Tag: Hollywood Fringe Festival

Categories
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.

 

Categories
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.

Categories
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.

Categories
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!!

 

Categories
Fringe Shows

HFF16 – Day Two (part 2)

One of the beauties of Fringe is the ability to change your schedule on a whim.  That occurred when I ran into an old fringeship, Kat Primeau, while walking between venues.  I noticed that she was dressed in what appeared to be a costume, and she told me that she and her troupe, Robot Teammate & the Accidental Party, were doing a show at the Sacred Fools Main Stage called Thug Tunnel.

Thug

Thug Tunnel is this year’s Doomsday Cabaret.  It is well written and directed and has an extremely talented cast that sells the story of a time when the only place you can live is underground.

Primeau, Chris Bramante and Dave Reynolds lead the brilliant cast, turning in fine performances along the way.  The packed house audience was totally engaged and invested in the show, and the energy from each side of the stage fed the overall atmosphere, creating an electrifying good time.

If you like rock music, an interesting story and a good crowd, then Thug Tunnel should definitely be on your radar.  Don’t miss what is sure to become a Fringe legend.  The remaining performances are scheduled for June 17 at 7:30 p.m., June 18 at 4:30 p.m., June 19 at 9:30 p.m. and June 20 at 11 p.m.

From the world of rock music and tunnel dwelling I was next transported to Happy Hour, a truly original combination of acting, live music and movement.  The show features part of the Venice Symphony Orchestra (“VSO”), led by Wesley Flowers, providing the live soundtrack for the show.  The show is brilliantly directed by Elitia Daniels in her directorial debut.

Happy Hour

The cast turned in great performances.  Besides their acting chops, they were also called upon to do multiple dance movements during the times when VSO was performing.  Those movements were so well choreographed that they appeared natural and integral to the storyline.

If you’re looking for a unique Fringe experience, then Happy Hour is definitely the show for you.  Catch one of the remaining performances on June 18 at 5 p.m. or June 24 at 11:55 p.m.  This show is guaranteed to entertain you and is highly recommended as part of your Fringe experience.

My last show for the night was Suddenly Split & Swiping Over at the Asylum @ Studio C portion of the Complex Theatre.  The show is brilliantly written and produced by Tracy Held Potter and directed by Katherine Vondy.  Although the show stars Susan-Kate Heaney, I was treated to a delectable performance by her understudy, Angela Jaymes.

Suddenly

Through multiple characterizations (Kelly, her best friend, her mom, her therapist and several others), the show tells the story of a young lady, recently split from her boyfriend of 9+ years and thrust into a new single existence which includes hook-up apps and constant advice from well meaning friends and family.

Jaymes does a great job stepping into the role, although the pacing could have been a little tighter.  Overall, it was an interesting and entertaining tale which was well told.

Jaymes will appear in the performance on June 26 at 8:30 p.m. while Heaney will do the other performances, scheduled for June 19 at 2:30 p.m., June 23 at 10:30 p.m. and June 25 at 2:30 p.m.

Happy Fringing!

 

Categories
Reviews

HFF16 – Day Two (part 1)

Day 2 of the 2016 Hollywood Fringe Festival began with A Feast of Snacks, the latest production from one of the Fringe’s best groups, Theatre Unleashed.  This year the group is using the Lounge Theater as their base of operation, and the place was packed and filled with anticipation as we chatted with one another and eagerly awaited the show.  On top of that, it was the birthday of their Director of Development, Jim Martyka.

The show is a smorgasbord of musical delights but calling them “snacks” is like calling a filet mignon a Big Mac.  Every one of these mini-musicals could have stood on their own, and getting all four was like being at an all-you-can-eat buffet in Vegas after winning the jackpot on one spin.

Michael Gordon Shapiro has written not one but four masterpieces that kept this writer laughing with glee and totally enthralled, and 75 minutes flew by in the blink of an eye.

Snacks

Beginning with the first segment, “The Charmed Life,” which featured Heather Lake in the lead role, the cast hits the stage like gangbusters, and never lets up.  Every member showed the multi-facets of their talents in both starring and supporting roles.  Lake once again showed the audience why we all clamor to hear her voice and laugh at her comedic performances.  She truly has a gift for making the absurd believable.

The second segment,”Climb the Smallest Mountain,” featured David Foy Bauer in the lead role, with a scene-stealing assist from the birthday boy himself, Martyka. combined elements of Karate Kid with Happy Gilmore to create a wonderful show.

The third segment, “The Escape Artist” was making its World Premier at the Fringe, and introduced to us the brilliance that is Graydon Schlichter, a delightful con man trying to get out of jury duty, until he comes across an equally gifted con woman (Lindsay Braverman) who is doing the same thing.

Last but surely not least was “HMS Headwind,” which also featured Schlichter as the captain of the ship which was pursuing the pirate vessel commanded by Black Abigail (Sammy Lappin).  This was my favorite portion of the show, and it was the perfect way to cap it off.

Hats off to Managing Director Greg Crafts and his lovely bride Jenn Scuderi Crafts (Artistic Director and Feast Stage Manager) for his leadership of Theatre Unleashed that allows them to consistently deliver some of the best entertainment during the Fringe.  Kudos also to every member of the cast (Braverman, Bauer, Margaret Glaccum. Lauren Holiday, Lake, Lappin, Mark Lopez, Carey Matthews, Matthew Martin, Martyka and Schlichter) for doing what they do best – entertain.

Feast continues on June 19 at 10 p.m., June 24 at 8 p.m. and June 25 at 11:55 a.m.  Don’t miss it!

As wonderful as Feast was, my second show, Chemistry, brought me back to earth with a serious show about mental illness, which told the story of what happens when a depressed girl and a manic boy fall in love.

Chemistry

Written by the brilliant Jacob Marx Rice, Chemistry educates its audience with a rapid fire dialogue and performances by two very gifted actors, Autumn Bruewer and Colin Conrad, who turned in very believable representations of individuals facing the trappings of mental illness.

The beauty of Fringe is that you can be entertained and you can be educated at the same time.  For that reason alone, we highly recommend Chemistry.  Although the material is dark and serious, it is a truly timely and necessary piece of art that must be experienced.

Chemistry has two more performances on June 16 at 8:30 p.m. and June 18 at 3 p.m.  It is well worth the price of admission for the real-world education you will receive from viewing this show.

My third show of the day, Sex, Nudity, and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction was the dramatic equivalent of Feast, with five short plays by members of The Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights.

Sex Nudity

All five plays were brilliantly written and performed, and covered topics including gay rights, wounded veteran issues, sexuality in the deep south, and being single.  Every member of the cast turned in believable performances that kept the audience engaged.  I was especially enthralled by the fourth story about two sisters who were running a small town café.  I won’t give away the shocking ending, but it alone is worth the price of admission.

Definitely check out this show at Fringe.  You can catch it on June 18 at 11 p.m. or June 25 at 2:30 p.m. at Asylum @ 6470 within the Complex Theatre on Santa Monica Boulevard.

The remainder of my Sunday shows will be covered in my next post.

Categories
Fringe Shows

HFF16 – The Journey Begins (part 2)

My first show for the day was Tell me on a Sunday at the Black Box portion of the new Sacred Fools Theater.  The location previously housed Theatre Asylum, as well as the Elephant and Lillian Theatres.

Tell Me

Tell me could not have been a better start to my HFF16 experience.  It was a one-woman musical told without any dialog.  The music was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Don Block, under the direction of Calvin Remsberg and the musical direction of Richard Berent.  But what truly set this musical apart was Shannon Nelson, the dynamo behind this musical gem.

Without the use of any spoken dialogue, Nelson told us a story of love and relationship, entirely in song and through her amazing acting chops.  Her performance left no doubt of the story line, or who was the true victor in this all too common story of love found and lost.

We highly recommend this show, with remaining performances on June 15 at 9 p.m., June 19 at 11 p.m., and June 20 at 10 p.m.

Next up was Tilt, one of the ten shows in my article Ten Shows I’m Looking Forward to at the 2016 Hollywood Fringe Festival.  The cast of Tilt contained two of my favorite Fringe actors, Ben Moroski and Michael Shaw Fisher, and was directed by Nick Massouh.

Tilt

Previous to this production, Moroski has been considered a brilliant storyteller with two award-winning solo shows, while Fisher was considered a musical theater genius of three award-winning musicals and one winner of a solo show.

Needless to say, the energy in this show was palpable, and never lets up from the opening to the closing scenes.  Fisher’s commanding stage presence, and the kinetic energy of Moroski combine to light up the stage.  The dialog is witty and the chemistry between these two giants of the Fringe is worth the price of admission alone.

This is definitely a show that must be experienced.  Remaining performances are scheduled for June 17 at 10 p.m., June 18 at 5:30 p.m., June 24 at 9:30 p.m. and June 15 at 5:30 p.m.  The performances are on the Second Stage portion of Sacred Fools.

My third show was The Rogues Gallery, performed in the Studio portion of Sacred Fools.  It is a fast-moving, campy and comedic one-woman show written and performed by New Orleans’ own original classy broad, Alison Logan.

Rogues

Logan puts four of her previous ex-boyfriends “on trial’ as she explains why they should all be convicted of roguish behavior, separated by song and dance numbers featuring the smoky and powerful pipes of Logan.  The show also includes great audience participation, including a hilarious version of the Village People’s classic anthem, YMCA.

This show is too much fun to miss, and only has one remaining performance at 10 p.m. on Sunday.  Don’t miss it.

At this point, I took a musical interlude to attend the amazing performance of my friends Shannon Hurley and Ben Eisen’s duo, Lovers & Poets, held at the newly opened Second Stage portion of the world-famous Hotel Café.  The show was further proof that Lovers & Poets are becoming a force in the LA indie music scene.  They did not disappoint and kept the small but mighty audience enthralled during the set.  Were Freddy and Francine not celebrating their CD release on the main stage, I’m sure the venue would have been packed.

After spending some time with fringeships David Haverty,  Meghan McCauley, Leigh Neeves, Jeffrey Wylie and others at Fringe Central, I headed over to my final show of the night, Charlotte’s Shorts, held at the Actor’s Company theater on Formosa.  The show features the short stories of the incredibly talented Charlotte Dean, daughter of my friend Tracy Newman, as read and performed by some of Hollywood’s rising talents, including Anastacia McPherson, Lisa Schurga, H. Michael Croner, Hannah Einbinder (daughter of Tracy’s sister, SNL alum Larraine Newman), Lynne Stewart, Navaris Darson and Jordan Black.

Charlotte

Unlike anything I have ever experienced at the Fringe, this show was fun, witty, and non-stop hilarious.  Not only did it showcase Dean’s talents as a writer, but it also showed Hollywood what type of talent is waiting in the wings for their big breaks.  This was indeed one of the best Fringe shows I have ever seen in my six years of covering the Festival.

Indie Voice Blog is proud to highly recommend this show.  Don’t miss one of their remaining performances scheduled for June 17 at 8:30 p.m., June 19 at 5:30 p.m. or June 26 at 3:30 p.m.  With a revolving pool of talent, every show will be different, so why not catch them all?

I closed out the night with a night cap at the Formosa Café with Dean, Newman and several members of the cast.  It was a wonderful ending to a perfect first day of Fringe.

Categories
Fringe Shows

HFF16 – The Journey Begins (part 1)

I left Missoula at 7 a.m. on Friday to begin my journey to the 2016 Hollywood Fringe Festival.  After fuel stops in Dillon, Montana and Plymouth, Utah, I ran into bumper-to-bumper traffic outside Ogden, Utah due to construction and a small brush fire.  I finally arrived in Salt Lake City about 3:30, where I met up with my old Riverside Community Theatre partner-in-crime, Erin Michael Finney.  He moved to SLC about 12 years ago, and we had not seen each other since.  We headed out for the Natural History Museum where he gave me a private tour of the amazing paleontology exhibits.  Afterwards, we headed over to the Sugar House section of town, where we had dinner at the Salt Lake Pizza and Pasta restaurant.  After a too short visit, I was back on the road towards Vegas around 7 p.m.

I arrived in Vegas just before midnight local time (having crossed over to Pacific time) where I was supposed to spend the night with a friend.  Unfortunately, our wires got crossed and the promise of a bed and some sleep failed to materialize.  I spent about an hour on Fremont Street, where I listened to the music of Spandex Nation (an 80’s hair band tribute act) and gambled a bit at the Golden Gate Casino.  With nowhere to stay for the night, I decided to just keep on driving, and got out of Vegas just before a massive rainstorm hit.

Having already driven more than 13 hours, I only made it as far as Baker, California before having to pull over and catch a couple hours of sleep.  I woke up about 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, just as the dawn was breaking.

My journey continued and I arrived at my AirBnB location in Burbank about 8 a.m.  My hostess, Sun, could not have been nicer.  I settled in for a few more hours sleep before making my way to my first day of the Fringe.

The Fringe is headquartered this year at the Dragonfly, a long-time musical venue located on Santa Monica Boulevard.  Since they did not open until 2 p.m. on the weekend, I stopped and chatted with several of my old fringeships (fringe friendships), include Monica Miklas at the Complex and Matt Quinn of Combined Artform aka Asylum.

Finally, 2 p.m. arrived and I headed over to Fringe Central to check in and receive my press credentials.  I had a wonderful chat with my old friend Ben Hill, the Executive Director of the Fringe, as well as with Lois, one of the bartenders at Bryan’s Bar, located within the venue.  Having secured my credentials, it was time to start Fringing.  Follow what happens next in my next post.

Categories
Fringe Shows

Ten shows I’m looking forward to at 2016 Hollywood Fringe Festival

I attended the first five Hollywood Fringe Festivals before missing last year.  I am very excited about attending this year’s event, and will arrive on Saturday, June 11.  I am currently scheduled to attend 29 shows, with time for a few more.  These are the 10 shows I can’t wait to see (in alphabetical order):

A Feast of Snacks – Theatre Unleashed has consistently put on some of the best productions at every Fringe.  This one contains four mini-musicals.  How do you top that?

A Horse with a View – I met Chris Piehler last year at the Zootown Fringe Festival and he blew me away with his show.  Looking forward to seeing what he has for us this year.

All the Best Killers are Librarians – Sacred Fools is legendary for putting on good theater.  Their serial killer series was one that I wanted to see had I been in LA.  Since they are offering a couple of them during the Fringe, they immediately went on my list.

Broadway Noir – This show came highly recommended from several of my friends at the Southern California Renaissance Pleasure Faire, so it had to be included.

Gilda:  A Tribute to the Beloved Comedienne Gilda Radner – Who doesn’t love Gilda Radner?  I was a big fan of the early years of SNL, and can’t wait to see this tribute to Gilda.

Lamprey:  Weekend of Vengence – Another play featured in the Sacred Fools Serial Killer series.

My Big Fat Blonde Musical – This one comes highly regarded by my friends at Theatre Unleashed.  Plus I love musicals.

The Old Woman – One of my favorite one person show writers is John Grady, and I have seen both of his past two Fringe shows.  His new one sounds like a touching tribute to his mother.

The Father, The Son and the Holy Sh!t – Shadley Grei impressed me with his last show, Marshall’s Law.  When I found out he was doing a solo show, it immediately went on my list.

Tilt – Two more of my favorite Fringe performers combine in what is sure to be another Fringe winner.  Ben Moroski, who brought us the solo winners This Vicious Minute and Wake, and Michael Shaw Fisher, who contributed Doomsday Cabaret, The Werewolves of Hollywood Boulevard and Shakespeare’s Last Night Out, should provide another one with their latest offering.  This is probably my most anticipated show

I will post reviews of these and all the other shows I attend here on Indie Voice Blog.  Follow my blog to get the latest reviews.  Just click on the link below.  Have a great time Fringing with us.

Categories
Women in Entertainment

Women in Entertainment: Katie Rubin, comedian, actress, healer

Good morning world – what a great weekend!  So happy to present this week’s Women in Entertainment article on my friend, Katie Rubin, an actress, writer, comedian and spiritual healer whom I met a couple of years ago at the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

Rubin has been a force on stage for many years.  She got her early education at Amherst College in Massachusetts before moving to the west coast to attend the University of California Davis, where she received her MFA in 2005.  During those early years, she also received training in New York City, as well as Los Angeles.  She has performed on stage in Los Angeles and Sacramento, appeared on A&E’s 100 Center Street and three indie films, as well as written and toured with four solo shows.

She toured her first comedic solo show Insides OUT! to venues across the country for eight years.  The show received a nine week Equity production at The Sacramento Theater Company from March through April 2006, as well as a four week run at the Foothill Theater Company in Nevada City.  The show has toured to over 100 events and venues.

Her second solo show Amazing and Sage was commissioned by Capital Stage Theater Company.  Her third solo endeavor My Spiritual Death, a Comedy Show! is currently touring the country, while her fourth show Everything, All at Once! is on commission with The Cell Theater in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  In fact, she was performing her third show when I met her at the Hollywood Fringe and convinced her to bring the show (originally called Why I Died, a Comedy!) to Missoula, Montana for the 2014 Zootown Fringe Festival.

Her first original piece PartyBoobyTrap was performed while she was an undergrad at Amherst College, while her second Avoiding Less Blue was performed at the 2000 New York Fringe Festival.  She also wrote two plays under commission of the UC Davis Department of Health, as well as a 10 person play for the Capital Stage’s annual fundraising event.

Among her multitude of acting roles are performances as Tanya in The North Plan, as Mrs. Daldry in The Next Room or The Vibrator Play, and as Wendy in Hunter Gatherers, all at the Capital Stage Theater in Sacramento, California; as Izzy in Rabbit Hole and as The Nurse in Wit at The B Street Theater; a double role as Mrs. Cratchit and the Ghost of Christmas Past in the Sacramento Theater Company production of A Christmas Carol and as Mayella in To Kill a Mockingbird; and as Mrs. Pennywise in Urinetown at the Foothill Theater.

What inspires Rubin?  “In terms of what inspired me to get started on this crazy path, it was the fact that I always had something to say and a strong desire to say it creatively, in characters, and on stages.  I am a Writer/Performer, which is to say- I have always had strong points of view about the world, big questions about existence and being alive, and an equally big need to talk about and explore them creatively.  I don’t know where those particular drives come from- I imagine it is the same for athletes and/or entreprenuers- that a strong need to do a seemingly strange, but ultimately inspiring thing arises and one either answers the call, or suffers at the hands of not having done so.  I know for msyelf when something wants to be created and I do not create it, my experience of being alive is painful- it’s like I’m living a lie or half-living.  It’s empty and vacant and unsatisfying.  Then again, in heeding the call, there are all kinds of other stressors and tensions- anxiety, fear, doubt, time and money pressures, social pressures, expectations, etc.  These, however can be managed.  But the life unlived, the words not said, cut much more deeply.  For me, anyway.  I think that is because each of us is here to contribute to the Communion of We, to the greater good, to mankind and its evolution.  And when we refuse or fail to do so, I think we suffer, and the purpose of that particular brand of suffering is to drive us forward.”

Rubin recently completed performing in the Capital Stage production of Mr. Burns, a Post Electric Play, and is currently performing in Of Kites and Kings at the Sacramento Theater.  In her own words, “Of Kites and Kings” is a new play by my dear friend Gary Wright, about the relationship between Ben Franklin and his son, William, told through the voice of the woman his son was set to marry, Polly.  After that, I will be directing a production of The Motherfucker With The Hat at Big Idea Theater.  And still after that, I’ll be writing a new solo piece with Kolt Run Productions in Sacramento, to be performed in June.”
To learn more about this amazing artistic genius, check out her website and Facebook page, follow her on Twitter and subscribe to her YouTube channel.