Theater Reviews of theater productions, both traveling and originating in Minnesota.
Reviews of theater productions, both traveling and originating in Minnesota.
May 10 2019
The Brothers Paranormal Is a Thrilling and Multilayered Asian American Ghost Story
With their coproduction of Prince Gomolvilas’s The Brothers Paranormal, Theater Mu and Penumbra Theatre have brought a must-see performance that sets a high bar for intercultural speculative theater. Directed by Lou Bellamy and billed as a “darkly comic chiller,” the play goes far beyond that description…
Mar 25 2019
The Beldenville Troll Is Fascinating, Fantastical Theater at Its Best
It is always a treat to visit small theaters, especially ones that have taken up residence in old buildings that once served a very different purpose. Inevitably, the time-worn architecture imparts a unique character upon the space that’s generally not found among newer, more purpose-built…
Mar 18 2019
Enjoy Dragon-Sized Performances by a Halfling-Sized Cast in The Hobbit at Children’s Theatre Company
When it comes to epic tales, J. R. R. Tolkien‘s Middle-earth universe certainly takes the cake. With numerous books, supplements, maps, and a trio of film trilogies (two live action and one animated), geeks have been inundated with material from this magical world for over 80 years. But getting…
Feb 19 2019
Potted Potter Is a Fun Night for Harry Potter Fans and Theatergoers Alike
It’s hard to believe the Harry Potter franchise is two decades old. Sometimes it seems like only yesterday that fans were lining up outside bookstores for a new release, trying not to spoil the next book for those of us who couldn’t read 500 pages in one sitting. Now Potter fans have a theme…
Jan 24 2019
The Great Leap Is a Slam Dunk
Minneapolis audiences are pretty terrific for actors. Not to say we’re easy, but as a general rule, standing ovations ought to be the unexpected exception. Hand them out too often, and they become theatrical participation trophies. A good round of applause with perhaps a few discreet “woots” thrown…
Nov 08 2018
Noises Off at the Guthrie Is So Nice I Saw It Twice
It is said that theater is the result of a series of happy accidents magically culminating in a successful show. While that criminally understates the efforts of a staggering number of people—most of whom never even get the satisfaction of taking a bow for all their work—there is some truth to it. Any…
Oct 04 2018
The Guthrie Brings Fire to an Arctic Frankenstein
Frankenstein: Playing with Fire was originally mounted in the late 1980s by the Guthrie Theater shortly after the publication of the play written by Minnesotan Barbara Field. I saw it then, a fact I mention only as trivia really, as I can’t recall much beyond enjoying it and being impressed by…
Sep 15 2018
Curie Me Away Is a Radioactive Musical Romp
What’s that? A musical production steeped in physics, biology, and chemistry concepts that also tells the compelling story of one of the most important women of science who ever lived? That pitter-patter you hear is my nerdy little heart waking up and capering about like a puppy hearing a ringing bell.…
Aug 02 2018
Remy Raygun of the Space Brigade: A Build-Your-Own Space Opera Will Be a Family Hit at the Minnesota Fringe Festival
The Choose Your Own Adventure books by R. A. Montgomery were a staple of my preteen years. I enjoyed the sci-fi/fantasy stories, but most of all I loved being able to have an impact on the direction of the story—and when it ended too early, I could cheat back to the spot where I’d made the fatal decision in…
Jul 14 2018
Chromera’s Peek Is a Strange Sci-Fi Adventure at Minneapolis’s Red Eye Theater
There is a new theater ensemble in town, and their first show is something to not be missed.
Søren Olsen, formerly of 600 Whale, and Dolo McComb, formerly of the dance trio //CATHEDRAL\\, have teamed up to create the Lesser Lamps, which is, in their words, a “far-out dance theatre hybrid.”…