Blog
Good morning, Singers! It is a busy week and I hope all of you are ready for some fun, some singing, and some help for our neighbors.
BTN is asking you to bring donations of food on Saturday to help our neighbors in Cedar Riverside. SNAP benefits which helps feed 1 of every 8 Americans and provides on average $186 monthly for food resources will likely not arrive on Saturday. They need our help right now. Trips to the food shelf at Brian Coyle have doubled this week, anticipating not getting help from the SNAP program.
Please donate shelf stable items like flour, sugar, noodles, lentils, canned goods, vegetable oil, olive oil, cereal, canned tuna, canned chicken, etc. Please put them in the boxes in the front lobby. Claudia will transport them to the Brian Coyle Center. If you are a snow bird, and looking to clear out food while you are gone, this is perfect!
We will be rehearsing on Saturday, November 1st, 2:00-3:30 on the 8th floor of the Guthrie. The focus right now is preparing for our holiday concert on December 20th. JD and Fred are creating really gorgeous arrangements of some holiday classics. You won't want to miss a minute. Tickets are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tis-the-season-with-be-that-neighbor-tickets-1848865389149?aff=oddtdtcreator
You are also invited to Coffee with Claudia on November 3rd at 9:30 at Mother Dough on 2nd and Park. We at Be That Neighbor believe there is far more happening that is good, that is working, and that is building a better community. The relentless drumbeat of all types of media serve to distract us and convince us there is no hope. We disagree.
We believe we need more conversation, time to come together and share what is happening that builds our neighborhood and that brings joy. There is wisdom here. People are our best resource and we want to tap into that and present a venue where we can come together to talk with each other.
Claudia Kittock is co-founder and Executive Director of Be That Neighbor. She has connections throughout our amazing city and will lead a discussion about the good things happening in our city.
On the first Monday of each month, we will sponsor “Coffee with Claudia” meeting at different coffee shops throughout our community. There will be no discussion of politics, no discussion of the problems we face, rather we are asking people to come to talk about and listen to our neighbors tell us what is working. Why do this? It’s too easy to forget that neighbors still look out for each other, that small efforts matter, and that joy is part of community life.
See you on Saturday, and hopefully, Monday!
Mill City Singers
Ten years ago, on October 24th, the Mill City Singers had the first rehearsal. It was at First Covenant Church and 29 people came. We KNEW something special had happened, and even though we had only contracted for 8 rehearsals, it was clear we had to find a way to do more.
A group of friends decided to form a nonprofit that eventually was known as Be That Neighbor. Our first goal was to find a way to keep the singers singing, so we started fundraising. Led by Ken Searl, we found a way to pay the expenses so that people who wanted to sing with us were not charged and that remains true today. If you want to sing with us, there are no fees, no auditions, and no requirements. You just have to come.
Along the way, the Guthrie offered us a space to rehearse and we started singing at events at Westminster Presbyterian, the Ordway, Orchestra Hall, the Capri, Waterworks Park, Powderhorn Park, and many other places. We sing because we love singing and being part of this community is healing. Music matters and so does the community that comes from that.
We are so grateful to everyone who has reached a hand out to help us over the years. MacPhail, the Guthrie, Theater in the Round, and every single donor and there have been hundreds. Every donation touches our hearts and keeps us singing and that matters!
What will the next 10 years bring? Oh, we can't wait to find out. Come and rehearse with us at the Guthrie today, October 25th, 2:00-3:30 on the 8th floor of the Guthrie. Find out about the magic that happens. We promise you will leave feeling better than you did when you came!
A photographer from MacPhail will be at rehearsal today, taking photos to publicize us and our upcoming concerts. Please dress accordingly.
We will begin rehearsing for our concert on December 20th which is a fundraiser for Be That Neighbor. Tickets are available and can be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tis-the-season-with-be-that-neighbor-tickets-1848865389149?aff=oddtdtcreator
The schedule for the 2025-26 season is as follows;
October 25
November 1, 8, 15
December 6, 13, 20 (at Antonello Hall at MacPhail)
January 17, 24, 31
February 7, 14, 21, 28
March 7, 14, 21, 28
April 11, 18, 25
May 2, 9, 16, 30
June 6, 13, 20
Thank you!!!
Join us tomorrow, October 21st at the Capri Theater, 2027 West Broadway! We are the guests of the Capri for a concert featuring us, the MacPhail Community Youth Choir (MCYC), and the Capri Glee.
The concert begins with us, so JD is asking you be there by 5:30 for a sound check. Our set consists of;
What's Going On https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-kA3UtBj4M&list=RDH-kA3UtBj4M&start_radio=1
Together We Stand https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25MIXWMg_BI&list=RD25MIXWMg_BI&start_radio=1
Joy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25MIXWMg_BI&list=RD25MIXWMg_BI&start_radio=1
Come and join the fun! You won't want to miss a minute.
See you there.
Saturday will be a perfect day to sing together with our incredible community of singers. Join us on October 18th, 2:00-3:30 on the 8th floor of the Guthrie. We have begun learning holiday songs for our concert on December 20th, as well as the songs we will be singing at the Capri on Tuesday, the 21st. A photographer from MacPhail will be at rehearsal on Saturday, taking photos to publicize us and our upcoming concerts. Please dress accordingly.
As you remember, we will be performing at the Capri on October 21st at 7:00, as guests of Capri Glee. It's enormously fun. Please wear fall colors and be at the Capri by 5:30 for a sound check. I have also been asked to remind everyone that is a 'no fragrance' event. If you have not reserved tickets for friends and family for the concert at the Capri, do so now at https://www.simpletix.com/e/capri-glee-choir-in-concert-tickets-237574.
Please remind your friends and family that on December 20th, 4:00 at MacPhail, we will be the featured choir for the "Tis the Season' fundraiser for Be That Neighbor! Two great events to look forward to
The schedule for the 2025-26 season is as follows;
October 8, 21st at Capri Theater, and 25
November 1, 8, 15
December 6, 13, 20 (at Antonello Hall at MacPhail)
January 17, 24, 31
February 7, 14, 21, 28
March 7, 14, 21, 28
April 11, 18, 25
May 2, 9, 16, 30
June 6, 13, 20
Thank you!
Mark Twain said it best, and we certainly do laugh together. When you add in amazing music, it makes for an incredible 90 minutes. We will be rehearsing on Saturday, October 11th, 2:00-3:30 on the 8th floor of the Guthrie. Join us!
A photographer from MacPhail will be there on the 11th, taking photos to publicize us and the upcoming concerts. Please dress accordingly. As you remember, we will be performing at the Capri on October 21st at 7:00, as guests of Capri Glee. It's enormously fun. On December 20th, 4:00 at MacPhail, we will be the featured choir for the "Tis the Season' fundraiser for Be That Neighbor! Two great events to look forward to.
If you have not reserved tickets for friends and family for the concert at the Capri, do so now at https://www.simpletix.com/e/capri-glee-choir-in-concert-tickets-237574.
The schedule for the 2025-26 season is as follows;
October 4, 11, 18, 21st at Capri Theater, and 25
November 1, 8, 15
December 6, 13, 20
January 17, 24, 31
February 7, 14, 21, 28
March 7, 14, 21, 28
April 11, 18, 25
May 2, 9, 16, 30
June 6, 13, 20
Thank you!
Mill City Singers
Here is a challenge for all of you. Listen to Joy! by Ben Rector at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MwKaVbfd5E, and see if you can keep from smiling and feeling better. Bet you can't! It is infectious when you listen to it and even more so when we get to sing it!
Join us on Saturday, October 4th, 2:00-3:30 on the 8th floor of the Guthrie. We are having SO much fun and you will want to be part of it. It's simple, come! No auditions and no fees, just show up.
The schedule for the 2025-26 season is as follows;
October 4, 11, 18, 21st at Capri Theater, and 25
November 1, 8, 15
December 6, 13, 20
January 17, 24, 31
February 7, 14, 21, 28
March 7, 14, 21, 28
April 11, 18, 25
May 2, 9, 16, 20
June 6, 13, 20
We are so grateful to be able to sing together about joy and optimism. You will leave feeling better than you did when you arrived.
Hope to see you Saturday!
Mill City Singers
If you haven't been able to get to a rehearsal yet, you are missing great fun and really uplifting music. Last week JD started teaching us Fred Hammonds, 'Love Never Fails' a message we can all use. You can sing along and practice at https://youtu.be/BEXdpmnyPJM?si=72BbxgXQrwF_soxA.
We will be rehearsing on Saturday, September 27th at 2:00-3:30 on the 8th floor of the Guthrie. Rehearsals are open to all and the more, the merrier. Join us!
The schedule for the 2025-26 season is as follows;September 27
October 4, 11, 18, 21st at Capri Theater, and 25
November 1, 8, 15
December 6, 13, 20
January 17, 24, 31
February 7, 14, 21, 28
March 7, 14, 21, 28
April 11, 18, 25
May 2, 9, 16, 20
June 6, 13, 20
We are so grateful to be able to sing together about joy and optimism. You will leave feeling better than you did when you arrived.
Hope to see you Saturday!
The Mill City Singers returned to rehearsals last Saturday and the fun was everywhere. There was great music, so much laughter, and our incredible community. I am betting you left feeling better than you did when you arrived.
The only thing better than a Mill City Singers rehearsal is another one! Join us on Saturday, September 20th, 2:00-3:30 on the 8th floor of the Guthrie. Just come!
The 2025-26 season will be filled with rehearsals, performances, and the chance to participate in many exciting community events. There are no auditions and no fees. Just come! Can't make every rehearsal, very few of us can. Any time you can come is a plus for all of us.
Mark your calendars now!
September 20, 27
October 4, 11, 18, 21 (Concert at the Capri) and 25
November 1, 8, 15
December 6, 13, 20 (Holiday concert and fundraiser for Be That Neighbor, 4:00)
January 17, 24, 31
February 7, 14, 21, 28
March 7, 14, 21, 28
April 11, 18, 25
May 2, 9, 16, 20
June 6, 13, 20
The Mill City Singers are back and the fun is about to begin again! For those of you who are new, buckle up! There will be great music, so much laughter, and an incredible community. You WILL leave feeling better than you did when you arrived.
The 2025-26 season will be filled with rehearsals, performances, and the chance to participate in many exciting community events. There are no auditions and no fees. Just come! Can't make every rehearsal, very few of us can. Any time you can come is a plus for all of us.
Mark your calendars now!
September 13, 20, 27
October 4, 11, 18, 21 (Concert at the Capri) and 25
November 1, 8, 15
December 6, 13, 20
January 17, 24, 31
February 7, 14, 21, 28
March 7, 14, 21, 28
April 11, 18, 25
May 2, 9, 16, 20
June 6, 13, 20
Nietzche said, "Without music, life would be a mistake."
Join us!!
It's difficult to believe that Saturday ends our summer session, but that is the reality. We will be meeting in Gold Medal Park at 9 a.m. one last time in 2025 and plan to return in 2026. The forecast is for a high of 76 and partly sunny. Can't beat that.
Join us!
FINALLY . . .a great weather forecast for Saturday, 70 degrees, sunny, and a 0% chance of rain. It is about time!! Please join us on Saturday, August 23rd at 9 am in Gold Medal Park for a wonderful hour of yoga together. There are only 2 sessions left, so join us while the sun is shining!!
The Mill City Singers are starting again soon, and the 2025-26 season looks better than ever, and that is saying a lot! We rehearse 30 Saturdays, 2:00-3:30 on the 8th floor of the Guthrie (thank you, Guthrie!!). It's as simple as you can imagine to be part of this incredible group . . . .show up! There are no auditions and no fees, just fantastic music and a wonderful group of singers. The schedule for the season is as follows:
September 13, 20, 27
October 4, 11, 16 (concert at MacPhail), 21 (concert at the Capri), 25
November 1, 8, 15
December 6, 13, 20
January 17, 24, 31
February 7, 14, 21, 28
March 7, 14, 21, 28
April 11, 18, 25
May 2, 9, 16, 20
June 6, 13, 20
Please read weekly emails as schedules do change due to unforeseen circumstances. You can also check on the schedule at www.bethatneighbor.org and https://www.facebook.com/BeThatNeighbor. Please 'like' us on Facebook.
We are so grateful for everything you do to make Be That Neighbor special.
JD, Jan, Susan, Chuck, Jennifer, Mimi, and Claudia
Good morning, neighbors! We have many wonderful events to share with you.
Saturday, August 16th at 9 a.m. we will hosting Yoga in Gold Medal Park. Bring a mat, a bottle of water, and a friend. It would be difficult to find a more beautiful setting or a better community. You will want to be part of it.
At 11 a.m. on the 16th, we will be hosting a short concert by 2 of the recipients of the Sallie Steele Birdsong scholarship. Cameron Foster and Genet Gessert will be singing in Gold Medal Park and you won't want to miss these talented young people. Bring a chair or a blanket and be ready to be dazzled. We are so proud of these 2 young people and are anxious to share their talents with you.
On Sunday, August 17th, Cedar Riverside is hosting Open Streets from 11-5 pm. It IS the best party in town and a really short walk! Grab a friend and neighbor and go.
We have finalized the rehearsal schedule for the 2025-26 season of the Mill City Singers. As always, there will be additions and subtractions, so make sure you are reading your emails. The schedule will also be posted on https://www.facebook.com/BeThatNeighbor/ and on https://www.bethatneighbor.org.
Mill City Singer Rehearsal Schedule for the rest of 2025
September 13, 20, 27
October 4, 11, 16 (concert at MacPhail), and 25
November 1, 8, 15
December 6, 13, 20
We are so grateful to each and every one of you that make Be That Neighbor the vibrant organization it is. As Paul Wellstone said, 'We all do better when we all do better.'
Thank you---Jan, Susan, Mimi, Chuck, JD, Claudia, and Jennifer
ANOTHER rainy Saturday!! We will need to cancel today, unfortunately. Even if it isn't raining at 9, the ground is soaked. We will hope that the next 3 times will bring perfect weather so that you can join us for yoga in Gold Medal Park. We will see you on Saturday, August 16th at 9 a.m. All you need is a mat and a bottle of water. No fees, just show up and be part of our community of neighbors that practice in the park during the summer.
Can't wait!
There are only 4 more times to join us for yoga in the Gold Medal Park this summer. Come on Saturday, August 9th at 9 a.m. All you need is a mat and water. No fees, just show up and be part of our community of neighbors that practice in the park during the summer.
Can't wait!
We are so very sad to share the news of the death of Mike Seaman, board member for Be That Neighbor and long time tenor in Mill City Singers. He died unexpectedly while at home. Mike was a kind and gentle spirit, always ready to help, no matter what needed doing. While we grapple with this loss, let's take time to hug the people we love and to appreciate every moment. We will not forget you, Mike. You made us better and stronger.
Good morning, neighbors! It's a wonderful week for Be That Neighbor, and it is filled with summer fun. Make sure you have all of these on your calendar.
Today at 7:00 pm the wonderful aerialist that performed in Gold Medal Park will be back, and performing in Curry Park, across from the Mixed Blood Theater and right next to Brian Coyle Community Center, 420-15th Avenue South. You won't want to miss it.
We had the biggest yoga crowd of the season last Saturday, and had a wonderful shared practice. Please join us this Saturday, August 2nd at 9 a.m by the Gold Medal Park letters. All you need to do is bring a mat, some water, and a friend.
Missing the Mill City Singers? Me too! The final schedule is being worked on and will be out very soon. Mark September 13th as the beginning of our 2025-26 season at 2:00-3:30. There are so many reasons to join us and all of them begin and end with joy!
Be THAT Neighbor
Good morning neighbors. It was a very good week for Be That Neighbor and the week ahead looks good too.
Thank you to everyone who supported the staged reading of Hope 612. We had a wonderful and enthusiastic audience and our actors performed so very well. Watch the newsletter for announcements of what comes next for this amazing project.
The Mill City Singers are on summer hiatus and plan to return on September 6th at 2:00 on the 8th floor of the Guthrie. We have exciting plans for the 2025-26 season and you will want to be part of all of those plans.
Open Eye Puppet Theater is returning to Gold Medal Park on August 2nd at 1:00. It's a delightful play. Bring a blanket, some water, and both your own inner child and children that you know. Don't miss it!
Thank you for all you do to make this community so strong!
Claudia, JD, Jan, Susan, Chuck, Michael, Mimi, and Jennifer
Sahan Journal publishes real news about communities of color—the kind of stories you won’t find anywhere else. We want it to be free for you and everyone else.
‘This is about hope’: Youth-driven play tells stories of racism, drug abuse, homelessness in Minneapolis
“Hope 612,” which will have a staged reading this weekend, grew out of a theater collaboration between young adults in the Cedar-Riverside area and formerly homeless youth.
by Ava Grace
Actor and writer Sam Karpeh hasn’t had an easy journey since arriving in Minneapolis.
Originally from Liberia, he arrived in Minnesota as a teenager, then navigated homelessness and lost friends to drug addiction while trying to find his footing. A theater program centered in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood helped him find a voice — and hold onto his optimism.
He’s part of “Hope 612”, a staged reading at Theatre in the Round this Saturday. Written and performed by formerly homeless teens and first generation East African and Liberian immigrants — including Karpeh, Mahad Ahmed, Anthony Anderson, Mahamed Salad, and Miske Salad — the show unpacks life in Minneapolis through real accounts of racism, fentanyl abuse and police brutality.
The play grew from the nonprofit Be That Neighbor’s theater program for homeless youth and youth from the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood in Minneapolis.
Karpeh has been involved with Be That Neighbor for eight years after meeting co-founder Claudia Kittock through Youthlink, a Minneapolis nonprofit organization that serves homeless young people ages 16 to 24.
He wrote the characters Miah and Junior, based on his friend Miah who he met while homeless and died from an overdose two years ago.
“Miah was a dear friend of mine that OD’d,” Karpeh said. “And as much as I tried to save her, she didn’t make it. So it kind of stuck with me.”
Karpeh said he had no interest in theater until meeting Kittock. Since then he has written two poetry books titled “Mirror” and “Untitled.” Karpeh said the development of the play was delayed greatly due to COVID-19 and social distancing.
“We all have the same type of wish, which is not to see other people go through [homelessness] and things like that,” Karpeh said. “So, I’m going to call the group ‘Hope 612.’ It’s about Minneapolis, what’s going on in Minneapolis that’s not been looked at as a real issue. Then it becomes a pandemic, corona and fentanyl.”
Sam Karpeh helped write “Hope 612,” which will receive a staged reading at Theatre in the Round on Saturday, July 19, 2025. Credit: Aaron Nesheim | Sahan Journal
The staged reading features nine first-time actors from Cedar-Riverside and includes a community discussion ahead of a full production next year.
Clement Lee, 23, is from south Minneapolis and plays the character Abdi, a basketball coach for Washburn High School who is passionate about his community.
Lee was drawn to acting while studying sociology at Minneapolis Community and Technical College. He said he admires his character, who learns to advocate for himself due to the harassment and mistreatment from police officers he faces while chaperoning his basketball team.
He said it is important for community members to attend the reading on July 19 because the stories being told bring light to situations and focus on how community is built.
“I’m really hopeful towards receiving honest feedback and hopefully answering a lot of the audience’s questions after the performance,” Lee said.
Kittock, a retired professor of education and child psychology, said theater opens doors for youth who have trauma or have not received support from schools because it allows them to use their voice through characters.
“Hundreds of kids every year say they don’t like to read, and I constantly come back with the right book and you know what happens when you find the right book? They like to read,” Kittock said. “That’s what theater does and all of a sudden they’re reading better and motivated to learn this part.”
South High student Ridwan Ibrahim was raised in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. Ibrahim plays Junior, a teen who holds onto his optimism, even as he faces homelessness.
“Junior has … been through a lot,” Ibrahim said. “Been homeless, you know, been through it. And [he finds the] funniest way to get back on his feet and being optimistic just keeps him going and always saying ‘Tomorrow’s a better day.’”
The hope Karpeh holds in his characters Miah and Junior is the hope that neighbors and community members will show up for one another and have humanity.
“The hope is that if there’s a person who knows a person going through that situation [addiction] that hopefully, they can get there in time before it’s too late to help that person,” Karpeh said. “You know they’re going through something and they’re scared to come to somebody, so that’s where they go to run away from their feelings.”
Ibrahim hopes that outside communities will attend the reading and understand that they are not performing a fictional story, but a community’s true story.
Students participate in a staged reading of “Hope 612” in spring 2025. Credit: Provided
Amira Salad, 15, got involved in the production around three years ago through Jennifer Weber, Amira’s coach and director of Cedar Riverside Athletics and Enrichment. Amira plays the role of Miah, a character she describes as charismatic and best friend to Junior, Ibrahim’s character.
Amira said she grew up with Weber, who opened opportunities to community engagement and activity. She said acting helps her express herself without having to use her own words, and she sees her own emotional struggles through Miah’s character.
“I can express myself in a way through a character, her anger and frustration and [her inability] to open up easily,” Amira said.
Aisha Salad, a sibling of the playwrights, plays two characters, a train passenger and police officer. She said she wants to become an actor in order to bring her sister Miske Salad’s story to life.
“Most people see Cedar [Riverside] as a gangster community with lots of violence and stuff but it’s not really like that,” Aisha said. “It’s actually such a caring community and just a really great place and people don’t see it that way.”
Minneapolis Public Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette and Mayor Jacob Frey were expected to attend Saturday’s performance and community talkback.
Karpeh said having people attend the reading will “send him off to the moon” as he wants to see the community share space and allow for conversations that might not be easy to have. His biggest hopes are towards the young actors performing and the hope that their motivations will create a domino effect in the community.
“I’m hopeful for a lot of things, that’s the beauty of it,” Karpeh said.
Myah Goff contributed to this report.
Date: Saturday, July 19
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Theatre in the Round Players, 245 Cedar Ave., Minneapolis
Cost: Pay-what-you-can tickets.
For more information: Visit bethatneighbor.org/programs/youththeater
Ava Grace is currently interning at the Sahan Journal covering underrepresented communities through the University of Minnesota Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Join us on Saturday, July 19th at 7:00 pm at Theater in the Round for a staged reading of Hope 612. We are just getting started and we want YOU to be part of it.
https://vimeo.com/950782267