News

113 composers collective: Twin Cities New Music Festival

113 Composers Collective

Park Square Theatre is honored to be home to the 2021 Twin Cities New Music Festival,
presented by 113 composers collective.

For the full calendar of events and to purchase tickets, visit

113collective.com

This year’s Twin Cities New Music Festival aspires to change the concert music narrative by presenting live performative works that redefine the concert experience–blurring the boundaries between theater, visual media, gesture, and movement. Featuring portrait concerts of work by Steven Takasugi, Bethany Younge, Anthony R. Green, and Joe Horton.

Festival Program

Thursday, July 8

  • 7:00 pm in the Thrust Rehearsal Hall- “Zwei Acte” by Mauricio Kagel. Also featuring work by Alfred Jimenez and Dieter Schnebel. Warning: Nudity. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Children Not Permitted.
  • 8:00 pm at Studio Z – Bethany Younge Portrait Screening
  • 9:00 pm in the Thrust Rehearsal Hall- Joe Horton Portrait featuring the dream songs project
    (after-party to follow)

Friday, July 9

  • 7:00 pm on the Andy Boss Thrust Stage- Chamber Music featuring andPlay Duo, the dream songs project, T. J. Borden, Benjamin Downs, and Kyle Hutchins
  • 8:00 pm at Studio Z – Bethany Younge Portrait Screening
  • 9:00 pm in the Thrust Rehearsal Hall- Anthony R. Green Portrait.  Live ensemble in connective dialogue with an audience-generated sound installation, where the audience amplifies the voice of composer/performer Anthony R. Green

Saturday, July 10

  • 4:00 pm at Studio Z – Bethany Younge Portrait Screening
  • 7:00 pm on the Andy Boss Thrust Stage- Steven Takasugi Portrait featuring conductor Perry So
  • 9:00 pm on the Andy Boss Thrust Stage- Steven Takasugi’s “Sideshow”

Also join 113 composers collective for nightly viewings of sound art installation work by Benjamin J. Mansavage Klein in the Park Square Theater Boss Thrust Stage Lobby, and screenings of sound art films by Steven Takasugi, Anthony R. Green, Bethany Younge, Joe Horton, Elizabeth A. Baker, and the composers of 113 on Thursday and Friday night from 6:30-10:30 pm, and Saturday from 4-8 pm at Studio Z.

TICKETS:
Adults: $10 per event | Students and Seniors: $5 per event | Children: FREE
Festival Pass: $50
Purchase tickets at http://www.113collective.com/events

Note: Children will not be permitted to attend “Zwei Acte” by Mauricio Kagel.

Announcing Saint Paul Summer Sunlight

SAINT PAUL SUMMER SUNLIGHT PERFORMANCE SERIES WELCOMES WORKERS AND AUDIENCES BACK TO DOWNTOWN 

Media Contact – Rachel Wandrei wandrei@parksquaretheatre.org 

Saint Paul, Minn., June 22, 2021 – Park Square Theatre and the Saint Paul Downtown Alliance are celebrating the reopening of downtown Saint Paul with a free outdoor concert series aimed at welcoming returning workers, residents, theatre fans and music lovers back to the city’s cultural scene. SAINT PAUL SUMMER SUNLIGHT, a series of ten performances, will fill West 7th Place (the pedestrian mall between Wabasha and St Peter) with lunchtime and happy hour concerts from July 22 through September 23, 2021. 

An man in shiny red pants dancing and singing into a microphone.

Ready Freddie

“We have a varied and energetic lineup of concerts, from the glam rock-and-roll of Ready Freddie – A Queen Experience and the powerful R&B vocals of MsArnise, to Full Circle Theater Company’s recontextualization of The Mikado, a Gilbert and Sullivan opera classic,” says Park Square producer Kim Vasquez. “The Twin Cities has an array of eclectic, talented theatre makers and musicians who are ready to get back on stage, and audiences who are ready to come out and party a little. Our new team at Park Square Theatre and SteppingStone Theatre wants to play a collaborative leadership role in reconnecting community members and artists and adding to the vibrancy of downtown together.” Other acts in the series include Annie and the Bang Bang, The Champagne Drops, TaikoArts Midwest, an old-time radio show by the Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society and more (photo link below).  

A woman in red bluse and white blazer calmly looks into the distance. An industrial scene in the background

MsArnise

“As people return to downtown, we’ll be there to welcome them back and remind them of all the joy and excitement there is to be had in a vibrant urban center,” says Joe Spencer, president of the Saint Paul Downtown Alliance. “From our restaurants and shops to our music and theatre venues, our city is poised to bounce back better than ever.” Music will continue into the evenings with acoustic sets on the Loon Cafe’s patio on Thursday evenings throughout the summer.  

Park Square will be announcing their full reopening plans later in the summer, with a commitment to gradually producing shows that were canceled due to the pandemic (including a remount of the 2018 sold-out hit, MARIE AND ROSETTA), as well as sharing the Historic Hamm Building facility with other arts organizations. “The theatre may have been dark for over a year, but we’ve been busy behind the scenes and

Three drummers in blue tunics with drumsticks in the air surround three drumbs

TaikoArts Midwest

can’t wait to reconnect with people,” comments Mark Ferraro-Hauck, interim executive director of Park Square and artistic director of their partner theatre, SteppingStone Theatre for Youth. SteppingStone will be producing MADAGASCAR – A MUSICAL ADVENTURE JR, on West 7th Place from July 27- August 8. “Summer on the plaza is gonna be hoppin!” continues Ferraro-Hauck. “There will be an entertaining show for you here whether you are 3, 33, or 83. And then we’ll bring that energy inside and into the future. Join us!” 

TICKET PRICES: Free and open to the public. Limited chairs will be available, audiences are invited to bring their own chairs. Email tickets@parksquaretheatre.org with questions. 

CALENDAR INFORMATION*:

The Champagne Drops

The Champagne Drops

Thurs Jul 22, 12:00 pm – Full Circle Theater Company 
Thurs Aug 5, 4:30 pm – Ready Freddie: A Queen Experience
Thurs Aug 12, 12:00 pm – Legacy Arts Group
Thurs Aug 12, 4:30 pm – The Champagne Drops
Thurs Aug 19, 4:30 pm – MsArnise
Wed Aug 25, 4:30 pm – Victor Zupanc
Thurs Aug 26, 12:00 pm – TaikoArts Midwest

Thurs Sep 9, 4:30 pm – Annie and the Bang Bang
Fri Sep 10, 12:00 pm – Ben Cook-Feltz
Thurs Sep 23, 4:30 pm – The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society 
*All performances subject to change. For continuous updates, visit parksquaretheatre.org. 

PHOTO LINK: Press Photos available at:
https://www.parksquaretheatre.org/media/photos/#1603933207367-806db2dd-4e8f 

Man in black fedora playing a red electric keyboard, a man at his side plays upright base.

Ben Cook-Feltz

SAINT PAUL SUMMER SUNLIGHT is sponsored by the Saint Paul Downtown Alliance, as part of its #WelcomeBackStPL campaign to safely celebrate reopening and welcome people back downtown. From outdoor trivia and art installations to pop-up events and concerts, the Downtown Alliance is partnering with downtown institutions, businesses, artists, and musicians to host more than 300 events and activations through the fall. Follow the Downtown Alliance on Facebook and Instagram or check out the hashtag #WelcomeBackStPL for updates. For the full calendar of events, visit WelcomeBackStPL.com. 

PARK SQUARE THEATRE. 20 W. Seventh Place, Saint Paul. www.parksquaretheatre.org 

# # # 

Virtual Radio Shows Saw Us Through

The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society (MORLS) had just begun their monthly residency with Park Square Theatre when the pandemic hit Minnesota. After three sold-out live performances, their final one on March 9, the group pivoted with lightning speed to entertain virtually for over a year.

From April 2020 through June 2021, the group produced 14 different shows including stories of spirits, explorers, scientists, monsters, detectives and more. With adaptations from literary classics, original works, and even a recreation of Orson Welles’ classic A Christmas Carol, the society seized the zeitgeist of the time and brought escape and entertainment throughout our days at home. Over 2,000 tickets were sold, and an average of 140 people would gather monthly to close their eyes and listen in to the “theatre of the mind!”

As Park Square transitions back to in person programs, the MORLS will be presenting a few shows on their own this summer before returning to Park Square in October of 2021! They will also be back for an outdoor show as part of Park Square’s soon to be announced outdoor summer performance series! Stay tuned!

For more about the Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society podcast and summer shows, visit ghoulishdelights.com.

Introducing our Newest Team Member

Amy Dauplaise is the new Development Director for both Park Square and SteppingStone Theatre. She is a lifelong fundraiser and thrives on helping people and organizations succeed.

“I love helping people work with organizations to realize their passions and create opportunities for the greater community.”

Amy is responsible for building meaningful relationships with donors, developing and executing fundraising campaigns and events, collaborating with our grant-writing consultant, and directing all development activities of both theatres as a member of the senior leadership team.

“The next year will be very full and challenging as Park Square and SteppingStone Theatres continue to merge. I am so grateful to the donors that support each theatre, and I look forward to working with them to maximize the impact of their gifts. Each theatre has a unique approach to fundraising, and I am excited to leverage the best practices of each organization to best utilize the resources donors entrust to us.”

Here are a few fun facts about Amy!

  • What is your favorite musical? Into the Woods
  • What life experiences most shaped your connection to the arts? Singing in harmony with my family while my mother played piano and my father played ukulele; being mesmerized by an 8-hour performance of Nicholas Nickleby when I was in grade school; playing the role of Mary in Of Thee I Sing when I was in junior high.
  • Have you continued performing as an adult? Yes! I sang with Vocal Essence for 3 seasons. I was a founding member of “Notable Women,” an a cappella women’s quintet. I enjoy recording voiceover work and occasionally dipping my toe back into the acting pool in 10-minute play festivals.

ROOTED: Hip Hop Choreographers’ Evening – Streaming from Park Square

The Sota Movement: Rooted x UprisingThe SOTA Movement is a 3-day festival dedicated to connections, dance, and culture featuring the award-winning ROOTED: Hip Hop Choreographers’ Evening and the highly anticipated Krump battle, Uprizing.

Join in, June 11-13, 2021, as artists, creators, and supporters from Minnesota and across the country come together for this one-of-a-kind event.

Park Square Theatre is excited to be hosting the first night of the festival, ROOTED: Hip Hop Choreographers’ Evening, streaming from the Boss Stage. 

Date: June 11, 2021
Time: 6 pm & 8 pm CT
Cost: Free

Brought to you by Maia Maiden Productions & Uprizing Creators, Herb “FairWarning” Johnson III & Ololade “O” Gbadamosi-Alashe.

Learn more and register for for the link to the show at maiamaiden.com/the-sota-movement

Press Release for The Sota Movement

Applications open for 2021/2022 cohort of Youth Ambassadors

Applications open for 2021/2022 cohort of Youth Ambassadors

Key elements of Steppingstone’s Core Company and Park Square’s Teen Theatre Ambassador programs can now be found in the Youth Ambassadors. This new collaboration aims to support young people as they grow into theatre leaders through professional mentorship, shared learning experiences, and the exploration of a multiplicity of stories and viewpoints in American theatre

During the 2021-2022 school year, fifteen young people in 10-12 grades will gather regularly to watch, critique, and discuss performances, participate in workshops, and be mentored in their individual areas of interest. The program is accepting applications through May 30 with a cohort announced later in the summer.

New to Park Square, the program is Pay As You’re Able, allowing families to pay partial fees as needed, or to cover the cost for someone else. This model has been used by SteppingStone for a year with great success – increasing access to arts programs while supporting the fiscal stability of the theatre.
Youth Ambassadors: Applications Now Open

Justice: Responding to the Chauvin Trial Verdict

The verdict has been handed down. Park Square and SteppingStone Theatres support and commend the work of the jury, prosecutors, and strong community that has fought for this step toward justice. We also know the work to end systemic racism has barely begun. Our failure to see, value, and protect Black lives, experiences, and stories diminishes our humanity. In this small moment of forward progress, may we recommit to building a just and inclusive world.  

Let us share the burden with each other and bolster Black voices in our continued work for change. It is time to create a new, and hopeful, story together. Here are some resources to help us all in our continued work: 

  • Tools for discussing race and systems of oppression by the National Museum of African American History and Culture. 
  • Safety guides for de-escalation and protection of yourself and others, created by the Asian American Federation and the Center for Anti-Violence education. 
  • Youth Activism resources from Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance). 
  • Something Happened in our Town. An animated digital reading of a story for children by the Children’s Theatre Company and voiced by Park Square Theatre Artistic Associate Ansa Akyea. It aims to address children’s questions about traumatic events and help children identify and counter racial injustice in their own lives.   

Stay healthy, safe and brave,
Park Square and SteppingStone Theatres 

 

Photo of a mural - a purple wall with paintings of raised fists and the words, "You Changed the World, George!"

In Memory of William Randall Beard (1956-2021)

St Paul and the greater theatre community lost a bright light last weekend with the passing of William Randall Beard. Randy served as literary manager for Park Square Theatre from 2000-2003, and Richard Cook directed his adaptation of The Odyssey in 2011. Twin Cities theatre followers will know him from his work with The History Theatre, Stages, Red Eye Theatre and the Playwrights’ Center among others.

Reprinted here is the obituary from St. Paul-Reformation Lutheran Church.

I N M E M O R I A M
William Randall Beard
October 19, 1956 – April 17, 2021

“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts…”
+Wm. Shakespeare, As You Like It, Act 2, scene 7

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus,

Our brother in Christ Jesus, Randy (William Randall) Beard died on Saturday, April 17 of complications from COVID-19. Randy was a graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College, a long-time member of St. Paul-Reformation, as well as being an active part of the arts community in the Twin Cities for many years. His staged play Come to the Table was a re-telling of the story of St. Paul-Reformation Church itself.

Randy was the co-author, with Matt Sciple, of Mary Stuart, an adaptation of the play by Friedrich Schiller, playing in both St. Paul and a production in Queensland, Australia. He was Literary Manager of the Park Square Theater from 2000 to 2003, and most recently helped to stage (for the second time) his most popular work Beyond the Rainbow, a musical biography of Judy Garland, commissioned by the Minnesota History Theatre in 2005. The play was produced in a dozen other productions around the country, including Florida Stage in West Palm Beach, Meadow Brook Theatre in Detroit and Des Moines Playhouse.

The Odyssey (2011)

Over the last 20 years, Randy wrote for theaters across the cultural spectrum, from the children’s theater Stages (three commissions, including a contemporary adaptation of Cinderella), to the avant-garde Red Eye Theatre (three productions, including a solo performance piece about Jeffrey Dahmer). He has also written educational theater for Hennepin County Library and the Hopkins AIDS Task Force. During his two terms as an Associate Member of the Playwrights’ Center, he served as president of the Board of Directors. As an arts journalist, Beard regularly contributed theater and classical music reviews to the Minneapolis Star Tribune and served as the theater and opera writer for Mpls/St Paul Magazine.

Randy was active in numerous capacities at St. Paul-Reformation Church, serving as Parish Council President and shepherding to completion the parish’s most recent Capital Campaign. For many years, Randy was involved with Wingspan Ministry’s work on behalf of GLBTQIA+ persons in the Church, and his faithful witness and effort toward this work touched countless lives. Randy was able to reconnect with – and eventually marry – the love of his life, Bruce Lively, in 2011.

Randy had an infectious humor, a keen wit, and a larger-than-life personality that fit perfectly with his life in the dramatic arts. He often said, “I love nature, as long as there’s a piece of plate glass between it and me.” In later years, his Christian spirituality developed to new levels of depth, and he particularly found value in the Psalms and the Rule of St. Benedict, which he used as his daily devotional practice. Randy recently moved to the Pillars of Minneapolis, and was in the final editing stage of his most recent book, Holiday Spirits, the story of a gay Christmas ghost. As well, he was continuing to edit a staged work on the relationship he held with his father that underwent previews several years ago.

Because of COVID-19 restrictions, a memorial eucharist for Randy will be held at a later time when it is safe to do so. St Paul-Reformation will keep you abreast of these preparations as they finalize. Randy will be deeply, deeply missed.

Memorials can be sent to St. Paul-Reformation, and will be designated to support music and the arts at St. Paul-Reformation: 100 Oxford Street North, Saint Paul MN, 55104.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples , and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.” And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” – Revelation 21:1-5

Rest eternal grant to him, O Lord, and may light shine on him forever.

The Odyssey (2011)

Park Square Favorite JAMECIA BENNETT at Crooners

JAMECIA BENNETT HEADLINES GRAND OPENING OF CROONERS SUPPER CLUB’S NEW OUTDOOR VENUE, THE BELVEDERE.

 

Jamecia Bennett at The Belvedere at Crooners, April 23 & 24

 

The local theatre and music icon and three-time Grammy winner Jamecia Bennett inaugurates Crooners Supper Club’s tented lakeside concert venue, The Belvedere, on back-to-back nights Fri/Sat April 23 & 24.

Bennett was named the Ordway Theater’s first resident artist for the 2020-21 Broadway at the Ordway season.  She is a member of the Penumbra Theatre and the New Dawn Theatre and a Park Square Theater musical theater favorite for her portrayal of Sister Rosetta Tharpe in Marie and Rosetta. Jamecia is also an NAACP Image Award winner with Sounds of Blackness, the internationally acclaimed group for which she is lead vocalist.

At Crooners Bennett premieres her new blues show “The Evolution of Jazz and Blues,” which will feature a number of her favorite jazz and blues classics, several originals from her upcoming album, and a number of pop-urban hits that illustrate the continuing influence of the blues on contemporary music.

Backing Bennett is her local band J Movement, which includes LA Buckner, Samia Butler, Darnel Davis, Spencer Bradley, Layce Dreams, David Feiley, Lyndora Johnson, Josh Johnson, Michael May, and Brian Ziemniak.

Bennett plans on releasing her new self-titled blues album, “Mecie’s Blues,” later this year.  Her blues single, “Holiday Blues,” released to wide acclaim in 2019.  In January she released international single “Do What You Want,” a collaboration with Berlin hit-maker, DJ Dickey Doo.  She has Partnered with Tomme Beevas reintroducing the newly renovated Pimento Jamaican Rum Bar, part of the Eat Street District on Nicollet, and she’s the proud CEO of the artist development company Minnesota Movement Entertainment.

The Belvedere will feature tented table seating with choice views of Moore Lake, expanded patio flooring, a large custom-built stage.  A culmination of last year’s four popular outside venues, which presented a total of 247 ticketed shows from June to November of last year, the Belvedere will offer full dinner and cocktail table service, plated food and easy access to the Crooners building.  As is the case with Crooners’ two indoor venues (which opened on January 28) stringent Covid safety precautions are in effect outdoors, including table distancing and mandatory mask-wearing when not at your table.

Tickets, which are $30, are now on sale for Fri April 23 at 7pm at www.croonersmn.com and Sat April 24 at 7pm at www.croonersmn.com

 

Crooners physical and service Covid Safety upgrades include the following: READ MORE

For in-person and livestream tickets and information visit www.croonersmn.com or call 763-760-0062. Crooners is located at 6161 Highway 65 NE, just north of Minneapolis and 694 in Fridley.

SPRING MISCHIEF is April 8!

You are invited to join Park Square Theatre on Thursday April 8, for SPRING MISCHIEF!

The Spring Mischief Cabaret will be 45-minutes of fun with a mix of theatre artists you love and new talent to keep your eyes on! Plus, join in yourself for the Mask Parade! Don any Mardi Gras, Carnival (or covid) mask and turn on your camera for the parade. No judgement, all play! Pull out your favorite mask or get creative and decorate your own!

To receive a Zoom link to the event: Sign Up Here

For fantastic items, getaways and experiences, visit the Online Auction.
You can also stream the cabaret during or after the event on Park Square’s YouTube Channel.

Enjoy performances by:

REESE BRITTS is thrilled that he is making his Park Square Theater debut. He has performed on local stages like The Ordway, The Jungle Theatre, Lyric Arts, and The Guthrie. ‘We need the arts more than anything right now- thank you so much for your continuous support for the community and for Park Square!”

 

 

 

Twin Cities based actor and singer RAJANÉ KATURAH has graced the stages of The Ordway, The Children’s Theatre, Ten Thousand Things, Penumbra Theatre and The Old Globe. Park Square audiences will never forget her outstanding performance as Marie in Marie & Rosetta or in Agatha Christie: Rule of Thumb.  She relocated Minneapolis in 2017-2018 as a Performing Apprentice at the Children’s Theatre Company, and is now their newest Company Member, last seen as the title role in Cinderella. “Better is on the way, and if you can’t see it, then be it!”

 

C RYAN SHIPLEY is a local theatre artist and educator who has performed at The Ordway, Artistry, Old Log, Park Square, Illusion Theatre, Minneapolis Musical Theatre, Paul Bunyan Playhouse and many others. C Ryan is also a choreographer and director and is on the artistic staff of Cedar Summerstock Theatre Company in Iowa. As an educator he has worked at The Guthrie, The Ordway, Hennepin Theatre Trust, Stages, Steppingstone and Project SUCCESS.

 

 

LESLIE VINCENT is a singer, actor and musician recognizable to Twin Cities theatre audiences from her work at Artistry, History Theatre, Old Log Theatre and the Bryant-Lake Bowl among others. Park Square fans will remember her stand-out performance as Val in Jefferson Township Sparkling Junior Talent Pageant, and she has played both Anna and Margot in The Diary of Anne Frank.  Leslie performs as half of the jazz duo The Champagne Drops and writes her own music. In 2020 she released her first album entitled These Foolish Things. https://www.lesliedellavincent.com/

 

Musical Accompaniment by Natalia Peterson and Kate Brown.

Learn More about Spring Mischief: A Gala Mask-erade!

Tickets

The box office is currently closed. Please email tickets@parksquaretheatre.org with any questions.

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