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.  

Macbeth - Guthrie Theater - February 2026

Macbeth

Program cover

A tragedy by William Shakespeare

Review By Ernest Edwards

As you enter the theater, one can’t help but notice how dark the stage is.  There’s no stage lights lit on the stage at all. It’s a dark void in the theatre.  Foreshadowing? Maybe. Macbeth is a Shakespearean tragedy after all.  

Before the play even begins, there’s lots of great information in the program for this production of Macbeth. On the cover is an upside crown that also looks like a bubbling cauldron, which is a reference to Macbeth becoming king, and the prophecies referenced by the Weird Sisters.  This production is directed by former Artistic Director of the Guthrie Theatre, Joe Dowling. It was great seeing him back at the Guthrie directing a Shakespeare play. There’s a nice write up in the program about Joe Dowling and this production. Then there is also a nice article about how Shakespeare borrowed the idea for Macbeth from The Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland that was published in 1577 & 1578. Since King James (a Scottish King) was now on the throne of England Shakespeare made Banquo, who was the founder of the House of Stuart and an ancestor of King James, more favorable in the play. Then there is also a nice page about the curse productions have experience while performing the Macbeth, also referred to as the Scottish play.  Indeed, some very nice bits of information to read prior to the start of the play.

There are some scenes that are dimly lit, and some of the military costumes are black.  Not everything is dark and dismal, there are moments of color in the costumes and moments where the stage is brightly light. What I am trying to say is the darkness does add to the heavy moments in the play, very well.  Metaphor and reality coming together to create something beautiful together in this production.  I need to mention Scenic Designer Riccardo Hernandez, Lighting Designer Philip Rosenberg, and Costume Designer Judith Dolan for their designs for this production. The vision is well executed. 

The story follows Macbeth after a victory in Scotland. He is already the Thane of Glamis, and is prophesied to become the Thane of Cawdor, and even King of Scotland. As fate would have it, Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth are to host King Duncan at their home. You can probably guess what happens next. 

This is not the first time I have seen Macbeth on stage.  I have seen several film versions too. I think this is only the second production that did not have an intermission.  It played for 1 hour and 50 minutes.  It was an engaging and fast moving play. The other time I had seen it performed without an intermission was at The Park Avenue Armory in NYC. That production was directed by and starred Kenneth Branagh (Macbeth) and Alex Kingston as (Lady Macbeth).  I liked not having an intermission. I don’t think there’s a right way and wrong of doing the show with or without an intermission. Depends upon what works best for the production.  No intermission was great for this production of Macbeth at the Guthrie Theater. 

I need to mention some members of the cast for their outstanding work in this play.  Bill McCallum as Dunkin the king, Daniel Petzold as his son Malcom, Daniel Jose Molina as Macbeth, Meghan Kreidler as Lady Macbeth, Peter Christian Hansen as Banquo, and John Catron as Macduff.  

There were some visually great moments in this production. The appearance of Banquo as a ghost. The coronation scene of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The trees from Birnam Wood as the soldiers approach Dunsinane Castle near the end of the play. 

Between those moments, the scenery, costumes and the cast make for an impressive and engaging night at the theater.  

The play continues through March 22, 2026. Check out www.guthrietheater.org for tickets. 

The Ostentatious Outlaws of Neehai Valley - Trademark Theater - February 2026

The Ostentatious Outlaws of Neehai Valley

Book, Music and Lyrics by Keith Hovis

Review by Ernest Edwards

Monday night, I was at the staged reading of The Ostentatious Outlaws of Neehai Valley. It was a co-presentation between Trademark Theater and Park Square Theatre, on the main stage at Park Square Theatre. Before the show started, we did learn that the musical will be part of the 2026/2027 Season at Park Square. Sounds like they are looking at dates for Spring of 2027. That is exciting news!!!

I went to the staged reading in early 2025. I thought the show was fun and fabulous. The only critique I had in 2025 was that the scripted needed some fine tuning. That was it.  It was a pleasure to attend the stage reading this week. There are some new songs, and the script has been improved upon.  What else I really liked was that three out of five cast members were back for this years staged reading. I’m hoping they will all be back for the fully staged musical in the 2026/2027 season. 

The musical is directed by Tyler Michaels King, with Jason Hansen as the Music Director.  The cast is Em Adam Rosenberg as Will, Armando Ronconi as Ezra, Max Wojtanowicz as Dale, Hope Nordquist as Lorelia (Dale’s sister) and Susie Jul as Cora.  

The story is about a small town with a bush in the center of town. Think of this bush similarly as you would the burning bush that Moses encountered in the Egyptian desert.  The bush has rules to abide by, there are annual rituals for the bush, and the bush also hasn’t spoken to anyone in over a century.  Now the branches of the bush start to fall off.  In walks a stranger from a different town. A town that also had this same bush.  

One change to the script that I really enjoyed with this staged reading, is last year the characters Ezra and Dale were “are they? Is there something more going on with these two guys?”. This year, as the show moves along, Ezra is definitely bisexual and Dale eventually figures things out for himself. It doesn’t hit you over the head. I just found it to be more obvious and funnier.  

I like going to stage readings of new works. It’s fun to be part of the process and to watch the show grow and develop into a local/world premiere show. 

It’s a hilarious two act musical. I for one, can’t wait to see a fully staged production in 2027.  Let’s all keep an eye on www.trademarktheater.org and www.parksquaretheatre.org for performance dates and tickets. 

Salome’ - February 2026

Salome’ 

By Oscar Wilde

Review by Ernest Edwards

Stop what you are doing and run out and see this play! It is a must see production!

Director Grant Sorenson, along with Scenographer Josh Oberlander have created a unique staging environment of this play. In the center of the Paikka event center, there are two long tables for a feast. The audience can sit on the outer side of the tables. The performance space for the play is the inner seating of the tables and space between the two tables. There’s also risers on either side of the space for the audience. I sat at one of the tables and felt very immersed in this production of Oscar Wilde’s play.  

This was my first time seeing the play Salomé by Oscar Wilde. It’s a powerful script. Salome is a dramatization of the story from the Bible of King Herod, Salomé and Iokanann (today we know as John The Baptist).  

The must see performances are Nathan Keepers as Herod, Ani Tonoyan as Salomé(daughter of Herodias, and step daughter of Herod), Logan Lang as Iokanaan, and Emily Gunyou Halaas as Herodias (the wife of Herod).The servants played by Stephanie Kahle, Sri Peck, Kashmir Shakti, and Kai Brewster are great too. Small cast of 8, but it is big play. 

Nathan Keepers gives a tour de force performance as Herod.  Ani Tonoyan is a vision as Salome’. Between her command of the stage, her hair, makeup, and the silver dress that she wears draw the attention of the play to her.  

When I think Oscar Wilde, I think of the plays The Importance of Being Earnest and An Ideal Husband. Two very funny comedies. I know, I also need to read The Portrait of Dorian Gray. As I was watching Salome’, I found myself being amazed by the script that this also Oscar Wilde. It was side to Oscar Wilde that I had seen before.  

The costumes and scenery are present day. King Herod has received favors from Cesar and is hosting a banquet. Iokanaan is imprisoned in an old cistern on the estate. Salome’ wants Iokanaan, but he refuses her advances. Herod is too interested in his step daughter. Salome’ finally agrees to dance for Herod, against her mother’s wishes. Herod promised her anything that she wanted. She asks for the head of Iokanann. Herod believes that is an act against God, he eventually grants her what she has asked for. 

Another nice touch that I liked with this production, is the programs were the size of an elite style menu. They are on the seats on the risers, but are also on the plates for the table side seats.  

This was a fun production with one of a kind staging. This cast and this script made for a great evening at the theatre. This show is not to be missed. 

Play runs through February 28, 2026. Check out https://www.salomempls.com/ for ticket information. 

The Mountaintop - Artistry - February 2026

The Mountaintop

A play by Katori Hall

Review by Ernest Edwards

I was supposed to the see play The Mountaintop last week, but due to illness in the cast my performance was cancelled and I was able to reschedule my ticket to the matinee on Saturday February 21, 2026.  Glad I was still able to see this play.  

The play is a fictional account of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s last night on earth. A night spent at his hotel room in Memphis, as we now know as the eve of his assassination.  Dr. King is joined by a housekeeper who brings him coffee late at night.  As the play goes on, we learn that she is actually an Angel who is went to prepare him for what comes next.  

As you walk into the Black Box theater at Artisty. You see the scenery is a 1960’s hotel room that is at an angle. I liked that the scenery was not 100% symmetrical with the theatre space for this play.  

The notes from director Warren C. Bowels in the program are very insightful.  I am one of the people referenced that grew up in the world after Dr. King’s assassination.  According to the program, the playwright wrote this play based on stories told her by mother.  

Mikel Sapp gives an amazing performance as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  He is able to embody and emote the passion, the drive and the essence of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Tyler Susan Jennings gave a great performance of Camae, the housekeeper turned Angel.  

As a society we have come so far since the 1960’s, when it comes to equal rights.  Even in 2026, we have so far to go.  I liked how the play ended with the “passing of the baton” video that captured moments in time from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination to the present. It was nice way to conclude the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

The performances of The Mountaintop by Mikell Sapp and Tyler Susan Jennings are not to be missed.  

The play runs through March 1, 2026. Check out www.artistrymn.org for tickets.