Saturday was a blast but Sunday was even more so. Check out part 1 of our reviews of Sunday’s shows. We’ve now seen 19 shows at HFF19, plus done our own preview last Friday. Fringe On!
TITLE OF SHOW: Hollywoodn’t
VENUE: The Lounge Theatres
REVIEW: Last year I missed seeing this show in its original form, but so glad I could make it to this reformatted and completely amazing new version. Lisa Verlo was part of the audience at my preview, and I was glad to return the favor, as she has delivered a stunning performance of her #MeToo experience. You will be stunned at the revelations in this show, and laugh along with Verlo’s characterizations of her experiences within the Hollywood scene. You will also be amazed and thrilled by her musical talents, both songwriting and performing. Needless to say, this is an early favorite for our very own Larry Cornwall Award for Musical Excellence. It is also another contestant for the best solo show at Fringe this year.
RECOMMENDATION: Don’t miss this one – it could easily change your life. Remaining performances are June 16 at 6 p.m., June 22 at 8 p.m. and June 26 at 8 p.m. Tickets are available on her Fringe project page.
TITLE OF SHOW: Fertile
VENUE: The Lounge Theatres
REVIEW: So many of us have always taken having children for granted. Thanks to the comic genius of Heather Dowling, we will never think of that topic in the same way we have before. Dowling delivered a gem in her last Fringe show back in 2015, the only year we did not attend, so we were determined to catch her latest show, and we’re so glad we did. She walked us through all the nuances of the assisted fertility industry, keeping this serious subject light-hearted and full of memorable moments. We won’t tell you the result of her journey – you’ll just have to come see it to find that out. We will tell you that your time will not be wasted and your life may be permanently enriched by the experience.
RECOMMENDATION: Don’t miss this one! Remaining performances are June 14 at 8 p.m. and June 29 at 6 p.m. The show is currently sold out, but tickets may be available on her Fringe project page or at the door.
TITLE OF SHOW: Crabbe and Goyle are Dead
VENUE: Studio/Stage
REVIEW: When you decide to create a new chapter in an iconic story like Harry Potter, you had better deliver. Unfortunately for Crabbe & Goyle, it does not, although not for lack of trying. The show suffered from a lack of direction that hurt the herculean efforts of the cast to deliver a first-rate show. The show started off strongly but somewhere around the middle of the show it fell off the tracks and was unable to get back on. The audience wanted so badly to like this show, but even for those of us who have read all the books and seen all the movies, this one had us lost in the Forbidden Forest. We applaud the efforts of Graydon Schlicter as Goyle, Michael Lutheran as Crabbe and Kiki Anderson as house elf Tinsy, but they were unable to save this one. Hopefully they will find their way before the end of their run.
RECOMMENDATION: Wait until closing weekend for this one – hopefully it will be better by then. Remaining performances are June 19 at 8:30 p.m., June 29 at 10 p.m. and June 30 at 3:30 p.m. Tickets are available on her Fringe project page.
One reply on “HFF19 preview day 4 (part 1) – see it or skip it”
sounds cool. wish i was there!