It Wasn't Meant to be Perfect: An Evening with Gaelynn Lea and Friends

Join musician and author Gaelynn Lea for a celebration of Disability Culture and the release of their new memoir, It Wasn't Meant to Be Perfect. She will be joined by disabled storyteller Kevin Kling and disabled musician Gabriel Rodreick for short performances followed by a discussion about the importance of Disability Culture in today's world. The evening will end with a musical performance and reading by Gaelynn Lea.

Access services, flexible pricing, and companion tickets

ASL interpretation and captioning will be provided, and the Ordway is wheelchair accessible. This event offers flexible choose-your-own pricing to accommodate any budget. Everyone is welcome for this one-of-a-kind, joyful celebration of unique Minnesota artists.

If you are disabled and need a personal care attendant to accompany you, use promo code PCATIX for one (1) complimentary companion ticket. Quantities are limited to one per ticket order.

About Gaelynn Lea

Gaelynn Lea won NPR Music's Tiny Desk Contest in 2016 and has since toured the world with her haunting songs and fiddle tunes. She has collaborated with Michael Stipe, The Decemberists, and Wilco. In 2022, she composed an original score for Macbeth on Broadway. She is also a sought-after speaker on Disability Culture. In 2021, she co-founded RAMPD — Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities.  Her debut memoir, It Wasn't Meant to Be Perfect, was published in April 2026. It is a warm, funny, deeply-felt exploration of disability, music, and the messy creativity of an artist's life.

About Gabriel Rodreick

Gabriel Rodreick is a performance artist from Minneapolis, MN. He has been the lead singer-songwriter for Minneapolis based groups Treading North and, more recently, Freaque. He is a dancer and choreographer for a live music and dance production called A Cripple’s Dance. He is a teacher, dancer, and choreographer with the All Abilities program at Young Dance in St. Paul, MN. He has been on the leadership team for the annual Off-Kilter Cabaret for Artists with Disabilities for the past four years.

About Kevin Kling

Kevin Kling is an award-winning storyteller, playwright, actor, and disability advocate. He appears often on TPT’s Almanac and Minnesota Public Radio. His many plays have been produced in theaters locally and far beyond,  including Illusion Theater, Mixed Blood, The Guthrie, The Kennedy Center, and off Broadway at Westside Arts and Second Stage Theater. He and Gaelynn Lea previously collaborated to create “Invisible Fences"", an acclaimed theatrical work celebrating disability, connection, and friendship.

This performance is made possible in part by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.