Best Bets: Minnesota Ballet visits swing era

Ballet dancer stretches — Brianna Crockett, of Minnesota Ballet, stretches in a rehearsal studio. The company is presenting a mixed repertoire performance at the Depot Theatre this weekend.

By Jay Gabler

February 04, 2025 at 7:00 AM

DULUTH — There's ample entertainment to enjoy this weekend, in addition to Kendrick Lamar's televised halftime show Sunday (and the football game it accompanies).

Harvest Moon

It may not be harvest season, but Depot Theatre audiences will reap the rewards of Minnesota Ballet's hard work when the company presents "Harvest Moon" from Thursday through Sunday.

It's a mixed repertoire program featuring original choreography by members of the company along with the title work, set to the music of Glenn Miller and following the adventures of three servicemen out on the town before shipping overseas. Blending swing and ballet, the piece will have your toes tapping and your face grinning (minnesotaballet.org).

Parker McCollum

Light-skinned man wearing black suit and matching cowboy hat stands, looking reflective, in front of white-painted garage. — Parker McCollum will be at Amsoil Arena on Thursday.

Country artist Parker McCollum's latest album, "Never Enough" (2023), opens with the song "Hurricane." No, it's not a Bob Dylan cover, it's an original "with a guitar riff that calls to mind the theme from 'Friends,'" according to the artist's official bio. "I’m sure some people will hate on that," Parker said in the bio. “I thought it was cool.”

Given that Phil Solem, co-leader of "I'll Be There For You" hitmakers The Rembrandts, is originally from Duluth, it seems safe to say that McCollum's Amsoil Arena audience Thursday will agree. Kameron Marlowe and William Beckmann share the bill (decc.org).

Dreams and Nightmares

The word "diorama" originally came from Greek, meaning approximately "a sight seen through." Expect to see a wide range of sights through all types of apertures Friday when Prøve Gallery opens a community diorama show called "Dreams and Nightmares."

The multimedia show is framed as an exploration of the abstract mind, with artists encouraged to play with layers, materials and proportions as they explore anything from "idyllic utopias" to "warped realities" and, of course, "the absurd." Better bring your Sigmund Freud reference guide (provecollective.org).

The Tempest

In a black-box onstage setting, a person clad as a golden-gowned sorcerer stands at center, holding a staff and a book. A white-clad person crouches behind. — Zsofi Eastvold, Cody Do and Kate Warmka (foreground) in UMD's production of "The Tempest," opening Friday at the Dudley Experimental Theatre.

Anyone who lives on Lake Superior appreciates the power of rough weather over big water to change lives. William Shakespeare's play, in which a sorcerer conjures a storm to wreak revenge upon his enemies, is sure to resonate when the University of Minnesota Duluth presents what a news release describes as "a fresh take on 'The Tempest' with a fast-paced narrative, creative set designs, a soundscape that moves from sea shanties to techno, and modern visual references invoking the magic of Jedi lore and pirate vibes."

In other words, if you enjoyed "Skeleton Crew," try Shakespeare. "The Tempest" opens Friday at the Marshall Performing Arts Center's Dudley Experimental Theatre and runs through Feb. 15 (z.umn.edu/tempest).

Family Fest

A large group of children in winter clothing gather on a carpet as a light-skinned man in a conductor's uniform talks to them. — Children gather at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum for a holiday excursion. On Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., admission to the museum will be free as part of the Every Child Ready Duluth Family Fest.

In a 1965 Peanuts comic, Lucy asks her grandmother why, if there's a Mother's Day and Father's Day, there isn't a Children's Day. As Lucy's brother Linus predicted, their grandma responds, "Every day is Children's Day!"

OK, but some days are more "Children's" than others. Take, for example, Saturday. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Duluth Public Library is presenting the Every Child Ready Duluth Family Fest at the Depot. Performances and activities are tailored for kids five and under, at an event that also serves as an opportunity to "learn about community resources that support successful learning" (facebook.com/duluthlib).

The Little Match Girl Passion

Sunlight illuminates a stained-glass window at Pilgrim Congregational Church, which will host a performance of "The Little Match Girl Passion" on Sunday.

Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Match Girl," an 1845 story set on New Year's Eve, is often associated with the holiday season. This is Duluth, though, so February is still sufficiently nippy to provide environmental context for the poignant story about a child left out in the cold.

Composer David Lang's "The Little Match Girl Passion," winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Music, puts a different kind of "Christian" spin on the tale, "creating a powerful connection between the suffering of the young match girl and the sacrifice of Jesus," according to an event description from Borealis Chamber Artists. That group will be presenting the work Sunday afternoon at Pilgrim Congregational Church (borealischamberartists.com).

By Jay Gabler

Arts and entertainment reporter Jay Gabler joined the Duluth News Tribune in 2022. His previous experience includes eight years as a digital producer at The Current (Minnesota Public Radio), four years as theater critic at Minneapolis alt-weekly City Pages, and six years as arts editor at the Twin Cities Daily Planet. He's a co-founder of pop culture and creative writing blog The Tangential; he's also a member of the National Book Critics Circle and the Minnesota Film Critics Association. You can reach him at jgabler@duluthnews.com or 218-409-7529.