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I Am the Mona Lisa
and how to get all your steps in ⛔
Ben Thietje
October 02, 2025 • Est. Reading Time: 6 minutes
Hello! I’m Ben, executive director at the Phipps.
Welcome to The Flying P, a weekly newsletter covering your Phipps Center for the Arts and anything else I might want to throw your way.
This issue has…
🎄 Mr. Potter’s First Look
it’s gonna be a good one⛓️💥 A Broken Elevator
we’re workin’ on it🪴 A Big Little Shop
this set is looking amazing
THEATRE
Little Shop to open its doors soon
a little Little Shop set teaser
The Phipps team has been hard at work putting up the set for Little Shop of Horrors (opening on the 10th) and things are starting to get EXCITING.
There are flowers and plants everywhere, puppets — and even a fire hydrant (stay away, Busby). I’ll try to grab some video this weekend so you can see and hear what this amazing cast is capable of. Hint: it’s a lot.
To summarize: you’re not going to want to miss this one.
PHIPPS TOP 10
best-selling upcoming events this season by tickets sold…
1. It’s a Wonderful Life (previously: 2)
2. Little Shop of Horrors (previously: 3)
3. Deathtrap (previously: 4)
4. Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society (series) (previously: 5)
5. Colleen Raye’s New Year’s Eve (previously: 6)
6. Silent Centennials (previously: 7)
7. Broadway, Big Bands, Beatles, and Beyond (previously: 8)
8. A Brass & Organ Holiday (previously: 9)
9. Uptown Brass (previously: 10)
10. Sideways Stories from Wayside School (previously: unlisted)
BETTER HURRY LIST
best-selling upcoming events this season by percent sold
(i.e., closest to being sold out)…
1. Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society (series) (previously: 2)
2. Silent Centennials (previously: 3)
3. Wonderland Jazz Jam (previously: 4)
4. Broadway, Big Bands, Beatles, and Beyond (previously: unlisted)🔥
5. Cabaret Night at the Phipps, fall (previously: 5)
as of 10/2/25
FACILITIES
Getting your steps in just became a whole lot easier
Heads up: the Phipps northside elevator will be out of commission for about a month as some much-needed maintenance is done (courtesy of the Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation — elevator maintenance is expensive, folks). In the meantime, there’s a little Phipps detour in place.
I’m not sure if you noticed, but you should not enter this area. 😊
artist: Cam Smith
👆
my favorite gallery piece of the week
Ever wanted to know what the Mona Lisa would look like if da Vinci had been obsessed with you? Check out Cam’s interactive AI piece in Gallery Three.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Lotsa people were First Lookin’
The PCA’s holiday production, It’s a Wonderful Life, is off and running after this past Monday’s very successful First Look event.
We had over 80 people show up to catch presentations from director, John Potter (ever heard of him?), as well as other designers, cast, and crew. As usual, it was a super fun and interesting kick off to what is sure to be a beautiful holiday production.
Are you on the First Look bandwagon yet? If not, you can hop on at the next one (Deathtrap), coming later this winter.
my spirit after consuming too much news
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Talk to you next week!
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