Hamlet (at the Jungle Theater, through Oct 9) is the greatest play ever written. William Shakespeare‘s sinuous exploration of (in no particular order) revenge, love, ambition, power, madness, violence, suicide, lust, agonizing passivity, aristocratic privilege represents, along with the Sistine…
Minnesota Fringe Festival 2011
Billed as “Minnesota’s festival of the performing arts”, The Fringe Festival boasts performances of 160+ shows spread over a breathless ten day period, Aug 4-14. We at HowWasTheShow.com (J.O. = John Olive and J.P. = Janet Preus) offer herewith highly…
“9 to 5: The Musical†at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
The Ordway has picked a light, summertime treat with the national touring production of “9 to 5: The Musical.†Based rather faithfully on the 1980 movie, with over-the-top aw-shucks humor it tackles, somewhat literally, a very serious subject indeed: gender…
“West Side Story” at the Orpheum Theatre
There’s still time to make a performance of West Side Story brought to the Twin Cities by the Hennepin Theatre Trust – and you should! This recent revival keeps all the grace and beauty of the original Broadway production,…
Photo Set: Basilica Block Party, Saturday, July 9, 2011
Waiting For Godot by Theatre Pro Rata at the Hollywood Theatre
In a just world, the Hollywood Theater, that Depression-era temple to the art of cinema, would thrive. A small but worthy arts group – like, oh, say, Theatre Pro Rata – would take over, quickly find the dough for lovely…
Street Scene by Girl Friday Productions at the Minneapolis Theater Garage
Elmer Rice‘s brilliant Street Scene (beautifully done by Girl Friday Productions, performing at the Minneapolis Theater Garage through July 30) burst onto the Broadway stage in 1929. Groundbreaking, realistic but not grimly naturalistic, Street Scene explores the textures of life…
H.M.S. Pinafore at the Guthrie Theater
Perhaps director Joe Dowling and playwright Jeffrey Hatcher (provider of “additional material”) are right: as it stands Gilbert and Sullivan‘s gloriously English, emphatically 19th century H.M.S. Pinafore (at the Guthrie, through August 28) is too dry and dreary for 21st…
Photoset: Rock the Garden 2011
Panic at Park Square Theatre
In Panic (at Park Square Theatre, through July 10), playwright Joseph Goodrich creates a “cozy” mystery: characters are powerful, wealthy, self-assured. They live postcard-perfect lives. Henry Lockwood, famous film-director, prepares to open his latest film (a grand success, of course)…
Kaivama CD Release Party featuring Arto Järvelä at the Cedar Cultural Center
Seeing Finland’s Arto Järvelä and Minnesota’s Kaivama perform together at The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis Friday night made me feel downright happy. For a musical performance to be a success, happiness need not be either the intention or the…
