Minnesota Fringe Festival 2025: "The Lasso Way: A Musical"

Day: 1

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.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here. 

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2023: "New Origins: Beauty and the Beast"

Day: 10

Show: 39

Title: New Origins: Beauty and the Beast

Category: MUSICAL THEATER

By: Two Minnie Cooks

Written by: Aaron Cook

Location: Rarig Thrust

Summary: A prequel story to Disney's Beauty and the Beast that explains how the Prince became a Beast, and later, someone Belle could love.

Highlights: In this version of the story, before the one we know, Belle's mother is a witch and a consultant to the King. But after a tragedy the King turns on her and banishes her, along with Belle's sister, who inherited her mother's magical powers. The only way out is for beautiful Belle to marry the Prince, who is an arrogant unread brute. But Belle loves the sweet Gaston, who loves books as much as she does. If this sounds opposite of the characters in the movie, you're not wrong. Working with the Prince's BFF LeFou, Belle's sister casts a Freaky Friday spell to swap the two men so that Belle will fall in love with the Prince. But they fail to inform Belle's mother, who wants to protect her daughter, and casts the spell that sets up the story we know. It's a bit of a convoluted story, but it's plausible in this world, with some cute B&B-esque songs written by Kyle DeGoey (of Fringe hits Oregon Trail, Gilligan, and more), and accompanied by a live musician on keyboard. The cast performs the score and the story well, especially Kaz Fawkes and Drew Atwood who believably swap personalities halfway through and become the other. It's a fun exploration of a familiar story, with familiar characters we know, as well as a few new ones introduced into this world.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2022: "On a Stick: A Minnesota State Fair Musical"

Day: 2

Show: 4

Title: On a Stick: A Minnesota State Fair Musical

Category: COMEDY / MUSICAL THEATER / ORIGINAL MUSIC

By: Literally Entertainment

Created by: Literally Entertainment

Location: Rarig Center Thrust

Summary: A disgruntled and wealthy Minnesota ex-pat tries to buy the Minnesota State Fair but is thwarted by a local band who reluctantly enters the amateur talent competition and somehow saves the day.

Highlights: This isn't my favorite creation from Literally Entertainment (see The Scranton Strangler and Gilligan), but it's a lot of fun. The kinda ridiculous plot involves a local band in need of a break who goes to the Fair with flyers to try to get people to come see them play at Harry's bar, and instead finds themselves playing in the talent competition, despite lead singer Meg's (Sarah Frazier) protestations that she hates the State Fair (eventually revealed to be due to a childhood talent competition trauma). And somehow they get tangled up in the delightfully evil Richard Effinghead's (Kaz Fawkes) scheme to destroy the Fair. A bunch of stuff happens, but of course our friends end up on top, with the help of a magical cookie fairy named Sweet Martha (Shell Wolfe, who almost steals the show). As you'd expect it's chock full of local references, specifically to our great get-together (nobody hates the State Fair!), a celebration of all things Minnesota, as well as the power of music and friendship. Written by the Literally team of Kyle DeGoey (music and lyrics) and Travis Carpenter (book), the show features live music by Lindsey DeGoey on piano, in addition to several cast members playing in the band onstage. This one may not be their most clever or original musical, but it's a fun and Fringey good time.

 
Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

"Pyrates" by Theatre Coup d'Etat at Historic Fire Station 24

Ten years ago, I saw the first part (Millennium Approaches) of Tony Kushner's epic two-part masterpiece Angels in America on stage for the first time, by a new-to-me theater company Theatre Coup d'Etat. I was so impressed with how this small company handled this big play, and "found myself wondering when Theatre Coup d'Etat will present the second part." The bad news is they never did, and now they're leaving town. The good news is I've been fortunate to witness ten years of their work, which is always interesting, thoughtful, and unexpected, most often produced in an intimate non-traditional space; and that they have one more show before they leave #TCTheater. Pyrates, an original play by Artistic Director and frequent actor/director with the company, James Napoleon Stone, follows in this tradition. It's a rousing pirate story about loyalty, legacy, and camaraderie, featuring a talented and diverse cast and live music in an up-close-and-personal in-the-round space. Your final chance to see Theatre Coup d'Etat perform in #TCTheater ends on June 27 (click here for info and tickets).