WILDFLOWERS & WALTZES -- River City Baptist Church

An Evening of Piano Recitals

"Wildflower Waltz"

"Hoppy Toad Hop"

"Red Robin Rag"

"Moonlit Garden Walk"

"Ramblin' Rails"

"Fuzzy Baby Bird"

"Undercover Spy"

"Witty Waltz"

"Adalusian Adventure"

"Minuet"

"Star Wars Theme"

"Prelude & Gigne"

"Fur Elise"

"Can-Can"

"It Is Well"/"Claire de Lune"

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A very nice evening showcasing a variety of piano levels. The "Fur Elise" and "Claire de Lune," played by two of the higher level pianists, were far and away the most delightful performances.

THE YOUNG MUSICIANS FESTIVAL -- Caledonia High School

Minnesota Music Educators Association Presents...
The Young Musicians Festival for Southeast MN
director: Janette Hanson
dance instructor: Barbara DuFresne
accompanist: Sibyl Floyd

4th-5th graders from area schools get together for a short concert and dance festival. Schools participating were:
Mabel-Canton
Lanesboro
Rushford-Peterson
Caledonia

"To Music" - arr by Betty Bertaux
"Firefly" -- Andy Beck
"Goin' to Boston" -- Shirley W. McRue
"John Henry" -- Rollo Dilworth
four folk dances

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We attended this event last year as well, as our son has been invited to the festival each year. It's a short but pleasant opportunity to see talented singers from around the area get together and sing under the directio of someone other than their own school choic director.

This year's performance seemed to go quicker than last year's and I actually wished there had been another song or two.

Our son really seemed to enjoy the dance portion of the evening and two different people commented on how he really seemed to get into it and had such great rhythm.

A very pleasant evening.

MEDEA -- Winona State University

WSU Performing Arts Center Main Stage
playwright: Robinson Jeffers (Freely adapted from the play by Euripides
director: Vivian Fusillo
cast: Eileen Moeller, Jephthah Peters, Alex Gillett, Mary Montgomery, Kristine Payette, Kathleen Rickerson, Teresa Sigler, Charles Wallace, Paul McIntyre, Ryan Hawkins, Josh Armstrong, Ethan Jensen
set & light design: Ryan Seifert
costume & light design: Peggy Sannerud
costumer: Sue Bratt
theatre technician: Jim Danneker
stage manager: Rachel Ostroot
assistant stage manager: Joe Sarafolean

The classic Greek tale of a woman's madness and vengeance against a cheating husband.

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Ohhhhh. Greek drama can be very difficult to watch -- it's all dialogue, no actual action. This production wasn't helped by the staging of what little action there might have been all done on a small platform, rather than the open stage in front of the set.

The young lady playing Medea was difficult to watch. She had three emotions ... wailing over her children, anger (which was only portrayed by shouting), and the monotone conversation.

The portrayal of the killing of the children (off stage) was wonderfully alluded to with the crimson silk that flowed through the gigantic floating stone upstage (the set was interesting -- the combination between realistic (giant stone doors) and the expressionistic/abstract (floating disk) maybe didn't work as well as hoped. Yes... I caught the addition of the ... clouds? .... near the stone disk.

The chorus, aside from being quite attractive young ladies, was the most interesting part of the performance and I wished they had even more to do.

The wailing by all over the death of the children was incredibly distracting (particularly that of the nurse, downstage of everyone else, and the loudest of all). I think Medea had a speech, but I couldn't tell you what she said.

I want to say that I'm actually glad to have seen Medea (my first time), but I'm not. I couldn't help but sit through the 90 minutes and constantly think about what I would have done differently. Not a good sign.

THE AMERICAN DREAM -- Rushford-Peterson Theater

Rushford-Peterson's 5th Grade Patriotic Production

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A delightful production by a large 5th grade class. Every student had the opportunity to stand out as a historical character.

The singing was well done and the rap song was remarkably good (and obviously enjoyed by the students).

A fun hour.

FIVE FLOWERS -- Lanesboro Community Theatre

St. Mane Theatre, Lanesboro, MN
script: Forrest Musselman
director: Jill Underwood
cast: Maureen Anderson, Nancy Carruthers Huisenga, Peter Torkelson, Karrie Ellingson, Jody Rinn, Ceil Allen, Terry Neneman, Cal Zutz, Tony Streng, Tom Schramm
producer: Rocky Haddorff
scenic design: Eric Knutson
lights: Eric Decker
costumes: Heidi Dybing
sound: Phil Dybing
stage manager/props: Jenna Bolland

WORLD PREMIERE

An older woman moves in to senior housing but discovers, and shows her family, that being elderly doesn't necessarily mean slowing down.

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There's a lot going for this play ... the use of older actors in major roles is excellent. Certainly something that many community theatres could use.

Unfortunately, the script lacks focus. Or is trying to tell too many stories.

Sub-plots are okay, but not when they over-shadow the main plot.

It seems that the main story revolves around Rose and her relatively new life in senior housing. However, this is greatly over-shadowed by the fact that the title, "Five Flowers," refers to the women in the family, each of them named for a flower. Suspiciously, one of them never appears on stage and if she's mentioned, everyone quickly quiets and there is an air of mystery ... a mystery that is NEVER EXPLAINED. Why title it "Five Flowers" if the fifth flower isn't ever going to appear and we're never to learn why?!

And the vagabond son who hasn't been heard from in years. His appearance is as non-chalant as the nurse's. What's up? Why is he back? Why did he leave? What's going to happen now that he's here? Some of this is answered, but ever so casually.

The performance was definitely carried by Nancy Carruthers Huisenga as "Rose." She was energetic and lively and offered the full range of emotions appropriate for the part.

The part of Gladys was wonderful comic relief.

A fun show, but needs some re-writes still.

A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION -- Winona State University

The 1, 170th Live Broadcast
McCown Gymnasium at Winona State University
with: Garrison Keillor, The Guy's All-Star Shoe band, Pat Donohue, Gary Raynor, Peter Johnson, Andy Stein, Tim Russell, Sue Scott, Tom Keith, Marcia Ball, Don Bennett, Corey Keller, Andrew Nafziger, Thad Scott, Michael Doucet, Beausoleil, David Doucet, Billy Ware, Tommy Alesi, Jimmy Breaux, Mitch Reed, Simone Perrin.

The famous radio show's live broadcast.

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This is probably the fourth time I've been to a live broadcast of A Priaire Home Companion.  It's always an enjoyable time.  Watching a radio show in production is the treat on one level, but seeing the artists performing live is worth the price of admission in itself.

Usually.

This particular broadcast was a bit less than exciting.  Keillor mentioned, at the top of the show, that he was suffering symptoms of the flu, and I did feel that he was not in top form.  I also didn't feel that the guests were generally top-notch.  Simone Perrin, who was billed as a local (probably was, but I was not familiar with her), tried too hard and generally seemed like college talent.

A bit of a disappointment, but still better than much of the amateur productions I've seen in the area.

GROUCHO -- Viterbo University

Groucho Marx: Frank Ferrante

A one man show featuring Frank Ferrante as Groucho Marx.

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Truly a fantastic show. Frank is so incredibly much like how we remember Groucho from the movies and television appearances that it seems as if Groucho himself is back and live on stage.

As one might expect, the best parts of a performance like this is the off-the-cuff remarks; the responses to things happening around him on the stage and in the theatre.

For me, one of the incredible parts of the evening was when Frank chose my own son to go on to the stage and he put the Groucho make-up on him and taught him the Groucho walk saying to the audience,"Hey I can't do this forever!"

An absolutely wonderful show. I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard!

MSHSL 2A STATE ONE ACT PLAY FESTIVAL -- O-Shaunessy Auditorium

The Minnesota State festival for High School One Acts.

Schools must win two different competitions to perform at this level. Competition is broken down to two different categories - 1A and 2A, depending on the size of the school. This year I attended the 2A (larger schools) State One Acts.

Performing were:

"PK Xmas" by David Hawley (North, North St. Paul)
"Wit" by Margaret Edson (Anoka)
"The Romancers" by Edmond Rostrand (Dassel-Cokato)
"The Boys Next Door" by Tom Griffin (Forest Lake)
"Marvin's Room" by Scott McPherson (Minnetonka)
"Doubt: A Parable" by John Patrick Shanley (Eagan)
"Ordinary People" by Nancy Gilsenan (Albert Lea)
"Bits and Pieces" by Corinne Jacker (Moorhead)

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Competing in the 1A competition, it was nice to see some schools unique to me, for a change. However, I didn't see much difference in quality, as I expected. I thought that with the larger schools we'd see more impressive sets or higher quality of acting. It wasn't so.

Most of these plays were heavy dramas, dealing with death and trying to make some sort of sense of this ("Bits and Pieces" "Ordinary People" "Marvin's Room" "Wit").

"The Romancers" stood out as being most unique, and mostly well done, but it did drag somewhat.

"The Boys Next Door" was well done, but lacked a through-line. Was it the cutting?

"Bits and Pieces" was well performed and I enjoyed the presentation. Similarly, "Doubt" was well performed and strong. Many around me seemed to really find the performances of the leads in "Wit" and "Marvin's Room" exceptionally strong. I was not overly impressed.

Still, a great way to spend the day, watching theatre.

MSHSL SECTION ONE ACT PLAY COMPETITION -- Stewartville High School

Performing Arts Center, Stewartville, MN

The top two high school one act plays from the 1-A Region in Minnesota, compete for honors to perform at State. The performing schools were:

Byron
Fillmore Central
Kingsland
Pine Island
Rushford-Peterson
St. Charles
Triton
Wabasha-Kellogg

Plays being performed were:

"The Serpent" by Jean-Claude Van Itallie
"The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon" by Don Zolidis
"LAUGH-IN at History" by Sandra Henning Miller and Cast
"Crisis, Inc" by Daniel Munson
"Employees Must Wash Hands ... Before Murder" by Don Zolidis
"Wiler and the Hairy Man" by Jack Stokes
"Competition Piece" by John S. Wells
"15 Minute Hamlet" by Tom Stoppard

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I'd seen most of these plays either at the Sub-Section competition or at the Conference Competition, but was still impressed with the improvements made by all the directors and casts.

I happen to like off-beat theatre, and Jean Claude van Itallie is definitely off-beat. The kids did an admirable job with this. They were well directed and very precise, which was nice. Unfortunately, the piece itself was probably beyond the ken of the kids, so they really were only aping the movements that the director was giving them, rather than acting feeling any of it themselves.

"The Brothers Grimm..." is one I'd seen twice before, and unfortunately it was probably their weakest performance. I think they actually peaked at their first competition (where they took first place). The play, as directed, relies a lot on one particular performer to make it really sing, and he seemed to be not as involved as they needed him.

"Laugh In..." was one that I did not get to see.

"Crisis, Inc." is another play that I was familiar with. This performance was rushed and lacked passion.

"Employees Must Wash Hands..." is one of those plays that amazes me that it made it this far. The performance was goofy without purpose, and not particularly tight.

I could easily go the rest of my life and not have to watch another performance of "Wiley and the Hairy Man" and be very happy. I'd seen this cast earlier in the season and was very unimpressed, but this performance was spot on! Fantastic. I actually enjoyed the play for the first time! What a delight to see these kids make this leap. This was my pick for first place.

"Competition Piece" was a cheesy bit of a play, but well directed and performed. These kids are a tight unit. My pick for second place.

"15 Minute Hamlet" was just about the most embarassing piece of theatre I've ever seen. Slow-moving, plodding, dull, lifeless, limp. What other adjectives can I think of to describe this?

Surprisingly, to me, "Competition Piece" was the play to come out on top, making this at least the third time in four years for this school (St. Charles). My congratulations to them (though I still think "Wiley..." should have won).

POETRY OUT LOUD -- Rushford-Peterson High School

The Minnesota Arts Board sponsors a Poetry Out Loud competition in Minnesota High Schools. Participants must choose two poems from a given selection, to memorize and recite for competition. Students are judged on a variety of items, from meorization, to difficulty level of the poem, to understanding what the poem means, to appropriate gestures.

This was the first competition of this sort in the R-P School.

Students did an impressive job.

SPELLING BEE -- R-P Elementary/Middle School Students

Rushford-Peterson High School Theatre

A spelling Bee Competition.

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I'd never been to a Spelling Bee before. I decided that I really should check one out, and it was quite exciting. Each class in grades 5-8 had at least two representatives, possibly three.

After a few quick 'outs,' it came down to two students ... a 5th grade boy and an 8th grade girl. It looked like the 8th grade girl had it sewn up, but her spelling of "candidate" sounded as though she said "a" rather than "e" for the final letter (no one doubted she knew the spelling, but she wasn't clear enough), and the battle between the two went a couple more rounds.

The words for this contest were:

clumsiness
xylophone
gazelle
hustle
alamo
denim
contraband
bagel
denture
elite
troika
collage
cobalt
sitzmark
bequeath
cantata
angst
quell
derth
fiery
candidate
vendetta

Only two words made me pause (and I did get them correct on my writing of them): 'troika' and 'sitzmark.' Both caused the elimination of a student. 'Troika' and 'sitzmark'?! What kinds of words are those for a spelling bee?

A fun experience.

MSHSL SUB-SECTION 1A ONE ACT PLAY FESTIVAL -- Rushford-Peterson High School

Five one-act plays, produced and performed by area high schools as part of the Minnesota State High School League One Act Play Festival. The schools are: Chatfield; Fillmore Central; Houston; Rushford-Peterson; Spring Grove.

The plays are:

Happily Never After by T. Kelly
The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon by Don Zolidis
Mother Goosed by Jason Pizzarello
Crisis, Inc. by Daniel Munson
Four Little Words by Edward Finnegan

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Over-all, this was a pretty decent selection of plays.

Happily Never After was a cute fairy tale, suggesting that things DIDN'T end happily after after and perhaps the wrong pairings were made, but when they tried to match up different princes and princesses, it got even worse. The actors did a decent job but the direction lacked timing and build and energy.

I'd seen The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon the previous weekend, when it was outstanding. This production also lacked energy momentum, but held together cohesively.

Mother Goosed was the third fairy-tale type play of the day. The blocking was a bit tired and boring, but the actors hit all the right marks and did a wonderful job. As I described it to my students, "They didn't do anything wrong."

My own show, Crisis, Inc., was probably the best it had ever been. The kids peaked at the right time and hit all the right marks, though there was still room for improvement in places.

Another show that I saw the previous weekend, Four Little Words, did little to improve itself over the week. It did manage to get rid of some of the random up-staging, but vocal screeching and boring line delivery remained constant.

My top three were Crisis, Inc., Mother Goosed, and Brothers Grimm, in that order. Actual results ... 2nd place: Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon; 1st place (Sub-Section Champions): Crisis, Inc.

THREE RIVERS ONE ACT CONFERENCE - Wabasha-Kellogg High School

Wabasha-Kellogg Performing Arts Center

Nine high schools, belonging to the Three Rivers Conference league, perform their one act plays for competition and to receive advice on how to improve to be ready for sub-section competition.

Performing were:
St. Charles High School - Competition Piece by John S. Wells
Kingsland High School - Wiley and the Hairy Man by Jack Stokes
Wabasha-Kellogg High School - Employees Must Wash Hands ... Before Murder by Don Zolidis
Southland High School - No Time by Laurence Klavan
Rushford-Peterson High School - Crisis, Inc. by Daniel Munson
Dover-Eyota High School - Class Action by Brad Straight
Chatfield High School - Four Little Words by Edward Finnegan
Fillmore-Central High School - The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon by Don Zolidis
Lewiston-Altura High School - Oh What a Tangled Web by John R. Carroll

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A long and interesting day of plays.

Competition Piece was moderately well done. The cast did a wonderful job of projecting and staying in character, but the direction was flat, static.

I've seen Wiley and the Hairy Man before and I just can't find the attraction to this piece. Perhaps it's because I've never seen it done well, though this was closer than the last time I saw it. Sadly, the young boy who played "Wiley" came across as VERY gay, and that's about all anyone got out of it.

I missed both Employees Must Wash Hands and No Time, as my cast was preparing for their performance.

My students performed Crisis, Inc. and did a remarkably good job. Probably the best tyhey'd done to that point. It wasn't strong, but there were glimpses of what it could be.

Class Action also showed glimpses of possibility, but as it was, it was disorganized and confused. If the director could get a clearer picture of the whole, and the actors actually talk to each other rather than out to the stage, they will do well.

Four Little Words was just dreadful. Random actions by cast members with nothing to do on stage were a constant distraction. Screaming made dialog unintelligible. Fast, slurry lines from a major character with all the 'one-liners' was embarassing. Probably the worst performance of the day.

The best performance of the day was probably The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon. They were energetic and had the audience absolutely adoring them.

Oh What A Tangled Web was another show that had promise but was in too much of a rehearsal stage still to be strong enough to compete. Dropped lines, missing cues, and confusion with the blocking had them suffering some.

Overall, an interesting collection of shows for the day. This was the first time I've attended this event, and it was certainly well worth our time. it was good to be in front of an audience and to hear where the laughs were going to come from.

Awards went to: Fillmore Central, The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon - 1st place. Saint Charles, Competition Piece - 2nd place. Rushford-Peterson, Crisis, Inc. - 3rd place. Wabasha-Kellog, Employees Must Wash Hands Before Murder - 4th place.

A WINTER CONCERT - Rushford-Peterson Bands 6th-12th

Rushford-Peterson Public Schools Winter Band Concert
Directors: Burton Svendsen and Jacob Olson

6th Grade Band
"Jingle Bells"
"The Dragons of Komodo"
"Away in the Manger"
"Frosty the Snow Man"
"Edmondson"

7th and 8th Grade Band
"Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man's Chest"
"Acapulco Holiday"
"Queenwood Overture"
"Jingo Jango"

Senior High Band
"Good King Wenceslas"
"Greensleeves"
"A Christmas Festival"

Combined Band 7th-12th
"A Marshmallow World"
"Christmas Sing-a-Long"

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Once again I've come away from a school concert more impressed than I anticipated. The quality was quite good and the directors seemed to have a very good control of the students.

I noticed that there definitely is a marked difference between the grades which suggests that there is strong instruction during the course of the school year (as there should be).

I believe that one of my first experiences at a local band concert was less than impressive, so my hopes and anticipations are low, but that is changing and I'm soon going to expect much higher quality from this school.

FINAL DRESS REHEARSAL -- Rushford-Peterson Middle School

script: Jack Frakes
director: Forrest Musselman
cast: Freddy Scaife, Alex Kopperud, Amy Bessler, Alex Courrier, Rebecca Munson, Alisa Warnes, Audra Lea, Katie Wolter, Bridgette Volkman, Kyli Torkelson, Annie Scaife, Katie Prinsen
stage manager: Heather Brevig

Possibly the world's worst production of Cinderella is beginning the final dress rehearsal.

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This one act comedy is full of laughs. These young students, mostly seventh and eighth graders, keep the show moving quickly, never dropping the pace.

Director Musselman manages to keep the show interesting to the audience without losing sight of what this is about ... a bad show.

All the actor cameos are well performed.

A fun, one-shot production.

RUSHFORD-PETERSON VOCAL CHRISTMAS PROGRAM

Rushford-Peterson High School and Elementary School Christmas Concert


High School Choir
"A Garland of Carols"
"Christmas Time is Here"
"Girls Rock the Fifties"
"Santa Baby"

(Choir personnel: Bekka Bunke, Laura Elit, Emily Frick, Katie James, Alicia Klungtvedt, Kat Lozano, Hannah Nitecki, Kristen Ostrem, Nikki Otterness, Kaitlyn Peterson, Carina Schiltz, Sawyer Stennes, Hannah Thompson, Tracey Todd, Elsa Van Gorp)


Grades 4 and 5
"Festive Processional" -- Audrey Snyder
"Goin' to Grandma's" -- Catherine Bennett
"The Reindeer Rap" -- Sally Albrecht
"First Footprints" -- Phyllis Wolfe-White & Karen Bodoin
"Merry Christmas to All" -- Arr. Jay Althouse


Grades 1, 2, and 3
"Six Little Snowflakes"
"The Day Before, The Day Before Christmas"
"Bonding"
"Mi Casa, Su Casa"
"Christmas is Music"

cast of characters:
Snowflake 1 - McCoy Hanson
Snowflake 2 - Alexandra Meldahl
Snowflake 3 - Lukas Rasmussen
Snowflake 4 - Adelia Buege
Snowflake 5 - Taige Kruger
Snowflake 6 - Megan Holien
Man - Landon Goree
Lady - Abigail Wieser
Soup - Julianna Malone
Tree - Allison Oian
Blanket - Sydney Boyum
Ham - Hayden Stensgard
Gravy - Ashley Keenan
Homeless People - Melody Paulson, Amanda Doerr, Nathan Wick
Xylophones - Ashley Agrimson, Aaron Munson, Savannah Skalet
Storyteller 1 - Samantha Kryzer
Storyteller 2 - Jordi Markegard
Storyteller 3 - Dalton Johnson
Storyteller 4 - Abigail Sand
Storyteller 5 - Joy Hundorf
Storyteller 6 - Taylor Warnken

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The standard, school Christmas concert with all the typical 'hard-to-understand' acting from the young kids.

What was different and very nice this year was having the high school choir perform (in their new robes!). Also slightly different was having the oldest go first. This prevented the parents and kids getting up and leaving during the concert (which has generally been the case).

Always nice to have the young students perform. A great opportunity, but certainly not recommendation-worthy.

THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE -- Martin County West High School

Three Dollar Bill Productions
book: Richard Morris and Dick Scanlan
lyrics: Dick Scanlan
new music: Jeanine Tesori
original story and screenplay: Richard Morris
director: Daryl Lanz
vocal and musical director: Sarah Carlstrom
cast: Krista Weiss, Scott Hemann, Liz Rabbe, Naomi Posivio, Alexis Janssen, Alaina Helmstetter, Sabrina Steen, Elizabeth Anderson, Mattie Steen, Kelly Claussen, Sarah Manzey, Matt Stoffel, Juston Holm, Liz Alsworth, Mattie Olson, Karen Suter, Blake Potthoff, Sean Crayne, Reilley Olson, Jordan Schwager, Nancy Bebernes, Caleb Krusemark, Alysia Smith, Aziley Smith, Megan Suter, Elisha Gowen, Ciara Pearson, Megan Schultz
costuming: Biny Claussen
sound: Kevin Diekmann & Daryl Lanz
stage crew: Dakota Fuller & Justin Carlstrom
pit band: Sue Krueer (flute), Marji Carlson (calrinet), Olivia Latimer (trombone), Nils Carlson (bass), Biny Claussen (percussion), Sarah Carlstom (piano)

A 1920's "modern" girl from Nebraska toughs it out in the Big Apple

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I'd never seen this play before, though I was moderately familiar with the score. However, as someone who really enjoys musical theatre, and having not seen this particular show, I was eager to finally get a chance to take it in. And I wasn't disappointed!

This young cast (and director) kept the show moving quickly and never got too bogged down in the plot or among the scene changes.

"Millie" was exceptionally good, as were the two young men who spoke Chinese quite fluently.

There were a couple of vocal issues (as in 'I couldn't hear them') among some of the cast, but not in any of the leading roles.

A good use of the sets.

A remarkable and enjoyable production.

FLOODAPALOOZA - Rushford Area Society of the Arts

Rushford-Peterson High School

A marathon day of performances in celebration of the good citizen's of Rushford and the flood recovery. A free event, donations accepted ($10,000 raised for flood relief).

Volunteer acts were:

RASA's cast of How To Talk Minnesotan
"Two Rivers" Blue Grass Band
"Winona Hims" Male Chorus
Jackie Bird - Native American Hoop Dancer (photo at right) with Maza Kute - nationally known drummers
"Irish Minstrels" Celtic music
"Trouble Shooter" band
"Take Note" SE Minnesota Show Tune Choir
"Runners-Up" Winona Comedy Improv Theatre
"The Lovers Show" -duo of Rock singers with a twist
"Bluesberries" blues/rock band
John Bernadot, Cody & King music and anecdotes

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As a member of the organization that produced this event, I will admit that I wasn't sure how well this was going to come off. There was very little preparation and lots of questions as to the quality of the acts that volunteered, but I am happy to admit that this was a fantastic show.

The Improv Group didn't work too well, but not necessarily because they weren't good, but because it was the wrong kind of crowd and the auditorium was too large to pick up the subtleties of what they were doing. Beyond that, every group was incredibly good. In fact, some were actually professional performers, which I did not realize.

Of particular note (and it's actually hard to single out a performance, they really were that good) was "The Lovers Show" featuring Jared and Noni. This duo (who apparently met while they were both performing in Stomp) were incredibly professional, great entertainers, and a whole lot of fun. I would pay to see these two perform again.

"Bluesberries" was tremendous. Not just 'blues', but kick-back rock.

The Irish Minstrels were also fantastic. Very good performers and engaged the audience well.

A top notch day of entertainment!

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM - Prairie Fire Children's Theatre

The Prairie Fire Children's Theatre
presented by Rushford Area Society of the Arts
adapataion: Ben Ratkowski, Deborah Nelson Pick, & Daniel Stock
cast: Rachel Gabel (PFCT actor/director), Jordan McNamer, Leah Leisen, Wesley Trejo, Kallie Carlson, Josh Doerr, Brittany Kuss, Maverick Hanson, Emma Malone, Gabe Mierau, Clara Wieser, Shayna Hanson, Jena Gutnecht, Olivia Hoff, Maria Doerr, Morgan Kingsley, Carissa Bieberdorf, Kila Feller, Blaire Pronschinske, Ashley Brown, Kate MacKenzie, Mariah Olson, Nicole Howe, Brooke Johnson, Kelsey Toomey, Anna Malone, Zoe Feller, Irelynn Pronschinske, Indy Hermanson, Nicole Eidenschink, Autumn Laumb, Megan Brown, Savannah Neitzke, Ben Ratkowski (PFCT actor/director), Jordan Honken, Hannah Kopperud, Ellen Nelson, Emily Rasmussen, Shayna Bellock, Kate Klungtvedt, Abby Wieser, Andrea Larson, Tatyanna Bronk, Savannah Skalet, Abby Eidenschink, Mason McManimon-Myers, Morgan McManimon-Myers, Landon Goree, Sierra McNamer, Nick Hoff, Cadence McManimon-Myers, Samara McManimon-Myers, Elizabeth Wick, Bailey O'Hare, Rebekah Rislov, Joel Trejo, Logan Gappa, Bryce Kingsley.

Shakespeare's classic play, with a few twists.

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I'm not a huge fan of the PFCT performances, mostly because the quality of a show is pretty bad. Not surprising since they tend to have around 60 kids and only five days to rehearse. However, of all the PFCT performances I have seen (and I've seen too many), this is easily one fo the best.

The script managed to be quite faithful to Shakespeare's, and the costume's were gorgeous! The McManimon-Myers girls were tremendous actors, and the humor was well played.

This still had the usual problems of too many kids who can't speak loudly enough, and almost no actual acting, but it moved along and was enjoyed.

My favorite Prairie Fire Children's Theatre production so far.

TALES TOLD 'ROUND THE WORLD -- Winona State University

playwright: Forrest Musselman
director: Vivan Fusillo

A young boy, Jack, chooses to read his story homework on the internet, rather than from a book. A nasty virus keeps shutting him down.

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There was some nice material here, but as with other productions I've seen, directed by my mentor, Vivian Fusillo, this just never reaches the level of intensity that it needs to reach.

There really isn't much to comment on about the script. It seemed pretty simple. The sense of the virus and it's interaction with jack never really materialized. Is this the fault of the playwright, or the director. Hard to say.

The energy was low and dragging and the wonderful set was never fully utilized. What has happened? Where is the wild creativity? The lack of performers may be one issue, but my recollection of 20 years ago (okay, 25 years ago), was that Vivian worked magic with kids who weren't "theatre" students. And people WANTED to be in a Vivian show. That doesn't seem to hold true today.

I hate to admit it, but it is a struggle for me to go to one of these shows now. I do do out of respect, but it takes an effort.

MOMIX remix -- Page Series

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
School of the Arts -- Page Series

artistic director: Moses Pendleton
associate director: Cynthia Quinn
performers: Danielle Arico, Todd Burnsed, Sara Kappraff, Suzanne Lampl, Nicole Loizides, Steven Marshall, Timothy Melady, Brian Simerson
technical director: Jim Berman
stage manager: Rebecca Ball

A collection of performance pieces, mostly dance but unusually so.

"Sonoran: But Not Asleep"
"Tuu"
"Orbit"
"Pole Dance"
"Spawning"
"Gila Dance"
"Zaar"
"Millenium Skiva"
"Dream Catcher"
"The Wind Up"
"Sputnik" ("Fellow Traveler")
"E.C."

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This was a fantastic show.


None of the sketches were too long -- each left you wanting just a little more. Each was incredibly unique and most definitely pushed the boundaries of what we consider dance ("Tuu" amd "Zaar" were the most dance traditional).

It would be difficult for me to pick a favorite. I really enjoyed the energy and masculinity of "Pole Dance" but "Millenium Skiva" was just really fantastic! (The photo above of a dancer on skis is the "Millenium Skiva" dance.) "Gila Dance" was unique, "Tuu" was fantastic, "dream Catcher" was so totally different from anything else, etc etc etc!

I realize that this particular touring company is probably not the "A" squad of Momix, but I never felt that we were seeing second rate performers. Everyone was on their mark.

I highly recommend a visit to see any Momix performance, even if you aren't normally inclined to see a dance concert!

CELEBRATING PEACE & CULTURE SHOW: 100 YEARS OF MARIA MONTESSORI -- University of Houston

The Ibn Sina Foundation Montessori School for Underserved Children
director: Tony Smith

A variety of acts in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Maria Montessori.

Ariel Silks with Dreya Weber
Kuumba House Dance Theatre and School of the Woods African Drummers
Houston World Dance Ensemble
Anjali Center for Performing Arts
Ann Candler Harlan with School of the Woods Singers
Ariel Swing with Dreya Weber
Rebekah Loweke and kit Reid's Jackson Square Band
Cass Academy of Irish Dance
Round Rock Entertainment Brazilian Dance Ensemble
Lee's Golden Dragons

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This extravaganza lacked focus. It was a light show with some variety acts or greatly varying talents. The interludes between acts was interesting with its history of Maria Montessori. What the acts had to do with anything was not at all clear -- except that they all were geared toward a specific culture.

Most of the talent was amateurish -- it had the feel of a showcase. Dreya Weber was good and very interesting as the ariel artist. The dancers which appeared a number of sections were talented and I'd liked to have seen more of them. Outstanding was the Lee's Dragons. Their big number with a dragon (manned by two people) jumping along pylons was absolutely incredible and well worth the admission price by itself.

The Irish dancers were very good and it was a joy to watch them. Sadly, there was one very obvious error made by one dancer, which took away from the overall feel for the group.

I was invited to come to this, and I'm glad I did. However, I would not have paid money for it myself. First, it was definitley aimed at a target audience, which I am not part of. Secondly, I am very critical of this type of performance. I don't want to see amateurs. If it bills itself as amateurs than I have no problem and accept it for what it is. This was billed as high quality entertainment.

The biggest problem here was the lighting. It seemed obvious that the lighting designer was given free reign to do as he pleased and he made it a light show, an industrial. I understand that he probably felt that the talent needed to be backed by something spectacular, but often the lights were distracting and in some cases even prevented us from seeing the talent.

ART -- Saint Mary's University

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota - School of the Arts

playwright: Yasmina Reza
translator: Christopher Hampton
director: Dr. Steven Bouler
cast: Andrew Winecke, Peter Snell, Curtis Kempton
scenic designer: Kit Mayer
lighting designer: Kirstin "Fluffy" Blake
costume designer: Alice Flo, Dr. Steven Bouler
stage manager: Katie Simon

A man buys a piece or art that becomes so controversial it begins to unravel his friendships.

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When Serge buys a white canvas with white stripes painted on it, his best friend, Marc, calls it "shit" and the friendship breakdown begins.

Although the question "What is 'art'" is certainly prevalent, the question "What is a 'friend'" is the dominant question. Too bad director Bouler doesn't make this connection.

Director Bouler's sole point here, seems to be to play up the comedy. This just doesn't work. The play is funny by itself and doesn't need cheap laughs (which come from only a handful of the patrons that saw it the Saturday night that I was in attendance).

When a script calls for actors to have soliloquies, in which they step out of the action to directly address the audience, there should never be any addressing the audience except for those moments. In this production, the cast was CONSTANTLY addressing the audience, either with looks for a laugh, or simply by talking to us as if we were actually there for the conversation. Keeping it "internal" -- on the stage -- would be much funnier. Instead there was a muddiness as to where we were and when.

With only a cast of three, it is important to have strong performances. All three young men did a fine job, though Curtis Kempton stood out as the slightly off-beat friend (but why the hell did he deliver the long, funny speech at his entrance straight out to the audience!!!!!).

Andrew Winecke was good as the curmudgeonly friend who hated the art. However, he sounded like the guy on the tv commercial who is always shouting. Andrew could use some advice on the difference between projection and shouting.

Peter Snell did a fine job as the art connoisseur, though frankly he didn't have much to do other than defend his choice in art (and friends). I have a personal frustration with Snell's work on stage -- he doesn't know how to walk or stand! He has a very affected stage walk that never looks relaxed or natural, and he always stands with his feet close together (often slightly pigeon-toed). He gets roles which require some authority, but his body language always betrays what he's trying to accomplish (also tends to act from the waist up, making his stance even more obvious).

I went, expecting ... HOPING ... to like this play. Instead I was greatly disappointed with the directorial structure. A beautiful, elegant, avant-garde set; nice lighting; appropriate costumes gave this a nice look, but....

MERCY OF A STORM -- Jon Hassler Theater

Jon Hassler Theater, Plainview, MN

author: Jeffrey Hatcher
director: Matt Sciple
cast: Phil Kilbourne, Lindsay Hinman
sets: Ralph Ryan
costumes: Kay M. Robinson
lights: Benjamin Hain
sound: Kathryn Horowitz

A clandestine rendezvous between an estranged husband and wife who take one last shot at rekindling the romance in their relationship while revelers welcome the New Year nearby.

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I very much enjoyed every aspect of this production. The acting was quite good, the direction simple, appropriate, and tight. Production values were good, and I watched, wondering how/when they changed the hands on the working grandfather clock so that it read the correct time as mentioned during the play (and I never could discern when it was changed!).

If I were to have any "bone to pick" with this production it would be the two times that the woman used a child's voice to quote the man's daughter from a first marriage. The voice she used was a Betty Boop voice, which, while appropriate for the era, was annoying as hell.

The audience attendance was small. I believe I was one of 30-35 in a theatre that seats maybe 200. This is sad, considering the quality of the production!

I did hear a number of the playgoers complaining about the ending of the script as we exited. Certainly it does not end on the up-beat ending that we come to expect in the last ten minutes, but I think I understand where Mr. Hatcher was coming from and why he ended it the way he did. Considering the duplicity going on throughout, it is unrealistic to believe that either one of this couple has really turned a corner and made a change.

An interesting play, very well produced. I look forward to seeing more work at the Jon Hassler Theatre!

COSMOS MYSTERY AREA -- Rapid City, SD

Nature gone berserk. A location where the natural laws of physics don't seem to cooperate with the rest of the world.

*****

This was a stop on our recent vacation, and normally I wouldn't list vacation spots in my entertainment journal, but this tourist attraction was much more akin to a P.T. Barnum hook than to any natural wonder (such as Wind Cave or Devil's Tower or the Badlands).

For the most part, it was quite easy to detect how the set-up here relied greatly on optical illusion and the confusing of the senses to create the mystery.

One spot that I couldn't quite figure out how it worked was when they had two people stand on slabs, facing each other. The person standing on the uphill slab appeared quite a bit shorter, even if that person was normally taller (see photos to the left). The illusion started with the guide placing a level on both ends of the slabs to show that they were on an equal plane.

Of course, we were moved along pretty quickly, so I couldn't stop to really look to try and figure it out.

The kids enjoyed this stop on the vacation trip, immensely. I found it to be mostly sham, but moderately fun, though probably not worth the money.

LEND ME A TENOR -- Gilmore Creek Summer Theatre

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

playwright: Ken Ludwig
director: Steve Snyder
scenic designer: Kit Mayer
costume designer: Janis Martin
lighting designer: Matthew Albrecht
cast: Andy Greene, Ashley Dillard, Chris Kernan, Stephen DiBlasi, Mariah Ciangiola, Danny Pancratz, Augusta Lane Hefti, JoLeen Davis



A modern-day farce in which a visiting opera star gets sick and the nerdy theatre assistant fills in.

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While much better than their previous offering, this Gilmore Creek production lacks nerve.

The biggest problem was pacing. A fast-paced comedy needs action, and lots of it. It does not need to dwell on dialog. The idividual performances seemed adequate, though they often looked as though they lacked direction. Zany comedy needs careful direction so as to appear wild and uncontrolled. When actors are turned loose to do it themselves, it never feels safe or real.

Mariah Ciangiola as "Maria," the opera star's nagging Italian wife, seemed over-the-top, but perhaps only because the other performances were under-played. DiBlasi as the opera star was good, and Andy Greene as the nerdy assistant did fine, but he seemed the least controlled or directed. The women did nothing to stand out. Perhaps one of the better performances was Chris Kernan as the "Saunders," the owner of the theatre that was bringing the opera star in. He was brief and believable, and had an energy that could be felt in the theatre. However, he was also staged with some of the oddest moments ... in his occassion mock speeches to a pretend audience, the director chose to bring down the lights and bring up a spotlight on Saunders. Why? These are not actual speeches he is making to a crowd ... these are "what if" speeches! Don't confuse the audience! There was no need for this! Then, when we really were seeing what was going on at the theatre, we weren't sure any more.

The set was nice (the the hallway entrance seemed to have gotten knocked askew during intermission and was never fixed, so every entrance showed the false wall). The costumes were fine, but the lighting was distracting. I understand that we're separating the two areas of the stage and that we don't need to light both sides all the time, but a good lighting designer knows that a slower count to bring the lights up is less apparant. Leave them up, leave them down, or change it slowly so that we don't really notice it, please!

Although a favorite script of mine, this production is not recommended save for the heartiest theatre-goers.

MICHAEL GERSON: THE GREAT CAUSES OF OUR TIME -- Great River Shakespeare Festival

Front Porch Conversation -- Great River Shakespeare Festival
Winona, Minnesota

Former President Bush speech writer and current columnist for the Washington Post speaks about his work in AIDS relief in Africa.

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Although there are personal reasons for Mr. Gerson to visit Winona at this time, I admire his being here, in what is generally a liberal town.

I also admired Mr. Gerson's dedication and commitment to his beliefs. Whether you agree with im or not, he strongly believes in what he does and is willing to say so, even if unpopular. Perhaps not enough people are this way.

Gerson's work in AIDS relief is exemplary. His descriptions of what he's seen touches a nerve. However, I couldn't help but wonder if his talk of progress seemed a bit rose-colored. Are things really taking affect as quickly as he indicated?

After his prepared speech Gerson opened up for questions and respnded to all, even those mild attacks on his politics.

Again, I commend Gerson on his committment to his beliefs, but I will say that I disagree with him totally on a number of aspects. His ability to persuade is frightening, considering how "wrong" I believe him to be. His own passion can be a real persuader to those who aren't totally committed.

An interesting speech and discussion. Admirable traits in an intelligent man. Too bad his politics are where they are.

SHOWTUNE: CELEBRATING THE WORDS AND MUSIC OF JERRY HERMAN -- Gilmore Creek Summer Theatre

Saint Mary's University

Conceived by Paul Gilger

director: Judy Myers
music director: Anthony Freeman
costume designer: Janis Martin
choreographer: Christine Martin
lighting designer: Matthew Albrecht
scenic designer: Kit Mayer
stage manager: Michael Dutton
cast: Libby Snyder, Danny Pancratz, Ashely Dillard, Andy Greene, Maria Ciangiola, Stephen DiBlasi, Anthony Freeman

A musical Review of the works of Jerry Herman. Featuring the songs from the following shows, hesitantly put together with the wisps of a storyline.

Milk and Honey (1961)
Hello, Dolly! (1964)
Mame (1966)
Dear World (1969)
Mack and Mabel (1974)
The Grand Tour (1979)
A Day in Hollywood (1980)
La Cage Aux Folles (1983)

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I believe that this was the dullest evening of musical theatre I have ever endured (with the possible exception of the recent production of Camelot with Michael York).

What would possibly possess a producer to open a new summer theatre with a musical review of some lesser known works?! Unless you are more actively involved in theatre, you probably don't know any of the works listed above, with the exception of Hello, Dolly!, and maybe Mame.

However, that wasn't the worst problem here. I happen to know Mr. Herman's music and I was looking forward to hearing some songs that I wasn't readily acquainted with, and still I cringed.

Problem #1, already discussed, choice of show. Problem #2 ... male performers who can't sing. Yes, that's right. A musical review and half of the cast can't carry a tune. They hung in there admirably, but I was embarassed for them and grateful any time it was the women alone on stage.

Problem #3: the script. I know it's difficult to write a story around a set group of songs, but it can be done well. See Crazy For You for a wonderful example. See this for a lousy example. The best, absolutely best, part of the show was in the second act when performer Ciangiola goes through a pregnancy and sings "It Only Takes a Moment", "What Do I Do Now?" and "Tap Your Troubles Away." This was the best (possibly only) acting in the evening, as well as the best dancing.

The dancing. Problem #4. Was there a reason that there wasn't more dancing? How many times can we watch a jazz square? Ciangiola's tapping was wonderful (she easily out-tapped the men) and I would have liked to have seen more of it. Instead, we got a lot of men-lifting-the-girls type of thing, which was also VERY embarassing considering that Ciangiola was hefty and her partner wasn't able to lift her. So why no dancing? Can't they dance? If the men can't sing, nobody dances, and they aren't given any real opportunities to act, what is there?

The costumes were nice. The set was nice. The piano playing was wonderful.

Do I even need to make a recommendation?

OUR TOWN -- Minnesota Marine Art Museum

The Leo and Marilyn Smith Folk Art Collection
"carved and painted wood portraits of people, past and present, from our region"
Minnesota Marine Art Museum -- Winona, MN

A collection of wood carvings depicting local characters from a nearby, rural river town.

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This exhibit was certainly more interesting that the "Wood and Wind to Steel and Steam" exhibit. The carvings were well done, and the stories behind them were quite fascinating.

Still, one wonders as one passes through the room ... "So?"

Woodcarving is a hobby of mine and I tend to appreciate it simply from a craftsman viewpoint, but even here, this simply isn't the best work I've ever seen. So what is it about this that would make it interesting?

See a town represented by the different individuals, certainly. But when one is looking at hand-carved work, one generally tends to look at the detail that's gone into the piece. I don't think that's an issue here. Not to say that it's not well done, just not extraordinarily well done.

If you're at the museum, you will likely enjoy this exhibit. Is it worth a special trip? My vote is, no.

WOOD AND WIND TO STEEL AND STEAM -- Minnesota Marine Art Museum

Minnesota Marine Art Museum -- Winona,MN
The Keirlin/Burrichter Collection

Explore the transformation from sail propelled wooden ships to steam powered, steel hulled vessels. On display will be paintings, models and objects from the end of the golden age of sail to an era of technological and industrial revolution. [from the MMAM website]

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I absolutely love the fact that Winona, MN has a bona fide art museum which exhibits works of the calibre that they have been able to present, but I found this particular exhibit quite boring.

I totally understand that not everything is going to have the draw and panache that an exhibit related to the Titanic will have, but this really had nothing of interest for the average layman. I can understand the significance of the change to the steel and steam ships, but the hardware meant nothing to me, and the paintings themselves held very little interest.

To bring people back to the museum to see the same exhibit more than once is going to require a much more interesting assortment.

Recommendation is to pass on this exhibit and wait for the next.

THE 20TH ANNUAL LAKE WINONA JAZZ FESTIVAL -- The Upper Mississippi Jazz Society

Jaycee Pavilion - Lake Park East
11-Noon -- WSU Dixieland Music Camp Musicians
Noon-2:00pm -- The Barbary Coast Dixieland Band
2-4pm -- Gate City Jass Band
4-6pm -- The Turkey River All Stars

Dixieland Jazz played by amatuers and "professionals" near Lake Winona.


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We were only in attendance for the second half of the music camp musicians and the first half of The Barbary Coast Dixieland Band, but we really enjoyed what we heard.

Reminded me of my days at the Sacramento Dixieland Jazz Festival that I used to attend. Good music. Great weather. Enjoyable time.

Lots of fun and we look forward to making more of it next year.

THE CANADIAN BRASS -- Minnesota Beethoven Festival

Minnesota Beethoveen Festival
Somsen Auditorium, Winona State University

Chuck Daellenbach - tuba
Gene Watts - trombone
Joe Burgstaller - trumpets
Jeff Nelsen - french horn
Magnon Lafrance - trumpets

The popular, world-famous quintet playing a wide range of music.

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I've enjoyed the music of The Canadian Brass for many years, but seeing them perform live is an unparalelled treat. This group of musicians are not only incredibly accomplished at playing music, but they are fantastic performers as well. They know how to entertain!

I simply can't remember when I've been so moved by music or laughed so honestly at the simple, refreshing humor on the stage.

This particular performance were particularly notable for two reasons ... it marked the first performance of Jeff Nelsen after a two year absence from the group; and it was the first full performance for Magnon Lafrance, the first woman to perform with the group.

Joe Burgstaller must certainly be the among the best, if not the best, trumpet players living. His notes were incredibly sharp and crisp, and yet he could play with AMAZING speed and had fantastic range. While all the musicians were notably talented, Burgstaller was absolutely outstanding, even amongst these other great performers. Part of his charm was that he seemed to play it all with such ease.

I cannot recommend this highly enough. If you have the chance to see this group, treat yourself and do so!

(Note that clicking on the image in the upper right of this blog will take you to the Canadian Brass home page where currently there is a music player which will run through an assortment of their songs.)

AS YOU LIKE IT -- Great River Shakespeare Festival

script: William Shakespeare
director: Paul Barnes
cast: Andrew Carlson, Carla Noack, Chris Mixon, Kern McFadden, Kim Martin-Cotten, Christopher Gerson, Tarah Flanagan, David Graham Jones, Laura Coover, Zachary Fine, Jonathan Gillard Daly, Doug Scholz-Carlson, Art Moss, Brian David Frederick, Jacques Roy
set design: Scott C. Neal
costume design: Rosemary Ingham
light design: Darren McCroom
sound design: Katharine Horowitz
composer: Daniel Kallman


Shakespeare's gender-bending, word-play comedy.



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I think that Great River Shakespeare Festival does the comedies exceedingly well. The plot and subplots, text and context and subtext are all very clear.

If there is a failing here at all, it is that this is not one of Shakespeare's better works. However, I have to admit that it has always been among my favorites -- I love the intelligent word play, the morose Jacques, the terrible love poems, the off-kilter gender-switching Rosalind, and the fact that Shakespeare even dared to have a woman fall in love with the woman (as a man). Oh what fun!

Noack as Rosalind and Carlson as Orlando didn't quite have the spark that is really necessary to make a romantic comedy click. Where there should have been fireworks in theirs eyes at their initial meeting, I instead saw actors pretending to like each other. This Rosalind seemed to take a more maternal interest in her Orlando, rather than a young woman's sudden flight into love.

Chris Gerson was brilliant as both Duke Frederick (giving us chills at his outburst toward his niece Rosalind and daughter Celia) and as William (where he made us laugh at William's simple earnestness).

The set and costumes worked well and there really wasn't a bad performance in the lot.

An exquisite night at the theatre.

MACBETH -- Great River Shakespeare Festival

Great River Shakespeare Festival
author: William Shakespeare
director: Doug Scholz-Carlson
cast: Andrew Carlson, Laura Coover, Tarah Flanagan, Zachary Fine, Art Moss, Christopher Gerson, Kim Martin-Cotten, Brain David Frederick, Chris Mixon, Carla Noack, Jonathan Gillard Daly, Jacques Roy, Kern McFadden, David Graham Jones, Emily Daly, Chris Bernard, Raelynn Peter, Theo Morgan
set design: Scott C. Neale
costume design: Meg Weedon
light design: Darren McCroom
composer: Dan Kallman
sound design: Katharine Horowitz
props: Michelle Moody

Wm Shakespeare's tragic tale of greed and power in old Scotland.

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Interesting (odd) choices by the director are balanced by strong performances to present a fair production.

All performances are good, and Christopher Gerson as Macbeth, brings wonderful humanity to the role. It was terrific to see the king agonize over his wife and her breakdown. The relationship between Macbeth and his wife seemed full of passion. I've often noted that the role of Lady Macbeth is often played by a power-hungry, strength-behind-the-man woman. But in this performance the two seemed mutually consumed by the desire to promote his wont to become king through murder. It's not necessarily how it's generally read, but I liked it. To give her too much power takes some of the guilt of what is done off of him.

The witches were annoying. First, to have an obviously male witch was distracting and jarring at every occassion they called themselves "sister." Their druid-ic look of earth-worshippers was just fine (the lines certainly lend themselves in that direction), but their constant presence (and not just silent presence, but often singing and banging a drum) took away from what was going on on the stage. Does the director think we won't get it? That we don't understand that Macbeth is living out one of the witches prophecies if they aren't drawing attention to themselves? Give us some credit!

The set seemed to work well, with the simple trees up stage representing Birnam Wood, and a scrim drop that also had tree cut outs to add to the forest look. Flying a portion of the scrim drop out to make it appear as though the woods were encroaching in on the castle was ... well, an interesting idea. Again, I don't think I needed it. It didn't really explain how the trees were moving. Having the army come through the woods suddenly seemed to make the point.

I really liked the sound. Crisp and clear, I thought they brought horses onto the stage. One particularly jarring sound cue took me completely out of the moment ... when Seyton (as a murderer?!) takes the youngest Macduff child by the hand to take her off stage, a sound of a child singing a nursery rhyme tune is played over their exit, then followed by the scream of the child being killed. What was with that sound cue? Where else in the play do we hear sound from nowhere?

For the most part, the lighting was odd. Actors walked in and out of shadows and colors throughout their scenes. It looked as patchworked as the scrim drop.

Generally I like the Hekate scenes (even though they are often cut because it is generally acknowledged that they weren't written by Shakespeare), but they were so over-shadowed by the production (heavy sound cues, weird lighting) that what Hekate was saying (hence here reason for being there) was lost.

Over-all ... not a bad production, but probably my least favorite production so far by the Great River Shakespeare Festival.

COCK-A-DOODLE DANDY -- Rushford-Peterson Elementary School

R-P Elementary Spring Vocal Concert

"Cock-A-Doodle Dandy" -- Grades 1,2,3
director: Diana Poppe
1. Fabulous Day!
2. Cock-A-Doodle Rap
3. Make Him Stop Today
4. Sign On The Line
5. Standing Side by Side
6. Reprise: Fabulous Day!

Grades 4,5
director: Burton Svendsen
"Carlotte-town"
"Al Shlosha D'Varina"
"Johnson Boys"
"O Desayo"
"Pat Works On the Railway"

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Another typical, well-done spring performance done by the elementary school. The younger grades offer simple acting and solo singing opportunities to some of the youngsters with the use of an actual story line. The older students perform concert-like songs.

Well done. Enjoyable.

HAPPY SPRING! -- Rushford-Peterson 5th-6th-7th-8th Grade Band Concert

Rushford-Peterson Public School Spring Band Concert

directors: Burton Svendsen & Jacob Olson

5th Grade Band:
"Regal March"
"When The Saints Go Marching In"
"Battle Creek March"
"Rockology"

6th Grade Cadet Band:
"Prelude To A Festival"
"Grandfather's Clock"
"Even Now"
"The Blue Rock"

7th & 8th Grade Jr. Band:
"The Eagle's Triumph"
"Stormy"
"Red Rock Canyon"
"Crystal March"

6th, 7th, & 8th Grade Band:
"Strike Up The Band"
"Gaslight Gaities"

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A delightful evening of good music.

I feel that the quality of music coming from these youngster is every bit as good as some of the music I heard from the high school band two or three years ago.

I have heard that the middle school band instructor has been very pleased with his 6th grade group (which is larger than the 7th 7 8th grade combined). let's hope that they can continue to improve and impress.

TWELVE AT SIX -- Rushford-Peterson High School

The RPHS Jazz Band in their Spring Concert

director: Burton Svendsen
saxophones: Carl Schiltz (alto); Kevin O'Donnell (alto); Kristen Ostrem (tenor); Phillip Nitecki (baritone)
trombones: Justin Brown; Melissa Smith
trumpets: Steve Ahles; Levi Brown; Zach Miner; Ryan O'Shaughnessy
rhythm section: Carin Hyter (drum set); John Klungtvedt (piano); Tony Russell (electric guitar)

"Night Fever" (arr. Tony Femiano)

"Here's That Rainy Day" (arr. Bob Lowden)

"blues for clyde" (arr. Sammy Nestico)

"Gospel John" (arr. Bob Lowden)

"Malaguena" (arr. Bob Lowden)

"California Dreamin'" (arr. Jerry Nowak)

"Don't Cry For Me Argentina" (arr. Jerry Nowak)

"Johnny B. Goode" (arr. Jerry Noak

"Theme From New York, New York" (arr. Jerry Nowak)

"The Funky Turtle" (arr. John Morris)

"Under The Sea" (arr. Mark Taylor)

"Danger Zone" (arr. Jerry Nowak)

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I've not always been impressed with the music programs offered up at the RP High School, but this particular instance was very good.

It was obvious that these were students who really wanted to be there, making music, and not there because they had to for their class. The talent was strong and the music was good.

In particular, the young woman on drums was quite impressive.

A worthwhile concert that deserved to have a bigger audience.

COMPANY -- Saint Mary's Univeristy

book: George Furth
music & lyrics: Stephen Sondheim
director: Judy Myers
stage manager: Timothy Markus
conductor: Tony Freeman
costume design: Janis Martin
choreographer: Christine Martin
lighting designer: Walt Claassen
scenic designer: Kit Mayer
sound designer: Alex Downes Borowski
cast: Peter Snell, Whitney Rappana, Mark Skrade, Jeff David, Bernadette Raspant, Patrick Mack, Rachel Crawford-Miller, Sarah Jane Engle, Alex Gorgone, Kristina Perkins, Danny Pancratz, Ali Fisch, Erin Hendricks, Alyssa Schlageter

The musical comedy of a single man, surrounded by married friends.

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This college production was very well done. A very talented cast that mostly performed very well. Lots of strong voices made the songs a treat to listen to.

Lead, Peter Snell, was very good as Bobby, though he did seem a bit one-dimensional as the play went along. Alyssa Schlageter as "Marta" was tremendous -- her singing voice strong and her looks perfect. Aside from the good looks and hip costuming, she had an incredibly strong singing voice.

Probably the best performance of the evening was put in by Kristina Perkins as "Joanne." She seemed to have the most, best-defined character and managed to maintain it all the way through. She had just the right bit of drunkeness and bitterness and lovability and honesty to keep us liking her.

The direction was a tad boring, even though the set managed to offer multiple levels.

The lighting was somewhat dull, but the costumes were incredible. I actually gasped as I saw the color-scheme and how well it all blended together.

A very well done performance.

JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH -- Winona State University

script: Richard R. George (based on the book by Roald Dahl)
director: Vivian Fusillo
cast: Kerry Danielson, Lisa Michaels, Eve Cowan, Peter Armstrong, Anthony Giebel, Allison Sweeney, Rachel Muonio, Daniel Evashevski, Brian Rice, Caitlin Puckett, Thomas Brunner, MaKenzie Birchell
technical director: Jim Danneker
set design: Peggy Sannerud
lighting design: Peggy Sannerud
sound design: Nicole Volner
costume & makeup design: Erin Dostal
stage manager: Eileen Moeller
assistant stage manager: Katy Stein

With the help of some magically enhanced (or nuclear enhanced) gems, a giant peach grows in James' yard, complete with human sixed bugs. Adventure ensues.

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Oh, how sad. This play lacked everything. With some wonderful opportunities for wild action, this play delivered up nothing but static dialog delivery. When the most enjoyable part of a performance is the delightful characterization of the two aunts (wonderfully, wickedly played by Lisa Michaels and Eve Cowan), then you must realize that something is horribly wrong.

Ginat insects, inside a giant peach! And yet by being confined to the limiting set, these giant insects never got to display and character. They stood around and talked and worried about things, so that James could solve their problems.

Where is the action in a play like this? There was none. The action consisted of talk. In an adult play, this is not unusual. In a children's play, it's highly boring.

Costuming was okay, but it still would have been better served to display something even more. Why didn't we see any sea gulls? Why only two sharks (rather lamely identified)? The earthworm looked like what he probably was ... a man in a multi-colored sleeping-bag.

I once adored Vivian's children's plays. The last few that I've seen have been a colossal disappointment. Has she lost her touch? Judging by what I've seen lately...yes.

PUBLIC LECTURE BY JAMES DELGADO -- Minnesota Marine Art Museum/WSU Lyceum Series

Somsen Auditorium, WSU
Presented by the Minnesota Marine Arts Museum
"Dr. Delgado will speak on his visit to the shipwreck RMS Titanic and the discovery of RMS Carpathia."

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This was a fascinating, multi-media lecture by James Delgado, the executive director of the Institute of Nautical Archaeology and host of National Geographic and History Channel's The Sea Hunters.

Mr. Delgado is very charismatic, a wonderful public speaker. He spoke of the human aspect, of the lives lost, of the Titanic, and how he thought about the individuals as he navigated among the ruins of the sunken ship.

He showed photos that he took through the windows of the submersible he was in, and also showed video footage of the Carpathian wreck.

My nine-year-old son attended the lecture with me, and was completely absorbed by it. He said that the 90 minute program felt like it wasn't even an hour long, and that it got him "right here" (as he pointed to his chest).

A wonderful lecture.

STORY THEATRE -- Rushford-Peterson High School

directors: Elizabeth Wessa & Kathryn Edson

A collection of short skits, together for a "Story Theatre" production.

"The Little Peasant"
"The Bremen Town Musicians"
"The Robber Bridegroom"
"Henny Penny"
"The Master Thief"
"The Fisherman and His Wife"
"The Golden Goose"

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This production was slightly better than I expected.  I'm not too big on fables/fairy tales as theatre, but the students did a good job of playing 'real' characters rather than being goofy because they were embarassed.

This is generally what I expect to see when I watch high school theatre.

CAMELOT -- Ordway Center for the Performing arts

Book & Lyrics: Allan Jay Lerner

Music: Frederick Loewe
Additional Materials: Michael A.M. Lerner
director: Glenn Casale
cast: Michael York, Rachel York, James Barbour, Shannon Stoeke, Time Winters, Eric Anderson, Tavis Danz, Stuart Ambrose, Daniel Guzman, Robert J. Townsend, Shannon Warne, Suzanne Carlton, Venny Carranza, Sandi DeGeorge, Sandy Hawker, Joanna Louise, Monica Louwerens, Grant Rosen, Joseph Stark, Leah Seminario, Megan Swanson, Jill Townsend, Alan M-L Wager, John B Williford, Vincent Zamora
set design: John Iocavelli
costume design: Marcy Froehlich
lighting design: Tom Ruzika
sound design: Julie Ferrin
fight direction: Sean Boyd
wig design: Mitchell Hale
orchestra direction: Craig Barna
choreography: Dan Mojica

The classic musical detailing the fall of Camelot and its principle architects, Arthur, Guenevere, and Lancelot.

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While the sets and cotumes were bright and colorful and everything a delightful musical should be, the staging and acting lacked color.

James Barbour as Lancelot, and Rachel York as Guenevere, both had nice singing voices, but the acting couldn't have been much more wooden. I'm not certain this was the actor's fault, but director Casale's lack of imagination and strength.

Blocking was incredibly static, and the extent of Michael York's acting was a clenched fist and short arm movement which served for both "frustration" and "joyous" emotions.

The pacing was hectic, perhaps to not give us time to reflect on how dull the previous scene was. But by moving along too quickly, we enever got to enjoy any of the show. Would it be too terrible to laugh at "C'est Moi" or "Take Me To The Fair"? If not, then why not play up the humor a little? Let the actors act a little and play with the song? Instead, they sang through their pieces as if at a recital... good strength and volume, but no emotion.

Not helping the work was the awful sound. The orchestra drowned out Michael York in his opening song, establishing a terrible precendent. We should be able to chuckle at what Arthur is singing about, but since we can't hear the words, we aren't able to be drawn in. Then, though the orchestra did pull back near the end of the song, the sound quality on York's mic always came across as slightly muffled and too obviously amplified.

The worst part of the show, however, was the make-up and hair. Michael York's make-up couldn't have been blander. I realize he's probably trying not to look his actual age, but he still needs definition over the base. He was a pinkish-orange bowl. There was nothing to bring out his eyes, his cheeks, or in any way define any of his fetures. I was sitting only six or seven rows from the edge of the stage, and if I had a problem with this, I can only imagine what those in the balcony seats were seeing.

And the hair .... I don't have a problem with anyone having a mohawk, though it did strike me as odd -- it seemed so "native american" for a Dark Ages knight, though. Then there was the knight whose hair looked SO much like the movie/comic book character "Wolverine" from the X-Men -- sort of a flat top which feathered out to wind-blown spikes along the top sides. And Sir Lionel, whose long hair, some in tight braids, was constantly in his face. And Mordred. First, he wore a strange little hat the first few times we saw him that was the exact color of his hair, and actually made it look like he had one of the oddest hairdos I've ever seen. Interestingly, it was my first thought that it was his hair style, and after the show, my wife made the same comment about Mordred's odd hairstyle. It really was so odd that I wasn't paying attention to the character or what he was doing -- I was trying to understand what was on his head. Then, in a later appearance, the hat was gone, but he still managed to have an unusual hair style in which his hair seemed to be feathered back so that it creted a "ridge" at the back of his head.

One should never notice hair and make-up in a play. It should be just a natural part of each character and compliment the costuming. That I noticed it at all is not a good sign. That I noticed and even dwelled on it shows a lack of director control over the show's "look." The fact that I noticed it and thought how awful it was speaks poorly for the production.

Despite all of this, I think that my children enjoyed themselves. It is always good to get children out to see plays other than their local high school productions. Too bad it couldn't have been a more stellar production.

MSHSL 2007 State One Act Play Festival

The best plays from each of the eight, class 1-A sections across Minnesota perform this one day, at the College of St. Catherine’s O’Shaughnessy Auditorium in St. Paul.

The schools represented this year were: Ada-Borup; Delano; Sauk Centre; Belle Plaine; St. Charles; Aitkin; Pipestone Area; Wadena-Deer Creek.

The plays presented were:

And They Dance Real Slow in Jackson -- Jim Leonard, Jr.
This is a Test -- Stephen Gregg
Good Mother -- Damien Atkins
A Bright Clear Sky -- Kristina Halvorson
The Bald Soprano -- Eugene Ionesco
The Greek(ish) Myth of Marcyonome -- Alan Haehnel
TV -- Jean-Claude Van Itallie
The Boat -- Jay W. Patterson

The first play of the day was the Jim Leonard, Jr., piece, And They Dance Real Slow in Jackson. This was a tough play to start off the day. An "issue" play about the effects of polio -- the effects, not physically, but the emotional and sociological effects of having the crippling disease. The cast managed to keep high energy, and there were some real nice tableau pictures (specifically the preacher, congregation, and the girl staring out, and the holding up of the metal legs). However, there were some problems here. The change of characters was confusing. I thought that the lead boy was revisiting, through flashbacks, an event in his life, when actually he was playing multiple roles. The girl with polio was incredibly bland. The father was a cardboard character. Overall, and uneven work that had potential.

This is a Test by Stephen Gregg, was an outstanding comedy. The choreographed timing and the small details helped to make this piece really flow. Sound effects were carefully timed and used well. The only down-side to this piece was the young lady who played the role of the teacher. She didn't understand how to wait for the laughs before beginning her next line, and we lost a lot of what she had to say. A really, really good production.

Damien Atkins' Good Mother was another "issue" play. At issue here was the effects of a stroke on the matriarch of a family. I felt that the lead actor did a pretty good job as the mother with the stroke, but her character before the stroke lacked any compelling characteristics. The gal who played the nurse was good, and the boyfriend was very believable, but over-all I was underwhelmed.

A Bright Clear Sky by Kristina Halvorson was a refreshing change from the issue plays of most high school dramas. This story centered around an extended immigrant (Norwegian) family through the hardships of a fierce midwestern winter. Overall I thought that the acting was pretty good, and very consistent. I did think that there was too much crying and wailing by the women on stage when the men were about to head off into the storm, and I felt that the script itself was somewhat weak. A good job of acting and a decent job of directing. Could have used a better script.

My favorite, Eugene Ionesco, was here again with the production of The Bald Soprano that I quite enjoyed at the Section contest. The play lacked the spark that I saw last week, but still managed to hold its own. I still disliked the giant ear and the dancing chicken/cuckoo.

The Greek(ish) Myth of Marcyonome by Alan Haehnel was a new work to me, and I rather enjoyed it. Though it had a certain element that made it a "high school" piece rather than a stronger, professional-type play, I thought that it was mostly well done. I did have trouble hearing some of the chorus' lines, and I thought that the role of Marcy was inappropriately cast, but I laughed in all the rights spots, thanks to a cast and direction that seemed to get what they were doing.

I'm familiar with the works of Jean Claude van Itallie, and you're not likely to find me doing any of his works. His TV was an ambitious work that didn't quite manage to pull off what the school was likely going for. I liked the idea of the dichotomy of what was going on on the large television as to the hum-drum goings on in the studio control room (?), but there was so much going on that it was difficult to focus. The cast managed to keep a very high energy level throughout, for which I applaud them. The idea behind the set was quite creative. The challenge of the piece was laudable. The presentation of the work has to be in question, though. What was the studio that the three people were working in? What was their relationship? Why did the tv get quite sometimes when the volume knob was turned, but not always? The work should speak more politically and socially. What did it mean when the people on tv came out to invade the world? A clearer concept could have helped this piece a lot.

The Boat. By Jay W. Patterson. Oh, god. It is almost an exact copy of the production that this school did last year, called The Clown of God. Same school. Same original author. Same damned set. Same direction. Same boring shit. ...Sorry. I just cringed when I saw that the set was nearly identical. Exzcept that instead of a bath tub center stage, in which a character sat and never left, this time it was a boat center stage, in which someone sat. I disliked last year's play, and I disliked this year's play. It was a "tear-jerker." Or supposed to be. Instead, it comes across as didactic and melodramatic. And, as with last year's, the judges seem to like it. Which only goes to further my point that the judges aren't qualified to judge crap.

Overall, I once again felt that the level of productions was not nearly as impressive as they should be. The plays in our Section competition were altogether on a much higher level than these at State. Why is this?

I have nothing to gain by not liking these plays. In fact, I'd really like them to be outstanding so that I can show my student actors the reason that they don't move on. To give them something to shoot for. Instead, we all wonder what we've done that could possibly be considered inferior.