Review: Theater Latté Da’s “My Ántonia” a Strong New Work

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A world premiere musical running thru July 12

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Theater Latté Da is once again proving that they are one of the best theaters in the Twin Cities for presenting newly commissioned art and their newest world premiere, based on Willa Cather ’s beloved novel, My Ántonia is one of the strongest to debut in years.

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In this gripping adaptation, playwright Noah Brody has teamed with The Kilbanes, the due who provides an inspired indie folk score, to create a beautiful and sweeping story. While the setting of the show may seem removed from our modern day world, the emotions and life experiences portrayed are still ingrained in our American psyche. It is a tale of humanity, resilience, and a reminder of the richness that immigrants bring to our shores.

Set on the Great Plains at the turn of the 20th century, we see a lifelong story of two people from extremely different worlds but who share a common land. When a recent orphan boy, Jim Burden, is sent to Nebraska to live with his grandparents after a tragedy, he encounters a young girl, Ántonia Shimerda. The daughter of a Bohemian immigrant family who has moved into the farmhouse next door. As their friendship and understanding of one another’s lives grows and progresses, they must each make decisions that will not only impact their own lives but also the lives of those around them; ultimately setting them both on a course toward an unknown future.

While the novel it is based on has gained a reputation throughout high school reading programs for being dull and/or boring, Latté Da’s production is anything but. Setting the story as a memory play, the audience is given the chance to be more engaged with the characters by seeing where our protagonist, Jim, ends up. Thus giving us the opportunity to settle in and listen to his story and be fully immersed as the sights and sounds of 1880’s Nebraska are brought to life.

Noah Brody has gone to great lengths to work through the novel and be specific in the moments that he has chosen to highlight. By cutting out the more droll segments, he has highlighted the times in Jim and Ántonia’s lives which provide a more sturdy foundation to view their relationship from. While there are plenty of times where heartbreak and struggle consume the characters, Brody never ceases to bring us back to the happier times with gusto and, at times, flare with the assistance of the composers.

The Kilbanes, who join Brody on this journey, provide an extremely lively and moving score to match the setting of the show and Brody’s book. While they have leaned heavily into the folk style of music, they have also done a tremendous job of interweaving more contemporary musical theater motifs and styles throughout their tunes. Thus providing a variety of sounds that are sure to delight all patrons, no matter what style they prefer.

A highlight of the score is what could be considered Jim and Ántonia’s “theme”, a song that is assumed to be titled “Hello, Hello”. It is enchanting and extremely hummable but it also serves to solidify the ties Jim and Ántonia share as they travel through their history.

If there is one missed opportunity in the score it is in the final moment. The audience has become so endeared to the two protagonists over the past few hours and crave one final reprise of “Hello, Hello”. It would make the ending just a tad more powerful and while the final song is a sweeping number, the audience definitely leaves the theater needing that one final “Hello MY Ántonia”. This simple line and edit in the final moment, in our opinion, would just push the ending that much closer to being called perfect.

While this a world premiere, it is extremely tight and a well crafted piece of theater. Yes, the writing is strong but it is only as strong as the cast who brings it to life and this cast has done a remarkable job. It would be too hard to pinpoint the strongest performers within this cast because this is truly an ensemble show and each actor brings a different gift to the piece. Whether it is soaring vocals from the trio of women who embody Ántonia to the deeply felt emotions from Sally Wigert’s Grandmother, the audience is drawn into the lives of the variety of characters so strongly, that we start to forget our own troubles and instead focus on those of the people of the late 1800’s who are being so fully realized in front of our eyes.

My Ántonia is a gorgeous world premiere and the Twin Cities community is lucky to experience it. Latté da has further solidified why Minneapolis is called the Mini-Apple, our arts scene is truly only second to New York and there is no doubt that this show will go on to have a healthy life in the theater beyond our borders. Who knows, perhaps it will hit Broadway one day and you don’t want to miss the chance to say, “I saw it when it premiered”, do you?

So pack your bags, board the train to Nebraska, and revel in a beautifully realized world with soaring music, strong emotions, and a story that will sweep you away.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/minneapolis/article/Review-MY-NTONIA-at-Theater-Latt-Da-20260608)._