Welcome to Northern Word, my home on the web. Here you’ll find my nature and travel photography, thoughts on writing, travelogues, and a growing collection of photographic writing prompts.  - Susan McNerney

Travelogues
Full color travelogues of the Black Hills, Italy, the Caribbean, and more. Plenty of insights and links to help you plan your next trip – or just experience one of mine from the comfort of your home.

Visual Writing Prompts
This growing collection of writing prompts uses my extensive collection of travel and nature photography as a way to get your creative juices flowing.

Nature Photography
Sometimes I stumble upon a landscape that I can’t forget. Here’s a growing collection of some of my favorite natural sites in the United States and abroad.

Your character turns a corner and comes upon a horse, who isn’t too happy to see him. The horse has been tied up but its owner is nowhere to be seen. Your character senses something is wrong about this – the horse has been left in an unusual place, unattended. The horse becomes more agitated. What happens next?

Bonus: write the same scene from the perspective of the horse.

There’s been many attempts to put down the “rules of magic” as they manifest in various fantasy novels. My favorite went around Twitter a while back and summarized how magic works in fifty different fantasy series. But those are the rules for other people’s fantasy books. As I finish up my MFA, I’m also finishing up the last revisions of my own book, a contemporary fantasy set in the redwood empire of California. As part of this effort I wrote down how the rules of magic work in my world. I have two more contemporary fantasies in the works as well, and I want to maintain some consistency in my work, so setting this down was a useful exercise for me.

What follows here is not how YOU, or anyone else, should do fantasy. I dearly love dozens of books that violate half of these rules. This is how I am doing fantasy, in my own work, at the moment, and I present this list of rules as food for thought.

1. The main character cannot have magic powers or a magical destiny that is pre-ordained. Her uniqueness must come out of human traits, not magical traits.
2. Magical characters can only be supporting characters.
   1. All magical characters must have severe limitations that are obvious early on. They cannot be omnipotent. They should be frustrated in some way by their limitations.
3. No psychic knowledge
   1. No character, including magical characters, can know something without physically observing it or having someone else physically observe it.
   2. Any dreams must be regular dreams, and must not inform the plot. They must only be there to establish thematic, character, or tonal elements. Characters must never learn or figure out anything new in a dream.
   3. Though some characters know more than others, none are omniscient. See #1.
4. No magical transportation can occur that furthers the plot. If a character needs to get from point A to point B, she will thumb a ride or take a bus. She will not ride Pegasus over the trees.
5. Animals cannot talk.
   1. Monsters can talk, but only offstage. Nobody likes a chatty monster.
6. There should be one primary magical object and its magic must be bounded by strict rules and limitations.
   1. Other magical objects must be associated with the primary object, be used sparingly, and be driven by the rules associated with the primary object.
7. A magical object should not acquire substantial new abilities over time. A pocket watch that lets you stop time shouldn’t suddenly allow you to change into an elephant late in the story.  However, properties of such objects can be revealed over time, as long as these properties progress logically and thematically from the original premise.
8. No magical object should be used to get around #3 (no magic mirrors, pensieves, etc).
9. When magic occurs, it should not be directly observed; only the result of the magic should be observed.
   1. Magical characters should never be witnessed casting spells.
10. 10. A “spell” (an incidence of magic) should not last forever.
11. 1. Magic is not infallible. There should always be a way to defeat or subvert or influence it.
12. Magic is violent and powerful. Magic leaves physical scars.
13. Magic is strange. Magic is noticeable and interrupts the ordinary world. Magic is not casually accepted (Note: this is one aspect of my work that differs strongly from much of magical realism).

Anyone out there have rules of your own?

Roughlock Falls can be approached two ways: from a brand new parking lot ten feet away, or from a dirt lot a mile away, which you will find because you aren’t paying attention. If you are lucky enough to park in that further spot, you’ll get to discover the falls, rather than having them fall into your lap. And that’s what makes a vacation better than watching television. In this episode of The Black Hills Travelogue, walk the path with me.

The parking lot, as best I can describe it, is a dirt area near a hotel, and is not far off the main road through Spearfish Canyon (Highway 14a). There were a couple of portable toilets nearby. We parked there simply because we saw trail signs, not realizing the lot next to the falls was a mile further up the road. After we got on the path, nature took over.

We were there in mid-May, early spring for the Black Hills. Rain clouds came and went overhead, with breaks of sun here and there. The path was empty, and we marveled at having the place to ourselves, not realizing most of the others who went to Roughlock Falls did so the easy way. After a short time we came upon a small dam:

On either side of the dam the canyon walls rise up steeply. Rain sputtered as we walked. Birds flitted about. A little further on, the dam faded into memory and the natural stream emerged again.

But not long after that, we discovered the falls themselves. And having walked a little ways to get there, the surprise was all the better.

The sound of the falls quickly overtakes the senses. We encountered a sudden crowd of people, and that’s when we realized there was another entrance to the falls. Though disappointed to no longer have the place to ourselves, heavy rains from the last few days poured over the falls.

Newly renovated trails snake up the side of the falls, and you can stand at the very top and look down, as well.  As we left we took a look back at the cascade, and though he didn’t pose for the camera, we did see a Water Ouzel playing in a lower section of the falls. Look for these unusual birds if you visit. They frolic in the rushing water and are quite entertaining. It’s a good sign to see them – they’re snobbish about water quality.

After leaving Roughlock Falls we toured the rest of the Spearfish Canyon byway (14a). Highly recommended – the walls of the canyon rise up dramatically. By then it was pouring, though, so I have no good pictures of the rest of the trip. This drive is an easy day trip from Rapid City or the Sturgis area, and is close to Deadwood, Lead, and several other small towns in the northern Black Hills.

Don’t miss the rest of The Black Hills Travelogue! The hills, the parks, The Badlands, and more.

I’d never set foot in a “figure theater” before this week, though venues of this type have existed in some form in numerous cultures for hundreds, if not thousands of years. The Open Eye Figure Theater is purpose-built for performances involving puppetry, and this production of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice uses gorgeous marionettes for the task.

Born from the vision and craft of artist Michael Sommers, inspired by Goethe’s original text (Goethe’s poem was also the inspiration for Disney’s Fantasia sequence of the same name), this production has a visual design that is both striking and incredibly clever. The set itself becomes a character, morphing in both purpose and scale and rebuilding itself as if by magic into various scenes, ranging from a kitchen to Dali-like staircase. Mischievous wizard hats pop out of cupboards and tease the young apprentice. A venerable old sorcerer appears to float against an inky blackness. Every scene contains a visual surprise or delight. And throughout, the apprentice’s unexpected friend, the Scrat, pops in to prod him along and check on his progress.

Honestly, it’s hard to imagine a more delightful way to spend an afternoon. The set is a moving sculpture containing dozens of hand-fashioned pieces in a rich, earthy color palette. At any given moment I could have frozen the frame, taken a photograph, and had a nice piece of art to hang on my wall. But of course I didn’t. I couldn’t look away.

The story is straightforward; anyone familiar with Fantasia, or the Goethe text, will be fine, but so will everyone else. The narrative is not cluttered with unnecessary steps, even though I might have been tempted to draw the story out myself, just to extend the wonder. As a result the piece is exactly the right length. As the apprentice’s skills increase, so do the visual surprises.

My advice for those who want to catch this production before it ends March 11th is to arrive at least 45 minutes early to get a seat close to the front. When I was there the theater was packed and I was a little too far back.

One last thing: I never thought I would be so fascinated to watch someone write on a chalkboard. Backwards.

Extended through March 11, 2012.

Other Resources:
Open Eye Figure Theater (Minneapolis) Ticket info, Directions.
City Pages review of Sorcerer’s Apprentice at Open Eye
Twin Cities Daily Planet review of Sorcerer’s Apprentice at Open Eye
Star Tribune review of Sorcerer’s Apprentice at Open Eye (may require subscription)

Directed by Terry Johnson – at the Guthrie through March 11, 2012.
At some point in the career of a legendary artist their outward persona becomes a kind of public cultural property. They start to appear in books, plays, and more recently, films, first as references, later as characters. Mark Twain, for example, has landed in everything from Star Trek to stage plays. At a time when our culture is increasingly locked down by trademark and copyright, this kind of art seems refreshing; here, just like the old days, one set of artists can build on the work and legacy of another and make something new that has value of its own.

End of the Rainbow takes on the troubled persona of Judy Garland in the last weeks of her life and tackles addiction, celebrity culture, and exploitation. The play revolves entirely around the wondrous performance of British actress Tracie Bennett, who becomes Judy Garland in voice, movement, and every visual aspect; the performance is so convincing, so immersive, that even when she seems to be going over the top, it’s impossible not to believe her. This Garland is both a force of nature and a vulnerable woman mired in addiction and trapped by a rolling financial disaster. It’s hard not to feel sympathy, though she is certainly not portrayed as a victim. Garland here is the logical result of a lifetime of exploitation and personal choices. There is not so much an arc for her character, as a steady downward trajectory. This is a play that doesn’t just have an ending, it’s entirely about an ending.

But despite the subject matter, the show isn’t particularly dark. The script is smartly written with plenty of ironic humor, and the composite character of the pianist (Michael Cumpsty) adds a gentler energy to the stage which balances well with Bennett’s Garland. And the musical numbers, in which Bennett’s characterization comes to life to its greatest extent, fill the room, sometimes brilliant, sometimes fragmented. The final rendition of “Over the Rainbow” is the highlight of the show.

This is an easy play to recommend – and an unusual opportunity to see a West End production from London as it stops in Minneapolis on its way to New York. Even the set (built at the Guthrie), which consists of a perfectly opulent hotel room with a surprise inside, will pack up and move east after the Guthrie Run is over. According to the stage manager, who commented during an excellent post-play discussion, this also includes costumes (also created at the Guthrie) such as a glittering pantsuit that evoked both Garland’s style and a bit of that magic that followed her from Oz throughout her career.

The theater was packed and advance reservations are recommended.  The play contains mature themes and strong language. Just like the post-Oz Judy Garland.

Other Resources:
Review of End of the Rainbow at The Morning After Blog (Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine)
Review of End of the Rainbow at the St. Paul Pioneer Press
Review of End of the Rainbow at the Minneapolis Star Tribune (may require subscription)
Minnesota Public Radio interview with Tracie Bennett
Review of End of the Rainbow at Howwastheshow.com
CBS Local (WCCO) feature piece on Tracie Bennett

If the sight of hundreds of ice age mammals caught in a deep pit interests you, there’s that and plenty more in the geological and paleontological wonders of the Black Hills. Stan the Dinosaur, petrified trees, and buffalo jumps all fascinate the science-minded visitor. And don’t get me started on the fantastic rock shops. We’ll take a look at the full variety of rock and bone related attractions in the Hills in this edition of the Black Hills Travelogue.

Mammoth Site

We’ll start with the Mammoth Site itself, the premier tourist-oriented scientific attraction in the Hills. Despite it’s relative isolation from other Black Hills attractions, a trip to the Mammoth Site offers a nice drive and can be combined with a trip to the nearby Wild Horse Sanctuary. We arrived in the sleepy town of Hot Springs and parked in a large lot on a hill above the main part of town. The building itself was cathedral-sized, but didn’t inspire at first glance.  Once inside, though, the magnitude of this active dig becomes obvious.

This colossal animal trap was created when an underground cavern collapsed 26,000 years ago. The resulting pit included a lovely spring which bubbled up fresh water and lured animals ranging from Mammoths to saber-toothed cats to their deaths. Eventually the sinkhole filled up and nobody was the wiser, until the discovery of the fossils in recent times. At the attraction visitors take a guided tour and though the guides are quite young, they are very well trained and can answer some complex questions. The facility could use some upgrades – their phone-based tour guide amplification system is something straight out of the 60′s – so try to stay near the front of the pack if you have trouble hearing. But what you’re here for is the science, and the spectacle of hundreds of years of wildlife frozen in time.

A highlight of the Mammoth Site is also the small attached museum. There’s some gorgeous reproductions here:

I especially enjoyed their pygmy mammoth, a species which lived nearly until historical time on the islands off the coast of Southern California (now Channel Islands National Park). Just the right size of for a family pet. Not so good as a family pet would be this fellow:

If you happen to know the species, please drop me a comment. It’s either a bear or a cat. It’s big enough to eat you.

The Black Hills Institute – Home of Stan™ the Dinosaur

One of the great scientific treasures of South Dakota is the Black Hills Institute, a museum and nonprofit which celebrates geology and paleontology in a densely packed but impressive collection in downtown Hill City. Hill City is a delightful stop for many reasons, but this is a big one.

The Institute is probably most famous for its involvement in the controversy over Sue the Dinosaur. A massive T-Rex, Sue was excavated by Institute’s staff, but after a contentious dispute ended up in Chicago, where she would go on to play fetch with Ben Stiller in “Night at the Museum.” Well, perphaps that wasn’t actually her, but I’m sure she would if she could.

But that controversy is of little matter to the visitor, who can still see Stan™ (yes, he’s trademarked), an enormous original T-Rex skeleton. Stan™ towers over the small museum. This is an opportunity to get a sense of how extraordinary these animals really were. There are two creatures have the power to remind apes like ourselves of how small we really are: a living elephant, and a dead dinosaur.

Because the museum is so crowded, it feels like the T-Rex is running in a herd of dinosaurs, a la Jurassic Park. The smaller specimens are all fascinating. Many are originals, a few are replicas.

In addition to the displays the Institute has a large gift shop full of rocks, fossils, geological equipment, and an excellent selection of books on relevant subjects. If you actually ARE a scientist of some sort, or an amateur enthusiast, you’ll geek out.

Petrified Forest

The Petrified Forest is one of those old geological attractions that has an authenticity to it you don’t see in too many museums these days. Some of the exhibits are 30 or 40 years old, hand made, but explain the geology of the black hills to a layperson better than anything else I’ve seen. The site is on a ridge top on the property of the Elk Creek Resort and is in the city of Piedmont, a northern suburb of Rapid City. The forest is up a very steep, but short, dirt road in back of the resort (note: a shuttle is available at the resort if you don’t think your car can make it up the grade).

All visitors are given an introductory video on VHS – yes, VHS still exists – which though filmed at least 25 years ago, is an excellent overview of the geology of the area. The Black Hills are unique, and the story of how these isolated mountains erupted from a stark plain will change the way you look at this landscape. From there, visitors tour through a museum of carefully designed dioramas which further illustrate the point. If you are short of time though, you can just continue on to the trail with your self-guided tour card and walk out into a lovely forest. The trail passes numerous examples of petrified wood from the site, in some cases not moved from the original position.

That wood looks almost real, but in fact it is roughly 125 million years old. The trail is littered with these stumps and logs which are strewn as casually as the day they fell. There’s so much, it can be stacked up like cord wood.

This walk isn’t just nice for the petrified wood. The views from the ridge top are lovely.

Don’t let the lack of a sophisticated web site or the presence of a VCR put you off – this really is worth it for the geologically inclined. Kids might enjoy hunting for petrified logs, and trying to tell the difference between modern and ancient from a distance.

And one final thought: I have no idea if the owner is looking for a sponsor, or donations, but if someone has a pile of money to throw around, this place could be even more awesome. People with piles of money: please contact this guy. But let him do his thing, he’s good at it. See website link above.

Located at 8229 Elk Creek Road in Piedmont, SD, just a short drive off of I-90 northwest of Rapid City.

Vore Buffalo Jump

(Note: Closed during winter) There are probably several other places where Native Americans rounded up bison to be pushed off cliffs back when there were enough bison for this strategy to be both effective, and useful. This, however, may be the most accessible to a modern day visitor. On a windy rise right next to I-90 in Northeastern Wyoming, the Vore Buffalo Jump is an active paleontological and archeological site which got a brand new protective building in 2010 to help preserve the layers yet to be excavated. You pay a small fee to a volunteer and then hike down a spiral path into the pit. It’s like a miniature version of the Mammoth Site, but focused on Bison and Native American culture. Multiple tribes probably used this site over many years.

The jump is a good stop on the way back to Rapid City from Devil’s Tower (take exit 199) or a short trip out of Rapid City from the east (exit 205). Better directions are here. The day we were there, a couple of volunteers staffed the dig site and answered questions.

Before leaving, take a moment to look up at the ledge above. Though not the original contour of the land, it gives you an idea of how bison might have gone flying over the edge in a stampede.

Other geological attractions

There are several other ways to enjoy the rocks and the bones of the Black Hills.

Rock shops: It seems like the rock shops are scattered every few yards. Some of these are run by geologists with advanced degrees, others by knowledgeable enthusiasts, and any one of these intriguing stores can suck up an hour of your time (and a portion of your wallet). Tip: figure out if you need bookends before you leave home.

Turtle skeleton at Reptile Gardens: I’ll be posting a separate installment of this travelogue to cover the Reptile Gardens, but that attraction also has an ancient sea turtle skeleton that is pretty impressive:

I don’t know about you, but with the glass dome and all the plants that scene looked like the visitor’s center in Jurassic Park to me.

Museum of Geology: Finally, one attraction we missed on our trip was the Museum of Geology at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in Rapid City. Their collection is said to be both vast and unexpected, including full skeletons of seagoing dinosaurs and giant hunks of gold. You can satisfy your scientific cravings and your inner greed in one stop. They even have a baby Plesiosaur from Antarctica and a gigantic Mesasaurus, which is a seagoing lizard that would have eaten you if you had taken a dip in the ocean way back when.

Don’t miss the rest of my Black Hills Travelogue – see the Table of Contents, here.

At the Guthrie Theater – Directed by Lisa Peterson – Runs through 26 Feb 2012

It’s been a while since I got down to the Guthrie – I’ve been distracted by the lovely Cowles Center on the other side of down town, as well as some traveling Broadway crews. But Cat looked like a good way to fill in one of the gaps in my theatrical education.  It’s an uneven production, with some stellar performances and a few weak spots, but worth the trip.

Emily Swallow as Maggie the Cat is stellar, and that’s fortunate. Not only does she have 90% of the lines in the first act, she plays against an oddly passive Brick (Peter Christian Hansen). Without this powerful Maggie, the energy would have drained from the room. Brick is supposed to be disconnected, uncooperative, and hostile; that’s just how he rolls. But this Brick crosses the line from obstacle to object. His presence on the stage at times is so passive he seems like set dressing. Even with his limited lines in this section of the play, I wanted Brick to be a bigger, more imposing, more noticeable guy. I needed him to be more brittle, more on the edge, and to have a lot more energy around him.This issue is far less noticeable in the second act, where Brick’s emotional climax was deftly handled. But I didn’t have a foundation upon which to appreciate it.

Big Daddy, played by David Anthony Brinkley, is perfect in his role of an old plantation boss on his way out. His climactic scenes with Brick are a highlight of the play. This is an actor who walks on stage with his character fully formed and understood without saying a word. Also notable was Melissa Hart as the long-suffering wife of Big Daddy, and a woman who has created a fantasy version of her husband. Her comic timing was excellent in a role that can easily become cartoonish, but in this case, succeeded.

Another feature of this production is the handling of the “No-Necked Monsters” who are the five children of Brick’s sneaky brother, Gooper. These young actors appeared to be having an absolutely fabulous time, as about every ten minutes they get to run screaming through the Guthrie, often shooting cap guns and otherwise causing mayhem. (I must admit some jealousy there. There’s been one or two theatrical productions over the years where I might have liked to do that, too.) The children’s costumes are bright and far too pretty, as if they are living dolls, and they sing horrifying inspirational tunes and say inappropriate things. This contingent was used to exactly the right degree, and did not overwhelm the production. Instead they created a comic thread that ran nicely throughout.

One sound note: we were in the 5th row, orchestra, and I had a hard time hearing Brick several times in the first act. This might have contributed to my perception of his energy. Didn’t have that issue with any of the other actors.

Other Resources
Star Tribune Review (This article may require subscription)
TC Daily Planet Review
Brainerd Dispatch Review
Twin Cities.com Review
Citypages – The Dressing Room Blog – Feature piece
Star Tribune feature piece
How Was the Show blog – Review

The Black Hills have numerous caves, but the two biggest and most impressive are in the national parks. I’ve already written about the fascinating Jewel Cave National Monument here, so it’s time to take a look at the more popular of the two, Wind Cave National Park.

Don’t miss the rest of the Black Hills Travelogue, here.

The first thing to know about Wind Cave National Park is that there’s just as much of interest above ground as below. Unlike Jewel Cave, which is a postage stamp surrounded by National Forest land, Wind Cave has over 28,000 acres of prime Bison and Prairie Dog habitat and plenty of wide pullouts for visitors to stop and enjoy the wildlife. The vistas here are rare: natural prairie barely exists in America anymore, and here you can look for miles and see landscapes similar to those encountered by Native Americans before the arrival of European settlers.

The Prairie Dog viewing in this park was the best we saw in the Black Hills, and second only to the viewing opportunities at Devil’s Tower N.M. in Wyoming. So if you’ve got chubby, chirping rodents on the brain, head to Wind Cave.

But most people go here to see what’s underground. And this is where our experience was a bit more mixed. Wind Cave has a plethora of tours – at times as many as 5 – and the selection is a bit confusing. We only had time for one, and so we chose the most popular, the “Garden of Eden” tour. We met the tour at the expansive visitors center:

Parking was tight, but manageable, though we were there during “shoulder season.” Parking could be an issue in the high season. We met our guide under a canopy close to the entrance out back. The tour was huge – at least 30 people, far too large (their limit is 40!). When I did tours of Oregon Caves National Monument as a guide there, we limited ourselves to 12. Sure, Oregon Caves is more hazardous than this relatively unchallenging route, but the smaller group gives the visitor a much better overall experience. There is a definite feeling of a cattle call at Wind Cave.

Visitors enter the cave through a door in the rock and quickly descend down a long, straight slope with stairs and low ceilings. It’s far more closed in than Jewel Cave, so claustrophobes beware. Our guide stopped to show us this cave’s “signature formation” – the speliothem for which the cave is internationally renowned. It’s called “Boxwork” because it looks like a grid of old mail slots. At Oregon Caves we had a couple of small examples of this, but at Wind Cave, the boxwork is everywhere.

What you’re looking are the echoes of cracks in the rock. Water oozes through the cracks and builds up formations in the same shape.

Once we’d seen the boxwork, it was a long slog to the end of the route, which for this tour is a low room with few features where the guide gave us the end of her canned lecture.

And that is my major objection to what’s going on at this cave. The guide was simply awful, and embodied all the major mistakes a tour guide can make: condescending tone; tour content clearly designed for small children with little of interest to adults; inability to answer even basic questions, betraying an underlying lack of knowledge – or care – about the science; and an inability to go off script and adjust to her group. It was like being led around by a computer-automated kindergarten teacher, and I mean no disrespect to kindergarten teachers. That they put this person in what appeared to be a ranger outfit was even more of an insult. I’d rather the Park Service not pretend it has real rangers when in reality it’s just employing part time college kids with no expertise, as was clearly the case here. Put them in another outfit. And don’t call the low-rent staff “rangers.”

Even more amusing (or not), at the beginning of the tour the guide asked us to tell her what other caves we’d been to. I volunteered that I’d worked at Oregon Caves as a guide. She said, “Oh yes, that’s a lava tube cave.” I said no, it’s a karst cave, predominantly marble. She actually disagreed and insisted it was a lava tube cave. I corrected her again and she moved on without acknowledging her mistake. Not only was she generally ignorant of the geology of Wind Cave (dispensing false notions about how long it takes cave formations to form, for example), she was willing to commit to wildly false information just to have something to say.

I really hope the National Park Service eventually recovers from all this endless budget cutting and misguided outsourcing and downgrading, but I’m not optimistic after seeing this.

Logistics: Wind Cave National Park is on the south end of the Black Hills, and borders the southern edge of Custer State Park. It’s easily reached in a day trip from Rapid City, Custer, or Hill City. There is a special cave tour for those with limited mobility, but the Park Service site gives no information on how extensive this tour is, so call ahead to make sure it’s worth your while.

It’s perfectly possible to visit, as we did, both Jewel Cave and Wind Cave on the same day, as both are on the southern end of the hills. You’ll just be doing a lot of stairs.

Parking was limited when we stopped by during the shoulder season and could be an issue during peak times.

Bottom line: if you’re visiting only one cave during your trip to the Black Hills, I recommend Jewel Cave. Though Jewel Cave has fewer formations (except its crazy preponderance of cave popcorn), the formations of interest on the Wind Cave Garden of Eden Tour – the most common tour – were mostly limited to the boxwork. While I nerded out on that fascinating formation, which is at its best in the world in this cave, I know from experience that the average visitor wants either amazing formations to see OR a fantastic guide who can bring the science alive and show them how special the cave is without needing the visual aid of a ten foot column. And this cave just hasn’t made the investment in interpretive staff. I base this not just on our guide, but on conversations I had with 5 other rangers while I was there – only one of them appeared to be experienced and knowledgable, and he wasn’t in the cave.

Jewel Cave, on the other hand, makes up for its lack of large formations with a much more grand, and mysterious, cave environment. And kids will love the cool elevators. The only upside I can see for Wind Cave is a far more developed visitor’s center, so larger families might find it more convenient.

Don’t miss the rest of the Black Hills Travelogue, here.

Les MIserables – Cameron Mackintosh production – Minneapolis at the Orpheum through Dec 18 2011.
I first saw Les Miserables (gasp) 25 years ago, as a birthday present from my parents when I was in junior high school. For a fourteen-year-old girl, Les Miserables is the perfect play: full of emotional depths and peaks, a couple of cute guys, and a feeling that yes, the entire world might end right now, but god, isn’t it BEAUTIFUL?

Fortunately, Les Miserables has enough going on to keep my, er, slightly older self just as engaged 25 years later. This new production is just different enough to feel fresh and modern, and sacrifices none of the good bits.

The “good bits” includes those great solos. J. Mark McVey’s Jean Valjean is a little quiet at first but he delivers where it counts. My personal favorite from the song list is “Bring Him Home,” and a thrill went through the audience after the last impossibly high, gentle note. His performance grows throughout the night until he fully claims the gravity of the role toward the end.

Javert’s (Andrew Varela) smooth baritone delivers throughout, and with this character was one of the more notable differences in the staging of the old vs new. In the original, Javert simply jumps off a bridge, presumably into a soft cushion in a pit. In this version, Javert goes high tech, in an intriguing combination of a massive video wall and flight cables so that he looked as if he were falling horizontally into a black hole. It felt a tiny bit silly, but I liked it anyway. Such is the power of Les Miserables.

And that video wall is used to great effect, more so in the second half of the show. The video wall – showing drawings based on author Victor Hugo’s own sketches – created the illusion of tunnels deep underground. At one point the innkeeper/thief character enters through dark portion of the screen, creating the convincing effect of a mysterious figure emerging from deep underground. These sorts of effects couldn’t have been imagined 25 years ago, and yet they don’t distract or overwhelm the play today. I for one am glad to see the lazy susan has been retired (previous productions had the barricades on  a rotating table).  Despite the high tech bells and whistles, this set helped focus more on the actors and the story by not creating a giant central focus/distraction.

The major negative of this performance was Fantine (Betsy Morgan), who shouts bitterly at the beginning of “I dreamed a dream.” Her performance seemed rushed; the timing was off in comparison to the rest of the show.

But after 25 years, Les Miserables still pleases the crowd, receiving one of the most spontaneous standing O’s I’ve seen in a while, from 2500 patrons. What is it that makes this play endure when other musicals, like “Cats” have become stale jokes? Hard to say, but I’d pin it on a combination of operatic style, emphasis on crowd-pleasing expansive vocal range, and a popular storyline of redemption against a wider historical backdrop. And one more thing – there’s not a trace of irony in this show. What comedy there is is brief, and largely physical. When you see Les Mis, you’re allowed to be that 14 year old girl again, caught up in the emotional roller coaster, all snark and cynicism having been left outside the theater.