Why do shows like ‘Les Miz,’ ‘Kimberly Akimbo’ return often?

The quirky Broadway musical “Kimberly Akimbo” played Minneapolis’ Orpheum Theatre in July 2025. Seven months later, the Tony-winning show has landed 10 miles east at St. Paul’s Ordway Center, where it opened Tuesday, Feb. 24.

“Akimbo” follows the same trajectory as “Come From Away,” which had a sold-out run at the Orpheum in January 2022 then played the Ordway twice in quick succession (June 2024 and March 2025).

Why do certain big shows keep coming back? “Les Misérables,” which recently closed a weeklong run at the Orpheum, has played the Twin Cities a record 17 times, including 11 outings at the Ordway that were seen by 325,000 people. What do the repeat offerings say about Minnesota audiences and the state’s arts ecology?

“People just love, love, love them, and we’re giving them what they want,” said industry veteran Jim Sheeley, senior vice president at Broadway Across America, which helps book Minneapolis’ touring Broadway season. “We can never have enough of shows like ‘Les Miz,’ ‘Wicked,’ ‘Mamma Mia!’”

The answer is more layered and nuanced than pleasing people. It involves economics, the quality of shows and the state of our world.

Minnesota, after all, is still emerging from what feels like a fog of trauma that began with COVID-19, accelerated with the killing of George Floyd and got acute renewals with the shootings of political leaders, school shootings and the federal immigration crackdown that saw the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, said Ordway president and CEO Chris Harrington.

In such a context, polished, sophisticated shows not only offer escapist entertainment but also reassurance and affirmation of values.

Because of advances in technology, the shows are being executed to a high standard that rivals what patrons will see on Broadway, and often in seats that feel like flying in business class as opposed to being strapped in coach in New York theaters.

“Touring Broadway is both a cultural and economic engine for communities across the country,” said Jason Laks, president of the Broadway League, the industry trade association. “When audiences connect with a show, they want the opportunity to experience it again and share it with friends and family.”

There are 100 markets in North America for touring Broadway. But Minnesota’s metro is unique in that Minneapolis and St. Paul have robust touring Broadway seasons. In the past, that has meant fierce competition between the cities that national show bookers exploited. But those days are long gone. Twin Cities arts leaders operate with a lot more comity today.

And they use different business models and serve clienteles that surprising don’t have a lot of overlap. Hennepin Arts, which owns the Orpheum and State Theatre, relies heavily on a subscription model. The Ordway relies more on single-ticket sales, Harrington said.

Theater patron Michele Grogan sees shows in Minneapolis and St. Paul and has for decades. When she took in “Akimbo” at the Orpheum, she said that the experience was meh. She did not track the story about a 16-year-old with a rare genetic disorder all that clearly the first time. But at the second outing at the Ordway, during which she was accompanied by her grandson, Kyle, she totally enjoyed it.

That Grogan is a repeat customer is music to the ears of Minnesota theater backers. Popular shows executed well become surefire draws, which means more than putting butts in seats. Restaurants and hotels fill up, parking lots get engaged and other businesses get customers.

“We should all tip our hats to entertainment and sports because that’s what’s been keeping downtowns afloat economically,” Sheeley said.

Theater is built on traditional titles often interpreted through contemporary lenses. But if audiences go mostly with what’s proven, how do new works get added to the list of plays and musicals?

Minnesota is home to the Playwrights’ Center, the theater lab where August Wilson, Paula Vogel, and countless others developed original work.

That process is slow, long and grinding and mostly serves the nonprofit theaters. The trend for commercial producers is to adapt already popular films and books for the stage.

Built-in branding is a key consideration for bookers, Sheeley said. He noted that “Come From Away” is the most licensed show this season in North America. (The Guthrie Theater is producing it in summer 2026.)

Shows with evergreen appeal become gateway works.