As a fan of all things
Little House on the Prairie and Laura Ingalls Wilder, I was excited to see the musical
Little House on the Prairie on Lakeshore Players Theatre's ambitious 2023-2024 season. I grew up watching the TV show and reading the books, and as an adult I've read every book I could find about Laura Ingalls Wilder, and visited most of the historic sights. As a descendent of 19th Century immigrants who came to Minnesota to make a better life for their family (i.e., me), Laura's story feels like my story. But as an adult, I recognize that it's only one side of the story, and that the story of the indigenous people of this land, who were displaced by the US government so that my ancestors could make a new life here, is also an important one to tell. Laura's story and legacy are complicated,* but I still love
Little House for the nostalgia, and the comforting message of family, home, togetherness, and respect for nature. I hadn't seen the musical in almost 15 years, and it turns out it's not as strong of a piece of musical theater as I remembered or hoped it was. But it's still lots of fun for
Little House fans, and Lakeshore Players has put together a charming production, with a large and talented cast and beautiful design. You can see it at
Hanifl Performing Arts Center in White Bear Lake through February 10 (and for something different, check out an encore performance of Lakeshore's fantastic regional premiere of the smart, funny, inspiring play
What the Constitution Means to Me on January 29 and 30).
