Arts in Minneapolis & St. Paul

April 26 - 30, 2007
Sponsored by TDF




This five day, four night trip includes: roundtrip airfare, four nights at the Crowne Plaza Art Northstar, daily breakfast, three lunches, two dinners, as well as tours of Minneapolis' finest museums and theaters.  



Something remarkable is happening in the Twin Cities.  With gleaming skyscrapers set amid glittering lakes, each sitting astride the Mississippi River in the heartland of America, both Minneapolis and St. Paul have thriving theater, music and art scenes guaranteed to surprise and delight.   According to a recent issue of USA Today, visitors will find more fine art, architecture, theater and music than they can digest in a week, all in tidy, safe, easy-to-reach and easy-to-navigate areas.  For vibrant cultural activity, many rank the Twin Cities third in the United States, surpassed only by New York and Chicago.  The Minneapolis theater scene is outstanding with more than 30 venues, nearly 100 theater groups and more theater seats per capita than any other North American city beside New York.  We attend a production of  William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice at the architecturally acclaimed new Guthrie Theater, built on the banks of the Mississippi.  For our second offering we have tickets for William Bolcom's kaleidoscopic song cycle, Songs of Innocence and of Experience, performed by 400 musicians at Orchestra Hall.   Our third performance is an acclaimed production of Figaro by the innovative TonyŽ Award winning Theatre de la Jeune Lune.  The Twin Cities' museums are among the nation's best as well.  Many connoisseurs consider the innovative Walker Art Center to be the nation's finest contemporary art institution with a renowned collection and an exceptional sculpture garden.  The Frederick Weisman Museum, designed by Frank Gehry, inspired the design of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain and the Minneapolis Institute of Art, one of the biggest, most comprehensive US art museums, has an extensive collection from around the world.  We enjoy fine restaurants and shopping.  We plan theatre talks with local playwrights to enhance your experience.  This spring join us as we explore the arts in two of the most livable and culturally active cities in the United States.






1.  Thursday, April 26     York/Minneapolis-St. Paul
We depart from LaGuardia on Northwest airlines non-stop flight at 11:30am and arrive at 1:40pm in Minneapolis/Saint Paul, the "Twin Cities" on the great Mississippi River.  En route from the airport we see the famed lakes area (there are twelve lakes within the city limits of Minneapolis) and the Mississippi River, which flows through both cities, roaring over St. Anthony Falls.  We walk over the old Stone Arch Bridge for a full view of the falls, which mark the uppermost navigable point on the river, and have our first glimpse of the Minneapolis skyline.  We check in at the Crowne Plaza Northstar Hotel, ideally situated in the heart of the vibrant downtown.  After time to refresh, we have a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.  (Dinner)  



2.  Friday, April 27     Guthrie tour, talk and play/Museums
This morning we tour backstage at the new signature multi-stage Guthrie Theater complex, designed by internationally acclaimed architect Jean Nouvel, situated on the banks of the Mississippi River.  Sir Tyrone Guthrie, regularly called the "finest director in the English-speaking world," founded this theater company in 1963, and the American regional-theater movement was born.  Guthrie's focus on a first-rate resident acting ensemble and insistence on high production values inspired actors and audiences alike.  After our tour we meet a member of the Guthrie's artistic staff for insight into the current productions.    
 
We next visit the nearby Mill City Museum which has a display of documents, costumes and memorabilia collected from the 43 years of the Guthrie Theatre.  The Museum also chronicles the flour milling industry that dominated world flour production for roughly a half-century and fueled the growth of Minneapolis.    
 
Next we visit the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum, famous for its avant-guarde collections.  Frank Gehry designed the striking new stainless steel and brick building, situated on the grounds of the University of Minnesota.  It inspired his highly acclaimed Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.  You are free for dinner.  Tonight we have tickets at the Guthrie Theatre for a production of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.  In Shylock, Shakespeare created a notorious yet surprisingly sympathetic character confronting the anti-semitism of his time.  As the controversial moneylender demands his pound of flesh, this poetic tale explores the issues of prejudice, intolerance, faith and personal identity - themes that still resonate today.  (Breakfast)(Lunch)  



3.  Saturday, April 28     Museums/ Orchestra Hall
This morning we attend a lecture on the Twin Cities theater scene from several people involved in local theater companies.  Next we tour the city.  Minneapolis is justly proud of it newest architecture.  We explore the new Michael Graves design at the Minnesota Institute of Art.  The renovated galleries provide one of the most expansive displays of Chinese and Japanese art in this country.  The new wing showcases the outstanding collections of twentieth-century and contemporary art and is recognized internationally as one of the outstanding museums in America.  
 
Located adjacent to the Institute is the Children's Theatre Company (CTC), recognized as North America's flagship theatre for young people and families as well as a major cultural and artistic resource in Minnesota.  Founded in 1965, CTC has set a standard for excellence in theatre for young people, the creation of new work, and arts education.   CTC's commitment to quality theatre was recognized with the 2003 Regional Theatre TonyŽ Award. The award honors a theatre company that has demonstrated and maintained a superior level of artistic excellence and contributed to the growth of national theater.  We plan a backstage tour and a talk with a member of the artistic staff. (tbc).  
 
After lunch, we visit the American Swedish Institute, located within the historic Turnblad mansion, which showcases the Institute's collection of Swedish glass, decorative and fine arts, textiles, and items from Sweden.  The Institute is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is fine example of turn-of-the-century "chateauesque" architecture, filled with intricately carved oak, walnut and mahogany interiors.    
 
After dinner (on your own) we have tickets for our second performance, a concert at Orchestra Hall, among the most acoustically perfect theaters in the world.  A veritable host of performers representing all musical genres brings William Bolcom's kaleidoscopic song cycle, Songs of Innocence and of Experience, to life at Orchestra Hall.  An ambitious setting of William Blake's 46 poems, this Grammy Award-winning work emerged over the course of 25 years of the composer's life, incorporating elements of classical, choral, rock, blues, country, reggae and folk music.  The VocalEssence Chorus & Ensemble Singers, the Minnesota Chorale, the Minnesota Boys Choir and ten vocal soloists will perform the work with a 105-piece symphony orchestra - a total of over 400 musicians on stage!  The New York Times called Songs of Innocence and of Experience  "a masterpiece of our time and place - gigantically ambitious"; the Chicago Tribune said it is "one of the finest and most important new American works of the decade"; and The Boston Globe heralded it as "the greatest achievement of synthesis in American music since Porgy and Bess." (Breakfast) (Lunch)  



4.  Sunday, April 29     St. Paul/Theatre de la Jeune Lune
This morning we visit St. Paul, one of America's most beautiful capital cities.  It is often referred to as a "European style" city because of its quaint and charming atmosphere and its respect for classic architecture.  Saint Paul's Summit Avenue boasts one of the longest stretches of virtually uninterrupted Victorian architecture in the United States--beginning at the European-style Saint Paul Cathedral and running to the Mississippi River.  Downtown Saint Paul features a number of historic buildings including:  the State Capitol, the Fitzgerald Theater (home to Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion), the Landmark Center, the Saint Paul Hotel, and breathtaking views of the Mississippi River.  
 
We return to Minneapolis and visit the Walker Art Center which began as the first public art gallery in the Upper Midwest.  The museum's focus on modern art began in the 1940s, with the acquisition of works by important artists of the day.  Adjacent to the Walker is the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, one of the nation's largest urban sculpture parks.  When the Garden opened in 1988, it was immediately heralded by the New York Times as "the finest new outdoor space in the country for displaying sculpture."    
 
Tonight we plan our farewell dinner and attend the Theatre de la Jeune Lune's unique, irrepressible, revolutionary and acclaimed production of Figaro that marries elements from Beaumarchais' daring comedy and Mozart's sublime opera, The Marriage of Figaro, to create something brand new, part play, part opera and, despite a dejected Figaro, "a  gleeful romp."  There is an audience "talkback" after production.  The American Theatre Wing's 59th annual Regional Theatre TonyŽ Award was bestowed on Theatre de la Jeune Lune.  (Breakfast)(Dinner)  



5.  Monday, April 30     Return to NY
After a relaxed breakfast we depart for the airport for our 1:15pm non-stop flight which arrives at LaGuardia airport at 5:00pm.  (Breakfast)  





This engaging experience includes:

  • Round trip airfare on Northwest Airlines
  • Four nights' accommodations at the Crowne Plaza Art Northstar, Minneapolis
  • Three productions including: Guthrie Theater, Theatre de la Jeune Lune, Vocal Essence Concert (Orchestra Hall)
  • Daily breakfast, 3 lunches, 2 dinners
  • Theatre talk and backstage tour at the Guthrie Theatre
  • Tours of St. Paul and Minneapolis
  • Visits to : Minneapolis Institute of Art, Walker Art Center, Weisman Art Museum, and American Swedish Institute
  • Minneapolis airport transfers
PROGRAM PRICES  
Per person (double occupancy) from New York: $1,779.00  
Single Supplement: $325.00  
Air Taxes: $45.00