Four Humors does Every Show at the Fringe at the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival

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Four Humors Does Every Show at the Fringe, by Fringe perennials The Four Humors, snagged a last minute spot in the Festival after lingering on the wait list. Using the Fringe lottery ping-pong ball machine, they drew a number and proceeded to perform an improvised version of the the corresponding show. The “winner” at the show we saw was #35-Cursed, by Mark Rosenwinkel. Cursed, based on the play To Damascus, Part I by August Strindberg, describes itself as “a self-destructive artist runs off with a doctor’s wife, embarking on a surreal and mysterious journey that tests the enduring power of love.” Continue Reading

The Adventures of Tapman at the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival

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The Adventures of Tapman, by Chicago-based Tap Man Productions LLC, is a show for all ages, including younger children and their families. Tap Man (Tristan Bruns) fights an evil invisible guy and tries to impress the spunky Modern Marvel (Kate O’Hanlon) through dance. At first it was a lot of work to follow the details of the dialogue-heavy story. There are three characters in the show, but one of them is invisible. This makes it hard to follow the plot. The acoustics of the Illusion made it almost impossible to understand Tapman when he was speaking and tapping at the same time. Hopefully, the cast will make some adjustments for the remainder of the run. Continue Reading

“Amateur Hour” at the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival

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The title Amateur Hour is a misnomer for the variety show playing at the Illusion Theater. There is nothing amateur about it.  Featuring a cast of  Fringe veterans, it has little bit of everything. Comic monologues, dance, improv, mime, poetry, whoopie cushions, go-go boots, haiku, Erik Satie, boxing for Jesus, and Michael Jackson’s white glove. On paper, it sounds like one of Stefon’s hottest nightclubs from Saturday Night Live. But at its core the show is a nostalgic look back on the beginnings of the cast.  It’s funny, but it’s poignant too. Continue Reading

THEATER REVIEW | “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” at the Guthrie Theater serves up laughs, falls short in message

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The first five minutes of Christopher Durang’s Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike starts off deceptively boring. Then, in the tranquil quiet of a living room full of wicker chairs, quilted throws and mismatched socks, Sonia hurls a white ceramic coffee mug to the ground in a fit of wild unhappiness. It’s loud, physical and absurd—much like the rest of the play.

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TC Weekend | FLOW Arts Crawl, Open Streets, Red Hot Art & Music, ArtCar & ArtBike Parade, Lowertown Blues Fest & more!

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The last weekend in July is going out with a bang! This weekend should be a delight for art lovers and bike enthusiasts, especially, with Open Streets, ArtBike (and ArtCar) Tour de Fat and fun art gatherings around town. Also, the Minneapolis Aquatennial fun continues into the weekend, ending with the dazzling Target Fireworks!  Scroll down for details:How will you spend the weekend? Let us know in the comment section or by sending your photos or comments to tcweekend@tcdailyplanet.net, and check back to see your photo attached to the Storify over the weekend.If you know of an event fit for TC Weekend, use our calendar to upload the event or send an email to tcweekend@tcdailyplanet.net.  FLOW Northside Arts Crawl, July 25FLOW Northside Art Crawl is a free, family-friendly event that highlights the diverse and unique art community in North Minneapolis. Continue Reading

Made Here showcases Minneapolis street art

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Made Here is an ongoing street art festival sponsored by Hennepin Theatre Trust and Andersen Windows. It launched Friday night (July 11) with performances, great food and a tour of visual art stationed around downtown Minneapolis. As a lover of street art, I think it’s fantastic. Street art gives people an opportunity to stop and pay attention. It spurs conversation. In a climate where we run from our car to the building to car because it’s too cold to stop, it’s fun to have an excuse to get out of the car, to visit downtown and to dawdle on the way to a meeting or appointment.

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Southwest Light Rail agreement draws criticism

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The Metropolitan Council and the city of Minneapolis have announced a tentative agreement regarding the configuration of the Southwest Light Rail Project. The project’s path through the city of Minneapolis has been controversial, and the mediated agreement requires approval from a number of cities and government agencies before construction can begin. After the deal was announced yesterday, opponents weighed in as South West Light Rail Train advocates moved quickly to meet deadlines for getting federal money. Rico Morales filed this report. [Audio below]Find the original post here. Continue Reading

TC Weekend | Twin Cities Jazz Fest, Twin Cities Pride Fest, Beer Dabbler, MN Food Truck Fair and more!

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Updated: 6/27/2014 2:19 pm Can you believe we’re almost at the end of June? Time flies, so spend it wisely — get out and enjoy some of the outdoor happenings around the cities. This weekend offers two big festivals — the Twin Cities Pride Fest in Minneapolis and the Twin Cities Jazz Fest in Saint Paul, along with other fun happenings around town. Just like the last couple of weekends, this weekend might be a bit wet so plan accordingly.See this weekend’s lineup below, and use the comment section or email tcweekend@tcdailyplanet.net to let us know about an event in your community.  Music and Movies in the Park, June 27 – 28 Music and Movies in the Park is celebrating over 100 years of free entertainment in Minneapolis parks with 250 free concerts and movies taking place this summer. Bring a chair or blanket, some snacks and some bug spray and enjoy a night in the park. Continue Reading