My current favorite thing is...

All of the great theaters for live performances we have at our disposal in this area of ours! 

Between Minneapolis and St. Paul, and the surrounding suburbs, there are so many opportunities for live performances. There are options for national shows rolling through town, little shows that you've never heard of, comedies, dramas, musicals, improv...the options are endless.

And I love that so many of those options are completely affordable. So affordable we can take our kids to shows. I love that my kids will be exposed to live theater from a young age.

Some of my favorites:

1. The Children's Theater: I went here a lot in my childhood on field trips and as a teenager because I had a friend who acted in plays here. It's a fantastic theater for kids (and grown up kids--I love so many of their plays) and can't wait to take my kids there. I think my daughter and I will be seeing "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" this holiday season.

2. Stages Theatre Company: Located right by us, this was my daughter's first ever live show. She has grown up loving all the "Llama, Llama" books and when I saw they were performing "Llama Llama Holiday Drama," I knew we needed to see it. It did not disappoint. 

3. The Ordway: Have to give some love to St. Paul...I love this theater so much. It's beautiful and so many "big" shows come through here. It takes a little saving for me to go to a show here, but whenever I do, it's always worth it. (In this same vein is the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis. Beautiful and lots of Broadway shows make stops here.)

4. Brave New Workshop: Home to original comedy, satire and improv. You are guaranteed a good time if you see a show here. It's been too long since we've gone, I think a date night here is in order...especially to see their new holiday show.

5. Chanhassen Dinner Theatre: Great shows, dinner, and some big names have called this home. (I'm talking about you, Amy Adams.)

Speaking of our great theater scene, I recently won a fantastic giveaway from Lindsey, owner and lead stylist of Fashion Fix. {If you're local, you really should check out her site and follow her on social media ('FashionFixMN' on all platforms: FB, Twitter, Instagram)--she offers great styling tips and does tons of discount shopping. She'll let you know where the sales are; and as a huge thrifter she really knows how to stretch your dollar.} Lindsey recently gave away 2 tickets through her newsletter for "Disenchanted," a musical comedy playing at the Illusion Theater in downtown Minneapolis that I won. So I invited my mom and we had a girls night out.

Led by a rather snarky Snow White, the princesses you knew from your childhood joined more current princesses for a hard look at the downside of princess life in "Disenchanted." The performances were fantastic--Show White, Cinderella, Rapunzel and Ariel were some of our favorites. It was so creative and funny...and even touching in some parts. We had a great time and laughed a lot. It's only running through the weekend and there are still some tickets available so if you're free and want to see a clever, funny musical at an affordable price--check them out. 

Do you have a favorite theater?

xo Sara