Audio Phantom of the NorShor (story audio) Photos Cameo on NorShor wall Jean Sramek Margi Preus View full slideshow (4 images) More from MPR New life for the old NorShor Working to save the NorShor Resources Colder by the Lake's web site Tools E-mail this page Print this page Sponsor

Phantom of the NorShor
by Stephanie Hemphill, Minnesota Public Radio
April 21, 2005

The NorShor Theatre, decorated in classic art deco, has not changed significantly since the 1940s. (MPR Photo/Stephanie Hemphill)

Duluth's Colder by the Lake Comedy Theatre chooses some unlikely topics for its original productions. The group's last comic opera was a fictionalized account of the founding of Duluth, called "Les Uncomfortables." It was based on the Broadway musical "Les Miz." Now the group is presenting another original satire, this time based on "Phantom of the Opera." It's called "Phantom of the NorShor," and the main character is a landmark theatre downtown.

Duluth, Minn. — The NorShor Theatre has been a fixture on Superior Street for generations. But in the last few years it's fallen on hard times. It's been passed from one manager to another. Each new manager has the perfect idea for keeping it open -- until reality sets in, and the losses mount. In real life, and in the play, the theatre closes again.

In an early scene, the theatre manager announces the NorShor is about to be turned into a multiplex, with only big name movies - "no more foreign films, and no more Michael Moore!"

"The people in our core company have very deep roots here at the NorShor," says Jean Sramek, who's been involved with Colder by the Lake for all of its 22 years. "It's a place we love, it's a place the community loves, we have a lot of memories here, and it just seemed like a natural fit."

Sramek is a writer and the producer of "Phantom of the NorShor." She says the comedy group takes plenty of liberties with Andew Lloyd Weber's music.

"We've changed the lyrics, and we've changed the entire content of the songs," she says. "For example, in 'Phantom of the Opera,' Christine sings this beautiful love song to her father, and it's called 'Wishing you were somehow here again.' Well, in our version it's a sad song about how the NorShor doesn't have a liquor license any more, and it's called 'Wishing they were serving beer again.'"

All the main roles are played by professionals. Tenor Calland Metts performs opera and light opera around the country. In Phantom of the NorShor, he plays the hero, who tries to come up with ways to save the theatre, although they've all been heard before.

There are ghosts in this show. But they aren't the unhappy spirits of deceased people.

Jean Sramek realized while she was working on the script that Duluth is full of ghosts - favorite buildings and downtown institutions that have disappeared.

"In this show we have a Phantom of the old Carnegie Library," she says. "We have a Phantom of the Glass Block, which is a department store in the downtown area. And we also have a Phantom of the Patty Cake Bakery, which for years was this popular bakery in Duluth, which made some wonderful cakes and things like that, that you can't get anymore."

But even with all the local references, Sramek says the play will strike a chord with anyone.

"Every town has old buildings," she says. "Grand architecture that has been subdivided."

But co-writer and director Margi Preus has a very different attitude.

"All right, the people from Minneapolis, they just might not get it," she laughs. "And do we care about that? No! They should live here then! But we invite everyone; we don't discriminate."

The creative team behind Phantom of the NorShor is serious about wanting to preserve beloved old buildings. But they have a lot of fun in the process.

They added a sword fight scene after seeing the movie for the first time and realizing a couple of characters duke it outit includes a sword fight. It turned out to be a handy addition, because several players have to make costume changes and the sword play gives them enough time.

Performances of "Phantom of the NorShor" run this weekend and next, at the NorShor Theatre in Duluth.