"King Lear" at Theatre in the Round

To begin their 73rd season, the oldest theater in Minneapolis is going back to a classic - the Shakespearean tragedy about a king gone mad and his scheming heirs, King Lear. In an interesting twist, Theatre in the Round has tapped veteran #TCTheater actor Meri Golden to play Lear as a pants role (meaning Lear is still a King not a Queen, and referred to as male). She's fantastic, and it's wonderful to see a female actor get a crack at this iconic role. She's supported by a large and talented cast, and sparse but effective design, for an engaging take on this classic that I haven't seen in so long I didn't remember the details of the story or characters. When the board member introducing the show (as they always do at TRP) said "we do murder well," he was referring to their annual Agatha Christie play (this year: The Unexpected Guest opening in November), but he could just as well have been talking about this show. There is a lot of murder, some of it bloody, and it is, indeed, done well. King Lear continues at Theatre in the Round through October 6.

"Ann" by Prime Productions at The Howard Conn Theater

I'm not sure I'd ever heard of Texas governor Ann Richards, only the second woman to hold that position. I didn't pay much attention to politics when I was in high school, so I missed her keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention, which propelled her to being elected governor, a position she held for one term in the early '90s. Leave it to Prime Productions, a #TCTheater company that features women in their prime, to bring us this inspiring and extremely timely story of a woman leader who knew how to get things done. Ann premiered on Broadway in 2013, written by and starring Holland Taylor, and Prime has wisely tapped #TCTheater veteran Angela Timberman to play the role. Ann is funny and feisty and whip-smart, and Angela conveys all of that and more. Prime Productions is partnering with local "get out the vote" organizations, with information about how to vote included in the program, making this show about more than just theater. See Ann at the Howard Conn Theater in South Minneapolis now through September 22, get inspired, get involved, and vote!

"Peter and the Starcatcher" at Lyric Arts

For my first show of the 2024-2025 #TCTheater season, I saw Lyric Arts' production of the charming and whimsical play with music Peter and the Starcatcher. This is my 6th time seeing this show in the last 12 years (most recently at Duluth Playhouse this spring), but the great thing about it is that there is a lot of room for play and invention within the structure of the script. It's typically done with physical theater and low-tech theater magic, and it's always fun to see how a company interprets the story and adds their own spin. Directed by Lyric Arts' Resident Director Scott Ford, this production is very loose and playful, while also being polished and well choreographed. The talented 12-person cast works and plays well together to bring this charming story to life. It's very funny and entertaining, and also sweet and nostalgic as it taps into the familiar and beloved story of Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up. Make the short trip out to Anoka to see how Peter became Pan, with the help of a strong and spirted young girl, now through September 29.

American Players Theatre 2024

This year I made my second visit to American Players Theatre, the magical theater in the middle of the woods of Wisconsin. My friends at Minnesota Theater Love have been going for years, and finally convinced me to join them two years ago. I was enamored of the setting and the quality (and quantity) of work produced, and declared that "if Middle Earth had a theater, it would look like American Players Theatre," so I was happy to make the trip again after missing last year. And now I am thoroughly and irrevocably ensorcelled by the experience that is APT; I don't think I'll miss another year if I can help it. We saw five shows in three days, four of them outdoors, each better than the last. If you're a theater fan in the Midwest, put APT on your must-do list. A lovely four-hour drive from the Twin Cities through the corn fields and rolling hills of Wisconsin brings you to a two-stage, eight-show repertory theater than runs from June through September (with an additional indoor show in October). It's a gem that even the New York Times has visited - so why haven't you? This year we stayed at House on the Rock Resort which is the closest (and perfectly satisfactory) lodging to the theater at just about a mile away, but there are other hotels, B&Bs, and AirBnBs in the vicinity. Plus there are plenty of shops and restaurants in and around Spring Green to entertain you (although I do recommend making a reservation for Saturday night dinner, we visited four restaurants before we found one that could seat us). So make a long weekend of it, visit the truly bizarre funhouse that is House on the Rock (admission included if you stay at the Resort), take in the majesty of Taliesin (which I have yet to do), and enjoy some amazing theater, scenery, and cheese!

Broadway tour of "Back to the Future: The Musical" at the Orpheum Theatre

The 1985 movie Back to the Future, starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, was a huge success, spawning two sequels and now, a stage musical. Many years in the making, the musical premiered in London in February 2020 (an unlucky time for theater), and made its way to Broadway last summer. While it didn't win any Tony Awards, it's still running, and the first national tour began this June, with Minneapolis one of its early stops. As a child of the '80s I have a soft spot in my heart for the movie, although I'm not a superfan, and I found the musical to be a ton of nostalgia-wrapped fun. The design seamlessly blends projections with real set pieces to create an almost visceral experience. The musical is performed in a very broad tone and doesn't take itself too seriously, with a few fourth-wall breaking winks at the audience. All of this, plus this fantastic touring cast that is giving their all to the story, make for a really fun night at the theater. Did Back to the Future need to be made into a musical? Maybe not. Is it ground-breaking music-theater? No. But they've tapped into the nostalgia and love for this movie and created something fans, and maybe even those unfamiliar with the movie (if such people exist), will love. Doc, Marty, and the DeLorean will be in town for two weeks, so head to the Orpheum Theatre, buckle your seatbelt, and enjoy the ride! (Click here for the official ticket site.)

"The Last Five Years" by Bunce Performing Arts and Hidden Gem Productions at the Phoenix Theater

Jason Robert Brown's two-person musical The Last Five Years is beloved by musical theater nerds, for it's ingenious structure (one person tells the story chronologically and the other backwards, meeting for one moment in the middle) and the cycle of songs that tell the full story of a relationship - beginning, middle, end. It's not infrequently done (most recently seen at Lyric Arts earlier this year), but it's also not easy. Neither character is particularly likeable, which can cause frustration. But maybe they're not supposed to be likeable, just flawed messy humans like all of us. A lovely new production of The Last Five Years runs just one more weekend, as part of a Collaboration Series by Bunce Performing Arts, which specializes in free outdoor summer musicals. For this show they've partnered with new company Hidden Gem Productions and first-time director/producer Luke Peterson. The simple staging really allows JRB's gorgeous songs to shine, as performed by two talented new-to-me singers who bring out all of the emotions. I've seen The Last Five Years six times now, and this was one of my favorite productions. You can see it this weekend at the Phoenix Theater (yes, it's still open despite the construction on Hennepin - I recommend parking on 26th).