Author: rakemag

Could the origins of reality TV be traced back to Depression-era dance marathons? These events played out as grueling contests, in which curious onlookers watched young, desperate couples compete for prize money by bopping, literally, til they dropped. Bankrupt City Ballad recalls those days as Peter Rothstein, the brains behind Theater Latte Da, and Mathew Janczewski, ARENA Dances mastermind, hook up to transform the Southern Theater into an old-time dance hall. With a penchant for pretty music and bittersweet plot lines, Rothstein’s singers promise to unearth any tenderness that might be flickering among those Darwinian foxtrots. Southern Theater; 1420 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-340-1725; www.latteda.org

In a showdown between Saturday Night Live and Second City TV, SNL comes out the shrill, monotonous loser with the long, embarrassing sketches. SC was born onstage in Chicago in 1959, and expanded to the small screen during the seventies and eighties. Eight seasons of inventive ensemble comedy featured young comics like John Candy, Eugene Levy, and Martin Short. While the TV show has been relegated to DVD, the live show goes on, starring up-and-comers who no doubt toss coins into hotel fountains and wish for a contract doing more tedious work on SNL. Until then, they can tour with this live rerun, which revives some of the funniest skits from the SCTV archives, along with new and improvisational material. 2004 Randolph Ave., St, Paul; 1-800-277-6874, www.secondcity.com

With shows in Las Vegas and Disney World, performances on cruise ships, and six globe-trotting productions, what was once an artsy, small-scale French-Canadian circus has blossomed into a seriously big business entertainment. And, while it’s not exactly the exotic spectacle it once was, the troops enlisted by this troupe still put on one hell of a show. The latest production to sweep through Minneapolis bears the same kind of mysterious, seemingly made-up name (Corteo) we’ve come to expect from the troupe, along with contortionists, Euro-clowns (i.e., not the scary sort), child acrobats, tightrope walkers, aerialists, and the like. Actually, “Corteo” is the Italian for “cortege,” which is itself a French word for a procession or parade. But what, exactly, is The Grand Chapiteau? Why, that would be French for “big top,” which Cirque folk will erect, appropriately enough, on the Parade Stadium grounds. 600 Kenwood Parkway (west of the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden) 800-678-5440; www.cirquedusoleil.com

What’s hotter than the jazz at the Dakota? The new menu. When longtime chef Ken Goff departed, young hotshot Jack Riebel (formerly of La Belle Vie) stepped up to undertake a gastronomical renovation. His grilled lamb confit tart with goat cheese and tapenade strikes an earthy, rich note, and the ham and sweet pea soup plays sweet against dusky with white truffle oil. The downtown lunch crowd is going for the porcini burger with Tallegio cheese, while those who intend to skip out on work for the day choose the tequila-marinated shrimp ceviche from the bar menu. And fear not, longtime fans: the apple and brie soup endures. 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis; 612-332-1010; www.dakotacooks.com

Kabobi has arrived in Eden Prairie to save the khaki-clad office teams from yet another giant burrito. This warmly stylish joint offers two main dishes and a bevy of sides. Order the Kabobi sandwich and you’ll get seasoned, fire-roasted chicken, beef, or lamb cradled in flatbread with tomatoes, onions, cucumber, and a creamy herb sauce. Or go for the shish kabob and have your protein skewered alongside grilled tomato. Sides are fresh and oh so snackable; don’t miss the Persian pickles. Add a decent selection of beer and wine, plus the candle-lit ambience of the dining room at night, and this place becomes more than just a lunch spot. 13250 Technology Drive, Eden Prairie; 952-937-1414

David Fhima’s slick space in Galtier Plaza is near perfect, the kind of place geared toward you and your hunger rather than what the chef thinks you should be eating. Here, your dinner date can dig into a big seafood linguine while you gleefully ponder the beauty of a honkin’ slice of cappuccino buttercream cake, and no one will mark the inequity of your selections. LoTo is all things to all appetites: coffee shop, bakery, deli, restaurant, bar, and more. Pressed panini, innovative pizzas, hearty pastas, Edina Creamery ice cream, and sinful pastries all work together to fill your need for good food and a cool, urban place in which to eat it. 380 Jackson St., St. Paul; 651-209-7776

This season, as you know, black is the new black. That puts local artist and object d’art Scott Seekins in a bit of bind. A sartorial and tonsorial marriage of Tom Wolfe and Marsden Hartley’s Adelard the Drowned, Seekins has long stood out here in the land of the bland, with his trademark seasonal shift from summer whites to winter blacks. Hoping to avert a fashion crisis, we stepped in to give this icon a makeover—one that would allow him to continue to march to his own drummer (and retain the divine garnish of his signature headband, which simply cannot be improved upon). With varied patterns and a palette of rich autumnal colors, Seekins will still stand out at art openings and blend in with the fall foliage on his frequent out-state snake-hunting expeditions.