On the heels of the successful world premiere of C., Theater Latté Da announces a slate of adventurous pieces for the annual NEXT Festival.

Three exhilarant, engaging new works from Kate Hamill, Dan Chouinard, and Jackson Doran and Postell Pringle that push the art form of musical theater forward will each receive two-week workshops and three public readings. Readings begin May 5 at the Ritz Theater in Minneapolis.

 $30 three-show passes and $13 single tickets are on sale now at latteda.org or 612-339-3003.

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(Minneapolis/St. Paul) On the heels of the successful world premiere musical C., Theater Latté Da announced the slate of artists and projects for this year's NEXT Festival. Three exhilarant new works from Kate Hamill, Dan Chouinard, and Jackson Doran and Postell Pringle will each receive two-week workshops and three public readings beginning Thursday, May 5. Theater Latté Da recently launched NEXT 20/20, a robust new work initiative aimed at developing 20 new musicals or plays with music and shepherding many of them to full production. The majority of the world premieres receiving a full production will be derived from the NEXT Festival. The first piece in the NEXT Festival is IN THE MINES by Kate Hamill. In Appalachian coal-mining territory, a devastating cave-in forever changes and intertwines the lives of three imperfect women—who find themselves swept up by forces beyond their control. This epic, imaginative mutation of Greek myths interweaves traditional folk music with magical realism to create a new mythology examining the forces, both seen and unseen, that shape our lives. With direction by Peter Rothstein, music direction by Denise Prosek, and dramaturgy by Elissa Adams, IN THE MINES features the talents of Christina Baldwin, Mark Benninghoffen, Bear Brummel, Paul Coate, Beth Gilleland, Bradley Greenwald, Aeysha Kinnunen, Sara Ochs, and Thomasina Petrus.

Hamill offers, “It’s an epic piece, and really close to my heart: it’s part exploration of mythology and cycles of poverty, but also very much an exploration of aspects of the rural culture in which I grew up.” She continues, “It’s also that rare opportunity to concentrate COMPLETELY on a piece as a writer for weeks! To have the opportunity to give IN THE MINES really focused attention (especially with feedback from collaborators and audiences) is so invaluable. This process can change a piece down to its very foundations: I’m excited to play around with it!” Another point of note is that Hamill’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility will open the Guthrie Theater’s 2016-17 season.

Performances of IN THE MINES are Thursday, May 5 at 7:30 pm; Saturday, May 7 at 7:30 pm; and Monday, May 9 at 7:30 pm at the Ritz Theater.

The second piece in the NEXT Festival is THE URBAN FARMER’S ALMANAC hosted by Dan Chouinard. THE URBAN FARMER’S ALMANAC is a live-performance written-for-radio variety show about raising food and living close to the ground in the city. Chouinard hosts, with a crop of guests bringing stories and first-hand how-to, from rooftop beekeepers to basement cheesemakers, backyard bakers to vacant lot farmers. Plus lots of music, history, and lore. A fresh local take on a growing global movement. Peter Rothstein will direct, with Chouinard as music director, and Marge Ostroushko as radio dramaturg. THE URBAN FARMER’S ALMANAC features the talents of Beth Dooley, Star Tribune food writer; Michael Cheney, founder of Project Sweetie Pie; Lucie Amundsen, co-founder of Locally Laid Egg Co.; Christopher MacLeod, founder of Laune Bread; and Jordan Sramek and members of the Rose Ensemble. The piece will also feature Dane Stauffer, Beth Gilleland,  Prudence Johnson, Peter Ostroushko, and Thomasina Petrus. Of this unique festival offering Rothstein says, “Dan Chouinard has a long and rich history with Theater Latté Da, most recently with the award-winning Steerage Song.” He continues, “We are excited to see what one of the Twin Cities’ most treasured artists is up to next.”

Performances of THE URBAN FARMER’S ALMANAC are Thursday, May 12 at 7:30 pm; Saturday, May 14 at 7:30 pm; and Sunday, May 15 at 2:00 pm at the Ritz Theater.

The final piece in the Festival is THE ILLYRIA PROJECT by Jackson Doran and Postell Pringle (aka Jax & Pos). Jax & Pos are affiliates of the Q Brothers who are best known for “rewriting Shakespeare plays into hip hop musical add-RAP-tations.”THE ILLYRIA PROJECT is the story of Viola, a barista and aspiring rapper, who seizes the opportunity to fulfill her dream of becoming a star when she finds out about an audition for Shipwrecked, The Musical. This new hip hop musical with a book written entirely in rap verse and performed over beats, weaves together soul, rock, and rap music in a rollicking interpretation of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Jax & Pos will direct and Christina Ham will serve as dramaturg. THE ILLYRIA PROJECT features the talents of Shinah Brashears, Ryan Colbert, Jonathon Dull, Aeysha Kinnunen, Kasono Mwanza, Thomisina Petrus, and Max Wojtanowicz. The production also features a special appearance by DJ Kool Akiem.

Rothstein offers, “Last October, members of the TLD staff witnessed Jax & Pos perform in a hip hop adaptation of Othello at the National Alliance of Musical Theater New Work Festival.” He continues, “We were all in awe of the performance and their innovative twist on the Bard. Twin Cities’ audiences have really got to see this!”

Performances of THE ILLYRIA PROJECT are Thursday, May 19 at 7:30 pm; Saturday, May 21; and Monday, May 23 at the Capri Theater.

Theater Latté Da is an award-winning Twin Cities musical theater company that combines music and story to illuminate the breadth and depth of the human experience. The company seeks to create new connections between story, music, artists and audience by exploring and expanding the art of musical theater.  latteda.org.

Festival Dates: May 5- 23, 2016

Venues: Ritz Theater and Capri Theater

Performance Dates and Times:

IN THE MINES Thursday, May 5 at 7:30 pm Saturday, May 7 at 7:30 pm Monday, May 9 at 7:30 pm Performances of IN THE MINES are at the Ritz Theater

THE URBAN FARMER’S ALMANAC Thursday, May 12 at 7:30 pm Saturday, May 14 at 7:30 pm Sunday, May 15 at 2:00 pm Performances of THE URBAN FARMER’S ALMANAC are at the Ritz Theater

THE ILLYRIA PROJECT Thursday, May 19 at 7:30 pm Saturday, May 21 at 7:30 pm Monday, May 23 at 7:30 pm Performances of THE ILLYRIA PROJECT are at the Capri Theater

BWW Interview: 6 Questions & a Plug with C.'s Bradley Greenwald

Kristen Hirsch MontagBroadway World Minneapolis

April 15, 2016

Bradley Greenwald is a fixture of Twin Cities stages; a performer that regularly draws deserved praise for his performances in opera, theater, music-theater, concert and recital repertoire with the Jungle Theater, Theatre de la Jeune Lune, the Children's Theatre Company, 10,000 Things, Nautilus Music-Theater, Minnesota Dance Theatre, James Sewell Ballet, VocalEssence, Frank Theatre, the Illusion Theater, the Guthrie Theater, A Prairie Home Companion and Skylark Opera. (Whew!) Greenwald also is the recipient of a Minnesota State Arts Board Fellowship in music, the McKnight Fellowship for Theater Artists, and a 2006 Ivey Award.

Greenwald is not known well as a playwright but that's about to change. Previously, he adapted Madeleine L'Engle's novel "A Wrinkle in Time" into a libretto for Libby Larsen's opera. Now, writing the book and lyrics for C. at Theater Latté Da, and receiving rave reviews for the production, he may just have a dual career on his hands. Latté Da just extended the run by a week due to popular demand. The show is original and thoroughly enjoyable, and Greenwald's Cyrano is amazing. Get your tickets now (seriously, don't wait to do it), then come back and read this edition of 6 Questions and a Plug to learn more about the play and the playwright.

C. is a brand new musical adaptation of Edmond Rostand's classic play, Cyrano de Bergerac, so the story is probably quite familiar to most BroadwayWorld.com readers, but can you tell us a little about the premise and how similar or different your adaptation is to the original?

The adaptation follows the love triangle of Rostand's play, as well as its basic structure-- Cyrano-who-loves-Roxane-who-loves-Christian-who-needs-Cyrano-to-prove-his-love-to-Roxane-- and includes, of course, his brilliant Balcony Scene. What struck me in Rostand's play was Cyrano's love of language and music and how vital both are to his spiritual and physical existence, as important as food, water and shelter. So I chose poetry and music as the fuel for the plot, over any stylized 17th-century settings or plot machinations. What bowled me over in the Rostand play, reading my direct word-for-word translation instead of the glittering, giddy, sublimely poetic variations of Burgess and Hooker, was the profound love and humanity in these characters. The content of translated adaptations, by nature, must go off on whimsical tangents to satisfy meter and rhyme. I decided I would not write in verse, except when the characters needed to speak in verse. I wanted Rostand's themes of love and language and the ineffable to speak without any camouflaging veneer of a translator's own poetic athleticism.

What was the inspiration or driver for you to adapt the play as a new musical, and is the music all original?

I took on Cyrano as an exercise after writing the libretto for Libby Larsen's opera A Wrinkle in Time. I loved adapting the novel, and wanted to do more. When I asked Peter Rothstein for a subject he suggested Cyrano, because he didn't feel any of the music adaptations of the play had enjoyed any success. When I talked through my take on how I saw music intertwined with the story, he encouraged me to continue. After a year, the exercise turned into a full script for the first season of Theater Latté Da's NEXT in 2013. And yes, all of Robert Elhai's score is original even though some of it may sound like folk songs that have been around forever. That's how brilliant he is.

What is your background in playwriting and writing lyrics for musicals? Did you train in these disciplines as well as acting and singing?

I have no official training in playwriting other than my own experiences with those who have. New work has always been a huge part of my career, so I have watched playwrights and composers struggle and succeed and revise and collaborate, learning from them by singing or speaking what they create, and taking note of when they choose one word over another and why. I wrote a libretto with Steven Epp for Jeune Lune's The Magic Flute, but it was after adapting A Wrinkle In Time for Libby Larsen's opera that I realized I loved writing, and that perhaps my life in different theatrical disciplines might be useful in the realization of a story through music.

You are also starring as Cyrano in the show; has it been challenging to play both roles (of playwright and lead actor)?

I was wary of playing Cyrano while also serving as writer. Peter talked me into it. In rehearsals (and even still in performance) I had to learn to stop listening as the writer and listen as the character, and it was difficult to get the knack of that. But life is all about the acquisition of skills, so I'll chalk it up as one more lesson learned.

This production is the second full production of a new musical for the NEXT 20/20 program by Theater Latté Da; when you first started during the NEXT series, did you always have a full production in your sights for C.? How much has it changed since that first outing?

We had always imagined a full production in theory, of course, because we wanted to make sure we were telling the story in a way that could be realized physically, not just intellectually. The play retained the same philosophy as the draft we performed three years ago, but the script is vastly different. Then it was basically a translated and distilled Rostand script with some Bradley thrown in here and there. Now the script is my own, with Rostand looking over my shoulder.

What are your hopes for this production and do you hope that it will go on beyond you to be produced by other companies?

I hope someone else will be moved enough by the piece to produce it. I would love to see other imaginations take it on, and put their own poetic imprint upon it. It's big and poetic, and it's about beauty. We need to be reminded to look for beauty in the world, and in ourselves. C. reminds us.

What is next for you personally, on stage or in other ways in your career?

The next big project is '66: Talkin 'Bout My Generation, a concert/travelogue/theatrical fantasia at Open Eye Figure Theater. Dan Chouinard, Prudence Johnson, Diana Grasselli and I have done two other theatrical concerts there over the years (on Brecht and Weill, and Jacques Brel). This time we look back to the life and music of 1966, 50 years later. It will be a fantastical contemporary "radio broadcast" with the four of us performing, along with instrumentalists Gary Raynor and Dean McGraw.

More information:

C.

Book & Lyrics by Bradley Greenwald

Music by Robert Elhai

Directed by Peter Rothstein

Music Direction by Jason Hansen Adapted from the play Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand

Featuring Bradley Greenwald, David Darrow, Kendall Anne Thompson, Jim Ramlet and Max Wojtonowicz

Plays now through May 1, 2016 at Ritz Theater (345 13th Avenue NE Minneapolis).

Single tickets are on sale now at latteda.org or 612-339-3003.

Photo: Kendall Anne Thompson, David Darrow and Bradley Greenwald.

Theater Latté Da presents C. March 30 - April 24, 2016. Ritz Theater. Photo by Dan Norman.

A new spin on 'Cyrano,' and four other arts events not to miss this weekend

MPR News StaffMPR News

April 14, 2016

Bradley Greenwald's nose for musical theater

Maybe you've seen "Cyrano de Bergerac" before, or one of the many adaptations of the story about the swashbuckling poet and his enormous nose. But if you haven't seen "C.," which is midway through its premiere run at Theater Latte Da, you're missing the proboscis with the most-est.

Cyrano has a beautiful soul but a face he believes to be ugly. He is skilled at wordplay and swordplay and always ready to use them both, such as when he is taunted about the size of his schnoz. He's been in love with Roxane since childhood, but he dares not hope she can see past his nose. Instead, he agrees to help pretty-boy Christian pursue her.

This musical reinvention is remarkable. Bradley Greenwald, who wrote the book and the lyrics to Robert Elhai's music, performs the title role with sensitivity and skill, not to mention a voice that could knock birds out of their trees. He fuses music and story without visible effort.

"We are on this earth," Greenwald's Cyrano says, "to articulate the ineffable." And boy, does he ever.

Toward the end of the first act, when Roxane has stiff-armed the earnest but inarticulate Christian, Cyrano progresses from stage whispers to spoken dialogue to song — soaring, achingly expressive song. As Cyrano improvises the text that will win Roxane's heart for Christian, we see the personification of selfless love — coupled with the crippling effects of a lousy self-image. "My life is complete," he says at the foot of Roxane's balcony, though his life is, at best, half complete.

It's heartbreaking. Go ahead and cry. Be thankful that, with your normal-sized nose, you won't need a handkerchief the size of a bedsheet. At the Ritz Theater in northeast Minneapolis, with a run that's just been extended through May 1.

Reason to go: Bradley Greenwald.

Review – C – Theater Latte Da

Rift MagazineBev Wolfe

April 8, 2016

Theater Latté Da’s C:  A Promising New Play-With-Music

This past weekend, Theater Latté Da presented the world premiere of C, a play-with-music, at the Ritz Theater in Minneapolis.  The show was developed for Theater Latté Da by both Bradley Greenwald, who wrote the book and lyrics, and Robert Elhai who composed the music.  It is part of Theater Latté Da’s NEXT 20/20 initiative to develop and bring to production 20 new musicals or plays-with-music within the next 5 years.  This production, under the sharp direction of Peter Rothstein, is a promising start to the goal of contributing to the future of musical theater.

Greenwald’s play is an adaption of Edmond Rostand’s1896 play Cyrano De Bergerac.  Rostand’s play is loosely based upon the life of a poet and dualist who lived during the first half of the 17th Century.

The first professional production of a play that I saw as a teenager was the Guthrie’s world premiere of Anthony Burgess’ translation and adaption of Rostand’s play.  The theatricalism of that production had a lasting influence upon my life-long interest in theatre.  This current adaption, with the addition of music, makes a similar impact.

Cyrano is a poet, duelist, and member of a military regiment in France.  He is renowned for his swordplay and his nose: an extremely large schnoz which he believes renders it impossible for his beloved Roxane to reciprocate his feelings.  Roxane is a beautiful and intelligent heiress who is desired by a local married nobleman.

When Roxane requests a secret meeting with Cyrano, Cyrano hopes it is to confess her love for him.  In preparation, he writes an impassioned, poetic love letter and signs it “C.”  But his hopes are dashed when she confesses her love for a man named Christian who is joining Cyrano’s regiment.  Christian is so good looking that even Cyrano finds him to be beautiful.  When Cyrano learns that Christian also loves Roxane, he puts aside his feelings and allows his letter to be sent to Roxane on behalf of Christian.

We soon learn that Christian is a dolt when it comes to speech and poetry.  So Cyrano keeps writing beautiful, poetic letters to Roxane on Christian’s behalf and continues to sign them with a “C.”  This charade continues to the point where, in the balcony scene, Cyrano speaks and sings couplets and poetry to Roxane while hiding in the shadows so it appears that Christian is the speaker.

After a hasty marriage between Roxane and Christian, both men are sent to war where Cyrano continues the charade by sending daily letters to Roxane on Christian’s behalf and often without Christian’s knowledge.

Greenwald’s production seeks to translate the poetry of Rostand’s play into words set to music.  Initially, the songs seem to be more separate from the spoken word, but by the mid-way balcony scene climax, the spoken word and music often flow together interchangeably and sometimes soar.

The play-with-music term is an apt description because this is a production where you appreciate the music underlying the words rather than one where audiences will be humming show tunes after the show.

Greenwald’s portrayal of Cyrano gives great depth to this role of a man who is master of many things and, yet, is personally very insecure in matters of love.  David Darrow as Christian does a remarkable job playing a love struck young man who grows to resent the fact that Roxane appears more in love with Cyrano’s poetic soul than she is with him.

Kendall Anne Thompson does a superb job of playing Roxane as a strong and captivating woman making it understandable that her character is the object of the affections of many men.  Finally, Janet Hansen is both hilarious and memorable in the role of Sister Claire, Roxane’s companion and teacher.

Music director Jason Hansen takes Elhai’s music and makes it sail seamlessly in and out of scenes.  Scenic Designer Jim Smart creates a theatrical aura around his design of a 17th century French town with a multitude of glass jars with lighted candles flowing across the front of the stage.

C is a production that still requires some fine tuning in places, including the need to trim about 15 minutes off the show’s running time.  But Theater Latté Da should be commended for fostering the development of this original production.

Theatre Latte Da The Ritz Theater 345 13th Avenue NE Minneapolis, MN 55413 Box Office: (612)339-3003 March 30 – April 24, 2016

Theater Latte Da’s “C.” is a Charmer

Minneapolis/St. Paul MagazineTad Simons

April 4, 2016

Theater Latte Da is one of only a handful of arts organizations in the past 30 years that has made the leap from small, itinerant theater company on shoestring to established, mid-size theater with a modest budget—and soon, it hopes, a permanent home. TLD announced in March that it is raising funds to purchase the Ritz Theater in NE Minneapolis, which for years was home to the sassy, genre-defying dance troupe Ballet of the Dolls.

Last weekend, TLD opened its new musical, C., based on the story of Cyrano de Bergerac, and proved once again why the company deserves a permanent home—and why it has thrived while so many others haven’t. C. isn’t perfect by any means, but it does enough well to be entertaining throughout (a minor victory on its own), and it exhibits the kind of canny fearlessness that has characterized artistic director Peter Rothstein’s work from the beginning.

Adapted by Bradley Greenwald, with music by Robert Elhai, C. is a spirited re-telling of a familiar story, the tale of a famously silver-tongued swordsman with an ugly nose who is in love with his clever cousin, Roxane, but is afraid to tell her because of his hideous schnozz. Instead, he helps a handsome but tongue-tied young cadet (David Darrow) woo Roxane by telling the boy what to say. From there, the plan goes from bad to worse.

Greenwald’s adaptation follows the basic story faithfully enough, but it’s the small touches combined with the overall direction and a talented cast that raise C. up into the B+ range. Rothstein is a genius at giving well-known musicals a fresh coat of paint. In this case, however, he has transformed a well-known story into a musical, which is a set of artistic challenges all its own.

In most musicals, the numbers trot by one after the other, and the audience claps dutifully after each one. But that’s not how C. is structured. There are traditional songs, yes—folk songs, waltzes, shanties, and a heartfelt ballad or two—but much of the music is packaged in the form of spoken-word riffs and spontaneous-sounding improvisations. Indeed, the best thing about C. is how deftly it blends its theatrical and musical elements to create its own romantic texture.

Cyrano (played by Greenwald) is all about capturing what he calls “the poetry in the room,” by which he means the artistic possibilities of any given moment in life. During a scene when Cyrano is rhapsodizing about Roxane, spinning poetry out of thin air, a string quartet is practicing offstage, providing a quiet musical accompaniment for Cyrano’s words. The words and music don’t create a traditional song, but they do create a powerful dramatic moment that captures the very poetry in the room that Cyrano is talking about.

There are many such moments in C., but there’s also a nice balance of comedy as well, particularly in the antics of various idiosyncratic supporting characters, and from Greenwald himself, who is one of the Twin Cities’ most versatile actors. His Cyrano is alternately brash and vulnerable, cocky and unsure of himself. The one area that could be improved is his allegedly rapier wit. For a man whose tongue is a supposed to be as sharp as his sword, his words don’t slice and sting as much as they should. The playful banter between Cyrano and Roxane (played with grace and spunk by Kendall Anne Thompson) works much better, and between them there is a convincingly uneasy chemistry. Set designer Jim Smart adds to the romantic aura by framing the action with hundreds of lit candles along the foot of the stage, and setting the action in humble Parisian streetscape accented by a large tree and a full, luminous moon.

The Ritz only has 235 seats, which is only slightly larger than The Jungle Theater, and its charmingly rustic atmosphere is perfect fit for an arts organization like Theater Latte Da. If TLD does succeed on its bid to buy the Ritz, the northeast arts district will be that much richer.

C. continues at the Ritz Theater through April 24, theaterlatteda.com.

C. Review

Arthur DormanTalkin' Broadway

April 6, 2106

C., a new musical with book and lyrics by Bradley Greenwald and music by Robert Elhai, based on Edmond Rostand's classic play Cyrano de Bergerac soars to life in Theater Latté Da's world premiere production at the Ritz Theatre. C. is a product of Theater Latté Da's Next 20/20 initiative to nurture the creation of new musical theater work, and immediately proves the value of that effort, especially given a pitch-perfect cast led by Mr. Greenwald as Cyrano.

C. takes its title from the way the hero of the piece, Cyrano de Bergerac, signs love letters he writes on behalf of Christian, a cadet in his military unit to bright and beautiful Roxane, a woman they both love. Cyrano has deeply loved Roxanne since they were children together, but his physical ugliness—famously, his enormous nose—keeps him from declaring his feelings. Christian, who has only just met Roxanne, is taken by her physical beauty, as she is by his. However, along with physical beauty Roxanne requires of her beloved a beautiful heart, as expressed in poems and letters. Christian has not an ounce of wit for the expression of feelings. Cyrano, on the other hand, is as renowned for his word-play as for his swordplay. He agrees to help Christian woo Roxanne by composing beautiful phrased letters for Christian to deliver. Closing each missive with the letter C, Cyrano tells his protégé that it stands for Christian while, in truth, it is Cyrano's way of taking ownership for his own feelings.

Past efforts to make a musical of Cyrano de Bergerac have not fared well. In both 1973 and 1993 attempts failed with both critics and the box office on Broadway. Calvin Berger, a loose adaption that places the story in a high school setting, has had several regional productions (including last year's mounting by Minneapolis Musical Theatre), but has not been widely seen. What Greenwald and Elhai have done with C. is to create not a song and dance show, but a song and poetry show—and it works. This small but beautifully rendered musicalization successfully brings music to Cyrano's poetic voice.

Lest you think "song and poetry" means the show is a precious, erudite affair, I can assure you that it is full of heartfelt drama, swash-buckling action, and robust humor. On several occasions characters break out in song to express their feelings, but more often the music falls within the context of the play, using traveling minstrels to bring melody to the poetry that comes naturally to Cyrano, Roxanne and others—though not Christian. An out-of-context song in which he reveals his utter lack of eloquence makes clear how out of his league he is in this company, and is also highly entertaining as delivered by David Darrow in the manner of a music hall number. Robert Elhai has composed lovely melodies, mainly drawing on folks sounds of Cyrano's period.

Director Peter Rothstein continues to display mastery of musical theater, giving fluid movement to the many parts of the story, staging scenes with complete clarity, and—with the exception of Christian's song noted above—assuring that each musical piece begins and ends organically, never interrupting the narrative. The functional setting designed by Jim Smart has a collection of rustic 17th century facades, with a central area that can be draped off to create a stage for the opening performance-within-the play. A large tree in the center looms over the entire setting, giving a sense of a pastoral to the play, though the tree's meaning is not revealed until the final scene. Rich Hamson's costumes are elaborate as befitting the time frame, yet subdued in gold, beige, and white hues. The play is beautifully lit by Marcus Dillard to highlight mood shifts from raucous to romantic, and merry to melancholy.

Greenwald, as Cyrano, gives a wonderful, fully formed performance, making good use of his beautiful baritone, his eloquence in speech, comic flair, and commanding physical presence. A prosthetic nose that projects out comically—as Cyrano states, "preceding him wherever he goes by a quarter of an hour"—serves the purpose of bringing a disfigured quality to his otherwise handsome face. He has perhaps more of the poetry and less of the panache seen in some Cyranos, more nonchalance than bravado as he defeats all comers in swordplay (exquisitely choreographed by fight director Annie Enneking), but it all works in creating a character that is of whole cloth.

Kendall Anne Thompson is a lovely Roxanne, with a beautiful voice and robust energy. She projects a woman possessing intelligence and humor, ready to embrace life with confidence and vigor. Her embrace of a more sober wisdom in the closing scene is skillfully portrayed. David Darrow's Christian is handsome, but projects a boyish rather than rakish physicality, making him seem less of a threat than a partner to Cyrano in pursuit of Roxanne's love.

John Middleton as the nobleman with his own designs on Roxanne is the villain of the piece and comes across less odious than in other productions of Cyrano I have seen, in keeping with the tone of a story of human longing and folly, rather than of exaggerated types. Max Wojtanowicz is endearing as Papadeau, the baker with a poet's heart. The remainder of the cast all play their parts well and sing beautifully.

Could C. be improved? Greenwald's book takes liberties with anachronisms, such as Roxanne and Papadeau bringing food and comfort to Cyrano's company on a 17th century battlefield via automobile rather than horse-drawn wagon, and references to Insulin and Mrs. O'Leary of Chicago Fire fame. Each of these moments prompts audience laughter, but there is enough humor within the text and in the action of the play, that these feel pinned on at the expense of, rather than in service to, the beautifully wrought play.

Nonetheless, C. succeeds at making the romantic heart of Cyrano de Bergerac beat with more joy and stirs its well of regret with more longing. It is a gift to Twin Cities theatergoers, one that deserves an extended life beyond this maiden voyage.

C. continues through April 24, 2016, at the Ritz Theater, 345 13th Avenue NE, Minneapolis, MN. Tickets: $35.00 - $45.00. For tickets call 612-339-3303 or go to theaterLattéda.com.

Book and Lyrics: Bradley Greenwald, adopted from the play Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand; Music: Elhai; Director: Peter Rothstein; Music Director: Jason Hansen; Dramaturg: Elissa Adams; Set Designer: Jim Smart; Costume Designer: Rich Hamson; Lighting Designer: Marcus Dillard; Sound Designer and Engineer: Sean Healey; Properties Master: Benjamin Olsen; Fight Director: Annie Enneking; Technical Director: Stein Rosburg; Production Manager: Dylan Wright; Stage Manager: Tiffany K. Orr; Assistant Stage Manager: Lisa M. Smith; Assistant Scenic Designer: Mika Ichikawa.

Cast: Bear Brummel (a chorus boy, a cadet, a priest), Sarah Burk (a Bohemian), Caleb Fritz Craig (a chorus boy, a cadet), David Darrow (Christian Beauregard), Bradley Greenwald (Cyrano de Bergerac), Jason Hansen (a Bohemian, a cadet), Janet Hanson (Sister Claire), Kim Kivens (Mrs. DeWight, Atchette, Sister Agnes), Grace Lowe (L'Allouette), John Middleton (Senator DeWight), Luke Pickman (a Bohemian, a cadet), James Ramlet (Orson Déjaloux), Matt Riehle (Bellrose, a cadet, a Bohemian), Kendall Anne Thompson (Roxanne), Evan Tyler Wilson (Uncle Monty, a cadet), Max Wojtanowicz (Papadeau).

Review: Cyrano truly sings in Latté Da's poetic new musical 'C.'

Graydon RoyceStar Tribune

April 4, 2016

Starting with the very best ingredients does not guarantee the success of a theatrical adaptation. Consider the checkered history of "Cyrano de Bergerac" as a stage musical. The crashing thunder of full orchestra sadly curdles the delicate fragrance that distinguishes Edmond Rostand's original play.

Writer Bradley Greenwald and composer Robert Elhai have approached the challenge of bringing music to Cyrano with a different tack in "C.," which had its premiere Saturday in a Theater Latté Da production at the Ritz Theater.

Greenwald and Elhai rarely allow the music to trample on Cyrano's bravado, his fragile insecurity and his self sacrifice. Melody and instrument are unmistakably there but they express themselves in a solo fife, a guitar, a piano, a small combo, bass line or an a cappella voice. Rare for a musical, the song seems an essential part of the action.

In fashioning music that springs from the life of the play, Greenwald and Elhai manage a small triumph in elevating the poetry while retaining the enduring charm, honesty and nobility of Cyrano's story. The finest illustration is the lovely and famous balcony scene in which Cyrano, hidden by the night, expresses his love for Roxane. Greenwald's lyrics sit perfectly on the meter of Elhai's eclectic and always tuneful score.

Greenwald also portrays the hero in director Peter Rothstein's ambitious production. The show seemed a bit unsure as it opened Saturday but found its rhythm shortly. Greenwald's interpretation of Cyrano has less of the robust bluster and winking confidence that some actors have used to define the man. He is more human, a vulnerable outsider who even in swagger shows a psyche damaged by the weight of carrying around that preposterous nose.

 Kendall Anne Thompson is fine, with a lyrical soprano voice, as Roxane, the woman Cyrano has long loved. David Darrow plays Christian, the handsome young man for whom Roxane has fallen. Darrow finds rich humor in Christian's transparency as a dunce, his comfort as a simpleton — the perfect id contrast to Cyrano's ego.

Rothstein's production looks great on Jim Smart's set of a rustic French village. Costumer Rich Hamson works in a palette of earth tones that reflect Marcus Dilliard's dusty lights with a constant sepia effect.

On two occasions, the music's good intentions interfere with the words in this excellent production. In Cyrano's initial duel with Senator DeWhite (John Middleton, with the right tone of pomposity and dry menace), we struggle to hear the full throat of his poetic elan. Then again at play's end, when Cyrano reads one last letter to Roxane, an offstage chorus sings. As lovely as this evensong is, it competes with Cyrano's reading — which in some respects is the emotional zenith of this play. Something to think about.

Greenwald and Elhai have taken an exquisite approach to this old story. Rothstein has made it fill the stage, with Jason Hansen directing the music, and a cast that is full of good voice and lively spirit. The classic work is honored.

"C." by Theater Latte Da at the Ritz Theater

Jill SchaferCherry and Spoon

April 4, 2016

Friends, @TheaterLatteDa's C. totally wrecked me & left me with such an exquisite ache I might never recover. #theatermusically #allthefeels This was my 140-character review of Theater Latte Da's world premiere new musical C., and even though I will give you several hundred more words here, I'm not sure I can express it any better than this. This new musical adaptation of the classic play Cyrano de Bergerac, featuring book and lyrics by Bradley Greewald and music by Robert Elhai, directed by the incomparable vision of Peter Rothstein, is the second in Latte Da's NEXT 20/20 program in which they have committed to bringing 20 new works of music-theater to the stage by 2020. I saw the first reading of the show three years ago and thought it showed great promise, but it has exceeded my expectations in what is now a fully formed and exquisite new musical, with all elements of production coming together to tell this beloved story in a new and innovative way.

Proving that there is no end to his talent, Bradley Greenwald went back to the original French play to write this new translation/adaptation of the story. His language is poetic and lyrical while still sounding natural and modern. He sticks fairly close to the original story, or at least what I remember of it from Park Square Theatre's 2014 production of the play. Cyrano and Christian are soldiers in the same regiment, the former known for his skill with words and the sword, and the latter a bit of an unknown as newcomer to the regiment. Cyrano is in love with his beautiful childhood friend Roxane, so when she tells him that she loves the handsome Christian, he agrees to look out for him. Unbeknownst to Roxane, he also agrees to write letters to her from Christian, who is not blessed with the gift of poetry as Cyrano is, signing them with the letter C. Roxane continues to fall in love with Christian through his (Cyrano's) letters, culminating in a lovely balcony scene reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet. The second act sees Cyrano and Christian going off to war, with Roxane in pursuit, unable to be parted from her love. When she tells Christian that she loves him for his soul, and would love him even if he were ugly, he realizes that it's Cyrano she truly loves, not him. It's a tragically bittersweet ending, as truths are revealed too late.*

Cyrano thinks his big nose, his "ugly" appearance, is standing in the way of getting what he wants, namely Roxane. But it's not. His only obstacle is the belief that he's ugly and undeserving of Roxane's love. We all have thoughts of "I'm not this enough" or "I'm too that" that stand in the way of our happiness. Cyrano shows us the tragedy that can result from listening to our thoughts of self-doubt and letting them stop us from going after the life that we want.

The 16-person ensemble of musicians, actors, and singers is fantastic (although the lack of diversity in a cast this size is disappointing), but Bradley Greenwald is the brilliant center around which they revolve. He imbues the iconic role of Cyrano with such humanity, passion, humor, pathos, and utmost dedication to the character, the story, and the words that he wrote. And it goes without saying that his voice is stunning. Writing this beautiful dialogue and song lyrics, that flow seamlessly from one to the other, and playing the title character so beautifully and honestly, is truly a remarkable feat from this beloved local theater artist who continues to surprise us with his talent.

Highlights in the ensemble are too many to mention, but must include Kendall Anne Thompson's Roxane, lovely and radiant as the embodiment of love and beauty and the object of both Cs' affection; David Darrow as the adorably sweet but not so clever Christian, who realizes too late the pickle they've gotten themselves into with this seemingly harmless trickery; the always entertaining Max Wojtanowicz as everyone's favorite baker; singer/actor/musician Grace Lowe as one of the Bohemians; John Middleton as the pompous senator also after Roxane; and Janet Hanson, stealing a few scenes as Roxane's sweets-loving companion.

Robert Elhai's ingenious score is a perfect match to Bradley's words, and covers a wide range of styles that feel organic to the storytelling, very much like the poetry plucked from the air Cyrano is always talking about. Some songs sound like folk songs that have been sung for hundreds of years, some like modern songs you might hear a folk singer sing in a coffee shop, some are beautiful musical theater ballads, some are rhythmic marching off to war songs. The songs are arranged with sparse orchestration, typically just three to four instruments accompanying the singing, instruments as varied as accordion, various flutes, stringed instruments, and other Renaissance era instruments. The band is not separate from the cast, but one in the same with the ensemble, playing in the cafe or the theater, or rehearsing off-stage, characters in the story as much as anyone else. Even Music Director extraordinaire Jason Hanson gets to talk, play a role, and run around the stage while making this lovely score sound the best it possibly could. Hooray for the band!

This musical sounds exquisite thanks to Sean Healey's sound design. I'm one who always begs for unmiked performers in musicals, believing that leads to the most beautiful and authentic sound. This show has proven me wrong. The performers are miked, but it's so subtly done, both visually and audibly, and with such a delicate touch, that for most of the show it's not even noticeable. There have been complaints in the past (not by me) about the sound in this old theater, but Theater Latte Da has obviously figured out the acoustics in their new home with this fine example of how to amplify the sound of music-theater without compromising the beauty of the music and words, especially with an intimate show in an intimate space performed by trained professionals.

Chanhassen Dinner Theatre's resident costume designer Rich Hamson proves that he can do subtle and natural costumes as well as he can do bold and spectacular costumes (e.g., Beauty and the Beast). The cast is dressed in neutral shades that range from off-white to khaki, the only hint of color being Roxanne's pale pink dress, and an appropriate turn to black for the somber ending. Cadet uniforms are dirty and distressed, contrasting with the new recruit's crispness, and the Bohemians look charmingly Bohemian.

Jim Smart's scenic design carries the shabby chic look of the Ritz Theater's patchy paint and cement walls onto the set, with walls at the back and on either side of the stage that exactly match the also seen walls of the theater. A large tree with overarching limbs dominates the set, from which a curtain is hung to hide or reveal. Latte Da continues to make great use of the Ritz, utilizing the side counter seats and the audience space as well.

Theater Latte Da set the bar high with the first new piece of music-theater in their NEXT 20/20 program, the modern folk-rock love story Lullaby. They've raised the bar even higher here with C., an exquisite new musical, an idea so beautifully brought to fruition. Both pieces explore the genre of music-theater and push it to new places with innovation and creativity. It's thrilling that the American art form of musical theater continues to evolve in such exciting ways, and we're so lucky that such work is created, developed, supported, and produced right here in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Cyrano's life motto could very well double as the motto of NEXT 20/20: "Sing out, sing out, let your song be known. Let the melody be beautiful, and the poetry always your own."

C. continues through April 24, and next month Theater Latte Da will present readings of three new works in progress as part of their annual NEXT series. The future of music-theater is not just on Broadway in Hamilton, it can also be experienced at the Ritz Theater in NE Minneapolis.

*Plot summary borrowed from my post about Park Square Theatre's 2014 production of the play.

C. by Theater Latté Da performing at the Ritz Theater

John OliveHowWasTheShow.com

April 2, 2016

Cyrano’s nose is great.

Super-long, warty, bent, broken (one imagines) numerous times, the nose provides a convincing reason for Cyrano’s suicidal self-loathing (“How can anyone love a face like this?”). His ugly honker drives him into increasingly arcane and abtruse machinations of deception – he deceives the fair Roxanne, the handsome Christian, himself. Non-fakey (unlike the Pinocchio-like probiscus in Steve Martin’s bloodless filmRoxanne), the nose truly makes the story work. According to the program, the nose was designed by one Robert Dunn. Mr. Dunn merits no bio; he deserves one.

C. (Theater Latté Da, performing at the Ritz Theater, through April 24) is adapted from Edmund Rostand’s oft-performed (to the point of cliché-ness) play Cyrano de Bergerac. But (unsurprisingly, given Latté Da’s provenance as MN’s preeminent purveyor of music theater – now that Skylark Opera, tragically, is on the rocks) C. is a musical. Featuring gorgeous music by Robert Elhai, C. soars and flies, very watchable despite some flaws (about which more in a moment).

You know the story: Cyrano, he of the grande schnozzola del mundo, sees himself as ugly and unlovable. Beloved of Roxanne (and unable to tell her so), he agrees to write poetical letters (many of which are done, effectively, as songs) to Roxanne on behalf of the (it must be said) dull, though virile and handsome, Christian. The letters thrill Roxanne (naturally; they’re terrific). She falls heels over head in love with Christian. Ah, but in the end, all is revealed (and of course I am not going to reveal how this happens).

C. is the Bradley Greenwald show. Mr. G wrote the effective book and lyrics. And as if that weren’t enough, he also plays the lonely and loving Cyrano. And sings many of Mr. Elhai’s brilliant songs (and holy moley can this man sing). And wields a mean rapier (fights nicely designed by Annie Enneking). There may be a certain sameness, perhaps, to his performance (one of the play’s flaws), but who cares: I pant endlessly to Greenwald’s multi-faceted work. He is brilliant, one of the best actors we have. And he provides the main reason to see C.

Flaw #2 (now that I’m on the subject): length. C. is two and a half hours long (with intermission). Exhausting. Also, there’s the headache-inducing chemical smoke. There. Ignore me.

Performances in C., under the crisp hand of director Peter Rothstein, are, as one has come to expect with this theater, excellent. As Roxanne, Kendall Anne Thompson is winsome and fetching. She gives her character dignity and power and makes up for a slight brittleness via outstanding musical chops. David Darrow as the blustery and fearless Christian is wonderful. Ditto the basso profundo James Ramlet. The quirky Max Wojtanowicz made me giggle endlessly. My sincere apologies to those I’ve left out.

Everyone, I have to say, to a person, sings brilliantly. This, combined with a good story, Greaanwald’s brilliance, and despite a few minor flaws, makes C. the best show currently running in the Twins. It’s the play to see. So see it.

John Olive is a writer living in Minneapolis. His book about the magic of bedtime stories, Tell Me A Story In The Dark, has just been published. In progress: a theatrical portrait of the great Anna May Wong. Please visit John’s website.

Everything's coming up roses for "Gypsy"

KARE 11NBC - Minneapolis

February 24, 2016

KMSP 9 Fox Gypsy Interview

KMSP 9FOX - Minnesota

February 23, 2016

MN Mother-Daughter Team Bring 'Gypsy' To Stage

WCCO 4 NewsCBS - Minnesota

Februray 23, 2016

Michelle Barber and Cat Brindisi star in Theater Latté Da's production of "Gypsy," which is about a stage mother trying to get her daughter into show buisness.

John Hines Show 2-23-16

2-23-16 The John Hines Show 11 AM HourWCCO

John talks brewing and restaurants with Growler's John Garland, and 'Gypsy' mother-daughter stars Michele Barber and Kat Brindisi visit instudio.

Gypsy Celebrates Women Who Don't Need To Be Good To Be Great

Jay GablerCity Pages

February 24, 2016

"Used to always stay at home, be a good girl," sings Drake in "Hotline Bling," reminiscing about a time when the woman to whom he's singing focused her attention where he thinks it belongs: on him. The paternalistic line echoes a moment in Gypsy, when a frustrated lover abandons the career-focused Mama Rose with a parting admonition: "Be a good girl."

The role of Mama Rose, the quintessential stage mother, has been the vehicle for indelible performances by Broadway legends, including Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury, and Tyne Daly. In this new production, presented by Theater Latté Da and the Hennepin Theatre Trust at the Pantages Theatre, Mama Rose is played with flinty resolve by local legend Michelle Barber.

Mama Rose's daughter — the girl who grows up to become Gypsy Rose Lee, the only performer from the golden age of burlesque who's still a household name — is played by Barber's real-life daughter Cat Brindisi. (Brindisi's father, Barber's husband, is longtime Chanhassen Dinner Theatres artistic director Michael Brindisi.) If the mother-daughter duo have any simmering resentments, they've checked them at the stage door. Director Peter Rothstein finds the warmth in the well-known musical, and doesn't plumb too deeply into its vaunted darkness.

Working from Gypsy Rose Lee's memoirs, playwright Arthur Laurents created a family saga — with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by a young Stephen Sondheim — that starts on the fading vaudeville circuit with little Louise (Carley Clover) playing second fiddle to her creepily infantilized sister June (Victoria Wyffels). When June (played as an adult by Shinah Brashears) elopes with her fellow performer Tulsa (a priceless Tyler Michaels), Louise becomes Mama Rose's new star, reborn as Gypsy Rose.

That's a lot of territory to cover, both chronologically and geographically, and set designer Michael Hoover makes wonderfully effective use of a series of stages-within-a-stage that fly in and out to represent Gypsy's journeys, with show titles and locations projected atop a proscenium to help us keep our bearings. Gypsy's rapid ascent to notoriety, during the song "Let Me Entertain You," is a bravura feat of stagecraft, with the setting (and Brindisi, in various glamorous costumes by Alice Fredrickson) seamlessly transformed in each successive verse.

Barber makes Mama Rose a paragon of on-with-the-show perseverance; while lines that could be gut-wrenching tend to fly by, Mama Rose comes across as a sympathetic striver who earns believable love and devotion from her daughter and from patient paramour Herbie (Tod Petersen). Brindisi's Louise is grounded and empathetic, and we root for her when she comes into her own, even if her burlesque persona doesn't exactly crackle with erotic heat.

Gypsy contains a disproportionate chunk of the Great American Songbook, and Sondheim's music comes alive under music director Denise Prosek, who leads a crack six-piece band. Rothstein and his team do ample justice to this classic material, with its poignant feminist themes that remain as relevant as ever. Arm in arm, Gypsy and Mama Rose don't need a man to tell them what kind of girls to be.

IF YOU GO:

Gypsy Pantages Theatre 710 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis Through March 13; 1-800-859-SHOW

Gypsy by Theatre Latté Da, performing in the Pantages

HowWasTheShowBy David and Chelsea Berglund

February 21, 2016

Gypsy, produced by Theater Latte Da and Hennepin Theatre Trust and running at the Pantages through March 13, is exactly the type of show critics relish writing about, or at least these critics. With a poignant book by Arthur Laurents, iconic music by Jule Styne, and smart lyrics by a young Stephen Sondheim, the story of Mama Rose and her daughters trying to make it big on vaudeville continues to ring true today. And this production is a stunning rendition of the classic show.

First things first, Michelle Barber as Mama Rose absolutely brings down the house. With a cast as tremendously talented as her co-performers, she nevertheless commands the stage while bringing believability and sincerity to her role. Mama Rose is one of the most interesting characters in the musical theater repertoire, and Barber captures every bit of nuance the role offers. This is bound to be one of the best performances of the year – a powerhouse showstopper that is not to be missed.

That’s not to say that her fellow performers are overshadowed. This cast is made up of some of the best young thespians these cities have to offer, and they do not disappoint. Cat Brindisi (also Barber’s real-life daughter) dynamically plays the titular role and displays an extraordinary range of emotion with honesty, both in singing and dialogue. Shinah Brashears portrays “Dainty” June as both a performer with chintzy vaudevillian charm and, offstage, a young woman yearning for a different life during the lovely “If Momma Was Married” duet she shares with Brindisi. Tyler Michaels brings his beautiful voice and trademark physicality to the role of Tulsa, a backstage dreamer who sweeps the girls up in his fantasies. Stage veteran Tod Peterson plays Mama Rose’s love interest and manager, Herbie, and matches Barber at every turn, bringing a fierce protectiveness and warmth to the makeshift “family” of the show.

The whole production soars under Peter Rothstein’s inspired direction. His immersive vision of the decaying world of vaudeville is juxtaposed with the hopes of the characters and allows all of the story’s elements to convey deeper meaning. Mary Shabatura’s electric, textured lighting design likewise underlines the  characters’ misplaced delusions of grandeur. Michael Hoover’s aging, cluttered, yet simple sets captured a sense of mournfulness and history. Denise Prosek’s musical direction swells with energy and emotion and perfectly hits every note. And every other piece of this production, from the intricate costuming by Alice Fredrickson to the the spot-on sound design by Alex Ritter, comes together under Rothstein’s keen eye.

In other words, this is one of those rare productions that works on every level. It is a transportive and engrossing experience from the first note to the last. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to see truly great theater, and for our part, we hope to have shared enough superlatives to convince you to experience it for yourself. Do not miss it.

David and Chelsea Berglund review movies at their site Movie Matrimony.

Gypsy produced by Theater Latte Da and the Hennepin Theater Trust

HowWasTheShowBy Janet Preus

February 21, 2016

Theater Latte Da and the Hennepin Theater Trust have partnered up to bring their own Broadway-style version of Gypsy to downtown Minneapolis, and I’m going to make a prediction: This is the Twin Cities show of the year. Yes, go!

The Tony Award-winning Gypsy, which premiered in 1959, chronicles Mama Rose and her obsessive ambition to raise her daughters to show business stardom via the Vaudeville circuit. One would become the famous burlesque artist Gypsy Rose Lee, not at all what Mama Rose had in mind.

Latte Da’s artistic director, Peter Rothstein, has recreated this iconic show with loving care, featuring all local performers in starring roles. It’s casting perfection. The real-life mother and daughter team, Michelle Barber and Cat Brindisi as Mama Rose and her daughter Louise are exactly right.

Shina Brashears as Louise’s sister, June, finesses an over-the-top role and makes it shimmer in anticipation. With almost imperceptible inevitability, the cracks appear in June’s loyalty to Mama Rose. Her heart is no longer in performing, the relationship collapses and Rose’s tyranny begins its descent.

This is where Barber’s steely portrayal digs in. The light bars tremble, the stage floor rumbles … ok, not really, but you may think they should. Her coup de grace, “Rose’s Turn” has to be the most powerful unraveling written for musical theater. Barber absolutely skewers it, and her strained recovery and redemption is as satisfying as theater gets. Oh, wow, oh wow, oh wow.

Brindisi is so awkward as the young – and overlooked – Louise that it made you wonder just how she’d pull off (so to speak) that ending we knew was coming. Oh, but she did! Sparkling in her own right, and playing her new role as a beauty with brains, Brindisi’s Louise was her mother’s daughter in all the best ways.

Also featured were Tyler Michaels as Tulsa, a role that’s a great fit (at last) for this popular local performer, and Tod Petersen as Herbie, who brought balance to the young performers’ lives, tempering Rose’s drive with genuine affection and concern. He was believable as both a foil for Rose’s character and a partner for the woman he loved.

Emily Jansen, Kate Beahen, Derek Prestly, Matt Rubbelke, Ed Williams and Eriq Nelson were terrific as backup performers and additional roles. I will take issue with one characterization: Eriq Nelson played several roles, each one of them skillfully, but so over-the-top that it felt like those characters were in the wrong show.

A passel of kids as young June’s backups were adorable, which was the point – more underscore for Rose’s autocratic rule over their young lives.

Denise Prosek was music director for a very nice, small and tight, live band. I only wish they had not cut the overture.

It’s been more than half a century since Gypsy first “hit the heights,” and it’s enjoyed a string of revivals since then – so many, in fact that it’s never really gone away. There’s a reason that critics often name it as the greatest American musical. The book (by Arthur Larents) has a perfect arc, the characters and relationships are timeless, and every song (music by Jule Styne, and lyrics by a young Stephen Sondheim) lands as it should. And who hasn’t heard these songs: “Everything’s Coming up Roses,” “Together (Wherever We Go),” “Small World,” and “Let Me Entertain You”?

Shall I rave on? Rothstein has outdone himself this time – not with more cross-dressing dancers (but there are some), or flashing lights (those, too). He had a clear vision about where he was going and he arrived with grace and wit. Yes, we were entertained and we had a real good time, but we also felt connected to something bigger than just singing and dancing.

See this show. Not just because it’s well done, but because it’s done right, with respect for what made the show great in the first place. This takes humility as artists. But for the audience, the show is lifted from a spectacle to just spectacular. There’s a difference and it’s profound.

Gypsy runs through March 13 at the Pantages Theater. Program notes say that June and Louise’s act performed in the Twin Cities, perhaps at the Pantages itself?

"Gypsy" by Theater Latte Da at the Pantages Theatre

Cherry and SpoonJill Schafer

February 21, 2016

2016 is the fourth year of Broadway Reimagined, the partnership that combines the resources of Hennepin Theatre Trust with the innovation of Theater Latte Da to create a new interpretation of a familiar Broadway musical. This year's selection is a beloved classic of the American musical theater canon, the 1959 Jule Styne/Stephen Sondheim/Arthur Laurents creation Gypsy. Theater Latte Da did this musical almost ten years ago in their old home The Loring Playhouse (only my second Latte Da show, I've seen nearly everything they've done since). Even though two actors reprise their roles, as do the director, music director, and choreographer, this is a different show in a bigger venue. And I'm convinced there is no better venue for this show in the Twin Cities than the beautifully restored Vaudeville theater that is the Pantages, where the historical characters in the play very likely performed nearly 100 years ago. There's a sense of history in this show which, along with Theater Latte Da's usual attention to detail in every aspect of the production, creates a beautiful, realistic, moving look into the world of show business and the quintessential stage mother/daughter relationship. As the song says, let Theater Latte Da entertain you, you will have a real good time, yes sir! We first meet* Rose and her daughters Louise and June in an audition, as she famously calls out directions including "sing out, Louise!" Baby June is the star, a pretty and precocious little girl in blond ringlets, and Louise is the older and less talented daughter forced into the shadows. Rose promises her girls she will make them stars, and travels around the country getting them bigger and better gigs with the help of Herbie, their manager who's also an unofficial husband/father figure to the family. Louise and June soon outgrow the little girl act but their mother refuses to let them grow up. A teenage June runs away with one of the boys in the act to form their own act. Herbie and Louise encourage Rose to walk away and concentrate on their family, but Rose is not someone who gives up. She turns all of her focus to making Louise a star in a recycled version of the old act. But Vaudeville is dying, so the act ends up in a Burlesque theater. Rose promises that this will be the last gig and she will marry Herbie and walk away when it's over. But when given the chance to make Louise a star in the Burlesque world, she takes it, and shoves Louise into the spotlight. Surprisingly, Louise takes to this new role and shines, not needing her mother any more. In one of the most famous musical theater songs, Rose makes one final plea to the universe, asking when it will be "Rose's Turn" after all she's sacrificed.

In a genius bit of casting, Peter Rothstein has chosen perhaps the most talented mother/daughter team in the Twin Cities to play Rose and Louise - Michelle Barber and Cat Brindisi. Both are incredible individual talents, Michelle a staple at the Chanhassen as well as other theaters in town, and Cat an up-and-coming young talent. But put them together, and it's really quite something. This is not the first time they've played mother and daughter on stage (see also Spring Awakening), but it's probably safe to say it's the most significant. Like when married couples play married couples, the real-life relationship adds another layer of authenticity to the stage relationship, as you see them mirrored in each other. Cat blooms before our eyes from the awkward teenager to the confident woman and entertainer, and it's obvious where she gets her talent (and her legs!), although she's made it all her own. But even though the show is called Gypsy, Mama Rose is the star of this show (wouldn't she be pleased!), and Michelle is a force of nature as the stage mother to end all stage mothers, with a heart-breaking, gut-wrenching performance of "Rose's Turn."

The rest of the cast ain't too shabby either. The two actors reprising their roles from Latte Da's last production of the show are Tod Peterson, so genuine and charming as Herbie, and Eriq Nelson, stealing scenes with his very specific albeit brief performances as... everyone! Shinah Brashears is a perfect choice for Baby June, and gets to play a bit with other roles as well. Tyler Michaels not only shines as the soft-shoeing Tulsa but also as several other characters, most notably a nonchalant stripper with a cigarette hanging off her lips. Because if you've got Tyler Michaels in a show, might as well have him play as many characters as possible! Emily Jansen and Kate Beahen also make great strippers with a gimmick, just a few of the too many great performances in the ensemble to mention, which also include a talented crop of kids that bode well for the future.

The most significant reimagining comes through in the set design (by Michael Hoover), or rather the set design sets the tone for the reimagining. The entire stage is open to the backstage, piled high with things that you might find stacked in an old theater, and you can see the inner workings of the backdrops and set pieces as they move in and out and up. Peter Rothstein said in an interview, "The Pantages Theatre has 35 batons in its fly loft, all intended for painted scenery. We use every one of them in this production to carry painted drops that are based on historical research and period advertisements." This adds to the authenticity of this story in this space. It feels delightfully and appropriately retro and old-fashioned, as if you're seeing actual Vaudeville acts the way they originally might have been seen. The lighting (by Mary Shabatura) feels appropriate to the period too, with the big stage bulbs surrounding an arch and in the footlights, flashing, brightening, and dimming as called for by the story. Completing the look is the authentic-looking period wardrobe, as well as the flashy Vaudevillian costumes and Loise's layered-for-stripping looks (costume design by Alice Fredrickson).

This dreamy score is full of such favorites as the double entendre that is  "Let Me Entertain You," "You'll Never Get Away From Me" (which I sing to my cats if they try to sneak out the door), "Together Wherever We Go," and of course, "Everything's Coming Up Roses." They all sound great as performed by Denise Prosek's six-piece pit orchestra in an actual pit. And since many of the scenes in the play take place on an actual stage, the pit orchestra and conductor are often mentioned and talked to. And the audience has a role to play too, as Mama Rose encourages us to cheer for Baby June, and Gypse Rose Lee flirts with us, making us feel part of the experience.

The talent in this town is an embarrassment of riches, and kudos to Broadway Reimagined for shining a light on it with this fantastic production of a beloved classic. It was a great weekend for musical theater with the premieres of two must-sees for musical theater fans - the beautifully faithful production of A Chorus Line at the Ordway, and this new and yet retro reimagined Gypsy (playing now through March 13).

‘Gypsy’: A tuneful trip into a tortured mind

Pioneer PressChris Hewitt

February 21, 2016

Rose is an overwhelmingly supportive stage mother, which Theater Latte Da’s “Gypsy” makes clear in an early scene. Her daughters sing and dance while she’s at the edge of the stage, exhorting us to clap in a way that suggests she’ll happily come to our seats and punch us in the face if we don’t.

Abandoned by her mother as a child, Rose has spent her life thinking that everything would be better if she became a star but it’s too late for that now, so she pours her show-biz dreams into her reluctant daughters, bossy June and shy Louise, the latter of whom is willing to try anything if it will make her mom pay attention to her. They want her love, she wants to be a star and nobody is going to get what they want in this bitter-edged backstage musical set in the 1920s, when the talkies were shoving vaudeville aside.

Bitter maybe, but “Gypsy” sweetens the pot with one of the most memorable scores in all of musical theater. Just about everyone will recognize “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” “Let Me Entertain You” and “Together Wherever We Go” but this is one of those shows where even song titles that don’t ring a bell, such as “Small World,” sound instantly familiar. Many of them are sung by Michelle Barber as Rose. She’s the only actor who’s on stage from the beginning of the show to its end and, in the sort of phrase the show-biz-obsessed Rose might use, she knocks ’em dead.

Rose is one of the toughest roles in musicals but Barber, a veteran of Chanhassen Dinner Theatres and other Twin Cities venues, makes good on Rose’s claim, early in the show, that she’s a pro. Her Rose may be needy and frightening but she also possesses a folksy charm that helps explain why her kids stick by her as long as they do and why their agent, Herbie, worships her.

Barber is the actual mother of Cat Brindisi, who subtly shifts Louise from wallflower to a sort of swan, and that adds the poignancy you might expect to their scenes. But what’s unexpected is that the power and foggy warmth of Barber’s voice — even when she’s pushing a note to indicate her character’s mania, she nails it (“I’m a pro”) — also reveal Rose’s humanity.

The character is often referred to as a monster because she pushes her kids so relentlessly, but Barber’s Rose is not a monster; she’s a human being who has the misfortune to believe that life is not worth living if it isn’t lived on a stage.

That theme is smartly illuminated by Latte Da’s production. We enter to a stage that set designer Michael Hoover has piled with junk, an indication that the era of vaudeville — and, by extension, Rose — is over. All of the action takes place within a false proscenium, blurring the lines between when the characters are on stage and when it’s their “real life.” Director Peter Rothstein takes every opportunity to remind us how seedy that life was in the waning days of vaudeville (which, incidentally, played out in the former vaudeville house where this “Gypsy” is playing, Minneapolis’ Pantages Theatre) but his production also captures the glamour and thrill of show business, whether it’s in a soft shoe performance by the versatile Tyler Michaels or the cheesily glorious lighting effects of Marcus Dilliard.

Some elements don’t quite work: The increasingly crass vaudeville hosts played by Eriq L. Nelson struck me as too broad, for instance. But most of the production’s attention is, as it should be, on Rose. Rothstein has staged her first-act closer, “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” as a show-stopper performed while two other characters look on in horror. He has clearly thought hard about how that number relates to the final number in the show, “Rose’s Turn,” where he creates an unforgettable image that, for a moment or two, makes us feel like we are inside Rose’s head at the exact moment when all her dreams are shattering.

In fact, as Rose tries to make her dreams jibe with the welfare of the people she loves, this production gets so far inside her tormented, trapped-in-the-days-of-vaudeville brain that it sometimes seems like Barber’s Rose is bigger and more vivid than anyone else on stage. You may almost think it’s as if she’s in a different show than all of the other characters, and there’s a reason for that: She is.

What: “Gypsy”

When: Through March 13

Where: Pantages Theatre, 510 Hennepin Ave., Mpls.

Tickets: $56.50-$31.50, 800-859-7469 or hennepintheatretrust.org

Capsule: Insightful and entertaining, this “Gypsy” boasts a galvanic performance by Michelle Barber.

Theater review: Theater Latte Da opens 'Gypsy' in Minneapolis

Star TribuneBy Graydon Royce

February 21, 2016

"Sing out, Louise!"

Momma's voice does not instantly scald the back of our heads as she enters from the rear of the house and shouts at her daughter.

We turn to see a thin cloth coat of a woman, ambling toward the stage where she will orchestrate her children's audition for a cheap kiddie show. She is a nonstop talking machine, a huckster, a conniver — but not the rumbling Army tank with a chain-saw voice we might expect.

In these early moments of Peter Rothstein's production of "Gypsy" at the Pantages Theatre, actor Michelle Barber invites our amusement as Rose. She is pushy, certainly, and manipulative, but Barber sketches the character within very human boundaries. She's not a monster.

But do not despair, you devotees of Ethel Merman and Tyne Daly. Barber's soft entry allows her to grow into the complex character who will snap and howl as she loses control of her world — which consists of her daughters' lives. By the end of the first act she is in twitchy full throttle, declaring ferociously that despite the betrayal of daughter Dainty June, "Everything's Coming Up Roses."

 "Gypsy" — the 1959 creation of Arthur Laurents, Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim — remains among the best of the midcentury book musicals. Based on the memoir of famed burlesque performer Gypsy Rose Lee, it is steeped in theatrical convention and stuffed with memorable music. And its story is ancient — the child's struggle to leave the nest and fly on her own.

Rothstein and set designer Michael Hoover have opened up the Pantages stage to the back wall, where heaps of props, chairs, desks, rugs, lights, every manner of stage knickknack stack up nearly to the ceiling. A proscenium descends, and it's here that this musical fable, this story of the theater, will be played.

The stagecraft is excellent, with Michael Matthew Ferrell's delicate choreography and lighting designer Mary Shabatura's sense for shade and illumination. The scene in which child actors change into young adults is a trick so slick it draws applause.

Music director Denise Prosek lightly articulates Styne's score and Sondheim's lyrics. Barber's Rose, Tod Petersen's Herbie and Cat Brindisi's Louise make a great team in "Together Wherever We Go." Brindisi and Shinah Brashears as Dainty June romp through the sweet "If Momma Was Married." And Brindisi is poignant in "Little Lamb" and seductive in "Let Me Entertain You."

While we are on the subject, Brindisi demonstrates again what a smart actor she is, beautifully navigating the transformation from plain and insecure Louise into the confident stripper Gypsy (with visual help from costumer Alice Fredrickson). Brindisi, with her heart on her sleeve, waits until it is her moment to dominate this show, and she does that fabulously.

Eriq Nelson, in a neat theatrical convention, plays nine characters, from the grimy kiddie-show host to a wheezing stage manager, a lisping secretary and more emcees than you can shake a pasty at.

Tyler Michaels is charismatic and light-footed as Tulsa, the dancer who pulls Dainty June away from Rose. Petersen's Herbie seems a little too easygoing, not digging to the nub of a man who wants desperately to live a normal life with Rose and her girls.

Which brings us back to Barber. She finds all the panic of a mother who, in the finale "Rose's Turn," realizes who she has become and why. It was for her, not the girls. She wanted to be the star. We start to think: Is there a bit of Rose in all of us?

BWW Interview: 6 Questions & a Plug with GYPSY's Peter Rothstein

By Kirsten Hirsch MontagBroadway World Minneapolis

February 18, 2016

Peter Rothstein. In Minneapolis Saint Paul theatre circles, this is a name you've likely heard and read countless times in recent years. Named the Star Tribune Artist of the Year for 2015 recently was just one of his many accolades, and his productions have been receiving raving reviews and standing ovations on the area stages for such shows as OLIVER!, SWEENEY TODD and a stellar production of CABARET, to name but a few.

Next to the Joes at the Big G across town, Rothstein is indeed one of the best known directors in the area. So, getting to talk to him a little about the next collaboration between his Theater Latte Da and Hennepin Theatre Trust, GYPSY, is a great opportunity to learn more about his vision and process for the show, which opens Feb. 20 at the Pantages Theatre in downtown Minneapolis. Get a glimpse into Rothstein's thoughts in this 6 Questions & a Plug:

Let's start with something I've often wondered: when I read a production has been "re-imagined," I am curious what that means. Could you describe how the Theater Latté Da/Hennepin Theatre Trust shows are "re-imagined," and specifically how that is applying to GYPSY?

I think the original production of a Broadway musical, especially if it's a success, leaves an indelible mark on the piece. The work of the original creative team (designers, directors, choreographers...) often has a lasting impact on a given work. It's hard to imagine A CHORUS LINE without gold top-hats and tails for example, or LES MISERABLES without a revolving stage. With Broadway Reimagined we try to approach the conceptual process as if it were a brand new musical, honoring the work's history but, hopefully, realizing it in a new light.

How do you choose which shows you will stage each year with Hennepin Theatre Trust; is this a collaborative decision or do you get to determine which shows you think will be the next big thing in the Twin Cities?

It is a collaborative process between the two organizations.

From what I've read you like to do shows that you find relevant for the current times - how is GYPSY that for us right here, right now?

There are some shows that have a specific simpatico with a given moment in history and other shows that I believe transcend time. In my opinion, GYPSY is the latter. While it is centered around a singular family and a distinct period in history, I believe the story is a fascinating exploration of the American psyche. What exactly is the American Dream and how is it intrinsically linked to fame and fortune? What is the line of separation between a parent's dream for their children and the children's own aspirations?

You are performing in the not-often-used Pantages Theatre, a former Vaudeville house that's celebrating its centennial this year, and using painted backdrops, which I actually find I miss in this age of digital video screens and multimedia productions. Tell me how you're taking advantage of these things with this show that takes place during the same period. Will audiences feel transported to the time and place of Gypsy Rose Lee?

I often begin the design process by asking my team, if the characters were left to their own devices what tools would they have to tell their story? We know Mama Rose and her children traveled by train with all of scenery and costumes packed in old steam trunks for most of their career. Our production embraces that reality. Mama Rose's luggage is omnipresent in our production; a vaudevillian parallel to Mother Courage and her cart. The Pantages Theatre has 35 batons in its fly loft, all intended for painted scenery. We use every one of them in this production to carry painted drops that are based on historical research and period advertisements.

We also expose the entire stage and all of its mechanics. There are no curtains masking the sides of the stage; the audience can see all of the scenery and props waiting in the wings as well as the crew pulling the ropes to fly the scenery in and out. There is also no masking above the stage so all of the scenery is exposed in its "out" position high above the stage.

We are quite certain that Baby June and her Newsboys performed at this theater while touring the Pantages circuit. The production often has a haunting quality, as if we are conjuring their ghosts, welcoming them back to this incredible room.

You've also had a lot of experience with casts with lots of children at the Children's Theatre Company and in shows like Oliver! GYPSY has a high percentage of children actors, too. How is it working with groups of kids in a professional show with a month-long run? And, do you feel that the Minneapolis/Saint Paul area is becoming a training ground for the theatre world?

I love working with kids; their enthusiasm is infectious. I really don't treat the child actors any different than the adults when it comes to the rehearsal process. They are held to the same standards and they always rise to the occasion. The Twin Cities has been a training ground for the theater world for the last fifty years. We are so fortunate to have the nation's largest and most celebrated children's theater company in our community, not only developing the next generation of theater artists, but exposing thousands of young people to the magic of theater each year.

Sometimes you revisit a production that you have previously produced (GYPSY, All is Calm, Sweeney Todd). When you bring a show back, do you re-work it at all or just recreate the magic and try to recapture audiences' interest from the first go-round?

I love being able to revisit a given show, especially when it's a work as rich as GYPSY. It is never a simple remount. I would never deny the actor the opportunity to bring themselves to a given role. Michelle Barber's Mama Rose is very different from Jody Briskey's, who did the production with Theater Latté Da in 2007. Tod Petersen is reviving the role of Herbie, but this Herbie is very different because he is playing opposite a new Mama Rose. My job is to get people in the room together and facilitate a process that leads to authentic action and reaction. If the actors are doing their job, the production can't help but change.

I also adjust a "remount" to the given space. There are things you can do in a small space that just don't translate to a larger venue and vice versa. The Pantages was built for Vaudeville so there's a beautiful simpatico for this particular show and we are trying to maximize that.

Time for a plug for your next big thing. Many of us have heard about the remount of SWEENEY TODD, what don't we already know that you can tell us? Or, give some insight into what you'd like to do next professionally.

I love being able to direct true masterpieces like SWEENEY TODD, and there are still a lot of shows on my bucket list. But I am even more excited about new work and bringing together playwrights, composers and lyricists to create something wholly original. Theater Latté Da recently launched NEXT 20/20, which is a commitment to develop 20 new musicals or plays with music between now and the year 2020. Hopefully you will be seeing the world premiere of a host of new musicals in the coming years.

Tickets for GYPSY

GYPSY runs Feb. 13-March 13, 2016, at the Pantages Theatre as part of the Broadway Re- Imagined Series. Tickets range from $31.50-$56.50 (subject to change) depending on performance time and seating preference. Tickets may be purchased in person at the State Theatre Box Office, 805 Hennepin Avenue, Mpls., 55402 (no service fees), online at HennepinTheatreTrust.org, through Ticketmaster by calling 1.800.982.2787 or visiting a Ticketmaster Ticket Center.