'Lizzie: The Musical' opens Friday at Omaha's Shelterbelt Theatre (2025)

In 2009, writers decided to turn the life and legend of Lizzie Borden into a rock musical.

Now, “Lizzie: The Musical” is the Halloween-season production at the reborn Shelterbelt Theatre.

Lizzie’s story is familiar to many, especially those who like a good murder mystery. She was charged with the 1892 ax murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts, and was acquitted after a dramatic trial, but remained the prime suspect in the crime until she died in 1927. No one else was ever charged.

The musical, by Tim Maner, Steven Cheslik-deMeyer and Alan Stevens Hewitt, focuses on a secret romance between Borden and her neighbor, Alice, along with abuse she suffered at home. It’s based on the historical record of the crime.

And, according to lizziethemusical.com, it has a score that owes its sound less to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Stephen Sondheim than to Bikini Kill, the Runaways and Heart.

The show premieres Friday and runs weekends through Oct. 27, with a special show Halloween night. Showtimes are 7 p.m. Fridays and Oct. 31, 2 p.m. Saturdays and 6 p.m. Sundays. The theater has three ticket tiers: patron, which is a suggested price of $25 for plays and $35 for musicals; pay what you can, in which people decide what they are comfortable donating at checkout; and pay it forward, giving people a chance to donate additional funds to make theater affordable for all. You can purchase them at shelterbelt.org.

The theater has also announced its lineup for next season:

Mystery at Brigit St. Brigit Theatre

Fans of Agatha Christie still have a chance to see a play based on one of her most popular books.

Brigit St. Brigit Theatre Company is presenting “The Mousetrap” Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at First Central Congregational Church, 421 S. 36th St. Saturday night’s performance is sold out.

The plot concerns seven strangers who are snowed in at a remote gatehouse as news spreads of a murder in London. A police sergeant arrives and informs them that there may be a killer in their midst. The only clue is a note left on the London victim: “Three Blind Mice. This is the first. Who will be the next victim? Why?”

Each character has a mysterious past and each could be the murderer.

The play, directed by Cathy MW Kurz, launches the theater’s 32nd season. The cast includes Melissa King, Eric Griffith, Josh Ryan, Christopher Scott, Michael Lyon, Jessica Johnson, Jeremy Earl and Sue Mouttet.

Tickets, $35 general admission and $30 for students and military personnel, are available at bsbtheatre.com, as is more information about the play.

Fashion talk at Joslyn Castle

A different kind of mystery will be unveiled Thursday night in the Carriage House at Joslyn Castle & Gardens.

Fashion historian Sue McLain will present “The Mystery of the Little Black Dress,” a free talk in partnership with Humanities Nebraska.

McLain will discuss how the dress has endured over the decades as the go-to apparel for everything from business dinners to cocktail parties and more. Examples of several dresses will be on display.

McLain owns Yesterday’s Lady, a vintage fashion store and museum in Beatrice, Nebraska. For more than 20 years, she has been traveling the Midwest sharing her extensive collection of clothing from 1840 to 1980 and explaining its historical significance. She has been collecting fashions since 1985.

Joslyn Castle is at 3902 Davenport St. The talk starts at 5 p.m. and doors open at 4:45.

Americana concert at the Castle

The Joslyn Castle’s Carriage House will also be the site of a concert on Saturday night.

Cold Leather Seats, an Americana band from western Michigan, will perform from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in a 21-and-over event. The group’s sound has been described as what would happen if the Zac Brown Band recorded a folk album.

The four-member ensemble, including vocalists, a bass player and a violinist, released its debut single, “Root,” in 2020. Its video, “Where We Are,” was nominated for a Michigan Music Video Award in 2022. And the group has opened for Rachael Davis, the Michigan Rattlers and more.

Tickets for the concert are $20. It’s part of the FolkHouse concert series. For more information, visit folkhouseconcerts.com.

Latino celebration in Council Bluffs

Centro Latino of Iowa and Pottawattamie Arts Culture Entertainment are hosting a Latino Heritage Celebration on Friday.

The evening begins at 6:30 and will feature food, music and arts activities.

Admission is free, and the celebration runs until 9 p.m. at the Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center, 1001 S. Sixth St. in Council Bluffs.

‘A Taste of Ireland’ in Omaha

A cast filled with world-champion Irish dancers will bring “A Taste of Ireland — The Irish Music and Dance Sensation” to the Holland Center on Saturday night.

The production, which also features a contemporary vocalist and musicians, debuted in the United States earlier this year with an off-Broadway run in New York City and has been touring around the world.

“Time Out Sydney,” an Australian publication, said it featured “world-class dancing, melodic folk music mashups, live a capella tap battles and craic galore.”

The show employs classic Irish songs such as “Danny Boy,” “Wild Rover” and “Tell Me Ma” to tell the tumultuous history of Ireland, complete with scenery and special lighting effects. Dancers include stars from “Lord of the Dance” and “Riverdance.”

The show begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Holland’s Kiewit Concert Hall. Tickets range from $39.50 to $69.50 and are available at ticketomaha.com.