As You Like It - Ten Thousand Things - October 2026

As You Like It 

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By Williams Shakespeare

Review By Ernest Edwards

Have you even seen the William Shakespeare play As You Like It performed with only seven actors? Then get out and see the Ten Thousand Things Theater production now playing at various venues through November 8, 2026. 

This small and very talented cast of some Twin Cities favorites, bring big performances to the stage. I got to see the play at the performance space at Open Book in downtown Minneapolis. It was the perfect setting for As You Like It. 

Let’s talk about this cast. Katie Bradley plays Jacques, LeBeau and Phoebe, Dustin Bronson plays Oliver and Amiens. Dustin also plays a forest priest and has the best mannerisms for that character. Love it! Isa Condo-Oliver plays Celia, Adam and Audrey. Darius Dotch plays Orlando. Bill McCallum is Touchstone, Duke Frederick and  Silvius. Nubia Monks plays Rosalind. Greg Watanabe plays Duke Senior, Charles and Corbin, These seven actors effortlessly bring this production to life. You have to see Darius as Orlando with Nubia’s Rosalind. Their performances are not to be missed. 

Normally As You Like It has a huge cast, with big scenery and costumes. I think the strength and spectacle in this production is the simplicity of it all. Go see Shakespeare as you have never seen it before. It is well worth it. 

The play continues through November 8, 2026. Check out www.tenthousandthings.org for tickets. 

Twelve Angry Men - Lyric Arts - October 2026

Twelve Angry Men

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By Reginald Rose

Adapted for the stage by Sherman L. Sergei

Review by Ernest Edwards

Lyric Arts has a hit on their hands with the classic drama Twelve Angry Men now playing on the Main Street Stage in downtown Anoka. The crowd was really drawn into this play opening night. 

I had first seen this play on tour in 2006, which featured George Wendt and Richard Thomas, at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Minneapolis. To this day I still have not seen the movie based on the play, got to put that on my to do list. The Lyric Arts production is a lot more up close and personal than when I had originally seen on it tour. 

It’s 1958, it’s a hot summers day at the Cook County Courthouse. The jury is deliberating in a room with barely one functioning window. Not only are temperatures hot with the jury, they are literally roasting in this room too as they deliberate what sounds like an easy case. At the start or the play 11 jurors believe the defendant is guilty without a doubt, but the twelfth juror has reservations. That right there is the plot of the play. I don’t want to give anything away with the story or the case. 

Twelve Angry Men will keep you on the edge of your seat. 

Director Julie K. Phillips has assembled a great cast to tell this story. I really liked Davin Grindstaff as

Photo by Molly Jay

Juror 8. He’s the main character and the juror who doesn’t believe this as open and shut as everyone else believes it to be. I also liked Dominic Delong Rodgers as Juror 4. 

I really liked the scenery designed by Cory Skold. The table in the room is placed at an asymmetrical angle. The walls are open and representational. The Windows are not symmetrical in their placement either.  All of this puts the focus on the cast and the storytelling. 

This play keeps you engaged from the very beginning to the very end. If you have never seen Twelve Angry Men before, now is the time. This production is not to be missed. 

This 90 minute play runs through November 1, 2026. Check out www.lyricarts.org for tickets. 

The Taming - Yellowtree Theatre - October 2026

The Taming 

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By Lauren Gunderson

Review by Ernest Edwards

The Taming is a fun and hilarious play about three women with ties to politics. Although this play premiered in 2013, The Taming feels perfect for the 2026 election cycle. 

Director Austene Van has assembled the perfect cast for this play. Jane Froiland plays Patricia (The Conservative). Nora Targonski-O’Brien plays Bianca (The Liberal) and Grace Litzau plays Katherine (The Beauty Queen). 

There’s a political event happening at the same location as a Beauty Pageant. Katherine has this plan to rewrite the US Constitution with the help of Patricia and Bianca. Patricia and Bianca just don’t know that yet. 

Photo by Alex Clark

One of the my favorite fun moments before the show began, is when the pre show music played the 1970’s theme song to the television series Wonder Woman. There were flashes of neon colors coming from the scenery. That was a fun moment.  

This 90 minute play is fast paced and hilarious, even farcical at times.

Don’t miss this play. It continues through November 1, 2026. Check out www.yellowtreetheatre.com for tickets. 

Kunene and the King - Guthrie Theater - October 2026

Kunene and the King

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By John Kani

Review by Ernest Edwards

This play has two of the best performances that you will see on a Twin Cities stage.

Kunene and the King first premiered in 2019 at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford Upon Avon in England. The story takes place in post-apartheid South Africa in 2019.  The Guthrie Theater is presenting the Octopus Theatrical production of Kunene and the King. 

In the apartment of actor Jack Harris, he is learning his lines for a Cape Town production of King Lear while also dealing with stage 4 liver cancer. His doctor has sent a nurse to live with him, and Jack is shocked to see a man of color in his home by the name of Lunga Kunene. It looks like prejudices still run deep as Jack believes Lunga Kunene is there to rob him. Lunga insists he will stay at the residence until Jack “gets better”. 

It takes a bit for these gentlemen to warm up to each other. They do discover they both have a love for

Teresa Castratrane Photography

Shakespeare. John read the play Julius Cesar translated to Xhosa. It was the only Shakespeare play found “appropriate” back in 1959 for his class to study. There’s a great scene where Jack does Mark Anthony’s speech in English and Lunga does the same speech in Xhosa. 

We learn so much about both men during the course of this play. The paths their lives took. How they became the men that they are today. Such a powerful and moving play. 

It’s not hard to see some similarities in this play with the theme of racism. Humanity is also a strong theme. 

Jack Morris is played by Edward Gero. Playwright/actor John Kani bring Lunga Kunene to the stage. They are accompanied by Isithunywa as Ntebo, who sings at the start of the play and between scenes. 

In addition to the two leading men, another reason to see this play is the scenery designed by Lawrence E. Moten III. Most of the story takes place in Jack’s house, the last scene takes place at Lunga’s home in Soweto. It’s the transition of the that scene change that was truly wonderful and magical. 

I really enjoyed this play. 

The play has a run time only one hour and forty minutes. (No intermission) The play continues through November 8, 2026. Check out www.guthrietheater.org for tickets.

Head Over Heels - MInneapolis Musical Theatre - October 2026

Head Over Heels

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Songs by the Go-Go’s

Based on “The Arcadia” by Sir Philip Sidney

Conceived and original book by Jeff Whitty

Adaptation by James Magruder

Review by Ernest Edwards

I was at the closing performance for the Minneapolis Musical Theatre production of the musical Head Over Heels at the Lush Lounge Theater. I knew very little about this 2018 musical going in, except it featured the music of the Go-Go’s. The songs of the Go-Go’s and one from Belinda Carlisle’s solo career made for a fun night at the theater. 

The show starts stong, puts the pedal to the metal, and doesn’t let up. 

It’s the 1500’s, the royal family of Arcadia sets out to avoid the prophecy from the oracle of Delphi from coming true. In typical ancient Greek stories, such as Oedipus come to mind, when you try to run from fate, you end running right into it. The King is keeping the prophecy to himself, in his efforts to avoid the prophecy and keep the beat of Arcadia alive they end up running right into the four details of the prophecy. 

MMT has assembled a great cast for Head Over Heels. Xae Copland is fabulous as Pythio the Oracle, Ellie Turk is Philoclea the youngest daughter, Jake Mathey is Musidorus the Sheppard. He was one of my favorite actors in this show. His character, acting, singing, and stage presence made him the one to watch. Philoclea and Musidorus are our star crossed lovers from different backgrounds that the King tries to keep apart. Bridget Benson plays Pamela the oldest daughter, Erin Grams plays Mopsa her ladies maid. Riley Webster is Basilius the King, Andrea Gregori is Gynecia the Queen, and Christian Unser is Dametas the right hand of the King. Along the rest of the ensemble, you can tell the cast is having as much fun as the audience is, if not more so. 

I really liked the Costumes Designed by Eleanor Schanilec. It was a nice mix of the 1500’s and today in the costumes. 

Lots of hilarity, hijinks and mistaken identies, along with the music of the Go-Go’s makes for one of the funniest shows out there. Glad I was able to make it before the show closed. Head Over Heels gave MMT a strong start to their 2026/2027 season. 

Up next, in April 2027, Minneapolis Musical Theatre will be presenting the musical Jane Eyre. Check out www.aboutmmt.org for tickets. 

Into The Burrow - Mixed Blood - October 2026

Into the Burrow: A Peter Rabbit Tale

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Written by Mark Valdez

Original Songs by: Christian Albright & Christian Magby, Brandon Bush, Annmarie Mitazzo, Divinity Roxx, Jacob Ryan Smith, and Eugune Russell IV

Review by Ernest Edwards

Mixed Blood has a fun sequel to the story of Peter Rabbit currently playing. The story of this tale is Into The Burrow, which is about Peter Rabbit’s birthday a year later after his famous story. The animals are still dealing with mean old Mr. McGregor.

It’s Peter’s birthday and his cousin Benjamin Bunny has invited us humans to be attendance. This show has such a great and fun cast.  Benjamin Bunny is played by Julie Diaz, Peter Rabbit is played by Juan Carlos Utzueta, KateMarie Andrews plays Squirrel Nutkin, Maureen Sherman-Mendez plays Mrs. Tiggywinkle (the opossum), Em Adam Rosenberg plays Mr. Alderman Ptolemy Tortoise (great mannerisms and movement as the tortoise), Danny McHugh (the frog) is played by Jeremy Fisher. Jeremy as the frog has a great singing voice and choreography as the frog. 

The story that is that Mr. McGregor wants to drain the pond for a peanut farm and has just chopped down Nutkin’s tree. Nutkin’s home is now gone. With the garden all fence in, full of traps and guarded by the cat, food is running low for our gang. Once the pond is gone, the tortoise and frog won’t have homes any more either. 

By the end of this fun play, the animals realize that humans need to work with the animals to ensure a stable eco system. The animals will contribute more to the environment then the environment being without the animals. 

This show had it all. A fun story, songs, dancing, tap dancing and fun costumes for the animal characters. 

With a run time of about an hour, this musical is perfect for audience members of all ages. 

The musical runs through October 18, 2026, check out www.mixedblood.com for tickets. 

Annie - Chanhassen Dinner Theatres - October 2026

Annie

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Book by Thomas Meehan, Music by Charles Strousse, Lyrics by Martin Charnin

Director and Choreographer Tamara Kangas Erickson

Review by Ernest Edwards

Before the musical Annie got started opening night, Emcee Nancy Nelson informed us that Annie is celebrating its 50th Anniversary and a new production is headed to Broadway in 2027. Members of the cast from Chanhassen Dinner Theatre’s 1983 and 2004 productions were also in the audience opening night. It was fun knowing who was in the audience helping to celebrate the 2026 production of Annie at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres. 

What is it about the musical Annie that keeps us coming back? There’s been three Broadway productions in 1977, 1997 and 2012. There’s also been 4 different film versions. There’s the 1982 movie, a made for television movie in 1999, a newer movie in 2014, and Annie Live from 2021. There’s many reasons why we keep coming back. There’s Annie’s optimism for a better tomorrow, finding your family, pursuing your dreams, overcoming adversity, seeing the best in people, all of this during the holiday’s season. 

Chanhassen Dinner Theatres has a hit with Annie. Annie will knock your socks off. Between the actors, scenery, costumes, choreography and music Annie is a perfect musical. 

Photo by Dan Norman 

For the performance that I went to Annie was played by Eve Scharback. She has a great voice, and brought so much to Annie and her journey towards the family that she has always yearned for. She made us believe in Annie’s positive outlook in life. Another orphan by the name of Molly was played by Lucy Anderson. She was a master in being sarcastic and poking fun of Miss Hannigan. She truly shined in her moments on stage. Dante Jamar Lamonte Murray had a commanding presence as Oliver Warbucks. Serena Brook really stood out as Miss Hannigan. She had the mannerisms and the attitude. It takes a lot of talent to play someone the audience will despise and get applause for that performance. Anna Hashizume plays Grace Farrell, Warbucks assistant who along with the household takes a lead in raising Annie, she also has a wonderful voice. Michael Gruber as Drake, gives the head butler a pep in his step. We don’t have the usual stiff upper lip with this head of the household. Thomas Bevan as Rooster Hannigan, Miss Hannigan’s brother. He gave us one of my favorite performances in the show. He was able to be sneaky and conniving along with a singing voice that was like silver. He had such a great stage presence. Sasha Ramsey is Rooster’s partner in crime Lily St. Regis. She nailed the accent. The two of them were great together. There were also some Twin Cities favorites in the ensemble too, such as Tony Vierling, Jon Andrew Hegge, Shad Hanley, and Armando Harlow Ronconi and many more. We can’t forget Addison the dog as Sandy the dog. Such a great cast!

One of my favorite elements of Annie the musical is the scenery designed by Nayna Ramey. Not only does the scenery effortlessly flow between the orphanage, street scenes, and Warbucks’ house, but there is also a gorgeous skyline of New York City. The backdrop of the skyline was probably my favorite piece of scenery, especially when it was back lit at night. Another fun moment was when Warbucks’ house got decorated for Christmas. I wish it only took that amount of time to decorate my own place that quickly for Christmas. One of the joys of stage magic. 

Photo by Dan Norman

Rich Hamson’s costume designs do help bring us to the 1930’s. After the stock market crashed in 1929. Between the orphanage, the beggars on the street and within the Warbucks’ household, we were transported back to the time period of Annie. Also nice evolution for the costumes for Annie herself with the journey her character goes through. 

One of my favorite musical numbers was the choreography for “Hard Knock Life”.  Those young actresses playing the orphans didn’t miss a beat and brought the energy to that number. 

This is fun musical for the entire family. Annie plays through February 27, 2027. Check out www.chanhassendt.com for tickets. 

Photo by Dan Norman