Emma Dalen's Blog (14)

When, as a small child, I was first shown the movie Disney’s “Mary Poppins” by my mother, I didn’t like it all that much.  I recently was shown it as a teenager, and I quite enjoyed it.  The catchy music was enjoyable, and I thought that the storyline was quite interesting.  Seeing the Broadway musical was something that I was starting to look forward to.  After seeing the musical on stage, my opinion on it is that I much prefer the movie.  Disney’s…

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When I first saw the Broadway musical “Spamalot”, I was ten years old.  I immediately wanted to someday play the role of the glittering sexpot diva, otherwise known as The Lady of The Lake.  To this day, it is still my fourth favorite musical.  “Spamalot” won the 2005 Tony Award for Best Musical, the 2005 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Musical.  The musical is written by Eric Idle and based on “Monty Python and The Holy Grail”.…

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When I first heard that “The Book of Mormon” was coming to Minneapolis, I was not that thrilled.  I had seen an episode of South Park and I disliked the way Trey Parker and Matt Stone wrote it, so I didn’t think that I would really like a musical written by the same people.  Then a few months ago, I started listening to music from the show, and I discovered that I liked the music.  I started to look forward to seeing the show.  But now that I have seen it, I am disappointed.…

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When I first heard the music from Aida six years ago, it became one of my favorite musicals.  Yet, I was never able to see the show until now.  Theater Latté Da’s production of Aida was absolutely fabulous.  Aida was created by Elton John and Tim Rice.  Theater Latté Da’s version of this show was directed by award winning director Peter Rothstein, with…

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Priscilla: Queen of the Desert  has been one of my favorite movies ever since I first saw it this Summer.  And the Broadway musical was no let down.  This fabulous show is about three drag queens from Sydney, Australia who go on a road trip through the Australian desert.  Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered, they fought their way to Alice Springs.  Written by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott, directed by Simon Phillips, with costume design by Tim…

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I didn’t really know what to expect from Catch Me If You Can.  All I really knew about it was that it was a true story about a teenager named Frank Abagnale who tricks people into believing that he is a pilot, a doctor, and a lawer.  To tell the truth, it reminded me of Batman comics.  But that might just be because I like Batman.  Catch Me If You Can has been nominated for four Tony awards and six Drama Desk Awards.  

Stephen Anthony played a…

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Breathtaking, heartbreaking,

A single mother, trolley driver tells her story.

Elegant and regal,

On a nearly empty stage,

A singer, a dancer, a teacher,

An author, an actor, a complex director

She tells her saddening tale

She laughs, she sings

Intelligent and beautiful

An elegant poet,

A regal civil rights activist,

Sophisticated and grandmotherly,

She talks of her haunting past

Fascinating and inspirational,

Funny and… Continue

      I sat in my seat in the second tier of the Orpheum’s balcony.  Happiness and excitement were my emotions as I made myself comfortable to watch the performance of “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” for the first time on the stage.  From what I recalled of the animated movie, the Disney version of the classic fairytale, it was about a bookish village girl who slowly fell in love with a prince who had been transformed into a beast, and whose domestic staff consisted of magical…

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    As Emma, the reviewer, sat down she wondered if she would like the show.  She enjoyed ABBA, but had not heard many good things said about Mamma Mia.  The musical was about a girl who lived with her Mother on a Greek Island and decided to invite the three men who might be her Father to her wedding.  A sudden flash appeared in the corner of the reviewer’s eye as she perused her program.  She quickly glanced over and sighed.  A group of old women were filing into the house of the theater…

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    I had not been…

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I have waited for Green Day’s musical, “American Idiot”, with great anticipation. Boy were my expectations satisfied! Although “American Idiot” seemed more like a really fancy concert with elaborate sets than it…

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Emma Dalen

The…

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Emma Dalen

“Les Misérables”

The People’s Show



    The award-winning show “Les Misérables”, based on the book by Victor Hugo, is the second best Broadway production that I have ever seen.  Sad and enchanting, beautiful and angry.  “Les Mis” draws the audience into it’s arresting story of love and loss.  The Tuesday evening opening at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota captured the hearts of the audience with it’s sorrowful, yet heartwarming storyline and alluring…

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Emma Dalen

La…

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