Stage Review – Rathskeller: A Musical Elixir
Presented By: Jansen Art Center – Lynden, WA
Show Run: October 29 – November 7, 2026
Date Reviewed: November 6, 2026
Run Time: 2 Hours, 30 Minutes (including a 15-minute intermission)
Reviewed by: Jake Schlack
Welcome to Rathskeller: A Musical Elixir, and a modern-day Christmas Carol... without the Christmas. John Casey, a musician at heart but financier by consequence, finds himself belly-up to the bar of judgment. Face his past and accept the final ruling, or spend eternity in Rathskeller, the cellar speakeasy of purgatory. This world-debut rock musical, presented at the Jansen Art Center in Lynden, takes audiences through a series of pivotal moments in one man's life, showing us exactly what happens when the choices we've made finally catch up.
Matthew Twining anchors the show, impressively spending nealy the entire 150 minutes on stage. He's every bit the passionate, emotionally aware songwriter turned alcoholic corporate douchebag. Twining conveys the material in such an endearing and sympathetic way that I'm left heartbroken, wondering how the transition happened so quickly.
The other constant stage presence is The Bartender, played by an absolutely locked-in Tara Hanson. A snake-eyed Ghost of Christmas Past meets goth masochist (whom I strongly suspect is a big softy at heart), The Bartender acts as a guide and prosecutor... of sorts. Clapping from one pivotally heart-wrenching moment to the next, Hanson ushers audiences through the painful choices of Casey's past. Constantly watching, questioning, aggressively doubling down on Casey's lines of consequence, audiences are left with a singular feeling: relentless accountability. Hanson's voice, sharp movement, and intensity are particularly suited to the role and elevate the entire experience in a way that feels uniquely her own.
Ella Hieronymus plays Ty, Casey's ride-or-die since childhood. A real-world parallel to The Bartender, Ty unashamedly calls out the protagonist's questionable choices, always showing up just as things are about to take a significant turn. What The Bartender does through hostile accusation within the purgatory that is Rathskeller, Ty does through eager concern and love. A youthful presence, Ty steadfastly anchors the audience to Casey's roots and heart of hearts. Hieronymus exudes a contagious, idealistic optimism that selling out is ultimately a choice, no matter the circumstance.
Casey's off-again-on-again (you read that right) love interest is Becca, portrayed by Erin Connolly. Miss Honey before Matilda, Becca is a kind, warm heart on a suspiciously undisturbed punching bag. This makes Connolly an excellent choice for Becca, as one cannot help but feel she is every bit the genuine caregiver she portrays. Her voice is soft and supported by an aching depth that makes what she endures that much more painful. It's a good thing she can do better.
A single moment... and a singular expression by Tony Dvoracek brought a genuine tear to my eye. Casey's father, Bill, is a struggling to stay on the wagon alcoholic. As a husband, he's mid-abusive toward Casey's loving mother. Casey finds himself caught in the middle ground of inaction. It never gets quite bad enough to bounce AND his father never stays on the wagon long enough to trust. It's a difficult situation, ripe with potential for pain and regret. Dvoracek captures that complicated reality in a single moment that tears.
Casey's beloved mother, Linda, is played by the adorable Maria Miller. Like Becca, Linda is thoughtful, caring, and sincere. Despite all of that, or perhaps in some ways because of it, she is an extreme enabler. Linda's husband, Casey's father, is an absolute dick when he drinks. Foreshadowing a parallel we see later between Casey and Becca, Linda and Bill are 25 years further down the path of a progressive disease. All of Casey's decisive moments come back to this. Miller embodies the warmth and generosity of a loving mother, absolutely justifying every ounce of Casey's guilt.
Tasha is Ty's (remember them?) sister and boss lady, who tempts Casey with the easy, if somewhat generic, life of finance. Played by Bonnie Hollingsworth, Tasha pushes Casey to shelf his passions and meet deadlines, crunch numbers, and chase the big bucks. Does Casey really have a choice when his mother is at home with a kind of abusive father? Maybe. Will he find a way to justify himself no matter the choice he makes? Most certainly. Hollingsworth joins Hieronymus, Connolly, and Casey's assistant Peyton, played by Laura French, for a particularly powerful and skin-tingly harmonic quartet.
The ensemble is the foundation of every production. Like the bass player in a band, the ensemble can show up, hit their marks, and you've got a show. Yet sometimes the ensemble can SHOW UP, HIT THEIR MARKS, and suddenly you're at a James Brown concert and the bass is slap'n. Rathskeller is well on its way to the relatively obscure James Brown reference. Each ensemble member was focused, snappy, sharp, intense, expressive, all the other words. I can see each of them as a lead in full stride. Johanna Stromberg and Preston Shoemake were especially connectable in the emotional dance sequence accompanying Connolly's beautiful song, "Ghost"
A special shout-out to the makeup of the Rathskeller staff, creepy and oddly sexy.
Choreographer K.C. Halldorson brings a delightful and intense physical punctuation to the production. The movement feels like the actual physical shape to the sound.
Directed by Andrew Cooper, with musical direction by Bronwyn Riggins, this show has a unique specialness. Playwright Brianna Kothari Barnes spent several days on sight workshopping the production on it's way to Broadway!
Yes! That! More please.
Another note, I love live bands, especially in a space like the Jansen Art Center. There's something particularly satisfying about experiencing live musicians in a small venue, the music and performers are one yet you can pick out and analyze each individual component as if it were the only one playing. That precious phenomenon is unique to an intimate setting.
The historic Jansen Art Center is a beautiful and historic venue adding immense value to the overall experience. Its artsy atmosphere is well suited to musical theater and lends a prestige a particular show may not otherwise have.
A world-debut musical, Rathskeller is an entertaining and continuously accelerating hard look at addiction, family, ambition, love, and accountability. At its heart, this is a story about our choices, and whether others grant us mercy or demand justice. Perhaps justice is the mercy?
Rathskeller: A Musical Elixer, ran on stage at Jansen Art Center in Lynden, WA through November 7. Though the show has closed, you can learn more about the theatre and its upcoming events by heading to their website at https://www.jansenartcenter.org/.
Photo credit: Annie Ryan
