Minnesota Fringe Festival 2026: "Castrati: A Tale of Two"

Day: 4Show: 11Title: Castrati: A Tale of TwoCategory: Comedy / Musical Theater / Original Music / Puppetry / Historical content / Shakespearian elementsBy: True Men ProductionsCreated by: Cali Garzon, Julia Maskin & Eli MaskinLocation: Barker CenterSummary: A musical set in 1400s Rome, about a castrated boy who is rejected by his family and finds identity and confidence in singing.Highlights: This might be the Fringiest thing at the festival this year. I'm not quite sure what to make of it, and couldn't quite figure out the tone. Are we supposed to laugh at all of the testicle puns? Are we supposed to feel for the characters? It landed somewhere in between. The 13-person (uncredited) cast is talented, particularly the actor playing the castrato (historically, a boy who is castrated before puberty in order to retain a higher vocal range), who has a great voice and creates a lot of empathy for the character, although they have more of an alto voice and I'm not sure why they're dressed…