Legally Blonde: The Musical Lightens the Stage at the Ordway Center for Permorming Arts in St. Paul

The Cast of Legally Blonde: The Musical Photos by Jason Niedle

Legally Blonde: The Musical is based on the 2001 non-musical comedy film starring Reese Witherspoon. I have never seen the film or its sequels, but after seeing the musical, I’m sort of interested in checking it out. The musical clearly has a strong following based on the number of people I saw standing in the Rush line before the show and the amount of pink in the audience. You can always tell a show that has a strong fan base by what the audience is wearing, and this definitely felt like the musical version of a Star Wars convention. While not a huge fan of the trend of turning popular movies into musicals, I have to say this one, is one of the more enjoyable examples of the phenomenon. I will say that one thing we don’t need from a comedy film turned Broadway musical is an overture. Though brief, it immediately had me thinking, do the creators not know what this is? As escapist fare and a fun way to relive a favorite film, Legally Blonde: The Musical works. But an overture? This isn’t Leonard Bernstein, Puccini, or even Andrew Lloyd Webber. For the most part the songs are serviceable, light but forgettable . There are some that are quite fun like “There! Right There!” where a legal team tries to determine if a witness is gay or just European, analyzing his every move and statement.

For those unfamiliar with the film, like myself, it tells the story of Elle Woods who is dumped by her boyfriend Warner on the night she expected him to propose. He is off to Harvard Law School and doesn’t see her as serious enough to be his wife with the future he has planned for himself. Elle is crushed but after wallowing for a bit she decides that she’ll go to Harvard as well and prove to Warner that she can be serious too. After starting out on the wrong foot and being mocked by her fellow students for her appearance Elle decides that what she needs is to become a brunette like Warner’s new girlfriend, Vivienne. She goes to a nearby hair salon where she meets beautician Paulette, who convinces her not to dye her hair and in doing so becomes her friend and confidant. Elle learns with the help of the teaching assistant, Emmett, how to apply herself to the course work. When the class gets the opportunity to assist their teacher Professor Callahan on a high profile murder case, Elle impresses everyone with her unique ideas and approach to law.

The cast is good, though the songs don’t require anything too challenging for solid musical theater actors. Stand outs are Elle herself Kathryn Brunner who keeps a role that could be a complete eye roller from becoming anything other than someone we are rooting for from the start. Michael Thomas Grant is lovable as Emmett, whom we quickly see will be the person Elle should end up with. Anthea Neri-Best as Paulette is also a lot of fun. She dreams of meeting an Irishman, when she does, the fo-Riverdance routine is a highlight. But hands down my favorite performance was that of Little Ricky who plays Elle’s dog Bruiser. When he first runs on stage the whole audience “awes” and I’m not ashamed to say I was among them. Sadly he only makes three or four brief appearances but he rightly gets a featured spot in the curtain call. He doesn’t even do anything that elaborate, but what he does do he nails and frankly to be honest he so damn cute!

Fans of the movie or the musical will have a great time with Legally Blonde: The Musical, as will theatergoers like me who enjoy a pure fun musical from time to time even if they don’t know the source material. This isn’t Les Miz, Rent, Hamilton, or even The Prom, but it is better than most movie to musical adaptations and while it doesn’t amount to much but a fun night out, sometimes that’s enough. Legally Blonde: The Musical runs through June 15th at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://ordway.org/events/legally-blonde/

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“Passion” Comes to Theater Latté Da

Rodolfo Nieto, Bradley Greenwald, Dylan Frederick, Erin Capello, Colonel Ricci, Phinehas Bynum
Photo by Dan Norman

Passion is a musical by the late Stephen Sondheim (music & lyrics) and James Lapine (book). I’m going to be sacrilegious for a moment and say I don’t love Sondheim. Don’t get me wrong I don’t dislike him, I like him. He’s is undoubtedly a giant of the American musical theater. I know what the fault is with me, I tend to prefer musicals with songs you find yourself singing along to. Many times I find Sondheim’s work, while beautiful, to be missing a hook or a chorus. It is always beautiful and I’ve yet to see a production that didn’t feature amazing vocal performances. I’m not very musically intelligent, I know what I like, and I can tell that the music of Sondheim is more complex and difficult than most other musicals. I’ve written before of my view that Gilbert and Sullivan are like a link between opera and the musical. That’s how I feel about certain Sondheim musicals as well, including Passion. Opera will likely always be my least favorite of the musical performing arts, but I am gaining an appreciation for it. That’s how I would describe my response to Passion it’s not my favorite musical I saw this week, but I did appreciate it. And, with a running time of about 100 minutes, I never lost interest or patience with it. If you are a Sondheim devotee I have no doubt you will love this production. If you are trying to gain an appreciation for him, this will help you merrily roll along that route. If you’d rather stick a needle in your eye than sit through A Little Night Music, maybe give this a pass.

The plot of Passion is based on the film Passione d’amore which itself was based on the novel Fosca by Iginio Ugo Tarchetti, neither of which I have seen or read. The story follows a soldier named Giorgio and opens with him in bed with his lover Clara before he must leave for a new post in the country. They are every much in love and sing of how much they will miss each other. At his new post he is introduced to his commanding officer Colonel Ricci to his cousin Fosca, who is bedridden with unnamed illnesses. Fosca develops an obsession with Giorgio, who does everything he can to discourage her attentions. At one point the Doctor (the army Doctor not the Timelord), convinces Giorgio that in order to save Fosca’s life her must go and visit her in her room. Later the Doctor realizes what Fosca’s obsession is doing to Giorgio and regrets his part in enabling Fosca’s infatuation. Fosca’s behavior would be called stalking by today’s standards and it’s actually quite distressing the ways in which Fosca manipulates and tries to control Giorgio. The single wrong note in the play is Giorgio’s position at the end of the play. The message it sends is confusing and for those who identify more with Fosca in the play than with Giorgio, possibly dangerous.

The cast is great, in the lead role of Giorgio is Dylan Frederick, whom I’m not as familiar with as most of the rest of the cast. Frederick is well cast, vocally he is superb and he brings a frustrated desperation to the character as he feels himself being irrevocably mired in Fosca’s web. Fosca is played by Erin Capello, again amazing vocally, but also incredibly convincing as the tragic and selfish Fosca. She has to play it so that the characters onstage don’t necessarily fully realize the manipulations but we the audience can clearly see where every request is leading. Isa Condo-Olvera is radiant as Clara with a light and lovely demeanor that illustrates the deep contrast between Fosca and Clara. If Fosca is rain, Clara is sunshine and Condo-Olvera is well cast as sunshine. Eric Morris and Bradley Greenwald are as always exceptional as Colonel Ricci and the Doctor. The remaining cast have small roles but lend big voices to the background. When we saw that the cast included three of what my wife calls her “All is Calm Boys” Phinehas Bynum, Riley McNutt, and Rodolfo Nieto, I expected them to have larger roles. But it just goes to show when dealing with the complexity and strength of a Sondhiem musical, you need the highest quality singers even in the background.

The production is directed by Theater Latté Da’s Artistic Director Justin Lucero and the Music Director is Jason Hansen. Their work goes a long way to making this an worthwhile endeavor for those on the fence regarding Sondheim’s less mainstream musicals. The scenic and lighting design by Paul Whitaker are extremely creative with curtains used to create spaces for scenes like the fuzzy edges of memories. The lighting contributes to some very dynamic visual tableaus as can been seen in the photo above. The costumes by Amber Brown are also very evocative, particularly the use of colors in the garbs of Clara and Fosca which visually represent their roles very clearly. What says romantic eroticism quite as well as a woman in a white flowing bed dress worn off one shoulder?

Passion runs through July 13th at Theater Latté Da in North Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.latteda.org/passion

Sixpack is a Little Flat But Fizzes to Life Thanks to the Secondary Characters at Jungle Theater

Megan Kim, Dexieng “Dae” Yang, Phasoua Vang, Pagnia Xiong Photo by Lauren B. Photography

Sixpack, a new play by Katie Ka Vang is having it’s world premiere at the Jungle Theater in Uptown. It’s a play in which the game of Volleyball plays a central roll in the lives of the woman of the Hmong community of MN. Jumping forwards and backwards in time, the central story is about the friendship between Pam and Jou, or that is to say what happened to that friendship. We see them estranged in the present when Jou, now a Vollyball professional, comes home in time for a fundraiser for her sick mother. In the past, Pam helps her bestie Jou through an unplanned pregnancy. It leads up to a moment when we learn what Jou did to earn the cold shoulder she receives from Pam. The problem with the play is that this central relationship is the least interesting thing about it. What is far more interesting than these two young women are their Mothers and Aunties. Maybe it’s that the older generation is played more for laughs, but those laughs are earned and relatable. It’s hard not to find yourself rolling your eyes at the Pam’s rigid anger, that isn’t even about the thing she has a right to be angry about. In fact, I’m not entirely sure it’s really clear what the chip on her shoulder is about. Jou, is slightly more relatable, she appears to be trying, but her betrayal is hard to get past when we learn of it. No, everything with them just seems a little underwhelming. The heart, and there is a good deal of it, comes from the older generation and I wish the play had either spent more time on them or integrated the two stories a little more.

Ashely Horiuchi plays Pam, Dorothy Vang plays Jou, and there isn’t anything wrong with their performances; the characters are just under developed, with too much attitude for attitudes sake. The real stars are the elders, the best of which is Dexieng “Dae” Yang who brings the energy up to eleven when she bursts on stage as Smiles, Jou’s Mother. As the character states she’s not like other mothers, she has attitude but it seems to come from inside and never rings false. She’s wild, loud, and very blunt and comes across like a force of nature as a young mother, as the older sick mother, she brings it down but never completely lets the fire go out, you can see it waiting to burst through. The other favorite is Phasoua Vang as Windy, who the girls ensnare to pose as Jou’s mother at planned parenthood. She’s the irresponsible friend of the girls mothers who never has a job, is always drunk or stoned, all of which could play very cartoonish but somehow just ends up being very funny and kind of endearing.

The show is directed by Dr. Sara Pillatzki Warzeha who injects some dynamic visuals into the staging. There’s little actual volleyball playing, but what there is was creatively staged. Including a final shot that might make you flinch in you’re in seated in one of the front rows, like I was. Ursula K. Bowden’s set and prop designs are well formulated and executed, there is a nice reveal of a secondary location that was surprising. I always enjoy a set that doesn’t reveal itself entirely at the beginning. I also do want to mention the Lighting Designer Claudia Errickson and Sound Designer Erin Bednarz, as there are several very effective lighting and sound effects like the glow of an off stage TV with the sounds of a VHS tape being loaded in a VCR. The show has several of those little moments that catch your attention and are very well done.

Sixpack runs through June 29th at the Jungle Theater in Uptown. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.jungletheater.org/sixpack

Mae West and the Trial of Sex Provides a History Lesson for the Future at the Crane Theater

Mae West and the Trial of Sex chronicles the legal battle between Mae West and the powers of censorship in the early part of the 20th century. Nearly 100 years ago the theater community of New York City and by extension the country was dealt a legal blow that amounted to censorship. Today the theater community is under attack again. Like that trial so many years ago, what is said to be the cause for these actions and what the true result of the them being taken are completely different. It all amounts to the same thing, silencing the voices of the minority. The Sex trial

prosecuted West, her producers and cast for performing a work that could contribute to the correuption of minors and others it was really about preventing another show being produced by West called The Drag. The Drag featured a cast of twenty female impersonators which William Randolph Hearst, the basis for Citizen Kane, wanted to crush due to it’s portrayal of homosexuality and cross dressing. I wish I could say it never ceases to amaze me how little we have progressed, or perhaps have regressed compared to 100 years ago. The result led to what amounted to a legal ban on the portrayal of queer characters in theater until the late 1960’s.

John Heimbuch’s new play drawn from the historical records shows the absurdity and injustice that abounds when powerful rich white people decide they want something. Laws no longer matter, rules are rewritten, the “haves” get what they want and the “have-nots” lose the last thing they have, their voice. The story is told by an exceptional group of seven performers, most of whom must play more than a half a dozen roles each. They are led by Emily A. Grodzik who plays Mae West very effectively, we get a glimpse of the real West at the close of the show so those who are not familiar with the stars work can see how well Grodzik captures her. I can’t honestly say that any member of the ensemble is better than any of the others, they all find a unique voice for each of their characters, some are brief one or two lines bits that create laughs, others are more rounded out, but all are exactly what they need to be in any given moment. So rather than single any out let me just list the entire brilliant ensemble. Jack Bechard, Neal Beckman, Kelsey Laurel Cramer, Kayla Dvorak Feld, Samuel Osborne-Huerta, and Joe Swanson.

The show is directed by The Stages of MN favorite Allison Vincent. The story flashes between scenes and settings so quickly, it would create deadly long scene changes were Vincent to have gone the realistic route. Instead, the play is staged with a wink to the audience acknowledging that this is a play and so characters wheel set pieces in to center stage from the side where they sit until needed, costume changes are made in split seconds in view of the audience. This contributes to the humor at times but most importantly keeps the show clipping along. The production team including Sarah Bahr as Set Designer, Mandi Johnson as Costume Designer, Tony Stoeri as Lighting Designer, Thomas Speltz as Composer and Sound Designer, and Bobbie Smith as Props Designer all contribute to creating this theatrical world.

Mae West and the Trial of Sex is another show that retells the past through the lens of the present. Something I expect the current Administration to outlaw shortly. It’s a cautionary tale, but one told with a lot of humor. Mae West and the Trial of Sex from Walking Shadow Theatre Company runs through 6/22/25 at the Crane Theater in Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://walkingshadow.org/mae-west-and-the-trial-of-sex/

Significant Other Speaks Truth through humor at Lyric Arts in Anoka

Emily Hensley, Eva Gemlo, Lyreshia Ghostlon-Green, and Noah Hynick Photo by Molly Weibel

Significant Other by Joshua Harmon is a play I saw performed in my first year as a Theater Blogger. That is to say I remember seeing it, remember thinking it was funny, but that’s about it. As I watched it play out at Lyric Arts the structure of the show came back to me but not the details. So the jokes felt fresh and no ones performance was competing against a previous interpretation. Lyric Arts leading man and 2024 Twin Cities Theater Blogger Award Winner for Favorite Emerging Artist, Noah Hynick, absolutely owns the role of Jordan. A late 20’s gay man living in New York City who is feeling more and more alone as his circle of friends begin to get married and have families. This is not an unusual situation in any circle of friends, and while the play really only explores it from Jordan’s perspective, there is frequently a reverse feeling for those who have paired off, they can also miss hanging out with friends who are unattached. When you have kids it can be even more of an adjustment, the difference being that instead of living in that state 24/7, it really only draws your attention occasionally, when you hear about some exciting night out. My point is that Harmon’s script will ring true whether your the last one standing single or were the first to pair off, we can all relate to some degree. It would be interesting to see Harmon write a follow up in say 20 years as the characters become empty nesters, which is accompanied by some similar feelings I can assure you.

Hynick gives a hilariously neurotic performance as Jordan, but he grounds it in an emotional rawness that connects with the audience. We laugh at him, with him, and out of our own recognition of that awkward uncertainty that most humans struggle with at some points. Whether he’s sweetly bending the ear of his Grandmother Helene or his best friend Laura, every moment feels grounded in character. Helene is played wonderfully by Miriam Monasch. The role is so well written to begin with, where we witness Jordan having a variation on the same conversation each week with his Grandma. The humor of which is matched with a feelings of genuine love that comes from those moments with our childhood heroes, which is what Grandparents are in many ways. The loom large in our childhood memories, making us the center of their worlds for these brief moments. Their weekly walk down memory lane of the picture of Jordan that is still her favorite and the stories that go along with it. There is so much truth in those scenes, the humor of repeating the same thing over and over but at the center, the sense that it’s really about the love between them. The entire cast is great but I do want to quickly acknowledge the other stand out in the cast which is Eva Gemlo as Laura. Jordan and Laura have an arguement towards the end of the show and Gemlo brings it all to that scene. Yes this is Jordan’s story, but she makes him and the audience acknowledge that everything isn’t about him. It’s one of the scenes that really raises this script to the next level, we understand what Jordan is feeling, but just because it’s his story doesn’t mean the world in which it takes place revolves around him. Gemlo’s Laura, doesn’t choose to just humor the protagonist, she stands up for her right to have her wedding be about her. I think it will be telling how each audience member responds to that scene, I think the narcissists in the audience will side with Jordan. But I’d also be curious to see if there are divides along generational lines as well. Everything Jordan is feeling is valid, but there is a time and place for sharing those feelings, and sometimes we just need to keep them to ourselves in the moment, recognize that a painful day for us, is one of the most important and special days of another persons life, and allow them to enjoy that time.

This production is directed by Max Wojtanowicz with care. He allows his actors to find their characters and trusts that the humor will work all the better for it. Michaela Lochen’s set design is very interesting, we have window frames along the back wall giving us a feel of NYC neighborhood streets. When the characters look at a painting or a picture on the wall they look out at the audience but along the back wall of the stage we get a visualization of what they are looking at. Lucas Granholm has some very effective lighting cues. I especially liked when Jordan keeps opening his computer to see the photo of a man he has a crush on, as he lifts the screen of his laptop open Granholm has a light come up on another area of the stage and we see the character there posed like the photo he’s looking at.

Significant Other is an insightful and very funny play that will delight mature audiences. This is not a play for anyone under say 16 years of age, and frankly I don’t think many under the age of 20 will have much of a chance of understanding it’s subtler truths. It’s also a really brave choice for Lyric Arts to produce and I hope audiences will reward the risk by embracing it and telling their friends to go see it. Significant Other runs through June 22nd at Lyric Arts in Anoka. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.lyricarts.org/significant-other

Between Riverside and Crazy is an Engrossing Play Filled With Fascinating Characters at Park Square Theatre

Isabella Dunsieth, Darius Dotch, Terry Hempleman, Laura Esping, Emil Herrera Photo Courtesy Dan Norman

Between Riverside and Crazy is a Pulitzer Prize winning play by Stephen Adly Guirgis playing on the main stage at Park Square Theatre in St. Paul. It’s a story about specific people in a specific place and time. It deals with race but only in the way in which being black or white affects the characters lives. What I mean to say is that race is not the primary focus of the play. The story focuses on Pops, played by Emil Herrera who has been battling the city for eight years trying to get them to pay him 5 million dollars in compensation for being shot six times by a police officer whom he alleges called him a racial slur. He was an off duty police officer at the time he was shot, and he is black. I know that it sounds like a play all about race, but that is just one of several plot lines that propel the story. Pop now retired on 3/4 pension is living in his rent controlled apartment with his son Junior and his girlfriend Lulu, played by Darius Dotch and Isabella Dunsieth, along with Juniors friend Oswaldo, played by José Sabillón. They each have their own things happening that contribute to the overall story of Pops’ world. There’s also his former partner from his days on the force, Audrey and her Fiancé Lt. Caro played by Laura Esping and Terry Hempleman. Caro is trying to get Pops to settle with the city. Then there’s the Church Lady played by Kiko Laureano, who brings unexpected tangent into what may or may not have been real or imagined. Whatever it is, it’s pretty graphically performed and not for children.

The cast does a fantastic job of engrossing us in the lives of the characters. Guirgis’ play takes it’s time revealing the various conflicts and relationships which works to it’s benefit. We become interested in the characters to the point where we don’t really care if there is conflict, part of you just wants to sit back and watch these folks live their lives. The dialogue is colorful and entertaining and it’s not only fascinating what the characters say, but how they say it. Herrera is in every scene and he’s very natural and funny as Pops, it’s a great performance that feels lived in but not weary. I really enjoyed Sabillón’s performance as Oswaldo, a not very bright former convict who has 90 days of sobriety. The opening scenes between Herrera and Sabillón are among the most humorous and touching. Dunsieth is also very strong playing Lulu, who also isn’t too bright but has captured the good opinion of Pops. Dunsieth is so outrageous in the role, it’s hard not to see what charms Pops.

The other star of the show is the set by Benjamin Olsen, it’s a very realistic recreation of Pop’s apartment with a living room, kitchen, and even fire escape. The set is rich with details like the unwashed windows and ceiling light fixtures hanging from a nonexistent ceiling. Director Stephen DiMenna seems to understand the importance of making the space in which we spend our time with these characters, a way to ground them in reality. One aspect that I felt could have been tightened up were the slightly overlong scene changes; however, this did give Sound Designer Fred Kennedy a chance to play some great music during the changes. Lighting Designer Marcus Dilliard has some very effective lighting cues especially at the end of the first scene between Pops and the Church Lady. I tend to think that what happens is a reflection of Pops physical state, not a statement of something supernatural, but the way it’s handled by Dilliard makes it an intriguing moment that is open to interpretation. Matthew J. LeFebvre’s costume designs are great especially every little thing Dunsieth wears, just look at those boots in the photo above, they really help establish some unspoken things about Lulu.

Between Riverside and Crazy runs through June 8th at Park Square Theatre in St. Paul. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://parksquaretheatre.org/

Whoa, Nellie! The Outlaw King of the Wild Middle West is a Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius Don’t Miss This World Premiere Musical at History Theatre.

The question I asked as I left the Theatre after seeing Whoa, Nellie! The Outlaw King of the Wild Middle West was not what did I like best or what were the shortcomings… It was this, was there anything about that show that wasn’t brilliant? The answer is a resounding no! It’s all brilliant. Every cast member, every song, every costume, every element of the set design, every lighting cue. Look at that photo at the top of this review, that isn’t just one moment, the entire show is filled with bold choices that create imagery and emotional imprints on the brain. This show solidifies Laura Leffler as one of the great Directors of the Twin Cities Stages. Her direction is dynamic, simultaneously intimate and epic.

(Pictured Em Adam Rosenberg Photo by Rick Spaulding)

Whoa, Nellie! The Outlaw King of the Wild Middle West is an original musical written completely, that means book, music, and lyrics by Josef Evans. I’ve seen Evan’s work before in his outdoor summer shows for Open eye Theatre, Loch Mess and Hair Ball both of which were light hearted, fun, and silly shows. I enjoyed them quite a bit, but they did not prepare me for these exquisite compositions. Even the silliest of songs seemed musically complex as is the narrative of Nellie King, whose story the show tells. The story unfolds as a vaudville show from beyond the grave. Nellie King, like so many real life legends of the late 1800’s, is obscured by mythology. What’s true? What’s fiction? So who better to help tell her story than a group of fellow long deceased legends. Some who helped create the myths like Nellie Bly and some who were mythologized like Annie Oakley. There are performers who were famous for impersonating the opposite sex, which touches on King’s tendency to dress as a man at times throughout her life. Everything is overseen by Bert Williams who acts as an emcee for the show, and if that makes you think of another musical, I don’t blame you for going there. It’s a role performed by John Jamison II and he’s magnetic to the point of stealing the show, and he would if the rest of the cast wasn’t as strong as it is.

(foreground) Em Adam Rosenberg. (background l-r) Erin Nicole Farsté, Jay Owen Eisenberg, Leslie Vincent, Therese Walth. Photo by Rick Spaulding

Em Adam Rosenberg continues their ascent as one of the most talented rising stars of the Twin Cities. Rosenberg keeps astonishing me show after show. They play the humor of Nellie’s wild and crazy antics with a slow and gradual slid towards the tragic. In the opening we see more of the legend, by the end we will see something of the truth. We begin by getting a sense of how the legend began and end with how the woman began. Every aspect of Rosenberg’s performance is as pitch perfect as their vocals which are stunning. As is Rosenberg’s apparent mission in life, they made me cry, again. This time their accomplice was Grace Hillmyer, who charmed us last year in Kinky Boots at Lyric Arts and here is hauntingly touching as the Child, a character shrouded in mystery that only Nellie occasionally sees.

This is where things get hard, as with the recent Theatre Pro Rata shows Three Sisters and No Sisters, every single person in this cast deserves a paragraph of praise. But, that would take me all night and you would stop reading so I’m going to be brief, but please understand I have to mention them all and the shortness of those mentions does not reflect the quality which is universally sublime. All of the cast with the exception of Rosenberg play multiple characters I’ll likely be mentioning just one of my favorites for each. Tod Petersen, Leslie Vincent, and Jay Owen Eisenberg have been praised in this blog many times, the reason for that is because they are versatile and gifted and they put those talents to great use in Whoa, Nellie!. Petersen’s greatest moments come at the end when he is reunited with Nellie twenty years after they first met. Vincent as Annie Oakley gets some fun insider jokes related to the show Annie Get Your Gun, and gets to put those wonderful pipes to work in the song “You Gotta Be Crazy (Not to Go Crazy)“. Eisenberg gets to do some wonderfully quirky character bits, he does this set jaw, and worried eyed expression as a man accused of steeling a horse that hit me just right, it’s such a small thing but it brought that character right to life. Erin Nicole Farsté plays Aida Walker and the music she makes with that vocal instrument of her’s might be proof that there is a God. Therese Walth plays Nellie Bly a reporter who fills in segments of the narrative with a no nonsense approach that pays tribute to the real Bly’s role in journalism history. Thomas Bevan rounds out the cast playing multiple roles but he’s especially good as Edward Loudon, one of Nellie’s multiple and likely simultaneous husbands and perhaps the one man Nellie actually loved.

Erin Nicole Farsté, Tod Petersen, Grace Hillmyer, John Jamison II, Leslie Vincent, Thomas Bevan Photo by Rick Spaulding

Alright I can feel you scanning down the screen to see how much longer this is so I’ll try and wrap up with quick mentions of the design team. Joel Sass designed the sets and I could have told you that without looking at the program. It has that Open Eye Theatre attention to detail, every brush stroke, every silhouette, every curtain, and every floorboard is precise and stunning. Sass has found a wonderful collaborator for his style in Lighting Designer Grant E. Merges, there are so many moments in which the light helps to create an image that feels iconic. Bryce Turgeon is the costume designer and creative doesn’t seem to do his work justice. So many wonderful designs but hands down my favorite was Nellie’s final costume which includes a cape made out of headlines from newspapers about her. The hats are all wonderful as well and while I didn’t notice them, because I just don’t, my wife assures me that every shoe and boot in the show was to die for. Great Sound Design work by C Andrew Mayer and Prop Designs by Rebecca Jo Malmstrom, and Choreography by Joey Miller, everyone working together creating a breathtaking experience on every level.

This is undoubtedly one of the best theatrical experiences of the year and you should not miss the opportunity to see something this bold and original. I promise you will not leave this show disappointed. I plan to see it again, which is hard with my schedule but there is no way I’m letting this one go without experiencing it at least one more time. Whoa, Nellie! The Outlaw King of the Wild Middle West runs through June 8th at History Theatre in St. Paul. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.historytheatre.com/2024-2025/whoa-nellie-outlaw-king-wild-middle-west