One of the biggest buzzwords since the 2016 presidential election has been “resistance” More people are feeling disenfranchised and activated than ever, which can be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it. People have energy and they need to channel it somewhere. But what does

Where should forgiveness begin and end?   Pictures speak louder than words. That is the question at the heart of Cardboard Piano, a gutwrenching play about the liminal nature of morality, kindness and grace when they are applied in the harshest imaginable circumstances. Who is deserving of mercy in light

What do you do when the weather is cold and #dryjanuary is only half over?   Photo from Thrillist. If you’re feeling a little stir crazy and uninspired with your dating life (I don’t blame you), look no further than this comprehensive list of winter date ideas that I pulled

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

“Ain’t too many people in this world get to be loved – really loved.” Photo by Allen Weeks These graceful words sum up the heartbreaking finale to Wedding Band, a powerful show now running at the Penumbra. I want to state up front that this show was very personal to

Yes, sir. Yes, sir. The piper pays him. Long before Lin-Manuel Miranda made spoken word (aka hip hop) the hottest trend on stages anywhere, Meredith Wilson penned the iconic opening number of The Music Man (quoted above), where a peck of salesmen jostle on a “train” while sitting on their sales suitcases.

Can privileged people have problems? Photo by Petronella Or perhaps it should be phrased differently: do we, or should we, care about privileged people’s problems when there are so many more pressing issues facing the world today? It sounds like a ridiculous question – I mean at some point, all

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