That Wonder Boy Wins Big in the Big Apple
‘That Wonder Boy, created by Twin Cities performer Bob Stromberg, wins three awards at New York theater festival.
The piece, written by Twin Cities performer Bob Stromberg, was named “Best One-Man Show”
By Graydon Royce Star Tribune NOVEMBER 24, 2015 — 1:34PM
Bob Stromberg starred in “That Wonder Boy,” which opened several years ago at the Music Box Theatre. “That Wonder Boy,” an autobiographical show written by Twin Cities performer Bob Stromberg, won three awards Sunday at the United Solo Theatre Festival in New York.
Stromberg won for “Best One-Man Show” and Risa Brainin was honored as best director. The piece also won the Backstage Audience Award — an online poll sponsored by Backstage Magazine. Both Stromberg and Brainin were in New York for the ceremony and Stromberg said they had to wait through 30 awards before their names were called. Then, they won three of the final five honors.
“It’s the first award that I’ve won since I won for playing the accordion when I was 7,” Stromberg said Monday morning.
“We had no clue,” said producer Dennis Babcock, who mounted an Indiegogo campaign to get Stromberg to New York for two sold-out performances at the end of October. “But we got an email last week encouraging us to have someone at the awards.”
That usually means something is afoot. The festival, in its sixth year, chose 150 shows from six continents out of 800 applications.
Babcock said he’s been working with Theater Mogul, the company that sends out “Defending the Caveman” and other small shows, for getting both “That Wonder Boy,” and “Triple Espresso” (which Stromberg helped create) on a national circuit.
“It could not be better timing,” Babcock said.
Stromberg’s show is one man’s ruminations about what makes art and whether it comes from great suffering or great joy. He strings together beautifully crafted and poignant stories from his own life. He opened the show several years ago at the Music Box Theater in Minneapolis.
“Even my sixth-grade valentine came out to see the show – and my mom and dad were able to attend,” Stromberg said Monday. “This is really a wonderful validation.”
“One of the most substantive comical one-man shows ever conjured.” The Culture Buzz, DesMoines
Bob Stromberg masterfully weaves autobiographical experiences into a critical exploration of the long-standing bromide that great art only comes from great suffering. This leads the audience on a captivating journey through life and art. In the process, everyday experiences become anything but ordinary, leading to moments of discovery and unexpected insight.
Minneapolis Star Tribune critic Graydon Royce writes “Bob Stromberg need never wonder whether he is an artist. His divine comic mission seems clearly fixed on uplifting the hearts of audiences, which he did for many years in “Triple Espresso.” Stromberg goes solo in a new show, “That Wonder Boy,” which opened Wednesday at the Music Box Theatre in Minneapolis.
Stromberg weaves tales from his life to explore whether he has the necessary suffering from which to create art. His gambit is a bad review (fictional) that he proposes he received a week ago. The wound has caused him to reflect, and he casts back to his childhood in search of his artistry.
This is a sunny warrior, genuine and comfortable as a leather slipper. Stromberg has a strong sense of the young Dick Van Dyke in his style — superb physical malleability, a halting vocal delivery and perfect timing. He has obvious love for his subjects, but his self-deprecating wit prevents his stories from becoming saccharine. He starts out brilliantly, telling of a sensitive lad who is overwhelmed by the melancholy chords of a simple folk song, the mystery of a great painting and the dazzling flame of autumn foliage. A poignant tale about the girl he sat next to throughout school — the crush he was too insecure to ask out — is absolutely gorgeous. We get the full portrait of a happy-go-lucky kid who was too shy to cut a swath in the world. ”
