"Peter and the Starcatcher" at Lyric Arts

For my first show of the 2024-2025 #TCTheater season, I saw Lyric Arts' production of the charming and whimsical play with music Peter and the Starcatcher. This is my 6th time seeing this show in the last 12 years (most recently at Duluth Playhouse this spring), but the great thing about it is that there is a lot of room for play and invention within the structure of the script. It's typically done with physical theater and low-tech theater magic, and it's always fun to see how a company interprets the story and adds their own spin. Directed by Lyric Arts' Resident Director Scott Ford, this production is very loose and playful, while also being polished and well choreographed. The talented 12-person cast works and plays well together to bring this charming story to life. It's very funny and entertaining, and also sweet and nostalgic as it taps into the familiar and beloved story of Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up. Make the short trip out to Anoka to see how Peter became Pan, with the help of a strong and spirted young girl, now through September 29.

"The Servant of Two Masters" at Lyric Arts

"On some evening 278 years ago, an Italian audience sat together and had an experience similar to the one you are about to have." So says Lyric Arts' Resident Director Scott Ford about their new production of The Servant of Two Masters, an 18th Century Italian comedy written in the style of commedia dell'arte. It's reassuring to think that as much as our world is vastly different than the world of this play's original audiences, we still laugh at the same things. At double entendres, at pratfalls and physical humor, at overly melodramatic emotions, at mistaken identities and near misses. Ford and his absurdly talented 15-person cast (plus one musician) are having a great time playing around with this classic piece and milking every comic moment, which translates to the audience having a great time too. I do wish the runtime were closer to the two-and-a-half hour mark than the three-hour mark, but take a nap or have a coffee and settle in to enjoy a few hours of classic timeless comedy at Lyric Arts in Anoka through June 23.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2023: "H.G. Wells' THE INVISIBLE MAN"

Day: 3

Show: 7

Title: H.G. Wells' THE INVISIBLE MAN 

Category: COMEDY / PHYSICAL THEATER / SCI-FI / LITERARY ADAPTATION

By: [Un]Qualified

Created by: Jake Sung-Guk Sullivan

Location: Southern Theater

Summary: An adaptation of the 1897 novel The Invisible Man, in which a scientist becomes invisible, in a playful physical theater style.

Highlights: I don't think it's a coincidence that playwright/director Jake Sung-Guk Sullivan and one of the actors, Brendan Veerman, performed the roles of "the clowns" in Lyric Arts' 2021 production of The 39 Steps. This production uses the same sort of physical theater, clowning, prop work, and fast pace as that show, to great effect. Don't worry if you're not familiar with the source material (which was adapted into a film in 1933), neither was I. The story of the scientist whose experiment goes awry is clearly told in under an hour, as he travels around London trying to resume his work, and running afoul of the law, again. Doni Marinos plays the titular character, either appearing completely clothed and wrapped up, including face and hands, or staying behind the shower curtain under the Southern Theater arch and providing the voice for the unseen man. Brendan Veerman, Courtney Vonvett, and Tucker Brewster Schuster, dressed in trousers with suspenders and a white tank top, play a dizzying number of characters, and probably burn about a thousand calories per show as they run around the stage donning different costumes and accents, one after the other. The physical work, costumes, sound and lighting design, and use of props is so fun, playful, and clever. One particularly delightful recurring gag is going up and down stairs, another highlight is Brendan, a gifted physical comedic actor with a rubber face, in a fight scene with the invisible man, throwing himself all across the stage. This super fun and clever creation is a must-see.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

"White Christmas" at DalekoArts

Taking a break from their usual tradition of original holiday* comedy plays, DalekoArts is presenting the 2008 musical adaptation of the beloved 1954 move White Christmas. It may be the biggest musical they've ever done on their intimate stage in terms of size and scope. But as usual, they've created something warm, homey, and intimate out of this big show. A fantastic hard-working cast of just 13 (less than half of the original Broadway cast), a small but mighty off-stage five-piece orchestra, and simple yet effective design bring this familiar heart-warming story to life. It simply isn't Christmas without White Christmas, and to see it live at DalekoArts, after a drive through the countryside full of lights, is a treat indeed. It plays Thursdays through Sundays until December 18, and is playing in rep with the original holiday comedy White Chrismith on Sundays through Mondays. It features popular character Chris Smith from past original comedies, so they found a way to continue the tradition and do something new.

"Singin' in the Rain" at Lakeshore Players Theatre

To open their impressive 70th season in White Bear Lake, Lakeshore Players Theatre is presenting Singin' in the Rain. The classic 1952 movie musical was written by legendary musical theater team Comden and Green, and adapted into a stage musical in 1983. It's a big old-fashioned musical with comedy, romance, dancing, and tons of familiar songs, and the team at Lakeshore does a great job in this fun, feel-good musical. See it in the beautiful Hanifl Performing Arts Center weekends through October 6.

"Miss Woodhouse Presents" by Aethem Theatre Company at Elision Playhouse

In a delightful piece of Jane Austen fan fic, Aethem Theatre Company brings us the new play Miss Woodhouse Presents, written and directed by their Managing Director Kayla Hambek. It's a sort of mash-up of all of the novels, in the form of a British reality TV show. In just 90 minutes, we see love lost and won among the Dashwoods, the Bennets, and more familiar characters. Fans of Austen, who are not too precious about it, are sure to enjoy. The short run ends this weekend; you have just three more chances to see this charming play at Elision Playhouse in Crystal (click here for info and tickets).

"The 39 Steps" at Lyric Arts

The last time I saw a play at Lyric Arts was January 2020, the bittersweet Irish love story Bloomsday. Returning to their Main Street Stage in Anoka 21 long months later felt like coming home, even without the familiar smell of popcorn, and with the new normal of showing proof of vaccination and wearing a mask. They haven't been silent during this extended intermission, producing several virtual cabarets and even a fully staged production of Lauren Gunderson's The Revolutionists for virtual viewing. But it's great to be back in that space again. This little theater in the 'burbs has an exciting and ambitious season planned, culminating in yet another regional premiere next summer, the hilarious 2015 Tony-nominated musical about musicals Something Rotten. But first, they're opening the season with the very fun and clever British mystery/comedy The 39 Steps. Welcome back, indeed.

"Flavio Betrayed" at Lyric Arts

A funny thing happened on the way to Anoka, or rather, in Anoka - the world premiere* of the new play Flavio Betrayed by resident director Scott Ford, based on the commedia dell'arte style popular in 16th-18th Century Italy. He has assembled a fantastic cast that plays the exaggerated and highly stylized physicality to the hilt, extending even into some pre-show bantering with the crowd. It all makes for a perfectly silly evening of theater. In the real world, there may be tragedy tomorrow (and yesterday and next week), but there is only comedy tonight at Lyric Arts!

"Persuasion" by Aethem Theater Company at the Wellstone Center

"Men have had every advantage of us in telling their own story. Education has been theirs in so much higher a degree; the pen has been in their hands." These words were written by Jane Austen 200 years ago, spoken by Anne Elliot, the heroine of Persuasion, but they're just as true today. OK maybe we've evened things out a little bit in the last 200 years, but women's stories told by women are still in the minority. Fortunately, Jane Austen was able to tell her story despite the obstacles, a story of strong women who are determined to decide their own fate despite living within the confines of early 19th Century English society. One of the less common iterations of this story, her final novel Persuasion, has received a new adaptation by local theater artist Kayla Hambek for Aethem Theatre Company, and it's just delightful. Full of the Jane Austen charm, the familiar story of a strong, determined, principled woman who won't settle for less than her heart's desire, brought to life by a large wonderful cast with creative use of movement to convey emotions - it's a must-see for Janeites.

"Christmas in the Airwaves" at Lyric Arts

If today's snowstorm doesn't get you in the holiday spirit, Lyric Arts in charming downtown Anoka will! This year they commissioned a new holiday play, Christmas in the Airwaves, which premiered the week before Thanksgiving, and this weekend they open their "Mainly for Kids" (and grown-ups who can't get over their childhood obsession with all things Little House) production of A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas. I'll be visiting my friend Laura on Saturday, but first, let's return to the 1940s. A time when men went off to war, women stayed behind to run things (and sing harmony), and radio was king. It's in this idealized world of the '40s that our story takes place. It's Christmas 1944 in a small snowy Minnesota town, as we watch a live radio broadcast, along with the behind-the-scenes lives of the cast and crew of the show. This simple, sweet, charming story with lovely holiday and wartime music is as comforting as hot apple cider on a cold and snowy day.

"The Explorers Club" at Lyric Arts

"To Science!" Such is the rallying cry of the fictional Explorers Club in the new play by Nell Benjamin (co-writer of the musical Legally Blonde). But it's not just fiction; the real-life Explorers Club is an organization founded in 1904 and still going strong, a group of scientists committed to "the scientific exploration of land, sea, air, and space." The play is a riff on this idea, taking it to farcical extremes and exploring what happens when one of the members dares to propose that a woman join the group. The result is a silly, witty, and fun play well executed by Lyric Arts with a strong cast and fantastically detailed set design. Not a bad way to open the season!

I doubt that the real members of the Explorers Club are as ridiculous as their fictional counterparts. Explorer Percy (Peter Ooley) insists that he has discovered the "East Pole," botanist Lucius (Brandon Osero) grows poisonous plants named after the women he loves because he's afraid to tell her how he feels, Professor Sloane (Leigh Webber) is intent on finding The Lost Tribes, and Professors Walling (Grif Sadow) and Cope (Robert Zalazar) are so affectionate with their animal subjects that they've lost any scientific objectivity. Into their midst comes Phyllida Spotte-Hume (Jessica Scott), discoverer of a lost city and the object of Lucius' affections. The other members of the club are aghast at the idea of a woman joining their ranks, thinking she'll be too distracting to their work (reminiscent of the #iammorethanadistraction movement against school dress codes). But she also brings excitement and adventure in the form of the native Luigi (a highly physical and newt-like performance by Brendan Veerman) who unwittingly offends the queen, bringing Sir Humphries (Warren Sampson) and the British Army to the Club's door. Along with Irish assassins and killer monks, they create quite a ruckus. It's quite a far-fetched and ridiculous situation, but it's all in good fun!

the Explorers Club is in session! (photo by Mike Traynor)

The other star of the show is the set (designed by Brian Proball) and props (Emma Davis et al.) that look like they came right out of the Librarian movies. The set (dominated by a huge set of doors, stairway to the second floor, and a bar) is chock-full of authentic-looking artifacts including a mummy's case, a full suit of armor, shrunken heads, a large plant that grows, a giant rhino head, elephant leg stools, and weapons of every sort. All of the elements come together smoothly and with great comedic timing under the direction of Matt McNabb, highlighted by some thrilling and intricate drink choreography that is flawlessly performed by the cast (one wonders how long they had to practice catching those drinks, and if they use their new found skill to impress their friends at parties).

The Explorers Club is all light and fun silliness, a strong start to Lyric Arts' 20th anniversary season that includes, among others, A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas (a must-see for LIW fanatics like myself), the small and quirky musical The 25th Annual Spelling Bee, the huge and boisterous musical Shrek, and the classic comedy The Odd Couple. The Explorers Club continues through September 27 at Lyric Arts Main Street Stage in Anoka (discount tickets available on Goldstar). So raise a glass to science, comedy, and theater!

Fringe Festival 2015: "Workshop"

Day: 7

Show: 31

Title: Workshop

Category: Comedy

By: AEthem Theatre Company

Written by: Kayla Hambek

Location: Minneapolis Theatre Garage

Summary: A group of friends commiserate about life, love, and their day jobs while planning the next season of their theater company.

Highlights: They always say, write what you know. The characters in this play, and perhaps playwright Kayla Hambek, have taken that to heart. Lindsey (Ali Close) is struggling to write a play for her theater company's upcoming season while dealing with the fact that she may lose her day job as a cardiologist and have to move away from the friends and the theater she loves. Monday night workshops with Rachel (Danielle Krivinchuk), Anna (played by the playwright), and British for no reason (other than it gives Kyler Chase a chance to show off his charming British accent) Nick become more stressful as they come closer to the season announcement deadline. Enter rival Charlie (Brendan Veerman) who Lindsey thinks stole one of her plays. Life, art, and friendship collide as the group contemplates the reality of possibly having to give up their dream. This appealing and very natural young cast delivers a sweet and funny play about the love of friends and theater.

"Young Frankenstein" at Lyric Arts

I've never seen Mel Brooks' classic comedy horror spoof Young Frankenstein, which he adapted into a Broadway musical in 2007. But I am a fan of his other movie-to-musical (-to-movie), the much more successful The Producers, which won a record twelve Tonys. So I went to Lyric Arts' invited preview of Young Frankenstein with no knowledge or expectations, which doesn't happen often and is sometimes a fun way to see a show. What I discovered was a super-fun, crazy, campy, over-the-top comedy with fun and clever songs, well performed by an enthusiastic and totally committed cast, with elaborate set and costume design. This is an ambitious show and Lyric Arts' largest production to date, in terms of cast, sets, and costumes, and they manage to not only pull it off but create something hugely entertaining.

The title refers to the grandson of the infamous Dr. Frankenstein, who brought a dead man back to life and created a monster. A well-respected doctor in New York who denies any connection to his grandfather, Young Frankenstein travels to Transylvania upon the death of his grandfather. There he finds it a little harder to ignore his heritage, and with the assistance of his buxom assistant Inga, helpful hunchback Igor, and grandpa's stern girlfriend Frau Blücher, he continues his grandfather's work. All of this is mostly an excuse for whole lot of silliness, but it works.

The show is really well cast; everyone from the leads to the ensemble are fully committed to the camp of the piece, as directed by Matt McNabb. And that's absolutely necessary for successful camp, you can't do it halfway, wide eyes and exaggerated gestures are required, and the cast delivers. As the young Dr. Frankenstein, Kyler Chase is the straight man surrounded by crazy characters, and his reactions are priceless. Katharine Strom appears to be new to the Twin Cities theater scene and I look forward to seeing more of her because she absolutely nails the role of Frankenstein's fiance Elizabeth, playing up the camp to the hilt and flirting with the audience. She's got that rare talent of singing well comedically, the gold standard of which is Sara Ramirez in Spamalot. No one has every come close to matching her genius, but Katharine is well on her way. Nykeigh Larson is a hoot as Inga, and performs quite a feat singing the yodeling song "Roll in the Hay" while bouncing around on a hay wagon and never missing a note. Brendan Veerman is hilarious as the helpful, limping, English-accented Igor with a mysteriously moving hump, as is Kate Beahen, another master of the reaction shot as the stern and stoic Frau Blücher, hiding a great deal of passion for her departed boyfriend and loyalty to his work. Last but not least, Tom Goerger makes a menacing monster, who transforms into a fine friend and tap-dancer.

The look of this creepy Transylvanian castle is created by set designer Brian J Proball and costume designer Samantha Fromm Haddow, with over 100 costumes for the 18 actors, from lab coats to evening gowns to village attire to monsters. There are huge moving set pieces, including the aforementioned hay wagon with some kind of gyrating mechanism, and a contraption that lowers from the ceiling to connect to a table with strange moving gears and lift it in the air (it's a bit noisy and moves slowly, something they make fun of). There are a lot of moving parts and pieces and it all happens fairly smoothly, and I expect it will only get better with practice. The ensemble dance numbers, including "Transylvania Mania" and the tapping number "Puttin' on the Ritz," are highlights of the show (choreography by Ann Marie Omeish).

Young Frankenstein is a silly and ridiculous musical comedy from Mel Brooks, with a similar tone to The Producers and Monty Python's Spamalot. Lyric Arts does a great job with this big show, so check it out if that's your thing (playing now through November 2).