From a reimagined “Romeo and Juliet” with a soundtrack of Max Martin pop hits to familiar favorites like “Glensheen” to several film-to-stage adaptations, the coming months have numerous options for live theater and musicals. The lineup includes both touring productions and homegrown shows.
Here’s a look at what’s on tap.
‘Mean Girls’
Cast members of “Mean Girls,” a musical based on the 2004 movie, perform during the show’s national tour. The show is one of five coming to the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts during its 2024-25 “Broadway at the Ordway” season. (Courtesy of The Ordway)
Opens April 8: Tina Fey wrote the book for this stage adaptation of her hit 2004 film, which features lyrics by Nell Benjamin (“Legally Blonde”) and music from Fey’s husband Jeff Richmond. In a review of the show’s Broadway debut in 2018, Variety said Fey “front-loaded the show with great gags … (and) throws in lots of snappy one-liners that actually work.” Through April 13; Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, 345 Washington St., St. Paul; $160-$45; 651-224-4222 or ordway.org.
‘Disney’s Frozen’
Opens April 15: Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s 1844 fairy tale “The Snow Queen,” the 2013 film “Frozen” was a smash with audiences and critics, some of whom called it Disney’s best animated film since the studio’s Renaissance era. It has since grown into a full-out franchise, with several sequels, Disney theme park attractions, a Disney on Ice show as well as the stage musical, which opened on Broadway in 2018. Through June 15; Children’s Theatre Company, 2400 Third Ave. S., Mpls.; $78-$15; 612-874-0400 or childrenstheatre.org.
‘The Nacirema Society’
Opens April 19: This 2013 play — full title “The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of Your Presence at a Celebration of Their First One Hundred Years” — is set in 1964 in Montgomery, where two high-society Black women planning the year’s debutante ball are hoping their grandchildren will become engaged to each other at the event. Things don’t go according to plan. Through May 25; Guthrie Theater, 818 S. Second St., Minneapolis; $92-$32; 612-377-2224 or guthrietheater.org.
‘When We Are Found’
Opens April 24: Queer playwright Donja R. Love’s “When We Are Found” is about two lovers separated at sea, with one man searching for his lost companion. According to Penumbra, “Love’s newest fable is an achingly poignant and sometimes funny meditation on the passage of time and the persistence of love — and a hopeful prayer that what we seek finds us.” Through May 18; Penumbra, 270 N. Kent St., St. Paul; $45-$20; 651-288-6786 or penumbratheatre.org.
‘& Juliet’
Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” is reimagined as a jukebox musical featuring songs by Swedish pop songwriter Max Martin (Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry). (Courtesy of Matthew Murphy)
Opens May 13: In a novel take on the jukebox musical, this reimagined take on Shakespeare’s classic love story uses music by the extraordinarily successful Swedish pop songwriter Max Martin. Some six Backstreet Boys songs join five from Britney Spears and hits from Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake, Celine Dion, Bon Jovi, Pink and Ariana Grande. David West Read, who won an Emmy for his work as a writer and producer on “Schitt’s Creek,” wrote the book for the show, which is running on Broadway. Through May 18; Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; $118.95; hennepinarts.org.
‘Between Riverside and Crazy’
Opens May 14: This 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama winner follows a retired New York City policeman whose wife has died and whose son has just been released from jail. He’s pursuing a discrimination suit against the police department because he was accidentally shot by another police officer. Through June 8; Park Square Theatre, 20 W. Seventh Place, St. Paul; $60-$25; 651-291-7005 or parksquaretheatre.org.
‘Whoa Nellie: The Outlaw King of the Wild Middle West’
Opens May 17: Josef Evans’ new musical is the tale of a fake detective (and former child performer) whose countless criminal exploits and penchant for male attire made her a Minnesota media sensation. Along the way, her story examines historical realities around gender, addiction, mental health and celebrity. Through June 8; History Theatre, 30 E. 10th St., St. Paul; $74-$30; 651-292-4323 or historytheatre.com.
‘Passion’
Opens June 4: Theater Latté Da’s 99th main-stage production is a return to its signature staging of Stephen Sondheim’s masterworks. Set in 1860s Italy, it tells of a fiery love triangle that ignites when an army captain is transferred to a remote military outpost. There, the captain meets a woman who “turns out to be capable of adoration and desire unlike anything he has ever known.” Through July 13; Ritz Theater, 345 13th Ave. N.E., Minneapolis: tickets go on sale soon; 612-339-3003 or latteda.org.
‘Legally Blonde’
Opens June 10: Based on Amanda Brown’s novel and the 2001 film, the show follows a sorority girl who enrolls at Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend Warner. Along the way, she ends up defending a woman in a murder trial. In a review of the original Broadway production, the New York Times called it a “high-energy, empty-calories and expensive-looking hymn to the glories of girlishness.” Through June 15; Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, 345 Washington St., St. Paul; $135-$45; 651-224-4222 or ordway.org.
‘Cabaret’
Opens June 21: Set in late 1920s Berlin during the Jazz Age as the Nazis rise to power, the musical focuses on the hedonistic nightlife at the Kit Kat Klub. Originally staged on Broadway in 1966, the production ran for 1,166 performances and won eight Tonys. It’s been revived on Broadway several times, including the current version starring country star Orville Peck. Through Aug. 24; Guthrie Theater, 818 S. Second St., Minneapolis; $105-$39; 612-377-2224 or guthrietheater.org.
‘Kimberly Akimbo’
Opens July 8: Written by David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori, this acclaimed musical tells the story of a teenage girl who suffers from a condition that causes her to age rapidly, giving her the appearance of an elderly woman. The Broadway production won five Tony Awards, including best musical, book of a musical, original score and two acting nods. Through July 13; Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; $128.70-$49.25; hennepinarts.org.
‘Glensheen’
Opens July 9: Jeffrey Hatcher and Chan Poling’s “Glensheen” tells the true-crime story of the 1977 murder of Elisabeth Congdon and her personal-care attendant, Velma Pietila, in Duluth’s Glensheen mansion. It is a comedy, but the murder victims are treated with respect and compassion in the show. This is the 10th anniversary of this popular musical. Through July 27; History Theatre, 30 E. 10th St., St. Paul; $88-$43; 651-292-4323 or historytheatre.com.
‘Disney’s Beauty and the Beast’
Opens Aug. 5: Disney’s live adaptation of its classic animated film ran 13 years on Broadway and has grossed more than $1.7 billion worldwide. It has since lived on through countless tours and local productions, both professional and student. Its best-known songs include “Be Our Guest,” “Gaston” and “Human Again.” This production is billed as “newly reimagined” for the show’s 30th anniversary. Through Aug. 17; Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; $178.95-$50.25; hennepinarts.org.
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