They say good things come in threes, or is that deaths? Maybe it’s both. My point, and I may actually have one, we’ll get to in a bit. But first let me give you a little history of my experience with Whoosh!, which seems appropriate considering it deals with history and even more obviously it is playing at the History Theatre.

It was the 2022 Minnesota Fringe Festival, my first Fringe festival if you want all the sordid details. I was a fresh faced blogger wandering the festival, inexperienced in its worldly ways, and in that hotbed of creativity it seemed anything was possible. On day 9, I first encountered Andrew Erskine Wheeler’s Whoosh! and I awarded it The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award, back when that award meant even less than it does today.

That first incarnation was a fast-paced whirlwind that left the audience stunned and Wheeler dripping with perspiration. It also had the irresponsibly long title Whoosh! The Civil War Mythology of Michael Hickey and His Perilous Precipitation Over St. Anthony Falls!

At the 2023 Fringe Festival, I found myself standing in line with Wheeler. Recognizing him, I worked up the nerve to tell him how much my wife and I had enjoyed Whoosh! The Civil War Mythology of Michael Hickey and His Perilous Precipitation Over St. Anthony Falls! the previous year. Once I caught my breath (one should always practice saying that title at home before attempting it in public, you need to figure out where to take breaths). Wheeler, clearly having experienced this before with others, helped steady me and suggested I put my head between my knees until I felt like I could stand without passing out. Once the oxygen returned, he told me they were remounting Whoosh! later that month at the Mill City Museum. Naturally, I secured tickets for my wife, our daughter, one of her friends, and myself, and then shared the news with you faithful readers.

That version was longer, fleshed out the story, and added live musical accompaniment. It lost the high-wire intensity of the original’s breakneck 50-minute pace, where a thousand and one props and costume changes had to happen with surgical precision. But what we gained was depth. It wasn’t better or worse, just different. A zero-sum trade that pointed the way forward. I remember saying to someone at the time, it may have been my friend and fellow Twin Cities Theater Blogger Erica Skarohlid, who is also the Marketing Director at History Theatre, that this would be a perfect show for the History Theatre.

Which brings us to my third experience, now with the more health conscious title simply Whoosh! (still with the exclamation point, so you know it’s exciting). If I had a coherent point about things coming in threes, this is where it would all make sense. Or not. The real point is this: I’ve loved this show in every incarnation, but this one is the best.

By adding another 45 minutes, any sense of sacrificing the original’s momentum is gone. Instead, Whoosh! has fully graduated into what it always wanted to be. What began as a one-man tour-de-force packed with props has become a brilliantly designed, full length production that dazzles on every level.

Wheeler still delivers a masterclass performance, more than enough to captivate the audience all on its own. Everything added here only enriches what he does, nothing competes with him, it all supports him.

Whoosh! isn’t a musical, but music is now integral to its identity. The show is accompanied by Northern Shores which consists of Danny Diamond and Brian Miller, who perform traditional Irish acoustic music, sing, and even accompany Wheeler when he breaks into song, all in character.

That character is Michael Hickey, an Irish immigrant who arrives in America in the mid-1800s to join his older brother. They work as loggers before enlisting to fight in the Civil War. Hickey tells his story by leaping through time, always circling the infamous moment, the one where he becomes the only person to ever go over St. Anthony Falls and live. But this version makes it clear: the show is about far more than that moment. We gain a rich understanding of Hickey’s relationships, the war, his commanding officer, his struggles with alcohol, and the cultural forces shaping his life. And after the curtain call, a final revelation deepens those connections even further. The result is a beautifully intricate, emotionally resonant tapestry.

As with every iteration, the show is directed by Stages of MN favorite Allison Vincent, who opens the piece onto a broader canvas while never letting the focus drift from Wheeler. Every production addition serves the story, whether heightening spectacle or sharpening a joke.

And yes, that trip over the falls. This is the most significant new element, transforming a spectacular historical event into a truly spectacular theatrical moment. I won’t spoil it. Just know that every technical element here represents the best possible version of itself.

Erik Paulson’s multi-level set design marks a dramatic evolution from the original black box space, fluidly transforming into forests, battlefields, and the falls themselves. Brant Miller’s video design both establishes location and supports Hickey’s pointed commentary on cultural bias. Tony Stoeri’s lighting, Richard Graham’s sound design, Kirby Moore’s properties, and Mandi Johnson’s costumes are flawless, each contributing to a unified vision and a singular theatrical experience.

Whoosh! runs through February 22nd at History Theatre in St. Paul. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.historytheatre.com/2025-2026/whoosh

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