King Lear

Madness. Power. Jealousy. Love. Betrayal. Greed. Violence. Shakespeare's King Lear delivers the best and worst of human nature in a little less than three hours. The Guthrie's current production showcases the quick and dangerous tumble in store for those that rely on the gossip of the greedy, and how tragic a fall awaits those who mistake flattery for love. 

Lear is a shared role between  Stephen Yoakam and Nathaniel Fuller, with the skilled Guthrie veterans tackling the role on alternate performances.  I had the pleasure of attending the show when Yoakam manned the king's descent into madness and he delivered an expert turn of what has always seemed to me to be one of Shakespeare's trickier roles. It's difficult to make that tenuous line of perpetrator/victim credible.  Lear roams the stage in the early scenes as a villain, proud and powerful. Yoakam handles his descent into infirmity and heartbreak with care, allowing the audience the opportunity to recognize the ease with which we all may walk that line under the right circumstances.

Orchestrating that fall are the jealousies of Goneril and Regan, Lear's two eldest daughters played deftly by Kate Nowlin and Sun Mee Chomet.  Wielding their own weapons, sensual and literal, each fights for power with a viciousness and intellect matching the greediest of men onstage. These are not sympathetic characters, but there's a great truth there.  The potential for power is equal for men and women in Lear; the pursuit differs, but the calculation and passion behind that pursuit is well-matched. Nowlin especially paces the stage vibrating with barely controlled rage, and her scheming pulses with a sensual heat. These women will use every tool in their arsenal to claim the power they seek.

Surrounding this truly dysfunctional family is a tribe of genuine supporters and calculating manipulators. Jason Rojas and Thomas Brazzle play their roles of Edgar and Edmund, respectively, as perfect foils. Brazzle oozes bitterness and his snark provides some of the quickest laughs of the show. We all recognize that bitterness and Brazzle brings it home with ease. His conniving plots are tragically matched in naive earnestness by Rojas's Edgar, who descends (literally) into madness before emerging as his father's and Lear's attempted savior. Lear is a tragedy that works because it highlights the goodness surrounding the evil. We're always saddest to see the potential for rescue even as we witness our protagonist fail to recognize the need of that rescue.

For all my love for this production of Lear, I would also like to comment that the poster/artwork reminds me of Beeker from the Muppets.  So I'll end this post with that levity:


 Catch King Lear on the Wurtele Thrust through April 2nd. Get your tickets here.

Promise Land

Transatlantic Love Affair is a theater company with physicality at its core. The ensemble creates not only the connection between characters, but the set itself, with hinged elbows, squeaky-wheel voices, and expertly choreographed shapes. In Promise Land, those shapes lend themselves to an impoverished homeland, an ocean liner (complete with steerage and first class), a boardinghouse, and a factory full of flame and danger.

Without a scrap of set, the ensemble builds the world that brought millions to America's shores. And given today's political climate, that story feels all the more visceral. The hope in young voices is almost a burden to hear, knowing the risks and wounds that surely lay ahead. And as we watch the dangers unfurl and the promise of America dim with the slap of reality, it's easy to wonder how closely the story onstage mirrors the stories playing out among those who make their way to the America of possibility.

Promise carries the story, all quick 75 minutes of it, and while we witness optimism's steady unraveling, we're not left in that pit. There's survival built into this promise, and a strength that seems otherworldly. Our hero and heroine emerge from the ashes with hope and possibility still firmly in their sights and that's a message we can all use these days.

Promise Land closes its run at the Guthrie on Feb 12th.  Tickets are no longer available for online purchase due to the popularity of the show but give the box office a call to check for last minute seats!

King's Wine Bar

I admit, I've been avoiding King's Wine Bar, nestled on that delicious corner of 46th and Grand, since the ownership change and transition to a Pan-Asian menu. I loved my dear old King's and those masterful gruyere tots. 

But it was -3 last night and that bright neon sign signaling "Pho" finally made me bite the bullet and I'm SO GLAD I DID. 

The wine list is still fantastic and the list of local beers is great to see. According to the chalkboard above the still cozy, still intimate bar, a list of Trivia Mafia dates and 1/2 price wine Wednesdays make it clear this place is keeping some of the best attributes of the former haunt while they completely retool the concept.

We snacked on the spicy garlic edamame while we sipped our reds (Borsao for me). I had the Pho (I chose Korean but you can choose a host of proteins) and it was a warm, delicious, umami-packed hug on a cold night. My companion had the Korean rice bowl, piled high with delicious kimchi. We both had ample leftovers and I'm not sad about my leftover Pho lunch plans.

So if you've been like me and been wary of that neon Pho sign gracing the window of a former favorite, please do give King's a new whirl!