What’s new with Minneapolis Musical Theatre?
Last spring, MMT bid a fond but temporary farewell to Artistic Director Joe Hendren as he stepped down in order to fulfill other commitments. We’re happy to say that he has returned as a member of MMT’s Board of Directors. Welcome back, Joe!
With Joe’s transition to serving MMT in a different capacity, the decision was made to sunset the Artistic Director job description and create a new leadership position, that of Executive Director. And we’re delighted to announce that recent Board member Andrew Newman has stepped up to take it on!
Andrew is a local singer and actor in the Twin Cities. He has performed with many companies, including Minneapolis Musical Theatre, Park Square, Artistry, Theatre in the Round and more. Some of his favorite
MMT experiences include performing in “Daddy Long Legs,” “Happy Days,” “Evil Dead: The Musical,” “Big River” and “Zanna, Don’t!” Additionally, he assistant-directed “Bare” in 2011 and directed “Songs for a New World” in 2016. By day, he works in development at the Minnesota Children’s Museum. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BA in Journalism, and his writing has appeared in City Pages and the Star Tribune, among other places.
We caught up with Andrew recently for a chat about his background and his thoughts on MMT’s future.
How and when did you get involved in theatre and in singing?
I’ve been involved in theatre and singing since I was a kid! When I was a toddler, my mom used to follow me around with the video camera and tell me to sing songs. So in many ways, this is her fault. My grandparents used to live in Chanhassen, and would take me to shows at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, which introduced me to the classics. Thanks to my very supportive and generous parents, I soon had a giant CD collection of mostly cast albums.
I performed in every show I could during school, which turned me into a major theatre and choir kid in high school. I kept performing at the University of Minnesota,
where I appeared in several shows at the student-run Xperimental Theatre.
Tell us more about your history with MMT as an actor and director.
MMT was given me so many opportunities over the years. It was one of the first companies I worked with after college. I performed in “The Secret Garden” and “Zanna, Don’t!” in 2009 right after graduation. The next season, I played Huckleberry Finn in “Big River,” which was a huge opportunity for me – one that I was extremely grateful to MMT for. It was the largest role I had ever played, and showed me I could really have a go at this theatre thing.
I served as an assistant director during MMT’s production of “Bare,” and taught me a lot about being on the other side of the table. I directed my first show with MMT as well – “Songs for a New World” in 2016. I continued performing in productions as well. Most recently, I understudied the male role in “Daddy Long Legs” at the James J. Hill House in 2020. I also directed “The Charm” one of the ten-minute musicals that marked MMT’s return to live performances in 2021.
What led you to taking on an administrative role with MMT?
I joined the Board of Directors in 2020, just as the pandemic set in. I had been thinking about getting more involved for a while, and I was really interested in what Joe had planned for the company. A lot of that was upended by COVID 19, of course, but I’m glad to see those plans continuing, and I’m excited to play a role in that.
What’s most meaningful to you about MMT’s mission? “Rare Musicals. Well Done.”
To me, that means opportunity. The opportunity for audiences to see work they wouldn’t find without traveling to cities like New York or Chicago. To get to experience something they may have heard about, or be a fan of, but never had the chance to see in person. The opportunity to bring new stories and new voices to Twin Cities theatres. The opportunity to bring theatre to unconventional spaces and changing perceptions about where theatre can happen. And the opportunity for artists to show people what they’ve got to offer. MMT has given a lot of opportunities to emerging talent (myself included), and I look forward to continuing that tradition.
Describe what you’re hoping for MMT’s future.
I’m looking forward to continuing the great work that Joe supported. We’re focusing our energy now on site-specific productions, which is an exciting way to bring our work to new spaces and new audiences. I’m also eager to bring the work of new, diverse artists to the Twin Cities. There is so much excellent new musical theatre happening all around us, and I’m excited to champion that work.
Things have not been easy since the pandemic – especially for theatres. I’m glad to be part of a company that is being intentional about the work we do. We want most of all to continue bringing new and exciting musical theatre to the Twin Cities in any way we can. We are determined to adapt to these
changing times and meet the moment; we may not be doing theatre the way we used to, but we will continue performing. I’m really looking forward to what MMT’s next chapter will be.