Photo by Stephanie Berger, ©2021
Dance
Afterwardsness
The Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company’s powerful work addresses, via dance and music, the ongoing effects of the pandemic and attacks on Black bodies, featuring a violin solo dedicated to George Floyd. (11/10-14, Northrop, Minneapolis)
Gold Over America Tour
Still soaring after the Olympics, world champion gymnast Simone Biles leads a crew of talented athletes showcasing their artistic and technical abilities. (10/13, Target Center, Minneapolis)
Visual Arts
Mia
Coming up at the Minneapolis Institute of Art: The Contemporary Print: 20 Years at Highpoint Editions (10/8-1/8/22) compiles two decades of fine printmaking collaborations; Envisioning Evil: “The Nazi Drawings” by Mauricio Lasansky (10/16-6/26/22) grapples with the Holocaust’s atrocities; and the sometimes cheeky installations of Aaron Dysart: Latitude (11/20-2/27/22) look to the environment for inspiration.
Minnesota Museum of American Art
While the main museum space is closed in St. Paul, Robert Street Window Gallery hosts Many Waters: A Minnesota Biennial, amassing dozens of artists’ work informed by water and proximity to the Mississippi River, as seen in the skyway entrance (through 10/2). Later this fall, the space welcomes Sutures (10/30-1/29/22), combining photo and film projects that interpret inheritance and memory.
Walker Art Center
The Minneapolis museum has a deep, mid-career survey of Julie Mehretu (10/16-3/6/22) with 75-plus drawings, paintings, and prints; Twin Cities–based Shen Xin’s first U.S. museum solo exhibition (11/18-6/3/22) is a multilingual video and sound installation; and David Hockney: People, Places & Things (12/18-8/21/22) assembles colorful career milestones from the inventive painter, printmaker, and digital artist.
Photo by Joan Marcus
Theater
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
It makes sense that Broadway would mark its return to the Ordway in St. Paul with a true classic, and the beloved Fiddler on the Roof (11/30-12/12) comes with a fresh take. Instead of the original Jerome Robbins choreography, this version features rough-around-the-edges movement by star Israeli-British choreographer Hofesh Shechter. And speaking of dance, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical arrives as a career-encapsulating show featuring hits by the iconic singer (12/28-1/2/22).
Guthrie Theater
The Minneapolis theater stages Heidi Schreck’s Tony-nominated What the Constitution Means to Me (9/30-10/24) and a refreshed production of A Christmas Carol (11/6-12/27).
Orpheum Theatre
A trio of Broadway hits are on the way: Disney’s Frozen (9/30-10/20), Oklahoma! (11/9-14), and Anastasia (12/7-19).
Plus: Meredith Willson’s The Music Man
Michael Brindisi directs the theater’s triumphant staging of the beloved musical. (Through 12/31, Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, Chanhassen)
Music
Basilica Block Party
The rescheduled downtown music festival features 20 performers, including The Avett Brothers, AJR, Spoon, Black Pumas, and locals like 26 BATS! and Koo Koo Kanga Roo. (9/10-11, Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis)
The Capri Grand Opening
A week of festivities marks the reopening of the freshly renovated historic North Minneapolis theater, featuring the Capri Glee! Choir, the Big Swang Theory, Eunae Koh playing Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” with St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and more. (10/3-10, The Capri, Minneapolis)
The Monkees
The made-for-TV rock band’s Farewell Tour this fall commemorates 55 years of “Monkeemania” with songs spanning from their 1966 self-titled debut album to 2016’s Good Times!. (11/7, State Theatre, Minneapolis)
Thundercat
In April, bassist Thundercat released the critically acclaimed album It Is What It Is. His style combines hip-hop, jazz, and psychedelia. (11/14, Palace Theatre, St. Paul)
Minnesota Orchestra
At Orchestra Hall in downtown Minneapolis, the renowned ensemble’s 2021-22 season will be Osmo Vänskä’s final one as music director. The season opener features violinist Joshua Bell (9/23-24). Other highlights include pianist Emanuel Ax (10/29-30), a performance of the score from Marvel Studios’ Black Panther, and local entertainers PaviElle French and Kevin Kling leading a run of holiday shows (12/16-19).
Plus: Lizzo at Treasure Island Amphitheater (9/11), St. Vincent at The Armory (9/14), Mdou Moctar, at Cedar Cultural Center (9/18), Trampled by Turtles and Wilco at Treasure Island Amphitheater (9/18), Harry Styles at Xcel Energy Center (9/22), Rodrigo y Gabriela at Fillmore Minneapolis (10/6), The Rolling Stones at U.S. Bank Stadium (10/24) [Editor’s note: Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts has died at the age of 80, according to BBC News and other outlets reporting on August 24. It had been announced on Twitter earlier this month that Watts would miss the U.S. tour to recuperate after a procedure.], Wolf Alice at Fine Line (11/6), George Strait at U.S. Bank Stadium (11/13), and Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit at The Armory (12/1).
Provided
Comedy
Hasan Minhaj
Known for his unique comedic voice and acute political commentary, the Patriot Act comedian brings his King’s Jester stand-up tour to town. He previously hosted the 2017 White House Correspondents’ Dinner and released the Netflix comedy special Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King. (9/30, Northrop, Minneapolis)
Plus: Bill Burr at Mystic Lake Casino (10/2), Al Franken at the Pantages Theatre (two shows on 10/2), Alton Brown at State Theatre (10/13), Patton Oswalt at State Theatre (11/5), David Sedaris at State Theatre (11/19), and Whitney Cummings at Pantages Theatre (11/20).
Photo by Jerry Metellusn
2022
Dance
Northrop’s 2022 programs include Dance Theatre of Harlem (1/28), Ragamala Dance Company (2/26), Martha Graham Dance Company (4/2), and Third Coast Percussion with Movement Art Is (4/30).
Theater
Upcoming Broadway highlights: The Orpheum Theatre hosts Come From Away (1/11-23), Jersey Boys (2/3-5), Pretty Woman: The Musical (2/22-27), Hadestown (3/15-20), and The Prom (4/12-17). The Ordway Music Theater brings in An Officer and a Gentleman (1/20-23) and Waitress (3/8-13).
Photo by Kelia Anne MacCluskey
Music
Hear heralded Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson perform at the Ordway Music Theater (1/9), Grammy-winning singer Billie Eilish at Xcel Energy Center (3/15), Where’s My Refuge? with cellist Abel Selaocoe at the Ordway Music Theater, Elton John’s farewell performances at Xcel Energy Center (3/22-23), and Norwegian alt-pop artist Girl in Red at First Avenue (3/28).
Visual Art
The Walker Art Center puts on 30 works from multi-media sculptor Liz Larner: Don’t put it back like it was (4/30-9/4), and see haunting expressions as part of Supernatural America: The Paranormal in American Art at Mia (2/19-5/15).
Plus: Fran Lebowitz
Riding on the hype from her hit Netflix series, Pretend It’s a City, the acclaimed author brings contentious and sharp-witted opinions and a love for New York to this speaking engagement. (4/14 State Theatre, Minneapolis)
