With another year coming to a close, we’d like to take a moment to reflect on the amazing year that was/is 2013. We had a lot of amazing productions grace our stages, and awesome changes happen. We left the Play Ground, and became The Underground. We finished Making a Splash last season – with water on stage in many different forms. And we’ve started our Journey to the Centennial Season with some outstanding productions. So let’s reflect and take a look at this amazing year!!
Singin’ in the Rain
Okay, so technically Singin’ in the Rain was 2012, but it was pretty awesome as well as last year’s Holiday show. Worth remembering!
Disney’s Alice in Wonderland, Jr. – January
We traveled down the rabbit hole, over to Marshall School, and presented Alice in Wonderland, Jr. last January.
Tuesdays with Morrie – January
Over at the Play Ground, we produced Tuesdays with Morrie, the autobiographical story of Mitch Albom, an accomplished journalist driven solely by his career, and Morrie Schwartz, his former college professor. Starring Kevin Walsh and Luke Moravec, this two-man show was a hit.
Almost, Maine – February
Starring Greg J. Anderson, Sarah Ruth Diener, Amber Goodspeed, and Jonathan Manchester – our actors tackled an impressive 19 different characters in this romantic comedy play. Almost, Maine warmed our hearts and tickled our funny bones last Valentine’s Day season.
CATS – March
That was the cast of CATS doing the online sensation “The Harlem Shake.” Those crazy kids! And what a crazy show! We had night after night of sold out shows – and no wonder – our Children’s Theatre performers blew us all away. Here are some production photos too:
The Children’s Hour – March
The last production we held at the Play Ground before closing up shop, The Children’s Hour was a fantastic drama about a lie one school girl tells about two of her female teachers.
Godspell – April
Who can forget Godspell?!?!? The show that we moved all the seats in the theatre around for. The show that we built a pool into the middle of the stage. The show that had trampolines built into the floor of the stage! Check out these select songs from the show:
The Grand Opening of The Underground featuring Love Letters – (April)
After closing the doors of the Play Ground, we converted the former Children’s Museum space into our new event space/theatre, The Underground. To introduce the space, we did a two-night run of the play Love Letters starring Tom & Pat Isbell. Since opening our doors in April, we’ve had countless events, as well as the plays listed here. Here’s a shoutout to everyone who has used our space that we couldn’t mention here!
Oh, Coward! – May
Starring Vicki Fingalson, Jeff Madison, & Cal Metts, this Noel Coward musical revue was our first “official” full production in The Underground.
God of Carnage – June
We made a splash of another kind with God of Carnage! The infamous “puking” scene, along with the rest of the show, was hilarious.
Annie Jr. – June
Our Youth Intensive summer program was so huge this year that we double cast the entire show! That’s right – 2 Annie’s!
The Yard Bizarre – July
Presented by The Boogers, this TYA (Theatre for Young Audiences) production in The Underground was a new theatrical experience created through collaboration and inspired by children’s poetry. The Boogers consist of Mary Higgins, Robert Lee, & Jonathan Manchester.
Evita – August
Our summer spectacular Evita brought down the house this August! And with 4-7 vocally grueling performances a week – our cast rocked Duluth like never before.
Grease & Metamorphoses – August
As part of our summer intensive program, the Youth Repertory Theatre Company alternated between two shows that couldn’t BE more different! Based on the myths of Ovid, Metamorphoses not only featured awesome Greek mythology, but had a real pool on stage. And alternately, Grease – the musical we all know and love – brought all our favorite songs to life like “Greased Lightening” and “We Go Together.” Check out the videos below!
The Comedy of Errors – August
August was a busy month! Down in The Underground, Derik Iverson directed a modern take on Shakespeare’s classic farce, The Comedy of Errors.
Spamalot – September
We kicked off our new season with this hilarious musical! As reviewer Lawrance Bernabo put it:
“The musical was ‘lovingly ripped off’ from the movie ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail.’ That is because director Priscilla McRoberts and her cast have thrown in oblique references and outright homages to seminal works in the Python oeuvre throughout the show.”
Check out some production stills below.
Collected Stories – September
A two woman show, Collected Stories coincidentally starred two ladies who have found themselves in the mentor/mentee roles they played on stage. Julie Ahasay and Sarah Ruth Diener were coined “two of the best actresses in Duluth” by reviewer Lawrance Bernabo.
A Wrinkle in Time – October
Our Halloween extravaganza this year for the Children’s Theatre Series was Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time. It was full of awesome lighting effects, wacky characters, and strange suprises.
Frozen – November
Frozen was a psychological thriller in The Underground about a serial killer, his victim’s mother, and a psychologist. A chilling and challenging production, Frozen starred Julie Ahasay, Cory Anderson, and Julie MacIver Venhuizen.
Peter Pan or the Boy Who Would Not Grow Up – NOW!
Peter Pan is still on stage, so you’ve still got a chance to catch this one! Make sure to watch the video below and check out the photos. We’ve still got some tickets left for tonight and Thursday, but are pretty much sold out for the rest of the weekend (save for a few single seats). So call soon!
WHEW! 2013 was a busy year!! And 2014 promises to be just as busy, just as fantastic, and just as spectacular! We hope to see you next year, whether it’s for a Main Stage, Children’s Theatre, or Underground show/event.
What was your favorite show of 2013?
The Duluth Playhouse Official Blog 