Photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp, courtesy of the Guthrie Theater
Guthrie Theater
Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, 501 W. 78th St., Chanhassen, 952-934-1525, chanhassendt.com
Footloose, Now–Feb. 4, 2023, by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie, directed by Michael Brindisi: “When Ren and his mother move from Chicago to a small farming town, he is prepared for the inevitable adjustment period at his new high school. But he’s not prepared for the rigorous local edicts, including a ban on dancing instituted by the local preacher, who is determined to exercise control over the town’s youth. The heartfelt story that emerges pins a father longing for the son he lost against a young man aching for the father who walked out on him.”
The Prom, Feb. 10–June 10, by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin, directed by Michael Brindisi: “You’re invited to The Prom, Broadway’s new smash hit and now a major motion picture on Netflix that’s full of sparkle and “Zazz!” A toupe of hilarious, self-absorbed and down-on-their-luck Broadway stars shake up a small Indiana town as they rally behind a teen who wants to go to the prom with her girlfriend."
Children’s Theatre, 2400 3rd Ave. S., Mpls., 612-874-0400, childrenstheatre.org
Corduroy, Feb. 14–April 2, by Barry Kornhauser, directed by Peter C. Brosius: “Oh no, Corduroy’s button has gone missing, and he can’t go home with kindhearted Lisa without it! Join the beloved teddy bear as he takes a rollicking ride up the escalator and begins a delightfully destructive romp through every section of the department store. Will he find his button at the top of a teetering store display? Will Lisa ever get to bring him home, or will the bumbling security guard catch him first? Where, oh where, is Corduroy’s BUTTON?”
Locomotion, Jan. 24–March 5, by Jacqueline Woodson, directed by Talvin Wilks: “Uprooted from his family, surrounded by the unfamiliar, Lonnie couldn’t feel more alone. But this year, his class is learning to write poetry. Lonnie’s verses take him from his foster home to the classroom, into the streets, and back to a time when his family was all together. As Lonnie finds his voice, you’ll discover how poetry can bring you closer to others and yourself.”
Elision Playhouse, 6105 42nd Ave. N., Crystal, 612-662-6105, elisionplayhouse.com
Well-Behaved Women, Feb. 9–Feb. 18, by Carmel Dean: “At a time when women's voices struggled to be heard, Carmel Dean imagined what famous women in history would say if given a microphone. Through the voices of Eve, Mary Magdalene, Cleopatra, Harriet Tubman and many more, we hear songs of courage, strength, rage, and resilience. The songs range from rock and jazz to country, and are at times painful, heart-warming, and hilarious. Our group of Twin Cities singers portray nineteen women—some you will recognize, others you learn about for the first time.”
Guthrie Theater, 818 S. 2nd St., Mpls., 612-377-2224, guthrietheater.org
The Little Prince, Dec. 10, 2022–Feb. 5, 2023, by Rick Cummins and John Scoullar, directed by Dominique Serrand: “After his plane crashes in the Sahara, a pilot is plotting his survival strategy when a little prince with a gleeful spirit appears. Over the course of a week, the prince tells the pilot tales of his intergalactic travels to various planets, Earth included. Each story sheds new light on their philosophical questions until the two unlikely companions find the answers — and their lives — hanging in the balance. Full of whimsy and wonder, this imaginative fairy tale for the whole family studies the contrast between the innocence of youth and the inevitable realities of adulthood.”
Blues for an Alabama Sky, Jan. 28–March. 12, by Pearl Cleavage, directed by Nicole A. Watson: “In a Depression-era Harlem apartment building, a close-knit group of friends has become a chosen family. New roommates Angel and Guy — a recently fired blues singer and a promising costume designer with Paris in his sights — live across the hall from Delia, a social worker who sparks a relationship with the hardworking doctor Sam. Their lives are upturned when Southern newcomer Leland arrives and falls hard for Angel, who is torn between a stable life in Manhattan and an exhilarating overseas adventure with Guy. Angel chooses her path, but the decision leads to devastating consequences that shift the trajectory of everyone’s futures and long-held dreams.”
History Theatre, 30 E. 10th St, St. Paul, 651-292-4323, historytheatre.com
The Root Beer Lady, Jan. 28–Feb. 19, written and performed by Kim Schultz, directed by Addie Gorlin-Han: “1986. The story of the indomitable Dorothy Molter, the last legal non-indigenous resident of the Boundary Waters. The story reflects the beauty and hardships of Molter’s solitary yet satisfying life beginning in 1934. The play, funny and passionate, explores her independence, fortitude, and love of nature. and pushes back against the premise that her time in the North Woods made her the “Loneliest Woman in America,” as the Saturday Evening Post claimed in 1952. Dorothy Molter’s story will delight all, young and old.”
Lyric Arts, 420 E. Main St., Anoka, 763-422-1838, lyricarts.org
The Girl on the Train, Jan. 13–Feb. 5, adapted from the original novel by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel, directed by Anna Crace: “Rachel Watson longs for a different life. Her only escape is in the glimpse of the perfectly happy suburban couple she views through the train window on her daily London commute. Their life–as she sees it–is perfect. Not unlike the life she so recently lost…”
The Wedding Singer, Feb. 24—March 26, by Chad Beguelin and Tim Herlihy, directed by Jake Sung-Guk Sullivan: “The Wedding Singer centers around Robbie Hart, New Jersey’s number one wedding singer and the life of the party. That is until his own fiancée strands him at the altar. Shot through the heart, bitter and broken, Robbie begins to make every wedding as disastrous as his own until a warm-hearted waitress named Julia intervenes.”
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, 345 Washington St., St. Paul, 651-224-4222, ordway.org
The Daughter of the Regiment, Feb. 4–Feb. 12, by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges, Jean François Bayard, conducted by Kelly Kuo: “Marie is no ordinary canteen girl. Adopted and raised by a squadron of French soldiers and unaware of her aristocratic lineage, this spunky young woman falls for a handsome villager. But when her past comes to whisk her away, will she fall in line or follow her heart?”
A Soldier’s Play, (production brought to MN by the Ordway, is being performed at the Fitzgerald Theater) Feb. 8–Feb. 12, by Charles Fuller, directed by Kenny Leon: “In 1944, on a Louisiana Army base, two shots ring out. A Black sergeant is murdered. And a series of interrogations triggers a gripping barrage of questions about sacrifice, service, and identity in America. A Soldier’s Play, the 1982 Pulitzer Prize-winning thriller by Charles Fuller, has rocketed back into the spotlight, thanks to this 2020 Tony Award-winning Best Revival from Roundabout Theatre Company. Broadway’s Norm Lewis leads a powerhouse cast.”
Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., 612-373-5671, hennepintheatretrust.org
To Kill a Mockingbird, Feb. 14–19, by Aaron Sorkin, directed by Bartlett Sher: “All rise for Academy Award-winner Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork."
Shen Yun 2023, Feb. 24–Feb. 26: "Through the universal language of music and dance, Shen Yun weaves a wondrous tapestry of heavenly realms, ancient history, and modern heroic tales."
Pantages Theatre, 710 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., 612-339-7007, hennepintheatretrust.org
Potted Potter, Feb. 10–Feb.26, by Jefferson Turner and Daniel Clarkson: “Playing to sold out houses all over the world, the Olivier Award nominated Potted Potter – The Unauthorised Harry Experience, A Parody by Jeff and Dan takes on the ultimate challenge of condensing all seven Harry Potter books (and a real life game of Quidditch) into seventy hilarious minutes.”
Penumbra Theatre, 270 N. Kent St., St. Paul, 651-224-3180, penumbratheatre.org
Sugar in Our Wounds, Feb. 21–March 19, by Donja R. Love, directed by Sarah Bellamy: “Set on a Southern plantation in 1862, this piercing drama explores queer Black love against a backdrop of imminent freedom. Two young enslaved men torn from their families find solace in one another, propelling them into a harrowing fight for love and survival.”
Pillsbury House and Theatre, 3501 Chicago Ave., Mpls., 612-824-0708, pillsburyhouseandtheatre.org
The Bull-Jean Stories, Jan. 12–Feb. 5, by Sharon Bridgforth, directed by Signe V. Harriday: “Stars Ivey award winner and PH+T Resident Teaching Artist Aimee K. Bryant as she embodies a variety of characters that invite audiences to travel through the warm, hilarious, and poetic world of Bridgforth’s woman-loving-woman bull-dog-jean.”
The Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Ave. S., Mpls., 612-208-1579, southerntheater.org
By the Glimmer of a Half-Extinguished Light, Feb. 9–Feb. 12, choreographed by Madeline Granlund: The work is comprised of only one body, a projector, a jug of water, and a gothic candelabra. This live art retelling of Frankenstein dissects the relationship between creator and creation, in which artist and artwork are mutually constructed. A body performs alongside its life-size doppelgänger projection. They meet between live moment and recorded moment, moving together in glitches and lags
Stages Theatre Company, 1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins, 952-979-1111, stagestheatre.org
Maybe, Jan. 13–Feb. 12, by Cristina Pippa, directed by Sandy Boren-Barrett and Ann Marie Omeish: “An expansive portrayal of the endless potential in us all! An original musical about the magical, immeasurable possibilities that make up who we are and what we can do. From the award-winning author of What Do You Do with An Idea? comes the story of everything that makes us unique.”
Theater Latté Da, 345 13th Ave. NE, Mpls., 612-339-3003, latteda.org
Hello, Dolly! , Feb. 1–March 19, by Michael Stewart and Jerry Herman, directed by Kelli Foster Ward: “Business woman and matchmaker extraordinaire Dolly Levi is determined to make everyone’s lives richer and happier – including her own.”
Theatre in the Round, 245 Cedar Ave, Mpls., 612-333-3010, theatreintheround.org
The Book Club [Play], Jan. 27–Feb. 19, directed by Shanan Custer: “Ana is a Type A personality who lives in a letter-perfect world with an adoring husband, the perfect job and her greatest passion: Book Club. But when her cherished group becomes the focus of a documentary film, their intimate discussions about life and literature take a turn for the hilarious in front of the inescapable camera lens. Add a provocative new member along with some surprising new book titles, and these six friends are bound for pandemonium.”
UMN Dept. of Theatre Arts and Dance, 580 Rarig Center, 330 21st Ave. S., Mpls, 612-625-6699, cla.umn.edu/theatre
Bakkhai – A Greek Tragedy of Rational vs. Instinctual, Feb. 24–26, by Euripides, Directed by Ben Lohrberg: “Anne Carson writes, “Euripides was a playwright of the fifth century BC who reinvented Greek tragedy, setting it on a path that leads straight to reality TV. His plays broke all the rules, upended convention and outraged conservative critics. The Bakkhai is his most subversive play, telling the story of a man who cannot admit he would rather live in the skin of a woman, and a god who seems to combine all sexualities into a single ruinous demand for adoration. Dionysos is the god of intoxication. Once you fall under his influence, there is no telling where you will end up.”
Yellow Tree Theatre, 320 5th Ave. SE, Osseo, 763-493-8733, yellowtreetheatre.com
Misery, Feb 24- March 19, by William Goldman: “Paul Sheldon is a very successful romance novelist who finds himself recovering in the secluded home of his “number one fan” Annie Wilkes after she rescues him from a near fatal car crash. While Paul is on the mend, Annie insists she must proof read Paul’s latest book and becomes blind with rage when it is revealed Mr. Sheldon has killed off Annie’s favorite character, Misery Chastain.”
