"Three Houses" at Theatre Elision

Theatre Elision is in their Dave Malloy era, and it suits them. The NYC-based composer/ lyricist/ playwright is most well-known for his 2017 Broadway musical Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, for which he was nominated for three Tonys. And more recently, his a capella musical Octet is being adapted into a film, by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. But Elision, which has a knack for finding music-theater gems and bringing them to #TCTheater, often fresh off their initial runs Off-Broadway or elsewhere, has been on the Dave Malloy train since their first season. They produced his song cycle Ghost Quartet in the fall of 2017, and it was so popular they've done it almost every year since, including this summer outdoors by the river at Fort Snelling. Last fall they brought us the regional premiere of Comet, the biggest show they've ever done, that sold out virtually the entire run, and are remounting it in the spring. They've also announced that they will be doing Octet next fall, but first, it's Dave Malloy's Three Houses, a musical about three people in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. It's very Dave Malloy, meaning mostly sung-through, with clever and funny lyrics that pull in lots of different references, intricate and unexpected melodies, and gorgeous harmonies. At this point Theatre Elision's creative team and cast (many of them returnees) are experts at interpreting his work, and Three Houses builds on the experience and success of Ghost Quartet and Comet, for another unique, entertaining, and moving theatrical experience (continuing through November 7). 

"In the Green" at Theatre Elision

Theatre Elision is remounting what was their most ambitious musical, until their epic regional premiere of Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 last fall. But In the Green is still pretty ambitious, despite the fact that it fits their typical one-act small-cast female-focused model. After all, a musical about 12th Century nun/ composer/ scholar Hildegard von Bingen that incorporates her own compositions, along with original rock and pop music including the use of a looping device, isn't your average musical. With book, music, and lyrics by NYC-based Grace McLean (who hilariously played Woodrow Wilson in the original Broadway cast of Suffs, the touring production of which is coming soon to Minneapolis), In the Green is a really incredible creation that's beautifully realized by the returning cast and creative team of Theatre Elision's 2024 regional premiere production. As I wrote at the time, this show "taps into something deeply human, specifically what it means to be a female human in the world, and the performances by the five-woman cast, accompanied by a three-piece band, are simply stunning." It once again moved me to tears, and today, in 2026, I couldn't help but be reminded of the Epstein victims, the survivors, these brave and resilient women who finally are being heard decades after crimes were committed against them. They don't yet have justice, but at least they're being listened to across the globe. Like Hildegard, they are sharing their darkness with the world, in search of the light. I hope that everyone who bought a ticket to Great Comet (and there are a lot of you, the entire run was virtually sold out) also buys a ticket to see this show (continuing through March 7), to see what Theatre Elision does best - rare musical gems that illuminate and elevate the female voice, from 900 years ago to today.

"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" at Theatre Elision

I saw the 12-time Tony nominated (and 2-time winning) Broadway musical Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, based on one small section of Tolstoy's epic novel War and Peace with music, book, and lyrics by Dave Malloy, in March of 2017. Just two months later, I witnessed the debut of a promising new #TCTheater company called Theatre Elision. Now, in a full circle moment, Elision (which has since become one of my favorite theater companies, filling the much-needed niche of small cast, one act, rarely done musicals, often with mostly female creative teams and/or casts) is producing the regional premiere of Great Comet, and it's stunning. In those intervening years I have also seen multiple productions of Elision's take on Dave Malloy's one act song cycle Ghost Quartet, and that familiarity with his work, along with Elision's all-star local cast and their intimate immersive staging, meant that I loved this show much more than the Broadway version, and even more than I expected to in the months of buildup. They have virtually sold out the entire run, which is unprecedented for Elision. For eight-plus years they have been an underrated hidden gem of #TCTheater, but that ends with this show. The larger community is finally discovering what I've known for a long time, that Theatre Elision produces work you just cannot see elsewhere, that's musically and aesthetically gorgeous, in an intimate setting. Great Comet continues through November 22, and if you can beg, borrow, or steal your way into the show - do it! Follow them on social media for potential available tickets, or contact the box office to get on the waitlist.

"In the Green" by Theatre Elision at Elision Playhouse

For seven years, Theatre Elision has been filling a niche in #TCTheater that we didn't know we needed - small cast, one act, original or rarely done musicals by mostly female creators and artists. In that time they've become one of my favorite theater companies, consistently producing high quality work that you just can't see anywhere else locally. That's definitely the case with the regional premiere of In the Green, less than five years after it premiered Off-Broadway. In a pre-show speech on opening night, resident Music Director Harrison Wade said it's the most difficult piece they've ever done. With its unique subject matter (12th Century nun/composer/scholar Hildegard von Bingen's years spent living secluded in a cell with her teacher), mix of modern and medieval music, and use of looping technology, it definitely feels like their most ambitious work, and perhaps the most rewarding because of it. I found myself moved to tears for reasons I can't explain. The musical taps into something deeply human, specifically what it means to be a female human in the world, and the performances by the five-woman cast, accompanied by a three-piece band, are simply stunning. If you like unique, original, boundary expanding music-theater, you do not want to miss this show. In the Green continues at Elision Playhouse in Crystal through March 9.

"The Hollow" by Trademark Theater at the Tek Box

New #TCTheater company Trademark Theater's newest creation The Hollow defies categorization, defies description really. They call it "a concept album, performed live on stage, combined with movement," but that doesn't quite capture it. It's a dreamlike mesmerizing journey of music, dance, emotion. The 75 minutes fly by as you're swept up in this thoughtfully created piece. The music, the dance, the lighting, the costumes, the performances, all beautifully combine in this lovely, unique, and moving work of art.

"My Antonia" at Illusion Theater

I missed Illusion Theater's original 2010 Ivey-winning production of their adaption of Willa Cather's 1918 pioneer novel My Ántonia, written by Allison Moore with original music by Roberta Carlson. But I've seen it every chance I could since, including my third time this weekend, as it returns home after a tour through Nebraska. Willa Cather is an important writer in American literature (see the notes in the program for more on that), and this is a beautifully sparse adaptation of her most beloved novel. The 90-minute runtime, a small ensemble of six actors playing all of the characters, and minimal set design really allow the beautifully descriptive language of the novel to come through as the main storyteller. Descriptive both of place (the Nebraska prairie) and of the emotions of the people who lived there. It's really a perfect adaptation, in that it captures the wistful and nostalgic tone of the novel as Willa describes the people and place she loved so much. If you've never seen it, do yourself a favor and get to Illusion Theater's 8th floor space in the Hennepin Center for the Arts (attached to the Cowles Center) in downtown Minneapolis before this run closes on March 24.