Who says old dogs can’t learn new tricks?   Photo by Matthew Murphy Or perhaps it would be more appropriately phrased: who says old musicals can’t learn new tricks? Photo by Matthew Murphy Long time Compendium readers (thank you, wherever you are!) will remember my review four years ago (how?!?)

Could Waitress have arrived in Minneapolis at a better time?  Photo courtesy of Hennepin Theatre Trust With all of the sexual harassment allegations swarming the cultural conversation, women coming forward every day to tell stories of abuse and hardship, and an increasing focus on telling women’s stories, what better than

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

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

Despite the show’s problematic history, it’s a lovely immersion into a complicated world of splendor. Photo by Matthew Murphy. There’s no such thing as an untouchable classic. I have always been a firm advocate of judiciously editing stories from the past (even Shakespeare); they still have something to say to