Art Hounds: Remembering Denomie

Art Hounds: Bach on the road, BALLS Cabaret and ‘When Doves Choir’

On Art Hounds this week: 1) BALLS Cabaret is back every Sunday at 2 at Strike Theater! 2) the Minnesota Bach’s Society’s Mini Mobile Concerts in St Cloud and 3) Choir! Choir! Choir! teaches the audience to sing Prince, in harmony, at First Ave on June 1.

Art Hounds: Basketball onstage, Mama Hellcats and burlesque in Rochester

From MPR News, Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota arts community who look beyond their own work to highlight what’s exciting in local art. Their recommendations are lightly edited from the audio heard in the player above.

Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here.

A play about a team

Denise Tennan of St. Louis Park is a musician, writer, visual artist and dancer. She recently saw the play “Flex” at Penumbra Theatre in St. Paul, and now she’s singing from the rooftops to encourage others to see this in its final weekend. Shows are tonight (Thursday) and Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m.

Denise says:I think it’s worth everyone’s time to go see this production. The show takes place in rural Arkansas. It’s about a girl’s high school basketball team and their coach. They’re practicing drills and shooting baskets right there on stage.

The play touches on themes of poverty, sexual abuse, sexual identity, religion and racism. But at its heart, the play explores a tension between the needs of a team and the needs of individual players.

I’ve never seen anything that addresses that specific tension before. And as the coach repeatedly tells them, they are only as strong as their weakest link.

I was astonished. They are so good.

There are no weak links in this cast of six. Renowned Twin Cities actress Regina Marie Williams shines as the kick-ass coach to five young women.

The versatility of these young actresses is remarkable. They can move, they can act and they can sing. I was astonished. They are so good.

The set design is brilliantly minimalist, and it supports every scene with subtle changes to clearly indicate a new location. The relationship between team members is rich and it’s varied.

The depth of relationship the coach has with each of these girls is exactly what you’d want in a coach and it extends beyond the game.

And it reminds me of the vitally important role a coach can play in a young person’s life, even more so, because she has her own flaws and she’s able to admit them. What I took away from this performance is the importance of knowing each other and being deeply known.

— Denise Tennan

Hook, ladder and Hellcats

Troy Lanoux of St. Louis Park is a big fan of local music. He’ll be in the audience for the show Mama Hellcats at The Hook and Ladder in Minneapolis. Six singer/songwriters who are also mothers take the stage.

They are Nikki Lemire, Kashimana, Katy Tessman and the Turnbuckles, Annie and the Bang Bang, Samantha Grimes Band and Haley E Rydel. Hosted by Ann Treacy of Mostly Minnesota Music, the evening of music also includes resources from local organizations that provide support for survivors of domestic violence. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Troy says:I’ve been a longtime fan of Katy Tessman and her band The Turnbuckles, and I’ve gotten to know many of these artists that she works with.

It’s a fantastic group of singer-songwriters, and they all support and uplift one another.

True to the theme of motherhood, Troy points out that Katy’s band includes her son, Louis Tessman Stanoch, who rocks on electric bass.

— Troy Lanoux

As divine as disco

Allyson Palmer is co-owner of ThesisBeer Project, which is a craft brewery and music venue in Rochester. She’s looking forward to the Divine Disco, a burlesque event produced by Out Rochester and Burly Bluffs, Saturday evening at the Chateau Theatre in Rochester. Doors open at 7 p.m. for this age 18+ event.

Allyson says:This will be the perfect night out after attending the Rochester Pride, which is also happening on Saturday.

It’s a community-focused, body-positive queer-centered event that will feature eclectic performances including burlesque, drag and live music, featuring performers from across the country, as well as local performers.

I’ve been fortunate to attend several prior Burley Bluffs performances in Rochester and always find them to be entertaining, energizing and full of glitz and glam.

The producers create safe and inclusive spaces and most importantly know how to have fun. It’ll be the biggest event that Burly Bluffs has thrown in their history.

— Allyson Palmer

Arts recommendations: Dance theater, Rasputin and an arts extravaganza

From MPR News, Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota arts community who look beyond their own work to highlight what’s exciting in local art. Their recommendations are lightly edited from the audio heard in the player above.

Want to be an Art Hound?Submit here.

Alanna Morris is a professional dancer-choreographer in St. Paul. She saw Minnesota Dance Theatre’s spring production, and she wants everyone to know about the Ensemble’s final weekend. Shows are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at The Southern Theater in Minneapolis.

Alanna says: Minnesota Dance Theatre are a legacy intuition. Going back to its founder, Loyce Houlton, who in 1962 made innovative contributions to the performance of classical ballet and the Graham technique, which still sets the company’s dancers apart today, not only locally but nationally.

The company has undergone a lot of administrative changes in recent years, and yet the love of dance and performance is still so strong. They are presenting three world premieres.

They are actually closing their doors and celebrating this legacy this weekend.

They’ve had such a rich history of performance for decades, then carried through by Houlton’s daughter, Lise, and now directed by Elayna Waxse, who is the interim artistic director.

They are actually closing their doors and celebrating this legacy this weekend. This is the performing ensemble’s farewell concert and celebration concert. Minnesota Dance Theatre’s school will remain open and continue to thrive with training young students and young dancers.

This performance features four choreographers. Three of them are local to the Minnesota dance community, and one of them (Nia-Amina Minor) is an artist that’s been commissioned; she’s a Black and female choreographer from Seattle.

And you’re going to see a range of works in the classical ballet idiom, also traversing into contemporary ballet. You’re gonna hear classics like Frederick Chopin to contemporary and experimental jazz music from Makaya McCraven.

I went to the performance and I was amazed by the diversity of the musical selections there. It’s really worth seeing.

Over these long years, some of our most amazing dancers and teachers and arts leaders have come out of the Minnesota Dance school and company here. The Ensemble is taking their last bow this weekend, but the school will continue to thrive and train young students and young dancers.

— Alanna Morris

Rasputin: There lived a certain man, in Russia long ago

Theater maker Shanan Custer of White Bear Lake saw Four Humors Theater’s play “Rasputin” at the Twin Cities Horror Festival last fall, and she’s thrilled that the show is getting a second run at Open Eye Figure Theatre in Minneapolis.

“Rasputin” opens tonight and runs through May 18. The show runs 70 minutes without intermission. The May 12 matinee requires masks for all audience members. (All other shows are mask-optional.)

Shanan says: The play is a dark comedy created by Four Humors Theater. It’s a very deeply hilarious investigation of all of the versions of Rasputin’s gruesome death. It’s brilliantly conceived, the actors are so strong and there are so many incredible physical comedy moments.

A very deeply hilarious investigation.

And yet while that’s happening, the play is dealing with this political nightmare: this greedy, horrifying zealot who’s getting all the attention.

It plays really well in 2024. It hit me so hard last year, and I’m really excited that they’re bringing it back.

— Shanan Custer

Check out Mankato’s arts scene

Dana Sikkila, director of the 410 Project Community Art Space in Mankato, is looking forward to the second annual Manifest event this Saturday. The free, all-day event (11 a.m. to 10 p.m.) celebrates the local arts scene and its vibrant history.

Put on by the Midwest Arts Catalyst and River Valley Makers, Manifest is a new, larger iteration of its (pre-COVID) Post-Holiday Extravaganza. Location: Kato Ballroom.

Dana says: It’s our time in Mankato here — and really truly for anyone who wants to join us — to celebrate arts and culture. It also celebrates the history of the arts in the Mankato area, to reflect on the importance of keeping these things alive in our cities.

It’s going to be an all-day event. There are art vendors. There’s going to be art raffles, a silent auction and food trucks. We have a huge community mural project that’s going to be happening on a building outside next door to the Kato Ballroom.

We’re going to have our Mankato community collage photo shoot happening 11 to 5 p.m., too.

And that’s where people can come to get a photo taken of themselves with their friends with their families. And that photo gets put into our big community collage that happens yearly. And then starting at 7 p.m., we’re having live music.

It is free to attend and everyone’s welcome. They are asking for a $20 suggested donation at the door. Any of the proceeds that come in at the door go back into the arts in our community throughout the year. It’s a great event all the way around.

— Dana Sikkila

Art Hounds: Reflecting on a lost art

From MPR News, Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota arts community who look beyond their own work to highlight what’s exciting in local art.

Want to be an Art Hound?Submit here.

Exploring the artistic journey

Dive into the captivating world of Stuart Loughridge, a local artist renowned for his mastery in etching, painting and drawing. Recommended by Gary Korlin, an independent fine artist in the Twin Cities.

Gary says: I’d like to introduce — or basically maybe reintroduce — Stuart Loughridge. He’s a local artist, and what I like about the guy is that he’s got three excellent elements working for him: education, talent and then it’s all run by his intuition.

He’s very interested in etching, which is sort of a lost art. And but he paints and draws. He paints in watercolor, he paints in oils. He does portraits, figures, still lifes — but, you know what, his passion is landscapes and a lot of them are very local.

This whole process is very exploratory. It’s definitely a show worth experiencing.

The show that Stewart is going to be having at the Groveland Gallery in Minneapolis is going to be a little bit of everything. But the main focus is going to be on landscapes.

But the interesting thing is that this is going to be sort-of a tracking, or a tour, of his history. He’s going to have sketchbooks there, he’s going to have his plein air sketches, which he calls just “fieldwork” and it’s going to be leading up to finished pieces. This whole process is very exploratory. It’s definitely a show worth experiencing, I would say.

Stuart Loughridge’s show runs through May 25. This Saturday, Stewart is going to be doing a portrait demonstration. So that might be fun for a lot of you who are interested in just expanding your knowledge

— Gary Korlin

Resilience and recovery

Discover the profound and poignant narrative of “Ugly Lies the Bone,” a play that explores the themes of healing and resilience. Recommended by St. Paul visual artist Bebe Keith.

Bebe says: “Ugly Lies the Bone” is playing at the Commonweal Theatre in Lanesboro.

A friend actually recommended this to me. She said the excellent portrayals and important subject matter were so compelling that she has already seen it twice.

It’s moving and, most of all, it’s hopeful.

The story is about Jess, a soldier returning home from war with injuries both — visible and unseen. She finds some relief through something called “virtual reality therapy.” It plunges her into an Arctic setting that helps with her burnt skin. So she strives toward healing, and she’s also trying to restore her relationships, home and all that she’s lost.

I’ve read the script and it had me in tears. Jess is broken and in despair — and she’s got some grit. It’s moving and, most of all, it’s hopeful.

They are offering a free performance on May 5 for anyone who has served or is currently serving in any branch of the military and their families.

“Ugly Lies the Bone” is playing at the Commonweal Theatre in Lanesboro through July 6.

— Bebe Keith

Celebrating diversity and joy

Watch a unique collection of four short plays, penned by LGBTQ+ playwrights from across the country. Recommended by Minneapolis theater director Gretchen Weinrich.

Gretchen says: Threshold Theater’s new collection of plays is called “4Play.” It’s opening at the Bryant Lake Bowl on April 26. It’s a collection of four short plays written by LGBTQ+ playwrights that came from an open call for playwrights all across the country.

I’ve been looking forward to seeing this show for a couple of reasons. First of all, Threshold has been holding staged readings of its place for a couple of years. But this is their first fully staged version with movement and sets and costumes. And they’re really excited to put that on and I’m really excited to see it.

These plays really look at things that are great about community or support — and joyful things about life.

The great thing about this collection, from what I understand, is that it shows LGBTQ+ folks in a bunch of different stages of life and experiences. And what I really like about it, from what I read about it, is that it’s really upbeat.

Oftentimes when we talk about groups that are quote-unquote marginalized sometimes the topic can be really depressing or sad. But these plays really look at things that are great about community or support — and joyful things about life.

— Gretchen Weinrich

Art Hounds: A family struggles with the death of a patriarch

From MPR News, Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota arts community who look beyond their own work to highlight what’s exciting in local art.

Want to be an Art Hound?Submit here.

Confronting shadows

Full Circle Theater Company’s thought-provoking new production “They Wear Teal Ribbons Around Their Tongues” delves deep into the dynamics of a family grappling with the aftermath of their patriarch’s death.

St. Paul actor Chris Collier had a chance to read the script for Full Circle Theater Company’s current show,“They Wear Teal Ribbons Around Their Tongues,” and he’s looking forward to the staged production.

Written by Minnesota playwriter Siddeeqah Shabazz, the play follows a family reconciling with the loss of their patriarch and a burgeoning secret that threatens to shatter their long-held perfect image.

Trigger warning: the play deals with sexual assault and mental health issues within the family dynamic.

“Especially as it pertains to communities of color and to black families, specifically, I think that there’s such a stigma surrounding mental health and sexual assault that just doesn’t get talked about,” said Collier. “And I think that this show does a great job of addressing a much-needed conversation.”

“They Wear Teal Ribbons Around Their Tongues” runs through April 28 at the Gremlin Theatre in St Paul.

Rhythms and threads

Revel in the vibrant energy of the Guild of Middle Eastern Dance’s Spring Spectacular.

MJ Gernes is a St. Paul fiber artist and drummer who has had a chance to drum before with members of the Guild of Middle Eastern Dance.

For more than 40 years, the Guild has drawn dancers from around the Twin Cities and beyond to perform a variety of folk dance styles from across the Middle East as well as other American-fusion styles.

Gernes loves the high energy, the beautiful costumes and welcoming atmosphere of the Guild’s dance performances, and she’s looking forward to their Spring Spectacular, this Sunday, April 21 at 4 p.m. at the Elision Playhouse in Crystal.

For those interested in learning new dance skills, the Guild is offering six workshops this weekend in St. Paul and Crystal.

Revisiting rebellion

Experience a timeless tale of struggle and satire with An Opera Theatre’s production of “The Cradle Will Rock.”

Twin Cities illustrator and designer Jerrald Spencer Jr. had a chance to see a preview production of An Opera Theatre’s performance of “The Cradle Will Rock.”

Written in 1937 by Marc Blitzstein and billed as “The Working Man’s Musical,” the opera still feels relevant today; Spencer described it as “Succession meets The Producers.”

The villainous Mr. Mister (whose wife, naturally, is Mrs. Mister) seeks to control the media and crush rising labor unions.

The opera is laced with some “very, very funny lines,” says Spencer, along with beautiful singing and shadow puppetry, which adds to the emotional depth of the story.

The Cradle Will Rock runs April 18 – 21 at the Heart of the Beast Theatre in Minneapolis. The show is 90 minutes without intermission.