2013 Spring Arts & Food Preview

Spring is finally around the corner and Lavender is pleased to present the bi-annual Arts & Food Preview covering some of the entertaining and evocative shows to come to the Twin Cities between March and September, 2013. Knowing that many people grab a bite to eat before or after a show, we’re suggesting some pairings between area restaurants and the shows they mostly appropriately match. Hang on to this issue for reference and we’ll see you at the theatre!

Elemeno Pea

through March 17, 2013
Mixed Blood Theatre
Molly Smith Metzler’s comedy is an ingeniously unpredictable window into how capitalism can make whores of people even if when they think they’re not one. Two sisters, played searingly by Sun Mee Chomet and Laurine Price, will play with your sympathies like you can’t imagine.
Mixed Blood Theatre
www.mixedblood.com

Triple Rock Social Club
Triple Rock is arguably the most hardcore rock club in town, but it’s also a great spot to grab a burger. The menu is full of stick-to-your-ribs beer-pairing favorites. They also have some seriously delicious vegan and vegetarian dishes. The copious tattoos and body mods might be a bit for some to take, but this place is the real deal.
www.triplerocksocialclub.com

Or

through March 17, 2013
Park Square Theatre
Playwright Liz Duffy Adams reminds how there was a sexual and arts revolution during the English Restoration of the 1600s. The Puritans were finally defeated and women finally had some capacity for mobility in a new age. This acclaimed work looks at genderbending and sexual ambiguity.
Park Square Theatre
www.parksquaretheatre.org

Other Desert Cities

through March 24, 2013
Guthrie Theater
Playwright Jon Robin Baitz’s contemporary masterpiece and has been staged by director Peter Rothstein. His brilliant cast plumbs the anguished contradictions of a family divided by the Vietnam War, 30 years later. Few works have ever found connections between that war’s downside and the downside of the Bush/Cheney wars like Baitz’s.
Guthrie Theater’s McGuire Proscenium Stage
www.guthrietheater.org

Sea Change
Before an evening spent experiencing this sea change moment, spend your dinner at the raw bar at Sea Change the restaurant. The fresh, sustainable seafood, delivered directly into the hands of Jamie Malone and her capable chefs, is treated with the utmost respect. The raw bar best highlights the delicate handling, the gentle coaxing of seawater flavor with their multitude of elegant tricks.
www.seachangempls.com

Sister’s Easter Catechism: Will My Bunny Go to Heaven?

February 27 – March 31, 2013
Hennepin Theatre Trust
Kimberly Richards stars in this irreverent addition to the Sister’s Catechism franchise. This is an ideal opportunity to go to the new New Century Theatre in the City Center in downtown Minneapolis. The smaller, more intimate space is perfect for comedy that doesn’t need a lot of infrastructure. Here it’s the talent that makes or breaks a show. And Sister always makes it!
New Century Theatre
www.hennepintheatretrust.org

Parka
Why not stick with the rabbit theme and try the rabbit meatballs at the new Longfellow hot spot, Parka? The collaberation of a chef, coffee purveyors, and bakery, Parka is an interesting concept that results in a family-friendly, casual neighborhoody vibe with artful food. The tender, juicy meatballs are tucked into a soft, chewy Rustica bread.
www.parkampls.com

A Couple of Blaguards

March 1 – 30, 2013
Actors Theater of Minnesota
Peter Moore directs Ross Young and Chris Whiting in a humorous two-hander about escaping Ireland to go to America. Written by the McCourt brothers, Malachy and Frank. St. Paul has long been a magnet for Irish theater. A Couple of Blaguards productions have proved to be popular throughout the world.
Camp Cabaret
www.camp-bar.net/cabaret

Twelfth Night and The Taming of the Shrew

through April 5 and 6, 2013
Guthrie Theater
In Shakespeare’s time, only men could appear on stage so men played all female roles. That archaic tradition is revived by London’s acclaimed Propeller Theater. In Twelfth Night, Viola is written as a woman playing a man. So, here it’s a man playing a woman pretending to be a man.
Guthrie Theater’s Wurtele Thrust Stage
www.guthrietheater.org

Mona Restaurant & Bar
Prior to engaging in a night of Shakespeare, dine in the Old World elegance of Mona in downtown Minneapolis. Lauded for its Mediterranean fare and wine selections, the dark woods and dim lights of this new restaurant in the Accenture building will set your mood and please your palate.
www.monarestaurant.com

Courting Harry

through March 24
History Theatre
Dramatist Lee Blessing writes about Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun who authored Roe v. Wade and whose memory has been vilified by the anti-abortion brigades. Clyde Lund plays Blackmun. Nathaniel Fuller plays Chief Justice Warren Burger and E. J. Subkoviak plays Presidents Nixon and Clinton.
History Theatre
www.historytheatre.com

Strip Club Meat & Fish
Celebrate these two accomplished men in their home neighborhood of Dayton’s Bluff. In addition to producing two accomplished justices, the neighborhood also boasts one of the Twin Cities’ best restaurants, the Strip Club Meat & Fish. The name refers to their grass-fed strip steaks, but I recommend ordering whatever pork dish is of the moment that Chef J.D. Fratzke is preparing. The man is a master of pig preparations. (Or, really tie it together with the play and get the chef’s burger.)
www.domeats.com

Flanagan’s Wake

March 8 – 30, 2013
Actors Theater of Minnesota
No, it’s not James Joyce’s classic Finnegan’s Wake, but an interactive theater production about mourners in the village of County Sligo in Ireland. The audience takes part and may find themselves torn between the parish priest and a spell-casting pagan. Is death the passage from one dimension to another?
Camp Cabaret
www.camp-bar.net/cabaret

The Local
Nowhere better embraces the Irish way of dining than the Local. Slip inside this downtown Minneapolis pub and find yourself surrounded by friends you’ve yet to make. Order up a hearty plate of their fish and chips while sipping a perfectly poured Guinness. If you feel the need to burst into song or tears, this joint is just Irish enough to understand any swing in emotion. Then, go directly to St. Paul to make even more friends at Camp Cabaret where you’ll tip a pint (or two…or…) to Flanagan.
www.the-local.com

Yellow Fever

through March 24, 2013
Guthrie Theater presents a Mu Performing Arts production
Writer/director R. A. Shiomi’s comic mystery play set in the 1970s features hard-boiled Vancouver detective Sam Shikaze. The play’s web of deception brings up memories of Japanese-Canadian internment camps. The U.S. government facilitation of such  camps in the 1940s is widely known, but Canada was at fault, too.
Guthrie Theater’s Dowling Studio
www.guthrietheater.org

Zen Box Izakaya
Before heading out to tackle this case, head into Zen Box Izakaya for a quick bite and a little brew. An izakaya is a Japanese pub and at Zen Box they have cultivated that friendly, neighborhood vibe. Brew fans will find beer that can’t be found anywhere else outside of Japan and food fans will delight in their ramen. It’s also a great spot to introduce those who don’t know Japanese cuisine outside of sushi. It’s impossible not to love their chicken Kara Age–it’s like a sweet, spicy chicken nugget-y nosh.
www.zenboxizakaya.com

Jackie and Me

March 12 – April 14, 2013
Children’s Theatre Company
Baseball legend, Jackie Robinson, played by the charismatic Ansa Akyea, is the subject of research by a young student in this CTC play. Robinson was the first African-American Major League baseball player. His historic success story is inspirational, to be sure. OBIE-winner Marion McClinton directs.
Children’s Theatre Company
www.childrenstheatre.org

Lance Armstrong’s Steroid-Pumped Comedy Revue

March 14 – June 29, 2013
Brave New Workshop
Lance Armstrong’s doping scandal is surely a treasure trove for the region’s premiere comedy theater troupe. Athletes behaving badly is an ideal springboard for irreverent humor and the fact that we worship them in this culture makes it all the more transgressive. See it at Brave New Workshop’s new downtown Minneapolis digs.
Brave New Workshop
www.bravenewworkshop.com

Birdhouse
If you’re going to be juicing at this level, it had better be the best juice money can buy. There’s none better than what’s being churned out at Birdhouse on Hennepin Avenue. Stewart and Heidi Woodman’s newest venture focuses mainly on healthier foods. Their juices are refreshing, wonderfully balanced beverage (that can be ordered with booze…you’re so hardcore). The vegan croquettes are fantastic for munching and the lamb burger has garnered ardent fans. Or, stick with the theme and order the cheese plate with other goodies. If memory serves, it includes a little handful of small nuts.

SPUNK

March 14 – April 7, 2013
Penumbra Theatre
This adaptation of stories by Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) is an opportunity to feel the spirit of a woman regarded by many as the greatest female African-American writer. Hurston delved into anthropology and folklore. She traveled to Honduras, Haiti, Jamaica, and throughout the American South. Experience a Harlem Renaissance luminary.
Penumbra Theatre
www.penumbratheatre.org

The Light in the Piazza

March 13 – April 7, 2013
Theater Latté Da
Craig Lucas’s probing script and Adam Guettel’s memorable music and lyrics presence us to what it is to come upon an expanded view of life. When a southern American mother’s daughter falls in love with an Italian man, everyone is compelled to re-examine their hopes, values, and overview of life.
Ordway Center for the
Performing Arts
www.latteda.org

Pazzaluna
Like love found under an Italian full moon, the Pazzaluna gnocchi will have you swooning. Sip a glass of wine and begin a night destined for romance. 360 St. Peter Street, St. Paul www.pazzaluna.com

Monty Python’s Spamalot

March 15 & 16, 2013
Hennepin Theatre Trust
Tony-winner for Best Musical for the Broadway season of 2004-05, this musical inspired by the 1975 film, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, continues to be one of the most popular shows of the past decade. King Arthur, his Knights, and the Lady of the Lake glow in an irreverent light.
Orpheum Theatre
www.hennepintheatretrust.org

Blue Door Pub, Longfellow
What’s more Minnesotan than Spam? Well, arguably a couple of things, but while you’re out with your silly k-nig-hits, hit the latest neighborhood gastropub, The Blue Door Pub in Longfellow. Their beer list will make your head spin with a dazzling array of local craft beauties. The burgers are much like they are in their St. Paul location, just more of them. You’d be remiss, however, to skip the Spam Bites. Spammy, cheesy, zesty, sweet perfection–exactly like this musical.
www.bluedoorlongfellow.com

Pop/Ugly

March 15 & 16, 2013
Mathew Janczewski’s ARENA DANCES
The first-ever ARENA improvisation commissioned by the Minnesota Composers Forum, this collaboration with Minnesota composer Phil Fried includes a musical mash-up by Alex Berglund and a cast from St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists joining the dancers.
The Cowles Center for Dance & the
Performing Arts
www.thecowlescenter.org

Life and Beth

March 22 – April 14, 2013
Theatre in the Round Players
Alan Ayckbourn is regarded as the Neil Simon of British theater. In other words, he’s enormously popular. This comedy is part of his Things That Go Bump trilogy and has a widow whose departed husband still haunts her…but it’s funny!
Theatre in the Round
www.theatreintheround.org

Deathtrap

March 29 – May 19, 2013
The Jungle Theater
Ira Levin is best known for his fabulously weird novel, Rosemary’s Baby, but his turn as a playwright with Deathtrap has also enjoyed vast popularity for decades and has often been singled out for its gay character. Director Bain Boehlke is beloved for his topnotch direction of thrillers.
The Jungle Theater
www.jungletheater.com

The Gray House
Around the corner from the Jungle on Lake Street is a new gastropub called The Gray House. A comedic thriller such as Deathtrap requires the sustenance and the ambience of a small eatery featuring seasonal cuisine separated into cheeky categories such as “proteins” and “doughs.” The space The Gray House occupies has been a mystery to the restaurant scene, but we have on good authority that The Gray House will be just as popular as Deathtrap, which is known as one of the biggest hits on Broadway.
www.thegrayhouseeats.com

Flashdance

April 2 – April 7, 2013
Hennepin Theatre Trust
Based on the popular 1983 film, a young woman welder finds the stamina, discipline, and vision to also pursue a dance career. The musical is set in Pittsburgh but actually originated in England where critics loved it. This may be that Brits have an implicit respect and understanding for working class struggles, hmm?
Orpheum Theatre
www.hennepintheatretrust.org

Brasa
If you plan to don an askew ripped-neckline sweatshirt over a pair of leggings for Flashdance, be sure to go “steeltown girl” industrial with a little spice for your dining choice by stopping by the Minneapolis Brasa. The heat of the Creole and peppery rotisserie fare will provide a nice amount of steam should you decide to douse yourself with water as you dance to Irene Cara’s “What a Feeling.” Then, ring out your leg warmers and run on down Hennepin to the theatre where you can “have it all,” you maniac.
www.brasa.us

Lover

April 5 – 13, 2013
James Sewell Ballet
Bradley Greenwald, Maria Jettee, and Dan Chouinard join the extraordinary ballet troupe (as seen on the cover) to reprise fabulous tunes from the Depression Era by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, aka Rodgers and Hart. Tunes include “My Funny Valentine” and “10 Cents a Dance.
The Cowles Center for Dance & the Performing Arts
www.jsballet.org

Bar Lucrat
A lovely, lovey evening celebrating love is perfectly set inside the Loring Park gem, Cafe Lurcat. Between the soft lighting and the open space that somehow lends to a cozy table feeling, it’s hard not fall in love with such a stunning setting. No matter the season, the view of the park or their patio is just beautiful. Order a little bubbly and their lobster bisque to take that romance to the next level.
www.cafelurcat.com

In the Time of Butterflies

April 5 – 27, 2013
Mixed Blood Theatre
Mixed Blood Theatre really challenges our assumptions this year and that’s always good. Playwright Caridad Svich has adapted Julia Alvarez’s book about the Dominican Republic’s Mirabl siblings. Their underground resistance makes us consider those socio-political problems we think are insurmountable are actually not that.
Mixed Blood Theatre
www.mixedblood.com

Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

opens April 5, 2013
Chanhassen
In Andrew Lloyd Webber’s early musical we see the master’s love for archetypes. Old Testament Joseph, the favored son of Jacob, is given a coat of many colors and is then sold into slavery to Egyptians by his jealous brother. But Joseph’s gift of dream interpretation puts him right into the Pharoah’s favor.
Chanhassen Dinner Theatres
www.chanhassentheatres.com

The Kinsey Sicks

April 5 & April 6, 2013
Hennepin Theatre Trust
Dubbed as America’s Favorite Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet, it all began in 1993 when they were just friends and dressed up as the Andrews Sisters at a Bette Midler concert in San Francisco. Kinsey refers to Sexual Revolution pioneer, Alfred Kinsey, and their camp style is wonderfully nostalgic.
New Century Theatre
www.hennepintheatretrust.org

Northrop Dance Presents Khmer Arts Ensemble
April 5, 2013
Northrop Dance
This acclaimed Cambodian troupe presents a A Bend in the River which portrays decisions made in the heat of passion. This village tale has themes of love, magic, consequence, and redemption. In the 1970s, Cambodia was devastated by President Nixon and Henry Kissinger-approved secret bombing as well as dictator Pol Pot.
State Theatre
www.northrop.umn.edu/events/khmer-arts-ensemble

Nice Fish

April 6 – May 18, 2013
Guthrie Theater
Tony winner, Mark Rylance, and Duluth poet, Louis Jenkins of Prairie Home Companion fame, spin a yarn of ice fishing, melting ice, and a snowmobile driver wielding a spear and dynamite. Rylance starred in the Guthrie’s staging of Minnesota poet Robert Bly’s take on Ibsen’s Peer Gynt.
Guthrie Theater’s McGuire
Proscenium Stage
www.guthrietheater.org

Tavern On Grand
There can be no mention of a play called Nice Fish that is full of all-things-Minnesota without pairing it up with “Minnesota’s State Restaurant serving Minnesota’s State Fish” which is none other than Tavern on Grand’s famous Walleye. You can get Walleye deep-fried, pan-blackened, grilled, as ceviche, in cakes…with bearnaise, even. Casual dining in a log cabin decor will get you set to see this world premiere piece at the Guthrie with its snowmobile-riding, ice-fishing, dynamite-wielding characters. Make sure to try the Dragon Puffs for an explosive bang of flavor.
www.tavernongrand.com

Lorca in a Green Dress

April 12, 2013
Pangea World Theater and Teatro del Pueblo
Two theater companies blend energies to recall the importance of poet/playwright Federico Garcia Lorca who took on one of the 1930s Big Three Tyrants, Franco (the others being Hitler and Mussolini). The doomed Lorca was tyrannized for his sexual orientation and his left-wing politics during the Spanish Civil War.
Ritz Theatre
www.ritz-theatre.org

Solera
Did you say Spanish? I heard you say Solera. Before or after partaking in the story of a literary figure who was persecuted for his sexual orientation and politics, come to Solera as a matter of reclamation. Spanish small plates and cuisine that include sumptuous seafood, meats, cheeses, as well as what Hitler apparently called Franco, “a little sausage.”
www.solera-restaurant.com

River See

April 13 – 21, 2013
Pillsbury House Theatre
Blueswomen, queers, and seers are part of Sharon Bridgforth’s new performance work. She digs into black American Southern traditions and from that vantage point brings forth ideas on race, class, gender, identity, spirituality, and desire. Pillsbury House Theatre is known for its innovative experimental work.
Pillsbury House + Theatre
www.pillsburyhouseandtheatre.org

Icehouse
Icehouse is the spot for enjoying delicious food in a relaxing atmosphere while taking in some killer tunes. Graze on their famous wings and sip on some of Johnny Michaels’ cocktails. Bringing together high brow, low down and an evocative dining experience, it’s a perfect compliment to this innovative performance.
www.icehousempls.com

Turandot

April 13 – 21, 2013
Minnesota Opera
Did you know that Minnesota Opera is a global player in the opera world with three towering world premieres in recent years? They also do the classics right and with Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot, you can expect the best. The proud princess Turandot makes life pure hell for her suitors, and I mean hell!
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
www.mnopera.org

To Kill a Mockingbird

April 4 – 14, 2013
Park Square Theatre
Christopher Sergel adapted Harper Lee’s novel for the stage. It still looms as a quintessential examination of how bigoted social values and the justice system bring about misery. The hysteria surrounding a black man falsely accused of rape still astonishes. Featuring Fred Wagner and Payton J. Woodson.
Park Square Theatre
www.parksquaretheatre.org

The St. Paul Grill
A classic is a classic for a reason. The test of time proves that there is no mistaking the steady excellence. Visit after visit, new nuances are discovered, along with new reasons to love it all the more. The St. Paul Grill pours the best Scotch and serve the most perfectly cooked steak. It feels like the sort of place that Atticus Finch would take a meeting to discuss his toughest cases.
www.stpaulgrill.com

This Side of Paradise

April 20 – May 19, 2013
History Theatre
St. Paul’s original ‘It’ couple – F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald – are reflected on as figures of the proverbial ’20s Jazz Age. Will Pomerantz and Nancy Harrow wrote the book. Music and lyrics by Harrow. Catch it before the film release of The Great Gatsby later this year.
History Theatre
www.historytheatre.com

Union
Celebrate all that glitters at Union where dazzling views downtown. It’s an intoxicating view and the these are some of the best drinks to be had in all of downtown. Try the MsMN with preserved lemon gin, black cardamom, with an egg white and olive oil emulsion. Paired with their “buffalo” oysters it’s a daring, gorgeous, rip-roaring good time.
www.unionmpls.com

Mary Poppins

April 23 – April 28, 2013
Hennepin Theatre Trust
Visionary choreographer Matthew Bourne is what makes this re-imagining of the classic children’s book so intriguing. Unlike the 1964 film, the stage version takes a darker view. You can’t help but wonder if original author P. L. Travers would have preferred this to the film which she thought was too cute.
Orpheum Theatre
www.hennepintheatretrust.org

Cheeky Monkey
The adorable Cheeky Monkey is perfect for kids and adults; delightfully cheeky. Try the meatloaf sandwich. It’s practically perfect in every way. With lunch, dinner, and brunch hours on the weekend, this is the perfect spot to have a little bite before or after the show. “Deli by day. Bistro by night.”
www.cheekymonkeydeli.com

Stick Fly

April 26 – May 19, 2013
Park Square Theatre
Playwright Lydia R. Diamond’s smash hit examines a black family of means. Issues around class divisions come up when the two brothers bring home their girlfriends to meet the parents. One of the take-away terms from the show is ‘melanin-challenged.’ OBIE-winner Marion McClinton directs.
Park Square Theatre
www.parksquaretheatre.org

Senor Wong Bar & Restaurant
Spicy family drama in St. Paul calls for Señor Wong Bar & Restaurant on Kellogg. Craft beer flights and Taco Tuesdays are just two reasons to get to this establishment featuring Asian and Mexican flavors; the pork belly on the happy hour menu and the Szechuan Stir Fry should get you there before enjoying Park Square’s Stick Fly. Heat it up.
www.senorwong.com

Treasure Island

April 26 – May 19, 2013
Theatre in the Round Players
Young Jim Hawkins versus Long John Silver. Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic adventure story has been adapted for stage by Ken Ludwig (Lend Me a Tenor). If you were a boy growing up in the US or the British Commonwealth before 1970 this was a standard.
Theatre in the Round
www.theatreintheround.org

The Primrose Path

April 27 – June 15, 2013
Guthrie Theater
Playwright Crispin Whittell has adapted Ivan Turgenev’s novel and will be staged by the sure hand of director Roger Rees. Those who love the plays of Anton Chekhov and Maxim Gorky are apt to find The Primrose Path right up their alley. And the Guthrie has a longstanding tradition of excellence with Russian-based plays.
Guthrie Theater’s Wurtele Thrust Stage
www.guthrietheater.org

Vincent
Before plunging back into Russia, stop by our best French restaurant, Vincent – a Restaurant. Enjoy the dazzling wine and the exquisite food. Vincent Francoual creates elegant dishes in this stunning, open room. The lights are always set, just so, the service is attentive, but never intrusive. It’s intimate and lovely.
www.vincentarestaurant.com

Alice in Wonderland

April 30 – June 15, 2013
Children’s Theatre Company
Mad Hatters, Crazy Tea Partyers, the Cheshire Cat with a constant grin, and a tyrannical queen who chops off heads willy-nilly. Such is the surreal world of Lewis Carroll, whose story of the girl who goes through the looking glass and down the rabbit hole unleashed the modern imagination.
Children’s Theatre Company
www.childrenstheatre.org

Haute Dish
Step inside a dining room where nothing is as it seems. It’s elegance, where a tin can is used as a serving piece, sweetbreads are served General Tso-style, and a restaurant that has built its reputation in all things meaty, that suddenly embraces astounding vegetarian cooking. Chef Landon Schoenefeld is not just creative, but wildly talented. Foodies will happily follow him down any rabbit hole and find something tasty on the other side. Also, be sure to sample some of their expertly mixed cocktails like the Drunk Monk of Hendricks, Chartruese, pineapple juice, and lime.
www.haute-dish.com

The Schubert Club 130th Anniversary Celebratory Concert featuring Jessye Norman

April 30, 2013
The Schubert Club
Minnesota’s oldest arts organization is now an astounding century plus three decades old! Soprano Jessye Norman is featured at this celebratory concert. Indeed, this is an event that should make us all seriously reflect on just how important the Twin Cities’ extraordinary historical support for arts has made the quality of life here superior.
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
www.schubert.org

Zenon Dance Company

May 3 – 5, 10 – 12, 2013
Zenon Dance Company
A truly great dance company that integrates jazz and modern dance with resplendent power and sensuality. Enjoy reprised pieces by such great choreographers as Wynn Fricke, Danny Buraczeski, and Daniel Charon. Then there’s new tango work from Mariusz Olszewski and modern from Netta Yerushalmy.
The Cowles Center for Dance & the Performing Arts
www.zenondance.org

An Iliad

May 4 – May 26, 2013
Guthrie Theater
Ben McGovern directs Stephen Yoakam in Homer’s Trojan War epic of the siege of Troy by the Greeks. Lisa Peterson and Dennis O’Hare did the adaptation and Yoakam blew audiences away a few years back in another Guthrie Greek affair, The Burial at Thebes. McGovern is a champion of innovative staging.
Guthrie Theater’s Dowling Studio
www.guthrietheater.org

Gardens of Salonica
Close in proximity and cuisine to a Greek play at the Guthrie, Gardens of Salonica is a must-have for your Nordeast Minneapolis dining guide. The most succulent lamb shank I’ve ever had–not to mention the light, flaky, savory-filled boughatsa–bring me back to Gardens on a regular basis. Bechamel-laced pasta in the tall Pastitsio square leaves a full stomach and a happy grin. Take some Baklava to go and get thee to the Guthrie.
www.gardensofsalonica.com

Pilobolus

May 4, 2013
Ordway
Contortions, imaginative interlocking and interconnecting of human bodies, and defiance of laws of gravity make Pilobolus one of modern dance history’s most entertaining, beguiling, and witty dance troupes. To watch them live is to enter into the vast and wonderful possibilities of living within the human organism.
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
www.ordway.org

Travail Kitchen & Amusements
One look at the colorful contortionist dancers in Pilobolus and I called out “Travail” like I was taking a Rorschach Test. The nationally known restaurant in Robbinsdale is food artistry that tastes like dance. Small sculptures on a plate (or whatever vessel of choice), the food is worth getting yourself to Travail early on Saturday evening in May to delight your senses prior to dancing across the metro to the Ordway in time for the curtain. Game on.
www.facebook.com/Travailkitchen

Anything Goes

May 7 – 12, 2013
Ordway
Roundabout Theatre brings us the 2011 Tony winner for Best Revival. The singing sailors give away composer Cole Porter’s gay sensibility. Revel in such golden tunes as “You’re the Top,” “Blow, Gabriel Blow,” and “I Get a Kick Out of You.”
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
www.ordway.org

Changes in Time

May 11 – 25, 2013
20% Theatre Company Twin Cities
Lavender columnist and former editor, Ethan Boatner, has crafted a trilogy about the sea changes in transgender identity between the 1950s to the 1990s. Protagonist Rain/Lorraine/Laurence takes us through various transitions. Transgender-themed drama is long overdue for a mature long-view perspective. This promises to be that.
Minneapolis Theatre Garage
www.tctwentypercent.org

Fierce/Feminine: Dance by Women Choreographers

May 16 – 19, 2013
Minnesota Dance Theatre
The dance work of Emery LeCrone and Loyce Houlton is celebrated by the state’s historically foremost dance troupe. The late Houlton actually founded the company and her daughter Lise now is at its helm. During Lise’s tenure it has not only stayed attuned to the times but has continually dazzled audiences.
The Cowles Center for Dance & the
Performing Arts
www.mndance.org

Lucia’s
A woman in the food world who has created bold and breathtaking works for diners is Lucia Watson. Her restaurant, recently listed as a James Beard Award semifinalist, has delivered delicious, locally focused foods for years, and still, it remains at the top of the game. Relish the exquiste subtle flavors that perfectly reflect the season and accompany it all with a lovely glass of wine.
www.lucias.com

Rock of Ages

May 17 – May 19, 2013
Hennepin Theatre Trust
Classic rock tunes of the 1980s are the connecting thread of this joyously celebrative jukebox musical. A Hollywood busboy named Drew rages against the machine. You’ll hear the likes of “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” “We Built This City,” and “We’re Not Gonna Take It.”
Orpheum Theatre
www.hennepintheatretrust.org

St. Paul Cheese Shop
An evening packed with this level of revelry calls for some serious cheese. Grab an early dinner–or picnic–from the St. Paul Cheese Shop. Not only have they got an extraordinary selection of cheeses from around the world packed into this modest space, but they also make some killer sandwiches here. There are even a few spots to have a seat and dig into the crusty bread stuffed with top shelf ingredients, all selected for how well they work with cheese–wonderful cheese.
www.stpaulcheeseshop.com

Carol Burnett

May 17, 2013
Hennepin Theatre Trust
She is THE bona fide Queen of Comedy! And she will take your questions at this special event. But bear in mind, Burnett is also a great actress. Remember that Friendly Fire won four Emmy awards. Some splendid movies: A Wedding, Pete ‘n’ Tillie, The Four Seasons. Oh, and her Broadway stage turn in Moon Over Buffalo.
State Theatre
www.hennepintheatretrust.org

Sunset Boulevard

May 21 – June 23, 2013
Minneapolis Musical Theatre & Hennepin Theatre Trust
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s underrated musical adaptation of the iconic 1950 Billy Wilder film will surely benefit from a more modest staging than the over-produced Broadway run of yesteryear. A simpler approach will likely bring out the nuance. And some of the tunes are riveting.
New Century Theatre
www.hennepintheatretrust.org

In the Rest Room at Rosenblooms

May 31 – June 23, 2013
Theatre in the Round Players
Ludmilla Bollow’s play has proved to be very popular. It’s set in an old-fashioned women’s restroom where there is a sitting area to ‘powder your nose.’ Three senior citizens who have bonded there over the years are presented with a serious problem. Some great roles for older women.
Theatre in the Round
www.theatreintheround.org

The Oak Grill
Sadly, we’ve lost the sister restaurant in the River Room, but one Dayton’s (sigh, fine–Macy’s) restaurant remains in downtown Minneapolis. The Oak Grill harkens back to another era, with the faux fireplace and their wonderfully airy popovers. Order their famous pot pie topped with buttery puff pastry and catch a glimpse of the glory of the old department store days.

Clybourne Park

June 1 – August 4, 2013
Guthrie Theater
Winner of both the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play. Playwright Bruce Norris creates a counterpoint to Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun where the white and black race roles are turned on their head. Issues of class and race take center stage.
Guthrie Theater’s McGuire
Proscenium Stage
www.guthrietheater.org

Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Suicide Club

June 7 – July 14, 2013
Park Square Theatre
Minnesota’s celebrated playwright Jeffrey Hatcher (Compleat Female Stage Beauty) combines characters from the famous mysteries of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Suicide Adventure Club detective stories. Both Hatcher and director David Mann have notable track records for shows with historical style and edified imagination.
Park Square Theatre
www.parksquaretheatre.org

Ward 6
New to the Eastside of St. Paul, but oh, so old. Ward 6 opened quietly quite recently and has been causing murmurs of happy customers. To tie it into Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Suicide Club is not to make a bleak commentary about starting a new restaurant, but to give a nod of trivia. As wit would have it, Park Square Theatre is in the Hamm Building, the restaurant is in the old Hamm’s taproom…and the Sherlock Holmes stories were set in about the same era as the taproom began. Enjoy your history with a hearty dinner and a side of Minnesota beer or one of their “adult milkshakes” and then move on to mystery with the mashed-up classics.
www.ward6stpaul.com

Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story

June 11 – 16, 2013
Ordway
The last three years of rock and roll’s favorite son. From Lubbock, Texas to the Nor Va Jak studio in Clovis, New Mexico, where Vi Petty plays the little piano to help create Every Day, to the plane crash in Clear Lake, Iowa, Buddy is lovingly remembered.
Ordway Center for the
Performing Arts
www.ordway.org

War Horse

June 12 – 23, 2013
Hennepin Theatre Trust
It’s always a special event when Hennepin Theatre Trust brings in a Tony-winning Best Play production. And, in this case, also the Olivier winner for Best New Play. Handspring Puppet Company contributes to the story of a plow horse sold to the military. A distinctly theatrical work.
Orpheum Theatre
www.hennepintheatretrust.org

Murray’s
A story of wars and family with a common appearance of a knife conjures similarities to a war horse of a restaurant with butter-knife steaks, Murray’s. Meant only in terms of respect, to refer to Murray’s as old and lasting is a salute to its status as a Minneapolis institution since 1946. Find traditional fine dining standards such as escargot and steak tartare as well as the signature Silver Butter Knife Steak for Two and Chateaubriand for Two. Sip some port for dessert and stroll to the theatre in the lovely June evening air.
www.murraysrestaurant.com

URINETOWN the musical

June 7 – August 4, 2013
The Jungle Theater
This musical is one of the surprising newer classics that one would have never thought would ever be mainstream. But its satirical take on the politics of water is viscerally in touch with our time. Water supplies the world over are being depleted, even in our land of 10,000 Lakes!
The Jungle Theater
www.jungletheater.com

The Mikado

June 15 – 23, 2013
Mu Performing Arts
Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic takes us back to a time and mentality when flirting was punishable by death. Gilbert and Sullivan are often chastised by Asian-sensitive scholars so it will be interesting to see how the region’s preeminent Asian-American theater handles it.
E.M. Pearson Theatre, Concordia University
www.muperformingarts.org

World Street Kitchen
Anyone who has ever tasted the Yum Yum Bowl from Chef Sameh Wadi will know the power of that particular craving. Best to nip that craving in the bud and tuck into that steaming rice bowl of decadent flavors. Spicy, savory with your choice of meat or tofu with a perfectly poached egg tucked inside, it’s hearty and heavenly. However, if you miss the chance to eat before the show, just hearing the character’s name– Yummy–and you’ll know you need a bowl. Don’t worry, World Street Kitchen is open late, so you can hit them up after the show, too.
www.eatwsk.com

When a Man Loves a Diva

June 21 & 22, 2013
Chanhassen
The gifted music director, Sanford Moore, is at the helm of this exceedingly popular tribute to great female pop singers like Cher and Tina Turner. Dane Stauffer, Julius Collins, and Ben Bakke always roused audiences at the show’s earlier incarnations at The Lab. So, odds are, the same will happen at Chan!
Chanhassen Dinner Theatres
www.chanhassentheatres.com

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

June 21 – July 21, 2013
Children’s Theatre Company
A mere mouse creates utter chaos with cookie crumbs and dust bunnies. Laura Numeroff’s beloved picture book has been adapted for the stage by Jody Davidson. The globally acclaimed Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis has a magical way of making productions that are both pictorial and well acted.
Children’s Theatre Company
www.childrenstheatre.org

Rustica
If you’re going to give that mouse a cookie and start that whole train a rollin’, you might as well share with that mouse the very best cookie in town. There’s nothing better than the bittersweet chocolate cookie at Rustica Bakery. It’s a dense cookie, packed with rich chocolate flavor, perfectly balanced on the edge of sweetness. It’s chewy and disappears with astonishing quickness. Rustica Bakery is also a great spot to eat with the kids and has that fantastic Dogwood coffee for the adults.
www.rusticabakery.com

Psst!

June 21 – 23, 2013
Off-Leash Area
This remarkable physical theatre is now inspired by ragtime, Betty Boop-style animation, and the expressionistic silent film craft of director Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. Off-Leash’s Ivan the Drunk was named Lavender’s Best Production in 2009.
The Cowles Center for Dance & the Performing Arts
www.offleasharea.org

Bachelor Farmer
Psst! is inspired by the characters of Norwegian graphic novelist, Jason (aka John Arne Sæterøy). What is sure to be a hip, artistic evening should start at the one and only place to find hip, Nordic cuisine: The Bachelor Farmer. If you attend the Sunday performance of Psst!, reserve your special place at The Bachelor Farmer’s Sunday Supper, a set three-course menu of a starter, a family-style entree, and a dessert. Whichever performance you pair up with this dining, don’t forget the Marvel Bar for your pre- or post-show libations.
www.thebachelorfarmer.com

Black Label Movement

June 28 – 30, 2013
Black Label Movement
You won’t find a more rigorous and aggressive style among any dance troupe in the region–and perhaps the nation–than Black Label Movement. If you have sports freak friends who would never attend a dance concert, make them see this and they will be converted.
The Cowles Center for Dance & the Performing Arts
www.blacklabelmovement.com

Piccolo
Just as this performance pushes all manner of boundaries, Chef Doug Flicker and his staff challenge dining perceptions with the dishes they create. Ever tasted Hamachi collar? Pig trotters? Fried duck gizzard with duck fat “Miracle Whip?” In the hands of this incredibly talented chef, they might just be your new favorite dish. Challenge your expectations of what fine dining means and experience the artistry of Piccolo.
www.piccolompls.com

Appointment with Death

July 5 – 28, 2013
Theatre in the Round Players
You can’t miss with an Agatha Christie murder. At a Jerusalem hotel a nasty American woman with disabilities and a sadistic tendency triggers the murderous impulse in a variety of characters including a shrink and a Member of Parliament, as well as some of her own relatives.
Theatre in the Round
www.theatreintheround.org

Born Yesterday

July 6 – August 31, 2013
Guthrie Theater
Playwright Garson Kanin’s 1946 classic involves a corrupt businessman and his showgirl mistress who come to Washington, D.C. When he hires a journalist to educate and refine her, revelations about shady plans between business and Congress make for serious comedy.
Guthrie Theater’s Wurtele Thrust Stage
www.guthrietheater.org

Burch
Burch wasn’t quite born yesterday, but the one time dowdy pharmacy has been reborn as a glamorous, new steakhouse. The room is stunning and wide open. The steak is as meaty as they come, and a likely game-changer in the best-steak-in-town contest. Perfectly cooked and hugely flavorful. They also have a number of adorable little dumplings. Now, here is a makeover we can get behind.
www.burchrestaurant.com

Les Miserables

July 30 – August 4, 2013
Hennepin Theatre Trust
You saw the movie but you really need to see it on stage in full regalia to fully fathom just what glorious work this adaptation of Victor Hugo’s novel is. Its penetrating themes of injustice, the degradation of poverty, and the passage of time will stay with you. The music soars.
Orpheum Theatre
www.hennepintheatretrust.org

Citizen Cafe
An unsung gem in Minneapolis, Citizen Cafe has me humming along to “drink with me…to days…gone by…” as I think of the young men who planned their revolution at tavern tables in Les Mis. The motto of Citzen Cafe is “true to self,” and the food follows suit. It’s honest food utilizing locally sourced products. Join with other citizens and “let the wine of friendship never run dry” in the Standish-Ericcson neighborhood.
www.thecitizencafe.com