It’s always fun to get a peek behind the scenes.  Photo by Jeremy Daniels I mean, who doesn’t want to feel like an in-the-know insider? With the ubiquitous ability to be a voyeur just about anywhere these days thanks to social media, is there anything we don’t already know? Photo

The latest iteration of Disney’s classic cartoons has some fine moments. Photo by Deen van Meer The crowd at the Orpheum was getting restless. Two songs before the Act 1 finale we were informed that there was a technical issue and the action briefly paused. What on earth could we

What is it like to play the villain?  Photo courtesy of Hennepin Theatre Trust I think many people stereotypically assume that the best part to play in any script is the role of the hero. I mean, who doesn’t want to be admired and spout pithy quotes and swashbuckle their

I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day…. Photo by Joan Marcus What would the world have been like if Motown Records never existed? I mean think about it – the entire popular musical landscape we enjoy today would essentially not exist. No Marvin Gaye. No Temptations or Commodores. No Diana

Can you believe Tuesday is the first time I’ve ever seen Rent on stage?  Photo by Carol Rosegg I know, I know. How is it possible that a young theater reviewer has somehow bypassed THE musical that ushered in our modern age of new works? But it’s true, so I

Wicked offers many lessons for reinventing the “classics.”  Photo by Joan Marcus I’ve been thinking a lot lately about art in terms of modernity versus the “canon.” I truly believe that nothing is sacred and that taking a fresh eye to things is not only fun but often necessary in

Roald Dahl’s eerie story reigns at the Orpheum Theater this week.  Photo by Tim Trumble. There are some things I am grateful for being sheltered from as a child. I was lucky in a lot of ways, and an analog upbringing was really good for my mental and emotional development. 

Everyone has their celebrity obsessions.  Photo by Paula Keller. For some, it’s television personalities. For others, it’s movies or video games or activists. For me, it’s authors. I’ve been an avid reader for as long as I can remember. A huge part of my childhood involved breathlessly waiting for Wishbone

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who love reality television, and those who hate it.  © 2017 George Byron Griffiths http://www.gbgphotography.com And I can see arguments on both sides of the aisle on this issue. Reality TV certainly isn’t the next Shakespeare. It doesn’t have the

THE 24 HOUR PLAYS is coming to Minneapolis for the first time, and it looks to be a doozy of a show. #24HRMPLS   Photo courtesy of Hennepin Theatre Trust. Are you a fan of improv? Observing the creative process? Making the magic happen? Are you an artist or creative