Tag: Chambers Stevens

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Fringe Shows Hollywood Fringe Festival Reviews See it or Skip it

HFF19 Day 11 (part 1) – see it or skip it

Sunday was another amazing day of fringing.  Not only did I get to see five great shows, but also did my fourth performance of my solo show, surrounded by the love of a bunch of my fringeships, including my muse and best friend, Kimleigh Smith.  It was an amazing time I will never forget.  Here is part 1 of my reviews for Sunday.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Extraordinary

VENUE:  Asylum Studio C

REVIEW:  Chambers Stevens is one of the best playwrights to come out of the Hollywood Fringe Festival.  Since he first came to my attention with his Greasy Grimy Gopher Guts several years back, he has continued to perfect his craft, and Extraordinary is truly the cream of the crop.  Ashley McQueston is sheer perfection and makes us believe this fictional story is her own.  She is a truly gifted actress who has a bright future ahead, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.   I cannot give enough praise for her performance, the remarkable script she had to work with or the brilliant work of her young director, Jae Head.  This one is truly a “must see.”

RECOMMENDATION:  Definitely check out this amazing show.  She has one remaining performance on June 28 at 6 p.m.  Tickets are available on her Fringe project page.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Orangutan

VENUE:  The Broadwater (Black Box)

REVIEW:  My dear friend and Fringe veteran Ben Moroski practically begged me to see this show, and I am so glad I was able to squeeze it in.  Beginning with the amazing script by Troy Deutsch, the brilliant diretion of Tinks Lovelace and the Tony-worthy performance by Kristina Mueller, this show should win the Top of the Fringe award hands down.  It is truly thrilling to be totally engaged in a show from start to finish, and this show takes you on a roller coaster ride worthy of an amusement park.  Don’t miss this imaginative and highly entertaining show.

RECOMMENDATION:  Definitely check out this amazing show.  There are two remaining performances on June 27 at 9:30 p.m. and June 30 at noon.  Tickets are available on her Fringe project page.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Paper Trails

VENUE:  Asylum Studio C

REVIEW:  I have done administrative work all of my life, so this play intrigued me from the start.  The fact that they could present three complete plays in only 30 minutes was a major coup, and all three stories were truly relatable.  Hats off to Off the Page Productions, which has presented these three amazing stories:  Dear Diary, starring Helen Burak (writer/co-director and Dana) and Audra Leffingwell (young Dana); Egucchi, written by Isabelle Moreau and starring Amanda Noriko Newman (Isabelle); and Snow, written by CJ Hoke and starring Timothy Dvorak (Glenn) and Christine Weatherup (Lacey).

RECOMMENDATION:  Their final performance on June 29 at 9:30 p.m. is sold out, but definitely try to get on the waiting list.

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Fringe Shows Hollywood Fringe Festival Reviews See it or Skip it

HFF19 day 4 – see it or skip it

We hope everyone had a great Father’s Day.  It was another interesting day of Fringe.  We were able to take in one show before our performance and two shows afterward.  Thanks to everyone who came out for our show.  Here are our reviews of the three shows we saw.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Out of the Blue

VENUE:  LGBT Centre (Davidson Valentini Theater)

REVIEW:  This show was a pleasant surprise, thanks to the years of life experience Peter Massey brings to the stage.  While I’m not a huge believer in astrology, there was no doubt of its importance to Massey, as evidenced by the passion of his performance.  His storytelling was spot-on and he kept the audience entranced and engaged throughout.  We also appreciate his support of our show through the workshop he held immediately following the performance.  This show is one of the hidden gems of HFF19.

RECOMMENDATION:  This one is definitely worth your time, regardless of how you feel about astrology.  Remaining performances are June 21 at 8:30 p.m., June 23 at 6 p.m., June 27 at 8:30 p.m and June 29 at 4 p.m.  Tickets are available on his Fringe project page.

TITLE OF SHOW:  How I Became a Superhero

VENUE:  The Broadwater (Second Stage)

REVIEW:  John Patrick Daly has been stalking me this entire Fringe – we have seen quite a few shows together, and it was an honor to check out his show.  It paid homage to the MCU, complete with cartoon intros to each scene and a post-credits final scene.  The  show is hilarious in that it does not take itself too seriously.  Every cast member turned in amazing performances, making this one of the “must see” shows of HFF19, especially if you are a Marvel fan.  Not only that, it has what we think is the best flyer and poster.

RECOMMENDATION:  This one is truly must see, and will most definitely sell out.  Remaining performances are June 21 at 5 p.m. and June 29 at 10:30 p.m.  Tickets are available on their Fringe project page.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Acid Wash Love

VENUE:  The Complex (Dorie Theater)

REVIEW:  Chambers Stevens has done it again with this amazing story that would fit perfectly into the fall line-up of The CW.  Perfectly directed by Victoria Hoffman, this hilarious three-hander features the amazing talents of future Oscar winner Maitlyn Pezzo, along with Laurent Sayer and Bethany Nava.  It is a true ensemble piece, as the talents of all three were needed to pull it off.  The show even has its own Rocky Horror element, with cookies handed out to the audience that are eaten when the cast tells you to.  It was the perfect ending to the first weekend of Fringe.

RECOMMENDATION:  This one is definitely worth your time, and the treats were to die for.  Remaining performances are June 19 at 8:30 p.m., June 23 at 6:30 p.m. and June 28 at 8:30 p.m.  Tickets are available on their Fringe project page.

 

 

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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.