How Is This Not a Musical?

Addie Gorlin-Han’s first job in high school was at the Minnesota State Fair, selling packaged sandwiches at Deli Express. Between shifts, she’d swing by the Dairy Building to witness something unforgettable: young women buried in parkas, rotating inside a glass-walled freezer while artists sculpted their heads out of massive 90-pound blocks of butter. 

“I frequently asked myself: How is this not a musical?”

Years later, that question became the foundation for an entirely new work. Through the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Addie connected with writers Christopher Anselmo and Jared Corak, who shared her passion for creating theater for all ages. The three kept returning to Princess Kay—a story with heart, humor, and deeply Minnesota roots. 

The Princess Kay of the Milky Way competition began as a beauty pageant among daughters of dairy farmers and has evolved into a competition to serve as goodwill ambassador for the Minnesota Dairy Industry. Each year at the State Fair, finalists sit for butter sculptures in a rotating cooler—a beloved and utterly unique Minnesota tradition. 

But beneath the spectacle lies a deeper story: the strength of farming families, the challenges they face, and the fierce determination of young people who carry their family legacies forward. 

From the Fair to the Farm: The Research

To tell this story authentically, the creative team didn’t just imagine what dairy farming and the Princess Kay competition were like—they lived it. 

At the Minnesota State Fair 

The team spent six days experiencing the “Great Minnesota Get-Together” firsthand (2023 and 2025): 

• Watched the famous butter head sculptures being carved in the rotating, 40-degree cooler in the Dairy Building

• Attended the 4-H cow showing competition and saw young farmers showcase their animals with pride

• Watched the annual 4-H musical performed by students every year 

• And yes, ate many fried things on a stick and drank dill pickle iced tea (a real thing!)

At the Princess Kay Banquet & Coronation

Through networking by Addie, the team was invited to attend the banquet and coronation ceremony alongside Katie Crowley (née Miron), 57th Princess Kay of the Milky Way: 

• They met last year’s princess and other finalists 

• They talked with dairy farmers who have been attending the event since the 1980s 

• They heard stories that would shape the emotional backbone of the musical 

• And of course, milk was served with dinner 

On Dairy Farms Across Minnesota 

The team visited two family dairy farms—including one run by the family of the 54th AND 57th Princess Kay: 

• They learned about day-to-day chores and milking techniques 

• They heard firsthand accounts of the financial hardships of the 1980s farm crisis 

• They built genuine friendships with farming families across the political aisle 

• They came to understand that the economic crisis for family farms never really ended 

Meet the Creative Team

Addie Gorlin-Han (Director & Co-Developer) 

Addie is a director, producer, and educator invested in the regional theater movement, new musical development, and theater for all ages. She is based at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, where she works as Associate Producer. Recent directing includes Fun Home (Theater Latté Da), A Christmas Carol (Guthrie Theater), The Root Beer Lady (History Theatre and tour), Into the Woods (featuring Hillary Clinton, Arkansas Rep), and The Laramie Project (Children’s Theatre Company). She was named in American Theatre‘s Role Call: People to Watch and was recently a finalist for the prestigious Zelda Fichandler Award. Learn more at addiegorlin.com. 

Christopher Anselmo (Book, Music & Lyrics) 

Christopher’s musicals include Fountain (O’Neill NMTC, NAMT),  Atlantic (Edinburgh), F able (NYMF), and the New York Times Critic’s Pick adaptation of The Pout-Pout Fish (album streaming now). With Jared Corak, he is currently developing a new commission from Two River Theater and a new licensing project with Disney Theatrical Group. As a team, they have been named finalists for the Larson Grant and Kleban Prize. In addition to his work as a writer, Chris served as associate to composer Jeanine Tesori on projects such as the Tony Award-winning Kimberly Akimbo. Learn more at christopheranselmo.com. 

Jared Corak (Book, Music & Lyrics) 

Jared’s musicals include Fountain (O’Neill NMTC, NAMT) and the New York Times Critic’s Pick adaptation of The Pout-Pout Fish, which premiered at the New Victory Theater in 2019, continues to tour nationally with TheaterWorksUSA, and recently released an official cast album available on all streaming platforms. With Christopher Anselmo, he is currently developing a new commission from Two River Theater and a new licensing project with Disney Theatrical Group. As a team, they have been named finalists for the Larson Grant and Kleban Prize. Jared is also the recipient of the BMI Foundation’s Ellen Schwartz Award for Outstanding Literary Merit in Lyric Writing and the Jean Banks Award. When he’s not writing musicals, he works on the CBS TV show FBI.