Review: THE LASSO WAY: A MUSICAL at Rarig Stoll Thrust Theatre

There’s something Fringe audiences love more than a weird concept, and that’s a weird concept that commits. The Lasso Way: A Musical is exactly that kind of show. It’s chaotic, sincere, self-aware, and surprisingly emotional—a parody musical that doesn’t just coast on Ted Lasso references, but uses them as fuel for something stranger and more interesting.

Here’s the setup: Henry Lasso, estranged son of everyone's favorite mustachioed football coach, is court-ordered to direct a Broadway musical about his dad. If that sentence makes you laugh, you’re already the target audience. What follows is an hour of theatrical mayhem featuring theater kids in crisis, ghosts of the past, Coach Beard being... Coach Beard, and a genuinely compelling emotional arc buried beneath layers of biscuits, banter, and Broadway razzle-dazzle.

Brandon Bakken plays Henry with just the right balance of exasperation and earnestness. He’s not doing a Ted Lasso impression (thank God), but he captures the show's emotional tone—frustrated, hopeful, reluctantly inspired. His Henry is all grown-up theater kid trauma, trying not to cry in tech rehearsal. Been there.

As the supporting cast, Amanda Lyn Samples, Kaz Fawkes, Aliyah Lamb, and Lisa Evanson all deliver big moments. Samples’ dry, skeptical Victoria is pitch-perfect as the show’s resident realist. Fawkes brings nuance and vocal power to Sam, while Lamb shines as Juniper, the theater kid with more drive than direction. And Evanson? She’s an absolute comedic ringer as Brenda. Every line lands. Every scene she’s in gets funnier. It's like she showed up with a secret script no one else had access to.

Co-creator Travis Carpenter gives himself the role of Coach Beard and plays it like a stoner philosopher crossed with a stagehand who wandered in from a Beckett play. It’s bizarre, it’s deadpan, and it works. He and longtime collaborator Kyle DeGoey (music/lyrics/drums) know exactly what they’re doing. This is their eighth Fringe outing, and by now, they’ve perfected the formula: pick a beloved cultural thing, break it apart, add songs, sprinkle in real emotional stakes, and just barely keep it from falling off the rails.

The songs are catchy and weirdly touching. There’s one about belief (obviously), one about redemption, and at least one showstopper that feels like it belongs in an actual musical. Pianist Lindsey Fallenstein keeps things grounded musically while the cast rides the wave of madness.

There’s a moment late in the show—when Henry confronts the legacy of his father, his own grief, and the absurdity of staging a musical while on probation—that somehow sticks the landing emotionally. It shouldn't work. But it does. That’s the Lasso Way.

This isn’t a spoof for the sake of spoofing. It’s a show about dads, failure, making peace with who you are, and doing your best with the weird hand you’ve been dealt—even if that hand includes a surprise jazz number and a prop soccer ball.

Is it messy? Yes. Does it take big swings? Absolutely. Is it one of the most Fringe-y shows you’ll see this year? Without question. It’s also the kind of show you leave smiling, humming a song you didn’t know you’d like, and maybe feeling a little better about the weird mess of life.

Whether or not you care about Ted Lasso, this is a solid hour of theater. If you’ve ever directed a show, grieved a parent, or cried in a dressing room, you’ll find something to hold onto here. And if you haven’t—congrats, you’re probably still in the lobby. Go get in line. This one’s worth it.

Minneapolis / St. Paul Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. 9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL (Eagan Summer Theatre)

14% of votes

2. URINETOWN (Buffalo Community Theatre)

10% of votes

3. CHURCH BASEMENT LADIES (Rags to Rags Productions)

8.2% of votes

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