REVIEW: Mary à la Carte

photo courtesy of Hennepin Theatre Trust

I had the pleasure of being invited to review Mary à la Carte which started its run at The New Century Theatre Thursday night.  Mary à la Carte is described as “a one-woman show featuring a sassy waitress serving up USDA choice tales from her outrageous family.”  I took my husband and my parents on Friday and we all really enjoyed it.  The feel of the show is similar to sitting down with an aunt or uncle after a big family dinner and hearing them pass down legendary yarns about crazy relatives and old friends. Mary definitely has a lot of good stories to tell and at many times you wonder just how true they are. You could easily forgive her for taking artistic license, but then you realize her tales come from her real experiences and she even has some video to prove it (if no one orders Alphabet Soup, you’re missing out).  The fact that these stories are based on reality really makes the show interesting and all the more humorous.  The crowd was largely 40+, but you can still have a good time if you’re not being targeted by AARP.  If you’re from Wisconsin, you’ll also appreciate all the Wisconsin area references.

Mary à la Carte plays through April 15 at the New Century Theatre in Minneapolis.  Tickets are $25 a the box office, $32 online (dang service fees!) and $10 student/educator rush tickets are also available one hour prior to the show at the box office (limit 2 per ID).