My Anotonia - Theater Latte Da - June 2026

My Antonia

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Conceived by Jessie Austrian, Noah Brody, Kate Kilbane and Dan Moses

Music and Lyrics by The Kilbanes

Book by Noah Brody

Review by Ernest Edwards

This musical had me under its spell from the opening moment of the show. Picture this, that cast is on stage and throughout the theater. They ask us to picture the wide open prairies, and then we begin to hear birds chirping and the sounds of crickets. The way that was executed was pure theater magic. It was such a wonderful moment. It reminded me of the opening moment the first time I had seen the musical Light at the Piazza. When those leaves drifted across the stage during the first few moments of that musical, it was an elevated detail that was so cool to see on stage. It had me hooked from the beginning. It was the same with My Antonia. I knew I was going to be in for an excellent evening of  storytelling. 

I did not know this world premiere musical is based on a book by Willa Cather. There is a nice display in the lobby that you should check out either before the show or the during intermission. It’s fun to see a new work and not have any previous knowledge to the story. This musical stands on its own. 

The story and the storytelling are so compelling, it was a treat for me to be a witness to this world premiere production. It was truly a magical evening. 

The story follows James as he recounts to Willa, meeting Antonia (pronounced An-toe-knee-uh) for the

Photo by Dan Norman

first time. As young Jimmy, his parents died in Virginia.  He takes the train to live with his Grandparents in Nebraska. On the same train is Antonia and her family, fresh from Bohemia trying to start a new life in America. The story takes place over the course of approximately 30 years. Life on the prairie was hard. Antonia’s family is living in a sod house. Jimmy and Antonia become good friends, but their lives do diverge and take different paths as they get older. 

The scenic design by Benjamin Olsen takes us to those big open prairies. The Costumes by Sarah Bahr tell us who each character is, their status in society and when the show takes place. Such amazing detail with the costume designs. 

The biggest reason for the success of the story of My Antonia is the cast. What a cast it is. Looking at the cast list in the program, and it’s a who’s who of the Twin Cities theatre community. We have so much talent in this metro area, and it’s great to see it showcased in a production like My Antonia. Jimmy is played by Maddox Tabalba, Jim is played by Will Dusek, James is played by Tom Reed, Lillian Hochman plays Young Antonia, Sara Masterson plays Antonia, Emily Gunyou Halasas plays older Antonia, Em Adam Rosenberg plays Willa, Sally Wingert plays Grandmother, Bradley Greenwald plays Grandfather, Anna Hashizume, James Rodrigue and Spencer Chandler round out the rest of the cast. Another thing that makes this show so wonderful and magical, is that while the actors do have a primary character that they are playing they also are part of the ensemble and take on other roles throughout the musical. This is a strong ensemble production. 

This production was so good, and so moving that the show received an instant standing ovation when the show was over. That a testament to the story, the storytelling and the performances of the cast. 

My Antonia is not to be missed. Check out www.latteda.org for tickets. The musical runs through July 12, 2026. 

The Great Gatsby - Hennepin Arts - June 2026

The Great Gatsby

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Based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel

Book by Kait Kerrigan, Music by Jason Howland, Lyrics by Nathan Tysen

Review by Ernest Edwards

The 2024 Broadway musical, The Great Gatsby is on town this week as part of its National Tour. The musical is gracing the stage of the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Minneapolis with its Art Deco extravaganza. This musical showcases high end Art Deco from the roaring 1920’s. I was here for it!

The stage musical follows the story of the novel. You have Jay Gatsby who is still in love with Daisy. Gatsby and Daisy knew each other, before he left for war. Daisy is now married to Tom Buchanan. Gatsby made his fortune after The Great War/WWI, and built an estate across the sound from the Buchanan residence in Long Island. Where Gatsby can stare across the water at the green light in their lighthouse and know Daisy is there. A plan begins to form when Daisy’s cousin Nick Caraway rents a cottage from Gatsby. Gatsby encourages Jay to arrange a tea with Daisy, so he can just stop on by. The plot thickens from there. 

The visuals really bring us into the 1920’s. The Art Deco scenery and projections designed by Paul Tate

Photo taken by Ernest Edwards

DePoo III are breathtaking. The Costumes designed by Linda Cho are elegant and fabulous. The lighting design by Cory Pattak helps to bring the spectacle to life. This musical is a good old fashioned spectacle. In addition to the singing and dancing, it’s a visual delight. This production just keeps giving more and more. Which is also due to the dancing by Choreographer Dominique Kelley. Director Marc Bruni guided this classic story to wonderful new results. 

We need to talk about this cast. There is so many wonderful talented cast members. This show wouldn’t be what is without the ensemble. For the leads we have Jake David Smith as Jay Gatsby, Senzel Ahmad’s as Daisy Buchanan, Joshua Crosso as Nick Carraway, Leanne Robinson as Jordan Baker, Will Branner as Tom Buchanan and Edward Staudenmayer as Meyer Wolfsheim. These leading cast members carry the story, and each has such vocal talent with their singing. 

This entire show is a giant gift, and every element is the cherry on top. 

The marquee

If you like musicals with singing, dancing, gorgeous scenery and spectacle. The Great Gatsby fits that bill perfectly.  The musical is in town until Sunday June 7, 2026, check out www.hennepinarts.org for tickets. 

Brokeback Mountain - Chicago Shakespeare Theater - May 2026

Brokeback Mountain

Poster on Navy Pier

A play by Ashley Robinson

Review by Ernest Edwards

Brokeback Mountain, as a play is making it’s North American premiere at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Courtyard Theater. The play premiered in London in 2023. The play is based on the novella, not the movie. The playwright made that very clear on a recent interview on a Chicago news segment. 

I must say, this play is a work of art. It is a work of literature live on stage. There are many reasons for that. First of all is the cast. Jack Twist is played by Jack Cameron Kay and Emmit Del Mar is played by Harrison Ball. These two actors were perfectly cast and portray these characters so well. I just can’t say enough about their performances and the strong cast supporting them throughout the play. These two leading men are part of this plays success. 

In no particular order all of these elements help to make this play a success. There is the direction by Jonathan Butterell, the Scenery & Costumes were designed by Tom Pye, the Lighting designed by David Finn, and the songs by Dan Gillespie Sells. This is not a musical, it’s a play with music. The music and vocals provide a nice undertone to what is happening on stage. 

Let’s talk about the scenery in a greater detail. The story takes place in various locations in Wyoming

Photo by Ernest Edwards

between 1963 and 1983. The scenery was universal, but had elements that took us to where needed to go for every scene. There’s patches of grass, there’s a fire pit for the campsite’s (with real flames and smoke), beds, tables and counters rise out the floor for the various indoor scenes, with the appropriate lighting fixtures that descend from above. The scenery was spectacularly designed and functioned very well. The scenery, along wth the costumes helped take us to Jack and Emmit’s Wyoming. 

Let’s talk about the story. Jack and Emmit meet in 1963 and are herding sheep on Brokeback Mountain. During the course of that summer. They two cowboys discover something that they can only share with each other. These two cowboys in the 1960’s become lovers. Eventually they both marry women. Emitt has two daughters. This is probably a lot to do with society, that these two cannot fully be themselves. They have their fishing trips multiple times a year. This goes on for 20 years. 

Society has come a long way since the time period when this play takes place. We still have a long way to go. 

The story is so moving, emotional and well executed that it received an instant standing ovation when the play was over. The run time is also 90 minutes with no intermission, which is the right amount of time for this play. If you in Chicago or want to make a trip to Chicago, this play is not to be missed. The play continues through June 28, 2026. Check out www.chicagoshakes.com for tickets. 

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Home, I’m Darling - Lyric Arts - May 2026

Home, I’m Darling

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Play written by Laura Wade

Review by Ernest Edwards

One of the many reasons why I like Lyric Arts, is that not every show they produce is a well known recognizable title. Everything they do is worth seeing. Home, I’m Darling fits that bill perfectly. I had never heard of this play before, I liked the description and ended up loving the production. 

This play was written and first produced in 2018. It’s still a fairly new play. At the center of the play is the couple Judy (Kendra Mueller) and Johnny (Kyler Chase). The play starts out in the 1950’s. Everything is the 50’s from the clothing, the hair styles, to the decor, metal lunch boxes, landline telephones, a console record player, the furniture and the appliances. Then we notice present day things start to pop in. A laptop here, the mention of cell phones there.  

It is revealed that this play doesn’t take place in the 1950’s. It’s present day and Judy & Johnny have decided to live like they are in the 1950’s. It started out as a 6 month experiment, but has now been going on for three years. What got them here was that Judy’s job was downsized. She did get a severance. Johnny was bringing home good money. Judy was kind of tired of the corporate life. They give living like the 1950’s a try, and Judy becomes the stay at home wife who wears high heels and jewelry as she cleans the house. As the years have gone on, Johnnys’ commission has been shrinking and Judy has used her savings to bridge the gap. Judy’s savings is now completely gone, as is the money her father left her, and the bank wants to start foreclosure proceedings. 

Judy’s mom Silvia (Patti Haynes-McCarthy) set’s the record straight on the 1950’s with a great monologue in the second act. She talks about the racism, the sexism, the physical and mental abuse. The 1950’s wasn’t as rosy as television and movies make it out to be. I like in the program how the director says his own Mom wasn’t making london broil and cherry pie every night like June Cleever did. 

The stage before the play begins. Photo by Ernest Edwards

Some of my favorite moments from this play were the moments between scenes. The cast looked like they were fun during those interludes. The two story scenic design by Greg Vanselow was gorgeous. It had that classic look and feel to it. 

What era would like to live as in today’s world? Would you be willing to make a leap like Judy & Johnny did? Would you completely renovate your house and wardrobe to fit that time period? 

Not only is this a fun play with a nice mix of comedy and drama. It also makes you think. What if? It was also fascinating to watch this story unfold over the evening. 

This fun play runs through June 21, 2026. Check out www.lyricarts.org for tickets. 

Little Women - The Guthrie Theater - May 2026

Little Women

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Adapted by Lauren M. Gunderson, based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott

Review by Ernest Edwards

Little Women at the Guthrie Theater is a wonderful delight. From the moment you walk into the Wurtele Thrust Stage and see the gorgeous scenery, to the first spoken words of the play. It was an enchanting night of theatre. 

One of the aspects that I really like with this adaptation is that the play is both acted out on stage, and narrated from all of the characters at the same time. Such a creative way of storytelling. Spoiler alert, the story of the March sisters is also bookended by the character Louisa May Alcott in writing this timeless tale. 

My season seat in the slope, felt perfect last night. I was sitting in the right place. I was drawn into the play, and loving every moment. 

There is such wonderful energy coming from the cast. It was great to experience being in the theatre with  this script. It put me in a great uplifting mood. 

This is a wonderful ensemble play, but there are standouts in the cast. Daniel Petzold as Laurie, he has a great energy about him as Laurie. Stephanie Anne Bertumen is Meg. May Heinicke is Beth. Isabella Star LeBlance is Jo/Louisa. This play was well acted. The cast is lead expertly by Director Jackson Gay. 

I really enjoyed the scenery designed by Junghyun Georgia Lee. The outdoors and the indoors blended

The stage before the play begins. 
Photo by Ernest Edwards

well together in this play that takes place in rural Massachusetts during and after The Civil War. The scenery was perfect to represent all of the different seasons that the story takes place during. Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. It was fun watching the snow fall upstage, or the falling of flower petals and Autumn leaves. I also liked the costumes for the play, designed by Jessica Ford. Her costumes helped to transport us to when the play was taking place back in the 1860’s.

The story and struggles of the March sisters is not a new story, it was written and published in 1868. There have been numerous film and stage adaptations over the years. This adaptation by Lauren M. Gunderson is true, classic, heartwarming and refreshing at the same time. 

I can’t say enough nice things about this production of Little Women. This gem of a play continues through June 21, 2026. Check out www.guthrietheater.org for tickets. 

The Most Happy Fella - Ten Thousand Things - May 2026

The Most Happy Fella

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Book, Music, and Lyrics by Frank Loesser

Review By Ernest Edwards

This was my first time seeing the musical The Most Happy Fella and attending a Ten Thousand Things production. I do remember having a cast recording from a Broadway revival in the 1990’s. The only song I recognized was “Standing on the Corner”. It’s nice to see a classic musical for the first time. 

The Most Happy Fella is another musical by Frank Loesser, who is also known for the musicals Guys and Dolls and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. 

A fun fact that I learned about Ten Thousand Things is that they take their shows on tour around the Twin Cities and the great state of Minnesota. I got to see the musical in the Performance Hall at Open Book in downtown Minneapolis. A cast of seven actors play all the characters and are also the part of the musicians for the musical. 

The musical takes place in Northern California in 1927. Rosabella is working as a waitress in a San Francisco cafe and agrees to be a mail order bride for Tony Esposito. She doesn’t realize that Tony used the photo of Joe, his foreman. Tony was ashamed of the age difference. Rosabella does grow to love Tony. Tony hires for friend Cleo to also work at the vineyard. 

The cast really stands out for this wonderful production. Tony is played by Pedro R. Bayon, Rosabella is played by Susie Juul, Joe is played by Sasha Andreev, Cleo is played by Julia Diaz, Marie (Tony’s Sister) is played by Norah Long, the rest of the cast includes Phinehas Bynum and Maje Adams.

I liked the staging of this production. With minimum sets and costumes, you really get drawn into the story and performances of the cast. The intimate staging of an arena stage in the Performance Hall was a great fit for The Most Happy Fella. 

This musical plays through June 7, 2029. Check out www.tenthousandthings.org for tickets and locations/venues. 

It Wasn’t Murder? - KJ Productions at Plymouth Playhouse - May 2026

It Wasn’t Murder?

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By Kiernon James

Review by Ernest Edwards

It Wasn’t Murder is currently playing at the Plymouth Playhouse through June 14, 2026. It’s a new play that is back for a second time. I didn’t see it the first time around, but am happy to have caught this delicious murder mystery play. It’s a really good “who done it”. 

They have us take a survey during intermission. A question in the survey is who do you think did it? At the end of the first act, I had strong convictions as to who was guilty. With a murder mystery play, it keeps you guessing until all is revealed at the end. 

In an effort not to give away and any of the details, I’ll give a brief recap of the story. The rich matriarch of the Rothberg family is dead. As family, friends and neighbors gather for the funeral, her nurse Lucy Granger is the next victim. As is Silvia Fulton, who lives nearby. Who is behind this? What do they want? Who could it be? 

I really liked the scenery designed by Dan Sherman, and the costumes designed by Deb Murphy. Both take us back to the 1940’s in the sunroom at the Rothberg’s home. If you have ever been to the Plymouth Playhouse it is a great performance space, but not a big stage. What impressed me with the scenery was that they were able to create four different entrances for the cast to use. There was a hallway to the front door of the residence, French doors to the garden, stairs to the second level, and a double hinged door for the kitchen. All tastefully place within the Rothberg residence. 

The play also has a really good cast.  

This play was so delicious, I could see it again. It’s a great spring/summertime mystery. Check out www.plymouthplayhouse.com for tickets.