Whoa, Nellie! The Outlaw King of the Wild Middle West

Following the success of 2023's The Defeat of Jesse James, the History Theatre is again tackling a Wild West (or Midwest) legend (in her own mind). Whoa, Nellie! The Outlaw King of the Wild Middle West plays from May 17 to June 8, and after opening night, I'm already hoping to see it again.

 

(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.

Secret Warriors at History Theatre

Secret Warriors, a new play commissioned by the History Theatre (running through April 19), does what the History Theatre does best: focuses in on a particular element of history with a Minnesota connection. This World War II-set play, written by R.A. Shiomi and directed by Lily Tung Crystal, brings to light the stories of the Japanese Americans who were recruited to serve as translators and interpreters in service to the American military.

This play is set during a particularly shameful chapter of American history when, in February 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt cited military necessity as the basis for incarcerating over 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II, regardless of birth or citizenship status. While their families have lost their businesses and livelihoods and are living in camps, these men have come to Minnesota to attend the Military Intelligence Service Language School (MISLS) and serve the country that has incarcerated their families. 

"They are the warriors you don’t know. Inspired by the stories of the Japanese Americans who served as translators and interrogators for the U.S. Armed Forces, Secret Warriors features two men, Koji Kimura and Tamio Takahashi, who took extraordinary risks to save their fellow soldiers in the Pacific Theater during World War II. As the eyes and ears of General MacArthur, they saved countless Allied lives and shortened the war by two years. Discover their compelling personal journeys and heartfelt love stories set against the backdrop of the war and the incarceration of their families." (History Theatre)

In the first act, we meet a group of recruits as they attend the language school at Camp Savage in Minnesota. Koji Kimura (Clay Man Soo), Tamio Takahashi (Erik Ohno Dagoberg), Masa Matsui (Song Kim), and Isamu Oikawa (Josh Kwon) are studying hard and constantly monitored by Lt. Jeff Nelson (Paul LaNave), who demands they keep up with latrine cleaning and KP duty when they're not studying. Though the four come from very different worlds, they band together to help one another pass. A welcome respite for Koji and Tamio comes when they spend an evening at the Minneapolis USO and meet Natsuko Nishi (Stephanie Anne Bertumen) and Denise Murphy (Kendall Kent). Their wartime romances make it even more difficult to leave when they receive their overseas placements. 

The second act follows the soldiers through the war and beyond. From being unable to go up on deck (and threatened) on their ship overseas to going into incredibly dangerous situations, the stories of these brave heroes are even more poignant considering that everything they did remained a secret until many years later. Not only that, but their efforts did not provide any relief or comfort to their incarcerated families.  

Hey, by the way! Did you know that the antiquated law that enabled President Franklin D. Roosevelt to authorize the Japanese internment camps was The Alien Enemies Act of 1798? Sound familiar? It should, because the current federal administration is using it to deport legal and illegal immigrants without due process. Speaking of shameful chapters in American History . . .

(L-R) Erik Ohno Dagoberg, Josh Kwon, Clay Man Soo,
Song Kim. Photo by Rick Spaulding. 

The cast of Secret Warriors is universally excellent. Erik Ohno Dagoberg is a engaging hero as Tamio, whose streetwise spark contrasts with Clay Man Soo's initially innocent farmer boy. The two also have marvelous chemistry with their respective loves, Kendall Kent and Stephanie Anne Bertumen. Rich Remedios, with his rich voice and bearing, is another standout in distinctly different roles as their teacher John Aiso, and as a Japanese military leader who is questioned by Koji. 

We stayed for the "Afterthoughts" talk back and learned quite a bit about the creation of the play. We would have not known to shout out Rio Saito, their Japanese Language Consultant, but we definitely do after hearing the work they put into teaching non-Japanese speakers to speak so authentically in Japanese. I loved how naturally they flowed from Japanese to English and how captions were not used. Why should we as English speakers always have language spoon fed to us? It was also fascinating to hear of the organizations that are holding and sharing this history in the Twin Cities who assisted with this play.

As Lily Tung Crystal says in her director's note: "These soldiers faced an extraordinary contradiction. They were asked to prove their loyalty to a nation that has turned its back on them. They fought on two fronts--one against an enemy abroad, the other against racism at home. Their contributions were critical to the war effort, yet for decades, their service has remained largely unrecognized."

Thanks to the History Theatre and the cast and creators of Secret Warriors for shining a light on the stories of these heroic soldiers as well as the stories of incarcerated Japanese Americans. 

If you'd like to learn more about the incarceration of Japanese Americans in World War II, a great source is Densho, an organization that is dedicated to "preserving Japanese American stories of the past for the generations of tomorrow." 

And if you'd like even more reasons why preserving and telling these stories is so important, see the article "The Rise and Threats of Digital Erasure in Public Memory" on Densho's website, which gives an example of how the current federal administration is attempting to remove race from American history.

Update: We Left the House! aka Some Shows We've Seen (Summer 2023)

Hello friends!

Our friends over at Cherry and Spoon and The Stages of MN have persuaded us to finally get out and see some theater. So we have! And dang it, we're going to tell you about it.

Dance 'Til You Drop - History Theatre

Created in collaboration with Collide Theatrical Dance Company, Dance 'Til You Drop at History Theatre tells the true story of Callum deVillier, world record holder for marathon dancing. 

Playwright Carson Kreitzer explains where the idea for the show started in her program note:

Speed Dating through a Bunch of May Theater

Y'all, we've seen a LOT of plays lately. And we have fallen down on our mission to share these works with you, our loyal and devoted readership. In an attempt to win your hearts again, and to start the summer theater season with a clean slate, here is our speed dating recap of recent local theater.

Five Fifths of Jurassic Park - Minnesota Fringe benefit at Ritz Theater
How have I NEVER been to any of these shows before? I am appalled at myself and my co-blogger Jules. Here's the scoop: They pick a script, divide it into five parts and give it to five local theater companies to put their own spin on it--one night only.

This year's companies were Shanan Custer with the Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society (listen to their podcast--it is MOST fun), Lounge-asaurus Rex (who I will now be following avidly, and not just for his impeccable taste in suitwear), Wayward Theatre Company (totally new to me--yay, new discoveries!), Blackout Improv (absolutely amazingly hilarious), and Erin Sheppard Presents (always fabulous and their costumes were ON point.) So fun and such a great teaser for the Fringe (August 3-13, 2017)!

Ann Michels in Sweetland
(photo by Rick Spaulding)

Sweetland: The Musical - History Theatre
Based on the lovely movie of the same name, which was based on a short story by local author Will Weaver, and with music by Dina Maccabee, and lyrics by Laurie Flanigan Hegge, and directed by Perrin Post .. With such a lovely pedigree and as it is such a labor of love, we wanted to like it more. However, our friend Cherry and Spoon loves it deeply, so please check out what she had to say!

Red Velvet - Walking Shadow Theatre Company
A really interesting premise from a well-regarded theater company, and a new play by a female playwright of color, Lolita Chakrabarti. (Fun fact: In London and New York, her husband Adrian Lester played the leading role). How can you go wrong? Although this was a very watchable play, and featured some strong performances, we ultimately found the play lacking. Single White Fringe Geek does a great job of outlining where we felt the play fell short. And although we adore JuCoby Johnson, this role didn't feel like the right fit for him.

Next on the calendar was Medea at New Epic Theater, but that show was cancelled. As we've seen great work from them in the past, we hope they sort out their issues and return to making theater.

Nate Cheeseman, Thallis Santesteban, John Catron, and
Christian Bardin in Lone Star Spirits (photo by Dan Norman)

Lone Star Spirits - Jungle Theater
Which we saw on its LAST DAY. So not helpful to anyone, particularly since the show was GENIUS. Dang it! The play, by Josh Tobiessen, was brought to life by director Sarah Rasmussen with a terrific ensemble of Terry Hempleman, John Catron, Christian Bardin, Nate Cheeseman, and Thallis Santesteban. Set and costume designer Sarah Bahr created the perfect small-town atmosphere, and the show ran a tight 80 minutes. So glad they extended a week and we were able to see it. 

Eric Sharp in Charlie, etc
(photo from Mu Performing Arts)

Charles Francis Chan Jr.'s Exotic Oriental Murder Mystery - Mu Performing Arts
Lloyd Suh's script examines and critiques Asian American stereotypes using a play-within-the play to bring unspoken assumptions into the light. Randy Reyes directs this funny, thought-provoking, and challenging piece with a wonderful cast. And the show is in the Dowling Studio at the Guthrie, so tickets are just $9! Catch it before the show closes on May 28.

Broadway Songbook: Hollywood and Broadway - Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
Though the show started a bit slowly, with songs best known as standards rather than theater music, the talented cast brings zing to songs from shows from 42nd Street to Grease to Legally Blonde. The Songbook series has been a wonderful addition to the local theater scene, and we hope it continues after James Rocco leaves the Ordway later this year.

Refugia - The Moving Company
This new work, playing on the Guthrie's McGuire Proscenium stage, aims to explore "exile, borders and the displacement of people," but we found the piece problematic, seeming to focus on white characters and stories and to underuse its few actors of color. Our friend Laura from One Girl, Two Cities wrote a wonderfully thoughtful post on this show, which has sparked an amazing amount of discussion in the local theater community.

Intimate Apparel - Ten Thousand Things Theater

Playing at Open Book through June 4, this gem of a play by Lynn Nottage is sensitively staged by Austene Van in TTT's trademark stripped-down style. The excellent cast is led by a luminous Aimee K. Bryant as a seamstress at the turn of the century who yearns for love and seems to find it by corresponding with a man working on the construction of the Panama Canal. As always, the cast is superb, and though I had seen this play when the Guthrie did it in 2005, I had forgotten what a wonderful script it is. 

Whew! Now, on to more theater-watching! Happy theater-going, friends!!

The Debutante's Ball and Ethnic Heritage: Father and Daughter Weigh In

Please enjoy this guest post by my friend Jay and his teen daughter Juno about what Mu Performing Arts/History Theatre's play The Debutante's Ball means to them:

Jay: As a first generation Filipino immigrant raised outside the Minnesota Filipino community, and largely isolated from Filipino traditions, I was thrilled to discover Eric "Pogi" Sumangil's comic documentary on preserving ethnic heritage. 

Without being overly sentimental, the play still managed to evoke my sympathy for the young characters struggling to define their own racial identity. I laughed with and never-quite-pitied the character I saw the most of myself in, an awkward and geekish young man who played the Harana (Filipino serenade) for the female protagonist. I would have liked to explore the theme of "nisei" having an "ethnic" channel to direct universal themes of teenage awkwardness, and how they often make an asset of innate bi(or greater)-culturism.

Image by Elizabeth Flores, Star Tribune

The thin Good Friday crowd of History Theater regulars and supporters blended comfortably with Filipino families, easily identified by their uproarious laughter during the targeted ethnic insider jokes. Though not provocative, the overall atmosphere reminded me poignantly of feeling like a square peg in a round hole, gently but not painfully reconciling mutually strange foods, accents, and jokes with my parents' white Minnesotan friends at 70s and 80s dinner tables, the place settings slightly outdated, the humor never dead-on, but ample.

Juno: When I found out that we were going to see this play, I was a little hesitant. I haven't ever been immersed in the  culture, and honestly, I had no idea what to expect. Sure, I identify as part Filipino, but I was sure that every reference or joke would go right over my head - I was wrong. I didn't need to speak Tagalog, I didn't have to go to social gatherings, I didn't even have to do anything but sit and watch. I was able to laugh and enjoy it as it happened, and so was everyone else in the Theater.

I think what was most appealing to me was that it didn't beat around the bush about anything. Yes, Filipino's are blunt, touchy, and ambiguously ethnic, and there isn't a point in the show where you don't see that. Instead of being a play about trying to fit in with the crowd, it's a play about being comfortable with who you are, even if you look or act differently than the people around you. It wasn't a crazy assimilation-promotion  play, it was straight forward, and documented (accurately) what it's like to grow up Filipino-American in Minnesota.