"Iphigenia at Aulis" by Ten Thousand Things at Luminary Arts Center

This fall, Ten Thousand Things, my favorite interpreter of Shakespeare and other classic works, brings us the Greek tragedy Iphigenia at Aulis. Because they are not yet able to tour the show to their usual locations of community centers, homeless shelters, and prisons, they are presenting this show in a sort of hybrid style between the usual stripped-down bare-bones production in a small space surrounded by a few rows of chairs, and a more traditional proscenium style production. They also performed the show outdoors, which may have had a more TTT feel, but in the former Lab Theater, now known as Luminary Arts Center*, it still maintains the TTT hallmark of making classics feel fresh, relatable, and relevant, if in a more formal theater style (but still with "all the lights on"). They're set to return to touring this winter, which will likely bring back their usual style, but in the meantime, Iphigenia at Aulis is a gorgeous production with a large and hugely talented cast, that uses an original score to tell this ancient story.

"what if" by the Moving Company at the Lab Theater

The Moving Company's latest original work what if is made up of two separate and very different parts that together form a "moving," "funny," "thought-provoking" piece of theater. I use quotes because in this sort of meta, fourth wall breaking piece, the performers talk about theater, and how we talk about theater, and say just about every world I've ever used to write about theater. It's sort of about theater itself, why we do theater, why we go to the theater. And it's also about humanity, and the origins of storytelling, and the what if of imagining ourselves in someone else's shoes - both as performers and as audience members. It's a process of creating empathy, of making this very big world seems smaller, or more familiar, or more connected. Forgive me if I'm not making sense, or talking in circles, but such is this piece of new and original theater.

"Mother Courage and Her Children" by Pangea World Theater at the Lab Theater

Pangea World Theater began in 1995 with the following mission: "Pangea illuminates the human condition, celebrates cultural differences, and promotes human rights by creating and presenting international, multi-disciplinary theater." Inexplicably, I have not seen any of their work until last weekend. I'm happy to jump on board with their thoughtful and thought-provoking production of German playwright Bertolt Brecht's Mother Courage and Her Children, performed at the gorgeous Lab Theater in Minneapolis' North Loop neighborhood. Written at the start of WWII, it tells the story of a woman and her children during Europe's 17th Century Thirty Years' War, but its themes translate to any and all wars occurring around the world. Specifically the way some parties seek out war and encourage it because of the profits that can be gained, while others pay the ultimate price. A strong ten-person ensemble and cool design elements effectively tell this important story.

"The 4 Seasons" by the Moving Company at the Lab Theater

The Moving Company (which grew out of the ashes of the Tony-winning Theatre de la Jeune Lune) is back this fall with a very Moving Company kind of show. Which is to say original, profound, silly, thoughtful, delightful, sweet, surprising, and a little odd. Conceived by co-Artistic Directors Steven Epp, Nathan Keepers, and Dominique Serrand, The 4 Seasons was inspired by the idea of the four seasons, including Vivaldi's famous composition Four Seasons and Piazzolla's less famous composition Four Seasons. They also drew inspiration from Chekhov, and this quote from the Russian playwright about his work could also describe MoCo's work, and this piece in particular: "What happens onstage should be just as complicated and just as simple as things are in real life. People are sitting at a table having dinner, that's all, but at the same time their happiness is being created, or their lives are being torn apart."

"Spring Awakening" by Shoot the Glass Theater at the Lab Theater

I love Spring Awakening so much that after seeing the eight time Tony winner on Broadway (with most of the original cast), I named the next kitten I adopted Moritz Stiefel, after my favorite character. Nine years and three bladder surgeries later, my sweet Moritz is still with me, and so is my love for Spring Awakening. Surprisingly (or maybe not so surprisingly), the themes of the late 19th Century German play, as seen through a rock musical, are still relevant today. Suicide rates are on the rise, there are some very real threats to abortion rights in this country, exposure and intolerance of sexual abuse and harassment is at an all time high, and 21st Century technology is making it harder to be a teenager than perhaps it's ever been. You think Wendla and Melchi had it rough? At least they never had their most embarrassing moment go viral for the entire world to bully them! For all of these reasons I'm grateful to Shoot the Glass Theater for bringing Spring Awakening to us now, in a beautifully staged production featuring a super talented cast of young and unknown actors. I found myself falling in love with this story and these characters all over again.

"Speechless" by The Moving Company at The Lab Theater

"Words are heavy. They're like stones. If birds could talk they couldn't fly.*" This quote from my favorite TV show Northern Exposure perfectly expresses my feelings about words (anyone who's met me knows I save the bulk of my words for this blog). Words are hard. Sometimes words aren't enough to express our thoughts and feelings (as Evan Hanson sings, "words fail"). And words are open to interpretation, sometimes they come out differently than how we intended them. The Moving Company (one of my favorite #TCTheater companies in the last six years, since seeing Come Hell and High Water in 2011) has taken that idea of the inadequacy of words and extended it into a 75-minute wordless (but not entirely silent) exploration of... well... a bunch of stuff. Created by the five-person ensemble under the direction of Dominique Serrand and using movement, music, and a little how'd-they-do-that theater magic, Speechless is poignant, heart-breaking, funny, and mesmerizing.

"Liberty Falls 54321" by The Moving Company at The Lab Theater

This weekend, The Moving Company is bringing back their "absurdly funny, surprisingly musically delicious, awkwardly cringe-worthy, and just plain ridiculous (in the best possible way)" Liberty Falls 54321, an operatic comedy. I really loved it the first time around in December of 2015 (and yes, I just quoted myself), and fortunately they've brought back the entire dream team of a cast (I think I've got my first nominee for "best comedic performance by an ensemble" for next year's TCTB Awards). The show is mostly the same show, with a few more topical jokes added referencing the recent election. Whether or not you saw it last time, Liberty Falls 54321 provides a hearty laugh in bleak times, best said by a note in the playbill: "You've got to admit, there's a lot of ugliness out there right now. So, we ask ourselves - what would Moliere do? Well, he'd look at it right in its wrong, ugly face. And make some fun out of it. Have a good old laugh at it. Yes, sometimes you just have to laugh at it all." A good old laugh indeed.

"Trust" by Self-Reliant Productions at the Lab Theater

Sometimes theater is escapist entertainment (see The Drowsy Chaperone), and sometimes it's not. Sometimes it deals with difficult real-life issues and gives a voice to people whose stories need to be heard. The new play Trust is an example of the latter. It's intense and difficult to watch, but such an important story, and an all too familiar one. This story about a survivor of clergy abuse was written by John Woehrle and inspired by the real-life experience of his friend Jim Hanson (both of whom act in the play), and it's obviously a labor of love. The creators have worked with survivor networks as they developed the piece, which makes its Twin Cities debut at the Lab Theater. I was truly impressed by this work from a first-time playwright, a first-time director (actor Rich Remedios), and actors who were mostly unfamiliar to me. Trust is a powerful play telling an important story, tough to watch but worth the effort.

"Every Sentence is For the Birds" by the Moving Company at the Lab Theater

The Moving Company is a unique theater company in this town of over 70 theater companies. The descendant of the beloved departed Theatre de la Jeune Lune, MoCo's productions are typically original ensemble-based creations. Like the proverbial box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get with them: over-the-top ridiculous comedy, lovely achingly beautiful poignancy, or more likely, somewhere in between. Their new piece Every Sentence is For the Birds falls more towards the sublime end of the ridiculous-to-sublime spectrum that they cover. The two-person show about a scientist and her subject is both simple and profound, dealing with topics no less than the nature of science and art, and what it means to be human. Words are inadequate to describe The Moving Company's work, so you should just go see it for yourself. I guarantee it's unlike anything you will see on any other stage in town.

"Coriolanus" by New Epic Theater at the Lab Theater

Last weekend New Epic Theater opened a strikingly beautiful and devastating production of the 1985 Off-Broadway play The Normal Heart about the early days of the AIDS crisis. This weekend they open part two of their ambitious spring repertory production, Shakespeare's Coriolanus. The two plays share the same terrific eight-person cast, innovative and distinctive director Joseph Stodola,* performance space (the gorgeous and spacious Lab Theater), set, and overall look. Separated in time by about 400 years, The Normal Heart and Coriolanus are in some ways similar and in other ways very different. Both continue the trajectory that this new company has set right out of the gate with visually and emotionally impactful work (see also Doubt and One Arm). After this second opening weekend, the two plays will be performed in rep for the next two weekends, culminating in both shows being performed back-to-back (with a dinner break) on Saturday April 16 (ticket information and performance schedule here). Friends, New Epic Theater is an exciting new addition to our bountiful theater community and I urge you to see one or both of these plays to experience their unique vision.

"The Normal Heart" by New Epic Theater at the Lab Theater

In just their second season as a theater company, New Epic Theater is tackling not one but two challenging and not often performed political plays with The Normal Heart and Coriolanus, performed in rep (something that's also not often done). It's an ambitious undertaking for any theater company, much less a young one. But in this short time New Epic has already established themselves as a company that does striking work, both visually and emotionally (see also Doubt and One Arm). The first half of this pair of plays opened last weekend, a strikingly beautiful and devastating production of the 1985 Off-Broadway play The Normal Heart about the early days of the AIDS crisis. Friends, this is a piece of theater not to be missed. The Normal Heart returns on April 7, but in the meantime you can see the other piece of the puzzle, Shakespeare's Coriolanus, this weekend, as I will be (ticket information and performance schedule here). Director Joseph Stodola* and New Epic Theater have a unique vision, one that deserves to be seen.

"Silence! The Musical" by Minneapolis Musical Theatre and Bitter Boy Productions at the Lab Theater

A musical about silence? That seems paradoxical. But of course Silence! The Musical is not about silence itself, it's a parody of the 1991 Jodie Foster/Anthony Hopkins movie The Silence of the Lambs. A movie I've never seen. My friends at Minnesota Theater Love told me I should see the movie before seeing Minneapolis Musical Theatre's production of the off-Broadway musical, but I didn't have time, because... theater. Also I decided that the musical should be able to stand on its own; you shouldn't have to see a movie first to enjoy a musical. And for the most part the musical does stand on it's own, aided by the fact that the movie is so much a part of our pop culture that even I'm familiar with Hannibal the cannibal and the weird teeth-sucking sound he makes, along with a few other high points of the movie. Although this over-the-top campy horror-parody isn't really my kind of humor, I can appreciate that director Steven Meerdink and his talented cast commit fully to it and deliver an entertaining show.

"Liberty Falls 54321" by The Moving Company at the Lab Theater

The Moving Company has done it again. With their newest work Liberty Falls 54321, they have yet again created a crazy brilliant original piece of theater that is absurdly funny, surprisingly musically delicious, awkwardly cringe-worthy, and just plain ridiculous (in the best possible way). The story of a 105-year-old woman's birthday celebration in a small town in Wisconsin, created by the company and directed by Dominique Serrand, is really just an excuse for these specifically defined oddball characters to gather and show off their quirks and talents, skillfully brought to life by this dream cast. If you've never experienced the unique genius that is MoCo, let Liberty Falls be your introduction.

"Doubt" by New Epic Theater at the Lab Theater

Friends, I know that there are a lot of theater companies in the Twin Cities, so many that it's hard to keep track of them all and impossible to see them all. But you would be wise to take note of New Epic Theater. With just their second production outside of the Fringe Festival and their first full season of programming, they've already established themselves as one to watch with smart, intense, risk-taking, aesthetically beautiful productions. Their new production of John Patrick Stanley's 2005 Tony-winner Doubt re-imagines the new classic with inventive staging that brings the themes of doubt vs. certainty, racial and gender inequality, and the power hierarchy of the Catholic Church into almost painfully sharp focus.

"CABARAVE: #sexuality" by Rathaus Productions at the Lab Theatre

There's something new and cool going on down at the Lab Theatre, the gorgeous and open warehouse-turned-performance space in the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis. CABARAVE is cabaret experience that combines a nightclub feel with performances of dance, music, aerial dance, and visual art. I was lucky enough to attend the last tech rehearsal with my blogger buddy Laura of "One Girl, Two Cities," where it felt like they were performing just for us! The performances were spectacular, and even though we didn't get the full nightclub experience at a rehearsal, it's easy to imagine what it will be like when the Lab is filled with revelers (and may require a future visit to get the full flavor of it). Created by Jessie Storovich and Kameron Nelson of Rathaus Productions (read more about them here) with help from Sasha Andreev and director Joshua Campbell, the intent of the show is to create a fun, relaxed environment where people who might not usually go to "arty" things can experience art while having a good time, perhaps without even realizing it!

dancer Emily Madigan

CABARAVE: #sexuality runs Thursdays through Saturdays throughout the month of June (along with a few Monday night dates for the 18+ crowd, otherwise you must be 21 to enter), and will return in July with a new theme. Doors open at 9 pm and close around 1 am, with the intent being you can wander in whenever and stay as long as you please (with the lowest ticket price at $10, you don't have to stay long to get your money's worth). The evening is constructed as five 20-minute sets, separated by about 30 minutes of house music provided by the DJ, during which time you can dance, mingle, and drink (beer, wine, and wine cocktails served at the bar). The music is a modern twist on jazz and ragtime classics, known as "electro swing." It's pretty cool, familiar yet new sounding.

Each 20-minute set includes several short performances, a sort of mix and match from the following:

aerialist Timothy Herian

• Dance - including some fierce tapping by Rush Benson, sexy duo numbers by fantastic dancers Emily Madigan and Jeff Robinson, and able assistance (as well as waitressing) by Michelle Lemon and Georgia Sylvester in various combinations.
• Aerial dance - Timothy Herian is so graceful, confident, and athletic on the aerial silks that I couldn't take my eyes off him whenever he performed. It's a very cool (and somewhat dangerous) form of dance.
• Music - powerful and gorgeous singing by Kecia Rehkamp and Michael Hanna, and electric fiddle by Alison Keller.
• Visual art - artist Aimee Strzok paints a new creation every night. It's not often you get to watch a piece of art be created, so it's a fascinating peek into the process.

dancer Rush Benson

The Lab is one of my favorite places to see theater because it's so open and adaptable, with great bones. For this show the space is decked out in chandeliers and hanging crystals, with the lobby turned into a shabby chic green room of an old theater. Cabaret tables on the floor and risers provide a perch from which to watch the action, with plenty of floor space between the three stages for dancing (if that's your thing).

As someone who (willingly) sees a ton of theater, it's always a treat to see something that pushes the boundaries of what theater can do and be, as this show does. CABARAVE is a unique experience and one that regular theater-goes like myself can enjoy as much as people who would never step foot inside a theater. It's a fun place to go and hang out with friends and strangers, and oh by the way, there's "art" happening all around you! Watch the trailer below, and if you like what you see, make plans to head to the Lab Theater this summer (more info and tickets here).

"One Arm" by New Epic Theater at the Lab Theater

Thanks to playwright Moisés Kaufman (see also The Laramie Project), an unproduced screenplay written by one of my favorite playwrights, Tennessee Williams, was saved from oblivion and can now be seen on the stage. Williams published One Arm as a short story in 1942 and attempted a screenplay in 1967 that never went anywhere. Kaufman recently adapted it into a one-act play, and thanks to the new theater company New Epic Theater, Twin Cities theater-goers can now see this beautifully tragic piece of Tennessee Williams writing in a gorgeous production at the Lab Theater. A remount of one of my favorite Fringe shows last year, One Arm tells the story of a boxer who lost his arm, his identity, and his self-respect in an accident, and spent the rest of his short life trying to get it back. There are three levels of greatness going on in this show: Tennessee Williams' poignant and moving story, Moisés Kaufman's clever adaptation, and New Epic's inventive and thoughtful interpretation. All of it comes together for a completely engaging and engrossing 90 minutes of theater.

The man with the titular one arm is Ollie Olsen, a boxer who loses his arm in an accident that kills two of his friends. No longer able to box, he stumbles into hustling (a quaint and old-fashioned word for prostitution) as a way to survive. He finds that he's good at it, and travels around the country making an impression on many men, and a few women. But he's become dead inside, unable to feel anything for anyone, until he ends up in prison and is faced with the end of his life and the memories of past encounters. The story is told within the framework of a screenplay; a narrator begins the story carrying a script in his hands, and he and other characters read stage directions such as "exterior night," or "camera pans." It's almost as if you're watching a movie, or a movie acted out on stage, which adds another level of interest and originality to the storytelling.

Torsten Johnson and James Kunz (photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

The tight six-person ensemble (only two of whom return from last year's production), fluidly and seamlessly tell the story that jumps around in time and place. Taking over the role of Ollie is Torsten Johnson in an incredibly physical performance, saying as much with the way he writhes on the floor or climbs over the furniture as he does with his sparse words. It's an apt interpretation of a character who's defined by his physicality - his prowess in the boxing ring, his "mutilation," his job as a hustler.

Most of the story is told through a series of perfect two-person scenes with Ollie and the people he meets, all of whom are portrayed by the five other cast members. H. Adam Harris is the narrator, bringing to life Williams' (and/or Kaufman's) elegantly descriptive words, and also plays a man who is perhaps Ollie's only true friend. The other four actors sit in chairs behind the stage with their various props and wardrobe pieces around them, watching the scene until they're called to join in the action. The two returning cast members are the radiant Aeysha Kinnunen playing all of the Tennessee Williamsesque women, and Adam Qualls in several diverse performances including the callous prison guard and a nervous divinity student who wants to help but isn't quite sure why or how. Craig Johnson makes an impression (as always) as a wealthy and lonely john, a sleazy porn producer, and the crazy landlady. Rounding out the cast is James Kunz, who also choreographed the movement. There is no "choreography" as you typically think of it, but the way the actors move around the space is really quite beautiful and expressive.

Craig Johnson and Torsten Johnson (photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

Director and scenographer Joseph Stodola makes great use of the space at the Lab Theater, an even more appropriate setting that the Southern Theater was last year at the Fringe. The raised square stage has seating on three sides, giving the feeling of watching a boxing match, especially when two characters are in the box sparring verbally or physically. Some of the action also takes place outside of this box, near the chairs at the back of the stage, with the narrator wandering in and out through the audience. The stage is empty except for a metal frame bed, one chair, and a cart with an old projector on it, hinting at the screenplay nature of the original work. It all speaks to a thoughtful attention to detail that elevates the work.

It's worth noting that when I attended the show last Saturday night, I was one of the oldest people in the audience. This is a rare occurrence; at 41 I'm often one of the youngest people in the audience (nothing makes me feel younger than a Sunday matinee at BCT!). Perhaps it was the 9 pm start time - we older people have a hard time leaving the house after 8, and if I wasn't already out at a birthday party I probably wouldn't have made it either. Whatever the reason, kudos to New Epic Theater for drawing in a younger audience. But they deserve to be drawing in a larger audience than the one I was part of. I know they're a new company in a community rife with theater companies young and old, but trust me when I say that this one is worth your time. The director, cast, and creative team have created a gorgeous piece of theater based on the work of two fine playwrights. I hope that they're not a one-hit wonder and will continue to produce thoughtful, relevant, inventive, gorgeous work like One Arm. Performances continue tonight through this weekend only, so you have six more chances to see it (a few 9 pm performances but also some 7:30 shows for those with an earlier bedtime).

"Zoot Suit Riots" by Collide Theatrical Dance Company at the Lab Theater

Collide Theatrical Dance Company is a bit of a step out of my comfort zone as a theater blogger. But I do love to watch dance, and Collide (named for the collision of various art forms, including dance, theater, and music) allows this theater geek to get a dance fix in the form of storytelling, which is what theater is all about. Their latest original jazz-dance musical creation is Zoot Suit Riots, based on the historical riots in 1943 Los Angeles that spread to other parts of the country. This version of the riots takes place in Harlem in a dance hall similar to the historic Savoy Ballroom, and while the story may be a bit thin, the dancing is spectacular and does a wonderful job of expressing emotions and defining characters.

Let's start with the music. The five-piece band, directed by Bob Beahen on percussion and also including keyboard, upright bass, guitar, and my favorite jazz instrument the clarinet, sounds super smooth and cool and jazzy. The song selections are mostly standards from the era like "Moondance" and "You Can't Take That Away from Me," with a little Queen and Lady Gaga thrown in for good measure. Singing these songs are two amazing vocalists, Katie Carney and Ben Bakken (did someone say Queen?), solo and duet. The choice of music is, as always, spot on, and it's fun to hear modern pop music played and sung in the '40s jazz style.

the company and the band (photo by V. Paul V.)

Hand in hand with the music is the dancing, which is awe-inspiring to this non-dancing theater geek. Directer/ choreographer/creator of the piece Regina Peluso combines various styles of dance (jazz, ballet, tap, Fosse, contemporary) to create something unique and so much fun to watch. Whether solo dances or group numbers, the dances perfectly suit the music which perfectly suits the moment in the story. In fact, the dancing is so expressive and tells the story so well that I wish they would eliminate the short scenes with dialogue, which are a bit stilted. These dancers are better actors when they're dancing; when they're dancing I know who they are and I believe them. Some of Collide's earlier pieces had no dialogue and told the story entirely through music and movement (with a short story summary in the program), and were the stronger for it.

Galen Higgins flies high (photo by V. Paul V.)

The ten dancers in the company are all beautiful, graceful, strong dancers (including familiar faces Renee Guittar, Riley Thomas Weber, and Jeffrey Robinson in the lead roles), but the standout in this show is Galen Higgins as a hard-nosed, fierce-tapping Marine. His tap dance (which he also choreographed) is huge and fast and explosive. Lastly, there's no costumer listed in the credits, but I'm always amazed how the dancers can move so well in what look like street clothes, and look stylish while doing so.

Zoot Suit Riots officially opens tonight and continues through March 15 at the gorgeous Lab Theater, a great space for dance. (Discount tickets available on Goldstar.)

"Golden Boys" at The Lab Theater

The new original musical Golden Boys, written by New York composer/playwright Horace Turnbull, tells the story of an integrated WWII army unit created to raise morale of troops and civilians by performing musical theater. I know, it sounds like something that was made up as a good story for a musical, but it's based on fact. The US Army created the Special Services in 1942 and set up a school at Fort Meade in Maryland to train officers and enlisted men in the art of entertainment. Golden Boys is a fictional story set in this world, focusing on one unit that rehearses and performs a musical in a US tour as well as overseas for the troupes. It's an ambitious project, covering issues of racism, the treatment of homosexuals in the military, and the camaraderie of people joining together for a common cause in the midst of war. The result is a bit unfocused and too long, but as this is the premiere, hopefully these issues can be worked out and the piece polished into a potentially great musical.

The story is told by Johnny, a man nearing 90 in the present day who tells his story to some unknown listener. The events unfold in flashback, with Johnny occasionally interjecting commentary (either in his period persona stepping right out of the scene, or as the old man, which is a bit confusing). Under the direction of Sergeant Buchanan, about a dozen enlisted men rehearse a musical called "Johnny Come Home," in which they play all parts, both men and women. Most of the men get a moment to tell their story in monologue, shining a light on the many different people who join the military and their diverse reasons for doing so. They go on tour, experiencing segregation in the south and racism in the army. Throughout the experience they form that familiar military bond, with the central relationship being that between Johnny, who plays the male lead in the musical, and Joshua, who plays the female lead Annette and falls in love with Johnny in real life as well as in the show. Familiar character types include the bad guy Baldwin who comes around only after a tragedy, the comic relief Carlos, and the wealthy playboy Rich. We come back to old man Johnny in the end, a nice bit of symmetry that ties up the story for all the guys we've come to know throughout the story.

The show-within-a-show concept, a musical theater staple, allows for many great musical numbers that have nothing to do with the plot, such as tap dancing in wet suits and flippers, and a mambo number complete with Chiquita Banana headdress. Most of the songs are fun and catchy, a few border on trite and cliche. The choreography by Jimmy Peters is fantastic, and these boys (most of whom are local talent) can dance! Highlights in the cast include Michael Fischetti as the stern but softhearted Sargeant, who is also a hoot as waitress Geena in the show; Scott Gilbert as our narrator Johnny, a likeable fellow whose story we want to follow; Bryan Gerber, who manages to create two compelling and sympathetic characters in gay soldier Joshua and lovestruck Annette; Aleutian Calabay as the tapping playboy; and Mark Anthony Hall with lovely vocals on a couple of solos as Ellis (conductor of the imaginary band, see below).

In my eyes there is only one unforgivable sin in musical theater, and that is the use of pre-recorded music instead of a live band. Unfortunately this production commits that sin. Canned music cheapens any musical and brings it down a level. Hopefully future productions will include live music; there's even mention of the band for the show-within-a-show, which would be a great opportunity to work a live orchestra into the show.

This production only has two more performances, so get to the Lab Theater fast to see these dancing and singing Golden Boys (discount tickets for Sunday's show available on Goldstar).

"Horizon" by Theater Latte Da at the Lab Theater

The final installment in what has been a wonderful new works series presented by Theater Latte Da is a musical re-imagining of the Eugene O'Neill play Beyond the Horizon. It was his first play to be produced on Broadway and the first to win a Pulitzer Prize, but is little seen today (I was previously unfamiliar with it). New York City based musical theater writers Chip Klose (book) and Michael Holland (music and lyrics) are re-telling this story through music, in a brand new piece receiving its first workshop and public performances this weekend with Theater Latte Da. Like all of the NEXT works, it has great potential and is beautifully presented by our local talent, with direction by Peter Rothstein.

In this version of O'Neill's story, brothers Travis and Robbie are in love with the same girl. Book-smart Robbie is about to go to college on a scholarship when he finds out that Amy is pregnant. He decides to stay, and Travis, Amy's old love, joins the marines as a means to leave town and family behind. Robbie and Amy live with his parents and struggle to make a life, as everyone feels Travis' absence. Although plot points have been changed, this is still an O'Neill story and therefore not a happy one, but one with great emotion and complicated family dynamics, the perfect fodder for music-theater.

I loved the music in this piece, and would probably love it even more in its intended orchestration - a few guitars and a fiddle. The creators describe the style as "incorporating pop, rock, folk, and country elements with echoes of Appalachia," but it's hard to achieve that with just a piano (even when the pianist is Denise Prosek). But even so, it's a great score with intricate harmonies, giving each character their moment to shine. And you couldn't ask for a better cast than this one - Eric Morris and Jared Oxborough as the brothers (the former stepping into the role just the day before the first performance!), Cat Brindisi as Amy, and Kevin Leines and Betti Battocletti as the boys' parents. I'm always amazed at how full these NEXT performances are despite the fact that the actors have only had a week or two with the material and have the script in front of them.

If you're free this weekend and interested in witnessing the future of music-theater, head to the Lab Theater for one of the two final performances of Horizon. This has been another great year for NEXT: New Musicals in the Making. From The End of September, a very Minnesotan story with a wonderfully complex score, to the hilarious improvised musical Some Assembly Required (aka Used Pontoon), to Horizon, a re-imagining of a classic American play, I've really enjoyed witnessing these unpolished gems and hope to see all of them again in the future.

"Some Assembly Required" by Theater Latte Da at the Lab Theater

In the second production of Theater Latte Da's series NEXT: New Musicals in the Making, there is Some Assembly Required. That assembly is done in front of the audience's eyes and with their help by comedy/music/theater/improv experts Jill Bernard, Madde Gibba (who, sadly, did not perform the night I saw the show due to weather-related travel difficulties), Brian Kelly, Doug Neithercott, and Michael Ritchie, with improvised musical accompaniment by Todd Price. The result is a fun, silly, and surprisingly cohesive one-of-a-kind musical.

The show begins with a text solicited from someone in the audience. For the show I saw, this text was "do you know anyone who could sell us a used pontoon?" (only in Minnesota, right?). The cast then ran with the theme of "used pontoon," which is actually a pretty cool title of a musical. I can just see the marquee: Used Pontoon: The Musical (the ubiquitous tag added so that people don't think it's a watercraft sale). Three of the performers made up a song on the spot, ranging from sad ("I feel as useless as a used pontoon," my personal favorite)  to spirited (building an army and overthrowing a dictator on a used pontoon). The audience voted and chose the latter as the basis of the musical. And so the show begins.

The cast created scenes and characters and slowly built a plot that mostly made sense, sort of. The Russian generalissimo living in a castle tower is planning to conquer the small village lying at the foot of the tower, as a present for his wife. The scrappy townspeople gather together to find the generalissimo's weakness and stop him from destroying their little town. There are secrets, betrayals, acts of bravery, a recurring theme of earthworms, a love story, and a really awkward Dallas Buyers Club reference. All of it made up on the spot, although the cast did have time to converse and plan for Act II during the short intermission. It's really remarkable to watch them create something brand new and entertaining right before your eyes. But remember, these are professionals, don't try this at home!

One final performance of this music-theater experiment remains, which will differ slightly from the two previous performances in that they will take the best bits from each and put them together in a somewhat planned, although still improvised, musical. If you're free tonight - check it out for a one-of-a-kind music-theater experience.