Guys & Dolls - Chanhassen Dinner Theatres - April 2026

Guys & Dolls

Program Cover

Music and Lyrics by Frank Loessor

Book by Jo Sterling & Abe Burrows 

Review by Ernest Edwards

Guys & Dolls is a good old fashioned musical from the golden age of Broadway. Chanhassen Dinner Theatre’s production of Guys & Dolls checks all the boxes. Songs, sets, story, choreography, cast, costumes. Check, check, check, check, check, and check!

The musical premiered on Broadway in 1950, and takes place in NYC in the late 1940’s. There was also a movie made in 1955 that featured Marlon Brandon, Frank Sinatra, Jean Simmons, and Viviane Blaine. 

The story follows Nathan Detroit and his never ending game of craps. They have to keep changing the location to keep the police, Lt. Brannigan, off their trail. Nathan has been engaged to Adelaide for 14 years, and she wants to get married. Gambler Sky Masterson is back in town, and Nathan bets Sky he can’t get Sarah Brown from the Save A Soul Mission to go on a date with him. Lots of hilarity ensues from there. Place your bets on excitement. Buckle up, you are in a for ride with Guys & Dolls. It’s such a fun musical, you can’t but feel happy long after the musical is over. 

This production is directed and co-choreographed by Tamara Kangas, with co-choreography by Linda

The stage, before the musical begins

Talcott Lee. This is Tamara’s first production that she has directed since taking over the reigns at CDT. This is an impressive first foray. I can’t wait to see what she does next. She is playing with a full house. 

Let’s talk about those costumes by Rich Hamson. Gorgeous is not even the right word. That is what the costumes are. I tell you, this stage musical was presented in technicolor! From the ladies costumes, to the Hot Box girls, to the guys suits. Everything was visually spectacular. I also liked the scenery designed by Nayna Ramey. There were parts of the main stage space I had never seen used before. The backdrop for NYC was perfect. The scenery effortlessly changed for each scene. I also really liked the Guys & Dolls sign that was upstage center before the show started, and came back during intermission and at the end of the show. The neon outlines of the NYC skyline on either sides of the stage was nice too, especially the silhouette of the Brooklyn Bridge. 

This score by Frank Loessor has some of the most fun and memorable songs on Broadway. You will 

Photo by Dan Norman

recognize several of the songs from Guys & Dolls. 

The cast is lead by a fabulous foursome. Nathan Detroit is played by Charlie Clark, Miss Adelaide is played by Madeline Trumble, Sarah Brown is played by Sara Masterson, Sky Masterson is played by Shad Hanley. Other notable performances are Arvide Abernathy played by local favorite Tod Petersen. Other cast members that I recognize are Tony Vierling, Michael Gruber, Ryan London Levin, Armando Harlow Ronconi, and Jon Andrew Hegge. 

Adelaide has lots of great moments in this production. Matthew Hall as Nicely-Nicely Johnson, brings down the house with the second act number “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat”. 

We all won the dice toss with Guys & Dolls. 

Guys & Dolls runs through September 25, 2026. Check out www.chanhassendt.com for tickets. 

An Evening with Mark Twain - Tribute to Hall Holbrook, Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, April 2026

An Evening with Mark Twain

The stage, before the show began

Performed by Don Shelby

Review By Ernest Edwards

Yes that Don Shelby. The retired newscaster is also an actor. I had seen him at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres back in February in Love Letters. His acting resume is very impressive, as is his career as a newscaster.  

Did some research during intermission for this one night only event at the Main Stage at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres Monday night. Don Shelby has performed as Mark Twain over 200 times around the region. We learned from the Q&A after the show that he has been performing as Mark Twain for 50 years. 

Wish I could have taken a photo of Don Shelby during the show. With the costume, wig, eyebrows, nose, and mustache, he really looked like Mark Twain. At the end of the show, Don Shelby brought a makeup table on stage and as he took off the mustache and eyebrows, he looked like Don Shelby again under all of that. It was an amazing transformation. 

After the show Don Shelby explained why he was doing the show at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres and on a Monday. Monday’s are when the main stage musicals have a night off. The staff was working on their night off for this one night only special event. Which was also sold out! Don also said that Michael Brindisi had asked him to bring his Mark Twain to the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres. He was also honoring the wishes of the late great Michael Brindisi.  

I have never seen Don Shelby perform as Mark Twain before. I only learned about this one night only event when I had went to Love Letters in February, and at that point there was only single seats left for the event. After the show was over, Don Shelby announced that this was his last performance as Mark Twain. His family was in the audience, as were several of his friends. To quote Don Shelby, “Best to go out on top with a sold out performance, versus an audience of 12”. 

Something else I learned was that Don Shelby had a chance encounter with Hal Holbrook a long time ago. That chance encounter led to a friendship that lasted until Hal Holbrook passed in 2021. The two them spent many years discussing Mark Twain. It was Hal Holbrook’s performance of Mark Twain that inspired Don Shelby. 

This ended up being a really special evening. Not only seeing Don Shelby as Mark Twain for the first time, but attending his final performance as Mark Twain. 

Edgar In Concert - MN Opera - April 2026

Edgar in Concert

Program Cover

Music by Giacomo Puccini, Libretto by Ferdinando Fontana

Review By Ernest Edwards

Over the weekend the MN Opera presented the Puccini opera Edgar as a concert. I have never seen Edgar before, but I really liked how the stage was set up for the show. It made me think that MN Opera could do other presentations in concert too. Such as the Stephan Sondheim’s Follies, which did have a concert presentation in NYC back in the 1980’s. Kind of why that show popped in my mind. Or when the NY Philharmonic did Company as a concert presentation. Sweeney Todd has also had two concert productions that I’m aware of. The possibilities are endless. 

We did learn before the opera started that there has been no professional productions of Edgar in the USA for the past 20 years. It was truly a treat to see this MN Opera production at the Ordway in downtown St. Paul. 

I really liked how the stage was set up for this production. The five main principle performers had seats at

The stage, before the opera began. 

the front the of stage. Directly behind them was the MN Opera orchestra, In the back of the stage was the MN Opera choir on risers. Including the intermission, the run time for Edgar was around 2 hours.  

The principle performers were Karin Wolverton as Fidelia, Karen Morgan as Tigrana, John Mburu as Gualtiero, Diego Torre as Edgar, and Thomas Glass as Frank. Before the show began we learned that Diego Torre was under the weather earlier in the week and there was an understudy standing by, but Diego Torre did perform the entire show on opening night. 

As soon as Karen Morgan walked onto the stage in that red dress. I knew she was the character Tigrana. Based on the synopsis that I read in the program. 

Edgar was a wonderful two night only event. The MN Opera still has the opera Pagliacci coming up. The dates for Pagliacci are May 9 - May 17. Check out www.mnopera.org for tickets. 

The Full Monty - Theatre 55 - April 2025

The Full Monty

Image provided by Theatre 55

Book by Terrance McNally, Music and Lyrics by David Yasbek

Review by Ernest Edwards

The Full Monty musical is based on the 1997 film of the same name that takes place in Sheffield a northern town in England. The Full Monty  premiered on Broadway in 2000, and the location was changed to Buffalo, New York for the musical. I had seen the National Tour of the Broadway musical back in June 2003 at the Ordway. It’s been a while since I have seen this musical live on stage. 

This is this first production I am seeing with Theatre 55. Theatre 55 creates shows that contain casts who are 55 years old and older.  I thought the story of The Full Monty would be perfect for my first Theatre 55 production. And it was! What a treat to see this production with this company. The story of the musical is similar to the movie, you have these men who have been out of work ever since the factory closed 18 months ago. They get the idea to do a one night only strip tease for some fast cash. The guys in the musical are average, they are not built like those Chippendale’s models. There’s something about these average guys being played by men of a certain age that really works well for the story.  

The musical takes you on a journey of acceptance and growth. These men are down on their luck. They have been unemployed for 18 months. Their moral is low. And they just want to feel like themselves again. They are hoping their luck will change. The men in this story have various sizes of body shapes, have no rhythm, can’t dance, but have a dream and a desire to do something different for one night only. Not only for the money, but for their dignity. There’s a strength in being vulnerable. 

As for the big moment. The Full Monty per se. It’s stage very tastefully and in conjunction with the stage lighting the actors do The Full Monty, but we in the audience really don’t see anything. This is a family themed show after all. Don’t be surprised to see our six dancers appear in robes during the curtain call.  

This is a such a fun musical. You can tell the whole cast was having a good time with this musical. 

The Full Monty closes on Sunday 4/19/26, check out www.theatre55.org for tickets. 

Theatre 55 did also announce that their next musical in the fall of 2026 will be Young Frankenstein. That should be another fun one to see. 

Grumpy Old Men The Musical - Minneapolis Musical Theatre - April 2026

Grumpy Old Men

Program Cover

Book by Dan Remmes, Music by Neil Berg, Lyrics by Nick Meglin 

Adapted from the screenplay for the 1993 Warner Bros movie by Mark Steven Johnson

Review by Ernest Edwards

What I liked about the movie Grumpy Old Men, was that not only did the movie take place in Minnesota, but it was filmed at various locations in Minnesota. The interior scenes were filmed at the sound stages at Paisley Park. Wabasha, MN where the show takes place, used to have a sign under the Welcome to Wabasha sign that said “Home of Grumpy Old Men”. 

If you remember the 1993 movie, then you already know the story for the stage musical. The story of John Gustafson and Max Goldman, neighbors who have been feuding for over 50 years. 

You probably have the same question I have. When did Grumpy Old Men become a stage musical? The musical had its premiere at the Ogunquit Playhouse in 2018. This regional premiere is the perfect musical for Minneapolis Musical Theatre. Their slogan is “Rare Musicals, Well Done”. Grumpy Old Men and MMT are a perfect match. 

For the stage musical we have Jim Ahrens as John Gustafson, Michael Fishcetti as Grandpa Gustafson, Caitlin Burns as Ariel Truax, Ward Eames as Max Goldman, James Lane as Jacob Goldman, Jillian Bader as Melanie Gustafson Norton, Quinten Michael as Chuck Barrels, Lisa Denninger as Punky Barrels,  Brandon Osero as Harry, and Kayla Hambek as Sandra Snyder. It’s a wonderful cast. 

We were having the first 80 degree day of the year in Minneapolis when I went to the show yesterday. It was winter on stage at the Conn Theatre. The opening number really set the tone for the musical. Which was contained lots of Minnesota-isms, such as heavy coats, boots, stocking caps, flannel, big bushy beards and ice fishing. 

Michael Fishchetti was hilarious as Grandpa Gustafson. He had some great zingers. Punky Barrels had some fun and quirky moments. Harry as the postal worker had some fun moments as the man who couldn’t feel any pain. Let’s talk about the statue of Ariel’s husband. We couldn’t see his manhood, as that was kept upstage. It was able to old a hat and an umbrella at different times in the musical. Kind of as an homage to the movie, Max has his prized fishing pole The Green Hornet. Kayle Hambek took IRS agent Sandra Snyder to new levels in cruelty. She really embodied the character. 

The cast has having a lot of fun on stage. The musical is fun and entertaining.  

Grumpy Old Men The Musical continues through April 19, 2026 at the Conn Theater in Minneapolis. Check out www.aboutmmt.org for tickets. 

Mamma Mia! - Lyric Arts - April 2026

Mamma Mia!

Program Cover

Music and Lyrics by Benny Anderson and Bjorn Ulveaus

Some songs written by Stig Anderson 

Book by Catherine Johnson

Originally conceived by Judy Cramer

Review By Ernest Edwards

Mamma Mia! The hit 1999 stage musical based on the songs of ABBA is playing at Lyric Arts through May 10, 2026. I went to the production last night, which is opening weekend. I want to point out, the musical sold out a week before the show opened. That is a testament not only to the popularity of Mamma Mia!, but also to Lyric Arts reputation as a theater company. 

I have seen Mamma Mia! multiple time over the years. There’s been Broadway tours, local productions,

Photo by Molly Jay

and high school productions. As a jukebox musical, Mamma Mia! works very well, whereas some other jukebox musicals do not work as well. Mamma Mia! has a story that goes well with the music. The story and songs, along with the cast add some great character growth, advances the plot, and plus it’s a lot of fun!

At its core, the story is about a mother/daughter relationship. Donna owns a hotel/taverna on a small Greek island. She has raised her daughter Sophie all by herself. Sophie is getting married to Sky. She did some digging in her Mom’s diary, and found not only one potential father, but three from the summer of 1979. Sophie invites all three to her wedding believing she will know who her father is when she sees him. Donna is very surprised, to see Sam, Bill and Harry back on the island after all these years and the day before her/their daughter’s wedding. 

Donna’s friends Tonya and Rosie have also arrived for the wedding. They reunite as Donna and the

Photo by Molly Jay

Dynamo’s for a bachelorette party entertainment for Sophie and the girls. They do a great version of the ABBA song “Super Trooper” with 1970’s costumes too.

During the after party, Sophie has private conversations with Bill, Harry and Sam. All three realize they could be her father and offer to walk her down the aisle. 

The Second Act opens to Sophie having a nightmare singing the song “Under Attack”.   

For being a musical that takes place over two days. A lot does happen. 

Lyric Arts has a great cast, costumes and scenic designers for this production. Directory Kasey Skoretz did a great job with this production. Although it is spring (kind of/soft of) here in the Twin Cities metro. It did feel like you were on a Greek island inside at Lyric Arts with the scenery designed by Michaela Lochen, and costumes designed by Caroline A. Zaltron. The scenery worked very well for transitions between scenes. Loved how things were hidden in plain sight. Lyric Arts uses all of the aisles for this production. It was fun to see every square inch of the space used.  

Let’s also talk about this wonderful cast. I shouldn’t have say this, but it’s a wonderful diverse cast that

Photo by Molly Jay

also includes some body positivity. Basically what you see every day in real life is what you see on stage with this cast. That is pretty amazing. The cast is lead by Lisa Vogel as Donna, Raquel Ponce as Sophie, Jordan Dewayne-White Kueng as Sky, Emily Jabas as Rosie, Hollie Kingdon as Tanya, Eric Lee as Sam, France A. Roberts as Harry, Keith Reilly as Bill, Daze Bishop as Lisa, and Malea Hanson as Ali. Lisa Vogel as Donna had an excellent journey that her character went through, and her vocals in these ABBA songs is hard to match. Her rendition of “The Winner Takes It All” is not to be missed. I also like France A. Roberts as Harry. He brought a lot to that character and made Harry fun in the process. I also really liked Keith Reilly as Bill. The actor having tattoos on one one arm and one leg, really seemed to fit the character of Bill. The adventurer! Holli Kingston as Tanya get’s a several moments to shine. One of the best is the song “Does Your Mother Know?” Emily Jabas’s as Rosie has a fun number singing with Bill the song “Take A Chance on Me”. 

Similar to the Ancient Greek stories. Mamma Mia! has some twists of fate, but everything does work out

Photo by Molly Jay

in the end. The musical contains 23 ABBA songs. One of the best parts of this fun show, is the curtain call. They do a peformance of 3 ABBA songs and drop the mirror ball. Then Donna, Tonya, and Rosie appear in 1970’s costumes, as does Bill, Harry and Sam. The curtain call is the cherry on top of the sweet dessert that  this production is. 

Normally I would say drop everything and get yourself some tickets to this wonderful musical. It is already sold out for the entire run. There could be cancellations. Keep checking Lyric Arts website at www.lyricarts.org for tickets. The musical runs through May 10, 2026. 

The Right Thing To Do: The Joe Mauer Story - Stages Theatre Company - April 2026

The Right Thing To Do: The Joe Mauer Story

Program Cover

Based on the book by Joe Schmit

Book and Music by Michael Mahler

Review by Ernest Edwards

The Right Thing To Do is making its world premier at the Stages Theatre Company on Main Street in downtown Hopkins. I was at the opening night performance, but Joe Mauer was not in attendance. As a spoiler alert, this one act musical does feature videos of Joe Mauer at the begging and end of the musical.  

I have never heard of the book that this musical is based on. I just know Joe Mauer the former MN Twins baseball player and Hall of Fame inductee. The musical does have some catchy songs. The story of the musical does follow Joe Mauer from being a 10 year old to being in High School. His closet friends were Andrea and Mike. Mike is legally blind and uses a cane. One line Mike had in High School was, “how it is he is the only blind student, but no one can see him?” A teenage Joe Mauer changed all of that by adding Mike to his circle of friends. Mike is very good at sport stats. He listens to the games on the radio. 

Something that a young Joe Mauer’s dad said, and I hope I get the quote right “try something different, and great things can happen”. At the beginning of the musical, young Joe could throw a baseball with his right hand, and write with his right hand, but was not as good batting with his right hand. Once he started batting left handed, that was a game changer for him.  He tried something different and something great happened. Which also includes his friendship with Mike. There are still friends to this day.  

A fun moment in the musical, during High School, a group of girls are fawning over Joe’s success on the high school baseball team. Except Maddie, who is not impressed. Then the voice of the narrator says “Maddie eventually becomes Mrs. Joe Mauer, but that’s a story for a different musical.”  

Director Sandy Boren-Barrett assembled a fine cast of young people for this production. Some cast to mention are Baron Heinz as Young Joe Mauer, Charlie Gold as Teen Joe Mauer, Sakhile Mazwi as Young Andrea, Akron Manson as Teen Andrea, Reid Soltis as Young Mike, Noah Durand as Teen Mike. The only adult character on stage is JC Lippold as Joe’s Dad.  

This one act musical is a feel good story. It’s a fun story about the younger years of a local who became a famous national baseball player and the life lessons and morals he learned along the way. One thing to take with you from this musical is “do the right thing”. 

The show plays at Stages Theatre Company through May 10, 2026. Check out www.stagestheatre.org for tickets.