Tag: Robot Teammate

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Fringe Shows Hollywood Fringe Festival Reviews See it or Skip it

HFF19 day 3 (part 2) – see it or skip it

We’re back for the second half of our day of shows on Saturday.  You can find part 1 here.

TITLE OF SHOW:  How to be a Rock Star

VENUE:  The Complex (OMR Theater)

REVIEW:  As a music critic for the past 30 years, I went to this show expecting a musical, as advertised on his Fringe page.  Instead, the audience was “treated” to one of the most bizarre shows I have ever encountered at the Fringe.  While the public stands up and praises the Emperor’s new clothes, even though he is naked, this critic will call this show what it truly is – an absurdist vanity project that needs to be labelled as such,  If you like this kind of comedy, then have at it.  If you are looking for a serious musical show, then avoid this one like the plague.  Next to this turkey, Night of the Root Beer looks like a Tony-worthy Broadway hit.

RECOMMENDATION:  Most definitely SKIP this one, unless you like absurdist vanity projects.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Pockets

VENUE:  The Broadwater (Main Stage)

REVIEW:  Thank God for Robot Teammate.  Not only do they consistently present amazing musicals, but they were there to take the stink of “Rock Star” out of my mouth.  After creating the amazing musicals Turbulence and Thug Tunnel, they have truly knocked it out of the park with a walk off, two-out grand slam in the bottom of the ninth.  They still rely on their “core” crew, but this time around have added an entire company of worthy performers to the mix.  Hats off to Kat Primeau (Duchess), Chris Bramante (Veegan), Molly Dworsky (Bellamina “Pockets”)  and Dave Reynolds (Rob Cryer/ Barkley St. Piggins/Jim Val Jim) for their incredible work on this show.  We also congratulate and thank the rest of the cast for their great support and breathtaking  performances.  Last but not least, three cheers to Branson NeJame and the rest of his amazing band for their incredible live accompaniment.  If you love great musicals, this one is a definite contender for this year’s Best Musical.

RECOMMENDATION:  This is definitely a don’t miss show, so get your tickets before it sells out.  Remaining performances are June 18 at 10 p.m., June 22 at 1 p.m, June 26 at 5 p.m, June 28 at 8 p.m. and June 29 at 3 p.m.  Tickets are available on their Fringe project page.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Hell’s Finest

VENUE:  The Complex (Ruby Theater)

REVIEW:  Normally I shy away from immersive theater, and didn’t really know that this show was immersive.  I came based on the recommendation of Chambers Stevens.  The show is well written by Ashlynn Judy, with an amazing cast of characters, including my favorite, “S,” played by the effervescent Melissa Cindric.  It felt like a mash-up of Riverdale and Sabrina, and was a huge hit for the millennials in the audience.  Hats off to the entire cast for putting forth an extremely fun and immersive way to end my day.

RECOMMENDATION:  This one is definitely worth your time, especially if you love the supernatural and the immersive experience.  Remaining performances are June 22 and 28 at 30 minutes past midnight.  Tickets are available on her Fringe project page.

 

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Fringe Shows Hollywood Fringe Festival Reviews See it or Skip it Theatre

HFF17 – see it or skip it (day 4) part 3

We closed out our day with a pair of musicals, and they totally made our night.  They more than made up for the lack of Fringe shows we would be attending on Monday and Tuesday.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Turbulence!

VENUE:  Sacred Fools Main Stage

REVIEW:  Not since Orgasmico has a theater company become synonymous with great musicals.  Last year Robot Teammate brought us Thug Tunnel, which was pretty fricking amazing.  This year they have left that one in the dust with their current production of Turbulence!  From the first moment they took the stage, Kat Primeau. Chris Bramante, Miles Crosman, Dave Reynolds and Molly Dworsky owned the stage as they took the audience on a wild space race around the galaxy.  The chemistry between the members of this ensemble was palpable and the force was strong in them.  Two members of their killer band, Sam Johnides and Branson NeJame, even did double duty as the evil Martians, on top of the killer licks emanating from back stage.  This is one of those Fringe shows you don’t mind seeing more than once.

RECOMMENDATION:  Unless you want to be kidded for missing out on the BEST (according to my wife) show at HFF17, then you simply MUST See this show.  Make sure to catch one (or more) of their remaining shows on June 21 at 8:30 p.m. and June 22 at 10 p.m.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Buffy Kills Edward: A Musical Romp

VENUE:  The Three Clubs

REVIEW:  From the moment Laura Wiley told me about her idea for a cross-over event between the worlds of Buffy and Twilight, I had been dying to see this show.  The hype is real, people, this one is a blast.  The venue was packed with both Buffy and Twilight nerds, and I was firmly in the Twilight end.  But I still enjoyed the cross-over world where Buffy was allowed to kill Edward, and the ensuing war where she kills still more of them.  The very talented cast totally captured the nuances of their characters, including Bella’s annoying lip biting.  Kudos to Sherry Berg as Buffy, Kim Dalton as Alice, Dawn and Jane (which she NAILED), Corinne Mestemacher as Bella, Cory Robinson as Xander, Jacob, and Emmet, Lauren Sperling as Willow and Rosalie, Casey Suddeth as Edward, Spike and Aro and Matthew Thomas as Giles, Angel and Dr. Cullen.  Of course, none of these amazing performances would have been possible had Wiley not written such a wonderful musical.  Hats off to you, Laura, as well.

RECOMMENDATION:  Definitely See it, especially if you are a fan of either Buffy or Twilight.  It is well worth the effort.  The final show on June 22 at 7:30 p.m. is sold out, but get on the waiting list and you just might win the lottery.