Tag: Met Again

Categories
Awards Hollywood Fringe Festival Theatre Women in Entertainment

Top ten shows at HFF 18 and Indie Voice Awards for Theatre

The 9th Annual Hollywood Fringe Festival has been put to bed (with the exception of those shows selected for encores) and we are safely back in Montana, so it is time to reveal our favorite shows of HFF18, as well as our winners for the Indie Voice Awards for Theatre.  You can find the “official” list of winners that were handed out on June 24 here.

We saw a total of 46 shows during the 13 days we were at Fringe.  So many of them were great, and we wish we could give credit to more, but here are our favorites.

TOP TEN SHOWS

10.  Met Again.  Once again, Theatre Unleashed delivered a breathtaking drama of infinite worth.  The duo of Julia Plostnieks and Michael Lutheran were stunning in their portrayal of a loving couple who had ups and downs during their lives.  This one left us with tears in our eyes.

9.  Blind Spots.  This was the only show we saw at the beautiful Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre, and it was definitely worth the trip.  The show was female written with an entire cast of females, and they demonstrated by their amazing performances that they are definitely forces to be reckoned with.

8.  The Parisian Dream.  Cabaret Versatile is the master at creating interesting shows, and this amazing French Cabaret was definitely one of their best.  It was told through mime, skits, song and dance, and it represented the historic Assistance League Playhouse well.

7.  With my Eyes Shut.  Esther Mira led a strong cast and told the story of two people with Asperger’s Syndrome who were learning how to function in life.  Through incredible dancing, music and physical theatre, they told the story as lovingly as they could, and made us proud to be part of HFF18.

6.  SQUIRREL!!  Jessica Lynn Johnson directed and Sarah Rose Reynolds delivered a stunning and revealing story of dealing with ADHD.  Reynolds even wowed us with her singing abilities, on top of her hilarious telling of her life story.

5.  Stripped.  Another great Johnson directed show featuring Julia Cavanaugh as the exotic dancer with a heart of gold.  Like Reynolds, she has an excellent singing voice, and totally tugged at our heart strings as she told the story of her life.

4.  The Word.  Victor Isaac is a comic genius and he puts it all on display in this comedic romp through the discovery of how to forgive yourself.  This one truly deserved its Fringe recognition.

3.  Doctor Nympho vs. The Sex Zombies.  The triumphant return of the Michael Shaw Fisher rock musical claimed three Fringe Awards, and was truly one of the highlights of HFF18.  Just seeing the entire cast safely navigate the small stage at Three Clubs was an event worthy of recognition.

2.  Play On!  A one-woman musical event, Laura Jo Trexler stole our hearts and our ears with these amazing original songs about the heroines of Shakespeare.  She also showed her stage presence and skills as she brought the songs to life, with nothing but herself and a grand piano.

1. The Women of Lockerbie.  We think it is a travesty that this show was not even nominated for a single award at Fringe.  This amazing cast brought the story of Pan Am Flight 103 to life by showing its effect not just on the passengers but those in the town of Lockerbie, Scotland as well.

INDIE VOICE AWARDS FOR THEATER

We agreed with some of the awards given out by the community, but not all of them, so here are the shows we would have given awards to:

In addition, we would also award these shows:

What were your favorites?  We would love to know.

Categories
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.

 

 

Categories
Hollywood Fringe Festival Theatre

Ten most anticipated shows at HFF18

We can hardly believe that it’s time again to head down to Los Angeles for the ninth annual Hollywood Fringe Festival.  Out of the 380 available shows, we have chosen 51 to attend, including about 15 we are screening for our annual Larry Cornwall Award for Musical Excellence.  Here are the ten shows we are most excited about.  We are including links to their pages as well as the name of the venue.

10.  Earworm (McCadden Theatre) – We love the premise of this show and think it could be fun.  They are also up for the Larry Cornwall Award.

9.  Sex and the Musical (Three Clubs).  Laura Wiley brought us the incredibly fun Buffy kills Edward last year and we can’t wait to see what she does with this one, a prequel to the beloved Sex and the City show from HBO.

8,  With my Eyes Shut (Studio/Stage).  One of our favorite actresses from last year was Esther Mira.  She’s back with a new show, and it’s also being considered for the Larry Cornwall Award.

7.  Wild at Hart (The Lounge).  Solo shows are always a big hit for us at Fringe, and no one directs them better than Jessica Lynn Johnson.  This one should be great and it’s up for a Larry Cornwall Award as well.

6.  Sam Shaber:  Lie, Death & Duran Duran (The Complex).  Who doesn’t love the music of Duran Duran?  We are definitely intrigued by this one and it’s also being considered for the Larry Cornwall Award.

5.  Met Again (Studio/Stage).  A tender love story, and it’s a Theatre Unleashed show.  What more do we need to say?

4.  Stripped (The Broadwater).  Fringe gives us the chance to check out the taboo, and to see it from different viewpoints.  This one should be interesting to view, and it’s up for a Larry Cornwall Award as well.

3.  A Very Die Hard Christmas (Studio/Stage).  Living in Montana, we have missed this holiday show from Theatre Unleashed for the past three years.  We are true Die Hard fans and can’t wait to see this production.  Besides, who doesn’t want to see Jim Martyka as a villain?  This one is also being considered for the Larry Cornwall Award.

2.  Doctor Nympho vs. The Sex Zombies (Three Clubs).  Three words sum up this one – Michael Shaw Fisher!  This is the first Orgasmico musical since 2013’s Exorcistic, and he’s doing it in conjunction with one of the hottest companies at Fringe – Cherry Poppins.  What can go wrong?

1,  The Craftlesque (Three Clubs).  This is another show that we have missed being in Montana.  Alli Miller and Sarah Haworth Hodges and their Cherry Poppins ladies are sure to make this one great.

We’ll see you in Los Angeles Monday night.  This is gonna be epic!