The 39 Steps - October 2025

The 39 Steps

Review by Ernest Goes To Theatre/Ernest Edwards

I was at American Players Theatre/APT over the weekend for their end of season play The 39 Steps. I was there with with fellow Twin Cities Theater Blogger Minnesota Theater Love/Julie Jackson, along with our APT friends from the Twin Cities metro.  

It was a lovely way for APT to wrap up their 2025 season. 

I’ve done the end of season play before. It’s a different feeling from being at APT during the summer season. The sun sets shortly after the 6pm start to the evening play. The Gateway building is closed for the season. The picnic areas are all closed and are getting ready to hibernate for the winter season.  Then I feel some nostalgia walking the down the hill from the Touchstone Theater for the last time for the 2025 season. I’m already looking forward to the 2026 season at APT, which was just announced this past week. Check out www.americanplayers.org for details on the 2026 season.  

It was a wonderful weekend. We drove to Spring Green, Wisconsin, by driving along the Mississippi River and enjoyed the fall foliage on the bluffs. We got some lunch at the Nelson Creamery in Nelson, Wisconsin.  We stopped by the apple orchards in Gays Mills.  Had dinner at the Riverside Restaurant, in Spring Green, before the play. Then we hung out at the bar/fire pit at the Spring Valley Inn after the play.  This weekend we grabbed breakfast at Anita’s on Sunday morning, before hitting the road and going back to the Twin Cities.  We also made some stops for Wisconsin cheese too. 

The play The 39 Steps was adapted by Patrick Barlow in 2005, based on the novel by John Buchan and the Alfred Hitchcock movie of the same name. Now I have seen the play The 39 Steps before, and it’s been a while. It was nice having such a long time between the last time and APT’s production. I had seen it at The Guthrie Theater in December 2010. Then at Theatre B in December 2011, back when Theatre B was on Main Street in downtown Fargo. 

The play is performed with only 4 actors.  APT had the perfect casting with APT alumni Marcus Truschinki, Laura Rook, Nate Burger, and Casey Hoekstra. Marcus plays Richard Hannay, while the other three play multiple characters throughout the play.  That’s part of the joy with this play, is how the story is being told. The different costumes, characters, scenery, and props. The stagecraft and techniques used to tell the story are wonderful and magical and lead to hilarious results. 

To quote APT in the program, ‘We are proud that APT takes on the hard topics. We encourage you to think and feel - sometimes in ways that are unfamiliar or uncomfortable. We don’t say “sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.” Instead, we say “lean forward, listen, actively engage your heart, your mind, your curiosity.” Not this time. This time let’s just have some damn fun!’  Trust me, fun was had by everyone at that Touchstone Theater Saturday night. 

The story focuses on Richard Hannay in London, the month of August 1935. He meets Annabella Schmidt at an event. She is being followed and asks to go back to his place.  Where we see two thugs lurking under a street light.  They are following Annabella.  Annabella leaves the room and comes back a knife in her back and a map of Scotland in her hand. Richard then flees London for Scotland by train. Annabella had a contact there. Richard needs to find out about the 39 steps. What are the 39 steps?  Who are they? Are they a threat to national security? How to get this information to the proper authorities? While being accused of murder and chased by police everywhere he goes. 

One of the best stage scenes in the play, is the rooftop chase on a train.  So many stage tricks, fun and  attention to detail. That was a fun and humorous scene. 

One of the funniest moments in the play. Trust me there are many.  Once Richard get’s to the estate in Scotland, he’s given a tour.  The cast hold up empty picture frames. Here, there, everywhere on stage.  At one point a frame is on actor Nate Burger and you hear “this painting is of a locally famous regional actor”. That made me bust a gut laughing.  Nate has been at APT for 14 seasons now, and is based in Chicago.  A bit of tongue in cheek with that moment.  Then another frame is held up and the description is “this is the audience”. So much fun! It’s also a bit of homage to Alfred Hitchcock to hear the phrase “north by northwest” in the play. I will not give away when that happens, but be on the lookout for it.  

This play was performed so well that there was an instant standing ovation when the play was over. This cast and crew put in 110% and then some.  They deserved the applause at the end. Some applause for the stage management team of Evelyn Matten, Alexandra Baus Pozniak, and Bri Humka who have to keep track of all of the props/scenery/customes/wigs with every performance. Job well done!   

The play has now been extended to November 30th, check out www.americanplayers.org for tickets.  

You should catch this play before the APT 2025 season closes for good. It’s a fun play! It’s hilarious! It’s has unique story telling. It is a one of kind of play that needs to be experienced live and in person. 

Murder Inn October 2025

Murder Inn

Review by Ernest Goes To The Theatre/Ernest Edwards

Make a reservation and check yourself in to the Murder Inn.  

It’s a play by Howard Voland and Keith McGregor.  This production is at the Plymouth Playhouse and is produced by 4 Community Theatre.  

It’s November. And there’s a flash flood happening. The Ghost and Ghouls Tour of New England find themselves in need of last minute lodging. Only the Barnsley Inn is available.  The Barnsley Inn is normally closed in November, because the local ghost, Marco, haunts the Inn in November. For November is when he discovered his wife cheating on him over 200 years ago. Marco died at this location.  No one is to use room #3. That is Marco’s room. Marco likes to throw knives. The Inn Keeper (Martha Talbot) and her son (Jake Talbot) are always hiding the knives from Marco.  Now comes a bus load of guests that are unwelcome by the Inn Keeper, but they truly have no place to else to go as the roads are now flooded and they are trapped. Trapped at a creaky old Inn, with a knife throwing ghost and with each other. What could go wrong? 

The group of tourists consist of Agnes Tate (who is so demanding that she makes Alexis Carrington Colby from Dynasty look like a nun), her niece Carolyn Pickett, Ellen Halsey is the tour guide, Donald Schultz is the bus driver, Muriel Lampmann is the free spirit (armed with pink hair, sensitivity to auras, and wielder of a Ouija board), Patricia Simpson seems like she is kept together (what secrets is she hiding), Lawrence Currier a college professor working in a new book, his son Todd Currier, and the best friend duo of Grace Sharp and Doris Brooks. 

Act one ends with the discovery of the death of Patricia. Dun, dun, dunnnnnnn!  As the power goes out, due to the storm, and the phone lines go out.  (Also no cell service. That’s truly frightful)  With the roads flooded, the police are not coming. It’s up to the back up generator and the guests to figure out who or what killed Patricia. Since she had a knife wound it would be obvious to say that Marco the ghost killed her.  As the guests try to unravel the mystery Agnes Tate is the next victim.  Lawrence suggests a different approach to this mystery.  As he goes to his room to sleep on these events. After he exists the stage, there’s gun fire and Lawrence is now dead. Now the body count is up to three. Two by knife and one by gun fire. Who is the killer?  That I will not reveal in this review. What I will say, is in good old fashioned murder mystery style. All is revealed by the end. 

This is a fun and frightful tale for spooky season.  The cast is fun.  The story is engaging.  Book yourself a ticket for a spooktacular good time at the Murder Inn. Play runs through November 2, 2025. Check out 4communitytheatre.org for tickets. 

The Cherry Orchard October 2025

The Cherry Orchard 

Review by Ernest Goes To The Theatre/Ernest Edwards

I went to the play The Cherry Orchard. It’s a co-production between The Moving Company (MOCO) and The Jungle Theater.  The play was written by Anton Chekhov in 1904. This script was translated by Paul Schmidt. It is adapted by the MOCO crew of Steven Epp, Dominque Serrand, and Nathan Keepers. 

This play is pure MOCO magic.  This is one of the areas where MOCO excels. Taking a classic and putting that MOCO inspiration into it. What you see on stage is simply wonderful. 

The story of The Cherry Orchard is about a family that is going to loose their home and the beautiful cherry orchard on the land. The bank is already in the foreclosure process and has set an auction for August.  The play begins in May.  

The matriarch of the family is Liubov Andreyevna performed by Tracey Maloney.   This was a great role for Tracey.  Nathan Keepers embodied the role of Lopakhin. I really liked seeing Randy Reyes in this production.  I don’t think Randy has done a MOCO production before. 

This is not a happy story.  Then again, happy is not a term typically associated with Anton Chekhov plays.  What I really liked about this production, in addition to the story, was the use of the projections on the back of the stage. MOCO also used every square inch of the Jungle Theater stage. They used the two doors on either side of the front of the stage, the aisles, and also row D in the audience was also used during the play. I was in row D that night, and I had a brush of stardom with Nathan Keepers. As did everyone else in row D.  

This cast and this adaption are worth seeing live on stage.  

The Cherry Orchard has been extended to November 9, 2025.  Check out Jungletheater.org for tickets. 

White Rabbit Red Rabbit October 2025

White Rabbit Red Rabbit

Review by Ernest Goes To The Theatre/Ernest Edwards

I was at Lyrics Arts last night for the opening night performance of the play White Rabbit Red Rabbit. It’s a play written by Nassim Soleimanpur.  

This is going to be short review. Similar to when I went to see the play Harry Potter and The Cursed Child and The Mousetrap, I need to keep the secret. 

This was a unique theatrical experience for me.  The nature of the play is that the actor has never read the script before and there has been no rehearsals either.  Lyric Arts has a different performer for every performance for the entire run of the play.  The production runs through November 2, 2025.  There’s 9 actors/actresses scheduled throughout the run. If time allowed, I would definitely see this play again to see how it is with a different performer and a different audience.  (See below image for the dates and actor/actress that is scheduled). 

For opening night, the actor was Tyler Michaels King, and he was making his Lyric Arts debut last night.  The play begins with the artistic director of Lyric Arts handing an envelope with the script in it to the actor. The actor has never seen it before, and is experiencing it for the first time with the audience.  In an effort to have this review be spoiler free, I will not be going into any further details about the play.  You just have to go and experience in person yourself. 

This was a wonderful and magical night out at the theatre.  Definitely an experience that I will never forget. 

Check out lyric arts.org for tickets. 

Journey On October 2025

Journey On

Review by Ernest Edwards/Ernest Goes To The Theatre

Journey On is a celebration of Theater Latte Da.  It’s the first show of their 2025/2026 season, which is also their 28th season. Journey On is also the 100th production for Theater Latte Da.  Learned that their home, The Ritz Theater, is also 100 years old.  100 is being celebrated in many different ways for Latte Da. 

Journey On is a love letter to the fans of Theater Latte Da. Expertly directed by Artistic Director Justin Lucero.  The show is hosted by Tod Peterson, with the cast of Felix Aguilar Tomlinson, Ronnie Allen, Erin Cupella, Deidre Cochran, Isa Conda-Olivera, Bradley Greenwald, Kim Kivens, and Evan Tyler Wilson. Tod told some stories about how Theater Latte Da got its name and origins. Name came from performing at coffee shops. Latte Ta Da, became Theater Latte Da.  I never knew that origin story, I just always like the name. 

I went digging through my theater spreadsheet. The first show I had seen with Latte Da was A Man of No Importance at the Loring Playhouse in April 2004.  I had seen several Latte Da productions at the old Loring Playhouse such as King of Hearts, Floyd Collins and the first time Latte Da did Gypsy. I also got to see the second production of Gypsy at The Pantages Theater. 

Hearing about how Latte Da was able to purchase the Ritz Theater in 2016 was a great story told by Bradley Greenwald. It was at a fundraiser.  That evening Latte Da was trying to raise money for the down payment to purchase the Ritz Theater. Within minutes, they not only raised enough money for the down payment, but also for the first 10 mortgage payments.  Bradley saw that night how much the audience loves Latte Da.  

Evan Tyler Wilson’s story was moving. He talked about when he first moved to the Twin Cities and had a hard time getting parts. He learned about Latte Da’s general audition.  He ended up having call backs for Sweeney Todd, C, and All is Calm. Then was cast in all three shows that same season. 

I do regret not seeing Latte Da’s production of Sunday in the Park with George at the Loring Playhouse.  I have friends who still rave about that production today. I also missed Company at the old McKnight Theater.  After many years, I had found myself missing out on some Latte Da productions. I eventually became a season ticket holder a few years ago for Latte Da.  Now I don’t miss any Latte Da productions.  

Another fun tidbit.  Out of 100 productions, Latte Da has performed 8 out 12 musicals where Stephen Sondheim wrote both the music and lyrics. Only 4 more to go.  😉 

This was a fun night of reflection, story telling and singing. The show was so good that I found myself wishing it was 4 or 5 hours long. Between the cast, the orchestra, and the songs it was such an enjoyable night of theater.  

I went later in the run. The show closes on Sunday October 19, 2025. Not much time left to see this gem.  Check out latteda.org for tickets. 

It’s Only a Play October 2025

It’s Only a Play 

Review by Ernest Edwards/Ernest Goes To The Theatre

It’s Only A Play is a love letter to the theater.  It was delicious, like candy. I found myself wanting more. 

The play is written by theater legend Terrance McNally and is directed by Artistic Director Stephen Dimenna at the Park Square Theatre in downtown St. Paul. This comedy is the opening of Park Square’s 2025/2026 season, which is also their 50th season!  I was there last night, which was at the same time as the home opener for the MN Wild. Between Park Square Theatre, Grand Casino Arena, The St. Paul Palace Theater, and The Fitzgerald Theater. There was a lot happening in downtown St. Paul last night. 

It’s Only A Play takes place during the opening night party of the new play The Golden Egg. The party is at Producer Julia Budder’s townhouse in the upper east side of Manhattan. Everyone is anxiously awaiting for the reviews to start to come out.  Especially the review from the NY Times.  Will the reviews make the show a success or will it close on opening night? The tensions are high. There’s a lot riding on the line for everyone. For the producer, it’s the first play that she had produced herself. For the lead actress, Virginia Noyes,  it’s a comeback vehicle after a failed career in Hollywood. For the playwright, Peter Austin, this is suppose to be his most important play yet.  For friend/tv series actor, James Wicker, he’s here to support his friends in NYC.  Meanwhile Jame’s successful tv series is about to get cancelled. Director Frank Finger is actually hoping for some bad news. His string of 14 hits in London and on Broadway is getting to be too much pressure.  So we wants a flop himself. 

This cast is like a who’s who of Twin Cities actors. There’s Jim Lichtscheidl, Daniel Petzold, Emily Gunyou Halas, and Sally Wingert to name a few.  For last nights production, the role of playwright Peter Austin normally played by Sasha Andreev was played by Brendan Nelson Finn.  This cast has comedic chops. I’m looking forward to see more of Nate Turcotte, as Gus, in future productions. 

Park Square did a great job with setting the mood for a play about a Broadway play. The pre show music and the intermission music was songs from Broadway musicals.  The program has fun information about the play. There’s a page in the program that references all the famous names that are dropped throughout the play. At the end of the lobby, to the right of the theater entrance, is a nook that has all of the costume designs, scenic designs, photos of the cast, and histories of the play.  That was great space.  Loved seeing all of that information. 

I also have to mention Benjamin Olsen’s scenic design. It gorgeous, spacious, and elegant. The couch added some humor to the play.  The couch kind of reminded me of that set of furniture from the movie Auntie Mame. No one knew how to sit on that couch. 

There’s only one week left to catch this comedy.  The last show is on October 19, 2025.  Check out parksquaretheatre.org for more information on tickets. 

A Doll’s House October 2025

A Doll’s House

A play by Henrik Ibsen, a new version adapted by Amy Herzog

Review by Ernest Edwards/Ernest Goes to the Theatre

I went to A Doll’s House on Tuesday October 7, 2025.  The play runs through Sunday October 12, 2025. Not much time left to catch the opening play of the Guthrie Theater’s 2025/2026 season. 

I really liked this new adaption. The language felt present day, and the pace of the story moved faster.  It’s still Norway in 1879, so the periods costumes are nice to see, but the script feels refreshed. Still the same classic piece of theatre.  

One attention to detail that I really liked was with Luciana Stecconi’s scenery. The play takes place around Christmas. The stage/exterior of the residence is covered with a blanket of snow.  That was a really nice touch, in addition to the coats, hats and scarves the characters wore when they came in from the cold  let’s the audience know the climate and time of year. 

The story of Nora Helmer is still just a relevant today as it was when it first published in 1879.  Nora is trying to find her place in life as a wife, a mother, and as a woman in society.  She did something scandalous in the 1800’s. She saved her husband’s life. He was ill and needed to go to a warmer southern climate. She borrowed money for a trip to Italy. Her husband did get well from the trip.  It was how she obtained the funds that is the root of the scandal.  She forged her father’s signature as a guarantor on the promissory note. As her father was also ill around this time and did pass away himself. She dated his signature after his death.  

Although she has been making payments on the loan.  Her husband’s, Torvald  Helmer, new position at the bank had prompted Nils Krogstad to use this loan as a ploy to get Nora to speak to Tovald to help Nils keep is position at the bank. Otherwise he will reveal the truth.  

At the beginning of the play, Nora is light, gay and bubbly with her husband’s promotion, Christmas shopping for the children, and getting herself a sweet treat. She transforms multiple times throughout the play. To a worried wife trying to hold onto her life/home/husband/family, then to a woman who realizes it’s time to leave this marriage and figure out who Nora really is. She’s not her father’s doll anymore, and doesn’t want to be her husband’s doll either.  She wants to be a woman.  She wants to be her own person. 

Amelia Pedlow gives an amazing performance as Nora.  For the performance I went to, we had an understudy for Torvald played by Bill McCallum. I really liked his performance as Torvald. He and Amelia were great on stage as Nora and Torvald.  

There’s lots of great information in the program about the play, the new adaptation and about Henrik Ibsen.  It’s definitely a fun read before the play begins. 

I did have a wild idea on Tuesday after the play. What if a production company did both A Doll’s House and A Doll’s House 2 in repertory?  It’s the same scenery, just 20 or so years later.  Maybe, maybe not.  It’s a thought. 

Check out guthrietheatre.org for tickets. 

The Addams Family October 2025

The Addams Family

Review by Ernest Edward/Ernest Goes To The Theatre

The Addams Family a musical comedy opened the 2025/2026 Broadway at the Ordway Season. 2025 is also the Ordway’s 40th Anniversary. There is a lot to celebrate at the Ordway with the season opener. I want to mention that my subscription for the Broadway at the Ordway series, I go to the Sunday evening performances. With a show like The Addams Family, which is only in town for one week, I am going to the closing performance.  You don’t typically review a show after it closes and tell people “to go see it”.  I have a history with The Addams Family and wanted to talk about our favorite kooky, spooky family live on stage. 

I had seen the musical in Chicago December 2009 for the preBroadway engagement. I’ve been going to preBroadway runs in Chicago ever since. That’s a different story for another time.  The Addams Family in Chicago had Nathan Land as Gomez Addams, Bebe Neuwirth as Mortica Addams, Terrance Mann as Mal Beineke, and Carolee Carmelo as Alice Beineke.  The Chicago run was fun, but it definitely needed some work. I heard that they did some work for Broadway, but not enough.  Once the show went on tour in 2011/2012, they kept working on the show. For the Tour they had Douglas Sills as Gomez Addams. I got to see that tour at the Ordway in May of 2012. By the time the tour got to the Ordway in the spring of 2012, it was a much improved show.  It was the final product from the first National Tour that went onto London and Sydney and is the script that we got to see at the Ordway this past week.  I have unofficially dubbed The Addams Family musical with the following: PreBroadway run in Chicago was version 1.0, Broadway was version 1.5, and the first National Tour was version 2.0.

Let’s talk about the musical itself. It’s got everyone. There’s Gomez, Morticia, Grandma, Wednesday, Pugsley, Uncle Fester, Lurch, Thing and Cousin It.  The Book is by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa. The story is that Wednesday has met Lucas Beineke. She is in love.  Lucas and his parents are coming to the Addams mansion for dinner. Wednesday want’s a “nice normal” dinner.  Normal? With the Addams Family?  Wednesday confides to Gomez that Lucas and his parents are kind normal people from Ohio. Part of the fun in the musical is that Gomez doesn’t keep secrets from Morticia, but now Wednesday has a secret she confides in her father.  Gomez loves both his daughter and his wife.  He is so torn over this, and Morticia knows something is up. Once the Beineke’s arrive at the Addams mansion, Wednesday enters in a bright yellow dress.  Which is different from the traditional black she and the family normally wears.  The yellow dress hurts Morticia’s eyes.  

We did have an understudy/standby for Uncle Fester Sunday evening.  John Couzzo stepped in for the role  of Uncle Fester and was having as much fun on stage, as were seeing from his performance.  Rodrigo Aragon as Gomez Addams really carried the production. As Gomez he had the charm, and the energy and the charisma we expect from Gomez and then some. He was perfectly paired with Renee Kathleen Koher as Morticia Addams.  Another standout in the cast is Sarah MacKenzie Baron as Alice Beineke.  Alice starts out as the mild mannered midwestern housewife, thanks to a dinner game gone wrong, she really lets her hair loose and pops the cork on all of those bottled up emotions.  

Once the muscial shannigans get ironed out. All is right with the world. Alice and Mal rediscover their love for each other. Morticia forgives Gomez for keeping a secret from her. Wednesday and Lucas get married. Don’t forget to snap your fingers to that classic Addams Family theme song. 

Check out www.ordway.org for the rest the of the 2025/2026 Broadway at the Ordway season. Up next at the Ordway is the regional premiere of the musical The Notebook in November, and Jesus Christ Superstar is at the Ordway in December. 

Once On This Island October 2025

Once On This Island at Artistry

Review by Ernest Edwards/Ernest Goes To The Theatre

Last night, I was at the final preview performance of Once On This Island at the Schneider Theater at Artistry located within the Bloomington Community Center.  Tonight is opening night.  Let me tell you, this production checks all the boxes! Story. Check. Cast. Check! Check! Music & Lyrics. Check. Choreography. Check. Costume Design. Check. Lighting design. Check. Sound design. Check.  

Once On This Island premiered on Broadway in 1990. There was a Broadway revival in 2018.  I went to the National Tour of the revival at the Ordway in downtown St. Paul in January 2020.  What I really enjoyed with the Artistry production, is how intimate the show feels at the Schneider Theater.  The cast was telling us this story, the energy for the cast was off the charts! 

Something else that I really liked about Artistry’s production is that the orchestra is at the back of the stage. The orchestra pit is covered, which allows for the scenery and the actors to use all that beautiful downstage centerstage space closer to the audience.  

The story of the musical is like a present day fairy tale with some mythology thrown in. You have an island nation in the Caribbean.  The story begins with a storm.  A young Ti Moune is found in a tree, her family was lost and her village was destroyed.  She was adopted by a local couple.  They are on the poor side of the island.  This island does consist of the haves and the have nots. Which is explained at a later point in the musical. 

As a young woman Ti Moune is so innocent and so pure of heart, the Gods don’t know what to do with her. They eventually give her what she wants.  You know the Gods, there’s a catch, there’s a game that they are playing. The Gods have Daniel’s vehicle crash on the beach near Ti Moune’s village. Daniel has lighter skin and is from the rich side of the island. The villagers want to just leave him, but Ti Moune insists on nursing him back to health. Her father goes to the Hotel on the other side of the island of the island to let them know where Daniel is.  While this is going on, the Goddess of Death comes to take Daniel but Ti Moune offers up her life instead. The Goddess of Death leaves for now. 

Daniel is taken back to the hotel.  Despite her parents protestations, Ti Moune journeys to the hotel. Ti Moune continues to help Daniel heal from his injuries. As time goes on, Ti Moune learns that Daniel is already engaged.  Ti Moune is kicked out of the hotel and waits by the gates.  Ti Moune is so heart broken and to close to death and yet she refuses to move. Daniel and his wife who up to the gates weeks later to throw offering’s to the poor. Ti Moune is still there.  Here is the where the Gods make up for what they have done to Ti Moune. The Gods turn Ti Moune into a tree.  She bears lots of fruit.  The tree is situated as such that the main gates for the hotel can never be closed.  Ti Moune provides life, shade and nourishment to all.  This was a such a beautiful and well executed moment on stage.  

This was a very moving story. The music and lyrics, the cast, and the visuals made for a moving and entertaining night at the theater. 

Need to call out Antonisia Collins as Ti Moune, Gabe Woodard as Daniel, Darius Gillard a Tonton Julian, and Charla Marie Bailey as Mama Euralie. This is definitely an ensemble production, and I can’t say enough about this amazing cast.  

Run time is 90 minutes, which I do like for week night.  The musical continues through October 26, 2026. Check out artistrymn.org for tickets. 

A Beautiful Noise October 2025

A Beautiful Noise The Neil Diamond Musical

Review by Ernest Edwards/Ernest Goes To The Theatre

A Beautiful Noise The Neil Diamond Musical opens the 2025/2026 Broadway on Hennepin series for Hennepin Arts. As you can tell from the title, this is a biographical musical about the life and career of Neil Diamond told with his music.  I learned a lot about Neil Diamond and his career from this musical. 

In the program we learn from Neil Diamond himself that Parkinson’s Disease ended his career as a performer. That information does lead into the musical in the way a that Neil - Now is seeing a therapist at the behest of his third wife.  As the older Neil Diamond looks back on his life and career we have Neil -Then taking us on the journey and singing the songs we know and love.  For last nights performance we had standby Joe Caskey as the young Neil Diamond or as he appears in the program Neil - Young. He had a great voice and stage presence. Joe Caskey was the one performing a vast majority of the Neil Diamond hits in the musical. 

The concept of the musical is that Neil - Now is with his therapist. And he is not cooperating. She starts to analyze the lyrics of his songs to get to understand the man.  That’s when Neil Diamond starts to take us on the journey of his life and career. Told with wigs and costumes from the 1960’s and 1970’s.  He had a multi decade career of making music and touring.

Back in the 1960’s Neil Diamond wanted to change his name. Thank goodness a manager by the name of Ellie Greenwich convinced him to keep his name. Neil started out as a songwriter, similar to Carole King, Neil Diamond wrote for others. We learn in the musical he wrote the song “I’m a Believer” that was a big hit for the Monkees. Eventually Neil started recording and performing his songs himself. Starting out doing gigs at a small bar in Greenwich Village/The West Village in Manhattan. He was starting to make it, and was getting away from his roots in Flatbush. 

His life had some ups and downs with multiple marriages, divorces, and children from these marriages.  To hear where and when in his life these songs came about was fascinating.  I like that in the program they only list the songs that are part of the musical in alphabetical order.  Instead of listing the order of each song in each act. No surprises from the program when your favorite song will appear in this musical. 

This is a fun musical! You get to learn a lot about Neil Diamond and his career, plus you get to hear those hit songs live on stage with this talented cast.  You leave the theater will Neil Diamond songs dancing around in your head.  

Don’t leave right away after the curtain call, the cast performs two extra songs. 

The musical is town for one week only. The last date is Sunday October 5, 2025. Check out hennepinarts.org for ticket information. 

The Ruins October 2025

The Ruins a play through music

Review by Ernest Edwards/Ernest Goes To The Theatre

First let me say, I went to this play on Wednesday October 1, 2025. I am still able to wear shorts and short sleeves, at night, when going to the theater. I am enjoying the warmer than normal temperatures. Looks like more seasonable temperatures are on the horizon for next week.  

The Ruins is making its world premiere at the Guthrie Theater at the Dowling Studio on the 9th Floor. It’s a new play by actor/playwright George Abud, along with Sydney Shepherd rounding out the cast. 

The plays continues through October 12, 2025. Check out www.guthrietheater.org for tickets. With a run time of 1 hour and 40 minutes that is perfect for a work night.  

This is my first play of the Guthrie Theater’s 2025/2026 season. 

With the Dowling Studio, the space can be configured anyway that it needs to be for a production. It can be a proscenium stage setting, a thrust stage setting, or as with The Ruins it can an arena setting. That really helped to make this play more intimate. The story takes plays in one room.  The play focuses on George and Sydney who are at this place, as their days are numbered. I didn’t ever really figure that part out. We do know that neither one has any family and this facility is for these circumstances. To pass the time and to get to know each other better, as they are sharing a room the until the end for each of them.  They play music.  George plays an Oud, and Sydney plays the cello. And they teach each other about music and share poems from favorite authors.  

Something else the play does is asks the questions “are you good enough?” I know, that can a very deep question. This play does draw you in. 

It’s very unique and special play.  Glad I got to see the world premiere here in Minneapolis.  George Abud has a very good play that he has written.