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An electrifying fusion of hip-hop and classical music at Orchestra Hall. An exploration of distorted historical narratives around women via the classic Greek play “Hecuba.” An Afrobeats dance party. And an open-mic night that connects Black, Indigenous, and other young people of color to their cultural heritage.
Those vibrant events headline the Twin Cities arts scene this weekend.
Concert fuses hip-hop and classical music
The Minnesota Orchestra is teaming up with hip-hop sensation Nur-D and arranger Andy Thompson, known for his work with artists like Dessa and Taylor Swift, to bridge the worlds of hip-hop and classical music.
Before the music begins Friday and Saturday nights, Jamaican cuisine, locally crafted beers, and THC-infused drinks will be available from some of Nur-D’s favorite Minneapolis hotspots: Pimento Jamaican Kitchen and Modist Brewing. Additionally, hands-on activities will be provided by artists of color from Banana Leaf Collective and The Legacy Building throughout the Orchestra Hall Lobby.
Date: Friday, April 5, and Saturday, April 6.
Time: 8 p.m.
Location: The Minnesota Orchestra, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis
Cost: Tickets start at $43. $15 for a student group of 10 or more.
For more information: Visit minnesotaorchestra.org.
Updated ‘Hecuba’ centers women of color
Minneapolis’ Pangea World Theater, a multicultural company, will present Marina Carr’s modern adaptation of the Greek classic “Hecuba,” recentering the narrative on the female characters.
“Hecuba” tells the story of the queen of Troy as she navigates the harrowing effects of the Trojan War. Having lost her husband and children, she grapples with grief and vengeance.
The play was written by Euripides in 424 B.C. Carr “saw that proper justice was not done to the queens,” said director and Pangea co-founder Dipankar Mukherjee. “The women characters were painted one-dimensionally.”
Carr’s Hecuba, played by north Minneapolis actress Suzanne Victoria Cross, and her daughters are depicted as multifaceted and resilient.
“The centrality of women as complex characters spoke to me,” Mukherjee said. “All my life, I have yet to meet a woman [who acts] the way history and the world portrays them.”
Mukherjee’s casting choices, which include actors of color in roles traditionally portrayed by white actors, have stirred controversy. “Somebody said, ‘I don’t understand why you cast an African in the play?’” he said. “‘What right do you have to do this with our classic?’ We have a Black Hecuba, which to me, is nothing extraordinary, but it raises a lot of questions in other people’s heads because they think Greeks are all white, right?”
Carr’s script also posed challenges for Mukherjee’s directorial approach because the subtext of the character’s thoughts are spoken aloud.
“In Indian dramaturgy, we say the script is just the boat; the depth of the ocean is the unspoken,” Mukherjee said. And unlike mythology, which often conceals as much as it reveals, Carr’s “Hecuba” lays bare the truth, Mukherjee said.
For instance, in the play, Hecuba’s daughter reflects on the skewed historical narrative of the aftermath of the Trojan War, stating “the Greeks wanted to get their stories down, their myths in stone, their version with them as heroes. Always noble, fair, merciful. No, they were wild dogs. The barbarians. The savages who came as guests and left an entire civilization on its knees.”
Departing from traditional Western theater staging, Mukherjee opted for a circular arrangement to foster a sense of connection among performers and audience members. Additionally, the performance incorporates Indigenous rituals such as a grass dance and a war dance.
“Our job is to bring people together, to engage in a discussion so that hopefully, every day we’re asking questions,” Mukherjee said. “Along with the audience, we’re searching for answers out of this violence, you know? What do we need to do so we don’t leave the next generation behind, where everything is set up for them to be depressed and jaded?”
Date: Friday, April 5, to Sunday, April 21
Time: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
Location: The Southern Theater, 1420 S. Washington Ave., Minneapolis
Cost: Tickets start at $18. $15 for students. Buy tickets here.
For more information: Visit pangeaworldtheater.org.
Dance party features East African beats
Minneapolis’ Cedar Cultural Center will host an Afrobeats dance party featuring South Sudanese reggae-dancehall artist Dynamq and Kenyan and Laotian culture rap artist Fanaka Nation, blending rhythms from Africa with the spirit of the Twin Cities.
Fanaka’s music melds East African beats with his own unique style, which he calls “culture rap,” and explores issues from colorism to the African commodification of mainstream media.
Fanaka’s music isn’t just about raising awareness. It’s also about spreading joy and urging people of color to love themselves despite a world that often appropriates, diminishes, or commercializes their identities. That’s where the Afrobeats dance party comes in.
Fanaka hopes his music helps his listeners feel liberated. “I hope people feel happy, because I feel happy when I perform,” he said.
Date: Saturday, April 6
Time: 8 to 11 p.m.
Location: Cedar Cultural Center, 416 Cedar Ave., Minneapolis
Cost: $23 online in advance. $28 on the day of the show.
For more information: Visit thecedar.org.
Open-mic night celebrates BIPOC youth
Public Functionary, in collaboration with Echo with the Earth, Indigenous Roots, and Native Youth Arts Collective, will host “Sacread,” an open-mic night featuring Indigenous poets Isavela Lopez and Ailene Ashikana.
The event coincides with Candida Gonzalez’s exhibit “Blood Memory,” which pays homage to Puerto Rican traditions and diasporic experiences. Participants, particularly young people of color, are encouraged to contemplate their own “blood memory,” reflecting on the knowledge and experiences passed down through generations that shape the collective consciousness of communities of color.
Attendees are invited to explore the connection to their ancestors through spoken word, poetry, music, dance, and storytelling. Sign up here.
Date: Saturday, April 6
Time: 6 to 9 p.m.
Location: Public Functionary, 1500 St. NE., Minneapolis
Cost: Free
For more information: Visit instagram.com/indigeroots or email isavelalopez5@gmail.com.
