Lizzie is a rock musical inspired by the infamous 1892 double murder in Fall River, Massachusetts, where Andrew Borden and his wife Abby were found brutally killed in their home. Their daughter, Lizzie Borden, was arrested, tried, and ultimately acquitted — but she remained a central figure in one of America’s most enduring unsolved cases.

The musical reimagines the events surrounding the murders through a modern, feminist lens, blending historical fact with theatrical speculation. The cast features four women portraying Lizzie; her elder sister, Emma; the family maid, Bridget; and her close friend and confidante, Alice Russell.

Lizzie lives under the oppressive rule of her controlling father and emotionally distant stepmother. Victorian social expectations trap her in a life of obedience and denial. The musical introduces themes of psychological abuse and hints at the possibility of sexual exploitation by her father, an element not proven historically but often explored in modern interpretations.

Lizzie’s longing for freedom is symbolized by the birds she kept in the family barn. Just months before the murders, her father killed all of Lizzie’s pigeons with a hatchet — an act widely interpreted as a key psychological trigger in both the musical and popular accounts of the case.

As tensions rise, Lizzie finds comfort and possibly romantic connection with Alice Russell. Sisterhood, repression, class struggles, and the longing for agency all collide as Lizzie’s desperation grows.

The murders themselves are staged with theatrical ambiguity — they may be coldly calculated or a sudden burst of rage, depending on each production’s interpretation. Act II chronicles Lizzie’s trial and ultimate acquittal but leaves open the question of her guilt.

Driven by a raw, rock-infused score, Lizzie explores female rage, oppression, trauma, and the longing for liberation. The story blurs the lines between victim and villain, leaving audiences to ponder justice, survival, and the cost of freedom.

I attended Lizzie with my son in October 2024, and we both thoroughly enjoyed the show. The cast featured Sophie Kim (김소향) as Lizzie, Yeoeun (여은) as Emma, Yoo Yeon-jung (유연정) as Alice, and Lee Young Mi (이영미) as Bridget. When we received our tickets, we were also given small fluorescent axes to wave during the curtain call sing-along — a fun, immersive touch.

The stage was designed for both concert performance and musical theater. Set pieces glided or descended smoothly, clearing the central space for crucial scenes where the actors remained fully in focus. The story itself was familiar to me from true-crime TV programs about infamous American criminals. It is a deeply disturbing tale, one that suggests a profound family conflict beyond mere financial motives, assuming Lizzie Borden truly did murder her father and stepmother.

In the prologue, the cast sang “Forty Whacks,” beginning with cheerful, almost playful voices that soon darkened. Lizzie, initially seen on trial, quickly transported the audience back to the events leading up to the crime. She was clearly portrayed as a repressed and abused young woman with no one to confide in. Her solo number “This Is Not Love,” with choreography suggesting sexual abuse, made this repression painfully clear.

As the story progressed, Lizzie formed a bond with her neighbor Alice Russell. Lizzie’s “I Gotta Get Outta Here” and Alice’s “If You Knew” revealed the deepening connection between them.

In “Sweet Little Sister,” Emma Borden, dressed in a black Victorian gown, began the song seated on the back of a couch, microphone in hand. She passed the mic to a frightened Lizzie, who suddenly belted out her rage. The two sisters traded the mic throughout the number, the heat of their performance building until the audience could feel their anger and desperation. It was one of the evening’s most memorable songs. Eventually, Emma left the house, unwilling to remain with their father and stepmother, leaving Lizzie alone and vulnerable.

Bridget’s deep voice introduced “Shattercane and Velvet Grass,” a duet with Lizzie describing various poisons. Emma’s departure heightened Lizzie’s isolation, and when Alice visited, she and Lizzie spent the night together in the barn.

In the musical, the killing of Lizzie’s pigeons was portrayed as a possible psychological trigger for her eventual breakdown. The pivotal moment came when Andrew Borden, though never seen onstage, killed the pigeons Lizzie had cared for — a cruel act that symbolized her loss of control. Lizzie’s “Why Are All These Heads Off” expressed her mental unraveling in a powerful rock number accompanied by synchronized LED visuals. Sophie Kim’s scratchy rock vocals blended with Yoo Yeon-jung’s clear tone as Alice, creating a striking sound.

In a chilling scene, Lizzie — prohibited from entering the barn by her father — shattered completely. The audience witnessed the back view of Lizzie swinging the axe repeatedly — the infamous “forty whacks” — as her dress became stained with blood.

Act II saw Lizzie in a black leather costume leading “The Fall of the House of Borden.” During “Questions, Questions,” Lizzie, Emma, and Bridget wore modern black costumes, while Alice retained her Victorian dress, visually marking her inner conflict. Although Alice vowed to testify truthfully, she ultimately lied under oath to protect Lizzie.

The musical concluded with Lizzie’s acquittal and Bridget’s departure from the Borden household.

But the real finale came after the story ended. In full leather or vinyl costumes, hair down, the cast launched into a high-energy rock concert medley of the show’s key numbers. Many audience members were repeat viewers who sang along enthusiastically. Since it was my son’s and my first time, we couldn’t sing every word, but we joined in where we could and thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere. Some lyrics remained in English, but I thought translating them into Korean was a wise choice, as words like “whacks” and “questions” would be difficult to pronounce clearly.

Sophie Kim delivered a vocally powerful and emotionally nuanced performance, portraying Lizzie’s progression from suppressed obedience to unhinged fury. Yeoeun’s Emma projected independence with a coarser rock tone. Yoo Yeon-jung’s clear, soft vocals captured Alice’s forbidden love and internal struggle, and she truly shone during the curtain call. Lee Young Mi was astonishing — as Bridget, she embodied a dark, Victorian figure with a strong rock voice, and during the curtain call, she transformed into the most authentic female rocker onstage.

All four performers were strong and fearless, embracing the musical’s dark themes and then transitioning into joyous exuberance for the finale, sharing their energy with the audience.

Korea is blessed with a rich variety of musical genres, and this production reminded me that female-fronted rock is one of its hidden strengths.