The Agenda

Theater, art, concerts & more—your best bets for September

SEPTEMBER 12

BOOKS FOR AFRICA GALA

The St. Paul–based nonprofit marks its 20th anniversary with a fundraiser that celebrates its efforts in getting textbooks into African schools. To date, the group has shipped nearly 20 million books to classrooms in 38 African countries. This event, emceed by MPR’s Kerri Miller, features African music, a fashion show, and a soko (African market) with goods for purchase. Minnesota History Center, 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, 651-602-9844, booksforafrica.org
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SEPTEMBER 2 TO 4

WAKE UP WORLD

Minnesota native and Daily Show co-creator Lizz Winstead returns to the Twin Cities with her theater group, Shoot the Messenger, to perform Wake Up World, a new off-Broadway spoof of morning TV news shows. Each night’s program offers a completely new show, as the actors comment on live footage from the Republican National Convention. The show also includes performances from former City Pages critic and musician Jim Walsh and British rocker Billy Bragg. Parkway Theater, 4814 Chicago Ave. S., Minneapolis, 612-822-3030
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SEPTEMBER 2

PROVENTION CONCERT

Minnesota’s progressive musicians welcome the Republicans to the Twin Cities: While delegates are listening to John McCain speak, the likes of Dan Wilson and Martin Devaney will be jammin’ at Midway Stadium. Of course, ProVention’s roster is hardly a list of staunch conservatives, so think of it as a way to escape (or distract yourself) from the convention. And with music from the Honeydogs, White Light Riot, and Dessa and Doomtree, expect the dialogue to swing more left than right. Midway Stadium, St. Paul, proventionconcert.org
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Location change to Fitzgerald Theater, 10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul, 651-290-1221
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OPENS SEPTEMBER 5

PETER PAN

The Children’s Theatre Company has spent the past year working with Scotland’s Visible Fiction and Italy’s Teatro Gioco Vita to create a new adaptation of Peter Pan. The imaginative production makes the most of a minimal set design and inventive shadow puppetry, creating an impressive show even for the young at heart. Children’s Theatre Company, 2400 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis, 612-874-0400, childrenstheatre.org
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SEPTEMBER 11 TO 21

THE JULIET LETTERS

The Theatrical Music Company uses Elvis Costello’s 1993 album as a backdrop for this play, each scene set up to tell the story of the musician’s songs. Four actors play the characters/authors of actual letters that have been left by tourists at the assumed gravesite of Juliet in Verona. The musician himself approved this world-premiere play, which covers 18 of his album’s 20 songs. Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis, 612-340-1725, southerntheater.org
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SEPTEMBER 13 TO 14

EDINA FALL INTO THE ARTS FESTIVAL

This sixth-annual festival showcases more than 195 potters, painters, photographers, and other artists at Centennial Lakes Park. Find jewelry and other wearable art for sale, and watch demonstrations throughout the day. The event also serves as a fundraiser for the Edina Crime Prevention Fund, which assists with rewards and other services within the city’s police department. Centennial Lakes Park, 7499 France Ave. S., Edina, fallintotheartsfestival.com
 
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OPENS SEPTEMBER 19

TOYS IN THE ATTIC

This exhibit, presented by the artist collaborative Squad 19, is more about monsters under the bed than Monsters Inc. The group is made up of artists from various backgrounds, including advertising, design, and illustration, and this show examines their darkest fears from childhood—the stories, toys, and imagery from their youth. Guests can get more of the backstory at the opening night reception. Gallery 122 at Hang It, 122 Eighth St. SE, Minneapolis, 612-874-7222, squad19.com
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OPENS SEPTEMBER 22

TRANSCENDENT ART: ICONS FROM YAROSLAVL, RUSSIA

Outside of the former U.S.S.R., Minneapolis’s Museum of Russian Art has one of the finest Russian and Soviet art collections in the world—credibility that no doubt contributed to this month’s exhibit, on loan from
the Yaroslavl Art Museum in Russia. See 54 pieces from the Russian museum’s archives, which contains hundreds of religious-icon paintings that were saved from churches during the Soviet revolution of 1917. The Museum of Russian Art, 5500 Stevens Ave. S., Minneapolis, 612-821-9045, tmora.org
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SEPTEMBER 22

THE IVEY AWARDS

Minnesota’s version of the Tonys, the Ivey Awards celebrate the best in local theater direction, production, acting, and more—and the fête includes a pre-show red carpet and celebrity-packed after-party that goes into the wee hours of the night. Bonus: Local actors present abbreviated performances from upcoming shows throughout the ceremony. State Theatre, 805 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, 612-673-0404, iveyawards.com
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SEPTEMBER 24 TO 28

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL

The always-ornate-and-borderline-bizarre Cirque du Soleil returns to the Twin Cities—this time appearing at the Target Center. This new production, Saltimbanco, includes the troupe’s signature colorful costumes and set designs, along with dynamic acrobatics, all set in yet another imaginary city of fictional creatures. If you are one of the few who hasn’t seen the troupe, this show provides an excellent overview of the company’s talents. Target Center, 600 First Ave. N., Minneapolis, 651-989-5151, cirquedusoleil.com
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SEPTEMBER 25 TO 28

NORDIC ROOTS FESTIVAL

Here’s your last chance to see the Nordic Roots Festival in its current incarnation: After 10 years, the producers are taking it international as the new Global Roots Festival. (The plan is to diversify the roster and expose more people to world music.) Check out the popular series at the Cedar, which includes performers from Sweden, Norway, and Canada—acoustic folk rockers Frigg, string trio Väsen, and Hurdy Gurdy, the duet that plays, natch, the hurdy gurdy. Cedar Cultural Center, 416 Cedar Ave., Minneapolis, 612-338-2674, thecedar.org
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Send event information to agenda@mnmo.com.