The Walleye Kid: The Musical

Mu Performing Arts' The Walleye Kid first appeared as a drama in 1998, then resurfaced as a musical in 2005. Mu has been undergoing a process of steady growth all this time, to the point at which its budget makes it the fourth-largest Asian-American theater company in the country. This production, stretching out on the Ordway's McKnight stage, features Mu stalwarts such as Sherwin Resurreccion, Sara Ochs, and Momoko Tanno; Francesca Dawis takes over the lead role of Annie from older sister Isabella. And who is Annie? A mystical child from Korea who is adopted by a childless Minnesota couple longing for parenthood. In fact, the theme of the show is longing, for connection, roots, and human fulfillment. This year's model is a revised version; when I reviewed it a couple of years ago, I had my share of quibbles. Interestingly, though, what I remember now about it is sweetness, emotional honesty, and a sense of the universal search for meaning that typifies all our fish stories.
Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Starts: Jan. 19. Continues through Feb. 3, 2008