Encores at the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival

It's the last day of the Fringe Festival! We are going to see Edgar Allen and StrangeTalk today. The winners of the 8:30 Encore Slots have been announced. We are going to back to see Four Humors Does Every Show in the Fringe tonight, which was a favorite of my sixteen year-old son.

Here are some links and thoughts on the shows I have reviewed or seen in the last few days:

Illusion Theater:
Top Gun: The Musical Silly fun. You don't need to have seen the movie, but it helps to have been a child of the 80's. Here is my review.

Music Box:
Buckets and Tap Shoes (pictured above) is a great show to close out the Fringe with your entire family.  We never miss their show, and this year was no exception. This is a truly all ages show. Even the tiny tots in the audience were having a blast (A sensory warning: it is loud.) The Ausland Brothers are the Fringe's Midwestern Rhythm Kings.

New Century:
Four Humors Does Every Show in the Fringe: My review here. Loved it so much we are going back to see it.

Southern Theater:
Marie-Jeanne Valet Who Defeated La Bet Du Gevaudan: Here is my review.
 

Theatre in the Round:
Mainly Me Productions' Our American Assassin; or You Can't Handle the Booth! Here is my review.

Rarig Center Arena:
The Genealogy of Happenstance 
My review here.

Rarig Center Proscenium:
Hi! Hello! Namaste? We saw this yesterday and it is the happiest show in the Fringe. Another good choice for the whole family.

Rarig Center Thrust:
Fotis Canyon: A show that I absolutely loved and ran out of time to review. Funny and moving. If you haven't seen it, this would be my top pick tonight.

Thanks for Fringing!

Fringe Orphans 3: The Legends of Orphans' Gold at the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival

Fringe Orphans 3: The Legend of Orphans' Gold is playing at Theatre in the Round. Fringe Orphans is like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates of the Fringe Festival-you never know what you're gonna get. Each show rotates different performers doing skits, vignettes, and monologues. Originally, Fringe Orphans was populated by performers who didn't get a slot in the Fringe, but this year that doesn't seem to be the case.

Overall, this show isn't as strong as previous years. The highlights of the show I saw were a piece called "Non-Breeders" by Scot Moore and Victoria Pyan, an excellent monologue by Ariel Leaf, and a running gag through the show with a manic toddler called "Fit in This". But each show is different.

Cursed at the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival

Cursed, playing at the Huge Theater, is an adaptation of To Damascus, Part I by August Strindberg. I am not familiar with the source material, but it's a safe assumption that much is lost in this translation. The fifty minute time constraint is clearly a problem; there is no time to develop the characters as they move from from scene to scene. There is no chemistry between the two leads; the audience never sees the passion towards each other that they keep talking (and talking) about. Updating the play to the modern day doesn't work either.  Many of the plot details are unbelievable. Would a young modern day "trophy wife" invite her aging rock-star one-night stand over for a pot roast dinner with her husband the next day? Would the rock-star accept the invitation? Would a psychiatrist/psychologist type keep jars of brain tissue in his house and have his schizophrenic patient serving drinks at his dinner party? The situations are implausible. And in 2014, the weird little speech explaining "he's a good husband because he doesn't hit you" strikes a very sour note.

Jumpin' Jack Kerouac at the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival

In Jumpin' Jack Kerouac, at the Rarig Proscenium, choreographer Windy Bowlsby takes on the challenge of teaching a bunch of veteran Fringe writers to dance. The Fringe preview gave the impression that the show might be played for laughs, but the whole production was done with sincerity and commitment. The result is a show that is a celebration of the collaborative spirit of the Fringe Festival itself.

Jumpin' Jack Kerouac ends up being a show about getting out of your head and trying something new, with some pretty darn good dancing. John Heimbuch and Tim Uren's dance "Fathers/Sons" is one of the most genuinely moving moments of this year's Fringe.

Shakespeare Apocalypse: A New Musical at the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival: Blithe and Bonny and Baby Oil

What if you set out to make the quintessential Fringe show? You might start off with some Shakespeare. Maybe make it a musical! Add some pop-culture references and ghosts. And people in their underwear!

Shakespeare Apocalypse: A New Musical, playing at the Theatre in the Round, is a  jumble of everything you would put in the Stereotypical Fringe Show™. And the formula works for the most part. It's blithe and bonny and bawdy.

The story begins with actor Peter (Philip C. Matthews). Playing a small role in Hamlet at the Guthrie, he freaks out on stage and confesses he hates Shakespeare. His breakdown is recorded by an audience member and goes viral. People around the world are emboldened and turn on Shakespeare and the great writers of the world.  Then it just gets ridiculous. Shakespeare (Adam Rousar), Jane Austen (Lisa Bol), and Hemingway (Scot Moore) show up to defend themselves, in their underwear, glistening with baby oil. Bol is a comedic standout with her deadpan portrayal of Austen, and Moore lands the funniest line of the show.

The strength of the show is the original score by the composer/lyricist Keith Hovis. It has energetic original melodies. For all of the musical theater geeks, the orchestration is chock full of affectionate little Easter eggs, that lean heavily on the likes of Sondheim (particularly Into the Woods) and Rent.  I look forward to hearing more of his work in the future. I would have enjoyed the music more if the cast as a whole could consistently sing in tune. It was a problem that took me out of the show too often.

The show works very well at Theatre in the Round. Director/choreograper Ben Layne takes advantage of every nook and cranny of the stage. 




For musical theater aficionados, except  for out of tune singing
 

Reach at the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival

Reach, presented by Nautilus Music-Theater at the Rarig Xperimental, is a buffet of new music, sung by some of the Twin Cities' best singer-actors. I never miss the Nautilus collaborations at the Fringe. While I enjoy the frantic energy of the "fringier" musicals, it was nice to hear a show where intonation wasn't optional. Presented as an anthology of five vignettes, some pieces have a self-contained story and some are excerpts from a larger work. But all loosely share the universal theme of aspiration.

In East of the Sun, loosely adapted from the Norwegian folktale, Andrea Leap and JP Fitzgibbons are separated lovers. There was an audible sigh in the audience when Leap sang "and I will love you for evermore". And when Leap and Fitzgibbons joined their voices together it was glorious. Listed as an "exploratory sketch for a larger piece" in the program, I look forward to hearing more of composer Kurt Metzger's and writer Christina Ham's work.

The centerpiece of the show is Erin Duffy's very intimate and moving rendition of "Let Her Grow Old" by Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich. Duffy is a masterful storyteller, on par with many of the spoken-word artists that populate the Fringe. Interspersed with original text by Duffy and director Ben Krywosz telling the story of her mother's last months, she is heartbreaking.

The Genealogy of Happenstance at the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival

There are three chances left to see The Genealogy of Happenstance, an intimate one-person show by Allegra J. Lingo, including tonight (Tuesday) at 7:00 P.M. It is the story Allegra and her wife Amy's real-life journey to expand their family.

Lingo is a familiar face at the Fringe. Along with being the director of Audience and Volunteer Services, she is a longtime Fringe solo performer. I've seen most of her shows, and they always make me think and laugh. But this one made me cry. In a good way.

I am also a mother, a parent, and a wife, and I relate to the universal part of the story. Hearing Allegra, who is so good at words, give birth to a vocabulary about how she experienced this journey was inspiring.  Although part of the show is about how it feels to know her genetic material will not be passed on to her child, you can already see how Baby will definitely inherit her stories. And this made me happy.

This show deals with the universal through the specifics--as all great storytelling does.  Great First Chapter in your book of parenting. 

Marie Jeanne Valet Who Defeated La Bete Du Gevaudan at the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival

Marie Jeanne Valet Who Defeated La Bete Du Gevaudan, by Sandbox Theatre is playing at the Southern Theatre. I highly recommend it; there are three performances left including one tonight (Tuesday) at 5:30. Billed as "something different" this drama uses music, movement, puppetry, and storytelling to tell the tale of a town terrified of a mysterious monster devouring its citizens. Eerie and lush, Marie Jeanne is powerfully moving.

The Bother at the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival

The Bother, written, directed and performed by Rita Boersma, James Rone, and Jake Scott, is a complete and satisfying drama about a writer who thinks she's "losing her mind when she encounters the imaginary monster that terrified her as a child on a trip home as an adult." The writer, Bri, played by Rita Boersma, has made her career as a Young Adult writer. Her stories are based on that imaginary monster. But she is stuck, both personally and professionally. Is the monster real after all?

Something I really like about The Bother is that while two of the main characters are struggling with past trauma and questioning their sanity, the actor/creators never resort to stereotypes about mental illness. Instead, they take the time to develop authentic characters.

The suspense builds slowly, and the spookiness is balanced with some humor. (Someone should really start a Bread tribute band called Toast).

The Bother is playing at the Rarig Thrust.

Our American Assassin, or You Can't Handle the Booth! at the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival

Our American Assassin, or You Can't Handle the Booth!, presented by Mainly Me Productions story by Josh Carson and Andy Kraft is playing at the Theatre in the Round. Just a note-while many of Mainly Me productions are all ages shows, this one is not. There is a lot of profanity.  But the show is clearly marked ages 16 and up on the artists page.

The show is an irreverent, slapstick comedy that focuses on the assassination of Lincoln from the perspective of the most self-absorbed and inept trio of actors, played by Shanan Custer, Andy Kraft, and Josh Carson. The rapid-fire jokes and manic energy make for a very original and satisfying comedy.  Because it wouldn't be a Mainly Me production with out at least one 80's pop culture reference, pay attention to the old-timey Ken Burns style underscoring. The song choices are brilliant.

Top Gun: the Musical at the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival

What would the Fringe be without a silly, over-the-top movie musical spoof?  Top Gun: the Musical, which played to a sold-out audience at the Illusion, has barely any plot, a cheesy love story, and lots of eighties music. If you stop and analyze , you'll hate yourself for loving it. But isn't that the point of the movie too?

The show has a totally tubular eighties-influenced original score by Chad Dutton, and the book and lyrics are by Tim Wick. The energetic opening number "Gotta Get Into Top Gun" opens the show in a big way. The flirty banter between Maverick and Charlie and their corresponding meet-cute song cleverly  reference many songs from the eighties. The lyrics in the volleyball scene (bump, set, and then you spike) really, umm, hammer home the homoerotic subtext. Having three numbers in a row that focus on this one joke could take the audience deep into the danger zone (sorry, had to go there). But instead it flies into "Mel Brooks does Top Gun" territory.

The large cast of fighter jets and the men who fly them, piloted by Samuel Poppen as Maverick, sing, dance, and prance through all of the iconic scenes from the movie. Poppen captures Tom Cruise's ego and swagger. Dawn Krosnowski is equally charismatic as Charlie, Maverick's implausible love interest. Krosnowski's soft soprano is sometimes overpowered by the keyboard and lost in the Illusion's deep stage. Bringing her downstage to sing or giving her a body mike could help. This is the second show I've seen at the Illusion, and acoustics were a challenge in both shows.

The props and costumes are fantastic, and any descriptions would be too spoiler-y. And Windy Bowlsby's choreography is an indispensable part of the show. It captures and maintains the thrilling action of the movie.

One more note-if you really want to see this show reserve your ticket. I didn't guess it would sell-out. Fortunately I had reserved our tickets just in case because we were cutting it close by taking the train from the West bank to downtown to see this show.

Four Humors does Every Show at the Fringe at the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival

Four Humors Does Every Show at the Fringe, by Fringe perennials The Four Humors, snagged a last minute spot in the Festival after lingering on the wait list. Using the Fringe lottery ping-pong ball machine, they drew a number and proceeded to perform an improvised version of the the corresponding show. The "winner" at the show we saw was #35-Cursed, by Mark Rosenwinkel. Cursed, based on the play To Damascus, Part I by August Strindberg, describes itself as "a self-destructive artist runs off with a doctor's wife, embarking on a surreal and mysterious journey that tests the enduring power of love."

The Humors ran with the concept. Embracing the "surreal", they crafted a ridiculous story that had the audience roaring with laughter. Guest performer Jill Bernard as the director (each show will have a different performer in this role) dryly improvised running commentary and insights that the Humors incorporated into the story. He off-hand comment about originally wanting to use dogs in her show evolved into Brant Miller's portrayal of the lover/artist as a Dog-man. It was silly, and yet it retained an aura of "Strindberginess"-which made it even funnier. I'm looking forward to seeing the real "Cursed" later this week.

By the way, Four Humors, along with many other Fringe-involved artists, will be a part of the Southern's new Art Share program. It's a great way to see theater year-round and support local artists. Check it out!

The Adventures of Tapman at the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival

The Adventures of Tapman, by Chicago-based Tap Man Productions LLC, is a show for all ages, including younger children and their families. Tap Man (Tristan Bruns) fights an evil invisible guy and tries to impress the spunky Modern Marvel (Kate O'Hanlon) through dance. At first it was a lot of work to follow the details of the dialogue-heavy story. There are three characters in the show, but one of them is invisible. This makes it hard to follow the plot. The acoustics of the Illusion made it almost impossible to understand Tapman when he was speaking and tapping at the same time. Hopefully, the cast will make some adjustments for the remainder of the run.

All of these issues aside, the show is still fun. It hits its stride in the second half, when the focus shifts from a lot of talking to a lot of dancing. And the dancing is fantastic. Energetic, creative, and original, Bruns and O'Hanlon  are a joy to watch. Plus they are very welcoming to the children in attendance. They invited children on stage to take selfies and they had a little audience participation where they taught a young volunteer named Kira a dance. Tapman is a family-friendly addition to this year's festival.

"Amateur Hour" at the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival

The title Amateur Hour is a misnomer for the variety show playing at the Illusion Theater. There is nothing amateur about it.  Featuring a cast of  Fringe veterans, it has little bit of everything. Comic monologues, dance, improv, mime, poetry, whoopie cushions, go-go boots, haiku, Erik Satie, boxing for Jesus, and Michael Jackson's white glove. On paper, it sounds like one of Stefon's hottest nightclubs from Saturday Night Live. But at its core the show is a nostalgic look back on the beginnings of the cast.  It's funny, but it's poignant too.

Choreographer Adrienne English, with help from dancers Alarica Hassett, Julia Deetz, and Brittany Shrimpton, revisits her groovy 4 year-old self and shares the Laugh-In inspired dance of her childhood dreams. Ferrari McSpeedy (the team of Joe Bozic and Mike Fotis) do one of their old-school improv games with the audience. Mime Kirsten Stephens explains how as a girl she began performing at her church in Oklahoma. And then she acts out a vivid and intense interpretation of a Christian rock song called "The Champion". I had a somewhat similar religious upbringing, and the song itself creeps me out. But this was super cool.

The heart of the show comes in two separate monologues by Joshua Scrimshaw and Levi Weinhagen. Both are very funny, and very honest.  Long live the fart joke.

A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant at the 2014 Minnesota Fringe Festival: Who knew Xenu was adorable?

A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant, produced by The Catalysts and playing at the New Century Theater, is a satirical musical about Scientology. It's sharp and sweet. Performed in the style of an old-fashioned Sunday School pageant, an irony-free ensemble of seven young teenagers proclaim the origin story of L. Ron Hubbard and how he invented a religion. This "cult" musical (get it?) by Kyle Jarrow has a sleek book and breezy lyrics. The songs are instructive and repetitive in the manner of "Schoolhouse Rock". The tunes are still running through my head, 3 shows and seven hours later. I now know the difference between the reactive mind and the analytical mind, what an engram is, and the story of Xenu.

The strength of this production is its buoyant young cast, under the direction of Whitney Rhodes. They keep up with the rapid pace of the show.  One actor plays Hubbard, another portrays the pageant's angel/ narrator, and the rest of the cast rotate through a variety of characters-including Tom Cruise. (And no. Don't cry "spoiler". It's a satire about Scientology. Of course Tom Cruise makes an appearance).

And hats off to music director Jason Hanson for guiding them to sing in a healthy and natural way. Too often young singers are either taught to shout or they are over-miked. It's bad for their voices, and it's cloying to the audience. I would have preferred live accompaniment instead of a pre-recorded soundtrack.

The show is recommended for ages 7 and up. I would agree, as long as you explain what satire is before you go.