(l-r) Erin Nicole Farsté, Tod Petersen, Grace Hillmyer,
John Jamison II (center), Leslie Vincent, Thomas Bevan.
Photo: Rick Spaulding.
Whoa, Nellie! tells the rip-roaring musical tale of Nellie King, the “wily and scandalous female cowboy detective” whose countless criminal exploits and penchant for male attire made her an 1800s Minnesota media icon. By turns hilarious, tuneful, and deeply emotional, this grand spectacle resurrects an array of vaudevillian superstars to share a story of surprising contemporary resonance. Plumbing the depths of America’s obsession with celebrity, the show reveals potent historical truths around gender, addiction, mental health, and media sensationalism, as it follows Nellie’s desperate pursuit of the love, acceptance and transcendent immortality it promises. (History Theatre)
Since this is the History Theatre, it's about a real person, albeit one that not many people have heard of. Nellie King cut a swath through Minnesota and the Dakotas in the late 1800s, calling herself a detective (then a new profession) to enable her lying and thievery, while also making appearances on the stage.
The show is a moment out of time, with Nellie staging a show about her life on an opera house stage. She has gathered a troupe made up of notables from her era, none of whom were likely to have known King in real life, but who all share a history of being marginalized due to their identities. Each of these players also play a number of roles in the story of Nellie's life. If it sounds confusing, it's not.
The always-electric John Jamison II is superstar vaudeville performer Bert Williams. Erin Nicole Farsté brings wonderful presence and a killer voice to singer Aida Walker. As Julian Eltinge, a popular female impersonator of the era, Jay Owen Eisenberg deftly plays a number of male and female parts to perfection. Tod Peterson is John Durham, the impresario who brings Nellie's show to the stage, and plays roles from comical to threatening. Grace Hillmyer plays a hauntingly innocent ingenue. Leslie Vincent is a rough and tumble Annie Oakley, which made me want someone to cast her in Annie Get Your Gun ASAP. Therese Walth is the indomitable Nellie Bly. Thomas Bevan shows his range as a variety of Nellie's romantic conquests.
(l-r) Leslie Vincent, Em Adam Rosenberg, Tod Petersen.
Photo: Rick Spaulding.
Em Adam Rosenberg is captivating as Nellie King, whether Nellie is sweet-talking a jailkeeper, conning a mark, or romancing someone else's husband. With a stunning vocal range and impressive depth, Rosenberg plays Nellie's highs and lows with equal fervor.
Josef Evans wrote the book, lyrics, and music, and his script and songs address Nellie's life and times while drawing parallels to our current moment. There were many songs I'd like to hear again, but a favorite was the number performed by Walth, Vincent, and Farsté "You Gotta Be Crazy (Not to Go Crazy)" as a counterpoint to the mens' number "Hysterical Damsels."
Laura Leffler's direction keeps the story moving, with fun, appropriately period choreography by Joey Miller, who is also the associate director. The set by Joel Sass, representing a long-gone St. Paul opera house, and lights by C.Andrew Mayer are spot-on (pun intended). Bryce Turgeon's costumes give us a cheeky look at the actors in their undergarments, which makes their quick changes between characters an easy task.
The music, orchestrated by Robert Elhai and directed by Amanda Weis, provides great support to the singers with a small but mighty four-piece ensemble (Weis, Kyle Simons Baker, Corey Fitzgerald, and Audrey Q. Snyder).
Whoa, Nellie: The Outlaw King of the Wild Middle West is a wonderful night at the theater. Once again, History Theatre brings our region's history to life in the most magical way.
