"The Abominables" at Children's Theatre Company

A musical about youth hockey with an abominable snowman, er... yeti? It's gotta be Minnesota, and it's gotta be the Children's Theatre Company. It's no surprise that this new original musical is a surefire hit, the only surprise is that it took them so long to come up with the idea. The musical was developed by The Civilians, a NYC-based theater company, and researched and workshopped right here in Minnesota. I've never been involved in hockey (except the odd game or two I was forced to attend with the pep band in high school), but from what I've heard, this feels like authentic portrayal, if a bit extreme and fantastical (the yeti and all). I attended a backstage tour at the Children's Theatre a few weeks ago (see photos and a rehearsal video here), which was hugely exciting as things were starting to come together. It's such a thrill to see the final product this opening weekend and to report to you that this is not only a super fun and entertaining new original musical for kids and adults alike (as I've come to expect at CTC), but also one that celebrates the good (and gently mocks the less than good) of our beloved state of Minnesota while telling a heart-warming story about teamwork, friendship, community, and family that, yes, brought tears to my eyes.

Sneak Peek of "The Abominables" at Children's Theatre Company

Last week, I had the opportunity to tour the Children's Theatre Company in South Minneapolis, where they were busy getting everything ready for the world premiere of the new original musical The Abominables. Developed and produced in association with the NYC-based theater company The Civilians, The Abominables tells the story of a youth hockey team. In other words, it's a very Minnesotan musical! The creators (including playwright/director Steve Cosson and composer/lyricist Michael Friedman) researched and workshopped the piece right here in Minnesota, so it's sure to feel familiar to many audience members.