Category: Fringe Shows

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

HFF18 day 6 – see it or skip it (part 3)

You can find part 1 here and part 2 here.

We closed out our Saturday with another Jessica Lynn Johnson-directed show, an Alan Arkin-written and Glenn Morshower-directed show, and a couple hours of fun at the newly-opened Plunge bar at the Broadwater.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Confessions of a Hopeful Southerner . . . in Front of Strangers

VENUE:  Asylum Studio C

REVIEW:  Melinda Grace has a passion to be an actress, and the support of her father to pursue her dreams.  She leaves the comforts of her home in Texas for a chance at fulfillment in the Big Apple,   She gets a full-time job to support herself and starts taking acting classes on doing monologues.  The show takes us through her eight-week class, week by week, as she learns the important lessons about the search for success in the world of acting.  We laugh, we get frustrated, we remember similar events in our own lives, and leave the theater refreshed, encouraged and ready to tackle our own dreams.  This one is a gem, and Jessica Lynn Johnson has outdone herself in her skillful direction and discovery of Grace’s powerful story.

RECOMMENDATION:  Your Fringe experience will not be complete without seeing this show.  She has one remaining performance on June 22 at 7 p.m., and we truly believe you should be there.  Here is the link to get your tickets.

We had intended to see another show, but after seeing seven straight shows between 11:30 and 10 p.m., we needed a break, so we headed to the Plunge, which just opened that day.  We had a wonderful time catching up with David Haverty, Victor Isaac, Marz Richards, Lauren van Kurin and others before heading down to the Lounge for our final show of the evening.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Virtual Reality

VENUE:  The Lounge

REVIEW:  We have been fans of Morshower since he first appeared on the big screen, and got to know him as part of the 2010 Burbank International Film Festival.  We also became Facebook friends, so when he posted about the Fringe show that he was directing, we knew we simply had to see it.  This amazing show, written by the brilliant Alan Arkin, features two of Glenn’s Extra Mile students, Jeff Elam and Matt Tramel, who are simply brilliant.  It takes a special kind of actor to do an entire play in pantomime, and these are two of the best.  Their sense of time, their control of their emotions and their lack of fear at the absurd are clearly demonstrated by their performance.  We felt privileged to be at their closing performance, and look forward to seeing future shows involving these two talented actors.  They made us BELIEVE, and that is the greatest accomplishment that any actor can achieve.

RECOMMENDATION:  Pray that they get an encore, because you simply must join in the sheer joy of this production.

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

HFF18 day 6 – see it or skip it (part 2)

You can find part 1 here.

We continued our solo show adventure with a couple of shows that included amazing music, and a show the demonstrated the power of change.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Sam Shaber:  Life, Death & Duran Duran

VENUE:  Ruby Theatre at the Complex

REVIEW:   Sam Shaber is a rock star, of that there can be no doubt.  She is a prolific musician, with 12 albums released to date.  She is also a hell of a storyteller, and this show was worthy of an award of the highest caliber.  She weaved her love of Duran Duran into the fabric of her story, talking about the highlights and the low lights of life and death.  She has suffered a lot of loss in her life, but you wouldn’t know it from looking at her or talking with her.  She is bright and bubbly, and exudes confidence and light.  Her songwriting is brilliant, and her musical abilities place her at the top of the indie music scene.  She packed the house and truly gave everyone a show they will never forget.  We feel so fortunate to have had the privilege of seeing it, and will carry its message in our hearts forever.

RECOMMENDATION:  There is only one more show left on June 21 at 10:30 p.m., and we HIGHLY recommend you get your tickets – you don’t want to miss this one.  Grab your tickets here.

TITLE OF SHOW:  The Maya in Me

VENUE:  The Broadwater Second Stage

REVIEW:   Dr. Tameka Bob is a one-woman army.  Her delightful multi-media show includes an amazing live band (Ill Atmospherics), rap, spoken word and impeccable dancing, all centered around the words of the late Dr. Maya Angelou.  Set in New Orleans, the show shares her story of the conflict between faith and desire, of the hard lessons of love, and the ultimate redemption of the soul by being true to the foundation of her faith.  It is presented with clock-like  precision and timing, and is truly ready for Broadway and beyond.  The message of the show is so important that Dr. Bob needs to take it to the world, giving everyone else the benefit of her hard-fought wisdom, and the opportunity to find a better way for their own life.

RECOMMENDATION:  You simply MUST see this breathtaking show.  It is by far one of the best shows at this year’s Fringe, and is high on this reviewer’s list of the Best of HFF18.  Although this was her closing performance at Fringe, we are confident that she will return for an Encore performance.  If she does, don’t miss it!

TITLE OF SHOW:  Alexa Turn Off Heartbreak

VENUE:  Asylum Studio C

REVIEW:  Sasha Boggs and Tara Erickson are heartbroken, but they are brilliant comedic actresses as well.  They have a way of turning their pain into our entertainment and edification, truly reflecting that laughter is the best medicine.  We laugh out loud to their zany antics because we know that we have likewise been through that darkness, and hopefully all come back out into the light.  At times you want to go up and just give them a hug, but ultimately you just want to head to the bar with them and throw down a drink.  If you need some comic relief after seeing some of the more serious shows at Fringe, then this is one of the best places to get that relief.

RECOMMENDATION:   You definitely want to make time in your hectic Fringe schedule for this one.  It will be well worth your investment of time and money.  Catch one of their remaining performances on June 21 at 5:30 p.m. or June 24 at 1:30 p.m.  You can purchase tickets here.

Don’t go away – part 3 is coming up next!

 

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

HFF18 day 6 – see it or skip it (part 1)

Saturday was our busiest day of HFF18, with nine shows on our schedule, ranging from 11:30 a.m. to 11:55 p.m.  We knocked out the Friday reviews and then headed down to Fringe – first stop, The Broadwater.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Stripped

VENUE:  The Broadwater Studio

REVIEW:   Julia Cavanaugh is a former exotic dancer who discovered that recovery from emotional trauma is possible, and doesn’t require you to remove your clothes.  She was extremely vulnerable during the show, and shared her hard fought lessons learned with strength and confidence.  Although not quite yet a triple threat, she did have an amazing voice, and supplemented her impressive acting skills with that beautiful singing voice.  The show was humorous and powerful, and left this reviewer wanting to know more.  We will definitely be looking for bigger and better for Ms. Cavanaugh.  This was the first of five shows we reviewed on Saturday that were directed or assisted by the Queen of the Solo show herself, Jessica Lynn Johnson, and it was great to see her impressive students, and have the chance to hang out with her at the first three shows.

RECOMMENDATION:  This was one of the best solo shows we’ve seen this year.  Don’t miss your chance to check it out.  She has one show remaining on June 21 at 9:30 p.m.  Grab your tickets here.

TITLE OF SHOW:  My Calico Soul

VENUE:  The Broadwater Studio

REVIEW:   Steve Brock is many things – singer-songwriter, actor, bisexual, autistic, talented, but what he definitely is not is timid.  He confidently tells his story in song and speech, and draws the audience in with his sweetness and charm.  He was honest about his labels – those imparted on him and those he assigned himself.  He led the audience through his life story, and even had a talk back session at the end so that the audience could ask question about anything they did not understand.  Although there were some technical issues, Brock handled them with grace, and did not let them interfere with his show.  His voice is sweet and he writes beautiful songs, especially the title track that he uses to open and close the show.  All in all it was a most worthy effort.

RECOMMENDATION:  You should definitely check this one out, especially if you like to see how hard work and perseverance wins out over obstacles.  His remaining shows are June 22 at 9:30 p.m. and June 24 at 4 p.m.  You can buy your tickets here.

TITLE OF SHOW:  #METOO

VENUE:  Asylum Studio C

REVIEW:   Star Stone brings one of the most timely of topics to the Fringe stage – #metoo.  Her performance breaks chains and shatters taboos about eating disorders, alcoholism and unwanted sexual advances.  Her courage is manifested in this show, and the 25 characters you will meet explain the struggles she has endured, and eventually conquered.  You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll get pissed off, but ultimately you will be proud of her accomplishments in the struggle for female empowerment and the right to say “No.”  Consent is far too often a difficult thing to obtain, but men in general need to understand that it is a mandatory part of any sexual encounter.  Stone reminds us of this, and helps liberate us from the belief that men always get their way – by any means necessary.  We reject that notion, and vow to always obtain consent, whether it has been granted before or not.  Men have no right to assume that just because she doesn’t say anything, it’s all right to proceed.  Let us treat each other like we want to be treated, and allow true love to grow and healing to begin.

RECOMMENDATION:  Every man in Los Angeles needs to see this show and learn the truth, and every woman needs to come and be uplifted with this positive message.  The final show is June 22 at 8:30 p.m.  Get your tickets here.

We’ll be right back with part 2.

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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 4 – see it or skip it (part 1)

Day 3 was our busiest day yet with five shows, and we were out late enjoying the Fringe.  Writing the reviews took two articles, and we were a little tired after the first one so we laid down to rest.  Three hours later we awoke, having missed our first show of 2018.  Nevertheless, we got our second article finished and relaxed until time to head out for the first of four shows on Day 4.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Skin Jobs

VENUE:  The Broadwater Studio

REVIEW:   We didn’t really know what to expect from this show, but we had heard the buzz and needed to check it out.  The subject matter deals with the practice of “whitewashing” – using white actors for what should be ethnic actors and then changing their appearance in post-production.  The show is the debut of famed playwright and journalist Jim Vejvoda and is directed by the equally famous director Lee Costello.  Their casting of Virginia Tran as Kerri and Aussie transplant Claire Fazzolari as Viv was perfect, and brought home the reality of the play.  The venue was packed, the anticipation was palpable, and the actors did not disappoint.  This just might be one of this year’s hidden gems.  They both delivered sparkling performances, and the chemistry between them was very real.  It was also a blast to talk to Claire after the show and hear that beautiful Aussie accent, which she so skillfully hides during the performance.

RECOMMENDATION:  You should definitely see this one.  Unfortunately, there is only one additional show on June 20, and it is sold out.  Hopefully this show will be extended so additional people will have the chance to check it out.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Lorelei:  I’m Coming Out!

VENUE:  Three Clubs

REVIEW:   What is Fringe without a drag queen?  In years past, that queen has been Lyla, and she has delivered a couple of amazing and award-winning shows.  With Lyla nowhere to be found, Lorelei has stepped up and delivered a smashing performance about her coming out, complete with original music, a live band, and all that goes with the perfect drag queen show.  Lorelei has written a great book and lyrics, and the music composed by band leader Raiah Rofsky is to die for.  Her score was perfectly delivered by Mina Bloom (piano), Marlon Meyerson (bass), J.J Ross (percussion), and Justina Jones (violin).  The show was the perfect combination of word and song, with some nice multi-media thrown in for good measure.  All in all it was a rousing good time at the Fringe.

RECOMMENDATION:  If you aren’t afraid of the queer, then you should check this one out.  If you are queer (and even if you aren’t), you will probably love it as much as we did.  Check out one of her remaining shows on June 22 or 23 at 7 p.m.  You can purchase tickets here.

TITLE OF SHOW:  The Word

VENUE:  Three Clubs

REVIEW:   Who doesn’t love or want a chance for redemption?  Victor Isaac has written a brilliant show about redemption and forgiveness of the hardest kind – forgiving yourself.  He skillfully weaves together the stories of the Rev. Johnson of the First Church of the Holy Homeboy and inmate Lewayne Johnson – two apparently different ends of the spectrum.  Or are they?  Director JJ Mayes proves he is more than just a great Fringe performer with the brilliant direction he gives this show, and he had the fortune of having such amazing material to work with.

RECOMMENDATION:  This show is a must see and sure to become one of this year’s Fringe hits.  To find out what happened, be there for one of the remaining shows on June 20 at 10 p.m. or June 23 at 3:30 p.m.  You can purchase tickets here.

We’ll be right back with part 2.

 

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

HFF18 day 3 – see it or skip it (part 1)

Yesterday was another easy day of reviews, with time left over to catch a movie.  We checked out Ocean’s 8, and it was perfect, and even told a convincing story of the connection between the movies staring George Clooney and the current one with Julia Roberts.  Afterwards it was time to head down to the Fringe, with five shows on our schedule.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Dracula’s Taste Test

VENUE:  The Broadwater Black Box

REVIEW:   We had no idea what to expect from this show, and picked it because it had Dracula in the title.  We were pleasantly surprised to find it a rollicking good time, singing karaoke with Dracula and his monster friends, and listening to Quasimodo deliver the perfect stand-up comedy routine.  The cast was amazing, with knock-out performances by Carrie Keranen as Quasimodo, Jeff Sumner as Creep, Crystal Keith as the Ghost of Mina Harker and Marz Richards as Dracula.   C.J. Merriman did a great job of choreographing and directing this show, with musical direction by Ryan Johnson, who also provided the piano accompaniment as The Phantom of the Opera.  This is the kind of show you can only get at Fringe – no agenda, no propaganda, and no purpose other than to just have fun.

RECOMMENDATION:  If you want a good time, and to forget about the world for an hour, come immerse yourself in this show.  It is just what the doctor ordered.  You can still catch it on June 17 at 6 p.m. and June 21 at 10 p.m.   You can purchase your tickets here.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Echoes

VENUE:  The Broadwater Second Stage

REVIEW:   It was a honor to review this play, which has already won awards around the world, including the Adelaide Fringe, Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Prague Fringe.  The cast of Catherine Lidstone as Samira and Bree Wernicke as Tillie was sheer perfection, bringing this interesting parallel story to life.  We quickly lost track of time as these ladies told their individual tales.  Despite them being 175 years apart, they were similar in so many ways, living in a time and place where females were not respected and were forced to be whatever their abusive husbands wanted.  To share in their tenacity for justice and freedom and their mission to help others was the core of the show, and the audience was buying every second of this magnificent performance.   The simplistic staging added to the timeliness of the story, which comes at a time when women are once again rising up against their male antagonists.    This one is well worth the investment of time and money, for the knowledge you can glean from it is without price.

RECOMMENDATION:  Definitely see it – it is a treasure that will become a powerful motivator for change.  Catch one of their remaining performances on June 14 at 8 p.m., June 15 at 7:30 p.m., June 17 at 4 p.m., June 21 at 5:30 p.m. and June 22 at 9 p.m.  You can buy tickets here.

TITLE OF SHOW:  The Other Side of the Razor Ribbon

VENUE:  Asylum Studio C

REVIEW:  This was our first solo play, and we were looking forward to it because of the subject matter – writing.  As writers, we are always looking for helpful hints and ways to improve our blog, and to have the opportunity to hear from the acclaimed “Memoir Midwife” seemed like a good idea.  However, it wasn’t exactly what we had thought it would be.  Stacy Dymalski wrote the show, based on her encounter with a budding writer, David C. Taylor, who was incarcerated for human smuggling.   Dymalski worked with Taylor for several years, mailing his transcripts back and forth while creating what was to become the Jacumba Connection.  We expected the show to be more about that interaction, but the majority of the show was spent on explaining Dymalski’s personal backstory.  While that was interesting, it was not the story that the title reflected.  We think the show would have benefitted greatly by having a director, as the backstory portion was longer than the subject matter portion.  Still, it was a worthy effort, and the inclusion of her musically gifted son Derrick (who played flute, clarinet and sax) helped set the mood for the show with his beautiful compositions.

RECOMMENDATION:  This is a good Fringe show that could be tweaked to be even better.  We still think you should see it, just don’t go expecting to hear a lot about the writing process.  Enjoy the music and listen to the story and you’ll leave fulfilled.  Remaining performances are June 16 at noon, June 21 at 7 p.m. and June 23 at 3 p.m.  Tickets can be purchased here.

Don’t go away – part 2 is coming soon.

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Fringe Shows Hollywood Fringe Festival Theatre Women in Entertainment

Our favorite shows at HFF17

Well, the 2017 Hollywood Fringe Festival is in the books, and what a magnificent event it was this year.  There were 375 shows and more than 2,000 performances during the 17-day run, and we had the privilege of seeing 37 of those shows during our short nine days in Los Angeles.  Here are our top 10 shows.

10.  The Rise and Fall of Dracula.  This was our first exposure to immersive theater, and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  The show was wonderful created by Cassandra Ambe, perfectly executed by her cast, and was a true feast for the audience.

9.  Under the Jello Mold.  Jennie Fahn is the consummate performer, who brought this story to life under the expert directorship of Tom Cavanaugh.  The story was so moving that my wife immediately texted her mom as soon as we left the theater.

8.  The Spidey Project.  Theatre Unleased outdid themselves again, and both of their productions made it into our Top 10 list.  We loved the songs, the performances and the cast of this show, which brought this origin story new life.  Well done!

7.  Three Can Keep a Secret.  The other Theatre Unleashed production, which was even more fun because of the audience interaction.  Great job of playwriting Mr. Crafts.  Perfectly casted and well done.

6.  Hey Hollywood My Hustle Has ADHD.  Rasika Mathur was amazing in this delightful show about coming to terms with a particular brand of mental illness that I am all too conscious of.  We laughed and cried at her dramatic show, and the fringeship that came of it.

5.  The Girl Who Jumped Off the Hollywood Sign.  This show did not disappoint from the hype and buzz we heard, and we were extremely glad that we got to see it.  It was historically accurate and the amazing voice of Joanne Hartstone was a joy to our ears.  Thanks for coming from ‘down under’ to bring your magic to this year’s fringe.

4.  Chemo Barbie.  No previous fringe show has ever moved me the way this one did.  Hats off to Heather Keller for her amazing courage in sharing this very fresh story with us, and for giving us the inspiration to make each day our best day.  This is what Fringe is all about.

3.  Shakeslesque.  What else can be said about the amazing ladies (and gents) of Cherry Poppins?  Alli Miller and Sarah Haworth Hodges have assembled the cream of the crop and have once again delivered a memorable and joyous good time.  It was so beautiful to see them get the recognition they deserved with their two Freak awards for Best Cabaret and Top of the Fringe.

2.  Turbulence.  Speaking of amazing, how about those guys and girls at Robot Teammate?  For the second year in a row, they have delivered a stunning original musical that has made even the local music scene stand up and take notice.  Congrats on your numerous awards, including Best Musical.

1.  Mexistani.  Sofie Khan is amazing, both as an actress and a person.  Her show demonstrated that we still have a long way to go towards acceptance of people, especially those of mixed heritage.  But if nothing else, her show gave us hope that with people like Sofie leading the charge, we have a great chance of getting there.

We also wanted to give kudos to two venues that went out of their way to make Fringe special – Studio/Stage and Sacred Fools.  Even though they were “off the beaten path, Studio/Stage’s amazing line-up of shows made it easy to schedule and spend a block of time at the venue.  Sacred Fools made sure that patrons were well taken care of, proving free water and snow cones to help alleviate the heat.  Hats off to both of you!

Last but not least, that you to the participants, to the new fringeships from this year and the renewed ones from previous years.  You make Fringe the special place that it is, and the reason we drive 3,000 miles every year to be a part of it.

 

 

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

HFF 17 – see it or skip it (day 9)

We’ve reached the end of our Fringe experience for 2017.  It was an amazing ride – 3,396 miles driven, 11 wonderful nights at Castle Zharinov, 20 new fringeships and countless more renewed.  And along the way we got to see 37 shows and give out our first Fringe award.  We will be back later with our own awards for the shows that we saw, so go ahead and follow our blog so you won’t miss anything.  Here are our final three reviews.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Why we Become Witches

VENUE:  Sacred Fools Studio

REVIEW:  My wife really wanted to see this show, which is based on the novel, Lolly Willowes or The Loving Huntsman, written by Sylvia Townsend Warner.  It was not at all what we expected.  The best thing about the show was the dynamic performance by Lisa K. Wyatt, an amazing actress who has multiple television and film credits.  She brought the story to life and kept the audience firmly engrossed in the show.  Kudos to Kate Motzenbacker for a wonderful job of directing.  Congratulations on your Encore award.

RECOMMENDATION:  Definitely check this one out during the Encore run.  It is worth your time.

TITLE OF SHOW:  The David Mayes Show

VENUE:  Sacred Fools Studio

REVIEW:  David Mayes and his brother JJ are staples at Sacred Fools.  We had heard mixed reviews about his show, so we had not added it to our schedule.  However on Saturday night, we sat and chatted with them at Fringe Central, and ended up receiving a pair of tickets to check out the show.  Much to our chagrin, it’s really good.  David has assembled the who’s who of Sacred Fools to populate this fake talk show and turned it into such a farce that you couldn’t help but laugh.  The biggest treat was finding out that one of our favorite actresses, Carrie Kerranen, of Lamprey fame, was an audience plant who crawled from the back row to the front row to be a part of the show.  Well done Sacred Fools!!

RECOMMENDATION:  Sad but true, The David Mayes Show is a must see.  Too bad it didn’t get an Encore.

TITLE OF SHOW:  I’m too Fat for This Show

VENUE:  Lounge Theatre 2

REVIEW:  We met Kate Huffman at our first Lounge show this year (Hey Hollywood My Hustle has ADHD) and after chatting with her a bit decided to close out our Fringe run this year with her show.  It was one of several this year about the struggles with real world issues.  While we loved her performance and applaud her efforts to be transparent about her struggle, we left the show feeling like the story was not yet complete, that merely accepting your condition is not the same as overcoming it.  In addition, the show’s 70 minute length is a little long for a solo show, and it might help to tighten it up a bit.  Overall, it was an amazing show, and we wish Kate well in her acting career.  Congrats on your Encore.

RECOMMENDATION:  This show and Kate Huffman in particular are worthy of your time and attendance.  We recommend you See this show during its Encore run.