Presented by Red Eye Theater

• Dance
• Experimental

2022 marks the first NW4W festival in Red Eye’s new home! This incubator of new work has become a cornerstone of the Twin Cities performance landscape, culminating in a showcase of the freshest experiments from Minnesota’s most risk-taking performing artists.

Lelis K. Brito

A Binding Strangeness

Direction and choreography: Lelis K. Brito

Dancers: Genevieve Johnson, Masanari Kawahara, Arwen Wilder

Ricardo Beaird

HOW FUN

Written, directed, and developed by Ricardo Beaird, Megan Burns, Daisuke Kawachi, and Connor Lane

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Presented by Children's Theatre Company

• Comedy
• Musical

Diary of a Wimpy Kid the Musical

Book by Kevin Del Aguila

Music and Lyrics by Michael Mahler and Alan Schmuckler

Based on the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series by Jeff Kinney and the 20th Century Studios Films

Produced by special arrangement with Buena Vista Theatrical and Kevin McCollum

Directed by Jenn Thompson

UnitedHealth Group Stage

April 22-June 18, 2022

All Ages

 

Middle school, ugh. It’s the worst. But Greg is determined NOT to be at the bottom of the popularity chart. He’ll leave that to his weird neighbor, Fregley. Or maybe Greg’s best friend, Rowley Jefferson. But it’s not going to be Greg… no way.

 

See Jeff Kinney’s popular character take center stage as Greg’s cartoon diary becomes a hilarious and heartfelt musical. Will Greg’s plans lead him to sacrifice his one true friend? Can anyone avoid the dreaded Cheese Touch? Grab a hall pass and don’t be late for an adventure familiar to anyone who actually survived middle school!

                   

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Presented by Open Eye Theatre

• Comedy
• Musical

A live band, witty songs, and rustic folk-art puppetry combine for a night of rollicking, family-friendly entertainment on the green roof of The Bakken Museum!

The resort town of Discovery Island descends into chaos, with trash cans looted and hairballs fouling the streets, and local conspiracy nut Jerry Loudermilk (Maren Ward) convincing the locals that a supernatural forest beast called the ‘Megapaw’ is to blame. When aspiring teen detective Winnifred Highsmith (Abilene Olson) goes missing after discovering a baby Megapaw, the alarm is sounded and Montgomery Ward (Luke Aaron Davidson), Canada’s elite forest ranger, arrives to save the day! Suddenly everyone is lost in the woods, seeking the hidden heart of the forest. Will they find it before the shifty resort owner, Fobelius Dort, burns down the trees to make a bigger golf course?  

An unabashed celebration of tall tales and high spirits, HAIR BALL is the follow-up to 2021’s LOG JAM! A Paul Bunyan Musical Spectacular, and the second summer collaboration between Open Eye Theatre and The Bakken Museum.

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Presented by Commonweal Theatre Company

• Comedy

In this sparkling screwball comedy, two actors are so down on their luck they’re stuck performing Shakespeare on the Moose Lodge circuit in Amish country. Upon learning that a local millionaire may not be long for this world, they hatch a plot: they’ll masquerade as her long-lost relatives, make off with the fortune, and solve all their problems with her cash. But things go topsy-turvy when the actors fall in love with a rollerskating waitress and a theatre-loving heiress. It’s a delightful romp full of hijinks, high heels, and heart that you won’t want to miss!

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Presented by Lakeshore Players Theatre

• Drama
• Comedy

Ten short, never-before-seen plays from around the world are presented by some of your favorite Lakeshore Players Theatre performers and directors. Watch each show, and then cast your ballot for your favorite 10-Minute Play of 2022!

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Presented by Chanhassen Dinner Theatres

• Comedy
• Musical

When Ren and his mother move from Chicago to a small farming town, he is prepared for the inevitable adjustment period at his new high school. But he’s not prepared for the rigorous local edicts, including a ban on dancing instituted by the local preacher, who is determined to exercise control over the town’s youth. When the reverend’s rebellious daughter sets her sights on Ren, her roughneck boyfriend tries to sabotage Ren’s reputation, with many of the locals eager to believe the worst about the new kid. The heartfelt story that emerges pins a father longing for the son he lost against a young man aching for the father who walked out on him.

To the rockin’ rhythm of its Oscar and Tony-nominated Top Forty score, augmented with dynamic new songs, Footloose celebrates the wisdom of listening to young people while guiding them with a warm heart and open mind.

Footloose first burst onto the silver screen in 1984 and proved to be one of the year’s most successful motion pictures. The soundtrack recording reached #1 on the Billboard charts, and went on to sell over 17 million copies worldwide, generating such Top Forty hits as its title song and “Let’s Hear It For The Boy” (both of which received Academy Award nominations), plus “Almost Paradise,” “Holding Out For A Hero,” and “I’m Free (Heaven Helps the Man).” With a screenplay and lyrics by Oscar winner Dean Pitchford, the story focused on young people, much like his previous, and wildly successful movie musical Fame.

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