Monday, July 30, 2018

TCTB Review Roundup: Hand to God

Riley O'Toole (photo by Dan Norman)
Many of our bloggers raved about "Hand to God" at The Jungle Theater. The production quickly sold out but they just extended the run by 6 more performances so get your tickets before it sells out again! See what our bloggers had to say about it below.
"As sweet Jason and evil Tyrone, Riley O'Toole gives a genius performance unlike anything I've seen before"
http://bit.ly/cs_h2g - Cherry and Spoon
"I’m beyond impressed with O’Toole’s coordination and skill..."
https://bit.ly/2vhlf61 - One Girl, Two Cities
"O'Toole comedic timing and abilities resembles a young Robin Williams and that is truly one of the highest compliments I think I can give"
https://bit.ly/2OhEwNz - Brett Talk
"Director Baldwin has an enviable creative team at her disposal both on and off stage."
https://bit.ly/2LBonEL - Single White Fringe Geek

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Mama Mia at The Ordway, fun, fantastic, live performance!

Mama Mia at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts is a fun summer treat. This is production is an Ordway original. Read what Twin Cities Theater Bloggers have to say about the Ordway's take on this fan favorite.
"Incredible show, cast, and music!" https://bit.ly/2v2hSzQ Soul Photography & Media
"Upon arriving to my seat I'm already in awe at the gorgeous and stunning set that scenic designer Rick Polenek has designed." https://bit.ly/2JW1xSR Brett Talk
"this production is fantastically fun and surprisingly moving, performed by a mostly local and all fabulous cast." http://bit.ly/cs_mammamia Cherry and Spoon


Monday, July 23, 2018

A Couple Comedies closing at the end of July

A couple shows that are closing July 29. Reviews by Cherry and Spoon.
"Ideation" at Gremlin Theatre "The regional premiere of Ideation by Gremlin Theatre is a taut, thrilling, engrossing, and funny 90 minutes of work colleagues going down a paranoid rabbit hole, and it'll make your head spin, in the best way. http://bit.ly/cs_ideation
"Jeeves in Bloom" at Theater in the round A "charming, wacky,and very British comedy." http://bit.ly/cs_jeeves



Friday, July 20, 2018

TCTB Review Roundup - Great River Shakespeare Festival

A group of bloggers took a road trip to Visit Winona last weekend to take in the Great River Shakespeare Festival. We had a great time and enjoyed some fantastic theater and wonderful conversations, including learning about Intimacy Directors International. Click the links below to find out why you should consider a mini theater vacation this summer (four shows plus an intern/apprentice performance running through August 5).
GRSF info and calendar here: http://grsf.org/
Cherry and Spoonhttp://bit.ly/cs_grsf18
"Not only is the theater entertaining, engaging, relevant, and well done, but the festival is well organized and provides many other opportunities for entertainment and engagement throughout the charming river town of Winona."
Twin Cities Stageshttp://bit.ly/2LpFpVD
"Seeing shows in rep was very fun and something that I had not had the chance to experience before. It adds a new layer to the theater going experience, to be able to make connections between the different shows."
Minnesota Theater Lovehttps://bit.ly/2NxtP8p
"Friends, we LOVE the theater festival experience... Great River Shakespeare Festival is right in our backyard, and it's a gem not to be missed!"
Pictured: Carol and Julie from MN Theater Love, Laura from Twin Cities Stages, GRSF Artistic Director Doug Scholz-Carlson and Managing Director Aaron Young, and Jill from Cherry and Spoon.

Thursday, July 19, 2018

TCTB Review Roundup: Carmen

Several Twin Cities Theater Bloggers attended Carmen under the stars at Mill City Summer Opera. A "Raintermission" as Cherry and Spoon named it, shortened the the experience, but it was still wonderful.
"There's nothing quite like sitting outdoors in a beautiful setting listing to a chorus of amazing singers accompanied by an orchestra of amazing musicians, watching them tell a story with energy and passion despite the oppressive heat." http://bit.ly/cs_carmen Cherry and Spoon
"A powerful and beautiful" performance https://bit.ly/2uxGHnI Play off the Page
"A true masterpiece by Georges Bizet, Carmen has everything you love in opera (or any good story to be honest) - high drama, romance, swashbuckling masculinity, memorable themes, lyrical arias, and the sexiest damn singers you ever did see. It's like a pirate ship for music, how can you go wrong?" https://bit.ly/2L6mf7J Compendium - Minneapolis

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

TCTB Review Roundup: Boy Crazy

Boy Crazy by Madde Gibba at Bryant Lake Bowl & Theater "The show is well constructed from start to finish, but also loose and playful and open to what happens each night." Cherry and Spoon http://bit.ly/cs_boycrazy closes July 23, 2018.

Saturday, July 14, 2018

TCTB Review Roundup: Electricity

A very short run for a play that struck a chord with one of our Twin Cities Theater Bloggers, Compendium - Minneapolis. Closes tonight, so if you're looking for a great show, on short notice. Check out Electricity at Camp Bar. https://bit.ly/2JlYrai

Friday, July 13, 2018

TCTB Review Roundup: Romeo and Juliet

Closing this weekend, Shakespeare in the Park. From Cherry and SpoonClassical Actors Ensemble continues their tradition of bringing Shakespeare to metro area parks (for free!) with Romeo and Juliet, playing at Lake of the Isles and many other parks every Thursday through Sunday through mid July. http://bit.ly/cs_cae_rj

Monday, July 9, 2018

A Fresh Look at West Side Story at the Guthrie Theater

Mia Pinero as Maria and Marc Koeck as Tony
in The Guthrie Theater's West Side Story
Photo by T. Charles Erickson

The Guthrie Theater has another blockbuster on stage this summer with a fresh take on the classic West Side Story, running through August 26, 2018.

Read what some of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers think about a re-imagined territory in New York City.

"Mark Hartman expertly conducts the orchestra to glorious heights; it's a showstopper of musicianship on an extraordinarily difficult score, and they nailed it." https://bit.ly/2tyJjAw Compendium - Minneapolis

"It was fascinating, refreshing, poignant, and compelling." https://bit.ly/2tJfVaH Play off the Page

"The Guthrie's West Side Story, directed by Artistic Director Joseph Haj and featuring new original choreography Maija Garcia (both children of immigrants), feels like it was made for today's world." http://bit.ly/cs_wssgCherry and Spoon

"The Guthrie has pulled together an extremely well versed cast with stunning leads that are supported by an extraordinary ensemble."https://bit.ly/2lRMEHD Brett Talk

Go to The Guthrie Theater for tickets and showtimes. 


Sunday, July 1, 2018

TCTB Review Roundup: "Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery" at Park Square Theatre

In the mood for a summer comedy?


Ken Ludwig's Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery is now playing at Park Square Theatre in downtown St. Paul through August 5th.

A bunch of our bloggers saw it! Take a look at what they thought:

Photo Credit: Becki Iverson, Compendium
"Baskerville is such a great example of what happens when you get a diverse, talented team together and enable them to really let their imaginations run wild."
Compendium - Minneapolis
Read the review: https://bit.ly/2K5I5Ie

"Baskerville is a comic treat...It is a wonder to watch them keep up with the rapid pace, the show fully commits to this organized chaos, often times stopping to acknowledge it during a scene."
Twin Cities Stages
Read the review: https://bit.ly/2Klkbsq
 
"This summer mystery is so much fun to watch, my face hurt afterwords from two and a half hours of constant smiling and laughing. Kudos to playwright Ken Ludwig, director Theo Langason, the design team, and this intrepid cast (including four busy stagehands) for taking a familiar 100+ year old story and telling it in a new and innovative way that is both respectful of the source and entirely original."
Cherry and Spoon
Read the review: https://bit.ly/2KwWDg2

More info about the show and ticket info: http://parksquaretheatre.org/…/baskerville-a-sherlock-holm…/