Beanie Baby Divorce Play

I wanna see it again

This show was SO MUCH FUN. The rewatch factor for me personally is there; schedule permitting I want to make it out again. All the goofy twists and turns with actual real honest undertones were great. The actors playing children were believable in their feelings and coping as their parents go through their ridiculous divorce. Costuming and props *chef's kiss. Physical acting *chef's kiss. Great job all around.

5/5 Beanie Babies

Melancholics Anonymous does it again! Beanie Baby Divorce Play is another great fringe show from this reliably high quality and hilarious troupe, now with better stage effects than ever (I don't want to spoil, but let's just say the puppet magic moments are sick as in both awesome and twisted).

Beanie-rific!

Another winner from the Melancholics! Well-written, well-performed, it has all but f the things. Princess Di (Tim) and The Beanie Thing (Claire) are particularly delightful.

Best Beanies ever!

Funny, unique, and a little creepy! The Beanie Baby Divorce Play is a clever look at our society’s silly obsessions with collectibles. As a former overpurchaser of Beanie Babies (and Happy Meals), this play made me feel nostalgic and a bit ridiculous. Hilarious and well-acted! Quality production with gorgeous costumes, a cool set, and terrific puppets. Don’t miss it!

WOAH!

I had entirely, entirely too much fun. Seriously DON’T MISS THIS.

Love!! Don't miss!

Anyone familiar with Melancholics is unsurprised they were a sell out risk for their opening show. Brilliantly funny and empathetic, I can wait to catch whatever is next for this company!

Incredibly fun and slightly traumatizing!

A truly incredible, unique, and surreal beanie-based experience! A must-see in my opinion!

Top of 2024 Fringe goofy comedies with music

Every Fringe has one: goofy plotted comedy with some music and a theme (in this case materialism is bad and even the worse errors of judgement can be forgiven). We had seen it right after then absurdist "The Dumbwaiter" at Open Eye and it was a true palate cleanser. We always seek out Melancholics and if you don't already, this would be a good place to start. Probably sold out for the rest of the run, so get your reservations now. And to agree with another reviewer, Tim does look great in drag!

Cunning and fun‽

Hilarity from the first seconds and through each of the characters! Genuinely spooked me! Somehow the perfect amount of alienation and connection. Goofy with a message

Incredible

The show was hilarious and I had lots of fun watching it.

Super fun!

A fun, goofy romp full of 90s references! I particularly liked the performances by Bee Davis and Nick Willcocks. I had a great time!

Melancholics' Best Show Yet!

Loved absolutely every moment of this show. Fabulous writing, as always. All of the actors are so committed to the bit, their delivery of the story through movement, song, and puppetry is INCREDIBLE! Their passion for stage craft makes me oh so happy as well. Reminded me a lot of Labyrinth and Neverending Story! A solid mix of silly and creepy with so much heart at its core.

Another Banger. Another Banger from MA.

Humor, heart, polyethylene pellets - this show has it all! Amazing cast, great script, show-stealing physicality, and a visit from a beautiful purple princess. Grab your ticket quick, because they’re bound to fly off the shelves like beanie babies at the height of the craze!!

Many levels of fun (like Pixar for adults?)

It’s got goofy, gore, music & more, everything from St. Francis to soulless capitalists!! We were rooting for the parents & kids trying to find their ways through it all, and to find themselves and each other — but man, the terrifying and campy stuff really lingers. Wish I could give it six kitties…

They did it again!

The style is distinctly Melancholics, and it's a style that I love! It's hard to follow up on A Girl Scout's Guide to Exorcism. but they've produced another wonderful work that made me laugh more than any of the other Fringe shows I've seen so far. The writer's originality never ceases to amaze me, and the actors execute their parts perfectly. I'll likely be seeing this one again and bringing others for their final shows. Thanks for knocking it out of the park again, everyone!

Quirky 90's Fun!

This show was wonderfully well written, produced, and acted. This is one of those gems of Fringe that is great theater. While the premise and action is absurd and fantastical, the characters feel real and grounded. Also as a child of the 90's and a big beanie collector when it was in its prime. I related a lot to this show. I hope my Beanie babies are doing well in my parent's basement.

Timothy Kelly's Solo. This is all you need to know

What a quirky little show. It was so well constructed. The actors handle the characters and script with such excellence. And the gem of the show is Timothy Kelly's solo, go just for this moment. Fantastic show!

OBSESSED

I'm so in love with both the concept and execution of this play! It has everything you didn't know you needed, definitely recommend.

I mean, iconic

What a weird show in the best, most fringe-y way. Very nostalgic and made me realize I should go through my old beanie babies. Shout out to Princess bear bc omg did they bring the drama and vocals!

An experience that enthralls the entire way

From the moment you take your seat for this show to the moment the bows take place you are transported to the 90's. The set is carefully chosen to bring the audience in to the court room. All of the performances were outstanding from Nick Willcocks's devilishly fun CEO to Bee Davis and Anneliese Garner's heartwarming and deeply relatable sibling dynamic each individual brings something special to their role. The parental relationship between the characters played Meredith Enersen and Samantha Miller hits all the right notes of what a tumultuous relationship between two flawed individuals is meant to look like. Feelings of dread and elation are the only way to describe the performances of Timothy Kelly, Claire Chenoweth, and Aerin O’Malley. The Beanie Thing is creepy, rhythmically gifted, and somehow whimsically delightful, Claire Chenoweth's movement brings this eldritch horror to life. Not to be understated the comradery of The Beanie Things minions provides further humor as a dynamic that really lets you know The Beanie thing means business. This brings us to the showstopper Timothy Kelly's musical performance brings such a feeling of delight that truly leaves its mark on the audience. Overall this show is incredible from the cast to the set to the costumes every person involved is clearly giving their all. If you get the chance to see this show you will not be disappointed!

So silly. I like it.

This show was so absurd, but not in a way that meant you couldn't understand it. I LOVED the villain. The actor's physicality was GREAT! Extremely unique story, doesn't feel like something you've already seen a billion times in different ways. Was the story a little disconnected at times, yes, did I care, not really! Bring on the hell spawn!

Absolutely hilarious

My girlfriend and I loved this play it was hilarious!

So Many TY-ists!

I loved this show! I have never seen a Fringe show twice until now. The writing had so many elements: song, poems, magic, oh my! It was hilarious! I didn't even notice that the first show had drag! OMG! I love this group! Keep going, you guys!

Wonderful

A hilarious play excellently written and performed. Interesting characters. Interesting acting, scene-stealing surprise performance. Don’t miss this one.

Outstanding

This was my first experience with the Melancholics but it will not be my last. Everyone was amazing. The physicality and timing of The Beanie thing is the surrealist stuff of nightmares.

Outstanding

This was my first experience with the Melancholics but it will not be my last. Everyone was amazing. The physicality and timing of The Beanie thing is the surrealist stuff of nightmares.

Classic Melancholics Anonymous

They have sweet set, costuming, acting; they always pay attention to the details that really make the show professional. It's a funny show with 90s nostalgia. And Tim looks great in drag.

The Fringiest

Ty (Thank you)

I missed out on Melancholics’ Girl Scout show last year and wouldn’t make the same mistake twice, attending the first of certainly five sold out shows. In under an hour they’re able to construct a whole bizarro world with possible nods to Labyrinth and characters/plot that are incredibly easy to get invested in. This story is loosely based on a silly true story but the script understands that divorces are often very sad business and often lead to broken families. This is a one-of-a-kind experience. Inventive props, a show-stopping cameo, and unspeakable terrors await you if you’re able to secure a seat.

define fringe?

Most often when people think of fringe something like this show comes to mind. They're not wrong...obviously this show exists. The performances are all excellent - the cast has fully bought into the world they've created. There's no wink and nods to the audience saying "hey isn't this weird?!"...and that kind of honesty is charming and hold the whole thing together. Its funny, with just a pinch of a heart and a wacky enough plot that you'll wonder where the hour went.

A little like Labyrinth!

This show was just such a great time! I really like when horror is silly, so it pushed a lot of my buttons. This show is full of memorable standouts: the actor playing the Beanie Thing was doing a really cool eerie physical performance where they flopped around like they were full of stuffing. All of The CEO's deliveries were fascinating. The puppets were so gross and uncanny. I could go on, you shouldn't miss it!