Show: 2
Title: The Lasso Way: A Musical
Category: Comedy / Musical Theater / Original Music
By: Literally Entertainment
Created by: Literally Entertainment
Location: Rarig Thrust
Summary: A musical about Ted Lasso's son reluctantly making a musical about Ted Lasso.
Highlights: Is there anything more fringey than a musical about a musical about the recent cultural phenomenon that is Ted Lasso?! The show-with-a-show concept (complete with a very clever program-within-a-program) works well, and allows the creators to lovingly spoof theater ("theater is life!"). The plot of the show is that after Ted Lasso dies in a tragic cookie accident (no!) his son Henry (Brandon Bakken) grows up resentful of his dad for abandoning him, first to coach soccer in England and then by dying. After getting caught spray-painting the word "wanker," a judge orders him to community service - by directing a new musical The Richmond Way at a struggling Off-Broadway theater led by a Barrymore. It's all pretty ridiculous, and the happy ending (Henry finds a purpose and community in the theater and then forgives his dad) comes a little to easily, but it's a whole lot of fun. The only character from Ted Lasso that we see is Coach Beard (with a spot-on impression by book writer Travis Carpenter), who's there to help his buddy's son. The cast (also including Amanda Samples, Aliyah Lamb, Debbie Dunning, Noah Johnson, Cameron Roy Hall, Kaz Fawkes, and Lisa Evanson) has a lot of fun with the campy tone of the show, getting to do a double performance by playing actors who play characters from the show (and do a comedically bad job of it). Composer/lyricist Kyle DeGoey plays percussion alongside pianist Lindsey Fallenstein, on a clever and funny score. There are lots of theater jokes and references, as well as call-backs to the show. I'm not sure you have to have seen Ted Lasso to enjoy The Lasso Way, but you will probably enjoy it more if you have. This is a fun, fringey, spoofy musical from a team that has brought us many of them.
