Friday, August 26, 2016

Rise Up O Men at Plymouth Playhouse: TCTB Review Round-up

Photo by Kendra Plant
The second Twin Cities Theater Bloggers event was a great success! We enjoyed the premiere of Rise Up O Men at Plymouth Playhouse, as well as an amazing pre-show dinner with the bloggers at Green Mill Restaurant and Bar. We also enjoyed an incredible talk back with the cast, who not only performed but WROTE the show!

They had so much to share and we can't wait for our next event. Bloggers said of Rise Up O Men (running August 17 – November 13, 2016  & January 5 – April 8, 2017):

"I'd be perfectly happy to spend a nice long funeral lunch in the kitchen with these ladies--they are hilarious, and they do sing so beautifully."

Photo by Kendra Plant
"I can’t help but smile and nod as I watch these characters, hear their stories, tap along to their songs, and commiserate with them when things don’t go they way they’d planned. It’s like being back home on the farm, and attending a potluck at my home church."

"This was certainly an ensemble show with sparkling moments coming from each character throughout the night. The technical elements also blew me away."

"Rise Up O Men is a great show for small town folks who don't mind seeing a slice of their life poked at on stage. It is a creamsicle delight for those who yearn for the days when moms were home, dads worked with their hands, and everyone knew the hymns by heart."

Check out our reviews here:
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Thursday, August 18, 2016

Paint Your Wagon at Ordway Center: TCTB Review Roundup

There is a limited run of PAINT YOUR WAGON closing this weekend at the Ordway, and our bloggers think you need to go! They commented:
"Paint Your Wagon may be set nearly 175 years ago, but the themes featured in the show still ring true today."
"Paint Your Wagon honors the beautiful songs of Lerner and Loewe while simultaneously telling a modern, thoughtful story of a moment in American history when people from a range of origins all came together. Representation matters, and it's so exciting to see it onstage at the Ordway."
"Anyone who already knows they like musical theatre– go see this production of Paint Your Wagon. The End."
"Anyone who is a fan of traditional musical theater should be sure to see this show before it leaves town."
"This thrilling story of the beginnings of the American West (think Deadwood the musical, only with significantly less cursing) with a beautifully diverse cast has rescued this gorgeous Western and Mexican influenced score from the place where problematic old musicals go to die."
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Monday, August 8, 2016

Disgraced at the Guthrie: TCTB Review Roundup

We have our next review roundup, this time for DISGRACED, showing at the Guthrie through August
28. This new, Pulitzer Prize-winning show made a powerful impact on the bloggers, who said:
"When the Guthrie programmed the 2012 Pulitzer Prize-winning play Disgraced to run this summer, they couldn't have guessed just how relevant and timely it would be."
"Disgraced is a visceral, physical and psychic, stunning piece of art that deserves as wide an audience as possible."
"With everything going on in the world today, this play sparks the conversations and inward reflection need when discussing religion and politics, especially in group settings."
"No matter how far some people think they might have come to remain neutral and accept others as simply people, the truth is those deep seated prejudices and fears are still there."
And additionally, one reviewer went to the limited performance of Acting Black last weekend - check her thoughts out here: http://bit.ly/2bezcrb
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Friday, July 29, 2016

Under the Gaslight at the Minnesota Centennial Showboat: TCTB Review Roundup

More fab plays to keep you cool in this blistering heat wave we've been having! First up: UNDER THE GASLIGHT, a lively new show at the University of Minnesota Showboat (!) that runs through August 27. Reviewers said "The creative team includes some of the top talent in town, and the cast is chock-full of talented young people that are the future of theater," and "The traditional painted backdrops are richly evocative and the costumes are so lush and elegant that you want to try them on yourself (the "Downton Abbey" effect!)."
The TCTC bloggers are also gearing up for the annual FRINGE FESTIVAL (as you may have noticed from our events page!). Check out our previews below, and let us know - what are you going to see? The festival begins on August 4.
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Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Talley's Folley at Artistry: TCTB Review Roundup

If you want to see something new and elegant, make sure to check out TALLEY'S FOLLEY, now showing at Artistry (previously known as Bloomington Civic) through July 24. Our bloggers enjoyed it, saying "it is an intriguing idyll for a summer theater night" and "Joel Sass has designed a beautifully detailed and realistic set (as he often does)." To read the full reviews check them out below:
And thanks to the embarrassment of riches in our local theater scene, we've seen a bunch of assorted shows that we encourage you to learn more about at our REVIEW SPEED DATE below:
PhenoMNal Twin Cities: The Lady and the Trump (Brave New Workshop):http://bit.ly/29XZQpk
Play off the Page : Pinocchio (Children's Theatre): http://bit.ly/2adKX4b
Cherry and Spoon : A Midsummer Night's Dream (Classical Actors Ensemble):http://bit.ly/29L6VqU
Compendium : Million Dollar Quartet (Old Log Theatre):http://bit.ly/2adMW8I
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Friday, July 15, 2016

Disney's The Lion King at Orpheum Theatre: TCTB Review Roundup

We just can't quit it can we? This week we saw THE LION KING (through August 7) and what a beauty it was! Bloggers absolutely love this family friendly show, and connected the story to current events. A selection of quotes includes:

"What was powerful about seeing The Lion King when I did is that it is simultaneously escapist and making a commentary on the world around us. It is a beautiful, spectacular show."

"The parallels between the story were also almost eerily contemporary, in a way I haven't appreciated in past viewings of the movie or the play...It goes without saying that this is a truly beautiful show, but if you haven't seen it before please do yourself a favor and revel in the spectacle."

"The message is one of hope and that we must be confident in who we are, not run but stand together for all that is good."

"The beauty in the production, from the writing to the costumes and special effects, provided me an opportunity to fully immerse myself in the emotional, yet positive vibes resonating through the theater."

"The Lion King is a feat of theatrical design."

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Monday, July 11, 2016

South Pacific at the Guthrie: TCTB Review Roundup

Another TCTB REVIEW ROUNDUP coming your way: Few shows evoke sultry summer temperatures better than SOUTH PACIFIC, currently showing at the Guthrie Theater (through August 28). Our reviewers enjoyed the show and found its major themes, particularly those of racism and the morals we pass down to our children, to be contemporary and powerful.
Click the links below to see our thoughts and reasons to see the show, such as: "I can confirm that it definitely is a must-see summer experience;" "In the night, when all goes dark, the stars shone brightly through. South Pacific at the Guthrie Theater is a visually stunning piece;" "La vie est belle, life is beautiful, on the set of South Pacific;" and "There was something more genuine in this production than most musicals. South Pacific became a reality on stage instead of a dream."
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