THE PRESS PRAISES MAUREEN’S WORK
A HOUSE DIVIDED:
This musical is excellent in every respect . . . . The songs are sophisticated and challenging; frankly, they were more melodic than most of those that you hear in modern musical theater. . . . [They] helped to convey to the audience the nature of the relationships of Lincoln with his family, his family among other members of their family and those in their immediate circle, and Lincoln with members of his cabinet. . . . The second reason the play succeeded was the authors’ choice to use Mary Todd Lincoln’s dressmaker, Elizabeth Keckley, as narrator. . . . You will not be bored.
-Richard P. Myers — Narberth Public Posts
. . . [A] rousing new musical. . . . The grandeur of the era is told from the point of view of a former female slave turned dress maker to the most important women of society. Interestingly, the character says it is easy to learn the inner workings of a household when one is invisible. The show presents this unique point of view and an honest look at those who prevailed during a war that turned brother against brother, tore families apart and broke the bodies and hearts of Americans.
-Ginger Agnew — B Sharp’s Studio 6
GOT IT MADE:
Thrilling and totally cathartic.
– Art Hounds on Minnesota Public Radio. Listen to the whole segment: LISTEN HERE
I loved the language of it, and the songs . . . , and the characters were memorable .; . . bursting with talent . . . .
– Mark Osler — Osler’s Razor
. . .GOT IT MADE [is] a delightful feel good musical with well drawn characters and clever lyrics sung to catchy tunes . . . .
My litmus test for a successful musical is that I leave the theater humming a new tune. When I left GOT IT MADE the person in front of me was singing the same tune that I had running through my head . . .
GOT IT MADE is a fast moving romp through the work-a-day world, packed with songs that will have you smiling and nodding your head in agreement . . . .One favorite is The Company Song with the wonderful line: “We are cogs in the wheel of the real estate deal. . . .”
Grab anyone you can and take them to this play. It’s reminiscent of those good old-fashioned musicals and I mean that in only the most positive way. . . . [A]nyone who has ever driven a car behind someone on a cell phone will appreciate Get Off Your Mobile Phone. I laughed out loud . . . .
– Michelle Wilson (Michelle Wilson is an award-winning playwright, and IVEY Evaluator (the IVEYs are the Twin Cities’ theater awards), and has been a regular contributor to Metro Magazine’s online reviews.)
AUDIENCES LOVE TO SEE MAUREEN’S SHOWS
A HOUSE DIVIDED:
I went to see A HOUSE DIVIDED yesterday and I must share. Go see it before it’s gone . . . it’s incredible . . . . The story, the writing, the music, the costumes, the acting, the history . . . all are wonderful . . . .[A]t the end I felt very emotional . . . because the entire play is so moving.
– C. Harvey
Last night I had the extreme pleasure of attending the show A HOUSE DIVIDED . . . . The show was smart, funny and filled with truly great music . . . .
– P. Spencer
The subject of this play happens to be of great importance and relevance at this very moment in time. It goes to the heart of what our country stands for, now and forever.
– T. Montrose
GOT IT MADE:
What a great show! I brought my family to the Sunday matinee. The kids loved Freddy, us parents loved Molly . . . . We may have to go back to take in all the little things we missed the first time.
– P. Hester
You gotta see GOT IT MADE. It’s well-written and well-played. You’ll definitely walk out at the end with a smile of your face, and who couldn’t use one of those?
– J. Neveux
Saw it last night — Loved it! Loved the set, loved the story, loved the music and dance and the great cast — Really, thanks for a fun theater experience, everyone.
– T. Harney
Loved the show. I am most impressed by your ability to put so much of the story into the song lyrics. There is no stop in the action — just the opposite. When the characters sing, everything is propelled forward several steps.
– M. Blomgren
CAST MEMBERS LOVE TO PERFORM MAUREEN’S SCRIPTS
A HOUSE DIVIDED:
A frankly amazing original script and score by Mike Salmanson, Maureen Kane Berg and Thomas C. Berg. You won’t believe how good this musical is. It’s funny, it’s tragic, and it’s beautiful. I’m literally crying at the end of every show.
– S. Hanson
It’s not just good. It’s scary good. Seriously. Don’t miss it.
– M. Stern
What an honor and a privilege to be a part of something so amazing, made even better by the telling of such an important time in our history, and with beautiful new music.
– D. Seifert
I just wanted to share with you – while practicing this song- how profoundly emotional I get. Both the lyrics and music are beautiful . . . capturing both the impending horror of what will unfortunately happen to our nation as well as the spiritual power of a cause greater than any one individual. From one composer to another, well done.
– B. McVail
GOT IT MADE:
I loved every moment of portraying Molly Merriweather in GOT IT MADE! So few roles are written for a belting alto these days, and Molly really gets to let loose. And while I loved the music, the best part was delivering lines that were intellectually witty. I got to laugh night after night at each character’s pithy delivery of both both book and lyrics that were sharp, funny and thought provoking. Live theater doesn’t get much more fun than that. My son still sings every word of “Get Off Your Mobile Phone” while we are driving down the street. Talk about catchy!
-Robin Roberson
Playing Freddy in GOT IT MADE was a highlight from my first few years in Minneapolis. From the hilarious and smartly-crafted love song “Freddy’s Lament,” to the wonderfully sweet and often goofy relationship that he develops with Chloe, this character never has a dull moment.
GOT IT MADE is a snappy, always funny, often charming musical. The songs are catchy (I still find myself singing “Glory to Cheeseman’s Real Estate! . . .”) and the humor will have you rolling in the aisle. The show flows from song to song seamlessly and leaves the audience with a lovely little heartfelt story. Any company of performers would have a blast with this piece.
-Tyler Michaels
I had an absolute blast playing Chloe Crystalson in GOT IT MADE! It’s not that common to find a soprano ingenue role with so much comedic potential . . . . She is the pretty/sexy girl but also a quirky character role that gives you plenty to play with. Another great thing about this show is the music. The witty songs are fun for the performers as well as for the audience. And, they ain’t too bad on the ears either! This is a great ensemble piece that is sure to be a good time for the performers as well as a crowd pleaser among audiences. And the positive messages of equality, integrity, and fair treatment in the workplace certainly don’t hurt!
-Mary Helen Schmidt
I was in the cast of “Got it Made” and had a great time! The music and dance numbers are very “snappy” and fun, the show is extremely well written and active. I . . . felt the show highlighted everyone’s talent very well. The songs were so much fun to sing and act in, that I loved coming to rehearsals and then performing in the show. My friends all loved it. . . . Thanks for all the good times!
– Linda Saetre
One of the reasons I loved being a part of Got it Made is the people who created this project stood behind it lovingly, were supportive of the strong cast that they chose and were enjoyable to work with and help make their dream a reality! . . . So happy that I could be a part of something so important to some pretty amazing people! And the songs were catchy, almost annoyingly so, which is always a good thing, because you will remember them. Thanks for letting me share this opportunity! I hope that wherever this is performed they will have as much fun as we did!
– Ashley Larson
CORPORATE EXECS LOVE MAUREEN’S EVENT CREATIONS
I had the opportunity to work with Maureen Kane Berg on the University of St. Thomas Opening Doors Capital Campaign closing celebration. Maureen wrote, directed, choreographed, and produced a skit for our celebration of achieving our $515 million goal. Maureen did a wonderful job of developing a skit that highlighted the talents of our faculty, staff, student, and alumni volunteers. She incorporated the diverse skill set in showcasing our academic and capital priorities in an entertaining and engaging way. Not only did she capture the spirit of St. Thomas, but did so within the context of large interactive dinner event for an audience exceeding 800 people.
Maureen handled the competing demands of an academic institution and limitations of the performance space with professionalism and aplomb. She was masterful with the volunteers and the event producers and that made the evening simply magical. Maureen is very talented at all aspects of performance creation and production. I am happy to recommend her services.
– Rachel Wobschall, Ed. D., Executive Director, Alumni and Constituent Relations, University of St. Thomas
It was my pleasure to work with Maureen on two high-profile events we held at the University of St. Thomas Law School. From start to finish Maureen was a consummate professional with an eye on every detail. She produced two outstanding shows which included writing songs and skits specific to our audience that were very funny and highly entertaining. She hired and directed excellent singers who effortlessly got our message across through song and performance. I would absolutely work with Maureen again.
– Angela Dzik, Event Planner, University of St. Thomas School of Law
