TU Dance: THREAT
The approximate run time is 60 minutes with no intermission. THREAT is a concert dance theater work that aims to provoke an interrogation of the roles we play as individuals and community in hierarchies. The work posits that hierarchies have the power to control our behavior and infiltrate our thoughts, even when no authority is present to enforce the rules. Using a physical language and soundscape that fuses multicultural traditions and styles of the West and the African Diaspora, this social exploration invites audiences into a modern narrative that speaks to the universal experience of authority, obedience, and rebellion. As a performance, THREAT employs multifaceted contemporary movement and theatricality that is bathed in an eclectic and evocative original score and set design. It is a work where orchestral strings, djembe drum, and spoken word bump into soundbites of Malcolm X, Jamaica Kincaid, Donald Trump and Fidel Castro — where new and old flags hang, representing freedom and control, safety and danger.*For patrons who would like to control the volume of their listening experience, assistive listening devices and sensory ear plugs are available upon request at the Ticket Office. More info at: https://oshag.stkate.edu/about-the-oshaughnessy/tickets/
Contempo Physical Dance: National Choreography Residency
The approximate run time is 60 minutes with no intermission. Contempo Physical Dance premieres Indigo by guest choreographer Jaruam Xavier. The choreography becomes a ritual of remembrance that bridges the present and the remains of a distant past. Throughout whispers of otherworldly dreams, the dancers will embody physically and emotionally an abstraction of indigo blue. Dancers: Mary Mailand Schlichting, Aneka McMullen, Jacob Nehrbass, Laura Osterhaus, Sean Scantlebury and Marciano Silva dos Santos Photo credit to Bill Cameron.There will be an ASL interpreted post-show discussion after the performance. *Patrons who would like to control the volume of their listening experience, assistive listening devices and sensory ear plugs are available upon request at the Ticket Office. More info at: https://oshag.stkate.edu/accessibility
Letters Aloud: Thanks, But No Thanks, The Greatest Rejection Letters Ever
The approximate run time is two hours with one fifteen minute intermission. The road to success is paved with rejection and, boy oh boy, have we got the letters to prove it. Among the dozens of gems in this program; Andy Warhol is asked to pick up his painting at the front desk before it is hauled away and a young Sidney Poitier tries to borrow $100 from President Franklin Roosevelt (he said no).Don’t miss the chance to see Angela Davis, the beloved MPR News host, as she joins the Letters Aloud cast on stage, adding her unique touch to dozens of the most unforgettable rejection letters ever penned.*For patrons who would like to control the volume of their listening experience, assistive listening devices and sensory ear plugs are available upon request at the Ticket Office. More info at: https://oshag.stkate.edu/about-the-oshaughnessy/tickets/
Sarah Hagen: “Perk up, pianist!”
Often referred to as the next Victor Borge, Sarah Hagen has transformed her award-winning role as “concert pianist” into a stand-up, or rather, sit-down comedy. Pairing anecdotes from the road with some of her favorite pieces by Chopin, Debussy, and Liszt, Sarah takes audiences deep inside the world of a classical musician as she shares her earnest efforts to keep her spirits up in the midst of troublesome times. Part storytelling and part recital, “Perk up pianist!” has been described as “one of the best hours I’ve ever spent at the Fringe” [The Coast (Halifax)]. Directed by Rick Roberts.Created, written and performed by Sarah Hagen, with original compositions.*ASL interpretation will be provided at this show.*For patrons who would like to control the volume of their listening experience, assistive listening devices and sensory ear plugs are available upon request at the Ticket Office. More info at: https://oshag.stkate.edu/about-the-oshaughnessy/tickets/
Kevin Kling and Friends: Tales from the Charred Underbelly of the Yule Log
The approximate run time is two hours, which includes one 20 minute intermission.Kevin Kling, Dan Chouinard and Simone Perrin perform their celebrated holiday show, Tales From the Charred Underbelly of the Yule Log at The O’Shaughnessy this year. Joined again by the ever-popular Brass Messengers, the show has been performed every year since 1995 and has become a holiday tradition for many.Kevin is best known for his popular commentaries on NPR and the PBS series, “Almanac”. His hilarious, often tender stories have delighted audiences around the world. Dan Chouinard is a local musical legend, arranging, performing, and creating programs with the best of the best. Simone Perrin entertains and amazes audiences with a voice that ranges from sublime to comic genius.Add in the musical acrobatics and anarchy of the Brass Messengers for the makings of an evening where everything is planned and then anything can happen. Like the holidays!After the performance, Kevin will do a book signing in the lobby. It will feature these titles: The Dog Says How, Holiday Inn, Big Little Brother, Big Little Mother.SUBMIT A HOLIDAY STORY! We invite you to share a holiday story for Kevin Kling’s consideration to be read live at Tales from the Charred Underbelly of the Yule Log on December 9. Hint: Stories that are brief (3-4 sentences) and humorous are most likely to be included! You may also submit a holiday photo [No gifs or video please] to go along with the story if you wish. *Please note: Not all submissions will be be included in the performance, and Kevin’s team will only reach out if they have clarifying questions about your story. Submissions are due by end of day December 4, 2023. SUBMIT YOUR STORY VIA THIS FORM:Submission Form *ASL interpretation will be provided at this show.*For patrons who would like to control the volume of their listening experience, assistive listening devices and sensory ear plugs are available upon request at the Ticket Office. More info at: https://oshag.stkate.edu/about-the-oshaughnessy/tickets/
Second City: She the People
Run time is approximately 100 minutes with a fifteen minute intermission. Rated “R” for mature audiences.Nevertheless persisting–one more time! After rave reviews and extended engagements in Chicago, Toronto, and Washington, D.C. the award-winning production is coming directly to you! Created and performed by the fearlessly funny women of The Second City, this high-octane show satirizes the complexities of identifying as female in this wild world while roasting the patriarchy with scorching sketch comedy, hilarious original songs, and whip-smart improv. Don’t miss your last chance to witness the show that the Chicago Tribune calls “empowering entertainment” and the Chicago Sun-Times calls “One of the funniest revues Second City has produced in the past 20 Years”. About The Second City Since opening its doors 1959, The Second City has grown to become the world’s premier comedy club, theater and school of improvisation, entertaining 1 million theatergoers a year around the globe. Alumni of The Second City’s resident stages, touring companies, and theatrical divisions include some of the biggest names in entertainment, and in addition to the sold-out shows playing nightly on resident stages in Chicago and Toronto, the comedy empire has staged productions with a wide range of illustrious creative partners and theatre companies, including the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Goodman Theatre, Center Theater Group Los Angeles, Portland Center Stage, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, La Jolla Playhouse, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, and even the Chicago Bulls.*ASL interpretation will be provided at this show.*For patrons who would like to control the volume of their listening experience, assistive listening devices and sensory ear plugs are available upon request at the Ticket Office. More info at: https://oshag.stkate.edu/about-the-oshaughnessy/tickets/
Kevin Kling and Friends: The Love Show – Sweethearts of the Rodeo
The approximate run time is 120 minutes with one 15 minute intermission. Country western artists have given us some of the most tender love ballads, heartbreaking anthems and rafter-kicking, floor-stomping, two-stepping hits in American music. And that doesn’t even include the horse, dog or pick-up. This year, The Love Show is devoted to lonesome pines, denim and gingham, and the rough and rowdy love stories that sprouted from these parched plains. A visit to the softer side of hard times, hard people and hard drinkin’. Come join us. Adventure waits behind every bend.*ASL interpretation will be provided at this show.*For patrons who would like to control the volume of their listening experience, assistive listening devices and sensory ear plugs are available upon request at the Ticket Office. More info at: https://oshag.stkate.edu/about-the-oshaughnessy/tickets/
James Sewell Ballet: In the Shadows
The approximate run time is between 90-115 minutes with one fifteen minute intermission.Frankenstein, zombies, and characters of Edgar Allen Poe come to life in this family friendly performance steeped in spooky delight and tragic majesty.Anchoring the performance is a new choral ballet titled Unfashioned Creature, featuring Twin Cities beloved artists Timothy C. Takach (composer), Penelope Freeh (choreographer), and the MPLS (imPulse) choral ensemble. The work is poetically rooted in Shelley’s Frankenstein, and explores key aspects relating to personhood: otherness, abandonment, despair, and hopeful yearning. Music includes cello, percussion, and the stellar singers of MPLS (imPulse) who will perform a fractured libretto comprised of Shelley’s text. Also on the program, remounts of two Sewell fall favorites: excerpts from “Takes on Poe” (2012); and “Grave Matters” (2011), which combines undead charm and morbid wit in a playful zombie ballet.*For patrons who would like to control the volume of their listening experience, assistive listening devices and sensory ear plugs are available upon request at the Ticket Office. More info at: https://oshag.stkate.edu/about-the-oshaughnessy/tickets/
Comedy with Jen Kober
The run time is approximately 100 minutes including one fifteen minute intermission. Jen Kober is originally from Lake Charles, LA, and has energetically bounded onto the national stage bringing crowds to their feet with her original blend of stand-up, story telling, and improvised rock-n-roll comedy. Her hard-hitting hour is phenomenally funny as Kober commands the stage and dares you not to laugh. Jen was the 2017 Winner of NPR’s Snap Judgement Comedic Performance of the Year for her Girl Scout Cookie Caper story which went viral upon its release earlier that year. Kober received the 2018 Comedic Performance of the Year for her latest story titled How I was Saved By Waffles..You can see Jen on Netflix in 2019 as she joins the cast of two of its newest original shows. Kober appears as Officer Lafayette in RuPaul’s sitcom AJ & The Queen, and will also appear as a co-star in Dead to Me starring Linda Cardellini, Christina Applegate and Ed Asner.*ASL interpretation will be provided at this show.*For patrons who would like to control the volume of their listening experience, assistive listening devices and sensory ear plugs are available upon request at the Ticket Office. More info at: https://oshag.stkate.edu/about-the-oshaughnessy/tickets/
St. Paul Ballet – Welcome Spring! 2023 Annual Showcase
Approximate run time is 90 minutes with a fifteen minute intermission. Welcome Spring! Celebrates the rich emotion and exuberance of St. Paul Ballet’s student dancers. Audiences will ride the surging emotions of the music together with the dancers in this perfect blend of classics and original work created specifically for them.The annual showcase highlights the talent in the School, from young students beginning their training to advanced students on the verge of professional dance careers. The younger dancers explore movement inspired by famous artwork with choreography by teaching artists, Christina Onusko, Alejandra Iannone, Aloe Lui, Jennifer Mack, Hannah Pierce, and Siri Drontle with musician John Banks and lighting by Kevin Jones.Performances by the upper-level dancers feature premieres by Penelope Freeh and Sean Scantlebary and timeless excerpts from the fantasy worlds of Le Corsaire and Don Quixote staged by Helen Hatch. Penelope Freeh, a McKnight Artist, creates along with the dancers to develop their own voices during her year-long composition classes. Sean Scantlebary is a performer and choreographer. He danced with Eliot Feld in New York for ten years. Helen Hatch has had a busy year producing and performing in work for her own company, Hatch Dance as well as teaching year-round for St. Paul Ballet. She is fresh off a retrospective celebrating five years of her choreographic works at the Cowles Center.We invite you to join us for the annual spring performances and be introduced to the highly skilled dancers of the future. Nothing matches the boundless passion of young talent in live theater. Don’t miss this!