Twin Cities Community Theater Beat

Before last week, I wasn't sure if I liked Guys and Dolls . I saw it once about 15 years ago and it didn't make much of an impression on me. I knew it had a few memorable songs, but was the plot kind of dull? And wasn't there a questionable scene with alcohol in Havana? Well, thanks to Ashland Productions, I know now that I do like Guys and Dolls . I think my different experiences then and now have a lot to do with age. This is a show about adults with adult concerns: the characters wonder if they should stay in or leave relationships, if they should settle down, if they should change careers... It didn’t reel me in when I was younger, but the characters are awfully relatable now that I’m an adult myself! Guys and Dolls follows a handful of characters through an eventful few days of their lives in a quasi-realistic Depression-era New York City. Nathan Detroit is trying to find a location to host his illegal gambling ring, while his girlfriend Adelaide wonde...

A big thank you to everyone who has been following this blog through its first (calendar) year!  This project has been great for me personally; I’ve seen a lot more shows than I was making it to before, and I’m starting to recognize names and faces in different places, which is a fun benefit.  In 2020 I hope to review more shows and improve my process so that it doesn’t take me quite so long to write each post. I’ve already got a few winter shows lined up, so I’m excited to get back into it. There were some shows in 2019 that I saw but didn’t review for the blog, and holiday travel (plus an overly ambitious crafting project) kept me from writing full reviews of the two versions of Beauty and the Beast that I saw in November and December.  There are one or two details, though, that I couldn’t let go of, and so I’m going to give a few highlights from both of those productions. Can I assume that everyone knows the plot of Beauty and the Beast ? Belle lives with h...

When I first saw Big Fish, I had a lot of problems with the way the story had been put together.  But the more I see it, the more I'm able to read between the lines and explain away any concerns I had.  There are still some moments that I think the script could better contextualize, but I'm being won over, bit by bit.  (Do I recommend that everyone see three versions of this show? Maybe!) The last Big Fish of the year (that I know of) was presented by Morris Park Players as their fall musical.  An interesting note is that their spring musical, The Addams Family , is by the same composer, so MPP is having a very Lippa season right now.  Big Fish has been very popular this year, and it's a good option for community theaters; it has a lot of featured parts, a nice variety of musical styles, and a blend of realistic and fantastical elements that provides some fun opportunities for creative design without breaking the bank. Big Fish , based on the Tim Bu...

Why do so many community theater groups do Shrek ?  Because it’s a perfect community theater show--it has a huge number of featured roles, it has name recognition, it’s got a good family-friendly message, theaters can re-use a lot of costumes they already have… Honestly, there are a lot of reasons.  Why do community theaters end up doing it at the same time? Well, that’s just how things go in a city with a lot of community theaters. But each production is a unique creation, and even familiar shows can surprise you, like River Valley Theatre Company’s Shrek did for me. Shrek is the story of an ogre who knows the fairy tales--pretty people get to live happily ever after, and the weirdos and freaks don’t.  But with the help of an exuberant talking donkey (and some other weirdos and freaks) he and a princess learn that they can forge their own fairy tale.  Jared Mogen played the titular ogre in RVTC’s production, and from the beginning his Shrek struck me as more...

Freaky Friday is the story of a mother and a teen daughter who can't seem to get along--until they literally walk in each other's shoes.  When they magically switch bodies, they each learn firsthand about how hard the other's life can be. It's a story that's been popular enough to generate two successful films (in 1976 and 2003) and finally a stage musical.  While the musical wasn't a runaway hit, it is a show that pleasantly surprised me. It would be a good show for families to see together, because it delivers its message about cutting your family some slack in a way that is more mature than other stories--perfect for tweens and up. In the stage version, performed this July at Woodbury Community Theatre, mother Katherine and daughter Ellie trade places after fighting and breaking a magical oversized hourglass that Katherine's late husband had given to his daughter (he had given an identical one to his wife).  I implore you not to think too hard about...

The film Newsies came out in 1992, but it is a movie I associate with high school, because that was the time when all my friends were obsessed with it.  It's the story of a group of young newspaper sellers in 1899 New York who go on strike when the price of their papers is suddenly raised.  The newsies don't have power or money, but as they stand firm, their movement grows in number.  In the film, Christian Bale played the main newsie, Jack, which certainly contributed to its success, but stirring music by Alan Menken and lots of teen boys doing impressive dance moves were also factors in the film's appeal. For the stage version, the writers expanded many of the side roles and turned Jack's love interest into an enterprising female journalist.  New songs were added, but the play really relies on the familiar songs of the film--and many, many reprises.  They're great songs, but sometimes it was a bit much. Rosetown Playhouse performs in the Lake Como pavilion...

Big Fish is the story of two men.  Edward is a storyteller who’d rather embellish than keep things simple; his son Will is a journalist who long ago grew tired of his father’s wild tales.  When Will finds out that he’ll have a son of his own, he is eager to learn the truth about his father’s life and mend their relationship--but will Edward’s time run out first? I discussed some of my issues with this play in a previous review .  Now, having recently re-watched the film and seeing the stage version for a second time, I can see more clearly what the writers of the musical were going for.  The show has some great things going for it: catchy songs, lots of colorful characters, emotional moments, and so forth, but I do wish the writers had worked a little harder on solidifying the themes of the show.  If Will’s profession as a journalist were mentioned more than once, for example, it could strengthen the conflict between storytelling and fact-finding.  If th...