Minnesota Public Radio Presents Original Holiday Show and Experience, Of Mirth & Mischief
Nov 10, 2011
Kevin Kling and Steve Kramer create stage show exclusively for the Fitzgerald Theater
(St. Paul, Minn.) - November 10, 2011 - Longtime friends, but first time collaborators, Kevin Kling and Steve Kramer will deliver a whole new take on the holidays with Of Mirth & Mischief. Presented by Minnesota Public Radio, Of Mirth & Mischief will bring a world of broken fairies and holiday collisions to life December 16 - 18 at the Fitzgerald Theater.
Directed by Peter Rothstein, Of Mirth & Mischief takes place during the holidays in the 1960s when a four-year-old boy has an extended hospital stay. He moves between wounds and wellness, encountering a world of whimsical tales that come alive with winter fairies and magical elves. The audience will experience holiday mirth and mischief through the boy's eyes as he befriends other hospitalized children. One by one, the doctors, nurses, and other children take on the personas of mythical beings until the boy finds his place by having a foot in two worlds. Because of the nature of the story, Of Mirth & Mischief is recommended for grade-school aged children and older.
"Our personal experiences inspired the creation of Of Mirth & Mischief," said Kevin Kling. "Steve and I've spent time in hospitals over the years and we agree that often the best medicine during the difficult moments was our imaginations. In fact, I think that the imagination can really help guide you through the tough times."
Kramer collaborated with Haley Bonar and James Diers of Halloween, Alaska to develop a collection of music that sets the tone for the show and will act as the soundtrack for the happenings on stage.
"This collaboration takes such a unique and fun approach to the holidays, that we are sharing Of Mirth and Mischief beyond the stage show," said Tony Bol, director, performance programs at The Fitzgerald Theater. "We have created a website that will feature special on-air broadcasts of the show, a free download of the Of Mirth & Mischief soundtrack, and a holiday photo contest." The Mirth Holiday Photo Contest invites individuals to submit their funny seasonal photos between November 23 and December 15 for a chance to win a rustic and enchanting, hand-crafted fairy house, valued at $500.
For full details about the photo contest, special on-air broadcasts on 89.3 The Current and 91.1 MPR News, and to view behind-the-scenes videos and download the Of Mirth & Mischief soundtrack, visit mpr.org/mirth.
American Sign Language interpretation will be provided for the Sunday, December 18 performance. Please call the Fitzgerald Theater box office at 651-290-1200 for more details.
Of Mirth & Mischief is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
About Kevin Kling
Kevin Kling is a well-known playwright and storyteller. His plays and adaptations have been performed around the world. Kling, best known for his popular commentaries on National Public Radio's All Things Considered and his storytelling stage shows like Tales from the Charred Underbelly of the Yule Log, delivers hilarious, often tender stories. Kling's autobiographical tales are as enchanting as they are true to life: hopping freight trains, getting hit by lightning, performing his banned play in Czechoslovakia, growing up in Minnesota, and eating things before knowing what they are.
About Steve Kramer
Steve Kramer is no stranger to the Minneapolis theater and music scene. As a child he acted in Sir Tyrone Guthrie's directorial debut in Minneapolis as The Duke of York in Richard the Third; starring Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy at the Guthrie Theater. During the 1980s he led the critically acclaimed band, The Wallets, first in NYC and then Minneapolis. Since 1990 he has been partner and composer for Hest & Kramer Music.
About the Fitzgerald Theater
The Fitzgerald® Theater is committed to programming that reflects the audience and mission of Minnesota Public Radio®. This 1,000-seat theater acts as MPR's largest broadcast studio, with airwaves reaching millions of people tuned in to A Prairie Home Companion®. Our staged productions commission authors, artists and radio hosts to create intellectually stimulating programs that delight and enlighten our vast public radio community. The Fitzgerald Theater is St. Paul's oldest theater and celebrated its 100th anniversary last year.
Minnesota Public Radio® (MPR) operates a 43-station radio network serving virtually all of Minnesota and parts of surrounding states. Reaching one million listeners each week, Minnesota Public Radio produces programming for radio, Internet and face-to-face audiences, and is home to the largest and most experienced radio newsroom in the Upper Midwest. Programs produced by Minnesota Public Radio's parent company, American Public Media, reach 16 million listeners on nearly 800 radio stations nationwide each week. A complete list of stations, programs and additional services can be found at www.minnesotapublicradio.org. Source: Data are copyright Arbitron, Inc. Arbitron data are estimates only. Fall 2010/Spring 2011 average.