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.