Friends and Neighbors
Arts, Life, and Musings from Greater Minnesota
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Category: theatre
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The Guthrie’s new production of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a tense thriller that showcases new dimensions to one of the Bard’s darkest tragedies. Cutting down Shakespeare’s text to less than two hours and running the show without an intermission enhances the overall sense of claustrophobia, but one also gets the sense that the cast might…
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For most young people, “living in the moment” means taking advantage of your youth – doing the things you won’t be able to once you’re grown up. But for Kimberly Velaco it’s different. She has a medical condition that causes her to age at four times the natural rate, so at 15 she looks like…
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The Cottage is a relatively new play (it ran om Broadway in a 2023 production directed by Jason Alexander) but Sandy Rustin’s writing is very self-consciously reminiscent of the classic British sex farces of the 1930s and later – particularly the work of Noel Coward. Brainerd Community Theatre’s new production of the play, directed by…
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On Golden Pond is one of those plays you might call a “community theatre classic”. It’s a weepy without being a downer, sentimental, but still funny, and includes among its cast both a grumpy old man and a sneaky, precocious teen. What more could you ask for? The story, well worn and well-known, has the…
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I was honored to vote on and help present the 11th Annual Twin Cities Theatre Bloggers Awards! Includes a cat cameo and a reminder why I’m more comfortable writing about theatre than speaking about it extemporaneously.
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I’m proud to be a member of the Twin Cities Theatre Bloggers. This was my first year voting in their awards, and I’m very happy with the nominations and how they recognize the breadth of excellence that is theatre in Minnesota. Keep in mind these nominations are mostly limited to the Twin Cities area, and…
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Theatre Latte Da continues their streak of smartly produced and impeccably acted interpretations of beloved musicals with My Fair Lady, a new production of Lerner & Lowe’s classic musical adaptation of Pygmalion. Director Justin Lucero brings a light touch that keeps the comedy moving quickly, but also knows when to slow down, allowing the characters…
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The main reason most people give for seeking out entertainment is “escapism”, that is, finding a story or experience that you can lose yourself in as a way from getting away from the troubles of the real world, at least for a few hours. Teatro Del Pueblo’s production of Kander & Ebb’s Kiss of the…
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As a vehicle for talented performers to cover a lot of Prince’s greatest songs, Purple Rain works. As a story about a young musician striving to define himself amongst sterility, unresolved emotional issues, and romantic pain the show is too unfocused and makes too many strange storytelling decisions to really succeed as a drama. There…
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10 November is a difficult sort of stage production to review, because it doesn’t feel like a conventional play or musical. The show (written by Steven Dietz with music by Eric Peltoniemi) is loosely structured with a series of vignettes alternated with songs, having more of the feel of a memorial service. That is appropriate,…
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