We have been covering the Hollywood Fringe Festival since its inception in 2010, with the exception of 2015 when work prevented us from being there. During that time, we have seen a boatload of shows, most of them good, with some great and some not so great ones thrown in. We look forward to the schedule being announced on May 1, so that we have time to comb through the offerings and formulate our schedule to best view as many of the shows as we can. We truly love the new Scheduler feature on the Fringe website which has made creating this year’s schedule much easier.
This year are also privileged to be able to present our first award, the Larry Cornwall Award for Musical Excellence, which will honor a non-musical fringe show that best incorporates music into the show.
Based on our experience with certain companies and actors, we seek them out because they have traditionally given some of the best performances, and this year is no different. Here are our Top Ten most anticipated shows at this year’s festival. We are including the venue name in our description.
10. Hot Dates (3 Clubs). We picked this show because of the title, and because we absolutely love Deana Barone. We know that Barone always brings out the best in her clients, and this show just sounds like a lot of fun.
9. Chemo Barbie (Studio C). Like the previous show, we picked this show in part based on our previous relationship with the director, Jessica Lynn Johnson, who has directed some of the best theater we have seen at the Fringe. We do love solo shows, and Johnson’s clients have some of the most compelling stories.
8. Nosferatu (Studio/Stage). Who doesn’t like a classic horror story? We are intrigued by the twists in this particular production, such as a female in the lead role, but we have total faith that Michelle Holmes will deliver a stunning performance. This should be a great show.
7. Lovesick (Sacred Fools). This is another Jessica Lynn Johnson show, and it truly has us pumped for the Fringe. Although we are not familiar with the work of Gabriela Demarco, she has demonstrated in her marketing that she has great potential. We look forward to another great show here.
6. Under the Jello Mold (Ruby Theatre). Director/producer Tom Cavanaugh is another Fringe veteran that has consistently brought great shows to the Fringe, and we have no doubt that this will be another hit. This is also one of the shows being considered for the Cornwall Award.
5. The Girl Who Jumped Off the Hollywood Sign (Lounge). The fact that this show has won awards at other fringes was a compelling reason to add it to our list. We also love the Golden Age of Hollywood, and look forward to their interpretation of that time. Last but not least, this show is also up for the Cornwall Award.
4. Nothing Bad: A Werewolf Rock Musical (Studio/Stage). What would Fringe be like without a horror-themed rock musical? Michael Shaw Fisher and his company are not doing one this year, so we had to find another one to take its place, This one looked good for a number of reasons, and we are truly looking forward to being “rocked.”
3. Three Can Keep a Secret (Studio/Stage). Theatre Unleashed has consistently delivered great shows, so this one was a no-brainer. We love Greg Crafts and look forward to seeing one of his own plays. We are also looking forward to the remount of his previous show, The Spidey Project, which will give TU another opportunity to do what they do best – sing.
2. Turbulence (Sacred Fools). We fell in love with Robot Teammate last year when they delivered one of the best shows in Thug Tunnel. We are confident that they will do it again with this show.
- Shakeslesque (3 Clubs). Our most anticipated show this year is another no-brainer. Cherry Poppins delivered a mega-hit last year with their show, and have consistently offered LA some of its best entertainment value over the past year, with consistent sold-out shows. Not to mention the fact that the infamous Mr. Fisher is in the cast of this show, and the incredible talents of the Cherry Poppins ladies, especially Alli Miller and Sarah Haworth Hodges, this show is a can’t miss opportunity to see how the stories of Mr. Shakespeare translate into burlesque.
See you at the Fringe!