Considering that St. Paul’s History Theatre has spent almost half a century examining Minnesota’s stories and presenting them onstage, it’s somewhat surprising that the company has never explored the 139-year-old St. Paul Winter Carnival.

That annual frozen festival was created to spark tourism during the state’s darkest months and stir locals from hibernation. It’s evolved over the years to include parades, ice palaces, sculptures fashioned from ice and snow, a medallion hunt, and a cosplay mythology about the battle between warmth and cold.

Having so much history with which to work, perhaps it’s no surprise that History Theatre’s “Rollicking! A Winter Carnival Musical” can’t seem to figure out where to place its focus. So it goes every which way, cherrypicking from a multitude of carnival-related subjects and tossing them together into a sort of scattershot fantasia, a collage of scenes and songs that are often entertaining, but never add up to anything resembling a story.

Roland Hawkins II, left, and Annika Isbell in the History Theatre’s premiere production of “Rollicking! A Winter Carnival Musical,” a fantasy built upon architect Cap Wigington and his wife being swept into the fantastical legend of King Boreas. It runs at History Theatre in St. Paul through Dec. 21, 2025. (Rick Spaulding / History Theatre)

So you’re likely to leave a performance of the inaptly titled “Rollicking!” unsatisfied, but fully ready to clean up if your neighborhood pub hosts a St. Paul Winter Carnival trivia contest. For the facts do come at you in fast and semi-furious fashion, often delivered by the anthropomorphic Hi-Lex drops of bleach that used to march in the Winter Carnival parades. They repeatedly interrupt the action to toss historical footnotes at the audience, adding to the feeling that this is the theatrical equivalent of channel surfing or scrolling on social media.

The production’s key saving grace is that composer Keith Hovis is clearly a talented songsmith. He’s created 18 songs in disparate styles, from bouncy pop to vintage Vaudeville splash and dazzle (with catchy choreography by Joey Miller) to booming belters a la Adele to a deliciously funky rebellion of the snow queens. So if you just enjoy “Rollicking!” as a carnival-flavored musical revue, you’ll probably be better off than those left trying to puzzle out this musical’s plot or central conflict.

Playwright Rachel Teagle seems to be constantly chasing after Hovis’s music in the vain hope of pinning some sort of story onto it. What she’s ended up with is early 20th-century architect “Cap” Wigington designing the 1937 ice palace – his first sung phrase is “find the line,” perhaps foreshadowing the playwright’s quandary in trying to pull a tale out of this mountain of facts – and being drawn into a kind of Oz or Narnia-like fantasy world where his quest is to… Hard to say, exactly. Hold his marriage together? Save the carnival from capitalist exploitation? It’s unclear.

Yet the cast of nine, director Laura Leffler and a quartet of musicians led by Isabella Dawis sell this material with plenty of energy and enthusiasm. Benjamin Dutcher and Randy Schmeling joyfully embrace the silliness of their roles as the key spokesmen on either side of the ice vs. fire debate. Adrienne Zimiga-January strikes a deft balance between clownishness and dignity in her roles. And Wigington and his wife Viola are given powerful voice by Roland Hawkins II and Erin Nicole Farste.

But “Rollicking!” eventually succumbs to the demands of trying to stuff too much history into a two-and-a-half-hour show, likely leaving even the most devoted Winter Carnival fans flummoxed.

‘Rollicking! A Winter Carnival Musical”

When: Through Dec. 21

Where: History Theatre, 30 E. 10th St., St. Paul

Tickets: $78-$30, available at 651-292-4323 or historytheatre.com

Capsule: An unfocused carnival collage.

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GREEN BAY, Wis. — The game briefly appeared to be there for the taking on Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field after the Vikings managed to force a punt shortly after halftime.

The offense had proven capable of moving the ball, even if it hadn’t found the end zone; and the defense had proven capable of getting the necessary stops, even if they hadn’t forced a turnover.

The tenor changed on a inexplicable decision by rookie returner Myles Price. After opting not to call for a fair catch near the goal line on the ensuing punt, Price accidentally made contact with the ball as it bounced off the turf. It resulted in a turnover that opened the floodgates on the Vikings in what ended up a 23-6 blowout loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Though the the blunder on special teams was undoubtedly the turning point, the fact that the Vikings were manhandled by the Packers in the immediate aftermath spoke volumes about the bigger picture.

This is an imperfect group that needs to be perfect to even sniff victories at the moment.

Heck, if it weren’t for a couple of long field goals from kicker Will Reichard, the Vikings legitimately would’ve been shutout. He was the lone standout in a total system failure across the board.

There was virtually no pushback from the Vikings after the Packers took a 17-6 lead shortly after halftime. They couldn’t move the ball on offense.

Every single dropback from quarterback J.J. McCarthy the rest of the way looked like it might end in disaster. It often did. He completed 12 of 19 passes for 87 yards, no touchdowns and a pair of interceptions.

It was a complete disaster for the Vikings that ended with the Packers mercifully running out the clock so not to make it look worse.

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For the 68th straight year, the Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities will make sure thousands of families don’t spend Thanksgiving hungry — handing out 10,000 meals as need reaches record levels.

The annual Thanksgiving Grocery Bag Distribution will be held on Monday, and the annual Thanksgiving Day meal will be served on Thursday.

“We have seen community food and resource needs rise significantly over the last several months — especially with the pause in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits during the federal government shutdown,” said Pam Stegora Axberg, the CEO of the Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities. “This increased need is especially heartbreaking during the holidays. I’m looking forward to seeing our community come together to support their neighbors experiencing hunger and homelessness.”

The grocery bag distribution will be held from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24, at the mission’s Men’s Campus at 435 E. University Ave. in St. Paul.

“This event helps families and individuals facing hardship enjoy a full Thanksgiving meal. With the help of more than 250 volunteers, UGMTC will pack and distribute 10,000 complete meals, including 2,000 frozen turkeys, 14,000 pounds of potatoes and a variety of canned and boxed items,” organizers said.

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A Thanksgiving meal will be provided to visitors from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 27, at the St. Paul Men’s Campus.

“Dozens of volunteers will serve a traditional meal in a warm, dignified atmosphere, ensuring guests experience comfort and belonging. Everyone from the community is welcome,” organizers said in a news release.

“Our Thanksgiving Day events are not just about providing food – they’re about creating a meaningful and uplifting dining experience for those who may not have the opportunity to be served,” said Axberg. “Our celebration is a way to extend generosity and remind each person that they are valued and not alone.”

Other food drives

Linwood Recreation Center in St. Paul, located at 860 St. Clair Ave., is accepting food shelf donations for the Hallie Q. Brown Food Shelf from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. until Monday.

The most-needed items include:

Canned tuna, chicken or beans;
Rice, pasta, lentils, boxed meals and ramen;
Canned fruit, vegetables, soups and stews;
Peanut butter, cereal and oatmeal;
Shelf-stable milks;
Sealed baby formula, baby food, baby wipes and diapers;
Hygiene items such as deodorant, bar soap, shampoo, conditioner and feminine care items.

Organizers ask that anything with a glass container, alcohol, open or expired items, refrigerated or frozen items or homemade foods not be donated.

The city of St. Paul will continue operating food drive locations that began Nov. 1 when SNAP benefits were suspended. They are asking for new, unopened, shelf-stable items and hygiene items.

The most-needed items are:

Canned tuna, chicken or beans;
Rice, pasta, lentils, boxed meals and ramen;
canned fruits and vegetables, soups and stews;
Peanut/seed butters, cereal and oatmeal;
Shelf-stable milk, both dairy and non-dairy;
Masa Harina, jasmine/basmati rice, noodles and Halal options;
Baby formula, sealed and not expired; baby food; baby wipes and diapers.

No glass containers, open/expired items, homemade food, alcohol or refrigerated/frozen items will be accepted.

Items can be dropped off during business hours at the following locations: Highland Park Community Center at 1978 Ford Parkway; Arlington Hills Community Center at 1200 Payne Ave.; North Dale Recreation Center at 1414 N. Albans St.; and Oxford Community Center at 270 N. Lexington Parkway.

Neighborhood House

Neighborhood House officials ask that smaller donations, such as a few bags of food, can be dropped off anytime during market hours. Hours can be found at neighborhoodhousemn.org/programs/food-support/food-markets/. Officials ask that, if possible, people schedule their drop-offs by calling 651-789-3630.

The Neighborhood House has two locations for donations and for people to pick up food:

Wellstone Center Food Market at 179 Robie St. in St. Paul.
Neighborhood House on Montreal Food Market, 1080 Montreal Ave., St. Paul.

MINNEAPOLIS — Since it was created in 2018, the federal government’s cybersecurity agency has helped warn state and local election officials about potential threats from foreign governments, showed officials how to protect polling places from attacks and gamed out how to respond to the unexpected, such as an Election Day bomb threat or sudden disinformation campaign

The agency was largely absent from that space for elections this month in several states, a potential preview for the 2026 midterms. Shifting priorities of the Trump administration, staffing reductions and budget cuts have many election officials concerned about how engaged the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency will be next year, when control of Congress will be at stake in those elections.

Some officials say they have begun scrambling to fill the anticipated gaps.

“We do not have a sense of whether we can rely on CISA for these services as we approach a big election year in 2026,” said Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, a Democrat who until recently led the bipartisan National Association of Secretaries of State.

The association’s leaders sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in February asking her to preserve the cybersecurity agency’s core election functions. Noem, whose department oversees the agency, replied the following month that it was reviewing its “funding, products, services, and positions” related to election security and that its services would remain available to election officials.

Simon said secretaries of state are still waiting to hear about the agency’s plans.

“I regret to say that months later, the letter remains very timely and relevant,” he said.

An agency in transition

CISA, as the agency is known, was formed under the first Trump administration to help safeguard the nation’s critical infrastructure, from dams and power plants to election systems. It has been undergoing a major transformation since President Donald Trump’s second term began in January.

Public records suggest that roughly 1,000 CISA employees have lost their jobs over the past years. The Republican administration in March cut $10 million from two cybersecurity initiatives, including one dedicated to helping state and local election officials.

That was a few weeks after CISA announced it was conducting a review of its election-related work, and more than a dozen staffers who have worked on elections were placed on administrative leave. The FBI also disbanded a task force on foreign influence operations, including those that target U.S. elections.

CISA is still without an official director. Trump’s nomination of Sean Plankey, a cybersecurity expert in the first Trump administration, has stalled in the Senate.

CISA officials did not answer questions seeking specifics about the agency’s role in the recently completed elections, its plans for the 2026 election cycle or staffing levels. They said the agency remains ready to help protect election infrastructure.

“Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Noem, CISA is laser-focused on securing America’s critical infrastructure and strengthening cyber resilience across the government and industry,” said Marci McCarthy, CISA’s director of public affairs.

She said CISA would announce its future organizational plans “at the appropriate time.”

Christine Serrano Glassner, CISA’s chief external affairs officer, said the agency’s experts are ready to provide election guidance if asked.

“In the event of disruptions or threats to critical infrastructure, whether Election Day-related or not, CISA swiftly coordinates with the Office of Emergency Management and the appropriate federal, state and local authorities,” she said in a statement.

States left on their own

California’s top election security agencies said CISA has played a “critical role” since 2018 but provided little, if any, help for the state’s Nov. 4 special election, when voters approved a redrawn congressional redistricting map.

“Over the past year, CISA’s capacity to support elections has been significantly diminished,” the California secretary of state’s office said in a statement to The Associated Press. “The agency has experienced major reductions in staffing, funding, and mission focus — including the elimination of personnel dedicated specifically to election security and foreign influence mitigation.”

“This shift has left election officials nationwide without the critical federal partnership they have relied on for several election cycles,” according to the office.

CISA alerted California officials in September that it would no longer participate in a task force that brought together federal, state and local agencies to support county election offices. California election officials and the governor’s Office of Emergency Services did what they could to fill the gaps and plan for various security scenarios.

In Orange County, California, the registrar of voters, Bob Page, said in an email that the state offices and other county departments “stepped up” to support his office “to fill the void left by CISA’s absence.”

Neighboring Los Angeles County had a different experience. The registrar’s office, which oversees elections, said it continues to get a range of cybersecurity services from CISA, including threat intelligence, network monitoring and security testing of its equipment, although local jurisdictions now have to cover the costs of some services that had been federally funded.

Some other states that held elections this month also said they did not have coordination with CISA.

Mississippi’s secretary of state, who heads the national association that sent the letter to Noem, did not directly respond to a request for comment, but his office confirmed that CISA was not involved in the state’s recent elections.

In Pennsylvania, which held a nationally watched retention election for three state Supreme Court justices, the Department of State said it is also relied more on its own partners to ensure the elections were secure.

In an email, the department said it was “relying much less on CISA than it had in recent years.” Instead, it has begun collaborating with the state police, the state’s own homeland security department, local cybersecurity experts and other agencies.

Looking for alternatives

Simon, the former head of the secretary of state’s association, said state and local election officials need answers about CISA’s plans because officials will have to seek alternatives if the services it had been providing will not be available next year.

In some cases, such as classified intelligence briefings, there are no alternatives to the federal government, he said. But there might be ways to get other services, such as testing of election equipment to see if it can be penetrated from outside.

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In past election years, CISA also would conduct tabletop exercises with local agencies and election offices to game out various scenarios that might affecting voting or ballot counting, and how they would react. Simon said that is something CISA was very good at.

“We are starting to assume that some of those services are not going to be available to us, and we are looking elsewhere to fill that void,” Simon said.