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Kung Fu Zombies Saga at Theater Mu

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  Photo by Rich Ryan Theater Mu’s Kung Fu Zombies Saga is a true SAGA; if you want to feel both uplifted and saddened, or if you want to laugh and cry at the sheer horrors of humanity, this is the show for you. Grab tickets here: KUNG FU ZOMBIES SAGA (July 20-Aug 13) — Theater Mu . As you walk into Luminary Arts, and descend into the basement, the set (by Mina Kinukawa) comes into focus, and you know you are in for a treat. This is the perfect space for this show; setting the mood for you right away. The energy and commitment from each and every member of this team is what makes this show. Overall, the sheer fluidity and agility of this group is simply breathtaking. This is a fight-heavy show, and every single person SERVED. The fight choreography is by Allen Malicsi, and in a theater world where fight choreography is often an afterthought, we give the fight choreography team HUGE props, for it was the star of this show. As well as being scarily realistic, it was also clearly safe enou
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Legally Blonde The Musical at Burnsville Summer Theater

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If you want to support community theater and young artists, grab a ticket to Legally Blonde The Musical at Burnsville Summer Theater performing at the Mraz Center! Courtney, take your break. Legally Blonde The Musical is an adaptation of the iconic 2001 movie, following Elle Woods in her attempt to win her ex-boyfriend back by attending Harvard Law School.  This production is a great example of a community coming together to put on a show that the cast and crew clearly love. There are lots of fun moments, and some truly stellar talent. Erika Sasseville directs this production with a lot of heart; it’s clear that she loves this show. Her blocking is a strongpoint of the show - she obviously understands how to present things clearly to the audience.  The set could’ve benefitted from more simplicity - Paulette’s hair salon took awhile to set up, but I did really enjoy the stage when it just had the two pink stair platforms. Kacie Riddle plays Elle Woods, and it is rare to see such an am
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Othello: The Remix by Minneapolis Musical Theatre

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  Minneap olis Musical Theater company is showing Othello: The Remix through May 7th at the Phoenix Theater in uptown. You should check this show out; it’s a fun night of theatre.  It’s a hip hop musical retelling of Shakespeare’s Othello book and lyrics by the Q brothers with Rick Boynton. Commissioned by Shakespeare’s Globe Theater in 2012, this 90 minute version sees Othello running a hip hop crew on tour. Iago is still jealous, Cassio’s still oblivious, and Desdemona is a diva offstage in a recording booth. But four actors play the whole cast and they’re backed, live, by DJ Huh?Whatt?? while they rap and sing their way through the score. For more, you can listen to the Q Brother’s talk to Folger’s Shakespeare about it at this link. Local writer and artistic director of Threshold Theater, Denzel Belin, directs this production, and weaves narrative and design threads with a strong hand. The rhythms of build in the story are well handled, towards the climax and the final number, lend
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Rent by Century College Theatre

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If you want to see a passionate musical with lots of young talent, grab a ticket to see Rent , presented by Century College Theatre. Rent , written by Jonathan Larson, tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and create a life in Lower Manhattan 's East Village in the thriving days of bohemian Alphabet City , under the shadow of HIV/AIDS . The cast of Century College’s Rent skews on the younger side; which can sometimes lead to a feeling that they are lacking some experience and maturity in their performances, but in this case, it also adds a lot of sincerity that this production really needs. There are many talented performers in this show, but the real star is when the whole ensemble is singing together. They have a beautiful full sound with great harmonies and energy. Some of the vocal solos from the ensemble needed a little more volume and confidence, but specifically the solos in “Seasons of Love” and “I Will” took our breath away. Mar
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The Danube by Weird in Public Productions

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Content Heads Up: Plague, Coughing, Disability, Asylums, War, Death, Dark Comedy Unfortunately, this was only a two night event, but if you’d been looking for something to do on April 21 & 22, you could have done worse than make a night of chowing down at Zakia’s before heading to The Crane for the a showing of Weird in Public Production’s The Danube . It’s advertised at a 60 minute run time, but between the addition of a short one-act written by the director that starts off the event and some slow pacing, the show times out at about 80 minutes. Maria Irene Fornés’s The Danube is an avant-garde one-act play about plague, war, and pollution in which a young man from America falls in love and lives in Budapest for a time. The piece is framed throughout by language lessons that dictate not only the structure and content of conversation, but also create an absurdist arc to the growing chaos. Overall, this was a piece put together by a young company with a fresh out of school vibe. Th
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