"Under the Gaslight" by the University of Minnesota at the Minnesota Centennial Showboat

For nearly 60 years, the University of Minnesota has been presenting a summer melodrama on a docked showboat on the Mississippi River, currently across from downtown St. Paul. The Minnesota Centennial Showboat was christened in 1958, as those who know their Minnesota history could guess ("in 1858 Minnesota became a state"). The first show was Under the Gaslight, which returns this summer for their last season at the Showboat (click here for more on the history of the Showboat). While this is only the second U of M show I've seen at the Showboat, I'm sad that it was my last. The creative team includes some of the top talent in town (including director John Miller-Stephany, musical director Andrew Cooke, choreographer Linda Talcott Lee, and costume and scenic designer Mathew J. LeFebvre), and the cast is chock-full of talented young people that are the future of theater in this town. The melodrama is a fun, entertaining, and little-seen genre that encourages the audience to "vocalize appropriately." The Showboat is a unique and charming venue, and I hope that someone puts it to good use (and will someone please do Show Boat on the Showboat already?!). Whether you've seen dozens of Showboat melodramas, or none, it would behoove you to board the Showboat one last time for this uniquely pleasing theatrical experience.

2016 Summer Theater Preview

It's finally summer in Minnesota, and that means lakes, parks, camping, hiking, and best of all - summer theater! You can't spend every moment of the summer outdoors, because you wouldn't want to get a sunburn, and also sometimes it rains. So take a break from outdoor activities to see some great theater this summer (or watch theater outdoors!). Here are a few of your choices for summer theater playing on stages and in parks around Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the surrounding area (click the link in the title for more information on each show).

"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" at the Minnesota Centennial Showboat

The University of Minnesota produces summer shows at the Minnesota Centennial Showboat, a permanently docked historic boat on Harriet Island across from downtown St. Paul. This is my first year attending, and it's great fun. Stepping onto the Showboat is like stepping back in time, as student actors in costume greet you and show you to your seats in the charming on-board theater. The show is usually a melodrama, and they encourage audience reaction in the form of cheers and boos. This year's show is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, played to deliciously campy effect by the young, talented, and enthusiastic cast. It's truly a delightful and fun evening of theater on the river.

In this version of the well-known tale of the man with two very different sides, the handsome and sophisticated Dr. Jekyll is engaged to the lovely Agnes Carew when her mother is murdered by a stooped and scary man named Mr. Hyde. An inspector investigates the murder, with all signs pointing him towards Dr. Jekyll's residence. Agnes thinks that her betrothed is protecting the man that killed her mother, but only Jekyll knows the truth, that he and Hyde are one in the same, and he can only control the transformation with a drug that he cannot find. He has withdrawn from Agnes to protect her from his evil side, but the truth eventually and tragically comes to light.

Christian Boomgaarden as Dr. Jekyll
and Katherine Fried as Agnes

The cast, under the direction of Peter Moore, plays the melodrama to the hilt and appears to be having as much fun as the audience. Katherine Fried is a delight as Agnes, with her wide eyes and expressive face. Christian Boomgaarden is so convincing as the suave Jekyll and demonic Hyde that it's hard to believe it's the same person, with transitions happening ever more quickly as the (melo)drama increases. Bear Brummel is charismatic as Jekyll's friend and confident, who also happens to be in love with Agnes.

Dramatic scenes are interspersed with musical olios, directed by Vern Sutton and accompanied by "master of the piano" Anton Melnichenko, who also provides a constant soundtrack to the action. The olios are all silly and fun and well performed; highlights include Tori Smith's gift-giving dilemma "I Dunno" and the gentleman singing about a beauty for each month, with the ladies parading in ridiculously elaborate costumes and headdresses. Speaking of, the costumes (by Matthew J. LeFebvre) are quite beautiful and add much to the show, especially impressive when some only appear onstage for a few minutes. The sets (by Rick Polenek) consist mostly of two-dimensional backdrops on the tiny stage, which look quaintly old-fashioned, and provide a bit of humor when the cast pretends they're three-dimensional.

The summer theater season can be a little quiet, but the Showboat is a great option for some fun, light, summery entertainment in a lovely spot on the river. Assuming the flooding season is over, shows continue through August 22 (Goldstar discount tickets are currently sold out, but check back in case more are added).

"The Match Girl's Gift" by Cerulean River Productions at the Minnesota Centennial Showboat

The Minnesota Centennial Showboat is kind of a magical place to see theater. Stepping onto this historic docked boat on the Mississippi River across from downtown St. Paul, you're transported into another world. Last time I was there, it was the world of pre-WWII Berlin, not typically associated with a river showboat, but still a transformative experience. (And I'm just waiting for someone to do Show Boat on the Showboat; it's an opportunity too good to pass up, don't you think?) The Showboat is currently decked out as a Victorian Christmas, from the actors dressed in period costume who greet you, to the Christmas decorations, to the music in the show. It even smells like someone is baking Christmas cookies! Two shows by Cerulean River Productions are currently playing in repertoire - The Match Girl's Gift and A Threepenny Christmas. I attended a Sunday matinee of the former, and I found it to be a cute and charming holiday show, sort of like A Christmas Carol lite.

The Match Girl's Gift is based on the Hans Christian Anderson story "The Little Match Girl," in which a little girl freezes to death on the streets while selling matches, with only visions of her dead grandmother to comfort her. This version is a little less grim, with the match girl dreaming her way into the home of a wealthy family she has long envied. The plot is perhaps a bit simplistic and trite, focusing on the rich boy's dysfunctional relationship with his parents, desperate for their approval. But the performances of the cast make up for what is lacking in the story. In the title role, Jillian Jacobson, a 7th grader whose bio already includes the Guthrie Theater and Girl Friday Productions, is a star in the making. She's a completely natural actor who easily brings you along on her character's journey. Also charming is Clare Foy as her chimney sweep friend. Megan Volkman-Wilson again shines in a motherly period role (see also Sunday in the Park with George).

But story aside, the highlight of this show is the music which begins and ends the show. The ensemble beautifully sings a selection of Victorian Christmas carols, accompanying themselves with a few instruments, and ringing out in gorgeous a capella harmony. I found myself somewhat impatient for the story to end so we could get back to the music!

The Match Girl's Gift closes this weekend, but A Threepenny Christmas continues through December 30 (see schedule for details). There were quite a few families in the audience, who seemed to be having a great time. If you're looking for a charming Victorian Christmas experience, the Showboat's a good place to find it.

"Cabaret" by Frank Theatre at the Minnesota Centennial Showboat

I went to see Cabaret by a theater company I'd never heard of, in a location I didn't know housed theater.  And it was one of those times when I felt so lucky to be in that room, experiencing such an amazing performance of a classic piece of musical theater, with wonderful guests for a post-show discussion.  I found out about the show from one of the many theater emails that I get, and since Cabaret is one of my favorites I looked into it.  I saw that Bradley Greenwald was playing the emcee, and that was enough to get me there.  "There" was a (permanently docked) boat on the Mississippi River in St. Paul, just across from downtown on Harriet Island.  A perfectly lovely location and theater, the original Centennial Showboat opened in celebration of Minnesota's Centennial, which as every Minnesota school child knows was in 1958.  The current showboat was built new after the original burned in a fire during reconstruction, and houses productions by the University of Minnesota and other local theaters like this one.  Frank Theatre has been around for over twenty years, and is "committed to producing unique work that stretches the skills of the artists who create the work while simultaneously challenging the everyday perceptions of the audience through the exploration of ideas and issues of social, political and/or cultural concern."  So far I like what I see, and I'll be keeping an eye out for future productions.

In typical Kander and Ebb style, Cabaret is such a layered, complex piece while still being hugely entertaining.  This production focuses more on the story rather than big splashy musical numbers, although with Bradley Greenwald in the cast the music is amazing too.  He has an unbelievable voice and can sing anything, and brings a lot of humor and depth to the role of the emcee, our guide through the story.  My favorite part of his performance is the opening number in which he sings lines in German, French, and then English.  He sings the English lines in a crass, over-exaggerated American accent that's completely fabulous.  The other star of the show is Melissa Hart, who plays Fraulein Schneider in this production but played Sally Bowles in the original 1966 Broadway and national touring production.  (Lucky for us Melissa moved to Minnesota a few years ago, so I look forward to seeing her on local stages again!)  Her history and connection to the show add a lot to the production, in addition to her amazing performance as the landlady who found love late in life, only to lose it.  Patrick Bailey is her sweet, funny suitor who doesn't want to face what's happening in Germany.

The Kit Kat Klub is filled with great performers, yet they're not too polished as one would expect in a seedy Berlin nightclub.  Fraulein Sally Bowles, "the toast of Mayfair" and star of the Klub, is played by Sara Richardson.  Not only does she have the look (cute short dark hair, smokey eyes and red cupie doll lips) and the voice, but she also has the vulnerability and strength of Sally.  Max Wojtanowicz (who has a lovely voice that I wish we got to hear more of) is the sensible, stable American writer trying to find himself in Berlin, while Sally is flighty and fluttery and scattered.  At first I thought Sally was naive, always happy and pretending not to notice what was happening around her.  But really, Sally is the realist.  She knows how hard life is, she's lived it, and she's just doing what she can to get through the day.  Max is the naive idealist who sees everything in black and white, and thinks all of their problems can be solved by taking a train to Paris.  When Sally sings the final number, "Cabaret," it's a gut-wrenching performance.

The finale of the show features a jumbled sound and look, as everything falls apart in Germany and the Kit Kat Klub.  Each of the characters sings a line or two of their song, reminding us of their journey.  The stage empties except for the emcee, who sings, "Auf Wiedersehen, A Bientot," followed by a shot and silence.  It's so sad, knowing what comes next.  Berlin has such a fascinating and tortured history.

As if all of that wasn't wonderful enough, the day wasn't over yet.  There was a post-show discussion which included director and Frank Artistic Director Wendy Knox, Melissa Hart, choregrapher Bonnie Bottoms, and her mother, Holocaust survivor Sabina Zimering.  She wrote a book about how she survived, assuming a false identity and working in Germany.  It was so humbling and such an honor to be in her presence, knowing she lived through the reality of the world that Cabaret gave us a glimpse into.  And I always love to listen to artists talk about their work, so it was a great ending to a lovely day of theater.

What I love most about Kander and Ebb is that they don't shy away from the tough stuff.  Starting with Cabaret in 1966, all the way through to their final show Scottsboro Boys which came out just last year, they deal with serious issues such as anti-Semitism in Germany and racism in America.  Issues that we like to believe are further in the past than they really are.  Kander and Ebb use the art form of musical theater to ask the difficult questions, not necessarily providing answers but encouraging the audience to wrestle with them.  It seems Frank Theatre has a similar viewpoint, which is perhaps why they chose this piece and why they do it so well.  It's only playing for one more weekend, "good lord willing and the creek don't rise" (literally!), so go see it if you can!