Review: HANDS ON A HARDBODY at Minneapolis Musical Theatre

Hands on a Hardbody is a regional premier playing through Minneapolis Musical Theatre and is presented at the showroom in the Luther Cadillac in Roseville. For 10 hard-luck Texans, a new lease on life is so close they can touch it. Under a scorching sun for days on end, armed with nothing but hope, humor and ambition, they'll fight to keep at least one hand on a brand-new truck in order to win it. In the hilarious, hard-fought contest that is Hands on a Hardbody only one winner can drive away with the American Dream. Inspired by the true events of the acclaimed 1997 documentary of the same name by S.R. Bindler, produced by Kevin Morris and Bindler.

This was the first Minneapolis Musical Theatre production I attended. I always enjoy going into a show where I don't know anything about it. I remember seeing the location and wondering why is this at an auto dealership and not knowing the musical, I later placed hardbody and the auto dealership together and thought what a great idea on utilizing a local intimate space. I grew up in a rural small town, so the characters reminded me of some people back home or people that I grew up around. It made me feel some sort of comfort as I am more of a city person but always appreciate the small-town vibe.

The set was a single Nissan truck in the showroom of the dealership. The characters all shared their reason for wanting to win the trunk and relationships, secrets, and inner character struggles all came to the surface around the truck as each character shared their story. The seating was intimate with spaces in between so that cast members and audience members could interact with each other. The cast all sounded great together during the full cast numbers and there were so many talented stand out voices across the diverse cast. The lighting, music, and sound were all great in the space.

I would recommend seeing this fun rare musical production where you'll laugh, cry, and relate before it's too late!

For tickets and show information, click here

Photo by Unser Imagery