Twelve Kinds of Ice - Children’s Theatre - October 2026

Twelves Kinds of Ice

Book, Music and Lyrics by Ben Steinfeld

Adapted by the novel by Ellen Bryan Obed

Review by Ernest Edwards

What words can I use to describe the new musical Twelves Kinds of Ice? Wonderful and magical. 

I have never read the book the musical is based on. I really want to read the book after seeing this perfect one act musical at the Children’s Theatre Company. Between the run time of 60 minutes along the story, this show is perfect for the whole family. 

The story follows Ellen as she recounts winters from her childhood with her Dad. We learned about all the different kinds of ice as the seasons change and the cold from winter starts to take hold. We learn how much the family loved turning their garden into a neighborhood ice skating rink. Her Dad keeps a calendar and this season they were able to ice skate for 99 days before that February sun got too strong to keep the ice in the garden. 

I was really impressed with Justin D. Cook as the musician. At times we has playing four different instruments.  He was a marvel to watch as he performed the musical for the songs sung by the cast. 

Anna Schloerb as Ellen/Young Ellen and John-Michael Zuerlein as Dad brought so much storytelling of this beautiful tale to life. This two person show about the joys of winter was perfect. 

Katherine Fried and John-Michael Zuerlein

One can kind of take winter for granted. Twelve Kinds of Ice reminds us to enjoy all of the magic that winter has to offer. Come early to enjoy activities in the lobby and to read the stories and interviews in the program. Lots of great information about ice. 

Don’t miss out on the World Premiere of Twelves Kinds of Ice, now playing through November 22, 2026. Check out www.childrenstheatre.org for tickets. 

Dracula - Night Fire Theatre - October 2026

Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy

Program Cover

By Kate Hamill

Review by Ernest Edwards

There’s a new production of Dracula in town. It’s not your average telling of the tale. It’s dubbed “A Feminist Revenge Fantasy”. It is and it is not Bram Stokers Dracula. It’s the story we are all familiar with. What this play does is it puts the women in the front of the action. It’s the women who have to rescue the men. I loved that twist. 

This production, playing at the Historic Mounds Theater in St. Paul, has all the thrills and chills of Dracula. This production also uses every square inch of the theater. Having the cast creep up on you from behind was such a cool moment! Sends shivers down one’s spine. 

If you are familiar with Bram Stoker’s Dracula, this is the story, but with a few changes. Renfield is now a female character, Dracula doesn’t like Mina this time around, Dracula still takes Mina’s friend Lucy and turns her into a vampire, Dr. Van Helsing is also a woman in this play. It doesn’t matter the role,  knowledge, or experience men still don’t believe the women until they experience the unknown with their own eyes. Also with this play, Mina has to rescue her husband Jonathan Harker from the clutches of Dracula. 

This is a fun adaptation. I liked it. It really gives you something to sink your teeth into. It’s bloody good. 

Some cast members to call out are Jennifer D’Lynn as Renfield, Maggie Me Sulentic as Dr. Van Helsing, Cate Jackson as Mina Harker, Richard Nissan as Jonathan Harker, Mary Lofreddo as Lucy Westernra, Robin Gilmer as Maid, and Maverick M. Miller as Count Dracula. 

The plays runs for about 2 hours and 40 minutes. This spooky play is perfect for the Halloween season and runs through October 31, 2026. Check out www.nightfiretheatre.com for tickets. 

As You Like It - Ten Thousand Things - October 2026

As You Like It 

Program Cover

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

Program Cover

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 

Program Cover

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

Program Cover

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

Program Cover

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.