Founded in 1998, Theater Latté Da (TLD) is in its 28th season of presenting original and re-imagined musical theater. Theater Latté Da creates new and impactful connections between story, music, artist, and audience—exploring and expanding the art of music theater. TLD is dedicated to expanding the American Musical Theater with work that speaks to a contemporary audience. Theater Latté Da has fostered innovation and diversity since its conception. We believe in work that is bold, inclusive and collaborative; we act with integrity and gratitude. These values are integral to the organization’s health and drives the discussion at every stage of decision-making. Through productions that transcend the conventional, the organization helps solidify the Twin Cities’ reputation as a place where progressive art plays a vital role.

Theater Latté Da is the only nonprofit professional theater in the Twin Cities that exclusively produces musical theater. Since its inception, TLD has presented 102 Mainstage productions, including 17 world premieres, and 17 area premieres. Each has garnered critical acclaim and earned its artists and TLD a host of awards, including: seven IVEY Awards for overall excellence, National Endowment for the Arts, the Gabriel Award for Broadcast Excellence, and the American Theater Wing National Theater Company Award. In addition to our Twin Cities presence, TLD’s original production All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 has has multiple national tours and an Off-Broadway run at the Sheen Center in New York City, winning the 2019 Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience. All is Calm was filmed for public television broadcast, debuting on PBS in 2020 and continuing to be rebroadcast by local affiliates each holiday season. TLD’s provocative staging of Ragtime was remounted at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, Washington in October 2017, and Asolo Repertory Theater in Florida in May 2018. TLD’s productions of Sweeney Todd, Man of la Mancha and Twelve Angry Men: A New Musical have also been remounted at Asolo Rep.

Since 1998, TLD has performed in venues throughout the Twin Cities, ranging from the intimate 120-seat Loring Playhouse to the Pantages Theater in downtown Minneapolis. To deepen our relationship with Twin Cities audiences and to better reach the communities we serve, Latté Da decided to make a permanent home in northeast Minneapolis. In 2016, TLD became the proud owner of the historic Ritz Theater, a 240-seat theater with administrative offices, rehearsal space, dressing rooms, and box office.

Our Mission

Theater Latté Da creates new and impactful connections between story, music, artist, and audience—exploring and expanding the art of music theater.

Our Values

We believe in work that is bold, inclusive and collaborative; we act with integrity and gratitude.

Bold

We make bold choices in support of our mission and vision, both on and off stage. By illuminating the unseen, giving voice to the unheard, and empathizing with the unknown, we open eyes, ears and hearts.

Inclusive

We believe in creating an  environment where a diverse  group of voices are welcomed to  fully participate. We are inspired  and strengthened through  equitable partnerships. We  actively work to make musical  theater accessible to everyone. 

Collaborative

We believe musical theater to be  the most collaborative of art  forms: incorporating music,  drama, poetry, dance and  design. We know that the whole is  greater than the sum of its parts and therefore embody a collaborative spirit in all we do.

Integrity

We hold ourselves to the highest  standards of artistic and fiscal  integrity. We are committed to honesty, equity and transparency  in all aspects of our administration and art, implementing policies and practices to support those ideals. 

Gratitude

We are grateful for our artists, audiences, donors, board and staff. We recognize that each individual plays an important role in this organization’s success, and we actively seek out opportunities to acknowledge each person’s contribution.