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 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.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2020: "The Scranton Strangler: An Office Musical"

Location: Digital Hub (available anytime)

Length: 46 minutes

Title: The Scranton Strangler: An Office Musical

By: Literally Entertainment

Summary: A recording of the 2019 Fringe hit musical about everyone's favorite office sitcom, focusing on the case of the notorious Scranton Strangler.

Highlights: The sound quality is not the best; this was likely filmed for archival purposes rather than for viewing. But it's great fun to revisit this one from the team that brought us Oregon Trail: A Musical, a Gilligan's Island/Hamilton mash-up, and more. Here's what I wrote after seeing the show in person last year:

From the bad photocopy of an office memo handed out as a program, to Dwight's signature mustard yellow short sleeved shirt, to Stanley's obsession with Pretzel Day, this musical is everything Office fans love. In fact, it seems to be drawing new audience members to the Fringe because of their love for The Office (including teenagers, amongst whom the show is popular even though they were barely born when it started). All of your favorite characters are represented, so many that several members of the 11-person cast do double duty. In this version of the story, Michael Scott is actually undercover FBI agent Michael Scarn investigating the serial killer known as the Scranton Strangler, who starts targeting Dunder-Mifflin employees. But the plot is basically an excuse to stuff in as many Office references and scene recreations as possible, which they do, sometimes in song form. And the cast does a great job of bringing our favorites to life. Written and directed by Travis Carpenter (who also plays Dwight, instantly recognizable as such) with original music and lyrics by Kyle DeGoey and accompanied by Lindsey Fallenstein on keyboard, this show is a gift to fans of The Office. Thank God for Netflix for carrying the series (which I just recently re-watched in its entirety), and for the reliable Fringe team at Literally Entertainment for applying their fun original Fringey musical form (which started with the surprise hit of the 2015 festival - Oregon Trail: A Musical) to The Office. What will they think of next?!

Read all of my Nightly Fringe mini-reviews here.

Read all of my Digital Hub mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2019: "The Scranton Strangler: An Office Musical"

Day: 4

Show: 14

Title: The Scranton Strangler: An Office Musical

Category: COMEDY / MUSICAL THEATER / ORIGINAL MUSIC

By: Literally Entertainment

Created by: Literally Entertainment

Location: Rarig Center Thrust

Summary: A musical about everyone's favorite office sitcom, focusing on the case of the notorious Scranton Strangler.

Highlights: From the bad photocopy of an office memo handed out as a program, to Dwight's signature mustard yellow short sleeved shirt, to Stanley's obsession with Pretzel Day, this musical is everything Office fans love. In fact, it seems to be drawing new audience members to the Fringe because of their love for The Office (including teenagers, amongst whom the show is popular even though they were barely born when it started). All of your favorite characters are represented, so many that several members of the 11-person cast do double duty. In this version of the story, Michael Scott is actually undercover FBI agent Michael Scarn investigating the serial killer known as the Scranton Strangler, who starts targeting Dunder-Mifflin employees. But the plot is basically an excuse to stuff in as many Office references and scene recreations as possible, which they do, sometimes in song form. And the cast does a great job of bringing our favorites to life. Written and directed by Travis Carpenter (who also plays Dwight, instantly recognizable as such) with original music and lyrics by Kyle DeGoey and accompanied by Lindsey Fallenstein on keyboard, this show is a gift to fans of The Office. Thank God for Netflix for carrying the series (which I just recently re-watched in its entirety), and for the reliable Fringe team at Literally Entertainment for applying their fun original Fringey musical form (which started with the surprise hit of the 2015 festival - Oregon Trail: A Musical) to The Office. What will they think of next?!

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2018: "The Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist or, Ocean's 'Eh'T?: A Musical"

Day: 1

Show: 2

Title: The Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist or, Ocean's 'Eh'T?: A Musical

Category: Comedy / Musical Theater / Original Music

By: Literally Entertainment

Created by: Literally Entertainment Productions

Location: Mixed Blood Theatre

Summary: A musical spoof of the real life event in which $18 million worth of maple syrup was stolen in Canada.

Highlights: If you've seen any of their past shows, you know what to expect from Literally Entertainment (music and lyrics by Kyle DeGoey, book and direction by Travis Carpenter). Funny and clever songs, a silly and fun story, and enthusiastic performances by the winning cast. This one also features a good old fashioned heist and plenty of Canadian humor (they're so polite, they drink beer, they wear plaid, they speak in funny accents). While the lengthy plot explanation at the end of the show is a bit confusing and goes by too fast to make sense, it's a fun and very fringey musical. And there's a moose! Oh Canada, we love you (and we kind of wish we were you).

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

Fringe Festival 2016: "Gilligan: A Tropical Musical"

Day: 5

Show: 25

Title: Gilligan: A Tropical Musical

Category: Musical

By: Literally Entertainment Productions

Created by: Literally Entertainment Productions

Location: Mixed Blood Theatre

Summary: A musical based on the iconic 1960s TV show Gilligan's Island, told in the style of Hamilton.

Highlights: The team behind last year's smash hit Fringe show Oregon Trail: The Musical returns with a takeoff on the current Broadway smash hit Hamilton. You can watch the opening number here, in which First Mate Gilligan is introduced by the other castaways a la Alexander Hamilton's introduction. What follows is sitcom-like scenes interspersed with Hamilton parodies, including Gilligan singing "I'm not very good at knots" ("I'm not giving away my spot") and Mr. Howell singing "She'll be back" (my personal favorite song, "You'll be back"). The songs are incredibly clever (composed, er... maybe adapted, by Kyle DeGoey, with lyrics by Kyle and Travis Carpenter) and I wanted more of them! "The island sisters" are mentioned ("Marianne, Ginger, ... and Lovey") and I was really hoping we'd get to see that number (nope). There's a Wizard of Oz diversion that doesn't seem necessary when  you have source material as rich as Gilligan's Island and Hamilton to mine. But I'm being nitpicky. The show is incredibly clever and fun, with super fast lyrics well-delivered by the cast (Aleksandra Sobie, Chris Laumann, Erin Kennedy, Justin L. Rios, Kyle DeGoey, Matthew Englund, Roxanne Britz, Travis Carpenter). It's a must for the Hamilton-obsessed.

Warning: the first two performances sold out and the remaining three are at high risk to sell out, so you might want to make advance reservations or show up at the theater early to ensure a spot.

Fringe Festival 2015: "Oregon Trail: A Musical"

Day: 9

Show: 44

Title: Oregon Trail: A Musical

Category: Musical Theater

By: Literally Entertainment Productions

Created by: Literally Entertainment

Location: Mixed Blood

Summary: A musical based on the computer game Oregon Trail*, in which a group of intrepid pioneers try to survive a wagon train West.

Highlights: I'm so old that I remember a time before computers, and I clearly remember when my elementary school got its first computer. We had a contest to name the computer (yes, kids, we had one computer for the whole school), and the winner was ETC - Extra Terrestrial Computer (this was clever in the early '80s). The only thing I remember doing on this computer was playing Oregon Trail, and it was the coolest thing ever. Literally Entertainment has turned that very sense of nostalgia into a musical, with great success (they sold out their last two performances and received the encore, which I attended). What a thrill that must be for first time Fringer Kyle DeGoey, who wrote the book and lyrics, directed the piece, and played percussion (with keyboard accompaniment by Lindsey Fallenstein). Everyone in the fresh-faced young cast is so delightfully and campily earnest in their portrayal of these trail stereotypes as they encounter obstacles along the way but never lose their determination. The original songs are fun and catchy and very musical theater-y; it's just an all-around fun show. I think it's safe to say that Oregon Trail: The Musical is the surprise hit of this year's Fringe!


*Fun fact: Oregon Trail was invented right here in Minnesota!