Blithe Spirit at the Guthrie Theater

A night at the Guthrie? Always a treat. A performance with Sally Wingert? An even more delicious treat. Noel Coward's classic, Blithe Spirit is currently playing at the Guthrie for the next few weeks and I highly suggest you see it. It's one of the most entertaining and comedic shows I've seen in 2017 and I'm so happy it was the last one I saw of the year.

Blithe Spirit takes place in the summertime and Charles Condomine is working on his latest novel. As part of his research he and his wife Ruth host a seance with an eccentric medium known as Madame Arcati. Soon the evening takes a supernatural turn when Arcati conjures Charles' deceased first wife who doesn't have plans on leaving. Throughout the rest of the show, Charles slowly believes he's losing his sanity as he tries to get read of his first wife while also ensuring Ruth he is actually sane.

Starting with the absolutely gorgeous and stunning visual elements of this production. Starting with the scenic designer, Jo Winiarski this set is amazing. The colors are beautiful and the dressing in details in simply superb. While the show is considered a comedy, with the elements of the afterlife you'd think maybe the set would be a bit darker but it's full of bright whites, blues, and grays. Meg Neville designs absolutely breathtaking costumes as well including Madame Arcati's fabulous seance garb.

The cast is a dynamite cast and all new to me (with the exception of Sally). As many Twin Cities Theatre goers know, Wingert is an absolute treasure and it really is a treat to see her in anything but this one takes the cake. She is zany and wild as she acts out the incredibly hilarious Madame Arcati. The best part of this performance by Wingert is she never goes too over the top. I can easily see many actresses taking this role too far but she is completely in her element and never goes too far to the point where it's not believable anymore. Her characterization as the misunderstood psychic is spot on.

Heidi Armbruster plays Ruth and is probably my favorite thing about this entire production. Her transformation from doting, kind, gentle and controlled wife to wild, yelling and slightly chaotic wife is hilarious. She never rushes comedic moments or the transformation as she slowly realizes her husband is telling the truth and he does, in fact, see the ghost of his dead first wife. Her chemistry with Quinn Mattfeld (who plays Charles) is marvelous and I'm thrilled to hopefully see her in a multitude of productions in the future.

At times the pacing felt a little slow. Whether it's a long show or the pacing is anyone's guess. This show is about 2 and half hours long with a normal intermission and a quick "stand and stretch" intermission. Personally, I'd rather they just keep going but that's just me.

Overall though this production is a must-see for the new year. It's entertaining, dynamic and hilarious for all ages. There really isn't much more to say about this production because I could really ramble for hours about it. The cast knows exactly what they are doing to ensure the audience is enjoying every bit, every second.

Blithe Spirit plays at the Guthrie McGuire Proscenium Stage through January 14th. You can get tickets here.

The Phantom of the Opera at Hennepin Theatre Trust

One of Broadway's longest-running and highest-grossing musicals (approximately over $1 billion) is back in Minneapolis and bigger than ever. That's right, Andrew Lloyd Webbers stunning masterpiece has returned and I honestly can't even handle how amazing it is. I saw the last tour and I was blown away from the back row in the balcony. This time I was even closer (sixth row) and was once again amazed by the sheer genius of this production. I think a lot of people underrate The Phantom of the Opera. It's a musical that a lot of theatre fans think "Yes. Phantom. It's a great show." But really when I see it or listen to it I can't help but geek out about it. The score is beautiful. The lyrics are stunning and (when done right) the set is superbly superior than many other musicals.

This production is a thrilling new production with newly reinvented staging and stunning scenic design. It includes a cast and orchestra of 52, making this one of the largest productions currently on tour. For those who aren't familiar with the production, it is originally based off of the classic novel Le Fantome de L'Opera by Gaston Leroux. Phantom of the Opera tells the story of a masked figure who lurks beneath the catacombs of the Paris Opera House. He falls madly and deeply in love with ballet dancer in the chorus and is also a young soprano, Christine. He devotes much of his time to nurturing her talents and teaching her how to be an incredible singer. However when a new creative duo purchase the Opera house and an old friend of Christine arrives, how far will the Phantom go to keep control?

Derrick Davis plays the Phantom and is stunning, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping--need I go on? He plays the Phantom with the perfect balance of romance and creepy stalker. At times you see his love for Christine and it feels genuine and other times you realize how much of a tortured soul he is. Davis is also the first African-American I've seen in the role and it's refreshing (similar to the Ordway's choice to cast Warbucks as an African-American male) to see. Davis has one of the most versatile voices I've heard in many years. He truly can sink to a rich deep tone while soaring above to new notes in a beautiful falsetto. 

Eva Tavares places Christine Daae and does so beautifully. Her acting is innocent until the end where she becomes even braver than she started. The most impressive thing by far is her soprano voice. I think a reason why I love this production so much is it lets actresses of a different caliber shine. It's not about how long and loudly they can belt and riff. It's just a nice change of pace between most of the type of musicals I see. She has absolute control of her voice with each note and phrase and it's absolutely breathtaking. What is better than these two separate? Well, when they are together, of course. The minute we hear that oh familiar organ playing the title song I can't but help to smile. 

Every single member of this cast is on fire including the ensemble. My absolute favorite song from this musical is Masquerade and this cast did not disappoint. It's a blur of fabulous costumes, beautiful set pieces, and fantastic harmonies. This song really shows off the whole cast very well especially leading into the Phantom's menacing entrance. 

Because of this show's rich and deep history, there are quite a large amount of fun facts that Hennepin Theatre Trust shared with us. They really make the show even more interesting to watch knowing these so I thought I'd also share them with you all:

• This show incorporates most of the Maria Bjornson designs from the original production
• There are a few pieces from the original production that are over 245 years old used in this production.
• There are over 1200 pieces used during the show
• There are over 75 local stagehands hired in ever market to load the production into the theatre
• 20 trucks are used to move the production from city to city
• The original cast recording, with over 40 million copies sold worldwide, is the best selling cast recording of all time
• The show has won more than 70 major theater awards including seven 1988 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
• The chandelier has over 6000 beads (632 on each strand) and it weighs 1 ton.

The Phantom of the Opera is a magically breathtaking production and should be seen by anyone who considers themselves a sliver of a theatre fan. Luckily this production runs a bit longer than a large majority of Broadway Across America productions with a three-week engagement. It runs through December 31st. More information, including how to buy tickets, can be found here.

Annie at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts

A classic and theatre favorite has recently opened at the Ordway and it stars a red-haired girl. That's right, Annie is here and performing through the end of the month. Now many of you who are reading this will ask "But Brett...you hate Annie." It's true. Full disclosure: I am not a fan of Annie. I never have been BUT that doesn't mean this production wasn't good. It was great and the talent is beyond amazing. Annie is such an iconic musical because of it's countless of revivals through the stage and film. There are so many people who feel passionately about this show because it was one they were in when they were little, they remember playing the VHS over and over again or they remember belting the greatest hits from their shower. Annie originally opened on Broadway in 1977 and ran for nearly six years. Since then it has had numerous national tours, revivals on Broadway (most recently in 2012 with Lilla Crawford starring as Annie and Jane Lynch as a replacement for Katie Finneran as Miss Hannigan), and countless of movie versions. That being said, the Ordway's production certainly can hold a flame to the candle of all the other versions.

Annie is the story of an orphan named, you guessed it, Annie who lives in a facility in New York City with other orphan girls. The facility is run by the villainous Miss Hannigan who treats the girls like unpaid maids versus orphans. Annie believes her parents left her there by mistake and are going to come back for her someday. In the meantime, one of the richest mans alive named Oliver Warbucks decides to let an orphan live at his home for the holiday season and chooses Annie. However, Annie still believes her parents will come back for her. After developing a strong bond with Annie, Warbucks begins searching for her parents with a large reward which brings out many frauds.
The best thing about this production is there are no weak links in the cast. The entire cast is on fire from the beginning all the way to curtain call. Oliver Warbucks, played by Lance Roberts, is a different type of Warbucks than we are used to. Granted it's been awhile since I've seen the show or movie but I remember him being more frightening with a booming voice. Roberts takes a different approach to Warbucks while making him more energetic and cheerful with a zest for life. Also perks to the Ordway for breaking the mold and casting an African American male to play Warbucks. Grace Farrell, Warbucks right-hand woman, is played by Ann Michels and brilliantly I might add. Her voice, both singing, and speaking, soar with an effortless air to it. Cat Brindisi and Britton Smith play Lily and Rooster, the brother to Miss. Hannigan. They are a comedic duo and their over the top shenanigans and dialogue keep the scene's light-hearted even at dark times through the show.

Annie is played by Carly Gendell who clearly has done her homework when it comes to vocal tone. She may be little but her voice is loud and echos throughout the large theater space. She is not only a fantastic singer but also an amazing actress as she perfectly captures the innocence of a young girl but also the wit and smarts that Annie has. She's fiercely strong and was forced to grow up at a young age and Gendell hits her mark perfectly. She is the perfect amount of maturity yet playfulness for the role.

While everyone was great, there was one that shined above the rest for me. As I said before, I am not a fan of the actual show, Annie but I am a huge fan of Miss Hannigan. I think the role is hilarious and I'd die to play it. Miss Hannigan is played by Michele Ragusa and she is very far the most entertaining part of this production. She's everything I think that makes a fantastic Miss Hannigan. She's the perfect amount of campiness that the role demands and her version of Little Girls was Carol Burnett level (who played Hannigan in one of the movies). Ragusa has a fantastic voice as well. She manages to sing wonderfully throughout the entire show while still adding a bit of Hannigan into her voice.

Other highlights of this production include:

• The set is one of the few things I wasn't entirely enthused about. The props enhanced each scene but the backdrops for scenes like Warbucks house took me out of the production. I will say towards the end of the show there was one scene in his house that included a giant spiral staircase. It was beautiful and I wanted nothing more than to gracefully glide down it.
• Hard Knock Life is the best-choreographed number in the entire show (by Lewis E. Whitlock III). It's sharp and precise and the ensemble in this number are all children actors. They do the choreography as if they've been doing it for years. Spot on.
• Before the second act starts, a brief video plays about the importance of family and adoption. As one of the main themes of the show, I loved that the Ordway took a show and partnered it with a cause. There is one thing I love more than good theatre and that's theatre for a cause!

Annie is beautifully performed and nostalgic to many people with plenty of songs. It runs through December 31st and tickets can be purchased here.

Forever Plaid: Plaid Tidings at Lyric Arts

The lovely thing about living in the Twin Cities is not only seeing a ton of theatre, but also seeing the abundance of holiday-themed shows that open. A few weeks ago I saw my first one of the year which was How the Grinch Stole Christmas at The Children's Theater and now I've seen my second. I absolutely love the holidays so I'm thrilled I was able to see another one joyful holiday production at Lyric Arts in Anoka, Minnesota. Lyric Arts is not only doing one but TWO-holiday shows. Lyric Arts is producing Coney Island Christmas (which runs through December 17) and also Forever Plaid: Plaid Tidings, which is the one I saw.

This was a very interesting show. Let me preface by saying it was delightful but unlike many shows I'm used to, especially musicals. The musical's plot is easy enough to understand. Francis, Jinx, Smudge and Sparky are sent back to Earth from heaven on a secret mission. Through out the first act they don't know what their mission is as they get heavenly clues from up above. The sing various hits however clues from above let them know they aren't on the right track. They finally realize that they were sent to fulfill the needs of a holiday season by putting on a holiday show. I mention this a lot, but it's nice to see a show that doesn't involve thinking. The plot is simple and cute but the talent is huge and marvelous.

The cast is a quartet of men, all with their own special talents and shining moments. Starting with Christopher Vance, as Jinx. Christopher, a graduate of Viterbo University, I've seen perform before ironically enough. His performance as Abraham in Altar Boyz was great and it wasn't until after the show that I realized I had seen him before. His characterization as a nervous stage fright filled and shy performer was perfection and had the audience giving plenty of "Awww" through out the show. Especially when he broke through his stage fright and sang the lead in "Besame Mucho/Kiss of Fire."

Jake Speikers as Sparky

Next is Jake Speikers who played Sparky. Speikers is another actor I've seen perform before in a production of The Little Mermaid as Sebastian. He was peppy and a joy to watch on stage in that production and he didn't disappoint this time. Speikers is completely in his element during this production with his aggressively dynamic portrayal of Sparky. His funny one liners and sides to the audience often had me fanning myself with my program cause I was laughing so hard. Although what really impressed me the most was his voice. They all had fantastic voices and each had something different about them. Speikers has the type of musical theatre voice that fills a room, hits the back row and cuts through the audience. It's strong and lively through out the entire production, never dropping.

Armando Harlow Ronconi as Smudge

Armando Harlow Ronconi plays the worrier, Smudge, wonderfully. The character of Smudge is always worrying about the props, the show and what is going to come next. Harlow knows exactly what he is doing through this show and portrays this character with a perfect ten. Harlow is strong in all three areas of performing. His dancing is great and still stays in check with his character. I've seen Harlow perform in Lyric Arts previous summer production Anything Goes and he brings his tap abilities to this production. Now being the only character that taps, you'd think it'd be a short and fun dance but that is not the case. Harlow comes out with a powerful and advanced technique filled routine. It was one of the handful of moments that made me want to stand up mid-show and look at everyone in the audience to say "THAT IS NOT EASY! BRAVO!" Harlow is solo stage during one of the most beautiful moments of the show and it happens pretty early on. He recalls back when the Plaids were little that they had a dream to have their own holiday special. While he performs the monologue, he shows a tiny set of what their holiday special set would look like. Harlow shines through this moment and tenderly sings a stripped down version of "The Most Wonderful Time / Merry Christmas."

Maxwell Emmett Ward as Francis

Last, but certainly not least by a long shot, is Maxwell Emmett Ward who plays the leader of the Plaids, Francis. Francis is the caretaker of the group and by far the most confident in his abilities and Ward does this wonderfully. He is by far the most compassionate about the music and the group. Ward has an amazing voice and ability to make the audience laugh. Next to Sparky, he is by far the funniest of the group. Francis has asthma and Ward relishes in the scenes where he gets to play this bit up. During his solo scene, he monologues about Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and how it's a horrible story about bullying. This was by far the funniest scene in the entire production and Ward plays is perfectly without going too over the top. His often high pitched rants had the entire audience roaring with laughter. Ward is exceptionally outstanding in this role and was born to play it.

As a quartet these men are fabulous. They really know how to share the stage with each other and let everyone have their moment. While one is shining, the others provide support without taking the spot light through beautifully sung harmonies and complimenting choreography. They have gorgeous voices, charming personalities and amazing on stage chemistry. Their voices are led by the onstage "band." Bradley Beahen plays piano (and was also the musical director) and plays next to Shannon Van Der Reck on an electric bass. Yes. That's right. An electric bass. Pretty bad (b)ass if you ask me. They even have a few bits through out the production that are pretty funny.

Forever Plaid: Plaid Tidings is a delightfully charming and talent filled production. Lyric Arts picked a winner this season and casts it perfectly for the holidays. The production left me smiling and ready for snow and more Christmas music (as I saw it on Dec. 1). It's a spot on show for the entire family to go see as we enter the holiday season.

Forever Plaid: Plaid Tidings runs from Nov. 30 to Dec. 23. Tickets can be bought here.