Tag: Cherry Poppins

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Artists Worth Checking Out indie music Monday Mashup Singles and Videos

Monday mashup 2019: vol. 32

And so we begin another month with our first Monday Mashup of November 2019.  We have some great new singles and videos for you, and truly hope to get back to reviewing albums soon.  In the meantime, check out these great new sounds.

NEW SINGLES

We kick off this edition with a special thanks to Blue Élan Records, who consistently support indie music and bring us some of the best music available today.  Case in point, The Vegabonds have released their cover of the classic song “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” a song I have loved for nearly 50 years.  This one captures all the power of the lyrics and puts that special spin on it that is the trademark of The Vegabonds.

Next up we have a pair of holiday songs from two more prominent Blue Élan artists, Cindy Alexander and Roan Yellowthorn.   First up is Alexander’s take on the holiday classic, “Do you Hear What I Hear?”

Yellowthorn joins with Car Astor to bring us their version of another holiday classic, “River.”  Hopefully these songs will get you in the holiday mood.

Next up is the Top 40-worthy sound of Midnight Divide, with their song “Say You Believe.”  We think you’ll be hearing these guys on your local radio dial soon.  Their sound reminds us of OneRepublic meets Imagine Dragons.

Our final single this week is from Canadian folk-rock band Union Duke.  We love the laid back and chill sound and think that you will be putting “Atlas of Love” on repeat.

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

We are happy to share the debut of the new music video from Maltese Flamingo, “Shivers.”  This one is trippy, but fun.  Enjoy!

Next up is a video from Crystal Bright, an artist we have previously featured on Indie Voice Blog, but haven’t heard from in a while.  This one is powerful, so dig in and listen to “I’ll Hold You.”

Next up is one of our favorite bands that don’t take themselves seriously, namely Ninja Sex Party.  On the first single from their upcoming covers album, they give us their take on the classic Jefferson Starship tune, “We Built This City.”  Sit back and enjoy this version.

We travel across the pond for the rocking groove of Carnival Club‘s latest video, “Lady.”  Let the hair fly and the good times begin.

We close out the week with this fun video from Penny Dreadful, the delightful burlesque alter ego of multi-LA Music Critic Award winner VK Lynne.  Here she does a cover of the Cher classic, “Welcome to Burlesque.”  We think it is the perfect tribute to our friends at Cherry Poppins Productions, and we salute them on the occasion of their seventh anniversary.

 

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Fringe Shows Hollywood Fringe Festival Reviews See it or Skip it Women in Entertainment

HFF18 day 5 – see it or skip it

We got a slow start yesterday after closing down Three Clubs with the Cherries after a raucous performance of Doctor Nympho vs. The Sex Zombies.  It was great spending time with Sarah Haworth, Schoen Hodges, Alli Miller, Michael Shaw Fisher, Brin Hamblin, Kelly Stevenson and Cory Robinson, as well as the amazing Sarah Chaney, who had been in the cast of Doomsday Cabaret.

Before you know it, it was time to head back for another great night of Fringing, and we had planned to see five shows.  While reviewing our schedule, it occurred to us that we had neglected to schedule one of the shows we really wanted to see, so we had to make some last minute changes to the schedule, which made for a much better night.  Our first stop remained the same, and our evening began at The Broadwater Studio.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Balls’On

VENUE:  The Broadwater Studio

REVIEW:   Katt Balsan is half Russian and Iranian on her mother’s side and French on her father’s side, which gave her an interesting look – exotic muscles.  While she looks like a bodybuilder, she explained that it was all genetics.  Her show took us from her humble roots in France to her current home in Los Angeles, as told through 25 very interesting characters, including several of the Fates.  It was a most original and creative way to explain her life, and the audience loved it.  We were honored to be joined at the show by the Queen of the Solo Show, Jessica Lynn Johnson, as well as one of the premier finds of this year’s Fringe, Lanessa Long.  The packed venue gave Balsan all the energy she needed to turn in a wonderful performance, making us very glad we had chosen to attend her show.  Balsan herself is a ball of energy, and that energy washed over the audience like a tidal wave, completing the circle.  She dedicated the show to her director, the late, great Gary Austin, the founder and original director of The Groundlings, and we are sure he was pleased as well.

RECOMMENDATION:  If you need a quick pick-me-up, then we highly recommend you fit this show into your schedule.  You can still catch her final performance on June 22 at 5 p.m.  You can purchase tickets here.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Glitch

VENUE:  The Broadwater Studio

REVIEW:   We were unprepared for this intense show about mass shootings in our schools.  The premise and story were timely, in light of the outrage over recent occurrences, but the cast seemed likewise unprepared to turn that outrage into a memorable show that would spark change.  The premise was there – a reporter interviewing a young man convicted of killing kids and teachers at his former high school, but they delivered nothing more than a clichéd attempt at portraying these characters.  We were joined at the show by Michael Shaw Fisher, and had the chance to discuss the show afterward.  We both agreed that it would have been better if the reporter had started out neutral and then slowly emerged as outraged, while the cold, calculating criminal needed to have more “mood swings” as he attempted to explain how everything came to pass.  Like The Dangerous Cures of Dr. B, this show left its audience in a daze, as they ran out of the theater looking for escape from the reality of the show’s material.

RECOMMENDATION:  The show could be a powerful tool, but it seriously needs some attention to detail.  It ran over and was too long.  If they fix those problems, then it would be worthwhile.  In the meantime, you should probably skip it.

TITLE OF SHOW:  The Women of Lockerbie

VENUE:  Studio/Stage

REVIEW:   After the previous show, we were in need of some beauty and magic, and we found it in spades in this glorious production.  Wonderfully directed by Jim Blanchette, the story is about closure, and the continued hope that good will overcome evil.  It is set in the hills of Lockerbie, Scotland, where one of the greatest disasters in aviation occurred as 270 souls lost their lives in the terrorist explosion of Pan Am Flight 103.  Leah Verrill, who portrayed the distraught mother, Maddie Livingston, led an amazing cast that included Alan Heitz as her husband Bill, Lisa K. Wyatt as the stalwart Olive Allison, Lize Fenning and Liesl Jackson as her two friends, Ed Ackerman as the American bureaucrat George Jones and Eloise Coopersmith as the well-meaning custodian Hattie.  The show is presented as a Greek tragedy, and very skillfully designed and executed.  It brought us, and we’re sure other audience members, to tears, and is the best thing we have seen at Fringe thus far, truly worthy of the Top of the Fringe award.

RECOMMENDATION:  You simply MUST see this one.  Do whatever it takes to secure tickets to one of the remaining shows on June 17 at 9:30 p.m. or June 20 at 9 p.m.  You can purchase your tickets here.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Met Again

VENUE:  Studio/Stage

REVIEW:   Met Again is the latest in a string of hits that Theater Unleashed has mounted at Fringe.  This show had everything a great Fringe show needs – amazing acting, a compelling story, and a stellar audience, which included my friend and fellow critic Tracey Paleo of Gia on the Move. Julia Plostnieks and Michael Lutheran turned in Tony Award worthy performances as the central characters, and were supported by the likewise stellar acting of Megan Duquette and Graydon Schlichter.  This play showed the power of love as it told the story of a couple that went through a lot of ups and downs during their journey through life and death.  It was beautiful, bittersweet, and gave us hope that we could all find a love like these two shared.  Plostnieks is one of the most talented actresses to ever grace the stage at Fringe, and has consistently turned in amazing performances, especially during [title of show].  She surpassed her previous performances with this one, and is worthy of Best Actress, were such an award given at Fringe.  The pairing of this show with Women of Lockerbie was genius, and gave us a beautiful feeling to end the night.

RECOMMENDATION:  Don’t even think about it – this one is a MUST SEE.  Make your plans NOW to attend one of their remaining performances on June 20 at 7:30 p.m. and June 23 at 5 p.m.  Grab your tickets TODAY by clicking here.

Our evening didn’t end there, as we headed back over to Three Clubs to close out the night with the rollicking fun of Cherryoke.  What a fun time, and the hostess was none other than Taylor Baker of Cherry Poppins.  What a fun time was had by all, with amazing performances by such Fringe luminaries as Michael Shaw Fisher, David Haverty, Victoria Watson, and Reagan Osborne, among others.

We’ll be packing in nine shows on Saturday and another five on Sunday, so we won’t be posting any reviews until Monday.  Have a wonderful Father’s Day weekend.  Hope to see you out and about the Fringe.

 

 

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Fringe Shows Hollywood Fringe Festival Reviews See it or Skip it Women in Entertainment

HFF18 day 4 – see it or skip it (part 2)

Our final show for Thursday was our most anticipated one at this year’s Fringe – the marriage of Orgasmico Theatre Co and Cherry Poppins.  Here’s the low down.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Doctor Nympho vs. The Sex Zombies

VENUE:  Three Clubs

REVIEW:   When we found out that Michael Shaw Fisher was writing a rock musical for this year’s Fringe, we were excited, and when we realized it would be done by the Cherry Poppins crew, we were over the moon.  The five year wait (since 2013’s Exorcistic) was worth it, as this show is a masterpiece from start to finish.

We still remember the way we felt when we first saw Doomsday Cabaret, and the feeling was back on the first note of Doctor Nympho.  Director Sarah Haworth brought out every nuance of Fisher’s amazing music and book, and the over-packed venue responded enthusiastically.

The story line about a virus that turns people into sex zombies was wonderfully laid out and brought to reality by the amazing members of Cherry Poppins, including the central cast of Alli Miller as Dr. Nympho, Fisher as her husband, with Kim Dalton and Kristyn Evelyn as their children.  Haworth led the sex zombies, joined by Amber Braken, Reagan Osborne, Cory Robinson, Meredith Lim and Lauren Avon.  They were ably supported by Jeff Sumner as Jerry, Rebecca Reaney as Dr. Shatz, Shannon Glasgow as Stacy, Schoen Hodges as Adam and Sarah Wines as Eve, with special dance appearances by Taylor Baker as Poet and Brin Hamblin as Virus.

Of course, what would a rock musical be without a killer band, and this one was truly amazing, led by Sandy Chao Wong.  She was joined by Krishnan Swamiathan on bass, Ludvig Brathan and Kenny Echizen on guitar and Tim McIntyre and Dennis Nilsson on drums.

Very special kudos to the choreography team of Hamblin, Reaney, Haworth and Miller, who somehow managed to keep this huge cast dancing and performing on the venue’s postage stamp sized stage, without any major incidents.  It was an incredibly thing of beauty to watch this amazing cast dance, sing and act, and we left the venue feeling just as good as we did the first (and the 12th) time we saw Doomsday Cabaret.

RECOMMENDATION:  If you only see one Fringe show, then this had better be it.  But be forewarned – it will SELL OUT, so make our plans to attend the remaining performances on June 16 at 5 p.m., June 21 at 7 p.m. and June 23 at 11 p.m.  You can purchase tickets here.

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Fringe Shows Hollywood Fringe Festival Reviews See it or Skip it Women in Entertainment

HFF18 day 3 – see it or skip it (part 2)

You can catch part 1 here.

We were fortunate again to have the honor of Rasika Mathur joining us for our final two shows of the day.  If you remember, The Craftlesque was #2 on our list of most anticipated shows, so we were extremely excited to get to see it, and have the chance to interact with one of the best companies at the Fringe – Cherry Poppins Productions.

TITLE OF SHOW:  The Craftlesque

VENUE:  Three Clubs

REVIEW:   Unlike the last show we reviewed, we knew perfectly well what to expect from this show – complete and utter awesomeness.  The Cherries did not disappoint.  Even though we had long forgotten the backstory of the movie, they use enough of the storyline to help us remember, but the true beauty of a Cherry Poppins show is the triple threats that make up their cast.  Not only are these ladies beautiful, but they can dance, sing and act with the best of them.

The coven was played by Shannon Glasgow (New Girl), Heath Butler (Psycho Girl), Cassandra Nuss (Burnt Girl) and Markesha Chatfield (Ethnic Girl).  The supporting cast was led by the unforgettable Alli Miller (Water Element, Christa, Bitch Girl), as well as Lauren Avon (Earth Element), Madeleine Heil (Fire Element) and Sabrina Moisoyev (Air Element).

it was amazingly directed by Sarah Haworth, choreographed by Brin Hamblin, Sarah Wines, Sarah Haworth and Ali Miller, and costumed by Kelly Stevenson.  Once again the Cherries have outdone themselves and given the Fringe another memorable performance.

RECOMMENDATION:  Duh, go see it!!!  Remaining shows include June 15 at 11 p.m., June 20 at 8 p.m. and June 22 at 11 p.m.  Please be advised the Cherries are known to SELL OUT, so grab your tickets while you still can by clicking here.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Nobody’s Really Helped Me

VENUE:  The Broadwater Studio

REVIEW:   We met Lanessa Long at our first HFF18 show on Monday night, and instantly liked this young lady.  When she told us she also had a Fringe show, we knew we had to check it out, and what a treat it was.  Long recently graduated from art school, and is also a singer-songwriter.  She’s also 22, and immersed in all the angst of having to go out into the world and make a living, thus forming the basis for her show.

Long is a natural comedienne.  Her show was essentially a stand up comedy routine which included music, reminding us of the great Judy Tenuta.  She had the audience in stitches throughout her show, and definitely gave them something to think about and to enjoy.  Her stories were heartfelt and so relatable, and her musical accompaniment was a joy to behold.  We think Long has a definite future in both theatre and music, and look forward to seeing what the future holds for her.

RECOMMENDATION.  Definitely see this one, if you love music and love to laugh.  Her remaining shows are June 16 at 7 p.m. and June 23 at 1:30 p.m.  You can purchase your tickets by clicking here.

 

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Hollywood Fringe Festival See it or Skip it Theatre Women in Entertainment

HFF18 day 1 – see it or skip it

After 17 hours of driving, and an overnight stay in Las Vegas, we arrived in Los Angeles mid afternoon.  Our first show wasn’t until 7 p.m., so we had time to visit with friends, get situated at the airBNB and clean up before heading into Hollywood for our first night of fringing.

Our first stop was the newly opened Hobgoblin Playhouse (6520 Hollywood Boulevard), managed by the stellar team of Greg Crafts and Jenn Scuderi Crafts, who also manage Studio/Stage.  It was great to catch up with them pre-show, and to hear the back story about our first show of #HFF18, which was written and performed by Laura Jo Trexler.

Once they got the contract to manage the space, they discovered this beautiful grand piano inside.  They called Trexler to come and tune the piano.  During the session, she mentioned that she had written a one-woman show and asked if they knew where she could perform it.  Obviously, the response was “At the Fringe,” and the rest, they say, is history.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Play On!  A Musical Romp with Shakespeare’s Heroines

VENUE:  The Hobgoblin Playhouse

REVIEW: Trexler is incredible, both as an actress and musician.  The songs she has so skillfully created depict the true character of each of these legendary women as written about by William Shakespeare, including Juliet, Rosalind, Ophelia, Olivia, Beatrice, Viola, Adriana, Lady M, Gertrude, and the Dark Lady,   The production was in every way imaginable just perfect, and set the bar extremely high for this year’s Fringe.  Greg Crafts did an admirable job stepping in for the stage manager, who was under the weather, and perfectly executed the lighting plan.  Trexler’s performance had all that you would expect from a Broadway show, with just the right amount of theatricality added to the songs to make them come alive and memorable.  She even had recorded a soundtrack of the songs, and made the CD available for her patrons at a “pay what you can” price.  This was definitely the way to start our 2018 Fringe Experience.  Welcome to the Fringe, Laura Jo!  We’re so glad we found you.

RECOMMENDATION:  This one is a no-brainer.  You simply must see this show, especially if you love music and Shakespeare.  This one deserves a long run.  You can still catch it on June 15 at 10 p.m., June 16 at noon and June 24 at 11:30 a.m., or buy the soundtrack and listen it these great songs over and over again.  You can purchase your tickets here.

Our next show wasn’t for a couple of hours, so we headed over to Fringe Concierge to pick up our credentials and then stopped at Three Clubs for a drink.  It was wonderful to run into several of the Cherry Poppins ladies, including Alli Miller, Sarah Haworth Hodges, and Sarah Wines, along with their amazing cohorts including Michael Shaw Fisher, Cory Robinson and Schoen Hodges.  We even managed to find Laura Wiley there as well.

We headed back to The Complex for our 10:30 show at The Flight Theatre, and ran into Victoria Watson and Better-Lemons‘ own Enci Box.  Watch for our reviews on that website as well.  Before we knew it, it was time for our second show of the night.

TITLE OF SHOW:  The Rental

VENUE:  The Flight Theatre at The Complex

REVIEW: This one was a last minute addition to our schedule, and boy are we glad we went.  This show was impeccable, and wonderfully written and directed by Ben Ubiñas.  The show starred Jake Corvino and Ali Astin, the amazing actress daughter of Sean Astin, best known to millions as “Sam” in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.  In today’s era of #MeToo, female empowerment and sexual politics, this show was right on point.  Both Astin and Corvino turned in Tony Award-worthy performances as a call girl and her virgin client.  The story takes you in one direction and then shifts into an entirely different one, with mind-blowing results.  Trust us when we say that you will walk away from this one with an entirely new perspective on the world’s oldest profession.

RECOMMENDATION:  This one is likewise a no-brainer.  There is only one performance left on June 14 at 6 p.m., and you owe it to yourself to attend.  You can grab your tickets here.

It was so good catching up with Ali after the performance.  We hadn’t seen her since 2012 when we worked at the Renaissance Faire.  We are sure the world will be seeing a lot more of this amazing actress.

 

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Hollywood Fringe Festival Theatre

Ten most anticipated shows at HFF18

We can hardly believe that it’s time again to head down to Los Angeles for the ninth annual Hollywood Fringe Festival.  Out of the 380 available shows, we have chosen 51 to attend, including about 15 we are screening for our annual Larry Cornwall Award for Musical Excellence.  Here are the ten shows we are most excited about.  We are including links to their pages as well as the name of the venue.

10.  Earworm (McCadden Theatre) – We love the premise of this show and think it could be fun.  They are also up for the Larry Cornwall Award.

9.  Sex and the Musical (Three Clubs).  Laura Wiley brought us the incredibly fun Buffy kills Edward last year and we can’t wait to see what she does with this one, a prequel to the beloved Sex and the City show from HBO.

8,  With my Eyes Shut (Studio/Stage).  One of our favorite actresses from last year was Esther Mira.  She’s back with a new show, and it’s also being considered for the Larry Cornwall Award.

7.  Wild at Hart (The Lounge).  Solo shows are always a big hit for us at Fringe, and no one directs them better than Jessica Lynn Johnson.  This one should be great and it’s up for a Larry Cornwall Award as well.

6.  Sam Shaber:  Lie, Death & Duran Duran (The Complex).  Who doesn’t love the music of Duran Duran?  We are definitely intrigued by this one and it’s also being considered for the Larry Cornwall Award.

5.  Met Again (Studio/Stage).  A tender love story, and it’s a Theatre Unleashed show.  What more do we need to say?

4.  Stripped (The Broadwater).  Fringe gives us the chance to check out the taboo, and to see it from different viewpoints.  This one should be interesting to view, and it’s up for a Larry Cornwall Award as well.

3.  A Very Die Hard Christmas (Studio/Stage).  Living in Montana, we have missed this holiday show from Theatre Unleashed for the past three years.  We are true Die Hard fans and can’t wait to see this production.  Besides, who doesn’t want to see Jim Martyka as a villain?  This one is also being considered for the Larry Cornwall Award.

2.  Doctor Nympho vs. The Sex Zombies (Three Clubs).  Three words sum up this one – Michael Shaw Fisher!  This is the first Orgasmico musical since 2013’s Exorcistic, and he’s doing it in conjunction with one of the hottest companies at Fringe – Cherry Poppins.  What can go wrong?

1,  The Craftlesque (Three Clubs).  This is another show that we have missed being in Montana.  Alli Miller and Sarah Haworth Hodges and their Cherry Poppins ladies are sure to make this one great.

We’ll see you in Los Angeles Monday night.  This is gonna be epic!

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Artists Worth Checking Out Fringe Shows Hollywood Fringe Festival LA Music Critic Awards Monday Mashup Theatre Women in Entertainment

Monday mashup 2017: Vol. 19

Welcome to a new week.  Next month at this time we will be in Los Angeles for the final two weeks of the Hollywood Fringe Festival.  We are pleased to announce that we will be sponsoring our first award this year, in honor of our friend Larry Cornwall, who passed away in March from brain cancer.  The Larry Cornwall Award for Musical Excellence will be given to a play that best incorporates music within its context.  We are also happy to announce that the uber-talented Alli Miller and Michael Shaw Fisher will be assisting us in determining the winner of the award.  Both of them are multi-winners at Fringe, and integral parts of their companies, Cherry Poppins Productions and Sacred Fools.  Come join us at the Fringe!

SHANNON HURLEY TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM

Shannon Hurley has launched a pre-sale for her new album, New Day, which will be released on June 30.  We will have a review of the album posted shortly.  In the meantime, check out her website and pre-order the album.  Based on what she has done in the past, we are sure this new album will be equally wonderful.

MUSIC VIDEOS

Our only new video this week comes from the Big Apple.  The New ResistANTS released their video for “Onny Swar” on May 11.  We kinda like this grunge-punk sound and think you will too.

NEW SINGLES

Toronto-based High Signs has released the first single, “A Much Larger Ocean,” from their forthcoming album If So, Then What?  This hard-driving rock song contains some powerful truth.  Let us know what you think.

For all you electronica fans, here’s the latest from Adrian Underhill.  He has asked Toronto-based producer Harrison to remix the song, and we like the results.  Let us know what you think.

Last, but not least, we present 19-year old Kylie Odetta with the first single, “Stress,” from her new EP, Undertow, set to be released on May 19.  We think her vocals are dreamy and look forward to hearing more from this up and coming artist.