Tag: The Mayor’s Debate of Tranquility Nebraska

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Fringe Shows Hollywood Fringe Festival Reviews See it or Skip it

HFF19 day 2 (part 1) – see it or skip it

Day 2 of HFF19 was an interesting day that started off very promising before taking me on a roller coaster of an evening.  At least it ended up in the company of friends for a truly inspiring show.  Here are our reviews for Day 2.

TITLE OF SHOW:  The Mayor’s Debate of Tranquility, Nebraska

VENUE:  The Complex (Flight Theatre)

REVIEW:  If you’ve spent much time at the Fringe, then you’ve probably seen Jim Hanna in at least one show.  If you haven’t, then this is the show to see.  Not only is he part of the amazing cast, but he also wrote this masterpiece that mixes politics with the supernatural.  The magical cast of Hanna, Emily Dorsett, Kate Hellen and Lucie Beeby will whisk you away and provide a thought-provoking look at small town politics.  There is so much great humor in this show, and the chemistry of these four is palpable.  Suffice it to say that it stands as one of the best comedies at this year’s Fringe, and definitely worthy of your time and money.

RECOMMENDATION:  This is definitely a don’t miss show, so get your tickets before it sells out.  Remaining performances are June 22 at 8:30 p.m., June 23  at 12:30 p.m., June 26 at 6:30 p.m. and June 29 at 4 p.m.  Tickets are available on her Fringe project page.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Temple Tantrum

VENUE:  The Broadway (Second Stage)

REVIEW:  If you’ve seen my solo show Livin’ the Dream (a journalistic journey) or have spent much time with me at Fringe, then you know that Kimleigh Smith has been my inspiration and muse since 2010.  She has directed a very interesting story of survival from a cult that led to freedom for Nicole Steinwedell.  The show felt like Steinwedell was the poster child for ADHD, as she told her story in short bursts of non-stop energy.  Thank goodness she summarized it all during the final 10 minutes, because it was hard to keep up as she hopped from event to event in a truly non-linear approach.  She definitely kept her sold-out house intrigued and engaged, and for that alone she should be praised.  See it for  yourself and you’ll know what we mean.  Thanks for shedding light on this important story of triumph over emotional abuse.

RECOMMENDATION:  This one is truly worthy of your time.   Remaining performances are June 16 at 4 p.m., June 19  at 6:30 p.m., and June 22 at 1 p.m.  Tickets are available on her Fringe project page.

 

 

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Hollywood Fringe Festival Theatre

Most anticipated shows at HFF19

It’s time once again for our annual list of the shows we are most anticipating at the 10th annual Hollywood Fringe Festival.  Unlike past years, not only are we reviewing shows and screening shows for our Larry Cornwall Award for Musical Excellence, but I am also doing my first solo show.  Needless to say, this is going to be a very interesting Fringe.  Here is our list, in alphabetical order.

Come on Down (The Broadwater) – This one’s directed and written by Jeff Scot Carey, features Emily Clark, CJ Merriman AND Victor Isaac, and was part of Serial Killers at Sacred Fools – what more reasons do we need?  This one is going to be epic.

Crabbe & Goyle are Dead (Studio/Stage) – The Harry Potter legend continues at Fringe with this latest creation from Kitty Keim.  That’s reason enough to see it.

Hollywoodn’t (The Lounge) – This one tells the story of the Hollywood scene before women were allowed to speak up and say no.  It also features writer, performer and lyricist Lisa Verlo.  It’s also part of the amazing Soaring Solo community and is directed by Jessica Lynn Johnson.  Can’t wait for this one.

Klingon Tamburlaine (The Complex) – I am a huge Star Trek fan, and have always love the Klingons.  This one sounds like a sure-fire hit, and the dream show for every nerd at Fringe.

Pockets (The Broadwater) – If ever there was a “sure thing” at Fringe, it would be anything put on by Robot Teammate.  They have brought us the incredible Turbulence and Thug Tunnel and their creativity and musical abilities are among the best we’ve ever seen at Fringe.

Tattered Capes (Studio/Stage) – We think this may well be the best thing Theatre Unleashed has ever attempted.  Written by Greg Crafts and directed by Corey Lynn Howe, this show looks to take TU into uncharted territory, and we have every confidence it will be amazing.

The Duchess & the Stripper (The Lounge) – Every year we look for a historical play, and this one is our selection for HFF19.  It tells the story of the Duchess of Windsor and Blaze Starr, one of the most famous strippers of all time.  It’s also highly recommended by the Cherry Poppins crew.

The Mayor’s Debate of Tranquility, Nebraska (The Complex) – we have always been a huge fan of Jim Hanna, and his latest projects looks to be as close as we will come to an actual intelligent political discussion until next year.  We also love his marketing campaign.

Transference (The Broadwater) – This one features a pair of our favorite actresses in Esther Mira and Lisa K. Wyatt and is written and directed by the incomparable Jim Blanchette.  That adds up to an amazing time at the theater.

Wigfield (The Hudson) – Last year we almost missed out on the stunning Pamela Eberhardt show The Runaway Clone.  This year we’re jumping on the bandwagon and making her latest show required viewing.  Based on the amazing marketing campaign she has run, this one looks to be even better than last year’s Clone.

And there you have it.  We can’t wait for Fringe to begin, and already have 32 shows on our schedule, including all  of the above.  We’ll be publishing daily reviews, so keep it here for our See it or Skip it articles.