Before attending the show last night, I knew nothing about The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess. I didn’t know the story, and I was unfamiliar with the music. The musical had never been on my radar before. Well, it is now. The story takes place in the early 1920’s in the fictitious Catfish Row (Charleston, South Carolina). It’s about a disabled …
AXIS Dance Company at the Ordway
I’ll preface this review by saying that the extent of my dance knowledge doesn’t go beyond watching theatrical musicals or Dancing With the Stars, so you can take this review for what it’s worth. I attended the AXIS Dance Company performance at the Ordway with my daughter, both of us filled with high hopes of seeing an inspiring performance. AXIS …
The Wizard of Oz at the Ordway – Fantastic Family Fun!
Growing up, watching The Wizard of Oz when it came on TV was an annual family event. We’d never miss it! We’d sit in front of our black ‘n white TV set and be entranced for two and a half hours. (I didn’t know, till I was an older teen, that Oz was filmed in color!) Entranced is exactly how …
Broadway Songbook: Musicals of the 1950s – Simply Entertaining
Growing up, I loved musicals: Oklahoma, The Sound of Music, Showboat, The King and I, Guys and Dolls … I could go on. What other entertainment medium encompasses two of my favorite activities, story and music? I remember as a teen going into my room, shutting the door, putting on The Sound of Music album (yes, record album!), and then …
An Emotional Miss Saigon
I went to the Ordway last night knowing little about the pop opera, Miss Saigon, but having seen it now, it’s a show I won’t soon forget. It’s no wonder that it is the 12th longest running musical on Broadway. Set in Vietnam during the American occupation (1975 – 1978), the story begins with tragedy. Kim (Manna Nichols) has lost …
Meeting the Cast from Miss Saigon
In a few weeks, I’ll have the pleasure of attending the opening night for Miss Saigon at the Ordway Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota. I know very little about the play other than it’s created by Schönberg and Boublil, the very creators of Les Misérables so the music has to be wonderful. Courtesy of the Ordway, today I get to share interviews …
Elf The Musical – Fun Family Fare
Yeah I know it’s Saturday, and I usually only blog on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, but I just had to tell you about the play we saw last night: Elf The Musical on Tour at the Ordway Theater in St. Paul. I attended with my oldest son, but the entire family would have enjoyed it. In fact, families of all …
Billy Elliot The Musical – A Show with Heart
My daughter has loved Billy Elliot the Musical since she first saw it on Broadway a few years back, so when I had the opportunity to get tickets to the production at the Ordway in St. Paul, there was no doubting who would accompany me. We weren’t disappointed. If you’re not familiar with Billy Elliot, it’s about a preteen who manages …
Chicago! A Girls’ Night Out
Admittedly, the musical Chicago is not a show I would typically want to see, but I’m not foolish enough to turn down the opportunity. So, this past Tuesday evening my daughter and I dressed up for a girls’ night out at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. Judging by the largely female audience, we weren’t the only ones with that …
Maelstrom of Music and Dance
If money weren’t an issue, my one indulgence would likely be the theater. The Minneapolis-St. Paul area is rich with theatrical and musical options–I’d love to experience them all! So, when I was given an opportunity to attend the opening night of Fela! at the Ordway in St. Paul, I jumped on it. I’d never heard of Fela! before this …