Melancholics Anonymous is on a roll, both in the Fringe community and throughout the rest of the year producing theater (The Last Menagerie and Worm Teeth) and new play readings as well, so they hardly need any help from me. (I was late to the game, after all, since they didn’t pop up on a pre-Fringe Top 10 list for me until just last year :)
What do you do to follow up the award-winning hit Fringe show, Joan of Arc for Miss Teen Queen USA?
Well, naturally, you take a nearly 500-page dystopian novel published in 1972 about a group of rabbits, plagued by horrific visions of the future, who go on a quest to find a new, safer home (the animated film adaptation of which traumatized a whole generation of children) and turn it into a musical.
(Hey, it’s a show full of rabbits’ feet, most of which are still actually attached to the characters of living rabbits, so this show is probably the luckiest one in the Fringe.)
Watership Down
Description:
Digger. Listener. Runner. A small band of rabbits embark on a perilous journey to find a new home in this adventurous folk musical adaption of the classic children’s novel.
Venue - Rarig Thrust
Content Warnings - Violence
Genre and Content - Drama, Musical Theater, Original Music, Puppetry, Physical Theater, Storytelling, Kid Friendly, Ltierary Adaptation
Ages 7 to 11 and Up
The trailer is, unsurprisingly, a knock-out.
You now know the vibe of the show you’re in for.
Frankly, I’m fascinated with how the adaptation plays out in a compressed Fringe time slot. Melancholics has worked wonders before, cramming more content into an hour than other Fringe shows dare to try, and this is clearly a labor of love like all their quirky, often dark, comedies are, so I’m fully expecting them to pull this off in fine style. The core company members and the outside artists they bring in on each project always seem to collaborate well together which is an impressive way to show how a company can share and expand its vision.
The press packet materials add a bit more detail:
“Rabbits go on a quest for survival in this new folk musical adaption of a classic children’s novel.
After eight consecutive years at Minnesota Fringe, local company Melancholics Anonymous (Joan of Arc for Miss Teen Queen USA, A Girl Scout’s Guide to Exorcism) returns with the first-ever musical adaptation of Richard Adams’s beloved novel Watership Down, with original folk music by Bee Davis. Developed under special arrangement with the Adams Estate, this bold world premiere follows Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig, and their fellow rabbits as they fight to find and forge a new home in this classic tale of resilience, courage, and community.”
The More Information tab on their show page has a bit more still:
“‘All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you... Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.’
From the company that brought you Joan of Arc for Miss Teen Queen USA and A Girl Scout’s Guide to Exorcism comes a new, daring folk musical adaption of Richard Adams’s classic, best-selling novel, Watership Down.
Adapted for the stage by Rachel Ropella and Timothy Kelly, with original music and lyrics by Bee Davis. This stage adaptation is presented by special arrangement with Watership Down Enterprises Limited.
Melancholics Anonymous, winner of seven MN Fringe awards (including three Audience Pick awards), is thrilled to return for their 8th year in a row! Established at St. Olaf College in 2019 and now based in the Twin Cities, Melancholics is an independent theater company dedicated to creating eccentric original works and championing new play development."
Interested in hearing about other artists I recommend based on past outings in the Fringe? Here's a link to a list of all the coverage of returning favorite artists from past pre-Fringe Top 20 lists of mine that are part of this year's Minnesota Fringe Festival. And here's links to the 2026 versions of my pre-Fringe Top 10 list and Top 11 through 20 for the 2026 festival as we ramp up toward the start of the Fringe on August 6th.
No comments:
Post a Comment