You don’t need to know the ancient myths of Orpheus and Eurydice, or Hades and Persephone, to appreciate Hadestown’s timeless tale of the woes of love. In fact, it might be better if you didn’t, opening the way to embrace…
The Band’s Visit, with music and lyrics by David Yazbek and book by Itamar Moses, breaks so many rules for writing musicals—not by being outrageous, but by being not outrageous. It is a musical built on subtleties, just bits and…
“Dear Evan Hansen†has arrived in Minneapolis and it’s a hot ticket; the Orpheum Theatre was packed for opening night. Winner of multiple 2017 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Score, the show astonishing technical flash with a moving…
The Book Of Mormon is an energy packed and very funny show now playing at the downtown Orpheum Theatre until November 18th. Its pacing is tireless, starting at the opening song “Hello†when we meet Elder Price, (Kevin Clay) a…
What if two brothers got together and decided to write a musical about two brothers writing a musical? (A few adult beverages, perhaps, and …) The brothers come up with a wacky idea about how musicals were born in Shakespeare’s…
A few years ago Lisa Kron wrote the book and lyrics for a musical based on Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. With the aid of composer Jeanine Tesori the result was the 2015 Tony Award winning,…
One of the great strengths of Mark Haddon’s novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is that is does not compromise its perspective, detailing the world through the eyes of a young autistic boy and demanding that…
They’re all there, the famous and iconic Cabaret songs: “Willkommen,” “Don’t Tell Mama,” the anthemic “Cabaret.” John Kander (still with us) and Fred Ebb (who died in 2004) are/were masters of American musical theater. Kiss Of The Spider Woman, Chicago…
For many of us, raised on its various television renditions, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Hennepin Theatre Trust, performing at the Orpheum Theatre, through Sept 13) is the Cinderella. Those who grew up with this music find it impossible to hear…
Va-Va-Voom! Kinky Boots (at the Orpheum only through Aug 2; see it while it’s still here) comes alive when sexy Lola – she of the svelte bod, the muscular thighs, the sly come-hither smile, the wigs – sashays and struts…
