MN Fringe Festival Day 1! Castrati: A Tale of Two, Stage Presents, Watership Down (The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award Winner!), and Socks & Shoes & Coats.

The Minnesota Fringe Festival is the most wonderful time of the year. This is the time of year where theater lovers get to live, eat, sleep, and pray theater. 104 shows, each performed 5 times over the 11 days. It is possible to see 55 shows if you see something in every slot. This year I’ll max out at 47 due to two Minnesota United home games, come on you Loons, make it worth missing 8 shows and win! To check out all the shows, go to the Minnesota Fringe website here: https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2026. As I do every year, I’ll be posting short reviews of every show I see as fast as I can, including my daily naming of The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award winner. But I can’t see everything, and that isn’t a knock on my manhood, no one can, it’s impossible. So I encourage you to also follow my colleagues at http://www.cherryandspoon.com/ and https://letteredintheatre.wordpress.com/. You can also access all of the shows on the fabulous new theater website of the Twin Cities, 79 Seconds on Stage, at https://79seconds.org/.

Proudly supporting local theatre — 79 Seconds on Stage

This was a bit of a surprise. The title is very Fringy, as is the concept, which is a musical following a man who is castrated, shaming his father, but ultimately becoming a celebrated singer. One goes in expecting something very silly and probably lowbrow, and to some extent those things are true, but the surprise is how elevated the songwriting by Cali Garzon, Julia Maskin, and Eli Maskin is, how gifted the large cast is vocally and performance-wise, and how tight the seven-piece band sounds. It’s a Melancholics Anonymous show crossed with Skylark Opera Company. The cast is terrific, the tone is odd, but in a good way. It will be fun to see if anyone can top this one musically. It’s funny but sometimes in a way you’re not quite sure why you are laughing, is it the work=d they sang or the way they sung it? This is sure to be among the best of the festival. https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2026/castrati-a-tale-of-two

If you’ve seen one of Wells Farnham’s previous two Fringe shows, you know the tone and delivery you are in for. I’m not sure he’ll still have a voice left come the end of the run. That said, like his previous shows, I found this one very funny. While it definitely feels a little more pieced together than the earlier shows, each story arc is satisfying. The end features a moment meant to scare Wells himself, and watching him go at it full speed, and without a doubt succeeding, is as satisfying for us as it must be for him. https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2026/stage-presents

We’ve come to expect a certain dark, camp tone from Melancholics Anonymous. They seem to be the poster theater company for what Fringe can be. So what do they do? Reinvent themselves with this faithful adaptation of the classic novel Watership Down by Richard Adams. True to the source, at least as far as I can remember from a traumatizing screening in the theater of the animated film adaptation on its original release in 1978, when I was six years old. It’s also a musical, with exceptional original songs by company member Bee Davis that have a folk inspiration, feel very polished, and integrate beautifully into the narrative. This is so unlike anything else M.A. has done, and yet it is filled with the kind of creative inventiveness, that have earned them their reputation as one of the most creative theater companies in the Twin Cities. It’s a brilliant move on their part and a reminder to us that they are not a vibe, a tone, or a genre, they are theater makers and artists. And they have won the dubious honor of being awarded this year’s first The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award! Congratulations, that and $1.50 will get you a McChicken sandwich (for a limited time only). https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2026/watership-down

The final show of the night, stuck in the dreaded 10:00 PM Thursday night slot, was Socks & Shoes & Coats. It’s a musical telling the story of a couple from the moment they find out they are pregnant through the diagnosis and episodes of their son’s “condition.” It is told unchronologically, and I’m not entirely certain if the son dies or is just in the hospital at one point. The cast is fine, the songs are fine, the story is a downer, but not in as moving a way as you might hope. The show isn’t actively bad, it’s just OK, and with so many shows to choose from, just OK probably should equate to a skip on your list. I’m not sad I saw it, but I wish I’d fit in something else on my “must” list that I couldn’t fit into my schedule. https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2026/socks-shoes-coats

That’s it for day one. I’ll be at the Loons game Friday, so check back Sunday morning for my reviews of the shows I see Saturday. And hey, if you see me at the Fringe, stop and say hi—tell me what your favorite show is so far.

Don’t rely on Facebook or Instagram algorithms to keep you in the loop about great shows. Subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN delivered straight to your inbox. It’s the best way to make sure you never miss out on the theater action. To subscribe on a computer, enter your email address on the home page (right-hand side) and click subscribe. On mobile, scroll to the bottom of the page to find the same option. You can also follow me on Facebook @thestagesofmn and on Instagram thestagesofmn.

The Stages of MN YouTube channel is home to the Stages of MN Show. You can watch it by clicking here. Be sure to check out the latest episodes and subscribe so you’ll always know when a new one drops. Not sure you agree with one of my takes? I’m also part of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can find review roundups from my colleagues and me. Follow us on Facebook at @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers.

The Cottage is a Wonderfully Light Comedy in the Style of a Noel Coward Play at the Gremlin Theatre

Corey DiNardo, Sarah Malfara, Sasha Andreev Photo by Alyssa Kristine Photography

The Cottage by Sandy Rustin is the sort of comedy Noël Coward might have written, if he were writing today, and a woman. It isn’t vulgar, but it carries a distinctly modern sensibility, freer than the comedies of manners Coward penned in the 1920s and ’30s.

The play opens in 1923 at a country cottage, where two lovers, Sylvia and Beau, have just spent a night together. We quickly learn they are both married, and, in fact are brother- and sister-in-law. In a fit of impulsive honesty, Sylvia has sent telegrams to their respective spouses confessing the affair, assuming she and Beau will simply move on and marry each other. Naturally, this decision brings those spouses, and a few surprise guests, crashing onto the scene. To reveal more would spoil the fun, but suffice it to say this is an old-fashioned farce with a decidedly modern, feminist edge.

Sarah Malfara opens and closes the play alone on stage as Sylvia. At first, her performance feels overly mannered, but it soon becomes clear this is intentional, Sylvia is “playing house,” posing within a role of her own creation. As revelations unfold, Malfara gradually strips away that façade. By the end, she has transformed from a fluttering romantic into a clear-eyed woman firmly in control of her own narrative. It’s a terrific turn from an actor I was previously unfamiliar with, and Malfara keeps the audience constantly reassessing both her performance and Sylvia herself.

All Is Calm alum Sasha Andreev puts his dashing good looks to excellent use as Beau, a man who clearly has no trouble attracting women. Andreev is as adept at turning on the charm as he is at landing sharp comedic beats, particularly in his well played exits after a confrontation with a potentially deadly visitor. Mira Davis, as the delightfully unpredictable Dierdre, makes the most of every entrance (often from unexpected places) and mines plenty of laughs from her character’s… incapacitated state. Corey DiNardo (Clarke) and Shana Eisenberg (Marjorie), the wronged spouses, most strongly evoke the classic 1920s British comedy-of-manners style, while still sneaking in some wonderfully surprising flourishes. And Chance Carroll, as Richard, delivers one of the evening’s biggest surprises with a transformation that once again upends expectations.

The Cottage is a light but thoroughly delightful comedy, packed with unexpected twists, entrances, and revelations. Just when it has exhausted its surprises, it lands on a message that feels fully earned. Director Brian Balcom captures the spirit of a Noël Coward comedy with precision while allowing Rustin’s modern voice to shine through.

The Cottage runs through August 2 at the Gremlin Theatre in St. Paul. For more information and tickets, visit https://gremlintheatre.org/the-cottage/

The Prom is the Feel Good Musical Blast of the Summer! Lyric Arts, I Just Wanna Dance With You!

One thing Bloggings taught me, is how much people enjoy a show! And so it’s got me debating how this review should go. Audiences will be reading, how Lyric Arts’ Production is. What I must say is, They built a show for everyone! And It’s just so damn fun. The music soars, the dancers score and my unruly eyes wept.

The Prom will always have a special place in my heart for a lot of reasons. It’s one of the cast albums that I throw on fairly regularly, because every song is good. A lot of them stir up some powerful, joyful emotions; others make you want to get up and dance. They all make me want to sing along. The National Tour was a blast and had me and the entire audience on our feet dancing. In my review at the time, I wrote, “I haven’t left the theater this high on a show since Come From Away.” I could absolutely say the same thing in this review, thanks to the Guthrie’s brilliant production of that show this summer. The Chanhassen Dinner Theatres production I saw twice, the second time, I led a talkback afterwards where I had the honor to share the stage with the late, great Michael Brindisi and several members of that incredible cast. This is by far the smallest production I’ve seen, but that in no way diminishes it. This production of The Prom reminded me of how much I love this show.

I’ve heard people whose opinions I respect, people who know more about musical theater than I ever will, dismiss The Prom. But I choose to open my unruly heart to the sheer joy that this show embodies. This show is a blast and it’s really hard for me to imagine anyone not having just about the time of their life with it.

The Prom tells the story of a small town in Indiana that has cancelled the prom rather than let a high school student, Emma, take her girlfriend as her date. It opens with Dee Dee and Barry, actors who are past their prime, headlining a show, Eleanor! The Eleanor Roosevelt Musical, whose opening night is also going to be its closing night. They grasp onto the story in Indiana as a way to raise their profiles and rehab their unlikeable image. Along with fellow actors Trent and Angie, these thespians descend upon a meeting where Emma, along with her principal, Mr. Hawkins, is trying to convince the PTA to reverse their decision. What begins as a co-opting of Emma’s dilemma for their own narcissistic reasons will ultimately help all of them deal with their own issues. Emma will have her ups and downs, as will her closeted girlfriend Alyssa Green, whose mother is the head of the PTA. It’s a story that pokes gentle, loving fun at theatrical types while also dealing with the very real issue of intolerance toward, and the need for inclusion of, LGBTQ-identifying individuals. It shows us the ugly side of human nature, but it is about the courage to be who you are, and is ultimately very uplifting.

I’m going to single out a few members of the cast that I just want to spotlight for different reasons, but again, this is a show that, if you, faithful readers, had the patience, and I didn’t need to sleep at some point, I could talk about everyone in the cast. They are all amazing. First off, I have to mention Andrew Newman as Barry Glickman. Newman is outstanding in the role and will be getting a TCTB Award nomination from me come the end of the year for this performance. Every facial expression, every line reading, every dance step, and every lyric sung is perfection. Imani Harris as Emma is a revelation. I guess I saw her in Big Fish at Lyric Arts last fall, but other than that she is new to me, and one to watch. Her vocals are impressive, and she had me tearing up at about three different points in the show. Lastly, I want to give a shout-out to Colin Perucco, who plays Principal Hawkins. Perucco is familiar, but his bio didn’t give me any clues as to where I’ve seen him before. But man, this guy has something. I can’t put my finger on it, but I was really impressed by him. He just seemed perfect in the role, believable, caring, and brilliant at being the grounded counterpoint to the more eccentric thespian characters. I never saw him acting, he just seemed to exist in the story.

Director Amanda White has an eye for finding humor in the reactions of the characters who are not the focus of the scene. It’s what separates a great production from a good one. There is more happening in the world of the story than just the information we are being fed. The nuances that come out about characters, when everyone is bringing something to every scene, whether they are speaking, singing, or just in the background, is what makes a show come to life. The other aspect that brings this production to another level is the choreography by Lauri Kraft and Michael Terrell Brown. I feel like there is more dancing in this production than I remember in previous ones. It’s fast, precise, and on more than one occasion comedically inspired. Like Brown’s work in Mamma Mia! earlier this year at Lyric Arts, the choreography almost feels like another character in the show; it has so much personality.

If this show doesn’t sell out most of its run like Mamma Mia! did, I would be very surprised. Of course, there is the whole LGBTQ aspect, and this is the suburbs. I remember writing in my review of the CDT production, “Is it weird to say you are proud of a theatre? Maybe, but it’s how I feel about CDT’s decision to produce The Prom.” And you know what, Lyric Arts? I’m proud of you too!

The Prom runs through August 9th at Lyric Arts in Anoka. It takes about 30 to 40 minutes to get to from Minneapolis, but believe me, this production is worth the drive. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to https://www.lyricarts.org/prom

The Great River Shakespeare Festival Takes Us Into the Past on the Road to the Future: This Years Shows A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Pericles, Prince of Tyre.

The Stages of MN, MN Theater Love, Cherry and Spoon, and Mrs. The Stages of MN at The Great River Shakespeare Festival

This is my fourth year attending the Great River Shakespeare Festival (GRSF), and more than ever, it felt like returning to a much-loved community, like reuniting with friends. That’s what makes this festival so special: it’s small enough, and the company engages with the public on such an intimate level, that you feel like more than just an audience member, you feel like part of the community. There are so many ways to engage with the company that the experience becomes more than just attending a performance.

Forty-five minutes before each show, the student understudies perform the Green Show. These scenes are designed to tune your ear to Shakespeare’s verse and wrap up with an entertaining introduction to the characters, plot, and world of the play you’re about to see. After every Friday and Saturday evening performance, there’s a free ice cream social where you can enjoy a treat and mingle with the cast, crew, and festival staff. On Sunday mornings at 11:00 a.m., there’s a Company Conversation, an time where anyone can engage with a panel of artists about a variety of topics. All of these events are free and have been part of the festival long before I began making the trek to Winona.

What’s new this year, and especially exciting, is the festival’s move to a permanent home at The ARC, which is Home of the Historic Masonic Theatre. Previously held on the campus of Winona State University, this move allows them, among other things, to sell concessions, snacks, drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic options, including an N/A beer option, for which I’m very grateful. The Guthrie could take a cue from GRSF in that regard. There’s also a gift shop with everything from T-shirts and books to William Shakespeare action figures and jigsaw puzzles.

Less visible, but equally exciting, is the space itself. Its labyrinthine layout turns simply moving from the lobby to the theater into a bit of a treasure hunt, and that’s exactly what it is. Around every corner, there’s a piece of theater history: lighting fixtures, commemorative plaques, and costumes that may well be over 100 years old. My favorite find is in the upstairs bar, where you can see an old wind noise machine that, paired with a thunder sheet, once created the soundscape of a storm.

GRSF Artistic Director Doug Scholz-Carlson & Wind Machine

My fellow Twin Cities theater bloggers and I were lucky enough to tour the space, and it’s full of character, because it’s really, really old. With that character come challenges. This is year one, and the GRSF team has done an incredible job preparing the space for the season. But there’s more they’d love to do in the coming years, and completing that vision will require raising three to five million dollars. So if you’ve got some extra cash, $25, $50, $1.2 million, this would be a great place to donate: https://www.grsf.org/donate-now.

The shows! I won’t go into full synopses or in-depth reviews, I know this is already a long article. But what I’ve found over four years and nine productions is this: like Ten Thousand Things in Minneapolis, this company seems incapable of producing a Shakespeare play that isn’t among the best you’ll ever see. Whether you know the plays or not, you will be entertained and enriched.

*Pericles, Prince of Tyre* Photo by Dan Norman

First up is Pericles, Prince of Tyre, a play I had neither read nor seen before attending opening weekend. Not one of Shakespeare’s most frequently performed works, partly because he only wrote the second half, which sent me down a fascinating rabbit hole about Shakespearean collaborations. Pericles is also a perfect example of why we’re still performing Shakespeare over 400 years after his death: as the world changes and artists revisit the work, we find new ways of interpreting and presenting these plays. Director Shaun Patrick Tubbs makes smart adaptations that bring clarity and emotional depth, both of which resonated strongly with the audience.

Someone described Pericles over the weekend as “Shakespeare’s greatest hits.” It’s got ships, storms, people separated by ships and storms. Really, the only thing missing is a set of twins. There’s love, pirates, attempted murder, a character unknowingly buried alive, human trafficking, incest, and even divine intervention. And near the end, Will Sturdivant as Pericles, had me in tears during a reunion scene. The ensemble of eight company members, who perform all roles in both this and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, are among the finest Shakespearean performers you’ll see. Sturdivant stands out here, as does Melissa Maxwell as Helicanus, Pericles’ advisor, who also takes on the narrator function (traditionally Gower). It’s a brilliant consolidation that improves clarity and pacing. Maxwell transitions seamlessly between character and narrator, commanding both spaces with authority and wit.

Benjamin Boucvalt and Tarah Flanagan (who played Hamlet in one of the best productions I’ve ever seen! which was at the GRSF in 2024) bring welcome humor to roles that could easily be played dark and serious. That balance is key to why this production works so well.

Karl Gfall’s scenic and props design makes full use of the stage, extending into the wings with representational elements, a ship’s bow and stern, sails upstage, that evoke setting without overwhelming it. When the action moves to land, branches root us in place. And in a particularly striking moment, lighting designer Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz transforms those branches into flashes of lightning during a storm at sea.

*A Midsummer Night’s Dream* Photo by Dan Norman

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is delightful, on par with the Guthrie wonderful production from last year. I may need to return to Winona just to see it again, thanks to a clever casting choice: Will Sturdivant and Tarah Flanagan alternate the roles of Bottom and Peter Quince. I saw Sturdivant as Bottom, and he was fantastic, but Flanagan’s take on Quince was so distinct and funny that I’m very curious to see what her Bottom looks like… oh behave!

Once again, the entire cast shines. Michael Fitzpatrick is an excellent Puck, with great instincts for pacing and a knack for stretching moments when needed. Among the young lovers, all strong, Annie Barbour stands out as a gifted physical comic. That physicality aligns beautifully with director Doug Scholz-Carlson’s concept of setting the play as if performed by a theatrical troupe in 1908, the year the ARC building was constructed. The comedy leans into the style of silent film-era performers, a connection reinforced by the sound and lighting design from Matthew Tibbs and Avery Reagan.

The most exquisite design element, however, is the set of painted drops, remnants from Masonic rituals. These lush backdrops shift and deepen under changing light, creating a sense of dimension that’s truly magical. Even more remarkable: the fly system is still functional, allowing these pieces to shine.

The Great River Shakespeare Festival isn’t just an opportunity to see exceptional Shakespeare, it’s a chance to step into the past. In this new space, it feels like experiencing theater as it might have been a century ago. It’s a treat.

The festival runs through July 26 in Winona, MN. For more information and tickets, visit https://www.grsf.org/2026-season. For more coverage watch for more coverage from M’Colleagues at http://www.cherryandspoon.com/ and https://www.mntheaterlove.com/

Blithe Spirit A Ghostly Comedy Brought Effectively to Life at Theatre in the Round

Cast of Blithe Spirit Photo by Aaron Mark Photo Film

Ever worried about your ex, or your partner’s, coming back into your life? Well, Blithe Spirit takes that concern and doubles down on it, making your own worries seem trivial.

Noel Coward’s classic comedy follows novelist Charles Condomine, who invites a quirky psychic named Madame Arcati over for a séance as research for his next book. What could go wrong? Well, she accidentally summons the ghost of his first wife. And only he can see her.

What follows is a delightfully chaotic battle between the living and the dead, as Charles’ current wife, Ruth, finds herself competing with a very present ex, Elvira, who refuses to move on. Witty, fast, even at two hours and 45 minutes, and deliciously ridiculous, Blithe Spirit is a supernatural farce where the afterlife has better comedic timing than most of the living.

As Charles Condomine, James Lane seems to have completed his transition from supporting player to lead. I’ve been seeing Lane in productions all over town for years now, and his two performances this year, a supporting role in Grumpy Old Men: The Musical and the lead here, are among his best. This is a big role, and Lane makes it look easy, with perfect timing not only in his line delivery but also in his reactions to the characters around him.

As the two wives, Megan Blakeley as Ruth and Dani Pazurek as Elvira take very different approaches to their roles. Blakeley has great timing in her appalled reactions to Charles’ comments, which are directed at Elvira but assumed to be meant for her. Her slide into haggard despair at the constant presence of the deceased wife is well modulated. she primarily reacts to the world around her. In contrast, Pazurek is effortlessly superior as the ghost, able to criticize her replacement without fear of retort, since Ruth cannot hear her. She plays the role as a character above everyone else, she makes her statements and lets others react, free from their worries. She’s dead; she can focus only on what she wants, without fear of consequences.

I have seen and greatly enjoyed the David Lean film adaptation from 1945, particularly the role of Madame Arcati, played by one of my favorite character actors of all time, Margaret Rutherford, who also originated the role in its West End premiere. Janice Stone plays the role here and very much makes it her own. She is spry and full of eccentric energy, and she pulls off the difficult task of making me forget Rutherford’s performance to become a highlight of the show.

The supporting cast is also very good. Dr. George Bradman and his wife Violet, who are part of the original séance, are played by David Rinzema and Lori Constable. Constable, in particular, adds a twinkle to her character reminiscent of the great character roles of the 1930s and ’40s. Hailey Zeissler plays Edith, the perpetually high-strung maid, with the perfect deer-in-the-headlights combination of panic and stunned indecision.

Dann Peterson directs the show with an assuredness that comes from having helmed 27 productions for TRP. The play is well suited for the in-the-round space, with Elvira constantly circling the stage, leading to moments where those who can’t see her are conversing with the empty space she just occupied. Thomas L. Valach adorns the space with a well designed set, complete with French windows from which Elvira can make her spectral entrance.

It’s a very fun play and a wonderful conclusion to another great season from Theatre in the Round. I look forward to their next, the 75th season, which is filled with great shows, all with a Minnesota connection. Read about next season here, season flex passes go on sale June 23rd!

Blithe Spirit runs through July 12th at Theatre in the Round. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.theatreintheround.org/blithespirit/

SIX Makes a Spectacular Return to the Ordway! I’ll Rock Out With These Divas Everytime They Come to Town

The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts is simply a better venue for seeing Broadway touring shows than the Orpheum in Minneapolis. The acoustics are better, the seats are more comfortable, and there’s more legroom. But because of its larger seating capacity, most big Broadway tours land at the Orpheum, at least the first time through town.

SIX flipped that script.

Typically, a show opens on Broadway, launches a tour, and five times out of SIX, that tour plays the Orpheum. Not this time. For the first time in the Ordway’s history, SIX went from the Ordway to Broadway. So yes, it’s a show about history that also made a little history of its own.

Now the North American touring company is back for a third time at the Ordway for a two-week run, and honestly, it feels like this show has found its Twin Cities home. I couldn’t be happier. I love this show, and I’m grateful to see it in the more comfortable venue. I caught SIX during its initial Ordway run and was blown away. I’ve been back for all three of it’s touring runs as well. From the moment the curtain rises, the audience is cheering, clapping, and fully locked in. This isn’t your typical musical, it’s more like a full on pop concert featuring six historically kick-ass divas.

The title refers, of course, to the six wives of Henry VIII. Each queen tells her story in the form of a song in a singing competition, with the audience deciding who had the worst marriage. It’s history, reframed as a pop concert, funny, smart, and packed with energy. The show runs about 80 minutes with no intermission, but you won’t miss it, you’ll be too busy rocking out.

Each queen’s song is inspired by different pop icons like Beyoncé, Avril Lavigne, Adele, Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears, Alicia Keys, to name SIX. The costumes follow suit. But while the influences are clear, the songs themselves are original, written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, and honestly, most could live comfortably on today’s pop charts. The lyrics are packed with clever wordplay, from the layered counting in the finale “Six” to lines like “Too Many Years Lost in HIStory.” This is a cast album that rewards repeat listens, there’s a lot packed in there.

The set is simple: steps, band platforms, and a light-up framework, but it’s used brilliantly. At one point, Henry’s choosing his next wife like he’s on a life-sized Tinder app, swipe left, and the queen literally exits left as her frame glows red. In another moment, the frames transform into stained glass windows, complete with a glowing cross. Simple ideas, executed smartly.

I’ve been listening to this score on and off for six years now, and every song has stuck with me. The cast is uniformly excellent, so much so that singling anyone out feels like missing the point of the show. Each performer creates a distinct, fully realized character, reminding us that these women were individuals, not just “the six wives of Henry VIII.” This touring cast features Emma Elizabeth Smith, Nella Cole, Kelly Denice Taylor, Hailey Alexis Lewis, Alizé Cruz, and Tasia Jungbauer, and they’re all fantastic.

Onstage with them are the Ladies in Waiting, the four-piece band that keeps everything driving forward: Valerie Maze (conductor/keys), Yonít Spiegelman (bass), Rose Laguana (guitar), and Camila Mennitte Pereyra (drums). And man, are they ever tight.

Beyond the fun, the show lands a clear point. It reframes these women through a modern lens, pushing back against the way history reduces them to a numbered list. They were real people, not just wives one through SIX. And when we treat them that way, we’re echoing the same patriarchal mindset that defined their lives in the first place. Unfortunately, that mindset doesn’t feel entirely like ancient history, even more so here in 2026, than it did when it opened.

Like Hamilton, SIX uses our modern perspective and contemporary music to illuminate the past, making it fresh and relevant again. See it now, before someone decides a show suggesting that women are people is too woke. And beyond musical theater fans, this is a fantastic show to bring your daughters to. I did. It’s empowering, entertaining, and might just spark some curiosity about the history behind it.

It’s Bring Your Daughter to the Theater Week

SIX runs through June 28th at the Ordway. For more information and to grab tickets, visit https://ordway.org/events/six/

If this sounds familiar, one, you have a great memory. And two, this review has been adapted from my previous takes on SIX.

Come From Away Will Stop the World at Guthrie Theater and Transport You to Where The World Has Come Together

The cast of Come From Away Photo by Dan Norman

This was my fourth time seeing Come From Away (fifth if you count the Apple TV version), and somehow it keeps hitting harder. There is something very, very special about this show. My first two experiences were the original tour at the Orpheum, where the cast was dropping like flies from COVID and reinforcements were being flown in from all over the country, touring casts, Broadway understudies, maybe even a few folks who had just recently left the show and still knew the tracks. Which, honestly, feels completely in the spirit of Come From Away. Then came the Ordway’s chance to host the tour. Now the Guthrie gives us the first local production, and it’s my favorite of the bunch. If you’ve never seen it, now is the time.

If you somehow don’t know it, the show tells the true story of nearly 7,000 airline passengers diverted to Gander, Newfoundland, on 9/11, and the small town that took them in. Yes, it deals with that day, but this isn’t a downer. It acknowledges the trauma, but also shows us the resilience and compassion that saw us through that dark time. You’ll feel the weight of it, but I assure you this is a musical that uplifts the audience. The painful moments come, but the emotions we feel are cathartic.

The Cast From Come From Away Photo by Dan Norman

Why does this production outshine the Broadway touring productions? I think there are a couple of things at play here. First is that, as powerful as the show has been since its first performance, the kindness and selflessness at its heart feel all the more profound given the current trajectory of the world. I grew up hearing my parents and people of their generation talk about where they were when JFK was assassinated. For my generation, that cultural touchstone is 9/11. At a time when the world often feels divided, seeing this moment, when people came together to support one another, lands with even greater impact. There are also scenes that touch on our darker tendencies, including the seeds of xenophobia that 9/11 planted. But it never loses sight of what people can be at their best.

This is a show about community, a community that comes together to take in these stranded souls. The community of Islanders and those “from away” that forms over the five days in which they are thrown together. You see it in the way actors flew in from all over the country during that first tour visit at the Orpheum. And maybe community is another reason this production is so great. I look around the stage and see all of these people I’ve been watching, writing about, and sometimes even interviewing over the last seven years. I see the community I’ve become a part of. It’s our community telling this story now, and that adds something extra. I see actors I’ve followed and sung the praises of, bringing this show to life. I’m moved, as always, by their talent. There is the added thrill of seeing some of them at the Guthrie for the first time.

Local favorites making their Guthrie debuts include Matthew Hall, who must be on leave from Guys and Dolls out at Chanhassen, where he brought the house down with his performance of “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat.” He’s terrific here as well. We also have Kate Beahen and Jennifer Grimm, both stellar in their Guthrie debuts.

Then there are familiar local favorites like Eric Morris, who is terrific as the Mayor; Katie Bradley, Jon Hegge, Jim Lichtscheidl, Ann Michels, and a seriously unrecognizable Angela Timberman. The cast is just amazing, including some out-of-towners, especially Soara-Joye Ross as Beverley, one of the airplane pilots.

I have to hand it to the Guthrie’s Resident Casting Director, Jennifer Liestman, not just for finding the perfect cast, but for giving so many of our local favorites their Guthrie debuts. We only have three non-locals in the cast, and they are perfect in their roles: Soara-Joye Ross, Evan Balasubramaniam, and Justin Keyes.

Director Kent Gash keeps the whole thing moving at breakneck speed. It runs without intermission, and from the moment it starts, it doesn’t stop to breathe, except for a brief technical hiccup right after “In the Bar/Heave Away,” but they reset and jumped right back in. Honestly? Since “Heave Away” is one of my favorite moments, it felt like a bonus round. No complaints here

Before I sign off, I have to acknowledge the musicians and Musical Director J. Oconer Navarro. If you are one of those low-down weasels who slinks out during the curtain call, I’ll warn you not to this time. Seeing the band join the cast onstage and get some appreciation as they jam is the cherry on top of this delicious musical. And while I’m on the subject, I’ll just say this: I think it’s a classless thing to leave without applauding the performers who just spent an evening doing their best to entertain you. Stay, clap, be a decent human. I have to go home and usually stay up writing until the review is done and posted, and I would never consider behaving like that. Just had to say it, its been building up for a while, and Come From Away inspires that kind of cathartic release.

Come From Away uses music to weave a tapestry that taps into our collective trauma and allows us to face it through the humanity of people forced together, who rose up and found the best in themselves. There is a running bit where the Newfoundlanders say you’d do the same. Would I? would you? I’m guessing yes. Would our country? absolutely not. I think we would have in 2001, but Trump would likely refuse to let any plans land in the US if this happened elsewhere. Come From Away runs through August 9th at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.guthrietheater.org/whats-on/come-from-away/