Minnesota Fringe Festival 2025: "A Sad Carousel 2: The Timely Death of Herschel Douscheburg"

Day: 8

Show: 25

Title: A Sad Carousel 2: The Timely Death of Herschel Douscheburg

Category: Comedy / Drama / Physical Theater

By: LandmanLand

Written by: Sam L. Landman

Location: Rarig Thrust

Summary: An insult comic wakes up after 15 years in a coma and finds that everything has changed.

Highlights: I did not see Sam Landman's 2010 Fringe show A Sad Carousel (my first year at Fringe was 2011), but that did not affect my enjoyment of this sequel at all. The premise of the story is very clear, and the 15-year time lapse sets up lots of jokes of things that are no longer (Joann Fabrics, HUGE Theater, The Iveys). To begin the show, Herschel Douscheburg (played by Sam) wakes up in the Tyler Michaels King Memorial Hospital, the first in a string of TMK jokes. In fact the self-referential #TCTheater jokes abound (including about theater bloggers!), with many pokes at Fringe itself (and even a recorded appearance by Fringe artist and employee Amber Bjork). Because Herschel decides to use Fringe as his comeback, with the help of his longtime agent (Peter Ooley) and despite the protest of the Gen Z "comedy kids" troupe (Mae Ryan, Riley Eckman, and Elle Hinds) that practices gentle and bland comedy. Eric Webster and Jane Froiland play many characters, the former in a bored lackadaisical manner and the latter in over-the-top old-timey voices, often referred to by Sam as Webster and Jane (she's equity!). There are tons of clever and funny props, some of which are only on stage for a minute (how do I get a subscription to Fringe Hunks Monthly?). Directed by Shanan Custer, the show is ridiculous and ridiculously funny, with a playful tone that allows for ad libbing, fourth-wall breaking, and playing with the audience. It's just a whole lot of fringey fun, that also reminds us of the importance of comedy in society, because people who can't laugh at themselves cannot be trusted. 

Final show today (Saturday) at 1!

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here. 

"Endometriosis: The Musical" at Theatre in the Round

The Minnesota Fringe Festival* is a great place for artists to develop and showcase new work. But truthfully, even the best shows at Fringe usually work best within that framework (less than an hour in length, presented at an experimental festival). But every once in a while, you'll see a show that feels like it has life beyond Fringe. The smash hit of the 2022 festival, Endometriosis: The Musical, was one such show. I knew immediately that this was more than "just" a Fringe musical, and "it needs to be seen by more people than just five (likely sold out) Fringe performances." Thankfully, the folks at Theatre in the Round (the venue for the 2022 show) saw that too, and have worked with the creators (book by Maria Bartholdi, music by Kristin Stowell, and lyrics by both) to develop Endometriosis into a full-length musical. Sadly, a show about women's reproductive health and the increasing dangers to it, and our ever more broken health care system, has only become more relevant in the last three years. What better way to bring attention to these issues, and to talk (and sing) about periods and other things related to "lady parts," than in an original musical? And to do it in such a fun, funny, entertaining way. As I wrote in 2022, Endometriosis: The Musical is "beautifully and cleverly written, both hilarious and poignant, and utterly relatable for any human who has ever menstruated." If you're looking for a new, original, relevant, locally created, silly, sobering, highly entertaining musical, go see Endometriosis: The Musical at the oldest theater in Minneapolis, and one smart enough to recognize the potential of this Fringey musical. 

"The Addams Family" by Unlabeled Theatre Company at Park Square Theatre

I saw my second production by Unlabeled Theatre Company this weekend, and it was once again so heart-warming, inspiring, and fun. Unlabeled has a unique performance model, in which they pair an actor with a disability or who is neurodivergent with a neurotypical actor - a "shadow partner." Because everyone deserves to be part of theater, whether that's on stage, backstage, or in the audience. And theater is the better for it. In this difficult time in our country when inclusion, accessibility, and diversity seem to be dirty words, it's reassuring to know that our theater companies are continuing to not just say these words, but live them. The Addams Family is a musical that's all about familial love and loyalty, if a bit odd and macabre, and is another great choice for this company. The one-weekend-only run concludes tomorrow (click here for tickets), with their next scheduled production the super fun Something Rotten! next January.

"The SpongeBob Musical" by Unlabeled Theatre Company at Park Square Theatre

"When you have a disability, you live with a lot of labels. Labels that other people put on you. In some cases, you have labels slapped on you before you're even born. Most of those labels aren't particularly helpful. So we're ripping off those labels: Unlabeled Theatre Company." I was pleased to be able to experience my first Unlabeled production this weekend. They have a unique performance model in which they pair an actor with a disability or who is neurodivergent with a neurotypical actor. So two people are portraying each character, saying (or singing) the lines in unison with mirror, or shadow, movements. Their third production in about a year is The SpongeBob Musical, which I'd never seen before, nor have I ever seen the popular cartoon upon which it's based. Unlabeled is doing an abbreviated 75-minute one-act version of the show (that features songs by David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, and more), and I found it to be a really sweet, inspiring, and relevant show about community, friendship, and joining together in times of crisis. The performers are all so genuine and pure in their performances, beautifully supported by their shadow partners, and it's really wonderful to see a truly inclusive cast. Because everyone deserves the opportunity to participate in theater, and experience the benefits that can provide in one's life. The SpongeBob Musical is playing for two weekends on Park Square Theatre's Andy Boss thrust stage, click here for info and tickets.

A Crooners Holiday: The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society and Kate and Bradley Beahen

With the brief lull in #TCTheater that comes around the holidays*, I was able to head down the road to Crooners Supper Club in Fridley for a couple of shows. Crooners was a lifesaver for me in 2020, as it was pretty much the only place you could see live performance, in their makeshift parking lot drive-in theater. Now with four different performance spaces (all with food and drink service), there's always something happening at Crooners, much of it theater adjacent. A few days after Christmas I attended The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society's Christmas Post Mortem show, and a few days before New Year's I attended siblings Kate and Bradley Beahen's cabaret show Fresh Starts and Showstoppers. Read on for a brief summary of those shows, both of which will be returning in 2025. And if you don't already have your tickets for next Monday's A Grand UNITE for Civil Rights, a fundraiser for the ACLU hosted by #TCTheater artist Serena Brook and featuring a veritable who's who of local music-theater talent, you better get them right now before they're gone! What's better than a night of good food, great entertainment, and a worthy cause?

"I'll be Homicidal for Christmas" by The Mystery Cafe at Sheraton Bloomington

This holiday* season brings us not one but two mystery dinner theater experiences with The Mystery Cafe. The troupe has been around for over 35 years, but I only just "discovered" them last year. As their performance season is just a few months around the holidays, I had to wait a year before seeing them again. But the good news is they have four shows this season at two locations: two holiday shows currently playing, and two more coming up in January. It's a fun immersive experience that goes beyond traditional theater, obliterating the separation between audience and performers, with broad campy comedy (and too many bad puns to count) performed by some of the best comedy/improv folks in town. A few weeks ago I saw their new show A Cruise-mas Carol at Majestic Oaks Golf Club in Ham Lake on the north side of town, and last night I drove across the city to their new south metro location, the Sheraton Bloomington, for the returning show I'll Be Homicidal for Christmas. Set during a taping of a Christmas TV special in the '70s, things go off the rail when someone(s) end up dead. There are just a couple more performances of the Christmas shows left before they start their new shows in January, and they've got a 25% discount for the Sheraton shows running through December 28. It's a fun group outing that's maybe a little less intimidating than theater can sometimes be for the uninitiated.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2024: "Show Me Your Wings"

Day: 1

Show: 2

Title: Show Me Your Wings

Category: Drama / Musical Theater / Original Music / Physical Theater / Puppetry / Storytelling / Audience participation

By: MaMa Faerie Productions

Created by: Rhiannon Fiskradatz

Location: Squirrel Haus Arts

Summary: A multi-media intimate interactive experience about wings, love, identity, and self-expression.

Highlights: In this very personal piece, singer/songwriter/artist Rhiannon Fiskradatz shares her story of becoming herself. She wrote a collection of songs during the pandemic inspired by the idea of wings, which is her personal inspiration in life. She shares several of these songs, along with stories of growing up and becoming the truly unique artist that she is today. Guided by conductor Shanan Custer, The experience starts in lobby of Squirrel Haus Arts (just a quick 10-minute drive from the Cedar-Riverside hub), which is filled with wings-inspired art. Then we follow her into the main performance space in small groups, each one with a short activity (mine was to pick up a book and find an inspirational quote). Then we all gather together for the performance, backed by a fabulous band and four-person ensemble (Marc Berg, Thalia Kostman, Lindsey Oetken, Josh Vogen). The audience sits on mismatched chairs or pillows on the floor, while an artist creates a painting live, and Rhiannon and the ensemble perform little vignettes, each one a story in itself (like the fierce Medusa song), with some really cool physical theater/movement/dance elements (choreography by Thalia Kostman). Rhainnon was given the name MaMa Faerie and it suits her - magical, earthy, airy, maternal, feminist, and eccentric (in the best way). This is a show unlike any other you will see at the Fringe - it's not just a show, it's an experience. On the way out you can take in the exhibits and sensory activities, or add your comments to questions on the wall. It's a lovely and magical community experience that should not be missed.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

"9 to 5" at Lyric Arts

In the first of two #TCTheater premieres this season, Lyric Arts is bringing us the musical adaptation of the hit 1980 movie 9 to 5 (the second is Kinky Boots this summer, which had its Minnesota premiere at Duluth Playhouse last summer). With built-in name recognition, shows are already selling out. But the good new is, this 9 to 5 is more than just a recognizable name and an easy sell to audiences. It's super fun and really well done. I'm not sure why it took so long for a local professional theater to do this show (last seen to my knowledge on tour at the Ordway in 2011) - it features a fun original score by the great Dolly Parton and an ever-timely theme of women's rights, workers' rights, and the power of women working together. Directed by one of #TCTheater's funniest women people Shanan Custer (who also knows how to pull on the heartstrings) and featuring a large, talented, and energetic cast, it's a celebratory evening of music-theater. Bring your girlfriends, bring your coworkers, bring your family, or bring yourself to Anoka to see 9 to 5 now through May 12.

"Wish You Were Here" at Strike Theater

For one weekend only, Strike Theater is bringing back their improvised dramedy show Wish You Were Here, in which a talented cast of improvisors explore the ideas of grief and loss as a normal part of life. But not in too heavy or sad of a way. It's still very funny and a little goofy, but with a tinge of melancholy and nostalgia as this group of pretend (but maybe also real) friends mourn the pretend death of one of their group. There are only two more performances, so head to Strike in Northeast Minneapolis tonight or tomorrow night for this bittersweet, funny, and original show. Visit their website for info on all of the comedy, storytelling, and spoken word shows and classes they offer, and mark your calendars for the return of my favorite Strike Theater show - The Great Strike Theater Improvised Bake Off - on April 21 (yes, they actually bake live in front of you!).

"The Tourist Trap" by Ghoulish Delights at the Crane Theater

If you're excited about the Twin Cities Horror Festival, which just announced the lineup for its 12th season this October, you might want to check out The Tourist Trap at The Crane Theater (which will also host TCHF). Ghoulish Delights is remounting their 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival hit (which I didn't see), and it feels very much like an appetizer for the 11 days of onstage horror that is TCHF. Frequent readers of this blog may recall that horror isn't my favorite genre, so some of the blood and violence was a bit much for me, but what I do love is this talented cast, the creepily effective storytelling of this show, and the exploration of small town life and our obsession with cults and serial killers. If you're looking for a little fantastical horror to take your mind off the very real scary things in our world, The Tourist Trap is the show for you (continuing through May 20).

"Wish You Were Here" at Strike Theater

"A one act improvised comedy about loss and friendship. Grief is sad. And funny. And everything else." Strike Theater's latest show, Wish You Were Here, is funny and silly, and also kind of profound in the way that it shows people grieving as a part of normal life, with nothing resolved or closed by the end of it. I discovered through Family Dinner that long-form is my favorite kind of improv, because I love watching characters and relationships develop in a satisfying way throughout the course of the evening. That's definitely true here as well; in fact I wish there were a second act because there were several relationships established that I'd like to see developed further. But as it is, Wish You Were Here is a funny and bittersweet hour of an improvised dramedy. Only two performances remain - Friday and Saturday. Click here for more info and to purchase the $5-10 tickets.

"The Book Club Play" at Theatre in the Round

I used to be in a Book Club with a group of work friends. Once a month we would gather at someone's house, eat good food, drink wine, catch up on each other's lives, and maybe eventually get around to talking about the book. Which not everyone read, but I always did, and I would get frustrated that not many people wanted to actually talk about the book, at Book Club! I relate perhaps a little too much to the character Ana in Karen Zacarías'* hilarious play The Book Club Play, now on stage at Theatre in the Round. It's essentially a study of humanity as seen through the very specific phenomenon known as the Book Club. It's also an exploration of books, literature, art, and what makes some worthy and some not, some popular and some not. And are those two things mutually exclusive? You can see the very funny, real, and relatable The Book Club Play at the oldest theater in Minneapolis weekends through February 19.

"White Christmas" at DalekoArts

Taking a break from their usual tradition of original holiday* comedy plays, DalekoArts is presenting the 2008 musical adaptation of the beloved 1954 move White Christmas. It may be the biggest musical they've ever done on their intimate stage in terms of size and scope. But as usual, they've created something warm, homey, and intimate out of this big show. A fantastic hard-working cast of just 13 (less than half of the original Broadway cast), a small but mighty off-stage five-piece orchestra, and simple yet effective design bring this familiar heart-warming story to life. It simply isn't Christmas without White Christmas, and to see it live at DalekoArts, after a drive through the countryside full of lights, is a treat indeed. It plays Thursdays through Sundays until December 18, and is playing in rep with the original holiday comedy White Chrismith on Sundays through Mondays. It features popular character Chris Smith from past original comedies, so they found a way to continue the tradition and do something new.

"46 Plays for America's First Ladies" by Theatre Pro Rata at Crane Theater

If I'm late posting this review, it's because I went down an internet rabbit hole about the fascinating 46 (or more) First Ladies. Because the new play 46 Plays for America's First Ladies, by virtue of covering all of these women in about two hours, only gives us a brief hint at each one of them. Someone needs to write a musical about one or more of these women* (looking for a next project, Lin-Manuel?), maybe Harriet Lane, adopted daughter of "lifelong bachelor" James Buchanan, or Lucy Webb Hayes, who accomplished so much that even five people talking at the same time couldn't cover it. Written by five different playwrights, this yet-to-be-published and up-to-the-minute play (ending with Jill Biden, 2021-?) is mostly a comedy, but not without some social and political commentary (not-so-fun fact: many of the early First Ladies owned slaves). It's a funny and fascinating whirlwind trip through the history of this country, as seen through the eyes of the women behind the men who were presidents. With some hope that maybe one day, this country will get with the times and elect a woman to lead outright, instead of just from behind.

"The Great Strike Theater Improvised Bake Off" at Strike Theater

The Great Strike Theater IMPROVISED Bake Off is back! The last time I was at Strike Theater was for the 2019 holiday Bake Off. After a very long intermission, Strike opened its doors again last year for sketch comedy, storytelling, and spoken word shows and classes. And this week my favorite show, the delightful spoof of everyone's favorite TV baking competition, returned for two performances only. Click here for more info on Strike's upcoming shows and classes, and read on for more about this episode of the Bake Off.

"The Empathy Project" by Full Circle Theater Company at Park Square Theatre

During this very long extended intermission from live performance, Full Circle Theater Company continued development of new works, including a play called The Empathy Project. They held several zoom readings, and now it's finally on stage in a full production. Having seen and appreciated the zoom version, it's wonderful to see what it has grown into in this fully staged version of the piece. Playwright Stephanie Lein Walseth interviewed 20 people across the state of Minnesota, looking for a good representation across politics, geography, and race. She asked people about their family story, their values, what empathy means to them, and their hope for the future. All of these stories are beautifully woven together, with the interviewees embodied by a talented nine-person cast, to create an inspirational tapestry of humanity that reminds us that behind all the rhetoric, we're much more similar than we thought we were. If you need a little more empathy in your life (and who doesn't right now?), see one of the few remaining performances of The Empathy Project at Park Square Theatre, closing November 21.

"Island of Discarded Women" Live Podcast at the Woman's Club of Minneapolis

In May of 2020, I posted a piece called "I Listen to Podcasts Now!" Prior to the pandemic I listened to a few podcasts, but as it probably did for most people, the number of podcasts I listen to has increased exponentially in the last year and a half. One of my few pre-pandemic podcasts was Island of Discarded Women, created and hosted by #TCTheater artist and long-time voice actor on A Prairie Home Companion, Sue Scott. The monthly podcast was recorded live onstage in 2019 (I was hoping to attend my first one in spring 2020), and moved to at-home/zoom recordings during the pandemic. Now the live recordings have begun again in their new home, the Woman's Club of Minneapolis, the second Sunday of every month (proof of vaccination required, plus masks when not enjoying the dinner and drink service). I was thrilled to experience my favorite local podcast live last weekend!

"The Bungalow Loft" by Fearless Comedy Productions at the Historic Mounds Theatre

Fearless Comedy Productions returns with a brand new comedy play by #TCTheater favorite Shanan Custer! Although maybe it's more of a dramedy, as it features two sisters discovering some secrets about their recently deceased mother and deals with themes of grief, loss, regret, memories, mental illness, and challenging family relationships. Presented in an intimate in-the-round (or square) space on the floor of the Historic Mounds Theatre, The Bungalow Loft is funny and real and brought to us by an all-female cast and creative team. 

"The VAXXED and the Furious" at Bryant-Lake Bowl

It feels so good to return to Bryant-Lake Bowl and Theater, the quirky little theater behind a bowling alley in Uptown, 19 months after seeing my last pre-pandemic show there. It's primarily a home for comedy, although I've also seen plays and musicals by small theater companies there over the years. The restaurant and bowling alley have been open for a while, but they're just now returning to live programming in the theater (with proof of vaccination required). You can see their full schedule here, which includes one more weekend of performances of The VAXXED and the Furious, featuring some of my (and your) favorite funny people in town.

"The Lady with All the Answers" streaming from Lakeshore Players Theatre

Recently recorded on stage at the beautiful new Hanifl Performing Arts Center in White Bear Lake, the one-woman show about advice columnist Ann Landers, The Lady with All the Answers, is now streaming from Lakeshore Players Theatre. #TCTheater favorite Shanan Custer inhabits the woman behind the famous words, whose real name was Eppie Lederer, as she navigates a challenging time in her life and the wish to share honestly with her readers. With full set, costumes, lighting, and even a bit of crowd laughter from the crew, filmed from several different camera angles, it really feels like an engaging and entertaining theater performance that we just happen to be watching from home.