Category: Fringe Shows

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Fringe Shows

Ten Favorite Shows of HFF16 (wrap-up part 1)

What a festival HFF 16 proved to be.  I drove 2600 miles round trip to attend 35 shows in eight days, and reviewed every one of them on my blog and on the Fringe website.  I reconnected with past fringeships and built new ones.  I walked miles up and down Theater Row going from show to show.  I drank more than I have in the past two years.  But most importantly, I had fun, thanks to the amazing participants and Festival staff that make up the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

The Freaks will be handed out next Sunday for the best shows at Fringe, as voted on by the participants and those who have reviewed shows.  But I wanted to take this time to hand out some of my own awards.  Here are the bottom five of my top 10 favorite shows:

10.  Gilda:  A tribute to the beloved comedienne Gilda Radner.  Helena K. Cosentino gave us one of the best tribute shows I have ever seen.  She nailed many of Radner’s routines, but it was the way she captured the spirit of Radner that made this show so special.  Thanks Helena.

9.  Tilt.  With a cast like Ben Moroski and Michael Shaw Fisher, both multi-award winning actors, how could you lose?  You can’t.  This show was very different from what they have previously done, but different is good.  They both turned in amazing performances, and it was an honor to be able to witness this next step in their Fringe careers.

8.  The Old Woman.  John Grady has been bringing excellent theater to the Fringe since it started in 2010, and his latest offering continues that tradition.  It is a moving story that gives his audiences a chance to see his ballet skills.  It provided a much needed respite from the heat and refreshed my spirit.  Well done John.

7.  My Big Fat Blonde Musical.  I have to admit, I was a little skeptical about seeing this show.  Theresa Stroll has created a masterpiece of theater that brings attention to one of the remaining biases in Hollywood – being fat.  Stroll proves that she can write, sing, perform and do comedy just as well as a skinny person.  My hat is off to you Theresa.  Thanks for the reminder that we still have a long way to go in erasing stereotypes.

6.  Happy Hour.  Fringe is the time to try new approaches, and this one worked.  Combining elements of theatre with live music and dance movement outside the confines of a musical was brilliant.  I look forward to seeing what Elitia Daniels and Wesley Flowers come up with next.  Hats off to the Venice Symphony Orchestra for making the show powerful and fun, and for bringing music to the masses.

Check out the rest of my Top 10 Favorite Shows in my next post, along with a few awards of my own.

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Fringe Shows

HFF16 – Day Eight (part 2)

The second half of the day began with my most anticipated show, Gilda: A Tribute to the Beloved Comedienne Gilda Radner.  Like many of you, I fondly remember Gilda and the greatness she brought to the founding cast of Saturday Night Live, including those amazing and memorable characters Judy Miller, Emily Litella, Baba Wawa and Roseanne Rosannadana.

Gilda

Helena K. Cosentino embodies the memory of Gilda and truly brings her back to life again in what is the most beautiful and loving tribute I have ever witnessed to a Hollywood icon.  In addition, she embodies the soul and spirit of Gilda by donating the proceeds from the show to the Cancer Support Community and Gilda’s Club of Kansas City in honor of Gilda.  You can also make donations by clicking here.

I was very fortunate to catch her final Fringe show before she heads home for the Kansas City Fringe Festival.  Hopefully she will share her gifts with us at the Zootown Fringe Festival in August.

My next show was Sexy Maus at the Studio portion of Sacred Fools Theatre.  It is wonderfully written and delightfully performed by Andrea Schell with superb directing from Wade Gasque.

SexyMaus

This show takes the audience on a thrilling trip around Europe as Schell tries to escape the real life hell of helping her parents by going on a whirlwind tour of some of Europe’s hot spots, all the while looking for love in all the trendy places.

Schell tells a very compelling story, complete with breathtaking slides documenting her trip.  Her storytelling is first rate, and kept the audience engaged throughout.

We recommend you take a little trip with the Sexy Maus, and live vicariously through her story.  Her final performance is scheduled for June 25 at 10 p.m.

My sixth show of the day was a special appearance by New York premier actor Khalil Mhammad who brought his new solo show Pryor Truth to the Fringe for a two day stint.

Pryor

Muhammad has crafted a finely tuned one-man show that felt just like a performance by the late comedian Richard Pryor.  His performance was spot on, from his vocal delivery to his constant sweat wiping and colorful language.  I felt like I was in the presence of greatness as I thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity I never had to hear Pryor live.  It was a fitting tribute to the man proclaimed as one of America’s greatest comedians.  The entire house became engrossed in the show and gave him a rousing ovation at the end.

Unfortunately this was his only appearance at HFF16, but we can only hope that Muhammad will return with another show in the future.

My final show for the night (and, as it turned out, HFF16) was Erica Flor’s provocative tale Bloody Beautiful. 

Beautiful woman with red tissue around her waist

The show centers around the story of one of the world’s most prolific serial killers, Countess Elizabeth Ba’thory, the Blood Countess from Hungary, who allegedly killed more than 650 young women between 1585 and 1610.

In her performance, the evil spirit of the Countess is seeking to take over the mind and body of Flor so that she can once again be free to kill.  While the concept is not new, Flor makes a valiant effort to show the constant struggle as she fights off the Countess’ attempts at possession.

While it was neither my favorite nor least favorite Fringe show, it was definitely memorable and compelled me to look up the story online to find out the rest of the gory details.  For that, I thank Flor for bringing such an interesting character to the Fringe.

Tomorrow I will post my HFF16 wrapup, which includes my top 10 favorite shows.  Until then, happy fringing.

 

 

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Fringe Shows

HFF16 – Day Eight (part 1)

Friday night had been my favorite night of fringing and I looked forward to my seven shows on Saturday to further what has become my favorite fringe experience yet.

My day started off with 30JJ or Bust in Studio C of the Complex Theatre.  The show was written and performed by Joan Afton and was developed and directed by Deana Barone.  In a word, it was magnificent.

30jj

Kudos to Afton for having the courage to tell this very personal story, and to Barone for helping develop both the story and the performer and bring them both to the Fringe Experience.  Our shared Renaissance Faire experience also contributed to my ability to connect to this show, and to Afton.

Go see the final performance on June 25 at 11:30 p.m.  It’s well worth your time.

Up next was Sticky Fingers.  Compiled from stories told by female shoplifters after they were caught, the show was wonderfully written by Terry Anne Holzman and directed by her husband, Ernie Holzman.  Its wonderful cast included Maya Ferrara, Sidney Aptaker, Hallie Mayer, Francine Daniels, Breon Gorman, Dionne Jones and one of the show’s producers, Fiona Lakeland.

Sticky

Hearing these stories from this fine cast of actresses was a true highlight of my HFF16 experience.  It was enlightening to hear their rationale for stealing, and especially to hear the story about the most famous shoplifter of all, Winona Ryder.  Lakeland’s portrayal of her was spot on, and one of the best performances of the show.

We highly recommend this play.  Catch its final performance on June 25 at 10 p.m. in the Dorie Theatre at the Complex.

My third show of the day, MetaFam, was coincidently also at the Complex in the Flight Theatre, and featured Barone (the director of 30JJ or Bust).

Metafam

Barone tells her story of growing up in a family that included a mentally ill sister, a sick brother, an adorable mother and a guru-like father.  These personalities all played a role in her development as an artist, and I believe shaped her to become a guru herself in allowing solo artists to bring their stories to the stage.  I just might have to work with her to bring my own story out.  But that’s a story for another day.

Barone did a great job of melding those stories into a true Fringe experience.  I was especially amazed at her ability to improv real-world issues like late arrivals into the fabric of the show without breaking character as she repeatedly shattered the illusionary fourth wall.

Metafam has one remaining performance on June 25 at 1:45.  We recommend you check it out and see for yourself the awesomeness that is Deana Barone.

More Fringe reviews to come in part 2.

 

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Fringe Shows

HFF16 – Day Seven (part 3)

The third show I attended on Friday was one that has been sold out the entire run of Fringe, A Whole Newd World – Cherry Tales at the Knock Shop, featuring the cabaresque stylings of Cherry Poppins Productions.

Newd

Created by the incredibly talented Alli Miller and Sarah Haworth, Cherry Poppins is so much more than just a burlesque troupe.  Every one of them are legitimate triple threats who can act, sing and dance.

Ali & Sarah

The show was wonderfully written and can best be described as an adult version of Into the Woods meets Disney on Broadway.  The multi-talented cast included Miller as Tinker Twat, Haworth as Lady Maleficience, Kelly Stevenson as Cherry Godmother, Heath Butler as Little RoHo, Rebecca Reaney as Evil YAS Queen, Brin Hamblin as Pocahottass, Megan Elise as Aerola, Madeleine Heil as Lady Reads a Lot, Tyler Olshansky as Lezmerelda, Taylor Baker as Hoe White, Shannon Glasgow as Purple Cat, Sabrina Moiseyev as Marachino Devile, Schoen Hodges as Prince Charming, Reagan Osbourne as Prince Not-so-Charming, Cory Robinson as Genie and Spencer Hayden as Russ Russ.

Cherries

There is not a weak moment in the show.  Every performer gave his or her all to the show, and made us believe in this magical place called the Knock Shop.  The featured songs gave these performers the chance to shine, and several of them truly knocked it out of the park, especially Hodges and Osbourne on “What Does the Fox Say.”

Come and see why this show is so popular .  . . and so damn good.  It was truly one of the best shows at HFF16, and the springboard to some of my best new fringeships.  Thanks so much to Miller and Haworth for making HFF16 my favorite year yet.

Although this show has ended its Fringe run, the ladies of Cherry Poppins can be seen every Wednesday night at Three Clubs, in addition to the remaining shows for Angels Flight on June 23 at 8:15 p.m. and June 25 at 8:30 p.m.

 

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Fringe Shows

HFF16 – Day Seven (part 2)

My fourth show of the day was Mad Lib the Musical and it was a rousing good time.  I wish that I had the time to see the entire show, as I had to slip out to go to Aliens vs. Musical, but what I saw was absolutely brilliant and amazing.

Madlib

I liken the show to a musical version of Whose Line is it Anyway? on steroids.  The concept is that the audience picks ten songs and three nouns to form the basis for the musical.   The cast then has five minutes to formulate the show based on those nouns and incorporating the songs.

The show features four regular cast members, Kate Bowman, Lauren Byrd, Nathan Ondracek and Mitchell Turner, plus two guest stars.  On this night those guest stars were Alli Miller from Whole Newd World and Angel’s Flight and Theresa Stroll from My Big Fat Blonde Musical.

I only got to see three songs, but the improv “script” was witty and fun.  The only drawback was the time it spent in setting up the show.  Had I not had another show coming up, it would have been a great way to close out another fun day of Fringe.  Catch one of its final two performances on June 24 or 25 at 10:30 p.m.

My final show for the night was one of last year’s hit shows, Alien vs. Musical.  From what I understand, this year’s show was longer than last year’s, and included additional material, including bits from West Side Story and Hamilton.

Alien

The show started off innocently enough in the land of Musical, where some of our favorite characters live in peace, including those from Grease, Wicked, Dreamgirls, Music Man, Hairspray, Book of Mormon, Les Miserables, and Annie, to name a few.  Speaking of Annie, Allie Costa turns in the performance of the decade in her role as Annie.  She gives the character true life and her song “There is no Tomorrow” is the highlight of the show.

The cast includes Levanna Atkinson-Williams as Effie, Christopher Bunyi as Danny, Nick Emmet McGee as Harold, Taylor Minckley as Elder, Ally Mulholland as Tracy, Matthew Noah as ValJean, Suzanne Petrela as Elphaba, Brad Simanski as Mark and Briane Sanborn as Maria.

Hats off to the creative team behind the show.  With book, music and lyrics by Erik Przytulski, book and creature design by Steve Troop and choreography by Regina Laughlin, and direction by Matthew Tyler and musical direction by Emily Cohn (who provides an interesting cameo with the Alien), the show appears to be on its way to its off-Broadway debut this fall.  It remains a fan favorite at Fringe and we’re sure it will do well in New York.

Catch one of its two remaining shows on June 23 at 8:30 p.m. or June 26 at 6 p.m.

I have saved my final review of the day until later.  Still waiting for additional information from the producer, but the show was one of the highlights of Fringe 2016.  I probably won’t get to work on it until I get back to Montana, along with my reviews of my Saturday (seven shows) and Sunday (two shows) experiences.  Until then, Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads and have a wonderful day Fringing.

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Fringe Shows

HFF16 – Day Seven (part 1)

Friday began innocently enough without any warning as to the Fringe incredibleness that was coming.  I spent the morning writing and relaxing before heading out to the Fringe for what I thought would be a normal night of great shows, with four of them planned for the evening.

Upon arrival at Three Clubs and looking at their line-up for the night, I shelved my previous plans and decided to catch all four of their shows and still be able to catch Alien vs. Musical afterwards.  That plan proved to be a wise idea.

The night began with the stellar performance of 50 Shades of Shakespeare.   The premise enticed me – two men, two women, doing Shakespeare’s sexiest scenes – but the twist was that the audience selected which actors would take which roles.  These guys KNEW their Shakespeare, inside and out, and delivered a stirring performance regardless of the role they played.

50 Shades

With a cast that included Kelly Nienaltowski, Jordan Mann, Noah James and Eddie Vona, under the superb direction of Jess Shoemaker, 50 Shades was a can’t miss production.  Their acting chops were put to the test and they responded with some of the best Shakespeare I have ever witnessed.  This is definitely one of the best shows at HFF16, and we highly recommend you catch one of their remaining performances on June 19 at 11 p.m. or June 20 at 8:30 p.m.

We’ll skip over the next show I attended and come back to it in Part 3 of this review.

Third on my plate for Friday was Black Widow Laughs, a show that I had intended to review on Sunday, but due to a change in plans, decided to check out on Friday.  The production team and the venue were very amenable to my request and took care of me, despite almost being sold out.

BWL

Vampire shows are always popular, and this one is even more so.  Nina Rose Carlin has crafted a great piece with an amazing cast featuring Wellesley Daniels, Cheyann Dillon, Savannah Gilmore, Lucy Keith and Darrin Luginski as a family of vampires who run a 1920’s speakeasy, and Charlie Haakenson, Greg Feiner and Carlin as their unwitting victims.

This production has the same kind of sexiness usually reserved for vampires of a more sparkly persuasion, and delivers a bloody good time for all.  Definitely check out of their remaining shows on June 19 at 9:15 p.m. or June 23 at 6:45 p.m.

The night continued in part 2, to be posted shortly.

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Fringe Shows

HFF16 – Day Six

Day 6 of the Hollywood Fringe Festival started with breakfast at a Burbank greasy spoon with another of my wonderful friends.  This time it was VK Lynne, the sultry songtress from LA rock band, The Spider Accomplice.  VK and I have been friends for more than 10 years, and I have watched her musical growth through a myriad of styles until she has finally reached the place where she truly belongs.  Not only is she an amazing songwriter and vocalist, but she is becoming a much sought-after model.  Definitely check out her band and her work.  What an amazing woman.  Breakfast was a hoot.

Since my first Fringe show wasn’t until 6:15, I had plenty of time to relax and write.  It does feel good to have some down time, especially with a hectic weekend fast approaching.

I was invited to see a musical about one of my favorite country artists, Mindy McCready, so I decided to watch the first act of Broadway Noir and then slip out during intermission and head to the Dragonfly to see McCready.  Unfortunately, Broadway started late and so I had to leave before it finished.  However, from what I saw, it was a fun show with a great cast, and I wish I could have seen the whole show.

Broadway

The music and show were wonderfully written by Dan Sugi, who also plays the piano for the performance, and directed by Julia Lisa.  Check out their final show on June 19 at 3:45 p.m.

Back to the Dragonfly for McCready.  The show was lovingly created and written by Jon Bernstein and Jennifer Blake and stars Blake as McCready.  The musical direction was by Brady Harris and Michael Ursu and overall direction by Robert Glen Decker.  The rest of the cast includes Zack Crosby, Robert Hardin, Craig Umhoefer and Ursu.

McCready

The frustrating thing about this show is the untapped potential.  The story is great, Blake has a wonderful voice and a true connection to McCready, but the overall production just didn’t jell.  It seems to me that the biggest issue with this show is a lack of confidence by the cast, with the exception of Blake and Hardin.  I think they have the talent, but need further work to bring it out.

If you love the McCready’s music, check out the show and let me know what you think.  The remaining schedule is June 21 at 7:30 p.m. and June 26 at 2:30 p.m.

By this time I was ready to be wowed as I headed back to Sacred Fools for the opening night performance of My Big Fat Blonde Musical (“MBFBM”) by Theatre Unleashed member Theresa Stroll.  Mission accomplished!

Blonde Musical

OMG!  Stoll has created a masterpiece about accepting one’s self without giving up on dreams and ambitions.  With the assistance of her fiance’ Bobby McGlynn, and under the superb direction of Jennifer Lynn Johnson, MBFBM delivers its message of positivity with both barrels.  You cannot help but be inspired by the story of Stoll’s struggles and her victory over them in reaching her goal of becoming an actress.  Her songs are catchy, her dialogue is witty and her portrayal of the people she encountered during this time is spot on.  I’m sure each of us have faced similar rivals in our quest to better ourselves and reach our goals and potential.

Kudos also to the multi-talented Lindsay Braverman for her wonderful choreography.  MBFBM is truly one of the premier shows at HFF16, and we highly recommend it, especially if you need a positive lift to raise your spirits and your outlook on life.  Don’t miss one of the remaining performances on June 20 at 6:30 p.m., June 23 at 11:30 p.m. or June 25 at 8:30 p.m.

I was really looking forward to my last show of the day, Live From the Grave, it’s John Belushi (“LFTGraveIJB”).   SNL seems to be a popular subject this year, with shows from Larraine Newman’s niece (Charlotte’s Shorts), as well as shows about Gilda Radner and Richard Pryor.  Needless to say, a story about Belushi was almost too incredible to imagine, and LFTGraveIJB more than lived up to the challenge.

JB

Jack Zullo has created a masterful tribute to one of Hollywood’s brightest stars.  Despite his death in 1982, Belushi continues to reign as a gifted writer and comic who helped launch SNL, and this show further added to that legacy.  Special kudos to Keith Saltojanes for his stirring portrayal of Dan Aykroyd.  His version of “Rubber Biscuit,” combined with his duet with Zullo on “Expressway” rocked like it was the original Blues Brothers on stage.  The packed house was on its feet by the end of the show, cementing the fact that this show is a winner.

Don’t miss the chance to see it.  Their remaining performances are June 25 at 6:30 p.m. and June 26 at 3 p.m. at the Three Clubs.

Afterwards I had a blast hanging in the bar with fringeships old and new, including David Haverty, Shannon Nelson, Brendan Hunt and Lauren Van Kurin, and got a t-shirt from Zullo.  You’ll see me wearing it around the Fringe on Saturday.

Happy fringing.

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Fringe Shows

HFF16 – Day Five

Wednesday was another beautiful day in Los Angeles which started off with a much needed visit to the home of my friend, Grammy winning musician Dave Yaden.  It was so relaxing to just sit in his backyard and catch up on his career, while enjoying the company of one of my oldest and dearest LA friends and his sweet son, Wolfie.  Wolfie (age 2), who I had never met before, came out and greeted me as soon as I arrived, and made me feel very loved and accepted.  Our time together could not have been more therapeutic, and set the tone for the rest of my day.

Not wanting to sit on the 5 Freeway, I decided to take the scenic route home and wandered through downtown LA via 7th Street, veering over to Wilshire and taking it west.  I took a detour and stopped at the La Brea Tar Pits for a bit before continuing my journey, and arrived at the world famous Johnnie’s Coffee Shop which had been converted into “Bernie’s” (i.e. Sanders) for the California primary.  From there I turned north towards Santa Monica Boulevard and then east to the Fringe, arriving just in time to be able to park for free on the street near Sacred Fools.

My first show of the night was Please Stand Clear, the Doors are Closing at the Lounge Theatre.  This one-man show was profound and funny as David Harper took us along on the Metro, introducing 12 amazing characters with a myriad of things to say.  My favorite was the Grim Reaper commuting to work, but the entire show is non-stop fun.  Christopher Game did a great job of directing this show which belongs on the “must attend’ list of all Fringe attendees.

Stand Clear

We are proud to recommend this show, which has two shows remaining on June 24 at 6 p.m. and June 26 at 11:55 a.m.

Next up was the latest from another of my favorite Fringe performers, John Grady.  I met John back at the first fringe when he was performing Dog Years at Theatre of NOTE.  His latest, The Old Woman, is a brilliant piece of theatre, and reinforces my belief that some of the best work in theatre comes from the Fringe.

Old Woman

There are actors and there are storytellers, and Grady is most definitely a storyteller.  His latest masterpiece is a loving look at his mother’s influence and her struggle with dementia, capped off with the most moving ballet I have ever seen.  The audience was packed with Fringe participants, past and present, including Alex Knox, Michael Shaw Fisher and Bill Ratner (one of the best storytellers of all time), and every one of them stared in wide-eyed amazement at this performance.  This is what Fringe is all about.

Do whatever you have to, but DON’T MISS the one remaining performance of The Old Woman on June 18 at 8 p.m. at the Lounge Theatre.  You’ll thank me for it later.

My final show for the evening was the virtually sold out performance of All the Best Killers are Librarians at the Sacred Fools Second Stage.  I had been looking forward to this show, which took home the trophy at Season 10 of the Serial Killers series at Sacred Fools.

Killers

The play had previously been performed as seven separate episodes of the Serial Killers competition, and Fringe was the first time that all the story was told in a single performance.   This may account for the show’s only flaw – pacing that was too slow and which took away from the comedy and humor of the show itself.

Despite the pacing issue, and some technical difficulties that all Fringe shows experience, the brilliant script by Bob DeRosa and the incredible cast, led by Lauren Van Kurin in the title role, with assistance from Eric Giancoli, Pete Caslavka, Jennifer C. DeRosa, Carrie Keranen (star of Lamprey), Mike Mahaffey and Monica Greene, saved the day and kept the packed house in stitches throughout.

Sacred Fools not only has a beautiful theatre complex, but their company of actors is top notch.  It has been a pleasure to attend shows in their spaces and to see the level of quality that epitomizes their shows.  Thank you Sacred Fools for your graciousness, your friendliness and for making this Montana writer feel like he never left the Fringe.

Catch one of the two remaining performances of Librarians on June 18 at 4 p.m. or June 25 at 3:30 p.m.

Happy fringing!!

 

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Fringe Shows

HFF16 – Day Four

Tuesday at the Fringe and not much was happening.  I only had two shows on my schedule and was looking at an early night, but things can change rapidly at the Fringe if you are willing to be flexible.

My first show of the day was 30:30:60 – A Competitive Birthday Event at Three Clubs, my first time at this venue this year.  Despite starting late (a violation of one of the Fringe’s cardinal rules), This was an improv show, actress and writer Anne Brashier did her best to adhere to the ending time, sacrificing some of her material to ensure the show ended on time.

30

The show was stimulating and fun.  Brashier portrayed a retired tennis star approaching her 30th birthday with a desire to accomplish 30 goals in 60 minutes.  The premise succeeded, in no small part due to the likability of the character and the humbleness with which Brashier embodied her.  She had the entire venue rooting for her success and willing to do just about anything to help her.

If you like improv, check out the show at her final performance on June 20 at 9:45 p.m.

I was scheduled to see Washed in the Blood next.  Unfortunately, I headed to the wrong venue, and could not get back in time.  One of my cardinal rules is to never enter a show after it has begun, so I headed over to Fringe Central instead.

As I thought about my other options for the night, I noticed that Bumpersticker the Musical would be starting shortly next door at the Dragonfly, and decided to see if I could crash the party.  Producer Michael R. Blaha was running the box office and was happy to let me in to the almost sold-out performance.  I was not prepared for what happened next.

Bumpersticker

Bumpersticker was an impressive musical featuring the songs of Gary Stockdale and Spencer Green.  Directed and choreographed by Michele Spears under the musical direction of David O, this politically charged piece was set during a massive traffic jam and featured songs about all the bumper stickers drivers are forced to view as they are held captive in their vehicles.

The songs were well written, but the brilliant cast, which featured Nadia Ahern, Jahmaul Bakare, Lamont Dozier, Jr. (son of Lamont Dozier, Sr,, who was one-third of Motown’s incredible songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland), Zachary Ford, Eliot Hochberg, Lauren Rubin, Jennifer Leigh Warren and Anne Yatco, brought them to life with their incredible voices.

Bumperstickers is a great piece of musical theatre that is this year’s hidden gem.  We strongly recommend the show, with remaining performances of June 18 at 2 p.m. and June 22 at 7:30 p.m.

After the show, I headed over to Butter’d Up, which is the renovated version of Room 5.  My friend Dave Yaden was playing jazz, and I wanted to check out the venue and see and hear this virtuoso of the keys.  Needless to say, it was an amazing night of music from Yaden and his band, with special guests Lio Nicol, Sean Hill and TJ Gibson.  There were also songs from Yaden’s business partner, Mike Rossi and Greta from Iceland, who will be a special guest next week.  It was also nice to see Justin Hopkins (The Voice) and Darwin Johnson (Colbie Cailat’s bassist) in the audience.  The event is free and open to the public every Tuesday night beginning at 10 p.m.  We highly recommend you spend some time at Super Tuesdays Live at the Butter’d Up.

DY Jazz

 

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Fringe Shows

HFF16 – Day Three

I survived my first weekend at Fringe with 10 shows under my belt.  Monday’s shows didn’t start until 5:30 p.m., so I had plenty of time to write, catch an In-n-out fix, visit the old hood in Los Feliz, and talk to friends about getting together while I’m in Los Angeles.

The theme of the day was definitely comedy and I laughed at these shows more than I have laughed in a long time.  The first of them, How to be a Virgin (in 12 Morally Ambiguous Steps) started my day off right with some of the best lines and deliveries I have seen at Fringe.  Studio C was packed, and the audience anxiously awaited the start of this autobiographical story from six-time playwright Carla Neuss.

Virgin

This show is proof that the Fringe system works, and it is perfect for this environment.  Not only is it wonderfully written, it is brilliantly directed by Payden Ackerman and lovingly performed by two comic geniuses, Katelyn Schiller in the title role and Josh Bross providing all the support she needs.

Fourth wall be damned – Schiller interacted with the audience and broke down all their barriers while delivering such a believable and memorable performance that some of the audience members thought the story was hers.

This was probably one of the best hours I have ever spent at Fringe, and I highly recommend this show.  Remaining performances are scheduled for June 18 at 11 p.m. and June 25 at 7 p.m.  Don’t miss it.

Next up was a play that debuted as part of the Serial Killer series at Sacred Fools, Lamprey:  Weekend of Vengeance.  Heads were constantly turning on the shoulders of this packed house as this tightly paced dramedy steamrolled from one hilarious scene to the next, with dialogue delivered at lightning speed.  The audience hardly had time to breathe as the play unfolded and we were all rooting for Lamprey to discover the perpetrator of the crime.

lamprey

This show was written by the uber-talented Peter Fluet and perfectly directed and produced by Victor Isaac with an amazing assist from Scott Golden.  Carrie Keranen in the lead role is pure dynamite, and her supporting cast of Pete Caslavka, Maya Imani Estephanos, Fluet, Amanda Blake Davis, Glenn Stanton, Derek Mehn, Dana DeRuyck, Marshall Givens and CJ Merriman all turned in stellar performances.

This show is what Fringe is all about, and is mega-highly recommended for all those who want to spend a solid hour in the presence of theatrical greatness.  Be sure to catch one of their remaining performances on June 18 at 2 p.m., June 20 at 7 p.m. or June 24 at 11 p.m.

I had a two and a half hour wait until my final show of the night, so I spent it at Fringe Central hanging out with the cast of Virgin, as well as Fringe staffer Meghan McCauley before heading back down to Sacred Fools for The Toxic Avenger Musical.

Toxic

This show is one of those rare Fringe events – a fully staged off-Broadway musical that chooses to return to the Fringe, and boy are we glad it did.  With music and lyrics by David Bryan and book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro, and near perfect direction by Janet Miller and musical direction by Corey Hirsch, Toxic Avenger delivers.

With only a five-member cast that included Jared Reed in the title role, Kim Dalton as the blind librarian Sarah, and a supporting cast of Shirley Anne Hatton, Wesley Tunison and Danny Fetter, the production never takes itself seriously, creating many fun “insider” moments for an audience that was totally invested in the show.

The only thing that marred this great show was the technical issues with the sound, but the cast rose above it and gave their all to entertain the crowd.  Huge kudos to both Dalton and Hatton for going above and beyond in providing award-winning performances.

Even for those who have never seen the Toxic Avenger movie, the show is campy fun and enjoyable for all.  Don’t miss the chance to catch one of their remaining performances on June 15 at 11 p.m., June 16 at 7 p.m., June 18 at 6 p.m., June 22 at 10 p.m., June 24 at 8 p.m., June 25 at 5 p.m. or June 26 at 1 p.m.  You won’t regret the decision to invest two hours in this fun romp.

Happy Fringing!