‘Glensheen’ musical recounts double murder at mansion

ST. PAUL, MN. (Northern News Now) - A musical documenting the mysterious murder of an heiress and her night nurse at the Glensheen Mansion opens this weekend.

The musical titled Glensheen recounts the history of the murders of Elisabeth Congdon and Velma Pietila on June 27, 1977.

With witty lines and captivating music, the musical aims to accurately tell the story of that day almost 50 years ago.

The show opened in 2015 in St. Paul and has been a hit since the curtain went up.

“I think there’s a fascination with crime in this country,” Ron Peluso, the musical’s director, said.

Peluso said the mystery surrounding the murders is what keeps the story alive.

“You know there’s still that mystery out there like ‘Is somebody roaming around?,” he said.

Elisabeth Congson’s son-in-law, Roger Caldwell, confessed to the murders and was later found guilty.

Her adopted daughter Marjorie Caldwell was charged with conspiracy to the crimes but was later acquitted.

At the time of the murder, Congdon was the richest woman in Minnesota.

While the story is fascinating and sensational, Peluso said they wanted to make sure the story was true to the people that were involved.

”We have a messy history in this country and it’s not always perfect but we did want to make sure that we tried to respect the lives of the two women who were-whose lives were taken that night,” he said.

The show opens July 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the History Theatre in Downtown St. Paul.

If you would like to buy tickets or learn more about the show, you can visit their website here.

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