"The Church Basement Ladies in Rise Up, O Men" | Photo Credit: Paul Nixdorf Left to right: Tim Drake, Jeff March, Peter Colburn, Greta Grosch, Dorian Chalmers, Janet Paone
The Plymouth Playhouse invited the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB) to a special Blogger Night where bloggers could get together, enjoy a preview performance of the new musical comedy The Church Basement Ladies in Rise Up, O Men, and then stay for the post-show discussion with cast and audience.
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In addition to the Artfully Engaging blog, here are the other TCTB blogs that participated in Blogger Night at the Plymouth Playhouse:
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It's the first EVER #ChurchBasement Audience Discussion at @PlaysAtPlymouth: https://t.co/gcmGWngLdy #TCTheater pic.twitter.com/7cbFDmAWpv
— Kendra Plant (@ArtfullyKendra) August 19, 2016
The Plymouth Playhouse was a terrific host for our group of eight theater enthusiasts, including local bloggers and our guests. We were treated to dinner at the Green Mill, which shares the building with the theater as well as the Ramada Plymouth hotel and conference center.
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My dad was my theater companion for the night and we shared an amazing deep dish pizza with spinach, garlic, and fresh tomatoes. Later he mentioned that we should have taken a picture of the pizza, but before the performance we were hungry and we had our priorities. Becki from Compendium did remember to snap a pic of her food and post it on Instagram.
I am grateful for the hospitality of the Green Mill and Plymouth Playhouse. It's exciting to have a get-together of enthusiastic theater writers. Our dinner conversation meandered, covering topics like sensory-friendly theater performances (like this one, covered by Minnesota Theater Love, at the Orpheum Theatre during the The Lion King) and stories of bad cell phone etiquette from patrons during shows. |
I hadn't seen any of the Church Basement Ladies musical comedies before this night and I was looking forward to trying something new. My dad has been going to these shows with my mom and my grandparents for many years. He said that they make him laugh until it hurts. As a Minnesotan, who wouldn't enjoy some Lutheran and Norwegian comedy?
Rise Up, O Men is the sixth show in the popular Church Basement Ladies series, inspired by the books from authors/humorists Janet Letnes Martin and Suzann Nelson including the best-seller Growing Up Lutheran. All the previous versions of the Church Basement Ladies have toured nationally and have had more than three million audience members. That is a lot of laughter!
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Rise Up, O Men is unique because it adds the masculine perspective, introducing audiences to new male characters. The musical is set in 1964 rural Minnesota during a Lutheran congregation's preparations for the Diamond Jubilee: the kitchen needs maintenance, the pastor thinks he's a comedian, and the float for the parade needs to be completed.
The cast is a riot! During the show it was clear the actors were having tons of fun singing, dancing, and laughing together. They also enjoyed each other's company at the post-show discussion, the first ever for Church Basement Ladies at the Plymouth Playhouse! I was pleasantly surprised with how many people stayed after the show to learn more about the actors, how the performance was created, and to compliment the production.
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This was certainly an ensemble show with sparkling moments coming from each character throughout the night. The technical elements also blew me away. For example, the costumes were lovely, colorful, and well suited for the characters, from a John Deere uniform to a dress pulled out of the mission donation box to impress a surprise guest. So here's a shout-out to Katrina Benedict for the enjoyable costume design.
The Church Basement Ladies (and their men) made this an enjoyable musical experience. You'll want to bring friends and family with you because after the show you'll enjoy reminiscing about all your favorite moments, jokes, and songs.
The theater itself is intimate and casual. There's nice leg room and beverage holders for guests, popcorn is sold at the concession stand, and comfy clothes including jeans are a-okay. All the actors are equipped with microphones to improve hearing for patrons and they also have hearing-assisted devices. Rise Up O Men plays through April 9, 2017 with a break over the holidays so that Plymouth Playhouse can remount Away in the Basement, a Church Basement Ladies Christmas.
The Church Basement Ladies (and their men) made this an enjoyable musical experience. You'll want to bring friends and family with you because after the show you'll enjoy reminiscing about all your favorite moments, jokes, and songs.
The theater itself is intimate and casual. There's nice leg room and beverage holders for guests, popcorn is sold at the concession stand, and comfy clothes including jeans are a-okay. All the actors are equipped with microphones to improve hearing for patrons and they also have hearing-assisted devices. Rise Up O Men plays through April 9, 2017 with a break over the holidays so that Plymouth Playhouse can remount Away in the Basement, a Church Basement Ladies Christmas.
Fun fact for Twin Cities theater fans: Graydon Royce, the well-known Star Tribune theater critic, is a part of the artistic team in Rise Up, O Men as a contributing writer and co-lyricist.
Ticket Information
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The Church Basement Ladies in Rise Up, O Men
Written by Greta Grosch Music by Dennis Curly Lyrics by Dennis Curly, Greta Grosch & Graydon Royce Inspired by the books of Janet Letnes Martin & Suzann Nelson, including the best-seller Growing Up Lutheran. August 17–November 13, 2016 and January 5–April 8, 2017 Tickets: $29-$40 Discounts available for:
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Plymouth Playhouse
2705 Annapolis Lane N Plymouth, MN 55441 |
More Ways to Engage:
Follow Plymouth Playhouse on Twitter at @PlaysAtPlymouth, on Facebook and use the hashtag #ChurchBasementLadies.
Engage with the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers on Facebook and use the hashtag #tctheater on Instagram or Twitter.
Follow Plymouth Playhouse on Twitter at @PlaysAtPlymouth, on Facebook and use the hashtag #ChurchBasementLadies.
Engage with the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers on Facebook and use the hashtag #tctheater on Instagram or Twitter.
Also read the Artfully Engaging blog post featuring "Beauty and the Beast" at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres...
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