December 23rd, 2019
by Kris Gruber
perriex1@gmail.com
High Plains Reader spoke to Act Up Theatre board member Jackie Shaw, about the fundraiser "Kabaret for Kaleidoscope" at the TAK Music Venue.
High Plains Reader: How did the idea for this show come about?
Jackie Shaw: Act Up Theatre is a small nonprofit organization, started in 2010 in Fargo-Moorhead to provide musical performing opportunities to high school, college students and young adults with a focus on productions that create a more socially conscious…
December 18th, 2019
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by Jill Finkelson
jsfinkelson99@gmail.com
The original 1892 version of the Nutcracker panned after Tchaikovsky begrudgingly set the score as a favor. It passed without fanfare, overshadowed by Sleeping Beauty and the like.
However, the show went through a renaissance and now can be seen all over North America during the holiday season. The score is universal and even those who shun classical music would be hard pressed to say they don’t recognize the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy or…
November 13th, 2019
By Michael Str!ke
michaelstrike.solo@gmail.com
Comedy, dance, live music, and that classic wordplay and wit only Mel Brooks can deliver. This Friday, November 14th, Concordia College Theater premieres their production of Mel Brooks’ musical “Young Frankenstein.” Directed by New York’s acclaimed director and choreographer, Donna Kaz, and musically led by musical director Andrew Steinberg; the musical features a cast and crew entirely comprised of students.
As someone with a history…
October 23rd, 2019
By Scott Ecker
notharrisonford@gmail.com
Theatre is something that takes a lot of work from a lot of people. This is something that is easy to forget while watching a good play. Great theatre is immersive. The script, acting and technical work is all in the service of communicating a story. It transports the audience into a world that is completely different from theatre seats.
I had the privilege of getting to see some of the process of FMCT’s latest production, “Sweeney Todd: The…
October 2nd, 2019
By Michael Str!ke
michaelstrike.solo@gmail.com
“No one moves to Fargo to become a professional actor,” she said, but after starting Theatre B with her husband and a core ensemble of performers almost 18 years ago; Carrie Wintersteen has found a home, a calling, and her own vocation here in the Fargo/Moorehead area.
Carrie’s interest in performance started at the very young age of five or six; when her parents would ask her to sing and entertain family and friends during their bridge…
September 11th, 2019
By Scott Ecker
notharrisonford@gmail.com
On Wednesday, September 11th the tour of We Will Rock You is coming to BlueStem in Moorhead. We Will Rock You is a jukebox musical based on the music of Queen that originated in West End in 2002. This tour is coming out of Canada and will be the first performance in the US.
I had the privilege of speaking over the phone with Krystle Chance right before the show’s performance in Winnipeg. Krystle is a performer out of Toronto who has performed…
July 10th, 2019
The annual mainstage summer musical, produced by Trollwood Performing Arts School and sponsored by Bell Bank, opens Thursday, July 11. This year’s performance is Disney’s “Freaky Friday.” Trollwood Performing Arts School’s website describes the musical as a, “classic story of a mother and daughter magically swapping bodies and, as a result, learning what life is like by spending a day in each other’s shoes.”
“‘Freaky Friday’ is a new musical and Trollwood Performing…
June 19th, 2019
The Cass Act Players will take the stage this weekend to bring “Weather the Storm” to Bonanzaville’s Dawson Hall in West Fargo.
“Weather the Storm” is a musical based on the infamous tornado that hit Fargo’s Golden Ridge neighborhood, killing 12 and destroying over 300 homes, in 1957. Local residents Tracy Frank and Topher Williams collaborated on the project.
“‘Weather the Storm’ is a story of community and, ultimately, it’s a story of a fractured community –…
June 12th, 2019
By Amber Westereng
Minnesota State University Moorhead’s (MSUM) Straw Hat Players has performed more than 300 shows during their 56 years and has groomed more than 2,000 actors, technicians, and crew for careers in the theatre industry. The Straw Hat Players kicked off their season in June with “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,” but many may wonder, who are they?
MSUM’s summer theatre company is a dedicated 50-person crew comprised of actors and off-set staff who work 10-hour days,…
April 10th, 2019
Countless examples can be found throughout the history of great art that was only recognized as such after the life of the artist that created it. Such is true of Georges Bizet’s opera "Carmen." While its reception during his lifetime could be arguably be referred to as ‘lukewarm’, it went on to become of the most widely performed and recognized works in the opera repertoire. One would think that a story of love, jealousy, revenge, and a fiery femme fatale would have perennial…
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By Bryce Vincent HaugenOn Palm Sunday two thousand years ago, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a donkey to directly take on the authoritarian Roman rulers of the region, according to Christian scripture. It was an overtly political…
By Michael M. Miller Rev. Salomon Joachim, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, Beulah, North Dakota., delivered an address to the Western Conference of the Dakota District of the American Lutheran Church in 1939. His presentation was…
Thursday, April 16, 6:30-8:30pmFargo Air Museum, 19th Ave. N., FargoNancy Earhart Burt of Hastings, Minn. will be presenting a special multimedia program on the life of Amelia Earhart. Burt also happens to be the famous aviator’s…
By John StrandDisclaimer: This editorial is the work of someone who’s spent most of his adult life working in the media — most of those years co-owning this very entity, the High Plains Reader, since 1996. The notion that folks…
By Ed RaymondDo Christians represent diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) people?Perhaps the “rapture” is on its way. A critic of Project 2025 which Donald Trump “knew nothing about” prior to the 2024 election is moving…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…
By Sabrina Hornung There’s a Bosnian saying that states simply, “It’s a sin to throw away bread,” which really resonates with me — especially growing up with grandparents who lived through the Second World War and the Great…
The Slow Death at The AquariumSaturday, March 21, doors at 7:30 p.m. The Aquarium above Dempsey’s, 226 N. Broadway, FargoThe Slow Death is a punk supergroup led by Jesse Thorson, with members and collaborators that include…
By Alicia Underlee Nelson Prairie Public and Indie Lens Pop-Up will host free screenings of “The Librarians” — a documentary from Oscar-nominated Director and Producer Kim A. Snyder and Executive Producer Sarah Jessica Parker —…
By Jacinta TensI have been a fan of graffiti since I first saw it as a child. As a kid who was always into some sort of creative endeavor, the movement, colors and intricate details of pieces I would see on trains always fascinated…
Saturday, January 31, 6:30-9 p.m.Transfiguration Fitness, 764 34th St. N., Unit P, FargoAn enchanting evening celebrating movement and creativity in a staff-student showcase. This is a family-friendly event showcasing pole, aerial…
By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…
By Ellie Liverani In November 2025, the FDA initiated the removal of the “black box” warning from Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). The “black box” warning is a FAD safety warning for healthcare providers and patients…
January 31, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.Viking Ship Park, 202 1st Ave. N., Moorhead2026 marks 10 years of frosty fun! Enjoy sauna sessions with Log the Sauna, try Snowga (yoga in the snow), take a guided snowshoe nature hike, listen to live…
By HPR StaffI'm a Gen Xer who landed in Fargo in the late '90s, a small town kid who didn't know a soul. By sheer dumb luck I ended up at Ralph's, and that place gave me my people. Lifelong friends, the kind you don't find twice.…
