Sub-Total
2024 Audience Reviews
Member Reviews
The following reviews were submitted by Fringe Member: Michael Shaeffer
Company: Funk Haus Theater
Show: Interstella 5555: A Daft Punk Discovery
Venue: Barbara Barker Center for Dance
Step to This!
After taking in a number of plays with heavy content, this was the perfect game changer. A beautiful, graceful, energized troupe that left me recharged and grinning from ear to ear. The sound levels were perfect--loud and rockin' without dipping into the blaring or abrasive--and every dancer was clearly having so much fun. Treat yourself to this dancing playground, especially if you've ever found yourself tapping your toes to Daft Punk.
Company: Vulva Va-Voom & Company
Show: TransMasculine Cabaret, Starring Vulva Va-Voom
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre
A Fascinating Persona
Vulva takes full use of the Mixed Blood stage, alternating between a cabaret mic and a green-room mirror and dancing and singing their way in between. Their heartfelt cover of a certain David Bowie tune was a highlight for me, and the aria passages were angelically high and note perfect. The voiceovers and lip synching were a bit distracting and could benefit from some editing. Overall, I greatly enjoyed getting to know this performer better through their anecdotes, humor, struggles, and song.
Company: Mermaid Productions
Show: A Monster Scientist and a Tattooed Anarchist Walk into a Bar
Venue: The Comedy Corner - Underground
Navigating and Re-Defining a Midlife Crisis
Ariel is a trendsetter, not a follower. I enjoyed learning about how she overcame her struggles leading up to and through COVID. In this well-paced glimpse at her very personal growth, we get to hear about her rediscovering passion and purpose. As a storyteller, she is a rockstar, and her observations about reaching life's midpoint resonated with me. Wishing her all the happiness in the plans she has for the upcoming year.
Company: Vee Signorelli
Show: Love Lies a Bleeding
Venue: Strike Theater
A bloody good time!
Sexy, smart, and silly, this troupe takes advantage of the cozy stage at Strike and makes several successful stabs at the funny bone. I would like to see more companies breathe such life into other Shakespearean contemporaries like this one. As a Shakespeare enthusiast, I truly enjoyed the "messenger in disguise" motif played out in a script I had never read before. The chemistry, physical comedy, and squibs all clicked or burst, abundantly.
Company: Beta Fish Productions
Show: Welcome To The Food Chain
Venue: Strike Theater
Don't you monkey with the monkey.
From the moment I heard Daryl Hall and John Oates' "Maneater" in the preshow mix, I knew I was in for a treat. Rob explodes off the stage from the get-go in this chewy musical comedy. I wasn't sure what to expect, but when a crocodile began crooning and cavorting to the Brothers Gibb, I was hooked. As a former Alaskan, I appreciated the nod to Grizzly Man, and the show's concept was peppered with interesting and cautionary facts about how to better regard our fellow mammals. This Ranger Rick subscriber (of years gone by) highly approves.
Company: Mahmoud Hakima
Show: Two Bowls of Cereal and Some Bacon
Venue: Theatre in the Round
Finely Executed One-Man Show
I am thankful that Mahmoud has remounted his play from 2009. I missed the show back then, and this was the perfect ending to my first day of Fringe. Mahmoud deftly uses the space and blends childhood memories in touching, humorous, and often heartbreaking ways. The fantastic soundtrack helped segue from one moment to the next, and Mahmoud's performance is so sincere. The whole crowd was happy that they powered through to make a 10 pm show. Try to catch his moving performance at Theatre in the Round!
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Company: Ken Takata
Show: Musical Settings for Shakespeare
Venue: Theatre in the Round
Play On!
As a Shakespeare geek, I truly enjoyed the wide range of musical styles packed into this opening-night hour. The opening rouser, inspired by Macb***, was--hands-down--my favorite of the evening with polished vocals, tight instrumentation, and a groovy vibe for the Scottish play I hadn't considered before. Other favorites included a gentler take on the beastly Caliban from The Tempest and a gem inspired by Measure for Measure that brought back fond memories from when I did that show half a lifetime ago. This talented outfit will introduce new pieces every night of the Fringe, so I might even try to catch them again in the hopes of hearing a Titus Andronicus bossa nova. Fingers crossed!
Company: The Feral Theatre Company
Show: Mae West's The Drag
Venue: Theatre in the Round
Go West, Young Man!
This play has such good messages about being true to yourself and to those who mean the most to you. The modernized and condensed script works perfectly for the Fringe, and is there an award for best costuming? Because this show should get it. Fine, ensemble work--congratulations to the cast!
Company: Clevername Theatre
Show: The Peter Pan Cometh
Venue: Theatre in the Round
Darkly Comic Take on Neverland's Ne'er-do-wells
What a great way to kick off the Fringe. What this strong ensemble cast has done with these familiar childhood characters is brilliant, hypnotic, and tragic all at once. The way Peter regards Tink is heartbreaking. The physical pratfalls that Smee endures are impressive, and hearing Hook channel a rum-soaked Rip Torn is rich and convincing. The dialogue is smart. The timing and use of the stage space is top-notch, and the intertwining of the plot lines is finely crafted. Loved it. I had not read The Iceman Cometh before, but I did read a quick summary before the show, and that was all I needed to get the gist of Peter's return and where he was guiding the rest of the cast. If you like your humor on the dark side, pull up a chair already. Best wishes to the cast as they continue their tour.