Our triptych of new musicals (Passage of Dreams, Bessie’s Birthday, and Thirst) opened to unanimously positive reviews in the Twin Cities. While I teach myself how to create my own “Press” page, here is what some of the critics are saying (click on the first part of each excerpt to read the full review):

“Passage of Dreams” is…strangely evocative… Eng has crafted an ingenious interplay…Tang’s terrific “Bessie” score often has the wonderously expansive feel of Aaron Copland…while music director Denise Prosek’s superb string ensemble and cast vocalists match [aerialist] Haugen to utterly transcendent effect. A waking nightmare becomes a dream come true.” - John Townsend, Minneapolis Star Tribune

“Offbeat and endearing stories, interesting and accomplished musicianship, even an unexpected tug at the heartstrings…carried off with aplomb and joy…Eng and Tang combine to produce a diverse suite of songs of yearning, of lustful wanderings, even an onomatopoetic ode to the joys of grilling. And the final moments reveal an honest vulnerability that, given the mania that’s preceded it, is surprisingly touching.” - Dominic Papatola, St. Paul Pioneer Press

“A deeply evocative piece that ebbs and flows between the commonplace and the transcendent with uncommon grace…[cast members] Perrin and Halaas deliver an understated, devastating back-and-forth…that leave one feeling both wrung out and wishing that it would go on longer…it’s hard to walk out feeling unmoved, or unimpressed by the loveliness of all three works as a whole.” - Quinton Skinner, CityPages

“Latte Da founder and director Peter Rothstein is a genius with the musical form. The songs are tinged with melancholy…the scenes unfold like an impressionist painting, with the songs and theatrical elements acting like brushstrokes on a canvas…Taken together, these three pieces demonstrate the versatility of the musical form and represent something unique in the theater world: the triumph of small, intimate, song-based theater.” - Tad Simons, Mpls St. Paul Magazine