22 Dec 2009

What's Happenin' on New Year's Eve, 2009

By Mike Schulz

Euforquestra @ The Englert Theatre"Hey there, Jeff! I hope you and yours are enjoying the merriest of holiday seasons!"

"Well, you're certainly in a good mood."

"I am finished, baby! I got everything done that I needed to get done before heading to my folks' house for Christmas! I wrote my year-in-theatre articles, I'm caught up with online calendar listings, I saw Avatar, and I just sent you the What's Happenin' pages. Done!"

"Is it the same What's Happenin' format that we went with last year?

"Yup. We're providing a go-to guide for entertainment options on New Year's Eve, with a listing of area venues that'll be hosting live music, karaoke, or DJs in the hours before midnight. The bands will be listed there as well as in the paper's Live Music section, and we're including the venues' phone numbers and street and Web addresses. You know, for convenience."

21 Dec 2009

Always Be Opening: Area Theatre in 2009

By Mike Schulz

Glengarry Glen Ross' Michael Kennedy, Aaron Randolph III, Daniel DP Sheridan, Tristan Tapscott, Louis Hare, and David FurnessBefore turning my attention to the area-theatre scene, allow me a moment to address another favorite topic: me.

I seem to have caused some confusion after announcing that I'd no longer be reviewing theatre for the Reader, at least based on how many people have approached me asking variations on, "What are you going to do now?!" (Eventually, I had to go back to the Reader's online call-for-entry to make sure I didn't mistakenly announce that I was quitting or got canned.)

21 Dec 2009

Theatre Highs in 2009

By Mike Schulz

Whether you attend stage works sporadically or, like me, you saw 85 shows in the past year, anyone who enjoyed even one will understand that feeling of leaving a venue thinking, "Wow ... that was really good." I experienced that sensation numerous times this year, and while this list is hardly exhaustive, it'll hopefully give you an idea of just what you've been missing if you missed out on 2009's offerings.

21 Dec 2009

The Player Is the Thing: A Dozen Memorable Performances

By Mike Schulz

Narrowing down 2009's sensational stage portrayals into a list of 12 "favorites" is a hopeless task, really, so don't take this as any kind of last word on the subject; you'll find mention of amazing stage work all throughout my year-end coverage. Still, here's hoping you were able to catch at least a few of the following performances, which helped underline just how crazy with theatrical talent our area actually is.

21 Dec 2009

The Essentials 2009: A Dozen Names to Remember ... and a Bunch You Shouldn't Forget

By Mike Schulz

Back in 2006, when I composed my first list of a dozen theatre "Essentials" - theatrical talents whose gifts were employed in a number of area productions - I couldn't have imagined that I'd find a dozen new names to add year after year. Well, as 2009 draws to a close, we can officially add another " ... after year" to that sentence.

21 Dec 2009

Eight Times Five: Ensembles, Musical Numbers, Stagecraft, Couples, Newcomers, Collegiate Performers, Minors, & Exits

By Mike Schulz

Five Inspiring Ensembles

Powerful lead performances and scene-stealing supporting turns are always welcome; one- and two-character shows can be a gas. But for my money, nothing quite beats the theatrical pleasure of watching a tightly knit ensemble in action, and the following five productions ensured that this pleasure was a continual one.

 

20 Dec 2009

Natives/American: "Avatar," "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire," and "The Road"

By Mike Schulz

AvatarAVATAR

There are visual wonders galore in James Cameron's science-fiction epic Avatar, but what's most amazing about the film's design is how offhandedly wondrous it is.

13 Dec 2009

Old-School: "The Princess & the Frog" and "Invictus"

By Mike Schulz

The Princess & the FrogTHE PRINCESS & THE FROG

Like many of you, I'm sure, I've grown somewhat nostalgic for the hand-drawn animated Disney musicals of a long-ago era -- by which I mean the early '90s. But I'll be honest: Almost nothing about the previews for the studio's The Princess & the Frog convinced me that the old Disney magic was, at last, about to be recaptured.

08 Dec 2009

What's Happenin': December 10 - 22, 2009

By Mike Schulz

Jon Wayne & the PainMusic

Jon Wayne & the Pain

Rock Island Brewing Company

Thursday, December 17, 10 p.m.

 

According to the online publication MinnPost.com, the reggae/ska syncopations of Jon Wayne & the Pain "not only propel you onto the dance floor," but "do so with a positive message about the struggles of life." Of course, speaking personally, I find that propelling myself onto the dance floor is one of the struggles of life.

06 Dec 2009

The War at Home: "Brothers," "Armored," "Everybody's Fine," and "Transylmania"

By Mike Schulz

Natalie Portman, Tobey Maguire, Bailee Madison, and Taylor Geare in BrothersBROTHERS

In director Jim Sheridan's Brothers, adapted from a 2004 Danish film of the same title, a stalwart Marine captain (Tobey Maguire) is captured, tortured, and presumed dead during his fourth tour in Afghanistan. Miraculously, however, he survives the ordeal, only to return home convinced - and not entirely without reason - that his loving wife (Natalie Portman) is sleeping with his ex-con brother (Jake Gyllenhaal). Even if the movie weren't a remake, this wouldn't exactly be the most inventive of plotlines, but there's still enough about Brothers that's raw, painful, and touching to make it satisfying melodrama regardless of its contrived design. Or rather, there would be, if you weren't so frequently distracted by all the capital-A Acting that's going on.

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