THEATER REVIEW | There’s more to “Wicked” than what meets the eye at the Orpheum Theatre

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There’s something to be said about the vast popularity of Wicked, being that The Wizard of Oz is one of the most parodied stories of our time. Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) starring James Franco is a recent example of a failed attempt to reap the benefits of a story with established success. Wicked has taken on a life of its own, though, and has dominated that sect of the “what really happened in The Wizard of Oz” take. Opening night on Thursday, September 19 at the Orpheum Theatre proved that team Elphaba has the potential to go as strong as its team-Dorothy counterpart (although the two aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive).Wicked the musical (2003) rips its genius straight from the pages of Gregory McGuire’s novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1995), a revised look at the classic 1939 film. We learn the other side of the story, in which we see The Wicked Witch of the West as Elphaba (Alison Luff), the “beautifully tragic” student who stands up for her beliefs even if it’s not the popular one.  Because of her green-colored skin, she’s automatically outcasted both by her father and her fellow classmates, who instead favor the “tragically beautiful” sister Nessarose (Jaime Rosenstein) and the blonde-haired winsome Galinda (that’s right, Galinda with a “guh”) (Jenn Gambatese) respectively. Elphaba and Galinda are paired as roommates—a travesty of justice of course, for Galinda, who’s used to getting her way. Despite their differences, the two become friends.  Madame Morrible (Kim Zimmer) also notices Elphaba upon her arrival at Shiz University, not for her skin color but for her magical ability (in which she was raised to always oppress … Harry Potter, anyone?). Continue Reading

MUSIC REVIEW | Mumford & Sons illuminate the Xcel Energy Center

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There are few bands I would go out of my way to see. On Wednesday, September 4, I trekked from downtown Minneapolis via the 94 bus to downtown St. Paul for Mumford & Sons, and then back (alone). Mumford & Sons are able to do something on the stage that you simply cannot get from listening to your iTunes. Wandering through both downtowns late at night (sorry, Mom) was a small price to pay.The Xcel Center was the fifth stop of the “Full English Tour,” where Mumford & Sons have been selling out sizeable venues in the U.S. with their second album, Babel (2012). Continue Reading

“Buckets and Tap Shoes” turn up the beat at the Minnesota Fringe Festival

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Buckets and Tap Shoes is just what the title says. Andy and Rick Ausland, like a modern-day Danny Kaye and Fred Astaire, capture the audience’s attention with nothing but the inherent beat that pulses from them, using tap shoes and plastic buckets and drum sticks. The Auslands are mesmerizingly talented, and the crowd loves them (that much was obvious). There’s a strange sprinkling of cheesey magic tricks (well, one in the show I went to). But their talent shines beyond all the flair. The best parts of the show are when the saxophone player joins Andy and Rick.  Continue Reading

“Are You There, God? It’s a New Musical Revue!” is unsure of itself at the Minnesota Fringe Festival

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Are You There, God? It’s a New Musical Revue! is based on Judy Blume’s young adult novel Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Sort of. In between the 12 or so songs, one of the five-person cast reads a small portion of the book out loud. Then they launch into song again—most from lesser-known musicals. Despite the theme of coming of age in the songs, there’s nothing that ties them together to the entire show. There are no characters (or even character names) or plotlines. Just the actors singing with each other, or sometimes at each other. I’m all for musicals, but when there’s no substance to the singing, it comes off as shallow. Continue Reading

SOLD OUT “How Helen Keller and Anne Frank Freed the Slaves: The Musical” at the Minnesota Fringe Festival

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So ends my lucky streak at the Fringe box office. How Helen Keller and Anne Frank Freed the Slaves: The Musical was at capacity for the 7:00pm show on Wednesday night at the New Century Theatre. Bummer. Learn from my lesson: buy your ticket early for this show. Part of what I love about the Fringe is going to shows on a whim. Tonight it didn’t work out.  Continue Reading

“Bidgood to BidGREAT: Bumps and Blunders on the Boulevard of Brilliance” does good at the Minnesota Fringe Festival

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Bidgood to BidGREAT: Bumps and Blunders on the Boulevard of Brilliance is my first Laura Bidgood experience and after her show, I felt like I’d been missing out in retrospect. Her stories are funny on their own, but the way Laura recounts them make them worth telling. Bidgood to BidGREAT is the best storytelling format shows I’ve seen since my first year covering the Fringe (Entwined from Amy Salloway).  Continue Reading

“Ain’t True and Uncle False” at the Minnesota Fringe Festival: Fantastical fallacies

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Ain’t True and Uncle False is described as a “one-man fairytale comedy (with songs!)” on its Fringe page. Paul Strickland concocts a slew of tall tales with reflections on his Grandpa in between, whose life and death fuel Strickland’s fire. Characters in the tales include (sound them out) Roo Mahazit, Fay and Bree Cation, Ma and Papa Ganda, Will Purge … you get the idea. I thought the names to be clever and some of the plot lines fantastical (sorta reminded me of that movie Big Fish). The thing that I love about Ain’t True and Uncle False is the idea of storytelling not only as a way of entertainment, but as a way of keeping ancestors alive.  Continue Reading

“Centipede! The Musical” at the Minnesota Fringe Festival: Seriously messed up, but seriously funny

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If you’ve seen The Human Centipede, then you know what Centipede! The Musical is about. The Fringe show follows the basic plot of the movie: A deranged German scientist captures three tourists and as part of an experiment, connects them “mouth to anus” (as the peppy verse goes in the musical). I knew enough about the film to know what I was walking into on Sunday night. The idea of a “Siamese triplet” is almost unbearable, but for as horrendous as it is, Centipede! The Musical makes it absurdly funny. Continue Reading

“RT + MPLS: The Legend of RT Rybak” is a stitch at the Minnesota Fringe Festival

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In my three years covering the Fringe, I’ve seen my share of Minnesota-related shows that end up being just another cliche. I started to suspect that RT + MPLS: The Legend of RT Rybak was going to be a more interesting experience than the corny show I was expecting when (the real) RT Rybak walked into the New Century Theatre with his mom and his bike wearing a rainbow-colored Minnesota belt. I was pleasantly surprised with just how well done the show is. Continue Reading