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The St. Paul Gangster Musical
by David Hawley • music and lyrics by Drew Jansen
1934 Crime is running rampant and St. Paul is the crime capital of the U.S.A.! Public Enemies like Alvin “Creepy” Karpis and the Ma Barker Gang have free reign thanks to a few shady deals and a truce of sorts between the cops and the criminals. But when J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI enter the picture, Karpis and the Barker Gang are put on the run. It’s high stakes at the Hollyhocks Club Casino with great songs by Drew Jansen, dance numbers featuring G-men and Tommy guns, and a dose of dark humor that explores the crazy days of St. Paul’s infamous past.
Want to learn more about St. Paul's seedy past?
- Visit
The WABASHA STREET CAVES
Hear, see, and explore the history of the sandstone caves including the legends of mobster massacres.
Also home of the St. Paul Gangster Tours – hop on a bus for a guided tour of the sites and stories of kidnappings, speakeasies, and hideouts from St. Paul's gangland days. - Read
John Dillinger Slept Here: A Crooks' Tour of Crime and Corruption in St. Paul, 1920-1936 by Paul Maccabee.
Crime historian Paul Maccabee takes you inside the bankrobberies, gangland assassinations, and police intrigue of St. Paul's 1920s and 1930s gangster era. - Watch
Gangsterland written and directed by Bick Smith
In the 40-minute documentary-style movie, Gangsterland, Depression-era criminals come back to life as they talk about some of their biggest jobs, toughest situations and their greatest fears. Gangsterland, captures a dark, chaotic time when the Depression, Prohibition and ruthless outlaws all converged on Minnesota.
Ticket prices
| Adult | Senior | Student | |
| Tier 1 | $38 | $36 | $15 |
| Tier 2 | $34 | $32 | |
| Tier 3 | $30 | $28 |
Performance calendar
| Thursday, April 19 | 8:00 pm | Preview |
| Friday, April 20 | 8:00 pm | Preview |
| Saturday, April 21 | 8:00 pm | |
| Sunday, April 22 | 2:00 pm | |
| Tuesday, April 24 | 10:00 am | |
| Thursday, April 26 | 10:00 am | |
| Thursday, April 26 | 8:00 pm | |
| Friday, April 27 | 8:00 pm | |
| Saturday, April 28 | 8:00 pm | |
| Sunday, April 29 | 2:00 pm | |
| Tuesday, May 1 | 10:00 am | |
| Thursday, May 3 | 10:00 am | |
| Thursday, May 3 | 8:00 pm | |
| Friday, May 4 | 8:00 pm | |
| Saturday, May 5 | 8:00 pm | |
| Sunday, May 6 | 2:00 pm | |
| Thursday, May 10 | 10:00 am | |
| Thursday, May 10 | 8:00 pm | |
| Friday, May 11 | 8:00 pm | |
| Saturday, May 12 | 2:00 pm | |
| Saturday, May 12 | 8:00 pm | |
| Sunday, May 13 | 2:00 pm | |
| Thursday, May 17 | 10:00 am | |
| Thursday, May 17 | 8:00 pm | |
| Friday, May 18 | 8:00 pm | |
| Saturday, May 19 | 2:00 pm | |
| Saturday, May 19 | 8:00 pm | |
| Sunday, May 20 | 2:00 pm |
Events and Happenings
Speak-Easy Dinner Party
Saturday, April 21 / 6:00 pm
This event is
S O L D • O U T
Join History Theatre for a good old-fashioned speak-easy dinner party on the opening night of Capital Crimes: The St. Paul Gangster Musical.
Your $100 ticket includes a ticket to the opening performance of Capital Crimes, a delicious dinner catered by Trattoria da Vinci, and pre-show entertainment, plus a $50 tax deductible donation to History Theatre.
→ Subscribers pay $75 ←
Tickets will not be available at the door.
Afterthoughts
Sunday, April 22 / 4:00 pm
A post-show discussion with members of the cast and director (Noah Bremer) of Capital Crimes: The St. Paul Gangster Musical.
FREE to ticketed patrons of Sunday's performance.
Social Six-Pack
Friday, April 27 / 8:00 pm
Round up the gang and enjoy a great deal for a great show. Perfect for thrifty hep cats and hot tomatoes!
One price includes six drink tickets to use at the concessions stand and six tickets to the 8 p.m. performance on April 27.
$210 for Tier 1
$180 for Tier 2
Afterthoughts
Sunday, April 29 / 4:00 pm
A free discussion with David Hawley (playwright) and Drew Jansen (composer, lyricist and music director) following the matinee performance of Capital Crimes: The St. Paul Gangster Musical.
FREE to ticketed patrons of Sunday's performance.
Afterthoughts
Sunday, May 6 / 4:00 pm
A free discussion with David Hawley (playwright), Drew Jansen (composer, lyricist and music director), and Noah Bremer (director) following the matinee performance of Capital Crimes: The St. Paul Gangster Musical.
FREE to ticketed patrons of Sunday's performance.
Gangster Tour & Show Combo
Saturday, May 12 / 4:30 pm
Sponsored by
LIMITED AVAILABILITY
Find out about the Saintly City when it wasn't so Saintly!
Hop on the bus with a costumed character from the Wabasha Street Caves who will guide you on a 2-hour bus tour around some of St. Paul’s most infamous sights of murder and mayhem. The package includes a ticket to see Capital Crimes: The St. Paul Gangster Musical either before the tour at 2p or after the tour at 8p. All tours will begin and end at the History Theatre.
Space is limited, reservations are required.
$50
Mother's Day Gangster Tour & Show Combo
Sunday, May 13 / 11:30 am
Sponsored by
S O L D • O U T !
Find out about the Saintly City when it wasn't so Saintly!
Hop on the bus with a costumed character from the Wabasha Street Caves who will guide you on a 2-hour bus tour around some of St. Paul’s most infamous sights of murder and mayhem. The tour will begin and end at the History Theatre, after which you will see the 2p performance of Capital Crimes: The St. Paul Gangster Musical.
Space is limited, reservations are required.
$50
Afterthoughts
Sunday, May 13 / 4:00 pm
A post-show discussion with special guest Paul Maccabeee, author of John Dillinger Slept Here, who's research into Minnesota's gangster connections was used to develop Capital Crimes: The St. Paul Gangster Musical.
FREE to ticketed patrons of Sunday's performance.
Pizza and a Play
Friday, May 18 / 6:45 pm
Sponsored by
This event is
S O L D • O U T !
An evening of fun that includes delicious pizza and salad provided by History Theatre's neighborhood pizza bar — Black Sheep Coal Fired Pizza — and happy hour prices at the cash bar before the 8 p.m. performance of Capital Crimes: The St. Paul Gangster Musical. Test your trivia knowledge about prohibition and St. Paul's famous criminals to compete for prizes!
Space is limited; reservations are required. $45 for Tier 1 / $40 for Tier 2 or Tier 3
Gangster Tour & Show Combo
Saturday, May 19 / 4:30 pm
Sponsored by
This event is
S O L D • O U T !
Find out about the Saintly City when it wasn't so Saintly!
Hop on the bus with a costumed character from the Wabasha Street Caves who will guide you on a 2-hour bus tour around some of St. Paul’s most infamous sights of murder and mayhem. The package includes a ticket to see Capital Crimes: The St. Paul Gangster Musical either before the tour at 2p or after the tour at 8p. All tours will begin and end at the History Theatre.
Space is limited, reservations are required.
$50
Afterthoughts
Sunday, May 20 / 4:00 pm
A discussion with Bick Smith, the film maker who produced Gangsterland. Following the matinee performance of Capital Crimes: The St. Paul Gangster Musical, Bick will show a couple of scenes from Gangsterland about The Kissing Bandit and other characters!
FREE to ticketed patrons of Sunday's performance.
No videos have been uploaded for this production.
Cast
Nate Bomberg
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Freddie Barker
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Ma Barker
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Alvin "Creepy" Karpis
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Chief Brown / Doc Barker
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Paula Harmon
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Dolores Delaney
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J. Edgar Hoover
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Creative team
In the press
Gangster musical pleads its case
"[Director Noah Bremer's] heightened aesthetic gives the piece staying power and elevates Capital Crimes to something more than a smiling bunch of John Dillingers flashing jazz hands and box steps."St. Paul Gangster Musical Rich in Style
"Noah Bremer's inspired direction of Capital Crimes: The St. Paul Gangster Musical makes for a raucously entertaining history lesson at St. Paul's History Theatre."History Set To Music
"Director Noah Bremer takes a fair amount of license with his telling of this story, combining genres and themes to create a final product that is comedic and dark, sinister and romantic, political and ridiculous.""Capital Crimes: The St. Paul Gangster Musical" at the History Theatre
"it's a fun show that is sure to make you want to learn more about these criminals and their involvement in Minnesota history. And it's pretty cool to think that some of these things happened just a few blocks from where you're sitting. That's what the History Theatre does best — shed light on the complicated and varied history of our beloved state."THEATER REVIEW | History Theatre's "Capital Crimes" don't quite get off scot-free
"Bremer does a good job of weaving campy songs with the serious overtones of the subject matter…My favorite is 'Perfection,' a tuneful song peroformed with hilarious camp by E.J. Subkoviak, who portrays J. Edgar Hoover trying to make his national reputation with the capture of Alvin Karpis."
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Accessible performances
Audio described
- Sunday, April 29 / 2:00 pm
ASL interpreted
- Sunday, May 6 / 2:00 pm
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