Conscience - Theatre in the Round - March 2026

Conscience

Image from TRP website

A play by Joe DiPietro

Review by Ernest Edwards

Conscience is a last minute replacement for the 2025/2026 season by Theatre in the Round in reaction to what was going on not only in the Twin Cities metro, but our country as a whole. As I watched the play last night, I felt so many similarities between the 1950’s and today. This play is being presented at the right time.  

I really liked the scenery for the play. When you walk into the theater, the stage floor is covered by the United States Constitution. Don’t forget to look to up, as you will see not only a chandelier but ripped up pieces of the Constitution hanging amongst the stage lighting. Check out the signs in the inner lobby. There are write ups of the four characters, and what happened after the events of the play concluded. Definitely some good reading. 

The play Conscience is a fairly new play that premiered in 2020. Joe DiPietro is an award winning playwright known for Diana, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Memphis, All Shook Up, Ernest Shackleton Loves Me, and many more. 

The play takes place in the 1950’s and is about Republican Senator Joe McCarthy and Senator Margaret Chase Smith. Margaret Chase Smith was the first female Senator in the US Senate. Not only was she a Republican Senator from Maine, she was the only Senator to stand up to Joe McCarthy. Not capitulating, almost cost her everything.  She stood up for her beliefs and the American people. 

Also on stage is Jean Kerr played by Mary Lofreddo, who is Senator McCarthy’s assistant and later on his wife. Senator Margaret Chase Smith is joined on stage by William Lewis Jr played by Tim Wollman, who is her administrative assistant. Of course with this being the age of McCarthyism, there were rumors flying around about William Lewis Jr’s sexuality in the play. 

Ron Lamprecht is so good at embodying Joe McCarthy, his performance was downright creepy at times. Alison Anderson was amazing as Margaret Chase Smith. She never lost her cool, was also full of composure. If only members of Congress today had her backbone.  

Whether you are into politics or not, this play is a great slice of history that is holding a mirror up to current events. Little moments here and there definitely felt like the playwright was speaking to current events. It is uncanny. History does repeat itself. 

The play has a run time of 1 hour 45 minutes, including the intermission. Conscience runs through April 19, 2026, check out www.theatreintheround.org for tickets. 

Mrs. Doubtfire - Ordway - March 2026

Mrs. Doubtfire, a new musical Comedy

Program Cover

Music & Lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick & Karen Kirkpatrick

Book by Karen Kirkpatrick & John O’Farrell

Based on the Twentieth Century Studios Motion Picture

Review by Ernest Edwards

The Ordway continues their Broadway @ The Ordway 2025/2026 season with the new musical Mrs. Doubtfire on tour. My season tickets for the Ordway is for Sunday evening’s. If the show is only in town for one week, I end up seeing the last performance in downtown St. Paul before it moves onto the next city.  

Based on the title, you are probably thinking, another stage musical based on a movie. Yes. This one is a lot of fun. If you a fan of the movie, definitely go see it. If you are a fan of musical theater, then go see it.  It makes for a fun and entertaining evening.  If you have seen the Robin Williams movie, you already know the story. There’s some fun changes and additions to make it a full two act musical.  

Daniel Hilliard/Mrs. Doubtfire is played by Craig Allen Smith. I did see the original Broadway production in May 2022. Rob McClure played Daniel Hilliard/Mrs. Doubtfire on Broadway and reprised the role for the first National

The stage, before the show begins

Tour of Mrs. Doubfire. Rob was amazing! Let me tell you, Craig Allen Smith has definitely stepped up the plate and is filling big shoes as Daniel/Mrs. Doubtfire.  His rendition of the Act One song “It’s About Time” had a lot of energy and creativity to it. That is a great song about how to read a clock. Playing Daniel/Mrs. Doubtfire live on stage, 8 times a week, is no easy feat. Craig makes it look easy. 

There are some quick costume changes that happen in this show. Some are on stage, but most are off stage. The crew behind the scenes definitely need some recognition for those costume changes.  

Also want to mention Brian Kalinowski as Frank Hilliard and Devon Wycovia Buchanan as his husband Andre Mayem. They are Daniel’s brother and brother-in-law. They help Daniel and also provide additional comedy. The rest of the cast is pretty amazing too.  

I think we need to mention Catherine Zuber as the Costume Designer. We see some of her creativity and genius live on stage. 

Check out www.ordway.org for tickets to the rest of their 2025/2026 Broadway @ The Ordway season, and for information on the recently announced 2026/2027 Broadway @ The Ordway season.  

Hungry Like The Wolf - History Theatre - March 2026

Hungry Like the Wolf

Program Cover

by Sandra Struthers

Review by Ernest Edwards

The History Theatre has a new play titled Hungry Like The Wolf. No this is not a play about Duran Duran. I wish. Just like the main character in the play Sandra, played by playwright Sandra Struther, I’m a fan of Duran Duran. The play is about Sandra’s life, her obsession with Duran Duran, and the Willmar 8. The Willmar 8 is about a group of 8 woman who went on strike in 1977 in Willmar, MN. The first set of woman to ever go on a bank strike.  

Before the play began, the screen on the stage had images of Sandra over the years, the Willmar 8, and 

The stage with the album cover to Duran Duran’s Rio Album

various images of Duran Duran graced the screen.  It really got you into the time period of the play. What I really like about the History Theatre, is the history we learn on the stage with these productions, but is the history on the walls of the inner lobby and the dramaturgy in the program.  So much information about the Willmar 8. I learned from the play there is both a movie and a documentary that was made in the 1980’s about the Willmar 8. Both the movie and documentary were directed by Lee Grant.  

The play is directed by Laura Leffler. The cast is lead by Sandra Struthers as the narrator.  The rest of the cast includes Twin Cities favorite Jen Burleigh-Bentz, Sam Landman, Jen Maren and Allison Vincent.  For Jen Maren, her hair and makeup had that Farrah Fawcett volume and bounce to it. Pure 1970’s. 

While the play is fun and educational. It does include moments that deal with the heavy topics of sexual abuse and harassment.  

This is a fun play.  I definitely want to learn more about the Willmar 8. This play moves pretty fast. Hungry Like the Wolf makes for a fun night at the theater. 

The play runs through April 12, 2026. Check out www.historytheatre.com for tickets. 

All Shook Up - 4 Community Theatre - March 2026

All Shook Up

Program Cover

Songs of Elvis Presley, Book by Joe DiPietro

Review by Ernest Edwards

As we are getting some very measurable snow in the Twin Cities metro, it’s a great day to stay at home and write of a review for the Juke Box musical All Shook Up that I went to Friday night at the Plymouth Playhouse to see this 4 Community Theatre production.

If you have been to the Plymouth Playhouse before, it’s a small stage. There are big things happening with this production of All Shook Up. 

It was such a fun evening of Elvis songs that caused me to be “all shook up!”.

This 2005 musical contains a wide catalog of Elvis Presley songs. Such as “All Shook Up”, “Jailhouse Rock”, “Blue Suede Shoes”, “Love Me Tender”, “Heartbreak Motel”, “Devil in Disguise”, “Don’t Be Cruel”, and many more.  According to the cast recording there’s 27 Elvis songs in the musical.  

The stage, before the musical begins

The story takes place in small U.S.A town in 1955. A motorcycle rider by the name of Chad arrives in town and starts shaking his hips to music. Mayor Matilda Hyde has put law and order in this small town. Basically took all the fun out of living by banning public necking, loud music, and gyrating hips. Chad’s arrival brings romance, change, chaos, and the exploration of individuality. The town get’s “All Shook Up” in a good way.  

I liked the Set Design by Dan Sherman. During Act 1 there’s various scenes that take place on the street, a Honky Tonk Bar, a service gargage, a shoe shore, city museum and front and center of it all is a Juke Box. The back wall, behind the orchestra is lined with LP singles/45’s. For the second act, the stage is transformed to an abandoned amusement park. 

Director Greta Grosch, works with a talented cast to bring us a fun and entertaining evening of mirth and merriment. The cast consists of Cameron Roy Hall as Chad, Maddie Froehle as Natalie, and Kyle Yetzer as Dennis, along with a strong ensemble. 

There’s only more weekend to catch All Shook Up. This musical runs through Sunday March 22, 2026 at the Plymouth Playhouse. Check out www.4communitytheatre.org for tickets. 

Water for Elephants - Orpheum Theatre - March 2026

Water for Elephants

Image of Marquee

Book by Rick Elice, Music and Lyrics by Pigpen Theatre Co. 

Review by Ernest Edwards

The National Tour of the newer musical Water for Elephants is in town until Sunday March 8, 2026 at Hennepin Arts Orpheum Theatre in downtown Minneapolis. I was able to see the National Tour during the Saturday matinee performance. I did have the pleasure of seeing the original Broadway cast/production at the Imperial Theatre in New York City June of 2024.  At that time I had neither read the book, nor seen the movie. Now almost two years later, I still have not read the book, nor seen the movie. That is okay. The musical is wonderful on it is own, with not knowing the source material. 

When you first enter the theatre, you can’t hope but notice the circus theme along the edges of the

The stage, before the musical begins

proscenium arch. The story of the musical is a 90 year old Jacob Jankowski is visiting a traveling circus and remembering his days with a traveling circus when he was 23 years old. It was 1931, both of his parents died and the bank foreclosed on the family home.  Jacob had no prospects and decided  to start over somewhere else. He hopped on a rail car, not realizing it was a circus traveling by rail.  He starts out with grunt work, cleaning out the animal stalls, helping to raise the big top, etc. Then August the circus owner finds out he’s a vet, and hires Jacob to be the vet for the circus for $3 a week. After the prize horse is put down, the circus needs a new attraction that comes in Rosey the elephant.  

Jacob and Marlena, Augusut’s wife, begin training with Rosey. Time is not on their side. They have three weeks until their dates in Chicago.  It takes them that long to realize Rosey doesn’t understand English, she was a Polish elephant. Jacob then has teach the Marlena the commands in Polish.  Training with Marlena draws Jacob closer to her. Not only does August notice, the rest of the circus does too and tries to warn Jacob about his connection to Marlena. 

After a tragic accident at the circus. All of the animals were let loose during a performace. In the chaos Rosey killed August. August was not kind to Rosey.  In the aftermath of the circus ending Jacob and Marlena married.  They were together for 50 years before she passed.  

The program cover

Water for Elephants is a romantic story. The songs were great!  What I really liked was the circus acrobatics and circus themed choreography by Jesse Robb & Shana Carroll. Speaking of the circus, cast member Sam Keller-Long is a Twin Cities native. There’s a nice two page interview with him the program/playbill about his time with St. Paul’s Circus Juventas.  

The story moves a good pace. Hard to believe it was about a two hours and 40 minutes with the intermission.  One minute the show started, and then all of the sudden it was over. What a performance! 

The cast was great!  So talented. Older Jacob Jankowski (Mr. Jankowski in the program) is played by Robert Tully, Jacob Jankowski is played by Zachary Keller, Marlena is played by Helen Krushinski, Connor Sullivan is August, Javier Garcia is August, Tyler West is Walter, Ruby Gibb is Barbara, an Grant Honeycutt is Wade.  

With it being a period piece taking place mostly in 1931, want to mention the costumes by David I. Reynosa, and scenic design by Takeshi Kata. The puppetry for Rosey, the elephant, was great!  

It’s that time of year, 2026/2027 seasons are being announced. Check out www.hennepinarts.org for the rest of their 2025/2026 season.  Up next for Hennepin Arts Broadway on Hennepin season is the musical Suffs playing April 7 - April 12, followed by Harry Potter and the Cursed Child playing April 25 - May 17, The Great Gatsby playing June 2 - June 7, and Wicked rounds out the 2025/2026 season for the dates of July 8 - August 9. 

Kimberly Akimbo - Ordway - March 2026

Kimberly Akimbo

Book & Lyrics by David Lindsay- Abaire, Music by Jeanine Tesoro

Review by Ernest Edwards

I went to the closing performance of the National Tour of the Broadway musical Kimberly Akimbo at the Ordway Sunday evening.  It’s part of the Broadway @ The Ordway 2025/2026 season.  

What I loved from the program was the description of when the musical takes place. “1999. Before kids had cell phones. Somewhere in Bergen County, NJ.” The musical is a small cast of 9, who do big things.  

This musical did win the Tony Award for best musical in 2023.  

The story is about Kimberly, who just turned 16. Kimberly has Progeria. For the tour, she is played by Ann Morrison, who was part of the original Broadway production of Merrily We Roll Along back in 1981.  I missed the tour of Kimberly Akimbo when it was at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Minneapolis in Spring 2025. I was happy that the Ordway had it in downtown St. Paul for one week with the dates of February 24, 2026 - March 1, 2026.  It was worth the wait for me. Kimberly and her parents just moved to town. Kimberly is trying to make new friends at the local high school and is going to the ice skating rink with the other high school kids. Her parents are expecting another child. They are hoping this next child will be “normal”. 

We learn why Kimberly and her parents moved. They ran away from something her Aunt Debra did. Debra is now in town and up to no good. Instead of getting a job at the local Costco, Debra decides to get into check fraud. 

This musical has a lot of heart of and soul. Kimberly finds a new circle of friends. Finds the strength to live life on her own terms, and is allowed to follow her dreams. 

I really liked the scenery by David Zinn.  It was a unit set, but had lots of reveals. Scenery appeared and disappeared effortlessly. The scenery transformed between the house, to the high school, the high schools library, a classroom, the skating rink, to Kimberly’s bedroom seamlessly. 

Check out the rest of the 2025/2026 Broadway @ the Ordway season.  Up next is Mrs. Doubtfire: A New Musical Comedy (March 17 - March 22), Monty Python’s Spamalot (June 10 - 14), and Six The Musical (June 17 - 28) round out the rest of the 2025/2026 season.  A National Tour of Dirty Dancing The Musical will be launching from the Ordway with the dates of August 12 - September 6, 2026. Check out www.ordway.org for tickets. 

And Then There Were None - Lyric Arts - February 2026

And Then There Were None

By Agatha Christie

Review by Ernest Edwards

I was at opening night of the Agatha Christie play And Then There Were None at Lyric Arts. I did some research online and learned that the between the dates of 1964 - 1984, the play had the title of Ten Little Indians.  

As you walk into the theater, you can’t help but notice the scenery. I loved that the scenery was not squared with the back to the stage. The angle gave it such versatility. Plus, I liked watching the mantel full of toy soldiers, and watching the the number going down as the play progressed. I was far enough back that I couldn’t read the poem over the fireplace mantel that predicted the order of the deaths. That was a nice reference for the cast to go back to as the play progressed.  

This play has a strong ensemble cast.  

The story takes place on a remote English island. There’s two new servants, and eight guests. The host is delayed by a day. We quickly learn from a vinyl record that these guests were all brought here for a nefarious reason. There’s no phone, no boat, no way out. One by one, the guests and staff start to perish. Their candles get snuffed out by the Grim Reaper. Who is behind this? In Agatha Christie fashion, all is revealed in the end. I was shocked by the revelation myself. Then again, it made sense. I will not give that spoiler away, you will have to go and see this play.  

The story is told very well. It keeps you glued to the action. Trying to figure out what’s going on, who is next, and who is behind it all, and why? 

In addition to Justin Hooper’s Scenic Design, I also really enjoyed Brody’s Byinton’s Sound Design. With this play taking place on a remote English Island, the sound of wind, rain and waves was in the background throughout the entire play.  Alyssa Kraft’s Lighting Design really shown in the darkest moment of the play. One evening the lights were out on the island, and the cast had candles.  That scene took place in the dark, with only so many candle to light the way. It added to the eeriness of the play. 

If murder mystery’s are your thing, then get to the Main Street Stages in downtown Anoka to see the play And Then There Were None. It’s a good whodunnit.  Check out www.lyricarts.org for tickets.