Twelve Kinds of Ice

Twelve Kinds of Ice opens at the Children's Theatre Company on the Cargill Stage, running October 13 through November 22. It's a world premiere musical with book, music and lyrics by Ben Steinfeld, and it's the first of two world premieres in CTC's 2026-2027 season. The story is adapted from Ellen Bryan Obed's book Twelve Kinds of Ice, illustrated by Barbara McClintock, and it follows Ellen recalling icy childhood adventures with her father.

Katherine Fried plays both Ellen and Young Ellen, and John-Michael Zuerlein plays Dad, with Anna Schloerb and Neal Beckman as understudies. Rick Dildine, CTC's artistic director, directs the show, and Justin D. Cook handles music direction. Dildine describes it as a story about grief, friendship and finding our way back to one another. Steinfeld, who co-artistic directs Fiasco Theater in New York and wrote the musical Diamond Alice, says the stage is a perfect fit for it.

The production comes out of CTC's tradition of developing new work from the ground up through readings, workshops and revisions. The company has brought more than 200 new plays and musicals to the stage, including A Year with Frog and Toad, which premiered at CTC before transferring to Broadway and receiving three Tony Award nominations. The show runs an hour with no intermission and is recommended for ages 7 and up.

Opening night is Friday, October 16, at 7 PM. Tickets range from $25 to $65, and the run continues through November 22 at the Cargill Stage, 2400 3rd Ave S in Minneapolis.