Fellowship!

Fellowship!
The cast of Fellowship!
Music	Allen Simpson
Lyrics	Brian D. Bradley, Lisa Fredrickson, Kelly Holden-Bashar, Joel McCrary, Edi Patterson, Steve Purnick, Cory Rouse, Allen Simpson, Ryan Smith, Peter Allen Vogt and Matthew Stephen Young
Book	Kelly Holden-Bashar Joel McCrary
Basis	J. R. R. Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and Peter Jackson's film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Productions	2004 North Hollywood, California 2005 Hollywood, California 2005 San Diego Comic Con 2009 Burbank, California 2010 New York, New York 2014 Fort Worth, Texas 2019 Fullerton, California 2019 Dunkirk, Indiana 2023 Muncie, Indiana

Fellowship! is a musical parody stage play based on The Fellowship of the Ring (the first volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings) and Peter Jackson's 2001 film adaptation of it. The book was written by Kelly Holden-Bashar and Joel McCrary with music by Allen Simpson. Lyrics and additional material by Brian D. Bradley, Lisa Fredrickson, Kelly Holden-Bashar, Joel McCrary, Edi Patterson, Steve Purnick, Cory Rouse, Allen Simpson, Ryan Smith, Peter Allen Vogt and Matthew Stephen Young (the original cast). The musical was first performed at the El Portal Forum Theater in North Hollywood, California.^[1]

Synopsis

The play follows the major events of the first part of Tolkien's story and the first of Peter Jackson's movies. It re-imagines Bilbo Baggins as an aged Catskill Jewish man, the Balrog as a sleep-deprived, lounge-singing diva, the battle on Weathertop as a West Side Story-style gang fight, and Rivendell as a Scientologist stronghold (primarily due to the similarity of names between 'Elrond' and 'L. Ron' Hubbard). Part live action, part puppet show and part animation, the show removes or summarizes parts of the story that would slow it down. While played for laughs, the music features original compositions instead of parodies, and the song styles range from cheesy 1980s rock to sleazy cabaret numbers.

Productions

The play had a successful six-week run in early 2005 at the El Portal Forum Theater in North Hollywood, California,^[2] and played several sold-out shows at the 2005 San Diego Comic Con. L.A. Weekly named it a "Pick of the Week", and both Backstage West and the Los Angeles Times listed it as a "Critic's Choice."

The show was produced several other times with the original cast and crew, most notably at the Falcon Theater in Burbank, California, in 2009^[3] and at the New York Musical Theatre Festival in 2010.^[4]

In 2014, a completely different cast under the direction of Lyle Kanouse performed the play at the Circle Theatre in Fort Worth. They had a successful six week run with favorable reviews from critics in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The Fort Worth run was so well-received, the show was remounted on the downstairs' stage at Theatre3 in Dallas, Theatre Too!. It was the most successful run in that space since the same theater's presentation of Avenue Q. ^[5]

The Maverick Theater in Fullerton, California produced a well-received run of the show in June of 2019,^[6] and Slim Fisher Studios produced six performances in Dunkirk, Indiana, later the same year.^[7]

Fellowship! had a sold out, successful run while gracing the stage of Muncie Civic Theatre in Muncie, Indiana in June of 2023, leaving audience members with tears from laughter.

Awards and nominations

In 2005, the play won Musical of the Year and Best Comedy Ensemble at the 2005 LA Weekly Theater Awards.^[8][9] The show was also nominated for Best Musical Direction.

At the 36th Annual Saturn Awards, held on June 24, 2010, in Burbank, California, the play won the award for Best Local Stage Production: Small Theatre.^[10] It was the first time an award in this category had ever been given at the Saturn Awards. Composer Allen Simpson and co-writers Matt Young and Ryan Smith (also cast members) accepted the award on behalf of the play. The award was presented by actor John de Lancie.

The 2014 Circle Theatre production brought home four awards at the 16th annual COLUMN AWARDS for excellence in Dallas/Ft. Worth Theatre: BEST MUSICAL (equity,) BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR went to Ben Philips for his portrayal of Gandalf/Galadriel, Kristin Spires won BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION, and composer Allen Simpson won BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL.^[11]

External links

• Official site
• L.A. Weekly Theater Awards list
• The Saturn Awards
• Theater Jones Review: Kris Noteboom
• Fort Worth Star Telegram Review: Punch Shaw
• The Column Online Review: Elaine Plybon

References

• v
• t
• e

The Lord of the Rings

• J. R. R. Tolkien

About

• Volumes
  • The Fellowship of the Ring
  • The Two Towers
  • The Return of the King
• Stories
  • "The Shadow of the Past"
  • "The Council of Elrond"
  • "The Scouring of the Shire"
  • "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen"
• Translating
  • List of translations
  • Russian
  • Swedish
• Reception
  • Literary
  • Fandom
    • Oxonmoot
    • Tolkienmoot
  • Works inspired
  • Tolkien's impact on fantasy

Analysis

Elements	Artwork Family trees Heraldry Languages Quenya Sindarin Maps Poetry A Elbereth Gilthoniel Namárië Song of Eärendil The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late The Road Goes Ever On A Walking Song Proverbs
Themes	Addiction to power Anachronism Ancestry as guide to character Architecture Christianity Death and immortality Decline and fall Economy England Environmentalism Forests Heroism Luck and fate Magic Mental illness Moral dilemma Music Naming of weapons Northern courage Paganism Plants Psychological journeys Quests Race Sexuality Sound and language Time Trees Women
Influences	Antiquarianism Beowulf Celtic Classical world First World War Norse Medieval Modern sources Modernism Philology Shakespeare
Techniques	Character pairing Frame stories Impression of depth Narrative structure Interlacing Prose style Ambiguity

Peoples

Maiar	Balrogs Sauron Wizards Gandalf Radagast Saruman
Free peoples	Dwarves Balin Gimli Elves Galadriel Glorfindel Half-elven Arwen Elrond Legolas Thranduil Ents Treebeard Hobbits Bilbo Frodo Merry Pippin Sam Men Beornings Drúedain Dúnedain Aragorn of Gondor Boromir Denethor Faramir of Rohan Éomer Éowyn Théoden Wormtongue
Monsters	Barrow-wight Gollum Nazgûl Witch-king of Angmar Old Man Willow Orcs Shelob Trolls Wargs Watcher in the Water
Other	Eagles Goldberry Tom Bombadil

World

Geography	Eriador Bree Old Forest Rivendell The Shire Bag End Gondor Harad Lothlórien Mirkwood Moria Mordor Rohan Isengard
Battles	Helm's Deep Pelennor Fields Morannon
Objects	Mithril Palantírs Phial of Galadriel Rings of Power One Ring List of weapons and armour

Related
works

• The Hobbit
• The Adventures of Tom Bombadil
  • Errantry
  • Fastitocalon
  • The Sea-Bell
• The Road Goes Ever On
• Bilbo's Last Song
• The Silmarillion
• Unfinished Tales
• The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien
• The History of Middle-earth
• The Children of Húrin
• The History of The Hobbit
• Beren and Lúthien
• The Fall of Gondolin
• The Nature of Middle-earth

Adaptations and derivative works
Books	Bored of the Rings (1969) The Last Ringbearer (1999) Muddle Earth (2003)
Illustrations	A Map of Middle-earth Pauline Baynes Barbara Remington John Howe Alan Lee Margrethe II of Denmark Ted Nasmith
Theatre	Fellowship! (2005) Lord of the Rings (2006)
Music	Music Inspired by Lord of the Rings (1972) Symphony No. 1 The Lord of the Rings (1988) Led Zeppelin "Ramble On" (1969) "Misty Mountain Hop" (1971) "The Battle of Evermore" (1971)
Radio	The Lord of the Rings (BBC, 1955) The Lord of the Rings (NPR, 1979) Hordes of the Things (1980) The Lord of the Rings (BBC, 1981) Der Herr der Ringe (1992) ElvenQuest (2009–2013)
Film	Animated The Lord of the Rings (Bakshi, 1978) The Return of the King (Rankin/Bass, 1980) The War of the Rohirrim (2024) Peter Jackson series The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) The Two Towers (2002) The Return of the King (2003) Music "Concerning Hobbits" "Into the West" "May It Be" Approach Production Peter Jackson's interpretation Picturing Tolkien Other Sagan om ringen (1971) Khraniteli (1991) Hobitit (1993) The Rings of Power (2022) music Fan-made The Hunt for Gollum (2009) Born of Hope (2009)
Video games	Journey to Rivendell Game One Game Two: Shadows of Mordor War in Middle Earth Vol. I (1990) Vol. I (SNES) Riders of Rohan Elendor Vol. II: The Two Towers The Fellowship of the Ring The Two Towers The Return of the King War of the Ring The Third Age Game Boy Advance The Battle for Middle-earth Tactics The Battle for Middle-earth II The Rise of the Witch-king Conquest Aragorn's Quest War in the North Lego The Lord of the Rings Guardians of Middle-earth Shadow of Mordor Shadow of War Gollum Return to Moria The Lord of the Rings Online Mines of Moria Siege of Mirkwood Rise of Isengard Riders of Rohan Helm's Deep Mordor Minas Morgul War of Three Peaks Fate of Gundabad Before the Shadow
Tabletop role- playing games	Middle-earth Role Playing The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game The One Ring Roleplaying Game Adventures in Middle-earth
Board games	Middle Earth War of the Ring Gondor: The Siege of Minas Tirith Sauron Lord of the Rings Risk: The Lord of the Rings: Trilogy Edition War of the Ring
Card games	Middle-earth Collectible Card Game The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game
Other games	Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game Lego The Lord of the Rings