Foshay! You Know The Tower - Now Hear The Story

Reviews

Video Trailer

Cast and Crew

Tyler Haugen

[DIRECTOR]

Bio

Tyler is a Minnesota-born director/actor who is returning to the theatre world after a five year hiatus! Tyler has a BA in Theatre from St. Cloud State University, and an MFA in Theatre from the University of Hawai'i. Tyler has directed productions in the St. Cloud area at St. Cloud State University, Pioneer Place on 5th Theatre, and Creative INK. Theatre. His most recent directing credits include his MFA thesis production of Jean Genet's The Maids at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, a Po'okela Award winning production of Theresa Rebeck's Dead Accounts at the Chaminade Collegiate Theatre Festival, and the world premiere of M. K. Wessel's Tony the Fantastic Fireman! LIVE: One Show Only at Late Night Theatre in Honolulu. Tyler would like to thank the entire team working on "Foshay!" for inviting him back into the rehearsal room for this beautiful piece! www.tylerjhaugen.com

Chantalle Falconer

[MUSIC DIRECTOR/PIANIST]

Bio

Chantalle Falconer is a collaborative pianist, vocal coach, and music director based in the Twin Cities. Drawing from extensive training in piano, voice, and violin, she brings a broad musical perspective to ensemble collaboration, singer support, and interpretive work from the score. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Collaborative Piano Performance and Vocal Coaching from the University of Minnesota. An active freelance musician throughout the region, Chantalle performs in concerts, auditions, premieres, and large-scale choral/orchestral productions. She serves as pianist for the Oratorio Society of Minnesota under Artistic Director Matthew Mehaffey, where her work includes complex orchestral reductions, chorus preparation, and coaching featured soloists. With a background in both voice and piano, Chantalle brings a singer-centered approach to rehearsal, with particular strengths in vocal coaching, diction, shaping musical line, and guiding artistic interpretation to help performers deliver confident and compelling performances. Foshay! The Musical marks her Minnesota Fringe Festival debut as Music Director and pianist. She will also serve as Music Director for Jane Eyre with Minneapolis Musical Theatre in spring 2027.

Landon Hudson

[ACTOR] - Wilbur Burton Foshay

Bio

Landon graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato with a BFA in Musical Theatre in May 2026 of this year. Landon is a 7x American College Theater Festival Finalist, winning the Musical Theatre Intensive in 2025, and placing 2nd twice in the Irene Ryans Acting Competition in 2024 and 2026. Landon also took first in the National Association for Teachers of Singing Musical Theatre Competition in 2025, as well as performing at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC before its demise. @landonhudsonofficial

Elisheva Scheuer

[ACTOR] - Leota Fox (Hutchinson) Foshay & Inspector 1

Bio

Elisheva Scheuer (she/her) is absolutely thrilled to be making her Minnesota Fringe Festival debut with Foshay! An actress, singer, composer, and musician, she has worked regionally with the Playwright's Center, Gray Mallard Theater Co., History Theatre, Milwaukee Rep, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, and First Stage. She recently premiered her one-woman verbatim theatre piece, Forever Young, and is in the process of developing her next solo show. Elisheva is a proud graduate of the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program. Hope you enjoy!

Michael Chapman

[ACTOR] - Henry Howe Henley & Reporter 3 (Joe)

Bio

Michael Chapman (he/him) is grateful to be entering the Twin Cities theater scene this summer after taking a seven-year break from performing. Some of his favorite past roles include Horton the Elephant in Seussical the Musical and Curly in Oklahoma!. Michael would like to thank his family and friends for their unwavering support & love. He also stands in solidarity with movements for justice and liberation such as Free Palestine, Abolishing ICE, Black Lives Matter, Trans Lives Matter, Harm Reduction, and many more.

Jessica Peters

[ACTOR] - Reporter 1 (Mary), Genevieve Clark, Inspector 2, Prison Guard, Parole Board Member

Bio

Jessica is a Minnesotan born actress who is thrilled to be returning to the stage after a year and half hiatus! Jessica graduated with a bachelor's degree in history with a minor in theater in 2019. Some of her favorite roles she has taken on are Olive in "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee", Jeanie in "Hair" and Olympe de Gouges in "The Revolutionists". Jessica would like to thank her family, friends, husband and fur-children for their support in all of her creative endeavors!

Samm Nordstrom

[ACTOR] - Reporter 2 (Larry), New Hire 1, James, Léon Eugène Arnal, Lewis Drill, James Farley, Taxi Driver

Bio

Samm Nordstrom is an actor, stage hand, and designer based in the Twin Cities. Born in Richfield and with a bachelor of arts in theatre at the St. Cloud State University he has done many shows on and off stage with Pioneer Place Theatre Company, Theatre Elision, Park Square, and Jungle Theatre and even sound designed a Fringe show for the 2017 season. In recent years, he’s taken a break from performing to focus on family and his personal life but is excited to be making his long awaited return to the stage with “Foshay” for this years Fringe festal.

Hailey Stobb

[STAGE MANAGER]

Bio

Lily Truebenbach

[CHOREOGRAPHER]

Bio

Lily Jude Truebenbach is a Minneapolis-based choreographer and dance mentor with more than 20 years of dance training and eight years of choreography experience. She has worked with recreational studios, high school and college theater programs, and community theaters throughout central Minnesota and the north metro area, creating work in styles including ballet, tap, jazz, musical theater, lyrical, contemporary, jazz-funk, pointe, heels, and burlesque. Her work is grounded in body positivity and the belief that “every body is a dance body.” Career highlights include serving as Director of Dance Education for Northern Starz Center for the Performing Arts, where she wrote, directed, and choreographed two original dance productions, as well as choreography and mentorship work with The Penguin Project, Anoka-Ramsey Community College, GREAT Theatre, and Silver Slipper Productions under Queer Circus MN.

Kevin Bowen

[BOOK WRITER/MUSIC/LYRICS/PRODUCER/SET DESIGN]

Bio

Kevin Bowen is a playwright and songwriter living in Eagan, Minnesota. He also works as a professional graphic designer at Bowen Design (www.kevinbowendesign.com), which he started and has operated since 1995. He is a member of the Playwright’s Center and the New Musical Theatre Exchange. His plays and musicals have been produced and staged throughout Minnesota. This is his eleventh original Minnesota Fringe Festival play. Previous Fringe Festival plays included: "Tompkins Squares" in 2025, co-written with Lynn Bowen, "Gasthaus" in 2024, co-written with Lynn Bowen, "The Dwelling Place" in 2019, co-written with Lynn Bowen,"Bits & Bobs: An Evening of Short Plays" in 2018, “Playwrights on a Train” in 2017, co-written with Jim Lundy, “The Non-Producers” in 2016, “The Oracle” in 2015, co-written with Lynn Bowen & Sara Pillatzki-Warzeha, “Flushing New York” in 2014, co-written with Lynn Bowen,”The Forger’s Apprentice” in 2013, co-written with Mark Forgy, and “The Red Tureen” (musical) in 2009, a Pioneer Press “Must See” show, co-written with Jim Lundy. Including other non-Fringe productions, this marks his thirteenth stage production in sixteen years. Kevin is thrilled to be part of this amazing team: Director Tyler Haugen, Music Director Chantalle Falconer, Stage Manager Hailey Stobb, Choreographer Lily Truebenbach, our talented Cast: Landon Hudson, Elisheva Scheuer, Michael Chapman, Jessica Peters, and Ian Wallin, as well as the wonderful folks at The Minnesota Fringe Festival. Special thanks to Amanda Weis for assistance in adapting our two-hour script to the one-hour MN Fringe format. None of this would be possible without the boundless support of his wonderful wife Lynn and their two children, Erinn and Christopher. For more information about any of these completed plays or the new works, please email Kevin at: tctheater@gmail.com.

Lynn Bowen

[BOOK WRITER/PRODUCER/COSTUMES]

Bio

This is Lynn's seventh collaboration with her playwright husband, Kevin. Their productions showcase a variety of historical settings and focus on the intricate relationships of family and friends. Lynn would like to thank the wonderful cast and crew for their hard work and dedication in bringing this most recent show to life. She would also like to thank family and friends for their continued support and express a depth of gratitude for her intrepid, multi-talented partner, Kevin.

More Information

For the 2026 season, we will be remounting Foshay! in a 60-minute Minnesota Fringe Festival format. The show will present 19 of the original 31 songs first featured in the 2023 World Premiere full-length production.

ABOUT THE SHOW:

In many ways, Wilbur Burton Foshay was the poster child for the twenties and thirties. During the Roaring Twenties, he was an ambitious and successful businessman who capitalized on a decades-long bull-run stock market to catapult himself to greater and greater financial heights. When he opened the Foshay Tower in Minneapolis during a spectacular 3-day celebration over Labor Day weekend (1929) he was at the apex of his career and on his way to becoming one of the richest people in the world. Fate, however, and the start of the Great Depression two months later had other plans for him, bringing him back down to earth. After Wilbur’s company filed for bankruptcy, he began to learn his troubles were just beginning. Reaching the lowest point in his life, Wilbur somehow found the strength to turn his life around, and thereby discovered that by losing everything he thought was important, he was able to find himself.

In the summer of 2023, the world premiere two-hour production of Foshay! opened at Open Window Theatre in Inver Grove Heights for a successful 10 show run. It featured 31 original songs with music and lyrics by Kevin Bowen and arrangements and additional music by William Brueggemann, David Neville and Travis Anderson. The World Premiere cast featured Michael Conroy as WILBUR FOSHAY, Yvonne Freese as LEOTA FOX (HUTCHINSON) FOSHAY and Joshua Meltzer as HENRY H. HENLEY. It also included Aly O’Keeffe, Nick Manthe, and Kyle Camay, each playing business journalists (MARY, LARRY & JOE) as well as additional character roles and Sammi Penick as GENEVIEVE CLARK plus additional character roles. The original production was co-produced by Amanda Weis and Jeremy Stanbary and was directed by Amanda Weis with music direction and piano accompaniment by Anna Murphy. It was stage managed by Kathryn Humnick and Lauren Volkart with design work by Nate Farley, MaryBeth Schmid, Jeremy Stanbary, and Tim Colby.

Happy Fringing! — Kevin & Lynn Bowen

OUR PAST MN FRINGE SHOWS INCLUDE:

2009 - The Red Tureen (Musical) - at the Rarig Thrust Stage

2013 - The Forger's Apprentice - at the Rarig Thrust Stage

2014 - Flushing New York - at the Rarig Thrust Stage

2015 - The Oracle - at Theatre In The Round

2016 - The Non-Producers - at the Rarig Thrust Stage

2017 - Playwrights On A Train - at the Rarig Thrust Stage

2018 - Bits & Bobs - An Evening Of Short Plays - at Theatre In The Round

2019 - The Dwelling Place - at the Rarig Thrust Stage

2024 - Gasthaus - at the Phoenix Theater

2025 - Tompkins Squares - at the Rarig Arena Stage

2026 - Foshay! You Know The Tower - Now Hear The Story (Musical) - at the Rarig Thrust Stage