Minnesota Fringe Festival 2026: "Chum!"

Day: 1

Show: 2

Title: Chum!

Category: Comedy / Musical Theater / Audience participation

By: Theatre Engine

Created by: Alexis Bacon & Alison Dobbins

Location: Rarig Kilburn Arena

Summary: A musical parody of the 1975 movie Jaws.

Highlights: I'm not sure I've ever seen Jaws, but now I kind of want to, although it's probably not as much fun as this musical parody is. The four-person cast, accompanied by a two-piece band (keyboard and percussion), tell the full story of the murderous shark who terrorizes a beachside resort town with humor and clever songs. MSU Mankato alums Justine Carroll Melchior as the police chief who's afraid of water, Kaitlin McInerney as the marine biologist (and the first victim), Jake McInerney as the town mayor who's more concerned with business than safety, and Jordon Oxborough as the grizzled sea captain, all have strong voices and strike just the right campy faux sincere tone. A couple of audience members are recruited before the show to play additional victims, which is fun and charming. The adorably DIY props and set pieces include the titular chum represented by an array of stuffed animals tied with a red ribbon, a boat made of two pieces of cardboard lined with blue painters tape (and a Chewy label for a nice detail), a silver shark fin hat worn by several cast members, bloody red ribbons, pool noodle spears, and a couple of beautiful sails that represent the water. It's not the Fringe without a musical parody of a familiar pop culture icon, and Chum! fits the bill quite nicely.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here. 

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2023: "Fargo Allegro"

Day: 10

Show: 37

Title: Fargo Allegro

Category: COMEDY / DRAMA

By: Nightfall Productions

Directed by: Brad Erickson

Location: Rarig Thrust

Summary: A fairly faithful if condensed reenactment of the beloved 1996 Coen Brothers movie Fargo, with Paul Bunyan as narrator.

Highlights: There's possibly no movie that pokes such loving fun at Minnesota as Fargo. So it's ripe for a Minnesota Fringe parody. I haven't seen the movie in ages, but it seems to cover all of the major plot points (even unnecessary ones like Marge's old friend Mike). The cast, most of whom play multiple characters, is completely committed to the campy/serious tone, and the accents. Highlights include Jeffrey Nolan as the fast-talking criminal Carl, Jay Melchior as the hapless Jerry Lundegaard, and Justine Carroll Melchior as everyone's favorite pregnant police chief Marge Gunderson (the Minnesota/Scandinavian names in this story are dizzying). There's a live two-person multi-instrument band providing the soundtrack and charming sound effects, with video and images projected into a screen of old bedsheets. The clever set consists of wooden crates painted like cement blocks that are constantly moved around for the many different scenes, the front facade of a car with headlights, and white tulle waved around by the hard-working stagehands to simulate snow. It's all very thoughtfully done, with lots of fast-moving pieces that smoothly come together for a highly entertaining show that's the very epitome of the Minnesota Fringe Festival.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.