"Loudly, Clearly, Beautifully" by Elena Glass at The Hive Collaborative

My favorite thing about artists is the way that they take pain and trauma and turn it into art, releasing it to the world to help us mere mortals process and perhaps heal from our own pain and trauma. #TCTheater artist Elena Glass, who has been performing professionally on stages around town for the last ten years or so, has done just that in her aptly titled solo show Loudly, Clearly, Beautifully playing at the intimate Hive Collaborative. Elena's dad was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) when she was 14, and died when she was 30, during the height of the COVID epidemic. I had a similar experience; my dad was diagnosed with MS when I was very young and lived almost 50 years with the disease, most of it confined to a wheelchair and in the last few years, to bed, and died just over two years ago. So this show touched me deeply. But you don't have to have a parent with MS to relate to this well-constructed and beautifully performed show. Its themes of grief, loss, family, love, growing up, and moving on are universal, as told through Elena's specific story. If you'd like to see an artist share their personal story with honesty, humor, authenticity, and gorgeous vocals, go see Loudly, Clearly, Beautifully before it closes on January 31.

Loudly, Clearly, Beautifully is like one of those great Fringe solo storytelling shows, but a bit longer (about 85 minutes). The show opens with Elena reading the eulogy she read at her father's funeral, and then she tells us her story, speaking directly to the audience in a personable way. She reacts to the audience reaction, cajoling us when we don't react as expected, thanking us when we do, which is very endearing and immediately draws us in. She talks about life with her dad before his diagnosis - an avid runner who wasn't afraid to talk to his daughters about anything, sometimes uncomfortably so! She shares the way that his diagnosis changed his and their family's lives, his slow decline and eventual death in the early days of COVID when they weren't allowed to visit him.

Elena Glass (photo by M&D Media)

But despite personal tragedies, life goes on. Elena grew up performing on stage and studied theater at NYU, her dream school. The title of the show is what her dad always said to her before a performance - remember to sing loudly, clearly, and beautifully. And she does. She incorporates her love of performing into the show, singing some of her dad's favorite songs (Carole King, John Denver) as well as musical theater selections. All of the songs are well chosen to highlight the drama or humor of each story. The show is surprisingly funny - I laughed more than I cried, even laughing through tears sometimes, which feels wonderfully healing. She closes the song with an original song written by The Champagne Drops (aka Leslie Vincent and Emily Dussault) based on a few prompts. "Who I've Always Been" is such a beautiful song that perfectly encapsulates the themes of the show.

Of course, a solo show is never really just one person. Elena is joined on stage by Music Director Wesley Frye who does more than just accompany her on the keyboard, more than just sing backup on a few songs. He's almost like her sidekick, with little side conversations and exchanges between the two that feel conspiratorial, and very charming.

Another important member of the team is director Allison Vincent, who always makes everything better. She did her own solo show at Minnesota Fringe last year about her experience being caregiver for her father at the end of his life, which I have to think gives her greater insight into this piece. The show is well-paced, nicely balanced between stories and music, humor and drama, and flows very well and never drags. The stage is bare except for shelves holding memorabilia and tchotchkes, referenced throughout the show or used as props. Projections of photos and video of Elena, her dad, and her family are well used to ground us in the reality of this story, and the lighting design (by Allison and Hive co-owner Eric Morris) also aids in the storytelling.

One of the great things (besides the snacks) about The Hive Collaborative, Twin Cities Theater Bloggers' favorite theater venue of 2024, is that they work with artists like Elena to tell their story, providing not just the venue but the support and collaboration (it's in the name!) to help them tell their story in the best way they possibly can. I can't think of a better venue or a better collaborative team for Elena to tell her story Loudly, Clearly, Beautifully.