Theater / Music, Minneapolis

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Founded by Sir Tyrone Guthrie, the Guthrie Theater is one of Minneapolis' most loved landmarks. Now in it's new building on the Mississippi riverfront, the Guthrie is even more of a must-see in Minneapolis than ever before.

The new Guthrie has 3 stages, full-service to casual dining options including "Cue", "Level 5 Cafe", "Level 5 Express" and the "Target Lounge", guided backstage tours, and breathtaking views of Minneapolis and the Mississippi River from the "Endless Bridge" and the amber-colored "Dowling Studio Lobby".

Alongside the 20 plays of the 2007-2008 theater season, a great number of events are being held at the Guthrie. Sit in on workshops of a number of this season's plays or spend some time listening to the stories and inspirations of actor Ian McKellen.

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The new $125M Guthrie Theater opened in June 2006. The 250,000 square foot theater with a long cantilevered lobby jutting toward the river that provides spectacular views of the Mississippi River, the graceful stone-arch bridge and the historical St. Anthony Falls Industrial District. The Minnesota Historical Society's Mill City Museum is next door. Along the riverbanks lie the city's Mill Ruins Park, walking paths and bike trails. The new theater was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, his first project in North America.

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Orchestra Hall is home to the Minnesota Orchestra. Built in 1974, it is known for its innovative acoustical design, i.e., the cube motif of the auditorium ceiling, separate buildings for the lobby and auditorium for acoustical isolation, and the large, blue ventilation ducts to reduce air velocity and therefore noise. The Hall provides music for everyone. The building was designed to deformalize concert-going and bring people together. During the few days I was in Minneapolis, there was a free lunchtime concert in the Peavey Plaza which is part of the Orchestra Hall complex.

The Guthrie has been around since the early 1960s. It is named after its founder, Sir Tyrone Guthrie who also directed the first production to be seen here (Hamlet, 1963). The last time I went to a play here was probaby in the early '90s, but my mom still goes here at least once or twice a year and raves about it. Minneapolis has a thriving theater scene with more theaters per capita than any other U.S. city other than New York City.

For a list of plays and ticket information, see the website below.

Triple Espresso, a comedy play, has been running at the Music Box Theater for over five years. I live just a block away from the Theater, and every Wednesday through Sunday I see people streaming in and out of here. After asking around, I found that people apparently find this play to be one of the most hilarious acts they've ever seen. I don't doubt it either, judging by the numbers of years it's been running and the number of patrons it continues to receive.

The Plot: three men have flashbacks to their show business days.

The Cost: $31.50 to $36.50

The Times: Wed-Thu at 7:30; Fri at 8:00; Sat at 5:00; Sun at 3:00

The Crowd: families, senior citizens, teenage school groups, suburban and urban couples

The Parking: anywhere except in front of my house

The After-Party: next door you can enjoy Chinese dishes at Ping's restaurant; across the street you can visit New Delhi for authentic Indian cuisine, ribs and chicken at Market Bar-B-Que, or spicy Mexican food at Salsa A La Salsa. Each location, except for Salsa A La Salsa, has a separate bar area.

The Guthrie Theater is an award winning theater that is one of the few with a thrust stage so no seat in the main theater has a poor line of vision. Often besides locally produced plays world theater troupes or musicians may perform there.

Before each performance they put "Rush" tickets available for sale, so instead of paying $40-50.00 per ticket you can get a seat for only $14.00.

Wanna see a Broadway show in the Twin Cities? No problem. This historic theater brings big-time Broadway productions to the frozen Midwest. Call for a schedule of shows.

Actually you have tons of choices here. The Twin Cities have more theaters per capita than any city in the United States other than New York City. Hennepin Avenue, where the Orpheum is located, has recently undergone a lot of changes and is looking better than ever. There are a number of theaters and good restaurants along this street in the heart of downtown.

The Guthrie Theater serves as a vital artistic resource for the people of Minnesota and the region. Its primary task is to celebrate, through theatrical performances, the common humanity binding us all together. The Theater is devoted to the traditional classical repertoire that has sustained us since our foundation and to the exploration of new works from diverse cultures and traditions. The Guthrie aspires to the highest levels of artistic achievement and to reaching the widest possible audience with our work. The Guthrie Theater sees itself as a leader in American Theater with both a national and international reputation.

Well, this band doesn't actually have any gigs as yet, but you can catch them holding forth at several drinking establishments around town.