Makes me proud!

When it comes to theater in this country, we're No. 2

Are we really that good?

By Graydon Royce, Star Tribune



Are we really that good?

The folks at Travel + Leisure magazine and CNN Headline News cast a net in search of opinions about 25 urban destinations. There's no explanation of methodology on the magazine's website, but apparently 60,000 people responded to the online survey.

We did pretty darn good here in Our Town when it came to cultural amenities, but the rating for theater has us blushing. We're No. 2, behind only New York -- which is like being No. 1 because New York is in a class by itself. In 2001, I wrote a story about how the Twin Cities sold more theater tickets per capita than any city outside Gotham. That was a quantitative look; without the questions that Travel + Leisure asked, it's tough to pinpoint what has people jazzed about Twin Cities theater. There is, after all, a city called Chicago.

"Well, there's no question that Chicago is a much bigger theater scene than your lovely town, although we have no building to compare with the Guthrie," Chris Jones, theater critic for the Chicago Tribune, said in a gracious e-mail. He is, however, required by the facts to point out, "We do have over 200 theaters and about 20 top-rank theaters that would, I think, outrank all but the Guthrie in budget and artistic quality."

Casey Stangl, a theater director who moved from Minneapolis to Los Angeles, said there isn't any question the Twin Cities deserve mention in the top ranks.

"Whether it's [No.] 2 or 3 or whatever, the thing about theater in the Twin Cities is that it matters, culturally," Stangl said. "There's a lot of good theater in L.A., but it's a company town."

Terry Teachout, theater critic for the Wall Street Journal, coincidentally was in Minneapolis when I asked for his opinion. Teachout is about the only national critic who regularly visits regional theaters.

"I've been coming here once a year, but I've been thinking I need to do it twice a year because it's becoming increasingly clear to me that Minneapolis-St. Paul is a very important area for regional theater," Teachout said. "I have to rank Minneapolis-St. Paul with Chicago, Washington and Los Angeles as a major center of regional theater. "

Well. You'd never catch us blowing our own horn, but this guy's from New York City! Maybe we are OK.

Graydon Royce • 612-673-7299.