Lavender Magazine 739

Photo by Robin Cymbally/CBS, 18: Photo courtesy of One Voice Mixed Chorus, 30:

Photo by Randy Stern

Photo by Matt Christine Photography

Photo by Robin Cymbally/CBS

EDITORIAL

Managing Editor Randy Stern 612-461-8723

Editorial Assistant Linda Raines 612-436-4660

Editor Emeritus Ethan Boatner

Editorial Associate George Holdgrafer

Contributors Linden M. Bayliss, Lakey Bridge, Buer Carlie, Emi Gacaj, Terrance Griep, Elise Maren, Jen PeeblesHampton, Linda Raines, Gabrielle Reeder, Alexander Reed, Gregg Shapiro, Aurora Smith, Jamez L. Smith, Susan Swavely, Carla Waldemar, Todd P. Walker

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Inspiration Steven W. Anderson (1954-1994), Timothy J. Lee (1968-2002), Russell Berg (1957-2005), Kathryn Rocheford (1914-2006), Jonathan Halverson (1974-2010), Adam Houghtaling (1984-2012), Walker Pearce (1946-2013), Tim Campbell (1939-2015), John Townsend (1959-2019)

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The Continued Evolution of The Arts

BY RANDY STERN

Changes, transitions, evolutions…they’re all a part of life.

In the arts and entertainment world here in Minnesota, you can see a lot of change and transition happening around us. All of which will help drive growth to their respective organizations by attracting returning and newer audience members with fresh performance experiences.

Last year, we celebrated Mark Valdez’s ascension to lead Minneapolis’ Mixed Blood Theatre. Earlier this year, we welcomed Thomas Søndegard as the Minnesota Orchestra’s new Artistic Director. These are among the many arts leaders that will be taking on new roles in our creative community.

Change and transition are what keeps arts organizations fresh, vibrant, and alive. That was one of my things I learned when I was at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Management graduate program over a decade ago. Otherwise, stagnation and complacency will become the norm.

With stagnation and complacency, attracting new development funding and patrons will

be a challenge. By bringing in new blood into an organization – any organization – you are giving it new life. That is what I understood how this vast and deep arts community will continue to grow and engage.

In these pages, we welcome new leaders in two of our more vital arts organizations in the Twin Cities. One has ascended to a new position; the other arrives to take the place of a person with huge legacy in that organization. Both offer their own challenges to breathe new life into their respective entities.

Along with the two new arts organization leadership changes, this issue dives into the newest run for one of our dinner theatres, a

brand new stage production with LGBTQ+ content, and an upcoming appearance for a wellknown actor and illusionist.

I saved the best for the cover. In this issue, we feature a member of the Minneapolis Fire Department who appeared on the last season of CBS’s “Tough As Nails” who is truly one of our own. Were you rooting for her as we were?

It’s not all about the arts around here. Our want of entertainment is wide-ranging. And, we’re a demanding community when it comes to being entertained. That is why we, an LGBTQ+ community, are seen as a strong consumer demographic of arts patronage and entertainment.

And, we’re demanding more. We’re getting it delivered to our screens, stages, galleries, and speakers.

If you’re already a patron of the arts – or are a part of the creation inside the scene –thank you. Keep it up, because we all need to continue building, evolving, and delivering for our creative community. Keep on buying tickets, subscriptions, and creating new art for us to enjoy! 

Photo by Randy Stern

Because I’m Not You, Doesn’t Mean I’m Not Me

BY E.B. BOATNER

Reading Alicia Roth Weigel’s Inverse Cowboy (see the “Books” column in this issue) how little many of us not personally in the “I” category of “LGBTQUA+,” know about “Intersex,” not even how many in the general population are affected. Weigel says they’re statistically, “about as common as redheads–about 2% of the world’s population.” Online sources quote 1.7% – still a lot of folks out of a current 8,045,311,447 at mid-2023.

There are those who insist, “God doesn’t make mistakes!” to the LGBTQ+ segments, as though the subjects of their ire have chosen to fabricate their existence to publicly flaunt it; how then, can so many also confront an intersex individual with hatred and disgust when their makers themselves (of whatever creed) sent those I-infants into the world express? Or, if of a more scientific than deistic bent, do they not realize that codes, even genetic, occasionally have hitches, flaws, breaks offering different–sometimes tragic–outcomes; an hereditary, fatal disease like Tay-Sachs, or, more joyously, a soaring Einstein or Rembrandt? Not a matter of good or evil, not retribution for a parent’s sin, just chemical flukes and genetic roulette.

Once an intersex condition has been diagnosed, the main medical response up until painfully recent-

ly has been to persuade parents to allow non-consensual surgery on the child to “normalize” it, not considering the effect on its body or on its future wishes. Of course, some conditions are life-threatening; spina bifida or intestinal blockages, for example, require immediate surgery and the child’s wishes cannot be obtained, and parents must give consent. But in intersex cases, where there would be no medical danger to wait, the child may later know its own mind and express a definite opinion, waiting would be a boon for all concerned.

In Weigel’s case, the parents were persuaded to have the operation performed at the time. There being no box for “I” on the paperwork, they checked “F” and went ahead. Her internal testes were removed. Later, she learned, they would have naturally produced testosterone, some of which would have been lost through urination, and some converted to estrogen, a hormone needed in any woman’s body. That natural source excised, Weigel will be taking hormone replacements for the rest of her life. So much intersex treatment is still aimed at coverup instead of what’s best for the child, or considering whether the parts being excised or dis-

connected are actually beneficial for that individual’s growth and development and could–should–be dealt with later.

If one must cling to the “God doesn’t” (or “does”) trope, consider further that if some of those, embarrassing bits had been omitted or overaccentuated, the embryo, fetus, neonate, i.e., your child, might not ever have seen the light of day.

Further education is imperative–but for the non-affected, to understand otherness, not to homogenize those different into something mirroring the beholder. Nature will continue on, ad-libbing varieties of genders, adding an extra chromosome here, and yes, sometimes, a fatal genetic insertion there. Intersex is complicated by the numerous possible permutations and combinations of X and Y. Infant Weigel drew complete androgen insensitivity syndrome. Nature is a bounteous Mother.

My aim is not to offer a complete handbook on Intersex, but to point out how ill-informed are not only the general public and many physicians, but also those among the Rainbow Acronym (including this writer) are concerning what constitutes “Intersex”, and to realize the need to learn to embrace another “otherness” as we fellow letters wish to be embraced. 

Pamela M Petersen Pamela M Petersen Agency LLC

”Get To The Point“ On Network TV, Minneapolis Firefighter

Akeela Al-Hameed

Proves

She’s As Tough As Nails

BY TERRANCE GRIEP >Chu-chunk!<

That distinctive sound marks the distinctive end of distinctive work performed by a distinctive worker: the roughneck whose calloused hands are sheltered by rawhide stained with dinosaur bones; the poor schlub whose squinting eyes are aided by plastic goggles scarred with a dozen near-misses; or the builder whose sweat-drenched skull is abetted by a four-pound hat as hard as her foreman’s heart, who will, two hours after quitting time, put the pee into Happy Hour… …that distinctive sound is the sound of punching out from a blue-collar job.

This distinctive work performed by this distinctive worker composes the unlikely backbone of Tough As Nails, a CBS reality show which might be best summarized as “workplace-themed Survivor.” This past season, the show’s fifth, hinged on the competitive labors of two teams–Dirty Hands and Savage Crew–made up of twelve dirty, savage, rough-and-ready, salt-of-the-Earth, take-us-as-you-find-us, proud laborers. Each episode featured team, individual, and overtime challenges which whittled down the cast with the morbid finality of a mystery novel.

One of those whittlees was Fridley, Minnesota’s own Akeela Al-Hameed. She came within spittin’ distance of the show’s grand prize—$200,000, a brand-new Ford truck, and a championship belt—but was asked to end her on-screen tenure by punching out with a cartoonishly large card. Whereas such an action usually marks an end to old labors, Al-Hameed considered her stylized departure from the show the beginning of new ones. “The universe has shown me a lot of stuff,” she proclaimed as she left. “I’m gonna get to work.”

>Chu-chunk!<

That adherence to cosmic guidance recurs and re-recurs in the personal and professional life of Akeela Al-Hameed. “Going into the show, I went in pretty open,” she remembers. “I went into the show telling the universe, ‘I’m ready to learn whatever I get to learn.’” Of course, this sort of education isn’t all Zen koans and nature poetry—quite the opposite, in fact. “I compete a lot,” says Al-Hameed. “Jiu jitsu, basketball, all sorts of things throughout my life…and in competition, you always learn something.” One of the things learned is a meta sort of comprehension about competition itself. “When you compete, you’re not really competing against other people,” Al-hameed confides. “You’re really competing against yourself.”

This hard-knocks scholarship has manifested in all sorts of ways. Before adding the title of Reality TV Star, Akeela Al-Hameed’s résumé included stints as a soldier, a railroad conductor, a correctional officer, and, because every working girl needs a hobby, even a mixed martial artist. On Tough As Nails, however, her television persona was wrapped around her current, archetypal job, that of a firefighter, a profession that found her more than she found it. “I was working at the Ramsey County jail when a friend I train with told me I should take the test for becoming a firefighter,” Al-Hameed says. “I was like, ‘I already have a job, but all right, I guess–it’ll be challenge,’ so I took the test.”

As far as Al-Hameed was concerned, that test was the beginning, middle and end of a diversion, a digression, a distraction…but the firefighters’ test was merely the universe clearing its throat. Al-Hameed continues, “I guess they put me on the list [of acceptable applicants], but I didn’t think too much of it, because I already had a career going.” When the hire honchos at the Minneapolis Fire Department revealed to her the work schedule and benefits that Al-Hameed would receive as a member of the organization, she immediately picked up what the universe was putting down. “That sounded wayyy better than what I had going,” she recalls.

Once the dust of Tough As Nails Season 5 settled, Al-Hameed resumed her Real Job at Station 16 in North Minneapolis where she finds the actual function of the firefighter is often misunderstood. “You never really know until you’re on the job what firefighting is really all about,” she observes. “Most people think we just put out fires, but we do a lot of medical calls—a lot. Most of our work is EMS [Emergency Medical Services].”

The universe has shown Al-Hameed the City of Lakes at its most vulnerable, which has stoked a peculiar flame within its most famous firefighter. “My job is a lot of helping people out there in the community,” she says gently. “I love the job. I love the city. I love Minneapolis.” But, truth be told, these perpendicular loves pale in comparison to the love that greets Al-Hameed once her helmet has been hooked and her ax has been sheathed and the time clock has been properly chu-chunked.

After hours, a more Pointer Sistersly conflagration compels Al-hameed’s willing attention—the love of her life, love of her wife, self-styled performance and mobility coach Grace Witthuhn. “We’ve been together for five years,” Al-Hameed reports with pride and awe and gratitude. “We met at the the gym. We became friends, then more than friends.”

When the subject is Al-Hameed’s wife, the reality TV star gushes like the fangirliest fan. “She is amazing, she really is,” Al-Hameed coos. “None of this would be possible without her. She chills me the <expletive deleted but you can probably guess> out.” The most important lesson that the universe taught AlHameed via her appearance on Tough As Nails wasn’t so much the presenting of “new stuff” as it was the italicization of old stuff. “It’s okay to be yourself at all times while also being respectful and considering other people,” she declares. “It’s okay to be who you are in every area in your life and embrace that.” 

Akeela Al-Hameed www.instagram.com/ak_hashashin

Photos by Robin Cymbally/CBS

Michael and Tony

How the Theatre That Brought Them Together Continues to Help Them Grow

BY BUER CARLIE

When Michael Gruber and Tony Vierling met up with me for a late morning coffee at Groundswell in Saint Paul, I expected our conversation would center mostly around their relationship and Chanhassen Dinner Theatre’s current production of Jersey Boys. We talked at length about their partnership (two alpha males who only fight when they’re trying too hard to be considerate), and delved deep into so much more, including Chanhassen Dinner Theatre’s (CDT) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Gruber and Vierling both have long histories in theater. Gruber spent over 20 years living and performing in New York City where he performed in multiple Broadway shows. Vierling began acting professionally when he was twelve. His resume includes over 45 CDT productions, a couple National Tours, and more.

The two met while performing in the 2007 CDT production of Easter Parade. “They decided to cast the lead [for Easter Parade] out of the New York because they thought it was going to be a big deal,” says Vierling, “[Michael] got cast and I was in the ensemble.”

What began as a professional relationship became a friendship and then one night Gruber took Vierling out to dinner and said what might be one of the most romantic things I’ve heard outside of a romance novel:

“I’m beginning to feel covetous of you.”

Gruber did not date people he was in shows with, so when Vierling was cast in the Guthrie’s production of 1776 he took it as fate. He left Easter Parade so they could give romance a chance.

Sixteen years later the two are married and have a beautiful home in Minneapolis. They have performed in many of the same productions, which allows them the unique experience of connecting artistically and professionally in addition to their romance.

Their career highlights were often their co-starring roles. Holiday Inn and Singing in the Rain are two of their favorite productions. “I did six productions of Singing in the Rain,” says Gruber, “The last production I got to do with Tony at the Ordway. It was so meaningful to finish that chapter of my life with him.”

CDT has a special place in the pair’s hearts since it is the setting to their meet cute, but their fondness for the theater runs deeper than that. CDT offers a stability and package of benefits that is rare in the industry. Among other things “we’re the only theater in the United States to have language in our contract to protect reproductive rights and transgender healthcare,” says Vierling.

Photos courtesy of Chanhassen Dinner Theatres

This unique benefits package reflects the values that CDT is holistically integrating in its organization – both behind the scenes and in front of the curtain. CDT’s DEI council has introduced the option for cast members to include their pronouns in their bios and makes sure that non-binary and trans actors are in the dressing room where they are the most comfortable.

“We’ve seen a lot of representation showing up on stage with genderfluidity and body size and shape and age and more BIPOC performers,” says Vierling, “It makes it a great place to work.”

“What’s amazing is…it’s making the product better,” says Gruber. Gruber points out casting choices in Footloose and The Prom, specifically highlighting Lynnea Doublette and Maya Richardson as his character’s wife and daughter in Footloose. “They’re trying to bring these stories and this diversity to the stage in a smart, intelligent way that enhances the storytelling.”

There have been obstacles, beginning with the notorious cancellation of Cinderella. “They had cast Cinderella before the pandemic,” explains Vierling, “It was a primarily white cast and [after the pandemic and George Floyd] they said let’s come back with something else and let’s cast it in a different way.”

“The blowback was really intense,” says Gruber. Inflammatory coverage from networks like the Daily News and FOX led to calls and emails which, in turn, led to CDT upgrading its security.

Safe spaces sometimes earn eyerolls these days, but Gruber and Vierling – both of whom have been out for most of their lives – have found that the environment fostered at CDT has made them more comfortable with themselves. Additionally, young actors have inspired the pair to rethink how vocal they are about their identities. Gruber mentions Sayer, a trans actor from Next to Normal who is vocal about his identity. “If he can be up there living his authentic life, then so can I at 58 years old.”

“It could change a kid’s life,” says Vierling, “A kid could see us and say: I want that. I want

to be happy I want to be married. I want to have a career. I want to have a place where I can be myself.”

The current production of Jersey Boys, a jukebox musical about The Four Seasons, might not immediately scream DEI, but CDT hopes that by continuing to offer standard musical theater choices, their patrons will give productions like The Prom a chance as well.

“Jersey Boys is the best juke box musical,” says Vierling, “Even if you didn’t grow up with the music you’ve heard it in a million places. We’re kind of small players, but it’s fun to be a part of and the four guys are so good.”

“The venue is so intimate,” says Gruber, explaining that they had tried to capture an Arthur Miller aesthetic for this production.

“In our theater the people are bigger and the frame is smaller,” says Vierling.

“It helps the actors become the forefront.”

The pair are being literal, but it feels like the metaphor to go out on.

Michael Gruber and Tony Vierling found each other in this intimate theater in Chanhassen in 2007. Years later they have built a life together and this theater, which spotlights its actors in a way that only a small venue can, has given them the space to not only find themselves, but to encourage others to do the same. 

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Introducing Todd Duesing The New Face of Hennepin Theatre Trust

BY LINDEN M. BAYLISS

This summer, on July 10, a new President and CEO began at Hennepin Theatre Trust (HTT), the non-profit organization that runs our historic and beloved downtown theaters including the Orpheum, State, Pantages, and Dudley Riggs Theaters. Coming to us from the Cincinnati area with an impressive track record of performing arts leadership, Todd Duesing has stepped into his new role here in Minneapolis as previous CEO Mark Nerenhausen has stepped into retirement. This is a huge win for LGBTQ+ people in arts leadership, as Duesing is one of our very own.

“I’m having the best time of my life every day,” Duesing says of his first two months on the job at HTT. “We’re doing some really great things and it’s fun and it’s positive.”

Originally from Kentucky, Duesing has spent the last two decades plus some working and excelling in performing arts leadership in the Cincinnati area, most recently as the Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for the Cincinnati Arts Association. In this role, he oversaw the programming and management of both the Aronoff Center for the Arts and the Cincinnati Music Hall, which included putting together events such as the Tall Stacks steamboat festivals and the CincyCinco Latino Festival. Perhaps most notably, Duesing played a huge role in bringing the World Choir Games to Cincinnati in 2012, an event that had never before been seen in the Western Hemisphere prior, let alone the Midwest. The World Choir Games is an international choir festival, a choir Olympics of sorts, that aims to bring countries together through peaceful competition and song. “It was a really, really historic event for Cincinnati because it was truly the first time that it was on the international stage,” Duesing says. The event not only brought in 250,000 international visitors, but also had a $72.5 million dollar economic impact on the city during its 14-day duration.

So, what brings him to Minneapolis?

“The reputation of this city and its theaters and music scene, I mean there’s such an incredible scene,” Duesing says. “It was an opportunity to kind of drive the trajectory in a new direction and really work with a community of people who want to see a thriving, vibrant arts district.” He also says that while Cincinnati was a fine place to live as an LGBTQ+ person, Minneapolis is much more outwardly inviting and welcoming to LGBTQ+ folks, which is the icing on the cake. He really enjoys that we have establishments like the Black Hart of Saint Paul,

Photo courtesy of Hennepin Theatre Trust

where the soccer world and the LGBTQ+ world collide, and is also a big WNBA fan. The Lynx may have played a small role in reeling him up here…

I asked Duesing about the current struggles involved in helping the Minneapolis arts district thrive in comparison to Cincinnati. It’s no secret that our downtown has struggled to entice visitors since the pandemic and the murder of George Floyd. The streets are still eerily quiet and whispers of people feeling unsafe circulate everywhere. Duesing reminds my impatient soul that community healing is not a quick process.

He points to Cincinnati in 2001 when a young black man named Timothy Thomas was killed by police. He says while this event did not garner the same level of uprising and protest as did the murder of George Floyd, “I think the recovery and the healing is similar, and it was done. It takes time. There has to be a level of trust between the community, community leadership, and those affected and those who see the harm that was caused to those affected,” he says. “I think more than we were 20 years ago, we’re able to identify those inequities and start to right those wrongs. That’s why I have a lot of faith in what will happen in Minneapolis, because I’ve seen it.”

While they are but a fraction of the answer, the arts can play a role in community healing. “We are making spaces where people are comfortable to express themselves,” Duesing says, “and we need to grow that even more. We also need a place where people can gather together and enjoy life. When we have live theater, live concerts, live events, it’s an opportunity to be engaged in something that we all can enjoy together. We get to experience it with each other.” He mentions how increased efforts from Broadway to diversify casts in turn diversifies audiences as well, and this is so important. When we spend more time around those who are different from us, we can learn about them and erase the notion

of “otherness” that is so harmful to communities.

Duesing’s husband remains back in Covington, Kentucky, for the time being. He is the president of the school board at Covington Public Schools, which is currently being forced to comply with recent antiLGBTQ+ legislation barring the teaching of gender identity and sexual orientation in public schools as well as barring the use of bathrooms and locker rooms that do not conform to students’ biological sex. Similar to Duesing’s commitment to inclusion in the arts, his husband is committed to helping ensure that LGBTQ+ students remain supported despite these laws and to minimize as much harm as possible, uniquely positioned to do so as an open and out member of the LGBTQ+ community himself. If that isn’t admirable, I don’t know what is.

What’s in the future for Hennepin Theatre Trust with Duesing leading the pack? “What we’re trying to do is create a sense of place for everyone,” Duesing says. More opportunities for everyone to be able to access theater and the arts and these spaces for gathering and healing. He is cooking up ideas to “meet people where they’re at” and bring bigger shows out to theaters in other neighborhoods or regional theaters outside of the downtown district. “It is my goal that we create opportunities for everyone to be engaged in the arts … We can build a sense of community together where someone feels like our work is for them in their neighborhood, but also in the theater district as well. It all belongs to them.”

zine because, it’s my people, and, you know, to be able to take a role of leadership in this community, in this role, is meaningful to me. I’ll do everyone proud, I promise.”

The Twin Cities’ Finest Contractor

Welcome One Voice Mixed Chorus’ New Artistic Director

BY AURORA SMITH

One Voice Mixed Chorus is thrilled to announce a new Artistic Director — Kimberly Waigwa (addressed as Waigwa | they/them)!

One Voice shares, “Waigwa has the choral chops, creative mind, and fresh vision that will guide One Voice successfully in the years to come.”

About One Voice

One Voice is Minnesota’s only lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and straight allies’ chorus. The chorus was founded in 1988 and has 125 members ranging in age from 15 to 81. The intent behind the chorus is to “unite for a common goal of creating social change through music,” according to their website.

Waigwa’s Musical Background

Waigwa is a self-admitted “late choral bloomer.”

“As I’ve learned in getting to know the current One Voice singers, many folks from this area grew up singing in choir — church choir, school choir, show choir, a cappella,” they say. “I am not one of those people.”

In terms of singing, Waigwa never sang outside of their car or bedroom, and definitely not in front of other people. They saw a choir a few times when they were little, but they weren’t fully aware of the world of choral music.

“I stumbled into choral singing by accident,” says Waigwa. “While I didn’t grow up singing, I did grow up fascinated by the human voice. Different timbres, sizes, weights, and resonances always fascinated me.”

When Waigwa started college, they also started exploring operatic voices. This led to a comparison of vocals between a wide variety of genres. Waigwa had two roommates who eventually convinced them that they could pursue this interest — a realization Waigwa called “mind blowing.”

They auditioned for the choir at their college, a requirement for taking voice lessons. Despite having little to no knowledge of sight reading or classical voice work, by the end of the year, Waigwa had joined

a GALA chorus. By the end of their writing degree, they were in three university ensembles.

Despite not qualifying for a music education degree, Waigwa discovered conducting, which they describe as “the weird, silent art of waving your arms around.” This skill helped them “find a focused balance of voice and ensemble work” that led them to where they are now.

How Waigwa Got Involved with One Voice

“It’s actually kind of a strange story,” says Waigwa. They were finishing their masters at Temple University in Philadelphia and as part of finishing the degree, their conducting professor gave them an assignment to find a job, real or not, to which they’d like to apply. That’s how they even knew the One Voice position was open.

“I figured, I’ll just search through the GALA gigs… and do my mock interview with that,” says Waigwa. “But as soon as I sent [the job opening] to [my professor], he was like, ‘So… did you set up this website yourself and claim it as an existing choir? It seems perfect for you.’”

Waigwa took a few days to prepare, hoping for at least one interview, but the process continued. Two rounds of interviews, an in-person audition, an adjusted masters’ exam, and here they are! Waigwa is the new Artistic Director of One Voice.

Excitement and Nerves

Waigwa has big dreams for the choir. “I think One Voice is committed to the challenge of growth, innovation, and continuing to live into our mission statement of building community and creating social change by raising our voices in song,” they say.

Kimberly Waigwa, Artistic Director. Photos courtesy of One Voice Mixed Chorus

In addition to music experience, Waigwa is an educator with a focus on social justice through music making, including BIPOC and queer advocacy.

“It’s incredible to center my creativity and have my philosophical thoughts about music education, facilitating dialogue, and issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging be relevant again,” they say.

As for nerves, Waigwa says, “There are a lot of unknowns in creative work, so yes, I’m nervous about the season starting and truly taking the helm, but only because I’m dedicated to the work, want to do my best, and want to see us grow and thrive.”

Waigwa also says they’re actually not nervous at all, because, “stepping back into the role of an artistic director is like taking a full breath when I didn’t realize I’d been holding my breath. It feels equally natural and affirming to be back.”

Waigwa’s Plans for the Future of One Voice

Waigwa brings a unique and powerful perspective to the choir. “Who I am as a person lies in the overlap between a variety of different worlds,” they say. “I lie beyond the binary and yet a product of it. I am the child of immigrant parents, Panamanian and Kenyan, which separates me from the typical American experience, as well as that of the American Black or Brown experience.

“I think the ways in which I have never been able to conform to societal expectations, simply as a product of the circumstances and characteristics that have made me me, is my strength as a leader.”

Waigwa loves that the vision guiding One Voice so far has been “immense, beautiful, and inspiring.” They also think it’s now time to analyze that history, especially focused within the Twin Cities, and “within the context of the current state of the world and strategize as far beyond the doors of a rehearsal space or risers on a stage as we possibly can.”

Upcoming Performances

One Voice has two major concerts this year: Dark Night, Star Bright on January 20th and 21st at the Cowles Center, Goodale Theater. The second is The Art of Joy on June 22nd and 23rd at the Ordway. The latter will celebrate One Voice’s 35th anniversary.

One Voice will also perform at the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA) Festival July 10th through the 14th, the first such festival in eight years.

“One Voice has long been a pillar in the choral world, both for its programming and for its size,” says Waigwa, “So I’m excited to guide and develop this brand-new chapter.” 

Morris Mickelwhite Comes To Life at The Children’s Theatre

BY ALEXANDER REED

There is an immense transformative power that stems from imagination, capable of soaring you away to mystical worlds where anything is possible. Everyone has the capacity for imagination, but there are some who would trade away possibility of imagination out of fear of being called childish, or worse, abnormal. Morris Micklewhite is not one such person. Written by Christine Baldacchino and illustrated by Isabelle Malenfant, Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress is a children’s book about a little boy with a vibrant imagination. Morris loves wearing the tangerine dress that reminds him of tigers, the sun, and his mother’s hair. People tell Morris that “boys don’t wear dresses”, but that doesn’t stop him. Naturally, a story about imaginatively ignoring gender norms to live one’s fullest, most whimsical life would appeal to LGBTQ+ audiences.

Morris Micklewhite certainly caught the attention of Peter Brosius, the artistic director of the Children’s Theatre Company. First encountering the story in a bookstore, Brosius was completely enamored. “It was so joyful, so imaginative and so filled with theatrical possibilities that I knew immediately we had to adapt it to the stage”. After securing the rights to adapt Morris Micklewhite and reaching out collaborators at the Chicago Children’s Theatre and the Omaha Rose Theatre, work could begin to bring Morris to the stage.

juliany taveras was brought on to write the play’s script, transforming a short book into a full theatre experience. “Adapting a children’s book for the stage has been incredibly fun,” taveras explains, “there’s simultaneously all this gorgeous source material from which to work, and a ton of space to explore and expand the narrative into a full-blown sensory experience for families to enjoy”. taveras describes the process of adaptation like that of translation, stating “I often think of adaptation as translation, so for the first draft of the script, that’s exactly what I set out to do: translate Morris’s inner world (and ever-expansive imagination) into an embodied theatrical language that could somehow capture and share the story’s big heart”. The process of translating a work to suit a new medium can take a lot of work and also present new opportunities. When speaking about the writing process for this play, taveras said:

“Writing for Morris has meant crafting a world that is both deeply emotional and difficult as well as imaginative and inspirational. It feels important to all of us working on it to really capture the full range and depth of Morris’s journey—even if it

Heidi Stillman, Director

juliany taveras. Photos courtesy of Children’s Theatre Company

only spans a few days! After all, a few days can feel like a lifetime, especially as children. In that vein, I’m also grateful for the ways in which writing this play has deepened my own connection to my younger self, and to what it’s like to be a kid today.”

Heidi Stillman has a history adapting children’s literature. In 2017 she directed The Year I Didn’t Go To School, a play based on the children’s book by Giselle Potter. Now she is working with the Children’s Theatre Company to direct Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress. Her past experiences have helped prepare her to direct this play, as she herself explains “I have a lot of experience with new work and adaptations, and my work leans heavily on an imaginative and visual aesthetic, so it seemed like a good fit”. It isn’t just her work on other plays that has inspired her approach to directing Morris Micklewhite. Her time spent as a preschool teacher has given her valuable insight into the nature of imagination in children:

“I used to be an assistant preschool teacher when I was first out of college, it was my day job as we were starting our theatre company. I loved watching the kids playing in the block corner; what to my eyes were stacks of plain brown blocks, to them were these amazing creations that were the setting for their elaborate games. I love the power of imagination to transform and make magic out of simple things, and how easily that comes to children. The creative team and I are trying to capture that magic in our design and staging choices.”

With the whimsical writing of taveras’ script and Stillman’s imaginative stage direction of Stillman, and the efforts of the entire cast and backstage crew, the team hopes to create a magical event for families.

taveras hopes that audiences will learn lessons from the play, saying:

“My hope is that folks who come to see Morris Micklewhite leave with all sorts of discoveries, questions, and perspectives, ones that are unique to their own lives and communities. In a more general sense, however, I hope the show can inspire audiences to be brave—both when it comes to embracing and expressing one’s whole self, and when we are tasked with the equally important responsibility to support that in others with empathy and compassion.”

In a world where LGBTQ+ people often face pushback for living as their authentic selves, Morris Micklewhite serves as a reminder to be uncompromising in expressing as we choose.

The Children’s Theatre Company’s production of Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress will premiere on October 10th and will run through November 19th, and can be best enjoyed by audiences 4 years and older. 

By juliany taveras

Peter Brosius, Artistic Director

Based

book by Christine Baldacchino and Isabelle Malenfant

Directed by Heidi Stillman

The Real Magic Mike

An Interview with Actor/Illusionist Michael Carbonaro

BY GREGG SHAPIRO

Michael Carbonaro has made magic cool again. His wildly popular hidden camera show “The Carbonaro Effect,” which took illusion and tricks to a new level, established him on a global scale. Of course, it helps that he has movie star good looks that leave David Copperfield (remember him?) in the dust. Those looks also came in handy for his acting career. Carbonaro, an out actor, gave an award-winning performance in Todd Stephens’ 2006 wacky comedy “Another Gay Movie.” Presently, he is, once again, taking his act on the road to dazzle and delight audiences in a show titled “Carbonaro: Lies on Stage.” Michael was generous enough to make time in his schedule for an interview.

Gregg Shapiro: The title of your tour is “Carbonaro: Lies on Stage,” which is a clever play on “Live on Stage.” What does it mean to you to be able to return to live performance?

Michael Carbonaro: It’s everything to me. I had never been away from performance for that long since I was 13 years old. This was new territory, to not be doing what is really a kind of meditation for me and a love that I knew I had, but I didn’t know how important it really was for my soul. This is so wonderful to be able to get back out there and have extra appreciation for how important this is really part of my being now. Being up on a stage and being a conduit for joy. Transcending happiness through myself back from the audience, back from them to me, and seeing the smiles and feeling that love. I knew it was important, but I had no idea how much it was until I guess, like they say, you don’t know how much you appreciate something until it’s gone.

GS: Did the forced time off during the pandemic, maybe more so than if you had been constantly touring, provide you with opportunities to come up with new illusions and tricks?

MC: 100%! In fact, I was lucky and excited for this speedball of a ride that “The Carbonaro Effect” was. I started “The Carbonaro Effect” and for seven years it was a rollercoaster that did not stop. It was so exciting, but at a certain point, you really do need to reconnect. I had no time off. It was wonderful, but I was going from writing to pre-production to production to editing to writing to pre-production to production to editing with zero time off in between. As awesome as that was, it does take something away from you. I was probably the only person in the world that was like, “Yay, a pandemic!” I kind of needed a break. At first, it was wonderful to be like, “Oh my gosh, I’m gardening at my house. I’m sticking my hand in the dirt and not talking to anybody for hours, maybe a day or two.” Maybe I’ll talk to my husband while we’re chilling out. But there isn’t this constant buzz all around me, which was wonderful. And then it got boring really quick [laughs]. Although I have to say, maybe for six months there were all these virtual opportunities. They asked, “Do you want to do virtual shows for corporate stuff?” And I was like, “No, not really. I’m just sort of chillin’.” Then I was like, “All right, let me try a few.” Then, after about six months, I was like, “OK, I need to make something. I’m not going back out there, and this isn’t ending, I need to make something creative.” While I was writing and coming up with other ideas I could do on stage and for television, I thought, “I want to make something special for the now time.” So, I made a virtual show which was called “Live from Space.” I did eight shows. I had 500 families a night tuning in. It was really cool. It was its own different kind of thing that afforded a different kind of creativity that I don’t do on television or on stage. It was more intimate. You were joining me in my messy office. We were playing. I’m digging through stuff. Wild things happened. A live chicken arrived from outer space in my office. I end up flying out the window at the end. We did some cool, awesome effects that could only exist in that genre. (It made me realize), “OK, I do need to be creative.” It was a fun thing to do, but still nothing like getting up on stage.

Photo by Stuart Pettican

GS: Is your husband Peter (Stickles) your test audience when it comes to trying out new parts of your show?

MC: [Laughs] it’s funny you say that. No, and I probably should more because, boy, he’s got such a threshold to get through. We have this joke where I say something, and if he laughs out loud, we both kind of look at each other like, “You made me laugh, honey!” I’m always making jokes and he’s always like, “Uh huh.” Every now and then when something gets through that threshold, it’s like, “Wow, still got it! OK!” No, I’m usually better off practicing in front of my cat and a live audience, versus Peter.

GS: What can your fans expect to experience in the Lies On Stage show?

MC: It’s a great show. I’m so excited! That was another thing, too. It was really hard; because I’m touring, I’m touring, I’m touring, I’m touring, and people want to keep seeing those shows, and there was no time to stop and put together an all-new tour. So, that was fun to get the time over the pandemic to be able to do that. This is an all-new tour show, brand new magic. Which is insanely difficult to put together. A lot of the routines in my first tour were spinoffs of things that I had been doing since I was 13 years old. I had all this audience-tested material that I adapted into the tour. Suddenly, I was starting from scratch. I popped up at a few clubs to workshop some stuff. We’re just having a ball. There’re mischievous gnomes in the tour that keep popping up and stealing items from me and the audience. There’re silly tricks; I teach the audience how to magically separate laundry. Lots of audience participation. Me going out in the crowd showing off some new “Carbonaro Effect” devices and bringing people up on stage to help. Every night, two people from the audience are brought on stage and made to disappear.

GS: Do you ever get the sense that some people come to the show as skeptics and that over the course of the evening you’ve won them over?

MC: I wonder if there are people who literally come in like Houdini used to do and call out spirit mediums. Like they’re going to stand up and shout, “Impostor!” I think that even if they’re fans, somewhere in their head they’re like, “I’ve seen this guy on TV. I don’t know how much I trust TV. Gosh, I hope this can happen in front of my eyes and that’s why I’m here and hope to fulfill that excitement.” There’s this electricity that happens when I start doing things right there, in front of them, for real. There’s this excited relief. Like it’s real. Not real, real. It’s real, fake real. It’s not camera tricks. It’s not actors. This is happening to me or it’s happening right in front of their own eyes. I think there is that excitement that comes from the relief that it’s not BS on TV.

GS: To commemorate the 15th anniversary of 2006’s “Another Gay Movie,” a director’s cut of the movie was released on DVD and VOD. Did you do anything special to mark the occasion?

Photo by Matt Christine Photography

MC: It’s so funny. Peter, my husband, who buys DVDs with CDs, and loves going to (record store) Amoeba (Music), took a picture the other day (and asked me), “Did you know this DVD 15th-anniversary cut was released?” I knew that they were releasing it and they did a screening. But I didn’t know that it was going to be a hard copy, going to be sold. I was so excited to see that it was out there. I have to go get a copy. I knew of the cut, and we did a little online reunion. We also went to the Austin Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. They did a 15-year anniversary screening and the whole cast came, all four boys and the director. It was that moment in life where I was like, “This is the most special thing I’ve ever had.” It was so incredible to reconnect with this project 15 years later. All of us together, where we are in our lives now. It was an interesting story, and I don’t know how much you followed that. But one of the actors in “Another Gay Movie” (Jonathan Chase, who played jock Jarod), as soon as the movie was released in 2006, didn’t take part in any of the promotion for it. He had this crazy strong team who didn’t like the cut and he wasn’t going to promote it. He never went on any of the fun ride. That was really the whole thing about making that movie, aside from how fun it was to make. He didn’t go to the Castro or any of the film festivals. The Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival! The Tribeca Film Festival! That was the excitement of it, and he didn’t take part in any of that. So, this 15-year anniversary was the first time the four of us watched the film together. He really came around and supports it now wholeheartedly. He regrets not supporting it back at the time. We rented a little Airbnb, and we had a hot tub. I felt so lucky and blessed to have a moment like that and friends like that.

GS: “AGM” writer/director Todd Stephens’ latest movie was 2021’s critically acclaimed “Swan Song.” Given the chance, do you think you’d ever work with Todd again on a film project?

MC: A million percent! Oh my gosh, I can’t wait to. I know he’s working on another TV thing that sounded so cool. All four of us, the boys, were like, “Todd, if we come in it’d be pretty cool to see one of the boys from that movie come in on your new TV show, even as a guest star.” I love Todd. He’s like a big brother, totally family. That was the greatest ride of my life. For all the things I’ve gotten to do in my life in “the showbiz,” that movie, shooting that film, and meeting those people and that ride just tops them all. 

Michael Carbonaro

Sunday, November 12, 2023

Fitzgerald Theatre, Saint Paul, MN www.eventticketscenter.com/michael-carbonaro-saint-paul-11-12-2023/5707581/t

Support when and where you need it

BY E.B BOATNER

2nd

Inverse Cowgirl: A Memoir

Alicia

Roth Weigel

HarperOne

$18.99

Moving, powerful; a lived look at the least understood position on the GLBTQIA+ spectrum. An earlier amniocentesis had shown XY chromosomes, yet baby Wiegel appeared with a vagina (though no ovaries or uterus). Doctors diagnosed with “complete androgen insensitivity syndrome” (CAIS). The ”problem” was, and is still to a great degree, “fixed” by surgeons removing her internal testes to “normalize” the infant. It didn’t. These essays show, with acerbic wit and courageous honesty, the results of that decision, Weigel regaling the reader with her worldwide travels, boundless energy and activism used on behalf of the intersex community and to educate others, including those in the GLBTQIA+ acronym, through her firm, Intrepedia Strategy, and work as a human rights commissioner for the city of Austin, TX.

Fair Play: How Sports Shape the Gender Debates

Katie

Barnes

St. Martin’s Press

“Transgender” wasn’t coined until the 1960s, provoking no gender skirmishes–then. Title IX’s 1972 passing proved a massive sea-change for girls’ and women’s athletics, though Barnes shows even under its umbrella, women’s sports require protection. With the appearance of transmen and transwomen athletes, regulations for who may enter what and what protocols should be in place, although Barnes’s meticu-

Did you know that we offer no-cost classes, support groups and resources for people impacted by dementia – as well as their caregivers?

At the Alzheimer’s Association we believe no one should go on the Alzheimer’s journey alone.

lous research shows considerable, growing conflict still exists concerning what rules and who will make them. Sports themselves aren’t always fair, so it behooves the human element to not place barriers in the paths of variously skilled young athletes. Fair Play offers a good entry into an athletic world that is becoming more rule-ridden, politicized, and monetized than is healthy for athletes of whatever age or skill.

The Virgin Homicides: A Mahu Investigation

Neil S. Plakcy

$14.99

Plakcy fans: rejoice at this lucky-thirteenth Mahu investigation. Newcomers: you’re blest to have a dozen more! Detective Kimo Kanapa’aka (letting slip some background) is married to his firefighter partner Mike, and parents of 10-year-old twins. Technology and social media vastly different from volume one; Kimo’s niece, Apikela, is in college, student and influencer with a 6-figure income. A fellow-student is murdered, then an older woman. Related? Kimo and partner find few substantive clues, but now there’s Sensorvault, geofencing, reverse location that cast wide nets for cell devices, while new widgets can pull prints from fabric. Far from the lone, angstridden sleuth, partners and close-knit families pull together to protect and serve. Plakcy remains a master of mood and mayhem–and of letting in the light

The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp

Leonie Swann

Soho Crime

$27.95

The elderly residents of Sunset Hall are disconcerted when police come a-knocking to announce their neighbor has been murdered, but relieved the fuss isn’t about the corpse in their shed. Sunset Hall’s denizens are like one’s university mates, only slower, more forgetful, more achy, and include Hetty, a fretful tortoise. She’s slow of step but remembers her destination. The titular Agnes Sharp actually owns the Hall, but, determined not to be warehoused in a tomb like the nearby Lime Tree Court, she collected a like-minded crew for house shares; they settle in…until it’s obviously time to go. Now, the obvious solution is find the neighbor’s killer, and add the body in the shed to their tally. Humorous? Yes, and not so. A cozy with frissons. 

Yes, This Is An Alfa Romeo

BY RANDY STERN

When I say the name “Alfa Romeo,” what is the first thing that comes to mind?

Most likely, it is that roadster Dustin Hoffman drove furiously in the 1967 movie “The Graduate.” Forget about Mrs. Robinson for the moment and concentrate on that red Alfa Romeo Spider that is an accomplice in Hoffman’s quest to find meaning in his post-graduate life while chasing Katharine Ross for half of the film.

Some of us know Alfa Romeo for being iconic, but temperamental cars. They look beautiful – penned by the likes of Bertone and Pininfarina – but will give up the ghost by putting you on the side of the road.

After 113 years, Alfa Romeo continues as a luxury car brand of Stellantis. It has gone through acquisitions and mergers throughout its history. The brand has relevance, but not the cache it once had. After all, many potential customers have passed by an Alfa Romeo showroom en route to picking up a Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, or Lexus.

Still, they have a distinctive design that is undeniably full of heritage and tradition. Even though they have ventured onto the world of the SUV, you cannot ignore that badge and the shield grille that has been a part of its legacy for over a century.

While maintaining its history, Alfa Romeo must look forward into the future. The first result is a small plug-in hybrid crossover/SUV called the Tonale.

This is the brand’s first electrified vehicle. You might call it a “compliance” vehicle to meet both emissions and fuel consumption standards

being imposed by global governments. Nonetheless, the Tonale is a reality check for those who want the lore of the Italian brand and the sustainability of a modern automobile.

Produced at the Pomigliano d’Arco plant near Naples, the Tonale is shaped by the artist-designers at Centre Stile in Milan. Its platform is derived from the Jeep Compass – a popular vehicle in Italy, in case you’re curious. In turn, the Tonale has spawned an American cousin –the Dodge Hornet. The Dodge is also built at the same plant in southern Italy.

Photos by Randy Stern

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ADOPTION & FOSTER CARE

Foster Adopt Minnesota

Finding families and providing information, education, and support to Minnesota Adoptive, Foster and Kinship communities.

2446 University Ave. W., Ste. 104 St. Paul, MN 55114 (612) 861-7115, (866) 303-6276 info@fosteradoptmn.org

www.fosteradoptmn.org

ANIMAL RESCUE

Second Chance Animal Rescue

Dedicated to rescuing, fostering, caring for, and adopting out dogs and cats into forever homes.

P.O. Box 10533

White Bear Lake, MN 55110 (651) 771-5662 www.secondchancerescue.org

BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS

Quorum

Minnesota's LGBTQ+ and Allied Chamber of Commerce working to build, connect, and strengthen for a diverse business community.

2446 University Ave. W., Ste 112 St. Paul, MN 55114 (612) 460-8153 www.twincitiesquorum.com

CASINOS

Mystic Lake Casino Hotel

Nonstop gaming excitement with slots, blackjack, bingo and more plus distinctive bars and restaurants.

2400 Mystic Lake Blvd. Prior Lake, MN 55372 (800) 262-7799

www.mysticlake.com

ENVIRONMENT

The Nature Conservancy

TNC is an environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature thrive.

1101 W. River Pkwy., Ste. 200 Minneapolis, MN 55415-1291 (612) 331-0700 minnesota@tnc.org www.nature.org/minnesota

EVENT VENUES

Landmark Center

A classic venue, with a grand cortile and beautiful courtrooms, accommodates celebrations of all sizes.

75 W. 5th St. St. Paul, MN 55102 (651) 292-3228

www.landmarkcenter.org

GRANTMAKERS/FUNDERS

PFund Foundation

PFund is the LGBTQ+ community foundation that provides grants to students and grants to non-profits. PO Box 3640 Minneapolis, MN 55403 612-870-1806

www.pfundfoundation.org

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

HEALTH & WELLNESS Aliveness Project

Community Center for individuals living with HIV/AIDS – on-site meals, food shelf, and supportive service.

3808 Nicollet Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55102 (612) 824-LIFE (5433) www.aliveness.org

Family Tree Clinic

We're a sliding fee sexual health clinic and education center, now in Minneapolis.

1919 Nicollet Ave. Minneapolis MN 55403 (612) 473-0800

www.familytreeclinic.org

NAMI Minnesota

(National Alliance on Mental Illness)

Providing free classes and peer support groups for people affected by mental illnesses.

800 Transfer Rd. #31 St. Paul, MN 55114 (651) 645-2948

www.namihelps.org

Rainbow Health Minnesota

Meeting the health needs of LGBTQ+ people and those living with HIV with holistic service.

2700 Territorial Rd. W. St. Paul, MN 55114 General: (612) 341-2060 MN AIDSLine: (612) 373-2437

www.rainbowhealth.org

Red Door Clinic

Sexual health care for all people. Get confidential tests & treatment in a safe, caring setting.

525 Portland Ave., 4th Fl. Minneapolis, MN 55415 (612) 543-5555

reddoor@hennepin.us

www.reddoorclinic.org

LIBRARIES

Quatrefoil Library

Your LGBTQ+ library and community center. Free membership, events, and e-books/audiobooks. Check us out!

1220 E. Lake St. Minneapolis, MN 55407 (612) 729-2543

www.qlibrary.org

MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS

Radio K

Radio K is the award-winning studentrun radio station of the University of Minnesota.

330 21st. Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612) 625-3500

www.radiok.org

MUSEUM Minnesota Historical Society

Create your own adventure at MNHS historic sites and museums around Minnesota. mnhs.org

Walker Art Center

Showcasing the fresh, innovative art of today and tomorrow through exhibitions, performances, and film screenings.

725 Vineland Pl. Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 375-7600

www.walkerart.org

PERFORMING ARTS

Chanhassen Dinner Theaters

The nation’s largest professional dinner theater and Minnesota’s own entertainment destination.

501 W. 78th St. Chanhassen, MN 55317 (952) 934-1525

www.ChanhassenDT.com

Children’s Theatre Company

Children’s Theatre Company excites the imagination with world-class familyfriendly theatre for kids, teens, and adults. 2400 3rd Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55404 (612) 874-0400

www.childrenstheatre.org

Guthrie Theater

Open to the public year-round, the Guthrie produces classic and contemporary plays on three stages. 818 S. 2nd St. Minneapolis, MN 55415 (612) 377-2224

www.guthrietheater.org

Lyric Arts Main Street Stage

Theater with character. Comedies, musicals, & dramas in a professional, intimate setting where all are welcomed. 420 E. Main St. Anoka, MN 55303 (763) 422-1838 info@lyricarts.org

www.lyricarts.org

Minnesota Opera

World-class opera draws you into a synthesis of beauty; breathtaking music, stunning costumes & extraordinary sets. Performances at the Ordway Music Theater - 345 Washington St., St. Paul, MN 55102 (612) 333-6669 www.mnopera.org

Minnesota Orchestra

Led by Music Director Designate Thomas Søndergård, the Minnesota Orchestra, one of America’s leading symphony orchestras. 1111 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 371-5656, (800) 292-4141 www.minnesotaorchestra.org

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts

Leading performing arts center with two stages presenting Broadway musicals, concerts and educational programs that enrich diverse audiences. 345 Washington St. St. Paul, MN 55102 (651) 224-4222 info@ordway.org www.ordway.org

Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus

An award-winning chorus building community through music and offers entertainment worth coming out for! 1430 W. 28th St., Ste. B Minneapolis, MN 55408 (612) 339-SONG (7664) chorus@tcgmc.org www.tcgmc.org

RELIGIOUS & SPIRITUAL

Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church

Everyone is welcome at Hennepin Church! Vibrant Worship. Authentic Community. Bold Outreach. 511 Groveland Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 871-5303 www.hennepinchurch.org

Plymouth Congregational Church

Many Hearts, One Song; Many Hands, One Church. Find us on Facebook and Twitter. 1900 Nicollet Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 871-7400 www.plymouth.org

St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral

An inclusive and affirming community transforming lives through God’s love. 519 Oak Grove St.

Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 870-7800

www.ourcathedral.org

Westminster Presbyterian Church

An open and affirming congregation, welcoming persons of all sexual orientations, gender expressions and identities.

1200 Marquette Ave.

Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 332-3421

www.westminstermpls.org

SENIOR LIVING

Friends & Co

Fostering meaningful connections for older adults for 50+ years. Offering quick drop-in chat line, phone & visiting companionship services.

2550 University Ave. W., Ste. 260-S St. Paul, MN 55114 (612) 721-1400

www.friendsco.org

Senior Community Services

Providing non-medical services that meet the changing needs of older adults & support their caregivers. 10201 Wayzata Blvd., Ste. 335 Minnetonka, MN 55305 (952) 541-1019

www.seniorcommunity.org/lav

SOCIAL SERVICES

Lutheran Social Service of MN

Serving all Minnesotans with personcentered services that promote full and abundant lives. lssmn.org | 612-642-5990 | 800-582-5260

Adoption & Foster Care | welcome@chlss.org

Behavioral Health | 612-879-5320

Host Homes | hosthomes@lssmn.org

Supported Decision-Making | 888-806-6844

Therapeutic Foster Care | 612-751-9395

TRAVEL DESTINATIONS

Discover St. Louis Park

Minnesota’s Sweet Spot! Visit us for exceptional dining, attractions, shopping, hotels and event space. 1660 Hwy 100 S., Ste. 501 St. Louis Park, MN 55416 (952) 426-4047 www.DiscoverStLouisPark.com

Discover Stillwater

Get away to Stillwater for delicious dining, fun shops, and unique nightlife in this charming rivertown! info@DiscoverStillwater.com www.DiscoverStillwater.com

Visit Greater St. Cloud

Give yourself a break. Visit Greater St. Cloud.

1411 W. St. Germain St., Ste. 104 St. Cloud, MN 56301 (320) 251-4170 info@visitstcloud.com

www.visitstcloud.com

YOUTH

The Bridge for Youth Emergency shelter, crisis intervention, and resources for youth currently or at risk of experiencing homelessness.

1111 W. 22nd St. Minneapolis, MN 55405 (612) 377-8800 or text (612) 400-7233 www.bridgeforyouth.org

Estimates 7am-4:30pm

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Design-wise, it takes on the historic design of Alfa Romeo’s past. It does sit higher off the ground while taking on a scaled-down version of the Stelvio’s exterior design. Everything is in place: the curvy shape, the shield grille, and the iconic badge representing its Milanese roots. Even the 19-inch five-hole alloy wheels are keeping with Alfa Romeo tradition.

The interior also follows a mix of traditional references, along with modern touches. The cowl above the 12.3-inch Cannocchiale digital instrument cluster is a nod to older Alfas. Setting the cluster screen to Heritage mode, you get two main dials that would bring you back to the Spider of “The Graduate” era. Everything else is simply modern – the switches, the 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen, the steering wheel, the ignition button on the steering wheel, and the paddle shifters.

Another thing that is modern inside the Tonale’s cabin are its seats. The leather-upholstered seats felt firm, yet they offer plenty of bolstering and support. Realistically, the Tonale will fit four average-sized adults, even though the rear doors seems a bit small for some folks to enter and exit. Cargo space is flexible, starting with 22.9 cubic feet behind the rear seats. They fold down in a 60.40 split, giving you up to 50.5 cubic feet of cargo space.

What lies underneath the hood is not exactly what you expect from an Alfa Romeo. The plug-in hybrid system starts with a 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Add an electric motor and a plug-in receptacle to charge up the battery. Combined, this drive system puts down 285 horsepower and approximately 350 pound-feet of torque. This

driveline sends power to all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission.

Charging up the battery can be done up to Level 2. Using a Level 2 charger, Alfa Romeo states that it takes 2.5 hours for a full state of charge. By plugging it into your household outlet, expect charging to take over eight hours. Either way, the Tonale can give you around 32 miles of battery-only driving before the system kicks over to the gasoline engine.

As far fuel consumption is concerned, I observed an average of 32.0 MPG. That is on a combined gasoline-electric loop.

Another assumption that is made about Alfa Romeo is its driving experience. Granted, the Tonale drove quietly overall. It had a solid ride that absorbs rougher surfaces – just as you expect from any vehicle in its class. You can firm up the suspension by turning the DNA knob on the console to Dynamic mode. It may not lower the vehicle, but it will firm up the ride. Cornering, the Tonale felt fine. It is quite responsive in evasive maneuvers.

The steering system was also responsive, though you will feel some vagueness in the system itself. It yields a decent turning radius to get out of tight situations. The brakes were pretty decent with solid stopping power in normal and panic situations. Pedal feel was fine and responsive.

As for driver assistance features, the Alfa Romeo Tonale offers you practically everything. Key features include a Forward Collision Warning with Full Stop, Driver Attention Alert, and Lane Keep Assist. In all, the Tonale may look like a classic Alfa Romeo, but it offers the latest in safety technology for today.

How much does this small premium Italian plug-in hybrid crossover/ SUV cost. Alfa Romeo offers a choice of three trim levels – Sprint, Ti, and Veloce. The Sprint starts at $42,995. My tester is the Ti model with a few upgrades in equipment. All told, my tester came with a sticker price of $55,950.

Our penchant for premium and luxury vehicles are duly noted. Alfa Romeo offers a lineup that fits in the wants of our desires. The Tonale is the new entry point for the brand, not just because of its size. If this is a way to introduce new customers to Alfa Romeo, you might as well pull out all of the stops – including offering a plug-in hybrid and all-wheel drive as standard.

If you appreciate the history and heritage of Alfa Romeo, the Tonale offers that mix along with modern touches made for today’s world. Give one a try! 