Fringe File #4: Previews, Round 1 Arts Dance Music Opera Theatre by Hanne Appelbaum - July 25, 2016July 25, 2016 The cast of SmashHammer: The Musical. Last Monday, 29 shows appearing in the 2016 Minnesota Fringe Festival gave 3-minute previews at the University of Minnesota’s Rarig Center’s Stoll Thrust Stage. This was the first official look (at least as far as live performance is concerned) inside the festival overtaking Minneapolis stages in 2 weeks; a packed crowd showed up to start figuring out what must-see shows to add to their calendars. Presenting a compelling preview is an art in and of itself; presenters are limited to a single sound cue, have no special lighting, and are unable to use a piano or any instruments requiring a lot of space or setup. Some of the previews that stirred particular interest (as measured by audience response) were, in no particular order: Gilligan: A Tropical Musical (a parody of Gilligan’s Island, preceded by MN Fringe Executive Director Jeff Larson reading a cease-and-desist notice) Air D&D (featuring the pen-and-paper roleplaying game) The Abortion Chronicles Snow Country (a parody riffing off Sun Country airlines) Game of Thrones: The Musical Caucasian Aggressive Pandas and Other Mulatto Tales Videos of each of the first round of previews are available online. Tonight, another 30 shows will present their excerpts at the Stoll Thrust stage. About Latest Posts Hanne AppelbaumHanne Appelbaum was the Editor-in-Chief of the Twin Cities Arts Reader from 2005-2020. Now a contributing writer, she was born in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and moved to the Twin Cities to take up a career as a classroom paraprofessional. She is the mother of three children, an enthusiastic educator, and a passionate fan of dance in all of its forms. She is currently reading Laxmi Hariharan's Knotted Series. Latest posts by Hanne Appelbaum (see all) FEATURE: A Host of New Operas, Minnesota-Born - October 4, 2020 NEWS: 20% Theatre Company to Sunset After 15 Glorious Years - August 20, 2020 AWARDS: Keith Hovis = Composer of the Year - December 7, 2019 Share on Facebook Share Share on TwitterTweet