"Terce: A Practical Breviary" at Theatre Elision

Once again, Theatre Elision is bringing us the regional premiere of a new piece of music-theater, just two years after it's NYC premiere, that most people have probably never heard of. And friends, this one is truly special. In Terce (pronounced ter-chay), NYC theater artist Heather Christian (who was raised Catholic, as I was) has reimagined a 9am mass as a celebration of the divine feminine and connection to nature. Something that has mostly been ignored for the last few millennia since the invention of male monotheism, but has always been with us. And this 60-minute piece of constant music invokes that beautifully. It's the most moving spiritual experience I've ever had at a mass (and I've sat through a lot of them!). A cast of performers too large to count (but around 20-ish) singing, dancing, moving, playing instruments, filling the intimate space at Elision Playhouse with music and wonder. If you're one of the many people who attended Elision's sold out run of Great Comet last fall, or one of the many people who couldn't get tickets, go see this show. You will see some of Great Comet in it, in the size of the cast and the intimate in-the-round setup of the black box space. If you're a fan of their annual Ghost Quartet, this piece is similar in its non-narrative song cycle structure. And if you loved In the Green, a musical about 12th Century nun Hildegard von Bingen, you're my people, and you will love Terce. Do yourself a favor and go see Terce weekends through May 17, with special Mother's Day pricing on May 10, and a 9am closing show on May 17.

"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.

"Ghost Quartet" at Theatre Elision

This fall, Theatre Elision will bring us the regional premiere of the 12-time Tony nominated 2017 Broadway musical Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812. But that's the time of the year they typically do composer/ lyricist/ playwright Dave Malloy's lesser known work Ghost Quartet. Not wanting to miss a year, they're presenting their 7th production for three nights only, featuring many past cast members, in what they're calling "the reunion." I've seen three of the six previous iterations, and I think this is the best one yet. Maybe it's because this non-linear song cycle interweaving many related stories and characters gets better with repeated viewings, maybe it's because the supersized cast makes the score sound even more gorgeous, maybe after seven productions Elision and these artists know this piece better and better. Or likely a combination of all of the above. If you've seen Ghost Quartet before, I recommend this reunion version as a way to deepen your experience. And if you've never seen it, this is a great introduction because it's really well done and feels like a welcoming and communal experience. But hurry, here are only two shows left - tonight (Friday) and tomorrow night! Click here for info and tickets.

"Significant Other" at Lyric Arts

The 2017 Broadway play Significant Other had its regional premiere at Six Points Theater in 2020, just before the pandemic shuttered theaters for 18 months, and five years later this funny, poignant, relatable play is worth a revisit. Lyric Arts has programmed it as the penultimate show of what has turned out to be an excellent 2024-2025 season, and has found the perfect director, design team, and cast to put their stamp on this well-written play. Significant Other is about, well, finding a significant other. Society put so much pressure on us to be coupled, a pressure that our protagonist Jordan feels increasingly strongly as he watches his friends get married. I didn't think it was possible, but I loved this second experience with the play even more than the first. It's a perfect cohesion of script, direction, design, and performance that made me both laugh and cry - my favorite kind of show. See Significant Other at Lyric Arts in Anoka Thursdays through Sundays until June 22, and start your summer theater season off right.

"Hundred Days" by Theatre Elision

What would you do if you only had a hundred days to live? What if you had just met your person, only to be told that they only had a hundred days to live? Such are the questions posed by NYC-based husband/wife singer/songwriter duo Abigail and Shaun Bengson (who, spoiler alert, lived more than a hundred days after meeting and are in fact still living). They wrote (with book writer Sarah Bancher) and performed in the autobiographical concert-style musical Hundred Days, and now Theatre Elision is bringing us the #TCTheater premiere. It's a lovely and haunting 80-minute musical with a fantastic folk-rock score, performed by a talented cast/band. As always, if you're looking for a rarely done musical that's new and interesting and different, instead of the same old fare, head to Elision Playhouse in Crystal (continuing through March 22).

"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.