Now that Children’s Theatre Company’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” seems to have settled into the role of theatrical comfort food – gracing the stage of the company’s larger auditorium on an annual basis – it’s interesting to examine how each new incarnation responds to the tone of its time.

Like the Guthrie Theater’s wintertime staging of “A Christmas Carol,” CTC is offering a tale of transformation about the liberation of a hate-bound heart, this one from the imagination of Dr. Seuss, with a dash of development from the 1966 TV cartoon.

Judging from Friday’s opening night performance at CTC, it seems the 13th time’s the charm for its musical adaptation of Seuss’ book. For this is indeed the most charming version of the story it’s yet presented.

In his second year at the helm of this show, director Dean Holt has found a sweet spot between the humor and the heart of past productions, seemingly borrowing the best elements from previous incarnations and convincing the cast to sell the material with all the sincere spirit they can summon.

It feels as if Holt and company looked around at all the fear afoot in our troubled time and decided to try a little tenderness when telling the Grinch’s story this year. So Holt is going extra wistful in his portrayal of the aging dog Max who narrates the tale in flashback, and, most notably, Reed Sigmund has settled upon an ideal formula for the Grinch, a role he’s revived multiple times.

This year’s furry green villain is more funny than scary, his behavior unthreatening, his confrontational manner with the Whos never feeling particularly dangerous. Even when Sigmund borrows Robert DeNiro’s daunting delivery of “Were you talking to me?” from “Taxi Driver,” it’s done with a whimsical wink.

Yet if one simply describes the plot of this tale, it can sound pretty dark and scary. As the pear-shaped, psychedelic-hued Whos joyfully celebrate Christmas Eve with last-minute shopping and another chorus of one of Mel Marvin’s largely forgettable songs, the Grinch stews atop neighboring Mount Crumpit before hatching a plan to burglarize the entire town, making of his lovable dog Max a reluctant accomplice.

Something else Sigmund succeeds in stealing is every scene he’s in, and that’s saying something when he shares the stage with such talented young actors as Harriet Spencer as the unconditionally loving Max (she shares the role with Adelyn Frost) and Chloe Sorensen as Cindy-Lou Who, the child who sparks both the Grinch’s darkest night of the soul and his touching transformation. It says something about this production’s heart-forward approach that her lovely ballad, “Santa for a Day,” actually eclipses the iconic “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” as the show’s most memorable song.

The buoyant spirit is also aided by Karla Grotting’s effervescent choreography, the Seuss-faithful designs of Tom Butsch and David Kay Mickelsen, and a nine-piece pit orchestra that enhances the moods with some effective musical underpinning beneath the dialogue.

From left, Harriet Spencer, Reed Sigmund and Chloe Hu of the Children’s Theatre Company in “Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” (Glen Stubbe / Children’s Theatre Company)

And, if you need assurance that it’s not too scary for the youngest audiences, I saw nothing but smiles on children’s faces when Sigmund wandered the auditorium and improvised exchanges with the audience while robbing the Whos, a very humorous high point of a particularly kindhearted and ultimately moving “Grinch.”

‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’

When: Through Jan. 4

Where: Children’s Theatre Company, 2400 Third Ave. S., Mpls.

Tickets: $114-$35, available at 612-874-0400 or childrenstheatre.org

Capsule: A sweet, tender take on the tale.

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The Gophers men’s basketball team wasn’t groggy for its Saturday morning tip-off against Alcorn State at Williams Arena.

Instead of an energy drink, the jolt was Minnesota’s stifling defense, which didn’t allow a bucket until 12:10 left in the first half. The U jumped out to a 17-0 lead in a 95-50 blowout win.

The Gophers had a similar sizzling start in the season opener against Gardner-Webb, not allowing a made field goal until 11:17 remained in the first half of that 87-60 win on Monday.

Combined, that’s more than 16 total minutes without a basket given up to start the opening two games of head coach Niko Medved’s tenure.

Both beginnings have been impressive, but need to be put in context. Alcorn State fell to 0-3 and was ranked 328th out of 365 teams nationwide, according to analytics site KenPom. Gardner-Webb dropped to 0-2 with a 97-59 defeat to Clemson on Friday and are 323 in KenPom.

Minnesota (2-0) will play at Missouri (2-0) on Wednesday.

On Saturday, the Gophers scored 27 points off 16 turnovers forced.

Point guard Chansey Willis, who was held scoreless in the opener, led the way in the first half with 11 points and four assists. He finished with 13 points.

Cade Tyson, who had a game-high 30 points against Gardner-Webb, finished with 21 points, including 10 of 11 shooting from the free-throw line.

Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, who joined Medved in a move from Colorado State, posted his second consecutive double-double with 15 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. On Monday, he had 13 points and 14 boards.

BJ Omot and Grayson Grove missed Saturday’s game with injuries. Omot (leg) also missed the season opener on Monday.

With some walk-ons also unavailable, Minnesota had only nine players suited up, which kept some regulars on the court at the end of the blowout.

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The Gophers football program picked up a commitment Saturday from KJ Henson, a defensive tackle from Hutchinson Community College.

“After a great (official visit), I’m blessed and excited to say I swill be 100% committing to the University of Minnesota,” Henson wrote on X.

Henson joins his JUCO teammate, safety MJ Graham, who committed to the U’s 2026 class on Friday. Those two and Hutchinson receiver Derrick Salley were in Minneapolis this week.

Henson, who is listed at 6-foot-3 and 289 pounds, had offers from Purdue, Kansas, Kansas State and others. As a redshirt freshman, the Glen Burnie, Md., native has 20 total tackles and six sacks for Hutchinson this season.

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Blending comedy and real-life experiences in a critique of the decades-long American housing crisis, zAmya Theater’s “Living in America: The Waiting List is Full” will return to Twin Cities venues this November.

Opening Nov. 13 at the Minneapolis Central Library, the play seeks to ask how the housing crisis began and how it could spiral out of control. Written by director Esther Ouray and the cast, “Living in America” focuses on the experiences of those at the system’s center.

The show will also have performances at 825 Arts in St. Paul and the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis later in the month.

zAmya Theater’s “Living in America: The Waiting List is Full” was written in collaboration by director Esther Ouray and the cast. The play blends comedy and real-life experiences for a critique of the U.S. housing crisis. The play opens Nov. 13 and will travel to multiple Twin Cities venues. (Bruce Silcox)

According to the 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report, homelessness in Minnesota rose almost 10%, while the national rate rose around 18%.

Another key finding of the study was that nearly all populations reached record levels of homelessness, affecting families with children, individuals, people staying in unsheltered or sheltered locations, and unaccompanied youth.

“A total of 771,480 people — or about 23 of every 10,000 people in the United States — experienced homelessness in an emergency shelter, safe haven, transitional housing program or in unsheltered locations across the country,” the report said.

Ouray said the mission of zAmya first drew her into the theater as a performing and teaching artist of more than 45 years.

“That mission of combining lived experience and artistic expression is something that I was already doing to some degree,” Ouray said.

The show is a series of vignettes following the history of the housing crisis in America, beginning in the 1930s, when housing was severely affected by the Great Depression and the introduction of the Federal Housing Administration and the U.S. Housing Authority, as well as the practice of redlining and displacement. The U.S. housing policies are the through line of the show, with the cast portraying characters from each era — including those based on their own lives.

“Most of our troop live in public housing. And I had lived in public housing. So, we brought it up,” Ouray said. “And the first time we brought it up, it was surprisingly such a charged issue. Everybody wanted to talk about it. Everybody was really excited to talk about it. Everybody had something to say.”

One actor in the troop, Linward Jones, found the play to be a chance to share his story after being introduced to zAmya after his experience of short-term homelessness.

“I had to go through a short term of homelessness, and one of the places I would hang out was the Minneapolis Central Library,” Jones said. “The zAmya Theater group, they meet in the library on Tuesday mornings. And so I attended one time and I fell in love with it. The work that they do, how they receive people and help people in the community.”

During the writing process, Jones contributed his own experiences of homelessness and living in public housing.

“Either the waiting list is full or somebody don’t care,” Jones said. “It’s one of the two. And I think that last year, being a part of the show — there was a lot of truth behind it and it was very relatable. And hearing other people’s testimony and dealing with public housing and such, I think it’s a raw and positive message.”

Actress Marcia Barnes, another member of the cast, was drawn to zAmya for its creativity and openness.

“There are so many layers of homelessness and layers of waiting to get affordable housing that we haven’t even touched the surface of,” Barnes said. “It’s everyday people. And I’m hoping that this production will be the beginning of something to open that up, for people to see more of the diversity and the complexities of homelessness.”

Beginning in 2004, the zAmya Theater Project connects communities throughout the Twin Cities to theater and artistic expression, centering on social justice, advocacy and collaboration, according to its website.

“zAmya Theater envisions empowered and interconnected communities that story staring, start seeing and change the systems that dehumanize us,” reads their mission statement.

‘Living in America: The Waiting List is Full’

When: Nov. 13-21

Where: Minneapolis Central Library (Nov. 13), 825 Arts in St. Paul (Nov. 15-16) and Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis (Nov. 21).

Tickets: Priced on a sliding scale, with more information and tickets available at zamyatheater.org

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