Author: Jean Gabler
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Theater review: “Suffs” resounds with righteousness
Wow! Everything about this show works: performances, songs, costumes, sets, lighting, and sound. Treat yourself and see it if you can.
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Theater review: Overstuffed “Mrs. Doubtfire” still amuses
The transition from film to musical is not seamless, and none of the songs are particularly memorable, but nonetheless: be prepared to laugh.
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Theater review: “Mean Girls,” at the Ordway, plumbs perennial teen angst
“You can’t provide what you don’t offer, so because Cady was being fake, she lost friends because she wasn’t being her real self.”
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Theater review: “Come From Away” is a reminder of human decency
Canadians accommodated thousands of stranded airline passengers on 9/11. How did we thank them? With…this Tony-winning musical!
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“Spamlot” Explained for (and Recommended to) Monty Python Neophytes
I have never seen any Monty Python work, but knew to expect irreverent humor. Could the search be for a can of Spam? Who was Monty Python anyway?
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“Mamma Mia!”: Thank you for the music, Ordway
Picture a warm summer day on a lovely island surrounded by beautiful shimmering water with a small hotel serving up hospitality. Now add in romance and a serving of intrigue. Wrap it all in upbeat musical numbers and energetic, creative choreography. If this is not a recipe for success, I am not sure what would…
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Ordway’s “White Christmas” Sets the Stage for a Happy Holiday
There is nothing better to put one in the holiday mood than a lovely show filled with music and charm produced at a theater decorated lavishly with a huge tree, garlands, and lights galore. Add to that a snowy evening and a view of Rice Park with thousands of twinkling white lights. All of this…
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“We Are Baseball”: Hall of Fame comes to Mall of America
The Hall of Fame has brought its new interactive traveling exhibit We Are Baseball to the lot adjacent to the Mall of America for a two-week stop. It’s advertised as combining the timeless charm of Cooperstown with cutting-edge technology, but I found the exhibit longer on technology than on the historical baseball artifacts that are…
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“Rise Up, O Men”: Plymouth Playhouse’s Church Basement Ladies Give the Fellas a Turn
The Church Basement Ladies franchise began in 2005 with the original Church Basement Ladies play, set in 1964. After serving up A Second Helping (set in 1969), the franchise took the story back to 1959 with a Christmas story and then a fourth show celebrating Reformation Sunday circa 1960. In 2013, the fifth show saw the church…
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“The Lion King” Roars Again at the Orpheum Theatre
Disney’s The Lion King has returned to Minnesota for a fifth time, following its world premiere at the Orpheum Theatre in 1997 with return engagements in 2005, 2007, and 2012. From the reaction of the audience last night, its return has been long-awaited. The crowd roared as the curtain opened to the spectacular first scene…
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“The Bridges of Madison County” Musical Brings Quiet Passion to Minneapolis
The beloved novel The Bridges of Madison County was written in 1992 by Robert James Waller, an Iowa college professor. Considered too short to be a novel and met with mixed reviews, it took word of mouth for the book to eventually rise to the bestseller list, where it stayed for 164 weeks. In 1994,…
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‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ dances back to Minneapolis
After more than ten years, the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis has brought back Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for a short run (March 29 – April 3). Joseph tells the familiar Bible story of Jacob and his 12 sons. Jacob gifts his favorite son Joseph (JC McCann) with a lovely new (Technicolor!) coat. This…