrating the return of spring in Minnesota: the St Patrick’s Day parade; the Twins opener; and firing up the BBQ. This year add another to the list: DJ Latinidad’s Latino Dance Party at Mixed Blood…
Gypsy by Theatre Latté Da, performing in the Pantages
Gypsy, produced by Theater Latte Da and Hennepin Theatre Trust and running at the Pantages through March 13, is exactly the type of show critics relish writing about, or at least these critics. With a poignant book by Arthur Laurents,…
Gypsy produced by Theater Latte Da and the Hennepin Theater Trust
Theater Latte Da and the Hennepin Theater Trust have partnered up to bring their own Broadway-style version of Gypsy to downtown Minneapolis, and I’m going to make a prediction: This is the Twin Cities show of the year. Yes, go!…
You For Me For You by Mu Performing Arts, performing in The Guthrie’s Dowling.
“You should have starved yourself to death, before you let our son die.” This from the ghost of Minhee’s deceased husband. “I tried,” Minhee replies, quietly. Yikes. This is not a play for the faint of heart. Mia Chung‘s moving…
Eye Of The Lamb by the Workhaus Collective, performing at the Playwrights Center
Contemporary Iraq no longer exists. It has devolved into a nightmare of warring factions, tribes, militias, armies, clans and groups of insane people: Iran-affiliated Shia, Islamic State-affiliated Sunni, the demoralized but still well-armed Iraqi Army, Al-Qaeda-affiliated anti-Assad fighters, the Kurdish…
A Chorus Line at the Ordway
A Chorus Line, conceived,originally directed, and choreographed by Michael Bennett and currently running at the Ordway through February 28th, must be one hell of a show to cast. Because the show, with a book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante,…