Meanwhile, at the capitol

Congratulations to us

Ladies and gentlemen, I would first like to compliment you on your choice of website. There are many other websites that you could have chosen to look at today, some of them not even pornography-related, and you chose to spend time that might otherwise be put to some useful task with us. You are obviously bearers of refinement and taste, for, my friends, you are reading the best theater website in the Twin Cities. According to the Star Tribune's latest "Best Of" list, Minnesota Playlist is the best place to go for all your theater-related needs.

Now that we're "The Best", we have a lot more responsibility to you, dear readers. Of course, we won't let this go to our heads. There is still much important work to be done here in the News and Notes blog. For example, did you know that eleven pennies and a hot glue gun are all you need to turn any shoes into tap shoes? That's the kind of insight and information that you hopeful performers turn to me to provide, and I shall not disappoint! Who else do you trust to bring you the straight scoop on things like the mercifully early cancelation of the Duck Dynasty musical? Who else in the Twin Cities has the balls to keep harping on about the fight between Actors Equity and actual actors over LA's 99-seat plan, even though none of our readers live there? Who else is going to tell you plainly what respected theater artist in the Twin Cities just received a big grant from a foundation?

Actually, just about every other website in the Twin Cities that's even remotely connected to theater will tell you that last one. But, we're the best at it, damn it! At least for this year, anyway. Who knows what the future holds. Perhaps some other site will pop up that we will have to mercilessly crush like a cockroach- er, I mean engage in friendly competition with. Yeah, that's it.

All the budgetary action you can handle

Just as my fingers are racing over the keyboard in an effort to finish this column before the ice in my bourbon melts, so too is the Minnesota state legislature racing to finish a budget bill before they are kicked out of the capitol building. Though the major fights holding up the process this time around are over things like education, transportation, MNsure, and how to most efficiently blow the $2 billion projected surplus from this past biennium, there are some arts-related matters getting lost in the shuffle.

In this budget cycle, the legislature will decide how money from the Legacy Amendment will be divvied up. The last time around, 46% of the Arts and Culture funding went to the State Arts Board and the seven regional arts councils to be distributed through grants to you artists around the state. That last funding cycle also came with a promise from the legislature to raise that to 47% this time around. While the budget bill from the Democratic-controlled state senate has followed up on this promise, the Republican-controlled House bill has not.

Funding for the Minnesota Film and TV Board is caught in the same limbo, with the House wanting to zero out the Snowbate refund program. Would this destroy the Minnesota film industry? I was hoping to make a documentary exploring that question, but without the Snowbate program, I've had to change the location to Canada instead. I hope you enjoy my scathing expose of the state of film in Calgary.

But, we shouldn't worry too much. Our elected representatives are quite aware of their deadlines, and their steadfast responsibility to their state should certainly outweigh any partisan bickering, especially as the deadline gets closer… Oh, budget talks are unraveling? Then, much like my need to start another glass of bourbon, get ready for the legislature to start a special session that will freeze up the workings of the state government. Go, democracy!

Last minute update: The legislature did pass a budget at the last second last night. Nobody likes it, and the governor said he would veto it. So it goes.

Taye Diggs will be playing Hedwig on Broadway

Yep. Taye Diggs will be playing Hedwig on Broadway. That is awesome. That is all.

For the parents

I'm not a father, but reputable people have given me money a few times to pretend to be one on stage. That was exhausting enough, and I could at least stop doing it after 90 minutes or so and go straight to drinking. I don't know how theater people also handle having kids, because, apparently, you're supposed to be more or less sober for that.

Or at least I didn't know until now. Let Bitter Gertrude explain it to you.