2024 Twin Cities Theater Blogger Award Winners!

The bloggers have voted, and we've decided on our favorite artists, shows, and theaters of 2024. It was such a great year, and these winners are just a small sampling of the amazing performances we saw. Congratulations to our favorites, and everyone who created art in 2024!

See full list of nominees here.

TCTB Review: Artistry's THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY

Our bloggers are swooning over Artistry MN's regional premiere of THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, featuring a gorgeous Tony winning score by Jason Robert Brown and a top notch local cast. Click the links to see what we had to say, then make your plans to get out to Bloomington before it closes on February 16!
https://artistrymn.org/bridges

Play off the Page:
http://bit.ly/2Ru4st1

The Stages of MN:
http://bit.ly/2O1QNab

Millennial in the Mezzanine:
https://bit.ly/2uzRZuC

Twin Cities Stages:
https://bit.ly/2Gtqu8Y

Cherry and Spoon:
http://bit.ly/cs_bridges

The Global Dig:
http://bit.ly/2vuc5XC

photo by Devon Cox

TCTB Review Roundup: Closing Soon!

The end of September means the close of several #tctheater shows! Don't lose your last opportunity to see some awesome work this weekend.

Bone Mother by Sandbox Theatre at the The Museum of Russian Art, closing 9/27:

Compendium - Minneapolis says "Bone Mother is a truly unique performance, at once ancient and entirely original; modern but familiar; feminine and powerful. [...] It's the perfect thing to watch as our seasons transition to a darker one and we prepare to sit more quietly inside ourselves." More here: http://bit.ly/2mRaOpj

Cherry and Spoon says "Combine Russian folk tales, aerialists, music, theater, and a unique space and what do you get? Sandbox Theatre's latest uniquely beautiful creation, Bone Mother." More here: http://bit.ly/2lRyUQP

Immaculate Heart by Freshwater Theatre Company at The Crane Theater, closing 9/28:

Cherry and Spoon says "In their new original play Immaculate Heart, Freshwater Theatre thoughtfully explores issues surrounding faith (specifically, Catholicism) and sexuality (specifically, the last and often overlooked letter in the LGBTQIA alphabet - asexuality). Playwright Ruth Virkus has created a world and a situation that feels real and very human, and the three-person cast brings truth, vulnerability, and humanity to their roles. As a recovering Catholic, I'm familiar with the struggle between seeing the good that the church has done and the solace it is for so many people, and the many ways it falls short in the modern world with its intolerant and exclusionary doctrine. This play and its characters embody that struggle very well, as well as shed light on a lesser known aspect of the spectrum of sexuality." More here: http://bit.ly/2lhL19g

Escaped Alone and Here We Go by Frank Theatre at Gremlin Theatre, closing on 9/29:

Cherry and Spoon says: "I don't know if these two plays were meant to be performed together, but they work very well with each other, dealing with similar themes of aging and death. [...] Odd, perplexing, surprising, funny, charming, sad, poignant, and profound are just a few of the adjectives that could be used to describe these plays. " More here: http://bit.ly/2lln2Gf

Our Town at Artistry MN, closing 9/29:

Cherry and Spoon says: "The new production by Artistry, perhaps best known for their musicals, features a fantastic cast that brings out all of the humor, heart, and meaning in this classic. There's a reason that Our Town continues to be produced, and audiences continue to see it - it speaks to us in a very real and deep way." More here: http://bit.ly/2mVyUiH

TCTB Review Roundup: Closing Soon!

If you are staying in town for Memorial Day why not see some theater. A couple of shows that our blogger Cherry and Spoon wrote about are closing this weekend. You can read about them below: 
Tinker to Evers to Chance at Artistry MN : http://bit.ly/2K2Nz5d
Dirty Business: The Spy Musical at History Theatre : http://bit.ly/2Hz4AlH

TCTB Review Roundup: VICTOR/VICTORIA at Artistry

Our bloggers were impressed by Artistry MN's regional premiere of the 1995 Broadway musical VICTOR/VICTORIA, with Ann Michels beautifully playing the role that Dame Julie Andrews originated. Catch it at Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts through May 5.
https://artistrymn.org/victor

Play off the Page: http://bit.ly/2P5Zu2E
"It’s beautiful, thought-provoking, sexy, glitzy, and filled with marvelous jazz music (I mean, Henry Mancini, how can you go wrong)."

Cherry and Spoon: http://bit.ly/cs_victor
"Victor/Victoria happens to be very timely and relevant with its themes of gender fluidity and being free to be who you are and love who you want. The team at Artistry has delivered a gorgeous production of this big old-fashioned musical full of heart and humor."

Photo by Devon Cox.

TCTB Review Roundup: SHE LOVES ME at Artistry

photo by Devon Cox

Nostalgic musical She Loves Me is open at Artistry MN through this weekend! A couple of our bloggers went and here's what they had to say:

Cherry and Spoon says "If there's a musical I have to see three times in a year (OK I don't have to, I choose to, because I'm me), I'm glad it's this darling little gem of a musical." https://bit.ly/2TK7urB

Brett Talk says "The most recent production of She Loves Me solidifies Artistry's commitment to producing quality musical theatre that should be seen by as many people as possible." https://bit.ly/2BwNKk3

Make sure to catch this show before it closes on February 17!

TCTB Review Roundup: Mary Poppins at Artistry

See Mary Poppins at Artistry MN through Sunday! Read the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers reviews below along with an interview with Becca Hart who plays Mary Poppins by Brett Talk!

The magic is strongest on stage when Ms. Becca Hart is on it. Hart, who plays the title role, is not just “practically perfect in every way” but is perfect in every way. Hart is whimsically delightful and completely makes the role her own. - Brett Talk Read more: https://bit.ly/2C0wWD7

Brett's interview with Becca here: https://bit.ly/2zaURwG

Artistry's Mary Poppins may be just the thing you need right now. That is, an escape from reality into the magical world of everyone's favorite nanny, filled with talking dogs, moving statues, high-flying kites, and fantastic dance numbers. - Cherry and Spoon Read more: https://bit.ly/2AAD6c4

#TCTheater #ReviewRoundup #OnlyinMN

Legally Blonde at Artistry MN

Bend and snap your way to Artistry MN to see their fabulous production of "Legally Blonde the Musical." This show already had limited availability for almost all their shows so be sure to get your tickets fast after reading what our bloggers thought of it!

"All the leads are marvelous. Their voices soar."
- Play off the Page - https://bit.ly/2uYilDb

"The Show is laugh out loud funny at times."
- Say Entirely - https://bit.ly/2LOOCDI

"Steele is the perfect Elle Woods.They could not have cast it better."
- Brett Talk - https://bit.ly/2LMSVDO

TCTB Review Roundup: Follies at Artistry

Artistry MN's production of the rarely done Stephen Sondheim musical FOLLIES closes this weekend. Click the links below to read what our bloggers thought of it.

"Follies is a production that isn't done often so if you've never seen it or experienced the music I certainly recommend seeing it before they take their final bow."
Coffee Talk with Brett: https://bit.ly/2HpV1XP

"I was primed and ready for this show, and I loved every minute of it. ..21-piece pit orchestra ...large and talented cast, plus the dazzling design do justice to Sondheim and book writer James Goldman's complicated and beautiful musical."
Cherry and Spoon: http://bit.ly/cs_follies

Details and ticket info: https://artistrymn.org/theater/follies
(Photo by Devon Cox)

Closing this weekend

A number of great shows are closing this weekend. They include: Party in the Rec Room at Bryant Lake Bowl & Theater, Noises Off at Artistry MN, Joy Rebel at Penumbra Theatre Company, and Grounded at Frank Theatre.
About Party in the Rec Room Play off the Page writes, "Lorna enters as a Rock Star, bursting with energy and welcoming us with margaritas" Read the full review here: http://bit.ly/2Dse5Pv
About Noises Off Cherry and Spoon says, "The nine-person cast is so consistently great in this true ensemble piece" Read the full review here: http://bit.ly/2o8mD8x
About Joy Rebel Compendium - Minneapolis writes, "Joy Rebel is 70 straight, intermissionless minutes of power and hard-won peace" Read the full review here: http://bit.ly/2Ef9b8K
About Grounded Twin Cities Stages says, "Audrey Park’s performance of the pilot sucks you into her story and carries you along for the emotional roller coaster straight through to the troubling conclusion." Read the full review here: http://bit.ly/2EwZ7Id

'Noises Off' Gives New Meaning to the Adage "The Show Must Go On" : A Guest Post from Devyn Terry

Watching a play from the wings instead of the seats, Michael Frayn was amused by the entertainment happening behind the set. So logically, the next step was to write a show about an eccentric eight-person love triangle and recovering alcoholic that are forced to go onstage and act out being alone in a house where ancient tellies and sardines disappear through slamming doors to the equally chaotic backstage where the apparting objects are now bottles of whiskey and flowers being shuffled among love interests. This story morphed into the sitcom-esque show that premiered in London in 1982, making it to Broadway in 1984 where the show won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble. Trying to find seats in Artistry’s Schneider Theater, I noticed that I was the youngest person in the auditorium by like, forty years. Based off of that, I assumed Noises Off was a production aimed at an older crowd. Or, it could just be the Artistry theater company. In an effort to get more young people in their theater, they offer $12 tickets to people 30 and under. Considering the demographic of the audience, I was expecting this play’s humor to go over my head. But lot of the humor was. . . demonstrated (think bodies contorted into oral sex positions trying to fix costumes). As the curtain descended at the end of act one, each character begrudgingly assumed a cheesy pose, creating the equivalent of a promotional picture for a Netflix drama. I could easily see why Noises Off had two successful Broadway revivals - this is a show that knows how to pull off slapstick. Noises Off is a play-within-a-play – each act of Noises Off equals one run of Nothing On, gradually increasing in disaster each time. Act one begins with a caffeine-deficient cast pulling an all-nighter, trudging through their dress rehear– sorry, technical rehearsal – before their show opens in less than twenty hours. This gives some exposition and sets a (hilarious) baseline for the next two acts. During intermission, the set does a one-eighty. Act two is a run of Nothing On from the “backstage” perspective, so the audience can partake in the drama on both sides of the set. By the third and final act, the initial appeal of watching a show crash and burn was starting to fade. Now that I was familiar with two stage environments, I was curious to see what the third act would bring. I was half expecting some unconventional set style, upping the absurdity of it all, but instead the stage had returned to the exact same setup as the first act. Like the set, the rest of the third act was repetitive, give or take a few sardines. Oh, and there goes Brooke, mouthing everyone's lines again. . . and yep, the sardines are still missing . . . The concept of seeing a plot three times under different circumstances is a unique idea (and worth watching all three times), but the quality of first two acts had me expecting some fantastic finish. In order to make the three performances work in its favor, the show needed to intensify exponentially, when instead it opted for a more linear route.That said, if you don't mind a little déjà vu and you're looking for laughs between now and February 18, I would highly recommend a trip to the Bloomington Arts Center to see Noises Off.

This post comes to the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers from Devyn Terry. Devyn Terry is a senior in high school. She does show choir, theater and is in an a capella ground called the Unaccompanied Minors. She hopes to have a theater-filled future as well as continue to learn Spanish and possibly study linguistics in college. 

The Last Five Years - TCTB Review Roundup

American composer/lyricist Jason Robert Brown's THE LAST FIVE YEARS is a cult fave among musical theater nerds. Several of TCTB's theater nerds saw Artistry MN's new production, and you can read their differing opinions below. The show runs through February 11 but has been virtually sold out since before it opened, so call the box office soon to see what's left for tickets.
https://artistrymn.org/theater/lastfiveyears.html

Coffee Talk with Brett: http://bit.ly/2Bce8g9
"THE LAST FIVE YEARS is a simple but beautifully crafted story. Artistry produces this production in their Black Box space which adds even more intimacy to the production and is probably one of my favorite parts about it."

Cherry and Spoon: http://bit.ly/cs_l5y
"The Black Box space is small enough to provide the intimacy the piece needs, with just a sparse two-person band, and a truly fantastic young cast in Aly Westberg O'Keeffe and Ryan London Levin."

Minnesota Theater Love: http://bit.ly/2rpjuFj
"Though Ryan London Levin and Aly Westberg O'Keeffe have talent and charm as Jamie and Cathy, director Elena Giannetti doesn't trust the material to tell the story. The simplicity of the show is overshadowed by too much stage business, and the singing is overwrought, losing sight of the storytelling."

(photo by Devon Cox)