OPEN EYE MAINSTAGE: Theatre / Music

Open Eye Theatre presents

LIZZIE: The Rock Musical

Oct. 9 – Nov. 2, 2025

Music by Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer & Alan Stevens Hewitt
Book by Tim Maner
Directed by Joel Sass

A rock musical about America’s original axe-whacking girl next door!

Revenge. Betrayal. Sex. Murder! What really happened in the house of Borden? On a sweltering summer in 1892, a wealthy businessman and his wife were found murdered in their own home. Their daughter, Lizzie Borden, was the prime suspect.

A fierce, queer, punk-powered reimagining of a legendary story!

LIZZIE: The Rock Musical is the punk-rock reimagining of the gripping true-crime case of Lizzie Borden, exploring the heady and heated events leading up to the infamous trial that became a media sensation. Brought to life by a powerhouse cast of four performers and a searing live band, LIZZIE: The Rock Musical is a suspenseful, queer, and rebellious new musical laced with political depth and a mischievous sense of humor that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat. WINNER of 8 ‘Best Musical’ Awards. It would be a crime to miss this smash-hit musical!

  • TICKETS

    $35 — General Admission
    $30 — Fringe Button Holders
    $24 — Seniors
    $18 — Students
    $15 — Economic Accessibility

    Do you have a MN Fringe button? Get $5 off General Admission tickets with discount code FRINGE. Show your button at the box office when checking in.

    A limited number of $15 Economic Accessibility tickets are available online for all performances. If not sold out, a limited number of pay-as-able tickets will be available at the door. View our ticketing policy.

    AGE RECOMMENDATION: Ages 14 and up.

    CONTENT AWARENESS
    LIZZIE is a rock musical that includes amplified sound, adult language and mature themes.

  • PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

    Thursday 10/9, 7:30pm PREVIEW
    Friday 10/10, 7:30pm OPENING
    Saturday 10/11, 7:30pm
    Sunday 10/12, 2:00pm
    Thursday 10/16, 7:30pm
    Friday 10/17, 7:30pm
    Saturday 10/18, 7:30pm
    Sunday 10/19, 2:00pm*
    Thursday 10/23, 7:30pm
    Friday 10/24, 7:30pm
    Saturday 10/25, 7:30pm
    Sunday 10/26, 2pm
    Monday 10/27, 7:30pm INDUSTRY NITE
    Thursday 10/30, 7:30pm
    Saturday 11/1, 7:30pm
    Sunday 11/2, 2pm

    *Masks required.

    RUN TIME: 90 minutes, one intermission

  • ACCESSIBILITY

    Contact us at 612-874-6338 or boxoffice@openeyetheatre.org for accessibility information and requests. Learn more.

    COVID PRECAUTIONS: All audience members will be required to wear masks during our Sunday 10/19 matinee performance. All other shows are masking-optional. The masking policy will be posted on the door.

    View our COVID-19 Policy

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Cast

  • Lux Mortenson (they/them)

    Lizzie Borden

    Lux is a veteran of Open Eye’s trilogy of popular summer musicals performed on the rooftop of the Bakken Museum (Log Jam, Loch Mess, and Hairball!), as well as numerous productions at Lyric Arts, Lush Cabaret, and History Theater. Playing the notorious Lizzie Borden will mark Lux’s debut on Open Eye’s indoor mainstage!

  • Abilene Olson (she/her)

    Emma Borden

    Abilene is well-known to Open Eye audiences as the “songbird of London’s South Bank” in the holiday show Scrooge in Rouge, where she has played the role of Lottie Obligatto the last two seasons. Abilene has also appeared at Open Eye in Hairball! and Loch Mess, and in genre-defying music-theater work on many other local stages, including Theatre Elison (In The Green, Ghost Quartet), and many others.

  • Marley Ritchie (she/her)

    Bridget Sullivan

    Marley is a Minnesota-based performer, dancer, and choreographer known for her work with the Children's Theatre Company (CTC) as an assistant choreographer for the 2025 production of Milo Imagines the World and for her many musical theater roles like Newsies (Artistry Theater) and The Spongebob Musical and Something Rotten (Lyric Arts). As a bi-racial artist, Marley uses her platform to encourage representation in theater.

  • Grace Hillmyer (she/her)

    Alice Russell

    Grace is an emerging musical theater performer and educator with numerous credits at Lyric Arts (Girl On A Train, Kinky Boots), Artistry (Godspell, Spelling Bee), Firefly Musical Productions (Dogfight!), and History Theater (Whoa, Nellie) among many others. LIZZIE marks Grace’s Open Eye Theatre debut.

THE BAND - “The Forty Whacks”

Amanda Weis - Conductor & keyboards
Kyle Baker - Bass
Corey Fitzgerald - Percussion
Joshua Shaffer - Guitar

CREATIVE TEAM

Joel Sass - Director & Set Design
Amanda Weis - Music Director & Keyboards
Abby Magalee - Choreography
Samantha Fromme - Costume Design
Michael Murnane - Lighting Design
Dan Dukich - Sound Design

PRESS QUOTES

“The most authentically kick-ass rock musical score since Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” - Orlando Weekly

“A volcanic, quasi-operatic punk rock beat that captures the sense of female rage … and feels custom-made for the current climate.” - Chicago Sun Times

“A gothic rock ritual with a riotgirl attitude!” - New York Times

 

Visit Open Eye Theatre

506 E. 24th Street
Minneapolis, MN

Free parking is available in the lot on the southeast corner of 24th Street and Portland Avenue, courtesy of Lutheran Social Services.