Merrily We Roll Along - Lyric Arts - September 2026

Merrily We Roll Along

Program Cover

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by George Furth

Based on the original play by George S. Kaufman and Max Hart

Review by Ernest Edwards

Lyric Arts 2026/2027 season is off to a strong start with the Stephen Sondheim musical Merrily We Roll Along. 

If you have never heard of Merrily We Roll Along before, it focuses on the friendship of three friends Charlie (Noah Hynick), Frank (Brandn Veerman) and Mary (Maureen O’Malley). The story flows backwards from 1976 back to 1957. The musical asks the questions “How did you get to be hear?”  “What was the moment?” As the show progresses, we see the moments that shaped the journey the characters take during the musical. 

In addition to the talented cast, what really brings this show together is the costumes designed by Eleanor Schanilec. With the story taking place in the 1960’s and 1970’s, we get see some great fashions from those time periods. Scenic Designer Greg Vanselow and Projections Designer Brady Whitcomb do a great job of showing us the Hollywood Hills in the 1970’s and various locations for NYC in the 1950’s and 1960’s. The scene change choreography during the interludes was fun to watch.  

This musical contains some of the Stephen Sondheim songs like “Not Day Goes By”, “Old Friends”, “Merrily We Roll Along”, “We Got a Good Thing Going”, “Our Time” and many more. 

Let’s talk about this cast! Noah Hynick as Charlie is the one to watch during this musical. He has so many great moments. One of the his best moments is the song “Franklin Shehard, Inc”. Emily Grodzik plays Gussie, Steven Ramirez plays Joe, Faith Winship Smith plays Beth. For last nights production Frank Jr was played by Jaxson Kingdon. Maureen O’Malley as Mary, brings a lot to the story. She is the glue that tries so hard to keep Charlie and Frank together through thick and thin. Brendan Veerman plays Frank. Frank goes through a lot throughout with this musical. There’s a range of emotions that Frank goes through and Brendan Veerman is able to take us on along on Frank’s journey. The rest of the ensemble does an amazing job rounding out the rest of the cast in the musical. 

What Stephen Sondheim and George Furth do with this with this musical, is they start with a dark future

Photo by Dan Norman

and take us back to the beginning where the future is bright and optimistic. 

Spoiler Alert! Director Scott Ward adds a moment at the end where he has the cast freeze, and Frank steps out and looks at the stage and is filled with a wave of emotion. Like Frank has been able to look back on his life and where it has lead. Does he have regrets? He just might. I have never seen a production with that for the ending before, it’s a quite powerful. 

This is one of my favorite musicals. It’s a mix of the songs, the core characters, and telling the story backwards that seems to hit all the right moments to me. 

Merrily We Roll Along plays through October 4, 2026. Check out www.lyricarts.org for tickets. 

Ball: A Musical Tribute to My Lost Testicle - Artistry - September 2026

Ball: A Musical Tribute to My Lost Testictle

Program Cover

Written and Performed by Max Wojtanowicz

Co-Conceived by Max Wojtanowicz and Nicole Swoboda

Review by Ernest Edwards

I was at the first performance of Ball: A Musical Tribute to My Lost Testicle, which is being presented at Artistry’s Black Box Theater for a a limited time with dates through September 20, 2026. Artistry’s Black Box Theater is the perfect venue for this one man show. 

It’s been ten years since actor Max Wojtanowicz received his cancer diagnosis and went through nine weeks of chemotherapy. The events are as follows: cancer diagnosis in January, chemo begins in February, presented idea to Fringe Festival in April of that year, and then presents/performs the show in August at the annual Minnesota Fringe Festival. Max said the show was so well received that it toured for over two years. 

I’ve know Max as an actor, but never knew this very personal story of his. I haven’t done Fringe in years, as I have usually had a business trip that same week. 

There was a one moment that included audience participation. Max invites a person from the audience to represent his boyfriend. Yours truly was that person the night I went to the see the show. It was fun to be on stage and watch Max work his magic act up close and personal. 

We did learn that when his diagnosis and treatment started, he was in a relationship with his boyfriend for six months at the time. His boyfriend didn’t run away. He stayed by his side during all of this, and even went with him to some of his chemo treatments. Today Max has been married to this very same man for 8 years. 

We also learned that testicular cancer is treatable and has a higher survival rate than other forms of cancer. Seeing this show also reminded me of the friends and family who have had their own battles with cancer.

I want to say “Thank You” to Max for sharing such a personal story with us, and for revisiting this part of his life on the tenth anniversary of his diagnosis and treatment. 

Don’t let the subject matter get you down. While cancer is a serious topic, Max tells this story with humor and heart. It’s a very nice mix for telling this story. 

While the 2026/2027 theatre season is off to a strong start with several shows opening this weekend around the region. Ball only plays for two weekends. This is the must see show. Put Ball on the top of your list. 

Ball has a run time of 60 minutes and continues through Sunday September 20, 2026, check out www.artistrymn.org for tickets. 

Dirty Dancing The Musical - Ordway - August 2026

Dirty Dancing The Musical

Program Cover

By Eleanor Bergstein, based on the Lionsgate film by Eleanor Bergstein

Music Supervision & Arrangements by Joseph Joubert

Choreography by Darrell Grand Moultrie

Directed by Lonny Price

Review by Ernest Edwards

The Ordway, in downtown St. Paul, is the launching point for the new tour of Dirty Dancing The Musical. That is pretty exciting news! It’s a strong start to the Ordway for their Broadway at the Ordway 2026/2027 season. 

This is not the first time that a tour of Dirty Dancing has been in the Twin Cities. I got to see a tour at the Orpheum Theatre back in October of 2014. This is the same script from the previous tour, but with a new team of creatives. It is a new brand new production. At last nights performance, The Music Supervisor Joseph Joubert, sat across the aisle from me. I also got to see director Lonny Price as he entered the theater and took his seat for the performance. That was kind of exciting for me. Lonny Price is known for his acting and directing career. 

If you have seen 1987 movie of the same name, you know the story. The stage musical is a faithful adaption of the story from the movie. One of the best parts of the stage musical is Darrell Grand Moultrie’s choreography. Everyone in the audience is expecting the dancing, and the stage musical does not disappoint. 

One thing I noticed last night, was how similar the stage design reminded me of The

The stage, before the musical began.
Photo by Ernest Edwards

Notebook musical. Even down to the silhouette of the shape of the scenery. I also heard other audience members around me making similar comments during the intermission. I did like the scenic design for the Kellerman’s Resort by Brett J. Banakis. It was flexible, it morphed for different scenes. Excellent use of projections. I liked how the learning to jump scene at the lake was executed. I also liked that the usher staff were all wearing Kellerman’s T-Shirts. We the audience are being welcomed to a summer at the Kellerman’s resort in the Catskills. That was a nice element. 

The Costumes Design by Emily Rebholz, along with Hair & Wig Design by Robert Pickens do make strong connections the time period and characters from the movie. The character of Baby, definitely has Jennifer Grey’s hairstyle from the movie. 

The best part of the show is the cast. Baby is played by Annalese Starzec, Lisa Houseman is played by Lily Kren, Jake Houseman is played by Bryan Fenkart, Marjorie Houseman is played by Gina Lamparella, Johnny Castle is played by Blake Zelesnikar, and Penny Johnson is played by Olivia Cece. Let’s not forget the ensemble. It’s a large cast of very talented people. The show also features lots of great songs from the early 1960’s, as well as the three big songs from the movie. “Hungry Eyes”, “She’s Like the Wind”, and “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life”. 

If you a fan of the movie, this stage production is a lot of fun. 

Then there is the question of, do we need another movie turned into a stage musical? When compared to other movies that have been become stage musicals, it does feel like Dirty Dancing falls short. It doesn’t become more than what it is. It’s not in the category of stage musicals like Hairspray, Sunset Boulevard, Legally Blonde, Once, Lion King, Kinky Boots, The Lost Boys, and The Outsiders. Those stage musicals are some of the examples of where the stage musical took on a life of its own. There’s nothing wrong with simply being the stage adaptation of the movie. That is what Dirty Dancing The Musical is. It’s a copy of the movie on stage. What it does well, is it makes for a fun night at the theatre. All of your favorite moments from the movie are here, live on stage at the Ordway in downtown St. Paul. 

Dirty Dancing runs through September 6, 2026. Check out www.ordway.org for tickets. 

Alice in Neverland - Theater Latte Da - August 2026

Alice In Neverland

By Phil Kenny & Reston Williams

The last show of Theater Latte Da’s 2026 Next Festival was the new musical Alice in Neverland. I was at the closing performance. Just before the show started, we learned that it is being further developed in Atlanta, GA  followed by Seattle, WA. The staged reading at Theater Latte Da was so good, that I hope we get to see Alice in Wonderland back as part of the main season at Theater Latte Da in the not so distant future. 

As you can guess from the title, this new musical is a mash up of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Peter Pan. Similar to the play Peter and the Star Catcher, we are introduced to an origin story for Captain Hook. This story begins before Peter brings Wendy, John and Michael to Neverland. 

For this staged reading, they also had projections on the back wall of the stage. Which was great for the different scenes in the musical 

Between, the story, the songs and the cast, this was such a wonderful staged reading. It was a very night of theatre. 

The cast was a great collection of actors I have seen at Theater Latte Da before and at other stages around the Twin Cities. It was the perfect cast for this presentation. Such great comedic and vocal talent. 

Here’s the cast list from the program. Noah Hynick was superb as the Mad Hatter. Jane Bruce plays Alice, Will Dusek plays Peter, Graham Kingsberry plays James/Swordfish, and Jay Albright plays Smee. 

New York City - July 2026

I was in New York City for a long weekend and got to see seven shows in four days. I also got to do some other touristy things while I was there. 

Day 1, Thursday July 23, 2026

My flight landed at 11:00am at JFK Airport. I took the tram to Jamaica station in Queens and transferred to the Long Island Rail Road to Grand Central Station. I was able to make it to Bryant Park for Broadway at Bryant Park, which started at 12:30pm. They did songs from Hadestown, & Juliet, Just in Time, Maybe Happy Ending, The Lost Boys and Moulin Rouge. It was fun to finally see Broadway at Bryant Park in person. Then I had enough time to check into my hotel before my 3pm matinee. 

Titanique at the St. James Theatre

My matinee musical was Titanique. This was my third time seeing Titanique, but my first time seeing it on

Playbill Cover

Broadway at the St. James Theatre. It had seen it twice previously Off Broadway at the Daryl Roth Theater by Union Square. 

The musical was written by Marla Mindella, Constantine Rousouli, and Tye Blue. I like to coin this musical as the little show that could and sure did do big things. The story begins at a tour of the Titanic museum. Celine Dion interrupts the tour to tell the story of Titanic from her perspective. The tour guide even tells Celine that she wasn’t in the movie, and only sang the theme song that played during the credits after the movie. That doesn’t stop her. We are taken on fun ride of the movie, narrated by Celine Dion with her music. 

I also want to point out that Marla Mindella and Constantine Rousouli also wrote and starred in the Off Broadway musical The Big Gay Jamboree that I got to see at the Orpheum Theatre in October 2024. 

Marla Mindella plays Celine Dion, Constantine Rousouli plays Jack Dawson, Melissa Barrera plays Rose DeWitt Bukater, John Riddle plays Cal Hockley, Jim Parsons plays Ruth DeWit Bukater, understudy Brad Greer was Victor Garber/Luigi, Deborah Cox was Molly Brown, and Layton Williams as the Tour Guide/Iceberg. Background vocalists were Sara Gallo, Polanco Jones Jr, and Kristina Leopoldo. 

Titanique is not only a ton of fun, but it is also one of the gayest things on Broadway. I was loving every minute of it. 

Titanique is currently scheduled to run on Broadway through September 20, 2026.  The show has also had productions in London, Toronto and Chicago. I’m hoping it get’s to Minneapolis or St. Paul someday. 

The stage before Titanique, with a gaint Heart 
Of the ocean necklace floating above the stage. 

Titanique cast during the curtain call

Schmigadoon! At the Nederlander Theatre. 

Based on the Apple TV series with book, music and lyrics by Cinco Paul 

Playbill Cover

My evening musical was was the fun 2026 Tony Award Winning best musical Schmigadoon!

For my performance understudy Clyde Alves played Josh Skinner, Melissa Gimble was played by Sara Chase, Mildred Layton was played by Ana Gasteyer and Danny Bailey was played by Max Clayton. Such a fun cast.

The stage musical follows the first season of the Apple TV series. You have Josh and Melissa find themselves in a town that is one giant live musical with elements from so many classic stage musicals. They have to find true love in order to return to the real world. It’s a fun ride. The cast was great! The sets and costumes were so colorful too. Such a fun an uplifting show. Lots of comedy, costumes, singing, dancing and tap dancing. “Who could ask for anything more?!”

The stage, before Schmigadoon begins. 

The stage during intermission. 

Day 2, Friday July 24, 2026

During the day on Friday, I finally made it to The Bronx Zoo. On previous trips, I have been able to make it to the Zoo at Central Park, the Queen’s Zoo and the Zoo at Prospect Park in Brooklyn. The Bronx Zoo is the big one. It does take some time to enjoy that zoo. I want to say it has some similarities to the Minnesota Zoo in size and scope. 

Stranger Things: The First Shadow playing at the Marquis Theatre. 

Playbill Cover

I had went to see this play a year ago in May 2025. At the time I had never seen not one episode of the Netflix series “Stranger Things”. It was a great prequel and introduction into the series for me. I then watched all five seasons between September and December 2025, and even went to a movie theater to see the final episode on the big screen on New Years Eve. Yeah, I really got into the series. Stranger Things: The First Shadow was my favorite stage show of 2025. It is the one show I could not stop thinking about. With it closing on Broadway in January 2027, I thought this was the perfect time to see it again live on stage. 

This time around, I was better able to relate to the story and characters. It was fun seeing a young Joyce, Bob, Harper and Henry Creel. The special effects are out of this world for this stage production. Rumor has it Stranger Things: The First Shadow will be filmed on Broadway for streaming on Netflix on a later date. The story and the special effects need to be visually preserved. 

The play goes even deeper into Henry Creel’s origin and Dr. Brenner. This show starts strong and doesn’t stop. 

You have go through the Creel House to see the play

A sign in the lobby. 

Day 3, Saturday July 25, 2026 

Cats: The Jellicle Ball, played at the Broadhurst Theatre. 

I’m one of those people who did not like the original production of Cats. I remember the marketing was “Now and Forever”, and in the mid 1990’s when I did finally see it I was like “why is this show still playing?”. The original Broadway production ran for 18 years, and was the longest running show on Broadway when it closed. Now the original production did have some things going for it, such as the music, choreography, the costumes, wigs and make up were all very creative. The show has very little of an overall story/plot, which I what I really didn’t like. 

The marquee outside of the theatre. 

Where the original production fell short, Cats: The Jellicle Ball succeeds. They took the story from an alley full of cats to a NYC Ballroom competition. Having the show infused with the NYC Ballroom scene really took Cats to a new level. Songs were grouped into Ballroom categories. And celebrity guest judges are added to the beginning of the musical. For the performance that I went to, one of the guest judges was the legendary and iconic Debbie Allen. 

The musical did also win three Tony Awards from the 2026 Tony Awards. Best Direction for Zhailon Levingston and BIll Raugh, Best Choreography for Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons and Best Costumes for a Musical went to Qween Jean. Since I went to the see the musical in July, a cast recording for Cats: The 

The stage, during intermission. 

Jellicle Ball has been announced. That is exciting news! This cast deserves to have their vocals captured on a cast recording. 

They also put a catwalk on the stage that extended into the audience, with audience members also on both sides of the stage with cabaret tables and chairs near the front of the main floor, and a DJ housed in one of the balcony theatre boxes. 

The cast was phenomenal! Andre De Sheilds is Old Deuteronomy, “Tempress” Chasity Moore is Grizabella, Sydney James Harcourt is Rum Tum Tugger, Kya Azeri is Macavity, Junior Labella is Gus “the theatre cat”, Robert “Silk” Mason is Magical Mister Mistoffelees. The whole cast was fun and fabulous and took the musical to new heights. 

The energy for this production was nonstop. I enjoyed Cats: The Jellicle Ball way more than I ever enjoyed the original production of Cats. Bringing it to present day, the NYC Ballroom scene, and all the representation on stage made this a must see production. It’s sad that while the original production played for 18 years, this revival only played for around 18 weeks. Guess it was an expensive show to produce. Although it was drawing in the crowds and seats were filling, if the show wasn’t brining in a million a week, it was loosing money. This specific early closing is raising questions about the state of Broadway and the cost of Broadway. I hope Cats: The Jellicle Ball is able to find a life after Broadway. 

For this production the trip to the heaven side layer, was a spiral staircase that descended from above and Grizabella climbed the stairs and the stairs disappeared. I thought that way of updating that moment worked really well for this setting. 

I did buy a Cats: The Jellicle Ball fan before the show started. I was using it for clapping during the production. I am amazed they did not sell out of those. That’s a fun souvenir to have. I went from strongly disliking the original production to loving everything about Cats: The Jellicle Ball. That is the impact this revival and reinterpretation is having on audiences. 

Between shows on Saturday, I went to the new observation deck at One Times Square. It’s the old New York Times building  that the square is now named after. For years it’s the building that has been covered in billboards. Now they have opened an observation deck 19 floors up. It’s a great way to see the intersection of Broadway, 7th Avenue, and 42nd Street from above. Trust me, the street level of Times Square is very full of pedestrians. You do need to buy tickets, but it is so worth it for the view. 

Les Miserables: The Arena Concert Spectacular (Miz Rocks!) at Radio City Music Hall. 

Les Miserables is celebrating its 40th Anniversary with a world tour that is almost over. The only stop for

Souvenir Program Cover

the tour in North America was at Radio City Music Hall for a little over three weeks. Les Miserables was the whole reason this trip had to happen for me. Les Miserables at Radio City Music Hall! It was a no brainer for me. 

For the Radio City Music Hall stop, they had three different actors rotating as Jean Val Jean and two different actors as Javert. For the night I went Alfie Boe was Jean Val Jean. He has announced that once this tour is over, he is retiring as Jean Val Jean. He has played this character off and on since the 25th Anniversary concert at the O2 in London. It was real treat to see and hear him live on stage at Radio City Music Hall. Bradley Jaden was Javert at my performance. Let me tell you, this young man has a voice. His rendition of “Stars” was so good, so powerful and so moving. Samantha Barks was Fantine. Samantha had originally played Eponine for the 25th Anniversary concert at the O2 and then was also Eponine for the 2012 film version of the musical. The Bishop of Digne was played by Philip Quast who was the original Javert for the Australian production of Les Miserables. He is also on the Complete Symphonic Cast Recording (5th Anniversary) as Javert, and was Javert at the 10th Anniversary concert at the Royal Albert Hall which has been dubbed “The Dream Cast”. It was so cool to see and hear him involved with the 40th Anniversary concert. Matt Lucas is also back as Thenarier, a role he has been playing off and on since the 25th Anniversary concert at the O2. Other cast members to recognize are Mariana Prior as Madame Thenardier, Shan Ako as Eponine, Jac Yarrow are Marius, Beatrice Penny-Toure as Cossett, and Christian Mark Gibbs as Enjolras. 

Radio City marquee for Les Miserables 

This was not a full stage production, it was concert production. There were costumes, scenery and projections. They had video screens for closeups, which I appreciated. And The lighting equipment played a part in scenes like “Master of the House” and “The Barricade” where the lighting equipment rigging morphed into different shapes for those scenes. A moment that I thought was staged really well was the transition from Young Cossett to Cossett. Jean Val Jean walks upstage center with Young Cossett, and walks back downstage with an older Cossett. So simple and so effective. 

The orchestra was on stage for the entire performance. They were on the upstage part of the scenery. It was nice having a large orchestra for this production. This is a great score, and Radio City is known for excellent acoustics. 

The curtain call for Les Miserables

Les Miserables at Radio City Music Hall was everything I expected it to be and so much more. 

Les Miserables is another show that I have seen many times over the years. I’ve seen the original production on tour, the 25th Anniversary production on tour, and I’ve seen it in Toronto and on Broadway. I also have many different DVD’s of the various anniversary concerts over the years. It is one of my favorite musicals. Seeing this concert production at Radio City Music Hall was simply magnifique. 

Day 4, Sunday July 26, 2026. 

I started the morning by doing a quick walk through Central Park. My matinee wasn’t until 3:00pm, Sunday morning was the best time for me to do a stroll through Central Park. I learned while I was there that the Bethesda Fountain will be closed for a year for renovations. That is one of my favorite spots to visit in Central Park. I do want that fountain to stay in tip top shape. 

Death of a Salesman, Winter Garden Theatre

My matinee was the Joe Mantello directed Tony Award revival of Death of a Salesman. The performances by

Playbill Cover

Laurie Metcalf (Tony winning performance) and Nathan Lane were not to be missed. Nathan Lane played Willy Logan, Laurie Metcalf Linda Loman, Christopher Abbott played Biff (their son) and Ben Ahlers played Happy their second son. 

Between the script and the performances, this was a must see production. Nathan Lane is really good at drama. I had last seen him on stage in Angels in America in London back in 2017. He’s made a career out of doing comedy, but he does also excel in dramatic based roles. 

The marquee 

The side of the marquee

Masquerade

Andrew Llloyd Webbers The Phantom of the Opera may have closed on Broadway as the longest running show on Broadway, but an Off Broadway reimagining titled Masquerade is breathing new life into the story of the Phantom. 

I will try to describe this production without too many specific spoilers. It is something to experience in person, live on stage. 

First what is so interesting with this production is they do 6 productions a night. Every 15 minutes between 7:00pm and 8:30pm a new production starts. And the different productions never overlap. That is some behind the scenes information I would love to know someday. 

Masquerade is, and is not Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera. It’s the got the music and the script, but it’s not linear to the original production. It’s also very up close and personal, which is so cool. So many times the cast was right next to me. There are additional scenes about the Phantom’s origin as a freak performing at a circus before he escapes and hides out in the catacombs beneath the Opera house. The song “Learn to be Lonely” from the credits of the 2004 Phantom of the Opera movie is also part of this production. 

Part of the fun, is everyone dresses up for this production and wears a mask the for the entire production. If you don’t have a mask, they will provide one. Every square inch of the building at 218 West 57th Street in NYC is used for this production. From the basement to the rooftop. We go up and we down and we go all around the space. If you are familiar with the Phantom of the Opera musical, you can guess what scenes are staged on the rooftop. I will not give that away. 

I have seen Phantom of the Opera numerous times over the years, on tour, in Las Vegas, on Broadway, in London, the “new” tour in the teens, and now the reimaged version that was just in Minneapolis on tour November of 2025. I still say the Las Vegas production was the most spectacular! How could it not be, it’s Vegas after all. This production has a lot going for it with the intimate experience and the changing of locations. It is Phantom of the Opera as you have never experienced it before.

The production is directed by Diane Paulus. For my 7:15pm performance the following actors were in my cast. Christine was played by Halie Ferrier, Madame Giry was played by Nicole Ferguson, Andre was played by Matthew Curiano, Firmin was played by Mark Banik, Raul was played by Francisco Javier Gonzalez, Carlotta was played Betty Morgan, Piagni was played by Sean Seamus Thompson, and the Phantom was played by Nicholas Edwards. 

I definitely recommend Masquerade.

Day 5, Monday July 27, 2026 was really just a travel day. I had a 12:00pm return flight. It was a great long weekend of theatre.

In The Heights - Artistry - August 2026

In The Heights

Program Cover

Music and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Book by Quiara Algeria Hudes

Review by Ernest Edwards

The 2008 Lin-Manuel Miranda musical In The Heights is on the stage at Artistry in Bloomington this summer. This musical is timely for 2026. It is a sizzling sensation on the stage. It’s definitely a run night at the theatre. 

The story focuses on a street in Washington Heights in Manhattan. On this street there is a thriving Latino community, with folks from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico and more. There is a hair saloon, a car service, and a bodega, but most importantly they all treat each other like family. They are a community. This community takes care of each other. 

The best part of the musical is the cast. Director Maya Garcia has assembled a great cast to share the stage with Scenic Designer Eli Sherlock’s scenery, and embody Abby Magalee’s choreography. Usnavie is played by Andres-Roman Wood, Abuela Claudio is played by Jen Santoro Botty, Vanessa is played by Janely Rodriguez, Camilia is played by Lisa Vogel, Benny is played by Chris Owusu, Nina is played by Raquel Ponce, Daniella is played by Julia Diaz, Carlo is played by Isa Condo-Olvera, Kevin Rosario is played by Pedro R. Bayon. 

The character of Usnavie is kind of the narrator of the story, but his is also part of the story. Actor Andres-Roman Wood is in his final year of at the University of Minnesota. I would like to see how his acting career grows from here.  

What I really liked about the scenery, is how it does feel like a street from upper Manhattan. Artistry brought Manhattan to the Twin Cities with this scenic design. 

It had been over a decade since I had seen the National Tour before the movie version came out. Now that’s only been a few years since I have seen the film, I can better compare the stage musical and the Hollywood treatment it received as a movie musical. As always with Hollywood, there some tweaks made to the movie musical. Both the stage musical and movie musical represents the story in similar ways. Both are excellent versions of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s concept. 

We all know Lin-Manuel Miranda has an even more famous stage musical out there. A little show called Hamilton that is now celebrating 11 years on Broadway. It was with In The Heights that we first got to hear his way of telling a story with the styles of rap in some of the songs. The opening song “In The Heights” gets us in the mood for some excellent Latino inspired story telling. 

This sensational musical is live on stage through August 23, 2026. Check out www.artistrymn.org for ticket. This is a hot ticket for the 2026 summer theatre season. 

Black Girl In Paris - Theater Latte Da - July 2026

Black Girl in Paris

Words by AriDy Nox, Music by Jacinth Greywoode

Review by Ernest Edwards

Black Girl in Paris is the first new show to have a staged reading for Theater Latte Da’s 2026 Next Festival. We were treated to the first act of this new musical. Black Girl in Paris is about Sally Heming when she arrives in Paris with Thomas Jefferson’s daughter Patsy. The story takes place on the eve of the French Revolution. (Thomas Jefferson was in Paris from 1784-1789) Sally’s brother, James, was already in Paris with Thomas Jefferson. He was learning to be a chef. He was also fluent in French. Sally has a lot to learn about French language, manners, and society. Freed slave Marie-Jeanne takes Sally under her wing and tutors her in the things she doesn’t know. Sally quickly learns that Paris is definitely not Virginia. 

As depicted in the musical, Thomas Jefferson was realizing that the United States was created on the backs of slavery. He is looking at abolishing slavery in America, but his plan was then to just send the slaves back to Africa. We all know that is not what happened with American history. 

As this first act ends, Thomas Jefferson asks Sally Heming to spend the night in his bedchambers. Sally has a decision to make. 

I hope that some day we get to see a staged reading of the full show. Seeing Sally Heming in Paris is not a part of her history that I was aware of before. This story was both fascinating and informative. 

Some of the cast that I want to call out from the staged reading are Rajane Katurah as Sally, Nubia Monks as Mama, Richard S. Rigmaiden IV as James, Sasha Andreev as Thomas Jefferson, Audrey Parker as Patsy, and Deidre Cochran as Marie-Jeanne. 

There are two additional new shows getting staged readings coming up through August 10, 2026. Check out www.latteda.org for tickets. 

The Prom - Lyric Arts - July 2026

The Prom

Program Cover

Book and Lyrics by Chad Beguelin, Book by Bob Martin, Music by Matthew Sklar

Review by Ernest Edwards

Lyric Arts has the uplifting, fun, infectious musical The Prom playing on Main Street in downtown Anoka this summer. The Prom is a love letter to fans of musical theatre. 

The musical opened on Broadway in 2018, I was able to see the National Tour of The Prom at the Orpheum Theater in April 2022. There was the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre’s Production that I was able to attend in May 2023. I’ve been anxiously waiting all season to see Lyric Arts production of The Prom as their summer musical. 

You can join in the fun. There’s an area set up with a Prom background in the lobby, so you can take your own Prom photos. 

The story is about a teenage lesbian in small Indiana town who wants to go to her High School Prom with her girlfriend. There is some resistance with the local PTA. A group of self absorbed washed up Broadway stars come to town to save the day. They do turn the town upside down. This group of rag tag Broadway stars have their hands full as they go head to head with the leader of the PTA. The ending to the first act is such a punch in the gut. It’s a great cliffhanger to make you come back to see how the story turns out.  

The best part of the show is the cast! Emma (the student in question) is played by Imani Harris, her

Photo by Molly Jay

girlfriend Alyssa is played by Sydney Line, Mrs. Green (the head of the PTA, and Alyssa’s mom) is played by Sheena Janson, Mr. Hawkins (the High School Principal) is played by Colin Perucco. Our self absorbed Broadway stars are as follows Dee Dee Allen is played by Emily Grodzik, Angie Dickinson is played by Dorian Brooke, Trent Oliver is played by Erik Hearing, Sheldon is played by Parker David Payne, and Barry Glickman is played by Andrew Newman. The character of Barry Glickman is the best part of the show. He is not just a candy coated rainbow wrapped comedy relief. He also has a lot of heart. Andrew Newman deserves some recognition for his portrayal of Barry Glickman. 

I liked the scenery design by Michaela Lichen. The scenery for the The Prom scene itself was there the entire time. It was so simple and effective with how that was revealed. 

It’s a great story about being true to yourself and overcoming adversity. The self absorbed Broadway stars learn how to put the needs of others before themselves. It does feel nice to be selfless. It is fun to watch this character growth happen live on stage. A parent learns how to accept their child for who they are. What’s that saying? Be careful who you hate, it could be someone that you love. 

The Prom is the perfect show for Lyric Arts to wrap up their 2025/2026 season. It is the cherry on top of a wonderful season of excellent theatre. 

This must see musical plays through August 9, 2026. Check out www.lyricarts.org for tickets. 

Iceboy! - Goodman Theatre - July 2026

Iceboy! Or The Completely Untrue Story of How Eugene O’Neill Came to Write “The Iceman Cometh”

Playbill Cover

Music by Mark Hollmann, Lyrics by Mark Hollmann and Jay Reiss, Book by Erin Quinn Purcell and Jay Reiss

Directed by Marc Bruni

Review by Ernest Edwards

I had a fun day of shows in Chicago over the weekend. For the matinee I went to the new musical Iceboy!, which is having a PreBroadway engagement at the Goodman Theatre in downtown Chicago, before the show goes to New York City. Before the musical even started, I had seen actor Richard Kind enter the theatre and take a seat in the audience. I was thinking to myself, “he must be here to support Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman”. Later that same night, I would see Richard Kind for a second time, as he was the host for John Mulaney’s comedy tour Mister Whatever at Wrigley Field. John Mulaney was the first comedian to headline at Wrighley Field. That is how I got to see actor Richard Kind twice in one day in Chicago. 

Goodman Theatre marquee

I have never seen Megan Mullally, nor Nick Offerman live on stage before. This was a real treat for me. They were both so good with their respected characters. Nick Offerman plays Eugene O’Neill, who is both in the musical and narrates the story. Megan Mullally is Vera Vimm, who is an aging actress still clinging to her youth, and she has just purchased the frozen remains of a man who is over 40,000 years old incased in ice. (She outbid the British Museum and the Natural History Museum). It’s 1939 and she keeps him on display in her New York City Penthouse. The ice man eventually thaws and comes back to life, and although he is referred to as Iceboy, we also learn his name is Jeff. Now that’s funny. 

Another fun treat with the cast is that Cedric Yarbrough plays playwright Floyd Richards. Floyd’s muse is Vera Vimm herself. For Vera’s staff, the butler is non other than Frankenstein, and her made is Lambert. Lambert has been perpetually in menopause since she as a teenager. These two characters do bring a lot of humor to the musical. 

I remember seeing a sign in the lobby that this show is mostly fiction. It’s not exactly a true story. It is definitely a fun story. It may fall under the category of historical fiction. Eugene O’Neill is a real person, playwright, and historical figure. 

Something else I noticed in the program is the scenery was designed by Paul Tate DePoo III. I have been seeing his name more and more lately on Broadway shows and with some Broadway shows that have gone on tour. With it being 1939 in NYC, Vera’s penthouse did have a nice touch of Art Deco going on. 

With this being a preBroadway run. I also like that they did include a song list in the Playbill, but with the disclaimer that these were the songs as of June 1, 2026. There could have been songs added, cut or rearranged while the show was in previews prior to opening night in Chicago. 

It’s hard for me to describe this show. The show is so funny, and the cast is so great! I laughed so hard at this musical. If you planning to be in Chicago soon, check out Iceboy! The Goodman Theatre is closing out their 100th season with this fun musical that has been extended through August 16, 2026. Check out www.goodmantheatre.org for tickets. 

Mean Girls - Stage West - July 2026

Mean Girls

Program Cover

Book By Tina Fey, Music Jeff Richmond, Lyrics by Nell Benjamin

Review by Ernest Edwards

Stage West has a fun summer show with the musical Mean Girls playing at The Lights in West Fargo through July 8, 2026. Yes, a musical based on the 2004 movie of the same name. Tina Fey adapted her screenplay for the stage musical, and subsequent movie musical. 

If you have seen the 2004 movie, it’s the same story, and is more elevated as a musical. I did get to see the original Broadway production back in May 2018, and then the National Tour in October 2019 at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Minneapolis, and the tour was back in downtown St. Paul at the Ordway in April of 2025. Stage West’s production is the first locally produced production I have seen of Mean Girls. It does not disappoint. 

What I really liked about this production is the cast! My favorite cast member is Chase Ohren as Damian Hubbard. He brought the humor and the energy to his character and then some. Molly Hommerding is Janice Sarkisian, Macy Scharmer is Cady Heron, Eleanor Culloton is Regina George, Kristina Lutz is Gretchen Weiners, Josie Kendall is Karen Smith, Benji Trumbo is Kevin G, and Hudson Hall is Aaron Samuels.

I probably noticed this with the original movie and the times I have seen the stage production before. I feel like it’s worth noting the differences between Grease and Mean Girls. In Grease, both Sandy and Danny tried to change for each other. In Mean Girls, Cady changes so much that no one likes her. She is now the Cady version of Regina George. Cady has to learn not get rid of the things that make her different,  but to embrace those things. Those were the aspects of Cady that people liked. 

I thought the scenery was interesting for this show. It was a unit set with stairs that were rearranged throughout the show. The scenery was also adorned with pages torn out of the infamous burn book. I thought that was a nice touch.  

The stage before the musical begins.
Photo by Ernest Edwards

There’s not much time left to catch Mean Girls at The Lights, but check out Stage West’s site to see what they have upcoming. https://westfargoevents.com/organizer/stage-west-productions/ Up next is a 24 hour production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, Come From Away, and A Very Die Hard Christmas. 

Come From Away - Guthrie Theater - July 2026

Come From Away

Program Cover

Book, Music and Lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Henn

Review by Ernest Edwards

The Guthrie Theater has a hit summer musical with their production of Come From Away. This musical shows humanity’s fullest potential. It’s a beautifully told story that can move you emotionally. Last nights production looked like it was sold out. Which is great news for the Guthrie Theater. 

Come From Away is a musical about the events of 9/11/2001. After the United States of America closed its air space, airplanes either had to turn back or get rerouted. 38 of those plans landed in Gander, Newfoundland. Here’s what I learned when I had first seen the National Tour of Come From Away at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Minneapolis back in January 2022. Before jet engines and jet fuel became as efficient as they are today, all cross Atlantic flights had to refuel at Gander. At one point in time Gander was the largest airport in the world. This musical is the story about how a town of 9,000, all of the sudden became at town of 16,000. It wasn’t just Gander that housed people, the “Plane People” as they are referred to the musical, were taken to towns all across Newfoundland. Schools were turned into shelters, folks opened their homes so the Plane People could have a shower. The whole community came together to help these strangers from around the world. 

Hard to believe that in 2026, it will be 25 years since 9/11. There’s a whole generation that was born after those events. This musical is great at telling an important part of the 9/11 story. I have been to the 9/11 Memorial, and the 9/11 Museum in NYC. I was not visiting NYC yet when the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were still there. It is a unique experience to walk those grounds and to go through the Musuem. That day, to me is a moment in history that is etched in my mind.

Let me get back to focusing on the musical. The Guthrie has assembled a fine cast of mostly local actors for this production. It is an ensemble production. Each of the 12 cast members play a primary character, but also play many other characters throughout the production. That’s the structure of the show. It was the same way for the two times that I had seen the National Tour at the both the Orpheum Theatre and again at the Ordway. I remember hearing about the behind the scenes dilemmas of the January 2022 tour at the Orpheum. That was when theatre was starting to bounce back from Covid. Due to Covid, cast were being flown in almost daily from the Broadway production and other tours so the Minneapolis dates of the National Tour could still go on. As a member of the audience, I had no idea that was going on behind the scenes. What I had seen on stage was an excellent production. 

I need to talk about this cast that the Guthrie has assembled. What a cast it is! Evan Balasubramaniam as Kevin J., he has a voice that is a

Photo by Dan Norman

smooth as silver. The rest of the cast at last nights performance has several very recognizable names from the Twin Cities theatre scene. There’s Kate Beahan, Katie Bradley, Jennifer Grimm, Matthew Hall, Jon Andrew Hegge, Justin Keyes, Jim Lichtsheidl, Ann Michels, Eric Morris, Soara-Joya Ross and Janet Hayes Trow. This is an amazing cast who can definitely tell this story. 

I liked reading in the program about how the show was created. At the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 in Gander. The Plane People came back for a reunion. The creators of the musical used a similar technique that was also used for creating A Chorus Line. They interviewed the towns people and the Plane People at the reunion, capturing their stories and creating this wonderful musical. Come From Away is the most produced musical of the 2025/2026 season in the USA. Regionally I think there are at least three more productions announced for the 2026/2027 season. Come From Away premiered in Toronto before opening on Broadway in 2017. 

Another fun fact we learn from the musical, is the Plane People sent donations to Gander. Those donations were turned into a long running educational scholarship fund. They gave back to those who opened their hearts and gave them food, shelter and a community during uncertain times. 

Director Ken Gash has a created an important work of art on the Guthrie stage this summer. The scenery designed by Edward E. Haynes Jr., I really liked the scenery. It’s mostly a unit set with a turn table that is used very effectively. Both sides of the stage are flank by trees. It’s so visually appealing. 

Maybe it’s Come From Away connection to 9/11, this is such a wonderful musical about the five to six days following 9/11 that I can’t stop thinking about the story and these events. Whether you are familiar with 9/11 or not, drop everything and get out and see Come From Away. It plays through August 9, 2026. Check out www.guthrietheater.org for tickets. 

New York City - June 2026

I recently went to New York City for the weekend. While I was there, I got to see some Off Broadway shows, some Broadway shows, a fun fundraiser and also went to the closing performance of a Broadway revival. One of my friends also flew to NYC for the weekend, and one of my friends who lives in the NYC Metro joined for some shows too. It was a fun weekend all around. 

Day 1, Friday June 19, 2026. 

I hit the stages right away with two shows on Friday.  The first show was Heated Rivalry: The

Playbill Cover

Unauthorized Musical Parody playing at The Culture Club, which is an Off Broadway venue not far from Hudson Yards and the High Line. It’s a 75 minute fun ride of a musical that includes everything from the first season of the hit cable/Canadian television series. 

You know it’s going to be fun show when the opening song has lines like “finally a show that gives women what they want. Gay hockey players!”. 

Jimin Moon plays Shane Hollander, for the performance I went to understudy Daniel Bracket played Ilya Rozanov. The show has a cast of 5 who played all the characters. 

The show is currently playing in NYC, London, and Montreal check out https://www.heatedrivalryparody.com/ for tickets. 

For my Friday evening show, I went to the Broadway revival of The Rocky Horror Show at Studio 54. It

Playbill Cover

is always fun to see a Broadway show at the infamous Studio 54. 

This new revival is directed by Sam Pinkleton. Luke Evans is Frank-N-Furter. You can tell that Luke Evans is having the time of his life in this stage production. So great to see him live on stage and in this role. The rest of the cast consists of Rachel Dratch as the Narrator, Andrew Durand as Brad, Stephanie Hsu as Janet, Amber Gray as Riff Raff, the night I went we had Anania as Magenta, Josh Rivera as Rocky, Michaela Jae Rodriguez as Columbia, Eddie/Dr. Scott was played by Harvey Guillen. Such a great cast!

The Rocky Horror Show also would not be as much fun without the sets, costumes, lights, etc. Need to mention the Scenic Design by Dots, Costume Designs by David I. Rynosa, Lightning Design by Jane Cox, Hair & Wig Design by Alberto “Albee” 

Alvarado, Makeup Design by Sterling Tull and Choreography by Ani Taj. 

I, for one, am awaiting for a cast recording for this Broadway Revival. 

Check out https://www.roundabouttheatre.org/production/2025-2026-season/richard-o-brien-s-the-rocky-horror-show/ for tickets. 

Day 2, Saturday June 20, 2026. 

The matinee show was the New York City Center Encores! production of La Cage Aux Folles. This was

Playbill Cover

the first production to feature to an all African American cast. This was also the first time since the original Broadway production in 1983 that featured a full orchestra. 

The cast was lead by Wayne Brady as Georges, Billy Porter as Albin/Zsa Zsa, James Jackson Jr as Jacob (the butler) and Tonya Pinkins as Jacqueline. 

I learned during the talkback, after the matinee, that they rehearsed the entire show in ten days. The orchestra did have 30 days to rehearse the score. That is a crazy schedule to learn not only the songs, also the staging and choreography. Now I have an even deeper appreciation for the shows produced at New York City Center Encores! 

First there was the two French La Cage Aux Folles movies, followed by the Broadway musical in 1983, and then the movie the Birdcage was in 1996. 

For Saturday evening, I went to the new Broadway musical The Lost Boys. Yes, a stage musical based on

Playbill Cover

the 1987 movie. It was one of the best shows of my weekend. Definitely worthy of all the buzz it is receiving. 

It’s been a long time since I have seen the movie, I really can’t directly compare the two. After seeing the Broadway musical, I do want to rewatch the movie. From talking to my friends, who also went to the musical the same weekend. It sounds like all of the key moments from the movie are captured on stage. Of course the vampires do fly on stage. That’s really fun and cool to see. 

It’s a great cast. Michael Emerson is played by LJ Bennet, Lucy Emerson is played by Shoshana Bean, Sam Emerson is played by Benjamin Pajak, Star is played by Maria Wirries, David is played by Ali Louis Bourzgui (who won a Tony Award for his performance), and Max is played by Paul Alexander Nolan. 

This production is directed by Michael Arden, with Book by David Hornsby and Chris Hoch, Music and Lyrics by The Rescues. What was really impressive to me, was the scene changes. I would love to see how things are backstage for this production. The scenery is designed by Dane Laffrey, costumes are designed by Ryan Park. 

This is one of the must see shows that is currently playing on Broadway. Check out https://www.lostboysmusical.com/ for tickets. 

Day 3, Sunday June 21, 2026

For the Sunday matinee I went back to Skid Row for the long running Off Broadway revival of Little Shop

Playbill Cover

of Horrors. The infamous Howard Ashman/Alan Mencken musical currently features Jordan Fisher as Seymour, Nikki M. James as Audrey, and Claybourne Elder as The Dentist.  

I had last seen this production at the West Side Theater back in 2022. It was the current leads who made me want to see the show again. It was still so much fun. A new list of leads have also been announced for this production. Looks like it’s going to be keep on running. Check out https://littleshopnyc.com/ For tickets. 

Playbill Cover

For the Sunday evening show, I went to closing night of the Broadway Revival of the musical Chess. I had the pleasure of seeing Chess when I was in NYC in December of 2025 for a fun week of Christmas in the City. (Check out my blog New York City - December 2025 for a deeper dive into this production of Chess)

There was an energy at the Imperial Theatre for the closing performance. The audience was electric. The show received 18 standing ovations throughout the entire performance. I felt like the code had finally been broken with this production of Chess. Glad there is a Broadway Revival Cast Recording. Chess is one of my favorite scores. It was so cool to not only see this Broadway production a second time, but to be at the closing performance. I hope this production goes on tour. I would definitely see it again. 

My third show on Sunday was the 34th Anniversary of the fun and sexy fundraiser Broadway Bares.

Playbill Cover

This years theme was “License to Strip”. The overall story was about the spies in organization MI-69 completing their mission to save Broadway from an evil spy bent on destroying Broadway.  There were dance numbers that featured Carmen Sandiego, Sherlock Holmes, Austin Powers, James Bond, Inspector Gadget and many more. 

My friends and I picked the right weekend to be in NYC. I believe Broadway Bares is on the third weekend of June every year. The last time I to got to see this fun show was in 2014. It’s a one night only event, with two performances. Going to the midnight showing not only allowed us to make it to the closing performance of Chess, but by also going to the midnight/second show, we learned that the event raised over $2,500,000 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA). That was great to hear. 

Seven shows in three days. Not too bad for a quick weekend in NYC. 

Spamalot - Ordway - June 2026

Spamalot

Program Cove

Book & Lyrics by Eric Idle

Music by John Du Prez & Eric Idle

A quote from the program “A musical lovingly ripped off from the Motion Picture Monty Python and the Holy Grail”

The National Tour of the Broadway Revival of Spamalot is at the Ordway this week. The National Tour for the original 2005 Broadway production was first at the Ordway in April 2007. It’s been a while since I had last seen this fun piece of musical theater comedy. This new production of Spamalot feels even funnier than the original. If such a thing is even possible. 

Something else that has changed in 20 years between the original Broadway production and the Broadway Revival is the use of projections. There’s a lot more projections this time around, which worked very well for this show. Scenic Design and Projections are designed by Paul Tate DePoo III. Who was also the designer for the Great Gatsby musical that was just in the Twin Cities on tour. The costumes are designed by Jen Caprio. She must have had a lot of fun working on this musical. The musical is directed and choreographed by Josh Rhodes. 

The audience was really getting into the production last night. I still have not seen the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I need to put that on my watch list. The people behind me were well versed in the movie and were laughing at some of the scenes before anything happened, because they knew where it was going. Such a fun show.

The story follows King Arthur on his quest to gather the Knights of the Round Table in 932AD. Once the knights are assembled, then God wants them to find the Holy Grail. Last seen at the Last Supper. That may seem like a simple way of telling this story, but there is a lot of Monty Python humor throughout the script and from the performances with this cast.

This musical has a strong ensemble cast. Some of the standouts are Amanda Robles as the Lady of the Lake and Major Attaway as King Arthur. The rest of the cast shines so many times. Nearly everyone else is playing multiple characters throughout the musical to hilarious results. 

This is one of the funniest musical comedy’s out there. 

Don’t miss a chance to see this Broadway musical on tour. It’s only playing through Sunday June 14, 2026. Check out www.ordway.org for tickets. 

In The Works 2026 - Trademark Theater - June 2026

In the Works (New Works Showcase)

Program Cover

Review by Ernest Edwards

Last night at the Playwright Center in St. Paul, Trademark Theater concluded their 2025/2026 Season/Season 9 with a one night only event which included a  showcase of three new shows that are in the early stages of development. It was a sold out event, which I was very happy for Trademark Theater and the artists involved for the event being sold out. 

Each show was given about 25 minutes of stage time to give a glimpse into these new works. 

The first new work is the musical Locust with book by Emma Y. Lai, and Music & Lyrics by Hannah Bakke. Before the show started I learned a fun fact. Did you know that locusts and grasshoppers are one and the same? Just at different stages in development. Kind of like how chipotle peppers are just jalapeños that have turned red, and that black olives are just green olives that have ripened. I’m full of fun facts as I write this. 🤣 I did enjoy this musical about a grasshoppers and locusts. The songs were fun, and the cast was great, but out of the three shows I saw at the same event. This one needs more work, but that is why it’s being showcased in the early stages. I do see the potential and can’t wait to see this show evolves. 

The second show is the play The February Play, by Vinecia Coleman. This was one of the my favorites of the evening. This play is about a theater company doing a production of A Raisin In The Sun during February/Black History Month, and the Director has a heart attack during rehearsals. We got a glimpse at the first 30 pages of the script. This play, I didn’t want it to stop. I really liked what we got to see, and where it was going. The February Play is one that I can’t wait to see it again, and someday see a fully staged play. 

The third and final show was Pansy, which is created and performed by Max Wajtanowicz, with music by Michael Gruber. I learned something new from this musical. The term pansy was associated with clubs in the 1920’s to the mid 1930’s in America that featured members of the LGBTQ community as performers. Max play cabaret singer Buddy Fields. I have seen Max before on stage, and in musicals. His voice was golden in this performance. This was another favorite of the evening. I can’t wait to watch this become a fuller stage musical. 

It’s not easy creating a show from scratch. It’s nice to be part of the process to see early staged readings and provide reaction as a member of the audience. 

Trademark Theater will have a launch party for Season 10 on July 15, 2026.