Rehearsals in Minneapolis
I went to Minneapolis for rehearsals two weeks ago, as RESPECT is opening there August 10 at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater. Luckily, I have some good friends—Frank and Margaret Hetman–who live nearby and I was able to stay with them in their lovely home on one of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes.
The Chanhassen Theater is so well-managed, it blew me away. Artistic Director Michael Brindisi invited me to see Les Miserables, which he directed and which is playing in one of the other venues. Though I had seen the show four times, including twice on Broadway, I was really touched by this unique production. It was marvelous. Not only the show was fabulous, but the dinner was superb. The food was scrumptious and the service amazing. We had Nick as our server and he is a real treasure.
So I started to see how RESPECT is in competent hands. Our director is Tamara Kangas, who is also a choreographer and had worked on Les Miserables, too. I sat in rehearsals for three days and each day I grew to respect her skills more and more. Not to mention the musical director, Tom Mustachio, who is immensely talented. And the actors, are they great, or what? See a photo of them with me below (Andrea Uselman-Brandt, Emily Rose Skinner, Seri Johnson, Timotha Lanae). It is going to be a phenomenal show.
Because I used to live in the Twin Cities, I am really happy the show is opening there. Quite a few of my friends will be coming to see the show, and some to opening night, so all that is great!
While I was there, I had two interviews with journalists. One was with the Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s theater critic, Rohan Preston. It was such an upbeat meeting and Rohan had scheduled us to meet in the Gold Medal Park (named after the flour, because General Mills is an important part of the city) right next to the phenomenal new Guthrie Theater. I got a chance to see Noel Cowards’s Private Lives and I was so taken by not only the production, but also the beauty of the new facility. It is a real gem for Minneapolis.