Perfect Harmony, a musical comedy playing in the New York International Fringe Festival, is a hysterical look inside the high-pressure world of high school a cappella singing. As the play opens, we are introduced to the genre’s reigning champions, The Acafellas, and their female counterparts, The Ladies in Red, as the two groups compete for the coveted top spot in The National High School A Cappella Jam, which is being broadcast on MTV2. Drama quickly ensues as The Acafellas break up due to creative differences and are left with only three members. Phillip Fellows V (played brilliantly by Noah Weisberg), is appointed the new leader, but when he finds himself unable to hit the required high notes, the would-be vocal king turns to estrogen to solve his problem. Meanwhile, The Ladies in Red can’t stop fighting amongst themselves. Group leader Melody (Autumn Dornfeld), tries to maintain clean values and not lose another member to teen pregnancy, while promiscuous Jesus freak Megan (the hysterical Maria Elana Ramirez), finally breaks down after her repeated attempts to insert dancing and grinding into their performances are denied.

All the members of this talented cast are not only pitch perfect but have remarkable comedic timing. Tackling dual roles, Jeanine Seralles is particularly hilarious as both The Ladies’ Eastern European replacement member, Michaela “Mickey D” Dhiardeaubovic and Kiki Tune, “Manager to the Stars.” Seralles handles both these parts so effectively that I had to double check my playbill to make sure this was one actress. Another standout performer is David Barlow (also with two parts) as the nerdy freshman Simone and Mickey D’s older brother, Goran, a Sex Pistols-crazed musician with a crush on Melody. Bellows has a fantastic voice and is an outstandingly intuitive performer.

Perfect Harmony reminds us of why we have the prolific Fringe Festival: to find the plays that deserve bigger stages and, if possible, a longer applause.