The Boy Wonder
Book, music and lyrics by Keith Hovis
Directed by Laura Leffler
October 7–October 29, 2023
Who will stand up for our democracy?
"Keith Hovis has crafted some clever and deft tunes. Musical director Amanda Weis, whose band sits in a bird's nest stage left, backs the songs with taut efficiency." Star Tribune
"A tuneful score and a high-energy cast full of well-drawn characters, it chronicles the career of Harold Stassen, who became Minnesota's youngest governor at age 31, but it is better known to boomers as a perennial also-ran in presidential races." Pioneer Press
"To say that I found the production exceptional would be to undersell it. In fact..it is inspirational, moving, funny, educational, relevant, and very entertaining. As someone who has lost faith in our political parties, it was amazing to find a hero on the other side of the aisle. The cast is led by the phenomenal Evan Tyler Wilson." The Stages of MN
Read the Reviews
- Hugely entertaining and engaging, and features some incredible performances and a terrific original score (cherryandspoon.com, 10/22/23)
- The music was excellent, with a mix of pop, classic musical theater, and ballads (Play Off the Page, 10/23/23)
- History Theatre's 'Boy Wonder' Burns Bright Around Minnesota's Youngest Governor (Star Tribune, 10/9/23)
- History Theatre tells Harold Stassen's story in enlightening but long "Boy Wonder" (Pioneer Press, 10/8/23)
- 'The Boy Wonder' Renews My Faith in Humanity, or at Least That Some Politicians Once Had Some at History Theatre (thestagesofmn.com, 10/8/23)
Audience Call It
- FABULOUS!!! Amazing talent. Highly recommend!
- Excellent cast, musical score, and production
- Went far beyond our expectations
- This play did what I've come to love about [History Theatre] - fill in the historical holes of our shared story.
- Boy Wonder was "wonderful." The actors were SO into it! Great performance, great energy, and a great storyline. Put it up there in my top 5 History Theatre productions. Thanks for creating such outstanding theatre.
- It was timely, informative, and entertaining
- Powerful script, music, and voices.
Learn more about the show
- Sneak Peek: The Boy Wonder
- Learning about a Distinctive Minnesotan Politician (WCCO-AM, 10/21/23)
- At Issue: The Boy Wonder (KSTP-TV, 10/25/23)
- History Theatre's "Boy Wonder' spotlights Harold Stassen, the groundbreaking governor (Star Tribune, 10/4/23)
- Working Wonders: Gross designs look for musical on state's 'boy' governor, Harold Stassen (My Villager, 10/4/23)
- MinnPost's Weekend Picks (MinnPost, 10/5/23)
Afterthoughts
Get closer to the story on stage with our lively post-show talkback after Sunday matinees. Free to ticketed patrons.
- 10/8: Cast and Creative Team, The Boy Wonder
- 10/15: Lori Sturdevant (political writer), Keith Hovis (composer, playwright), Laura Leffler (director)
- 10/22: Justice Paul Anderson
- 10/29: Kathleen Berger (Harold Stassen's daughter), Keith Hovis (composer, playwright), and Laura Leffler (director)
