History Theatre is excited to announce its bold new season, the first programmed by our new Artistic Director, Laura Leffler. From personal stories of triumph (Fancy Dancer, Toni Stone) to impactful legacies (Beyond the Rainbow, Café au Lait: Nellie Francis Battles the Big, Bad Book of History) to joyful celebrations (America’s Very First Play: And the Immediate Trial Thereafter), this season will sweep you up with fresh approaches to important histories.
And for the first time, History Theatre will offer early access to the summer 2027 premiere of Love on a Stick: The State Fair Musical by the creators of History Theatre’s hit musical Glensheen. History Theatre’s 49th season will include a five-show season with an option to purchase Love on a Stick as an add-on with a subscription package.
Season Passes and group tickets are on sale now.
Please call the Box Office at 651-292-4323 for renewals.
Contact Group Sales at 651-292-4320 or click here to book your groups.
All single tickets are on sale now!
2026-27 Season Packages
Premium 5 tickets/package
Flex 4 tickets/package
Sampler 3 tickets/package
$299 / adult ($353 value)
$255 / adult ($289 value)
$202 / adult ($216 value)
$282 / senior ($331 value)
$239 / senior ($272 value)
$189 / senior ($203 value)
Add Love on a Stick! to your season package for $50
Subscribe and Save!
Subscribers have the most options for enjoying the new season. The passes can be used for any show, or they can be combined to fit your schedule.
September 12-October 4, 2026 by Larissa FastHorse directed by Chay Yew Regional Premiere
Growing up in South Dakota, Lara/Larissa is half Lakota and half white but feels like an outsider everywhere she goes. When a problem with her legs lands her in a beginner ballet class for physical therapy, she hates it—until the story of Osage prima ballerina Maria Tallchief inspires her to pursue a professional dance career. But with a body that doesn’t quite conform, can she make her dream come true? Suitable for multigenerational audiences, this autobiographical coming-of-age drama by MacArthur Fellow and Broadway playwright Larissa FastHorse (Broadway: The Thanksgiving Play) celebrates the power of perseverance and finding your community.
“With Fancy Dancer, FastHorse proves again why she is a trailblazing voice in American theater, and Seattle audiences are lucky to see it first. This world premiere feels destined to have legs well beyond the city. FastHorse threads humor, heartbreak, and triumph into a coming-of-age tale that lands across generations.” –MPX
“A feast for the eyes as well as the soul.” – BroadwayWorld
History Theatre regularly commissions new work and has produced over 115 world premieres since 1978. The festival is an opportunity to get an inside look at the script development process and provide feedback for the playwrights. Our 23rd annual RAW STAGES Festival consists of four staged readings of scripts-in-progress, directed and performed by professional artists. Following each reading, audiences will be invited to join a live talkback with the artistic team and cast. More information on each project to be announced later.
Raw Stages 2026 titles and festival artists include the following:
Standing Tall by Rick Shiomi;
Untitled Nurses Project by Katie Ka Vang;
Los Marielitos book and lyrics by Peter Gil-Sheridan and Christina Luzárraga, music by Julián Mesri;
Evidence of V book by Laurie Flanigan Hegge, music & lyrics by Jonatha Brook.
November 21 – December 20, 2026 by William Randall Beard directed by Laura Leffler musical arrangements by David Lohman musical direction by Wesley Frye Choreographer: Annika Isbell History Theatre classic
“The story of my life is in my music.” – Judy Garland
1961. When Judy Garland took to the stage at Carnegie Hall for her legendary comeback concert, “the house was packed with adoring fans of one of America’s most beloved singers and entertainers.” This stirring musical tribute truly tells Judy’s story from her childhood in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, to the glitz of Hollywood and “beyond the rainbow.” Beyond the Rainbow has played in more than 25 regional theaters nationwide. The beloved classic from History Theatre makes its return, now presented in a fresh production under the direction of Laura Leffler. Prepare to immerse yourself in Garland’s iconic performances, fresh new staging, and an insightful exploration of Judy’s remarkable journey.
January 30-February 21, 2027 by Lydia Diamond Directed by Pirronne Yousefzadeh Twin Cities Premiere
Toni Stone is a teenager growing up in the Rondo neighborhood of St. Paul, MN. She’s an encyclopedia of baseball stats. She’s got a great arm. And she doesn’t understand why she can’t play with the boys. A vibrant new play about the first woman to go pro in the Negro League. Come see the inspiring story of a woman who shattered the glass ceiling and played by her own rules.
“More than just providing illuminating theater and timely social commentary, Toni Stone gives long overdue credit to a woman who had to fight as hard as or harder than any man in her sport just to play the game she loved — and make a living at. The qualities and achievements of such a person are worth attention and emulation. You know Jackie Robinson. Now meet Toni Stone.” –Theatermania
In ‘Toni Stone,’ there is both tension and joy in story about baseball and racism. – Chicago Tribune
April 3-25, 2027 by Vinecia Coleman directed by Faye Price World Premiere
Nellie Francis, a Black Suffragist from St. Paul in the 1920s, appeals to “History” to have her story forever etched in his book. But to see her mission through, there is one rule she cannot break: thou shalt not be mean to History. With the help of the History Players, Nellie tries to straddle the line between making History happy and protecting her own truth. This comedic play with music explores the Minnesota Suffrage movement through the eyes of Black women.
May 22-June 13, 2027 by Four Humors Theater directed by Laura Leffler World Premiere
Virginia, 1665. Three early American colonists stand trial before their community. The charges? Wickedness. The reason? They’ve written and performed the very first play to be staged in the American colonies. But what did the creators of the innocently titled “The Bear and The Cub” intend when they wrote it, and more importantly, do artistic intentions even matter? And even more importantly, is this even an appropriate time to be doing theater, given all the challenges facing the colony, what with the tyrannical king and all? The actual plot of Ye Bär and Ye Cub has been lost to time, but, luckily, the trial documents about the ensuing controversy still exist. From the minds of Four Humors Theater comes a reimagining of every actor’s dream: performing in a hit play, followed swiftly by every producer’s nightmare: to be arrested on suspicion of witchcraft. Four Humors Theater features Mandi Johnson, Jon Kirchhofer, Ryan Lear, Brant Miller, Matt Spring, and Allison Vincent.
July 24-August 15, 2027 Book by Jeffrey Hatcher Music & Lyrics by Chan Poling Directed by Laura Leffler Music Director: Raymond Berg Choreographer: Abby Magalee Arranger: Robert Elhai World Premiere
A kaleidoscopic musical revue that spans 100 years of Minnesota State Fair history, Love on a Stick follows families, lovers, vendors, big sows, butter sculptures, Teddy Roosevelt and anything you can put on a little piece of wood. A celebration of the color and resilience of the Great Minnesota Get Together.
History Theatre’s 49th season will include a five-show season with an option to purchase Love on a Stick as an add-on with a subscription package. Renewal subscriptions and group tickets are on sale now. New subscriptions and single tickets are on sale now.
For more information, visit historytheatre.com or call 651-292-4323.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Group Tickets (10 or more) on sale now! Click here to book your group.
To view the 2026-27 season performance calendar,click here.
PERKS OF SUBSCRIBING
50% off Raw Stages Festival Pass
Free Exchanges
Special offers on concerts, special events, and more!
Chance to reserve your favorite seats FIRST!
Save up to 15% off single ticket prices
Passes can be used for any show, or combined to fit your schedule
ACCESSIBILITY AT HISTORY THEATRE
History Theatre strives to make all events accessible to all patrons. When purchasing tickets, please alert the box office of any accommodation or assistance needed.
Accessibility offerings include:
hearing enhancement receivers
seating for patrons with wheelchairs and their companions
accessible restrooms
an entrance on Cedar St., and an elevator right to the theater level for easy access
ASL, Audio Described, and Open-Captioned performances
Contact the box office at 651-292-4323 or visit accessibility services for more information.
MISSION
History Theatre entertains, educates, and engages through creating, developing, and producing new and existing works that explore Minnesota’s past and the diverse American experience. Its work provides a unique lens which links our past to the present, explores our common heritage, and illuminates our understanding of what it means to be American.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
History Theatre sits on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary land of the Dakota people, for who the land holds historical, spiritual, and political significance. We recognize and honor the Dakota people, ancestors, and descendants, as well as the land itself, and all the sovereign Native nations in Minnesota and beyond. We recognize that this acknowledgement itself is not enough, and only serves as a first step towards decolonization.
