World Travel Guide

City Guide  - Minneapolis-St Paul  - Culture
Culture

From world-famous theatre and orchestra performances to intimate poetry readings, the Twin Cities have a plethora of arts and cultural entertainment. There are more than 30 theatres and nearly 100 theatre companies in the metropolitan area, presenting a range of cultural entertainment from serious dramas and Broadway productions to cabarets, farcical ballets, avant-garde performances and children's theatre. Nationally, it is second only to New York City in the number of theatre seats per capita and the amount spent on theatre tickets. There are also 20 classical music groups and ten dance groups based here.
Arts and entertainment listings appear in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the St Paul Pioneer Press, and the weekly free tabloid City Pages. Ticket agencies include TicketMaster (tel: (612) 989 5151), Ticket Exchange (tel: (800) 800 9811) and Ticket Works (tel: (612) 870 1099).

Music:
The Twin Cities boast two world-class orchestras: the Minnesota Orchestra (tel: (800) 292 4141 ext 662) performs at Orchestra Hall in downtown Minneapolis, while the St Paul Chamber Orchestra (tel: (651) 291 1144) performs at the Ordway. The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and other leading jazz artists perform at Northrup Auditorium (tel: (612) 624 2345). The Minnesota Opera (tel: (651) 224 4222) performs classics with a contemporary twist at the Ordway Theatre in St Paul. During the summer, live classical music is performed under the stars at the Lake Harriet Bandshell (tel: (612) 929 1200) in south Minneapolis.

Theatre:
The Tony award-winning Guthrie Theatre (tel: (612) 377 2224) is the jewel of the Twin Cities, presenting critically acclaimed contemporary productions that draw a national audience. The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts (tel: (651) 224 4222) in downtown St Paul presents top Broadway hits and innovative multicultural performances. Two restored classic theatres, the Orpheum Theatre and the Historic State Theatre (tel: (612) 339 7007 for both) in downtown Minneapolis' Hennepin Avenue Theatre District, often serve as the debut venues for large Broadway productions. Another favourite for top comedies and dramas is the Theatre in the Round (tel: (612) 333 3010). The Old Log Theater (tel: (612) 474 5951), set in a rustic stable in Excelsior, opened in 1940 and is the oldest running theatre in the country. With three auditoriums, Chanhassen Dinner Theatre (tel: (612) 934 1525 or (800) 362 3515) is the nation's largest professional dinner theatre. The Children's Theatre Company (tel: (612) 874 0400) is also a leading theatre group.

Dance:
The Ballet Arts Minnesota presents traditional and contemporary works at Northrup Auditorium (tel: (612) 624 2345) and O'Shaughnessy Auditorium (tel: (651) 690 6700). During the holiday season, the Minnesota Dance Theatre and School (tel: (612) 338 0627) presents the Nutcracker Fantasy at the Historic Orpheum Theatre. Other top dance groups include Minnesota Dance Alliance (tel: (612) 340 1900) and Ethnic Dance Theatre (tel: (612) 782 3970).

Film:
Minneapolis' Uptown Theater (tel: (612) 825 8620) shows artistic and alternative films and rolls out the red carpet for film premieres. The University Film Society screens international cinema in the Bell Auditorium on the University of Minnesota campus. State-of-the-art mainstream cinemas can be found at the Mall of America.
More than 57 feature films have been shot in the Twin Cities in the past decade. The most famous is probably the Coen brothers' Fargo (1996), followed by Purple Rain (1984), starring Prince. Others include Grumpy Old Men (1993), starring Walter Matthau and Jack Lemon, and more recently Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999) with Kirstie Alley.

Cultural events:
A Taste of Minnesota takes place on the grounds of the State Capitol in St Paul over the July 4th holiday weekend with live bands, food booths and fireworks. In August, Lake Street and Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis is host to the Uptown Art Fair, the largest art show in the region with over 500 artists. Autumn brings the European Oktoberfest in the Old St Anthony district of Minneapolis, with ethnic food, bands and folk dancing. The St Paul Winter Carnival is the country's oldest winter festival, featuring concerts and ice and snow sculpting. In April, the Festival of Nations in St Paul is a multi-ethnic event with food, music and folk dancing.

Literary Notes: The Falls of Minnehaha feature in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's famous poem 'The Song of Hiawatha' (1855), while Minneapolis and St Paul are described by Mark Twain in Life on the Mississippi (1883). The author F Scott Fitzgerald was born in St Paul and penned his first novel here This Side of Paradise (1920), as well as The Beautiful and the Damned (1922) and the story 'Winter Dreams' (1926). Playwright August Wilson, whose works include Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (1984), also once lived in St Paul. Another famous Minnesota writer was Sinclair Lewis, who used his home state as a setting for his novels Main Street (1920) and Babbitt (1922). The Twin Cities' most famous contemporary writer is arguably St Paul resident Garrison Keillor, creator of the long-running popular public radio programme A Prairie Home Companion and author of Lake Wobegon Days and Leaving Home.



Copyright © 2001 Columbus Publishing
    
GENERAL
City Overview
City Statistics
Cost of Living
 
GETTING THERE
Air
Road
Rail
 
BUSINESS
Business
 
SIGHTSEEING
Sightseeing
Key Attractions
Further Distractions
Tours of the City
Excursions
 
ENTERTAINMENT
Nightlife
Sport
Shopping
Culture
Special Events