"King of the Kosher Grocers" by Stage North at the Capri Theater

New #TCTheater company Stage North (not to be confused with Stage North Theatre Company in Brainerd) makes its debut in the newly remodeled Capri Theater in North Minneapolis with King of the Kosher Grocers. This charming play that is an homage to the neighborhood, first produced by Mixed Blood Theatre in 1992, is a great first production for a company whose mission is "creating vibrant, live experiences that bring people together to tell and celebrate stories of urban life... Our hope is that Stage North will help bring new audiences and new excitement and vitality to the North Side business district and contribute to the neighborhood's continuing growth and expansion" (read the full statement here). Unfortunately, North Minneapolis is a neighborhood known more for its crime and violence than for the community and culture of the people who live there. Of course, theater can't solve all of the problems, but it can shine a light on overlooked people and communities. This play does just that - celebrates the diverse community of people and the vibrant history of this neighborhood.*

"River Road Boogie" at History Theatre

Does the name Augie Garcia ring a bell? Unless you were a young person who frequented the local Rock and Roll clubs in 1950s St. Paul, probably not. Augie is considered the Godfather of Minnesota Rock and Roll, but unlike his contemporary Buddy Holly, he was a one-hit wonder who never achieved national fame, whether by choice or happenstance is unclear. A new play at the History Theatre, written by local actor and playwright Joe Minjares, sheds light on the fascinating story of this man who was not just a pioneering Minnesota musician, but also a Korean War vet and a devoted family man. Like The Buddy Holly Story (a History Theatre hit remounted last fall), River Road Boogie tells the story of Augie's life through his music as performed by this fabulous cast, but unlike The Buddy Holly Story the music takes a back seat in the second act as Augie's life starts to turn away from a music-focused one into a family-focused one. As always at the History Theatre,* this play is a wonderful opportunity to learn about a great Minnesotan you might never have heard of, but whom you will certainly admire and appreciate after seeing him brought to life on stage.

Augie Garcia grew up in a tight-knit Mexican-American family in St. Paul's West Side neighborhood, specifically an area know as The Flats across the river from downtown St. Paul. He and his friends were such loyal St. Paulites that they refused to drink Grain Belt beer (brewed "across the river"), only Schmidt or Hamm's would do! Our story picks up when Augie returns from a few harrowing years serving in the Korean War. He's happy to be home with his family, friends, and music, and channels his conflicting feelings about the war into his music. He starts a band called the Augie Garcia quintet (inexplicably with six members) and they become quite successful in the local music scene, with a standing gig at the River Road Club in Mendota. In what was perhaps the highlight of their career, Augie and the boys opened for Elvis and were famously kicked off the stage by Colonel Parker because they were coming dangerously close to upstaging the King. Soon after, fame came a-callin' with the promise of bigger gigs and national attention, forcing Augie (in this interpretation of his life) to do some serious soul-searching and decide what he truly wanted in life. Jersey Boys showed us what happens when you succumb to the dangers of fame and success, but Augie chose a different path. As a result most people today don't know his name, but those who saw him perform remember, and thanks to the History Theatre, so will I.

a '50s dance party on the History Theatre stage

Augie released a handful of singles in the mid-50s, the most successful of which is "Hi Yo Silver," inspired by the popular Lone Ranger TV series. The show incorporates five Augie Garcia originals, including this hit and the title song, as well as a few other hits of the time and traditional Mexican songs. All are performed in the context of a concert, rehearsal, or just singing around the house or bunker with friends, making this more of a play with music than a traditional musical. This along with the fact that the cast doubles as the band (a mix of actors and musicians) means that the music feels organic to the story, rather than an add-on. The big Rock and Roll numbers all come in the first act and are fabulously performed by cast, band, and dancers. The second act only features a few quieter songs, the musical spectacles of the first act fading into memory as did Augie's musical career. The tone of the piece shifts as Augie grows up and deals with his demons.

Ricardo Vázquez channels Augie Garcia
(photo by Scott Pakudaitis)

The Ivey Awards 2013 Emerging Artist Ricardo Vázquez is the perfect choice to play Augie Garcia. He embodies the man physically, emotionally, and musically. Augie's music inhabits his body in a specific way, particularly in the song "Ivy League Baby," when he's all over the stage energetically performing crazy dance moves in Augie's trademark shorts (in the post-show talk back Ricardo said he was able to watch a video of a performance Augie gave in the '90s, and extrapolated that back a few decades with his own unique spirit). In addition to the music, Ricardo also brings depth to the character, particularly in Augie's emotional breakdown after a local tragedy reminds him of the hell of war. The excellent supporting cast includes Matt Rein with a couple of diverse performances as Augie's tormented war buddy and band mate (playing the upright bass), and a sleazy radio DJ; Lara Trujillo and Pedro R. Bayón as Augie's supportive parents; Kelly Matthews as Augie's girlfriend Nancy in a sweet love story; and Shawn Hamilton as the sax player who serves as a sort of narrator of the story. Like they did for Buddy Holly, History Theatre has brought in some students from St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Arts to serves as dancers and concert attendees, bringing a youthful energy to the stage.

Tom Mays' cool scenic design provides a perfect backdrop for the story. A replica of the Robert Street Bridge, so important in Augie's life and memories, dominates the back of the stage, with the outline of a huge guitar behind it (something I didn't actually notice until I attended the "hiatus concert" by my favorite local band Storyhill on the same stage later that day). The stage on which Augie and the boys perform rolls out for the concert/rehearsal scenes, and then rolls back again to allow room for scenes in Augie's house, a bar, or other locations.

I truly appreciate the History Theatre for bringing to life people who are important in the history of my beloved home state of Minnesota, but who may not be written about in the history books. Augie Garcia is one such Minnesotan, and it's a treat to watch him shine on stage in the person of the uber-talented Ricardo Vázquez, supported by all these great actors, musicians, and dancers. River Road Boogie continues through May 31 (discount tickets available on Goldstar).


*The History Theatre recently announced their new season, and I'm super excited that the season opens with my favorite Raw Stages reading Glensheen, a musical about the famous Duluth mansion and the strange murder mystery that occurred there. My favorite Minnesota playwright Jeffrey Hatcher sets just the right tone, with some really great songs by Chan Polling. Another very promising reading from this year, Complicated Fun, closes out the season next spring. And if you missed Buddy Holly last time around - don't worry, he's back this fall.

"Crashing the Party" at Mixed Blood Theatre

Mixed Blood Theatre's world premiere of Crashing the Party is a ridiculous farce of a play, in the style of the big broad comedies of the 1930s, but dealing with very modern themes.  The plot is a bit convoluted, but that's forgivable when the cast is this great and the laughs are this outrageous.

The party in question is a surprise birthday party (or more accurately, a surprise family dinner) for the hard-working self-made successful businessman who's the head of this wacky family (an appropriately exasperated Joe Minjares).  His wife (the divine Sally Wingert, who's equally good at drama and comedy) has become bored in her role of housewife and fondly remembers the struggling family business in which she worked alongside her husband.  They have two spoiled sons who have never had to work or struggle for anything in their lives.  The youngest son (the earnest Ricardo Vazquez) is fresh out of college and really wants to do something important with his life, even if he has no idea what that is.  The elder son (Rolando Martinez, very funny and adorable in a Josh Gad sort of way) is 30, has several graduate degrees, owns a t-shirt business, and still lives at home with his parents.  He seems to spend most of his time sitting around in his pajamas watching Jeopardy and yelling at the TV.  In addition to the family unit, we also have a new girlfriend trying to impress the parents (Rose Le Tran from last year's Avenue Q), an employee who's discovered a secret (Laura Esposito), a friendly neighborhood police officer who turns out to be not quite what he seems (Ansa Akyea, who isn't afraid to bare it all), and a serious FBI agent (Mo Perry, who was so good as the victim of love in Dangerous Liaisons and is almost recognizable here).  Phew, that's a mixed bag of characters that, along with corporate embezzlement, a surprise stripper, and a false arrest, adds up to some wacky fun.

Crashing the Party is a new play by the husband/wife playwrighting/directing team of Josh Tobiessen and Sarah Rasmussen.  It definitely accomplishes the goal of laughter and escapism, but also has some sweet moments of a family trying to connect.  These are parents who gave their children everything, but in doing so deprived them of that feeling of accomplishment that comes from earning something on your own.

The stage at the Mixed Blood is transformed into a beautifully decorated living and dining room of a home, in a rich color scheme of tan and red.  A packed house (they had to bring in extra chairs to seat everyone) on a Saturday night towards the end of the run suggests good word of mouth.  Audiences seem to be enjoying themselves (as did I), and the cast seemed to be having a pretty good time too.  You only have one more week to crash this party.