News

Musgrave to appear at Fargo Theatre’s premiere party Tuesday

By Meghan Feir

Whether you enjoyed the exaggerated accents in the Coen Brothers’ 1996 movie “Fargo” or not, you can’t deny that the iconic film introduced Fargo to people around the globe. This Tuesday, April 15, the new 10-episode, TV spin-off of the same name will premiere at 9 p.m. on FX.

Tom Musgrave, a Valley City, N.D., native and 1998 MSUM Theatre Arts alum will star as Bo Munk, owner of Bo Munk’s Insurance Shop. Besides adding to the rich potpourri of the cast, which includes actors Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton and Joey King, Musgrave has been a source of Midwestern knowledge for the cast and crew, adding words like “uffda” to the script. Read the rest of this entry →

Tyler Michaels, a 2011 Theatre Arts alum, is playing the lead role of the Emcee in Theater Latte Da’s Minneapolis production of Cabaret. Michaels has had numerous stage appearances in the Cities and on television since graduation.

The show opened on Jan. 15 and runs through Feb. 9 at the Pantages Theatre, 710 Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis. For ticket information, visit www.minneapolis-theater.com.

A free, 30-minute pre-performance talk by one of the Aquila Theatre actors starts at 6:30 p.m. on the Gaede Stage. The talk will provide background on Twelfth Night, explanations of Aquila’s interpretation of the work, and a question and answer period. The performance follows at 7:30 p.m. in Hansen Theatre. For information about the performance, the second in MSUM’s Cheryl Nelson Lossett Performing Arts Series, go to www.mnstate.edu/perform.

Actor and alum Kevin Sorbo will speak on AM970 WDAY’s Christopher Gabriel show at 11:35 a.m. Monday, Feb. 4. Tune in to hear Kevin speak about his upcoming visit to MSUM for the Founders Scholarship Gala and what he’s been up to.

AM970 WDAY Radio

Janet Haak, Director of Study Abroad, led two workshops at the Lake Region Writers Network 4^th Annual Conference in Fergus Falls Oct. 6. Haak, a writer, director, producer and actor in stage and film, presented workshops on screenwriting.

Craig Ellingson, right, and Kathy Hanson, left, rehearse Jekyll and Hyde The Musical at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Carrie Snyder / The Forum

By: Sam Benshoof, INFORUM

MOORHEAD – After spending a year away from campus and teaching, Craig Ellingson is ready to get back into the swing of things.

Ellingson, the chair and director of the Theater and Theater Dance department at Minnesota State University Moorhead, recently returned from a yearlong sabbatical in northern California, where he studied with a prestigious international theater school.

We caught up with Ellingson last week, who this summer worked with the “My Fair Lady” and “Lucky Stiff” productions by the Straw Hat Players, to find out how he’s feeling about being back in Moorhead and what he has planned for the upcoming school year. Read the rest of this entry →

MSUM theatre alum Tyler Michaels, 2011, has been spotted as the lead actor in regional Subway television commercials. Michaels played leading roles in many Theatre Department and Straw Hat Players productions while a student at MSUM. Michaels lives in Minneapolis now, and this spring was cast in a leading role in Theatre Latte Da’s collaborative production with the University of Minnesota of Spring Awakening.