Whoa, Nellie! tells the rip-roaring musical tale of Nellie King, the “wily and scandalous female cowboy detective” whose countless criminal exploits and penchant for male attire made her an 1800s Minnesota media icon. By turns hilarious, tuneful, and deeply emotional, this grand spectacle resurrects an array of vaudevillian superstars to share a story of surprising contemporary resonance. Plumbing the depths of America’s obsession with celebrity, the show reveals potent historical truths around gender, addiction, mental health, and media sensationalism, as it follows Nellie’s desperate pursuit of the love, acceptance and transcendent immortality it promises.
The Reviews are in!
- A darkly comic thrill ride…entertaining, thought-provoking and heartbreaking (Pioneer Press, 4/26/25)
- Smart musical boasts ebullient, razzle-dazzle score with catchy songs (Star Tribune, 4/26/25)
- High-level stagecraft and talent, a revelatory performance by Em Adam Rosenberg (Talkin’ Broadway, 5/22/25)
- History Theatre brings our region’s history to life in the most magical way (MN Theater Love, 5/21/25)
- Playfulness and never-ceasing momentum…really fun and fabulous historical musical that resonates greatly in this time we’re living in (Cherry and Spoon, 5/18/25)
- Emotionally charged story that sets your toes tapping (Play Off the Page, 5/20/25)
Learn more about the show
- White Bear Lake Performer Stars in Whoa, Nellie! (White Bear Press, 6/6/25)
- Jay Eisenberg fills multiple roles onstage and off (American Jewish World, 6/4/25)
- Hitchcock, an outlaw musical and women muralists (MPR, 5/30/25)
- Whoa, Nellie was quite the character (WCCO-AM 5/21/25)
- Josef and Em talk about Whoa, Nellie! (Mouthing Off Podcast, 5/20/25)
- 5 ways ‘Whoa, Nellie!’ salutes cross-dressing outlaw queen who scandalized 19th-century Minnesota (The Minnesota Star Tribune, 5/15/25)
- 5 Questions with Whoa, Nellie! Actor Em Adam Rosenberg (Mpls-St Paul, 5/19/25)
- Theater Critic Rohan Preston talks Whoa, Nellie! (The Minnesota Star Tribune, 5/16/25) Note: interview starts 11:00
- Cast set for Whoa, Nellie! (BroadwayWorld.com, 4/18/25)
The Cast
Ticket pricing
For more information, visit Ticket Information.
- Adults/Seniors: $30-74
- Students: $15
- Balcony Seating: There are 15 steps to balcony seating. No elevator is available. If this is a concern for you or your party, please contact the box office at 651-292-4323.
Playbill
Click here to view the playbill.
