Lizzie - Open Eye Theatre - October 2026

Lizzie: The Rock Musical 

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By Steven Cheslik-Demeyer, Tim Maner and Alan Stevens Hewitt

Review by Ernest Edwards

I now see what my fellow bloggers were raving about with Lizzie last season. I wasn’t able to see it during the 2025/2026 season. I sure am glad the show made a comeback for the 2026/2027 season. Lizzie Rocks! Drop everything and get out and see this rock musical. It’s about Lizzie Bordon and the death of her father and step mother in 1892. 

The best part of the show is the cast!!! Lux Mortenson plays Lizzie Bordon, Abilene Olson plays her sister Emma Bordon, Grace Hillmyer plays Alice Russell, and Marley Ritchie plays Bridget Sullivan aka Maggie. These ladies give us a power house performance. 

The music has a hard driving edge. Kind of like Spring Awakening and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. All

Photo by Ernest Edwards

Everything from the costumes, hair, makeup, cast, scenery, lighting design and the music makes for an excellent experience. 

All I can really say is just get out and see this show! You will not be disappointed. 

Lizzie runs through November 1, 2026. Check out www.openeyetheatre.org for tickets. 

Mystic Pizza - Ordway - October 2026

Mystic Pizza: A New Musical

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Based on the MGM Motion Picture

With Story and Characters by Amy Holdon Jones

Written by Sandy Rustin

Review by Ernest Edwards

I was at the National Tour’s stop of the new musical Mystic Pizza at the Ordway in downtown St. Paul. 

I have never seen the 1988 movie. I know! It’s a Julia Robert’s movie too! This jukebox musical is full of fun 1980’s songs and brings the story of Mystic Pizza to totally awesome life on stage. At the center of the story is Kat, Jojo, and Daisy. Sisters and friends who are growing up, finding their way in life, becoming adults, pursuing dreams, looking for adventure, love, and sisterhood all while serving the towns favorite slice of pizza.

Mystic, Connecticut is a small fishing town. Everyone is town either works in the fishing industry or has family members who are employed in the fishing industry. 

Kat just wants to get out of town, until she meets Charles Gordon Windsor Jr. They are both from different

Photo by Ernest Edwards

worlds, financially speaking. Their attraction is electric. Daisy is working multiple jobs to be able to pay for university. Jojo can’t decide if she wants to marry the love of her life Bill. Liona Silvia owns the Mystic Pizza restaurant and is the gate keeper of her secret sauce. Times are tough and she is considering selling the business. It’s not an easy decision for her, and she feels like another mother figure to these young women. Times are tough and business is slow. 

Lots of great talents in the cast. Kat is played by Kendall Becerra, JoJo is played by Lexi Frilles, Daisy is played by Chloe Lezotte, Charles Gordon Windsor Jr is played by Jack Baylis, Bill Montijo is played by Matt Woodward, Tim Travers was played by Travis Flynt the night I went, and Leon Silva is played magnificently by Tieisha Thomas. Such a great cast and talented cast. 

I really liked the backdrops by set designer Joshua Warner. Costumes designed by Jen Caprio and Wig & Makeup designed by Roxanne De Luna help take us to the 1980s’.  

The musical contains some of the following hits from the 1980’s. “Small Town”, “Girst Just Want to Have Fun”, “Addicted to Love”, “Take My Breath Away”, “The Power of Love”, “I Think We’re Alone Now”, “Hold On”, “Manic Monday”, “When I See You Smile”, “True Colors”, “All I Need is a Miracle”, “You Keep Me Hanging On”, “Hit Me With Best Shot”, “Mad About You”, “Never Gonna Give You Up”, “Nothing’s Going to Stop Us Now” and many more. 

This was a fun romantic comedy of a musical with a great story and a fun selection of 1980’s music. Get out your favorite 80’s fashions, get that hair big, and head on over to the Ordway in downtown St. Paul for a fun night at Mystic Pizza. The show closes on Sunday October 11, 2026, check out www.ordway.org for tickets. 

MacBeth - University of Minnesota Duluth Theater - October 2026

MacBeth

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By William Shakespeare

Adapted by SarahLynn Brown

Review by Ernest Edwards

The University of Minnesota Duluth Theatre is starting their 2026/2027 season with an adaption of Shakespeare’s classic MacBeth. With Director SarahLynn Brown’s adaptation she has changed the play from a Patriarchy to a Matriarchy. Characters such as Macbeth, Duncan, Banquo, and MacDuff were all played by woman. 

Photo by Ernest Edwards

This was an excellent adaption and presentation of the classic Shakespeare play. All of the aisles were used in the thrust stage, as well as other parts of the space. Every nook and cranny was used very effectively for this play. I really liked Emma Wylie’s scenery. I kept thinking to myself before the play started that this same scenery could also be used for a production of the Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods. 

These students were giving 110% for this production. This play was nonstop for 90 minutes. The cast was lead by Molly Fabian as MacBeth. As MacBeth she had a strong will, determination, fierceness and ferocity to her portrayal as the leading character of the play. Katherine Warmka as Lady MacBeth, had an elegence and guile as the partner in the schemes of rising through the Queendom. Phuong Nguyen did a great job portraying Banquo, and coming back as Banquo’s spirit to haunt MacBeth. 

We all know the story. During the finale fight between MacBeth and MacDuff, I really wanted to see MacBeth’s head roll across the stage. That could have been the cherry on top of this production. 

UMD had a great play showing at the Marshall Performing Arts Center through October 10, 2026. Check out https://cahss.d.umn.edu/departments/theatre/current-season for tickets. 

On the Razzle - Park Square Theatre - October 2026

On the Razzle

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By Tom Stoppard

Review by Ernest Edwards

Park Square Theater is opening their 2026/2027 season with the 1981 Tom Stoppard comedy On The Razzle. 

You have probably heard of the play The Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder or the musical Hello Dolly. Tom Stoppard’s play On The Razzle tells the familiar story, and is based on the original 1842 play of Einen Jux will er sich machen, which places the story in Austria in the 19th Century, with the characters heading off to Vienna for adventure. 

One of my favorite things to do is to check out the design corner in the lobby of the Park Square Theatre. There’s history of the story, scenic design renderings and costume renderings. Along with head shots of the cast, it is fun to check out the designs either before the show or during intermission. 

Tom Stoppard’s play is humorous and clever with the use of language The story is familiar structurally to the play The Matchmaker. The character names and locations have changed, the hilariousness is the same. One thing to note, it was Thornton Wilder with The Matchmaker, is where Dolly Gallagher Levi is introduced. Since Tom Stoppard’s play is based on the original 1842, there is no Dolly in On The Razzle. There is shenanigans, mistaken identity’s, fun, comedy, hijinks and plenty of adventure. 

Director Stephen DiMenna has assembled a great cast for even of comedy. Zangler is played by Emil Herrera, Weinberl is

Photo by Dan Norman

played by Chris Hayhurst, Sonders is played by Logan Liang, Mrs. Fischer is played by George Keller, Madame Knorr is played by Greta Oglesby, Melchior is played by Jose Sallibon, Christoper is played by Nate Turcotte, and the rest of the cast is rounded out by Allison Vincent, Ann Beth Baker, Porter Eldridge, Brendan Nelson Finn, Norah Long, and Tori Mitchell. 

Set your sights on adventure. On The Razzle continues through October 25, 2026. Check out www.parksquaretheatre.org for tickets. 

Check out the website www.79seconds.org. The site compiles all of the reviews for the stage productions currently playing in the Twin Cities. 

Pinocchio - Children’s Theatre Company - October 2026

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Pinocchio

By Carlo Collodi

Review By Ernest Edwards

Pinocchio is fun for all ages. Pinocchio is the most fun you will have on stage.

The production of Pinocchio playing at the Children’s Theater Company is so creative and magical. Before the play begins, the stage looks like a show where the scenery is still under construction. The cast comes out in work clothes for painting the scenery. They are surprised to see us in the audience. Even more surprised to hear that everyone present has a ticket. This group of 5 decides to put on the play for us. 

With minimal props, scenery, costumes and make up, they put on a wonderful, creative and magical production of

The cast by Glen Stubbe

the play Pinocchio for us. The stage production had everything that I could remember about the story of Pinocchio, the wooden puppet who wanted to be a real boy. 

The cast was so great! They made us all feel welcome and were having fun telling us this familiar story. 

For the production I went to the cast included Antonisia (Nisi) Collins, Reed Sigmund, Autumn Ness, Chauncey Thomas and Victor Zupanc. 

With keeping with the theme, when the play was over, the cast politely asked the audience to leave so they could continue to work on the scenery. It was such a great concept for telling the story. 

With a run time of 90 minutes, plus a 15 minute intermission, this is great fun for the whole family. 

The play runs through October 18, 2026. Check out www.childrenstheatre.org for tickets. This play is not to be missed. 

Murder on the Nile - Frosted Glass Creative - October 2026

Murder On the Nile

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By Agatha Christie

Review by Ernest Edwards

Have you ever wanted to be in the world of the play? Frosted Glass Creative has done exactly that with Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Nile. I got the see the play, while enjoying a boat ride off the banks of Stillwater, MN on the St. Croix River. 

This was such a fun experience, to be a boat going down the river, while watching a play about a boat ride on the Nile. (Dinner is included with your ticket) The first half of the run departs from Stillwater, on the St. Croix River. The second half of the fun, departs from Harriet Island in St. Paul, and will take you along the Mississippi River. This is a very unique experience for a play. It’s an experience that is not to be missed!

The story takes place in the 1930’s. Young couple heiress Kay Moystyn and Simon Moystyn are trying to enjoy their honeymoon by taking a trip down the Nile river. They are followed by Jacqueline De Severac, who is Simon’s ex lover and Kay’s old friend. When Kay is found murdered, everyone on the cruise is a suspect. 

Pay close attention to the action and listen to what is being said. There are lots of delicious bread crumbs throughout the play. The big reveal into who committed the crime, and why is revealed in classic Agatha Christie style. Death on the Nile keeps your attention the entire time. 

This play has a great cast. At the peformance I went to the cast was Kay Moystyn is played by Amy Eckberg, Simon Moystyn is played by Alex Galick, Cannon Pennefather is played by Charles Fraser, Jacqueline De Severac is played by Maya Pantaowitz, Miss FFoliot Ffoulkes is played by Peggy O’Connell, Christina Grant is played by Abby Slater, Smith is played by Elijah Leer, Louise is played by Mackenzie Diggins, Dr. Bessner is played by Patrick O’Brien, McNaught is played by Logan Kehoe, and Beadseller is played by Jiccarra N. Hollman. 

The play runs through October 24, 2026. Check out www.frostedglasscreative.com for tickets. 

You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown - Artistry - October 2026

You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown

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Book, Music, and Lyrics by Clark Gesner

Additional dialogue by Michael Mayer

Additional Music and Lyrics by Andre Lippa

Review by Ernest Edwards

Nostalgic for the good old days? Reminiscing about the simpler and innocent times from childhood? Head on down to the Artistry stage for their current production of the musical You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, based on the Peanuts characters by Charles M. Schulz. 

This 1967 musical has been in NYC a few times over the year. Probably most notably is the 1999 Broadway production that featured actress Kristen Chenoweth as Sally Brown. 

This is not your typical musical. There’s not an overall plot, it’s vignettes of Charlie Brown and the gang. There’s Lucy’s psychiatric stand, the kite getting stuck in a tree, a baseball game, Schroeder playing piano, Snoopy flying after the Red Barron and many more. 

The reason to see this show is the cast! It’s a great who’s who of the Twin Cities theater acting

The cast list, from the program

community. Some of my favorite actors/actresses in the Twin Cities are in this show. The casting for this show is spot on. Jay Albright plays Charlie Brown, and he looks like how Charlie Brown would look as an adult. He was perfect. Michelle Barber plays Sally, and really capture her personality. Bradley Greenwald brought so much to the role of Snoopy. One of my favorite moments was when Snoopy was battling the Red Barron and Snoopy’s arms did the machine gun action. That is so Snoopy. Perfectly cast as Linus is Tod Peterson, Tod embodies Linus so well, and knows how to use Linus’s blue blanket. Jen Santoro Rotty embodies Lucy strong personality. Joenathan Thomas brings life to our favorite piano player Schroeder. 

There really isn’t a scenic designer listed in the program. I really enjoyed how they designed Schroeder’s piano and Snoopy’s dog house. They looked and felt inspired by the comics and animated specials. Costume Coordinator Britt Hilton did a great job giving those adults costumes that felt reminiscent of these characters. The acting, scenery and costumes helped to transport us to the neighborhood of the Peanuts gang. 

Artistry has a fun show playing with You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown. The musical runs through October 25, 2026. Check out www.artistrymn.org for tickets.