Minneapolis Theatre + Broadway News

The Guthrie Theatre to Celebrate 50th Anniversary with Community Celebration Day, 6/23

(6/19/2013) - This upcoming Sunday, June 23 will be the Guthrie's Free Community Celebration Day, an all-ages day of events designed for the theater to mark its 50th anniversary by welcoming the community that has fostered and supported it throughout its half-century history.

Stages Theatre Co. Bumps Up Special Effects for DISNEY'S ALADDIN JR.

(6/19/2013) - Stages Theatre Company (STC) closes its 29th season with the smash hit "Disney's Aladdin Jr." opening June 28 at the Hopkins Center for the Arts. Audiences can expect to see their favorite characters -- Princess Jasmine, Genie and Aladdin - as they embark on an adventure filled with magic and mayhem.

The Arts Partnership Breaks Ground on New Ordway Concert Hall Today

(6/19/2013) - The Arts Partnership (Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, Minnesota Opera, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and The Schubert Club) will break ground on the new Concert Hall at the Ordway today, June 19, 2013 at 10:30am. The Concert Hall will replace the existing 306-seat McKnight Theatre. The groundbreaking is the culmination of a dream that began in 2011. Hard demolition of the McKnight Theatre will begin in July.

Photo Flash: First Look at Ansa Akyea, Emily Gunyou Halaas and More in Guthrie's CLYBOURNE PARK

(6/17/2013) - The Guthrie Theater presents its production of 2011 Pulitzer Prize and 2012 Tony Award winner Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris, the biting, powerhouse contemporary satire about race and gentrification during the past half century in America. Written in response to Lorraine Hansberry's classic A Raisin in the Sun, Clybourne Park has sparked conversation and dialogue across America wherever it has played. Lisa Peterson (Guthrie: Major Barbara, Oedipus) returns to direct another great, biting American story at the Guthrie after last year's lauded production of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production photos below.

BWW Interviews: 7th House Theater Collective Enlists HAIR For Inaugural Production

(6/17/2013) - The Twin Cities is second only to New York City in live theater per capita and is the third-largest theater market in the U.S. For smaller and newer theatres it is easy to get lost in the long list of theatre options patrons have. This is something 7th House Theater Collective, a new Twin Cities theatre company is hoping to avoid. Founded by a young group of professional theater artists the collective is dedicated to offering low-cost, high quality musical theatre to the Twin Cities. HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical will be the collective's first production.

BWW Reviews: Guthrie's CLYBOURNE PARK Reveals How Little/Much Has Changed in 50 Years

(6/17/2013) - Guthrie Theater's summer proscenium production shows how much has changed and how much as stayed the same in the 50 years between acts 1 and 2.

BTAC Offers DON'T FEAR SHAKESPEARE! Workshop and More, Summer 2013

(6/17/2013) - Bloomington Theatre and Art Center (BTAC) is offering a variety of theater classes for youth and adults this spring and summer, including classes that introduce actors young and old to the works of William Shakespeare.

Now Playing Onstage in Minneapolis - Week of 6/16/2013

(6/16/2013) - Upcoming Shows - Week of 6/16/2013 for Minneapolis

Four Humors' LOLITA: A THREE MAN SHOW Wins Critics' Pick and Best Ensemble at Cincinnati Fringe

(6/14/2013) - On the closing evening of the 10th annual Cincinnati Fringe Festival, Four Humors Theater of Minneapolis received two awards for its original production of Four Humors' Lolita: A Three Man Show. 'Critics' Pick of the Fringe' was awarded by theater critics who reviewed every show in the festival and 'Best Ensemble Performance' was awarded by The League of Cincinnati Theaters.

DalekoArts Opens Inaugural Season with THE ODD COUPLE thru 6/16

(6/12/2013) - New Prague's professional theatre company opened the first production of its inaugural season on May 31st, 2013 - New Prague is home to a professional theatre company. DalekoArts, the young company headed up by New Prague native Ben Thietje and his wife Amanda White, opened its inaugural season with Neil Simon's The Odd Couple last Friday, June 7th at 7:30pm at the New Prague Middle School.

Northrop Summer Music Festival Concert with The Tasty Tones Rescheduled, 6/12

(6/12/2013) - Today's Northrop Summer Music Festival concert by The Tasty Tones has been rescheduled due to weather. We will share the rescheduled date of this noontime concert as soon as it is finalized with the artists.

WAR HORSE to Ride Through Minneapolis, Now thru 6/23

(6/12/2013) - The Orpheum Theater presents the national tour of War Horse to Minneapolis audiences from tonight, June 12th through June 23rd of next year. Based on a novel by Michael Morpurgo, adapted by Nick Stafford in association with Handspring Puppet Company, War Horse is currently running on Broadway, The West End, and in Canada.

BWW Interviews: BUDDY's Kurt Jenkins Just Wants You to Have Fun

(6/11/2013) - BUDDY, THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY, rocks its way to Saint Paul's Ordway Music Theater June 11 - 16, 2013, starring a pair of high-energy actors taking turns on covering the title character of this national touring company's production. Kurt Jenkins and Andy Christopher each play Buddy Holly and opposite performances the other portrays Tommy Allsup. BroadwayWorld.com had the opportunity to get to know Kurt Jenkins before he arrived in Saint Paul.

BWW Reviews: MMT's SUNSET BOULEVARD Strives to Reclaim Faded Glory

(6/11/2013) - Actors, dancers, writers, directors all flock to Hollywood in an attempt to make it big and see their name in lights. Those lucky enough to see their dream to fruition also face the challenge of keeping their name in lights and face in public view. That's the fate that has transpired for silent movie star Norma Desmond (Sarah Gibson) in Minneapolis Musical Theatre's SUNSET BOULEVARD.

Now Playing Onstage in Minneapolis - Week of 6/09/2013

(6/9/2013) - Upcoming Shows - Week of 6/09/2013 for Minneapolis

The Arts Partnership to Break Ground on New Ordway Concert Hall, 6/19

(6/7/2013) - The Arts Partnership (Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, Minnesota Opera, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and The Schubert Club) will break ground on the new Concert Hall at the Ordway on June 19, 2013 at 10:30am. The Concert Hall will replace the existing 306-seat McKnight Theatre. The groundbreaking is the culmination of a dream that began in 2011. Hard demolition of the McKnight Theatre will begin in July.

Billy Crystal's 700 SUNDAYS to Play Pre-Broadway Run in Minneapolis

(6/7/2013) - The acclaimed Billy Crystal will perform 700 Sundays, his Tony Award-winning, record breaking, autobiographical play in Minneapolis this October 22-26, 2013 at the historic State Theatre. Scheduled for six performances only, this exclusive pre-Broadway engagement is the only one before the final Broadway run in the fall. 700 Sundays is a special addition to Hennepin Theatre Trust's 2013/14 Broadway Across America-Minneapolis Season. Single tickets will go on sale to the public at noon on Saturday, June 22. To purchase and for more information visitHennepinTheatreTrust.org, call 800.982.2787 or stop by the State Theatre Box Office at 805 Hennepin Ave., Mpls.

Billy Crystal's 700 SUNDAYS to Play Pre-Broadway Engagement in Minneapolis, 10/22-26

(6/7/2013) - The acclaimed Billy Crystal will perform 700 Sundays, his Tony Award-winning, record breaking, autobiographical play in Minneapolis this October 22-26, 2013 at the historic State Theatre. Scheduled for six performances only, this exclusive pre-Broadway engagement is the only one before the final Broadway run in the fall.

Illusion Theater's 26th Annual Fresh Ink Series Set for 7/11-28

(6/7/2013) - Fresh Ink, Illusion's annual summer series focusing on new plays, gives space for artists to develop their creative pieces and try their works-in-progress in front of audiences. For three weekends in July, emerging and established playwrights explore new ground, with a different play on stage each weekend. Now in its 26th year, Fresh Ink has presented more than 120 plays, with many going on to become full-length productions.

Northrop Summer Music Festival 2013 Begins Today

(6/7/2013) - Northrop Summer Music Festival 2013 (NSMF) on Northrop Plaza. A free, outdoor summer concert series, NSMF features well-known local musicians and DJs, alongside emerging U of M student bands. Curated by a Northrop Student Advisory Committee, Northrop, and Sue McLean and Associates, the series presents a sampling of musical genres including hip-hop, dance music, singer-songwriter, folk, Latin, and spoken word.

Charanga Tropical Launches Free Northrop Music Festival Today

(6/7/2013) - Northrop Summer Music Festival 2013 kicks off with an outdoor Latin/salsa dance party this Today night, starting with a latin dance mix from DJ Fatty, perfect for dancing along. The evening finishes off with Northrop Summer Music Festival favorite, nine-piece salsa and string band Charanga Tropical. The evening also features a salsa performance from local salsa dancing organization Minneami.

Guthrie Theater Announces 50th Anniversary Gala Vocal Ensemble

(6/6/2013) - The Guthrie today announced that 17 accomplished local actors and vocalists who have all appeared on the Guthrie's stages during their careers will complete the artist line-up as the vocal ensemble for BEHOLD: A Gala Performance, honoring 50 years of the Guthrie, on Saturday, June 22, 2013. Accompanied by a 12-piece orchestra helmed by Musical Director Andrew Cooke, the ensemble will perform songs from some of the greatest musicals of all time, in unexpected ways.

Ashley Rose Montondo Replaces Erin Krakow in Guthrie Theater's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

(6/5/2013) - The Guthrie Theater today announced that Ashley Rose Montondo has joined the cast of its summer production of Pride and Prejudice. She assumes the featured role of Elizabeth Bennet after the sudden departure of Erin Krakow. Montondo steps into her first major role on the national stage, opposite leading man Vincent Kartheiser (television's 'Mad Men') in the role of Mister Darcy. The production is theSimon Reade adaptation of the classic Jane Austen novel in the two-hundred-year anniversary of its publication, helmed by Guthrie director Joe Dowling.

Hennepin Theatre Trust Selects SpotLight Showcase's Triple Threats

(6/4/2013) - After countless hours of rehearsals in 56 high schools across Minnesota, more than 500 participants in Hennepin Theatre Trust's SpotLight Musical Theatre Program gathered at the Orpheum in Minneapolis for the 8th Annual SpotLight Showcase.

Guthrie Theater Appoints Danielle St. Germain-Gordon as New Director of Development

(6/4/2013) - Guthrie Theater director Joe Dowling today announced the appointment of Danielle St. Germain-Gordon as the theater's Director of Development. St. Germain-Gordon comes to the Guthrie from Arena Stage in Washington, DC, where she served as Chief Development Officer since 2011. Prior to that, she spent three years with American Alliance of Museums (AAM) in Washington, DC, most recently as Vice President for Institutional Advancement.

Now Playing Onstage in Minneapolis - Week of 6/02/2013

(6/2/2013) - Upcoming Shows - Week of 6/02/2013 for Minneapolis

Photo Flash: First Look at Yellowtree Theatre's SYLVIA, Opening Tonight

(5/31/2013) - SYLVIA by A.R. Gurney, opens tonight at Yellowtree Theatre, directed by Anne Byrd. The show will run through June 23, 2013, Wednesday - Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:00pm. There is no Sunday performance the first week. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below, courtesy Yellowtree's Facebook page!

Jungle Theater's Bain Boehlke Helms INTERNATIONAL FALLS, Now thru 6/9

(5/31/2013) - Playwright/screenwriter Thomas Ward will premiere his play INTERNATIONAL FALLS for Minnesota audiences at the Bryant-Lake Bowl Theater under the direction of Twin Cities legend Bain Boehlke. The play will run for a limited engagement today, May 31 through June 9.

Theatre in the Round Presents IN THE REST ROOM AT ROSENBLOOMS, Now thru 6/23

(5/31/2013) - Theatre in the Round Players presents IN THE REST ROOM AT ROSENBLOOM'S by Ludmilla Bollow, tonight, May 31 - June 23, 2013. Audience discussion follows the matinee June 9th.

Northrop Announces 2013 McKnight Artist Fellowships for Dancers, Choreographers

(5/29/2013) - Northrop at the University of Minnesota announces the recipients of the 2013 McKnight Artist Fellowships for Choreographers and the McKnight Artist Fellowships for Dancers. Each Fellow receives a $25,000 fellowship award.

CARRIE, ANDREW JACKSON, & More Among Minneapolis Musical Theatre & Hennepin Theatre Trust's 2013-14 Season!

(5/29/2013) - Minneapolis Musical Theatre and Hennepin Theatre Trust announced today that MMT's 2013-14 season will feature Twin Cities debuts of Carrie The Musical, Five Course Love and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson at the Trust's New Century Theatre. Carrie The Musical, based on Stephen King's bestselling novel, runs October 4-27, 2013. Five Course Love, a quintet of humorous and witty vignettes about true love, plays January 24-February 16, 2014. The comedic rock musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson will run June 6-29, 2014. This trio of shows will be directed by Steven Meerdink, Minneapolis Musical Theatre's artistic director. Subscription packages are on sale now for $66 and are available online at www.hennepintheatretrust.org/mmt, by calling 612.455.9501 or in person at the New Century Theatre Box Office (ground floor of City Center in downtown Minneapolis). Individual tickets will go on sale at a later date.

Now Playing Onstage in Minneapolis - Week of 5/26/2013

(5/26/2013) - Upcoming Shows - Week of 5/26/2013 for Minneapolis

Wendy Lehr to Lead Acting Workshop at BTAC, Today

(5/25/2013) - Bloomington Theatre and Art Center (BTAC) welcomes veteran Twin Cities theatre artist Wendy Lehr to Bloomington Center for the Arts for a special 1-day acting workshop for theater performers called Body and Voice: The Actor's Instrument today, May 25 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Erin Krakow, Ivy Beech and More Join The Guthrie's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

(5/24/2013) - The Guthrie Theater today announced complete casting for its summertime romance Pride and Prejudice adapted for the stage by Simon Reade based on the novel by Jane Austen in the 200th anniversary of its publication. The production will be directed by Joe Dowling and will feature Erin Krakow (Guthrie: The Importance of Being Earnest; Off-Broadway: The Shanghai Gesture, Prometheus Bound; Television: "Army Wives") as Miss Elizabeth Bennet along with previously announced Vincent Kartheiser (Guthrie: A Christmas Carol, Henry V, Henry IV; Regional theater: Death of the Novel; Film: Untamed Heart, In Time; Television: "Mad Men") as Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Brian d'Arcy James Joins The Guthrie's 50th Anniversary Gala

(5/23/2013) - The Guthrie today announced that two-time Tony Award nominee and Obie and Drama Desk Award winner Brian d'Arcy James joins the artist line-up for BEHOLD: A Gala Performance, honoring 50 years of the Guthrie, onSaturday, June 22, 2013. James is slated to sing an original song based on excerpts of text from Hamlet, as previously announced, which is being composed by Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown specifically for the celebratory evening.

SteppingStone Theatre Stages LEGACY!, Now thru 6/1

(5/23/2013) - SteppingStone Theatre presents LC Jackson, and his astounding Michael Jackson tribute show, Legacy! Legacy! is the brainchild of Luis Castillo, 'LC Jackson', who started his career as a Michael Jackson impersonator at St. Paul Central High School at the age of 14. LC Jackson truly embodies the energy and musically of the King of Pop. 'LC Jackson' (Luis Castillo) is a true impersonator.

Theatre in the Round to Present IN THE REST ROOM AT ROSENBLOOMS, 5/31-6/23

(5/22/2013) - Theatre in the Round Players presents IN THE REST ROOM AT ROSENBLOOM'S by Ludmilla Bollow, May 31 - June 23, 2013. Audience discussion follows the matinee June 9th.

Spring 2013 SpotLight Program Honorees Announced by Hennepin Theatre Trust

(5/22/2013) - Hennepin Theatre Trust today announced the new spring 2013 honorees from Minnesota high schools recognizing musical theatre accomplishments by school and category for the 2012-13 SpotLight Musical Theatre Program. Now in its eighth successful year, SpotLight is Hennepin Theatre Trust's flagship educational initiative which honors and supports Minnesota high school musical theatre students and programs. This year, 56 schools, including nine from greater Minnesota, are presenting musicals made possible by the collaboration of almost 5,000 students and annually seen by an estimated 105,000 audience members.

Guthrie Announces Added Performances of AN ILIAD, Running thru 6/1

(5/20/2013) - The Guthrie Theater today announced three additional performances added to the lauded run of An Iliad, the single-actor storytelling adaptation of Homer's Greek classic about the siege of Troy, featuring Stephen Yoakam as The Poet and directed by Benjamin McGovern (The Edge of Our Bodies, Circle Mirror Transformation). An Iliad is written by Lisa Peterson (director of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Guthrie in 2012, as well as the upcoming production of Clybourne Park opening in June) and Denis O'Hare from a translation of Homer by Robert Fagles. An Iliad, originally slated to run through May 26, will now run through June 1 with 7:30 performances added Thursday through Saturday, May 30 through June 1, in the Guthrie's Dowling Studio.

Northrop Summer Music Festival 2013 Begins 6/7

(5/20/2013) - Northrop Summer Music Festival 2013 (NSMF) on Northrop Plaza. A free, outdoor summer concert series, NSMF features well-known local musicians and DJs, alongside emerging U of M student bands. Curated by a Northrop Student Advisory Committee, Northrop, and Sue McLean and Associates, the series presents a sampling of musical genres including hip-hop, dance music, singer-songwriter, folk, Latin, and spoken word.