For anyone who pays attention to the artistic scene in Duluth over a few decades, the incredible variety of events happening in this relatively small village is astounding. So many artists choose to call Duluth home, even while their art, their performances, take them all over the globe. All of us who take advantage of this are truly fortunate. I hope you are part of the active set.

Tell me the  [title of show]:

One of the very active theater companies in Duluth is known as Renegade. Since 1991 they have had the mission of  “introducing the area to the boldest, newest and most imaginative works in theater today.” This past weekend, and through Saturday, June 27, they are staging “[title of show]”, a musical that caught the New York Musical Festival off guard in 2004.  After winning this competition, the musical was ultimately stage off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre, then ran for more than one hundred performances at The Lyceum Theatre on Broadway itself. In 2009, “[title of show]” was nominated for a Tony Award, but was not a finalist. Welcome to America!
Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell were aspiring songsters/writers who decided to enter a script in the New York Musical Festival contest with only three weeks to pull it together. Their creativity sparked a show that opened on Broadway, and is now on stage in Duluth, MN. Jeff (Andy Bennett) and Hunter (Abe Curran) are incredibly spontaneous creators, who decide that writing a musical about the task of writing a musical would be the most natural approach for their skills. Consequently, all of the dialogue and songs are about the real world of creating a musical post haste. Susan (Katy Helbacka) and Heidi (Mary Fox) join the boys in this effort, with Larry (Tyler Pimm) demanding musical discipline as the keyboardist for the show.
With a lot of chutzpah, ‘Two Nobodies in New York’ create a song about their very real situation. Keeping realism front and center, Heidi/Mary Fox sings a powerful song to celebrate that ‘I Am Playing Me.’ At the same time, Mary Fox has been the director of this production, so she wears several hats all evening long. Just to make sure the boys stay on the right path, Susan sings a vicious ‘Die Vampire, Die,’ to insist
that all the evil influences are properly put down and out of sight.
While much of the music is, admittedly, forgettable, the lovely ballad, “A Way Back to Then” allows Heidi to reminisce about the joys of her younger days. In a moment of absolute truthfulness, the whole company declares that ‘nine people’s favorite thing is better than one hundred people’s ninth favorite thing.’ With much laughter, and some great musical moments, this cast has very precise timing, and all four are spontaneously engaged with their character roles. What a treat!

Winds and Percussion with Weber and Three Bridges

Sunday afternoon was the first of six scheduled concerts from this year’s Three Bridges International Chamber Music Festival. A few dozen people came to Weber Music Hall to listen to oboe, flute, clarinet, bassoon, two sopranos, one bass, one baritone, two pianists, and two percussionists celebrate some very intriguing music. Oboist Anne Leek was back in town with her amazingly full sounding approach to this difficult instrument. A sonata by Francis Poulenc, and a Quartet by Jean Francaix allowed her to share her special skills with a variety of local musicians. Several singers shared some exquisite moments, but the highlight of the afternoon came from Gene Koshinski and Tim Broscious, two very creative percussionists.
Koshinski composed ‘Song and Dance’ in 2009, and The Song of the Metals, followed by The Dance of the Drums, was mesmerizing. Watching these two men stay focused on complex rhythms and multiple instruments made time stand still. While Broscious blew the conch shell, both men kept hammering away at a variety of drums and sticks to create a very stimulating experience. Treat yourself to the Three Bridges web site for information about the varied performances between now and June 28.