MSUM alumni, students, faculty take part in ‘Dani Girl’ production
MSUM alumni, students and faculty will take part in the Wheelhouse Theatrical Production of Dani Girl, a musical by Kooman and Dimond. They include:
- MSUM alumni Jeff Brown and Caleb Reich
- Current MSUM student Ace I.
- Straw Hat alumna Angie Schulz
- Director of Theatre Craig A. Ellingson
Dani Girl is the story of a young girl and her unwillingness to succumb to her second bout of leukemia without a fight. Trying to make sense out of her diagnosis, treatment and dysfunctional family dynamics, Dani transforms her struggle into a larger-than-life adventure. Together with her teddy bear, imaginary guardian angel, and movie-obsessed hospital roommate, she battles a personified Cancer across the realms of fantasy and reality as she attempts to get her beloved hair back. Told from a child’s perspective, this provocative musical explores the universal themes of life in the face of death, hope in the face of despair, and the indomitable power of imagination. Dani Girl is heartfelt and warm, with moments of hilarity and sharp wit, while approaching the portrayal of reality with more subtlety; it brings the seriousness of the matter into a more blossoming presentation for the audience to see the clearer picture.
Wheelhouse Theatrical Productions, formerly Music Theatre Fargo-Moorhead has been producing quality musical theatre in the area for over ten years. Due to a lack of affordable venues and a need to restructure, the executive board made the decision to take a hiatus. This brought them to seek space at Theatre B, a local company with similar visions of creating theatrical experiences that take the process and product beyond a typical community theatre structure. Kathy Hanson, Wheelhouse founding member, states, “Dani Girl has been a musical we’ve been looking at for over a year. In February of 2018, after seeing a steep rise in the incidence of cancer diagnoses in our theatre community, we produced a benefit to raise awareness and money for the Roger Maris Cancer Center. With that theme in mind, Craig Ellingson, Wheelhouse’s Artistic Director, recalled a musical that not only gracefully approaches the subject, but also has an engaging script and music; we are delighted to finally be able to set it on the stage at Theatre B, which is a perfect venue for this production, as its 90-seat capacity provides an intimacy that lends well to the tone and energy of this show.”
Performance information:
What: Dani Girl: the musical
Who: Wheelhouse Theatrical Productions
Where: Theatre b, 215 10th Street N, Moorhead, MN 56560
When: February 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m.
February 2, 3 and 10 at 2 p.m.
Tickets available at http://www.theatreb.org/box-office/ or call 701-729-8880.