The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

I will admit to being skeptical about this play. I loved the book and it was difficult for me to imagine a play doing the unique cadence of the book justice.  I'm happy to report I may actually like the play better than the book, a curious thing indeed!

Crafting a story around a central character who engages with the world from somewhere on the autism spectrum is challenging.  It's a delicate balance between exploiting stereotypes and investing in an often misunderstood perspective. Christopher, played beautifully by Adam Langdon on the night I attended (played by Benjamin Wheelwright for alternate showtimes), is immediately recognizable as That Kid from anyone's childhood: brilliant, impossible, socially struggling. Langdon perfectly captures the physicality of Christopher's world, aided throughout by expert lighting and sound that drive home the intensity of even the smallest action when one lives life as hyper alert, hyper aware, hyper sensitive.

The play begins with Christopher's discovery of the murdered dog of a neighbor, inspiring an obsessive desire to solve the heinous crime. What begins as one specific mystery leads quickly to bigger, darker mysteries surrounding Christopher's home life and each unraveling sends Christopher spinning.  While Christopher is certainly the driver of the story, he is anchored onstage by expert turns from Maria Elena Ramirez, playing Siobhan, a loving, dedicated teacher, and Gene Gillette, playing Christopher's father, Ed. The people who love Christopher circle him, sometimes from a safe distance, and attempt to help him make sense of an often nonsensical environment.

There is no perfect resolution to this story. For that reason, it seems to beat with a real, bloody heartbeat. It's noisy, funny, heartbreaking, overwhelming, bright, and in the end, beautiful. In other words, well worth a trip to the Orpheum.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is playing now through December 4th.  You can purchase tickets online at the Hennepin Theatre Trust and don't forget the rush seats available for students and teachers!

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Upton 43

Upton 43 probably doesn't qualify as a new spot anymore. But this blog is frequently evidence that getting to each and every "new" spot is a long term endeavor. 

I went to Upton 43, nestled in the beautiful Linden Hills neighborhood (yup, rough parking situation), for brunch. I'm a sucker for aesthetics and Upton 43 gets everything right on that point. Lots of natural light, muted whites, and gorgeous  stone settings. The silverware setting got its own photo. 

We ordered the fried Gouda to start, served with lingonberry and perfectly charred onion. It was so delicious I attempted some charred onions of my own that night. Imitation is the purest form of flattery, right? 

My main course was the open face salmon sandwich (not gonna try to spell the word). The combination of radish and dill will never get old for me, and paired with the perfect slather of butter on dark, toasted bread was just wonderful. I could eat that particular meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, happily. 

Our server was attentive and helpful, answering our questions about quirky (to us) words on the menu and sharing our love for the Bootstrap coffee they serve. I always pay special attention to how servers treat people who are waiting for a companion. I got to the restaurant a touch early so I sat at the table solo for a fair amount of time. It's easy to feel like a burden at that point, but our server was warm and welcoming and refilled my coffee cheerily. 

The clean, simple prettiness of the space echoed through the food and service. It was a truly lovely meal that I'll be happy to repeat soon. 

www.upton43.com

The Shining

I am not a scary movie person. I don't enjoy being scared, and as a single (grown up) lady I do not like checking my closet for murderers before bed.

That said, sometimes I can muster courage for the sake of a world premier opera. Such was the case for The Shining, which I was privileged to experience on their Social Media Preview night. 

Before I started attending Minnesota Opera productions I had a very specific impression of opera. It was exaggerated, surface-driven spectacle, leaving little room for the acting craft. But many productions by Minnesota Opera have forced me to reevaluate that impression and The Shining is a shining (ha!) example of that education in the acting artistry opera provides.

I don't think I'm giving much away when I say this is a story about madness. A descent into violent madness, on the one hand, and also a shimmering picture of a more benevolent quirk of the psyche that brings us, "the shining." And because both brands of madness can produce goosebumps, the story lends itself to truly creepy imagery.

The production embraces the power of Jack's hallucinations and brings them fully to life, gifting the audience with multiple skin-crawly moments. The chorus of ghosts tends to be jovial, even providing some costume-inspired laughs, and the torment they bestow on Jack, Wendy, and Doc strengthens quickly.

Jack's final blow and the resulting denouement tie a bow on the creepiness in under 2.5 hours, quick by operatic standards. 

Sadly (but happily for this production), The Shining has no remaining seats. You may still be able to purchase standing only tickets and given the shorter duration of this show, I'd say it's worth breaking out your comfiest shoes. 

Heirloom

We've had dinner on the books for a while but only decided on Heirloom in the last few days. I'm so grateful we settled on this spot, not only because it's a small hop from my house in South Mpls, but because I needed a bit of delicious simplicity today.

A glass of rosé ( I only remember that it's from the Canary Islands) paired nicely with my plate of Interesting Vegetables. A silly name? Nope, just very simply true. Perfectly cooked, delicious, earthy, and delicate.

I chose the freshwater fish (trout today) as my main event and I could have happily eaten a bowl of that crisped skin. But it was the pungent mushroom broth that I literally slurped up (with a spoon, because I'm not totally without class). 

I loved the simple, unadorned names for the dishes. Roasted Chicken, Interesting Vegetables, Freshwater Fish, Pork
Jowl, Brisket, Chocolate Cake. Each dish was clear on who was the star, but each provided subtle supporting roles to highlight the main event.

I left satisfied but not overstuffed, the portions are reasonable and kind to a waistline. So there's plenty of room for dessert. 

Really happy to add this spot to my list of not-far-from-home gems. 

If/Then

Some of the touring musicals that have passed through Minneapolis of late have been of the lets-make-this-movie-into-a-musical variety. I enjoy some of those shows, but they also kinda irk me as they seem like a bit of a cop out. New is good. Fresh is good. So I've been excited for If/Then at the Orpheum for a long time.

The plot is inspired by the "What If"s we all hear echoing in our brains from time to time. How would life be different had I chosen what was behind door number one instead of door number two?  Elizabeth, played by a stunning Jackie Burns, takes us down each path, and we meet one of her future selves, Liz or Beth, with each choice.  It's a fun, inspiring exploration on what it means to dive into a dream or a new relationship or an ancient love.

I love the premise.  I didn't always love the execution.  There's extraordinary talent onstage.  It was worth an evening just to see Anthony Rapp, as Elizabeth's old boyfriend, Lucas, perform. I just felt the highlights of the storyline, the excitement in the twists and turns of fate, faded through the second act.  If the show had ended at intermission, honestly, I would have thought it was brilliant. The second half just felt like all of the sudden the show felt it had something to prove, had to take a gut-wrenching turn in order to drive its point home. I don't want to give anything away, but I wish tragedy hadn't been necessary in order to explore the heartache of The Path We Choose.

That said, Jackie Burns and Anthony Rapp make this show worth seeing.  And if you happen to be at a crossroads of your own, bring some kleenex. The talent alone is inspiring and there were moments of pure, beautiful insight that held me rapt. What if, indeed.

If/Then plays through March 13 at the Orpheum Theatre.

Dear World

I first became aware of  Ten Thousand Things theater by reading an article in The New York Times back in November and kicked myself for never having seen a show. I was immediately inspired by their purpose, bringing the power of art to nontraditional and frequently under-served audiences. Performing in prisons, reservations, homeless shelters, and rural communities, the shows are staged in a way that blur the line between actor and audience, making that pesky fourth wall a thing of the past. 

When they're not performing at these nontraditional venues, the troupe is hosted at Open Book and Bedlam Lowertown.  Opening night of Dear World was at Open Book and I loved having the opportunity to see that new-to-me space as well as see a show.   

Performances are atypical for traditional theater goers as there's no dimming of the lights, no clear demarcation between stage and audience.  Performers are on the floor, at the same level as the audience, and chairs make a square around the performance. Actors frequently make eye contact with audience members, even engage with them at points. It was interesting to me to see how other people reacted at certain moments, to see how they cocked their head to one side or laughed or grimaced. It made the experience feel more communal, less a "show" and more a shared experience. 

Dear World tells the story of a band of artistic sorts in Paris confronting a band of evil Presidents ("they are all named President") who want to destroy their little cafe by digging for oil.  It's a hyperbolic story of the small and good vs. the big and evil and despite the fact that I'm an energy attorney ("energy" includes petroleum products), I loved it.  Any "evil" would have served the same purpose, somebody has to be Goliath. 

The actors were fantastic, with beautiful voices supported by live instrument accompaniment, the show was a quick 100 minutes with intermission. Sometimes funny, sometimes sweet, each actor brought a unique voice and authority to their role. I was especially impressed by Sheena Janson's dear Nina, young and in love, and Kris Nelson's Sewer Man, fresh off his role as Bob Cratchit at the Guthrie's Christmas Carol, Nelson brings gravitas to a seemingly comical character, depth around the edges of a lighthearted song. 

Dear World shows through February 7th and I highly recommend it not only for its own sake, but for the sake of supporting Ten Thousand Things' important role as a deliverer of art to forgotten pockets of our community. 

Follow me on Twitter @TheMinneapolite

Boss' Pizza and Chicken

 Yes, the possessive form of "boss" should be "boss's," this is correct.

Now that we're past the grammatical issue, Boss' Pizza & Chicken pizza is great! Mere blocks from my house, I've driven by this kinda dive-looking corner pizza place a million times but only recently made an order. I didn't know until it arrived that it was a thin crust style (thicker crusts and gluten free crusts available), and that was a pleasant surprise. Growing up in St. Louis, I'm a sucker for that style of crust, thin and crispy without being too cracker-ish. This was a really solid showing, definitely the best version of that crust I've had in the Cities. The veggie pizza is pictured and my church group also shared a pepperoni and sausage.  I ordered over the phone and despite ordering at prime supper time, the pizzas arrived in under half an hour.  I realize part of the speed could be my proximity, but I was impressed nonetheless.

Their menu includes a host of chicken options, too, and I've heard solid accolades from neighborhood folks for the wings.   I'm also intrigued by their broasted chicken, which I bet would win raves as a last minute pick-up for dinner. Whip up a couple easy sides, plop some broasted chicken on the table, that would surely make you a hero. You can also order any pizza topping/variation as a calzone. But for now I'm just happy to know that the corner spot minutes from me makes a great thin crust pie!

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612 Sauna Society

As stated in the byline of this blog, I am not a native Minnesotan. I grew up in equal parts in Arkansas and Missouri, the former not being known for snow, and the latter not being known for snow that sticks around longer than a week. I don't consider myself to be a hearty winter-lover.  I'm a winter survivor. A muddle-througher. I feel like the 612 Sauna Society was made as much for me as it was for you crazy Minnesotan folks who like to jump in hot tubs and then roll in snow banks (*eye roll*). 

As its name suggests, the society is all about bringing saunas to the people and celebrating the lifestyle of sauna enthusiasts (which I did not know was a thing). It's a fun conglomerate of folks who love saunas, specifically saunas in the dead of winter. Recently the society teamed up with Little Box Sauna to bring their tiny box saunas to areas around town.  Selling tickets for $16 for 90 minutes, the sauna has just enough room for 8-10 people. 90 minutes is plenty of time, too. The sauna is split into two parts, a small changing area with curtains for privacy, and the sauna itself. My friend and I tended to stay in the sauna in 20 minute increments, taking a breather every once in awhile to cool off.  With the temps outside on a nose dive, it felt wonderful to really bake for awhile.  As the sauna was parked right by Blackbird Cafe, we trotted over there for their beer + burger night after toasting our insides thoroughly.  I slept like the dead.

Reservations are available here through Jan 17th, but hopefully the Little Box Sauna will pop up elsewhere soon.  It would be a fun thing to organize for an event, too.

Picture taken from the 612 Sauna Society webpage.

A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder

The State Theatre is my favorite venue on the downtown strip of Hennepin, all fancy curtains and ornate woodwork. And it is the perfect setting for the fancy, albeit bloody, shenanigans of Monty D. Navarro in A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder. I'd heard a bit of the music from this musical as I can never refrain from exploring the Tony-winning stuff, but I'd never seen the show.  I brought my kid sister and we thoroughly enjoyed this quick, witty, murderous comedy.

The cast is fantastic. Led by our hero (can we call him that if he likes to kill people?), Kevin Massey as Monty Navarro, and joined by a stunning John Rapson, who plays eight characters, sometimes in miraculous succession, the voices rounding out this show deliver hilarious asides with the same punch as a soaring solo. The ladies don't slouch either, as Kristen Beth Williams and Adrienne Eller, as Sibella and Phoebe respectively, inspire just as many laughs and rounds of applause as the leading men. I was struck by how quickly the 2 hours and 20 minutes (including intermission) sped by, never a dull pause. 

Murder is in the title, and it's central to the plot, but this isn't a remotely scary show so don't worry about bringing kiddos or fraidy cats. The house was packed last night for the opening, so I wouldn't waste time in grabbing tickets.  Showing at the State Theatre through January 10th, don't forget to check out the discounts for teachers, students, and military. 

Follow me on Twitter @TheMinneapolite