Singers Kara Morgan, Corissa Bussian, and Mark Billy in Mixed Precipitation’s 2023 operatic production of Romeo and Juliet. In the not-so-distant future, scientist and entrepreneur Dr. Johann Faust faces a planet in crisis but no motivation to spare humanity its fate. He yearns to find a life of meaning and love. Méphistophélès, a mysterious extraplanar entity with a devilish charm, appears with a bargain: Relocate Earth’s climate refugees to a lunar colony and win the love of the brilliant physicist Marguerite. Together, Faust and his mysterious companion launch a fanatical quest to save huma ..read more

The Orpheum Theatre in Downtown Minneapolis, one of several historic theatres managed by the Hennepin Theatre Trust.  The Hennepin Theatre Trust has announced the latest photographers for It’s the People exposition of large-scale public art, highlighting the unique inspirations of humanity. Eight fine art portrait photographers will create portraits that will be displayed in downtown Minneapolis on large-scale banners on building sides along Hennepin Avenue, starting in August. It’s the People – now in its sixth year – will launch its latest installment with a new theme: “photographer’s c ..read more

Cassandra Cole, Jillian Rae, and Mayda will perform at the Minnesota Music Coalition’s final event on Thursday, April 11 at the Hook and Ladder in Minneapolis, MN. The organization will disband after the concert. The Minnesota Music Coalition (MMC), a 13-year-old service organization that has linked independent musicians across the state with audiences, will close its doors permanently after a final concert on April 11. This last bow – scheduled for 7:30 pm on Thursday, April 11 at the Hook and Ladder in Minneapolis, MN, is titled A Minnesota Music Celebration. The show will feature performanc ..read more

Minnesota-based Ananya Dance Theatre (2023’s We Are The Procession by Michhil Amra pictured) is one of 79 organizations to receive support from the Jerome Foundation in the coming cycle. ADT’s award will underwrite its NextGen Choreolab program for early career, Minnesota-based choreographers. Photo by Canaan Mattson Photography. The Jerome Foundation – a St. Paul-based charitable organization and one of Minnesota’s leading arts funders – has announced more than $5.5 million in grant awards. In the coming year, the Jerome Foundation’s Arts Organization Grants program will fund activities by 79 ..read more

A collage of photos from zAmya’s Locked In: Carefully Breaking Free, which will be presented at Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis, MN on May 28 at 6 PM. zAmya Theater Project – a transformational, social justice-driven theatre organization in Minneapolis – will present its latest work, Locked In: Care-Fully Breaking Free. This play investigates systems of care from the inside and outside, as well as systems of public health and housing. True to zAmy’as mission, it is created in partnership with the Twin Cities chapter of Campaign Against Racism and Adrian Jackson, founder ..read more

The award-winning French jazz singer Cyrille Aimée, who performs at The Dakota on March 19. Photo by Viktor Hlavatovic. Cyrille Aimée often talks about her childhood, growing up in a little village on the outskirts of Paris (Samois sur Seine), near where jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt used to live. Her mother was from the Dominican Republic, and Aimée grew up with a great deal of salsa, merengue and bachata music in the house, and much dancing among the children. It was when hanging out with the local Romani that she learned to love improvised music, a way, she says, “of always honoring the p ..read more

Edvard Munch’s 1893 painting The Scream. The Old Log Theatre, one of Minnesota’s oldest theatrical establishments, will close permanently on March 2. The Cast & Cru Restaurant that shares the theatre lobby will also close The news was communicated today by the Old Log Theatre in an electronic communication THE OLD LOG THEATRE IS ENDING PRODUCTIONS AFTER 84 YEARS AND WILL BE CLOSING CAST & CRU RESTAURANT. With a heavy heart, we have made the difficult decision to retire. As a result, we will discontinue producing shows at the Old Log Theatre and close our restaurant Cast & Cru. Aft ..read more

Saxophonist Joshua Redman. The story is often recounted how the leading saxophonist Joshua Redman, son of free-jazz saxophonist Dewey Redman and dancer Renee Shedroff, seemed once to have been on quite a different life path. Redman won a full scholarship to Harvard, graduated there with highest honors, and was accepted to the Yale Law School. However, before going to law school, Redman decided to take a year off… During that year off, and hanging out with friends in Brooklyn, Redman became part of the New York jazz scene – and, along the way, also won the prestigious Thelonious Monk Internatio ..read more

A word collage showing the names of the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s newest snowplows, as decided by a public vote with more than 32,500 respondents. The Minnesota Department of Transportation has announced its Class of 2024 snowplow-naming contest winners. In characteristic fashion, the winners of this public voting contest are a reflection of the North Star State’s taste for winter humor, currents in popular culture, and deep roots. Notably, District 8 (Southwest Minnesota) – home to the Upper Sioux Community and Lower Sioux Indian Community – is now the standard-bearer for MN-Do ..read more

Blues musician Keb’ Mo’. Photo by Jeremy Cowart. Keb’ Mo’ (full name: Kevin Roosevelt Moore) effortlessly crosses genres (blues, country, folk, Americana/roots) and has gained many honors along the way.  Adding to his five Grammy awards (and a total of 13 nominations), the GRAMMY Museum Mississippi recently gave him the Crossroads of American Music Award. Keb’ Mo’ has said that if he had to be placed in only one category of music, it would probably be the blues, but it is a hopeful and country-music-influenced blues, along the lines of Reverend Gary Davis.  Keb’ Mo’ comes out of Comp ..read more